MCEC (pictured) brings both the events and aviation sectors together in this latest win
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) and Startup Victoria have established a new partnership that connects the start-up community, experts and entrepreneurs with the events industry.
This partnership is a strategic alignment that will strengthen industry relationships, provide a forum for sharing experiences and expertise, and inform potential products and services to help shape the MCEC customer experience.
MCEC and Startup Victoria aim to foster innovation and entrepreneurship
Natalie O’Brien, CEO of MCEC, said the partnership can help MCEC progress the innovation journey it has embarked on over recent years. “We have lots of ideas to explore and we want to embed creativity, innovation and an entrepreneur mindset into our business,” O’Brien said.
“The partnership with Startup Victoria will help us navigate the large and complex start-up ecosystem and connect with people who can help us achieve our innovation goals.”
Meanwhile, Dickie Currer, head of partnerships at Startup Victoria, looks forward to connecting with “CEC’s people and community partners and tapping into the expertise and influence of its Club Melbourne ambassadors and thought leaders”.
The first Startup Victoria event to be supported by MCEC as a venue partner is the Health & Wellbeing Pitch Night. The pitch night on February 28 will showcase startups that are making the world a better place by improving health and well-being in innovative ways. Further pitch nights will be held throughout the year.
Looking forward, MCEC is preparing to host the Global Entrepreneurs Congress when it comes to Melbourne for the first time in September 2023. This event will bring together more than 2,500 delegates from 170 countries to share success stories and foster collaboration.
Trip.Biz finds that there is a significant demand for sustainable travel, which can now be met at a corporate level
Trip.Biz, Trip.com Group’s corporate travel arm, has become the first corporate travel platform to use the Travalyst Aviation Framework to provide transparent flight carbon emissions data to corporate bookers.
Trip.Biz is the second Trip.com Group brand to fully integrate the Travalyst Aviation Framework on emission reporting, following the successful integration for consumers on Skyscanner.
Trip.Biz finds that there is a significant demand for sustainable travel, which can now be met at a corporate level
Last year, Travalyst announced that its coalition of top travel brands had aligned on a shared framework to collect and display flight emissions data, providing consumers with essential information on flight emissions before booking.
Trip.com Group is a Founding Partner of Travalyst, the not-for-profit sustainable travel coalition, founded by Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Steven Zhang, CEO of Trip.Biz, said: “Corporate bookers are increasingly looking for providers offering sustainable travel options for business travellers.
“Since corporate ESG policies are more routinely considered when making travel bookings, Trip.Biz now ensures corporate travel bookers are equipped with the relevant data to make informed, more sustainable travel decisions.”
Sally Davey, CEO of Travalyst, added: “It is encouraging to see Trip.Biz adopting the Travalyst framework. This is an important step in moving towards industry-wide alignment in the decarbonisation of the aviation sector.”
The Travalyst framework consists of a set of shared principles and preferred methodology for estimating carbon emissions from air travel, agreed upon and committed to by all Travalyst travel distribution partners.
In addition to displaying emissions data on individual flight routes, Trip.Biz also provides its corporate clients with an overview of the total flight count and estimated accumulated emissions – giving clients a complete picture of their aviation emissions.
Trip.Biz currently provides travel management services to 14,000 large enterprises and 730,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, among which over 300 are Fortune 500 companies and over 10,000 are Sino-foreign joint venture businesses.
BCD Travel will leverage Amadeus’ technology, travel expertise, content, and global footprint
BCD Travel has expanded its agreement with Amadeus to partner on multiple initiatives, each designed to provide BCD Travel with a platform for growth, productivity improvement, and technological innovation.
This includes incorporating Amadeus’ industry-leading NDC content and end-to-end workflow capabilities. For Amadeus, the new agreement also means increased business with a leading global TMC, including opportunities in the UK, Ireland, and North America.
BCD Travel will leverage Amadeus’ technology, travel expertise, content, and global footprintB
“BCD is delighted to be expanding our long-standing partnership with Amadeus,” said BCD Travel’s president and CEO John Snyder. “This agreement allows us to engage on deeper technology collaboration and deliver high-value services through the Amadeus Travel Platform. The expansion of our partnership will provide our corporate clients with more content options, including bringing NDC to life at scale, while streamlining and simplifying our distribution technology footprint and infrastructure.”
