Magic Kingdom attracts MICE with entertainment

The Hong Kong Disneyland resort, besides providing Hong Kong with a spectacular international entertainment venue and theme park, boosts the city's appeal as an international meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) destination. Incorporating the Disney core values of innovation, creativity and imagination, the attraction woos MICE professionals with innovative, versatile and tailored event solutions that combine a business setting with special Disney-style mass entertainment. It is not uncommon to see various MICE activities such as corporate park buyouts, delegates conducting their meetings in one of the hotel suites and even a wedding with the happy couple toasting guests in the Cinderella ballroom. Disneyland has no worries about the group size it must accommodate because the large variety of meeting spaces and outdoor facilities available can cater for small group meetings to large park buyouts. The spread of these facilities is unparalleled in the region. Complemented by two hotels - the 400-room Disneyland Hotel and 600-room Hollywood Hotel - the park and meeting facilities include vast gardens and spacious indoor state-of-the-art meeting rooms. These facilities make Disneyland a popular and perfect location for focused team building and MICE events under one roof. MICE has become an integral part of Disneyland's business in the past two years. A spokeswoman said: 'In terms of MICE, meetings are most important, followed by incentives. As for conventions and exhibitions, we have worked closely with AsiaWorld-Expo, and sales channels are open between our two organisations.' Over the past two years, the resort has collaborated with multinational and large corporations, including KPMG, Baker & McKenzie and PricewaterhouseCoopers. These events ranged from business meetings to team-building activities held at the Disneyland Hotel or at the theme park. Event organisers could also consider the entire park or a specific themed setting to suit individual needs. The MICE industry is fast paced and ever-changing, so the attraction realised the old model of an event planner working with a hotel or resort to manage logistics was no longer viable. The Disney spokeswoman said corporate clients and event planners were desperate for new destinations that combined a business environment with entertainment, or a one-stop service where all their needs could be taken care of. Thus, this created the all-new 'It's Time To Team' concept. Soft-launched last August, it aims to tap the strong meetings and incentives segments. Rather than being a venue provider, the resort has unprecedentedly partnered with an international team-building company. Disney's vice-president for sales and travel trade marketing, Josh D'Amaro, said: 'This never happens in other Disneyland resorts and we want to showcase our diversity and develop specific products. 'With expertise from our team building expert, we offer tailored activities carried out in the comprehensive hotel and park facilities such as vast gardens and maze, pool, as well as indoor meeting rooms and hotel suites. Team activities vary from putting together a theme park map, to a giant jigsaw puzzle on a tennis court, to cleaning a 'messy' hotel room in a specific time.' This is the all-encompassing MICE experience offered by Disneyland, combining a business setting with special Disney entertainment. Emphasising that Disneyland has a second role as a multifaceted resort, MICE professionals will work with clients as an integrated team from the planning stages to event execution. Clients will be able to enhance their experience through optional items, such as park visits, themed dinners, specially arranged Disney entertainment and even Disney Character Meet and Greets. International cosmetics brand L'Oreal recently held a tailored five-day, four-night incentive and training event at the resort for 600 of its staff members from Australia, India, South Korea and Indonesia. Disney worked closely with L'Oreal event organisers to synergise the event and co-ordinate all manner of logistics for this diverse group of delegates - from food and beverage and team-building exercises to religious needs, such as an in-room Koran for Muslim guests. Training and entertainment programmes ranged from tai chi exercise for the delegates to an awards ceremony specially arranged in the Theatre in the Wild. The resort's MICE business has gained tremendous momentum, with double digit growth in the first quarter of this year.