Melbourne Convention Bureau has appointed Edward Kwek regional sales director – South Asia, based in Singapore.
Kwek joins the bureau from the Institute of Technical Education where he was section head, leisure & travel operations, and brings with him a wealth of experience in the hospitality and tourism industries.
Melbourne Convention Bureau
Pan Pacific Singapore
Pan Pacific Singapore has appointed Jessie Khoo director of sales.
She will lead the hotel’s sales, catering and event services teams, and was last MICE director of sales at Pan Pacific Hotels Group’s Singapore National Sales Organisation.
Coex Convention and Exhibition Center
Bo Kyung Byun has succeeded Sung Won Hong as president and CEO of Coex Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul, South Korea.
Byun has extensive experience heading several of South Korea’s top information and technology corporations, including LG-IBM PC and KOLON Global, and was also CEO and president of Seoul Business Agency, an organisation that supports small and mid-sized domestic businesses.
Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts
Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts has appointed Tareq Bagaeen area director of sales and marketing for Bangkok and Laos, based in the Thai capital.
Bagaeen has been with Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts since January 2011, when he joined as director of sales and marketing at Banyan Tree Bangkok.
Indigo Pearl
Indigo Pearl in Phuket has appointed Shaun Dünhofen hotel manager.
He brings over 10 years of experience in operations and management at luxury boutique hotels and resorts such as Per Aquum Resort & Spa in the Maldives, The Fortress in Galle, Sri Lanka and The Manor in New Delhi.
Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
Marcus Bauder has joined Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok as hotel manager.
He was last hotel manager at China World Hotel, Beijing.
Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa Resort
Watchara Gamhanghanpanich has joined Muthi Maya Forest Pool Villa Resort in Thailand’s Khao Yai as executive chef.
He has 22 years of culinary experience in five-star hotels such as Four Seasons Bangkok and Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Bangkok, as well as private restaurants.
Starwood lures meeting planners with more rewards
STARWOOD Hotels & Resorts Asia Pacific has rolled out a More Rewards meeting offer with more than 200 participating hotels across Asia-Pacific.
Under this promotion, participating properties will offer five per cent off the Master Account, a signing bonus of 1,000 Starpoints for every 10 roomnights booked and a choice of two value-adds from a selection that includes complimentary high-speed Internet in guestrooms, complimentary welcome reception with selected beverage and canapés for an hour, and two Starpoints for every US$3 spent.
Meeting planners who book at least 150 roomnights will also bag a two-night stay at the new Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central.
Besides offering additional rewards for holding events at Starwood properties in the region, the hotel group now allows members of the Starwood Preferred Planner (SPP) programme to combine group roomnights consumed in 2013 with those earned through the Starwood Preferred Guest programme. This move will speed up status upgrades for SPP members.
Pacific World hires Mark Searle to grow business to EMEA
PACIFIC World has appointed Mark Searle as its UK-based sales manager focusing primarily on the development of business to Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Searle took up his position on April 29, reporting to Maria del Campo, head of sales in EMEA. He was last business development manager, UK with AlliedPRA Destination Management.
Shaun Casey, EMEA regional director, said: “The combination of (Searle’s) MICE agency background and the knowledge he has gained of the DMC offering in EMEA will strengthen our presence in the UK market. The timing of this appointment is significant given the arrival of a number of new senior management staff at Pacific World, including Hannelore Carzon in Barcelona, who are already well known in the UK marketplace for their DMC expertise.”
New club opens at Grand Hyatt Macau
ONCE located on the ground floor, the club lounge at Grand Hyatt Macau now enjoys a prime location on the 37th floor of the Grand Club Tower and boasts greater comfort and a wider selection of unique event venues.
The exclusive Grand Club takes on a Portuguese-inspired design, using a blend of black walnut wood, precious marble and soothing pastel colours. Floor-to-ceiling windows showcase spectacular views of Cotai.
Besides the main lounge area where breakfast, all-day refreshments and evening cocktails are served to club floor guests, the Grand Club also features four private dining rooms that are available for private event hire. Measuring between 15m2 and 40m2, these private dining rooms can accommodate eight to 12 guests.
Ideal for dining events and meetings, each private dining room is fitted with a built-in LCD projector or flat-screen TV, entertainment system and audiovisual and lighting that can be controlled via an iPad supplied by the hotel.
Two of the private dining rooms are equipped with video-conferencing capabilities, while the other two has a portable kitchen.
Event planners can also take their functions to the Grand Club’s terrace, a 200m2 space that can fit eight banquet tables.
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