Pan Pacific Hotels Group has appointed Craig Bond as senior vice president head of operations.
In his new role, Bond will focus on driving operational excellence across by establishing strategic routes to meet commercial and organisational objectives.
He was most recently managing director of La Vie Hotels & Resorts.
Saudi Arabia has beaten Italy and South Korea in the final rounds of bidding for World Expo 2030.
Capital city Riyadh won by 119 votes, far ahead of fellow contenders Busan which earned 29 votes and Rome 17. The votes were cast by 182 members of the Paris-based Bureau International des Expositions (BIE).
The World Expo, held once every five years, attracts intense competition, as the event brings immense economic benefits to the host city.
According to BIE, the UAE, which hosted World Expo 2020 in Dubai, is expected to continue to receive AED154.9 billion (US$42.2 billion) in gross value added (GVA) to its economy up to 2042.
The 2025 edition of World Expo will be held in Osaka, Japan.
According to The Korea Times, South Korea will now consider the possibility of bidding for World Expo 2035.
The World Expo 2030 win joins a growing line-up of major events bound for Saudi Arabia, including 2029 Asian winter games, which will be hosted in Trojena, a planned mountain resort development, and the 2034 World Cup.
The destination recently delivered on several high-profile meetings such as UNWTO’s World Tourism Day 2023 in Riyadh in September, the ASEAN-Gulf Cooperation Council Summit in October, and the Eighth Extraordinary Islamic Summit in November.
Saudi Arabia has been building up its presence in the global events arena. In an earlier interview with TTGmice, Amjad Shacker, CEO, Saudi Conventions and Exhibitions General Authority, said the destination has all the ready hardware and is now investing in brand equity promotions for the local meetings and events industry, relevant education to build a pool of events professionals, and training packages for business in the events ecosystem.
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and the government have been really generous with subvention support for event organisers this year – the 100 per cent venue rental subsidy for recurring exhibitions is one. But how critical are subventions in the decision-making process for event organisers?
There is a saying that money can’t buy everything. Yet, without money, you can’t do anything.
So, subvention support is very, very important. It is one of the main factors influencing event organisers’ decisions, especially since they are all much more budget-conscious than before due to current and forecasted economic conditions.
However, subvention support is not the most important factor; growth potential of their event is. When event organisers consider Asia as the destination, they will have a number of questions – will it open up a new window of opportunity for expanding attendance from international markets and from China; will the event in Hong Kong facilitate entry into China; will there be access to new potential sponsors; will delegates be happy with the destination experience? These are all very important considerations.
So, when we at HKTB plan our strategy, we aim to enhance every single one of these aspects.
Competition is intense, and the lure of subvention support isn’t something new in our industry. How will Hong Kong stand out?
Yes, there is very intense competition for conventions and exhibitions in our region. Destinations are eager to attract as many business events as possible, and we expect them to also give away some money as an enticement. To beat them, we have to be more flexible and aggressive.
We are very blessed that our government understands the importance of business events, and has approved additional funding to support the revitalisation of the MICE industry.
Adding to that, we are able to streamline the approval process for subvention applications. This is critical for event organisers, as many are fighting to catch up on lost time (throughout the pandemic disruption). They need to reactivate their bid process rapidly and over short notice. Our ability to respond swiftly will impact our success rate in the bidding process.
I must say that our subvention support and streamlined approval processes have resulted in a pretty encouraging recovery rate. Between January and September 2023, we received about 850,000 overnight MICE visitors to Hong Kong, which is about 70 per cent of our pre-pandemic numbers.
Furthermore, our bidding fund has so far supported 55 events with some 330,000 potential attendees. These events include both new and returning events.
I think these are impressive results for our industry.
But to your question about standing out, I would like to revisit my point earlier about how we are focused on delivering on the many factors that event organisers consider when selecting a host city. For many of those considerations, Hong Kong’s location within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is the answer.
Being the MICE hub of the GBA means Hong Kong can easily talk to both international organisers as well as mainland/GBA organisers. We have deployed two different propositions for the two different target audiences.
Our campaign, Meet Hong Kong, Meet GBA, is designed to speak to international organisers. If they want to get into the GBA market with operational ease, as well as attract attendees and sponsors from the area, then meet in Hong Kong.
