Hong Kong
Both of the city’s major convention and exhibition venues, AsiaWorld-Expo and Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, enjoyed robust visitor numbers, while the tourism board’s MICE arm, Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong, continued its drive to promote the city. Concerted efforts have been made to raise the profile of Lantau Island as an ‘inspirational MICE hub’, with easy access to the airport, the AsiaWorld-Expo, and opportunities for outdoor excursions just some of the many attractions.

“This award is particularly encouraging as it further testifies to Hong Kong’s image as one of the best MICE destinations in the world,” says Anthony Lau, executive director of Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB).

HKTB says MICE visitor arrivals in the first three-quarters of 2011 grew by 15 per cent compared with the same period in 2010. But Lau says the honour of clinching the top spot is tempered by ‘many uncertainties’ for 2012. 

To counter this, he says: “HKTB will continue to invest in the MICE business and step up its marketing efforts to drive further increases in MICE arrivals. Through all these efforts, we aim at bringing more MICE events and visitors to Hong Kong, and generating more business opportunities for our trade partners.”

Singapore
Singapore surrendered top ranking to Hong Kong, but looking back, Singapore Tourism Board assistant chief executive Melissa Ow believes it was still a fruitful year. “Twelve new world congresses were secured within the first half of the year, and inaugural events like Cruise Shipping Asia, Screen Singapore and Digital Entertainment Asia showcased our growing cruise, media and entertainment sectors,” she says.

In addition, established events such as CommunicAsia, continued to see healthy attendance. “We will continue to work closely with our industry partners to co-create innovative solutions that will enhance the business travel experience in Singapore,” says Ow.

Shanghai
Shanghai has several big events coming up in the first quarter of 2012, such as the IATA Legal Symposium 2012 and the 2012 International Conference on Management and Sustainable Development.

The city’s growing appeal as a meeting destination is evident in the number of hotels that opened in 2011, including the 710-room Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre and Jumeirah Himalayas Hotel.