Reverse mentoring and embracing DEI key to retaining and hiring talent: experts
Talent development advocates at last week’s Singapore MICE Forum (SMF) urged the events industry to pay it forward, audit hiring processes, and change mindsets in the war to attract staff and retain them.
They also called for the need to coach and mentor, embrace reverse mentoring, update outdated HR practices and employ journey mapping in the hiring process, during The Need for Talent Development: Investing in People for Excellence panel session.
According to Nisha Abu Bakar, co-founder World WomenTourism and founder of Elevated Consultancy and Training, mentors can help mentees expand their networks, build relationships, and gain access to valuable resources and opportunities. Mentors can also help mentees explore their growth prospects, and set meaningful goals for their professional development.
Reverse mentoring, she explained, is leadership adopting the “culture of learning and adaptability… the growth mindset among the young”, which only 12 per cent of businesses have a formal process for.
During her presentation prior to the panel discussion, Abu Bakar relayed examples of how companies such as Deloitte and the Human Capital Institute have resulted in higher employee satisfaction and loyalty; higher employee engagement and retention rates; development of future leaders; enhanced productivity and revenue growth; and promotion and progression.
In response to panel moderator and SMF chair Ian Wu’s call to pay it forward when acquiring talent, Neeta Lachmandas, founder, ConsciousService, pointed out that the events industry is interesting and exciting because it involves creation and innovation – concepts that appeal to the young – and should be played up.
Frank Koo, founder and director, Nexplay, commented that beyond credentials, the events industry should attract those who are agile, flexible, and have transferable technical skills.
For today’s talents that value DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) and realise the economic impact of the events industry, an organisation that is purpose-driven may also find it easier to attract and hire, Edward Chew, director, service development, employment, SG Enable, a Singapore agency dedicated to enabling persons with disabilities, pointed out.
Lachmandas noted SMEs, which make up the majority of companies in the events ecosystem, need to understand the importance of journey mapping – a visualisation document that showcases the steps in trying to accomplish a goal – for hiring. Executives involved in hiring also need to make a good first impression in communicating the company’s brand and vision, and follow through with onboarding.
She added that if employers give employees who want to grow new opportunities, even if they leave after two or three years, it is still “not a bad equation” in terms of their contribution.
The events industry, she observed, should position the roles to be filled by appealing to talent who are keen on problem-solving, “self aware and understand their strengths and weaknesses”, can manage their emotions and like “systematic thinking interdependency”.
Singapore MICE industry celebrates excellence at awards night
The winners of the Singapore MICE Awards (SMA) were announced last Thursday during a gala dinner at Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, in celebration of the achievements and contributions made towards Singapore’s business events industry.
Organised by Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), there were a total of 18 award categories this year – up from 10 at the inaugural SMA last year – such as Medium Trade Show of the Year, Exhibition Booth Design of the Year, and Caterer of the Year.
Winners included Marina Bay Sands, which picked up Venue of the Year for the second year running; Gevme, which picked up Event Tech Company of the Year; while Consteller (Singapore Expo), Fairmont Singapore & Swissôtel The Stamford, and Kingsmen Exhibits picked up awards for their sustainability initiatives.
Meanwhile, the Large Trade Show of the Year went to Singapore FinTech Festival 2023 by Constellar Exhibition, while Business Event of the Year was won by Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH) 2023 by MP Singapore and Enterprise Singapore. Shangri-La Singapore was also recognised as Hotel Venue of the Year.
The judging process involved industry experts from around the world, representing diverse backgrounds and perspectives. The winners of the SMA were determined based on the collective average scores and valuable inputs from the esteemed panel of judges.
Beyond recognising and inspiring excellence in business events, the awards strive to build industry recognition and credibility, drive industry growth and development, and provide a platform for sharing of best practices among business professionals in Singapore and the region.
