AMARI Watergate Bangkok has rolled out a Hybrid Meeting package to capitalise on the growing trend of meetings with a distinct technological edge.

Hybrid Meeting meshes the traditional benefits of face-to-face interaction with the advantages brought about by technology, including reaching more delegates via virtual environment, connecting multiple events happening simultaneously in different locations, and including attendees who may not otherwise be able to attend.

Planners can make use of Amari Watergate’s Connections meetings hub for gatherings of up to 50 pax, the Banglampoo room for meetings of up to 100, and the Watergate Ballroom for large-scale events of up to 600.

Between November 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015, Hybrid Meetings are priced at 1,700 baht (US$53) per person, not including the cost of technical set-up.

The technical component starts at 50,000 baht for a dedicated Internet line at 35mbps and a technician on standby. Audiovisual production and content live-streaming will cost an estimated 95,000 baht but is subject to specific production requirements.

Software for the hybrid meeting and the employment of a production manager is included in the price.

The Hybrid Meeting package includes:
– Use of a meeting room set up for face-to-face ‘studio meeting’ with stage and audience setting as theatre, classroom or cabaret seating
– Room rental from 08.00–12.00 or 13.00-17.00
– One coffee break, morning or afternoon with fresh pastries
– Lunch, one meal per person, one time
– Stage setting for Hyrbrid Meeting with backdrop wording or logo
– Flipchart and marker pens
– Bottled drinking water, candies
– Electronic signboard at meeting room foyer
– Dedicated high-speed Internet line, separate from hotel Wi-Fi
– Video cameras
– Audio
– Lighting
– Video editing suite and live-streaming
– Production team

SUBIC has received a shot in the arm with the confirmation of rights to host the Global Summit of Youth in Environmental Sustainability back-to-back with the Subic International Eco-Film Festival on February 25-27, 2015.

Some 500 graduating university students will attend the summit, to be held at the Subic Bay Exhibition & Convention Centre (SBECC), while the Eco-film Festival will be graced by about 100 film practitioners at the International School of Sustainable Tourism (ISST).

The youth summit aims to build the capacity of students and young community leaders to understand the issues and benefits of protecting the environment and to incorporate them in their daily lives.

The eco-film fest, on the other hand, will tackle the challenges faced by environmental film producers with a discussion on environmental and commercial films.

Both inaugural events are the brainchild of ISST and are expected to boost Subic’s positioning as an eco-tourism and MICE destination.

ISST president and former tourism secretary, Mina Gabor, said the eco-film fest will include an eco-film competition with entries from countries including Japan, South America, Iceland, and the Philippines.

“We’re starting small to get our feet wet but we have some good films,” she said, noting that there are many good commercial films about the environment, including the highly successful Avatar.

Participants at the youth summit will be encouraged to attend the screening of the eco-films.

W SINGAPORE – Sentosa Cove will this December become the stage for the Asian edition of the International Music Summit (IMS), which has its roots in the electronic music capital of Ibiza.

Come December 11, IMS Asia-Pacific will bring together the leaders of the electronic music genre from this region and the West for a series of panel discussions, keynote interviews and speeches, workshops, and tutorials.

Discussions will be relevant to the Asia-Pacific region and feature input from headline talent, regional industry icons, as well as big-name players from around the world.

IMS co-founder, Ben Turner, said: “This event has been created to unite the Asia-Pacific industry but also to educate and entertain delegates from around the world about this incredible frontier which is finally opening up in a huge way to electronic music culture.”

The event was also deliberately scheduled to coincide with Singapore’s annual ZoukOut dance festival. Said Turner: “We’ve positioned ourselves the day before the ZoukOut to help further the focus on this festival into a powerful business forum, and Zouk’s founder Lincoln Cheng has been a guiding light for all the IMS partners for the last 20 years.

“It is a huge honour for us to bring IMS to Asia-Pacific and to help galvanise this region for the future of the genre we know and love.”

The decision to hold the event at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove is an extension of IMS’ existing agreement with W Hotels Worldwide.

Arnaud Champenois, Asia-Pacific senior brand director, commented in a release: “To celebrate this partnership, we have also prepared a series of happenings that will feature an industry icon and headlining talent at W Singapore – Sentosa Cove and W Retreat & Spa Bali, Seminyak.”

