Virtuoso has appointed Thatcher Brown as senior vice president, global products and Jennifer Campbell as senior vice president, global events.
Brown joins Virtuoso with an extensive background in developing successful luxury hospitality and lifestyle brands on a global scale. He most recently served as chief commercial officer and head of joint operations for Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, joint owner and operator of Four Seasons Yachts.
From left: Thatcher Brown and Jennifer Campbell
In her new role, Virtuoso veteran Campbell will focus entirely on the organisation’s growing roster of events. She will continue to build her team in each region, ensuring relevance and consistency across all regional and global events, while also delivering value to attendees.
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island has named Akshat Sinha as its new resort manager.
With over 15 years of experience in luxury hospitality management, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the resort.
In his new role, Sinha will focus on executing key projects, including the ongoing repositioning of the resort’s dining venues and the introduction of new signature experiences.
Korean Air has named In Sung Hwang as its new country manager for Thailand, and Kyoung Hee Kang as its new regional manager for Vietnam.
Hwang brings over two decades of extensive aviation experience to his new role, having begun his career with Korean Air in 2001 at the Busan Passenger Office. Prior to his current appointment, he served as general manager of cabin planning from 2017 to 2022, where he led comprehensive cabin service strategies.
From left: In Sung Hwang and Kyoung Hee Kang
Kang, who joined Korean Air in 1997, is a seasoned airline manager with extensive experience across multiple strategic roles within the company. She has over 25 years of aviation industry experience, and takes on her new position from her role at Korean Air’s regional headquarters in South Korea, where she served as the head of sales management group.
Harbour city Kaohsiung in southern Taiwan is eager to shake off its quiet image and impress upon event organisers its readiness for business events of all kinds and scales.
According to Su Wei-Hsiang, project manager with the Kaohsiung Meeting & Event Promotion Office, the city stands out for its combination of modern city vibes with natural beauty as well as blended business and leisure offerings.
Su: there was always something exciting happening in Kaohsiung every week
“The Asia New Area Bay is a perfect example of the new Kaohsiung. This transformed district is so lively now, and is home to interesting buildings such as Pier-2 Art Center, a trendy lifestyle area; Kaohsiung Music Center, where many large concerts and performances are hosted; and Kaohsiung Port Cruise Terminal, where 150 cruise ships call at in a year,” shared Su, adding that there was always something “exciting” happening in the city every week.
“There is a strong cultural vibe in Kaohsiung,” remarked Su. Besides an active calendar of arts and music performances, visitors can also appreciate Kaohsiung’s religious openness.
“Take the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum as an example. It welcomes everyone, no matter their religious belief, to come and enjoy its collection of art and relics, have a vegetarian meal, or to just bask in the peaceful environment. This museum also has private venues that can be hired for conferences, and had recently done so with three medical congresses,” he elaborated.
Should event organisers require outdoor activities, Su said Kaohsiung would proudly deliver. He pointed to Sizihwan, which is loved for its beautiful scenery, and Lianchihtan Lotus Pond, which is outstanding for being home to many temples worshiping different deities. Incentive groups can enjoy boating on Lianchihtan Lotus Pond in summer.
The city boasts of its own purpose-built event venue – the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center – and global gateway – Kaohsiung International Airport, which serves major airlines flying directly from important cities like Seoul, Beijing and Bangkok. Both facilities are located close to each other, offering business travellers time savings.
Come November 1, the city will welcome the new Hotel Nikko Kaohsiung, a 260-key hotel that is built for both leisure and business travellers. With its prime address in the Asia New Area Bay and it being within walking distance of Kaohsiung Exhibition Center, the hotel has been fielding keen enquiries for both events and corporate long-stays well ahead of opening, revealed Mandy Lee, director of sales and marketing at the hotel.
Su told TTGmice: “We would love to have more event organisers think of Kaohsiung when they are considering Taiwan for their next meeting or congress. Most event organisers think of Taipei when they speak of Taiwan, which is natural since Taipei is the financial and political heart of Taiwan.
“However, Kaohsiung is welcoming and ready for business events and congresses of all scale. We have enough hotel rooms across the city to support large congresses, as well as a variety of experiences to entertain corporate groups. Our accessibility also means event organisers can easily plan extensions to other parts of Taiwan – Taipei, for example, is just 90 minutes away on speed rail.”
Su shared that the Kaohsiung Meeting & Event Promotion Office intends to scale up its presence at international trade fairs to build up the destination brand. He was at IT&CM Asia in Bangkok in September for this purpose.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism will introduce new incentive tour packages in Jakarta to change planners perception of the capital city and position the destination as a leading option in South-east Asia.