Tall Ship Adventures unveils new venues, extends MoU with ITE
Tall Ship Adventures (TSA), owner-operator of the renowned Royal Albatross – Asia’s only luxury tall ship – has unveiled three new products suitable for corporate events, as well as extended its partnership with Institute of Technical Education (ITE)
The first is Southern Albatross, a new 50-seater twin-hull fast boat that offers a 60-minute ride that cruises along the Sentosa coast, and around the Southern Islands.
Next, a 2,697m2 Balinese-style venue overlooking the water has been set up. Designed to host corporate and special events for up to 200, the venue offers team-bonding activities, customised catering, and barbecues.
During the day, the Royal Albatross will also be transformed into a dockside bar and restaurant before setting sail for its scheduled dine-and- sail programmes.
TSA and ITE has also officially entered into a fourth Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for another three years. This renewal, marking a decade-long partnership that began in 2015, aims to further enhance career and internship placement for ITE students.
Under the MoU, valued at close to S$250,000 (US$186,080), TSA will provide 16 scholarships annually to ITE students enrolled in the Higher Nitec in Passenger Services course. These scholarships will cover training fees and allowance, enabling students to attain the Royal Albatross Passenger Handling Certificate and the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) Food Safety certification.
Additionally, TSA will offer industry attachment opportunities to ITE students and staff, equipping students with essential skills in crewing, passenger handling and safety during internships, and staff with up-to- date industry insights.
Low Khah Gek, CEO of ITE, remarked: “Our partnership with Tall Ship Adventures empowers our students to build their careers in the tourism sector. By bringing the classroom to the decks of the Royal Albatross, we provide students with the opportunity to learn through practical experience, helping them to foster a deeper understanding of industry standards and cultivate the necessary skill sets to thrive in this dynamic environment.”
Since the first MoU in January 2015, the partnership has successfully engaged over 120 ITE students in the Passenger Services course.
Local music takes centrestage at Sands Expo & Convention Centre
Visitors to Sands Expo & Convention Centre, part of Marina Bay Sands (MBS), can now listen to the tunes of homegrown artists and learn about the local music scene, with the launch of the I Play SG Music initiative.
The introduction of local music to Sands Expo is part of a three-year partnership between MBS and National Arts Council (NAC), inked last September, to bring the arts closer to local and international visitors.
I Play SG Music is part of Hear65, a national movement to celebrate and promote all forms of Singapore music. A curated playlist of local artists, including Jasmine Sokko, Linying, Nathan Hartono, Sezairi and The Great Spy Experiment, will be the go-to soundtrack for all events. It will also be piped along the venue’s corridors and Origin + Bloom café at Level 3. For a start, there will be 40 artists and songs, with more to be added over time.
Since the launch of the partnership, Marina Bay Sands has established the Sands Innovative Arts Fund under NAC’s Sustain the Arts Fund, with a S$500,000 (US$372,570) donation. The contribution reaffirms the resort’s commitment to the development of Singapore’s arts scene, and will go towards supporting the future of emerging art forms and innovative creators. This is one of the biggest donations that the resort has made in support of the arts to date. Applications closed in February this year, and details on the successful applicants will be shared later.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi names new GM
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi has appointed Mafalda Costa Tavares as its general manager.
She joins the resort from Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Puerto Rico where she served as hotel manager.
Tavares has over 20 years of hospitality management experience, and brings extensive revenue, sales and marketing experience to her new role.
AIME expands executive team in lead-up to 2025 show
The Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) has made key executive hires as it expands the team in the lead-up to AIME 2025.
John Wilson joins AIME as marketing director, bringing more than 25 years of industry expertise to the role. He has led teams at international events and trade fair organisers Informa, Deutsche Messe, and Foundry (IDG).
Joining Wilson in the role of marketing executive is Kayla Elliott, who has been tasked with creating content that resonates and connects with AIME’s global audience.
Meanwhile, Claire Graham has been appointed director of operations and content. With more than 20 years of event management experience, Graham has managed events across Australia including Taste Festival, Smooth FM Chocolate Festival and the ATSA Independent Living Festival. She joins the AIME team from Interpoint Events.
Also joining the operations team is Nissa Ni as event and systems coordinator, who comes to the role after almost 15 years at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the home of AIME.
