The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) demonstrated its service excellence in catering for the elderly and disabled visitors as it welcomed the 12th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED).
The conference brought together some 1,000 delegates from around the world between 2nd to 4th June to discuss its 2010 theme, “Sustainable Transport and Travel for All”.
In consideration of the elderly and disabled delegates, the Centre upheld its service excellence through careful venue planning, upgrades and refurbishment of facilities for the disabled, and conducting tailor-made staff training sessions. The Centre is also honoured to be the second Asian venue hosting this tri-annual event.
“Over 200 staff attended in-house training tailored to the event. That was close to 950 training hours in total. Frontline staff such as Guest Services Representatives and Security Personnel who have direct contact with visitors participated in the training,” said Ms Margaret Kwok, Training Manager at HKCEC.
The programme covered practical tips in servicing those with visual, hearing, or mobility impairments, and is designed with consultation from the Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth and Hong Kong Blind Union. To help realise the experience, participants even attempted accessing between locations in a wheelchair and with eyes blind folded.
HKCEC is a wheelchair-accessible venue. It was also recently furnished with more facilities for the disabled including braille directories, teleloop systems, and emergency evacuation chairs. Delegates and Event Organiser The Hong Kong Society for Rehabilitation (HKSR) are pleased with the venue facilities, plus the attentive services provided by HKCEC staff.
“Our delegates find it easy getting around the Centre. We appreciate the HKCEC team’s resourcefulness especially to those with special needs,” said Mr Ng Hang-sau, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of HKSR.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to serve different customers, including the elderly and disabled. The building is designed to provide a barrier-free environment conducive to a variety of events,” stated Deputy Managing Director, Ms Monica Lee-Müller.
HKCEC plans to conduct this training on a regular basis, extending it to office staff and new employees. Thecomprehensive service knowledge gained will benefit many other special and prestigious events held at the Centre.
