Asia/Singapore Tuesday, 5th May 2026
Page 229

OCTB and MUIC Kansai launch Tech Tours Kansai

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Tech Tours Kansai emphasises support for industrial and incentive tours

Anticipating opportunities presented by Expo 2025 running from April to October 2025, the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OCTB) has partnered with Kansai Innovation Center (MUIC Kansai) to launch Tech Tours Kansai, a new platform to develop custom-tailored industrial tours.

The Tech Tours Kansai team can coordinate custom-tailored tours that accommodate any group’s needs and requests. They cover a wide range of the Kansai region’s prominent industries, such as gastronomy, traditional craftwork, manufacturing, next-generation energy development and more.

Tech Tours Kansai emphasises support for industrial and incentive tours

More than just industrial site visits, tours include visits to significant cultural properties, culinary experiences, first-hand experiences with traditional crafts, and more comprehensive offerings across the Kansai region.

The one-stop service will be able to manage every step of the travel itinerary, from pre-planning to follow-up, including accommodation, transportation, and dietary requests, as well as coordinating special excursions and spousal programmes.

Aside from OCTB and MUIC Kansai, Nippon Travel Agency, and Kinki Nippon Tourist, are also participating organisations.

Expo 2025 will be Japan’s first major post-Covid international event, offering an unprecedented opportunity to showcase Osaka and the Kansai region as a premier meeting and event destination.

UFI announces dates and hosts for 2024 conferences

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UFI MEA Conference in May 2023

UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has announced its 2024 series of regional conferences and co-located events, taking place between March and September.

The 2024 dates, hosts and locations will kick off with the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference, held from March 7-8, 2024, hosted by the Macau Fair and Trade Association in Macau, China.

UFI MEA Conference in May 2023

Next, the UFI Middle East & Africa Conference will be held from April 15-17, 2024, hosted by the Rwanda Convention Bureau in Kigali, Rwanda.

In June 11-13, 2024, the UFI European Conference will be hosted by Messe Zürich in Zurich, Switzerland.

Lastly, the UFI Americas Conference will be held from September 10-12, 2024, hosted by OCV Monterrey – Oficina de Convenciones y Visitantes de Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico.

For the second year in a row, UFI will also run the Event Directors Summit, a one-day event that is strictly limited to event, exhibition, and portfolio directors from the organiser community. These events will be co-located with the Asia-Pacific and European Conferences.

Conrad Singapore Orchard reopens after extensive refurbishment

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Royal Pavilion Ballroom

The second Conrad Hotels & Resorts property in Singapore, Conrad Singapore Orchard, has reopened following an extensive refurbishment.

Event planners can choose from 14 event venues, including the 583m2 Royal Pavilion Ballroom, for all types of events ranging from networking sessions to C-suite meetings.

In total, there are 445 guestrooms across the 12-storey building, where each guestroom features prints by Singaporean artists.

The hotel’s 46 suites each feature a lounge and terrace, including the pinnacle of the Conrad Suite: spanning 210m2, which features a primary bedroom, complete with a walk-in closet and a steam shower, a living and entertainment area, a kitchenette, and a dining room for eight. It also connects to two separate guestrooms with individual entrances.

Experiences at Conrad Singapore Orchard include the Edible Garden Walk, led by local arborists and botanists; a Morning Intention Session by the pool; and a signature Sleep-to-Wake Ritual which includes a pre-sleep tea crafted from local botanicals, an in-room guided sound bath to relax the mind and body, and an extensive pillow menu.

Facilities include an outdoor pool, and a fitness centre, alongside 10 F&B options ranging from Italian restaurant Basilico, to the Michelin-star Summer Palace and its Cantonese delights.

ICC Sydney promotes Michelle Zangari to senior manager, live events

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ICC Sydney, managed by ASM Global, has promoted Michelle Zangari to the role of senior manager, live events.

Building on her experience as ICC Sydney’s manager, ticketing and bookings in the Live Events team, Zangari has stepped up to lead the Live Events team of nine, where the team looks after the calendar of entertainment events held at the 8,000-seat ICC Sydney Theatre and 2,500-seat Darling Harbour Theatre.

Having joined ICC Sydney in 2016, Zangari’s talent was quickly identified, and she was promoted to ticketing manager. In 2021, she was elevated into the role of manager, bookings and ticketing in recognition of her commercial acumen.

In total, Zangari has operated in the world of music business management and events for over 18 years.

Marina Bay Sands launches second phase of hotel transformation

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Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has invested an additional US$750 million for the next phase of its reinvestment programme in its efforts to ensure the integrated resort (IR) continues to elevate unique experiences for local and international visitors.

The second phase of transformation will focus on Tower 3, the Hotel Lobby and Sands SkyPark, and will include a reimagined VIP arrival experience, new premium dining and retail offerings, a lobby transformation as well as a renewed focus on wellness experiences for guests. More than 550 redesigned rooms, including around 380 suites, will be introduced in this phase.

The next phase of Marina Bay Sands’ transformation will focus on Tower 3, the Hotel Lobby and Sands SkyPark

Works are expected to be completed in phases through 2025.

This announcement comes as MBS enters the final stage of its US$1 billion first-phase reinvestment, announced in February 2022, and focused on the complete refurbishment of Hotel Towers 1 and 2, in addition to new dining offerings and luxury lifestyle amenities for high-value travellers.

