Voytek Klasicki has been appointed general manager of Cape Panwa Hotel, Phuket.
Klasicki is no stranger to Phuket, having been the general manager at Cape Panwa Hotel 24 years ago. Most recently, he spent the last 15 years working for Centara Hotels and Resorts.
A seasoned hotelier with more than 40 years’ experience, Klasicki has worked in countries such as the UK, Australia, New Zealand, India, The Maldives and Thailand.
The days are getting hectic for business hotels in Asia-Pacific, as easing travel restrictions globally pave the way for returning corporate gatherings.
This is a happy problem, representatives of hotel companies told TTGmice. Strong pent-up demand for face-to-face meetings is helping to lift business after two rather quiet years during the pandemic.
Antony Meguerdijian, vice president sales, South-east Asia, Japan & South Korea for Accor, revealed that there is “strong demand” for hotel venues in Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore, and enquiries are most intense for Phuket in Thailand; Danang and Hanoi in Vietnam; and Seoul, Jeju and Busan in South Korea.
“We had anticipated strong pent-up demand and this has certainly been released as gathering restrictions were eased across the region,” he remarked.
For now, Meguerdijian said bookings are mainly from regional groups, although there are some from the Pacific and Europe. The strong rebound is expected to continue into 2023, with demand driven by insurance, multi-level marketing and fast-moving consumer goods companies.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation, too, is seeing strong returning demand for its properties across South-east Asia this year, and the momentum is expected to sustain through 2023.
Frederick Wong, Hyatt’s vice-president for revenue, sales and distribution in Asia-Pacific, said business recovery is driven by “a really strong desire (among companies) to reconnect as local pandemic restrictions have eased in the region”.
The majority of business events taking place at Hyatt properties in South-east Asia are regional gatherings, but Wong said enquiries from Australia and South Korea are on the rise, with some interest coming in from Hong Kong too.
He added that business events from Europe into South-east Asia are beginning to surface, with most coming from companies in IT, multi-level marketing and pharmaceutical sectors.
At press time in August, Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of hotels in Singapore and Malaysia has recovered 25 per cent of 2019’s business, stated Marriott International’s area vice president for Malaysia, Singapore and Maldives, Rivero Delgado.
Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels, whose properties were a favourite among event planners pre-pandemic, has also reported strong bookings since Malaysia reopened borders and permitted in-person gatherings from April 1. Sunway properties are welcoming a mix of government, corporate and association meetings, as well as religious events, with most international gatherings drawing attendees from Asia-Pacific.
Sunway City Kuala Lumpur Hotels, director of commercial, Jeanne Chan said forward bookings, as well as leads in the process of materialisation, are indicating greater prosperity in 2023 compared to 2022.
Meet differently
Returning events are showing some changes in the way they are planned and delivered, observed hotel representatives.
Accor’s Meguerdijian said Covid-19 fears still linger, prompting organisers of large events to either split the group across several hotels as a precaution, or stretch programmes across two to three weeks to facilitate staggered and smaller arrivals. Interestingly, while infection concerns remain, organisers are showing a preference for resort destinations – particularly luxury properties – with relaxed Covid-19 restrictions.
Organisers are also gravitating towards outdoor venues, drawn by the ease of social distancing and supply of fresh air, as well as properties that can charm their guests with new and authentic destination experiences. In response to the latter, Accor has launched local discovery, wellness and dining experiences at its South-east Asian hotels and resorts.
For Hyatt’s Wong, business events are stretching out, from one to two nights previously to three to four nights as the current average. At times, some events even run beyond seven nights.
Meanwhile, event technology adoption continues to remain important, even as in-person meetings resume.
Wong explained that hybrid event formats enable attendance flexibility, especially when some level of travel restrictions remain and can hamper participation by overseas guests, such as those from China.
Maintaining its support for clients who require virtual and hybrid event arrangements, Hyatt partnered with Swapcard to introduce an end-to-end virtual and hybrid events platform. The technology gives organisers access to a bespoke programme that unifies on-site and virtual experiences, with Swapcard’s Artificial Intelligence helping to enhance remote attendees’ experience.