Decius Valmorbida, president, travel, Amadeus, added: “The new agreement presents significant potential for mutual growth, and we look forward to partnering with BCD Travel on initiatives to address future challenges and opportunities in the business travel space.”
Regal Hotels International has opened the Regala Skycity Hotel in Hong Kong, the first property under the group’s Regala brand.
The 1,208-room hotel is located within the Skycity development next to the Hong Kong International Airport, and is directly connected to the AsiaWorld-Expo convention and exhibition facility.
Regala Skycity Hotel’s Banquet Hall
The hotel also offers 2,800m2 of meeting and events space, including two banquet halls and the Regala Grand Ballroom.
Features include the landscaped rooftop Sky Deck with cocktail bar, fitness centre and jogging track, as well as an outdoor swimming pool, all-day dining international restaurant Petra, Vivace bar and grill, and Chinese restaurant Jade.
Regala Skycity Hotel joins Regal’s portfolio of 16 properties across its Regal Hotels, Regala and Iclub brands, with locations in Dezhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Xi’an.
BESydney has welcomed a new independent director, Amy Glancey, to the strategic event bidding organisation’s board, for a three-year term.
As chief of staff at Atlassian since 2018, Glancey was responsible for leading the agenda of the co-founders/co-CEOs, and the office of the CEO.
Joining Atlassian in 2016 as the director of communications for Asia-Pacific (APAC), Glancey expanded her remit to director of communications for global markets covering APAC & EMEA footprints.
Prior to Atlassian, Glancey spent four years at Groupon where she led the communications team across 14 markets in APAC. She has also held various roles across the US, UK, and APAC in both the private and public sectors.
New Zealand’s capital city, best known for being compact and collaborative, has now set a bigger ambition to create even more impact.
Wellington is developing an attitude of change where climate change, natural habitat restoration, research, education and innovation form part of the city’s aggressive agenda.
Capitalising on strategic advantages in its key industries, the vibrant capital is capturing international attention by hosting conferences and events that address these concerns.
Those events, in turn, help to support New Zealand as a whole, and accelerate its thriving sectors in research, science, environment and innovation.
Wellington, as the political and geographical heart, is also where decision-makers congregate and home to most of the country’s central government agencies and many industry associations.
Wellington’s creative, environmental appeal Also known as New Zealand’s creative capital and recognised by UNESCO as a City of Film for its rich and diverse screen activities, Wellington has long been featured on the international big screen for film and television projects such as the latest Avatar: The Way of the Water, Avatar and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Wellington is well-known as New Zealand’s creative capital and recognised by UNESCO as a City of Film
With an environmental emphasis from every angle, Wellington has also long been a leader in climate change and is already the lowest carbon city per person in Australasia.
That came off the back of Wellington City Council’s decision in 2019 to adopt Te Atakura–First to Zero, a blueprint to make the city a zero carbon capital by 2050.
Named the most liveable city for two years in a row (2017 & 2018), Wellington is also ranked first globally for environmental security (2021).
Anchor venue for influential conferences It’s not surprising that associations and corporates looking to create positive change bring their conferences to the city, described as a sophisticated hub of industry and culture.
For the recent New Zealand Game Developers Association (NZGDA) conference, the capital provided the perfect platform to showcase its offering to the world.
It incorporated the film, screen and interactive media sectors alongside its traditional gaming content for the very first time, all part of a recently-inked multi-year partnership between NZGDA and the city.
NZGDA has now anchored its annual conference in Wellington, with an additional focus on the emerging field of virtual production where gaming, film and screen capabilities are converging.
The over-arching goal is to improve cross-industry collaborations, co-productions and direct investment within those industries, and strengthen Wellington’s position as a world leader in those sectors.
Another upcoming conference with Wellington as the venue destination of choice and destined to create positive change in 2023 is the inaugural Life Sciences Summit taking place in March.
The summit provides a platform for discussion on the challenges New Zealand and the world are facing — from climate emissions, gene editing, scaling New Zealand technology for the world, venture capital funding trends, talent attraction and Aotearoa’s competitive advantages.
The new conference will unite New Zealand’s life sciences and biotechnology communities across all sectors, including agriculture, environment, industrial as well as human and animal health, and is expected to impact future government policies and regulations.
New purpose-built conference centre Tākina Meanwhile, association and conference organisers will have yet another venue to consider when they look to hold their events in Wellington in the future.
