Brunei breaks into events

Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei, Abode of Peace), to give the state its proper title, certainly lives up to its name, offering tranquillity and a slower pace than many other Asian destinations. For many meeting planners that is precisely Brunei's advantage, freeing delegates from many of the distractions that can affect their focus. Unwinding stressed-out executives is, of course, something of an end in itself and while Brunei possesses all the modern luxuries and business necessities, the lure of nature is everpresent, with more than half of the state covered in primary rainforest. While this is a country where oil is cheaper than water, daily expenses are at the lower end of the scale. Abd Nasir Hj Bolhassan, Royal Brunei Airlines' regional manager for Brunei, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, takes up this point. "Dining out is much cheaper than in most countries and the cost of imported electrical items are sometimes even cheaper than Singapore. As far as activities are concerned, Brunei is a destination where one could relax and avoid crowds and congestion. The places of interest are also close to each other." Brunei shares the island of Borneo with the Indonesian state of Kalimantan and the two Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, the latter entirely surrounding Brunei's borders. Brunei's location practically in the heart of the dynamic Asean region is also cited as an advantage by some. Nurul Suzainee Abdullah, manager product development of Royal Brunei Airlines, gives her reasons for Brunei's CEI potential. "Brunei has all the necessary infrastructure for meetings and incentives," she says. "It has successfully hosted events such as APEC 2000 and numerous other Asean meetings that involved planning for groups of more than 1,000 delegates. As a new destination, Brunei is also clean, stable and safe. Brunei is situated close to Australia and is approximately two to three hours away from most Asean capitals." Tolerant society Respect for Brunei's Islamic and Malay culture is essential for any visitor. However, the Bruneians are a warm, welcoming and tolerant people. For foreign, non-Muslim guests there is considerable leeway in the area of food and beverages Halal menus provide few problems for most visitors and the range of Western, Indian and Chinese dishes available in the sultanate is wide and of a very high quality. Consumption of alcohol by non-Muslims is permitted providing the officially sanctioned limits are respected. A recent incentive trip by Amway Korea, for example, allowed all the participants to use their maximum alcohol allowance (two litres of wine or spirits and 12 cans of beer) during their events at The Empire Hotel. Local event organisers and hotels can easily assist in the logistical issues of clearing the customs regulations. Brunei certainly remains relatively unknown as a destination for corporate events. Anne Busfield, general manager, The Empire Hotel, sees that this could be turned into a plus point. "One of the greatest advantages of Brunei for CEI is that it is a such a unique destination and one that is fairly new as well," she says. "So it really does offer CEI organisers a very refreshing and new alternative as opposed to using the traditional CEI destinations." "One of the most common misconceptions about Brunei is that it is a small country with limited attractions. "While it is true that Brunei is relatively small in comparison to some competitive destinations, it is a complete misconception that there is little to do in Brunei. "There is an extensive range of attractions including the pristine and sensational rainforests of Temburong through to the amazing water village of Kampong Ayer," she insists. "Another misconception is that Brunei does not have an appropriate CEI product that caters for all types of events," Busfield says. "Time and time again CEI organisers are amazed at the extensive range of CEI-focused facilities that we have at The Empire Hotel and Country Club." The sultanate's tourism authority also recognises that outside perceptions can be challenged. Faten Salwati Mahmud Shahrani, project officer for Brunei Tourism, believes that those unfamiliar with the country may have misconceptions about its social values. "Some think that Brunei is a very boring and strict place, and that they can't drink alcohol. We explain to them that, for a four- to five-day programme, there is ample to do in terms of activities revolving around nature, cultural heritage and other healthy activities such as golf, water sports and equestrian sports, so boredom is not really a problem. Modern moves "We explain also that although Brunei is a devout country where religion plays an important role, it is by no means a strict, medieval-thinking, inward-looking society, but in fact a rather progressive, modern and open society," she explains. "For alcohol, we explain that it is not sold in Brunei, but that non-Muslim foreigners can import it under a generous duty-free quota, and consume it freely in private or discreetly in hotels, restaurants and lounges. "For groups, the organiser, with help from the airline and destination management company, can import in bulk the quota equivalent to the group's size and have it served at the different functions, with no taxes or corkage fee. This allows for a good and economical budgeting of the alcohol — always a thorny issue for orgshahranisers,"Shahrani says. Busfield believes there is now greater opportunity to win CEI business in the region. "We have a very strong focus now and over the next five years on the regional markets due to the fact that Brunei is extremely well located," she says. "As a result of this focus we are already starting to see some growth and interest coming through from key markets such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea and Kuala Lumpur." Brunei Tourism's Shahrani is also positive about growth. "In terms of corporate events such as meetings, incentives, there is potential to further develop this segment," she says. "We've seen some corporate events in the past from groups as diverse as the RASBANK financial group of Italy, as well as the Diamond Category sellers of Amway in Korea, and we are expecting more along these lines in the future." With a growing recognition of 'green' tourism, Brunei could reap the benefits of official policy to retain, preserve and protect its huge reserves of primary rainforest. Soft adventure elements are easily added in to programmes