Gathering Places
Corporate MICE planners are heading out to sea
Meetings Afloat – Corporate meetings & events are heading out to sea
Cruising is a multi-billion dollar industry – and growing fast. According to the Cruise Line International Association 27.2 million passengers are expected to set sail in 2018. In 2017, an estimated 25.8 million passengers cruised, an increase of 20.5 percent over five years since 2011.
One significant contributor to growth in cruising is the discovery by corporate event and meeting planners that these ships can be exciting platforms for company gettogethers. Event managers see immense value in planning meetings and events on cruise ships.
First, it helps to have the entire group in one location at all times, especially if one of the goals of corporate events is team building. Cruise ships are the ideal environment for official happenings in confined spaces that offer a host of facilities and venues. Second, it helps stick to budgets. Considering cruise packages are“all-inclusive,”this greatly reduces the possibility of additional expenditures. All accommodation, dining, entertainment and facilities are included in the price, making it simpler for managers to plan and execute the event.
But beyond the relative ease of organizing the logistics of corporate MICE events on board a vessel, there’s the value that comes from attendees finding themselves in more engaging settings, participating in unique travel experiences. Indeed the trend these days is toward travelers seeking more experiential encounters in their journeys.
From cultural immersion and voluntourism to team building and brainstorming, those returning from a cruise say they have a shift in perspective and a sense of accomplishment. Some upcoming cruise itineraries include the opportunity to indulge in local cuisine, guided tours through small villages and even visits inside private homes.
Setting Sail
To get a sense of the opportunities for meetings and events that are available aboard a cruise ship, I was invited to set sail on the Genting Dream, the latest offering by cruise and resort operator Genting Hong Kong. Beginning with Star Cruises, Genting Hong Kong ventured into the cruising world in 1993, and acquired Crystal Cruises in 2015. Genting Dream, along with World Dream are two cruise liners launched by the company under its Dream Cruises brand (dreamcruiseline.com) which it calls its“first luxury cruise line.”
Genting Dream and World Dream feature a weekend sailing itinerary that sets sail into the South China Sea from Hong Kong. For two nights, we cruised in Chinese waters, watching exceptional sunsets and experiencing the facilities on board. The Genting Dream sailed from Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, the iconic silver-domed building that juts far out into Kowloon Bay like a long, thin finger.
The terminal occupies the water front that was once home to Kai Tak International Airport. When Hong Kong moved its aviation facilities to Chek Lap Kok, the old airport was closed and demolished in 1998. The huge 800-acre expanse that remained was the largest available tract of land fronting Victoria Harbor, and became the focus of intense development for government, institutional and community facilities, as well as residential and commercial areas and extensive open green spaces.
The first major construction to be completed was the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal which was built on the former airport’s famous old runway. Launched in mid-2013, the terminal has three stories, including passenger and service areas, waiting halls and concourses, and can accommodate two mega cruise ships of up to 220,000 tons.
It is from here that I embarked upon the Genting Dream, my designated home for the weekend.
I was appointed a Balcony Stateroom, the third-level accommodation option of Genting Dream. Categories begin at Inside Stateroom (no window and balcony) and Oceanview Stateroom (with window). There are several options for those looking to indulge a bit, including the Garden Penthouse and types of suites. An alternative option is Dream Palace, a sort of boutique hotel within the cruise. It features its own list of exclusive F&B and accommodation options that assure privacy, which for some is the ultimate luxury.
Meeting Expectations
We explored a number of spaces on the Genting Dream for all sizes of MICE events. Its grand Zodiac Theatre, which hosts live performances, works well for staging conferences, award shows and 3D cinema. This 17,000-square-foot theatre can accommodate 999 attendees and offers 395 headsets for multi-lingual interpretation for those who need it.
For functions, seminars, meetings and other events, Tributes (2,600 square feet) can accommodate around 170 people.