ANA InterContinental Tokyo has appointed Michael Janssen as general manager of ANA InterContinental Tokyo, as well as portfolio general manager.
Joining ANA InterContinental Tokyo from Kimpton Kitalay Samui, Janssen will be responsible for day-to-day operations and strategic direction of the hotel.
The German national has over 25 years of experience with IHG Hotels & Resorts across Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and brings extensive knowledge and expertise to his new role.
Cultural heritage experts from around the world will descend into Sydney from August 31 to September 9, 2023, to attend the 21st General Assembly and Scientific Symposium of ICOMOS (the International Council on Monuments and Sites).
More than 1,200 delegates from 100 countries are slated to attend the first ICOMOS General Assembly in the Pacific region.
With over 150 events across 10 days, the programme will involve thought-provoking site visits, functions, workshops, lectures, and a five-day Scientific Symposium.
The Scientific Symposium (September 4-8) will explore the theme Heritage Changes: Resilience – Responsibility – Rights – Relationships, and reflects the tumultuous changes taking place in the world over the past few years, and the role of heritage in supporting recovery.
There will also be a Youth Forum being held over three days on Cockatoo Island / Wareamah. Additional programme highlights include a visit to the Greater Blue Mountains, and a World Heritage Panel.
There will also be two public events – a major Heritage Exposition at Darling Harbour, and a public Heritage Lecture at the Sydney Town Hall.
Australia ICOMOS president, Tracy Ireland, says heritage issues and the future of heritage are more important than ever, and the General Assembly and related Scientific Symposium (GA2023) will encourage discussion on these issues, as well as showcase innovative practices from across the globe.
“Cultural heritage has a pivotal role to play in adapting to, and mitigating impacts from, climate change and the GA2023 is an opportunity to bring experts together to discuss how communities and heritage practitioners can plan to alleviate climate impacts on cultural heritage.”
“GA2023 will provide a platform for Traditional Owners from around Australia, and First Nations communities from across the globe. It will also foster understanding of how conservation of heritage places is part of building resilient communities and ensuring the sustainability of the world’s scarce resources,” Ireland added.
Crossroads Maldives, an integrated entertainment destination developed and operated by S Hotels and Resorts, is helping to bring in more conferences and incentives to the Maldives.
Crossroads Maldives’ cluster director of sales & marketing, David Arul Pragasam, told TTGmice that the integrated resort has been seeing a large number of incentive groups and corporate events post-lockdown.
He added: “We are confident that this positive trend will continue, as we are already receiving plenty of enquiries and providing quotes for 2024 and 2025.”
The recent Visit Maldives Storytellers’ Conference 2023, held from May 30 to June 2 at the Crossroads Maldives, was a clear demonstration of both the destination and the integrated resort’s ability to welcome major business events. Conference delegates were accommodated across Crossroads Maldives’ two resorts, the SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton, and the Hard Rock Hotel Maldives. Together, both resorts offer more than 350 rooms, suites and villas.
Besides the 326m2 The Event Hall @ Crossroads, event planners have plenty of dining and flexible venue options across the integrated resort.
Furthermore, Crossroads Maldives is accessible via a 15-minute speedboat ride from the international airport and capital city Malé, allowing large groups to bypass the seaplane option.
Traditionally a honeymoon and weddings destination, the Maldives is undergoing a perception change through Maldives Marketing and PR Corporation’s (MMPRC) efforts to position it for corporate groups.
Government initiatives to grow the business events industry include a new passenger terminal at Velana International Airport with improved efficiency in handling higher passenger traffic, and an advanced Passport Control System to streamline the arrival process and reduce waiting times, said David Arul.
The Maldivian government has also introduced a policy which designates islands and sandbanks as public spaces, so as to provide unique settings for excursions, teambuilding activities and social events.
When asked what more is needed for event organisers to recognise the Maldives as a serious business events destination, David Arul opined that greater mobility and air accessibility would go a long way in helping to attract corporate groups from more countries to the Maldives.
What are some of the experiences you can share from the pandemic, having experienced it both as acting CEO and later as its CEO?
The business events industry came to a standstill due to the pandemic, and MITEC was not an exception. This challenging period taught us valuable lessons in resilience, prompting us to adapt our business practices, be agile and maintain our unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in people’s lives.
When the government put a temporary halt on business events activities in the country, the venue was turned into a national, mega vaccination centre. My team and I quickly adapted to the situation and took on new responsibilities as needed and worked closely with various stakeholders, including healthcare providers, government agencies and volunteers to ensure a seamless workflow every day for several months.