On the other side of the coin, we have the campaign, Meet Hong Kong, Meet the World. This proposition is built on the desire of GBA event organisations and associations to position their event on the global stage and connect with international delegates.
Hong Kong’s ongoing urban transformation creates plenty of unique selling points for the leisure travel segment. How do you see the varied new additions boosting Hong Kong’s appeal for the business events segment?
As you already know, the destination itself and the experiences it can offer are factors that will influence the event organiser’s choice. It is so for conventions and tradeshows, and even more so for corporate incentive travel programmes.
Hong Kong had three years to build new and exciting experiences while enhancing our evergreen draws.
Let’s talk about our evergreen draws first. Our harbour, the Peak and our theme parks are enduring favourites, but they have all been refreshed. Have you seen the spectacular multimedia show at the new, taller and bigger castle in Hong Kong Disneyland? Have you seen the new Water World at Ocean Park Hong Kong? Have you taken a ride on the new trams that head up to The Peak?
These are all refreshing, even for repeat visitors familiar with Hong Kong.
We are also repackaging what Hong Kong already has. A good example is our Neighbourhoods programme, which highlights interesting and authentic districts in Hong Kong. Each district, like Old Town Central, Sham Shui Po and West Kowloon, has its own theme or themes, and visitors are encouraged to explore on their own. Neighbourhoods can be adapted for corporate groups, where delegates can go together into a district and learn about the local way of life, arts and culture, food heritage, and so on.
Here is another fresh take on an evergreen attraction – Lan Kwai Fong. Everyone knows about this district in Hong Kong; it is a nice place to enjoy a drink, to see and be seen. We have a collaboration with the Lan Kwai Fong Association, which helps to charter a number of bars and restaurants along the alley and turn the area into one big dine-around party central for private groups. This presents a whole new experience of Hong Kong’s nightlife. We did this for an exhibition organiser focused on transportation and aviation, and had the area dressed in corporate branding.
Karen, we are so excited; there are so many opportunities to create fresh experiences out of what Hong Kong has.
Now, on the other hand, Hong Kong also boasts many new developments. One, which needs no further introduction, is our enhanced accessibility through the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge and the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Express Rail Link.
Two, our range of venues is expanding. AsiaWorld-Expo is on its way to its Phase Two expansion, and will transform Hall II into a 20,000-seat Super Arena for future major concerts and conferences. Meanwhile, Kai Tak Sports Park will benefit conventions coming to Hong Kong. Although it is positioned as a sports facility, it could very well host global, gigantic conferences with 20,000 or 30,000 people.
Three, Hong Kong’s continued urban development will give us the SkyCity Development, which is a highly anticipated landmark spanning approximately 25 hectares. It will transform Hong Kong International Airport from a city’s airport into an airport city. AsiaWorld-Expo is part of this area, and it will soon be joined by 11 SKIES, Hong Kong’s largest hub for retail, dining and entertainment. 11 SKIES will open in phases from now to 2025.
These venue enhancements will benefit big events. Is there support for smaller gatherings?
If you look at the whole MICE business portfolio for Hong Kong, a big portion of business actually comes from small groups with 10 to 200 attendees. Such groups may be here for corporate incentive travel or small-sized conventions.
While small, they are an important source of business for Hong Kong. So, we’ve built up a funding scheme for trade partners across the supply chain, ranging from overseas agents to hotels in Hong Kong. Such support will enable them to spend on reconnecting with overseas partners and marketing activities.
It is necessary to ensure every scale of player gets help with establishing recovery momentum.
Indeed. I must say that the whole of Hong Kong is working together very closely to rebuild tourism and events. We have resources from our government, as well as top-level recognition of the importance of attracting business events to Hong Kong.
Along with these affirmations, HKTB has the support of business leaders, chambers of commerce, and professional bodies in the areas of accounting, legal, medical, and more. In 2021, we created the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador programme and invited 120 people from different sectors to be advocates of Hong Kong. Their mission is to contribute to the resumption of travel and business events in Hong Kong.
These ambassadors are leaders in their own industry or sector, and they would come to us with event leads or ideas for events that Hong Kong could develop. They may also be organising a conference themselves for their industry or sector. Because of the power they hold and the respect they command among their peers, the conversion rate of their leads is very high. Since the launch of the Hong Kong Convention Ambassador programme, we have won over 50 events through ambassadors’ referrals.
