The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne has opened on the western side of Melbourne’s CBD.
Event planners looking to hold an event at the property will be able to avail more than 2,500m2 of customisable space, such as The Ritz-Carlton Grand Ballroom. Seating up to 550 guests, the space features 7m-high ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling feature windows.
Deluxe King
Check-in at The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne is at the Sky Lobby Reception on Level 80. There are 257 guestrooms in total, where business travellers on the Club Level suites will have access to a lounge where they can work and enjoy curated culinary journeys throughout the day.
Recreational facilities include a spa, an infinity pool which looks out over the city, a fitness centre, and a yoga studio. The hotel’s signature restaurant Atria is named for the brightest star in the southern constellation, Triangulum Australe, and features hyper-seasonal dishes; while cocktail bar Cameo and the Lobby Lounge – home to the hotel’s high tea experience – round up the rest of the F&B offerings.
As sustainability continues to be in the global spotlight, the exhibitions industry is showing up as a strong enforcer. In 2022, more than 400 organisations in the exhibitions industry – many of whom are UFI (The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry members) members – signed the Net Zero Carbon Events pledge.
According to UFI’s 2022/23 president Michael Duck, the pledge “has been very enthusiastically followed”. He attributed the adoption to most companies being asked by their shareholders about their plans on meeting sustainability targets.
Large-scale venues such as convention centres, where exhibitions are usually held, are leading the push for sustainability.
Early commitment
In 2015, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC), kickstarted its sustainability journey, becoming the first organisation in Hong Kong to receive the three-year ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certificate, and was recertified in 2018 and 2021.
Monica Lee-Müller, managing director, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) (HML), noted: “HML was one of the founding signatories of the Net Zero Carbon Events Pledge, launched in November 2021 during COP26 by the exhibition and event industry, committing to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Think Before Plastic campaign at HKCEC
“In November 2022, the Net Zero Carbon Roadmap announced that plans were to become concrete action at COP27. This roadmap sets out a common framework for stakeholders to make their net zero journey together. All signatories are making plans to reduce carbon emissions by 50 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050.”
Sustainability has also been a continuous journey for Singapore Expo since 2011, and efforts were significantly accelerated in the past year.
Chua Wee Phong, chief executive (venues), Constellar, which manages the facility, said: “We have been moving from sustainability as a competitive advantage to a necessity.
“In our conversations with international organisers, it has become a criteria for deciding where they hold their events, so the venue needs to make a compelling business case together with our vendors, suppliers and partners where sustainability becomes an operating value in the entire supply chain.
Opened less than a year ago, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is taking serious steps towards its environmental obligations, with an agreement with Toitu Envirocare to acquire certification as a net carbon zero organisation.
For now, the venue is working to establish “an accurate benchmark of operations to not just know where we are at, but where we need to head in the future”, said general manager Ross Steele. Attention will turn to net carbon zero operations by the end of the next financial year.
The venue’s ultimate goal is to “bring clients and suppliers along on the journey and look at ways to work with them to minimise the impact of the events we host – something we are well supported in with Otautahi Christchurch’s own commitment to reaching net zero emissions”, Steele added.
He said: “For us, sustainability and sustainable operations go beyond just measuring waste and offsetting carbon emissions. It’s about legacy – what we leave behind for future generations, and how we instil values that will ensure we are not only environmentally sensitive but leading the way in this area for years to come.”
Hardware modifications
Efforts to become more sustainable usually start with improving building energy efficiencies.
Currently, HML is replacing its chillers with more energy-efficient and low GWP (global warming potential) sea water-cooled units. When completed, there will be an estimated saving of 2,500 tonnes per year of carbon.
HML is also retrofitting the conventional kitchen ventilation system and will have new capability to adjust exhaust fan speed per demand. This should save 220,000 kWh/year, representing approximately 157 tonnes of carbon emission, equivalent to planting 6,826 trees.
Installation of Solar Panels at Singapore Expo
Other efforts include the replacement of HKCEC’s 12 sets of air handling units in its exhibition halls to save a 200,000 kWh of energy per year.
Automation is also utilised at HKCEC, where robots perform water-saving cleaning services, cutting down monthly water usage by up to 6,000 litres.
As for Singapore Expo, its convention wing is already BCA (Building and Construction Authority) Green Mark Platinum-certified, hence the venue is aiming to achieve Platinum status for its 10 exhibition halls by this year.
“To bring sustainability to the forefront of our venue experience, we will be focusing on two key areas: implementing a systematic energy efficiency plan, as well as developing a food and waste management strategy to help our clients and partners reduce their carbon footprint at events,” revealed Chua.
