From left: Matt Pearce, CEO | Talk2 Media & Events is pleased AIME’s contribution to the development ofSilke Calder, AIME Event Director
AIME has been awarded both the Australian Event of the Year (2022) and National Winner: Best Congress, Conference or Exhibition (2022) recognitions at the recent Australian Event Awards & Symposium.
From left: Talk2 Media & Events’ Matt Pearce and AIME’s event director Silke Calder
Organised by Talk2 Media & Events, AIME connects international and local buyers with exhibitors from Asia Pacific and around the world. Next year’s three-day event will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from February 13-15, 2023, coinciding with the tradeshow’s 30th anniversary.
The Australian Event Awards & Symposium is the national awards programme and conference for the Australian events industry. It is the only opportunity for Australian event professionals to compete directly across the nation and across all facets of the industry to establish which are Australia’s best events and event-related goods, services and innovations.
MEA looks forward to fostering the Australian events sector’s resurgence; Gold Coast pictured
Meetings & Events Australia’s (MEA) annual conference, Evolve 2023, will return to The Gold Coast next year from June 7-8.
Next year’s event will mark the return of the conference to the Gold Coast in 17 years.
MEA looks forward to fostering the Australian events sector’s resurgence; Gold Coast pictured
With the real and immediate need for upskilling quickly becoming a priority across all areas of the events sector, Evolve 2023 will present an opportunity for event professionals to reconnect and for businesses to educate and develop their staff on future predictions, latest innovations, and to hear from event experts on trending topics.
The conference programme will include the return of the National MEA Awards Gala Dinner.
More details about the event, venues, and speaker programme will be shared in due course.
Te Atakura – First to Zero is a blueprint that Wellington city – and by extension its business events industry – is following, with the aim of becoming a zero carbon capital by 2050.
This move towards being greener is encapsulated in the soon-to-open Tãkina Wellington Convention and Exhibition Centre, scheduled to open in June 2023. The purpose-built venue is also the first convention in New Zealand to be awarded a 5 Green Star Design certification in 2021.
A panoramic view of Wellington CBD and harbour
The venue’s green star design includes enhanced thermal insulation and high-performance double glazing, as well as efficient, automatically-controlled LED lighting, air conditioning and ventilation systems. When combined, these create a 66 per cent carbon reduction, and 60 per cent in energy savings when benchmarked against a comparable new build.
Tãkina will also sport a rainwater harvesting system estimated to reduce potable water consumption by 30 per cent, while timber materials used in its construction were sourced from sustainable forestry.
When complete, the multi-storey convention centre will boast 10,000m2 of conference space with a plenary seating up to 1,600 people, a 2,500m2 exhibition floor, two large, flexible plenary halls and meeting rooms.
Its project director Danny McComb pointed out that the project has considered the impacts on the environment, as well as the comfort and well-being of the people inside it.
“Increasingly, conference and event organisers are looking at the values, attitudes and approaches to climate change and sustainability of venues and we expect that this will only increase.”
Aside from Tãkina, other venues in the city have reiterated their commitment to being more responsible in areas of waste, water and energy, and are working with local suppliers to help planners achieve zero waste events.
They include four WellingtonNZ-managed entertainment venues – Michael Fowler Centre, Opera House, TSB Arena and Shed 6 – all of which have also attained EarthCheck’s Bronze Benchmark accreditation.
Aside from sustainable venues, Irette Ferreira, Business Events Wellington’s manager, added: “Conferencing in Wellington provides event organisers with an opportunity to make a lasting difference by collaborating with local organisations such as Zealandia, the world’s first fully-fenced urban eco-sanctuary regenerating the city’s biodiversity, and Kaibosh, a food rescue organisation redistributing surplus food to people in need.”
Besides the direct economic benefits business events bring to the city and region, conferences in particular are a catalyst for change, investment and improvement.
St James Theatre
Through exposure to new or different ways of thinking, sectors grow and develop, new ideas are formed and refined, and governments change policies and regulations. Through new relationships, business is conducted, not only during an event but potentially for years to come.
