Sarawak strengthens international presence, debuts pavilion at global business events trade show
Brought to you by Business Events Sarawak
To leverage on the footfall and raise awareness about Sarawak, connect with new international counterparts and clinch more quality leads, the Malaysian state will debut at one of the world’s global trade shows for business events with its inaugural stand-alone pavilion this year.
IMEX Frankfurt is the annual international meeting point for business events where 2,500 exhibitors, as well as 3,000 decision-makers and global sector leaders are expected to attend the much anticipated event from May 23 to 25.
This year, the pavilion, Tribe Legacy Sarawak, by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) and themed Business Events Support Community Development, is an unique celebration of the industry’s strong involvement with local communities and contribution to economic, social and cultural sustainability in Sarawak.
The presence on IMEX Frankfurt’s show floor is expected to strengthen its position as an international destination for legacy, thought leadership and innovation.
Staying true to the theme of community development, the pavilion floor programme will focus on key talking points such as Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 where specially-curated plenaries will highlight the strategy’s six economic sectors and seven enabler sectors targeted for growth by the Sarawak Government.
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, minister of tourism, creative industry and performing arts Sarawak said: “PCDS is a pivotal government strategy for Sarawak to achieve economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability by 2030.”
The pavilion will spotlight an exhibition on Sarawak’s legacy impact development, PCDS 2030 and the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies.
Reflecting Sarawak’s commitment to social sustainability, BESarawak has also partnered with several SMEs and NGOs to exhibit a range of local products.
Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak said: “We are encouraging associations, destination marketing organisations and convention & visitor bureaux from around the world to meet at the pavilion and discuss how we can collaborate to develop legacy impact and sustainability together.”
In addition to the exhibited features, a press conference will be held on the first day of IMEX Frankfurt (May 23) to unveil the 3-year Legacy Impact Master Action Plan and an official announcement by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability on its commitment to legacy impact.
Since Kuching is Malaysia’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy, pavilion visitors will also be entertained with a creative mixology showcase by food and beverage provider, The Bibber’s Tale.
The range of artisanal beverages will introduce international palates to the unique flavours of ingredients native to Sarawak and flaunt the inventive relationship between the destination’s food and beverage industry and rich produce.
Additionally, pavilion visitors can meet with Sarawak’s six exhibiting industry partners: Borneo Convention Centre Kuching; Pullman Kuching and Pullman Miri Waterfront Hotel; tourism and hospitality services provider Hemisphere Corporation; professional conference organisers ARC Creators and Place Borneo and destination management company CPH Travel Agencies.
The minister added: “Starting this year, the pavilion will be a yearly affair at IMEX Frankfurt and we hope that with a consistent presence, Sarawak will become the preferred destination for business events. We are fully invested in business events as a business and collaboration platform to address economic, social and governance – ESG agendas.”
Keen to organise your next business event in Sarawak?
Find out more about the assistance available at the Tribe Legacy Sarawak pavilion at stand number B230
For more information on the pavilion, please contact Rose Bruce:
rose@sarawakcb.com
+6014-682-8204
Marina Bay Sands leads new precinct approach to boost area’s event potential
Singapore integrated resort Marina Bay Sands (MBS) says it is making headway with the launch of its Bay Precinct Strategy, which aims to position the property and the surrounding Bay area as the epicentre for international business gatherings.
The Bay Precinct Strategy is said to be the first of its kind, as it brings together different hospitality players, attractions, service providers and restaurants from the Marina Bay area, playing to their strengths in an enlarged business events ecosystem.
At press time, the partnership will comprise 10 hotels, including The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, The Westin Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Pan Pacific Singapore and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. The close collaboration enables MBS and partner hotels to leverage each other’s strengths and assets to bring an expanded offering to international event organisers looking to host their events in Singapore.
“Authenticity, mass customisation, sustainability and wellness are some of the key drivers that will fundamentally shift the tentpoles of how future events are designed. Even as Marina Bay Sands is playing the lead role in hosting international events, we need to continually innovate and drive benefits beyond our own corners. The Bay Precinct Strategy allows us to do just that – we’re able to offer clients an enlarged platform and direct access to different services around the Bay, opening up the playing field. Event organisers are empowered to harness the best-in-town offerings to conceptualise their desired event experience,” said Paul Town, chief operating officer at MBS.
