Rautenbach: 2023 will bring new programmes and partnerships, and a destination marketing campaign, to create even greater value for members
SKÅL International Thailand, the national representative committee of SKÅL International – the world’s largest global association of travel and tourism professionals in 100 countries – has appointed a new executive committee comprising members from the country’s six SKÅL clubs, notably Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hua Hin, Phuket, Koh Samui and Krabi.
The new committee under the leadership of newly-elected president, Kevin Rautenbach will support the country’s six clubs in building membership, engaging young tourism professionals and promoting SKÅL’s key mission of doing sustainable business among friends.
Rautenbach: 2023 will bring new programmes and partnerships, and a destination marketing campaign, to create even greater value for members
Rautenbach said: “For 2023, my focus will be to give back to our members through several programmes and partnerships. We have already taken steps to save on annual membership fees and now that travel has restarted, we will use some funds to enhance our #RediscoverThailand program – a consumer-focused tourism campaign designed to drive traffic directly to members’ businesses.”
Another focus will be the SKÅL Talks Thailand programme – a webinar series launched in 2020 to support members through the pandemic tourism recovery process. It will continue to feature talks, panels, and workshops hosted by industry experts and personalities to share expertise and inject fresh ideas to rebuild the industry.
Meanwhile, SIT’s destination marketing websites for each SKÅL Thailand destination will be given additional funding for their development. The seven destination-specific websites will focus on promoting different areas and aspects of Thailand, and members’ tourism-related enterprises, at no cost to members.
Rautenbach added that sustainability will continue to be a priority, and the association’s campaign will continue both at the club and national levels.
Rautenbach is a South African national who spent most part of the past 17 years in Thailand. He is the managing director & co-founder at Miand Asia. He was formerly president of SKÅL International Krabi, vice president of SKÅL International Thailand and vice president South-east Asia at SKÅL Asia.
Philippines DoT is making changes to its MICE roadmap; Manila pictured
The Philippines MICE Roadmap 2020-2030 will soon be undergoing major revisions that will cover four areas – policy and governance; infrastructure; human resources; and marketing and promotions – after taking into account the two-year disruption caused by the pandemic.
The new strategies, to be added to existing ones, are the results of the Focus Group Discussion initiated by the Department of Tourism’s (DoT) Policy Formulation and International Cooperation Division.
Philippines DoT is making changes to its MICE roadmap; Manila pictured
Among the recommendations on policy and governance include crisis-proofing of business events facilities (health, security issues, natural threats); providing incentives for suppliers of safety events requirements, importation of materials, tax breaks, and sustainability; and developing a checklist for local government units who intend to promote corporate events as a priority tourism product.
The infrastructure recommendations also included the development of other regions and cities with the help of business events, based on documents obtained by TTGmice.
The documents also mentioned the need to strengthen the country’s Internet infrastructure to support the requirements of virtual and hybrid events, and strengthen transportation connectivity.
As for human resources, the document mentioned that upskilling and retooling programmes would be beneficial, alongside the development of other skills such virtual events management, video production, online branding, online marketing and promotions, English proficiency, data collection, interpretation, ecommerce, fintech, and cybersecurity.
Meanwhile, marketing recommendations include encouraging the private sector to pursue incentive groups to help the country in its recovery; promoting local events to drive more business’; develop an inventory of business events destinations and their support services.
Verna Buensuceso, DoT officer in charge – undersecretary for tourism development and assistant secretary for product and market development, said that reformulating Philippines’ MICE Roadmap also entailed updating the targets for each of the four segments with the help of statistical data, and understanding the country’s targeted source markets.
Wootton: AV1 will never stop investing in new technology
Australian audiovisual production company AV1 has invested A$1 million (US$912,740) in equipment upgrades, as well as moved to a 1,287m2 premise at 64 Burrows Road in Alexandria, Sydney.
The new AV1 headquarters is a reflection of the company’s investments in three key areas – inventory, operations, and recruitment of staff.
Wootton: AV1 will never stop investing in new technology
The larger facility has a dedicated space for set up and rehearsal of live events, training capabilities, studios for content production and remote recordings, increased inventory storage for operational efficiencies, including pre-loading vehicles.