The programme is expanding, and this year we recruited 20 ambassadors from China who are heads of professional bodies and industry leaders. Very recently in October, we brought these Chinese ambassadors to meet with our Hong Kong ambassadors. It was an opportunity for them to meet their peers, network and discuss new ideas to support Hong Kong’s travel and events recovery.
Our ambassadors get quite a bit of support from us. We have built them an Intranet mini-site that carries information on Hong Kong’s business events capabilities, a database of ambassadors, and news updates on events won and coming up. We have also given them recognition plaques, and are planning a fiscal event where they can come together and share the success of their efforts.
Macau is very aggressive in trying to get more international events too, and is also leveraging its role in the thriving GBA zone. How do you see Hong Kong positioning itself against Macau while still being a friendly GBA neighbour?
The global MICE industry is huge, and Hong Kong and Macau are so different. The types of industries and sectors we are pursuing for business events are different. We are not direct competitors.
Hong Kong’s strengths lie in its foothold on some of the developed recurring exhibitions, which has room to expand here.
Macau has its own strengths.
For events that need to rotate, going between Hong Kong and Macau is an option. The Hong Kong and Macau combo itinerary is nothing new, and we both can cooperate to attract events to the GBA.
Last question – can you name one event that you are super proud of, and why?
That would be Asia Fruit Logistica. The event left Hong Kong in 2019 and went on to explore other Asian cities, holding editions in Singapore and Thailand.
At that time, we did not realise how big an impact the event’s exit made on Hong Kong. We knew we had to bring it back. We needed to tell the Hong Kong story again, and have Asia Fruit Logistica recognise the value Hong Kong would bring to the event, its exhibitors, and its attendees.
We kept up communications throughout the pandemic, and were focused on rebuilding our relationship.
When Asia Fruit Logistica finally decided to return to Hong Kong in 2023 (September 6-8 at the AsiaWorld-Expo), it had a very successful comeback. We were told that space was sold out two months before the show.
Another interesting story about Asia Fruit Logistica – the last day did not happen because of a typhoon. So, activities were only held across two days, yet total transactions broke pre-pandemic records.
Asia Fruit Logistica is a very special event because it is a genuinely international show – 80 to 90 per cent of attendees are international.
If Hong Kong is able to keep supporting Asia Fruit Logistica, I am confident that it will stay here forever.
Nothing is forever, only diamonds.
(Laughs) Well, at least it has announced 2024 dates in Hong Kong.
Italian flavour and flair are increasingly evident at business events in Singapore, with an eye on regional expansion, and leading the charge is the Italian Trade Agency (ITA).
“Our support for Italian MICE players in Singapore helps to cultivate collaboration and enrich cultural exchange. It propels economic growth, showcasing Italian expertise, while fostering industry synergy,” said Ilaria Piccinni, ITA deputy trade commissioner.
With support from ITA, which comes under the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Fiera Milano partnered dmg events to launch FIND – Design Fair Asia in September 2022 and presented creative interior and furniture designs again this year.
In October 2022, Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) then announced its entry into Singapore. It signed a three-year agreement with Singapore Tourism Board to expand its business in South-east Asia and established its regional headquarters in Singapore.
IEG then acquired Café Asia and Restaurant Asia and Singapore International Jewelry Expo from Conference & Exhibition Management Services, extending its portfolio in F&B, jewellery, fashion and lifestyle events.
ITA not only supports exhibitions owned or co-organised by Italian PEOs, but even hosts its own trade event, Borsa Vini, as Italy is the second-largest European wine supplier to Singapore.
The fourth edition of Borsa Vini at InterContinental Singapore (Bugis) on November 23 saw 21 Italian wineries featuring well-known wine regions and vintages and less-familiar grape varietals and districts. There was also a masterclass, and about 120 wine importers, distributors, sommeliers and trade media attended the invitation-only event.
ITA also tapped its network of offices in South-east Asia to bring in 12 buyers, importers and distributors from Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Piccinni said: “Through events like Borsa Vini, our engagement promotes direct business connections, facilitating trade ties and market expansion. This targeted approach elevates the allure of the region’s corporate hospitality and MICE sectors, contributing to a vibrant and interconnected industry landscape.”
