The waterfront Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland has reopened with high interest from event organisers.
The venue is said to have secured 117 events for the 2023/2024 financial year, with an estimated value of NZ$3 million (US$1.8 million).
Viaduct Events Centre stands close to five-star accommodation, making it a convenient venue for international events
Viaduct Events Centre is regarded as one of Auckland’s premier waterfront venues, and used to host several major events, most notably New Zealand Fashion Week, New Zealand Design Awards, since its opening in 2011 and prior to its closure in 2018.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited chief executive Nick Hill said: “Auckland is proud to open the doors once again to this landmark building and offer it as one of our unique world-class venues available to hire.
“This hasn’t happened overnight so thanks to the hard work of the team at Auckland Live and Conventions and the wider Tātaki Auckland Unlimited whānau, we are able to expand the portfolio of venues ready to welcome a range of events.”
The venue spans three levels and offers 6,000m² of space. It takes in eight function rooms that are ideal for a wide range of events, from tradeshows to gala dinners. Its banquet space has capacity for up to 1,200 guests.
Event organisers enjoy easy access to five-star accommodation, world-class hospitality and a central transport hub.
Jan Tonkin, managing director of The Conference Company said the business events and conferencing sector is ready to return to the Viaduct Events Centre.
“The re-opening of the Viaduct Events Centre is welcome news indeed for business events hosts. Its harbour views, day-lit rooms and balconies make it a very appealing environment for meetings and conferences and the Waiheke Room is an ideal space for large scale dinners and exhibitions.
All in all, as conference organisers, we’re delighted to have the venue available once again and already have bookings there in May.”
For the month of May, The Royal Albatross ship in Singapore is offering complimentary unlimited beer, for corporates that book their Weekday Corporate Package on Mondays to Thursdays.
There are three corporate buyout packages available, all of which include 2.5 hours of sailing, and 1.5 hours of dockside.
Package A, an evening sail from 18.00 to 22.00, starts at S$10,500 (US$7,850) for a minimum of 30 pax, while the additional headcount is S$280 per pax up to a maximum of 130 people.
Package B is from 09.00 to 13.00, and will start at S$8,500 for a minimum of 30 pax, while the additional headcount is S$250 per pax up to a maximum of 130 people. Package C is from 11.00 to 15.00, and will start at S$12,500 for a minimum of 30 pax, with the additional headcount price the same as Package B.
For more private gatherings, Royal Albatross also offers section buyouts for Weekend Dinner Cruises, tailor-made to accommodate smaller groups of 30. Food is freshly prepared on board in the galley by the head chef and kitchen team, and can be buffet-style, or a four-course menu.
Pan Pacific Orchard has added Amelia Matheson and Pedro Samper to its leadership ranks, ahead of its opening on June 1, 2023.
From left: Pedro Samper, Amelia Matheson, and Marcel Holman
As director of F&B, Australian-born Matheson will lead commercial strategy for the restaurants. Matheson moved from Melbourne to Singapore in 2014 and she spent most of her career with independent F&B establishments. Prior to moving to Pan Pacific, her last role was with The Garcha Group where she managed a cluster of four boutique hotels.
Meanwhile, the hotel’s culinary programme will be spearheaded by Samper, who has honed his skills over two decades in Michelin-star kitchens across cities like Hong Kong, Japan, and Spain. The San Sebastian native was most recently Executive Chef at Four Seasons Resort Dubai in Jumeirah Beach. This is his first stint in Singapore.
The two-day MEETINGS tradeshow, organised by Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) for the business events community, has secured more than 230 leading business event organisers from Australia, North America, Singapore and New Zealand in attendance.
To be held at the new Tākina – Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre on June 21 and 22, the event will comprise exhibition, educational and networking components.
Various industry partners have come together to ensure a stellar buyers presence at MEETINGS 2023
BEIA chief executive, Lisa Hopkins said the response to the MEETINGS 2023 programme has been phenomenal.
“Now, more than ever, it is important to bring buyers to New Zealand to educate them on our destination and show them our country is back open and ready for their business,” she said.