“Wellington is home to thought leaders who live and work in the city, crown research institutions, central government agencies, national associations and several universities. That means we have access to their knowledge, and a breadth of speakers that live locally,” Ferreira noted.
To date, business Events Wellington has secured more than 40 conferences for the city from 2023 to 2026, with an estimated spend of more than NZ$34 million (US$28 million).
Meetings & Events Australia (MEA) revealed the results of its 2022 Board Director Ballot at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last week.
There were five contested positions, and nominations were received from seven candidates whose profiles and policy statements were presented to voting-eligible MEA members.
A screenshot of MEA’s new board
The five highest vote counts were received by:
• Alicia Thomas, Royal International Convention Centre
• Emma McDowell, Saxton Speakers Bureau
• Vanessa Green, Cliftons
• Thomas Staunton, SoldOut Events
• Mike Schrafft, VMS Event & Conference Logistics
A meeting of the new Board was held after the AGM, at which the offices of chair, deputy chair, treasurer and company secretary were determined. These role bearers moving forward are:
• Chair: Michael Firman, Harry the hirer
• Deputy chair: Megan Peters, Lateral Event Management
• Treasurer: Paul Davison, Sydney Masonic Centre
• Company secretary: Peter McDonald, Meetings & Events Australia
Jess Glass of The University of Queensland will also continue on the MEA Board for the third year ensuring a full complement of nine directors as required by the Constitution.
Event planners need to show customers the benefits of committing early
Last-minute registrations for overseas business events continue to be a challenge for event organisers post-lockdown, and PCOs and PEOs are deploying various methods – from working on more flexible arrangements with venues to highlighting the higher costs of travel – to encourage early confirmations.
Patricia Cheong, managing director Asia, International Conference Services, shared with TTGmice how a recent medical congress saw its registration surge to 1,100 in the last three weeks before the event, up from the expected 700.
Event planners need to show customers the benefits of committing early
Cheong noted: “Over the last two years, people have held on to their conference registrations to the very last minute as it is quite risky in the sense that the event may be cancelled, or if they contract Covid. Either situation could mean they would be unable to obtain a refund.”
Moreover, companies’ internal budgets have been cut, which means that attendees may have trouble justifying their travel to their management or have to wait longer for the approval of their travel budgets.
“Speakers are also in the same situation, which then becomes a chain reaction, and makes it challenging for PCOs like us,” Cheong added.
Richard Ireland, CEO, Clarion Events Asia, observed: “Events have always experienced late registration patterns but in the post-lockdown environment, this has certainly increased.”
He attributes this to delegates who are usually senior executives, stating that these individuals “want flexibility in their schedules and tend to book late”.
To deal with last-minute sign-ups, Cheong shared that she works closely with the venue to enable more flexibility in accommodating changes in attendee numbers on shorter notice, or prepare for a hybrid option from the beginning and encourage attendees who register at the last minute to participate online instead.
Cheong added: “We have also encouraged some of our association clients to consider making the in-person registration price the same as the virtual price, which makes it less risky for the attendee if they have to switch to an online attendance.”
“Also as organisers, we need to be open and transparent about the progress of the event and publicise who is attending, speaking, exhibiting as early as possible,” Ireland pointed out, to spur customers to commit early.
He shared that Clarion implements time-based pricing to encourage earlier confirmations, as well as highlight to attendees the risk of higher airfares and accommodation costs, “given that capacity constraints continue to exist on key routes”.
“Due to rising costs of travel, we are also encouraging delegates to start looking at travelling earlier, which means earlier planning,” Cheong noted.
Although Kenny Yong, founder and group CEO of PEO Fireworks Trade Media, does not deal with many last-minute registrations, a similar major complaint his exhibitors have put forth is that “hotel rates and airfares are skyrocketing”.
Other challenges Yong is currently experiencing revolve around logistics and operations, where venue owners, freight forwarders and contractors are “rusty post-lockdown”, while also dealing with a “manpower crunch” arising from “back-to-back” events.
To encourage earlier sign-ups, Yong works with official hotels earlier in the year to ensure attendees benefit from exclusive rates.
Overall, Yong is optimistic for 2023, as his company is already seeing floorplans that are 80 per cent filled, buoyed by the surge in demand for in-person events.
