An iconic landmark in the heart of downtown Bangkok, the newly-renovated Queen Sirikit National Convention Center (QSNCC) is set to be “The Ultimate Inspiring World-Class Event Platform for All”.
The new QSNCC is expected to attract over 13 million visitors annually, more than double the six million visitors per year prior to the renovation. Beyond MICE offerings, it can now also accommodate lifestyle events ranging from concerts, fashion shows, arts & craft, to gaming and e-sports.
More than 160 activities are already lined up to take place at QSNCC by 2023, in a show of confidence for the new platform.
The number of visitors to QSNCC is expected to be over 13 million annually, more than double the six million per year prior to the renovation
Some major high-profile events include APEC Economic Leaders’ Week and South-east Asia’s biggest gaming expo, Thailand Game Show.
New event types are also keen to come onboard too.
They range from the world’s leading leather trade fair, Asia-Pacific Leather Fair (APLF); Asia’s international fruit and vegetable trade fair, Asia Fruit Logistica; to Jewellery & Gem ASEAN Bangkok. They were previously held in Hong Kong and Singapore.
According to Grace Lee, event director of APLF, since the ASEAN bloc re-opened for business, and with Bangkok located at its centre, the capital became its commercial hub and restart point to woo Asia-Pacific buyers back.
She said: “The newly-renovated QSNCC, equipped with world-class exhibition facilities, is situated in central Bangkok. It is well-connected by all modes of transport and will be a highly convenient place to welcome international buyers and business travellers.”
David Axiotis, executive director, Global Produce Events (HK) Limited, who chose QSNCC for Asia Fruit Logistica, also believed that the venue “will be an ideal event platform to showcase innovation and to provide business opportunities for all exhibitors.”
He explained: “Thailand is a hub for Asia’s fast-growing fresh fruit and vegetable business and the new QSNCC is well equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, strategic location, technology and services.”
Sanchai Noombunnam, country general manager – Thailand, Informa Markets, who is organising the Jewellery & Gem ASEAN Bangkok, concurred: “The new QSNCC is situated at the heart of Bangkok and as a city centre, easy to access for all transportation. It allows exhibitors and visitors a hassle-free commute to the venue. QSNCC is at the forefront of sustainability and is mindful of our impact on the environment and community – which align with Informa Markets’ business and show commitments.”
Besides for the first time, QSNCC will host the T-Pop Concert Fest, headlining leading Thai pop artists such as PP x Billkin, 4EVE and Bowkylion.
Phatrapreechakul added: “We are convinced that there will be all kinds of event hosts and exhibitors who will choose QSNCC as their venue. This will enhance QSNCC’s reputation as an industry pioneer for both Thai and Asian event venues.”
Discover the new experience of “The Ultimate Inspiring World-Class Event Platform for All” at QSNCC here.
For event organisers and planners keen to explore QSNCC as a venue, reach out to us here.
In order to jumpstart tourism recovery in the Philippines, Philippine tourism secretary Christina Garcia Frasco has emphasised the urgent need for the government to adapt to prevailing global health practices – and is backing the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’s (IATF-EID) recommendation to make mask-wearing optional for outdoors.
The IATF-EID has recommended that mask-wearing outdoors is made voluntary across the country, while senior citizens and immunocompromised individuals are highly encouraged to continue wearing masks.
The removal of the outdoor mask mandate could help jumpstart tourism recovery in the Philippines
“With the recent improvement of the global tourism landscape as a result of immunisation, countries around the world have been instituting various measures such as the reopening of international borders, and relaxation of health and safety protocols and requirements, resulting in an immediate positive economic impact of these countries and faster recovery of their respective portfolios,” she said in a statement.
She noted that based on a comparative analysis of mask mandates, Covid-19 incidence, and tourist arrivals of the Top 5 ASEAN countries comprising Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, more liberal mask mandates did not appear to cause an uptick in Covid-19 cases.
She added that aside from ASEAN countries, the Philippines’ key markets in Asia and other parts of the world (Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong) have also started to lift mask mandates.
Citing the province of Cebu as a model in liberalising mask mandates since June 8, she stated that the province has maintained its risk classification at low levels.
Expressing optimism for the country’s tourism industry, Frasco said lifting the mask mandate “will give the Philippine Tourism Industry a better chance to regain its vibrant and booming operations”.
the environmental impact of in-person events have led to questions of whether the world should resume large-scale events
Guidelines available from a number of organisations to guide the global MICE industry forward in sustainable event management
Businesses can offer hybrid meeting options as technology is available, even as in-person meetings return with a vengeance
More sustainably-certified venus and suppliers are needed
The environmental impact of in-person events has led to questions whether the world should resume large-scale events
Demand for business events has returned, limited only by ongoing volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (abbreviated as VUCA) conditions like living with Covid-19, the continuing conflict in Ukraine, rising inflation and unstable geopolitics.