“BEIA has been working with Tourism New Zealand, Business Events Wellington, and Air New Zealand to target key decision-makers. We have filled all our available hosted buyer spots in record time and day buyer registration is now open with chances for domestic event organisers to win travel to Wellington for MEETINGS.”
Tourism New Zealand will be hosting eight high-end senior incentive and meetings planners from North America who will visit Auckland and Queenstown before and after MEETINGS in Wellington.
BEIA will also host two international buyers and one media representative from Singapore. These influential buyers will visit Auckland and Christchurch prior to the main event.
With 100 hosted or semi-hosted buyers flying in from Australia, 86 are key decision-makers who have not attended MEETINGS before or have not been hosted since 2018. Over 130 hosted buyers from across New Zealand will attend this year, with 47 per cent hosted at MEETINGS for the first time.
“It’s a massive vote of confidence for our sector, for the new venue, our host city and for the MEETINGS programme this year,” Hopkins said.
Air New Zealand has again partnered with MEETINGS to facilitate flights for buyers and 26 Wellington hotels are hosting accommodation.
Meanwhile, day buyers who register before May 17 can stand a chance to win flights and travel expenses to MEETINGS plus social function tickets in one of three prize draws.
The day buyer programme is free of charge, and attendees can join hosted lunch and refreshments throughout the day, as well as educational programmes at the Tourism New Zealand Knowledge and Destination Hub.
To leverage on the footfall and raise awareness about Sarawak, connect with new international counterparts and clinch more quality leads, the Malaysian state will debut at one of the world’s global trade shows for business events with its inaugural stand-alone pavilion this year.
IMEX Frankfurt is the annual international meeting point for business events where 2,500 exhibitors, as well as 3,000 decision-makers and global sector leaders are expected to attend the much anticipated event from May 23 to 25.
This year, the pavilion, Tribe Legacy Sarawak, by Business Events Sarawak (BESarawak) and themed Business Events Support Community Development, is an unique celebration of the industry’s strong involvement with local communities and contribution to economic, social and cultural sustainability in Sarawak.
The presence on IMEX Frankfurt’s show floor is expected to strengthen its position as an international destination for legacy, thought leadership and innovation.
Staying true to the theme of community development, the pavilion floor programme will focus on key talking points such as Sarawak’s Post Covid-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 where specially-curated plenaries will highlight the strategy’s six economic sectors and seven enabler sectors targeted for growth by the Sarawak Government.
Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, minister of tourism, creative industry and performing arts Sarawak said: “PCDS is a pivotal government strategy for Sarawak to achieve economic prosperity, social inclusion and environmental sustainability by 2030.”
The pavilion will spotlight an exhibition on Sarawak’s legacy impact development, PCDS 2030 and the International Journal of Business Events and Legacies.
Reflecting Sarawak’s commitment to social sustainability, BESarawak has also partnered with several SMEs and NGOs to exhibit a range of local products.
Amelia Roziman, CEO of BESarawak said: “We are encouraging associations, destination marketing organisations and convention & visitor bureaux from around the world to meet at the pavilion and discuss how we can collaborate to develop legacy impact and sustainability together.”
In addition to the exhibited features, a press conference will be held on the first day of IMEX Frankfurt (May 23) to unveil the 3-year Legacy Impact Master Action Plan and an official announcement by the Ministry of Energy and Environmental Sustainability on its commitment to legacy impact.
Since Kuching is Malaysia’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy, pavilion visitors will also be entertained with a creative mixology showcase by food and beverage provider, The Bibber’s Tale.
The range of artisanal beverages will introduce international palates to the unique flavours of ingredients native to Sarawak and flaunt the inventive relationship between the destination’s food and beverage industry and rich produce.
Additionally, pavilion visitors can meet with Sarawak’s six exhibiting industry partners: Borneo Convention Centre Kuching; Pullman Kuching and Pullman Miri Waterfront Hotel; tourism and hospitality services provider Hemisphere Corporation; professional conference organisers ARC Creators and Place Borneo and destination management company CPH Travel Agencies.
The minister added: “Starting this year, the pavilion will be a yearly affair at IMEX Frankfurt and we hope that with a consistent presence, Sarawak will become the preferred destination for business events. We are fully invested in business events as a business and collaboration platform to address economic, social and governance – ESG agendas.”
