Event Abacus International Conference 2010
Venue InterContinental Asiana Saigon, Caravelle Hotel, Cham Charm restaurant
Organiser Event Pulses
Local partner Saigon Tourist
Delegates 450
Date October 13-16, 2010


The brief
Abacus hosts an appreciation event for its worldwide partners every two years to recognise top performers, share industry trends, showcase current and future products, and provide a networking platform. Attendees were flying in from more than 20 countries across Asia.

Challenges
Catherine Chan of Event Pulses, says: “Ho Chi Minh City has a limited number of venues for groups over 300 people and being in the travel and hospitality industry, this group is hard to impress. We did several trips for site inspections and food tastings before making the final decisions.”

Local agent Saigon Tourist organised transfers, tours and ground handling. Linda Koh, director of corporate marketing and communications, Abacus International: “Our main challenge was getting visas for delegates outside Asean, especially those in regions without Vietnamese embassies. Luckily we had assistance from Saigon Tourist as well as the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.”

Execution
The welcome dinner was held at Caravelle Hotel. Chan says: “We wanted to open the event with soft touches of local culture. Traditional dancers welcomed the group and the cuisine was modern Vietnamese.” Fringe activities such as Vietnamese hat painting, making rice figures on sticks and silhouette cutting were also on offer. The conference day was kicked-off by New Zealand performance group Vospertron, which proved a highlight. In the evening the group visited the new Cham Charm restaurant.

On the third day, delegates chose between a golf tournament at Long Thanh Golf Club, a sightseeing tour, shopping expedition or free time. In the evening the group came together at InterContinental Asiana Saigon for the gala dinner and awards ceremony. “There were 60 awards to be given out so we broke it up with a customised four-course dinner and entertainment in between,” says Catherine Chan. “We brought in two acts from Australia: Soul Mystic, a dance duo known for their quick costume changes, and illusionist Michael Boyd for the main performance.”

Comment
“Ho Chi Minh City has undergone rapid development in recent years and its vibrancy makes it the right place to host an event themed Dynamic Asia,” says Linda Koh. “InterContinental was very professional and reacted very fast to feedback, while Caravelle provided good service in historic setting, which provided a good balance. We also received good feedback on the food, service and ambiance at Cham Charm.”