Taj Hotel and Convention Centre Agra has named Rajesh Chakraborty as its new general manager.
With over 26 years of dedicated service within the Indian Hotels Company Limited, Chakraborty has held pivotal positions across various hotels in India and internationally, with his most recent title as general manager of Vivanta By Taj Aurangabad Maharashtra.
In his new role, he will leverage his extensive experience to further enhance guest experiences and elevate the hotel’s reputation.
The Ascott Limited has appointed David Cumming as regional general manager for Vietnam, Cambodia and Myanmar, and Kanit Sangmookda as country general manager for Thailand and Laos.
Cumming will oversee a portfolio of over 40 properties, where more than half are slated to open over the next three years. He joins Ascott with over two decades of global hospitality industry experience across the UK, Egypt, the UAE, Oman, and most recently Thailand.
As for Sangmookda, he will manage a portfolio of over 30 properties where over a third are expected to open over the next three years. With over two decades of experience in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, he brings with him strong operational and commercial expertise from the past management of large hotel portfolios under leading hotel chains such as Marriott International, Minor Hotels and the former Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
During the session titled Technology-enabled Sustainability Practices in Venue Operations at the 62nd ICCA Congress in Bangkok last week, speakers passionately advocated for the establishment of an international organisation entrusted with the critical task of crafting universally-recognised standards for targets and measurements related to carbon neutrality.
Chua Wee Phong, group CEO of Constellar Venues, asserted that the creation of such an organisation is pivotal for the industry’s evolution. He emphasised that by delineating standardised benchmarks and measurement methodologies, this organisation would seamlessly guide the implementation of robust environmental practices.
Chua believes that a standardised framework is essential for fostering a collective commitment among event organisers to reduce carbon footprints. Such standardisation, he argued, is integral to advancing the shared industry-wide goal of mitigating the adverse impacts of climate change.
Jon Bruno, the executive director of The International Ecotourism Society, asserted that the path to sustainability does not lie in the establishment of a singular, rigid metric. Instead, he advocated for the development of an evolving metric, a dynamic tool capable of adapting to the diverse contexts of different destinations.
According to Bruno, it is not merely about setting a benchmark, but about designing a flexible metric language that accommodates the unique characteristics and challenges of various locations. This adaptability, he contended, is key to ensuring that the standards set are not only effective but also practical and applicable across the global landscape of events.
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), managed by ASM Global, has broadened the remit of its Executive Team, in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Shaun Mitchell, director of events & customer services, takes up the role of 2IC to general manager Kym Guesdon, taking on additional responsibility for managing and optimising usage of the Centre’s space, business mix, and levels of business.
Meanwhile, director of sales, Alison Gardiner will step into the expanded role of director of sales, strategy & partnerships as part of BCEC’s Growth Strategy, aimed at escalating the progress of Brisbane’s Business Events sector.
BCEC’s general manager, Kym Guesdon, said the expanded roles ensure the Centre will be well placed to leverage and maximise the opportunities of Brisbane’s status as an Olympic host city, in attracting events from around the world and creating a lasting legacy.
Australia is seeing the incentives industry return as the country works through restoring aviation routes and improving accessibility issues.
Shorter lead times are noted, and while India continues to be a rising source market post-lockdown, there’s been increasing interest from the rest of the region more recently.
“The bounce back we’re seeing in the return is strong from Asia,” said Tourism Australia’s Executive General Manager of Commercial & Business Events Australia, Robin Mack.
“We just had some latest results in and interestingly, from the June quarter, China and Indonesia were returning at a faster rate for incentives and business events than the leisure side of tourism,” said Mack.
Mack qualified that the groups were smaller in size and numbers but with the help of Australia’s bid fund programme, larger incentive groups have also been won.
These include NuSkin and Perfect China bringing 3,000 delegates each to Brisbane and Perth respectively in 2024, as well as Amway which is bringing 10,000 delegates to Melbourne in 2025.
Meantime, flights to India have more than tripled since pre-pandemic with three daily flights from Melbourne and Sydney. A dedicated business events team in India is also supporting event planners with visa processing.
Additionally, South Korea now has more routes compared to three years ago, and Singapore is “close”.
“Aviation is key to our success and it’s growing back. Globally we’re now at 88 per cent (to our pre-pandemic levels) but in February or March next year we’ll be at 99 per cent,” said Mack.
Australia’s incentives market is currently at 54 per cent of its pre-COVID business but with China’s borders re-opening more recently, numbers are expected to improve soon.
“We score well for value for money, particularly for incentives and associations, based on the feedback we get from delegates,” said Mack.
Speaking to TTGmice at Dreamtime earlier this month in Adelaide – which marked the return of Tourism Australia’s signature incentives showcase – Mack added that 2023 was perfect timing to bring back the event for the first time after a pandemic hiatus.
