UFI Global Congress heads to Cologne in 2024
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, will convene in Cologne, Germany for its 91st UFI Global Congress from November 20 to 23, 2024.
The meeting will be hosted by Koelnmesse at the new Confex Congress Center.
UFI president, Monica Lee-Müller, said in a statement: “What a way for me to end my turn as the UFI president – being able to share the news that our association’s biggest event will return to Cologne, one of UFI’s 20 founding members, in 2024. Cologne won the bid against strong competition from around the world.”
The congress will hold special meaning for host Koelnmesse, as the latter celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2024.
CEO of Koelnmesse, Gerald Böse, said: “2024 will be the year when tradition and future come together in a very special way. The time and place will be just right for another major event of our industry.”
The UFI Global Congress is highly regarded in the exhibition industry and is the largest global meeting of the year for professionals in this space.
Last held in Muscat, Oman this year, the congress will move to Las Vegas, the US for 2023.
Sabre, IATA partner to transform aviation industry
Sabre and IATA are working to “a shared vision” to roll out the Offers and Orders (O&O) distribution and retailing platform as a better alternative to the legacy airline passenger system.
Investing billions in its own technological transformation – including a US$100m spend in 2022 alone – to drive innovation and transformation across the industry, Sabre is targeting O&O for “an aspirational goal of 100 per cent transition by 2030”.
Speaking to TTGmice on the side-lines of the recent CAPA Asia Aviation Summit, John Chapman, head of strategic sales and business development, Asia Pacific at Sabre, said there was convergence among full-service carriers wanting to “unbundle” their products and use artificial intelligence and machine learning to understand “what the customer wants, his propensity to pay and market conditions”.
Chapman explained O&O would move “PNR (passenger name record), EMD (electronic miscellaneous document for options such as preferred seating, baggage, priority boarding) and e-ticketing into one order”.
Stressing how the new “more transparent and modular” O&O capability would simplify the process, he noted: “IATA is driving standards and Sabre is thinking beyond standards with the goal of delivering a modern, intelligent retail platform.”
He added Sabre was “heavily developing” O&O with a projected beta version launch by 2024.
According to Chapman, European airlines such as Finnair and Lufthansa Group were looking at “wholly replacing their legacy system” to be able to personalise and market their products better.
He commented that the pandemic pushed NDC and O&O to the fore, and this transition “is ultimately about providing a win-win-win for travel suppliers, buyers, and the end consumer”.
“The new world of O&O will generate smarter, more relevant offers for agents to put in front of their travellers, while streamlining servicing and increasing revenue opportunities for agents,” said Chapman, adding that Sabre’s role as a trusted technology partner is “to facilitate these interactions, create opportunities and reduce friction for all elements of the travel ecosystem”.
“O&O is the natural development in the NDC journey, and we’re already working with a number of airlines to place NDC content in front of agents, and ultimately, travellers.
“Our innovation partnerships, including with Google, are also key in creating the technological solutions needed to create the best offers for travellers,” Chapman pointed out.
Centara opens Centra by Centara Bangkok Phra Nakhon
Centara Hotels & Resorts, Thailand’s leading hotel operator has opened its latest property in the Thai capital – Centra by Centara Bangkok Phra Nakhon.
The 180-key low-rise hotel offers a selection of rooms built around an inner courtyard. Business travellers will also be able to utilise District M, a meeting space decked out with the latest audiovisual facilities, and can comfortably host 250 people cocktail-style, or 150-theatre style. There is also an additional pre-function space.
Centra by Centara Hotel Bangkok Phra Nakhon is also located near Bangkok’s famous landmarks including the Grand Palace, Wat Pho, the National Museum, and Pak Khong Talat flower market.
SkyTeam reopens sustainably-driven Sydney Lounge
SkyTeam Elite Plus, First and Business Class customers flying from Sydney will now have access to a recently-reopened SkyTeam dedicated lounge, located airside near Gate 24 at Pier B in the International Terminal.
The Sydney Lounge underwent refurbishment when international travel was suspended, and has been redesigned with sustainability in mind.
Guests can expect a fresh and brighter space, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows offering views across the runway and abundant plants. In total, there are 149 chairs and ottomans, which have been reupholstered using GREENGUARD-certified upholstery to reduce landfill waste.
Other sustainable efforts include eliminating single-use items such as plastic straws and stirrers; installing water-saving cisterns and shower heads in showers and bathrooms; deploying movement sensor smart technology to save energy; and participating in the airport’s waste recycling programme.
Those looking to refuel can enjoy an à la carte menu served up by in-house chefs using locally-sourced, fresh produce including sustainable fish. Aside from a live-cooking station, a self-service buffet featuring hot and cold international dishes is available all day. There will also be a bartender on hand to serve up a selection of Australian red, white and sparkling wines, spirits and barista coffees, along with soft drinks and sodas.
The lounge is open from two hours prior to the first flight until the final departure of the day for eligible customers flying on China Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines and Xiamen Air.
Vibe appoints new business development manager
UK-headquartered booking technology solutions company Vibe has appointed Graham Whyte as business development manager, APAC.