LEVERAGING the exponential power of technology, Suntec Singapore has launched its new customer portal for virtual event planning, allowing MICE planners real-time access to their booking information.

Set to transform the way Suntec Singapore work with its planners, the interactive portal provides organisers a ‘live’ dashboard displaying the full details of their bookings including meeting space, furniture, equipment, F&B items, and digital signage allocation.

Marc Bakker, assistant director of marketing & communications, Suntec Singapore, said: “Organisers and planners are now firmly in control of their events from proposal to booking and the final delivery.”

The portal provides an interactive 2D blueprint for clients to visualise the layout of their spaces. The floor planning tools allow them to move the furniture, audiovisual equipment, and decorative items according to their requirements.

Further to that, the 3D-viewer with 360º panning ability promises clients a comprehensive view of the space.

Bakker said: “The collaborative and real-time nature of the online portal and easy sharing capabilities ensure seamless communication between Suntec Singapore, organisers, and third-party suppliers, enabling all parties to be more effective, saving time and travel costs of site inspections.”

Arun Madhok, chief executive of Suntec Singapore, said: “Our smart use of technology is increasingly making the entire customer experience easier, faster and more effective for our growing client base.

“Our clients – for the first time – will be able to fully visualise, modify and control their event spaces,” he said.

Nevertheless, the human service is still necessary as Madhok added: “Our staff will be working closely with our clients and service teams to ensure their expectations become a reality.”

Last month, Suntec Singapore launched virtual tours of the convention centre through the Google Maps’ Street View.

Visitors can preview the customer portal here: http://bit.ly/1tZv52H

FAIRMONT Beijing’s new MICE package for its three Hutong-inspired meeting spaces offers guests a new twist on regular meetings.

The three venues, which total 378m2, include the main Gold Fish Hutong room which can accommodate up to 200 pax in theatre style.

The meeting package includes themed coffee breaks throughout, Nespresso coffee machine usage, and a personal banquet service. Groups can make use of state-of-the-art meeting technology, an LCD projector and screen, podium with standing microphone and two wireless microphones, a whiteboard or flipchart with markers, and other amenities including writing pads, pencils, mint candies, and bottled water.

The full-day meeting package is priced at RMB680 (US$111) per delegate while the half-day option goes for RMB650 per attendee.

THE South Korean city of Deagu last month played host two two major technology conventions from September 24 to 27, bringing together the brightest minds from the fields of innovation and medicine.

Held at the Daegu Gyongbuk Institute of Science and Technology, the 11th Asia Association of Learning Innovation and Coevolution Studies (ASIALICS 2014) saw former vice chairman of Samsung Electronics, Jong-Yong Yun, deliver the keynote speech.

It drew participation from researchers in local institutions, namely Keimyung University, Daegu Technopark, the Science and Technology Policy Institute, and the Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning.

At the same time, the city also welcomed the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Asia-Pacific Annual Conference 2014 at Daegu Exhibition and Convention Center.

The event was attended by 800 tissue engineering and regenerative specialists from 40 countries, who discussed and presented the most cutting-edge research in the field.

Delegates also went on a technical tour to visit the city’s infrastructure of medical research.

Jeong-Ok Grace Lim, president of the Korean Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Society which organises the conference, of which she is also programme chair, said Daegu has shifted its investments from the IT sector to biotechnology.

“Local officials have been especially influential in initiating research in this area, providing support to form a research partnership between Kyungpook National University and Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.”

Lim is also professor at Kyungpook National University Hospital’s Biomedical Research Institute.

In Daegu alone there are 3,000 medical institutions including 12 full-service hospitals, five medical schools, and 48 medical research centres.

CHINA needs to relax the stringent rules governing associations and nurture a more vibrant industry by gaining a deeper understanding of the roles of associations in society.

New associations must register with both the relevant ministry overseeing its field and the Ministry of Civil Affairs, hindering the establishment of associations. Government scrutiny of association activities also acts as an obstacle.

However, sources have revealed that the Chinese government could introduce reforms to ease these restrictions before end-2014 at the earliest, a move that could boost the MICE industry.

