N.C.C. Management and Development has announced Surapol Utintu as its newly-appointed CEO for Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) in Bangkok, Thailand.
He has been tasked with speeding up the company’s mission to expand its network of domestic and international business partners, while transforming the image of QSNCC into a world-class convention venue that caters to both B2B and B2C targets amid ever-changing challenges.
Surapol has over 30 years of experience overseeing Thailand’s leading organisations with expertise in managing massive retail spaces, a theatre, and various other business segments.
Surapol succeeds Sakchai Pattarapreechakul, who has been appointed to the board committee.
The business events community’s quest to establish meaningful legacies for the host destination can find fulfilment in Australia, where convention bureaus and industry suppliers are doing even more today to provide beneficial engagements with the land’s original owners.
Recently, the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) made its Gadigal Dreaming – The Sacred Country of the Gadigal People augmented reality experience content available to event planners hosting at the venue.
The Youth Mill Aboriginal cultural experience
The content comprises eight scenes covering gathering, fishing, corroboree, crafting, tracks, hunting, camp life and cosmology legends of Sydney’s original custodians. The augmented reality experience can be conveyed through the audience’s own devices through QR codes.
Gadigal Dreaming, created by Bilbie XR Labs – an award-winning First Nations digital storytelling enterprise and the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, with the support of Investment New South Wales, was first launched in September 2022 to bring the stories of the Gadigal People to members of the public passing through the Darling Harbour precinct.
Using art and media to “amplify First Nations voices, share the experiences of the world’s oldest living culture and preserve the history of the land on which our venue stands” is just one of the many ways ICC Sydney is using its “sphere of influence” to support Aboriginal community development and the Australian government’s Close the Gap mission, said Samantha Glass, director of corporate affairs, communication and sustainability at ICC Sydney.
The Close the Gap campaign, backed by Australia’s peak indigenous and non-indigenous health bodies, NGOs and human rights organisations, aims to close the health and life expectancy gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-indigenous Australians within a generation.
According to the government’s 2020 Closing the Gap report, 2018 data showed gaps in education (82 per cent school attendance by Aboriginal people vs 93 per cent by non-Aboriginal people) and employment (40 per cent vs 75 per cent), as well as resulting life expectancy (8.6 years for men and 7.8 years for women).
Glass believes that ICC Sydney, with 1.5 million people passing through its doors each year and many millions more passing through Darling Harbour where the venue is located, has “a massive opportunity to make a difference” through its messages, activities and business practices.
The venue’s own reconciliation journey includes a First Nations procurement strategy, where its teams actively seek out opportunities to provide business to First Nations organisations. There are now 15 First Nations suppliers in ICC Sydney’s supply chain, and numbers are growing monthly, according to Glass. For the financial year 2021/2022, ICC Sydney has spent at least A$408,000 (US$274,679) with First Nations suppliers.
It also participates in employment programmes with education partners like Eora College, NSW TAFE, KARI Foundation, Shared Knowledge to attract new, diverse talents; and hosts business events for KARI Foundation with the aim of connecting Sydney’s business community partners with First Nations-owned businesses to result in opportunities for collaboration.
“Business investments in Aboriginal services support children in their transition from primary school to high school with the equipment they need, create career opportunities for the children when they graduate, and facilitate a programme where First Nations people who are senior executives come together to undertake leadership training,” Glass detailed.
Glass noted that clients have been very supportive of ICC Sydney’s First Nations reconciliation efforts. Of the 65 per cent of international events in 2022 that activated the venue’s Legacy Program (which supports sustainability, local innovators, creative industries and more), 90 per cent chose to establish a connection with First Nations culture through performances, food, artwork or gifts.
Event planners looking to do even more to support First Nations development can draw inspiration from convention bureaus.
A smoking ceremony
Business Events Sydney (BE Sydney) has compiled a wide range of experiences that allow event delegates to immerse in First Nations culture and perspectives.
Such experiences include a Welcome to Country ritual by a local custodian of the land on which the group meets; climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with an Indigenous guide to see the city through a lens that is thousands of years old; joining a guided Aboriginal Bush Tucker tour in the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney; and taking on a MasterChef-inspired Indigenous cooking challenge.
BE Sydney stated: “Sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories, history, customs and knowledge raises awareness and understanding of the rich cultures and traditions that have existed in Sydney and Australia for millennia safeguards their continuation for future generations. Connecting the ancient with the modern, sharing First Nations cultures is a deeply moving experience for delegates visiting Sydney.”
Over in the Northern Territories (NT), where Aboriginal history is especially significant, making culture an integral component of any business event staged in the destination is both common sense and common practice at NT Business Events.
Director Rebecca McCaig told TTGmice: “New products and experiences for business events continue to be developed in the NT, with many associated with Aboriginal culture. Where possible, cultural experiences in the NT can be engaging, which can contribute to greater awareness.”
