James Sutcliffe has joined Avani+ Khao Lak as general manager and will oversee all operations for the resort.
He has over a decade of operational experience in the hospitality industry, and was previously the opening general manager at InterContinental Khao Yai Resort.
Vivek Shukla has promoted to chief executive officer at The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.
In his new role, he will be responsible for product enhancement, driving key initiatives along with leading the overall business performance for the brand.
With over 31 years of experience in the luxury hospitality industry, he was previously vice president – operations where he led the group’s operations, corporate affairs and governance.
Singapore-based experience management agency Unearthed Productions has teamed up with venue owners in Singapore under a multi-year plan to integrate their spaces with the latest in audiovisual technology as demand for in-person events picks up.
One of the venue owners that Unearthed Productions is working with is Suntec Singapore, which recently saw the unveiling of a 45m x 5m LED wall. Known as Engage Theatres, the venue combines crystal-clear sound, expansive visual displays, and customised lighting to create the ‘front-row experience’ for every guest and every occasion. These spaces have the capacity for up to 5,000 guests.
This hardware is backed by on-site experts from Unearthed Productions, who can deliver both technical consultancy and event management services.
Other venues that Unearthed Productions has signed partnerships with include Pan Pacific Singapore, Parkroyal on Beach Road, Carlton Hotel Singapore and workspace provider Bridge+.
Through these collaborations, Unearthed Productions provides technical expertise to empower venues to create world-class productions, leaving venues to focus on the hospitality and F&B experience.
With the costs of hosting events rising in Singapore, Unearthed Productions believes that by partnering with hotels and standalone venues, both parties would be able to provide an integrated approach with cost savings to organisers. Through this sharing of assets and manpower, event organisers will be able to save on transportation costs, as well as provide their guests with a full suite of audiovisual services without having to invest more in operational expenditure.
Adam Piperdy, CEO of Unearthed Productions, said: “Although Singapore is a world-class event destination, Singapore has increasingly seen MICE organisers being more careful with their budgets and return on investments.
“We recognise that. By working closely with venue owners, we are able to introduce greater synergy between our event services and optimise the value we bring to event organisers. This helps to reinforce Singapore as the preferred MICE destination amidst strong regional competition.”
A post-show analysis of the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) held in February has revealed that AIME will generate an anticipated A$200 million (US$133.5 million) in business between exhibitors and buyers over the next 12 months.
These figures are an almost 70 per cent increase on 2022. The analysis also revealed that 90 per cent of exhibitors and visitors were satisfied with their attendance at the tradeshow in Melbourne. This places AIME in the top five per cent of tradeshows globally for exhibitor satisfaction, and 10 per cent of tradeshows globally for visitor satisfaction.
Almost 80 per cent of the visitors are likely to return the next year, as they feel that it is important in advancing their businesses, and is the place to source for new products and services. The analysis also reported that 84 per cent of visitors felt that their objectives for attending AIME were met.
Over 400 hosted buyers and media outlets, 3,000 visitors and more than 350 exhibitors attended this year’s AIME, where over 12,000 meetings took place.
AIME 2024 will be held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre from February 19-24, 2024.
Westin Hotels & Resorts has opened the doors to The Westin Manila in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, marking the brand’s re-entry into the Philippines.
Situated in the Ortigas CBD, the 32-storey hotel offers a total of 1,063m2 of meeting and function space. This includes the Sonata Ballroom which can host up to 330 guests, and features 7m-high ceilings and a built-in LED wall. Additional meeting rooms for smaller events and meetings are also equipped with the latest audiovisual technology.
For overseas delegates, The Westin Manila offers 303 guestrooms including 57 suites, all of which feature the brand’s Heavenly Bed, Nespresso coffee machines, Bluetooth speakers, complimentary Wi-Fi, and 55-inch flat Samsung TVs. Club rooms and suites also boast separate living rooms, as well as access to the Club Lounge which serves afternoon tea, hors d’oeuvres, and evening cocktails.
There are four culinary options on-site, ranging from the all-day-dining Seasonal Tastes, to the rooftop Tapas Bar & Restaurant that will serve authentic Spanish cuisine when it opens in July 2023.
Meanwhile, recreational facilities include a gym, 25m-long outdoor pool, kids pool, and a spa (opens in June 2023). Alternatively, as part of Westin’s Move Well pillar, the RunWESTIN programme offers curated run route maps with a choice of runs, along with guided runs to explore the destination led by the property Run Concierge. For those that prefer an in-room workout, the next-generation Westin WORKOUT Gear Lending programme allows guests to borrow the latest high-tech recovery and total body strength training equipment to optimise their fitness.
The hotel is located approximately 10km or about a 23-minute drive from Ninoy Aquino International Airport, and a 10-minute walk to the MRT3 Shaw Boulevard Station.
Yogendran Devarajan has been named general manager at Elysium Resort Penang, scheduled to open in April 2024 in Batu Ferringhi Penang.
He has 16 years of experience in the hospitality industry and was recently operations and business development manager of Arenaa Hotels Group.
Accor has appointed David Young as chief sustainability officer and director of ESG for Accor Pacific.