Fortunately, meeting planners and industry players have not lost sight of sustainability, and guidelines to educate, standardise, innovate and measure green practices continue to be developed since the conversation started.
Where it all began In 2012, UFI The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry launched ISO 20121, a sustainability event management system to help event organisers improve the sustainability of their activities.
Certified industry members in the region, according to UFI, include The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok; Marina Bay Sands (Singapore); Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre (Thailand); Kingsmen CMTI (Thailand); Taiwan External Trade Development Council; Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre; exhibition freight forwarder R.E. Rogers (India); and integrated logistics services company PS Bedi (India).
ICCA, in identifying significant trends and strategies, said sustainability had become “more of a high priority for the industry as a whole” with the focus on the UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, held in November 2021, and more people being concerned about climate change and the environment.
The 2020 Kaohsiung Protocol is ICCA’s strategic recovery framework to guide the global meetings and events industry forward. Additional guidelines were included in the new version of the Global Association Meetings Protocol last year following a survey on what had changed.
Sustainability, equity and legacy were some of the pillars identified in the survey, ICCA noted.
Daniel Chua, who heads experiential communications agency Aonia, started the business 20 years ago incorporating sustainability practices in areas such as destination selection, sourcing locally and route planning.
Chua noted that “cost”, “availability of alternatives” and “sustainable exhibitions that are not boring” were ongoing challenges, adding it was tricky balancing what clients want – which were “green, wow and affordable”.
Procurement and collaboration had to be carefully managed, Chua continued. “It is easier to convince clients because they are asking for sustainability, but the challenge is vendors having to hold on to ageing inventory and keeping up.”
For business events entities with or without ISO certification, Chua said sustainability guidelines had to be “easy to apply”.
To assist organisations with limited resources, the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), launched the MICE Sustainability Certification programme, based on the Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) sustainability guidelines, in 2016.
According to Chua, STB held its first meeting with an industry committee on the Singapore Green Plan 2030 recently.
“Event technology innovation and social change are needed at all levels, and meeting planners must be able to provide ‘sustainable experiential expertise’ in order to boost the bottomline,” he opined.
Event sustainability in the long-term There is no doubt sustainability is a prerequisite for long-term growth in accordance with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all UN member states in 2015 which contains 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
For leading global exhibition group, Informa Markets (IM), investing in sustainability was a long-term bottomline goal, Benson Tang, executive director, corporate travel, told TTGmice.
The sustainability journey to attract investors and generate shareholder value started in 2000, and Tang shared that IM was ranked number one on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for 2022 in the sector.
“Sustainability is costly to implement, monitor and audit and profitability may take a hit, but IM is willing to pay between two and four per cent more to support its sustainability goal,” he said.
Hong Kong-based Tang pointed out that Cathay Pacific, despite being one of the worst-hit airlines because of the pandemic, was in the process of changing to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), and had invested in an SAF company in the US.
Personally, Chua is cutting back on trips and urged more to meet face-to-face for the “right purpose” because innovative technology, created during Covid-19, is available.
Businesses should not compel staff to travel and can offer hybrid options instead, he added, but agreed it was a “tough call now” for businesses trying to recover.
Finding a satisfactory middle ground GEVME, which provided clients with virtual and touchless events during the pandemic, said its “omnichannel event platform” offered live, virtual and hybrid events with sustainable online solutions for marketing, registration, badge-less entry and QR code business card exchange.
Its founder and CEO Veemal Gungadin said “economic drivers” and “policy change” had to be in place for industry players to embrace sustainability, use it as a competitive edge to make a profit and meet shareholders’ goals.
Gungadin was seeing progress with tender requirement calling for certified sustainability providers, and sustainable event technology solution was gaining traction and fast adoption in Australia and the US.
For the region, sustainability solution adoption ranged between “one (pessimistic) and six (a dream)” on a scale of one to 10, he said.
While an international conference and exhibition show organiser was willing to make its events more sustainable, he said more certified venues and suppliers needed to come onboard.
But with many in the industry trying to get back on track, grappling with staff shortages and ongoing disruptions, business was far from “normal” and all companies were being affected, the show organiser observed.
“To be able to offer a unique proposition and bring value to a show, costs must be reasonable. We are looking at paying around five to 10 per cent more to put sustainable practices in place.
“Not everyone is out of the woods yet. But it is not doom and gloom. Practical solutions must be cost-effective to help businesses return to profit.