Enlightening cultural exchanges can come in the form of a Saltwater Ceremony in the Darwin Waterfront Precinct Lagoon, where delegates will step into the ankle-deep water and be invited by an Aboriginal Elder to connect with the local Larrakia community, who are known as saltwater people.
Delegates may also partake in a hands-on dot-painting art class where an Aboriginal artist will not just impart knowledge about the art form, but also the community’s traditions and culture.
“There are now many ways to engage with Aboriginal culture, with authentic experiences delivering valuable insights for the international business events sector. While some groups might wish to visit an NT gallery to look at award-winning artwork, other delegates might prefer to create an artwork of their own and in doing so, gain a deeper understanding of the stories behind the intricate designs and motivations of Aboriginal artists,” said McCaig.
She observes that the “global marketplace increasingly expects business events activities to also add value to the host destination and where possible, leave a legacy”.
She pointed to The Youth Mill in Darwin as an avenue for establishing meaningful legacies. The Youth Mill supports young people in creative environments and encourages the preservation of culture and identity. It is often engaged to provide a performance or Welcome to Country ritual for a conference, with benefits going back into the community to develop educational programmes for disadvantaged youths.
A waka (a Māori watercraft) gliding along the Avon in front of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
ChristchurchNZ is on a mission to help business event organisers create purposeful events with sustainability at their core.
Launched at MEETINGS 2023, ChristchurchNZ’s BE Purposeful awareness campaign and website were designed to provide resources and practical tools to support clients when planning their events.
A waka (a Māori watercraft) gliding along the Avon in front of Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre
Christchurch’s business events community will work collaboratively to help event organisers source locally, lower waste, measure impact, and create socially inclusive and culturally diverse gatherings. Options for delegates giving back to the community include native tree planting, wildlife conservation, wetland restoration and building equipment for schools.
ChristchurchNZ’s head of business events, Megan Crum, said business events have the ability to play a huge role in transformative change and to leave lasting legacies when they are planned with intention.
“New Zealanders and international visitors value our natural environment, and Christchurch city is making moves to become the most sustainable place possible – especially in its events and conferencing sector where our partners are invested in sustainability,” she said.
“As a new city we are innovative, and the city has been redesigned to embrace purposeful business events. We embrace welcoming visitors to our city through manaakitanga and our commitment to protecting our natural environment (kaitiakitanga).”
Event brief With 25 years’ presence in Asia, Vinexposium wanted to bolster its leadership position in the region’s wine and spirits industry. Hitherto biennial, the organisers decided to make Vinexpo Asia an annual event, alternating between Singapore and Hong Kong in odd and even years, respectively.
“Making Vinexpo Asia an annual event, rotating between these two pivotal cities for the wine and spirits trade, is part of a successful, dynamic international strategy executed by the Vinexposium group around the world,” said Vinexposium CEO Rodolphe Lameyse.
Event highlights Held at Marina Bay Sands, the event drew 9,989 trade professionals from 64 countries, the top five being Singapore, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.
“Talking to our clients in the aisles, they were surprised that they met with Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian buyers,” said Lameyse.
Of the 1,000 exhibitors, 35 per cent were French brands. The remaining international participation came from 34 countries. New World wines occupied 25 per cent of the exhibition space. The US was the Country of Honor, and it offered a wide selection of wines from three regions: California, Oregon and Washington.
Australia also stood out. Paul Turale, Wine Australia’s general manager, marketing, said: “We’re so pleased to have 74 Australian wineries represented, connecting with trade and unlocking the growing opportunities from markets across Asia.”
Vinexpo Academy, held in a separate hall, comprised conferences, 40 masterclasses where 70 presenters and international wine experts shared the finer points of wine and spirits appreciation, and contests such as the Battle of the Sommeliers.
Lameyse said: “Vinexpo Asia 2023 exceeded expectations with a highly-qualified attendance, substantial business generation and unparalleled knowledge-sharing. The positive feedback demonstrated the immense potential and significance of the Asian market for the wine and spirits industry.”
Challenges When it was announced a year ago that Vinexpo Asia was going to be in Singapore, there were questions about the size and state of the market. However, many later realised that South-east Asia represented the major potential for the wine industry.
“We are very glad to have made this event a reality. The South-east Asian market was previously underdeveloped and undiscovered. So, I am very happy and excited about the future,” Lameyse said.
Nevertheless, a Singapore exhibitor commented that North Asians would prefer to go to Hong Kong; “South-east Asia alone is not enough critical mass for a Singapore show.”
Liquor shows generally require constant clearing of litter and replenishment of glasses. Seeing cleaners out in full force was good, noticeably more than at other tradeshows.