AV1 has also beefed up its inventory – there were over 15,000 products in its inventory at last count – with the latest equipment including Barco vision switching systems, Sony cameras and advanced wireless communications systems, along with the replenishment of digital audio equipment and lighting.
“We will never stop investing in new technology, as we return to live events to continue our post-lockdown growth phase. Even throughout the pandemic, we invested in new cameras, lighting and studio broadcast equipment,” shared Keith Wootton, managing director, AV1.
Such efforts will go into keeping the events AV1 produces “fresh and innovative”. In fact, AV1 was one of the few events companies that set up one of Sydney’s first webcasting studios within a week of the pandemic’s beginning.
The Australian company went on to establish a studio on level six of the Museum of Contemporary Art that provided a stunning backdrop of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour, which Wootton called a “gamechanger” during the days of video conferencing.
Although there is still a place for hybrid and virtual events, these make up a “very small part” of AV1’s business now. However, the option still exists, as “organisers have seen the advantage of being able to broadcast out to a wider audience, and want to have this option”.
Addressing the current workforce shortages, AV1 also welcomes new permanent positions and an 18-month training programme to level up existing staff and attract new team members.
Wootton lamented: “Unfortunately, many skilled staff left our industry during the pandemic. We have been recruiting to deal with the demand for live events, as well as in complementary services such as video production.
There is still a place for hybrid and virtual events, although live events have returned in full force
“Previously, our industry relied heavily on a casual technical workforce, we are now recruiting more full-time technical staff to offer more job security and keep a bench of skilled technicians on hand for short lead time events.”
These are the main reasons why the new facility also has a dedicated training space to allow rapid upskilling.
Regardless, AV1 is striding into 2023 with optimism, and is pushing forward to show that it is possible to succeed and prosper as an industry.
“It’s vital that we do so in order to attract the next generation of event organisers and the next generation of staff. This is a great industry and we are determined to leave a positive mark on it,” concluded Wootton.
CWT has appointed Richard Thompson as its global head of Environmental, Social, and Corporate (ESG) and employee experience.
He reports to executive vice president & chief HR officer Laura Watterson.
Formerly CWT’s vice president, global internal communication & culture, Thompson will lead the company’s responsible business activities and continue to oversee the company’s HR communications and CWT workplace culture initiatives, while handing over global internal communication responsibilities to the company’s chief communications officer, Julian Walker.
Having joined the company in 2016, Thompson was appointed vice president, global internal communication & Culture in January 2022. Prior to joining CWT, Thompson spent over 25 years consulting in the automotive, manufacturing and B2B industries with companies like Nissan Europe, Capgemini, Technip and Cargill.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has resumed Manila-Xiamen services on January 13, and launched a new flight to Guangzhou the following day.
Both services are operated once a week for a start.
PAL is rebuilding its services to China
The direct flight between Manila and Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport offers travellers early morning departures. PR 382 departs Manila at 03.35 every Saturday, arriving in Guangzhou at 06.10, while PR 383 departs Guangzhou at 08.40 every Saturday, arriving in Manila at 11.10.
Timings will be adjusted from January 28, with PR 383 setting off at 7.10 instead.
For its calibrated and progressive resumption of flights to the Chinese mainland, PAL is working closely with Chinese and Philippine health and aviation authorities to ensure the highest level of health safety protections for travellers.
Prior to the pandemic, the flag carrier served Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Quanzhou (Jinjiang) and Xiamen with a total of 34 weekly flights.
St. Regis Hotels and Resorts, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 brands, has opened the doors to The St. Regis Jakarta in Indonesia.
The hotel is situated within the Golden Triangle of Jakarta, which extends from Central to South Jakarta, proving to be a convenient location for meetings and events.
In total, The St. Regis Jakarta boasts more than 2,500m2 of dedicated function spaces. The Astor Ballroom, with a capacity of more than 1,000 people, features a LASVIT ceiling masterpiece which depicts the mountains of Indonesia, while the Caroline Astor Ballroom includes its own reception area and private dressing room.
There are 282 guestrooms for guests, including 28 suites ranging from 75m2 to 187m2, each featuring a private balcony. Guests will also enjoy the St. Regis Butler Service, an offering that has been a hallmark of the brand for more than a century.
