MICE CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE

This MICE FAM Trip, organised by Mice in the Bag, enabled us (a small group of buyers and 2 owners of MICE medias) to familiarise ourselves with the luxury property in Antalya, Turkey, which hosted the G20 Summit in November 2015. Many other public and private meetings, including those at which heads of state and presidents were present, have also been held here.

The Regnum Carya Golf Resort and Spa is a large complex covering one million square metres, and as it was only opened in 2014, everything is new and fresh: equipment, infrastructure, interior decorations, facilities, and the food.

Deniz Ustertuna, a Regnum Carya Golf Spa Resort Board member, got our MICE FAM Trip underway with evening cocktails on the terrace and a presentation of the resort and its business, 20 per cent of which comes from the MICE sector. The resort would now like to attract even more international MICE clients from Europe, and the CEE region. It has it all: VIP luxury quality, the infrastructure and the latest technology to host large congresses and conferences, experience of handling special security issues, golf and other sports facilities, and last but not the least the seaside (it is located on the Mediterranean coast) that is “indispensable” for the Czech, Slovak, and Austrian markets.

The Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort is a new property and one that is worth paying attention to when planning MICE events – and not just those events where your client needs to be sure that the venue is well protected and controlled. Surrounded by the pine trees of Carya Golf Club in the heart of nature in Antalya, it offers superb infrastructure for large congresses, international and national summits but also for all kinds of incentives, conferences and meetings, special trips, and leisure tourism.

During our MICE trip, the resort was hosting a large medical congress combined with a pharmaceutical industry exposition. Over two storeys, the convention centre covers an area of 7,500 square metres, and Carya can host up to 2,000 people (Theatre style), the exhibition area offering about 250 square metres.

Our group visited the Crown Villa, the exclusive accommodation where heads of state and presidents of companies or large organisations usually stay. Here there is a privative meeting room that can seat 10 people, VIP helicopter transfer for a maximum of four people, and a total area of 3,500 square metres with five bedrooms. The master bedroom has a jacuzzi, a sauna, a fine bath, and bulletproof windows. There is also a living room with a fireplace and all the infrastructure and services VIPs require.

There are also four Carya Golf Villas offering 250 square metres and the Presidential Suite Sea View (with two bedrooms) in the main building of the 5-star Hotel. The property also offers a 4-star option as most large companies now demand 4-star standards. The total number of rooms is 538 and the total number of beds is 1,200.

The lunch served at the Carya Golf Club with Bekir Kara, Antalya National Golf Club General Manager, was delicious and later, our group went a little bit into the golf activity. Some of us preferred driving the golf cart rather than the ball, especially the 2 medias present: Zuzana Adamson from MICE CEE and Paul Colston from Mash Media, and got offers of jobs from the GM. The largest source market for golfing activities is the UK, followed by Germany and Scandinavia. The CEE region is fast developing as the number of golfers from central and eastern European destinations is constantly growing. They come from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Russia, Croatia, Romania, Bulgaria, and Serbia.

At breakfast, there is a wide range of delicious cuisines and specialities available. In my opinion, the local food was the best and we recommend that you try some of the many local specialities. The main restaurant offers an all-day open buffet style dining experience and there are four à la carte restaurants with palatable delights from Italian, Far Eastern, and Turkish cuisine, and the Seafood restaurant offers delicacies from the sea.

In the afternoon, we went to visit the Land of Legends Theme Park, which opened in July 2016. At 800,000 square metres, it is the largest entertainment centre complex in Turkey. It was designed by entertainment world legend France Dragone, the Italian-Belgian Theatre Director who created Cirque du Soleil.

We were lucky because our small group happened to meet him at the theme park. He was kind enough to talk to us for a little bit about his work and its symbolism, and agreed to have his picture taken with us as well. We were extremely happy because he is a man who normally refuses interviews with journalists. The Land of Legends combines hotel accommodation with entertainment, and offers a theme park, shopping units, water parks, spectacles, concerts, and of course bars and restaurants, one of them located underground, where you can drink, dance, and watch sharks swimming while they watch you at the same time. The Land of Legends Theme Park offers complimentary to all the guests of the Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort.

The Regnum Carya Golf and Spa Resort is accessible by air via a connection in Istanbul; it is only a one-hour flight from Istanbul to Antalya. The resort management also offers special direct flight arrangements for large groups coming from European countries. For business class and Elite travelers, the Turkish airlines have excellent large lounges where a plethora of food, drink, computers, entertainment, chairs, large canapés to sleep and relax on, games, books and many other things that ensure your comfort are available.

Pictures:

1. The MICE FAM Trip: Our group with Mr. Ustertuna (fifth from the left) and

Mr. Cakar from the Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort (fourth from the left)

2., 3. and 4., 5. The Crown Villa

6. The large Congress Hall

7. Mr. Dragone (second from the left) with our group at the Land of Legends