Asia/Singapore Sunday, 28th June 2026
Page 354

Meliá appoints Ernesto Osuna Lopez as GM at Gran Meliá Nha Trang

0

Ernesto Osuna Lopez is the general manager for the first Gran Melia resort in South-east Asia in 2023 – he will oversee both the flagship Gran Meliá Nha Trang and Meliá Nha Trang, a sister property that will open by 2025.

Drawing on two decades of experience in hotel management, Lopez joined Meliá Hotels International in 2011 to oversee Melia Buenavista in Cuba as general manager. He also led the grand opening of Meliá Koh Samui in 2020.

Lopez was previously based in Mexico serving in executive roles at The Westin Resort & Spa and Excellence Playa Mujeres, both in Cancun.

Frasers Hospitality launches Modena by Fraser in Vietnam

0

Frasers Hospitality has expanded its footprint in Vietnam with the launch of Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen, the first internationally branded serviced apartment in the city, Vinh Yen, the city capital of Vinh Phuc.

Scheduled to open in 4Q2023, the 97-unit mid-scale serviced apartment property is designed to cater to business travellers on extended stay. There are four rooms types available from studios without kitchenettes (32m2-33m2) to two-bedroom apartments (81m2-84m2).

Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen will feature smart facilities such as automated check-in kiosks, and tech-enhanced meeting and conference facilities. The property will also be fitted with a swimming pool, fitness centre and an in-house café.

Vinh Phuc is home to more than 400 Foreign Direct Investment enterprises and has some 100,000 workers, including expatriates. Vinh Phuc is 50 mins away from Hanoi’s city centre and a 45-min drive from Noi Bai International Airport.

Modena by Fraser Vinh Yen is the ninth property under this brand, since it was launched in China in 2009. There are now six properties in China such as Modena by Fraser Nanjing, and another two in Thailand.

TCEB, OCTB ink MoU

0
Thailand and Japan enhance MICE cooperation efforts

The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and the Osaka Convention & Tourism Bureau (OCTB) have signed a five-year MoU to develop and strengthen both countries’ business events sectors.

The cooperation will cover the exchange of delegations to share information and experience in the fields of business events development, management, promotion and human resources development.

Thailand and Japan enhance MICE cooperation efforts

Both bureaus will also provide assistance to each other to promote and attract business events, especially in all kinds of tradeshows, and will coordinate with their respective government departments to organise study trips for Thailand and Japan to find opportunities for cooperation.

The MoU also covers co-organising opportunities for foreign agencies and mass-media representatives to introduce the respective business events potential of Bangkok and Osaka; as well as the sharing of business events training courses, curriculum and programmes.

IT&CM China and CTW China reconfirms 2023 dates

0
A pre-pandemic edition of IT&CM China

Organisers of IT&CM China and CTW China, TTG Asia Media and China-based CTG MICE Service Company Limited, have opened buyer and exhibitior registrations for next year’s show.

The three-day in-person event will be held from March 21-23, 2023, at The Anandi Hotel and Spa Shanghai, followed by an online networking and conference segment on April 11-12, 2023.

A pre-pandemic edition of IT&CM China

Due to Covid-related restrictions, hosting is available for China-based buyers outside of Shanghai only.

International business events, associations and corporate buyers are welcome to participate remotely in both the table-top exhibition meets in Shanghai, as well as the virtual networking event.

Singapore to host GSTC’s Global Conference for the first time

0
This is the first time Singapore (pictured) is welcoming the flagship global conference to its shores

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has decided that its 2024 Global Conference will be held in Singapore from November 13-15.

This year, Singapore has hosted at least six significant sustainability-focused events, including CleanEnviro Summit Singapore and World Cities Summit.

This is the first time Singapore (pictured) is welcoming the flagship global conference to its shores

With GSTC Global Conference 2024, there are now more than five such events in the pipeline. Next year’s line-up includes the Asia Climate Forum in April 2023, and Ecosperity Week in June 2023.

In the coming year, STB will also continue to execute its sustainability strategy to differentiate Singapore from other urban destinations and enhance its appeal to environmentally-conscious visitors. Part of the strategy includes ongoing efforts to attract and nurture events that cultivate global thought leadership and gather influential stakeholders to address critical issues around sustainable tourism.

Other sustainability initiatives by STB include the Hotel Sustainability Roadmap; MICE Sustainability Roadmap; Global MICE Sustainability Alliance; and Tourism Sustainability Programme.