The integrated resort will also be joining hands with other service providers and attractions around Marina Bay, such as Gardens by the Bay, Satay by the Bay, and National Gallery Singapore to create trails that explore Singapore’s gastronomy, wellness, arts, culture, and more.
Event organisers can weave these interest-based trails into their programmes, thereby broadening the attendee experience beyond a single venue.
Besides progress on the business events front, MBS has also completed refurbishments to more than 850 hotel rooms and suites across two of its hotel towers. These make up a third of the hotel’s total room inventory.
The next phase of renovation will focus on the ultra-luxe suites. The hotel renewal will see more suites being created within Towers One and Two – from 137 previously to around 422 – to cater to the growing demand for luxury travel.
When works at Towers One and Two are completed end of this year, the renewal journey will continue into Tower Three, the Hotel Lobby and Sands SkyPark.
Japan brings forward end of covid border controls
Arrangements are underway to lift Japan’s Covid-19 border control measures this Saturday, ahead of initial plans to do so on May 8.
According to Japanese news reports, the decision is made in anticipation of an increase in overseas travellers during the Golden Week holidays.
The move will mean that all people entering Japan will no longer need to present certification of at least three Covid-19 vaccination doses or a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure.
However, the government is looking to deploy a voluntary testing system at five airports, targeting travellers with symptoms such as fever, with the aim of detecting new infectious diseases.
Japan will maintain its plans to downgrade the classification of Covid-19 under the infectious disease law to Category V, the same as for seasonal flu, on May 8.
Ludovic Gallerne helms as VP of global commerce at S Hotels & Resorts
S Hotels and Resorts has appointed Ludovic Gallerne as its new vice president of global commerce.
Gallerne brings over 25 years of experience to the role, and will be responsible for all commercial activities at the group’s extensive global portfolio of hotels and resorts in Thailand, the Maldives, Fiji, Mauritius and the UK.
He was most recently the vice president of sales & marketing for Asia & Middle East at The Standard Hotels.
China drops PCR test rule for inbound travellers
In another step towards its reopening, China has announced that all inbound travellers no longer need to show a negative PCR test starting from April 29, 2023.
Instead, inbound travellers will just have to show a negative ART test, taken within 48 hours of the flight, according to Xinhua news agency.
“We remind both inbound and outbound travellers to do self-health management and monitoring well before travelling, strictly comply with China’s national and local requirements on epidemic prevention, and ensure a healthy and pleasant trip and a safe return home,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.
GBTA releases study to tackle carbon emissions in business travel
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation has released a new benchmarking study which sheds light on the approaches that leading companies are using to decarbonise travel programmes.
Titled Managing Emissions From Business Travel Programs: Overview of Corporate Best Practices, this first-of-its-kind report provides a snapshot of purpose-driven companies that are addressing and mitigating their business travel emissions. The study examines which measures are most effective in reducing the climate impact of Scope 3 emissions from business travel and key considerations for implementation and success.
“One of the biggest challenges for achieving more sustainable business travel is knowing how to build the path and the programme to get there. We went to companies and leaders in sustainability to bring forth best practices and insights that can help any company seeking to travel greener and better,” said Delphine Millot, managing director, GBTA Foundation.
Millot added that tackling Scope 3.6 emissions needs to be a joint effort across the entire global business travel value chain and relies on common ownership and shared responsibility between the suppliers and users of travel services.
Forging the path toward a climate-conscious travel programme
The report lays out a pathway of building blocks for companies to create a more climate-conscious travel programme – from getting started with measures requiring less effort and funding, to advancing with more ambitious strategies, activities, and outcomes.
Developing a sustainable travel programme involves a combination of measures at different levels and working with various stakeholders. The report outlines measures across four critical categories: travel decisions, emissions tracking, supplier engagement, and decarbonisation. Additionally, it provides a toolbox of action areas to efficiently reduce emissions while aligning to organization budgets, available time, company culture, and other factors.
Six key points for success in reducing business travel emissions
Lowering the impact of business travel on the environment is an iterative process. The report identifies commonalities among interviewees, emphasizing the integral elements necessary to effectively reduce emissions from business travel:
- No One Size Fits All: Evaluate needs and return on investment before drawing from the toolbox.
