The Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery in the Philippines has made available its Presidential Suite for hosting intimate events, corporate meetings, and product launches.
The Presidential Wing – comprising the Doña Presidential Suite, Don Suite, and three Executive Bay Rooms – boasts views of the Manila Bay. Spanning 277m², this opulent space can be rented in its entirety or by selecting specific sections to accommodate various event needs.
Dining area in the Presidential Suite
Doña Presidential Suite’s meeting area is designed to seat up to 15 guests comfortably, while the dining table accommodates up to 10 guests, making it ideal for both business and social events.
A range of exclusive perks can further enhance the meeting experience. Guests can enjoy private airport service in a 1951 Buick Super Eight, 24-hour concierge and personal butler service, and curated spa and wellness experiences.
The Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery is also able to offer add-ons to any event, such as a live band, live painting session, or even an exclusive consultation with Biologique Recherche’s Skin Instant Lab. Arrangements for tours and activities in Manila can also be arranged.
Rates for the Presidential Wing start at 70,000 Philippine pesos (US$1,205).
The 150m long Aurora captivates visitors with immersive digital projections
Making the MICE experience more exciting with the latest digital technology is INSPIRE Entertainment Resort.
Officially opened in March 2024, the 1,275-room five-star integrated resort in Incheon’s International Business Center III is committed to delivering unique experiences for corporate events at its multifaceted venues through the seamless combination of digital entertainment and immersive media.
“At INSPIRE, we believe that integrating cutting-edge technology into our MICE facilities significantly enhances the overall experience for delegates attending events and gatherings here,” said John Ware, vice president, Global IT Services and Support for Mohegan.
Mohegan, a global premier integrated entertainment resort operator, owns INSPIRE.
By leveraging its state-of-the-art facilities and innovative digital integrations, Inspire aims to set a new standard for corporate events and entertainment in Korea, and redefine the entertainment resort experience by delivering “new inspirations and emotions” to visitors through diverse and innovative spaces and content offerings.
Creating an immersive journey
Central to Inspire’s vision is the integration of advanced digital entertainment and creative ingenuity.
One of the exhibits at Le Space INSPIRE
On May 1, it launched Le Space INSPIRE, Korea’s largest immersive media art exhibition centre, enhancing its cultural offerings with another distinctive digital entertainment experience.
Comprising 18 unique exhibits in a 6,600m2 space, the centre incorporates interactive technologies such as touch, motion recognition, sound detection, kinetic art, holograms, and fog effects, presenting increasingly immersive digital content that enhance visitor engagement.
Another standout feature at the resort is the Aurora, a 150m long and 25m high immersive digital walkway. This space, adorned with floor-to-ceiling high-resolution LED signage, showcases stunningly realistic visual content. The impressive pillars extending towards the ceiling further enhance the immersive experience.
Developed in collaboration with Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Futurenet, Aurora pushes the boundaries of digital entertainment with its surreal visual displays.
As visitors move through the Aurora towards the multi-purpose Arena, they encounter the Rotunda, which features a magnificent kinetic chandelier. This dynamic installation, composed of 156 kinetic LED media, creates ever-changing scenes with various patterns and shapes, providing a mesmerising visual experience.
By using these technologies, INSPIRE continues to push the boundaries of entertainment, offering guests unforgettable and interactive experiences at the forefront of innovation.
“These immersive experiences add a distinctive layer of engagement and excitement to meetings and banquets, creating unforgettable moments that resonate with our guests,” said Ware.
Zebra Technologies hosted its company event with over 600 guests at Inspire Arena and Rotunda
Apart from these features, meetings and event spaces are designed with sophisticated interiors and equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to accommodate a diverse range of events, from international conferences and corporate functions to weddings and smaller business meetings.
Its hotel ballroom is the largest in Korea, spanning 12,000m2 and capable of accommodating up to 3,000 guests, making it suitable for large-scale events, conferences and banquets.
For Ryan Goh, senior vice president and general manager Asia Pacific, Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific, it was important that his company find a venue with the “right size and grandeur” to host over 600 partners and staff, that included C-suite executives, for its annual APAC Sales Kick-Off and Channel Partner Summit.
“INSPIRE offered a new, refreshing venue that catered to our needs. Its proximity to the Incheon Airport was ideal, making it very convenient for the participants who flew in from different parts of the world, while the many restaurants within the resort provided ample options. The soundproofing of the event hall was also commendable and provided a conducive environment for our events,” said Goh.
Want to leave a lasting impression on guests for your next event? Make a booking at inspirekorea.com.
The tool can help GCCEC educate and assist its clients in building greater awareness about emissions generated by events
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) has invested in the development of an event emissions calculator that will provide insights and actionable data to the venue and its clients.
The calculation tool, developed by Australian company NetNada, provides an emissions estimate based on GCCEC-specific space and energy usage. The methodology used is only applicable to Australian-based events and the calculation aligns with Greenhouse Gas Protocol.