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) is the world’s first venue to achieve the Platinum Level certification under the latest Events Industry Council (EIC) 2022 Sustainable Events Standards (SES) released in June 2022.
The standards have been expanded to include a stronger focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and climate actions such as renewable energy and innovation, following extensive consultations with more than 300 leading practitioners.
A ballroom at RWS
This is the highest rating possible which recognises organisations with significant and measurable environmental or social performance.
Some of RWS’ efforts include:
S$10 million (US$7.2 million) funding to RWS-NUS Living Laboratory, a five-year applied research collaboration to advance marine science, protect Singapore’s rich biodiversity and develop innovative decarbonization solutions to address real-world issues.
Ongoing quadrupling of renewable energy capacity with the installation of new solar panels at 11 sites on its premises, which already hosts one of the largest solar photovoltaic systems in Singapore’s hospitality sector.
Achieving waste to landfill diversion rate of over 20 per cent and recycling across 10 waste streams including plastic, paper and horticultural waste.
Creating a culture of Diversity and Inclusion and being listed on Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index since 2021 for disclosure and support of diversity, inclusion, gender equality through policy development, representation and transparency.
Making a positive impact on the community, clocking over 470,000 volunteer hours among employees including the managing of community care facilities, caring for the underprivileged and fundraising events.
RWS MICE & corporate sales assistant vice presidentm Adeline Lim, said, “The MICE industry has great potential in addressing environmental issues and making a positive impact on society. With the sector set to have a strong recovery, this is an opportunity to not only entrench our sustainability practices, but to also communicate to our delegates, guests and visitors that RWS is committed to environmentally and socially responsible practices needed to support long-term sustainability in our industry.
“We are honoured to be the first in the world to be certified according to EIC 2022 Sustainable Events Standards platinum level, it validates our commitment and energises us to take our efforts to the next level.”
This achievement adds to the slate of sustainability awards and accolades RWS has attained since it welcomed its first visitors in 2010. In 2021, RWS was the first destination in the world to be certified to both the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Destination Criteria and GSTC Industry Criteria for Hotels. It was also conferred the Special Award for Sustainability in the Singapore Tourism Awards for two consecutive years (2021, 2022).
The integrated resort is set to host more than 200 business events by the end of 2022, attended by over 100,000 international and local delegates. These include the Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition, Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology, Amazon APJC Tech Summit, and BNI Global Convention 2022.
The GBTA Sustainability Summit was held earlier in November
GBTA (The Global Business Travel Association) is calling for Asia-Pacific’s business travel industry to participate in a survey, as it looks to host the APAC Travel Summit in Bangkok in partnership with PATA (Pacific Asia Travel Association) next month.
The survey is part of a series of GBTA Covid Recovery polls, launched at the outset of the pandemic in 2020 to measure the impact on business travel. The association is aiming to gather insights from local travel buyers, meeting professionals, suppliers, and other business travel stakeholders in Asia-Pacific, about their spend levels and business travel volume, as the industry navigates recovery.
The GBTA Sustainability Summit was held earlier in November
Catherine Logan, regional director of GBTA, said: “According to the latest 2022 GBTA Business Travel Index Outlook – Annual Global Report and Forecast, the global business travel industry continues its progress towards 2019 pre-pandemic spending levels of US$1.4 trillion, with a full recovery forecast for 2026.
“Although global business travel spending is expected to gain 33.8 per cent in 2022, there are some differences anticipated across the world’s top business travel markets. The timing and pace of the recovery will continue to vary significantly from one region of the world to the next, as previously experienced.
“I encourage everyone to put 10 minutes aside to take part in this survey as we will all benefit from deeper insights into the rate of recovery in the APAC region. We all need to get an accurate picture of what is occurring, so we can then collectively determine recovery strategies for all stakeholders going forward.”
Almost two-thirds of Asia Pacific respondents view concerns from Covid-19 as a top threat to business travel, while flexibility is seen as vital for sustainability
SAP Concur has released new research that finds Asia-Pacific (APAC) corporate travellers are concerned about the continuing health and safety threats from Covid-19, even as they retain high interest in travelling and seek steps to ensure greener travel.