He added: “Our intention is to make Singapore Expo self-sufficient, and replace conventional energy consumption with renewable energy through the installation of the largest single-site solar rooftop installation in the country.”
Expected to be completed by this October, Chua said the energy generated could power the equivalent of 4,000 public housing units of 66m2 each for a year.
“This is a key step towards realising our vision of Singapore Expo achieving net zero carbon by 2024, and becoming Asia’s first net zero carbon emission MICE venue running on clean energy,” noted Chua.
joint efforts
Recognising that achievements are greater with more hands on deck, convention centres have forged partnerships in their net zero carbon journey.
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is transforming the Kuala Lumpur City Centre precinct into a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) hub. It does this with partners in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Business Events Alliance (KLCCBEA), which comprises on-site hotels, the shopping mall, and Malaysia Airlines, to offer an end-to-end sustainable experience to organisers and guests.
The KLCC Precinct donates old footwear to be made into playground mats
In 2022, the centre signed the first public-private MoU with Urbanice Malaysia, a government agency tasked to localise the United Nations (UN) SDGs for Malaysia’s urban and rural development, provide strategic assistance for a sustainability roadmap, and develop a blueprint for sustainable events.
It also seeks joint efforts in food and general waste management, sustainable sourcing, and energy saving.
“In 2019, we partnered with Food Aid Foundation where clients can give away excess food from their events to the needy. Most recently, we invested in our own food waste composter to help us minimise our overall food waste,” general manager Alan Pryor said.
To encourage delegates and visitors to recycle plastic and aluminum, two reverse vending machines were placed onsite to reward each recycling act with points that can be redeemed for lifestyle and recreational experiences.
Meanwhile at the BuildTech Asia 2023 in March, Singapore Expo piloted a waste measurement methodology involving various stakeholders to help identify waste drivers and boundaries.
Employee upskilling in line with developing a framework for sustainability reporting by 2025 has also been identified for action, as has sustainable travel to the venue. This includes plans to develop one of the largest electric vehicle charging hubs in eastern Singapore to reinforce infrastructure and partnership support.
Constellar will also be engaging its F&B partners and clients to look into managing food waste, as well as implementing urban farming on the rooftop of its convention wing by October 2023.
Similarly, HML is actively promoting sustainable and low-carbon menu options to banquet organisers, and has been supporting Food Angel’s Food Rescue Programme since 2011 by inviting organisers to donate unconsumed food from their events to Food Angel.
To motivate event organisers and visitors to recycle waste, Lee-Müller said public and back-of-house areas were equipped with recycle bins for paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and metal.
“Since last year, HML’s recycling programme has extended to include plastic wrapping film, which is used extensively for transportation and delivery of exhibits.
“We target to collect wrap waste from 70 per cent of exhibitions for recycling by June 2023,” she added. – Additional reporting by Karen Yue
Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa has named Adrian Pulido as general manager of the 360-key oceanfront resort.
He leads a team of more than 450 associates at Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa, and will be responsible for all aspects of hotel operations, staff management and guest satisfaction.
Originally from Mexico, he held leadership roles at high-profile resorts in the Americas, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
Hahn Air introduces Arsenio Cabanilla Jr. as the new regional vice president agency distribution for Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Thailand and the Philippines.
In his new position, he will assist travel agents in his markets on how to use Hahn Air’s ticketing solutions to increase their sales. In addition, he will provide support with training, presentations, as well as targeted sales and marketing activities. Part of his responsibility will also lie in developing strategic alliances with the local trade.
He has a broad background in tourism and his past experience includes positions at Legend Hotels International, Philippine Airlines and an online travel agency.
The Ritz-Carlton, Bali has named Subin Dharman as its new general manager.
He brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and has held pivotal positions in various luxury hotels around the globe, such as Kuwait, Qatar and the US.
Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, Subin was also appointed co-chair for Marriott Business Council in Indonesia.
Face-to-face business events are returning with more ‘downtime’ where attendees get to refresh their minds and socialise, as compared to packed agendas commonly seen pre-pandemic – a change that Petrina Goh, regional commercial director for South-east Asia and Hong Kong, CWT Meetings & Events, says is a result of isolation during the pandemic emphasising the need for meaningful and participatory human connections.
In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five questions video news series, Goh also highlights the growing confidence in longhaul travel, sharper focus on personalised content at business events, increasing value being placed on social functions during business events, and other observations around the way business events are designed today.
The removal of travel barriers between China and Hong Kong has brought event planners in the latter destination a welcome change of pace.