The new conference and exhibition centre in Wellington, Tākina, boasts 10,000m2 of flexible space and is suitable for plenaries of 1,600 delegates
The new purpose-built conference and exhibition centre, Tākina, opens in June. Situated in Wellington’s cultural precinct, Tākina boasts 10,000m2 of flexible space, is suitable for plenaries of 1,600 delegates and designed with an immersive experience in mind.
Keen to organise your next event at the brand-new Tākina? The Business Events Wellington team is excited to share more on this stunning new venue.
To lock in your dates for Tākina or to learn more about bringing your conference to Wellington,
contact BusinessEvents@WellingtonNZ.com, +64 49161219
visitBusiness Events Wellington
Chris Hall has joined Ponant as chief executive officer, Asia Pacific.
Formerly the boss of APT Travel Group, he is an experienced leader in the global tour operating, river cruise, expeditions and distribution space.
In his new role, Hall will work to accelerate the range of experiences across the Asia-Pacific business through additional ship deployment, including Ponant’s recently refurbished sailing yacht Le Ponant and the company’s newest vessel Le Commandant Charcot.
TCEB president Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya speaking at the launch of MICE to Meet You Year 2023 campaign
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled a five-year action plan (2023–2027) aimed at revitalising the economy and promoting Thailand as a premier destination for international events.
TCEB president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, said: “The lifting of domestic and international travel restrictions worldwide is accelerating the recovery of MICE. At this critical juncture, TCEB is embarking on a five-year action plan (2023–2027) to advance Thailand’s MICE industry.
TCEB president Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya speaking at the launch of Thailand MICE to Meet You Year 2023 campaign
“First, we will have our TCEB Go strategy, which will enable TCEB to partner with local and international organisations and further enhance Thailand’s position as a leading MICE destination in the world. Our immediate focus will be on innovative approaches and the development of sustainability solutions for the industry. The five-year plan will also be expressed through our new campaign called Thailand MICE to Meet You Year 2023, which aims to inspire the organisation of more MICE events throughout Thailand and generate revenue for more local economies.”
The plan will be supported by the TCEB Go strategy and Thailand MICE to Meet You Year 2023 campaign.
The TCEB Go strategy is made up of five themes which comprise collaborating with government agencies to bid for events; initiating marketing activities in new regions; creating destination competitiveness through developing each local city’s identity; fostering digital skills and innovation in MICE services; and committing to sustainability and environmental responsibility.
TCEB has also been actively promoting the Thailand MICE to Meet You Year 2023 campaign to stimulate the economy through events like conferences, training programmes, professional meetings, exhibitions, corporate events, and festivals. The campaign will help generate revenue and create job opportunities in different regions across the country.
This year, Thailand has already been chosen as host for several major events, such as World Congress of Nephrology (March 30 to April 2), 29th International Montessori Congress (August 2-5), AFECA Annual General Meeting 2023 in October, 62nd ICCA Congress 2023 (November 12-15), and World Allergy Congress (WAC) 2023 (December 1-3).
At the same time, exhibitions that serve the 12 targeted S-curve industries – those that will drive Thailand’s economic transformation – will continue to receive TCEB support. They include VIV Asia 2023 and Meat Pro Asia 2023 (March 8-10 ), both of which are aligned to the food production and processing industries, and ASEAN Sustainable Energy Week (ASEW) 2023 (August 30 to September 1), which relates to the next-gen automotive industry.
Other than meetings and exhibitions, incentive travel will also be a key economic contributor. Thailand is expecting more than 80,000 incentive travellers – 50,000 from Asia-Pacific countries and 30,000 from China – from March to November.
MICE Winnovation offers enhanced support for Thai MICE entrepreneurs to source and implement innovation in all aspects of event management
Come April 26, 2023, TCEB will also be celebrating National MICE Day to highlight the business events industry’s contribution to the nation’s development through the years. This event will also bring together experts in technology and sustainability to share insights and experiences that the business events industry can benefit from. More than 400 events professionals are expected to attend.
In the first quarter of the fiscal year 2023 (October to December 2022), Thailand welcomed 7.9 million MICE travellers, resulting in 28.5 billion baht (US$830.1 million) in revenue. Of that figure, 183,618 were international MICE travellers, bringing in 12 billion baht in revenue, while domestic travellers numbered 7.8 million, generating 16.5 billion baht in revenue.
