JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa has unveiled its refreshed ballroom, part of an 18-month-long renovation and expansion of the Thailand resort.
The JW Grand Ballroom offers 758m2 of event space, good for 810 attendees across of range of events such as gala dinners and corporate conventions. Offering lots of natural light and fully-equipped with the latest audiovisual technology, the ballroom can be further divided into three separate spaces for more intimate events. The inviting pre-function area can also host exhibitions.
In total, JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa now features over 9,300m2 of indoor and outdoor event meeting space, including seven function rooms, such as the compact 12-guest Griffin Boardroom.
In addition to indoor venues, creative set-ups and personalised activities can also be arranged in the resort’s outdoor spaces, including the Infinity Lawn and the beach, which would work for cocktail receptions to beachfront dinners.
The refreshed JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa now offers an expanded inventory of 420 rooms, suites and villas, 11 restaurants and bars, and leisure facilities including South-east Asia’s longest swimming pool.
JW Marriott Khao Lak Resort & Spa is located one hour’s drive north of Phuket International Airport.
Travel management company BCD Travel appointed Olivia Ruggles-Brise to the role of vice president of sustainability.
In this new role, Ruggles-Brise will play an integral role in aligning and driving initiatives throughout BCD’s six sustainability focus areas. She will also engage with key stakeholders, partners and groups within the industry, using strategic collaboration to ensure continued progress for sustainability.
She reports directly to April Bridgeman, senior vice president at BCD Travel and managing director of Advito.
Ruggles-Brise joins BCD with more than 20 years of experience. She was previously director for Greenview, a consulting and research firm that supports hospitality organisations in designing environmental, social and governance sustainability strategies.
Prior to that, she spent a decade at the World Travel & Tourism Council where she oversaw the organisation’s policy, strategy and sustainability work.
Marcus Freminot has recently taken on the role of executive chef at the Avani+ Luang Prabang Hotel in Laos.
In this new role, Freminot will oversee the launch of a new menu at Avani+ Luang Prabang’s Main Street Bar and Grill, as well as curate dining concepts for Mekong Kingdoms, a series of luxury river cruises from Laos to Thailand.
He possesses over eight years of experience in a career that has taken him from the Seychelles to Oman.
Pimalai Resort & Spa in Thailand has appointed Brice Borin as its new general manager.
The respected hotelier has almost 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, having started out as an executive chef and gradually taking on more senior executive roles from F&B manager to director of F&B, resident manager, hotel manager, and eventually, general manager.
He was recently the complex general manager of the Mövenpick Cam Ranh Resort, Vietnam, which he helped to successfully launch in 2019 and kept open throughout the pandemic.
The Jeju Dongmun Market is a hotspot for overseas tourists. Photo: Gerardine Donough-Tan
Jeju Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) is finalising its detailed post-pandemic business events strategy for 2023, but the South Korean destination has already started reaching out to international conferences and foreign incentive groups.
While the local South Korean market and north-east Asia have been its main catchment area, the CVB is now considering markets with “good potential”.
The Jeju Dongmun Market is a hotspot for overseas tourists. Photo: Gerardine Donough-Tan
“South-east Asia such as Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand will be the target of marketing in the near future. To do so, the issue of direct flights and visas will have to be resolved, and we’re trying to do that,” said Kwanghee Lee, manager of the planning & admin team with Jeju CVB.
Currently, there are direct flights from China, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, but more should be reinstated to pre-Covid-19 levels in due time, expects Jeju CVB.
Lee also pointed to a rise in interest from Muslim tourists, and the CVB is currently in the process of “understanding Muslim culture to properly cater to their needs and interests”.
Lee said Jeju Island suits groups of all sizes, with many attractions and activities on offer, as well as various accommodation options, and typical incentive itineraries last for four days and three nights.
Financial support is also available for qualifying conferences, corporate meetings and incentive tours.
Lee added that the CVB has 17 specially-designated tourist attractions called Unique Venues, where among these are a museum, folk village, gardens, theme parks and resorts. These were chosen to provide experiences and impressions beyond standard business events.
This month, the 59th Orient and Southeast Asian Lions Forum will be heading to Jeju from November 24-27, where the event is projected to attract more than 7,000 overseas participants. It will be held at International Convention Center Jeju and Lotte Hotel Jeju.
Another five-star hotel with meeting space includes the 1,600-room Grand Hyatt Jeju, where a spokesperson shared there have been increased enquiries from event organisers.
The Ascott Limited (Ascott) has received the conferment of Recognised Standard by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), one of the first hospitality groups to be accorded this status, for its adoption of the GSTC Industry Criteria.
Marking this milestone, Ascott has unveiled Ascott CARES, a sustainability framework that aligns its growth strategy with environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations alongside GSTC Criteria. The framework is centred around five pillars representing the acronym CARES – Community, Alliance, Respect, Environment and Supply Chain.