In this new role, Whyte has been tasked with leading the company’s expansion in Australia, New Zealand and Asia-Pacific.
Whyte has over 30 years of senior travel industry experience, including at Travelport and Virtuoso in Australia, New Zealand and the US. He was previously the regional commercial manager at Sabre.
Fukuoka CVB unveils a fresh range of corporate-friendly activities
Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCVB) has launched a range of activities focusing on the outdoors, wellness and Japanese culture, with the aim of appealing to both new and existing incentive groups.
The experiences, which include river punting in Yanagawa river, fruit picking, Zen meditation, textile dyeing and kendo, have been designed to appeal to FCVB’s established markets of East and South-east Asia, as well as its newer targets of Europe and North America.
“(Through these new activities), we hope to see a big increase in incentive groups from South Korea, and increase the number of incentive groups we have (that are) coming from Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand,” Kenneth Macphie, FCVB spokesperson, told TTGmice.
Macphie is confident that many incentive groups from South-east Asia will return as the region was the FCVB’s “strongest customer base” pre-pandemic. Efforts also include encouraging “new markets, such as Europe and North America, to see the attraction of Fukuoka,” he noted.
Following successful promotions in September at the Visit Japan MICE Mart in Tokyo and IT&CM Asia in Bangkok, FCVB will also be showcasing Fukuoka as an attractive business events destination to European customers at IBTM World in Barcelona in late November.
Staff have also been participating in online business matching events for Vietnam, Singapore and South Korea, which were arranged by the Japan National Tourism Organization, while building up FCVB’s social media channels to gain greater exposure to English- and Chinese-speaking markets, shared Macphie.
He added that the promotion of activities is targeted, based on what has proven attractive to each market in the past. Fruit picking, for example, has previously been popular among visitors from South-east Asia, while traditional activities such as kendo are more likely to spark interest among European and North American visitors.
The FCVB is also considering aspects of Japan that are part of each country’s popular culture. In countries where the knowledge of ramen is widespread, for instance, the FCVB is promoting its authentic noodle-making experience.
Euromic reports strong recovery
Euromic, the oldest DMC alliance in the industry, is on a “major upward trajectory”, with president Rajeev Kohli reporting an expansion in sales units and membership around the world.
Kohli, who took office in January 2020, said: “In the past 12 months, we opened sales units in Germany and South Africa, and one more is coming in early-2023.
“When most other consortiums were cutting back (during the pandemic), euromic was planning to invest for the future.”
The non-profit marketing organisation, with one member per country by invitation, turns 50 next year and has new members in the US, the Dominican Republic and Mexico.
The grouping is also expected to add a Singapore member, Kohli told TTGmice, adding there was interest from three companies, which were being vetted.
Kohli, who is joint managing director of India’s Creative Travel, said 12 euromic members attended the recent IMEX America.
“The outlook from most of our members is very positive. For our mainstream European members, business is back over 2019 levels for quite a few, and for others it is still very positive, but the Russia-Ukraine conflict is seriously impacting members in that region,” he said.
Asia is picking up, he observed.
“I think US planners want to show their clients a broader side of the world. Asia has a lot to offer. Infrastructure is generally good. Culture is a positive,” he said.
“Our mission needs to be to negate the perceptions of long flights. That is perhaps our biggest hindrance from increased business into Asia,” he added.
With the US travel industry still in the recovery phase, destinations that are tried and tested are preferred. “Asia will probably come into the picture from 2023 onwards,” he observed.
Meanwhile, manpower recruitment continues to be the “biggest challenge the industry is facing the world over”. He said requests for proposals had gone up rapidly and members were struggling to reply on time.
While euromic members were sharing notes, trying to help each other, hiring was a local matter.
“At this stage, members are just too busy and trying to keep their heads over water with what infrastructure they have,” he pointed out, when asked what support members were looking for.
Choosing sustainability
CHOOOSE was founded in 2017, but to be honest, I’ve only started seeing the company mentioned more and more now. What have you been up to in the last five years?
Effective and reliable software and solutions take time to cultivate properly so we have spent much of our efforts these last few years developing our climate solution portfolio.
Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic drastically reduced international travel, so we are now seeing momentum and demand for travel continue to grow. We are fortunate to have had the support of investors who believed in CHOOOSE’s solution and mission throughout our journey since 2017.
We have partnered with airlines and travel companies across the globe including Finnair, Air Canada, British Airways, Iberia, Booking.com, SAP Concur, Amadeus and Japan Airlines, supporting them with climate solutions that are easy to integrate and can be adapted based on the needs of the company. This extends across carbon removals, verified offsets, and investment in Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). We look forward to taking our offer to new heights now that the travel recovery boom has come to fruition.
CHOOOSE recently signed partnerships with SAP Concur and Amadeus. How did the talks come about, and how do companies sign up with you?
With some partnerships, companies approach us because of partners or employees with a strong network within the industry. With others, it has been a result of our team reaching out to potential partners and setting up conversations about the travel industry’s drive toward sustainability. We are now thrilled to be in a position where more and more companies in the travel ecosystem are approaching us to be able to offer real sustainability options to their customers.
