ITB Asia strengthens partnership with K.I.T Group to enhance 2015 Association conference programme8/1/2015
Singapore, 28 July 2015 – ITB Asia, the ‘Trade Show for the Asian Travel Market’, has announced it will continue its partnership with leading conference and association management company, K.I.T Group, expanding this year’s Association conference programme.
A series of sessions entitled ‘EAST Meetings WEST’ will focus on how European and International associations can optimize their activities and relationships within the Asia Pacific region, and include dedicated discussions focusing on key markets such as China and India. The K.I.T.conference will take place on 22 October 2015, the second day of the show, at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. “This educational business programme, designed especially for association executives and industry leaders, adds to ITB Asia’s strong conference line-up. This year’s speakers will discuss Asia’s unique association landscape, and provide advice on how organisers can enhance their own events to attract greater participation from the region.” said Katrina Leung, Executive Director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organisers of ITB Asia. The first session titled ‘The Multipolar Knowledge Society’ will focus on the internationalisation and regionalisation of the Association world with contributions from Alessandro Cortese, CEO of the European Society Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO), and Mohamed Mezghani, Deputy Secretary of the Union International de Transport Public (UITP). There will then be an in depth look at the growth of regional events in the association sector, case study presentations will be made by Josche Ouwerkerk, Manager of Conferences and Business Relations at the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and Professor Tan Huay Cheem, President, Asian Pacific Society of Interventional Cardiology (APSIC). “Our sessions are specifically designed for delegates looking to expand Asian involvement in their events, or to actually extend their events into the Asian market. Our timely and tailored content will allow attendees to garner insights into the vast opportunities of this diverse and expanding marketplace,” said Ben Hainsworth, Executive Director for Associations, K.I.T Group GmbH. The conference will also shine a spotlight on the prospects of two regional giants, China and India. Speakers will include Jennifer Salsbury, CEO of IMC Convention Solutions, formerly Director of Sales, International at the China National Convention Center (CNCC), Beijing and a senior representative of the World Toilet Organization (WTO) which held its global summit in New Delhi earlier this year. ITB Asia will have a strong line-up of conferences this year with a number of sessions already confirmed. These include partnerships with the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI), Centre for Aviation (CAPA), and DestinationElite. Attendees can expect to gain a comprehensive understanding on China’s booming outbound travel market, learn more about the latest change drivers that are essential to understanding the future of the aviation industry as well as trends in the premium travel and hospitality industry in Asia. ITB Asia is a partner event of TravelRave, a mega travel and tourism festival week organised by the Singapore. Last year’s show attracted close to 750 exhibitors from 76 countries, as well as 850 buyers from 62 countries. ITB Asia is a partner event of TravelRave, a mega travel and tourism festival week organised by the Singapore Tourism Board. For more information on ITB Asia 2015, visit www.itb-asia.com. Over recent years Kenya has hosted some of the biggest conferences and business convergences in Africa, welcoming delegates from all around the globe. This week Kenya’s International Convention Centre (KICC) is hosting a pre-global entrepreneurship Expo 2015. The Global Entrepreneur Summit, which Obama will be attending, is Africa’s largest startup event making use of all Kenya’s capital Nairobi, or the ‘green city in the sun’, has to offer.
It will be Obama’s first trip as President of the United States of America to Kenya. In addition to attending the event Obama will hold bilateral meetings and it is believed he may visit the birthplace of his father in western Kenya. The meetings industry remains one of the most buoyant sectors of the tourism industry in Kenya. Understanding the importance of MICE to the country, Kenya has developed a strategy to bridge the gap between itself (10% market share) and South Africa (35%) within the African market. Kenya will carry out a series of modernization and expansion of MICE facilities, including infrastructure improvement and development and technological advancement. 2017 targets an increase from 35,663 delegates (2012 rate) to 57,435, increasing the number of conferences (as measured by ICCA) from 29 to 44. This goal is currently on track with 38 conferences in 2013. 2014 figures are yet to be publically released. The beating heart of Kenya’s conference industry is the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC). The KICC has been and still is an icon and landmark for Kenya, and a premier meeting venue as the largest in the region. Located at the heart of the central business district of Nairobi, KICC has a good proximity to all major five-star hotels. In June this year - Cabinet Secretary of the Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism, Mrs Phyllis Kandie, said “Kenya is ranked the second best Business Conference Tourism destination in Africa after South Africa.” “She affirmed the Ministry’s resolve to become Africa’s top Conference attraction. She made the remarks while inaugurating a new board of members for Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), who were led by Mr Omingo Magara, the new board chairman. “Construction of a 15,000 capacity Bomas International Convention and Exhibition Centre (BICEC) in Langata Nairobi is underway. On completion, BICEC will be one of the three largest Conference facilities in Africa,” she said. In his speech, Mr Magara promised to take the challenge of ensuring that conference tourism becomes one of Kenya’s highest revenue generators. KICC CEO Fred Simiyu said he has a competent staff that will continue transforming KICC to one of Africa’s premier Meetings Incentives Conference Exhibitions (MICE) destinations. KICC collected Ksh800 million in revenues this year. Global meetings scheduled to be held at KICC this year include: the World Public Relations Forum in November 2015 that will be held for the first time in Africa and the World Trade Organization Conference in sub-Saharan Africa in December 2015. For further information on MICE in Kenya please visit: http://kicc.co.ke
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