Keen to organise your next business event in Sarawak? Find out more about the assistance available at the Tribe Legacy Sarawak pavilion at stand number B230
For more information on the pavilion, please contact Rose Bruce: rose@sarawakcb.com
+6014-682-8204
Singapore integrated resort Marina Bay Sands (MBS) says it is making headway with the launch of its Bay Precinct Strategy, which aims to position the property and the surrounding Bay area as the epicentre for international business gatherings.
The Bay Precinct Strategy is said to be the first of its kind, as it brings together different hospitality players, attractions, service providers and restaurants from the Marina Bay area, playing to their strengths in an enlarged business events ecosystem.
Marina Bay Sands wants to position itself and the surrounding Bay area as the epicentre for international business gatherings (Photo: Marina Bay Sands)
At press time, the partnership will comprise 10 hotels, including The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, The Westin Singapore, Swissotel The Stamford, Pan Pacific Singapore and The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. The close collaboration enables MBS and partner hotels to leverage each other’s strengths and assets to bring an expanded offering to international event organisers looking to host their events in Singapore.
“Authenticity, mass customisation, sustainability and wellness are some of the key drivers that will fundamentally shift the tentpoles of how future events are designed. Even as Marina Bay Sands is playing the lead role in hosting international events, we need to continually innovate and drive benefits beyond our own corners. The Bay Precinct Strategy allows us to do just that – we’re able to offer clients an enlarged platform and direct access to different services around the Bay, opening up the playing field. Event organisers are empowered to harness the best-in-town offerings to conceptualise their desired event experience,” said Paul Town, chief operating officer at MBS.
The integrated resort will also be joining hands with other service providers and attractions around Marina Bay, such as Gardens by the Bay, Satay by the Bay, and National Gallery Singapore to create trails that explore Singapore’s gastronomy, wellness, arts, culture, and more.
Event organisers can weave these interest-based trails into their programmes, thereby broadening the attendee experience beyond a single venue.
Besides progress on the business events front, MBS has also completed refurbishments to more than 850 hotel rooms and suites across two of its hotel towers. These make up a third of the hotel’s total room inventory.
The next phase of renovation will focus on the ultra-luxe suites. The hotel renewal will see more suites being created within Towers One and Two – from 137 previously to around 422 – to cater to the growing demand for luxury travel.
When works at Towers One and Two are completed end of this year, the renewal journey will continue into Tower Three, the Hotel Lobby and Sands SkyPark.
Arrangements are underway to lift Japan’s Covid-19 border control measures this Saturday, ahead of initial plans to do so on May 8.
According to Japanese news reports, the decision is made in anticipation of an increase in overseas travellers during the Golden Week holidays.
Japan will end pandemic border controls on April 29
The move will mean that all people entering Japan will no longer need to present certification of at least three Covid-19 vaccination doses or a negative coronavirus test taken within 72 hours of departure.
However, the government is looking to deploy a voluntary testing system at five airports, targeting travellers with symptoms such as fever, with the aim of detecting new infectious diseases.
Japan will maintain its plans to downgrade the classification of Covid-19 under the infectious disease law to Category V, the same as for seasonal flu, on May 8.
S Hotels and Resorts has appointed Ludovic Gallerne as its new vice president of global commerce.
Gallerne brings over 25 years of experience to the role, and will be responsible for all commercial activities at the group’s extensive global portfolio of hotels and resorts in Thailand, the Maldives, Fiji, Mauritius and the UK.
He was most recently the vice president of sales & marketing for Asia & Middle East at The Standard Hotels.
In another step towards its reopening, China has announced that all inbound travellers no longer need to show a negative PCR test starting from April 29, 2023.
Security check at Beijing Airport
Instead, inbound travellers will just have to show a negative ART test, taken within 48 hours of the flight, according to Xinhua news agency.
“We remind both inbound and outbound travellers to do self-health management and monitoring well before travelling, strictly comply with China’s national and local requirements on epidemic prevention, and ensure a healthy and pleasant trip and a safe return home,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation has released a new benchmarking study which sheds light on the approaches that leading companies are using to decarbonise travel programmes.