Ascott’s new sustainability framework aligns its growth strategy with ESG considerations alongside GSTC Criteria
“As both an owner and an operator, Ascott has the ability to design a strategy that integrates purposeful sustainability goals with financial objectives. We have a strong position that allows us to influence and manage properties throughout their entire real estate lifecycle, beginning from the investment stage, to design stage, right through to operations,” said Beh Siew Kim, chief financial & sustainability officer, lodging, CapitaLand Investment and managing director, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Japan and Korea, The Ascott Limited.
“The need for us to accelerate our sustainability initiatives stems from the wider crisis of climate change. The built environment is a key contributor to the climate change crisis and there is much work to be done. As a key player in the lodging industry, every stakeholder has a part to play.”
Having evolved from a hygiene and safety programme that was first introduced in May 2020, Ascott CARES has since been strengthened to extend the culture of care and hospitality to the community and environments within which it operates through its business and across its supply chain as part of its sustainability framework.
Ascott CARES is aligned with CapitaLand’s Sustainability Master Plan pillars and will be rolled out across all of Ascott’s managed and branded properties. Alongside the new framework, Ascott has also announced its supporting targets which will be progressively achieved from 2023, with target completion by 2030.
Driving effective implementation of the sustainability programme, Ascott has taken further steps to establish a robust sustainability governance structure that fosters cross-collaboration between regional leaders and Ascott’s Sustainability Leadership Council (SLC).
Co-led by Ascott’s CEO, Kevin Goh, and Beh, Ascott’s SLC exercises oversight of sustainability and climate risks, and determines the strategy and goals for the company. These strategies are driven by the corporate sustainability team, in collaboration with regional and property leaders who facilitate the execution of programmes within the local market.
“Responsible stewardship is key to corporate governance, and a sound governance structure will ensure we remain focused in our efforts. Sustainability has been a key priority for all our stakeholders and will continue to play an integral part in our business and growth strategy,” said Beh.
Wellington’s brand-new convention centre, Tākina, is currently working with local AV design and installation specialists Futureworks and Lighthaus Limited to install state-of-the-art audio and visual technology.
The internal technical fit-out of the building has already begun, and a variety of soft-launch events have been scheduled. This provides the opportunity to thoroughly test, tune and focus the AV and lighting systems in real-world situations, well before the first official events in early June 2023.
Tākina’s main plenary hall
The proposed installation includes hi-spec 20,000-lumens laser projectors for impactful onscreen visual display, energy efficient long-life LED stage, room lighting fixtures, and mounted pre-tuned PA systems.
A highly specialised hearing assistance system has also been factored in, allowing attendees to connect their personal devices to the Wi-Fi and easily select an appropriate channel and volume level. This installation will cover the main and peripheral function spaces without the time, cost, and labour associated with installing and removing such systems on a per-event basis, making for a highly cost-effective model for clients.
Soon-to-open Tākina will offer over 10,000m2 of flexible meeting and events space over two floors that can cater for up to 1,600 in its main plenary space.
Corporate travel momentum will continue to grow in 2023
Today’s best practices help to anticipate trends in the upcoming year. The industry is expected to not only grow consistently but also metamorphose into being a vanguard of technology advancements with one thing at the core: customer experience.
The year 2022 has been a year of optimism and rejuvenation for the travel industry, which once grew uninterruptedly, but came to a complete halt due to the pandemic. The initial rebuild was slow, but today, travel momentum is continuing to grow strongly.
Corporate travel momentum will continue to grow in 2023
The UNTWO’s latest World Tourism Barometer showed an increase of 182 per cent for international tourism in the first three months of 2022 compared to the previous year, with destinations worldwide welcoming an estimated 117 million international arrivals compared to 41 million in 1Q2021.
However, reaching the pre-pandemic levels may take a while, given the lasting impacts of Covid, or other macroeconomic factors that can interfere with a full recovery.
Corporate travel bounces back
A resurgence in the market, especially in the hospitality and corporate travel industry, is clearly visible from where we stand today. Travel for business, leisure or bleisure (combining work with leisure) around the world is gaining momentum but with a whole new set of expectations and preemptions.
This offers an opportunity for hospitality professionals to tap into these prospects, win more MICE and Corporate Travel business and improve profitability. Hoteliers are going the extra mile to adapt to these changing demands of the travel managers who, in fact, are key contributors to their business.
The recent Travel Managers report from Cvent delves deeper into these newly emerged corporate traveller sentiments across the globe and ways in which the hotels can prepare themselves for a rebound.
Travel managers and their requisites The report revealed that 90 per cent* of corporate travel managers are currently sourcing hotels for their organisation’s travel programmes and most of them projected their organisations’ travel spend to increase significantly in 2022. The trend is expected to continue for a long time. To win this business, however, hotels must be aware of travel managers’ preferences and requirements.
Health and safety remain a priority: Fearful of being stranded at another location, or contracting a new virus, business travellers are cautious while making travel decisions. Most are comfortable planning itineraries with the least exposure. Travel managers are booking properties that follow stringent Covid protocols and implement high standards of sanitisation and hygiene.
