MICE Conversations: a podcast for the Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Events industry
MICE Conversations: a podcast for the Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conferences and Events industry
#10: 'MICE Conversations' - Nicholas Alleyne, CEO Blu Isles DMC Barbados
'MICE Conversations'. In this episode I talk with Nicholas Alleyne, CEO of Blu Isles DMC Barbados. Nicholas is also Chair of the Barbados Hotel and Tourism MICE Product Committee.
More about Nicholas Alleyne and Blu Isles DMC Barbados.
https://bluisles.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-alleyne-94b664/
https://corporate.visitbarbados.org/priority-events/
Recorded Friday 18th June 2021.
This pocast is also available as a video, on the TravelMedia.ie YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/G1np5t7lPPw
Topics and questions, timeline or video chapters.
00:00 - Intro and welcome.
01:09 - MICE in Barbados pre-pandemic.
02:49 - Trends? Safe equals small.
04:48 - Bubble experiences.
06:39 - Barbados property sizes?
07:37 - Safe Barbados.
09:27 - Current Covid testing protocols.
10:45 - Barbados rum hertigage.
13:21 - 2022, bookings or enquiries?
14:30 - What differentiates Barbados from other Caribbean islands?
17:19 - Has Barbados changed or has the MICE customer changed, post-pandemic?
19:30 - outro. Thank yous.
About the MICE Meetup Dublin
https://www.travelmedia.ie/mice-meetup-dublin/
Video transcript:
- Hello and welcome to another MICE Conversations. Today, you are either seeing us on YouTube or you are listening to us on your podcast preferred platform. Yes, we are now a podcast as well as a YouTube series. So welcome again. Today I'm lucky to be talking to Nicholas Alleyne, who is CEO of Blu Isles DMC in Barbados. Nicholas I know quite well. I was in Barbados a few times last year and back in December, Nicholas was my host. I was assisting a conference organizer who was in the process of organizing an event which will eventually take place. And Nicholas was brilliant in terms of taking both of us around the island showing us venues, et cetera. So that's when I understood that Nicholas was a MICE expert and somebody that we should talk to as part of this series. But as well as CEO of Blu Isles, Nicholas is also chairman of the Barbados hotel and tourism MICE product committee. There's a long acronym and title for you. But Nicholas really does know his MICE. He is one of the MICE experts in Barbados. So Nicholas, I wonder if we can start with just telling us what MICE was like, what the MICE product was in Barbados pre-pandemic. I know it's going to be different coming out but let's start with pre-pandemic. And just to set the scene, Barbados is a small island and a population of about 300,000. So, you know, it's going to be a unique MICE product by definition. So Nicholas, could you start with pre-pandemic MICE in Barbados?
- Thanks, Michael. Barbados pre-pandemic was an emerging MICE destination. We focus heavily on the incentive because of our unique and diverse offering. We found that incentive companies, rewarded their top employees with trips to Barbados. We created the unique experiences from board meetings on catamarans to our unique tours at the original first rum distillery of the world, with receiving local artisan gifts. Whether it be rums with their name engraved, local handmade mahogany, to all types of unique gifts. So we were creating unique experiences that had the employees really excel in so as they can achieve the trip, the reward of the trip the following year.
- Yeah, if ever there was an incentive as in the I in MICE, a trip to Barbados is pretty good. I think that will focus somebody's attention. Can we talk about trends, Nicholas? I'm conscious that what I've seen a huge amount of is one trend being everything going smaller. So safe equals small, as in less people. So 40 people going away on a trip versus 500 or 3000 and by definition, Barbados offers that in that it..........