The survey polled 1,050 business travellers in Singapore, Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand.
Almost two-thirds of Asia Pacific respondents view concerns from Covid-19 as a top threat to business travel, while flexibility is seen as vital for sustainability
While business travel is returning at a steady pace, the effects of the unprecedented health crisis can still be felt, especially in APAC. Health and safety remain a top concern for APAC business travellers (63%, as compared to 52% globally), significantly higher than the next most common concern for APAC – uncertainty around changing travel policies (25%).
Nearly two in five APAC business travellers (38%) indicated that the trip itself – rather than the pre- or post-trip stages – is now the most stressful stage of travel, including ensuring their personal safety and health. This is an increase of four per cent from 34% in 2021.
APAC business travellers continue to expect flexible arrangements to protect their health and safety while travelling, which remains largely unchanged from 2021. Protecting their health and safety includes selecting their preferred mode of travel (49%, as compared to 43% in 2021) and accommodation (49%, same as 2021).
Having more control over the trip’s schedule is considered to be critical for APAC business travellers’ well-being. More than two in five (43%) expect their company to allow them to decide how long their trip will be (compared to 38% globally). Similarly, 41% deem it essential to have the ability to book travel directly through supplier websites to protect their health and safety (compared to 37% globally), and 39% expect to be able to change travel plans without repercussions.
“Corporate travel is essential and growing, carrying with it ample opportunities to drive business outcomes and relationships,” said Matthew Goss, senior vice president & general manager, Asia Pacific Japan and Greater China, SAP Concur. “It’s interesting that APAC employees seem to be more concerned about health and safety than other markets in the world. Organisations here that haven’t put in place travel policies and technologies to safeguard employee health and safety, or ensure travel flexibility, should act soon.”
Other notable findings from the study include:
Interest in travel is high, despite concerns
While Covid-19 concerns are still on the minds of many APAC travellers, a vast majority retain a high interest in travel. Overall, 98% of APAC business travellers are willing to get back out on the road, on par with last year’s 99%, despite any concerns they may have.
However, in APAC, the percentage who are very willing to travel has dropped 15 percentage points, from 63% last year to 48% this year.
APAC business travellers also want options to make travel more relaxing and scheduling less stressful.
Nearly half (48%) say they’d want the ability to choose higher category transportation and accommodation options to take a position with more travel (compared to 40% globally), and 37% want the ability to book their travel directly on supplier websites (compared 31% globally).
Flexibilty is vital for sustainability
Sustainability is also increasingly becoming a priority for many business travellers. An overwhelming 95% of APAC business travellers are looking to take their own steps to ensure greener travel over the next 12 months.
About 43% of the APAC business travellers surveyed plan to combine nearby trips into one longer trip while prioritising alternatives to air travel, such as car or rail (37%), and using public transportation (36%).
As much as 27% of the APAC business travellers surveyed are willing to risk repercussions with their organisation by refusing non-sustainable travel.
At the same time, APAC business travellers are looking to their companies to take strides towards sustainable travel:
Nearly all of the respondents (96%) felt that it is important for sustainability information to be provided to them in their business travel options.
More than half (54%) indicated that having visual indicators of the environmental impact is extremely important to them.
The study shows that a willingness to heed travellers’ desire for continued flexibility to ensure their health and safety will be important for companies as they return to pre-pandemic levels of travel.
“There will be substantial evolutions to the corporate travel landscape as countries enter a new phase of the pandemic,” said Goss. “Automation technologies may help firms run better in such an environment by improving their travel planning and visibility – employee experience, compliance, and cost control can all be improved, and importantly in recent times, sustainability goals can be effectively managed and delivered upon.”
The Fuji Speedway Hotel, The Unbound Collection by Hyatt
1 of 8
Exterior
Lobby lounge
Deluxe twin
Residential villa
Onsen
Swimming pool
Ballroom
Rooms
The hotel has just 120 rooms, from the generous 43m2 standard room all the way up to six stylish 91m2 suites, all of which either offer unobstructed views of the final bend into the home straight of the neighbouring race track or the equally impressive profile of Mount Fuji.