American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) China representative, Maria Tong, observed that many NGOs have offered advice on possible reforms to existing legislations, such as mandating applications to be submitted to oen authority instead of two.

At the same time, ASAE research found that Chinese associations are still in their infancy, with little concept of association management.

International association management firms should thus enter the China market gradually, communicating knowledge on association management to help improve professional standards, and enhance the relationship between associations in China and the US.

Meanwhile, Tong pointed out that attracting the young, a challenge for counterparts in the West, was also an issue here. ASAE provides a range of services for associations including harnessing new communication methods such as social media and keeping abreast with the latest trends to better engage youth members.

Likewise, MCI Group’s director of association management and consulting, Florence Chua, commented that industry associations must research on the youth’s consumption and social behaviour and develop accurate understanding of their needs.

Translated from the original TTG-BTmice China e-Weekly, October 8, 2014, article by Ong Yanchun

SACEOS is taking the lead to show the MICE industry why it pays for businesses to be sustainable and gain a competitive advantage.

The association’s campaign kicked off on September 16 with A Sustainability CEO Breakfast, to be followed by another breakfast on November 10, and a Driving Value & Success through Sustainability – MICE & Hospitality Workshop on November 21.

Forty-two participants from 31 companies attended the first breakfast where the Singapore Tourism Board, Marina Bay Sands (MBS), MCI and Ivan Ferrari, chair of SACEOS Sustainability Subcommittee and senior global event manager of UBM Media (Singapore), made presentations.

The November sustainability workshop, the first to be organised by SACEOS in partnership with MCI, is priced at S$481.50 (US$378.60) for SACEOS members, and S$577.80 for non-members. Those who sign up can enjoy a 60 per cent rebate under the Product Innovative Credit scheme. Visit www.saceos.org.sg for more information.

Ferrari said: “The aim of SACEOS is to raise MICE sustainability awareness, which is still rather low, and to underline the fact that it is not only about protecting the environment. MICE sustainability practices also provide social and governance benefits, and create a magnified lever effect for both the industry and Singapore if most of the players embrace this change.

“There is the misconception that going sustainable is going to add business cost. Just the opposite, it can help businesses save money, retain talent and minimise business risk.”

Roger Simons, group sustainability manager, MCI, noted that 41 per cent of MCI’s clients are now looking at the sustainability performance of their suppliers.

He added that 76 per cent of MCI’s suppliers have seen an increase in client interest, and more clients are looking for Singapore sustainable MICE-certified partners.

MBS, the only venue in Singapore and South-east Asia to be ISO 20121 certified, has realised 21 per cent savings in energy consumption since the start of the ECO360 programme.

Kevin Teng, director sustainability, MBS, said: “Understanding the growing changes in demands for green meetings has helped us to redevelop ECO360 green meetings and we are seeing a steady increase in external clients opting to use ECO360 Green meetings options at their events.”

IT’S game on for Melbourne this year as it gears up to host the second Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) Australia 2014 by boosting Internet connection speeds.

Set to draw tens of thousands of gamers, the PAX Australia 2014 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). The expo brings together international guests, speakers, musicians, developers, and local game industry representatives to showcase games and community events in Australia.

The convention centre anticipates participants downloading as much as three times MCEC’s monthly data, and has increased Internet speeds to run at one GB per second, thrice the speed of the standard service.

MCEC’s director of technology operations, Michael Walsh, said: “A high-tech event like PAX Australia is a fantastic opportunity for our team to showcase our skills, leading technology, and capabilities.

“PAX Australia is taking full advantage of our venue’s internet capabilities, digital signage, and social media packages. Given the tech-savvy nature of PAX attendees, it’s important we deliver the best.”

The event will showcase products from over 150 exhibitors, with more than 500 PCs and 100 Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo consoles across the Console Tournament and Freeplay areas for attendees to use.

Also on the agenda are at least 100 panel sessions, events, demos, and screenings that will take place at five satellite theatres.

Operations will depend on and highlight MCEC’s integrated audiovisual system which was recently upgraded to a digital fibre optic signal path for quicker connections and displays.

PAX Australia event director, Bernadette Neumann, said: “After last year’s successful sold out inaugural we knew we needed to expand, so we are very excited to now call the largest convention and exhibition centre in the southern hemisphere our new home.”