(relaxing music)- Hello and welcome to another MICE Conversations. Today, you are either seeing us on YouTube or you are listening to us on your podcast preferred platform. Yes, we are now a podcast as well as a YouTube series. So welcome again. Today I'm lucky to be talking to Nicholas Alleyne, who is CEO of Blu Isles DMC in Barbados. Nicholas I know quite well. I was in Barbados a few times last year and back in December, Nicholas was my host. I was assisting a conference organizer who was in the process of organizing an event which will eventually take place. And Nicholas was brilliant in terms of taking both of us around the island showing us venues, et cetera. So that's when I understood that Nicholas was a MICE expert and somebody that we should talk to as part of this series. But as well as CEO of Blu Isles, Nicholas is also chairman of the Barbados hotel and tourism MICE product committee. There's a long acronym and title for you. But Nicholas really does know his MICE. He is one of the MICE experts in Barbados. So Nicholas, I wonder if we can start with just telling us what MICE was like, what the MICE product was in Barbados pre-pandemic. I know it's going to be different coming out but let's start with pre-pandemic. And just to set the scene, Barbados is a small island and a population of about 300,000. So, you know, it's going to be a unique MICE product by definition. So Nicholas, could you start with pre-pandemic MICE in Barbados?- Thanks, Michael. Barbados pre-pandemic was an emerging MICE destination. We focus heavily on the incentive because of our unique and diverse offering. We found that incentive companies, rewarded their top employees with trips to Barbados. We created the unique experiences from board meetings on catamarans to our unique tours at the original first rum distillery of the world, with receiving local artisan gifts. Whether it be rums with their name engraved, local handmade mahogany, to all types of unique gifts. So we were creating unique experiences that had the employees really excel in so as they can achieve the trip, the reward of the trip the following year.- Yeah, if ever there was an incentive as in the I in MICE, a trip to Barbados is pretty good. I think that will focus somebody's attention. Can we talk about trends, Nicholas? I'm conscious that what I've seen a huge amount of is one trend being everything going smaller. So safe equals small, as in less people. So 40 people going away on a trip versus 500 or 3000 and by definition, Barbados offers that in that it's a small island and the majority of hotels are relatively speaking small. Is that a trend in Barbados, as in, are you seeing bookings for next year and people buying out the entire property, buying out 50 rooms, buying out a hundred rooms? Has that happened in Barbados?- Yes. We've seen the trend towards that where organizations or leisure groups for expos, for incentives or even board meetings are buying out the smaller properties. We have smaller properties ranging, for example, the House by Marriott is part of their luxury collection. 35 rooms. It's an amazing property. They also have Treasure Beach. So you're finding more organizations are rewarding the top employees with buyouts and exclusive experience. One, for the safety, but also they get to enhance the trips even more and make that experience an all-inclusive wow because the property itself can be customizing and tailor-made and they can do more events on site as well. And then they're also booking private tours and experiences. Whereas before you would have a large group, let's say 300 persons and they will have a flotilla of multiple catamarans. Now they're are going to the rum distillery and they're booking exclusive hours just for their groups.- And a word or a phrase I've heard, and there's so many new words to describe travel and everything around COVID. But 'bubble' is a word I've heard a lot recently. But explain to me what a bubble tour is or a bubble excursion?- Well, you're finding more, we've even this year, we've started to do bubble experiences. So therefore only the attendees or the persons of the group will be together. So no outside persons will be on the vehicles, at the tour, on the catamaran, at the hotel, during that timeframe. So everyone prior to arrival would be tested and therefore, you know everyone is safe and negative and all employees will be the same employees. So that you you've created a little dome, or bubble, as you would call it, keeping everyone's safe.- And is that something that people are asking for? Has that concept, you know, caught on and, you know, organizers that you're dealing with PCOs et cetera, saying, you know, "We want the whole thing"to be bubbled from start to experience." From the excursions to, you know, the dining to the accommodation?- Yes, actually we do have even last year, for example, the world famous Sandy Lane Hotel, they've created a bubble experience. We have Sandals here as well. They have created a bubble experience for their in-house guests. So therefore all persons, they know everyone attending or on site is safe, is a negative, has passed the screening. Therefore there's less, a significant reduction in the probability of transmission of COVID.