“And government funding, if given, needs to be easy to access,” the show organiser stressed.
There have been many tourism developments happening in the Gold Coast (pictured) throughout the pandemic
The Gold Coast is surfing on a new wave for business events, with a growing swell of new products and experiences it has been proud to reveal to event planners as Australia’s borders reopened.
“People who have been here before don’t know the Gold Coast of today because there’s been so much development with new or cool things to see and do,” said Destination Gold Coast’s head of business events, Selina Sinclair.
There have been many tourism developments happening in the Gold Coast (pictured) throughout the pandemic
“We spent A$1 billion (US$671.6 million) on new products and experiences for the city. There are new tour companies, bars, venues, restaurants and some 3,000 new hotel rooms constructed in the last two years. We’ve also seen a lot of investment by the theme parks.”
“With that, I feel we definitely stand out in the incentive travel space. But also when you look at the associations sector, the city has invested a lot in some major infrastructure developments,” she added.
For instance, the Gold Coast now boasts a new health and knowledge precinct, which brought 1,000 new researchers and more than 20,000 students to the city.
In addition to hospitals, the precinct includes Griffith University, ranked in the world’s top two per cent of universities, and Lumina, which is a 9.5-hectare site designated for start-ups and established businesses nurturing bright ideas and collaborations. Inventions to transform cardiology and spinal cord rehabilitation are among its current projects.
“Association sector events looking for a city where they can tap into speakers’ content, and developments in their field whether in education, health, or medical science technology can now find it on our doorstep,” said Sinclair.
“It’s really opened up our ability to host association events even more than before in the Gold Coast and it’s just one of the things that will only elevate the credentials of the Gold Coast to host associations and corporate meetings moving forward,” she continued.
Elevated experiences were certainly highlighted in June at This Is Gold Coast, the destination’s annual industry showcase. On one evening, event planners enjoyed a new sophisticated rooftop entertainment space in Cali Beach Club featuring an igloo bar, hot tubs, open fire pits, and a fire show.
The next day, they were transported by helicopter into the Gold Coast’s lesser-known asset — its hinterland, where they had lunch in a beautiful white-themed marquee at the top of the mountains at the Bower Estate.
It was also no coincidence that of the 80 guests, more than 30 per cent were international event planners from the Gold Coast’s top overseas markets of Singapore, Malaysia, the US, UK, New Zealand and Japan.
“International markets represent, in some ways, an untapped opportunity for us. What we’ve also seen (since borders reopened) is a huge influx of requests, particularly from the Asian markets, all looking for an incentive travel destination, with a high percentage coming from direct selling companies, and we are catering for that change,” said Sinclair.
“And now we’re starting to see the big associations coming back, saying their rotation is all mixed up and they’re looking for a destination, and they’re rebuilding for future years from 2023 and beyond,” she continued.
A performance during This Is Gold Coast, the destination’s annual industry showcase
Big events also see an advantage in the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC), where a complete buyout is possible. The centre is currently attracting international business representing up to 10 per cent of its bookings, compared to about two per cent just five years ago, thanks to its growing presence and work to secure events on the global stage.
“We’ve always been highly successful with our size, because big conventions like the fact that they can take total ownership of our venue,” said general manager of GCCEC, Adrienne Readings.
“They can brand externally and internally, which is important to both associations and corporates. The centre’s design also allows us to open and shut as small or as large as we need, so we’re a multipurpose centre, not just a convention and exhibition centre,” she said.
The Gold Coast Airport will also double its size when it unveils an expanded three-level 30,000m2 terminal in September, with links to New Zealand, Singapore, Korea, Japan and Malaysia “ready to go”.
With ambitious moves on multiple fronts meeting the tide of a post-pandemic reset, the trajectory for business events on the Gold Coast seems to be as clear as the blue-turquoise waters it is famous for.
Just to recap, in March, it launched its new brand as Australia’s imagination capital at AIME. In June, its annual showcase invited its “first insiders” to see the new developments since Covid.
And stage three is underway: “(We’ve started to work) much more on a digital strategy, using LinkedIn as our main channel to push out a lot of the content that we’ve collected, to get in front of people we know are busy. (Beyond September), we’ll look to offer fam trips again,” said Sinclair.
Constellar has welcomed three new members to its leadership team.
From left: Mel Shah; Alexandra Goto; Ng Sim Lim
Mel Shah joins the business as senior vice president, international and business development. In this newly created role, he will be accelerating the growth strategy for Constellar’s international portfolio, including building suitable business development opportunities for Constellar.
