Gardens by the Bay (pictured) will be offered to delegates as an optional tour
Approximately 10,000 top Amway business owners from China – all of whom are from Founders Platinum to Founders Council, the highest pin level – will be in Singapore for the PF22/23 Amway China Leadership Seminar from August 28 to September 13, 2024.
This incentive win is a shot in the arm for Singapore, which has been seen as too costly by some business event organisers and participants, with a few choosing other regional destinations.
Gardens by the Bay (pictured) will be offered to delegates as an optional tour
On why Singapore was chosen, Asha Gupta, regional president, Asia & chief strategy & corporate development officer of Amway, said: “Singapore is a destination that is renowned for serving up a world-class experience. From food to attractions, heritage sites, accommodation and cultural experiences, Singapore caters to all wants and needs and consistently delivers a memorable experience every single time.”
There will be four waves, each comprising about 2,400 participants each, on a 5D4N programme. Attendees are based all over China, but will fly out from nine cities on nine airlines, with Singapore Airlines as the main carrier.
The programme also includes two optional day tours, and a “free & easy” day. The 16 optional tours include attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, Sentosa and Mandai Wildlife Reserve; cultural, heritage and gourmet tours; and novel activities like a short course at the National University of Singapore, as well as a dragon boat race.
Participants will be staying at five-star hotels including Fairmont Singapore, Swissotel the Stamford, Hilton Singapore Orchard, Pan Pacific Singapore, and Conrad Centennial Singapore. Amway has also bought out the grand ballroom at Sands Expo & Convention Centre for the business sessions and gala dinners.
Edward Koh, Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, said: “Singapore is proud to host the Amway China Leadership Seminar 2024, the largest post-pandemic incentive group thus far.
“We are confident everyone will enjoy Singapore’s destination offerings – whether as part of the official programme or on their own after conference hours. The success of this event will not only take Amway to greater heights but also leave a positive and lasting impact for years to come. We look forward to our continued partnership with Amway to create a meaningful legacy together.”
In another big win, Singapore has secured the PF24 Amway Japan LAS Family Program 2025 which will see about 1,500 participants gather in Singapore from March 23-27 next year.
Requests for responsible food sources, sustainable event vendors and meaningful destination experiences are on the rise, according to event and hospitality specialists in the Gold Coast.
Destination experiences specialist, Kiff & Culture, is seeing responsible event requests becoming commonplace. Its business development manager Sophie Ham sees this trend as being advantageous, as the company has built a portfolio of programmes that show off the Gold Coast’s natural landscape, wildlife, indigenous community and culture, and farm-to-table opportunities.
Kiff & Culture’s Fire to Fork dining programme
The experience agency’s Fire to Fork dining programme, for example, offers event guests a chance to learn about the art of cooking naturally over fire, as well as the range of “zero-kilometre” local produce available to them.
“We also get corporates enquiring about opportunities to support local charities when they meet in the Gold Coast,” shared Ham, adding that Kiff & Culture’s extensive network allows it to connect clients with charities that are best aligned to a client’s corporate social responsibility goals.
Kiff & Culture is currently working towards a sustainable tourism certification, which Ham expects to materialise by the end of 2024.
“We are very focused on sustainability practices and are partnering with the right people who allow us to achieve our responsible goals,” said Ham.
Unicorn Group’s co-founder and creative experience officer, Ron Anderson, said that with the increased focus on meaningful events, there is now an opportunity to craft local experiences tied to the destination and its people.
Citing an example, he pointed to a corporate event in April that built a whole range of fun and uniquely Gold Coast activities around its trade component at Burleigh Pavilion. The experiences included surfing lessons on Burleigh Beach conducted by famed Gold Coast surfers like Stephanie Gilmore and Joel Parkinson, and walking tours of the Jellurgal Dreaming Mountains by the traditional custodians of Burleigh Head.
“These are not experiences that you can replicate in other parts of Australia, as these surfers call the Gold Coast home as do the indigenous tribes. Even the chef who crafted the event menu has lived here all his life,” added Anderson.
Meanwhile, adhering to sustainable food sourcing practices comes easily to hospitality players in the Gold Coast due to access to local agricultural producers.
Hannah Hoy, events manager with Kost Bar and Grill, which opened in 2023 on Broadbeach, said customers increasingly appreciate locally sourced fresh food.
“Our seafood comes from the Miami fish market here on the Gold Coast, while our meat and everything else is from New South Wales farmers,” remarked Hoy, adding that the restaurant offers various courses to suit different event catering requirements.