Every room features floor-to-ceiling windows and a private balcony from which to enjoy the action on the track or the serenity of Japan’s most famous natural landmark.
The beds are expansive and difficult to leave, as are the en suite bathrooms, with deep tubs and rainforest showers. With a little bit of neck-craning from the comfort of my bath, it was even possible to catch glimpses of action on the track.
The top tier of accommodation is the five villas, where each 143m2 has the capacity for four adults and two children. This would be the ultimate luxury for a company’s top winners, or VVIP guests, especially those travelling with their families.
MICE facilities
Known as THE CIRCUIT, the 400m2 ballroom can be partitioned into two and enjoys both a show kitchen and a VIP room. With a banquet capacity of 200 and up to 310 participants in a theatre layout, it also gives opens out onto a vast patio – with an appropriately black-and-white chequered floor design – that is ideal for displaying vehicles.
Continuing with the hotel-wide automobile theme, THE PIT meeting room has 120m2 of space that can accommodate up to 60 people attending a reception, but also has screens that can be prepped for conferences or similar gatherings.
Immediately outside the main entrances to both spaces is the ground floor of the Fuji Motorsports Museum, a unique repository of some of the world’s earliest racing vehicles, dating from the late 19th century, to the latest state-of-the-art machines. These include a stately Bentley in British racing green, a bare metal Porsche, a tiny Datsun that amazingly completed the 17,000km Around Australia rally in 1958, and other sleek and powerful cars that have competed at Le Mans.
Other facilities
The Robata OYAMA restaurant – take a close look at that logo and you will see the racing connection – prides itself on utilising seasonal specialities, but do not miss the yakitori selection. While yakitori is generally considered an unsophisticated contribution to Japanese cuisine, it is taken to a new level here. The restaurant also serves an excellent selection of wines and beers, including a one-off collaboration with a local brewery to produce the Fuji Speedway Hotel beer.
The TROFEO Lounge, which is Italian for trophy, serves as an all-day lounge with stunning views of Mount Fuji. BAR 4563 is named after the length of the Fuji Speedway track, and has a striking communal table in the shape of a Formula One car as its centrepiece, as well as scale models of dozens of racing cars on its walls. The bar also has a private den with a capacity of 13 for more private corporate meetings and discussions.
As for recreational facilities, the Omika Wellness & Spa has his-and-hers onsen that taps into naturally heated water from 1,500m2 below the hotel, while the spa has six treatment rooms, including two couples’ rooms with views up to Mount Fuji.
There is also a 20m-long indoor pool that has vehicle-inspired art installations and a jet bath, while the gym is equipped with the very latest cardio equipment. The piece de resistance? A professional-level driving simulator that gives the driver a choice of 300 cars to try out at Fuji Speedway.
Service
Impeccable from pulling up at the impressive entrance to the all-too-soon departure. Nothing was too much trouble and the staff at Robata OYAMA, the bar and the spa went to great lengths to ensure that everything was just so.
Verdict
For an organisation in the automobile space – or anyone who simply enjoys cars or motorcycles that go very, very fast – this is without a doubt the place in Japan to stay. The collaboration with the Fuji Motorsports Museum only adds to the allure for any petrolhead. But it is also a good deal more than that, as Hyatt’s first Unbound property in Japan and a marker for what this brand is all about.
Martin Rinck has been appointed to the executive board by Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH).
In this role, he will support SLH’s strategic vision and growth plan for SLH, along with their continued expansion of independently owned and operated properties.
As a seasoned hospitality executive with over 35 years of global experience in strategy, operations, business development, P&L and brand management, he has held leadership positions at some of the world’s largest hospitality companies and brings with him extensive business, talent, and stakeholder management expertise.
Most recently, he was the executive vice president and chief brand officer at Hilton, where he led a portfolio of 18 brands across 6,500 hotels globally, developing and executing the enterprise portfolio strategy, and leading multiple ESG initiatives for the company.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
As a seasoned hospitality executive with over 35 years of global experience in strategy, operations, business development, P&L and brand management, he has held leadership positions at some of the world’s largest hospitality companies and brings with him extensive business, talent, and stakeholder management expertise.
