CWT’s face of meetings and events makes an exit

May 9, 2024

Ian-Cummings_640 — Cummings exits CWT Meetings and Events

Ian Cummings, a highly recognised figure in the business events industry and global head/CEO of CWT Meetings & Events, has departed from the firm. He had been with CWT since 2012, taking on a promotion to his latest title in September 2021 to steer the company to a successful 2022 and 2023 following the pandemic disruption.

He told TTGmice that “all great journeys come to an end at some point in time and the time was right for this journey to end”.

Recalling his time at the firm, he said: “I couldn’t be prouder of what we have achieved together as a team; the customers we have won, delighted and retained; the events we delivered; the numerous industry awards we achieved across the globe; the partnerships and bonds we formed; and how we collectively put CWT Meetings & Events on the map as one of the leading, truly global industry players in all four corners of the world”.

Cummings’ departure follows recent news of AMEX’s acquisition of CWT.

He is a regular contributor to Asia-Pacific’s meetings and events industry, and assured TTGmice that he remains committed to the industry bodies and events he attends and supports.

For now, however, he is determined to enjoy “a little summer downtime with his family”.

Cummings did not reveal where his next career move would be.

Ivy Kwan joins Capella Hotel Group as SVP of sales and marketing

By TTGmice

May 8, 2024

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Capella Hotel Group has named Ivy Kwan as senior vice president of sales and marketing.

In her new role, Kwan will champion the strategic positioning of the company, and oversee the development and implementation of innovative commercial strategies, and consolidate the unique positioning of Capella Hotels & Resorts and Patina Hotels & Resorts within the competitive luxury market.

With a career spanning over 30 years, she joins Capella Hotel Group from Urban Resort Concepts where she served as senior vice president of commercial strategy and business development since 2021.

Elusive Chinese event groups worry Boracay tourism firms

By Rosa Ocampo

May 8, 2024

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It is still a wait-and-see for Boracay’s tourism and events industry, as arrivals from China, once the island’s biggest market, remain scant and uncertain.

While the Philippine government rolled out e-visas for Chinese nationals mid-2023 amid much hype, the policy was soon suspended indefinitely.

Boracay misses its Chinese guests and business events

“No news on when they will put back the e-visa for the Chinese,” said Mary Ann Ong, general manager inbound, Bridges Travel, as she confirmed “still no sign of inbound traffic from China” to Boracay.

Other reasons Ong cited for the scant Chinese incentive trips and business events are that “domestic flights plus hotel prices are higher compared to our neighbouring countries”.

Industry sources also suspect geopolitics at play, with government tensions over territorial issues and illegal, overstaying Chinese nationals employed by online gaming operators in the Philippines challenging genuine Chinese tourists and event attendees wanting to enter the Philippines.

Megaworld Hotels and Resorts has partnered with global sales agents for a presence in China while waiting for the Chinese to return.

“The entire market has been waiting for Chinese travellers. The MICE preparedness is increasing, there are a number of MICE venues, a lot of us can host big groups. The deliberate intention to attract MICE business is there. Having had some pause for some time, we are all very eager to do more,” said managing director Cleofe Albiso.

“We need the volume. It’s good we have the domestic market filling in the days, but we would love to go back to the level of volume of occupancy that we used to have,” added Albiso, who has Savoy and Belmont Hotels, and Boracay Newcoast Convention Center under her wing.

Certain activities banned in Boracay as part of its rehabilitation are being restored to attract foreign guests. The municipal government of Malay recently permitted beach parties and is likely to again allow temporary structures like umbrellas and chairs on the beach.

Lea Wong, director of sales and marketing, The Muse Hotel Boracay, suggested that the NTO should tap other MICE markets such as the Middle East and Australia, which have shown promise in the past.

The NTO should give more international marketing focus not just on Cebu, Bohol and other destinations, but also Boracay, once the crown jewel of Philippine tourism, Wong added.

C9 Hotelworks managing director Bill Barnett said the Philippine government needed initiatives to make tourism a priority, including a visa liberalisation policy.

Barnett measured the extent of “destination fatigue” for Boracay not just for the Chinese, but for other foreign travellers as well. The foreign share of tourists has dropped to 20 per cent, but that is plugged by domestic tourism, compared with 50/50 foreign/Filipino market split going back to 2018 and 2019.

