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.
Aivia can support multiple spoken floor languages and two-way interpretation in live events
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.
A rendering of the Tipsy Unicorn, which will have event space for corporate gatherings
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.
A rendering of the Tipsy Unicorn, which will have event space for corporate gatherings
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.
From left: Judy Koh and Fai Abdullah
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.
Singapore-based Xperience DMC has joined euromic, a member-owned not-for-profit association of DMCs.
With the addition of Singapore, euromic now covers eight of the largest Asian economies, giving global meeting incentive planners a network to work within the region. This also brings euromic’s portfolio of DMC service operators to 52 destinations.
Jane Goh
Xperience was established in Singapore in 2018 by Jane Goh, Brian Yin and Gunther Homerlein, who aim to leave their guests with the sense that they had enjoyed the best that Singapore has to offer.
Xperience DMC has been rewarded with five continuous years of recognition in the annual Singapore Tourism Awards.
With borders now open, the Macau government and business events stakeholders have intensified their efforts to create more leisure tourism experiences – that can be built around corporate events and meetings – to lengthen the stay of business travellers to Macau.
As part of the diversification of its offerings, the Macau government has adopted a “1+4” plan. It refers to the ongoing development of Macau’s tourism and leisure industries but with an additional focus on four new industries – big health, high-tech, modern finance, and conventions and exhibitions including culture and sports.
Studio City is a Hollywood-inspired, cinematically-themed resort on the Cotai Strip
The “1+4” plan will clarify the development direction of some industries, and will also include the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.
According to the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM), the city will host around 700 to 1,000 convention and exhibition events this year, up at least 40 per cent when compared to 2022.
Overall, the tourism sector has been off to a great start, with 200,000 visitors in 1Q2023, buoyed by business events such as a large-scale international corporate conference with over 10,000 attendees in April, and a 4,000-pax finance conference in May.
An IPIM spokesperson explained: “This is why we sent representatives to wave our flags at global events like UFI Global CEO Summit 2023, held in Portugal in February. We also attended UFI Asia-Pacific Conference last March to attract international organisers. So far, gaming expo G2E Asia 2023 has confirmed its return in July along with the UFI Asia-Pacific Conference in 2024; it’s the first time the conference has come back since its debut in Macau in 2008. These demonstrate their confidence in our future.”
Aside from promoting Macau on the global stage, IPIM also develops trade partnerships, as well as tie into event calendars to craft guided local tours suitable for corporates and event visitors.
Meanwhile, the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) remains in charge of promoting incentive tourism, since it was transferred to the portfolio of the Secretary for Economy and Finance on February 1, 2021. To further develop the incentives sector, MGTO launched a Travel Stimulation Program.
Under the programme, MGTO provides approved applicants with appropriate destination support, such as souvenirs, cultural performances, half-day tours to experience the Historic Centre of Macao, and more.
In order to be eligible for the programme, corporate groups must include at least 25 non-Macau participants and stay for a minimum of two consecutive nights.
Aside from incentives, the programme also covers wedding tourism, student tourism, and sports tourism.
An aerial view of Macau (Photo by Macao Government Tourism Office)
The private sector has also stepped up efforts to court more international groups as visitors return.
Melco Resorts & Entertainment has currently secured around 10 international events – spanning from meetings to incentives – that will happen over the next six months. Groups vary in sizes, with the largest at around 900 pax.
Its spokesperson shared that more investments will be poured into its non-gaming activities, which aim to bring “world-class shows, art exhibitions, fun-filled family attractions, as well as modern and interactive cultural venues to Macau”. In line with this, Melco Resorts & Entertainment also launched Asia’s first-ever residency concert series.
Other fresh attractions include the opening of Melco’s own branded hotel, Epic Tower, and an all-year-round indoor waterpark in April, all of which are part of Phase 2 of Studio City.
Other projects in the pipeline include the soon-to-open W Macau, as well as new retail and F&B outlets. Upgrades will also Grand Hyatt Macau’s meeting and function facilities.
All of these facilities aim to attract local families and foreign tourists alike, complement Melco’s existing hospitality offerings and further boost the company’s MICE business,” the spokesperson added.
Meanwhile, event management and teambuilding planner smallWORLD Experience is currently rebuilding its team, much like many other businesses in Macau.
Its executive director, partner, Bruno Simões, told TTGmice: “The resumption of business activities only commenced two months ago. Numerous operators, such as restaurants, transportation companies, and event service providers are still grappling to meet current demand.”
Regardless, he is optimistic of Macau’s business events future, adding that he plans to “begin promotional campaigns during the upcoming summer season.”