Leadership changes at NCLH’s Asia-Pacific offices

0

Destination Gold Coast revitalises ambassador programme

0
Ambassadors will be influential leaders who are passionate about the city and committed to helping it grow as a host destination for business events

Destination Gold Coast has recently revitalised its business events ambassador programme, BE Connected Gold Coast, another phase in its plans to attract more delegates to the destination.

BE Connected Gold Coast will include leaders from the valuable academic and scientific world, in addition to a new generation of industry leaders and thought leaders who are driving change, growing their industries, and helping to move the city forward.

From left: Ambassador Hal Rice, Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate, Destination Gold Coast’s Selina Sinclair; and Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre’s Adrienne Readings

Destination Gold Coast’s head of business events, Selina Sinclair, said: “We are excited to launch BE Connected Gold Coast with eight leaders who are making a big impact through their contribution to the social, cultural and economic achievements of the city.

“They will showcase the Gold Coast’s changing profile as a hub for innovation, by attracting and building best-in-class business events whose benefits go beyond visitation and are a key contributor to the city’s growth.”

Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate has also accepted the role of patron of the ambassador programme, and the first three leaders to join the renewed campaign are Rebecca Frizelle, Hal Rice, and Dinesh Palipana.

“Gold Coast’s Australian of the Year, renowned stroke specialist and one of the founding ambassadors from the original programme, Hal Rice, is a great example of partnering with Destination Gold Coast to not only bring events to our city, but through his work is putting the Gold Coast on the world medical stage,” Sinclair elaborated.

“Rice has continued to bring international medical conferences to the Gold Coast, generating millions of dollars in economic benefit for the city and is now, through both public and private sector investment, in the final stages of building a world-class training centre for image-guided surgeries right here at the Gold Coast’s A$1 billion (US$671 million) Health and Knowledge Precinct.”

Earlier this year, Destination Gold Coast launched a new business events brand with the positioning The Imagination Capital of Australia. It was designed to present the Gold Coast in a new light and highlight the strengths Gold Coast has as a destination across a broad range of industries.

Destination Gold Coast will work closely with the City of Gold Coast and its Economic Development unit to maximise the impact of the new business events programme.

Hong Kong lifts all arrival restrictions

0
An amber code is given to an inbound visitor from overseas; Hong Kong pictured

In what is seen as Hong Kong’s biggest relaxation of entry requirements since the start of pandemic control measures in 2020, the city will no longer impose movement controls on arriving travellers.

Hong Kong will no longer limit the movements of inbound travellers from December 14

Authorities announced on December 13 that the amber health code for arrivals will be scrapped from today, and travellers can go about the city as long as they test negative for Covid-19 on arrival.

The amber code restricts the movement of foreign arrivals for the first three days of their time in Hong Kong, prohibiting them from entering bars and restaurants.

For now, the mask mandate remains – unless when individuals are exercising.

In a media address on December 13, Hong Kong leader John Lee Ka-chiu said “the decisions were based on data and risks”, noting that the risk of imported infection is now lower than that of local infections.

STB’s new series spotlights Singapore as business event destination of choice

0
Curtis S Chin, chair of the Milken Institute Asia Center (extreme right), moderated a session with (from left) actor, Henry Golding; singer Eric Nam, co-founder and creative director, Mindset; and actress and entrepreneur, Raline Shah, at this year's summit

Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launches a four-part series today to showcase why Singapore is a business event destination of choice through the insights of organisers and organisations globally that chose the city-state for their major events.

Featured events centre on thought leadership, lifestyle, sustainability, as well as motivational rewards.

Milken Institute Asia Center’s Curtis S Chin (extreme right) moderates a session with (from left) actor Henry Golding; singer and Mindset’s Eric Nam; and actress and entrepreneur Raline Shah at this year’s summit

The series, titled Say yes to Singapore, will kickstart with an advertorial where Curtis S Chin, chair of the Milken Institute Asia Center, shares more about the competitive advantages of Singapore which were key drivers of the Milken Institute Asia Summit’s extraordinary decade-long success.

The new head honcho – appointed days before the Asia summit opened in Singapore this year – also sheds more light on this year’s summit highlights and the working experience with some of the city-state’s finest event professionals.

A new advertorial will be published every month from December 2022 to March 2023.

