CWT is integrating WhatsApp into its messaging service channel, giving its customers’ employees another way to contact CWT for assistance with their travel arrangements.
Offered in multiple languages, the messaging service can also be accessed through the myCWT web and mobile apps, Microsoft Teams, and Workplace from Meta, and is currently used by over 1,000 customers in more than 70 countries.
CWT now has a WhatsApp function
With an active user community of 2.2 billion worldwide, WhatsApp is one of the most widely used communication apps. It has also become a popular way for people to connect with businesses, with 175 million people messaging a business on WhatsApp every day, making it an ideal addition to CWT’s suite of channels.
“Since its launch in late 2019, the convenience of our messaging service has quickly made it the preferred support channel for many travellers, with customer satisfaction scores of over 90 per cent,” said Erica Antony, CWT’s chief product officer.
The recently-opened Dorsett Melbourne’s meeting spaces are now available for booking, and to celebrate, the hotel has released a Dorsett Delight Meeting Package.
Any new event booking will be offered the choice of one Dorsett Delight perk. Planners can choose from perks such as complimentary venue hire; complimentary barista coffee upgrade for all delegates; a 30-minute conference wind-down canapes and drinks for all delegates; complimentary full buffet breakfast with residential accommodation bookings; or a complimentary room upgrade to next accommodation available for bookings that include accommodation.
Meeting room
This offer is valid for new bookings made until September 30, 2023, for any event date booked.
Dorsett Melbourne features three meeting rooms for small to medium-sized events, where each space can host 48-pax theatre style, or 40-pax banquet-style.
The property itself comprises 316 guestrooms, as well as amenities such as an indoor heated pool, spa, sauna, steam room, wellness room, and a gym, as well as three F&B venues.
Hilton has opened Conrad Shenzhen in the city’s Qianhai business district.
The hotel offers 2,100m2 of meeting and event space, across a 1,1000m2 grand ballroom decked out with the latest audiovisual technology, and five multipurpose function rooms. The ballroom is connected to a foyer that is flooded with natural light, and filled with contemporary sculptures inspired by the lush hills and rugged shores of Shenzhen.
Event planners can house their corporate guests in one of the 300 rooms available. Guestrooms start from 56m2, and each room has been designed with floor-to-ceiling windows and offers views of the bay or the city, separate lounge and work areas, as well as full-sized luxury amenities from European brand Byredo.
Among the hotel’s facilities are a fitness centre, an indoor pool, and four restaurants and bars. These range from Chinese restaurant CH’AO which serves up Chaozhou cuisine with locally-sourced seasonal ingredients, to the Collective Bar – which can be booked exclusively by groups – offering views over Qianhai Bay from the outdoor patio.
Conrad Shenzhen is situated in the heart of the city’s financial centre, 25 minutes from Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and steps away from Guiwan metro station.
From left: Mandy Nicholson, Dianne Smith; and Eric Reynolds
Mandy Nicholson, Dianne Smith, and Eric Reynolds are the latest inductees to Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre’s (MCEC) Club Melbourne Ambassador Program.
Nicholson, a Wurundjeri-willam (Wurundjeri-baluk patriline) artist and Traditional Custodian of Melbourne and surrounds, is a cultural and community leader. As the founder, singer and songwriter of Djirri Djirri, the only Wurundjeri female dance group, Nicholson preserves and shares her culture through community ceremonies, dance, language and cultural workshops. Currently pursuing a PhD at Monash University, she is researching ways that Aboriginal people connect to Country, off Country.
From left: Mandy Nicholson, Dianne Smith; and Eric Reynolds
Nicholson is the first Traditional Owner to join the Club Melbourne Ambassador Program, bringing a wealth of knowledge to the cohort.
Smith is the CEO of Industry Capability Network, an independent body that maximises procurement and supply chain opportunities, providing support services for buyers and suppliers across Australia and delivering employment and socio-economic outcomes.
She previously held chief executive positions at Melbourne Chamber of Commerce and Victorian Tourism Industry Council.
Laureate Professor Reynolds is the CEO and research director of the Oral Health Cooperative Research Centre at the Melbourne Dental School. His career in molecular biology, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, cardiology and periodontology has led to the development of 19 patents and has earned him numerous awards for his contributions to science.
The Club Melbourne programme includes over 80 Ambassadors who are business and community leaders in different fields including agriculture, science, medicine and technology.
Club Melbourne Ambassadors work alongside the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) to secure significant conferences and events that promote Victoria as a leading knowledge destination.
Since its inception in 2005, the Club Melbourne Ambassadors, together with MCB, have secured over 160 international conferences worth over A$1 billion (US$680.8 million) to Victoria’s economy and brought tens of thousands of visitors to the city.