We established effective communication channels between the centre and all parties involved, coordinated schedules and shared resources for the overall smooth functioning of the venue as a national vaccination centre.
What is the largest change you’ve noticed in the event planning process post-lockdown?
Post-lockdown, event organisers have placed sustainability as a high priority, and are incorporating eco-friendly procedures into their workflows. These include actions such as lowering energy use, utilising renewable resources, composting, recycling waste, as well as promoting eco-friendly transportation options for their events.
Event organisers are also increasingly looking at ways to be more inclusive and incorporating aspects such as diversity and inclusion, accessibility for the disabled, and providing support for local communities when planning their events.
How have the requirements of event planners changed post-lockdown and what new technologies have MITEC invested to cater to these new requirements?
The ubiquity of smartphones now allows event planners to create events that feel personalised for each attendee, while at the same time it collects unprecedented amounts of real-time data about those attendees. The benefits can be seen at every level, from easier check-ins to the facilitation of networking and content sharing between delegates and clients.
On our part, we have introduced new digital innovations which is aimed at meeting the changing demands of our customers, while increasing efficiency, and having quality interactions with them. Among these innovations are the Ungerboeck Exhibitor portal to ensure a seamless online exhibitor order; and the MITEC app for clients to access our latest updates, important events, as well as order meals from our café. We have also introduced digital signage as our customers prefer these to printed buntings.
What new initiatives and investments are MITEC looking into for the near future?
We will be introducing additional digital innovations to fulfil our customers’ evolving needs and continue improving their efficiency and quality.
Recently, we appointed Qualtrics as our online survey platform vendor to measure our stakeholders’ satisfaction in an effort to improvise customer experience. Establishing an approach for measuring customer satisfaction enables us to attain knowledge about our customers and their behaviours which will then help build brand loyalty.
Overall, what more should Malaysia do to attract more international trade exhibitions and conferences?
The business events industry needs to work closely with the Malaysia Convention and Exhibition Bureau when organising and managing Malaysia’s participation in international trade fairs and roadshows.
The federal government should also offer financial incentives, such as tax breaks, subsidies or grants to event organisers and exhibitors to encourage them to choose Malaysia as a host country for holding their events. The government should also look into simplifying visa procedures for international event attendees and exhibitors to enter Malaysia and attend business events.
I also believe that fostering a strong service culture is imperative to attract more international trade exhibitions and conferences. Hospitality in this context revolves around providing exceptional experiences to guests by prioritising their needs, actively listening to them, being friendly, and genuinely interested in assisting them.
The International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), managed by ASM Global, has begun the countdown until the inaugural South by Southwest (SXSW) Sydney 2023, off the back of the Australian premiere of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One this week.
The SXSW Sydney 2023 events will be held from October 15-22, 2023, and include the SXSW Sydney Conference, featuring over 200 presentations, panels, workshops and mentor sessions with inspiring thinkers and leaders across multiple content pillars; the SXSW Sydney Tech & Innovation Expo showcasing innovative and emerging tech, entertainment and games companies from across the Asia-Pacific region; alongside the SXSW Sydney Pitch competition for startups and the SXSW Sydney Games Festival, which also features major Esports tournament, Intel® Extreme Masters.
Meanwhile, the SXSW Sydney 2023 Music Festival will spotlight local and international artists while the SXSW Sydney Screen Festival’s programme of film, TV, digital, XR and social content premieres will showcase screen culture’s diversity in the Asia Pacific and beyond at ICC Sydney’s Darling Harbour Theatre.
ICC Sydney CEO and group director – convention centres, ASM Global (APAC), Geoff Donaghy said: “With only three months to go, our team is looking forward to delivering this special, future-focused event and once again reaffirming ICC Sydney as a powerhouse destination for major events. Beyond providing an extraordinary experience for the diversity of SXSW Sydney visitors, we welcome the opportunity to collaborate on delivering a positive legacy for years to come – from the economic benefit across our dynamic city to environmental sustainability solutions and facilitating connections into our local community – every focal area of our corporate social responsibility strategy will be brought to the fore through SXSW Sydney.”
Since its inception in 1987, SXSW has been held in Austin, Texas and has been a convergence of film, music, education, and culture, a global destination for creative people to connect, collaborate and think outside the box. SXSW will expand into Sydney for the first time in October 2023 offering new experiences for visitors.
The Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has launched its fresh, new annual menu for 2023/24, Seasoned by Queensland.
The menu champions the abundance and variety of the best fresh seasonal produce in Queensland, and works with many local and regional award-winning farmers, fishers and producers.
