7th Phil-Incentive slated Nov. 27-30, 2008
Source: (The Philippine Star) Updated November 23, 2008 12:00 AM

All is set and ready for the staging of the 7th Philippine Incentive (Phil-Incentive 2008) Marketing Conference at the Canyon Woods Tagaytay and Canyon Cove Nasugbu, Batangas on Nov. 27-30.
After the welcome dinner reception at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay and overnight stay at Canyon Woods Resort Club on Nov. 27, Phil-Incentive 2008 formally opens the following morning with a keynote speech by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, shortly after the welcome remarks of conference chairman Undersecretary Eduardo Jarque Jr., with BBC World News anchor Rico Hizon acting as emcee.

Durano's speech will kick off the morning floor talks, featuring presentations on "The Road Ahead" by regional account manager Nadira Mohsin of Euromonitor International, the latest tourism developments by regional director for Asia Shahram Saber of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA), "The Road Less Traveled" by New Zealand-based Extra Mile Co. executive chairman and Asia-Pacific chapter director Eugene de Villiers of the New York-based Society of Incentive Travel Executives, and "We Dream, We Realize" by chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.

The afternoon session begins with a presentation on "Asian Brand Leadership - A New Boardroom Paradigm" by keynote speaker Martin Roll, a world-renowned brand strategist and author of Asian Brand Strategy.

Then comes "Facetime on Building Brands" with a panel of speakers composed of HSAI Raintree Philippines president Annabella Wisniewski, Sofitel Philippine Plaza sales and marketing director Rose Libongco, and CHI & Area Spa project director Lyndell Nelis of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts.

After a short break, Villiers and event manager Les Alford of Incentive House Australia will further discuss incentive travel and conduct an open forum with the delegates.
The foreign speakers are among the many international experts who were invited to share their skills with the local tourism industry during Phil-Incentive's four-day run, according to conference convenor Rosvi Gaetos, deputy executive director of the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corp. (PCVC), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The PCVC is co-organizing the conference with the Movement of Incentive Travel Executives (MITE) to institutionalize their educational, developmental and networking goals.

Sponsored by Philippine Airlines, ABS-CBN Foundation and Philippine Tourism Authority, Phil-Incentive 2008 is supported by conference partners Qatar Airways, Canyon Cove, Canyon Woods, Taal Vista Hotel, ISS Makati Skyline, Pagcor, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Shangri-La Resorts and Hotels, Sofitel Philippine Plaza, TTG Asia, Travel Café Philippines, Sonya's Garden and the province of Aklan.

Expected to have nearly 200 delegates from the various sectors of the tourism industry, Phil-Incentive 2008 is also supported by Afro Asian Travel & Tours Inc., Trans Inter Corp., Colors Publishing Inc., Victory Liner Inc., AA Business Class Transport Corp., 3R&N Tours Corp., Annset Holidays, Blue Horizon Travel and Tours, Columbia Transport (Coltrans), Intas Management Destination, Transville, Duty Free Philippines, Enderun Colleges, Fitness First Philippines, Graphic Star (Cebu), Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila, Ralphs Wines & Spirits, Samsung, Seawind Boracay Island, Trace College, and Wow Magic Sing as industry partners.

DOT prods Philippine industry to target world incentive travel market
Author: http://www.travelweeklyweb.com | 2009-08-11

MANILA - The Philippines' Department of Tourism (DoT) is encouraging industry players to target the world's ever-expanding incentive travel market. "With a multitude of the world's companies, big and small, using travel as incentives or rewards for their employees and marketing come-ons for their customers, the size of this silent market is simply enormous," said DoT secretary, Joseph Ace Durano, as he announced the staging of the 7th Philippine Incentive (Phil-Incentive) Marketing Conference at the Canyon Woods Tagaytay and Canyon Cove Nasugbu, Batangas on November 27-30. DoT undersecretary for planning and promotions, Edu Jarque, said over 250 delegates, especially industry leaders, travel and tourism professionals, business executives, and marketing practitioners, are expected to participate in the event. "At least 24 local and foreign experts are scheduled to speak at Phil-Incentive's three intensive 'Floor Talks' days," Jarque added. Phil-Incentive 2008 is designed to professionalise the local incentive travel industry and provide practitioners with continuing education, a venue for innovative approaches to incentive marketing, and opportunities to showcase their abilities in creating incentive programmes. "This event will certainly help develop the skills of our tourism players, make the country a major incentive travel destination, and earn us a substantial share of this vast international market," Durano said.

Accolades on the 7th Phil-Incentive

"It has been a great pleasure and very interesting to be part of the Phil-Incentive last 27 - 30 November 2008. I and my colleague enjoyed very much the possibility to meet other industry players who showed lots of interest. I hope that the contact we got will soon transformed as fruitful cooperation. Any event you plan to arrange, please be so kind as to inform. We found your organization very interesting and hope to work with you again." -Ma. Caridad de Mesa, Philippine International Convention Center

"I did enjoy your Phil-Incentive Conference. I think the organizing committee did a great job of organizing everything, was very helpful. The venue is nice and I can appreciate what you are trying to accomplish in this market. I thank you for this opportunity."
-Danilo Jose Saavedra, Sharp Travel Services Phils.