Event planners in Hong Kong tell TTGmice that they are flooded with enquiries and bookings since travel restrictions were lifted, and most of the business is coming from the mainland.
Lam: manpower strains are pushing prices up
Business is returning so swiftly that CTSHK Metropole International Travel Services, deputy general manager, George Kai, expects performance to reach 50 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by this May.
He said: “(The reopening has) triggered numerous enquiries and bookings. Most are firmed up within a short time, such as a week before departure. These have kept us very busy.”
Kai said the majority of events are led by government bodies, and can range from meetings and incentive programmes to product launches and roadshows aimed at promoting provincial business. Each event runs for four days on average.
The optimism is shared by Frankie Lam, director of Kam Wai Travel. Events have streamed in since February, and most of them are from China organisations eager to catch up on business, investments and promotions in Hong Kong.
“The pace of recovery is fast and we expect to hit 40 per cent of pre-Covid business by May 1 and 50 per cent by summer,” said Lam.
Momentous Asia Travel & Events, general manager, Doris Lam, noted that the Chinese used to make up 50 per cent of attendees at conferences held in Hong Kong, and she hopes the same representation will return now that the ease of cross-border travel has returned.
Returning Chinese planners have come with higher expectations, observed Kai.
They now expect fresh destination experiences, Michelin-star meals and quality service. And their desires are being met, according to Kai, thanks to Hong Kong’s dedication to reinventing itself as a destination and creating new tourism experiences during the pandemic years.
“The quality of service at restaurants and provided by guides has also improved,” he added.
However, one stumbling block to Hong Kong’s business events recovery remains – the intense manpower shortage.
Lam said: “Prior to the pandemic, it was typical for us to handle groups with attendees ranging from thousands to 10,000. Now, with my team strength down by 50 per cent, we have to restrict group sizes to 1,000 pax.”
Kai pointed to a shortage of tour guides and hotel staff to support event groups.
With coach drivers and tour guides in high demand, prices for land tours have also gone up by 30 per cent, noted Lam.
Hong Kong takes top spot as the most expensive city in Asia for business travel
Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, have topped ECA International’s Top Ten Most Expensive Locations For Business Travel in Asia list.
“Singapore overtook Tokyo in 2022 to become the second-most expensive city in Asia to visit for business,” said Lee Quane, regional director – Asia at ECA International.
Hong Kong (pictured) takes top spot as the most expensive city in Asia for business travel
“Business travel to the city picked up earlier than most other locations in the region with the government’s comprehensive lifting of travel restrictions. The resulting increase in demand contributed to rises in hotel accommodation costs, while costs associated with other daily essentials consumed by business travellers also increased at a faster rate than other locations in the region. Together, these propelled Singapore to second place in Asia and 19th worldwide.”
The average business trip to Singapore now costs US$515 per day – an increase of US$34 from the year before, just slightly cheaper than Hong Kong.
Tokyo fell one place in the ranking and is now the third most expensive city to visit in Asia. Although daily costs for business travellers have increased in local currency terms in the past year, the depreciation of the yen against the US dollar has caused it to fall in the rankings.
“In local currency terms business travellers’ costs rose by over five per cent in Tokyo last year,” explained Quane. “However, the weaker yen means that with average costs of US$424 per day, the average daily cost of business travel is almost 20 per cent lower than in Hong Kong. It is now ranked outside the top 30 most expensive cities for business travel globally, and other Japanese locations have experienced similar falls in the past year.”
Meanwhile, locations in Taiwan including Taipei and Hsinchu have risen in the rankings, with both locations entering the ranking of the 10 most expensive business travel destinations in Asia.
“The rise in our rankings of Taipei is largely due to the fact that locations such as Yokohama, Beijing and Macau, which were all more expensive before the Covid-19 pandemic, are now relatively cheaper rather than Taipei becoming more expensive in absolute terms,” noted Quane. “Nonetheless, as locations in Taiwan will expect to receive more business travellers this year, their guests will find Taiwan to be more expensive relative to other comparable destinations in the region.”
Top 10 most expensive locations for business travel in Asia
Popular tourist destinations in South-east Asia saw relatively little change in travel expenses in 2022, with business travel costs rising only slightly over the last year in local currency terms.
“Cities like Pattaya and Chiang Mai in Thailand, alongside Denpasar in Indonesia, all witnessed small rates of growth in local currency terms in 2022, ranging between one and three per cent,” added Quane. “Hotel rates have been suppressed by low demand in comparison to pre-pandemic levels. Even a tourist hub like Bangkok, which typically receives many business travellers, only saw a moderate four per cent increase in business travel costs, leaving it well outside the top 100 most expensive business travel destinations last year.”