- And just, I mean, I know Barbados, so let's not assume that everybody watching or listening knows Barbados as well, but my experience and correct me if I'm wrong here is that, you know, there are one or two big properties that are in the, kind of the, the three to 500 room range as in the Hilton, but most properties are, you know, let's say 50 to a hundred. Is that correct?- Yeah, so the average property size is roughly around 75 rooms. We have the, as you mentioned, the Hilton, which is 350, the Wyndham is being created currently. And there would be roughly around 300 rooms. If I remember correctly. Other than that, you have 150, 120 room properties, but we have a lot of unique local, very special properties. And they're all from the 35 to the 75 range. Even the Fairmont Royal Pavilion, there are 70 rooms.- I know this from experience, having been to Barbados twice last year in October and December, 2020, that is. Barbados was incredibly safe, you know, with very little community transmission. And I think it's probably fair to say Barbados has a global reputation as being one of the safest places during the whole COVID experience. Has that been a plus or a benefit? Are you getting people contacting you, making inquiries saying, "Hey,"we understand Barbados is safe."Therefore, we feel comfortable being, bringing,"you know, a group on a incentive product or for a meeting?"- Yes, we've managed the COVID pandemic very well. We thank our leaders with great vision and our health first responders. We actually created and built a COVID hotel and it has paid off in benefits. The last four weeks, we've had a total of 21 cases. And this is locals and visitors arriving on island. So 21 over the last four visits, it's phenomenal. Especially as in our market, our borders are open. So when you're tested on arrival and therefore we catch the potential situations early, before they can spread. And the great thing is that whether you're a local or visitor, once you're on an island and you test positive, your healthcare is complimentary. So the government takes really great care of you. And we are at world class standards.- So just to be clear for people watching, you know, anybody looking to fly to Barbados has to have a PCR test before they even get on the plane, but then they're tested again, even if they have a PCR, even if they're vaccinated, they're tested again when they landed? When they land?- Yes, yes, so our protocols at the present moment, fully vaccinated persons, everyone coming to Barbados has to arrive with a negative PCR test within 72 hours of arriving into Barbados. On arrival you, fully vaccinated persons are tested. And once that results return, you are free to explore the entire island.- Okay. So say it's the 72 hours. You know, I think most of us are used to that as in 72 hours before travel. But it's the additional testing on top, even if you're vaccinated, which is a little bit different. And for clarity or transparency purposes, I suppose I should say here, as we're discussing Barbados, the island, as opposed to just MICE, I work with Barbados tourism. That's why I've been in Barbados so many times over the years, but you and I, Nicholas, have no commercial relationship. I have asked you to do this because of your unique position and expertise in the MICE market.- Yes. Yes.- Tell me, talk a bit more about rum. I mean, it's, you know, I think that's something, a lot of people are not aware of, like you mentioned it's the home of rum. But yeah. Tell us more about that. Like it's, you know, is that a big selling point? Do people come for that? Am I correct in saying it's Mount Gay is the original rum manufacturer?- Yes. Barbados invented and perfected rum. The first rum of the world is the Mount Gay is Mount Gay Rum. The distillery is still located in the original spot, 300 plus years ago, Going 400, I believe. And you can tour the original distillery. In addition to Mount Gay, we have four other distilleries. So the best rum in the world, not being bias, comes from Barbados. We have the Foursquare distillery, that won best distillery in the world. I think it's six years running.- [Michael] Wow okay.- And Barbados rum has won every award repeatedly every year.- So can can PCOs and organizers, event organizers, can you host functions at any of those or all of those distilleries?- Yes. Especially we have an each new distillery has its own unique characteristics. For example, The St. Nicholas Abbey distillery, it is still in the original mansion. It's a very small, crafted rum distillery. But the properties are amazingly beautiful and they have the train toward, the only train in Barbados. And they have grounds that you can do an event from. Let's say 25 persons to a large event. If you have one let's say of 1200 persons and the distillery original house, the original owners actually owned the Carolinas before the US revolution. And rum is such an important part of world history. The George Washington served Mount Gay Rum at his inauguration. And he was introduced with rum when he spent time in Barbados. Barbados is the only place outside of the US that George Washington ever lived or slept. And he learned the joys of rum whilst here. And it was so important to him he served it at his inauguration to be President.