THAIFEX – HOREC Asia to debut in Bangkok next year
The Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), the Thai Chamber of Commerce (TCC), and Koelnmesse, have joined forces to create an all-new HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, and catering) tradeshow next year.
Scheduled to take place from March 6 to 8, 2024 at IMPACT, Muang Thong Thani, Bangkok, Thailand, the inaugural tradeshow will showcase a comprehensive range of innovative solutions in nine major segments: Bakery & Ice-cream, Café and Bar, Cleaning and Laundry, Dining, Furnishing, Kitchen, Services, Tech, and Wellness.
Additionally, there will be several supporting programmes, including a Hosted Buyer Programme, slated to host more than 500 top buyers from Asia, allow them the opportunity to network. Industry players can also glimpse into the future of HoReCa at the THAIFEX – HOREC Xperiential Zone, and gain access to industry insights, perspectives, and best industry practices by attending forums, live workshops, and culinary demonstrations.
Phusit Ratanakul Sereroengrit, director-general, Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), noted that after three challenging years of Covid-19 restrictions, the HoReCa industry is now seeing a surge in consumer demand as people are eager to return to travelling, dining out, and other forms of entertainment.
“Thailand is… a famous tourist destination with a quality reputation for great hospitality and strong capability to serve the needs of the industry. This year, Thailand is expected to receive more than 20 million foreign visitors. Backlog demand is leading to an unprecedented need for new investments and opportunities in the HoReCa industry. Given the growth trajectory and our great achievement of THAIFEX – Anuga Asia tradeshow, all three organisers are confident that THAIFEX – HOREC Asia will be a beneficial platform to meet the needs of the region’s fast-growing tourism and hospitality industry.”
The debut event aims to attract over 300 leading brands and 20,000 trade visitors from South-east Asia and key cities across Asia-Pacific.
Nominations for Singapore MICE Awards now open
The Singapore MICE Awards will take place for the first time on July 27, 2023, to recognise the achievements and contributions of the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry.
Organised by the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) and supported by the Singapore Exhibitions & Convention Bureau (SECB), the Singapore MICE Awards will feature as part of the Singapore MICE Forum.
The annual awards will cover 11 categories, including Trade Show of the Year, Meeting/Conference of the Year, Venue of the Year, Sustainability Initiative of the Year and Emerging Talent of the Year.
Nominations for the Singapore MICE Awards are now open and will close on May 26, 2023. Winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner on July 27, 2023.
It is the first of such awards that are organised by the industry for the industry, which has inspired with its spirit of resilience, innovation and collaboration throughout the past three years.
Besides honouring the outstanding achievements of the sector, the Singapore MICE Awards will showcase Singapore as a leading global destination for business events and provide a platform for networking and sharing best practices among business events professionals in Singapore.
Arinex participates in Wongabel Mabi Forest restoration
Australasian event management company Arinex has become the first to trial a new reforestation project open to business event groups visiting Tropical North Queensland.
While in Cairns for the Arinex Conference, team members had an opportunity to learn about and revitalise the endangered ecosystem of the Wongabel Mabi Forest Restoration project. The team funded the planting of enough native trees to remove the non-travel-related carbon emissions generated by the conference.
Situated on the Atherton Tablelands near Cairns, the project is the only one of its kind involving Mabi Forest species. It is a collaboration between Reforest (a company that assists businesses in taking climate action), Terrain (an environmental management organisation), and the local community.
With support from Tourism Tropical North Queensland (TTNQ), their goal is to revegetate an area of land previously cleared for forestry and agriculture, by enlisting the help of businesses and individuals.
Nicole Walker, managing director of Arinex, said empowering clients to reduce their event carbon footprints is a priority for the company and the team was privileged to be the first to trial the reforestation project.
“This project highlights a practical and impactful way that sustainability can be incorporated into conference and incentive programmes. We were able to give back to the Cairns region and make a positive environmental impact through hands-on work. We look forward to extending this opportunity to our clients in the future,” Walker said.
TTNQ CEO, Mark Olsen, noted that including a corporate social responsibility aspect in an event itinerary is a fulfilling way to leave a positive impact on a destination beyond the event’s influence.
“The Wongabel Mabi Forest restoration project is an exemplary model of regenerative tourism and part of a larger set of sustainable tourism initiatives that allow visitors to make a positive impact on the Cairns region while exploring the area during their visit,” Olsen said.
Arinex followed up their reforestation efforts with a wider tour of the region including Lake Eacham, the mountain village of Kuranda and the Caravonica lakes.
Emirates, United activate codeshare partnership for the US
Emirates and United have activated their codeshare partnership, allowing Emirates customers to enjoy easier access to an expanded choice of destinations in the US.
Emirates customers will be able to fly to Chicago, Houston or San Francisco and connect easily to United’s expansive network of domestic US points.
Similarly, Emirates customers in the US can easily access Dubai and beyond, across the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and the Indian subcontinent, where the Middle Eastern carrier operates extensively.
