Corporate response offers deep insights

Our latest Annual Industry Survey has once again provided the readers of CEI Asia Pacific plenty in terms of quality and quantity. In 2005, 328 readers responded to our survey questions. This year we broke through the 400-mark. With 434 respondents, we can underline our claim to having provided the industry with an authoritative overview of CEI professionals' opinions and preferences. We also recorded a significant increase in the number of corporate buyers responding. This is an often elusive group but their opinions and views are the most sought after. Welcome shift Our 2005 survey had a supplier-to-buyer ratio of 61:39 per cent. However, this year we see a 57:43 per cent breakdown, a further welcome shift toward the industry's client base. Within the supplier sector, hotels and conventions and exhibition centres make up more than one third of the total (37.7 per cent) with event organisers (including PCOs and DMCs) accounting for 24.7 per cent. As always though, our key focus is on the corporate buyers and key decisions-makers. Our figures show industry and manufacturing accounting for the lion's share of our buyer sector, with 18.7 per cent. The amalgamated financial segment (including banking and insurance) registers 10.2 per cent and IT and telecoms comes not far behind on 9.6 per cent. Perhaps of some surprise is the low ranking of the pharmaceutical sector on just 3.2 per cent. This is almost exactly the same figure as 2005 (3.1 per cent). The geographical spread reflects CEI's deliberate focus on the regional headquarters of the major multinationals operating across Asia Pacific. Hong Kong (28.3 per cent) and Singapore (24.4 per cent) are well represented. Australian respondents make up 10.4 per cent of our sample and Thailand and Malaysia are 8.8 per cent apiece. Location and origin of respondents can be a critical subjective factor but that is also a reflection of buyer choice and familiarity with facilities. China makes up less than five per cent of all respondents although there is a slight increase from 4.6 to 4.8 per cent compared with last year. Indian respondents are less than two per cent. However, we expect that both these important markets will grow in our surveys in years to come. Readership figures One area of interest in the figures on industry association memberships is the large number of unaffiliated readers (57 per cent). The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) is far and away the most popular organisation with 18 per cent of our respondents being members. However, members of specialist convention association ICCA and trade-show body UFI number only five per cent and three per cent of our sample respectively. The Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE) is the only other association to make a serious impression with six per cent of respondents saying they are members. Anumber of national and local trade associations are also mentioned by respondents, such as the Thai Exhibition Association and the Singapore Association of Conference, Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers. Good spread Our readers are well spread across all major elements of the CEI mix. The precise distinction between a 'conference' and a 'meeting' is always a contentious, but our figures show relative consistency with 58 per cent of respondents saying they are involved in conference business while 60 per cent are involved in organising meetings. Almost 35 percent of all respondents say they are involved in incentives, and 45 per cent in staff training and teambuilding. Links to the exhibition industry are high, with slightly more than 43 per cent involved. This figure is more or less evenly split between industry suppliers and buyers. Another set of key statistics is the job title of our respondents. The highest category, which includes titles such as CEO, chairman, managing director, president and general manager, was ticked by just over 40 per cent of our respondents. This represents a substantial response from the key decision-makers. Thanks to the efforts of our market research partner Synovate we can say with confidence that this survey represents a genuine crosssection of our industry.