Outdoor space at Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort.
The new Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort has opened with a pillarless ballroom for 1,100 banquet pax, and unique outdoor spaces.
A top focus for the resort is growing the MICE segment. The resort
has eight F&B outlets, 307 rooms, and over 1,037 sqm of event spaces
such as five meeting rooms, seven breakout rooms. The Cove and Jungle
Pool area hosts 60 pax.
Director of revenue strategy, Sagar Sood, shared his perspectives and
goals: “Our presence in all sectors of business (from pharma to tech)
has been key in ensuring we are able to target specific markets for
specific periods of the year and ensure our brand is synonymous within
each industry.
“Bali has always been a magnet for international and domestic MICE
business, however a shift in trend, especially post-pandemic, has seen
the emergence of smaller markets - Eastern Europe, South Africa, Taiwan,
and various others - displaying increased interest.
“The industry, in general, has started to realise the importance of
diversifying amongst multiple markets, instead of relying on the top
three usual suspects of China, India, and domestic business.
“At Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort, this was our goal since its
opening, to ensure the Resort is positioned to cater to variety and
diversity, not limit ourselves with the same mold that others follow.”
The MICE segment is already ahead of projections and budget, with
certain months looking to grow within the range of 12-16% points over
last year.
Challenges to overcome
However, the MICE industry in Bali continues to face an over-reliance
on specific markets, such as China, which is yet to still make a return
since the pandemic, said Sood.
Another challenge that Bali faces in the MICE segment is the slow
turnaround in bringing back direct flights from key markets. India has
only just begun direct flights from New Delhi as of December 2023, while
other source markets still have to incorporate at least one layover to
get to Bali. Added Sood: “This impacts the overall cost and budgets of
potential clients, especially when competing destinations such as
Thailand and Vietnam have direct connections available year-round.
“As a response, we continue to work with clients in every possible
way, offering higher value within globally competitive tariffs and being
flexible with adjusting to their travel periods. Our local event
organisers and partners are also very flexible with their packages and
inclusions and are open to working with clients to curate special
itineraries for them.”