- Make a Demand Signal: Corporate travel managers have a key role to play in signalling a growing demand for greener travel options.
- Start Today: Strive to improve emissions data − but don’t let perfection halt progress.
- Go “Glocal”: Global strategies should be localized to consider infrastructure and cultural differences.
- Future Proof: Combine quick wins with longer-term investments.
- Collaboration is Key: Sustainability is a shared effort between corporate travel managers, procurement, sustainability, and employee travellers.
Additional topics covered in the report include integrating climate considerations into corporate travel policies, measuring travel programme emissions, greening the procurement process, and navigating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) opportunities.
The report’s benchmarking methodology consisted of interviews with a dozen sustainability leaders from global companies that rely on business travel to successfully conduct their business. Participants included members of the GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Corporate Advisory Board, in collaboration with the GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council.
The full report can be downloaded here.
The Foundation is also set to launch a new global State of Climate Action study in June 2023. This report follows last year’s State of Sustainability in Global Business Travel Study and aims to measure the adoption of best practices for reducing Scope 3.6 emissions across the entire business travel community. The report will provide statistics on the progress made by various organisations in different regions toward their climate goals.
The report will be unveiled on June 13, 2023, at GBTA’s 2nd Sustainability Summit in Washington, D.C. which will include travel buyer case studies presented by Google, Salesforce and Shell.
The GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Program has also released a Sustainability Toolkit to guide, inform, and empower corporate travel managers in reducing the climate impact of business travel in their organisation.
First international construction arbitration conference in Vietnam draws strong support
The Hochiminh City International Construction Arbitration Conference (HICAC) 2023 – the first of its kind in Vietnam – chose complex construction arbitration as its theme to stimulate interest and build knowledge in this niche area.
Held at Le Méridien Saigon on April 17, 2023, it was organised by the Society of Construction Law – Viet Nam (SCLVN) and International Law Faculty – HCMC University of Law. Although total attendance was relatively small at 140 people, 34 per cent were from overseas, mainly from the region and Singapore in particular.
“The conference brought together professionals from the construction industry, experts, lawyers, arbitrators and academics to discuss the latest trends, practices and developments in construction arbitration,” said SCLVN chair Trung Nguyen.
Organisers managed to invite leading arbitrators, lawyers and academics as speakers and moderators at plenary and breakout sessions, while informal networking among attendees continued during the river cruise dinner.
SCLVN noted that as a developing country, Vietnam has seen a significant increase in construction activities, leading also to an increase in construction disputes. The complexity of construction projects and the involvement of multiple parties often results in disputes arising from various issues.
Trung noted: “As Vietnam continues to experience significant growth in construction activities, this conference provided a timely platform for potential arbitration users in Vietnam and the region to learn from the international arbitrators and experts’ experiences and insights into construction arbitration.”
Acknowledging challenges in organising its first high-level international conference, Trung said these were mainly in securing sponsors and speakers, such as for the panel on digital technology in international construction arbitration. Some participants also faced problems with online registration and payment.
Regardless, both organisers and attendees rated the venue highly, such as the meeting facilities at Le Méridien Saigon, and the professionalism and quality of service of the staff.
Amanda Lees, international arbitration partner at King & Wood Mallesons and a panellist, complimented SCLVN’s efforts. “We had a chance to elaborate on some of the issues identified in the keynote speech and discuss the importance of proactive case management by tribunals in Asian arbitrations.”
The next legal event is Vietnam ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution) Week 2023, which will be held simultaneously in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from May 8-12, 2023.
Vinexpo Asia 2023 returns to Singapore after four-year absence
Vinexpo Asia 2023, the wine and spirits industry’s largest B2B gathering in the region, will be held from May 23-25, 2025, at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore.
The three-day convention organised by Vinexposium marks the return of the event after a pandemic-induced hiatus.
An estimated 1,000 exhibitors and 8,000 trade visitors are expected to attend. Of the 8,000 visitors, most will hail from China, South Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam, with an estimated 50 per cent being importers.
On the exhibitor front, over 35 countries will be represented with producers from France, Italy, and Australia making major showings. The US has been named the country of honour for this year’s exhibition.
Part of the event will see Vinexpo Academy will be offering a slew of masterclasses, conferences, and tastings, providing over 52 hours of content for attendees. Highlights include the IWSR conference on global and Asian consumption trends, Battle of the Sommeliers, and the Vinexpo Challenge.