The uncertainty is also worrying industry players across the Philippines, causing the Tourism Promotions Board to skip this year’s IT&CM China. “We’d like to gauge first how the Chinese incentive travel outbound market is performing, how it is being affected by the current economic slump, before we go back to the Chinese tradeshow,” a tourism official explained.

New Korean Air service to Macau fuels incentive travel excitement

By Prudence Lui

May 8, 2024

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News of Korean Air’s daily service to Macau commencing July 1 have spurred hopes among Macau’s events industry players of greater incentive travel traffic.

While recognising that international access to Macau is already well covered by air, land and sea, MCI Hong Kong & Macau, general manager, Olinto Oliveira, said direct flights to Macau are still the best for snagging corporate movements.

Taipa Village, popular for its blend of shopping, dining, culture and the arts, welcomes many South Korean visitors

Currently, most international travellers to Macau come via Hong Kong, and proceed onwards overland or by ferry.

Oliveira added: “While this is very convenient now, with multiple options from the bridge to the ferry, it still adds to the travel time (and causes) mental and time fatigue. The more direct flights we have coming into the destination the better.”

Oliveira is also hopeful that with a national airline like Korean Air operating the service, Macau’s destination appeal would get a stronger boost.

Sands China, vice president of sales, Stephanie Tanpure, told TTGmice: “The introduction of more international flights makes Macau more accessible to the South Korean market, which is a key target for Sands Resorts Macao. Hosting events like our Sands Lifestyle Roadshow, The Fabric of Macao, in Seoul next week further highlights our commitment to engaging South Korean media and business partners, enhancing interest, and boosting business and leisure from South Korea to Macau”.

Also optimistic is Pamela Chan, managing director and head of group communications with Taipa Village, who shared that the heritage destination has always been popular with South Koreans and the new air access would bring even more South Koreans, especially those attending incentive travel events, to Macau.

According to Macau’s Statistics and Census Service, South Korea accounted for 129,519 arrivals in the first three months of 2024. The figure was 10,725 for the same period in 2023.

Korean Air’s Incheon-Macau service will depart from Incheon International Airport at 21.15 and arrive at Macau International Airport at 23.55. The return flight will depart from Macau International Airport at 01.10 the next day and arrive at Incheon International Airport at 06.00. The flight time is approximately 3 hours and 40 minutes.

Singapore’s Exhibitions Man completes CEMS’ divestment

By Caroline Boey

May 8, 2024

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Global business events veteran Edward Liu, group managing director of Singapore-based Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS), has completed both parts of the company’s divestment plan, which started in 2022.

In an exclusive interview with TTGmice, Liu said negotiations for CEMS’ lifestyle portfolio to leading listed Italian show organiser Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) took a year.

Part two of CEMS’ divestment – its signature Architecture & Building Services event – was announced on April 29; (from left) CEMS’ Edward Liu, NG’s Lau Ping Ping and Tristan Norman, and Security Industry Institute, Temasek Polytechnic’s Kwan Kian Hong and Chen Zhiwei

It was completed in March 2023 and eight team members were transferred to the IEG office in Singapore.

Judy Lee, CEMS executive director as well as wife of Liu, anchored the IEG negotiations and will consult on two editions of Café Asia and International Coffee & Tea Expo, and Singapore International Jewellery Expo.

According to Liu, part two of CEMS’ divestment – its signature Architecture & Building Services event – was officially announced on April 29 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between UK’s Nineteen Group (NG) and the Singapore Tourism Board at the opening of the former’s The Security Event (TSE) 2024 at National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham.

The MOU signing was followed by the launch of Safety & Security Asia (SSA) 2025 to be held in November at Marina Bay Sands.

Posting on social media, Liu noted: “With this divestment, my company and I would focus on acting as consultants to the Nineteen Group on SSA 2025 as well as other MICE companies and projects in Singapore and the Asian region.”

Liu shared that NG group director Tristan Norman had expressed interest in SSA during the pandemic and finally attended the event in 2023 with CEO Peter Jones. Negotiations followed when both sides found their respective portfolios to be “a good fit”.

Liu added that NG appointed Lau Ping Ping, former project director, Experia Events, as general manager with effect from April 2.

CEMS will remain an independent company owned by Liu and Lee.

Nicknamed the Exhibitions Man, Liu has organised more than 1,000 meetings in 13 countries over the last 47 years.

Te Pae Christchurch marks second year with exceptional business performance

By TTGmice

May 8, 2024

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More than 200,000 event attendees across 458 events have left their mark at Te Pae Christchurch since the convention centre hosted its first conference on May 2, 2022 – far exceeding expectations for its initial operating period.