Besides offering low-carbon impact catering, Ellen Buencamino, director of sales with Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise, said the hotel also meets corporate clients’ sustainability expectations through strict guidelines enforced by the wider IHG Hotels & Resorts, which the Crowne Plaza brand is part of.
“Corporate clients staying with us know they will not encounter single-use plastics in their rooms, for instance. We also have our recycling initiatives,” said Buencamino.
Taking sustainable event efforts further, Queensland-based event planner Architects of Vibes maximises the longevity of all materials used for event activations.
Director Dylan Bond told TTGmice that “all materials are reused in different ways” – either to create a different feature in future events or as protective coverings in back-end operations.
Bond explained: “If clients were to say they intend to print massive banners, we would first and foremost recommend digital alternatives. Failing that, we will take (the banners) back after the event, cut them up and turn them into covers to be used when transporting our equipment. We do what we can to minimise waste from our clients.”
SECB and MICE Impact hosted a Singapore Impact Night at IMEX Frankfurt 2024, where industry partners gathered to celebrate 50 years with a cake-cutting ceremony
The Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB), established as a group under the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1974.
Initially tasked with promoting Singapore as a venue for business events for both local and international markets, SECB’s role has evolved into a key driver of the industry, playing a pivotal role in developing the industry ecosystem, fostering partnerships, and shaping the future of Singapore’s business events landscape.
SECB and MICE Impact hosted a Singapore Impact Night at IMEX Frankfurt 2024, where industry partners gathered to celebrate 50 years with a cake-cutting ceremony
Back in those days
The first appointed head of SECB was Jennie Chua, who set up the SECB and served as its leader from 1974 to 1984. There were no purpose-built convention or exhibition facilities.
“The earliest exhibitions were held in the carpark of Grand Hyatt Singapore (which was also known at one point as the Hyatt Regency Singapore) – but that space had low ceilings and pillars, and was not suitable for exhibitions that had heavy equipment. We then converted warehouses at the then-PSA Building in Pasir Panjang into exhibition spaces,” Chua, now retired, recalled during an interview with TTGmice.
That was how the World Trade Centre Singapore was born. Operating from 1978 to 2003, the converted space hosted some of the earliest exhibitions. In 1986, the Raffles City Convention Centre opened with 3,000m2 of venue space; it is still operating today. Also in operation today are the 12,000m2 Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, and 123,000m2 Singapore Expo, which opened in 1995 and 1999 respectively.
Aside from large-scale venues, another challenge that SECB faced early on was that many business events were anchored or rotated in the US and Europe.
The SECB team, comprising 10 people, “did a lot of legwork” to visit professional associations ranging from medical to F&B in those longhaul countries to introduce Singapore and its business events capabilities.
“We also needed to work with our regional partners such as the Philippines, Thailand, and Hong Kong to bring attention to Asia (as a bloc) in the late 1970s and early 1980s, as Asia was still seen as a leisure destination. To draw attention quickly to Asia, we had to work together to gather and share information (on business events),” Chua elaborated.
That is how the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureau (AACVB) was formed in 1983 with Singapore as one of the founding members, where its objective was to promote Asia as one of the world’s leading regions for business events.
In today’s climate
These days, SECB has evolved from a promotional entity to a strategic enabler and industry catalyst, where efforts include driving sustainability initiatives and developing the necessary talent pool to support the sector’s growth.
Recent accolades that Singapore has achieved include securing second position on the ICCA Worldwide City Rankings 2023, an advance of more than 10 places from 2022; Cvent’s Top Meeting Destination in Asia (2023) for the sixth time since 2016; and second in Asia-Pacific, and 17th globally in the 2023 Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index).
In 2005, Singapore also joined the BestCities Global Alliance, the world’s first convention bureau alliance, where 13 partner cities achieve benefits by working together.
Other milestones SECB has achieved include hosting IMF-World Bank Meetings 2006; anchoring key exhibitions such as Singapore Airshow and Food Hotel Asia; hosting large-scale conventions such as Rotary International 2024 which saw more than 14,500 delegates (the largest post-lockdown convention); and a host of large meetings such as Asia Pacific Herbalife Extravaganza 2023 which saw more than 20,000 attendees (the largest post-lockdown meeting).
Yap Chin Siang, deputy chief executive of STB and SECB, said: “Besides having the right infrastructure and ensuring continuous enhancement of this infrastructure, a successful MICE industry needs the right people with the right skills to meet the evolving needs of event organisers and delegates.”
As such, SECB continues to work closely with the local trade association Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), which serves as the voice and advocate of the MICE community in Singapore, supporting the industry through networking opportunities, professional development, thought leadership and driving key industry initiatives.
