Universal Holidays Travel & Tourism was established 13 years ago in Kuala Lumpur as a DMC which specialised mainly in inbound incentives from the Indian subcontinent and Middle East markets.
As time progressed, the company diversified its offerings to also include conference organising and corporate event planning services such as product launches and award ceremonies.
Zahira (front row, centre) and her team
Founder and CEO, Zahira Tahir, shared that in early 2020, the company had a head count of 30 staff. However, the closure of international borders, as well as restrictions imposed on domestic travel, resulted in heavy retrenchments then.
But after Malaysia reopened her borders last year, Zahira started rehiring, with priority given to those who had been retrenched. In 2022, Zahira also opened sales representation offices in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and India.
This year will see more new hires in the main office in Kuala Lumpur, as Zahira is confident that corporate business events will pick up this year, in particular from the Middle East, India and Pakistan.
To keep her staff highly motivated, Zahira rewards them with monetary incentives and organises annual company trips.
This year, Universal Holidays is planning a 4D3N company trip to Bali in November which will also include her staff based overseas.
“This will be the perfect opportunity for the overseas team to meet their Malaysian colleagues for the first time and get to know each another better. All this while, the overseas team has been communicating with the Malaysian team electronically,” Zahira shared.
Zahira also inculcates a sense of belonging by practising an open-door policy, and allowing staff to make decisions and practices. There are also regular brainstorming sessions in and outside the office where fresh ideas can be introduced and dissected without judgement.
She said: “We have a conducive work environment where I encourage everyone to offer new perspectives and explore out-of-the-box concepts.”
The Golo Mori convention facility in Golo Mori Village in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia, has been completed, in time for the 42nd ASEAN Summit 2023 which will happen from May 9-11, 2023.
The building comprises a convention hall and VVIP lobby that can hold up to 400 people, a VVIP lounge for 29 people, a VIP room with a capacity of 12 people, an amphitheatre with 500 seats, and a media centre for 50 people. In addition to business events facilities, there is also an observation deck, beach club, and wooden pier.
Golo Mori MICE facility
Built by the Indonesia Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), the Golo Mori convention facility is part of an integrated sustainable tourism resort that will include hotels, a Komodo dragon research and education centre, an adventure tourism site, as well as a tourist port. It faces Rinca Island, home to the famous Komodo dragons.
Ari Respati, ITDC’s president director, declared that Golo Mori is now open, and “ready to host business events”. He added: “We are optimistic that this area will become a leading tourism destination which will contribute to Eastern Indonesia’s economic development.”
Sandiaga Uno, Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy, added: “Preparations for the 2023 ASEAN Summit are in the final stages and are being finalised.”
He pointed out that during this period, tourists should expect price hikes due to the Summit and the side events in Labuan Bajo, and most accommodations would be fully booked.
A visitor at last year's GE2 Asia in Singapore. Photo: Gerardine Donough-Tan
Even as Global Gaming Expo (G2E) Asia returns to its Macau homeground this July, the Singapore Special Edition convened last August amid the pandemic is being retained.
Slated to be held at Sands Expo and Convention Centre from May 30 to June 1, 2023, organiser RX will be differentiating between the two events. The Singapore Special Edition will be for gaming professionals to network and conduct business, and the content will focus on gaming.
A visitor at last year’s G2E Asia in Singapore. Photo: Gerardine Donough-Tan
Meanwhile, the Macau edition will comprise the newly-launched Asian IR Expo, alongside G2E Asia. The focus will be on integrated resorts, and tourism and entertainment products beyond gaming. It will be held at the Venetian Macao from July 11-13, 2023, and leaders and decision-makers from leading integrated resorts in Asia are expected to attend.
Outlining its strategy and plans to TTGmice, RX said that the Asian IR Expo will be an invaluable platform to drive business diversification, and obtain expert insights on Macau’s latest economic development.
“The running of the Singapore and Macau events could perfectly serve the needs of gaming and non-gaming sectors in Asia,” said an RX spokesperson. “The Singapore event in May falls nicely in the global ‘gaming event calendar’, and allows our customers to go back to their normal routine of attending major global gaming events.”
G2E Asia 2022 in Singapore drew almost 4,800 trade visitors. Among the 63 per cent from overseas, many were from Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines.
One of the exhibitors, Interblock, told TTGmice that he was pleased with the quality of attendees. Its president, Michael Hu, said: “G2E Asia helped to drive our business further forward in the region – a valuable opportunity to show our strong array of games and full portfolio of electronic games and systems solutions.”
How do defence tradeshows like IMDEX Asia and Singapore Airshow raise Singapore’s value as a host city of such high-level gatherings?
