The events portal is designed to be of benefit to smaller events which may not have an events team behind it; Sydney pictured
Business Events Sydney (BESydney) has launched a new event planning portal to support event organisers by providing access to tools, resources, and funding to host their business event in Sydney.
The portal, developed in collaboration with small event organisers, assists throughout the event planning journey – from research and pitching to planning, budgeting, and marketing.
The events portal is designed to be of benefit to smaller events which may not have an events team behind it; Sydney pictured
BESydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith, added that the portal provides insights on event considerations including delivering a socially impactful event or checklists for inclusivity and accessibility, as well as ideas for venues, entertainment, and speakers in Sydney.
It can be further personalised by event sector with resources and content tailored to event sector requirements. Users are also able to create custom supplier lists based on unique event preferences.
The portal also provides access to the Sydney Meeting Fund which supports business events with between 100 to 500 participants or delegates, with offers from AU$40 (US$25.70) per person for eligible conferences, incentives or corporate events.
The site has a video guide to explain navigation across the pitching and bidding process; researching and planning; and then promoting the event and boosting delegate attendance. Some of those tools include downloadable event marketing toolkits, video and image galleries, Sydney destination guides and presentation templates.
Business Class passengers on longhaul Lufthansa flights will soon be able to delight in new culinary offerings in the coming months.
With bread being one of Germans’ favourite foods, special bread was developed exclusively for Lufthansa by baker-sommelier and World Baker of the Year 2022 Axel Schmitt. The handmade breads, which are only available on board Lufthansa flights from Germany, are baked fresh daily from natural ingredients, do not contain any additives and are served with handmade butter and high-quality olive oil as an appetiser. In each new quarter, there will be a different type of bread specially created for Lufthansa.
Lufthansa rolls out new Business Class dining options
Other additions to the inflight service include the new signature drink Avionic. An alternative to water and sparkling wine, the Avionic Apéritif will be served with nuts as a welcome drink on board before take-off. The Avionic Apéritif is a special creation by the Ziegler distillery, developed with Sven Riebel, Frankfurt bar icon and “Host of the Year”. The drink, which is based on peach notes and wild meadow herbs, is mixed on ice with tonic.
For the first time, Business Class guests will also be served a vegetarian amuse bouche, from antipasti to sushi, as a prelude to the first service on board. Fresh fruit will also be added to the dessert menu.
Additionally, there will be a new modular snack offering that will vary based on the route’s duration and the time of day. Options will range from fresh fruit and, on longer flights, to salty and sweet treats such as tomato and mozzarella skewers or wraps with pastrami. From June, every passenger will be given a small box of Lindt chocolates in an exclusive Lufthansa design as a farewell gift.
According to Heiko Reitz, chief commercial officer of Lufthansa Airlines, the airline is set to introduce a range of new products across different travel classes in the near future.
Air New Zealand has made changes to its Seats to Suit offering from June, which comprises a new suite of booking options for travelling between New Zealand and the Tasman or Pacific Islands.
All passengers can now access full inflight entertainment, snacks or a meal, tea, coffee, water and juice. As such, the purchasing of inflight bites on board will be discontinued. Customers will still be able to purchase a range of beverages.
New flexibility fares include worksflexi, premiumflexi or businessflexi allowing customers to have peace of mind while travelling with a fully flexible (change fee is waived, fare difference applies), and refundable fare option.
The seat+bag product will be discontinued, however going forwardm customers who purchase a seat fare will be able to add one bag for NZ$30.
Customers will also no longer be able to purchase vouchers at the airport to buy items onboard. All transactions will take place inflight and customers will need a Visa, Mastercard, or Amex card or they can use Airpoints.
The refreshed Seats to Suit offering will be live from June 11, 2024, for new bookings on flights between New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands.
One Farrer Hotel in Singapore has made several improvements and additions to its Grand Ballroom.
Situated on level 6, the venue has been retrofitted with an energy-saving, 15m-wide LED screen that offers high resolution 4K display and multi-media playback capabilities suitable for product launches and seminars.
The pillarless space also features a smart lighting system to bring about the appropriate ambience based on the event’s theme. With a capacity of 400 guests, the space can be partitioned into two separate rooms for smaller events.
Leading into the Grand Ballroom is a spacious foyer lined with floor-to-ceiling window panels to allow in natural daylight from the Saranggong Terrase.
Conference packages with complimentary usage of LED screen start from S$128++ (US$94++) per person for lunch with a minimum attendance of 100 guests.
One Farrer Hotel in Singapore has made several improvements and additions to its Grand Ballroom.
