25hours Hotels has appointed Jesper Soerensen as general manager of the upcoming 25hours Hotel Jakarta The Oddbird, set to open in November 2024.
With over 23 years of experience in lifestyle and luxury hospitality, Soerensen brings a wealth of knowledge and a global perspective to this vibrant new addition in Jakarta’s landscape.
Fluent in German, Danish and English, he joins 25hours Hotel Jakarta The Oddbird from SO/ Maldives, where he also served as general manager.
Four space-focused cities have come together to form an international network dedicated to advancing aeronautics, space, and astronomy.
The inaugural members of the Space Cities Network are Lausanne Montreux Congress (Switzerland); ChristchurchNZ Business Events (New Zealand); Houston First Corporation (US); and Seoul Tourism Organization (South Korea).
The network will serve as a platform for public and private sector organisations to exchange ideas, share best practices, and explore potential partnerships in the area of space studies and development. With the aerospace economy forecasted to be valued at US$1.8 trillion by 2035, up from US$630 billion in 2023, collaboration is crucial for maximising opportunities and addressing challenges.
The Space Cities Network will comprise a select community of highly regarded, connected and influential people who are locally or internationally recognised in their field of expertise. They will be supported by destination marketing organisations from the four participating cities, which are ready to reinforce their space communities with bids for international conferences and events.
“Two or three experts in each city will be chosen to form a community. We’ll also form a young professional community; these young individuals are our future so it would be good to hear their thoughts,” said Space Cities Network co-chair, Gerald Howard, who is also senior business development manager with Lausanne Montreux Congress.
“Aside from committee meetings and supporting business events that already exist, we also plan to support more public events as the public don’t really understand what aerospace is about,” Howard added.
All four cities expressed their excitement to be collaborating and sharing knowledge across their regions for the next generation of space exploration.
Jin Hyeok Park, director of Seoul Convention Bureau, said: “With (South) Korea set to launch a new space agency, and Seoul being home to the Korea Association for Space Technology Promotion, we aim to create more opportunities for (aerospace-related) business events.”
Claire Hector-Taylor, ChristchurchNZ’s business development manager – international & bid manager, pointed out that aerospace is one of Christchurch’s four economic clusters, supported by testing facilities, manufacturing capability, and burgeoning talent.
“Cities will play an integral, legacy role as hubs for events supporting the space community, hosting conferences, summits, and meetings that bring together industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers,” she added.
Daniel Palomo, director global sales with Houston First Corporation, pointed out: “We don’t just want to attract meetings. We want to create new meetings, and help to educate the local community on the importance of the aerospace sector. These events will help to leave a legacy by elevating talent.”
When asked about plans for membership growth, noting that there is currently one city each in four continents, Howard said: “We are starting with one city per continent. We are looking for quality cities to join, and may cap it at two cities per continent.
“At this point, we have obtained support from different agencies around the world, who have told us that Space Cities Network is something they really needed. Space is an international collaboration, and 2025 will be a big year from us.”
Howard stated that more information on the Space Cities Network will be unveiled in time to come.
The Middle East is well-positioned to become a global business events and tourism powerhouse, fuelled by its rapid infrastructure development and varied tourism initiatives, according to panellists on the Shaping Tomorrow’s Horizon panel at the 63rd ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi.
Fahd bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Rasheed, chairman of the board of directors, Saudi Conventions & Exhibitions General Authority (SCEGA), highlighted heavy investment in events infrastructure.
“In Riyadh alone, we’re building one million square metres of exhibition space, adding 7,000 hotel rooms, increasing airport capacity to 120 million passengers a year, and launching a new airline called Riyadh Air that will connect us with 100 new cities around the world,” he said.
He added that Saudi Arabia does not just want to attract international conferences, but seeks to “work closely with partners in the industry to create the next leading event”. As such, SCEGA will be “investing US$40 million next year” to incentivise the creation of new events.
Fatima bint Jaffer Al Sairafi, minister of tourism, and chairman of the Bahrain Tourism & Exhibitions Authority, spoke of the Kingdom’s five-year tourism strategy, where business tourism is a key pillar.