While the organisers said “everything went smoothly”, there was some congestion at popular booths at certain times of the day. On this matter, Vinexposium commented: “We have a much-experienced, dedicated department of operations/logistics. When faced with an issue, they are on-site to solve it. We also have other dedicated teams for the masterclasses/conferences… it’s like a well-trained army at the service of our clients to achieve an always-better organised event, year after year.”
Event Vinexpo Asia – Singapore 2023 Organiser Vinexposium Venue Sands Expo and Convention Centre Date May 23-25, 2023 Attendance More than 11,000 buyers, trade visitors and exhibitors
The fresh slogan for this year’s campaign embodies Taiwan’s warm welcome to corporates from around the world
Meet Taiwan has launched a new marketing campaign for 2023, Meet Taiwan Open Arms, to demonstrate Taiwan’s readiness to welcome business events and corporate meetings from around the world.
The campaign comprises a trilogy of videos based on the Open Arms theme, showcasing various aspects of Taiwan.
The fresh slogan for this year’s campaign embodies Taiwan’s warm welcome to corporates from around the world
The first video, Let’s Meet Taiwan Again!, expresses the anticipation of reuniting with old friends after a long separation and the excitement of meeting and exchanging ideas with new friends.
The second video, Meet Every Moment!, previews a business trip to Taiwan for foreign professionals, highlighting exhibition activities, professional exhibition services, a wide range of tourist attractions, local cuisine, scenic beauty, and the friendliness of Taiwan.
The trilogy concludes with Meet Taiwan Open Arms, Open Minds, Open Possibilities, conveying the core message that MEET TAIWAN sincerely invites people from all countries to come and see Taiwan’s beautiful scenery, listen to cultural melodies, and taste local delicacies.
Meet Taiwan will also be launching a series of Open Arms-themed activities on social media platforms in the near future.
A rendering of the Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort
Sri Lanka will welcome its first integrated resort (IR) come 2H2024, thanks to an investment by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts.
Now under construction, Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort will rise in Colombo and is set to be a “game-changer in the tourism industry of Colombo and Sri Lanka”, remarked Padmi Fernando, director of business development with the property.
A rendering of the Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort
Fernando told TTGmice during an interview ILTM Asia-Pacific: “One of our priorities is to first sell Colombo as a destination on its own, as it is yet to be fully discovered.”
The IR will offer 15,000m2 of indoor and outdoor spaces, including five ballrooms with large pre-function areas and electronic drop-down partitions, 18 breakout rooms, and three outdoor venues. Two of the five ballrooms are located within a cantilever on the 22nd floor, offering a unique setting with panoramic views of the city and the ocean.
The largest ballroom can accommodate up to 1,500 guests. At peak capacity, the resort can host 5,000 guests across all of its venues.
To ensure a seamless arrival experience for business events, the resort will provide four dedicated entrance lobbies, including event-specific entry access points.
There will also be an event showcase studio that has been billed to revolutionise the event booking process in Sri Lanka. It will display mock setups, meeting rooms, discussion lounges, a live cooking kitchen, and dedicated tasting tables, enabling organisers to visualise and plan their events with precision.
Other facilities include seven restaurants and eight bars, two hotels with 800 keys altogether, two wellness centres, and three swimming pools overlooking the Beira Lake or Colombo city skyline. The IR will also be home to two residential towers, a mall, and an office tower.
On which markets Cinnamon Life Integrated Resort is planning to target, Fernando said: “We are targeting a balanced mix of both business and leisure visitors, from Asia-Pacific markets such as India and China, as well as our traditional UK and German markets. Sri Lanka has excellent flight connectivity, and as we can reach 40 per cent of the world’s population, we plan to maximise that reach.”
Martin Schnider has been named the new general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.
With over 25 years of experience with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group encompassing six Mandarin Oriental Hotels, Schnider brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his new role.
Prior to his appointment at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, Schnider served as the general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Doha.
An incentive group with several St. Bernards. Photo: meetings.myswitzerland.com
Asian incentive travel specialists are seeing resilience in demand for Switzerland among their clients, as the destination continues to be regarded as a premium treat.
Speaking to TTGmice at the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau Southeast Asia Workshop last Friday, Theresa Teo, sales manager group sales, Singapore, Miki Travel (HK), said more of her clients are also choosing to tour just Switzerland alone.
An incentive group with several St. Bernards. Photo: meetings.myswitzerland.com
“Most of these groups are small, usually 20 or less. Companies that send their staff to Switzerland need to be prepared to spend around S$6,000 (US$4,438) per pax, including flights for a six-day trip.”
Barbara Sew, senior reservation and groups executive, The Travel Corporation, said Switzerland is one of her company’s top European destinations, and is often reserved for only the top performers.
Clients that choose Switzerland for incentive trips tend now to send smaller groups – mostly top tier performers or decision-makers attending C-suite meetings – but with a fatter budget, observed Patrick Kam, director, MICE Maestro based in Singapore.
