Centara Hotels & Resorts has named Ron Cusiter as Centara’s new executive vice president – commercial.
He joins Centara following his most recent role as vice president – global sales & The Americas with Kempinski Hotels. His wealth of industry experience brings fresh impetus and innovation to Centara’s global commercial efforts.
He has also held senior roles with COMO, Hyatt and Rosewood hotel groups over the course of his career.
Six Senses Samui has appointed Johannes Steyn as its new general manager.
With over 25 years of experience in the international hotel industry, he first joined the Six Senses family in June 2022 as general manager at Six Senses Con Dao in Vietnam.
During his career, he has worked for IHG, Anantara, Le Meridien, and Story Hospitality.
International conference delegates are crucial to New Zealand’s plan to boost off-peak tourism, aligning with Tourism New Zealand’s goal of growing international tourism revenue by NZ$5 billion (US$3 billion) over the next four years.
Notably, 70 per cent (NZ$3.5 billion) of this target hinges on attracting visitors during the shoulder season.
During a media presentation at Meetings 2024 this morning, Tourism New Zealand’s general manager NZ and business events, Bjoern Spreitzer, shared that in 2023, 83 per cent of international delegate arrivals came off-peak between March and November, compared to 62 per cent of holidaymakers.
“The conference market is entirely off-peak, but what’s promising are incentive groups from Asia and North America travelling in March and April,” he shared with TTGmice during an interview on the sidelines.
In 2023, the business events sector was worth NZ$403 million, and business events attendees were New Zealand’s fourth largest market by visitor spend – behind Australia, China, and the US respectively – with an average spend of NZ$426 per day compared to NZ$304 for holidaymakers.
“We believe that off-peak travel is a sustainable way to grow the industry. Supported by three new convention centres, and a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences on the ground, we are confident in the product we have,” Spreitzer said.
However, he acknowledged that three new convention centres – Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre, Takina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, and the upcoming New Zealand International Convention Centre (opening in 2025) – can only be marketed as new for another few years.
“These three to five years are the best time to capitalise on marketing these venues and put in our groundwork to ensure New Zealand stays relevant from a conferencing point of view. There will always be new venues around the world, and we can’t always bank on new venues,” he elaborated.
The next move to drive New Zealand’s business events industry forward, Spreitzer stated, is the bringing in of “high-impact legacy conferences”. Topics that align with the country’s strong sectors, such as technology, cultural, and environmental, will “open up more portfolios we can bid for”.
He added that during bidding for international business events, Tourism New Zealand always takes the lead with a “New Zealand first mindset”, before the host city is involved.
“The government has a plan in which sectors we want to focus on. We also have cities that have additional focus areas they want to grow and we are cognisant of all of them. Christchurch, Auckland, and Wellington may have different propositions and focus areas, but they are all committed to working collaboratively (to sell New Zealand first),” he explained.
When put up against other destinations around the world, Spreitzer is extremely confident that New Zealand’s ease of doing business, and the country’s amazing landscapes and experiences, will win planners over.
And even though the New Zealand dollar is not as strong as before, he pointed out that this does not affect business events arrivals, as the sector is “driven by the proposition we have”, although it may impact individual spending. Event planners and their clients expect a high-quality experience, and New Zealand’s selling points remain unchanged.
“Overall, the future of business events in New Zealand is extremely bright. We invest in it not because it brings monetary value, but because it brings experts and their knowledge here, and helps our country develop further,” Spreitzer concluded.
New Zealand will hold its first business events awards in 2025, in conjunction with the Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) Conference.
This move aims to celebrate industry leaders, showcase the value of events, and elevate the sector’s profile as a whole. Open to everyone involved in the business events sector, the awards will be managed by an independent industry committee and trust, with profits from the event being reinvested back into the business events community.
“The first of the National Business Events Awards will take place in Auckland in (late) 2025 and will mark the beginning of a new tradition celebrating the best of our business sector,” Megan Crum, head of business events at ChristchurchNZ, shared with the media during a press conference this morning at Meetings 2024 in Rotorua.
Crum added that the awards – which sit under the BEIA framework – will be held once every two years and coincide with the BEIA Conference, which will be held in “one of New Zealand’s metro cities” to encourage participation.
“In a non-awards year, the conference will be held in a regional city to continue BEIA’s commitment to hosting conference in our incredible regional destinations,” Lisa Hopkins, CEO of Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA), said.
