Raffles Hotels & Resorts has appointed Andrew Hartley as its new cluster director of sales and marketing, overseeing Raffles Hotel Le Royal and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in South-east Asia.
Based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Hartley brings more than 20 years of experience in luxury hotels around the world. He was most recently assistant vice president of strategic sales and marketing for Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts in the Asia-Pacific based in Singapore.
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) will be hosting its flagship event, the Malaysia Business Events Week 2023 (MBEW 2023) for the eighth year from August 21-26 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre).
Themed Riding the Waves, the event is centred around fostering a strong sense of regional spirit which positions business events as a catalyst that initiates a sequence of positive impacts on South-east Asia’s sustainable socio-economic growth.
MBEW 2023 will be officiated by Tiong King Sing, minister of tourism, arts & culture and is slated to welcome 400 industry players including association management companies, professional congress and exhibition organisers, and event management companies. The event will also feature a lineup of panel speakers consisting of both local and international experts to provide global insights.
During the event, delegates can engage in a wide range of activities, including topic discussions, workshops, training sessions, and forums addressing crucial industry points.
They can also anticipate the launch of MyCEB’s latest support programme, aimed at attracting more international business events to the country, with the goal of boosting the business events industry and creating increased employment opportunities.
Furthermore, MyCEB will introduce the BE Exchange session, dedicated to discussing the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies, as well as the Business Events National Challenge 2023, designed to nurture future industry leaders. Beyond business, MBEW is actively giving back to the community through MyCSR initiatives for a tree planting activity and blood donation drive.
Cvent has released the latest editions of its bi-annual Cvent Planner Sourcing Report for the Asia, Australia and the Middle East & Africa regions, where all reports point to the positive momentum across the business events industry, despite challenges like rising costs and staffing shortages.
According to the survey results, a large percentage of planners in Asia (80%), Middle East and Africa (85%), and Australia (76%) anticipate paying more for similar-sized and complex meetings in 2023 than in 2022. As a result, the majority of planners also expect an increase in their event budgets with 90% in Asia, 88% in Australia, 79% in the Middle East and Africa, respectively.
This presents an ideal opportunity for hotels and venues to differentiate themselves by providing premium services and amenities that justify the higher costs. While planners are willing to spend more, hoteliers should also focus on tailoring their offerings to meet the planners’ expectations and requirements, which would ultimately lead to increased revenue.
With the rise of digitisation, event planners are increasingly turning to digital resources to aid in their planning process. For example, more than one third of planners across all regions say online sourcing platforms have become an essential resource for site selection.
In addition, with rising travel costs, in-person site visits are being replaced with digital online tours. Report results show that 54% of planners in Asia, 53% in Australia, and 43% in the Middle East & Africa utilise digital floor plans and online event diagrams to better understand meeting room capabilities and to determine whether the hotel is the right fit for their event. These results illustrate the growing importance of a hotel’s online presence to attract planners.
The report also highlights that existing relationships should be nurtured as event planners value professionalism and partnership in hotel staff with 38% in Australia saying it’s important followed by 35% in Asia and 26% in Middle East & Africa. Leveraging technology solutions that enable more seamless collaboration between planners and hoteliers, or that streamline complex processes like group room block management to reduce workload is another important way hospitality professionals can enhance their relationships with planners and further strengthen their reputation in the industry.
Australian travel technology company Aeronology will be launching its “new-architecture platform at the centre of the NDC solution” at the 23rd btTB Business Travel Conference taking place in Sydney on August 15.
This was revealed by CEO and founder Russell Carstensen, a panellist on btTB’s The NDC Session. In June, Carstensen gave a sneak preview of the platform’s capabilities at the CTC Singapore Corporate Travel Summit and this was followed up with two comprehensive online presentations attended by some 20 corporate travel managers (CTMs).
Carstensen told TTGmice its cloud-based and API-driven global B2B web-based platform was focused on connecting users – travellers, travel arrangers and TMCs – to the corporate travel ecosystem via NDC, GDS including TravelSky, LCCs, online booking tools (OBT), etc.
Carstensen, who has more than 25 years of industry experience, said the new-architecture platform was based on a previous version created before the pandemic.
