MICE industry increasingly hot in Bali

By I Wayan Juniarta

DENPASAR (JP): With many national and international events being relocated from Jakarta to Bali primarily on account of security considerations, several hotels in Bali are now giving the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) industry a fresh look.

"MICE packages have contributed 30 percent of our total revenue. This means that we must take the MICE business very seriously as a new source of income," PR manager of the five-star Patra Jasa Hotel in Tuban, Ade Roswita, said Thursday.

Due to the decrease in arrivals of Australian tourists', who for so many years had been Patra Jasa's prime market, the hotel shifted its focus to the MICE industry and local family vacationers in October 1999. That decision won the hotel a 20 percent increase in the number of MICE events which it staged. Now, Patra Jasa holds around four or five MICE events per month.

Ade Roswita added that this July-September at least 13 local, national and international events are scheduled to take place in her hotel.

"If we count wedding receptions then the number will definitely exceed 13," she said.

Another Tuban five-star hotel, Kartika Plaza has also enjoyed an increase in its MICE business.

"MICE events are now one of our principal sources of income, contributing up to 40 percent of our total revenue," the hotel PR Manager Putu Budiarti said.

The Secretary General of the Bali Hotels and Restaurants Association Adnyana Sudibya explained that the stable security situation is the main reason behind the success of the MICE industry in Bali. The tourist market abroad now also has a better understanding and more in-depth knowledge of Indonesia's geography and politics. The market now realizes that Bali has been left generally unscathed by the violent conflicts and riots that have devastated many other parts of Indonesia, he said.

"The security situation in Bali and aggressive promotion by most of Bali's tourist service providers has helped the island to recover more rapidly than any other tourist destination in Indonesia," he explained.

The national congress of the Indonesian Obstetrics and Gynecology Association, which took place in the Grand Bali Beach Hotel last week, was originally planned to be held in Jakarta. The association chairman, Prof. IGP Surya, said that security was the principal reason why the committee relocated its three-day congress to Bali.

Readily available transport is another reason why Bali is becoming one of the favorite MICE venues in Indonesia.

"We had many options, Riau, Balikpapan, Manado or Bali. In the end we picked Bali because its airport has direct flight to nearly every major city in Indonesia," Erry Riyana Harjapamekas of the National Dialog Forum said.

"And that is an important requirement for our event which will attract participants from every corner of Indonesia," he noted.

The National Dialog Forum, held at the Kartika Plaza from June 30 to July 1, was attended by approximately 3,000 scholars, intellectuals, activists, and noted public figures.

Other major events held in Bali in the past few months included the World Shotokan Karate Championship, Bali Travel Mart, and a Miss Universe Charity Night. The most recent event was the Bali Fashion Week.

"Bali was selected also because many of our hotels and resorts have excellent MICE facilities of international standard - something that some other tourist destinations in Indonesia lack," Adnyana Sudibya added.

Take, for example, the Bali International Convention Center at the Sheraton Nusa Indah, the largest and most sophisticated MICE facility in Bali. Located in the heart of luxurious Nusa Dua tourist resort, BICC has at least 17 conference rooms and 5,000 square meters of exhibition space.

The second largest conference room in Bali, the 2,300 square meter Nusa Indah Hall, can accommodate up to 3,000 people.

With state of the art audio visual equipment including a tele conference integrated system, movable stages, and well-trained MICE staff, BICC has become the major player in Bali's MICE industry.

Meanwhile Kartika Plaza has seven conference rooms including the Kharisma Ballroom which can accommodate up to 1,000 people, and Patra Jasa has 11 conference rooms including the Puri Bunga room which has an 800-seat capacity.

The MICE industry also provides benefits for hotels and restaurants which have no MICE facilities of their own. The number of participants at each event ranges from 100-500 people. With the participant's family included, the number will vary between 300 and 1,500 people, and that means we need more hotel rooms, said Lisa Halim, the BICC Sheraton Nusa Indah PR Manager.

Adnyana Sudibya believes that the MICE industry will become an essential part of the Balinese tourist industry in the future. For the providers of MICE facilities, the future is looking quite rosy.