International tradeshows such as IMDEX Asia and Singapore Airshow showcase state-of-the-art technology, raising Singapore’s national branding as an innovation hub.
Both events are Asia’s most influential platforms that gather industry stakeholders to contribute dialogues, exchange ideas and seek solutions to enhance the interests of the aviation, maritime defence and security industries. They offer a neutral platform for influential global industry players, promising start-ups, government officials and military representatives not just from Asia but around the world to gather.
In doing so, this demonstrates Singapore’s standing as the gateway to Asia-Pacific and its culture of collaboration, excellence and connectivity.
IMDEX Asia and Singapore Airshow are also important milestone events in the global naval and maritime defence, as well as aerospace and defence industries, respectively. Global and regional companies have established strong business relationships within the region because of the value that these shows bring. Past editions of the Singapore Airshow have recorded billions of dollars worth of deals, and in addition, exhibitors and trade visitors have also contributed significantly to Singapore’s economy.
The success of our events post-lockdown has put Singapore front and centre of the global business audience despite the uncertain economic outlook.
What is the impact of current geopolitical issues on defence tradeshows?
Global geopolitical developments have a marked impact on defence spending around the world and especially in the region. Tension in the South China Sea has led nations to step up their maritime presence to establish control over maritime and trade routes. In addition, navies in the region have embarked on the modernisation of their fleet in order to combat new-age security challenges.
These factors have led to global militarisation to increase rapidly over the course of the 21st century, with a clear recalibration towards the Asia-Pacific. Between 2000 and 2021, annual military spending increased from US$1.1 trillion to US$2.1 trillion. In that time, the share of global defence spending in Asia and Oceania increased from 18 per cent to 28 per cent according to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Current geopolitical developments suggest that navies will be more interested in vessels with increased firepower and capable of hosting a plethora of new sensors and unmanned systems. Autonomous vessels have been of key interest across a diverse range of industries and sectors for many years now, and they will continue to pique the interest of the naval and maritime security industry in 2023.
With benefits such as the reduction of officers sailing into danger, and the ability to enter areas that were previously seen as too dangerous or inaccessible for manned ships, autonomous vessels have changed the way we defend our seas.
To respond to global trends, both events will feature the latest technological developments in the industry. In addition, the latest technological innovations in the following sectors will be highlighted at What’s Next@IMDEX Asia 2023 – a launch pad aimed at aspiring startups.
How should Singapore lead the way for trade exhibitions of the future?
Singapore has established itself as a regional hub for global dialogues and events, drawing participants from across the world. With a favourable geographical spot, Singapore is strategically located at the centre of major shipping and air routes, free from natural disasters, thus making us a natural centrepoint for international events and exhibitions. Singapore has also been known for its political stability, efficient transport system and modern infrastructure. However, we must continue to improve and innovate to maintain our leading spot.
To champion our position as a leader in hosting global dialogues, Singapore’s MICE industry needs to focus on technology and innovation.
The adoption of technology in hybrid events also aids in streamlining our logistic processes. This flexibility has allowed participants to attend global dialogues in the comfort of their homes. It has given the MICE industry greater reachability while positively contributing to Singapore’s economy, thus raising the quality of our tradeshows too.
The industry needs to foster partnerships. Collaborating with industry experts as knowledge partners, who can contribute their expertise and insights to trade exhibitions, is crucial in nurturing such innovation.
For instance, for this year’s IMDEX Asia 2023, we are partnering with Starburst to help strengthen and cultivate our What’s Next programme and also to launch the Innovation Challenge – a competition for start-ups to showcase their revolutionary technologies. These programmes will not only give start-ups a chance to showcase their ideas on a global stage but also for key maritime stakeholders to explore and identify innovative solutions that will revolutionise the naval and defence industry.
There needs to be a focus on sustainability – finding innovative ways to be more cost-efficient while enhancing the quality and relevance of Singapore’s events.
As the owner of the Changi Exhibition Centre (CEC), Experia has been taking the active step by availing our facility to support Singapore’s drive towards alternative sources of energy. On the rooftop of CEC, we have 15,000 solar panels installed, capable of producing over 7,840 megawatt hours of power annually, which helps reduce over 3.2 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emission a year.
Attention to the quality of exhibitors, infrastructure and industry trends matter too.
What must Singapore do to continue to draw in exhibitions and conferences of strategic interest?
In 2022, the MICE sector in Singapore showed strong signs of recovery, with the number of international visitors arriving in Singapore surpassing the forecast made by the Singapore Tourism Board.
