Chris Kemlo has been appointed as general manager of The Calile Hotel in Brisbane.
In his new role, Kemlo will be taking a guest approach, people approach and a business approach to further enhance the guest experience at The Calile.
With more than 18 years’ experience in the industry, he previously held leadership positions with Crown Resorts in Melbourne and, more recently, with Crown Towers Sydney.
Kandima Maldives has appointed Audra Arul as cluster director of sales for its Dhaalu Atoll property, and Nova Maldives.
With over a decade of experience in the hospitality industry, she will leverage her strategic vision and market knowledge to elevate the sales performance and strengthen the position of the resorts.
Recognising China as the second-largest market for inbound business events after India, the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) is focused on enhancing its offerings to attract more Chinese business events travellers.
Thisum Jayasuriya, chairman of SLCB shared that the bureau organised a MICE Expo in Jaffna in November 2023 to showcase products from the northern province to 50 Chinese and international buyers. Come May 2024, the bureau will organise another B2B MICE Expo in Bentota followed by a fam trip for its key international markets.
“Through these MICE expos, we wish to showcase the southern parts of Sri Lanka such as Bentota and Weligama, Kandy in the central region, and Jaffna in the northern part as new destinations which can hold small- and medium-sized business events of up to 400 delegates. All this time, international business events have been predominantly held in Colombo,” explained Thisum.
This strategy is also being used for the incentive travel market, where SLCB is working to attract luxury corporates from China to move beyond Colombo.
However, air capacity between China and Sri Lanka is a significant challenge, but authorities are actively engaging in discussions with various Chinese airlines to find a solution. Currently, SriLankan Airlines operates four weekly flights to each of the three Chinese destinations: Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
Mark Shen, senior passenger sales manager, SriLankan Airlines shared with the Daily that there are plans to introduce direct flights from Chengdu to Colombo next year. Additionally, the airline is actively working on plans to boost flight frequencies from its existing Chinese destinations.
International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has strengthened its commitment to creating an inclusive and accessible venue with the launch of its inaugural Disability Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) on World Autism Awareness Day.
The Disability Inclusion Action Plan covers four key pillars that were developed in consultation with Get Skilled Access through a lengthy discovery process, and includes outcomes across Culture, Built and Digital Environment, Employment, and Systems and Processes areas.
Consultant at Get Skilled Access, Bridie McKim said the venue’s Disability Inclusion Action Plan included initiatives that will support ICC Sydney’s event attendees and its workforce alike via their new commitments.
“Our mission at ICC Sydney is to make a difference for greater Sydney and for New South Wales residents, visitors and businesses and this means ensuring our services are as welcoming, inclusive and accessible as possible for everyone that arrives through our doors.
“Together with Get Skilled Access, we undertook consultation with our team to more deeply understand where our strengths are and where there is an opportunity to improve the overall accessibility of our venue services – from content presented across our digital channels to implementing training for our team to best support people with hidden disabilities, our new Disability Inclusion Action Plan is a blueprint for enhancing our services so that every visitor feels a sense of belonging and inclusion.
“In step with attendee expectations for accessible events outlined in our RESPECT: Shaping Events for Success report, we are cognisant of ensuring that every aspect of our visitors’ journey is considered, and appropriate adjustments are made to remove any barriers to a positive experience,” ICC Sydney CEO and group director – convention centres, ASM Global (APAC), Geoff Donaghy, elaborated.
Australia’s largest disability-related event is the Sydney Disability Connection Expo. Its founder River Night applauded ICC Sydney’s “commitment to inclusion”, and noted that it was “gratifying to see” the venue have a formal Disability Inclusion Action Plan to guide their practices from accessible and inclusive event management services to logistics and exhibitor services.
In 2023, ICC Sydney was the first Australian convention centre to develop an Accessible and Inclusive Events Guide for event organisers, and this next phase of work continues to build on the venue’s resources and plans to ensure it is readily accessible and welcoming to people with a disability.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) in the US, and global event organiser Comexposium, will be bringing NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show Asia Pacific to Singapore this June 11-13, 2024 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Retail’s Big Show is the signature global retail event held in New York City annually, and has been ranked one of the top 200 events in North America and one of the 50 fastest-growing trade events internationally.
With support from the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the Asia Pacific (APAC) edition of Retail’s Big Show will be held in Singapore for the first time this year. Singapore’s strategic location and its long-established status as a regional business centre provide an optimal stage for NRF to launch the first-ever APAC version of Retail’s Big Show, aiming to integrate leaders and organisations across the retail industry to collaborate at a pan-regional level.
Themed “Fast Track Your Success”, NRF APAC 2024 will feature conference programmes, an exhibition, and retail store tours across the three-day event. These include the latest technology and innovations, best practices and thought leadership spanning the entire retail industry, such as AI and machine learning, supply chain, loss prevention and asset protection, merchandising and immersive technologies.
