Huge investment in business events revealed at AIME

MELBOURNE – Hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into the business events industry will be revealed during Asia Pacific’s leading event for the meetings and incentives industry next month.

AIME 2008 will see 850 exhibitors showcase their products and services to the industry, with many announcing significant investments in the industry.

At the event’s home city of Melbourne, construction is already well underway into a new convention centre which is part of an A$1.4 billion development which includes a Hilton hotel, and lifestyle retail precinct.

The new centre, which opens for business in 2009, will be Australia’s largest combined exhibition and convention facility.

It has recently been awarded a ‘6 Star Green Star’ environmental rating, making it one of the most environmentally friendly convention centres in the world.

Tourism Vancouver is investing C$615 million into expanded waterfront facilities of the Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Due to open in 2009, the centre will offer an extensive environmental programme including recycling, food and beverage management, and energy conservation.

In Singapore, a S$6 billion integrated resort, Resorts World Sentosa, will be home to a plethora of attractions such as Southeast Asia’s first theme park, the world’s largest oceanarium – Marine Life Park, six uniquely themed hotels, live entertainment, spa, meetings and incentive venues and other
tourism magnets.

In July 2009, China’s biggest and newest international conference venue opens. Located in the heart of Beijing Olympic Green, the biggest pillar-free convention hall can accommodate up to 6,000 delegates.

The facility is also environmentally friendly, conserving power and collecting rainfall.

In the city of Mackay in Queensland, Australia, construction will shortly begin on a new convention centre. Built adjacent to the existing Mackay Entertainment Centre, it will include a 1450 square metre plenary hall which can be divided into two separate halls.

India will also be exhibiting at AIME, and able to reveal details of its Government’s announcement of four new world-class mega convention centres in New Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur and Goa.

Significant hotel developments include Crown Melbourne Limited. It has sought planning and building approvals to construct the biggest hotel in Australia at the Crown Entertainment Complex in Melbourne.

At an estimated cost of A$300 million, the proposed new hotel will be the third hotel in the Crown Entertainment Complex along with the award-winning, Crown Towers and Australia’s best business hotel – Crown Promenade Hotel.

Other hotel developments include Emirates investment of more than US$100 million to build a luxury, conservation-based resort in Australia’s Blue Mountains, its first hospitality development outside Dubai.

This new conservation project will be one of Australia’s most
environmentally sympathetic developments, as well as providing world-class hospitality facilities and services to its guests.

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, has just launched a new hotel brand Andaz. The first in the series to launch was Andaz Liverpool Street in London, which opened just weeks ago.

In January Anantara Resort Maldives will join operations with neighbouring Bodu Huraa Resort, which will undergo a multi-million dollar upgrade of the 50 over-water villas.

AIME’s Event Director Rosemarie Sama said, “It’s testament to the significance of the event that exhibitors choose to announce details of their investments into the industry at AIME.”

She says it’s also proof that the industry is in a strong position both now, and in the future.

“Increasingly the public and private sectors are realising the financial rewards they, and their local economy, can reap by investing in the meetings sector.”

AIME 2008, 16th Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Expo is at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Australia, 19-20 February. AIME is organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions on behalf of the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau.