Meeting News - May 5, 2008 - (Page 16)

International South Africa’s Safari Alternatives Incentive events in the country need not be animal affairs Cape Town, South Africa—South African incentive opportunities don’t end with elephant-back safaris, kayaking with black-footed penguins, cagediving with great white sharks, or one-on-one encounters with lion cubs or cheetahs. For attendees who crave adventure but aren’t keen on playing with nature’s beasts, there are options that spotlight the country’s beauty and indigenous character. Visitors can pursue the wine lands near Cape Town. Guests who sip their way through the Constantia Valley, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, and Wellington wine routes will enjoy world-class wines, many of which have the added allure of not being available in the U.S. The wines may be shipped back or hand-carried with certain customs restrictions; all attendees should try pinotage, a South African red with a taste all its own. Days at the vineyards can be followed by starry nights. The Southern Cross is a constellation few residents in North America have ever seen. “South Africa is the ideal spot for locating the renowned Southern Cross, and well-trained game rangers teach visitors how to find North using it as a guide,” said Belinda Lamprecht, general manager of Specialized Tours & Events, a Cape Town-based DMC. “When night falls over the bushveld, and the animal world sleeps, the night skies come alive with a spectacular dsplay… The absence of city lights and pollution makes for a breathtaking spectacle of stars.” Lamprecht cited the planetarium at Cape Town’s South African Museum, the Johannesburg Planetarium, the South African Astronomical Observatory near Sutherland, Karoo National Park, and Spreeufontein, a farm in Prince Albert, as some of the country’s best stargazing spots. A hot air balloon safari is also a memorable way for a group to get a bit closer to the heavens, as well as view the landscape and wildlife from a wicker basket high above. Bill Harrop’s “Original” Balloon Safaris has been flying guests around the Magalies River Valley outside Johannesburg since 1981. Before dawn, guests gather for Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com Study: It May Soon Be Prime Time in the Gulf Abu Dhabi, UAE—Research unveiled at the second annual Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings trade show April 8-10 reveals that corporations and organizations are bullish on Mideast meetings. The data, based on a survey conducted by GIBTM organizer Reed Travel Exhibitions and NPI Publishing, indicate that Dubai, Egypt, Morocco, and Abu Dhabi are the top destinations in the Mideast. In the survey of 288 corporations (from 10 industries), nonprofits, and thirdparty meeting buyers, three-quarters of them said they will hold a Mideast/Persian Gulf/North Africa event and expect to raise their number of events in the region within the next 12 months. In addition, 60 percent expect that the Mideast will be a prime region for their events by 2012, and 62 percent think that the region offers the most growth potential in the world. Dubai remains the most popular regional destination, but Abu Dhabi is increasing its market share, as well as Oman, according to the research results. Meanwhile, the study also asked buyers about determining factors in placing international events. Cost and accommodation quality remain the top two criteria, but availability of venues increased in importance, moving from the fifth to the third most important factor. That is followed by quality of service, but surprisingly, buyers are not placing big emphasis on meeting venue quality, as it fell from fourth to ninth on the criteria rankings. When it came down to the choice of hotel/meeting venue, location and price are the top determinants, followed by the facilities offered. Brand preference is last. H www.meetingnews.com Bill Harrop’s “Original” Balloon Safaris takes attendees high up. coffee and tea while staff inflates the balloons. They then depart for about an hour, flying quietly over the countryside. A home-cooked breakfast awaits attendees upon their return to base camp, and each guest is issued a “certificate for bravery,” which can be personalized for corporate groups. —Kinley Levack Hong Kong’s Convention Center Harbors Thoughts of Big Events Hong Kong—The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre is within a year of its scheduled March 2009 completion of a 215,000-sf addition that will take its total exhibition area to nearly 1 million sf. Construction on the three-level expansion is ongoing and designed not to interfere with convention business, which involved 3.3 million attendees from July to December last 16 MeetingNews May 5, 2008 year, said the HKCEC. The convention center opened in 1988 on Victoria Harbour and last underwent an expansion in 1997. Work on this latest expansion started in July 2006. The HKCEC is not the only one making moves in the bustling city, as Marriott has opened its first Courtyard by Marriott in Hong Kong. Though it has just one small meeting room, the 245-room property is centrally located along Victoria Harbour. Across the harbor in Kowloon, along commercial hub Nathan Road, Accor is set to open this month a 389-room property, its third in Hong Kong. Newly renovated and reflagged, Novotel Nathan Road is close to attractions such as world-class shopping, the Museum of Hong Kong History, and Avenue of the Stars—the city’s version of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, featuring the hand prints of movie icon Jackie Chan and others. http://www.meetingnews.com

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