Shah, who will also provide leadership to Constellar’s regional offices in China, India and Malaysia, brings over 20 years of experience from his previous roles at leading trade fair organisers such as Montgomery, Deutsche Messe, Fiera Milano, Messe Frankfurt, Hannover Milano Fairs India and DMG Events (Singapore).
Alexandra Goto joins the business as vice president digital marketing. She will develop and execute an integrated customer strategy across all digital marketing channels, ensuring consistency in digital touchpoints across the customer journey.
Goto brings with her 15 years of progressive experience in several MNCs and MICE companies, including RX, Clarion Events and UBM based in Brazil.
Sim Lim Ng has taken on the role of vice president, sales. He is responsible for developing strategic partnerships to expand the range of offerings at the Singapore EXPO.
Ng possesses over 13 years of experience in e-commerce, venue ownership, tourism and live events business, and was most recently leading global strategic partnerships at Klook.
The newly-opened The Tent at Boracay Newcoast – previously known as the Boracay Newcoast Convention Center – is focused on winning more local and national business events, with the eventual target of expanding its reach to international events at a later time.
Cleofe Albiso, managing director of Megaworld Hotels and Resorts, which operates The Tent, told TTGmice that there currently better investment potential in garnering local and national business event wins, due to convenient domestic flight options.
The Tent at Boracay Newcoast
“So far, we have been successful (in winning) some government events. At the moment, we have a growing list of more than a dozen events in the pipeline from different segments, with an estimated 100 to 300 attendees per event,” Albiso shared.
She added that current interest stems from Philippine-based associations and organisations, as well as large social events of between 150 to 250 people.
The Tent at Boracay Newcoast is fully air-conditioned and equipped with a backup electric power supply, stable Wi-Fi connection, video screens and motorised projector screens with sound system, and its own service kitchen. In total, it can hold a maximum of 800 attendees.
The venue’s opening in late July was timed with the three-day leadership conference staged by Megaworld Hotels and Resorts for about 100 leaders from different parts of the Philippines
Albiso added that the Boracay Newcoast township also offers 1,000 available rooms, where delegates can extend stay, as well as bring their families and friends along for their business trips.
“(There is a wide range of) recreational activities available, and Boracay’s natural topography will give MICE attendees a different meeting experience in a tropical paradise,” Albiso noted.
The metaverse could perform an important role in diversifying events
Events have a diversity problem. Up to 40 per cent of events do not have any speakers of colour in their panels, and while English is widely used, there is a severe lack of options available for audiences from different countries, cultures, and languages.
It is an issue that is blocking people from engaging with content and other attendees from across the world, but the latest developments in immersive technology could provide a platform that levels the playing field.
The metaverse could perform an important role in diversifying events
From something simple as creating your own avatar to building a brand’s own virtual world, the metaverse is starting to offer radically new experiences in the events industry – not just how we attend events, but also in the way we interact with people.
The likes of JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs are predicting a more than US$1 trillion opportunity for the metaverse, while companies like Epic Games, Meta, and Microsoft have already been pumping millions of dollars into developing their own platforms.
The metaverse is hotly tipped to become the next big thing in events, so can it help remove cultural and language barriers to diversify audiences?
What does the metaverse for events look like? The metaverse is a 3D virtual world where people can host and share digital experiences, which naturally makes it a good fit for the events industry.
Although it is not a new concept (the technology has taken almost 30 years to properly develop, mature, and come together), recent examples have taken the metaverse to a point where companies are seriously considering its use.
The reason for all the hype is the dramatic shift to online. While there are certainly benefits of hosting and attending meetings within physical structures, there is a real acceptance now that they do not have to, or need to.
Besides the obvious cost, travel, and time savings, virtual event platforms like the metaverse can also provide communication and engagement that matches physical experiences.
The metaverse is a breath of fresh air in this respect. Unlike the dreaded schedule of day-long events, attendees can drop into a discussion on the fly, no matter where they are in the world – as long as they can properly engage with the content, that is. Separate breakout rooms where people can engage with each other on more specific topics can also be set up.
What is impressive about the early examples of the metaverse is that it is easily accessible through browsers. Sure, people can get a fully immersed experience through virtual reality, but the important thing is they do not have to. The technology is also openly accessible on most PCs, laptops, and tablets, which is another important step in diversifying events.
How does the metaverse increase diversity? As the metaverse is still very much in its infancy, there is a real opportunity to build and deliver platforms that prioritise diversity, accessibility, and inclusivity. That does not mean providing one metaverse for everyone, but different, customisable experiences that are able to cater for all.
For example, while providing events in English might seem the obvious choice, three-quarters of the Earth’s population cannot actually speak it. By trying to cater to all, events are actually alienating a large proportion of potential attendees.