Beyond lifestyle events, ITA coordinated the Italian pavilion of nine companies at the Singapore FinTech Festival from November 15-17, 2023.
“We believe the synergy between Italy’s rich financial history and Singapore’s dynamic fintech ecosystem can lead to remarkable opportunities for growth and innovation,” said Piccinni.
Trip.Biz, powered by Trip.com Group and headquartered in Singapore, is banking on technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to strike a leading role in Asia-Pacific corporate travel management.
The TMC, supported by a team of 800-plus dedicated product engineers, implemented more than 120 technology improvements this year. Trip.Biz has also developed the Gear Project – an AI-based industry think tank to elevate professionalism and foster a tech-driven service mindset within the TMC industry.
Tao Song, chief technology officer and international business general manager of Trip.Biz, said the Global Impact Plan, announced during the group’s recent Global Partner Summit in Singapore, reflects the company’s commitment to global expansion and supporting the growth of its global partners.
He reported Trip.Biz revenue in 1H2023 grew 138 per cent year-on-year compared to 88 per cent in 2019.
The TMC holds more than 4,000 agreements on corporate flight rates worldwide, offers international flights covering 147 countries and continues to pursue TMC IATA accreditation in 27 countries and regions.
It has access to more than 2.39 million hotels globally, offers exclusive discounts for more than 42,000 hotels and provides ground transportation services in 1,056 cities worldwide.
Song continued: “Unlike traditional TMCs that rely on fragmented resources, Trip.Biz optimises resource integration to provide travellers with the most suitable choices, enhancing their overall experience, and fusion of technology and service for a transformative experience.”
Trip.Biz counts among its customers some 300 Fortune 500 Companies, 15,000 large enterprises, 940,000 SMEs and serves 46 million travellers in a wide range of sectors including technology, F&B, biomedical and automotive.
According to Song, Trip.Biz has seen significant growth in demand for international hotel bookings, which increased by 365 per cent compared to the same period last year.
“Additionally, the implementation of IATA in multiple countries has led to a 587 per cent increase in demand for international flight bookings compared to the same period last year,” he noted.
At the CAPA World Aviation Summit on November 28, it was announced that Routes Asia 2025 will take place in Perth, Australia from March 25-27.
Routes Asia unites decision makers from airlines, airports and the destinations they serve from across Asia Pacific. Vice presidents and heads of network planning from over 80 of the region’s leading and fastest-growing airlines are expected to attend the event.
The event will be hosted by Perth Airport and Tourism Western Australia with the support of Business Events Perth and Business Events Australia.
Tourism is an important part of Western Australia’s economy, supporting nearly 30,000 tourism businesses and generating 89,100 tourism-filled jobs in 2021-22, while in 2022-23 the sector contributed A$16.8 billion (US$11.2 million) in visitor spend. Increased air connectivity is essential to the region’s strategy to continue this economic growth.
Having seen international traffic recover to 90 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, Western Australia’s capital city is focused on developing direct aviation access from key priority markets including China, India, South Korea, Taiwan and other unserved markets. By hosting Routes Asia, Perth will demonstrate to the region’s leading airlines the viability and profitability of these routes.
The airport recently welcomed the announcement that Qantas will commence operating a non-stop service between Perth and Paris in July 2024. Other recent route successes for Perth include two new non-stop services to Ho Chi Minh City by VietJet Air and Vietnam Airlines and the resumptions of the ANA Perth to Tokyo service.
“Hosting Routes Asia 2025 is an amazing opportunity for WA as it allows us to build on our work to secure even more direct flight connections between Perth and Asia,” said Tourism WA’s managing director Carolyn Turnbull.
Although China National Convention Center Phase II (CNCC II) in Beijing is currently under construction with a scheduled opening set for 2025, the complex has recently agreed on several key partnerships.
The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) has chosen CNCC II as the location for its China representative office. This move, supported by the Beijing government and Beijing North Star, aims to foster global networking exchanges for the business events industry in Beijing and China.
The partnership also includes the launch of the first ICCASkills hub project in China, emphasising the commitment to upskilling and developing the workforce of the business events industry.
