BUSINESS EVENT operators in Queensland’s Gold Coast have been clueing themselves up on Asia etiquette and other cultural savviness to prepare them for an expected surge in international enquiries for meetings and incentives.
Experience Gold Coast, an alliance of the city’s destination marketing groups, have partnered with TradeConsul to engage with more than 50 operators to provide essential cultural and market insights covering China, Japan and South Korea among other countries.
Brooke Campbell, Experience Gold Coast’s head of business events, Asia and the Gold Coast is part of the city’s plans to grow the visitor economy and continue rebuilding the international business event pipeline.
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“China was our largest international source market by total visitors and total expenditure pre- pandemic, and we want to put our best foot forward as we welcome back these international delegates,” Campbell said.
“It’s a fiercely competitive market and we need to always be pushing the Gold Coast as a premier destination for conferences, exhibitions and incentive group travel.”
TravConsult managing director, Trevor Lee, said it was critical to understand the cultural keys that underpin building relationships, negotiations, and identifying the revalue proposition through the lens of each different market when competing to win event bids.
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“There are distinct cultural differences, and you simply cannot approach them as one mass market of Asia, Lee said.
“We took Gold Coast business event operators on a journey to learn crucial strategies, skills and knowledge to win the business, deliver the promises and wow the Asian guests from China, South Korea and Japan.”
The intensive workshop coincided with the announcement of China Eastern Airlines resuming its Shanghai-Brisbane services, the first Chinese airline to return to Queensland with non-stop service starting at three days per week and daily from December 8. The service is expected to deliver 41,000 inbound seats in its first year.
