Anita Cheng
General manager, Meeting Planners (HK) Ltd
www.mphk.com
Which is your biggest market?
Our clients come from all over the world: Hong Kong, mainland China, Macau, Europe, Japan, Thailand, Dubai, the Middle East, the US and Australia.
What is the most difficult event you have done?
The Chinese New Year Parade for the Hong Kong Tourism Board has to been one of our
most sophisticated events. It included many government departments, local and overseas
suppliers and performers. As well as strong project-management skills, the detailed
logistics and multi-party coordination required exceptional detail. However, the event was also one of the most rewarding.
Are there any recurring challenges when it comes to organising an event?
Clients are getting more sophisticated. They are not just looking for an event manager,
they are looking at value-added services and creativity. The other challenge is that
multinational companies are shifting to a global purchasing model – all suppliers need
to be qualified first before they can even quote for a project. This will limit the opportunities
for smaller, creative operations to compete.
What’s the biggest challenge your industry faces in 2007?
The lack of venues, difficulty in booking a venue and the high cost of accommodation in
Hong Kong might make the destination less attractive – especially if you take into
consideration the new developments in neighbouring cities.
Name some recent clients?
Hong Kong Tourism Board, Visa, Sony Entertainment.
Ben Taylor
Managing director Asia,
Jack Morton Worldwide
www.jackmorton.com
Which is your biggest market?
There are two ways of looking at that question. Our largest residential market is currently Hong Kong. That is, the majority of our clients are based here. However, our largest destination market is without doubt China. That is where we are executing the most projects. Our mainland operations are only a year old, but I’m projecting that our Beijing office will surpass Hong Kong in revenue terms in its third year of trading.
What is the most difficult event you have done?
We organised two events for IBM in Asia Pacific in 2006. The first was planned and delivered in India within 76 days of receiving the brief and for a live audience in excess of 19,000. It involved the collaboration of six Jack Morton offices around the world and included us having to fabricate a building on a greenfield site from scratch – no ‘off-the shelf’ marquee.
Are there any recurring challenges when it comes to organising an event?
Without emphasising too much our events delivered in China, I would say the timescales
allowed by clients is something we are constantly up against. Asia works on half the lead time compared to our European or US counterparts.
What’s the biggest challenge your industry faces in 2007?
Plagiarism of ideas, the lack of existing skills, training of staff and client budget cuts.
Name some recent clients?
Adidas, HSBC, JP Morgan, IBM, Swatch, BASF, Nokia.
Peggy Lau
Regional general manager, Pacific World HK
www.pacificworldhk.com
Which is your biggest market?
Our biggest markets are in North America, Australia and Britain.
What is the most difficult event you have done?
Our client wanted to do a product launch at the Butterworth train station in Penang.
They wanted the product to be presented by three elephants. There were no elephants in
Penang so we had to transfer three elephants from Thailand by road. These elephants were
actually movie-star elephants and had appeared in Anna and the King. We had to build a comfortable tent for the elephants to rest to make sure they were in good shape.
For another event the client wanted to use the governor's house for dinner, which proved to be testing.
Are there any recurring challenges when it comes to organising an event?
The short lead-time clients give is always an issue. This can be as little as two weeks. In
March, we had one client call as he landed in Hong Kong advising us his delegates would be
arriving three days later. Clients also want a high level of creativity but don’t give us enough
time to put a programme together. Similarly, there’s often a lack of budget but the client
expects the same content for a reduced cost.
What’s the biggest challenge your industry faces in 2007?
Lack of good, knowledgeable and experienced staff is a huge issue, especially as this is a very ‘people to people’ industry.
Name some recent clients?
Motorola, Microsoft, Kalitta Air, Xerox, Novartis, Prudential Capital Group, Coca-Cola, Deloitte & Touche.