For instance, in the Battle of the Sommeliers, Singaporean sommelier Mason Ng, Malaysian sommelier Chuan Ann, and Vietnam’s sommelier Le Hoang Khanh Vi compete in a series of tasting challenges.
It has been announced that Vinexpo Asia 2024 will be held in Hong Kong, alternating with Singapore as the host country on odd-numbered years. Previously, Vinexpo has been held in Hong Kong since 1998.
Melbourne shines as a top choice for medical conferences
Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has secured 48 medical conferences which will take place within the next five years.
The 48 medical conferences are expected to attract 38,000 delegates to the city, an injection of A$225 million (US$149 million) to Victoria’s local economy, and legacy opportunities for investment, collaboration and medical breakthroughs into the future.
Melbourne has one of the largest and most innovative life science sectors in the world, with 40 per cent of Australia’s funding for medical research based in Melbourne, the highest proportion of people employed in the life sciences sector in Victoria, and the highest number of biotherapeutic companies in Australia.
Moreover, the commercial medical technologies and pharmaceuticals sector in Victoria generates more than A$12.7 billion in revenue, and the state’s life science sector is worth more than A$35 billion.
“When you host your conference in Melbourne you are tapping into the strengths of our city’s world-class knowledge and innovation hub,” said MCB’s chief executive Julia Swanson.
The upcoming Spine Intervention Society’s quadrennial SpineWeek in May is one of the 48 medical conferences coming to Melbourne and is expected to attract 2,250 delegates from across the globe and deliver around A$14.7 million to the local economy.
Similarly, The International Congress of Genetics in July is expected to attract 3,000 delegates, and deliver over A$26.6 million to the local economy, when it’s held in Melbourne this July. It’s a big win for the local accommodation sector too, with over 19,000 room nights expected to be filled across just these two events alone.
The importance of events such as these is about more than a one-off boost to the local economy, explained Swanson. “Medical conferences provide opportunities for investment, collaboration and knowledge-sharing, which can lead to significant breakthroughs in medical research and advancements in the healthcare sector.”
The Victorian Government continues to invest in major infrastructure such as the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct, an important life science cluster and one of only five of its calibre in the world; as well as the state-of-the-art, A$206 million Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery – Australia’s first collaborative, hospital-based biomedical engineering research centre set for completion in late 2024.
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The two-day MEETINGS tradeshow, organised by Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) for the business events community, has secured more than 230 leading business event organisers from Australia, North America, Singapore and New Zealand in attendance.
To be held at the new Tākina – Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 21 and 22, the event will comprise exhibition, educational and networking components.
BEIA chief executive, Lisa Hopkins said the response to the MEETINGS 2023 programme has been phenomenal.
“Now, more than ever, it is important to bring buyers to New Zealand to educate them on our destination and show them our country is back open and ready for their business,” she said.
“BEIA has been working with Tourism New Zealand, Business Events Wellington, and Air New Zealand to target key decision-makers. We have filled all our available hosted buyer spots in record time and day buyer registration is now open with chances for domestic event organisers to win travel to Wellington for MEETINGS.”
Tourism New Zealand will be hosting eight high-end senior incentive and meetings planners from North America who will visit Auckland and Queenstown before and after MEETINGS in Wellington.
BEIA will also host two international buyers and one media representative from Singapore. These influential buyers will visit Auckland and Christchurch prior to the main event.
With 100 hosted or semi-hosted buyers flying in from Australia, 86 are key decision-makers who have not attended MEETINGS before or have not been hosted since 2018. Over 130 hosted buyers from across New Zealand will attend this year, with 47 per cent hosted at MEETINGS for the first time.
“It’s a massive vote of confidence for our sector, for the new venue, our host city and for the MEETINGS programme this year,” Hopkins said.
Air New Zealand has again partnered with MEETINGS to facilitate flights for buyers and 26 Wellington hotels are hosting accommodation.
Meanwhile, day buyers who register before May 17 can stand a chance to win flights and travel expenses to MEETINGS plus social function tickets in one of three prize draws.
The day buyer programme is free of charge, and attendees can join hosted lunch and refreshments throughout the day, as well as educational programmes at the Tourism New Zealand Knowledge and Destination Hub.