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EDITOR'S NOTE Jul-Aug 2016 5 meetings & conventions • mcmag-asia.com A PUBLICATION OF NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA, LLC GROUP PUBLISHER Irene Chua Tel: (65) 6801 0451 | ichua@ntmllc.com EDITORIAL EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Yeoh Siew Hoon Tel: (65) 6801 0450 | syeoh@ntmllc.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Esther Faith Lew Tel: (65) 6801 0457 | esther.lew@ntmllc.com SUB EDITOR Vera Lye | veralye@gmail.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Lee Xin Hui Tel: (65) 6801 0453 | xinhui.lee@ntmllc.com CONTRIBUTORS Sarah JF Braley, Elizabeth Rich, Sanjay Surana, Michael J Shapiro, Cheryl-Anne Sturken and Brooke Thio ART DIRECTOR Lim Bee Bee Tel: (65) 9750 8405 | bb.bbcreative@gmail.com SALES & MARKETING REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Kevin Ng Tel: (65) 6801 0459 | kevin.ng@ntmllc.com REGIONAL SALES DIRECTOR Ng Whey Whey Tel: (65) 6801 0460 | whey.ng@ntmllc.com MARKETING EXECUTIVE Rachelle Lee Tel: (65) 6801 0458 | rachelle.lee@ntmllc.com AD TRAFFIC AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Rena Koh Tel: (65) 6801 0455 | rena.koh@ntmllc.com IT & DIGITAL IT & DIGITAL OPERATIONS Ron Wee Tel: (65) 6801 0456 | ron.wee@ntmllc.com CHINA OFFICE GROUP PUBLISHER (China) Rebecca Zhang Tel: (8621) 5179 8363 | rebecca.zhang@ntmllc.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR (Beijing) Shawn Li Tel: (8610) 8532 4021 | shawn.li@ntmllc.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR (Shanghai) Roger Wang Tel: (8621) 5179 8360 | roger.wang@ntmllc.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Susan Li Tel: (8610) 8532 3611 | susan.li@ntmllc.com MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES HONG KONG/MACAU ZAM International - Manna Ma Tel: (852) 9650 0518 | manna.ma@zamintl.com.hk KOREA Young Media Inc - Keon Chang Tel: (822) 2273 4833 | ymedia@chol.com INDIA MHI Communications - Smriti Khanna Tel: (9198) 1040 7483 | skhanna@mhi.com.hk MIDDLE EAST The MediaVantage - Lenora Bennis Tel: (971) 52 846 6212 | lenora@themediavantage.com AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR - ASIA Patti Mo | patti.mo@ntmllc.com DATABASE & FULFILLMENT MANAGER Zoe Chu | zoe.chu@ntmllc.com FINANCE ASIA FINANCE MANAGER Julia Tham | julia.tham@ntmllc.com CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER THOMAS L. KEMP CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER LISA COHEN PRESIDENT, TRAVEL GROUP ROBERT G. SULLIVAN EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, DIGITAL MEDIA THOMAS CINTORINO EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, GROUP PUBLISHER DAVID BLANSFIELD SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR LORI CIOFFI SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR ARNIE WEISSMANN SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES JANINE L. BAVOSO VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING SOLUTIONS MICHELLE ROSENBERG VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT AND PRODUCTION ROBERTA MULLER VICE PRESIDENT, CONTENT LICENSING SHEILA RICE VICE PRESIDENT, IT INFRASTRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS RICH MASTROPIETRO VICE PRESIDENT, DATABASE PRODUCTS ELIZABETH KOESSER Published by NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA SINGAPORE PTE LTD SINGAPORE 91 Bencoolen Street, #05-08 Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652 • TEL: (65) 6801 0450 FAX: (65) 6801 0469 BEIJING Room 024, Building 8, Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound, No.9 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District 100600, China • TEL: (8610) 8532 3611 | FAX: (8610) 8532 5293 SHANGHAI Room 2553, The Headquarters Building, No.168 Central XiZhang Road, Shanghai 200001, China • TEL: (8621) 5179 8360 | FAX: (8621) 5179 8360 Head Office 100 LightingWay, Secaucus, N.J. 07094-3681 U.S.A. • TEL: ( 201) 902-2000 M&C/Asia ISSN 2424-8215 MCI(P) 104/09/2015 PPS 1871/11/2015 (025607) is published on a bi-monthly basis by Northstar Travel Media Singapore Pte Ltd, located at 91 Bencoolen Street, #05-08 Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652. All rights reserved. Please address all subscription mail to the above address. Alternatively, you can fax to +852 3020 5794 or go online at: www.meetings-conventions-asia.com/subscribe For reprints or copyright permission contact Wright's media at +877 652 5295 ext 102 or niademarco@wrightsmedia.comhttp://wrightsmedia.com/reprints/contact.cfm?magrid=3500 Printed by Times Printers Private Limited (L007/08/2015) t is a tango that will dance to infinity; this affair of lavish lands and lustful hearts. The wanderlust in us answers the call to travel. Whether it is a vacation or a business trip, the desire to explore is insatiable. And destinations are pulling out all the stops to woo travellers and delegates with campaigns that captivate us on many levels. Singapore beckons visitors with a homely welcome to make it "Your Singapore", while South Korea makes it friendly with "Hi Seoul" and "Imagine your Korea". Others want to be focused and to leave a footprint that says "Asia's World City" and "Truly Asia". Destinations with a strong USP in natural beauty and landscapes want to highlight that visitors' experiences are "100% Pure" and that they should "Get Natural". It is no longer enough to just have hundreds or thousands of delegates trooping in to boost economic activity. Destinations also need to have that brand retention and unique flavour to set them apart from competing cities in the long term. DMOs and CVBs are putting in more power and verve into their marketing campaigns and trade initiatives to propel these goals – and to help planners meet their goals. We take a look at how destinations are lending support and some of the considerations that will help planners make a suitable choice (pg 9). All that glitters may not be gold – so planners have to choose wisely. Is it the gold chest, the silver chest or the wooden chest that will yield the reward that fits them best? We find out in this issue. I WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS. SEND EMAIL TO ESTHER.LEW@NTMLLC.COM Esther Faith Lew EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tell a tale, and add value

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