The 458 events included 146 multi-day conferences, 19 exhibitions, 131 banquets, 157 meetings and five live performances.

Te Pae Christchurch crosses its second year of operation with business performance far better than initial projections

As the centre kicks off its third year this month, it shows off a packed events calendar for a period that is traditionally a quieter month for local tourism.

The centre will host back-to-back conferences, including the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Annual Scientific Congress 2024, Institute of Directors 2024 NZ Conference, and MotorSport NZ Conference 2024. In addition to the five international and 10 national conferences, concerts and events booked for May, the programme of local events ranges from school balls to information evenings. Over 8,200 attendees are expected over the course of the month, including 2,650 attending from overseas and 3,135 from around New Zealand.

The impressive economic and broader benefits for the city and the region are the reason the New Zealand Government invested in Te Pae Christchurch as part of the Central Christchurch Recovery Plan, according to John O’Hagan, the chief executive of Rau Paenga Limited, the Crown infrastructure delivery agency that built and owns the facility.

“We are delighted with the number and quality of events that our operator ASM Global has been able to attract in the first two years,” said O’Hagan.

Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre’s general manager, Ross Steele, said the first two years of operation have been an outstanding success for the venue.

Steele noted that activities held at the venue over the two years created an opportunity for locals to participate in world-class events, share knowledge with industry leaders, and promote their products and services to a national and international market.

He added: “The direct economic impacts of business events…have been well researched. What are perhaps less well recognised are the broader impacts of a successful business events infrastructure for our community. Whether it’s the opportunity to learn from the best in your field or network with industry leaders, or the chance for local businesses to demonstrate their capabilities in front of a huge audience, the wider impacts of a successful convention programme are incalculable.”

Pegasus Travel Management’s new events department takes off

By Rachel AJ Lee

May 8, 2024

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Singapore-headquartered Pegasus Travel Management has set up a dedicated business events department, going a step beyond several travel corporate services it already offers, such as ticketing and hotel bookings for corporate groups.

Managing director Charles Tan, told TTGmice: “MICE is a growing segment, and many tourism boards are focusing on it, such as Busan and Singapore. Also, customers had made requests for us to handle their MICE arrangements, but as we did not have a focused team looking into the area, we did (incentive groups and special interest trips) on an a la carte basis.”

Pegasus Travel Management’s new MCE department can handle events with up to 300 or so attendees

Forming the new event department allows Pegasus Travel Management to take on business event requests formally.

Lily Tay, senior manager (MICE), is no stranger to business events, having cut her teeth at companies such as American Lloyd Travel Services and Fortune Travel. She leads the new department.

Tay shared: “At this point, we’re trying to bring in as much volume as possible, both through in-house leads, as well as external enquiries. Now we’re able to offer an all-round service, instead of having to refer them to another agent after settling a client’s corporate ticketing, for example.”

The team is now staff by two professionals, and Tay said operations are currently manageable, with no immediate need to bring in more headcount. The company can handle group sizes ranging from 20 to around 300, “depending on their requirements”, noted Tay.

At press time, Pegasus Travel Management has confirmed its first corporate event group for October 2024.

Just before the pandemic, Pegasus Travel Management joined a global travel agency network community called Travel Leaders Network, and is the exclusive Singapore partner.

Wyndham charms business travellers with Workation Deals

By TTGmice

May 8, 2024

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Fit for people who enjoy blending work with pleasure, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ Workation Deals offers discounted room rates, complemented by a suite of tailored amenities designed to enhance both productivity and relaxation. Expect perks such as a free welcome drink, free laundry service, late checkout, and much more at over 500 participating hotels in sought-after destinations such as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and South-east Asia.

Extra benefits are reserved for guests on longer stays. A two-night stay attracts a 12 per cent off room rate, while four nights and more will earn the guest a 20 per cent discount.

Wyndham properties promise a conducive work and play environment, complete with exceptional Wi-Fi, quality workspaces, and an array of leisure activities to unwind after hours.

Workation Deals are available for bookings made until November 25, 2024, with stays completed by November 30, 2024.

More information is available here.

Regala Skycity Hotel

By Karen Yue

May 8, 2024

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Regala Skycity Hotel

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Location
Regala Skycity Hotel is part of the future airport city, known as the Skycity integrated complex on Lantau Island, Hong Kong’s largest island. This massive project comprises the existing and expanding AsiaWorld-Expo convention and exhibition centre; the soon-to-come 11 Skies mixed-use retail and entertainment complex with more than 800 shops, including Greater China’s first KidZania theme park that is set to open mid-2024; and offices.

