M

eetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) enticements pick up where leisure tourism leaves off, playing a pivotal role in generating interest in visits to Indonesia. By dint of this year'€™s APEC Summit meetings held in several MICE cities, Bintan Triathlon and major concerts by international musicians, more foreign tourist arrivals have been recorded within the first five months of this year than in the same period last year, the government said in July.

Upcoming MICE events in the second semester of 2013, including the World Trade Organization (WTO) Conference, highlight the potential of destinations beyond proverbial Bali and Jakarta in hosting heavyweight global affairs.  

Bandung

The quick-escape haven of choice for city-weary Jakartans, Bandung is no stranger to major events, having hosted the first Asian-African Conference in 1955 between newly independent Asian and African states, whose legacy is immortalized in the historic art-deco buildings lining Jalan Asia-Afrika. Bandung'€™s cooler climate, less traffic-clogged, hilly streets and bountiful hawker food options are its prime pull factors.

Among the leading hotels in the city are the elegant Hyatt Regency Bandung, the venerable The Papandayan, cool and trend Luxton, GH Universal Hotel and the leafy Mason Pine. On the MICE front, the Trans Hotel, adjacent to the Trans Studio theme park owned by the eponymous TV network, is well-endowed for hosting large-scale shindigs, boasting the largest meeting, conference and exhibition venue in Bandung, with a capacity of up to 6,000 persons over an area of 2,350 sqm.

Yogya

An irrefutable yardstick for Yogyakarta'€™s growing appeal as an MICE destination is the erection of the fourteen-hectare Jogja Expo Center. Furthermore, MICE events in Yogyakarta increased by 10 percent in 2012, with 8,693 total events reportedly attended by more than 520,000 people.

Even for those visiting Yogyakarta strictly for non-hedonistic purposes, its proximity to the Borobudur Temple (25 miles northwest), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is justification for squeezing time for pleasure into a business trip. Yogyakarta is still a major cultural seat for gamelan, classical and contemporary Javanese dance, wayang kulit (shadow puppets) and theatre.

To immerse in local culture doesn'€™t require cross-country gallivanting: the Keraton Palace of Yogyakarta, located in the city center, is a prototype of Javanese architecture and cultural paraphernalia, while Jalan Malioboro'€™s night market offers samplings of the local cuisine and non-mass-produced batik, silver and leather handicrafts. Yogyakarta'€™s international hotel chains are concentrated around Jalan Malioboro, making it the city'€™s most tourist-thronged area.

Surabaya

Multifunction superblocks, known to moonlight as retail, residential and recreational spaces, can be further parlayed for MICE events, such as the Grand City Mall & Convex, Surabaya, which features a 3,320 sqm convention hall and even larger 4,100 sqm exhibition hall. The Gramedia Expo, as one of the first buildings in Surabaya to be certified '€œenvironmentally-friendly'€, is architected to conserve energy, with transparent walls that admit the inflow of natural light.

Hotel ballrooms such as at Shangri-La Surabaya, JW Marriott Surabaya and Sheraton Surabaya Hotel & Towers remain ideal venues for MICE events; but with the construction of new expo centers such as the Jatim Expo, there are manifold options. Considering that some 80 percent of visitors to Surabaya are on business, an estimated 50 percent of which are MICE visitors, according to the Surabaya Tourism Promotion Board, Indonesia'€™s second-largest city would do well to leverage its potential as an MICE destination. For quick leisure stopovers, Kampung Arab and the omnipresent Chinatown are great, everything-under-one-roof venues for sampling local fare, handicrafts, and the lively ambiance of a traditional market.

Jakarta

Government targets of raising foreign visitor numbers from last year'€™s 8.04 million to 9 million in 2013 still hinge heavily on star destinations Jakarta and Bali. On the environmental MICE front alone, Jakarta last July hosted the World Geothermal Energy Summit 2012, while the upcoming Indonesia LNG 2013 Conference will be held at Grand Hyatt Jakarta this October.

The Jakarta Convention Center and Jakarta International Expo have played host to such weighty gatherings as the ASEAN Summit 2011 and will soon be set to host a fair share of the APEC Summit 2013 meetings, as well as Bali, Palembang, Medan and Surabaya. Conveniently located on Jl. Gatot

Bali

With its inherent touristic pull, resort destination Bali is a go-to MICE destination. This year the island will see a further influx of arrivals for the upcoming Forbes Global CEO Conference 2013, Miss World 2013, World Trade Organization (WTO) Conference and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economy Leader'€™s Meeting.

Five-star lodgings in proximity to hotel-managed facilities such as the Bali International Convention Center at The Westin Resort, Nusa Dua and shuttle services to and from hotels and notable landmarks makes it easy to hold events spanning multiple days and locations. The Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center is one of various dedicated facilities capable of hosting up to 10,000 people over a total space of 25,000 square meters, where the World Trade Organization Conference will be held from Dec. 3-6, 2013.

Meetings that make their mark, perfectly, with GH Universal Hotel

Planning meetings or executing seamless conferences that resonate with individual style and flair has never been easier than with GH Universal Hotel.

Its superb facilities, cutting-edge technology and exceptional services mean that you are primed for success when holding your event there.

Each of the hotel'€™s nine meeting rooms feature the latest equipment and facilities, while private outdoor areas are available for gatherings beneath the stars.

The hotel'€™s creative meeting planners can design innovatively-themed parties, from spectacular gala events to informal yet memorable celebrations.

Whether guest gatherings emphasize business or are purely social in nature, GH Universal Hotel offers a number of exceptional venues, each of which are properly equipped with five-star hotel services to meet every need.

The combination of exquisite spaces and exceptional staff ensures that events will be memorable for both their setting and their execution.

Located in northern Bandung, the GH Universal Hotel, with its curvy and elegant Italian Renaissance-inspired architecture, is comprised of 105 luxurious rooms, as well as a relaxing spa center and a half-Olympic-sized swimming pool for guest leisure-related purposes.