Event Willis IATA AAPA Asia Pacific Aviation Insurance Conference
Venue Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort and Spa, Kota Kinabalu
Company Willis Limited – Aerospace Division
Group size 179
Date February 24-27

The brief
The IATA AAPA annual conference facilitates networking opportunities for the global aviation insurance industry. The organiser wanted the main theme of discussion to be the current economic climate and how it might affect the health of the aviation industry.

Challenges
Delegates from Asia, the US, Europe, Canada and Australia came to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia for the event. This meant many delegates needed to arrange connecting flights from Kuala Lumpur. The main challenge was coordinating delegates’ diverse international air travel arrangements to ensure that their travel to the conference venue flowed seamlessly.

Execution
The welcome cocktails were held in the resort’s marquee tent. Pre-dinner cocktails the following evening followed a green and white theme. The full-day meeting was held in the grand ballroom. The Borneo Rainforest theme dinner was the highlight of the event.

“It was an extraordinary evening held in a rainforest-themed ballroom. The dinner was a wonderful experience,” says an event spokesperson.

Over 40 delegates stayed on after the conference, 32 of whom participated in a golf tournament at the Shangri-La’s Dalit Bay Resort Golf Club. Some of the participants also went snorkelling at the coral islands located ten minutes from the resort, as well as visiting an orang utan rehabilitation centre and the majestic Mount Kinabalu.

Comment
The conference was highly successful with many interesting presentations. Delegates used it as an opportunity for like-minded people to gather in a relaxed atmosphere and share their views on the challenges facing their business.

“There was universal agreement that this is the best and most successful aviation conference in the world,” says one delegate. “The resort staff were very warm and friendly.”