The ultimate goal of the metaverse is to build a digital platform which replicates many of the things we enjoy in the real world, but it should also be used to break down barriers to entry for groups that would have previously been denied access. By opening up discussions, we can make events more accessible to hundreds of millions of people that cannot interact with content due to disabilities or other impairments.
It can also be a way for attendees to express themselves through their avatars, for example. Participants are able to choose a broad spectrum of characteristics that they identify with, from skin colour and gender, to height and body size.
Supported by MootUp, Interprefy recently hosted its own event in the metaverse, with attendees able to customise their own avatars, mingle with other virtual attendees, and contribute to the session. But the significant advantage of the event was providing different language options, with attendees gaining access to live interpreters so that they could enjoy the show in the language of their choice.
If the metaverse is to become the platform of choice for events, its use cases like this have to be promoted. While being able to give users their own customisable avatar is fun, that alone will not attract people to join in. But being able to listen in and virtually engage with a topic that they are interested in? Now that is an attractive proposal, helping to diversify the events landscape.
A new world While we are still trying to figure out what the metaverse truly looks like, it is an exciting platform that could perform an important role in diversifying events – not just for different languages, backgrounds, and cultures, but for anyone that is struggling to properly engage with content and people online.
There are a lot of moving parts to the metaverse that are yet to be settled, but there is a very real opportunity for it to bring global, online communities better together.
Oddmund Braaten is the CEO of Interprefy. Previously the COO and a board member, Braaten has been leading Interprefy’s commercial and operational success for five years.
BESydney has revealed three more international association bid wins for the city – CogSci 2023, the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference 2024 and The Web Conference 2025 – as well as two incentive wins with Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad and Pru Life UK.
The Cognitive Science Society conference CogSci 2023 will run from July 26-29, and will attract more than 800 researchers from around the world who seek to understand the nature of the human mind.
Sydney’s calendar of business events for the coming years is expanding
International delegations are expected to be dominated by attendees from the US, where the majority of the Society’s membership is based. The Society fosters interdisciplinary networking between researchers in Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics, Anthropology, Psychology, Neuroscience, Philosophy, and Education.
This will be the first time the event is in Australia and will be held at the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), and BESydney estimates the conference will generate A$2.7 million (US$1.8 million) in direct expenditure to the local economy.
Further in 2025, the ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) Web Conference Steering Committee’s The Web Conference (WebConf) will also be hosted in Sydney.
WebConf is the annual gathering of the ACM Special Interest Group on Hypertext, Hypermedia and Web (SIGWEB) Society attracting 1,000 people from around the world. The Conference assembles scholars, researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and end-users to envision and create the future of the Web through the lens of computer science, computational social science, economics, public policy, and Web-based applications. WebConf 2025 is estimated to be worth A$3.7 million in direct expenditure.
CogSci 2023 and WebConf 2025 were event bids backed by Business Events Australia funding support.
Next, the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference is to be held in November 2024 during the Bicentenary year of the NSW Legislative Council. The NSW Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch’s nomination to host the world’s largest international parliamentary gathering was endorsed recently at the association’s General Assembly in Halifax, Canada.
The conference is expected to attract 700 delegates from 53 Commonwealth countries over six days, is estimated to be worth A$3.2M to the local economy and will also be held at ICC Sydney.
Sydney will also be hosting the four-day, 400-delegate Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad Incentive 2022 and four-day 250-delegate Pru Life UK annual incentive out of the Philippines, both to be held in September this year.
Together, these two incentives will generate a further A$2.9 million in direct expenditure.
FCM Consulting has appointed Glenn Thorsen as sustainability lead.
Based in Denmark, he brings wide-ranging consultancy skills honed across a diverse range of industry sectors mostly within the lifestyle tech space to this new role.
Previously head of partnerships for Thrust Carbon, Thorsen drove awareness and adoption of the emissions intelligence platform across the corporate travel industry.
Along with his consulting responsibilities, Thorsen will collaborate with global sustainability officer Michelle Degenhardt as she further develops and oversees the execution of strategies to deliver on the organisation’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives.
Roel Constantino is the new general manager of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.
He joins Marco Polo Plaza Cebu from Park Inn by Radisson in Davao where he was also general manager.
Constantino’s other posts include director of sales and manager, and resident manager, of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila; and director of sales and manager in Shangri-La properties in the Philippines, Bangkok, Fiji and Jakarta.
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.
Constantino’s other posts include director of sales and manager, and resident manager, of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila; and director of sales and manager in Shangri-La properties in the Philippines, Bangkok, Fiji and Jakarta.