Titled Managing Emissions From Business Travel Programs: Overview of Corporate Best Practices, this first-of-its-kind report provides a snapshot of purpose-driven companies that are addressing and mitigating their business travel emissions. The study examines which measures are most effective in reducing the climate impact of Scope 3 emissions from business travel and key considerations for implementation and success.
The GBTA Foundation report showcases collective best practices and insights from leading companies taking action on Scope 3.6 emissions for greener corporate travel
“One of the biggest challenges for achieving more sustainable business travel is knowing how to build the path and the programme to get there. We went to companies and leaders in sustainability to bring forth best practices and insights that can help any company seeking to travel greener and better,” said Delphine Millot, managing director, GBTA Foundation.
Millot added that tackling Scope 3.6 emissions needs to be a joint effort across the entire global business travel value chain and relies on common ownership and shared responsibility between the suppliers and users of travel services.
Forging the path toward a climate-conscious travel programme
The report lays out a pathway of building blocks for companies to create a more climate-conscious travel programme – from getting started with measures requiring less effort and funding, to advancing with more ambitious strategies, activities, and outcomes.
Developing a sustainable travel programme involves a combination of measures at different levels and working with various stakeholders. The report outlines measures across four critical categories: travel decisions, emissions tracking, supplier engagement, and decarbonisation. Additionally, it provides a toolbox of action areas to efficiently reduce emissions while aligning to organization budgets, available time, company culture, and other factors.
Six key points for success in reducing business travel emissions
Lowering the impact of business travel on the environment is an iterative process. The report identifies commonalities among interviewees, emphasizing the integral elements necessary to effectively reduce emissions from business travel:
No One Size Fits All: Evaluate needs and return on investment before drawing from the toolbox.
Make a Demand Signal: Corporate travel managers have a key role to play in signalling a growing demand for greener travel options.
Start Today: Strive to improve emissions data − but don’t let perfection halt progress.
Go “Glocal”: Global strategies should be localized to consider infrastructure and cultural differences.
Future Proof: Combine quick wins with longer-term investments.
Collaboration is Key: Sustainability is a shared effort between corporate travel managers, procurement, sustainability, and employee travellers.
Additional topics covered in the report include integrating climate considerations into corporate travel policies, measuring travel programme emissions, greening the procurement process, and navigating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) opportunities.
The report’s benchmarking methodology consisted of interviews with a dozen sustainability leaders from global companies that rely on business travel to successfully conduct their business. Participants included members of the GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Corporate Advisory Board, in collaboration with the GBTA Sustainability Leadership Council.
The Foundation is also set to launch a new global State of Climate Action study in June 2023. This report follows last year’s State of Sustainability in Global Business Travel Study and aims to measure the adoption of best practices for reducing Scope 3.6 emissions across the entire business travel community. The report will provide statistics on the progress made by various organisations in different regions toward their climate goals.
The report will be unveiled on June 13, 2023, at GBTA’s 2nd Sustainability Summit in Washington, D.C. which will include travel buyer case studies presented by Google, Salesforce and Shell.
The GBTA Foundation’s Sustainability Program has also released a Sustainability Toolkit to guide, inform, and empower corporate travel managers in reducing the climate impact of business travel in their organisation.
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 was most recently the vice president of sales & marketing for Asia & Middle East at The Standard Hotels.
For the month of May, The Royal Albatross ship in Singapore is offering complimentary unlimited beer, for corporates that book their Weekday Corporate Package on Mondays to Thursdays.
There are three corporate buyout packages available, all of which include 2.5 hours of sailing, and 1.5 hours of dockside.
Package B is from 09.00 to 13.00, and will start at S$8,500 for a minimum of 30 pax, while the additional headcount is S$250 per pax up to a maximum of 130 people. Package C is from 11.00 to 15.00, and will start at S$12,500 for a minimum of 30 pax, with the additional headcount price the same as Package B.
For more private gatherings, Royal Albatross also offers section buyouts for Weekend Dinner Cruises, tailor-made to accommodate smaller groups of 30. Food is freshly prepared on board in the galley by the head chef and kitchen team, and can be buffet-style, or a four-course menu.
Contact info@tallship.com.sg