SriLankan on promoting solutions for meetings industry

SriLankan Airlines will take on an active role in promoting solutions for the meetings industry through the strategic reorganization of its meetings, incentives, conferences and events division into a proactive marketing unit. The restructured SriLankan MICE division will offer companies an array of end to end solutions for meetings and other corporate events.

The Airlines' Meetings and Incentives solutions will include airfare, hotel accommodation and conference services and will be designed to suit the individual needs of each group. A range of basic packages will also be available to companies and through travel agents, with the options of adding on services, tours and other products as per each customer's requirements.

General Manager, SriLankan Holidays and MICE Amith Sumanapala said, "The meeting industry is growing very rapidly and Sri Lanka has a lot of potential to be a preferred destination for corporate events.

"Initially we will promote venues in Sri Lanka to the meeting industry, progressively adding new destination in the region as the demand builds up."

SriLankan Airlines has traditionally played the role of a promoter and silent partner in overall national events and proposals initiated by local organizations.

In the new structure, SriLankan Airlines will continue to support local corporate event organizers with special airfares and other products and services that will make a winning bid to host an event in the island but would also aggressively market meeting packages under the SriLankan Airlines' Meetings and Incentives banner.

"We have already been involved in organizing a number of successful meetings with our local partners for multinational conglomerates and associations like Microsoft, Bosch, IBM, Coca Cola, Association of Independent Tour Operators UK, Travel Agents Association of India, and Sony BMG," Sumanapala said.

Strengthening Sri Lanka's position as a preferred venue, SriLankan Airlines together with the Sri Lankan Convention Bureau and hotel and travel service provides toured neighboring India on an extensive road show in late 2007.

Coinciding with the road show, special SriLankan meetings and incentives all inclusive two nights three day package was offered, starting at INR 12,000 and included airfare, airport transfers in Sri Lanka, accommodation and state of the art meeting and conference facilities.

A variety of settings were available for the Indian businesses for their meeting from metropolitan Colombo to historic Kandy or the Cultural Triangle to the tropical beaches.

"The airline's strong presence in India with eleven destinations and 100 flights per week is an added incentive to promote MICE traffic from all over the subcontinent."

The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau is expecting to attract over 80,000 out of the total nine million Indian out bounding traffic by end 2008.