“A key project supporting that is Exhibition World Bahrain, which is a game-changer that has helped the Kingdom to position itself as a regional and international MICE hub. It is one of the biggest venues in the region with cutting-edge facilities,” she commented.
Although there is “a mandate to promote our countries independently as a MICE destination”, Fatima stressed that there is “real power when we promote our countries in the GCC collectively”.
The GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) five-year, multiple-entry tourism visa that was launched in 2021 for 130 nationalities was instrumental in rebuilding the region’s business events and tourism industry post-pandemic, observed Azzan Qassim Al Busaidi, undersecretary of tourism at Oman’s Ministry of Heritage & Tourism.
A new GCC Grand Tours Visa, which allows tourists to travel freely across the six member states (Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE) on a single visa, is expected to launch in late 2024 or early 2025.
Meanwhile, Fatima highlighted the importance of stakeholder engagement. “Air connectivity is vital, especially for international events. (In addition), exhibition centres can’t work independently, and need to (collaborate) with stakeholders such as the aviation sector, DMCs, and hotels,” she said.
Azzan concluded that the region’s business events industry has to target “unconventional and new markets” in order to achieve growth in the next 10 years.
The role airlines play in advancing the business events industry in the Middle East was highlighted in a session at the 63rd ICCA Congress 2024.
Kashif Khalid, regional director for the Middle East and Africa at the International Air Transport Association (IATA), emphasised that Middle Eastern airlines, with their extensive network and flight schedules, have greatly enhanced access to the region for business events.
Matt Raos, senior vice president at Qatar Airways, noted that the airline is more than just a transportation provider.
Qatar Airways actively supports the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2030, which aims to attract six million visitors annually by 2030, with 25 per cent of them being business event delegates.
Reflecting on the success of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Raos explained how the collaboration between Qatar Airways, the government, and various stakeholders ensured a seamless experience for visitors. The event not only showcased Qatar’s capability to host large-scale international events, but also generated a positive spillover across the region. Many fans extended their trips to explore neighbouring Middle Eastern countries.
Karina Lance, associate vice president at Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism, said regional governments are making significant investments in infrastructure development, including in the aviation sector. Airline expansions across the Middle East and improvements in airport experiences are also playing a critical role in accelerating this growth.
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) recently announced several new executive appointments.
Nichapa Yoswee steps up as senior vice president, where she will be supervising domestic marketing initiatives and building partnerships within Thailand.
Puripan Bunnag has also been promoted to senior vice president with a different portfolio. He will be supervising international marketing initiatives and establishing global partnerships.
As chief operating officer, Salanroj Sutaschuto has been put in charge of organisational management and development, and coordination between government and private sectors, both domestically and internationally.
Jaruwan Suwannasat, chief information officer, has been tasked with driving innovation development.
Other new appointments include Parichat Svetasreni, director of the mega events and world festivals department; Harisuda Boonyawat; director of the MICE Intelligence and Innovation Department; and Nooch Homrossukhon, now the director of corporate image and communications department.
Hilton Tokyo has begun a multi-million dollar phased renovation of its event spaces, as part of ongoing efforts to meet continued strong demand and consolidate its position as a leading business hotel in Japan.
The hotel will revamp its entire third floor in the first stage of improvements, adding 200m2 of meeting space to the existing 1,000m2 to create modern, AV tech-enabled rooms designed to harmonise with Shinjuku’s traditional and contemporary craftsmanship.
The renovation, which is due for completion soon, will result in four meeting rooms, five function rooms, one pre-function room, three break-out areas, and one lecture hall.
Access to F&B services will be enhanced thanks to built-in or nearby facilities and greater capability to open up the floor, promoting the smooth flow of guests. The new spaces will have the highest-grade LED screens and digital audio technology systems.
Leo Frankel, commercial director of Hilton Tokyo, said: “This renovation allows us to capitalise on the surge in demand for MICE events from clients all over the world. Our new unique meeting floor is designed to meet the growing need for flexible space, enabling our experienced event team to provide seamless events, from enquiry to delivery.”
Alongside the renovation, more international team members are being onboarded to the event team, increasing the number of languages spoken to eight.
The hotel’s fourth floor, including its iconic ballroom, will be renewed in summer 2025.