Meanwhile, F&B options range from the hotel’s signature St. Regis Bar and Rosé deli, to the all-day lounge The Drawing Room to the Bel Étage restaurant and its international menu.
Other facilities include The St. Regis Spa, a fitness centre with scheduled group exercise classes or personal training sessions.
Hugo Montanari has been appointed as the new managing director of Rosewood Hong Kong. He will be responsible for managing all aspects of the property.
A seasoned hotelier, Montanari has more than 17 years of global luxury hotel experience, with diverse experience in mainland China, Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe.
He was previously with health and wellness resort, Jayasom Ibiza, as general manager.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has appointed Jason Krimmel as its vice president of international.
In his new role, Krimmel will oversee NCL’s sales, marketing and brand communication efforts outside of the US and Canada – including the Asia-Pacific region – to expand the brand’s international footprint.
He joined NCL in 2003, and was most recently vice president of international marketing and global creative strategy where he and his team successfully launched Break Free, NCL’s most extensive international marketing campaign to date.
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor has appointed Joseph Colina as its new general manager.
Bringing nearly two decades of experience with Accor to his new posting in Siem Reap, Colina most recently served as general manager of MGallery Sapa in northern Vietnam.
He will take charge of the hotel, including the launch of the Khmer fine-dining restaurant 1932 and the addition of the Raffles Marquee.
Lawrence & Hanson, Australia’s most recognised electrical wholesaler with a strong heritage and over 170 branches, pulled off their biggest incentive trip in Singapore this year with more than 660 customers, managers and supplier sponsors in attendance.
For the Lawrence & Hanson Singapore Bucket List 2022, about 1,200 flight segments (itineraries with multiple city landings) and 335 room bookings were required and more than 1,000 tours and 28 individual events were staged in the city-state over one week.
For example, we had a golf day on Sentosa for our VIP customers, a private dinner on the roof top of CÉ LA VI, a beautiful Italian-themed night at Fiamma in Capella Singapore, and a relaxing spa day.
This year’s event even earned industry acclaim as one of the best held by the company, according to Rachel Raschilla, senior marketer, Lawrence & Hanson.
With only a one-year hiatus during the pandemic, the much-anticipated annual incentive trips have been ongoing for about six years now.
In the second instalment of the Say yes to Singapore series, Raschilla told TTGmice why Australia’s leading electrical wholesaler selected Singapore for the company’s largest incentive travel outing to date.
Singapore Bucket List 2022
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The official welcome party was hosted at the grand ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
The standout event for the trip this year was the Next Level event, the official gala night
Fun tours include venturing into the eclectic neighbourhood of Kampong Glam, peppered with cool boutiques, hip bars, indie cafes and stunning street art
Trip attendees went onboard the yachts at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove
Universal Studios Singapore was one of the tour attractions
The VIP welcome reception was held at the CÉ LA VI roof top
Madison Brandi (left), marketing co-ordinator, Rachel Raschilla (right), senior marketer, both from Lawrence & Hanson with director of Picasso International Productions, Picasso Tan (centre) at the Next Level event
What are some of the highlights at your event in Singapore?
Our standout event for the Bucket List 2022 trip was definitely the Next Level event – the official gala night, sponsored by Clipsal & Schneider Electric (a major supplier of Lawrence & Hanson).
Every aspect of the event has been developed with the vision of making it a green one, thus having a smaller eco-footprint on our planet and taking our sustainability efforts to the next level.
Going green and being mindful about our environment for the planning of this sustainable event had so many benefits, such as being both fun and friendly to our earth.
Some of the ways we hosted the environmentally sustainable event included consolidating transport service for guests; managing event plans digitally via a smartphone app and offsetting the carbon footprint of flights for the entertainment.
The biodegradable food packaging had also been made from sustainable plant materials and we used recycled products or products that can be recycled for all our food and beverage utensils. Hired and repurposed furniture were deployed and in-house screens and projected branding made use of re-usable LED lights that utilise less energy and produce low emissions.
The event was held at the stunning Gardens by the Bay – Flower Field Hall. The Gardens is a world-class sustainable event space and we also requested that all our guests wear a sustainable item of clothing that represented “sustainable and green”.