The packages will include teambuilding experiences in the Kota Tua (Old Town) district, such as heritage-focused Amazing Race-type games and walking tours from Chinatown to the Sunda Kelapa old harbour. Planners can also design treasure hunts and races using public transportation or host cultural events in the newly transformed Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Mini Indonesia).
Kota Tua offers opportunities for heritage-focused games
Firnandi Gufron, director of MICE at the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism, pointed out possibilities of using museums in Kota Tua as unique event venues – Fatahillah Museum, Mandiri Museum, and Maritime Museum can be used for gala dinners or other social functions.
“There is also Ancol (a theme park) and the Pantai Indah Kapuk area (a new hot spot) for events with a beach atmosphere, or Hutan Kota (city forest) in Senayan for nature-themed activities,” he said.
He said event attendees in Jakarta can enjoy island life and visit historical and cultural sites on their leisure time or as a post-event tour.
“Furthermore, Jakarta’s nightlife and entertainment spots are among the best in the region,” he added.
Industry players told TTGmice that the government’s introduction of Jakarta’s charms must be paired with collaboration with incentive houses and event planners to be successful.
Harry Dwi Nugraha, founder of EGO Global Asia, said: “The fundamental problem with Jakarta is promotion, and the easiest and cheapest way to promote the city is to collaborate with industry players. The government, for example, can provide product knowledge or create a directory of contacts for events at museums or other tourist attractions.”
Heben Ezer, head of inbound and domestic tour division, Association of Indonesian Travel Agents, urged the government to promote the Thousand Islands, a chain of islands to the north of Jakarta’s coast, which has escaped the attention of most corporate event planners.
Corporate retreats, teambuilding, and incentive travel programmes looking to include CSR and ESG (environmental, social, and governance) in their events may find a partner in the Safe Water Gardens (SWG) social enterprise.
The venture began in 2015 as an altruistic safe-water and sanitation effort by the owners of LooLa Adventure Resort in Bintan, Indonesia. Early support came from educational institutions, government grant and corporate sponsors such as Golden Agri-Resources (Sinar Mas).
Rabobank Singapore team installs safe-water and sanitation systems in Bintan
“The Safe Water Gardens project was initiated by a coalition of scientists, concerned people and business partners. Our vision is to provide safe sanitation for under US$200 per family for village families in (sub)tropical countries by 2030,” said founder and CEO Marc van Loo.
Referencing business events, he added: “Previously, CSR and team-building were regarded as separate items; now they can be combined into one. Participants engage in one impactful, heart-warming, teambuilding event while bringing lifelong, life-saving water and sanitation to local communities.”
In the process, participants are also addressing UN Sustainable Development Goal 6 – clean water and sanitation for all – and can earn water credits.
The SWG project has provided 1,100 sanitation systems since 2020; some 350 were installed from January 2023 to September 2024, mostly in Indonesia.
Rural sanitation in much of South-east Asia is sub-standard, said van Loo. Safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene are crucial to health and well-being, so the system can be upscaled from single households to Model Village Program (MVP).
“Companies can sponsor MVPs and gain verifiable water credits, the water equivalent of carbon credits,” he said.
SWG is a registered social enterprise in Singapore but most projects are in Bintan, where local staff prepare the ground before volunteer groups arrive to install the system. Although it can be set up in half a day, groups usually stay overnight or longer for other team activities.
DMCs help with travel arrangements and accommodation, such as at LooLa’s five-star neighbour, The Residence Bintan, which has meeting facilities.
Yvonne Low, executive director, The Traveller DMC, said: “We’ve witnessed an increased desire among company owners and staff to engage in truly meaningful teambuilding and give substance to the sustainability letters ESG, SDG, and CSR.
“This programme allows companies operating in or visiting Singapore for MICE events to bring safe drinking-water, sanitation and hygiene to our neighbours. It has inspired our own staff to sign up too!”
From left: GDS-Movement’s Milda Salciute; and IUCN’s Caroline Cardona
The Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS-Movement) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) discussed the challenges and opportunities in integrating sustainability into large-scale events during a session at the recent ICCA Congress 2024 in Abu Dhabi.
Caroline Cardona, convenings manager at IUCN, related how the organisation is working towards net-zero across its annual and quadrennial events. Its annual three-day forum sees about 400 to 500 attendees each time, while the quadrennial World Conservation Congress welcomes around 6,000 to 10,000 pax per event.