Amadeus invested in CHOOOSE having seen our work with its customers. With Amadeus, CHOOOSE shared a commitment to being transparent about emissions and reporting, so the synergy between companies was there from the beginning. Other investors of CHOOOSE such as the founders of Kayak and Tripadvisor have also been supportive in helping us to reach the market as well.
How far has CHOOOSE come and are you happy with what you have achieved over the last five years?
We are very proud of how CHOOOSE has scaled over the past five years – to have a global network with partnerships across industry powerhouses such as British Airways, Japan Airlines, Trip.com and Booking.com is an incredible achievement and one that we hope to keep building on. This network, along with the technology we have built and continue to refine in line with the latest emissions and calculation methodologies, is a testament to the hard work of our team.
When launching CHOOOSE, we identified our mission as closing the gap between climate intention and climate action. By enabling businesses and travellers to pinpoint their carbon footprint and actively tackle this through a range of climate solutions, we have spent the past five years making more and more progress with this goal.
Corporate travel is unfortunately not a sustainable action. How does CHOOOSE help to make the industry become more sustainable, and what can corporates do outside of CHOOOSE?
You cannot really manage what you do not measure. We help to give our partners guidance and support their teams when it comes to introducing and implementing solutions. Our portals provide in-depth carbon reduction guides as a starting point for businesses, and we also provide other educational material and content, such as our recent co-authored blog post series with SAP Concur that aimed to educate corporate customers on how to reduce emissions during travel.
Our customers are receptive to implementing measures to educate corporations on how to mitigate their environmental impact. Towards the end of October 2022, British Airways announced that the updates to its carbon offsetting CO2llaborate platform, a result of its partnership with CHOOOSE, would offer corporate customers a dedicated climate programme to measure, reduce and manage emissions associated with business flying.
What are some of the challenges CHOOOSE faces in getting more large companies on board? How do you convince them?
With sustainability increasingly prioritised within the travel industry, we have found that many larger corporations are open to receiving support when it comes to managing and mitigating carbon emissions. It is no longer feasible for organisations, regardless of size, to ignore the climate crisis on their doorstep.
Following the Covid pandemic, however, some companies lack the resources to launch independent initiatives, so CHOOOSE takes on a unique role by acting as an in-house sustainability team so we can support them on the end-to-end journey of reducing emissions.
Where does CHOOOSE see itself in say, 10 years, in relation to the business travel industry?
With the Net Zero Coalition at the UN aiming to reduce emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050, we anticipate continuing to evolve to help the industry meet these ambitious targets. The rate at which our solutions have developed in the past five years alone has been rapid, so we hope that in 10 years’ time, technology will be even more efficient and CHOOOSE will be able to deliver our cutting-edge solutions across several industries.
Innovation and a global perspective are key to mitigating the impact of climate change, and CHOOOSE strives to embody these values in our development.
Do you think that achieving net zero is possible?
Yes, it is possible. It requires, however, that targets are met with the decisive action to achieve them. Through technology and forward-looking climate solutions such as carbon offsetting and SAF, companies can be proactive in both minimising future emissions and facilitating carbon removal.
Partnerships are also crucial to the future of net zero for corporations. As noted in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 17, revitalising global partnerships and prioritising omni-sector and international collaboration is key to galvanising sustainable development across the globe.
Macau adopts 5+3 measures for inbound travellers
Macau will follow at the heels of China’s revised inbound travel policy, requiring five days of centralised medical observation and three days of home isolation after.
The new entry requirements will come into effect November 12 and apply to individuals arriving from Hong Kong, Taiwan and any foreign countries.
Travellers will need to take a nucleic acid test on the first four days of their centralised medical observation. Negative test results from all tests will clear the individual from centralised medical observation on the fifth day.
Travellers will hold a code red Macao Health Code during their home isolation, and will only be allowed to leave home to perform nucleic acid tests. Tests are needed on all three days, starting from their exit from centralised medical observation. Furthermore, individual must obtain a negative RAT/ART result prior to leaving home for nucleic acid tests.
Their Macao Health Code will only turn yellow once sample collection is completed, and then green when a negative result is eventually obtained.
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Following a successful collaboration between Cvent and Zoom Video Communications, Inc in delivering an engaging end-to-end hybrid experience at Zoomtopia 2022, Zoom’s global hybrid conference, both companies are now working to bring the same capabilities to other organisations via the Zoom App Marketplace.
“We recognise the value Cvent brings as a long-time leader powering in-person events around the world,” said Steven Li, ISV sales and strategy leader at Zoom.
“Zoom has always been a company built to connect and bring people together, which is why we are excited to team up with Cvent so that our customers can seamlessly tap into our best-in-class platforms to deliver more dynamic and impactful hybrid events.”
“In today’s event environment, an organization’s Total Event Program includes a blend of in-person, virtual, and hybrid events to maximise attendee engagement, reach and overall programme impact,” said Cvent CMO Patrick Smith.
“But without the right technology partners, organisations often struggle to effectively manage and execute their more complex hybrid experiences. As a leading communications platform, Zoom recognised this area of opportunity, and we’re excited to work with Zoom to help our mutual clients deliver world-class hybrid experiences.”