21
NetWorkiNG
The rebranding of Hong Kong has begun in earnest in an
aggressive bid to maintain its lead as a premier Asian destination.
The nod came from the executive of the Hong Kong Tourism
Board as its market share came under attack and immediate
remedies were required.
Mr Anthony Lau (pictured, inset) who is HKTB's Executive
Director, helped launch the initiative, describing Hong Kong's
long experience in best-quality service, that has left little doubt
in the mind of this writer. "We are the Asia-Pacific hub and we
aim to incentivise MICE organisation, for example, by providing
event logistical support, improvements for entry, enrichment
programs, meet and greets and high level promotions," he said.
With nearby Shenzhen being groomed as another special region
alongside Hong Kong, the opportunities for MICE-related events
will almost double. Shenzhen is renowned for shopping at a
fraction of what you would pay in Australia and much cheaper
than Hong Kong itself. With the decline in world markets, and
the pressure to keep conferences in Australia, Hong Kong has
redoubled its efforts to present new ideas around a similar theme
of good service and value for price and a plethora of side events
to complement some outstanding MICE venues.
The HKTB's familiarisation tour thus included a snapshot of what
the region can deliver in cuisine, accommodation and touristic
sites, and Chinese antiquities. A vibrant expat community near
the island's peak offers a vast array of international restaurants,
frequented by locals and foreigners. But a visit to the Michelin-
rated Yung Kee restaurant, famous for its several levels of food
experiences (billionaires at the top floor), is a must for genuine
Chinese food with service par excellence. I chose the roast goose,
aged egg, and dim sum, a glimmer of the variety, colour and
hubbub, symbolic of Hong Kong's reputation for superb cuisine.
A highlight of the tour was a visit to the Chinese Opera near the
Jumbo Floating Restaurant, a famous landmark in Aberdeen.
Whilst there was singing in that almost contorted fashion so
peculiar to the Chinese theatre, there was an opportunity for
guests to take part in professional make-up and costumery,
which would be a wonderful way of introducing overseas MICE
participants to the local culture. Another side trip to Ocean Park
lacked the oomph and expectation of Australians yet such side
tours are vitally important for international locations, as Hong
Kong Disneyland attempts to draw even more crowds. Trips to
Victoria Peak, the famous Pawn restaurant, the street cultural
museum, the American Club and the Crown Wine Cellars,
underground tunnels, temples, pagodas, a raft of Anglo-Chinese
culture stretching back four hundred years, and journeys around
the harbour were simply marvellous.
You can expect good service anywhere in Hong Kong but in
the hotels they have gone an extra notch. Being at The Mira
on Nathan Road is an unforgettable experience this high tech
and polished hotel, part of the Miramar chain, has the latest
gadgets, for example, each room converges television, audio and
internet, with buttons to effortlessly move between systems in
the room, and an inside-outside-take-it-anywhere phone system
connects to the world network as well as your room. Their MICE
facilities and ballroom are dazzling with colour, utility and a
breathtaking vista overlooking a large manicured park, a little like
the famed garden of Versailles. The stylish conference rooms are
multifaceted, using mood lighting, full integrated media ops, and
again, service beyond what you have seen anywhere else.
Hong Kong should be considered for your next MICE event
because it offers value-added products, vitality and a burning
desire to succeed. In an effort to ramp up their market share they
have targeted additional funding of $150 million for promotions
in the high-potential markets and the setting up of a dedicated
MEHK office consisting of three teams for the MICE segment,
in concert with trade development and investment arms of Hong
Kong industry and tourism. It is a formula which is likely to keep
HK ahead of global competition with one-stop support to MICE
organisers. HK's image is reflected in its vitality, its safe-city
status, smooth-tracking immigration and no visa requirements,
a superior legal system, and tourism highlights that would keep
anyone going for a long time then there is China next door,
open and accessible as never before. n
Hong
Kong
KeePing PACe
Keith smiley,
international
Correspondent,
recently attended
a famil to hong
Kong courtesy of
the hong Kong
tourism Board.