Emirates is enabling its Skywards members to earn and redeem miles on all flights across United’s worldwide network, while United will allow its MileagePlus members to earn miles on select flights in the Emirates network when travelling from Newark to Dubai and onwards to certain destinations.
Both airlines have an interline arrangement, affording travel conveniences to their customers.
JW Marriott arrives in Jeju
JW Marriott has opened the JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa in Seogwipo, Jeju, perched on a cliffside overlooking the volcanic coastlines of the South Korean island.
The property can comfortably host travelling delegates in its 197 guestrooms including 28 suites, where Deluxe Rooms start from 45m2, while Suites start from 92m2.
Event spaces include the 561m2 Grand Ballroom for a 600pax reception, where all come equipped with the latest audiovisual technology.
Delegates looking to unwind after a long day of meetings can head to the spa. The Spa by JW features sauna facilities, and four indoor and outdoor swimming pools fed by the island’s volcanic springs.
To relax further, guests can also participate in organised morning walks, yoga, pilates, meditation, or sound healing sessions; while special interest activities include a Jeju Tea ceremony, and traditional wine tastings.
Also located on the resort’s grounds are five F&B options, which include the all-day dining Island Kitchen; a BBQ and rotisserie restaurant, The Flying Hog; and Yeoumul, a Jeju-style omakase restaurant, featuring seasonal ingredients and fresh seafood harvested by the island’s local female divers called Haenyeo.
As for bleisure travellers with their families in tow, the brand’s signature Family by JW programme organises activities for their young ones such as cooking classes, and harvesting fresh produce from the resort’s own JW Garden. This is in addition to the kids’ club, playground, and swimming pool.
The great revival
With travel restrictions finally lifted by the Hong Kong SAR government in January, stakeholders in the business events industry are feeling more certain about the future, and have kickstarted various initiatives to start courting international events again.
According to a spokesperson from AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE), international events heading to Hong Kong in 2023 have the potential to reach pre-pandemic levels.
The spokesperson shared: “Our marketing initiatives never stopped even during Covid. The MICE team continued to engage with organisers, and stayed in close contact with the Hong Kong Tourism Board.
“AWE also leveraged platforms such as the UFI Global Summit to share the latest developments at (the venue), as well as the subsidy scheme introduced by the Hong Kong SAR government.”
As a result, AWE scored the Global Sources’ flagship series of tradeshows, which will take place April 11 to 21, 2023.
RISE, a tech event, will also return to AWE for the next five years, starting from 2024.
Aside from its marketing efforts, AWE has continuously upgraded its hardware. Its HK$600 million (US$76.5 million) venue-wide upgrades include the use of IoT in its operations, and the introduction of 5G and Wi-Fi 6.
The next digitalisation effort will target billboards and branding touchpoints in high-traffic areas, and will be unveiled in phases from now until 2026.
New and upgraded attractions have also been introduced in the past few years. Most notable among the dozens of new developments are M+ and Hong Kong Palace Museum at the West Kowloon Cultural District, the new sixth-generation Peak Tram, Water World Ocean Park, the new night-time show Momentous at Hong Kong Disneyland, and enhanced waterfront promenades offering spectacular new ways to admire Victoria Harbour.
Hotels are not far behind, with many ramping up their operations to prepare for business rebound.
General manager of The Park Lane Hong Kong, A Pullman Hotel, Luc Bollen, told TTGmice: “We recently converted a few floors into executive rooms and an exclusive executive lounge in order to accommodate Chinese conference groups, senior management from China companies, as well as luxury travellers.”
Bollen expects Chinese guests will combine business and leisure when they return to Hong Kong for their first trip in three years.
As for the brand new 1,208-room Regala Skycity Hotel, it has been contacting previous and potential event clients, and has resumed its advertising and promotion campaigns targeting both China and overseas markets.
The property is located a two-minute walk from AWE and 11 Skies – expected to be Hong Kong’s largest hub for retail, dining and entertainment – via an enclosed footbridge.
The hotel’s spokesman said: “International events take about one to two years to plan, so we expect the pace in 2023 to be a bit slower. More events will be held in 2024 and beyond.”
Regala Skycity Hotel’s immediate focus is set on the shorthaul market due to the shorter lead time to organise events. Fam trips for corporate travel agents and planners from shorthaul markets are currently underway to showcase the hotel.
“In the long term, we also plan to target longhaul markets like Europe and the US. Related marketing and promotion strategies will be rolled out in due time,” the spokesperson said.
Yet, there remains a sense of caution among Hong Kong’s battered business events stakeholders.
Gunther Homerlein, owner and general manager of Destination China, pointed out: “Restrictions are not yet fully lifted. We still have a mask mandate, and some of our longhaul clients have said they will not consider Hong Kong until (these obstacles are) gone, so it will be slower coming back. Having said that, we are seeing requests from June onwards and have already confirmed some corporate groups for mid-2023.”
A challenge ahead for Hong Kong, Homerlein added, is the manpower shortage across the tourism ecosystem, as many of workers have left the industry.