Budget accommodations are top of mind: Inflation has made everything expensive, including travel. However, currently travel managers are searching for hotels offering lucrative deals on stays. The willingness to pay a price is influenced by factors such as safety protocols, room size and work-supporting facilities, customer loyalty, discounts, and additional complimentary amenities.
No/low contact check-ins: Travellers are looking to minimise physical contact with people or equipment. Check-ins at hotels or registrations at events or meetings through mobile apps or face recognition technology, QR code, and such has become a new ask by travel managers. Keyless entry to hotel rooms is another new technology keeping anxious travellers satisfied.
Hotels need to make a strategic shift The report also revealed that 50 per cent* of travel managers state their organisations’ programme considerations have somewhat changed since 2019.
Know what the travellers want: Hotels and venues that quickly understand the changed preferences of customers and implement measures facilitating those will get an edge over those who continue to rely on old practices. The time is to bring back existing customers and create opportunities for new customers by offering them what they are looking for.
Innovate using technology: Technology is set to bring a positive change to the travel industry. Its potential is limitless and those who know how to leverage it are sure to succeed. Imagining robots receiving guests at hotel lobbies and escorting them to the rooms or meeting venues is not a farfetched thought now. Several properties are investing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) guided technology to make the guest experience safer and more efficient.
Prosper with dynamic pricing: The preference of travel managers has shifted towards receiving dual or dynamic pricing from the properties. Around 62 per cent* of respondents across all markets surveyed say they’re requesting dual or dynamic prices during their 2023 RFP negotiations. These strategies could open new doors for hotels, giving them the opportunity to vary pricing based on factors such as demand, availability, and customer loyalty.
Closing thoughts The travel landscape has undergone a massive shift and is evolving every day, pushing the need for hoteliers to stay relevant to attract corporate travellers and event planners. There is a need to find the perfect balance between technology, cost containment and sustainability to deliver an experience that is safe for customers who are regaining faith in travelling and for organisations that are concerned for their employees to rebuild their customer connections by meeting face-to-face.
*All figures above are a consolidated representation of findings from Cvent’s Travel Manages Report covering markets across Asia/ANZ/MEA regions
Graham Pope is the vice president of international sales, Cvent. He has more than 15 years of experience in the events and software-as-a-service (SaaS) space. Prior to joining Cvent, he spent five years as EMEA group commercial director at Global Experience Specialists.
This survey ties into IAPCO's ongoing support for talent in the global meetings industry
IAPCO (International Association of Professional Congress Organizers) and the 14 National PCO Association members of the IAPCO Strategic Association Task Force have combined forces to gather data on employee and team member wellbeing and feelings towards work, connections to others and perceived belonging to the meetings industry.
This is the first such initiative in the global congress and events industry, and the team is backed by academics at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK and expert social scientists from across the globe. Their experience spans specialised experience and training in adult mental health, team dynamics and academic research.
This survey ties into IAPCO’s ongoing support for talent in the global meetings industry
Martin Boyle, CEO of IAPCO, stated: “We have heard how workplace and team dynamics have shifted over the past couple of years as people returned to offices and to delivering in-person events, but we are lacking significant and accurate data on it from a global perspective. Without such data and specialist analysis of the data, we cannot begin to provide solutions.
“The analysis of responses gathered from the survey will not only help to form a clearer picture of factors influencing our workforce and what they are looking for from their employers and connections, but it will also, more importantly, help IAPCO and others in the industry to create educational, personal and professional programmes to support workforce development globally.”
IAPCO aims to publish the results of the survey in 1Q2023.
A screenshot from the Yarra Riverkeeper Association's page
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has entered into a new community partnership with the Yarra Riverkeeper Association (YRA).
As part of the Platypus Partnership, MCEC and YRA will work together to create stronger community connections and build a sustainable future for the Yarra/Birrarung river which runs past the venue. The partnership will also provide opportunities for MCEC employees to take part in learning and engagement with the Association.
A screenshot from the Yarra Riverkeeper Association’s page
The Yarra Riverkeeper Association is a not-for-profit, community-based organisation that works closely with local communities, Traditional Owners, government, and other stakeholders to advocate for the health of the Yarra/Birrarung. They work with Traditional Owners to re-energise the river ecologically and culturally, bringing back biodiversity and health.
This agreement extends MCEC’s goal of supporting the environment and the community by partnering with leading not-for-profit organisations across sustainability, health and housing.
MCEC already has existing partnerships with OzHarvest, the Good Friday Appeal, Variety – the Children’s Charity, Launch Housing, Starlight Children’s Foundation, and the Banksia Foundation.
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.
He was recently the complex general manager of the Mövenpick Cam Ranh Resort, Vietnam, which he helped to successfully launch in 2019 and kept open throughout the pandemic.
Graham Pope is the vice president of international sales, Cvent. He has more than 15 years of experience in the events and software-as-a-service (SaaS) space. Prior to joining Cvent, he spent five years as EMEA group commercial director at Global Experience Specialists.