- The joys of rum. I like that. Tell me, like most people I speak to in the MICE industry, 2021 has been written off. There is a small amount of business, but in reality, most people are looking at 2022. Are you getting real bookings for 2022? Or are they just inquiries at this stage?- 2022, we actually have a request for 2021, small bubble experiences. And as I said, as we spoke earlier, in terms of buyouts, 2022, we have quite a few inquiries. Persons are feeling the need for travel. Companies can only reward the employees with gift certificates and gift cards so to some extent and virtual events, whereas they have their place, they and you cannot replace it with in-person meetings. It cannot be replaced. And the thing about incentives is that reward is not for this year. It's to incentivize the attendees to do better for next year.- Yeah, that makes sense. Last question. You know, Barbados is a Caribbean island. It's beautiful. We all have that picture postcard image in our heads of the white sand, the perfect, you know, bright blue, clear water. But you know, there's a lot of other Caribbean islands. How does Barbados differentiate itself from all those other destinations? What makes Barbados unique?- Barbados goes further than sun, sea and sand. Our heritage, our culture, our history, our cuisine. We have the most restaurants per square mile in the Western hemisphere with diverse cuisine. The heritage, the history of where we have the third oldest parliament in the Commonwealth. And you can do tours of the parliament building. Very beautiful, Our culture and our festivals, Crop Over, our jazz festival, our rum festivals, and you can be in Barbados for an entire month and do a different activity every day. One day you could be on the catamaran and feeding the green turtles, the next day you could be doing the cave tour at Harrison's Cave, and the following day you can be in the small aerial planes doing the aerial explore of Barbados. We have diving, we have the world rated golf courses. We hosted the PGA golf tournament in the past before. So you have the golfing. You can, and we have diverse accommodations. So it's not a cookie-cutter experience. There are a wide variety of activities that you can participate.- Can I add one more thing to that? The people. That was something that stood out for me.- That is the most important aspect. We are the most friendly, welcoming persons you can interact and meet. For example, we have Oistins. And during the day, Oistins is a traditional fishing village. You'll see their boats coming in, they're offloading the fish, they're cleaning the fish, et cetera, fish market. But at night it's a culinary explosion where you have picnic benches and many different colorful stalls, where you can purchase the fish. And in the past you would have a Barbadian next to an American, next to a Brits, all sitting at the same table. Now you have your table to yourself, but the atmosphere, the music, the interaction, it is an amazing must do experience.- Yeah I'd have to agree.- Eating that fresh fish caught earlier in the day.- Yeah, I'd highly recommended it. I have done a Friday night at Oistins and highly recommend it. Last question, Nicholas, what's changed? Like has MICE changed in Barbados? Is it the customer that's changed? Has Barbados as an island changed in terms of, you know, is it approaching MICE differently? Is it more selective? Is there a focus on sustainability? What's changed either from the island perspective and also from the clientele?- Well. What we found is that the requests are different. Previously, as I mentioned before, you will have larger groups looking out, looking to explore Barbados, the 500 room, 500 attendees groups. But now they're more, they're smaller. They want the bubble experience in this initial, as we're still going through the pandemic. But we've always, Blu Isles have always had a sustainability approach to all groups. We've always created give back programs. We've, the government introduced a million tree planting initiative recently. We get our local group, our overseas groups an incentive participating, whether it be the turtle project where you at night, you would go see the turtles as they try to go back to the sea. Interactions with the healthcare , let's say the hospitals, et cetera. To schools, we've had one organization donate a full musical room for a school before. And then the attendees were so touch with the performance that the students performed there, when they returned, they sent back additional donations that we use to setup another musical room at a different school. And the attendees, they love it. They love to give back.- To give back. Yeah, that's a wonderful note to finish on. I couldn't agree more. So everybody listening, everybody watching, thank you again for your time and thank you to Nicholas Alleyne, the CEO of Blu Isles DMC in Barbados, and also Chair of the MICE committee there, the MICE product committee. Nicholas, thank you for your time. It's been very insightful. I wish you and everybody in Barbados the best for the rest of 2021 and a very successful MICE industry, 2022 and beyond. Thank you.- The pleasure was all mine.(relaxing music)