Situated on level 6, the venue has been retrofitted with an energy-saving, 15m-wide LED screen that offers high resolution 4K display and multi-media playback capabilities suitable for product launches and seminars.
Grand Ballroom round table setup
The pillarless space also features a smart lighting system to bring about the appropriate ambience based on the event’s theme. With a capacity of 400 guests, the space can be partitioned into two separate rooms for smaller events.
Leading into the Grand Ballroom is a spacious foyer lined with floor-to-ceiling window panels to allow in natural daylight from the Saranggong Terrase.
Conference packages with complimentary usage of LED screen start from S$128++ (US$94++) per person for lunch with a minimum attendance of 100 guests.
Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) has named Barun Jolly as senior vice president and business unit general manager. He will replace Arthur Gindap who retired late last year.
Jolly has over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry, including his role as general manager of RHR’s Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Holiday Inn Manila.
In his new position, he will take charge of all RHR’s local brands: Fili, Grand Summit, Summit, Go Hotel and Go Hotels Plus. He also oversees the performance of the company’s international brands Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu, The Westin Manila, Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Holiday Inn Manila.
Marriott International has named Neeraj Govil as chief operations officer for Asia-Pacific excluding China (APEC).
Based in Singapore, he will be responsible for driving the region’s performance and operations across all brands and markets.
Prior to his appointment, Govil served as senior vice president operations/CLS, APEC. He has amassed a wealth of experience built from more than 20 years of operational roles across Marriott International in APEC.
Both Thailand and Singapore will be hosting several large-scale business events in the coming months, and while two of Thailand’s wins are at the expense of Singapore, the latter has gone on to secure others in the competitive business events arena.
Herbalife Asia Pacific Extravaganza 2024 will draw 25,000 participants to IMPACT Arena, Bangkok from May 9-12. An industry source told TTGmice that Herbalife’s May 2023 event was “the last Extravaganza to be held in Singapore”.
IMPACT Arena in Bangkok, Thailand. Photo credit: TCEB
“Herbalife recognises the strong partnership and well-developed resources in Thailand, including its products and services. Therefore, Thailand will be taken into consideration for their future events,” indicated Supanich Thiansing, director of meetings and incentives department, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB).
However, TTGmice understands that Herbalife will revert to regional splits between North and South-east Asia in 2025. Regional editions – South-east Asia, China and North Asia – were held in Thailand in 2017 and 2018, before the pandemic, where group sizes ranged from 10,000 to 20,000 pax.
Another event that has made the move from Singapore to Thailand is Money 20/20. Last held in Singapore in 2019, this fintech event will instead be taking place at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (QSNCC) in Bangkok, and is expected to draw about 4,000 participants.
Also happening at QSNCC on May 17, 2024, is FIFA Congress 2024, and the 32nd Congress of the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis from June 22-26. The events are expected to welcome 1,300 and 7,000 attendees respectively.
Meanwhile in October, some 20,000 Unicity delegates – double the attendance in 2022 – will return to IMPACT Arena, Bangkok for the Global Leadership and Innovation Conference 2024.
Elsewhere in the country, China’s Infinitus, which has held its annual event in Thailand for over a decade, will gather 3,500 delegates in Noong Nooch, Pattaya from May 12-19.
Supanich said: “Thailand continues to be a trusted destination for large-scale M&I groups due to our enduring client relationships, calibre of service providers, allure of new attractions, and the support of the Thai government. These are not exclusive to Bangkok; they are also present in Pattaya, Phuket, and nearby cities.”
Still, Singapore is still drawing new conferences and exhibitions despite murmurs among organisers and attendees about high costs.
The World Congress of Anaesthesiologists which happened earlier from March 3-7 will be followed by the CeMAT Southeast Asia and Rotary International Convention (May 15-17), NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific (June 11-13), and Global Sustainable Tourism Council Global Conference (November 13-16).
As Yap Chin Siang, Singapore Tourism Board’s deputy chief executive, put it: “We remain committed to investing in new MICE products and experiences, and we invite event organisers and planners to co-create business events with us that yield meaningful outcomes.”
The Singapore MICE Advantage Programme has also been strengthened with new partners, shopping vouchers, discounts and complimentary experiences, while the Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE) programme will run until January 31, 2026.
Adelaide (pictured) aims to develop action plans to build a solid sustainability profile
Adelaide has become the fourth Australian city to join the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index).
Currently, three Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and a further eight in the Asia Pacific region are part of the GDS-Index. The GDS-Index is a performance improvement programme that assesses and accelerates the progress of a destination’s regenerative journey. It measures, benchmarks, and enhances the sustainability strategies, action plans, and initiatives of over 100 destination management organisations, municipal authorities, and their tourism and event supply chains.