Elsewhere in Asia, inflation in many locations has contributed to significant increases in business travel costs in local currency terms even though business travel demand has not yet recovered from the Covid-19 pandemic. Costs have risen most in countries such as Sri Lanka, Laos, Pakistan and Kazakhstan but have actually fallen in some key cities such as Beijing and Shanghai.
“Business travel expenses were over 75 per cent higher in local currency terms in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2022 in comparison to the year before”, advised Quane. “This is due to high inflation and currency depreciation since some costs associated with business travel, such as hotel costs, are incurred in US dollars by foreign business travellers here. At the other end of scale, the fall in costs for business travellers in China has been largely due to falling hotel costs associated with a drop in demand for business travel last year. In spite of this, Shanghai is nonetheless the fourth most expensive business travel destination in Asia.”
Globally, New York remains the most expensive location in the world for business travel, with the average daily cost of a business trip now standing at US$796.
“New York tops the rankings for yet another year as the cost associated with business travel rebounded strongly over the course of a year,” explained Quane. “A post-pandemic surge in demand for business travel and tourism to the Big Apple, along with inflation-driven price hikes on goods commonly consumed by business travellers, has all contributed to a stark eight per cent growth in business travel costs.”
Like New York, locations in the US continued to dominate this year’s global top 10 list, while Switzerland remained home to Europe’s two most expensive cities for business travel – Geneva and Zurich. Traditional business hubs London and Paris also retained their positions in this year’s rankings, with Luanda, Angola, rounding off the list as Africa’s most expensive city.
Updated annually, ECA’s Daily Rates reports provide average costs for hotel accommodation – which makes up the bulk of any daily allowance – as well as meals, drinks, laundry, taxi costs, and daily essentials.
The Melbourne e-Guide is an example of the planning tools MCB produces for event owners, planners and delegates
The Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has launched the second edition of its interactive Melbourne e-Guide.
Special features include how to create first-class VIP experiences at iconic venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Flemington and Melbourne & Olympic Parks, to learning how to weave a business event or itinerary programme around one of Melbourne’s major events such as the Australian Formula 1 Rolex Grand Prix.
The Melbourne e-Guide is an example of the planning tools MCB produces for event owners, planners and delegates
Event planners will also be able to learn about Melbourne’s new venue offerings for major business events; benefit from an update on the city’s Accor properties; receive tips for hotels with twin-share rooms to consider; and product and venue ideas to take their event to the next level.
Meanwhile, the embedded interactive map in the e-Guide enables event owners, planners and attendees to plan their trip and create custom itineraries for site inspections, delegate tours and pre-and-post conference travel, with the aid of videos, images, 360-degree experiences, product descriptors and hyperlinks.
Offering geographic location or category search functions such as Eat, Play, Relax, Conference and Caffeinate, the map is an effective way to familiarise users with how to maximise their time in Melbourne and provides real-time directional features accessible via mobile phones to help guide users through the city.
Thomas Cook India, and its subsidiary SOTC Travel, have partnered with global technology consulting and digital solutions company LTIMindtree to launch Green Carpet, a technology platform that will help enterprises monitor and manage their travel emissions.
Green Carpet enables swift and easy integration with current business travel platforms, and will also provide analysis of travel emissions with real-time dashboards. The launch pricing of the solution is based on the number of trips, which starts from US$1,500 and goes up to US$3,500 annually.
At the launch of Green Carpet
The launch comes at a time when the market regulator, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), made it mandatory for the top 1,000 listed companies in India by market capitalisation to make filings as per the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) starting from financial year 2023.
The platform will help Indian companies capture, measure, benchmark and report Scope 3 emissions as mandated by SEBI. Carbon emissions that are caused, because of business travel, come under the Scope 3 of BRSR.
“Corporates through the Green Carpet platform can evaluate parameters like how various business verticals are adding to carbon emissions, or how much carbon emissions are being added due to domestic or international travel. A standardised report can be then submitted to SEBI,” said Mahesh Iyer, CEO & executive director, Thomas Cook India.
“The travel and tourism sector plays an important role in reaching India’s target to achieve net zero emissions by 2070,” he added.
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Originally from Mexico, he held leadership roles at high-profile resorts in the Americas, Middle East and Asia-Pacific.
He has a broad background in tourism and his past experience includes positions at Legend Hotels International, Philippine Airlines and an online travel agency.
Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, Bali, Subin was also appointed co-chair for Marriott Business Council in Indonesia.