Singapore’s strong pipeline of landmark events will be distinctive due to our adaptive, innovative and long-term approach towards innovation. With optimism among businesses continuing to increase, we believe the number of events and exhibitions will grow exponentially and allow the MICE industry to reach its full growth potential.
For Singapore to become the preferred destination for global exhibitions and conferences, we need to continue to stay ahead of the curve in terms of embracing innovation that adds business value to exhibitors and enhances visitor experiences.
Concept
On the grounds of Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary in New South Wales sits a world-class medical facility which rescues, treats and rehabilitates sick or injured koalas, as well as provides a home for orphaned koalas.
One of Australia’s most iconic animals, unfortunately, the koala population in Port Stephens has shrunk to mere hundreds, as compared to more than a decade ago they numbered in the thousands. This is why the work of the sanctuary is important when it comes to the rehabilitation of injured koalas.
During a one-hour-long educational tour of the sanctuary with a local guide, I learnt about koalas’ dietary needs, their lifestyles, and how they are taken care of at the sanctuary. It was a nice touch to see signage located across the grounds with the names and details of the many koalas that have passed through the sanctuary’s gates.
Although most of the injured koalas are released back into the wild, there are a few that call the sanctuary their home for various reasons. Visitors will be able to watch these koalas from the Newcastle Airport SKYwalk, a 225m-long elevated pathway and viewing platform that winds around the koalas’ habitat, offering a unique tree-top perspective.
Port Stephens Koala Sanctuary is a collaboration between the local government agency, Port Stephens Council and Port Stephens Koalas Hospital.
MICE application
Although the sanctuary has been in existence for more than three decades, it only just set up 20 glamping units during the pandemic. Corporate groups will be able to stay overnight on the sanctuary grounds in comfortable one-bedroom deluxe suites or deluxe studio rooms.
This would provide incentive groups with an immersive experience, allowing groups to wake up with the koalas, and spend more time observing these marsupials from the viewing platform. There might also be chances for groups to look through the hospital viewing window, and see the vets in action, administering treatment to injured koalas.
Aside from staying overnight, incentive groups can also purchase souvenirs and other products at the Koala Centre Kiosk, where proceeds will go towards the continued rehabilitation of rescued koalas. – Additional reporting by Rachel AJ Lee
The Great Room, South Bridge reimagines the former Eu Yan Sang shophouse
Hospitality-led co-working operator The Great Room has expanded to its sixth location in Singapore at 269 South Bridge Road, occupying the 1910 conservation property which was once the medicine hall for Singapore heritage brand Eu Yan Sang.
The Great Room, South Bridge boasts 11 dedicated offices that can host between five to 70 members, one work hall, and four meeting rooms for two to 12 guests.
The Great Room, South Bridge reimagines the former Eu Yan Sang shophouse
Doubling as an event venue, The Drawing Room is ideal for smaller corporate events and meetings, while the outdoor alfresco space accommodates larger crowds, making it suitable for a variety of events and gatherings.
The location will also feature a rooftop alfresco restaurant and bar on the fourth floor, which is accessible to the public in the evenings.
“After the pandemic, we noticed a shift in how the global workforce has adopted approaches for flexible work and the use of flexible spaces. The Great Room, South Bridge is designed with the trove of knowledge we’ve gained about how the perception of work has changed over the course of the global pandemic, offering great flexibility to our members to suit their growing business needs,” said Jaelle Ang, co-founder and CEO of The Great Room.
Tourism Malaysia recently appointed Ammar Abd Ghapar as its new director-general, replacing Zainuddin Abdul Wahab who retired on April 10.
He has served 35 years in public service and will carry out the duties as senior director of management in addition to leading the Strategic Planning division and the Domestic & Events division of Tourism Malaysia.
Ammar was previously senior director for international promotion division for Americas, Europe and Oceania.
Santiburi Koh Samui has named Giulio Stix as its new general manager.
With almost two decades of experience in luxury hotels and resorts in Europe and Asia, Stix is fully versed in digital transformation, and has gained a reputation for his ability to design and implement effective marketing strategies.
Previously the CEO of a contemporary design company in his native Italy, Stix is also fluent in Italian, German, English, French and Spanish.
Guidelines address areas of concerns among institutes and interns
Good internship outcomes require commitment by both companies and interns
Look beyond internship programmes as a channel for talent acquisition and retention
Business events companies in Singapore are urged to develop more fruitful internship and training programmes to overcome ongoing talent acquisition and retention hurdles.
To help business events companies in this effort, the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) has written a guide on best practices for internships in the business events industry.