He claims it is the “first truly global, independent booking portal – with multiple language options – to access all IATA airlines and LCCs, hotels, cruise line, car rentals, ancillaries, rail, tours and transfers”, and called the tool the “equivalent of Internet banking”.
Cost-wise, the user subscription fee is around US$4.50 per booking on top of TMC charges, while the IATA agent per-user fee is around US$130 per month.
CTMs TTGmice spoke to welcomed the “potential” of Aeronology’s technology to address the need for “content parity”, enable OBT changes, and create “an ecosystem” on one platform.
One CTM said: “If the platform can help to eliminate inconvenience and improve efficiency, we will consider paying for Aeronology.”
Another CTM said: “We are all looking for a platform that is future-ready (for NDC) but what does not change is the need for a tool that will be able to provide the best price available comparison, give access to the full range of inventory, continue to have a ticketing issuing timeframe and flexibility and the ability to make changes and cancellations at a reasonable fee.”
“Aeronology does not have the baggage with the legacy system and so far from what I have seen is really good,” he added.
According to Aeronology, IATA has announced that there will be a planned ticketing transition of the current NDC level of 15 per cent in 2023 to 80 per cent by 2026.
Carstensen observed: “It is critical for businesses to prepare themselves for the largest transaction transition in travel history, all expected in three years.”
To date, airlines moving fast and furious with NDC include American Airlines, Lufthansa, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.
Describing Aeronology’s tool as “very straightforward”, a third CTM said the live demonstration showed the different airline fares, including NDC fares and TMC fares immediately.
He opined that the product was “very good”, and would be useful, for the future. “Hopefully the platform would be able to help resolve the trouble we face with NDC refunds, which are more complicated,” he noted, adding that the product would probably be sustainable for the next five to 10 years.
More than 100 corporate meeting planners, incentive houses, PCOs, and DMCs attended the Cairns & Great Barrier Reef Business Events Regional Showcase last week.
The showcase took place in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, on August 1, 3, and 4, where planners got to learn more about the business events capabilities of Cairns, and the surrounding Queensland region, from 20 team members from Tourism Tropical North Queensland.
Attendees were also gifted a tree to increase the habitat of tree kangaroos on the Atherton Tablelands in Tropical North Queensland as a thank you for attending the event.
Tourism Tropical North Queensland’s general manager of partnerships and events, Rosie Douglas, said: “Cairns has already hosted key conferences this year such as Cannes in Cairns and the Third International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference which exceeded expected delegate numbers thanks to the choice of destination.”
The business events industry is also buoyed by the expansion of the Cairns Convention Centre, which adds 10,500m2 of meeting space including a rooftop banquet room and terrace, three new meeting rooms, an exhibition space, and plenary room.
“Accommodation, meeting spaces, restaurants and the Reef Fleet Terminal are all within walking distance in Cairns city which is just a 10-minute drive from the airport ensuring minimal requirements for transport,” added Douglas. There are also more than 2,000 tours available for pre- and post-event planning.
Prior to the pandemic, the business events industry supports one in five jobs in Tropical North Queensland.
“Each business event delegate is worth almost three times that of a leisure visitor and they help to fill our destination’s shoulder season, often returning with their family as a leisure visitor to enjoy our diverse natural tourism experiences,” added Douglas.
BestCities Global Alliance and GainingEdge have renewed their management contract for another three years.
Recognising the expertise and value that brings to the table, BestCities Global Alliance embraces this renewed contract, affirming their shared vision of unlocking the potential of collaboration and community in creating lasting positive impact through conventions and business events. GainingEdge has been managing the alliance since 2009.
“GainingEdge’s expertise in legacy and sustainability has empowered the Alliance to drive global impact for meetings and events. This has been vital for navigating through the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic,” said Edward Koh, chair of BestCities Global Alliance.
“As we embark on another three-year journey, we eagerly anticipate the endless possibilities that lie ahead, and look forward to achieving even greater accomplishments together.”
“We are delighted that our long-standing association with BestCities will continue for another three years,” said Jon Sivertson, CEO of GainingEdge. “Over time, GainingEdge has worked in synergy with BestCities growth and we are witness to its quest for impact and innovation as the world’s most enduring convention bureau alliance in the international meetings industry. We are proud to support this journey.”