Adelaide (pictured) aims to develop action plans to build a solid sustainability profile
Business Events Adelaide will coordinate Adelaide’s response to the assessment criteria, the Adelaide Convention Centre, its member venues and stakeholders within local and state government.
Business Events Adelaide’s CEO, Damien Kitto, said being assessed alongside other destinations will help build an understanding of Adelaide’s relative strengths and weaknesses.
“We are aware that sustainability issues are becoming an increasingly important consideration for business event organisers and delegates. Business event delegates visiting Adelaide often refer to our green, walkable city-in-a- park, so while we feel this is an advantage over other destinations, talking about it is no longer enough. We need to demonstrate practices that reduce the impact on our planet, especially in a country like Australia, with delegates conscious of the carbon footprint associated with their travel.”
Kitto added that working with a global authority like GDS-Movement – an international change agency that acts to catalyse socio-economic and environmental transformation in cities and regions across the world – will help Adelaide to develop action plans to build a solid sustainability profile.
The evaluation process for the 2024 GDS-Index has commenced, with the top 40 global destinations announced in October.
Experience Gold Coast’s Business Events signature familiarisation This is Gold Coast 2024 (TIGC24) is returning for another year, from July 22-25, 2024.
Around 70 event professionals from Australia and New Zealand are expected to attend TIGC24 for up to four days of networking, meetings and exploring the city’s accommodation options, conference facilities, offsite venues, and local experiences.
Participants at TIGC23 taken at The Star
Experience Gold Coast head of business events Brooke Campbell said the annual event is a cornerstone of the business events sector.
“The Gold Coast is continuing to invest in business events infrastructure, we are growing a reputation as one of the most accessible and inclusive cities in Australia and we are working towards greater sustainability within the events industry,” Campbell added.
Experience Gold Coast CEO John Warn pointed out the business events sector is a vital part of the Gold Coast’s Monday to Friday visitor economy, which generated A$570 million (US$366 million) in economic benefit pre- pandemic.
“Last year, this event generated more than A$59 million in business event leads, which is a testament to our team, our tourism partners and our city’s business event offerings,” he added.
Applications are now open for conference and event organisers.
Screenshots of Snapsight, accessed via the event app
Singapore-headquartered event management company Gevme has launched Snapsight, a new AI-powered tool which distils insights, and generates summaries and key takeaways from live conference sessions.
Gevme introduced Snapsight for the first time in Singapore at the PCMA The Business of Events conference earlier this week, following its initial deployment at the Business Events Industry Week in Chicago, US, earlier in April. It will be officially launched at IMEX Frankfurt next month.
Screenshots of Snapsight, accessed via the event app
On the development of Snapsight, Veemal Gungadin, CEO, Gevme, told TTGmice on the sidelines of PCMA The Business of Events conference: “We’ve been saying content is king for the longest time, but we’ve not been able to leverage on that. Making sense of it, repurposing the content, all of this takes time and resources. Now with the help of AI, we can generate insights in real-time.”
Snapsight offers three different forms of takeaways: Key Takeaways, which are in point form; Idea Cloud, which looks like a mind map; and a cohesive Summary. Snapsight’s inclusivity shines through its support for eight languages, enabling instant translation with just a tap. More languages will be added in the future.
Gungadin elaborated: “As PCMA has other concurrent breakout sessions, Snapsight will also allow me to read the takeaways of other sessions I am interested in, but physically unable to attend. I can also share the learning points with colleagues who are not at the event.”
In addition to providing takeaways from individual sessions, Snapsight was also deployed to generate a summary of the two-day PCMA The Business of Events conference.
Snapsight is not the only AI-powered tool that Gevme has developed. Last year, Gevme produced Spark, a tool which simplifies numerous tasks associated with business event planning and content creation, such as writing speaker profiles, and fleshing out an event agenda.
When asked if the development of event technology has taken a backseat with face-to-face meetings back in full force, Gungadin opined: “I think that technology has to be invisible, like Wi-Fi. Instead of providing friction – such as putting on a headset and being transported into another world which can be done at home – technology should take on a supporting role at the event I have taken time to travel to.”
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Prior to his appointment, Govil served as senior vice president operations/CLS, APEC. He has amassed a wealth of experience built from more than 20 years of operational roles across Marriott International in APEC.
Robinsons Hotels and Resorts (RHR) has named Barun Jolly as senior vice president and business unit general manager. He will replace Arthur Gindap who retired late last year.
Jolly has over 25 years of experience in the hotel industry, including his role as general manager of RHR’s Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and Holiday Inn Manila.