Although the industry has been down, we are confident that brighter days are ahead. We are currently in the process of healing our wounds, and eagerly await MICE recovery this summer. Let’s stay positive and keep pushing forward!” Simões said.
Discova Japan has appointed Takahiro Kondo as the new regional contracting manager, stationed in Tokyo, Japan.
He brings a wealth of expertise and experience in the travel industry to the company, having worked for many years in various capacities, including product development, contract management, and supplier relations.
In his new role, Kondo will be instrumental in driving innovation, developing new travel products, and cultivating strategic partnerships with local suppliers.
Emirates has named Rashed Alfajeer as the manager for Singapore and Brunei.
He succeeds Rashid Al Ardha, who has moved on to manage the airline’s operations in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Alfajeer embarked on his professional journey with Emirates a decade ago when he joined the Emirates Commercial Outstation Management Trainee Programme in 2013. He has held several key positions around the globe, and was most recently the manager for Iran and Central Asia.
Centara has appointed Pannarat Tantrativud as the new assistant vice president – CRM & customer service.
She will be responsible for leading Centara’s CRM and loyalty strategies, as well as the Customer Contact Centre, ensuring optimal customer service, relationship management, retention and commercial returns.
Prior to joining Centara, she was the general manager at Scale 360 Co.
Large-scale venues no longer sell floor space, they also help to enrich destination experiences for visitors; Singapore skyline pictured
Instead of working in silos, large-scale venues in Singapore have gone beyond selling floor space and are working together with the community to spread economic benefits around.
For instance, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) has moved away from traditional venue thinking, which is just about selling space, to build richer experiences for delegates and visitors to the integrated resort. This is how its Bay Precinct Strategy was born.
Large-scale venues no longer sell floor space, they also help to enrich destination experiences for visitors; Singapore skyline pictured
Paul Town, chief operating officer, MBS, elaborated at the recent Singapore MICE Forum: “If we have an event with 8,000 people, we are unable to accommodate them all in our rooms alone. This is why we’ve partnered with other hotels (such as Swissotel The Stamford, and Pan Pacific Singapore) in the Marina Bay area.”
Town added that it was not just about partnering with hotels, but also with attractions in the area such as Gardens by the Bay, and the National Gallery, to “build a much richer” pre- or post-event experience.
“It’s not about keeping the delegates on the property anymore; we want to provide a broader Singapore experience,” he added.
This is why MBS has also built a calendar around six to eight signature festivals that revolve around F&B, music, art, wellness, and retail and fashion, which delegates can enjoy after a day of business events.
Constellar’s group CEO, Chua Wee Phong, agreed that the Singapore Expo, a large-scale venue the company manages, has had to go beyond selling space and instead, rethink how its clients – who are event organisers – can deliver immersive experiences to their customers in turn.
“We created the Singapore Expo Advantage Program, bringing together our expansive network of partners, service providers and suppliers, to provide a one-stop service for event organisers looking to host event experiences at our venue. Through this programme, our clients can access a diverse range of travel, accommodation, media partnerships, event support and lifestyle activities to design bespoke experiences for their attendees,” revealed Chua.
However, Chua pointed out that the entire business events industry should rethink the way it delivers experiences, and not just large-scale venues. “There is a lot more we can do as a community to harness collective strengths across the value chain, building a stronger brand for Singapore as a global MICE destination.”
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is also doing its part to attract more large-scale events to the city, acknowledging that the spill-over of large-scale events benefits many more segments of the tourism community.
Edward Koh, executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, added: “We continue to enhance the supply and discoverability of our leisure offerings that international MICE travellers can enjoy as part of their itinerary.”
For instance, business travellers on short visits can redeem a complimentary leisure experience under SingapoRewards, STB’s tourism incentive programme which offers a range of activities such as tours and workshops by local tourism businesses.
“We have also enhanced other assistance schemes and incentives offered to MICE groups and event organisers to provide them with more avenues to experience Singapore alongside their business engagements. One example is the In Singapore Incentives & Rewards Global 2.0 programme, which offers close to 80 experiences at various attractions, dining and leisure activities.”
In 2019, Singapore’s business events sector contributed an economic value-add of S$3.8 billion (US$2.8 billion) and supported more than 34,000 jobs before the disruption caused by the pandemic.
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She has over 25 years of experience, and previously oversaw the consumer managed services programme for an American multinational financial services corporation.
In his new role, Kondo will be instrumental in driving innovation, developing new travel products, and cultivating strategic partnerships with local suppliers.
Alfajeer embarked on his professional journey with Emirates a decade ago when he joined the Emirates Commercial Outstation Management Trainee Programme in 2013. He has held several key positions around the globe, and was most recently the manager for Iran and Central Asia.
Prior to joining Centara, she was the general manager at Scale 360 Co.
