Meetings, conventions key to tourism industry

Meetings, conventions key to tourism industry

JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta Governor Surjadi Soedirdja officially
opened a convention bureau yesterday saying that it will lift the
awareness of the city in the meetings and conventions market.

Started by a group of five-star hoteliers called the Casa
Grande in November last year, the bureau, called the Jakarta
Convention Bureau, is making Director of City Tourism Fauzi
Bowo's pledge to develop the city as a service center a reality.

"The bureau has already identified and is pursuing business to
the value of US$35 million over the next two or three years,"
said bureau chairman and chief executive officer of Sahid hotels
Tony Bruggemans.

Despite its early success, the bureau's optimistic but
realistic head, David Hall, stresses that there is mountains of
work to be done.

"The first thing you have to do is sell the destination," he
said, adding that this is where the convention bureau comes in.
Hall is building a team of Indonesian professionals to act as a
single voice in marketing Jakarta as a convention and meeting
destination around the world.

Although not a new idea -- the first convention bureau was set
up in Detroit, Michigan in 1896 and there are now 420 bureaus
around the world -- the not-for-profit Jakarta Convention Bureau
is the first of its type in Asia, Hall says. In other Asian
cities, attracting conventions and meetings is handled by the
city tourism board.

Funding

The convention bureau will receive half its funding from the
city administration for the first two years. Contributions from
members in cash will in turn help the bureau meet its mission to
secure an increased share of the lucrative meetings, incentive
travel and exhibitions market for Jakarta.

To achieve this, the bureau will act as an "impartial and
unbiased information source between buyers and suppliers," Hall
said.

"Our first priority will be to provide services and assistance
to those products in Jakarta that support the bureau," Hall
underlined, adding that the "convention bureau does not organize
conventions," but establishes the links between sellers and
buyers.

Bruggemans said that the creation of the bureau was an
excellent example of a successful marriage between the government
sector and the private sector which will benefit the tourism
industry and the community at large. The convention bureau will
also allow Jakarta to be recognized worldwide as a convention
destiny, Fauzi said.

"Hopefully conventions will be the core of business in the
city's tourism industry. How can you fill up the increasing
number of rooms in Jakarta without having a convention business?"
Fauzi asked.

Making Jakarta a convention haven will not happen over night.
Lead times for international conventions can be as high as 14
years but usually range between 18 months and six years, Hall
said.

To get the ball rolling, the bureau is establishing a
state-of-the-art computerized data bank and communication links.
Although having a broad market is important, Hall says targeting
the serious buyers is crucial. "I only want to talk to 5,000
select people," he insists.

To narrow the field of prospective buyers, the bureau is
focusing on meetings and exhibitions on subjects relevant to the
needs of Indonesia, like telecommunications, housing, health and
manufacturing. (08)