On the back of a strong business events recovery and the heels of Singapore’s reopening this year, global event organisers continue to have confidence in the city-state as the preferred destination for business events and a launchpad for international expansion.

In the first three months of this year alone, Singapore hosted more than 150 events attended by over 37,000 delegates, with at least 66 international events secured for the rest of 2022 and a robust pipeline of events beyond.

STB also signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with key business events stakeholders to grow the industry. The Global MICE Sustainability Alliance signatories include STB, Informa Markets, Constellar Venues, PICO World (Singapore), Cityneon Holdings, Kingsmen Exhibits and the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers.

The second, signed with exhibition organiser Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), is part of a business expansion to South-east Asia, which includes establishing IEG’s South-east Asia regional headquarters in Singapore.

The last was an agreement with event organiser Comexposium, which will invest in Singapore by growing existing shows such as Milipol Asia-Pacific, Asia-Pacific’s largest homeland security event, and launching two anchor events in the city-state next year.

Additionally, global Professional Exhibition Organisers (PEOs) are also expanding their teams in Singapore, as they deepen their presence in the region and anchor new events in the city-state. For example, MMI Asia and dmg events Asia increased their staff strength to handle the anticipated growth in new events across physical, digital and hybrid formats.

To encourage sustainable travel, the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme (SMAP) 3.0 includes a new sustainability focus, offering delegates and event organisers the choice to travel sustainably through green transportation options and environmentally conscious tours, among other initiatives.

A full recovery for the MICE industry is also expected in two to three years, according to STB.

Oakwood Studios Sukhumvit Bangkok

0
Restaurant

Rooms
The eight-storey property offers a total of 177 smoke-free rooms, ranging from the 25m2 Superiors up to the 39m2 Studio Premiers. There is also one floor dedicated to pet-friendly stays.

I stayed in a 35m2 Studio Deluxe room, which came furnished with a long sofa, a working desk and armchair, TV, and a comfortable queen-sized bed (that can also be split into two twin beds if needed). Even though my room faced the road, there was nary any sound, which I appreciated.

What is rather important to me are the number, and placement, of the USB ports in the room, and I am pleased to report that there is one each at both sides of the bed, and another at the working desk. Where there were USB points, there were also power sockets. The Wi-Fi was fast and strong.

I did not utilise the kitchenette to cook during my short three-day business trip, but longer-staying or corporate guests would be pleased to learn that the Studio Deluxe rooms also feature an induction cooker, full-sized fridge, microwave, Nespresso machine, as well as utensils and crockery to whip up a quick meal. Drinking water in the meantime, was provided in glass bottles.

On the sustainable front, I was glad to see that large pump bottles of shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner – from US brand Imperial – are being supplied in the shower. The water pressure was strong, and also worthy of mention is the bidet toilet.

One thing I would have liked to have is two different bins in the room, one for recyclables like paper and plastic, and the other for trash.

MICE facilities
Oakwood Studios Sukhumvit Bangkok has a meeting room good for up to 15 pax on the second floor.

Other facilities
There is a lap pool with several deck chairs, and a 24-hour gym with several machines, all located on the third floor. In due time, there will also be a pool bar once the necessary licenses are obtained.

On the ground floor just behind the check-in area is the restaurant, which features a striking red wall with two words “good vibes” in fluorescent lights. A hot buffet breakfast is available in the mornings, while an a la carte menu is provided in the afternoons and evenings.

The restaurant area also doubles up as a co-working space during the day, with thoughtfully-placed power sockets all around the area for laptops.

Service
Showered with warm and attentive service, I was always greeted with a wai (a customary greeting in Thailand) during my comings and goings.

A front office staff, Som, went above and beyond to help me call and sort out transport options when my driver to the airport did not appear at the pre-arranged time.

Verdict
I was always grateful to return to the hotel at the end of a long work day, knowing that its quiet surroundings will allow me time to collect the day’s thoughts, and ensure that I have a good night’s rest.

Contact details
general.studios-bangkok@oakwood.com
https://www.discoverasr.com/en/oakwood/thailand/oakwood-studios-sukhumvit-bangkok

Reviews

The Slate Phuket

Just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport on the serene northern coast, this 178-key, Bill Bensley-designed resort offers delegates a quiet, tropical paradise steeped in Phuket’s tin-mining heritage

The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok

The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike

Mama Shelter Zurich

Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell