(Courtesy of Hotel Bidadari Jakarta)

Jakarta’s central areas are today notorious for their time- and energy-sapping traffic jams, which can prove an exercise in frustration in getting from point A to point B. But the heart of the city’s complete and extensive range of facilities still make it the most attractive choice to hold functions for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE).

Making sure the event comes off without a hitch takes careful planning. In the sprawling city, with people living and working at far-flung locations, selecting an event venue in Central Jakarta often proves an all-purpose solution to traffic and time concerns.

Take Amir Kartawijaya, who organized his daughter’s wedding at Manggala Wanabakti multi-purpose hall. The resident of Bekasi, West Java, considered the Central Jakarta venue to be the most strategic “middle ground” option because the groom’s family lived in Tangerang, Banten.

“Since the two families live at opposite ends of Jakarta, it’s better to pick a wedding venue in the middle of the city to make it easier for all our family members and friends to attend the wedding. Other factors that contributed to the decision were the size of the hall and its vast parking area,” Amir said.

Finding a strategic and convenient location also weighed heavily in Luki Hapsari Widyawati’s choice of her wedding venue on Jl. Gatot Subroto, Central Jakarta. On the one hand, she lived in the ninth sector of Bintaro Jaya, Tangerang, and her fiance in Cinere, Depok, but on the other many of their friends and relatives reside in Bogor, Bekasi, Bintaro and Cibubur.

“The venue is near the Semanggi clover-leaf interchange, which is very strategic, easily accessed and everyone knows the location. And on Sundays the area is not as congested as during workdays,” she said.

(Courtesy of Crowne Plaza Jakarta)

When it comes to venues for meetings, Jakarta offers a variety of options depending on customers’ needs. Yana, who often organizes media events, said a seminar about Indonesian customs or traditions could be held at a traditional-themed restaurant or hotel, for example, while a restaurant specializing in organic food would be the ideal setting for one on health.

The city also plays host to numerous international events, such as Java Jazz, which usually takes place in the first week of March; the Indonesia International Infrastructure Convention and Exhibition, held this year in August; and the ongoing Indonesia International Motor Show (IIMS), which will run until Sept. 30.

Experts agree there is still great potential for the capital to develop its MICE sector, with its international airport and seaport.

Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Mari Elka Pangestu has said Jakarta is the natural choice for major international MICE events in Indonesia because it is home to two outstanding facilities: the Jakarta Convention Center and the Jakarta International Expo (JIExpo) in Kemayoran. The only other location for similarly complete MICE facilities was Bali, she added.

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) ranked Jakarta 113th on its 2010 list of cities hosting international meetings, with 16 meetings, while Bali continued to have an edge with a ranking of 67th for 27 meetings.

Increasing demand has led hotel rates to rise by 2.63 percent on a quarter-to-quarter basis, or by 12.45 percent on a yearly basis. The highest increase has been recorded at five-star hotels, with a 2.54 percent quarterly increase, to Rp 1.22 million per night, followed by four-star hotels with a 2.49 percent rise, increasing to nightly rates of Rp 732,819, and three-star hotels with an increase of 1.85 percent to Rp 608,080 per night.

According to ministry data from 2010, the number of visitors attending MICE events was 236,000, equivalent to 3.37 percent from a total of 7 million arrivals; in 2009, the figure was 205,000, or 3.24 percent of 6.3 million arrivals.

Deputy Tourism and Creative Economy Minister Sapta Nirwandar has expressed optimism that the MICE sector in Indonesia will continue to expand with the increasing trend for MICE visitors.