AIME 2025 will be the fourth event delivered by Silke Calder and her team from Talk2 Media and Events, which manages the show on behalf of the Melbourne Convention Bureau.
Unforgettable impressions
1. Mercedes-Benz Museum, Germany
More than a museum, the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart breathes a spirit of mobility. It offers a total of eight indoor and outdoor venues, ranging from the open-air stage that can hold slightly over 1,000 people, to the Fascination of Design exhibit where guests can dine in the racing curve and have an unrivalled view of the car manufacturer’s famous Silver Arrows. Planners should note that half of the indoor venues are only available for bookings after normal operating hours.
2. One World Observatory, US
Reach new heights – quite literally from the highest point in New York City – from the One World Trade Center, as its private event space is located on the 102nd floor of the building. The 836m2 Aspire features expansive floor-to-ceiling views in all directions, and can accommodate 250 seated guests, or 450 in cocktail-style.
One floor below is ONE Dine, a restaurant serving casual, brasserie-style fare. This space provides similar sprawling city views, and can be bought out for smaller groups.
3. Culture Club Revelin, Croatia
Located within 500-year-old medieval fortress just outside Ploce Gate in Dubrovnik’s Old Town, Culture Club Revelin operates as a nightclub and event space. The piece de resistance is its stone-paved terrace on the roof – the largest in the city – which can hold up to 1,000 people in cocktail format, or 500 people seated. There are also three large, vaulted rooms on the inside, which can accommodate up to 450 guests, providing an ambience steeped in history.
4. Grouse Mountain, Canada
Grouse Mountain in Vancouver offers nine event spaces that can accommodate between 50 to 800 attendees. Its outdoor venues, the Plaza, Paradise Park, or Rusty Rail, boast breathtaking views of the city and surrounding mountains, and can handle groups of around 500. Larger groups of no more than 800 can also book the whole Chalet – which comprises the Timber Room, The Observatory, and Altitudes Bistro.
A delicious buffet breakfast on The Grizzly Lookout, teambuilding programmes, gondola rides, and wildlife experiences, can also be added easily to the programme.
5. Mühlerama Bread Museum, Switzerland
Love the scent of freshly baked bread? At Mühlerama Bread Museum in Zurich, you can bake your bread and eat it too, in addition to learning about the history and evolution of milling and bread-making. This venue is more than a century old, and houses traditional milling equipment that is still in use, as well as authentic milling stones that date back 5,000 years.
Groups of up to 25 can book a sourdough baking class that comes with an educational facility tour. The baking class is easy and fun, as the dough is prepared ahead of time and participants only need to shape them into anything they fancy. The teacher will then help to place these masterpieces into the oven, where freshly-baked souvenirs will be ready for collection after the tour.
6. Green Patio, Spain
One of the last history printing presses in Madrid has been renovated into a 3,000m2 versatile event space, although vestiges of its past remain in the exposed brick walls and handcrafted tiles. The largest space here is the nine-metre-high, 650m2 hall complete with folding sunroofs and soundproofed walls. It can hold a maximum of 450 people in both theatre-style and banquet-style. There is also an outdoor terrace on the top floor, along with several other smaller rooms that can hold between 90 to 160 people.
Globus family of brands creates regional marketing manager role
Globus family of brands (GFOB) has named Hallie Chua as its regional marketing manager for South-east Asia, a newly-created role.
Based out of Singapore, Chua will be responsible for all GFOB’s marketing activities across key areas throughout the region.
She brings with her more than a decade of experience in the travel sector, and has previously worked across brands including Genting Hong Kong and Nam Ho Travel.
Asia-Pacific leads business events surge, Singapore targets top spot
Asia-Pacific’s dominant role in business events, the region’s post-pandemic resurgence, and Singapore’s strategic positioning, were key topics at the Visionary and Outlook Panel – The Time is Now for Asia! – held this morning on the first day of the Singapore MICE Forum 2024.
The global business events industry is projected to grow significantly in the coming decade, with Asia-Pacific leading the charge. It is this post-pandemic optimism and momentum that drove UK-based major-scale tradeshow organiser, Nineteen Group, to open an office in Singapore recently in April 2024.
Alison Jackson, group managing director of Nineteen Group, shared: “We did a lot of research and found that many people liked Singapore for many reasons. We have high hopes for Singapore, and are taking it slowly to build our business in a quality way.”
She added that Nineteen’s strategy is to buy into a reputable business, and gradually launch new tradeshows. That is how the inaugural Safety & Security Asia (SSA) 2025 was created. SSA will comprise The Security Event, The Fire Safety Event, The Health & Safety Event, and The Emergency Services Show, which will take place from November 11-13, 2025, at the Sands Expo & Convention Centre.
SSA is a divestment of the Architecture & Building Services event belonging to Singapore-based Conference & Exhibition Management Services.
Michael Wilton, CEO & managing director at Messe Muenchen International Asia, also highlighted the importance of the Asia-Pacific market.
“We have had a legal entity in Singapore for numerous years, but it was in 2019 when we started investing in Asia-Pacific. Establishing business events during the pandemic (was not easy), but this also opened up opportunities in the market, especially with the changing dynamics of China and India, particularly in the manufacturing industry,” he said.
Instead of being “put off by the pandemic”, Messe Muenchen – which has strong branding in Europe – looked at the “long-term prospects” instead. The emergence of new industries is creating fresh opportunities for tradeshows. To capitalise on these, Messe Muenchen’s approach to launch new events are a mixture of mergers and acquisitions, as well as partnerships.
“In Singapore, we’ve launched tradeshows in the logistics, transport, and air cargo (sectors). As we’re doing it for the benefit of the industry, we’re able to tailor the event to ensure it meets the needs of the industry,” he stated.
These new launches are contributing to Singapore’s goal of becoming the “World’s Best MICE City”, a title underscored by the country’s latest business events.
Edward Koh, executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “Singapore is in a good space. We’ve built up a very robust pipeline, with events secure until 2032.”
However, he acknowledged that some organisers are concerned about Singapore’s increasing costs, especially when compared to her regional neighbours.
Koh elaborated: “All events are priceless knowledge, which (to us) is the true value. (For delegates), what is most valuable is their time. In Singapore, there is a lot of saving time. You can attend several events in the same week. You can even attend an F1 race, another meeting, then another show. We try to create such clusters that can add more value to our (high-cost) challenge.”
“In our research done on Singapore, pricing came up a fair bit. Yes, it can be expensive, but expensive works if you deliver value. Pricing isn’t just square metres, it’s everything. As long as your tradeshow still holds value, quality pricing is fine,” opined Jackson.
Wilton emphasised Singapore’s strong position due to its stability and security, asserting that tradeshows held in the city “must have a regional focus to maintain competitiveness and appeal” within their respective industries.
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Plaza Premium Group (PPG) has completed its expansion project in Chongqing, China with the opening of its third Plaza Premium Lounge, which is integrated with an airport dining establishment, Jon Ramen, at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport.
This new lounge marks PPG’s third location in the airport, and follows the previous openings of the first Plaza Premium Lounge and Jon Ramen at Pier E, Domestic Departures in November 2023 and the second one at Pier H, International Departures in April 2024.
The newly-opened lounge is located on the fifth floor of the departure level in Terminal T3A landside, behind Check-in Counter 3C, spanning 185m² and accommodating up to 35 guests. Unlike traditional lounges, PPG has partnered with a renowned ramen chain in China for the first time, housing both Plaza Premium Lounge and Jon Ramen under one roof.
The lounge features comfortable sofa seating, work environment, flight information displays, charging facilities, and a multi-functional meeting room capable of hosting up to 22 people.
To create a holistic journey for travellers, PPG will establish a professional concierge team at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, offering comprehensive services to complement the Plaza Premium Lounge experience, including paid transit services, baggage handling, fast-track security, and customised travel assistance for special needs passengers.
Additionally, PPG will soon introduce buggy car service at Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport to enhance passenger experience.