“Last financial year we had an Asia mega fam as a prelude, if you like. We wanted Dreamtime to come back as soon as possible after that, to make sure that we could get as many people here as possible from around the world.”
“This event is so important because we have so many new stories to tell and experiences to offer firsthand for incentive planners from around the world. We’ve had unprecedented infrastructure, not just in accommodation but in extensions of art galleries, new incentive products from the Heart Reef pontoon in Queensland to the Jackson Super Yacht in Sydney and that’s replicated around the country,” he added.
Delegates attending Dreamtime gave the showcase in Adelaide plaudits, but said there were still issues to be worked through from their countries.
“The incentive market is picking up very fast in Malaysia with every corporate company now wanting travel for their staff,” said Sedunia Travel Services’ manager from Kuala Lumpur, Esther Ong.
“But at the moment, Malaysians are unable to apply for visas through an agency and without that help, about 20 per cent of qualified incentive winners will probably miss out,” she opined.
Jessica Zhang, executive general manager, marketing and strategic cooperation at China’s Bravolinks Integrated Marketing, said the appetite for incentive travel in China is building, but “would take time” as the two countries sort out flight access, visas and political differences.
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has appointed Azman Haji Tambi Chik as the national bureau’s new CEO.
In his new role, Azman is tasked to spearhead one of the nation’s major economic drivers, Malaysia’s business events industry.
He brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in various facets of corporate management and hails from a myriad of industries including tourism and hospitality, F&B and technology.
With a career that has spanned more than 30 years, Azman has worked with organisations such as Damansara Holdings Berhad, a Bumiptera status company listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia. He has also led and strengthened the group corporate communications at Johor Corporation. Notably, he played a pivotal role in managing the Rangkaian Hotel Seri Malaysia, where he successfully introduced the guest satisfaction indicator to increase the profitability of the company. He has held various senior management positions and has significantly contributed to facilitating new technologies for multiple start-ups in Malaysia.
“We are in an advantageous position to driving the business events industry with industrial advancements available to us, there are abundance of opportunities out there to capitalise on as Malaysia holds a key position in navigating this industry for the region. With the destination’s resources and our expertise supported by digitalisation and technological advancements, we are ready to invest in attracting quality international events and delegates,” he expressed.
Azman also emphasised that he is keen on inculcating a culture of empowerment and diversity in the organisation and the industry, ensuring that all business events players leave a sustainable legacy in a dynamic sector.
Batam View Beach Resort in Indonesia is witnessing a shift in business post-lockdown, where meetings and events now make up more than half of its bookings. Before, leisure bookings used to dominate.
Anddy Fong, general manager of Batam View Beach Resort, told TTGmice: “The business events segment seems to be bigger and more active for our property and our Nongsa Sensation destination. We have seen several (big) events taking place here after the pandemic, like an annual dinner hosted by Excelitas Technologies Corporation and church camps.”
The resort has also welcomed its share of association meetings this year – the ARTDO International World Conference, which happened from August 26-29, attracted more than 200 delegates from 24 countries.
Next month, the Singapore Buddhist Fellowship will organise its 2023 Year End Sutta and Meditation Retreat with Ajahn Brahmali, from December 19-25, for 160 participants.
Fong sees the wave of meetings and events as an opportunity to intensify the property’s business development in this area, and to do more to attract association meetings.
“The way I see it, the landscape has changed and the opportunity is big for business events,” he said.
Batam View Beach Resort is ready for associations, opined Fong. There are nine indoor function rooms with capacity for 25 to 200 seats theatre-style, along with various outdoor venues that can accommodate 500 to 4,000 seats theatre-style.
“For large-scale meetings we can build air-conditioned tents, giving attendees a unique experience, just as we did for ARTDO International World Conference,” he added.
There are 212 guestrooms, allowing the resort to take in 400 delegates.
Should meetings come with even more attendees, Fong said he is ready to partner with neighbouring hotels in the Nongsa area to provide accommodation for all. Hotels in the area will offer 750 additional keys.
To achieve its meetings and events ambition, the resort will engage with more DMCs and meeting planners. It is also close to completing its renovation which will result in upgraded facilities. Meeting rooms on level five will welcome guests with a new look in December this year.
The immersive If You Seek destination campaign led by Tourism New Zealand (TNZ) recently won ICCA’s Best Marketing Awards 2023 at the 62nd ICCA Congress in Bangkok last week.
If You Seek leverages emotive decision-making to charm quality visitors looking to explore on a limited budget.
“Our campaign compels the curious minded to seek out by teasing but never revealing all,” shared Leonie Ashford, TNZ’s business events manager. By emphasising unique and meaningful connections, the campaign attracted high-quality visitors, resulting in an increase in business events visitors and longer stays in communities.