and the opportunity to see the rainforest so little touched by human activity is an unforgettable experience, delivering the 'wow factor' that characterises truly premium incentives. event case study HSBC Rolls-Royce link-up As part of its theme of 'The World's Local Bank', the local branches of banking giant HSBC organised a high-tea reception at the Empire Hotel and Country Club to mark the arrival of the Rolls Royce Enthusiasts' Club (RREC) Tour of Borneo 2005. The bank invited its Premier-level customers to the event to meet the drivers and see a range of vintage vehicles which were also touring in Sabah and Sarawak. CEO of HSBC Brunei, Guy Priestly, noted that the event was an example of two global brand-names working together to promote international understanding through cultural exchanges and visits between two great nations - Brunei Darussalam and the United Kingdom - both of which have strong HSBC associations. The event was also supported by other HSBC offices in most of the towns visited by the motorcade. The event saw the attendance of around 400 HSBC Premier customers and 180 RREC guests. The RREC Tour of Borneo chairman, Peter Cameron, also gave a speech, which was followed by a private viewing of the Rolls-Royces, including the classic 1912 Silver Ghost Tourer and 1934 Bentley Le Mans Special. A charity sale of RREC 'Tour of Borneo' limited edition merchandise such as caps, mugs and T-shirts as well as the auction of a special memorabilia T-shirt linked in to the event. Proceeds were donated to the Society for the Management of Autism Related in Training Education and Resources Centre (SMARTER), and successful bidders were given the chance to ride in one of the vintage cars. The highlight of the day was a ride along the Jerudong highway and around Jerudong Park led by a group of Harley-Davidson bikers. The event concluded with a photo session for the bank's Premier customers. airline spotlight royal brunei Royal Brunei Airlines currently operates a fleet of six Boeing 767-300ERs, two Airbus A319s and two Airbus A320s. To date, Royal Brunei provides scheduled services to 21 destinations across Asia, the Middle East, Australasia and Europe. As an added convenience to its passengers, the airline has codeshare agreements with Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, British Midland, Philippine Airlines and Dragon Air of Hong Kong. Among its key Asia Pacific routes are Auckland, Bangkok, Brisbane, Darwin, Dubai, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Hong Kong, Manila, Perth, Shanghai, Singapore, Surabaya and Sydney. Passenger figures hit 1.16 million in 2003-04. venue spotlight The Empire Venue The Empire Hotel and Country Club Web www.empire.com.bn Tel: + 673 241 8888 Email [email protected] Spacious and luxurious, the Empire Hotel & Country Club offers 360 rooms plus 63 suites and villas set in an 180-hectare estate. Each room provides guests with a panoramic view of the sea, lagoon or golf course from their private balcony. For special guests, the hotel offers deluxe villas and the the Emperor and Empress suites, which have hosted royalty and presidents. The three-bedroom villas share a swimming pool area and a private beach for convenience of guests. The Empire provides a variety of function rooms and state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. The Empire Hotel and Country Club has been the chosen venue of local and international events such as the Asian Tourism Forum (ATF), Asia Pacific Economic Council CEO Summit (APEC) and Commonwealth Finance Ministers Meeting, playing host to heads of states and senior executives. There are five food and beverage outlets: an Italian restaurant Spaghettini, the Pantai Restaurant set by the beach and poolside,the Li Gong Chinese Restaurant, the Atrium Café and at the Country Club, there is the Spike Lounge. For the executive traveller, the hotel also has an exclusive E-Club, with more personalised services offered by a team of professional butlers. The Country Club has world-class sports and leisure facilities ranging from floodlit tennis, badminton, squash, a fitness centre and a ten-pin bowling alley. the latter is popular as a venue for corporate events. The Empire Country Club has a floodlit 18-hole Jack Nicklaus-designed championship golf course, which has hosted the likes of former US President Bill Clinton. There is also a putting and chipping green. The driving range has 26 covered bays with target greens from 50m to 200m. There are three Empire Cinemas furnished with deep leather loungers and state-of-the-art digital sound systems as well as a separate theatre complex. Brunei's background: undiscovered treasures Official name: Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei, the Abode of Peace) Size: 5,765km2 Population: 340,800 (2002 est) Density: 59 people/sq km Language: Bahasa Melayu (Malay) is the official language, but English is the language of business and is widely spoken at all levels. Mandarin, Chinese dialects and native Borneo languages are also spoken by segments of the population Capital: Bandar Seri Begawan Head of state: His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar 'Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. Geography: Although occupying less than one per cent of Borneo's land area, Brunei is the only sovereign country on the island, which it shares with the Indonesian provinces of West, East, South and Central Kalimantan, and the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak. Brunei is bound on all sides by Sarawak, except in the north for a 161km-long coastline on the South China Sea Economy: With a GDP of US$4.2 billion and a per capita GDP of US$12,300 (provisional 2002 figures), Brunei's mainly oil- and gas-based economy offers a high standard of living to its population, resulting in positive social indicators such as high literacy rates, long life expectancy, low infant mortality, low unemployment and low crime. History: In 1405 the then ruler of Brunei, Awang Alak Betatar, embraced Islam and from then on ruled as Sultan Muhammad, founding a dynasty of which the current Sultan is the 29th ruler, making it the oldest unbroken reigning dynasty in the world. From 1473 to 1521, Brunei reached its peak, controlling the whole of Borneo and parts of the Philippines, Following the arrival of European colonialists, Brunei was reduced to a small fraction of its former size and wealth. Brunei saw a revival of its fortunes when oil was discovered in 1929. Brunei gained independence from the British in 1984.