She added that the time to hold an awards is “right”, in conjunction with the launch of BEIA’s 10-year strategic direction – Pīata Mai to celebrate individuals and the work that has been achieved.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) received a beautifully-carved Tauihu during a ceremony at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) yesterday.
The carving, titled Waka Putanga, was a collaborative effort led by Hohepa Peni, a Pouako Whakairo Rākau (wood carving tutor) at NZMACI, along with his tauira (students). Peni explained the significance of the Tauihu, which is a front-end prow of a waka in miniature form, and represents those arriving from overseas for MEETINGS 2024, and the sharing of ideas and the making of connections during the event.
The carving was crafted from a very special piece of kauri, a 3,000-year-old log gifted by Tā (Sir) Hekenukumai Busby, a Te Tai Tokerau elder and leader in the revival of traditional Māori navigation and voyaging. This same log was previously used to create a 10m waka maumahara (memorial canoe) exhibited at the 2019 World Expo in Shanghai.
The putanga style of the carving reflects the concept of emergence and stepping out. The piece is intentionally designed to be culturally accessible, with a balance between traditional and contemporary elements. Hollowing techniques showcase the beauty of the kauri, and pāua (abalone) shell inlays represent the convergence of people from different places.
Finally, kura (feathers) adorn the Waka Putanga, symbolizing the dreams and aspirations that people bring to MEETINGS. These feathers also connect those attending the event with their ancestors.
Lisa Hopkins, BEIA’s chief executive, expressed: “We feel extremely privileged, and we also accept the responsibility and understand the importance of what has just happened. It’s a beautiful piece – it’s a new member of the team and I feel quite overwhelmed by the manaaki (hospitality) we’ve just been shown.”
Waka Putanga will be on display at the Energy Events Centre over the next two days as MEETINGS continues.
Bhiraj Buri Group is embarking on an ambitious project to transform the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) into BITEC Buri, a comprehensive lifestyle and community hub that will elevate the Bangna area into a mixed-use zone and enhance the quality of life for residents within a 45-minute travel radius.
Spanning over 27 hectares, this mega project will integrate diverse functionalities that cater to both business and leisure needs.
The full transformation is slated for completion by end-2024 and includes the launch of the 7,000-seat BITEC LIVE concert hall, and SAMA Garden, an outdoor venue with extensive green spaces. These new builds will be in addition to the 41,000m2 of exhibition space that BITEC will continue to provide.
“With consumer-centric events gaining momentum, there’s a clear imperative for spaces like BITEC to adapt and cater to a broader audience beyond conventional tradeshows,” said Pitipat Buri, CEO of Bhiraj Buri Group.
In recent years, the group has seen a notable shift in the exhibition market, particularly within the business events sector where traditional B2B tradeshow-style events are giving way to a more consumer-oriented B2C model.
“We’ve seen consumer-focused shows taking up significant exhibition space and diversifying beyond simple product displays, reflecting a growing preference among general consumer groups,” he said.
As part of its transformation from a single-use space to a mixed-use space, the existing 400,000m2 of display area at BITEC has been reconfigured. New facilities include BITEC Connect, which will provide meeting rooms for 50 to 3,500 participants; Bhiraj Tower, which will offer 29 storeys of modern office spaces; a sky garden; and a 200m-long running track. The BEAT Active entertainment park, which opened in mid-2023, will continue to provide sports activities for all ages.
Event brief
Rotary holds its international convention in a different city every year, where Singapore won the bid for the 2024 event in 2017. Post-pandemic, Rotary International and Rotary Club of Singapore, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board, and many partners, ensured the event’s success.
“Rotary conventions are about bringing people together to create meaningful connections and to inspire each other to help create a more healthy, hopeful, and peaceful world,” explained Gordon McInally, Rotary International president.
At the annual convention, members connect and learn from one another and a range of experts on how to take action to address pressing issues in their communities.
The size and scale of the event meant it occupied the entire Sands Expo and Convention Centre, from the six basement exhibition halls to the Grand Ballroom on Level 5.
Event highlights
The convention brought together 14,660 Rotary members and participants from 151 countries, the geographical diversity reflective of Rotary’s international network, often called a “mini-United Nations”. This was evident at the opening ceremony, where many attendees proudly donned national dresses and ethnic costumes.
About 97 per cent of attendees were from overseas, with the largest delegations coming from Japan, the US and Taiwan.