"Thank you for organizing such a good meeting and bringing the best of M.I.C.E..." - Baby Ignacio, Montebello Villa Hotel

"Thank you very much for your efforts organizing this fantastic M.I.C.E. conference. I definitely would like to attend more of this conference and hopefully make some contributions, too, in the future." - Aileen Macadangdang, PTA

"It was an outstanding event." - Benjie Martinez, The Bellevue Manila

"Congratulations and sincerely thanks for an excellent conference in Batangas! I really must compliment you for an impressive program!" -Jenny Rose Valenzuela, Annset Holidays

"Very motivational! Gave me such a positive boost about my job and what I do." -Rosette Ramos, Lyceum of the Philippines
 

'Gold mine' in incentive travel seen as rush to Palawan looms
Source: Manila Bulletin / Date: 2002-09-12

The local tourism industry has barely scratched the surface of the gold mine in incentive travel, a motivational tool in the form of extraordinary travel experience given by companies and organizations as promotional rewards to their patrons or consumers, and to their executives and employees for outstanding performance.

This segment of the tourism market is high yield, comprising both foreign and local tourists with substantial disposable income, with each group consisting of 50 to 150 people who stay twice as long and plan multi-destinational trips, and require high standards of service and facilities that force local suppliers to upgrade.

Such market qualities make incentive travel a highly-competitive but lucrative profit center for hotels, resorts, travel agencies, tour operators, airlines, and destination management firms, among others, according to the Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism.

"However, there's still much to be done for the local tourism industry to cash in on the growing use of this modern marketing tool, which various sectors worldwide have learned to wield to achieve their goals," said PCVC deputy executive director Rosvi Gaetos.

"In fact, incentive travel is sending hordes of people from one place to another, or from one country to another across the globe, where travel has now emerged to be one of the most attractive incentives," Gaetos added.

How to make incentive travel, particularly to the Philippines and its choice destinations, even more irresistible will be the core agenda in the 7th Phil-Incentive Marketing Conference, which will be held in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on October 12 to 16.

Phil-Incentive is an annual forum that provides continuing education, development and networking opportunities to the country's incentive travel practitioners.

The conference is organized by the PCVC, the private sector-led Movement of Incentive Travel Executives, and the Palawan Tourism Council.  

The Philippines is back in the global incentives game
Author: Arlene D. Foz | Correspondent | 2009-08-11

PHILIPPINE tourism secretary Joseph Ace Durano affirmed the Department of Tourism (DoT)'s all-out support to growing the global incentive market at the 7th Philippine Incentive Marketing Conference held in November. Education and power of knowledge are the pillars of progress advocated by the DoT, Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation (PCVC) and the Movement of Incentive Travel Executives (MITE). The three are committed to regularly organise educational programmes that will upgrade the standards and quality of services of existing tourism facilities and services to ensure that these meet the requirements of incentive travel clients. Incentive travel is a specialised sector of tourism which demands no less than imagination, creativity and excellence. Held in twin venues, the Canyon Woods Resort Club in Laurel, Batangas and Canyon Cove Beach Club in Nasugbu, Batangas, the confab refreshed the Philippines' image as a potentially highyield incentive travel destination in the region. Focusing on the conference theme "I Innovate, You Travel, We Achieve," the 24 local and foreign speakers talked on highimpact strategies at the gathering of some 250 delegates. They came from various sectors such as hotels and resorts, travel agencies, tours operators, destination management companies, airlines and shipping firms, government agencies and media representatives. Among the stand-out pronouncements and speakers were "The Road Ahead" by Shahram Saber, regional director (Asia) of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). He provided viable directions on how industry players can be regionally competitive and have the edge. How to roll with the global economic punch and still thrive, as well as how a macro overview of the global industry's scenario can help in buffering up one's trade. Speaker Martin Roll, a business/ brand specialist and author of the book "Asian Brand Strategy", capitalised on iconic branding. He shared winning formulas on how industry players can fully tap the Philippines' uniqueness as an Asian destination. Australian Les Alford, an expert in incentive travel, conferences and events, zeroed in on how to go global and beyond, be distinctively creative to give clients that very impressive incentive travel or conference experience that they will never forget. How high-profiled women exerted power in the global and local branding scene was highlighted during the "Building Brands" face time with Annabella Wisniewski, president of HSAI Raintree Philippines for all Discovery Suites properties in the country, Rose Libongco, director of sales and marketing of the rebranded Sofitel Philippine Plaza, and Lyndell Nelis of the Shangri-La Hotel chain's CHI Spas in the country. A very strong cultural spirit infused all participants throughout the event, especially during themed banquets. Such factor is quite relevant in selling a destination, both for trade and tourism purposes. Most of the speakers said the cultural aspect helps in establishing and positioning of the destination's identity. It is also an excellent factor in product-branding for sales and marketing.