GCCEC’s sustainability advisor Larissa Rose discussing calculator outputs with executive manager property operations Terry Murphy, and facilities manager Colin Merrett
GCCEC’s sustainability advisor Larissa Rose explained: “Our duty of care is to ensure we are not only being accountable to the operations of GCCEC but empowering our clients to strengthen their knowledge and understanding on the energy, waste and water emissions generated by their events. The calculator provides a way to access data and compile it in a way to educate and empower greater understanding”.
Since opening in 2004, GCCEC has implemented a raft of initiatives that have resulted in responsible waste management, optimised energy usage and reduced water usage and the achievement of Master certification by EarthCheck.
Plaza Premium Group has appointed Syafrina Sharif as the global head of ESG & Sustainability, effective immediately.
An international sustainability expert with a proven track record of formulating and implementing impactful sustainability strategies and communications, training programmes, outreach initiatives as well as commercial engagements, Sharif has been actively promoting and leading the corporate sustainability agenda at engineering, construction and biotechnology multinational companies over the past decade.
Based in Kuala Lumpur, she has also been supporting the development of Malaysia’s National Planetary Health Action Plan.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has recently installed two state-of-the-art LED screens in its Plenary, and installed new control panels in meeting rooms.
The new screens can double in size, where the wide-viewing angle and flexible configurations ensure everyone in the room has enhanced visibility of the content.
The two new screens in the Plenary
The new LED screens are also 50 per cent more energy-efficient, contributing to the venue’s energy reduction targets.
In addition to the upgraded Plenary screens, MCEC has installed new AMX control panels in all meeting rooms.
The control panels offer an improved functionality and user experience, allowing the presenter to control everything from room lights to blinds, room temperature, speaker volume and music selections. The new panels also have a light-sensing feature, catering to diverse event requirements.
MCEC’s in-house tech team offer full-service production capability including in-person, digital and hybrid events, audio, vision, multimedia, lighting and rigging solutions.
Auckland (pictured) continues to drive its tech and innovation sector
Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) research will be on global display when the city hosts the 31st International Conference of Neural Information Processing 2024 (ICONIP) this December.
The conference, taking place at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) from December 2-6, 2024, is expected to attract more than 300 researchers, scientists, and industry professionals specialising in neuroscience, neural networks, deep learning, and related fields to share their new ideas, progresses and achievements.
Auckland (pictured) continues to drive its tech and innovation sector
The five-day programme will include technical sessions, tutorials, workshops, plenary/keynote and panel discussion sessions by leading researchers and professionals from both academia and industry, as well as awards to honour outstanding papers presented at this conference.
Last held in New Zealand in 2008, the conference is expected to deliver nearly NZ$600,000 (US$366,681) to Auckland’s economy.
Head of tech and innovation at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, Marissa Brindley, said: “… Our thriving tech and innovation sector drives productivity and prosperity, delivering an impressive NZ$13.6 billion to the region’s GDP. Hosting ICONIP is a testament to our region’s prowess in this sector and contributes to Auckland being recognised as a globally competitive tech hub.”
The conference bid was led by Maryam Doborjeh, senior lecturer at AUT, with professor Michael Witbrock from the University of Auckland. Both will act as general chair for ICONIP 2024, alongside associate professor Mufti Mahmud from Nottingham Trent University in the UK.
Doborjeh added: “New Zealand has been leveraging AI technologies to enhance data analysis, predictive modelling, and decision-making processes across industries such as healthcare, finance, agriculture, transportation and many more.
“For example, AI-driven data modelling techniques have been utilised to analyse agricultural data for optimising crop yields and resource allocation, as well as in financial institutions for risk assessment and fraud detection. AI-driven health data modelling has also been developed for diagnosis and prognosis of health conditions.
This event was secured with bid and marketing support from Auckland Convention Bureau, a division of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, and Tourism New Zealand’s Conference Assistance Programme.
Kempinski Hotels has appointed Barbara Muckermann as its group CEO.
She joins from Silversea Cruises, which is part of the Royal Caribbean Group.
She has been in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, during which she successfully expanded sales and profitability as well as significantly upgraded the guest and customer experience for leading global firms including Loro Piana, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.
Secondary destinations in China like Hangzhou (pictured) are becoming more attractive to incentive planners from Malaysia
The Chinese government’s recent decision to extend visa-free travel for Malaysian citizens until the end of 2025 is set to ease the process for outbound event planners looking to promote Chinese destinations for business events.
Originally implemented on December 1, 2023, the 15-day visa-free policy was supposed to conclude on November 30, 2024.
Secondary destinations in China like Hangzhou (pictured) are becoming more attractive to incentive planners from Malaysia
Adam Kamal, director of Suka Travel & Tours, shared how the extension provides Malaysian travel companies with ample time to strategise their business event promotions and initiate client pitches for 2025. He noted that prior to the introduction of the visa-free travel policy in December 2023, obtaining a visa for travel to China was a cumbersome process with no guarantee of approval.