The event is expected to attract more than 300 exhibitors and some 5,000 retail leaders from the region and across the world.
Enterprise Singapore, the government agency championing enterprise development, is supporting the Singapore Retailers Association to curate unique retail store tour experiences for show delegates and also bring together Singapore retail technology players to showcase at the national pavilion.
Home to 60 per cent of the world’s population, APAC is an immense market for retail that has been experiencing unprecedented growth, fuelled by the region’s vast population, increasing urbanisation and the rapid rise of megacities, as well as consumers’ savviness in using advanced technology to access products and services. These trends have called for a new retail concept that is poised to revolutionise consumer experiences in APAC both online and in-store.
A thorough understanding of the unique nuances that differentiate Asia from other regions is crucial for the success of business event planners venturing into this highly diverse market.
For instance, Greater China – comprising mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan – may seem similar to the Western world at first glance. However, each destination has its own language, writing style (traditional Chinese vs. simplified Chinese), and unique ways of expressing ideas.
“Asia’s level of diversity in cultures, languages and tradition sets the market apart from regions with more homogenous demographics,” said Jessica Chang, Shanghai-based managing director of destination marketing and consulting JCIM Limited. Formed six years ago, JCIM also has offices in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia.
Unique to Asia is the emergence of Tier 2 cities, such as Busan, Fukuoka, and Chengdu, as viable business events destinations, she said.
Chang opined: “While major cities like Singapore and Tokyo remain MICE powerhouses, the exploration of Tier 2 cities offers a distinctive value proposition including lower costs, authentic cultural experiences, and untapped growth potential.”
Moreover, Asian governments, such as those in Singapore, Taiwan, and South Korea, not only provide financial support for business events but also streamline visa processes and offer additional incentives. This commitment to business events extends to sustainability, aligning with the priorities of corporate clients.
To attract both domestic and international business events, planners must also leverage cutting-edge solutions such as virtual events, AI matchmaking, and mobile apps to enhance the overall event experience, Chang noted.
Perth, Western Australia, completed hosting the 2024 Amway Taiwan Leadership Seminars on March 14, where the state welcomed more than 1,000 international delegates across six groups over a consecutive 10-day period.
Over A$7 million (US$4.6 million) was directly injected into Western Australia’s economy as a result of the Seminars.
Delegates explored iconic landforms like Wave Rock in the Golden Outback and the Pinnacles in the Coral Coast, and strolled along the Southern Hemisphere’s longest wooden piled jetty, the Busselton Jetty.
Other experiences included swimming with dolphins, snapping selfies with quokkas, zipline adventures, enjoying wines in the Swan Valley, and local retail therapy.
Collinson, owner and operator of Priority Pass, has agreed to a joint venture (JV) with Joyful Journey Group, an air and rail digital travel experiences company, to form Joyful Journey Priority Pass in Mainland China.
Joyful Journey Priority Pass will bring multiple value-added benefits including market-specific agile technology, an expanded inventory of 90 new airport lounges in Mainland China, and the provision of 24/7 Mandarin-speaking customer service.
This JV will further strengthen Collinson’s presence in mainland China, where the company first established its presence in 2004, and underlines Collinson’s commitment to a continued focus on and investment in the market.
It also marks both companies’ shared optimism in the accelerating global travel rebound and China’s leisure and corporate travel sectors, as well as continued support of, and investment in, this growth market.
From left: Joyful Journey Group’s Lanny Wang, Wang Feng, Wang Jun, and Kong Ning; Collinson International’s Christopher Evans; Collinson’s Todd Handcock, Ian Lee, and Hubert Shu
Hilton has opened the Hilton Saigon in the financial and residential hub of Ho Chi Minh City, marking its debut in the city.
The flagship property offers 228 guestrooms and suites, where each room faces the Saigon River.
The hotel boasts one of the largest convention facilities in the city, featuring 1,054m2 of event space. This includes an expansive pillar-less Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 550 guests for conferences and other large-scale events. Guests looking to hold smaller meetings can choose from nine meeting rooms, ranging from 52m2 to 495m2, outfitted with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and high-speed internet.
Guided by Hilton’s global Meet with Purpose programme, meetings and events at Hilton Saigon help clients create meaningful change in both the attendee experience and within the local community. From wellness- and mindfulness-themed events to catering that optimises nutrition, Hilton Saigon’s events team works collaboratively with clients to tailor unique event experiences that are also clean, flexible, safe, and socially responsible.
Other amenities include the eforea Spa, swimming pool, fitness centre, an Executive Lounge, and four F&B concepts which include the rooftop Song Bar, and all-day dining restaurant The Strand.
Fusion Hotel Group has named David Roberts as its new chief operating officer.