An aerial view of Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa
The five-star Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa in Vietnam has completed an initial series of refurbishments, following a decade in operation, and has tuned up its focus on medium-sized corporate groups as well as accompanying families.
The enhancements comprise an expanded kids’ club Camp Hyatt with four indoor and outdoor play zones; rebranded F&B outlets, Italian restaurant Osteria Al Mare and lounge space Terrasse; a new art gallery that features both local and visiting artists; and Vive Océane beach club, a new option for beachside cocktail evenings and team dinners.
An aerial view of Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa
Adrian Pulido, general manager, Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa, shared: “One of the opportunities for us is medium-sized corporate groups because the hotel is able to comfortably cater to them. Aside from corporate travellers themselves, we are also encouraging them to bring their families along by offering a host of other experiences.”
To achieve this, the hotel will participate in Hyatt fairs to meet with clients in targeted countries, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s Together by Hyatt event planning programme, a new approach to help bring people together again with a deeper sense of trust, connection and wellbeing. The top business event markets for the resort are currently Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong, while South Korea generates several groups. Pencilled into the calendar this year are two corporate groups from Singapore, where one in September will have 500 participants and the other 900 in October.
Pulido added that the VIPs from the 900-pax group will be staying at the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa, while the rest will be split over several other hotels in Danang. The gala dinner and main events will be held at the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa.
More enhancements such as a zone for teenagers are in talks, while the standalone event building – which has a dedicated entrance and breakout rooms on the second storey – will be getting an uplift in the future. The ground-floor ballroom will also be expanded to accommodate more people.
Other event spaces include five outdoor lawns and poolside areas. The property has five pools in total; two of which are located in another section of the resort, allowing for private events.
When asked if the resort would feel too crowded when occupancy gets high, Pulido pointed out that the 20-hectare resort has more than enough space for everyone, and is able to ramp up production and manpower easily, allowing it to open more restaurants for breakfast service, for instance.
Another unique selling point of the hotel, according to Pulido, is its wide variety of accommodations, such as villas, residences, and hotel rooms, which is “not something that other hotels in the area have”.
In total, the hotel houses 198 rooms and suites, 144 one- to three-bedroom residences, and 18 three-bedroom villas, alongside 900m2 of event and meeting facilities. The beachfront property also enjoys direct access to a 700m-long stretch of Non Nuoc Beach.
The Australian Business Events Association (ABEA) has appointed Melissa Brown as its inaugural CEO, a role that she will assume on September 4, 2023.
Brown’s has been stationed in the UK, US, and Hong Kong, working with organisations such as Telstra and Talent International. She played a pivotal role in managing the Australian Chamber of Commerce in London, where she built a significant associate membership and advocacy programme.
She then returned to Australia to contribute to cyber security start-up, Sapien Cyber.
The Board identified Melissa’s passion for building teams and her proven track record in managing diverse stakeholders as key attributes that will enable her to be a champion for the varied organisations and interests that form the business events industry.
The launch event for Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference & Exhibition 2024 was held in Kuala Lumpur
Sarawak is poised to accelerate the growth of its hydrogen economy with the highly anticipated Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference & Exhibition (APGH) 2024.
Set to take place from June 11-13, 2024, at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching, Sarawak, this event is set to propel the destination to the forefront of the green hydrogen revolution.
The launch event for Asia Pacific Green Hydrogen Conference & Exhibition 2024 was held in Kuala Lumpur
“In the Asia-Pacific region, the demand for green hydrogen is expected to grow by 50 per cent per year over the next decade. As such, there is a need to ramp up the development and construction of Green Hydrogen plants. Over the last year, it was announced that production volumes for Hydrogen have increased by more than 40 per cent to 38 million tones per annum of additional capacity, roughly half of what the world needs by 2030 to be on track to meet the net zero emissions commitment by 2050.
“Hence, there is a need to move the projects from feasibility to Front End Engineering Design or FEED stage, to the construction phase and ultimately operations. I am happy to share that our hydrogen projects are currently in the FEED stage and the Final Investment Decision (FID) is planned for next year,” said Hazland bin Abang Hipni, deputy minister for energy and environmental sustainability Sarawak, at the launch of the event in Kuala Lumpur.
He added that APGH 2024 will “bring together leading experts from around the world to discuss the latest developments in green hydrogen, especially in the technology, policy, regulation and infrastructure development space”. The event will also provide an opportunity for youths to learn about clean energy, the energy transition and green hydrogen.