TNZ was among four shortlisted organisations that built their destination campaign on meaningful objectives, under the theme, Marketing – Going Beyond the Obvious. They presented their campaigns to ICC Congress 2023 delegates earlier this week.
The other contenders were Destination Canada, Cote D’Azur, and Uppsala Convention Bureau.
Virginiie de Visscher from Destination Canada spearheaded the Canadian Business Events Sustainability Plan to propel the country as a sustainability leader in the GDS Index.
“We needed a comprehensive sustainability plan to unite 16 different destinations in the world’s second-largest country,” she shared.
To be implemented in three different phases – education & coaching, measuring & monitoring, and communication, the plan utilises GDS Index for benchmarking, and includes storytelling masterclasses for industry partners.
Meanwhile, Mariska Kesteloo, founder of Word of MICE and a former digital nomad who is now MICE ambassador for Cote D’Azur, implemented the MICE Ambassador Project 2023, an influencer marketing campaign focused on promoting Cote D’Azur in an unconventional manner. It allowed the destination to expand its social media presence.
The Meeting Hero Campaign, devised by Anna Lindstrom and Lisa Waestberg from Uppsala Convention Bureau in Sweden, encouraged local officials in the small town of 240,000 to host meetings. With creative initiatives, such as placing small but memorable souvenirs in key areas of municipality offices, it successfully reached 1,600 officials and generated six million euros (US$6.4 million) worth of municipality-hosted meetings.
“This campaign cost us 4,000 euros, and all materials used are sustainable, recyclable and reusable,” they shared.
The winner will be chosen by judges and ICCA Congress 2023 delegates on a 50:50 basis upon five weighted criteria, and announced at the closing session later today.
Despite sustainability challenges facing airlines, corporate customers are taking bigger steps to measure their carbon footprint, setting aside budgets and addressing their “return on carbon”.
For example, SkyTeam created a sustainability challenge in 2022 with 16 partners, which increased to 22 airlines operating 72 sustainable flights in 2023, and Gea van Beek, manager, global meetings, said the initiative was open to every airline to learn and share.
This information was shared at the Fly sustainably? Exploring the latest sustainability developments in Aviation session last week at 62nd ICCA Congress in Bangkok.
While travel was the biggest carbon emitter, moderator, Mariela Bazan, chief sustainability officer and senior vice president, industry advancement, Events Industry Council, said the industry needed to “change the narrative” by “having influence on the conversation with its US$1.6 trillion contribution to global GDP”.
Bradley Sutherland, senior manager, business development, Air Canada (AC), shared examples of sustainability initiatives, such as removing inflight magazines, water management, and uplifting supply from resource-challenged destinations. In addition, AC has on order 30 electric aircraft to operate short commuter flights, but noted the size and weight of batteries, the power needed to power them up, infrastructure to make sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) more available and accessible had to be a collective effort.
Carlos Mauricio Garcia Arauz, corporate affairs policy and standards manager, Qatar Airways Group, pointed out that noise, air quality and pollution prevention were other important areas to be addressed – adding that there were both “responsibly produced and bad SAF” as well as limited, inconsistent supply.
There should also be studies to find out if resources for SAF production were competing with the food needed to feed populations.
Te Pūkenga and Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa have won their joint bid to host the International Council for Open and Distance Education’s (ICDE) 30th World Conference in Wellington in 2025.
The biennial event will take place at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre in November 2025 and attract more than 800 international leaders in the field of open and distance learning to New Zealand’s capital. The win was announced at this year’s ICDE World Conference in Costa Rica.
Mark Nichols, event co-chair representing Te Pūkenga and ICDE Board member, said hosting this international ICDE event will put Te Pūkenga and Massey University’s innovative work in broadening access to tertiary education on the world stage.
ICDE is the leading global membership association working towards bringing accessible, quality education to all through Open, Flexible and Distance Learning (OFDL). It is a non-profit, non-governmental organisation, with more than 320 members and partners worldwide.
ICDE celebrates its 85th anniversary this year and has organised international conferences on OFDL since its inception in 1938.
Business Events Wellington manager Irette Ferreira said the win aligns with the city’s strength in the education sector. Wellington is home to several internationally recognised universities and tertiary institutions, as well as being close to the Open Polytechnic business division of Te Pūkenga and Massey University, where Aotearoa New Zealand’s leaders in open and distance learning are based.
She added: “Hosting a conference focused on removing barriers to education also directly supports the city’s Economic Wellbeing Strategy which identifies lifelong learning and online learning as important components in the development of Wellington’s future labour market.”
The conference bid was submitted with support from Business Events Wellington and Tourism New Zealand and will be organised by PCO Conference Innovators.
