Situated on the south-eastern coast of Vietnam, Cam Ranh’s coastline is reminiscent of Thailand’s long stretches of uninterrupted beaches, and would work as a great destination for business events, but few international corporates have taken notice.

Believing in the city’s potential for business events, The Anam Group opened Axi Plaza, a multipurpose building with event spaces, lounge and shopping, in April 2024.

“Axi Plaza is a gamechanger for Cam Ranh, where it will help support local tourism through MICE. This MICE business is not limited to The Anam Cam Ranh (which stands adjacent), and instead, serves the wider community and other five-star hotels nearby that do not have facilities to host large corporate groups,” said Pham Van Hien, chairman of The Anam Group.

Sporting a design inspired by the country’s ubiquitous coracle boat, Axi Plaza’s main event space is a 1,197m² conference hall good for 1,000 pax in theatre-setting, or 500 pax for gala dinners. The hall features a high ceiling with timber beams fashioned in a fan formation, a 75m² LED screen, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that let in an abundance of natural light and offer a 180-degree view of the ocean. Meanwhile, outdoor spaces include a 1,077m² rooftop area on the fifth floor, and a grass lawn on the beachfront.

The building also houses a 200m2 Axi Plaza Lounge, and more than 40 shopping and dining outlets. The lounge will be a boon for travellers who have hours to kill before their evening flights, as the international airport is only 15 minutes away.

Next to Axi Plaza is the 212-key Anam Cam Ranh, which currently welcomes more leisure guests than corporates. But Norbert Meyer, the resort manager, opined that the opening of Axi Plaza will change the guest mix, as Axi Plaza will satisfy demand for “the growing business events sector”.

Prior to Axi Plaza’s opening, the largest corporate group The Anam Cam Ranh handled was a 200 pax group from an international company based in Vietnam, which took up 50 per cent of the resort, and made use of the property’s two indoor event spaces and outdoor lawns.

Along the same stretch of coastline are the Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh and Wyndham Garden Cam Ranh, which handle similarly-sized corporate groups.

The Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh offers 292 keys alongside six on-site event spaces including a Grand Ballroom, three grass lawns, and can handle groups of up to 300 comfortably.

On the area’s drawcard, Kurt Vieren, general manager at Radisson Blu Resort Cam Ranh, said: “As a destination, Cam Ranh offers (international corporates) a unique blend of local Vietnamese culture, natural beauty and tranquility.”

“Approximately a third of our business stems from the MICE segment. We are actively seeking new avenues to appeal to this key segment through strategic partnerships with event planners and corporate clients,” he told TTGmice.

For Rami Obeid, general manager of Wyndham Garden Cam Ranh, while the hotel’s focus has primarily been domestic corporates, they are planning to attract more international groups.

“Our strategy to attract these groups involves offering prime beachside locations for teambuilding at no additional cost, customised dining options, and flexible pricing dependent on the number of villas booked and duration of stay. Our promotions include a complimentary villa for every 10 booked and complimentary upgrades for special guests of the group,” he elaborated.

Overall, all three general managers were in agreement that Cam Ranh needs more destination promotion.

“A new expressway between Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang was completed in April 2024. A journey that used to take eight hours by train now takes four hours by car, but this development is not communicated well outside of Vietnam. It would be helpful to let international guests know the country is making good progress,” said Meyer.

“Cam Ranh can certainly benefit from a further uplift in international arrivals – amid stiff competition from already established MICE destinations,” Vieren added.

Fortunately, according to Obeid, “the Khanh Hoa Department of Tourism is actively working to bolster MICE tourism through various initiatives”. He added that plans include “hosting roadshows and promotional events in countries like India and Thailand and organising festivals in collaboration with local associations”.

When asked what was sorely lacking to elevate Cam Ranh’s profile as a business events destination, Laurent Myter, group general manager, The Anam Group, said: “What’s missing is a direct flight connection to Singapore. We used to have a Vietnam Airlines flight that launched just before Covid, but it was scrapped after a few months. I’m hopeful that this will be restored in the future, as Singapore will help make Cam Ranh a one-stop connection for many countries.”

Vieren agreed that “direct flights, especially from neighbouring markets like Singapore, Jakarta, and Hong Kong” would benefit the Vietnamese city greatly.

As for Obeid, challenges he pointed out include “high airfares” to Cam Ranh, as well as the “competitive dynamics with nearby Nha Trang”, as the “oversaturated hotel market has driven down prices”.