“But I have also arranged itineraries to Switzerland for global kick-offs or meetings, where participants fly in from all over the world,” Kam added.
Teo agreed that incentive travel budgets seemed to be bigger, with companies being more willing to splurge on performance rewards.
Peak industry body Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) will lead the creation of the country’s first Business Events Week, with full support from Tourism New Zealand, this September.
The week-long forum from September 18 to 22 will start with the BEIA Annual Conference in Marlborough, before moving on to Wellington for a policy forum, and Auckland for the Tourism New Zealand Business Events National Awards, and workshop events.
New Zealand will hold its inaugural Business Events Week come September
International speakers, local experts and sector leaders will join with members of the wider business events industry to present, discuss, and plan strategies for growth and ensure there is a greater understanding of the role business events can play in New Zealand in the future.
BEIA chief executive, Lisa Hopkins told TTGmice that the Business Events Week is in line with her organisation’s commitment to be “future focused” now that travel and face-to-face events are back on track and days of crisis management are over.
She noted that New Zealand’s business events community is feeling “buoyant” about the days ahead.
Pre-Covid, the business events industry was worth NZ$1.5 billion (US$931,012) to New Zealand’s economy, supporting 8,200 jobs. As the industry recovers strongly, Tourism New Zealand’s business events team has set loftier targets for financial year 2024.
Addressing the media at MEETINGS 2023, Rene de Monchy, chief executive of Tourism New Zealand, shared that his team aims to make at least 90 brand new bids in the new financial year, with a greater focus on association meetings originating from South-east Asia.
Hopkins said the Business Events Week will provide the business events community “a huge opportunity to exchange experiences and share the latest global thinking with the industry, developing ideas that can help set our destination apart”.
Tourism New Zealand’s general manager NZ & business events, Bjoern Spreitzer, added: “Business events are an important part of how we deliver on our strategy to encourage high-quality visitors to Aotearoa New Zealand. Business events deliver knowledge, business and economic benefits and positive social legacies. Business Events Week will be a great opportunity to recognise the sector’s successes and build on them for future sustainable growth.”
Emboldened by New Zealand’s expanded infrastructure for large-scale meetings, growing destination awareness among planners around the world, as well as a stunning bid performance in FY2023, Tourism New Zealand has set itself a higher target of 90 fresh international conference bids worth NZ$135 million (US$83.9 million) for the new financial year.
In FY2023, the bureau enjoyed a victory of 84 successful bids that are worth NZ$120 million for New Zealand. The outcomes surpass targets of 70 bids worth NZ$105 million.
De Monchy is confident of New Zealand’s ability to secure more meetings in FY2024 (Photo credit: Karen Yue)
According to international bids manager Leonie Ashford, 30 to 40 per cent of these FY2023 bids are for Australia-originated meetings and will be delivered “soon” – within the next 12 to 18 months. The rest, along with earlier successful bids made throughout recent years, including during border closures, will be delivered up till 2028.
Tourism New Zealand chief executive, René de Monchy noted that with the global business events industry in full recovery mode, opportunities to attract quality events to the country are abundant.
He said business events form a “really important part of our FY2024 activities”, as they deliver high-quality visitors across the country and seasons, spend approximately twice as much as leisure travellers, and stay on for a longer period of time.
“Business events attract international experts in their field; the knowledge exchange through the knowledge they bring into New Zealand and the export of our knowledge through events is immense,” de Monchy added.
He acknowledged business events’ ability to “contribute to our country in many ways, both tangible and intangible”, such as by improving social and living conditions, helping secure investments, encouraging innovation, creating jobs, strengthening important economic pillars, and more.
When asked how Tourism New Zealand determined its bid target, de Monchy explained that factors including time and financial commitments were considered.
Tourism New Zealand will be keeping an eye out for Australia-originated meetings, which are traditionally an important segment of inbound meetings to the country, as well as those coming from associations based in Asia-Pacific.
Despite intense competition from other destinations, both de Monchy and Ashford are confident of meeting their targets, as New Zealand is recognised now as a “real option” for meetings.
“Many of the associations we are connecting with are now seeing us for the second time in their bidding process, and they are gaining faith in us, knowing that we are serious. We may not have been successful the first round, but we are finding that we are successful the second time,” Ashford told TTGmice.
She clarified that the 90-bid target will not include repeat attempts, indicating a much broader scope of bidding work undertaken by Tourism New Zealand.
Tourism New Zealand will tap into its Conference Assistance Program to support its bid attempts while working closely with its two new purpose-built convention centres in Christchurch and Wellington as well as the soon-to-come New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland (opening 2025), plus various other partners.
“Now with three new world-class pieces of infrastructure under our belt, I certainly hope we will surpass our targets more than we did for FY2023,” remarked de Monchy.
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.
Prior to his appointment at Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur, Schnider served as the general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Doha.