Multilingual meeting technology and services provider Interprefy has made improvements to its speech translation solution, Aivia.
Aivia’s translation abilities have been enhanced, where it can now support two-way translation and translate multiple spoken languages during live events and meetings, billed as a pioneering move for AI live speech translation solutions. This means that people can now both speak and listen in their preferred language using AI.
With this advancement, Interprefy becomes the first and only solution capable of supporting multiple spoken floor languages and bi-directional speech translation during live events and conferences.
Traditionally, AI speech translation systems have been limited to translating from just one spoken language – referred to as a ‘floor language’ – into many other target languages. Until this launch, AI was not suitable for multilingual conferences, training, and panels with diverse speakers.
Released in April 2023, Interprefy’s AI solution can translate live speech from 45 languages and regional dialects into AI-generated audio and captions in 74 languages. This includes all official UN languages, almost all official EU languages and the most spoken Asian languages.
The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) in Singapore has inked a one-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Thomas Cook (India), and its Group Company, SOTC Travel respectively, during a Partners Appreciation Night held on July 28 in Mumbai.
With India a top source market for Sentosa, accounting for nearly a third of overseas visitors to Sentosa Island for 1H2023, the MoU will highlight the discoveries in Sentosa; and shore up Sentosa’s position as a top-of-mind destination.
SDC will work closely with Thomas Cook and SOTC on activities such as product development, joint consumer promotions, as well as publicity to raise Sentosa’s profile in the Indian market, increase Sentosa’s capture rates of the India market, particularly in Tier 2 and 3 cities, and grow visitorship to and spend on Sentosa Island. Both Thomas Cook and SOTC will also curate exclusive packages that will feature Sentosa’s latest offerings.
Apart from the return of KidZania Singapore in 2024, the latest offering unveiled is the Shangri-La Group’s first standalone lifestyle and entertainment precinct, The Palawan@Sentosa, which soft-launched on July 26.
The new destination sprawls over 17,000m2, and features new leisure activities including HyperDrive, an electric go-kart circuit with gamification features; and UltraGolf, an 18-hole mini golf. Two new beach clubs, Splash Tribe, a family-friendly beach club with a sandcastle-themed wet-play zone and an infinity pool, and +Twelve, a terraced beach club boasting 12 cabanas with private plunge pools and a main pool with swim-up bar.
Joining the beach club scene on August 14 is Tipsy Unicorn Beach Club, multi-concept hospitality group The Tipsy Collective’s largest project to date. Occupying 1,765m2, Tipsy Unicorn Beach Club is a 500-seater venue with indoor and outdoor areas, offering private cabanas, daybeds and VIP lounges.
The only beach club in Sentosa to bring in live bands, Tipsy Unicorn will showcase state-of-the-art staging, lighting and sound systems. The venue is also suitable for corporate gatherings, social celebrations, and live performances.
On the business events front, SDC will continue to work closely with the Singapore Tourism Board through programmes such as the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme and In Singapore Incentives & Rewards, to bring corporates into Sentosa. Under the programme, SDC and its businesses offer a range of complimentary experiences in Sentosa for eligible events, across dining, attractions, thematic tours, and teambuilding experiences.
Silversea Cruises has appointed Teresa Ignacio as assistant vice president, global guest services.
Based in Miami, she reports to Massimo Brancaleoni, senior vice president of global sales, and will collaborate with each of Silversea’s regional managing directors to develop, implement and lead a global operational strategy across all Silversea contact centers.
She has over 25 years of experience, and previously oversaw the consumer managed services programme for an American multinational financial services corporation.
InterContinental Singapore has promoted Judy Koh to hotel manager and Fai Abdullah to director of sales and marketing.
With almost 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Koh brings a wealth of expertise to her role having begun her journey at IHG two years ago as the director of sales and marketing.
She will work hand in hand with general manager, Andreas Kraemer to further enhance guest satisfaction, and will oversee all operational functions within the hotel.
Fai has served as the director of sales in numerous luxury hotels such as Fairmont, Swissotel and Marriott for the past 10 years.
In her new role, she will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing teams, driving revenue growth, and enhancing the hotel’s brand presence in the luxury hospitality market.