Of all international MICE travellers, 97,015 attended exhibitions and generated the highest revenue of 6.9 billion baht, followed by the corporate meeting sector which brought in 55,687 travellers, generating 3.2 billion baht in revenue. International conventions attracted 17,653 travellers, generating one billion baht in revenue. The incentive sector brought in 13,263 travellers and a revenue of 851 million baht.
Likewise, the exhibition was the sector bringing in the highest number of domestic MICE travellers, 7.3 million, and generating 14.8 billion baht in revenue. This was followed by conventions which attracted 304,826 domestic travellers and generated 1.1 billion baht in revenue. The corporate meeting sector welcomed 129,054 domestic travellers and generated 537 million baht in revenue, while the domestic incentive sector generated 39 million baht with a total of 8,076 travellers.
“For fiscal year 2023, Thailand targets to welcome a total of 18.6 million MICE travellers, generating 109 billion baht in revenue for the country. This includes 760,000 international MICE travellers with a contribution of 50 billion baht, and 17.8 million domestic MICE travellers with a contribution of 59 billion baht. As for the five-year action plan under the TCEB Go strategy, during the fiscal year 2023-2027, it is estimated that over 160 million MICE travellers will visit Thailand, generating a total revenue of over 945 billion baht,” said Chiruit.
IHG Hotels & Resorts has announced the following senior leadership appointments.
From left: Emma Hynes, Joel Gordon and James Young
Emma Hynes is the new director of operations – Australasia & Pacific. With 15 years of leadership experience across large hotel estates, she will lead the bulk of IHG’s Premium & Essentials-branded managed estate in Australasia, including the Crowne Plaza, voco and Holiday Inn brands.
Joel Gordon will start as director of operations, franchised, Australasia & Pacific on February 20, and will look after the IHG’s Franchised estate in the region, as well as provide additional support to parts of its managed estate.
James Young will take on the role of director of operations, luxury & lifestyle, overseeing the Luxury & Lifestyle estate which includes the InterContinental, Kimpton, and Vignette brands across Australasia and the Pacific.
From left: Sam Swaffield, Malcolm Zancanaro and Cameron Burke
Sam Swaffield, director of performance – JAPAC, will act as a conduit between IHG and the DOPs, setting the strategy for performance that will be adopted and embedded across the estate, as well as reducing complexity by streamlining initiatives, creating tools and support services.
Malcolm Zancanaro is the new director, new hotels Australasia & Pacific, and will focus on opening new hotels according to schedule. He has over 30 years’ experience in the hotel industry.
Cameron Burke has been appointed director, development Australasia & Pacific and he will drive the execution of IHG’s portfolio growth strategy for Australasia & the Pacific.
Indian MICE planners were provided with an update of Hong Kong and its products
The Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) recently organised a MICE-centric roadshow to Mumbai and New Delhi, to provide the latest updates about the destination’s developments and tourism opportunities to Indian event planners.
The series of roadshows marks the tourism board’s first physical event after a pandemic-induced gap of three years.
Indian MICE planners were provided with an update of Hong Kong and its products
“The importance of the Indian MICE segment can be gauged from the fact that even though India has not been among the top 10 visitor source markets for us but when it comes to MICE it is among the top five source markets. Through these roadshows we educated Indian MICE planners on the new experiences we have to offer in segments like art and culture, culinary tourism, the great outdoors, upgraded theme parks and MICE venues,” said Puneet Kumar, director, South Asia & Middle East, HKTB.
New products in the pipeline include 11 skies by New World K11, touted as Hong Kong’s largest hub for retail, dining and entertainment, next to the airport; and Kai Tak Sports Park, an upcoming venue that can host large concerts.
“We also have an exciting calendar of sporting events in the line up like Hong Kong Sevens 2023 – the city’s premier rugby tournament, which we will promote in India. Indian carriers, Vistara and IndiGo are expected to soon resume flights to Hong Kong. This will provide a major boost to our growth plans in the Indian market,” said Kumar.
HKTB is also planning to organise a mega fam trip for Indian travel trade partners in 1H2023.
Over 140 Indian event planners and meeting organisers attended the roadshows, where HKTB’s delegation comprised 18 trade partners including Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Disneyland Resorts, Ocean Park Hong Kong, Ngong Ping 360, hotels and DMCs.
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In his new role, Hall will work to accelerate the range of experiences across the Asia-Pacific business through additional ship deployment, including Ponant’s recently refurbished sailing yacht Le Ponant and the company’s newest vessel Le Commandant Charcot.