Accor too, is all hands on the event technology deck. It collaborated with Microsoft to introduce All Connect, a hybrid meetings concept supported by Microsoft Teams. With this, Accor hotels can provide an enriched hybrid experience for meetings, conferences and events, allowing organisers to combine physical in-hotel meetings with virtual interactions across multiple locations simultaneously.
For hotels keen to snag that new piece of event business, swift action is needed. Marriott’s Delgado said organisers are now expecting immediate responses to requests and enquiries, as short lead times become the norm.
“Planning events in the new normal has taught industry leaders to keep testing, thinking, assessing and learning, so they can be nimble and change what is not working,” he reflected.
Challenges abound
Like travel and tourism in general, business hotels are seeing strong demand restrained by limited air capacity and flight frequencies.
Meguerdijian said the impact on event bookings is significant.
“Many routes have not resumed and flight frequencies have been drastically reduced. This makes it very challenging to move large groups of people around the region,” he told TTGmice.
Technology, too, is a double-edged sword for the events industry. Companies that turned to online meetings during the travel disruption are choosing to retain some of that remote activity to reduce their cost of business travel. Meguerdijian warned that in the long term, this could dent business travel and hurt hotels.
Another hurdle is the manpower crunch that is prevalent across Asia. Wong said many hotels had lost staff through retrenchment during the government-imposed lockdowns and border closures.
While hotels have turned to hiring agencies to plug the labour shortage, Wong said the solution was not perfect, as agencies themselves are short on candidates.
Hyatt has implemented several initiatives to mitigate manpower challenges, including better use of clustered resources, insourcing functions previously supported by contractors while outsourcing other roles where it made sense, and training and recruiting multi-hire roles to work across different hotels and different functions.
“We have also introduced greater flexibility for employees in their hours, and ensured transparent communication with customers and clients about the challenges we face in this area,” said Wong. “Through efficiencies and continual recruitment, we have been able to address these factors and make the most of this travel resurgence.”
Global inflation is a worrying issue too, but Sunway’s Chan is optimistic that Malaysia’s favourable foreign exchange rate, complemented by the country’s diverse cultures, multilingual society and favourable weather year-round, will position the destination as a desirable option.
Veteran hotelier Christian Metzner is the new general manager of W Singapore – Sentosa Cove. He was previously general manager with W Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
With an extensive background in sales, marketing and revenue management, Metzner brings with him close to three decades of luxury hospitality experience and a fresh strategic vision for the property.
Hailing from Germany, Metzner’s career with Marriott International began in 1996 at the Arabella Sheraton Complex South Germany in Munich, and since then he has held numerous positions within the company.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation is expanding its brand portfolio in Asia-Pacific with a pipeline of landmark luxury and lifestyle hotels and resorts that are expected to open in late 2022 and 2023.
The expansion will see several brands entering new markets, such as The Unbound Collection by Hyatt brand in Japan, the Andaz brand in Thailand, and the Hyatt Centric brand in South-east Asia with a new hotel in Malaysia.
Fuji Speedway Hotel, the first hotel under The Unbound Collection by Hyatt will open in October with 120 rooms. Located in Shizuoka and 80 minutes by car from Tokyo, the property is set amid Mount Fuji and the legendary Fuji Speedway racing circuit, offering a getaway for motorcar lovers and professional racers, business executives, couples and families alike.
Also opening in October is 222-room Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, the first Hyatt Centric brand in South-east Asia, while Andaz Pattaya Jountien Beach will open in 4Q2022 with 204 rooms.
Some of the additional luxury and lifestyle hotel openings planned for 2022 and 2023 include Grand Hyatt Shenzhou Peninsula, Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Andaz Macau, Grand Hyatt Kunming, Andaz Nanjing Hexi and Alila Donghu Wuhan.
The recent opening of Park Hyatt Jakarta marked the first of Park Hyatt in Indonesia.
Confident in the region’s path to recovery, Carina Chorengel, senior vice president-commercial, Asia-Pacific, Hyatt said: “As people seek to reconnect, explore new destinations, or revisit reliable favourites, we are seeing greater demand for premium accommodations and longer stays at Hyatt hotels.”