In his new role, Young will lead the implementation of Accor’s ESG and sustainability agenda across its 400 hotels, apartments and resorts in the region.
He has extensive ESG, commercial and operational experience in the travel industry in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the UK, and was previously the executive manager of sustainability and ESG at the Qantas Group.
1. Provide ample lead time
For international bookings to China, we encourage travellers to book four to six weeks ahead of their travel date to ensure that the desired flights are available. At present, international capacity stands at around 20 per cent compared to 2019 level.
China-based airlines however, have the added advantage of staffing up quicker than international airlines as the former did not make many employee cuts during the pandemic.
Last-minute bookings will result in high prices of tickets, and preferred flights and connections will be even hard to match up in this climate.
According to Mckinsey’s report published earlier this year, if mainland China follows Hong Kong’s demand recovery, international air passengers will hit four million per month by April 2023. The number represents international passengers’ traffic from/to China. The recovery rate compares to 2019 monthly |average level would be around 40 per cent then.
2. Longer processing times for visas
Most Chinese embassies and visa centres around the globe are now open and accepting applications. At present, visa application lead time for those travelling into China takes three to four weeks. Only business travellers and visiting family are valid reasons to visit, but tourism visas should resume soon.
As for the outbound visa travel from China, travellers should also make their appointments early for applications. For US visa applications, the earliest appointment date is now July 2023 for applications made in Shanghai and Guangzhou. For German visas, no quota is available until after April 2023. For Singapore and Japan, visa applications are normal as long as all required documentation is presented. However, we are seeing much longer processing times as compared to pre-Covid.
3. Check bookings closely
Several hotels have shuttered permanently, or in the throes of renovation, so it is best to check ahead of time and confirm your reservation if bookings are not made through official channels, such as OTAs.
If travelling domestically in China, rail travel continues to be a reliable option. In the last three years, more train stations have been built, and stops have increased. When travelling by rail, double check the tickets for the correct train station are booked.
However, with domestic airfares lower than pre-Covid levels, it is possible flying may be cheaper on some routes.
4. Engage a TMC to help
A travel management company will be your best bet for smooth travel into China at this current point in time. Not only will they will be able to provide a wealth of information about new flight schedules and availability, they will also provide updated information for hotel and rail travel.
As China goes into a period of travel recovery over the next six to nine months, more changes are expected. A TMC would be able to help companies navigate these challenges and ensure business trips are not wasted trips.
Although the number of event activities in Indonesia has surpassed that of the pre-pandemic era at 23,000 events in 2022, the overall gross turnover is still far below that of 2018-2019.
This information was part of The Dynamics of the Event industry Indonesia 2022-2023 survey done by The Indonesian Event Industry Council (IVENDO). The survey also revealed that the revenue was 534 billion rupiah (US$34.6 million), much lower than that of the pre-pandemic era which was between 97 and 121 trillion rupiah.
The survey was conducted in 25 provinces, with 247 respondents comprising organisers, event suppliers and production houses, where 34 per cent handled 32 events last year, and another 24 per cent handled 12 events.
In terms of value, 58 per cent of the events were worth between 10 and 50 million rupiah, and only 10 per cent had a value of one billion rupiah per event.
As for the types of events, government activities dominated in 2021, with events in 2022 starting to balance out, comprising the government (13 per cent), association events (12 per cent), state-owned companies (12 per cent), and corporate meetings (14 per cent). The survey also noted that 19 per cent of respondents created new events.
The types of events also varied, including Meetings (14.8 per cent), Exhibitions (12.1 per cent), Incentives (11.6 per cent), Entertainment (11.6 per cent), Festivals (9.8 per cent), Conventions (8.2 per cent), Training (8.04 per cent), Sport (5.4 per cent), and others (18.4 per cent).
At a recent press event in Jakarta, Mulkan Kamaludin, chairman of IVENDO, said: “What’s interesting is that 17 per cent of respondents got their business from fellow event organisers. This cooperation system helped to overcome capital challenges, (because) during the pandemic, many organisers were forced to sell assets in order to survive.”
Overall, business event players (64 per cent) are optimistic that the situation will improve in 2023.
Buoyed by this optimism, the annual Indonesia Professional Organizer Summit (IPOS) will return in person after a two-year hiatus. Themed Baku Dapa, which means meeting face to face, the event will be held from May 16-18 at The Sultan Hotel & Residence Jakarta.
It is expected to attract 100 corporate and government buyers, as well as 50 sellers from hotels, venues, tourist attractions and related suppliers.
Harry D Nugraha, IPOS’ founder, said that this was a sign that the events industry was recovering.
“With many new venues and destinations that sprung up (during the pandemic), events’ stakeholders also need to get up to date,” he added.
IVENDO is also planning to roll out a proposal to the government for a National Event Worker’s Day during the Baku Dapa event.
Capella Hotels and Resorts has named Marc von Arnim as general manager of Capella Sydney.
With over 20 years in the hospitality industry and various senior leadership positions, he will spearhead all pre-opening efforts for Capella Sydney, including recruitment and training, operations and curating experiences.
Before joining Capella Hotel Group, he was general manager of Park Hyatt Sydney.
