Regional Tourism NZ welcomes Mat Woods to the board
Destination Queenstown chief executive Mat Woods has been appointed to the board of Regional Tourism New Zealand with immediate effect.
Representing Queenstown and all the South Island regions, Woods will work alongside other regions on nationally significant issues, such as shaping the evolution of the visitor economy.
He was previously the chair of Lake Wānaka Tourism, and is currently on the board of Snow Sports NZ.
Bali’s Alila Manggis appoints new GM
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has named Ratih Handayani as general manager of Alila Manggis in Bali.
Bringing a wealth of experience to her new role, she previously served as an independent hospitality consultant since 2020, contributing her expertise to Triloka Architects in Bali.
Prior to that, she was general manager at the Cabochon Hotel & Residence in Bangkok.
Ian Di Tullio joins Minor Hotels as chief commercial officer
Minor Hotels has appointed Ian Di Tullio as the company’s new chief commercial officer, who joins the Bangkok-based group from his most recent position as chief commercial officer Europe at Accor.
Di Tullio brings to Minor Hotels a deep expertise in loyalty, analytics, customer engagement and digital, having overseen ground-breaking innovations in customer loyalty, digital marketing and distribution during previous roles at Accor, Qatar Airways and Air Canada.
Fluent in English, French and Italian, he also has extensive global management experience with large multinational organisations.
UFI chooses Hong Kong for 2025 Global Congress
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, has revealed that its 92nd UFI Global Congress will be held in Hong Kong.
Hosted by AsiaWorld- Expo, the congress will include activations throughout the Greater Bay Area. The event is open to more than 50,000 industry professionals globally, who work for UFI member companies, and offers opportunities to gain insight into topics of strategic interest, learn about new trends, and discuss the challenges facing the exhibition industry.
In UFI’s 100-year history, Hong Kong has hosted the UFI Congress once before, in the year 2000.
UFI president, Michael Duck, said: “The UFI Global Congress will conclude a multi-year tour through the world’s leading exhibition markets in 2025 – after the USA in 2023 and Germany in 2024, Hong Kong will take the global UFI community to Greater China. We will also be able to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of AsiaWorld-Expo together with our hosts.”
CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo, Irene Chan, added: “Located at the heart of China’s fast-growing Greater Bay Area, AsiaWorld-Expo is the perfect showcase of the synergies and rich potential of this vibrant market. 2025 is also a landmark year for witnessing another major milestone in the region’s growth: the ongoing development of SKYCITY, where AWE is situated, and where new cross-border facilities are taking shape. As a well-established MICE destination that is constantly adding new value to its market position, AsiaWorld-Expo looks forward to providing an exceptional EXPOtainment experience to global visitors and helping them unlock the enormous potential for business in the region.”
The UFI Global Congress takes place in November every year in tradeshow destinations around the world. Following this year’s Congress in Las Vegas (November 1-4, 2023), the event will move on to Cologne, Germany, where it will take place from November 17-20, 2024.
Kyushu presents new events venue
Saga Arena, which opened in Japan’s Saga prefecture in May, is one of the biggest arenas now in Kyushu.
It comprises two main venues as well as a selection of multipurpose rooms.
The main arena spans 3,306m2 and can accommodate about 8,400 people, while the sub arena takes about 450 people. Both are suitable for academic conferences, trade fairs, exhibitions, and other large-scale events like sports and concerts.
The multipurpose rooms are suitable for breakout sessions, meetings and workshops, with the smallest option being 12m2 and the largest 388m2. These spaces are good for five to 308 attendees.
Saga Arena is a 15-minute walk from the JR Saga Station, which is a 40-minute train ride from Fukuoka city.
There are various support programmes for event organisers.
Macau in the spotlight
Event brief
Named The Macao Showcase, the event was Sands China’s first major post-pandemic event held overseas. It aimed to support the Macao Government Tourism Office and Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute in their efforts to attract more overseas visitors, diversify visitor source markets, and extend stays.
Stephanie Tanpure, vice president of sales, Sands China, said sales and trade partners, regional and international media, and Singapore residents and visitors were invited to “experience the multifaceted charm of Macau, a world centre of tourism and leisure and premier MICE destination”.