From left: GDS-Movement’s Milda Salciute and IUCN’s Caroline Cardona; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
At this year’s forum in Geneva, IUCN managed to serve 100 per cent vegetarian food in reusable serving ware, source 75 per cent of its food within a 160km radius, bring carbon offsetting credits; as well as provide water stations at the venue.
“Vegetarian meals can be as expensive as red meat, but it actually creates an impact, which our delegates really appreciated (according to feedback we received),” said Cardona. She explained that these achievements were the result of a gradual process, built upon lessons learnt, and improvements made upon last year’s annual forum which was also held in Geneva.
Another way for large-scale events to reach net-zero is to go hybrid, since a bulk of carbon emissions comes from travelling to the event, suggested Cardona.
Milda Salciute, director of events and academy at GDS-Movement, which consults for organisations and events wanting to improve their sustainability practices, highlighted the importance of a systematic approach.
“It’s not just about implementing a few green initiatives. We need to define what success means for the organisation and help to create a clear roadmap,” said Salciute.
For sustainability to work, Salciute pointed out that it is important to find the “right balance”, and ensure that such efforts do not compromise the overall experience for attendees.
The NRF 2024: Retail's Big Show Asia Pacific showfloor; photo by Comexposium
The National Retail Federation (NRF) and Comexposium are gearing up for a bigger NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific, returning to Singapore’s Sands Expo and Convention Centre from June 3-5, 2025.
The three-day event, following its successful debut in 2024, is doubling its capacity to accommodate over 10,000 delegates.
The showfloor at NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific; photo by Comexposium
Themed “Retail Unlimited”, NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific will spotlight the limitless possibilities in retail, from enhanced customer experiences to digital transformation strategies. This year brings several new features, including the exclusive CEO Club, a gathering space for top retail executives to connect and collaborate on the industry’s biggest challenges and opportunities. The Exhibitor Big Ideas stages have also been extended, offering more in-depth sessions on emerging retail technologies, sustainability and leadership trends.
Another highlight is the NRF Innovators Showcase, which will feature the latest in retail technology and breakthrough solutions from progressive companies set to transform the industry.
Conference speakers will represent the most creative and influential minds in retail, with breakout sessions and panel discussions highlighting the unlimited retail opportunities available in the Asia-Pacific region.
“The first edition of Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific surpassed all expectations and business targets, reinforcing that the region is a critical hub for the future of global retail. With representatives from more than 25 retail associations worldwide, NRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific is an opportunity to engage with leaders from across the global retail ecosystem. The 2025 event promises to be bigger and bolder,” NRF president and CEO, Matthew Shay, said.
“APAC is the largest and the most diverse retail market in the world with limitless possibilities,” added Ryf Quail, managing director for APAC at Comexposium. “The enthusiasm we’ve seen from delegates and industry stakeholders is a testament to the strength of this market. The rebook rate speaks for itself, with 65 per cent of our exhibitors already confirmed. We’re excited to return in 2025, bigger and better, as we continue to expand the show’s reach and influence worldwide.”
Grand Hyatt Jakarta has named Fauzia Bonita Agustina as its new director of sales.
She has more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, and had started her career with Hyatt back in 2018.
Her experience in negotiating high-value contracts and strong relationships with stakeholders will be instrumental in further elevating Grand Hyatt Jakarta.
As part of its business events offerings, the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has partnered with local businesses to offer two new immersive workshops – ClayCirclelation and Sensory Marketing.
These workshops are designed to provide business events planners and travellers with immersive and enriching experiences, combining creativity, learning, and cultural immersion.
Participants at the ClayCirclelation workshop
The ClayCirclelation workshop, held at Clay Circle in the Sam Yan area, allows participants to unleash their artistic side through pottery design. Guided by professional instructors, groups of up to 60 people can work together to create unique pieces while learning about marketing concepts.
The Sensory Marketing workshop, hosted by Never 2 Nose in the Charoen Krung neighbourhood, caters to groups of 30 to 40 people. Participants delve into the world of fragrance and learn how to create custom scents that reflect their brand identity. The workshop emphasises the importance of sensory experiences in marketing and branding.
These workshops are just the beginning of TCEB’s efforts to continually enhance Bangkok’s business events offerings with the help of local partners, said Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, TCEB president, in a press release.
TCEB first organised the workshops as pre-tour activities for hosted buyers of IT&CM Asia 2024 in September 2024, where some attendees have decided to include these activities for their clients’ trips.
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In his new role, Sinha will focus on executing key projects, including the ongoing repositioning of the resort’s dining venues and the introduction of new signature experiences.
Her experience in negotiating high-value contracts and strong relationships with stakeholders will be instrumental in further elevating Grand Hyatt Jakarta.