For instance, seafood is sourced from the waters of the Sunshine Coast, the coastal areas of Hervey Bay, as well as tropical Far North Queensland.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are foraged from Queensland’s Scenic Rim, in the foothills of the Great Divide and the Lockyer Valley, one of the 10 most fertile areas in the world and known as the Salad Bowl of Australia.
The new Menu also showcases a group of city fringe farmers who reflect a growing and increasingly important sustainable urban agricultural trend, producing gourmet mushrooms using innovative cultivation methods requiring a smaller footprint, and locally-grown Brisbane Valley Quail.
BCEC’s executive chef, Matthew Arnold, shared that the menu was a collaborative team effort, as both Arnold and his team aim to create inventive menus that deliver an extraordinary Queensland culinary experience, while helping clients and guests make healthy, delicious and sustainable choices.
He added: “There is greater flexibility in being able to assemble and choose your menus and more choices for organisers. Native Australian flavours are featured throughout the menu compendium, and there are additional all Native Australian flavours Menu options.”
The ACI Asia-Pacific has announced the appointment of four new members into its board.
They are Musad Abdulaziz Aldaood, CEO, Riyadh Airport Company; Nguyen Duc Hung, deputy general director, Airports Corporation of Vietnam; Hag Jae Lee, president and CEO of Incheon International Airport Corporation; and Sarah Samuel, senior vice president, Airport & Airline Operations, ICM Airport Technics, director for World Business Partner, ACI Asia-Pacific.
Event technology platform Joyn has acquired Arinex, the largest Australian-owned business event management company that has over 50 years of experience in events including incentives, special events and international conferences.
The combined group will be called The Arinex Group, and will be focused on creating modern, innovative and technology-led event experiences around the world.
Arinex’s CEO Nicole Walker will assume the role of Group CEO and will join the Group Board, while Joyn’s co-founder and CEO, Jordan Walsh, will take on the position of Group Executive Chairman. The Group also welcomes Tony Ward (former senior executive of Xero, Microsoft and LinkedIn) as a director.
Under the deal, Joyn will take the Arinex brand and rebrand Joyn as Arinex Live. This new identity reflects the integration of Joyn’s technical capabilities into Arinex’s established brand. Arinex Live will continue to work with clients worldwide to deliver a full suite of event production services, including technical direction, content creation, and event production.
Joyn’s flagship event technology product, used by over 200,000 attendees across more than 1,000 events globally, will be relaunched as Arinex One and will continue to serve and focus on the association sector. Arinex One will continue to build efficiencies for event managers worldwide, with a brand-new version of the product set to launch this month.
Walker stated that combining forces with Joyn would enable both parties to “leverage the best-in-class technology that enhances the experience for all stakeholders and increases ongoing sponsor and delegate engagement”.
Walsh also shared his vision for the future, and added: “Since founding Joyn, our goal has been to enable the future of events. Creating unique in-person experiences, combined with an engaging digital environment is incredibly important. The Arinex business brings invaluable event experience and a global brand and reputation that we are excited to continue to build on into the future.”
Moving forward, the Arinex Group plans to expand into both Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence to increase attendee engagement later this year.
Thailand-headquartered IMPACT Exhibition Management is now offering a 50 per cent discount on bookings for the off-peak season.
This promotion is valid for customers who book events or meetings at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center in Bangkok, from December 26, 2023, to January 3, 2024 and April 9-16, 2024.
So far, 72 business-related events and concerts have been confirmed at the venue roughly pulling in 274 million baht (US$7.8 million), such as the Thailand Coffee Fest 2023, Medlab Asia and Asia Health 2023, and Building Construction Technology Expo 2023.
Collinson’s new partnership with Blue Sky Group will allow Priority Pass Members to access 13 airport lounges, eight of which are exclusive to Priority Pass Members, in Indonesian airports.
These include Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport, and Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II International Airport.
Blue Sky Group manages premium executive lounges in airports across Indonesia, alongside hotels and restaurants. Its airport lounges offer spaces for travellers to relax pre-flight, as well as VIP rooms for informal meetings.
Lounges at Balikpapan and Terminal 2 of Soekarno-Hatta airports provide complimentary buggy services that transport guests from the lounge to immigration. In addition, members will be able to enjoy Blue Sky’s in-house coffee brand and sample Indonesian cuisine.
“This is an exciting time for the travel industry in Indonesia, as the country has set a goal of attracting nearly 7.4 million international arrivals in 2023; almost double the number of arrivals when compared to last year,” said Todd Handcock, global chief commercial officer and Asia-Pacific president at Collinson.
Linan Kurniahu, CEO of Blue Sky Group, added: “This partnership represents a significant milestone for us as we continue to expand our footprint across Asia-Pacific’s travel industry.”