Millennium Hotels & Resorts (MHR) has launched MyMillennium BIZ, a new loyalty programme designed exclusively for corporate bookers.
Replacing the former MyMillennium Pro, MyMillennium BIZ offers a range of tailored perks and rewards to cater to the specific needs of business travellers.
Corporate clients who book rooms or business events services through MyMillennium BIZ will earn four MyPoints for every US$1 spent. Meanwhile, new business stays are rewarded with a generous 7,500 MyPoints bonus.
Additionally, the programme offers exclusive Millennium Meetings offers, including 5X MyPoints, complimentary late check-out, and room upgrades for group bookings.
The introduction of MyMillennium BIZ complements the broader revamp of the MyMillennium loyalty programme. This comprehensive overhaul aims to provide guests with a more personalised and rewarding experience, aligning with the brand’s five core pillars: thoughtful service, memorable experiences, quality, consistency, and sustainability.
Netherlands-headquartered travel management company company ATG Travel Worldwide, has appointed Patsy Khoo as sales & business management director for the Asia-Pacific region.
Khoo reports to Tammy Krings, ATG’s founder and CEO.
Based in Singapore, Khoo’s role is to serve ATG’s APAC clients as their primary contact, focused on building and managing each clients’ Global Business Plan which outlines the activities, tasks and resources required to achieve mutual goals and performance of the Service Level Agreement.
Khoo also ensures ATG’s technology and service offerings are tailored to the requirements of the APAC market.
She holds extensive experience in business travel management, having spent 30 years between three TMCs, including Rosenbluth International, where she reached the general manager level.
The newly-established Sabah Convention Bureau is determined to engage more with ICCA, and has made its first move to sponsor the Challenge Night at this year’s 63rd ICCA Congress in Abu Dhabi.
CEO Noredah Othman, who has more than three decades of experience in the tourism industry and was previously CEO of Sabah Tourism Board before taking on the leadership role at Sabah Convention Bureau at the start of 2024, told TTGmice that “this is our debut appearance at the ICCA Congress”.
“This is an opportunity for us to introduce the convention bureau officially to the industry. Sponsoring the Challenge Night at the Warner Bros Abu Dhabi theme park tonight is ideal for Sabah, as we are such a fun destination that is itself a nature theme park. We hope that all Congress delegates will not only have lots of fun, but also discover what Sabah Convention Bureau and our destination are all about,” said Noredah.
Sabah Convention Bureau is a non-profit agency under the purview of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Environment Sabah. It takes over the responsibility of advancing Sabah’s business event industry from the Sabah Tourism Board.
This transition, according to Noredah, will allow her team to be more active in ICCA activities. She shared that the bureau is presently exploring the possibility of supporting ICCA programmes such as ICCASkills and Masterclass.
“We brought the Sabah state minister of tourism to the Congress this week, to show her what ICCA is all about. It opened her eyes and made her realise the extensive learning opportunities this event offers to industry members. We hope that with her seeing the value of engaging with ICCA, our future proposals for ICCA activities will be supported,” she said.
Going forward Noredah hopes to motivate more business event organisations and players in the Malaysian state to join ICCA to lift their capabilities and expand their network. Only the bureau and Sabah International Convention Centre are ICCA members today.
“We need more local players to elevate themselves to be able to support our industry and improve the competitiveness of Sabah Convention Bureau when we make our bids for meetings,” she added.
Sabah has been a popular choice for various national associations meetings, and the bureau hopes to expand this pool of gatherings to regional and international ones. It will not only court meetings that are aligned with the Sabah state’s three key economic pillars of agriculture, manufacturing and tourism, but also events related to conservation. Sabah is home to a UNESCO triple crown site title – Kinabalu National Geopark is recognised as a UNESCO Global Geopark (recognised in May 2023), UNESCO Crocker Range Biosphere Reserve (recognised in June 2014), and UNESCO World Heritage Site (recognised in December 2000).
Centara Hotels & Resorts has named David Martens as vice president of operations and general manager of Centara Karon Resort Phuket.
The Australian has over 30 years of hospitality experience and has been an integral part of the Centara family since 2012.
He most recently served as senior director of operations and general manager at the same property.