Meanwhile, Beijing North Star Group, the developer of CNCC II, signed agreements for The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Beijing, North, and the Beijing Marriott Marquis Hotel as part of the CNCC II convention complex.
Set to open in 2026, the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, North, will offer 282 guestrooms, while the Beijing Marriott Marquis Hotel will offer 671 guestrooms.
These two hotels are part of the 780,000m2 integrated development, which will include the China National Convention Center – Phase 2, one commercial office building, and retail.
CNCC II is being designed and constructed according to the LEED V3 platinum standard and Green Building 3-Star System standard, and will offer 420,000m2 of gross floor space and 270,000m2 of purpose-built meeting and event space.
The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has announced strong results for the 2022/2023 financial year, reporting a 74 per cent increase in economic contribution from secured business events compared to the previous year.
Economic contribution for the state reached A$354 million (US$235 million) through the successful acquisition of 197 future events, anticipated to attract over 100,500 visitors and occupy over 196,000 room nights across Victoria. The annual results exceeded all targets.
Speaking at the Annual General Meeting, MCB chief executive Julia Swanson, acknowledged the MCB team’s dedication and lauded their bold and innovative strategies that propelled the sector forward, overcoming challenges of recent years.
“Melbourne’s business events sector has not just rebounded; it is thriving, having transitioned into recovery faster than anticipated. We are now back on par with pre-covid levels, with further growth underway.
“This success is a testament to the collective effort and unwavering support from the Victorian Government, Visit Victoria, City of Melbourne, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, MCB Partners, and industry collaborators, emphasising the effectiveness of our ‘Team Melbourne’ approach in securing international business,” Swanson said.
Prestigious global association meetings secured for Victoria were highlighted with standout events like the World Chambers Congress 2025 and the inaugural APAC Offshore Wind and Green Hydrogen Summit 2023, as examples of the city’s ability to draw significant and influential events aligned to the state’s priority sectors.
Corporate meetings and incentives also played a crucial role, contributing A$77 million in economic impact for the state from the 58 groups secured. Notable among these is the Amway China Leadership Seminar 2025, expected to bring over 10,000 delegates from China to Melbourne. As one of the largest delegations from China to visit Melbourne, this mega incentive group is a major coup for the state.
Large-scale conventions, that Melbourne is renowned for, also made a strong return, hosting events like the Rotary International Convention 2023. Throughout the year, a total of 187 events were held, injecting A$385 million into Victoria’s visitor economy.
With the celebration of the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings Event’s (AIME) 30th anniversary, Swanson emphasised the enduring importance of the event not just for MCB as owners of AIME, but for Melbourne as the host city and its impact on the global business events industry.
Meanwhile, MCB Board appointments include Natalie O’Brien, chief executive of Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and Janette Kendall, an experienced company director with more than 25 years of board experience across public, private and not-for-profit organisations spanning a diverse range of industries.
TRYP by Wyndham Pulteney Street Adelaide has appointed Valentin Corchado as director of F&B.
Corchado’s hospitality career spans 24 years, where he has managed hotels in Darling Harbour and Brighton in Australia and large F&B operations in several Fiji resorts with global brands such as Hilton and Raddison. He has also worked as an F&B manager in hotels in Darwin, and as an events manager in Sydney.
For the past six years, he was the director of his own hospitality consulting firm Coliseum, where he provided human resources and operational support to international resorts in Fiji.
The Khushbu Project started in 2011 as an educational programme to serve migrant women and their families in an urban village within the megacity of New Delhi.
What started as literacy training quickly expanded to include jewellery making, self-help savings groups, forums on social justice, and after-school tutoring for children. These activities enabled women and their children to learn new skills, develop social support, and understand basic human rights.
To support its various activities, the socially responsible business runs two-hour-long block-printing workshops guided by its master artisans.
Suitable for corporates, each workshop can hold up to eight people in one session, and costs 2,800 Indian rupees (US$33.60) per person. Participants will get to choose the block printing design they like, and at the end of the day, they will take home a tote bag and two tea towels at the end of the day.
Aside from providing classes, Khushbu also takes in corporate orders, all handmade with great care. Materials are sourced from surplus or upcycled shops, so that the excess of others does not end up in landfills, and they aim to become a low-waste manufacturing centre over the next five years.
