Korea MICE Expo 2010 to Attract Top Experts, Create New Business Opportunities

Seoul’s meetings industry will come into the spotlight next week when a group of experts gathers to discuss the outlook for the field and the challenges ahead. The discussion will take place at this year’s Seoul MICE Forum, part of the Korea MICE Expo, which will place from November 23-25 at the COEX Convention Center.

Ministers of Tourism, parliamentarians, local authorities and representatives of the private sector from around the world are meeting in
Mexico for the Seventh International Tourism Forum for Parliamentarians and Local Authorities, to debate key challenges facing the tourism sector (Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, 16-18 November).

Mr. Frank A. Liepmann has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer at the Sutera Harbour Resort, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.(www.suteraharbour.com). Mr Liepmann has an extensive experience in the hospitality business with over fourty-three years in five star international hotel chains across Europe and the Pacific.

In a little under a month EIBTM (www.eibtm.com), the leading global event for the meetings and events industry, will be held at the Fira Gran Via, in Barcelona (30th November to 2nd December 2010). The impact on the City is significant, last year, the event attracted over 14,000 people. This year these numbers are expected to increase even further. These visitors stay at hotels, eat at restaurants and visit cultural sites, shop in the city and often add an extension to their stay either before or after the event.

by Reinhard Hohler

Thailand further bolstered its reputation as the epicenter of Asian golf with the early November visit of Tiger Woods, the award of The Royal Trophy to Black Mountain Golf Club, and a haul of hardware from the region’s annual golf industry conclave.

A longtime manager from the Mandarin Oriental has joined the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi as its new Resident Manager. A native of Italy, Massimiliano “Max” Binda started work at Hanoi’s landmark hotel this month after nearly two years as director of rooms at the Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech. Prior to that appointment, he’d served two years as assistant director of rooms at a Mandarin property in Geneva. And prior to that, he was with Mandarin in Hong Kong.