Looking ahead, Suka Travel plans to spotlight emerging destinations like Hangzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu, and Guilin for incentive groups in the upcoming year.
Meanwhile, Mint Leong, managing director of Sunflower Holidays, revealed that after the Chinese government made the announcement in early May, some companies have already started exploring the possibility of taking their incentive groups to second- and third-tier Chinese cities in 2025, due to improvements in air connectivity, as well as the appeal of the destinations itself.
Leong elaborated that while the majority of her incentive clients this year preferred first tier cities due to direct flights, quality hotels, and meeting facilities, there is a growing interest from small- and mid-sized companies to explore alternative destinations for next year’s incentive travel programmes.
Faeez Fadhlillah, CEO and co-founder of Tripfez Travel, described China as a value-for-money destination, citing comparatively lower ground costs compared to hosting events in Korea.
He shared that this year, his company has facilitated travel arrangements for Malaysian manufacturing companies expanding their operations in China, organising factory visits to their counterparts in the country. This is because with visa-free travel, business trips are no longer limited to top management only, Faeez noted. A rise in similar requests is also expected to surface next year.
The Global Startup Program in action. Photo: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has kicked off the Showcase Program of Sustainable High City Tech Tokyo (SusHi Tech Tokyo), an event expected to attract more than 500,000 domestic and international visitors.
Designed to showcase Tokyo-originated innovations for solving problems faced by urban areas globally, such as sustainability, energy and mobility, SusHi Tech Tokyo will run until May 26, 2024. In addition to the Showcase Program, which offers a model for urban living in the future by fusing nature and convenience, the event features a Global Startup Program and a City Leaders Program.
The Global Startup Program in action. Photo: Tokyo Metropolitan Government
The Showcase Program showcases life in Tokyo in 2050 through a range of interactive exhibits and demonstrations including cutting-edge mobility options for all abilities and state of the art technologies in renewable energy, environmental improvement and resource recycling. Visitors can also watch a flying vehicle on select days.
Keisuke Saito, director of policy research at the policy division office of the governor at Tokyo Metropolitan Government, told TTGmice that the Showcase Program, held in Odaiba and the capital’s waterfront area, is expected to attract many international tourists.
As part of SusHi Tech Tokyo, a Global Startup Program was held from May 15-16. The largest startup event in Asia, the event welcomed 40,000 participants, 4,000 representatives of startups and 400 exhibitors. Meanwhile, the City Leaders Program brought together experts from five continents to discuss problems and solutions from May 15-17.
Both programmes were designed to showcase Tokyo as a leading global business events destination, an important goal for the Japanese government which aims for Japan to become the top business events destination in Asia by 2030.
Delegates at the Australian Disability Network IMPACT Conference
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) marked Global Accessibility Awareness Day (May 16) with a series of new collaborations and initiatives aimed at enhancing accessibility, inclusivity, and overall event experience.
These efforts, part of the venue’s Positive Impact Guide, come in response to growing demands for more welcoming and inclusive events. The recent Australian Disability Network IMPACT Conference further underscored MCEC’s commitment to inclusivity, showcasing their efforts in creating an engaging and inviting environment for all participants.
Delegates at the Australian Disability Network IMPACT Conference
The event featured accessible technology, Auslan interpreters, sensory rooms and accommodations for assistance animals, ensuring an inclusive experience for all participants. The catering options included tray service as well as table service, with a wide range of menu selections available at every station. For presenters with mobility needs, ramps leading up to the stages equipped with handles on each side allowed easy access.
Travellers Aid, a recent addition to MCEC’s Positive Impact Guide, operated a buggy service for attendees with mobility needs, ensuring everyone could easily travel to and from the conference.
MCEC also recently hosted the International Society for Autism Research Annual Meeting secured by the Melbourne Convention Bureau. At the event, one in 10 conference attendees identified as autistic.
To reduce sensory overload, stage lighting for keynote speakers was adjusted, meeting rooms were furnished with all black chairs, and hand dryers in the bathrooms have been switched off to minimise noise. There is also enough room for attendees to stand and walk at the back of the rooms without disrupting the session. A low sensory space was also available, offering a quiet and comfortable environment for attendees to take a break . A designated networking space for autistic researchers was also provided, allowing for more comfortable and inclusive interactions.
Prior to the event, MCEC team members also participated in an education workshop to understand how they can best support autistic attendees and ensure a positive experience for all.
Moving forward, MCEC is collaborating with Travellers Aid at the upcoming Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Conference, hosted by the Victorian Tourism Industry Council in August 2024, to provide a buggy service, motorised wheelchairs and personal care support for attendees.
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Based in Kuala Lumpur, she has also been supporting the development of Malaysia’s National Planetary Health Action Plan.
She joins from Silversea Cruises, which is part of the Royal Caribbean Group.
She has been in the hospitality industry for more than 25 years, during which she successfully expanded sales and profitability as well as significantly upgraded the guest and customer experience for leading global firms including Loro Piana, MSC Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.