During the launch event, OCBC Bank (Malaysia) Berhad (OCBC Bank) also solidified its commitment to sustainability and decarbonisation by becoming the Exclusive Financial Institution Partner for APGH 2024.
According to Tan Ai Chin, senior banker, managing director and head of investment banking of OCBC Bank, the Bank’s involvement is aimed at meaningfully contributing to the Sarawak State’s sustainability initiatives towards achieving its goal of a low carbon and inclusive green economy by 2030. The bank’s efforts would also contribute to the OCBC Group’s Net Zero ASEAN and Greater China target by 2050.
Anticipated to attract 100 exhibitors, 500 conference delegates and 4,000 trade visitors, APGH 2024 is organised by Borneo Business Connect, and supported by the Ministry of Energy and Sustainability Sarawak and Business Events Sarawak.
Trade conference participants at gamescom asia 2022
This year’s gamescom asia will be hosted in Singapore from October 19-22, 2023, and will feature an expanded Trade Zone for B2B visitors, as well as a physical B2C Entertainment Zone exhibition for the first time.
The Trade Zone Exhibition and Trade Conference will be held on the first two days, October 19 and 20. Open to all Trade visitors and conference delegates, it will feature Expo Stage talks, networking & recharge zones, and esports zone. Country pavilions and booths from gaming companies and service providers will showcase the latest games and services to publishers, investors and IP owners who are looking for the next big thing in games.
Trade conference participants at gamescom asia 2022
Over 80 industry experts will present in person at the Trade Conference. With three extended tracks across October 19 and 20, the conference will cover the latest gaming trends, as well as tried-and-true games design, business, and marketing principles. There will also be a Content Creators Summit, held on October 20.
Conference delegates will have access to all content, as well as networking sessions like the official conference networking reception, and will be able to apply for the Developers-Publishers-Investors Speed Networking session.
Meanwhile, the Entertainment Zone will welcome visitors from October 20-22 (with 20 October open to business visitors and a limited number of pre-registered fans only), with a showcase of trending games, interactive entertainment, and featured areas like indies, esports, cosplay, boardgames, group play zones, and more.
Visitors can get their hands on games by their favourite publishers and indie studios, watch live stage entertainment, and come dressed up as their favourite game characters. There will also be a designated food alley, while merchandise from the latest games and classics will be available for purchase. Online shows PRIMETIME and STUDIO will return, on October 19 and October 22 respectively, with sneak peeks and other extended content for global audiences.
An all-new Indie Wavemakers area will open in both the Entertainment and Trade Zone of the exhibition for studios and developers looking for publishers and investors, as well as valuable gamer feedback and testing on their new releases and demos. Indie exhibitors can also share about their games on the Indie Wavemakers Live Stage at gamescom asia.
In partnership with Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC), gamescom asia will also recognise the SEA Game Awards winners at the event for the first time. The awards aim to recognise and celebrate creativity, artistry, and technical genius of the finest game developers from the Southeast Asian and International video game industry. Award winners will be announced at MYDCF 2023 (Malaysia Digital Content Festival) on September 29 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and will receive further recognition at gamescom asia 2023.
Gamescom asia 2023 expects to attract over 30,000 visitors and over 150 exhibitors this year.
The upcoming show will be held at BITEC (pictured)
Jointly organised by Comasia and Worldex, Mega Show Bangkok 2023 will be held from July 19-21, 2023, at the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC).
The three-day event will bring together more than 500 booths, showcasing the latest products and design from Asia, under different sections such as Gifts & Premiums, Houseware & Kitchen, Stationery, Travel & Sporting Goods, Lifestyle Products, Smart Green Home Products, Outdoor Decoration & Furniture.
The upcoming show will be held at BITEC (pictured)
Additionally, there will be four pavilions dedicated to Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Thailand.
There will also be a series of seminars with speakers from Amazon, AJ E-commerce and Tesco Lotus addressing the latest business topics, and exchanging of trade information. This includes the 2023 China-ASEAN (Thailand) E-Commerce Development Forum, and Creator Talks: “Do or Die” Under the concept of Innovation, Sustainability & Design.
On July 19 and 20, the 2023 China-ASEAN (Thailand) E-Commerce Development Forum will be held, with an aim to bring more cooperation opportunities and development paths to the E-Commerce industry while the Creator Talks: “Do or Die” Under the concept of Innovation, Sustainability & Design on July 21 will share insights on the latest market trends.
Asian manufacturers and suppliers from Thailand, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Russia, Australia, Bangladesh, US, and UK are expected to attend.
The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
He has over 28 years of experience with Hyatt, including 14 years in general management roles in Australia, Japan and China.