“Marina Bay Sands has made significant progress in delivering new world-leading luxury travel experiences over the past two years. This second phase of reinvestment will be critical as it propels the property to new heights and places us in a strong position to capture future growth opportunities,” said Paul Town, chief operating officer, MBS.

The first phase of transformation saw the extensive upgrading of a total of around 1,280 rooms across Towers 1 and 2, of which about 390 are new suites. These rooms are housed under two main categories – The Paiza Collection and The Sands Collection.

In February, the Paiza Sky Club will also open its doors on the 55th floor of Tower 2. The new multi-concept executive club lounge will feature a tea vault, bespoke whisky bar, private liquor locker, garden conservatory and buffet spreads served from open kitchens helmed by top chefs.

Once the transformation of all three hotel towers is completed, there will be 1,850 refurbished rooms, including nearly 770 suites.

MBS will also launch several wellness activities at SkyPark Observation Deck and Infinity Pool next month, offering both hotel and non-hotel guests Muay Thai boxing, spin classes, sound bath meditation and more.

Beyond the redevelopment of the three hotel towers, MBS is also investing in staff training to elevate the property’s strong culture of service excellence, as well as issuing new staff uniforms to complement the luxury positioning of the property.

Qantas introduces Darwin-Singapore service

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Qantas will launch a second international route from Darwin, with direct flights from the Northern Territory to Singapore, this December.

The airline last operated direct flights between Darwin and Singapore in 2006.

Qantas will fly direct from Darwin to Singapore from December this year

From December 9, flights will initially operate five days per week, increasing to daily from March 2025.

The new service will add more than 60,000 seats on the route each year. It will provide those from the Northern Territory with a direct Qantas option to Singapore as well as a seamless connection to London and other destinations across Europe or Asia with partner airlines.

The Travel Corporation welcomes new marketing communications director

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The Travel Corporation (TTC) has appointed Koo Sok Hoon as the marketing communications director for TTC Asia.

She will lead the development and execution of TTC Asia’s marketing and communications strategy, planning and implementation of new marketing initiatives, alongside exploring and activating new partnerships.

Bringing a wealth of experience and expertise to TTC Asia, she has previously headed various marketing roles in luxury brands from automobile, hospitality, timepieces to fashion.

Mitsuko Tottori takes on the role of president of Japan Airlines

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Japan Airlines (JAL) has named its first female president, Mitsuko Tottori. She first joined in 1985 as a flight attendant and rose through the ranks to senior management over the years.

She will take over from current president Yuji Akasaka starting April 1.

Building the future of business events

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In 2024, KLCC will seek customer feedback by converting an existing meeting space into a concept room where clients can test out its future meeting space refurbishment
In 2024, KLCC will seek customer feedback by converting an existing meeting space into a concept room where clients can test out its future meeting space refurbishment

Brought to you by Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

The business of meetings is all about connecting people. With personalisation and digital transformation high on people’s agenda, leveraging technology to facilitate better engagement is paramount, whether that is seamlessly connecting those halfway across the world from each other or those within the same space.

That is exactly what the award-winning Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) endeavours to offer its clients and guests. Matching the needs of the business events industry, Malaysia’s premier purpose-built venue has been developing new products, services, and room setups to ensure that events remain exciting, providing the right environment for learning, business or pleasure.

“More than 1,500 meetings take place at our venue annually and the format of these meetings have changed over the years. They have become more collaborative and interactive, giving an opportunity for all in a room to participate. Delegates today are tech-savvy and expect the same from a venue when attending events. We want to meet these expectations, not by offering the latest in gadgets, but by offering the right solution for each event so that our clients and guests fully benefit from their time here,” said John Burke, general manager, KLCC.

To accommodate the demands and expectations of clients and delegates, the centre has already begun to roll out a comprehensive refurbishment programme.

In 2023, KLCC completed the fitting out of some of the shared areas, Ten-on-Call function area, as well as upgraded much of the furniture and technology, IT infrastructure, and the food court. Some of the in-room meeting technology have also been enhanced to support collaborative meetings. Clients can look forward to utilising this new feature from 2024.

Besides, KLCC will also be seeking out customer feedback as part of its refurbishment programme to ensure the effectiveness of its new products and solutions. An existing meeting space is currently being converted into a concept room where clients can test out the vision of the future meeting space refurbishment.

Burke elaborated: “Our aim, going into the future, is to offer products and solutions that our clients want, and this concept meeting room will help us determine their needs to refine designs. The concept room, once finalised with this input, will be used as a template for all the other meeting rooms and functions halls.”

The upgrades are timely to meet growing demands for meeting spaces. Commencing 2024 in an extremely strong position with 65 per cent of its business target secured, KLCC’s packed calendar includes 47 exhibitions and 32 conventions (26 of which are international) over the next 12 months and expects to add more over the course of the year.

“We are very excited to introduce all these new plans to our clients and to continue to work closely with them to ensure the success of their events,” Burke added.

Jill Goh helms as GM of Mandarin Oriental, Singapore

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Mandarin Oriental, Singapore has appointed Jill Goh as general manager, making her the property’s first female to hold this position.

A veteran hotelier with over three decades of experience in the global luxury hospitality industry, she brings a wealth of expertise and knowledge in hotel operations and management to her new role.

Having previously been the resident manager at Mandarin Oriental, Singapore, she rejoins the Singapore property from The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong where she also served as general manager.

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