The idea was for our guests to wear something they already owned, borrowed or repurposed – therefore not purchasing a new item of clothing and not contributing to the fashion land fill.
(Overall) our agenda was to build a memorable Singapore trip, visiting as many iconic destinations as possible for our guests across four days.
Our VIP welcome reception was held at the CÉ LA VI roof top, while our official welcome party was hosted at the grand ballroom of The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Our cocktail events were held at the Singapore Flyer.
Tour East managed our specially handpicked tours for the entire group – ranging from (those for) Universal Studios Singapore, Singapore Zoo, cultural diversity, Tiger Brewery to of course, the spectacular and highly recommended vespa one.
We even transferred customers to the airport early so that they had time to enjoy Jewel Changi Airport.
This event has also been met with industry acclaim as one of the best events held by Lawrence & Hanson.
What aspects of Singapore made you choose it for your event, and why are these considerations important to host destination selection? When selecting the destination for 2022, Lawrence & Hanson had to consider many variables for the safety of our guests.
After an extensive review of proposed destinations for 2022, Singapore was a clear standout. Lawrence & Hanson found that Singapore would be the best option to host our Bucket List Trip 2022 because the city-state has unique and eco-friendly venues; wide range of entertainment choices; vast number of cultural tours and activities; as well as wonderful food options for our guests to explore.
There were also easily accessible flights from Australia and the hotel was able to host the group size and manage its operations and movements.
How would you describe your experience working with MICE professionals in Singapore? Any highlights? Lawrence & Hanson always try and support business locally within the destinations selected for the Bucket List trips.
Singapore was no exception. Lawrence & Hanson contracted Picasso International Productions (PIP) to manage all the events locally and contract local suppliers to coordinate the operations of the events.
PIP did an exceptional job and exceeded all expectations. With their help, Lawrence & Hanson was able to utilise many iconic local venues for our events and functions.
Working with Gardens by the Bay was wonderful – the team was open to all of our creative ideas and was a great supporter of our theme.
But this snapshot simply does not highlight the endless planning hours and video calls required to coordinate this incentive trip with our on-the-ground MICE teams – working within very fractured industries and overcoming the new normal for travel and events management.
Think 660+ guests, six supplier sponsorship partners, about 1,200+ flight segments, 335+ room bookings, 1,000+ tours, and 28 individual events hosted in Singapore over an epic week!
As a team, we pulled off what some wouldn’t have even considered attempting to create off the back of a pandemic!
How likely would you return to Singapore for future events? Lawrence & Hanson would definitely look at future events in Singapore as it is a destination with so much to offer and explore.
Our customers were able to basically see and experience so much of Singapore and they just loved every minute of it.
In fact, our recent survey suggested most would return to Singapore in the future for their holiday destination.
All images to be credited to Lawrence & Hanson.
Keen to organise your next business event in Singapore?
Singapore has more than 100 exceptional venues ideal for MICE events of varying sizes and profiles. Find out why the city-state is your business event destination of choice here.
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He joined NCL in 2003, and was most recently vice president of international marketing and global creative strategy where he and his team successfully launched Break Free, NCL’s most extensive international marketing campaign to date.
He will take charge of the hotel, including the launch of the Khmer fine-dining restaurant 1932 and the addition of the Raffles Marquee.
Philippine Airlines (PAL) has resumed Manila-Xiamen services on January 13, and launched a new flight to Guangzhou the following day.
Both services are operated once a week for a start.
The direct flight between Manila and Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport offers travellers early morning departures. PR 382 departs Manila at 03.35 every Saturday, arriving in Guangzhou at 06.10, while PR 383 departs Guangzhou at 08.40 every Saturday, arriving in Manila at 11.10.
Timings will be adjusted from January 28, with PR 383 setting off at 7.10 instead.
For its calibrated and progressive resumption of flights to the Chinese mainland, PAL is working closely with Chinese and Philippine health and aviation authorities to ensure the highest level of health safety protections for travellers.
Prior to the pandemic, the flag carrier served Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, Quanzhou (Jinjiang) and Xiamen with a total of 34 weekly flights.