Business event firms, institutes and students discuss the value of internship at the MICE Talent Dialogue
Developed in consultation with institutes of higher learning and industry players in Singapore, such as National University of Singapore, Singapore Polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education, the guide provides a set of best practices for businesses and schools to reference when designing or embarking on internship programmes.
It covers key areas such as objectives of the internship, a mentorship framework, recommended working hours, leave benefits, allowance, workplace safety and wellbeing as well as early job offers.
Richard Ireland, president, SACEOS, told TTGmice that these were identified as areas for improvement through communications with institutes and their students since last year.
“We wanted to make these key areas very transparent so that conversations could happen between the institutes and companies, between students and the institutes, and between students and companies,” he said, adding that clarity around these key areas would give students the ability to discuss expectations, and to know what their internship programme will deliver for their learning journey.
While SACEOS is not able to enforce the application of the guide among companies, Ireland believes that companies will find that offering a quality internship programme will only benefit themselves.
“It is important to have transparency on what a good internship programme looks like. If I want to attract interns as an employer, this has to be my base. If I want to go to an institute and say I want recommended students, this has to be my base. The institutes are going to place students with companies that are ready to abide by these guidelines. And the best companies are going to get the best students,” he elaborated.
SACEOS will distribute the guide to all institutes, which will likely introduce these best practices to companies keen on engaging interns.
When asked by TTGmice if there were enough internship openings in Singapore to allow institutes the freedom to weed out companies with poor internship programmes, Ireland said: “Absolutely. But the real question is, are there enough companies using internship as an entry point for talents? Our industry employed 34,000 people pre-Covid, and up to 10,000 exited during the pandemic. While there are only about 1,000 graduates each year from MICE courses in Singapore, they are a good source of talents for companies in our industry.”
Consolidated data from SACEOS states that the various courses related to hospitality, tourism and events offered by seven institutes of higher learning in Singapore generate some 930 graduates each year.
Pipeline for talents During the MICE Talent Dialogue on April 18, held alongside the introduction of the guide on best practices for internships, speaker Lioba Mauch, regional HR manager at Koelnmesse in Singapore, said internship programmes have contributed to her company’s talent acquisition through the years, with at least 10 interns successfully converted to full-time hires and eight are still in the team.
But for internship programmes to be successful, Mauch said both the potential employer and the intern have to do their part. Potential employers will need to design a programme that allows interns to rotate through various roles to maximise their learning opportunities, offer mentorship, and treat interns like a team member and “not cheap labour”. Interns will need to contribute to the team, and should they hope to be converted to a full-time staff, express that intention and remain in contact should a job offer not be possible immediately.
At Clarion Events Asia, where Ireland is managing director, a number of interns have been absorbed into the full-time workforce over the years.
For those that have moved on to join other companies, Ireland said it was a “pay it forward” for the industry.
“(It is more important that) interns stay on in our industry. However, it is not just about whether they stay put, but also about their impression of this profession, the company and the career opportunities in our industry that they share with other students or graduates,” he added.
Look beyond internships Ireland told TTGmice that he is confident that the talent crunch could be managed “by hard work” on the part of employers to provide structured training opportunities for promising talents.
He also believes that internship should not be the only channel deployed by companies to attract talents.
Clarion Events Asia recently started a management trainee programme in Singapore that attracted 125 applicants from across institutes and fields of study. Of these, 30 were selected and invited to the office to participate in various individual and group work as well as interviews and interaction with different staff. The company eventually hired five into the programme, which will run for nine to 12 months and rotate trainees through different roles every three months.
Trainees are given the opportunity to take on sales, operations and content roles in different project teams and under different mentors. They will then be assessed on the best function or team for them at the end of the programme.
“We are six months into this, and the outcomes are quite optimistic. We find that role rotation is absolutely critical, as that gives the trainee the opportunity to try new things. That contributes to higher talent retention too, as young people want options and avenues to gain fresh experiences,” Ireland reflected.
“The great thing about our industry is the diversity of roles, projects and sector. You could be a conference manager for a project in the health sector, and what you experience would be very different from if you were handling sales for a gaming conference, or in an operations role for a consumer event. I don’t think we, as an industry, is selling that diversity of roles enough to potential hires. Furthermore, this is a profession with opportunities to travel,” he added.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
Ammar was previously senior director for international promotion division for Americas, Europe and Oceania.
Previously the CEO of a contemporary design company in his native Italy, Stix is also fluent in Italian, German, English, French and Spanish.
She joins The Heritage Hotel Manila from Boracay Tropics and Hotel Celeste in Makati, where she was director of sales and marketing.
