INTEGRATED resort Laguna Phuket is placing its service staff through Mandarin language classes and partnering with local universities to hire Mandarin-proficient students as temporary helpers, in anticipation of a mega Amway China event scheduled to take place from April 15 - May 15.

Laguna Phuket will play host to some 15,000 Amway China representatives over the course of 21 days, with daily arrivals expected to number more than 600. Each group will spend five days at the integrated resort, where they will participate in various business sessions, grand dinners and tours.

Debbie Dionysius, assistant vice-president of destination marketing, Laguna Phuket, told TTGmice e-Weekly in an interview that 19 individual group programmes would run during the event, in addition to 21 grand buffet dinners for up to 1,000 guests each in a 55m x 40m marquee next to a lagoon.

“The event is practically a buy-out of the resort, and there won’t be many guests not associated with Amway China," she said.

"Banyan Tree Phuket will host the VIPs and many private functions. Other participants will stay at Angsana Laguna Phuket, Dusit Thani Laguna Phuket and Laguna Beach Resort. Other hotels such as Best Western Allamanda Laguna Phuket will take Amway’s support staff and (contractors) involved in the event.”

According to event liaison manager, Setia Budiarto, 200-300 Mandarin-speaking students have been engaged to help during the event, and dry-runs for all staff will begin a week before April 15.

Dionysius added that Laguna Phuket’s Amway China win had led to a rise in Chinese enquiries for the resort.

“Since we were contracted for the Amway event two years ago, we have seen a lot of interest from Chinese companies, with most being direct selling companies. Most of the events enquired were for incentives," she said.

"In fact, China is our main source market for MICE, apart from Australia. Hong Kong is strong now too, but not for such big events – mostly normal sized corporate groups of 50-200 pax.”