The Largest Corporate Travel Mart in Asia

For the fourth consecutive year, the International Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) Corporate Travel Mart is once again facilitating one of the largest business to business meetings for corporations, travel agents, resorts, conventions, venue operations and travel buyers.

The event, more commonly known as the IMCTM, will be held between the 17 - 21 May 2011 at the Sintesa peninsula Hotel Manado. The IMCTM plans to warmly welcome American Express Corporate Card members from lndonesia as well as from across Asia Pacific.

“IMCTM serves as a strategic platform for the participating organizations to negotiate their long-term corporate travel needs.” Mr. Panca Rudolf Sarungu, Head of IMCTM 2011 Organizing Committee, said,”We are happy to learn about the participation of quality sellers representing top brands such as Oberoi, Sheraton, Courtyard by Marriot, Hilton, Accor, Aryaduta, Nusa Dua, Oasis Benoa Menara Peninsula, Hotel Majapahit, Discovery Kartika Plaza, Pullman, Aerowisata, Swiss Belhotel, Aston, Novotel, Hertz to name few in the IMCTM, 2011. In cooperation with American Express and Ministry of Culture and Tourism, IMCTM 2011 promises to deliver the best B2B MICE and Corporate travel event in Indonesia”.

By bringing buyers and suppliers together in a single B2B forum, IMCTM strives to advance the MICE industry locally through table top sessions and the promotion of best practices in MICE management. The four day event promises to provide detailed information on MICE suppliers from hotel, resort and convention centre backgrounds located mostly in Indonesia. This will enable corporations to make an informed choice around costs involving travel and entertainment, the second largest controllable expense for most.

Mr. Panca adds that “IMCTM 2011 aims to have an increase in the lines of business sessions, buyers and sellers compared to IMCTM, 2010. With at least 70 selected hotels, resorts and convention operators, MICE facility providers and travel tour services already lined up to meet with 140 individuals from multinational companies from Indonesia, Malaysia, China, and other parts of the Asia Region we look to be on target to achieve this, estimating that the event will create at least 10,000 scheduled business sessions.”

Mrs. Dessy Masri, Card Business Head of Bank Danamon, said, “Danamon American Express Corporate Card is delighted to invite and facilitate American Express corporate clients and card members to this business event for a fourth consecutive year.

Rising oil costs in early 2011 certainly poses a significant challenge in growing the MICE and Travel industry, however the advent of IMCTM will help address this concern. This year’s Corporate Travel Mart in Manado, will provide American Express corporate clients with quality travel/hospitality related information and enable them to gain insights on major MICE destinations in Indonesia and enjoy an array of exclusive savings and offers are available on the American Express Corporate Card.

andnbsp;Ultimately, we do hope that American Express Corporate Card Danamon will provide our corporate card clients with a means to better control company expenses, whilst providing meeting and event planners with ideas in planning their corporate events.

As according to Nia Niscaya, Director, MICE says "Event IMCTM aims in achieving the target of 7.7 million foreign tourists visit in 2011. Manado has been chosen as the venue for IMCTM 2011 activities inorder to strengthen the position of Manado city as one of Indonesia's major MICE destinations in 2009 to host the World Ocean Conference, and in 2012 hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum.

andnbsp;In addition, IMCTM activities also provide opportunities to the buyers', especially multinational companies to know more alternative destinations in Indonesia for their MICE activities. It is expected that the implementation of IMCTM 2011, would assist the government efforts to achieve the target of tourist arrivals to Indonesia and target domestic tourist movement in Indonesia.

Source = ftnnews