Issue link: https://read.uberflip.com/i/708225
44 Jul-Aug 2016 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com their sharing of opinions and insights. Using this approach throughout each guest 'touchpoint', whether that be hotel and interior design, guest experience and service, or even our IHG Rewards Club loyalty programme, we help create this sense of 'Meaningful Membership', ensuring we are the brand consumers prefer, feel enthusiastic toward, and have a sense of pride 'belonging' to. In terms of distribution strategy, how will IHG drive brand retention and loyalty? We always encourage our guests to use Book Direct through our industry leading channels. Focusing on driving direct bookings through our own branded channels allows us to build guest loyalty, deliver more profitable revenue for our owners and strengthen our overall brand proposition. We actually recognised the importance of our channels early on. We were the first hotel company to introduce online bookings in 2001 and were the first hotel company to have booking apps on all mobile platforms. Today, we have 15 language websites and 13 language apps to cater to travellers from all over the world. When guests book directly with us, they benefit on a number of levels. First, they earn IHG Rewards Club points with every stay which can be used to redeem free nights, shop on our online catalogue, or get closer to achieving Elite status – all privileges travel sales cannot provide. Book Direct also ensures our guests are getting the best prices for their stays, while avoiding hidden booking fees. What are the significant expansion plans in IHG's portfolio that will target the MICE industry? Generally, we have a robust development pipeline across all our brands with over 250 hotels and resorts planned across Asia, Middle East and planned globally for the brand. Our luxury hotel brand, Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts, boasts its 'InterContinental Meetings', providing a seamless service for business travellers and meeting planners. Intercontinental Hotels & Resorts joined our IHG family in 2003 and now has a global presence of 182 hotels and a development pipeline of 22 hotels and resorts in AMEA, over a third of that planned for the brand around the world. As with existing hotels and resorts, the new Crowne Plaza properties will offer premium accommodation, fast and fresh meals options and 24-hour business services and fully-equipped 24-hour fitness centres, ensuring guests can work productively, connect with their colleagues, and re-energise in order to perform during their workday. Africa (AMEA) in the coming three to five years. Arguably our engine for growth as the largest mid-scale brand internationally, Holiday Inn has won awards here in Southeast Asia and across the globe for its leading business traveller offering. Holiday Inn has almost 1,200 hotels and resorts across the world and 88 in the AMEA development pipeline. Our Crowne Plaza brand, recognised as one of the most reputable meetings hotel brands in the world for the last 30 years, is experiencing strong expansion to accommodate our position in the MICE industry regionally. One of the fastest growing brands, with over 400 hotels across 63 countries, Crowne Plaza has 19 properties in our development pipeline across AMEA, almost a quarter of all properties Left: InterContinental Singapore ballroom; bottom: Crown Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park welcome lobby.