The programme featured four general sessions and 80 breakout sessions spread across 14 meeting rooms. Meanwhile, the House of Friendship exhibition occupied three halls, displaying causes supported by Rotary such as polio eradication, mental health, clean water and various United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Rotary clubs and community partners showcased their projects and achievements, while some sought financial and social media support. The Peace Park drew many visitors to its talks and interactive exhibits, as did the 360-degree video dome featuring Rotary and UNICEF projects.
Web-based simultaneous interpretation enabled attendees to follow sessions in more than seven different languages through their smartphones.
Entertainment included international performers, dine-arounds and cultural experiences organised by the Singapore Host Organisation Committee. One night of the GastroBeats Festival was also specially reserved for Rotary delegates.
Beyond the main event, foreign participants could take pre- and post-tours to see more of Singapore and the region.
“A popular local tour choice was the ethnic quarters and visiting the Urban Redevelopment Authority City Gallery to better understand how our city-state was developed. In South-east Asia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia were popular (destinations),” said Jimmy Ooi, director of ISE Travel, one of the appointed tour operators.
Challenges
A major concern was logistics, given the sheer numbers of the group. To accommodate attendees safely and comfortably at the opening session, Rotary split them into two groups, with half attending the morning session and the others in the afternoon.
An indoor convention venue lacks an arena’s many entrances. Organisers and staff deftly streamed delegates up escalators from the ground floor through Level 4 meeting rooms for security checks before heading another level up to the Grand Ballroom.
More than 600 Rotary Singapore volunteers were deployed at Changi Airport, Bayfront MRT station, hotels and throughout the venue to ensure the smooth flow of people, prevent overcrowding, and provide guidance or information.
Unlike other mega events, there was no official airline. However, with Singapore being an international hub, many African and European attendees were able to fly in via the Middle East.
To avoid traffic congestion and pollution, Rotary distributed EZLink cards to over 13,000 participants to encourage the use of public transport. Coaches were supplied on only four routes, to Sentosa and hotel clusters away from train stations.
Hotel accommodation was also expected to be costly and tight. More than 17,400 room nights were booked through the Maritz housing bureau, but some delegations booked directly with hotels or through wholesalers and OTAs.
Working with Sands, Rotary minimised the use of printed materials through digital signage. Water dispensers were provided in high-traffic areas, thus eliminating plastic bottles. Sands also reduced food wastage.
“Singapore met our convention host criteria in terms of sustainability requirements. Sands Expo met and surpassed our environment focus for the convention,” said Jennifer Scott, chair of the 2024 International Convention Committee.
Event Rotary International Convention 2024
Organiser Rotary International
Venue Sands Expo and Convention Centre
Date May 25-29, 2024
Attendance 14,660 participants from 151 countries
Business Events Wellington has appointed Leanne Douglass to the role of business development manager – Australia.
Douglass began her career in the retail travel sector, where she honed her skills in sales and customer service leading teams at Flight Centre Travel Group, before moving onto corporate travel account management in Sydney and Melbourne.
More recently, she worked in Visitor Economy Development for the Tamworth Regional Council. In 2022, she joined the City of Newcastle as business event specialist where she developed strategic industry engagement plans, represented the city at trade shows, and secured business events that aligned with the city’s vision.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali has named Go Kondo as its new general manager.
With over 25 years of extensive experience in luxury hospitality spanning across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe, he brings a wealth of knowledge and global experience to lead the team in his new role at The Ritz-Carlton, Bali.
Kondo previously served as the general manager of W Osaka, and has also chaired the Marriott Business Council for Japan and Guam.
Taiwan’s International Trade Administration hosted an International MICE Round Table Summit from June 3-5, 2024, to promote the business events industry.
The event saw top representatives from global business events associations, and convention and visitors bureaus from various countries. The same delegates were also invited to Taiwan during the 2024 Computex Taipei to experience Taiwan’s business events environment and unique local culture.
Guests included Ori Lahav, former president of the International Association of Professional Congress Organizers; David Harrison, board member of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry; Larry Mullin, chairman of the US Convention & Visitors Bureau, and Matt Pearce, vice-president of the Australian Business Events Association.
At the Round Table Concluding Session of the summit, international professionals discussed their insights on sustainability, technology and AI, and destination marketing with Taiwanese business events stakeholders.
Edward Liu, honorary chairman of the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations (AFECA), highlighted that Taiwan has been a leader in promoting sustainable business events activities in South-east Asia for over a decade, achieving significant results and serving as a model to follow.
Taiwan’s application of artificial intelligence in event tracking, digital registration, and crowd control received high praise from international professionals. Many also expressed their intention to recommend Taiwan as a top business events destination.