Minor Hotels names Craig Cochrane as chief people officer
Craig Cochrane has been appointed as the new chief people officer of Minor Hotels.
He will oversee people and culture functions for Minor Hotels in his new role, including employee engagement, maintaining a strong company culture and leading learning and development programmes for the group.
Cochrane joins Minor Hotels from Accor Hotels where he served as senior vice president of talent & culture – Turkey, India, Middle East & Africa.
International delegates arrive in Australia for Mega Famil Showcase
The Business Events Australia Asia Mega Famil Showcase kicked off today (March 30) with the first group of international planners arriving in Australia for pre-famil visits ahead of the Sydney programme with host city partner Business Events Sydney (BESydney).
Fifty international planners and media will be attending the Showcase from the Asia region, including Greater China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Korea.
Tourism Australia executive general manager of commercial & Business Events Australia, Robin Mack, said the Asia Mega Famil Showcase is a key initiative in Business Events Australia’s distribution activity this financial year to increase consideration, advocacy, and drive demand and conversion for Australia as an incentive destination.
“Asia is an important region for Australia with more than 316,000 business events visitors from the region travelling to our shores in 2019, contributing A$1.4 billion (US$935.2 million) in direct expenditure,” Mack said.
Commenting on the buyers in attendance, Mack said: “We are excited to be hosting a mix of planners, who have previously visited Australia but haven’t experienced our recent infrastructure development, as well as those who will be experiencing our destination for the very first time.”
And with the return of two-way quarantine-free travel with China, a “strong contingent of planners from the market” will be in attendance, highlighting Australia as a “highly-desirable destination for business events”, Mack noted.
International planners and media will travel to Sydney on April 2 for the host city component of the programme. Over the course of three days, international planners and media will have the opportunity to receive a destination update from Australian convention bureaux during a business session and enjoy a Sydney showcase.
Business Events Sydney CEO, Lyn Lewis-Smith, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Business Events Australia on this initiative so quickly after markets have reopened. These are such important markets for our city and the nation, and we could not be more proud to be able to show key business events decision-makers and influencers around our favourite sights, sounds and feel new Sydney experiences so they can help us build demand back as airline capacity returns.
“Sydney is a dynamic, ever-evolving youthful city built on ancient indigenous lands, and that is such an exciting story to share with the world, particularly as we see recent significant investment into the city coming to fruition, including the Sydney Modern opening, redevelopments of Darling Harbour, Sydney Fish Markets (opening 2024) and the new Western Sydney International Airport (in 2026) combined with a new hotel landscape and cool laneway bar precincts taking the celebrations late into the night.”
Good support
Benson Tang
Executive director, corporate travel, Informa Markets/executive director, Corporate Travel Community
Corporate Travel Community follows a sustainability checklist.
There must be an on-site organic waste composter that breaks down organic waste, a seawater heating and cooling system that reduces energy consumption, rooftop plants and/or grass to insulate the building to reduce energy consumption for air conditioning, and a sophisticated black water treatment plan that cleans and recycles water for non-potable uses such as for rooftop irrigation and toilet flushing.
During an event, beverages should be served in glasses or compostable cups instead of single-use plastic bottles.
And, in procuring with the community in mind, the venue should have partnerships with local social enterprises, and continues to educate and influence long-term sustainable behaviour with exhibitors, decorators and attendees.
Mathias Kuepper
Managing director and vice president, Asia-Pacific, Koelnmesse
Producing sustainable events is not solely the responsibility of convention centres. It is a joint effort by all stakeholders, where organisers, venues, stand contractors, and other service providers have a role to play.
Convention centres can support organisers by implementing recycling and composting programmes, comply with green building codes when it comes to energy-efficient lighting and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) systems, and water conservation efforts.
In addition, convention centres could switch to green energy and invest in their own renewable energy sources, such as solar power. Being a certified green building certainly creates confidence and helps organisers in their assessment and venue-selection process.
Another important point is also to support organisers in their digitalisation efforts by providing the infrastructure to replace wasteful custom-build orientation and information systems.
Katrina Leung
Managing director,
Messe Berlin (Singapore)
The tradeshow sector and convention centres, in particular, have a responsibility to make events as sustainable and resource efficient as possible.
There is potential for savings in lighting, for example, through the increased use of LEDs, and in water consumption through increased recycling.
In the long-term, solar cells could be mandatory on the rooftops of the convention centres.
It goes without saying not to use paper wherever possible, and the convention centre should constantly try to find digital options.
Waste separation, continuous improvement of public transport (to access the convention centre) and the reuse of materials for advertising, badges and stand furniture play a major role.
I also welcome a guide for the entire industry on how to conduct events with environmental protection, social justice and economic efficiency in mind.
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He takes over from Jean-François Quentin, who will be moving on from the company after June 30, 2023 to pursue personal interests.
Prior to Constellar, Chua built the exhibition business for Singapore Press Holdings into one of the biggest event companies in Singapore.