Sands China assembled a 200-strong delegation from local SMEs, associations and media to promote Macau’s unique food, products, and arts and culture. This helped small brands and enterprises to reach an international audience.
Highlights
Two halls of Sands Expo & Convention Centre at MBS were transformed into a mini-Macau for A Taste of Macao event segment, which featured gastronomy, fashion, arts and culture, and wellness in different zones. Huge props of landmarks, like the ruins of St. Paul’s and Travessa da Paixao, and “cobblestone streets” created photo opportunities for visitors to share their experience on social media. Looped videos showed glimpses of life in Macau from “shophouse” windows.
Stalls dished out popular street foods such as congee and noodles, savoury pork buns, as well as Macanese favourites like egg tarts, almond cookies and egg rolls. Churchill’s Table Boutique at The Londoner Macao offered exclusive tea collections. A simulated speakeasy The St. Regis Bar served handcrafted Owl Man Macau gin cocktails.
A lively bazaar featuring made-in-Macau wellness products such as kombucha, skin care and healing gemstones drew interest, as did fashion and accessories created by well-known and budding designers, artistic displays and opera performances.
The invitation-only gala dinner featured exquisite dishes presented by six of Sands China’s top chefs, dance performance and fashion show – all from Macau – and the high-energy Overtones quartet specially flown in from the UK.
The half-day MICE & Luxury Forum adopted a hybrid format. While the Singapore audience enjoyed the five sessions in person, university students and MICE association members watched the live stream at The Londoner Macao’s Smart Stage, the first hybrid meeting space and sophisticated, extended reality studio in Macau. They engaged with panellists in real-time during the Q & A session.
Challenges
The short event lead-time presented challenges: sourcing and booking air/ground transportation and accommodation; securing venue, trade partner and media availability; confirming local Macau enterprises to showcase their products; renting equipment and settling other logistics.
Tanpure said: “We leveraged existing and established new relationships with trusted suppliers who could quickly respond to our needs. By leveraging their expertise and negotiating for expedited services, we were able to streamline the logistics process and ensure all necessary resources were in place when required.”
The organisers also tapped MBS’ joint assets, clientele, extensive labour force and skill set, and systems to effectively execute the event “in record time”.
Through targeted online activities, email campaigns, and with MBS’s support, organisers effectively reached a wider audience and generated significant interest in the event, surpassing initial expectations.
An unexpected but happy problem was the popularity of the egg-custard tarts – they ran out midway through the first day. The kitchen went into overdrive to churn out the delicacy; some 8,000 tarts were baked over the three days.
Tanpure summed up: “The key lies in efficient planning, resourcefulness and effective communication to ensure a memorable and well-executed event, regardless of the time constraints.”
Event The Macao Showcase
Organiser Sands China
Venue Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Date June 7-9, 2023
Attendance About 8,500 people
ANA Intercontinental Tokyo names new GM
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.
Australia set to host important cultural heritage event next month
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 propels the Maldives towards greater events ambitions
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.
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Following its release in April 2023, Interprefy Aivia, an artificial intelligence-powered (AI) Real-time Simultaneous Interpretation solution, was recently deployed at the AI for Good Global Summit, providing human attendees with live captioning and speech translation.
The event was organised by the International Telecommunication Union, the UN’s specialised agency for information and communication technology.
Interprefy Aivia is a creation of multilingual meeting technology and services provider Interprefy. It can translate live speech from 45 languages and regional dialects into AI-generated audio and captions in 73 languages. This includes all official UN languages, almost all official EU languages, and the most spoken Asian languages.
Oddmund Braaten, CEO at Interprefy, said: “While the use of AI is advancing at a fast rate, it is still no substitute for professional interpreters in certain scenarios – especially in diplomatic conversations. A skilled linguist often outperforms AI as they are able to read the audience and provide nuanced localisation to accommodate sarcasm, humour, or idioms. But as demonstrated at the AI for Good summit, AI is becoming an extremely helpful tool to help make the conferencing world more inclusive, and make conversations accessible to participants from all over the world.”
Interprefy Aivia completes Interprefy’s end-to-end remote simultaneous and sign language interpretation offering by providing a cost-effective AI-powered real-time translation solution for scenarios like webinars, training, town halls, or conferences.