Speaking at the Media Event in Jakarta as part of its Journey with Hyatt across Asia roadshow last week, Chorengel noted that there is growing demand for premium rooms, suites and villas.
According to Chorengel, properties in Asia-Pacific – Australia, South Korea, and South-east Asian countries – are thriving, while China hotels and resorts are well supported by the domestic travel market.
“With nearly 70 per cent of our global portfolio classified as luxury and upper upscale, we are well positioned to meet the growing demand from high-end travellers in each segment we serve,” she added.
Hyatt is all set to join in the current travel trend, where sustainability is the new luxury and immersive, authentic experience on the rise.
In her presentation, Angelina Hue, director of brand marketing and communications Asia-Pacific, Hyatt, said: “(The) Alila brand is a great embodiment of what it means to be sustainable yet offering luxurious experience.”
Alila Villas Uluwatu Bali works on zero waste operation, as explained by the hotel’s general manager, Hemal Jain. He shared that all waste generated on the property is taken to the hotel’s lab, where it is segregated and donated to like-minded organisations for conversion into useful items.
Some examples of how the hotel is internally converting items include turning ice buckets into lamp shades, rubber tyres into planter boxes, wine bottles into glasses, and (used) room slippers shredded and used as bean bag stuffing.
“People want to make choices that are responsible and resonate with their personal values,” said Hue.
The inaugural Asia CEO Summit will take place from October 5-7, 2022, at The Fullerton Hotel, Singapore.
It will bring together around 100 leading senior representatives and CEOs from global business events organisations who will chart a sustainable pathway of growth for the region’s business events industry. The summit will also facilitate the exchange of insights on global markets’ experience in the resumption of physical business events.
The by-invite-only event is supported by Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and co-organised by Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS), Association of Event Organisers (AEO), Society for Independent Show Organizers (SISO) and UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.
Kick-starting the three-day event will be the Joint Leadership Summit (JLS) on October 5, 2022. The JLS will see regional government and industry leaders engage in a high-level discussion on key industry issues that will set the course to realise the potential of business events in the region. Measures of collaboration to facilitate and ease the organisation and dissemination of business events will also be discussed.
Carina Bauer, AEO chair, said: “… Asia has always been a major player in the global exhibitions market, and we remain confident about its potential as the region’s reopening picks up pace. While countries in Asia are experiencing varying stages of recovery, it has further underlined the importance for the region to come together in its efforts to create a sustainable pathway of growth.”
Monica Lee-Müller, president, UFI, added: “Around the world, business events are catching up to their pre-pandemic levels faster than expected – but Asia is lagging behind. In Singapore, we will work with government stakeholders and representatives to identify and overcome obstacles around regulations and travel restrictions. The world needs Asia to fully reopen. Asia has always been and remains a major player in the global exhibitions market. And Asia can benefit from the reopening experience of other global regions.”
Even as in-person gatherings return, several business events stakeholders are choosing to keep a virtual component at their events, to provide more accessibility and opportunities for those unable to attend.
Vincent Lim, president of CIS Network and organiser of Archidex, opted to keep the virtual component to encourage more attendees, especially those who wanted to save on travel costs and wanted the convenience of attending from home.
Although Archidex had a physical component held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from June 29 to July 2, the virtual exhibition fared well too, attracting numerous first-time regional architects – 60 per cent of the online audience – below the age of 40.
Buoyed by this, Lim pointed out that next year, Archidex will continue to have a virtual component, and he hopes that it will be able to reach out to a younger audience who are tech-savvy, and who are comfortable navigating a digital platform.
Similarly, Mona Abdul Manap, CEO of Place Borneo, also opted for a hybrid format for the inaugural TTLx Summit, a two-day homegrown conference in Kuching that will be held from September 20-21, 2022.
The hybrid format will make it easier for her speakers, as Samuel Hungsoo Kim, founding president of the Centre of Asia Leadership Initiatives, and Florian Kaefer, founder and editor of the Sustainability Leaders Project, are both unable to be present in person.