The address draws envy because it is close to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge that connects Hong Kong International Airport with 10 other cities in the economically-rich Greater Bay Area.

Regala Skycity Hotel is just two minutes on foot to AsiaWorld-Expo, while a short free shuttle bus conveys hotel guests to Tung Chung MTR Station and Hong Kong International Airport. From Tung Chung MTR Station, guests can easily access all the fun that the heart desires: Citygate Outlets mall, Hong Kong Disneyland, Ngong Ping Cable Car and Ngong Ping Village, as well as the rest of Hong Kong by train. This makes the hotel ideal for business travellers looking to inject leisure time into their itinerary.

Rooms
The hotel is massive, boasting 1,208 rooms and suites across an amazing 17 categories in its inventory. There are several room types with twin beds, providing good accommodation support for residential meeting groups. Various suite options also mean event planners can house VIPs within the same property for logistical ease.

My Premier Seaview Room is a good size at 18m², with a wardrobe, TV console, and sufficient room to walk around even with my large suitcase standing at the foot of my king-size bed. Double-glazed windows offer top-notch soundproofing, giving me an environment even more peaceful than my own home back in Singapore.

MICE facilities
The Regala Grand Ballroom, Palladium Banquet Hall, and Emerald Banquet Hall are all located on the same level – and it is said that the hotel is the only one on Lantau Island to position all event venues on the same floor. This is great news for event planners requiring several spaces for multi-track conferences or simultaneous conference and exhibition combinations.

The Regala Grand Ballroom can accommodate 1,250 guests theatre-style or 912 guests in a round-table banquet setting. It can also be split into three smaller spaces – Ballroom 1 and 3 are good for 156 guests theatre-style each, and Ballroom 2 for 550 pax in the same layout.

Palladium and Emerald are smaller options for 350 and 150 guests theatre-style respectively. Similarly, both halls are flexible and can be turned into smaller venues for more intimate-sized gatherings.

All venues boast the latest in audio-visual technology, and an in-house team of experienced operations staff is committed to support event planners from start to end of their activations.

Other facilities
Regala Skycity Hotel’s all-day dining restaurant Petra is a spacious and well-lit venue. It seats 250 guests at once. It bustles during breakfast service, offering guests a buffet line and live cooking stations with international, Asian and Halal-certified food options.

An a la carte menu is available for lunch and dinner, and I had the chance to sample a pre-arranged three-course plated dinner on arrival, featuring a crisp smoked salmon salad, a savoury baked halibut fillet, and a satisfying slice of cheese cake with fresh berries.

One level up is Vivace, a beautiful venue specialising in Mediterranean dishes, from Spanish tapas to Italian pastas and seafood. As Vivace overlooks the hotel’s outdoor pool, guests also benefit from a relaxing holiday vibe.

I highly recommend The Jade, another visually-pleasing dining destination within the hotel that I had the pleasure of experiencing during a trip to Hong Kong last December. This venue gets bonus points for the stunning views of the airport and the sea from 12 floors up. Expect your table to be filled with classic Chinese dishes presented in artful ways. For example, the sweet and sour duck with century egg looks like balls of gems placed on a crystal pedestal that is adorned with flowers.

For quick bites, the hotel has vending machines that dispense cup noodles, chips, non-alcoholic drinks, and other snacks. These can be paid with payment apps and the local Octopus stored-value card.

Other facilities within the hotel include a jogging track and outdoor gym on the Sky Deck, five game rooms, and a swimming pool with a spacious outdoor terrace.

Service
Our dinner at Petra was served at a good pace, and service staff were cheerful and chatty. However, after dessert was served, service attention seemed to thin out and my companions and I struggled to get additional servings of drinking water. Perhaps it was due to us dining close to the end of operations, and staff were engaged with clean up. Service was attentive every morning during breakfast.

Verdict
I love the location now for shopping and accessing Disneyland and the rest of Hong Kong by the train network, and can easily imagine how much more I will enjoy this hotel once phase one of 11 Skies is up and running. For those attending events at AsiaWorld-Expo, Regala Skycity Hotel is truly a top accommodation choice.

No. of rooms 1,208
Contact details
www.regala-hotels.com/en/regala-skycity-hotel