Jakarta showcase

Tenacity in the face of adversity could be the motto of Indonesia's conference, exhibition and incentive (CEI) industry. In recent years, the CEI sector has had to combat the effects of economic crisis, political instability and generally negative international perceptions of the country. The holding of Convexindo and Motivation Show 2003, the national CEI industry's annual showpiece exhibition, against the background of global fears of the effects of the SARS virus was therefore a chance to display a touch of Indonesian determination as well as an opportunity to counteract outside perceptions with on-site inspections and tours for buyers. Hosted by the Jakarta Convention Bureau (JCB), the event was supported by national carrier Garuda, which organised buyer flights, and was sponsored by the Jakarta city government tourism office, Jakarta International Hotels Association (JIHA), and Indonesian profesional associations for conference and exhibition organisers. The devastation to the regional CEI industry wreaked by SARS unavoidably affected the show. This was bitterly ironic given that Indonesia was relatively untouched by the virus, with only two non-fatal cases reported. Nonetheless, the cumulative effect of sensationalist media coverage combined to scare off some overseas buyers despite organisers' best efforts to reassure them. This resulted in a show with 26 hosted buyers present rather than the expected 50. Nonetheless, European buyers came from the UK and the Netherlands, and Asia Pacific buyers arrived from Japan and Australia, Malaysia, Thailand. A selection of Jakarta's wide range of five-star hotels were used to accommodate the hosted buyers and invited international media, including the Hotel Mulia, JW Marriott, Alila, Aryaduta Hyatt. The show organising committee decided to tackle the issues of SARS and terrorism head on by arranging two breakfast briefings from invited experts on these issues to lessen any anxieties on these scores. While disappointed that some buyers had been deterrred by the regional SARS crisis from attending, JCB executive director Ms Indra Sukirno felt the decision to go ahead with the show was justified to show "Jakarta is open for business". "Over the past five years, we have had to face just about every kind of blow to the CEI industry yet we have shown tremendous resilience. Now we are even seeing an expansion of five-star hotels in Jakarta again. This is a very encouraging sign that the continuing strength of the domestic market will be combined with renewed interest from abroad," Ms Sukirno says. This point is emphasised by Ms Indah Ariyani, executive manager of JIHA, who points to the planned opening of two new deluxe hotels by 2005, a Ritz-Carlton and a Westin property. Following the exhibition, buyers could choose between tours to Bali or to Bandung in West Java. The majority of the Asian buyers opted for Bandung, principally because of a greater familiarity with Bali as a destination than their European counterparts. The Bali goup took the regular Garuda flight from Jakarta to Denpasar, just an hour or so away, while the Bandung group were taken by road to Ciater Spa, located less than an hour above the city in the breathtaking cloud-covered Javanese hills. Mr Paul Jensen of Jensen Consulting, an Australian corporate events organiser, felt the Bali option, which buyers had to pay for, was disappointing. "The post-conference tours were not good. The Bali options were too expensive and the local 'free' tours really not worth the long coach trip. I felt they could and should have done better," he says. The Bandung participants could pick a spa treatment of their choosing, walk or go horseriding in the unspoilt surrounding countryside. A daytrip into Bandung allowed opportunities to visit high-fashion outlets for the many textile factories in the area, producing internationallly recognised premium brands. Mr Jensen sums up the difficulties and the potential of the Indonesia capital as a CEI destination. "Jakarta does have its problems. Heavy traffic, pollution and a general lack of interesting things to do would take it far down the line of preferences for anything but special-interest conferencing." he says "But, if one looks at this option, it is a huge city with many extremely wealthy people and companies and presents enormous commercial opportunities. This makes it a choice for some types of CEI activities. Hotels, conference facilities, catering and transport facilities are quite up to standard and would get my vote."