For Mona, the hybrid format will also allow participants who chose not to travel to attend the sessions, as well as pose questions for panellists. To ensure traction online, only selected sessions will be streamed.
She added: “We ensured that the sessions were kept to a maximum of one hour. While we streamed some live, others could be watched upon demand.”
Joyce Surendra, cluster director of sales and distribution representing Pullman Miri Waterfront and Pullman Kuching, also told TTGmice that the demand for virtual connections is still ever-present.
“This is especially so for the corporate sector, where offices can be located in multiple locations. We currently see demand coming from the pharmaceutical, and oil and gas sectors.
“Accor’s All Connect enables corporate customers and meeting planners to combine physical in-hotel meetings with virtual interactions across multiple locations simultaneously. People can easily present content and see virtual participants as if they were in the same room,” she elaborated.
The Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (SACEOS) has postponed the Singapore MICE Forum, with a date to be announced in due course.
In a press release, SACEOS cited issues such as an incredibly packed event calendar, as well as manpower shortages, as reasons for the postponement.
For those who have registered, SACEOS will reach out for the refund of tickets.
Earlier this year, a partnership between ITB Asia and SACEOS was agreed upon to host the Singapore MICE Forum, which was to be co-located with ITB Asia and MICE Show Asia (October 19-21) in Singapore.
Airports Council International’s annual global tradeshow is returning in a new format after a two-year hiatus.
Branded as Airports Innovate, the event reflects the rapid advancements of the industry in terms of technology, business and strategy. The two-day conference will take place in Muscat, Oman on December 7 and 8, 2022, and is jointly organised by ACI Asia-Pacific, ACI Europe and ACI World, and hosted by Oman Airports.
This year’s theme is Building Back Bolder, and Airports Innovate will have three key pillars –
Aside from providing a platform for the industry to come together and network with other airports and key partners and stakeholders, it will also be an opportunity for industry associates to showcase their products and services, as well as engage with airport members.
Founded in 2021, Singapore-based company Trransfer is a B2B booking-to-fulfilment SaaS platform that took to the road in April 2022, aiming to connect customers to a vetted supply of quality transport operators in key destinations.
Services are currently available in 14 major cities in Asia-Pacific, as well as London and Paris, and the company plans to add more as corporate travel regains its momentum.
Customers can book a ride using Trransfer’s web application or deploy a booking widget in their travel website or portal. Trransfer’s open API also offers more control and flexibility to customers who want to integrate the offering as part of their overall travel booking experience.
This service came about as the founders of Trransfer share that although pre-booked ground transport is critical for the travel and business events industry, it is the most underserved with technology and is manual and inefficient, as well as costly for both customers and providers.
Michael Chiay, co-founder and CEO of Trransfer, said: “The ground mobility segment of corporate and leisure travel is a significant untapped opportunity. Because of the high level of effort to sell and coordinate today, many deem it as a low priority due to poor ROI.
“We want to change this through technology and innovation, and reduce the effort of customers coordinating ground transfers while enabling providers to increase sales and automate their business operations.”
Trransfer is actively recruiting and welcomes transport providers to join their platform.
CWT has become a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s (GSTC) global network.
This partnership will see CWT become an active contributor to the critical work GSTC delivers, toward its drive to widespread adoption of universal sustainable travel and tourism principles.
“GSTC is delighted that CWT joins the rapidly growing list of major brands that see the value in applying the GSTC Criteria and our programmes as part of their commitment to enhance the sustainability of their extensive operations and supply chain,” said Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC.
Recently in June 2022, CWT launched enhanced CO2 emission reporting to underpin responsible travel programmes, following the launch of carbon footprint indicators earlier in March 2022.
CWT also works with carbon intelligence platform, Thrust Carbon, to bring further enhancements to its responsible travel consulting and portfolio.
“CWT has worked collaboratively with its customers and partners for over a decade to provide innovative sustainable corporate travel solutions and insights. We are thrilled to be part of the GSTC family, combining our efforts and influence to drive awareness and adoption of standards for sustainable travel,” said Charlie Sullivan, vice president product management at CWT.