It was this collaboration that led to the development of the SG SafeEvent framework in 2021 as the world emerged from the shadow of Covid-19. These safety guidelines ensured a smooth restart for the industry, ensuring the safety and well-being of attendees as in-person events gradually resumed.
Richard Ireland, SACEOS president, shared: “Other initiatives include the development of the Singapore MICE Sustainability Roadmap in December 2022, which paved the way for MICE Guidelines on Carbon and Waste Management, Singapore MICE Sustainability Certification, and the Certified Event Sustainability Accreditation Programme.
“On a global level, we have also worked with SECB in developing the GSTC MICE Criteria, which will serve as the global sustainability standards for the industry.”
To address talent needs, SACEOS collaborated with SECB to hold dialogue sessions at Institutes of Higher Learning, as well as launch the MICE Internship Best Practices Guidelines in 2023, providing a roadmap for organisations to attract and develop promising individuals.
Yap continued: “SECB also administers the Conference Ambassador Programme which engages notable professionals and key opinion leaders as advocates for Singapore’s MICE industry, where their influence and network help to bolster our bid for MICE events.”
As part of this year’s Singapore MICE Forum, SECB will mark its 50th anniversary with a cake-cutting ceremony, with past SECB and SACEOS heads in attendance. Coincidentally, as STB will be celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, special activities and events commemorating both milestones will be organised.
Step into the future
As the global business events landscape evolves, marked by shifting event formats and increasing delegate expectations, Singapore must remain agile in adapting its infrastructure, services, and technology to stay competitive. Navigating geopolitical and economic uncertainties while maintaining a stable and conducive environment will be crucial as competition intensifies from emerging destinations.
When asked what she was most proud of, Chua said: “I’m very proud of where Singapore stands today. My colleagues and I were the early pioneers, but the generations that came after continued developing Singapore’s business events reputation to what it is today.”
She recalled: “Before the internet, people had to make the trip to share their knowledge, exchange ideas, and debate – but the methodology of winning (business events) today is different. Although information can be gleaned through different methods, the interaction and storytelling must still be through human contact.”
Yap also acknowledges that cost cannot be Singapore’s primary competitive advantage, the nation must focus on delivering exceptional infrastructure, services, experiences, and global connectivity to solidify its position as a top business events destination.
Envisioning Singapore’s business events future, Yap said: “By integrating cutting-edge technology to create immersive experiences and complementing business events with a rich tapestry of lifestyle and cultural offerings, the city-state aims to redefine the attendee experience.”
This strategy is evident in initiatives like the Singapore FinTech Festival’s takeover of Club Street, which extends beyond conferences to encompass social events and networking opportunities.
Moreover, Singapore’s commitment to fostering long-term impact is demonstrated by events such as The World Aquaculture Singapore 2022, which led to the creation of AquaPolis, a research and innovation cluster. Sustainability will also be deeply embedded in the industry, with responsible event management at its core, Yap added.
He concluded: “We would like to thank all our partners and clients for their support in the past 50 years. Our success would not have been possible without each and every one of them and we look forward to continued collaborations with our industry stakeholders, global partners and clients to build a stronger MICE industry in the next 50 years and beyond!”
Plaza Premium Group (PPG) and Japanese tourism specialist JWIDE debuted a hospitality service – the City Terminal by Plaza Premium Lounge – in Osaka to serve all travellers, regardless of whether they are taking a plane, train or bus.
Located at 1-1-3, Kita-ku Shibata, Osaka-shi, the lounge is situated within all the major tourist areas within Osaka and the transportation routes that lead to nearby cities of Kyoto, Nara, and Nagoya.
The City Lounge is conveniently accessible by various modes of transportation, including buses and trains
Lounge staff offer multilingual travel concierge services in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean. Visitors can also access detailed tourist information, local tips, transportation bookings, limousine arrangements, temporary luggage storage and delivery services, currency exchange, and umbrella loans.
The City Terminal is equipped with Wi-Fi and provides a selection of meals and drinks, which include Costa Signature Blend complimentary coffee, complimentary tea, soft drinks, and a selection of instant soups and light snacks.
“With the increase in foreign visitors to Japan, it is essential for the country to provide better services and hospitality. We aim to make Japan a more convenient, reliable, safe, and comfortable destination for both foreign visitors and Japanese residents,” said Teppei Nishino, founder and CEO of JWIDE.
“To this end, we have partnered with Plaza Premium Group to establish our first City Terminal in Osaka Umeda. Moving forward, we plan to expand City Terminals and Lounges to major terminal stations, city centres and airports nationwide. Our goal is to support tourism, business trips and local sightseeing in Japan.”
The partners’ future plans include jointly expanding the lounge service network in Japan to Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Sapporo, in airports and city centre transportation hubs. Additionally, the two companies jointly welcome collaboration with different industries and clients to create a better journey for all travellers.
The decision to rebrand reflects CTM’s commitment to evolving its services to meet the changing needs of customers and the travel landscape; screenshot of CTM’s website
Hong Kong-headquartered Corporate Travel Management (CTM) has rebranded its specialist meetings and events division ETM to CTM Meetings & Events, effective July 22, 2024.
This move will enable businesses to better manage their demand for meetings and corporate events as an extension of their corporate travel programme to drive greater value from their travel budget.
The decision to rebrand reflects CTM’s commitment to evolving its services to meet the changing needs of customers and the travel landscape; screenshot of CTM’s website
Business meetings and corporate events have emerged as a significant and growing segment of business travel, as evidenced in CTM’s 2024 Global Customer Survey which found that 90 per cent of respondents expect to travel the same amount or more for customer meetings in the coming year. Additionally, 85 per cent expect to travel the same or more for internal meetings, and 84 per cent for conferences and tradeshows.
“People enjoy collaborating with their colleagues and partners in person because it strengthens business relationships and opens new opportunities. Being in the business of connecting people is incredibly rewarding, and that’s exactly what we will continue to do as CTM Meetings & Events,” said Doreen Low, MICE manager of CTM Meetings & Events, Asia.
“Our survey demonstrated that our customers value innovative technology and cherish immersive destination experiences within their corporate events. Unique and interesting event destinations are also highly valued, along with distinctive meeting or event spaces. This reflects the diverse needs and preferences of our customers, and it’s where our services truly add value. We understand that all these elements are crucial to a successful business event, and we’re here to make that happen.”
The Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau, comprising three hotels – Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, The Karl Lagerfeld Macau, and Palazzo Versace Macau – has released a new offer for events.
To avail of this, planners need to book an event by November 30, 2024, to unlock an array of benefits. Benefits include five per cent off the master bill; value-added benefits equivalent to five per cent of the master bill; and a 30-minute welcome reception.
Grand Lisboa Palace’s Jardim Secreto and Dome
Planners can also receive an additional complimentary room for every 50 rooms booked (with a maximum of 20 complimentary rooms per event), as well as one complimentary room upgrade to a suite for every 25 rooms booked on peak night.
This offer applies only to meetings and events with a reservation of a minimum of 10 paid guestrooms for at least one night or more, plus one function room with a minimum spend. A 30 per cent deposit must be paid before November 30, 2024. Rates start from MOP1,000 (US$124) per night.
In total, the three hotels offer 1,892 keys, an outdoor garden with a maze, and over 3,700m2 of event space across 21 venues; where the largest space can hold up to 2,100 people.
This promotion is available only for new bookings from now until November 30, 2024, where events must be executed before December 9, 2024.
Fresh openings, as well as revitalised experiences and venues across the Gold Coast were lined up earlier this week ahead of This is Gold Coast’s (TIGC24) scheduled business appointments starting this morning, all to demonstrate the Australian destination’s continual transformation as a business events venue.
Event buyers from across Australia and New Zealand who arrived on Sunday and Monday had a chance to experience a breakfast event at InterContinental Sanctuary Cove Resort’s new beach club alongside high-energy stunts performed by JetPack Entertainment and Event over the property’s popular lagoon beach pool; play a round of friendly golf at the colourful ranges of Topgolf Gold Coast; explore the creative use of venues at the sprawling Home of the Arts through a breakfast showcase on the Outdoor Stage; and sail the scenic Gold Coast Broadwater on the stylish YOT Club catamaran while digging into lunch.
Home of the Arts’s Outdoor Stage has hosted artists like Tim Minchin, Neil Finn, Six60 and Ministry of Sound, but it is also a versatile space for private events. Photo credit: Karen Yue
TIGC24 attendees were also split into three teams for a series of site inspections on Tuesday, covering venues such as QT Gold Coast, Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast, Sea World Marine Park, RACV Royal Pines Resort Gold Coast, and the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct.
Experience Gold Coast director of business events Brooke Campbell explained that the three inspection streams were a new feature for the This Is Gold Coast event. The format was established to ensure hotels and venues presented were aligned to the needs of different buyers.
One stream was built for small- and medium-sized associations, another was for conference organisers, and the third was for incentive event buyers.
“We will also always have a different programme for every year of This Is Gold Coast, and we always try to incorporate new products that entered the marketplace in the last 12 months,” added Campbell.
QT Gold Coast in Surfers Paradise now features refreshed guestrooms, and new and improved event venues, having completed renovations a year ago. A sweet summer beach house vibe envelops the hotel’s interior, with the barefoot luxury resort characteristic strongest in its collection of six designer qtQT Cabins on level two. The cabins encircle a fireplace and social area, created to bring friends and neighbours together.
According to the hotel’s events team, the qtQT Cabins are popular and require bookings far in advance. Corporate groups can book out all cabins for their VIPs and leverage the privacy of the area for exclusive gatherings.
The established Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast also showed off a refreshed look, thanks to investments into refurbishment works by its new owners, the Laundy and Karedis families. More cosmetic works will be carried out progressively, shared sales manager Lisa Thomas.
The hotel, said to be the largest beachfront resort in the destination with 295 keys, also recently signed on Encore as its creative event production partner. This allows Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, Gold Coast to support event clients with a range of advanced visual features and creative experience styling through Encore’s production expertise.
Speaking to TTGmice on the sidelines of a breakfast event at the Home of the Arts on Tuesday morning, Avril Harris, executive director of events, Experience Gold Coast, said the Gold Coast’s fun and creative offerings were a force to be reckoned with.
She said: “Can you find a better destination than the Gold Coast? This is one of our advantages. Whether you come here for a conference or a holiday, you get all the benefits of a holiday destination.”
“We have amazing hotels. In between meetings, attendees can go to the beach, explore the hinterland, and engage in a whole range of different tourism experiences in our city,” she continued.
According to Experience Gold Coast, there are currently 160 Gold Coast experiences for event delegates to choose from.
The TIGC24 Welcome Event was held at Kirra Beach House, an ocean-facing dining and event destination launched by SITE Hospitality last December.
Welcoming event delegates yesterday evening, Dave Galvin, managing director of SITE Hospitality, said the TIGC24 Welcome Event was the first exclusive mode activation for the space on the second floor. Named Coastal Room, the new event venue comes with indoor areas, and outdoor terraces that look out to the beach and ocean. It can accommodate up to 700 guests.
SKÅL International Thailand has named travel specialist Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen as its new president of SKÅL International Krabi.
A Norwegian national, Kristensen is the founder and managing director of Krabi travel specialist, Krabi Spesialisten, which is now celebrating its 20th Anniversary as a leading provider of custom-designed tours to Southern Thailand.
She is also the founder of Wedding in Thailand, a company providing bespoke weddings and events in Krabi, Phuket and other locations in Southern Thailand.
Capella Hotel Group has named John Blanco as cluster general manager for both Capella Kyoto and Patina Osaka – both scheduled to open in 2025 – while Ellen Franke is the general manager of Patina Osaka.
Blanco was formerly general manager of Capella Bangkok, and has a wealth of experience having worked at The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and other independent hotels around the world. He is also proficient in six languages.
From left: John Blanco and Ellen Franke
Franke joins Capella Hotel Group from The Ritz-Carlton, having worked for the group since 2006 across several global locations. She brings with her 25 years of experience leading luxury hotels across Europe, the US, China, and Malaysia.
As IHG continues its expansion across the region, two hotel executives will take on expanded roles to drive the company’s growth and performance.
Rajit Sukumaran takes on the role of senior vice president and managing director, East Asia & Pacific, and will oversee IHG’s growth, performance and reputation in more than 20 countries.
From left: Rajit Sukumaran and Vivek Bhalla
He has 20 years’ experience in the hospitality industry and brings a wealth of experience to his newly-created position having led IHG’s South East Asia & Korea business unit over the past four years.
Vivek Bhalla has been promoted to managing director, South East Asia & Korea and will be responsibility for the growth, performance and operations of its estate of more than 120 hotels across 10 brands, and a pipeline of over 90 properties.
Bhalla has been with the company since 2016, most recently spending four years as vice president, operations, South East Asia & Korea before which he had two years in India as regional vice president/head of South-west Asia.
Meanwhile, Matt Tripolone, managing director, Australasia & Pacific and Abhijay Sandilya, managing director, Japan & Micronesia continue in the roles and join the East Asia & Pacific Leadership team.
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SKÅL International Thailand has named travel specialist Ingeborg Fallet Kristensen as its new president of SKÅL International Krabi.
A Norwegian national, Kristensen is the founder and managing director of Krabi travel specialist, Krabi Spesialisten, which is now celebrating its 20th Anniversary as a leading provider of custom-designed tours to Southern Thailand.