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 chief operating officer 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.
Travellers to South Korea no longer need to do pre-departure Covid tests; Deoksugung Palace pictured
South Korea has lifted the pre-departure Covid-test requirement for inbound travellers starting September 3.
The new rule came after a state infectious disease advisory committee recommended the government scrap the mandatory pre-travel PCR tests for international arrivals.
Travellers to South Korea no longer need to do pre-departure Covid tests; Deoksugung Palace pictured
Previously, those inbound were required to show a negative result within 48 hours of their PCR tests or within 24 hours of their rapid antigen tests to enter the country.
Travellers are still required to take a PCR test within the first 24 hours of their arrival in South Korea and upload the test result on a Q-code website.
The government will also introduce the retooled Covid-19 vaccines known to be more effective for the more dominant BA.5 Omicron variant later this year – those aged 60 and over, or with underlying health conditions, will be prioritised for inoculation.
New research undertaken by Tourism Australia’s specialist business events unit indicates a strong outlook for Australia’s business events industry and positive interim outcomes out of the recently-launched Business Events Australia global brand campaign.
The 2022 Business Events Consumer Demand Project delivers insights into the factors influencing decision makers when choosing a destination for events, including how Australia is perceived and the impact Covid-19 has had on the decision-making process.
Decision-makers are seriously considering Australia for their next business events; AIME 2022 Welcome Event pictured
Tourism Australia executive general manager of commercial and Business Events Australia, Robin Mack, said the results of the research found that decision-makers are feeling increasingly confident with travelling and running events abroad, and many are expecting the number, size, and budget for events to be equal to, or greater than pre-pandemic levels.
“It’s fantastic to see that decision-makers remain optimistic about the future of events and that there is a strong intention to visit Australia for an event over the next two years,” Mack said.
“Among incentive decision-makers, Australia is the global leader in consideration, and we have experienced significant increases in appeal and intent over the last 12 months. For association decision-makers, Australia is considered an appealing destination with several positive attributes, including being ranked number one in the world for our quality of business events facilities.”
“Throughout the pandemic, we have worked hard to maintain Australia’s presence internationally and optimally position Australia as a business events destination for reopening. The research confirms our strategy to invest in marketing during the pandemic has worked and we anticipate Australia’s business events industry will benefit as a result,” Mack said.
The research also confirmed a strong performance of the new Business Events Australia brand campaign, recently launched to capitalise on the reopening momentum and position Australia as a global leader in business events.
“After only two months in market, over one in two target customers recall seeing the advertising and 87 per cent of those stating they had already taken positive steps in relation to planning a business event in Australia as a result of the campaign.”
“Among decision-makers in the incentive sector, 92 per cent of decision makers found the campaign appealing and 90 per cent said the campaign increased their likelihood of holding an incentive event in Australia; while for the association sector, 86 per cent of decision makers found the campaign appealing and 80 per cent said the campaign increased their likelihood of holding an association event in Australia.”
“The creative strategy is designed to be highly unique and speak to distinct drivers of each sector, and this research confirms the approach is successful in achieving cut through and driving demand across both incentive and association sectors,” Mack said.
The research is part of Tourism Australia’s broader strategy to bolster Australia’s business events industry and fast-track recovery as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The research surveyed 159 association decision-makers from three of Australia’s key markets and 399 corporate decision-makers from nine key markets from May to June 2022.
A conference in session at a previous edition of IT&CM Asia
The organiser of IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific, TTG Asia Media, has released more information on the show’s Knowledge Sessions.
The three-day in-person event will be held from September 20-22, 2022, in Bangkok, while the virtual networking event will happen from September 20-28, 2022.
A conference in session at a previous edition of IT&CM Asia
The Opening Keynote on September 20 has been titled Onwards and upwards, which will address how the travel industry will bring valuable lessons from the pandemic into the future.
The following day on September 21, the first MICE Seminar will be hosted by ICCA from 09.30 to 10.30. Here, the topic of talent management and organisational changes will be addressed, and how the business events industry is dealing with a huge talent and skill crisis.
There will also be a CTW Conference happening after from 11.00 to 12.00 titled Vision of value in business travel, which will talk about the management of travel expenses in the midst of rising travel costs.
On September 22, MICE Seminar 22 will be hosted by IAPCO, and it will discuss Covid’s impact on the meetings of the future, and how conferences have changed over these two years.
This will be followed by another CTW Conference, this time addressing the topic of sustainability and its impact on business travel, and how suppliers can contribute to the meeting of objectives.
Collab event space. Photo: Sheraton Manila Hotel Facebook
The Sheraton Manila Hotel has converted its Collab co-working area into an events space, and launched it recently in conjunction with the 120th-anniversary celebration of The American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines.
The 1,000m2 space complements Sheraton Manila’s other business events facilities. In total, the hotel boats 1,760m2 of total event space across 15 function spaces, where the largest can comfortably hold 780 pax.
Collab event space. Photo: Sheraton Manila Hotel Facebook
“We saw much more opportunity in creating a modern, eclectic and versatile meeting space…. We are very optimistic about (the business events prospects for) 4Q2022 and 2023,” said Bruce Winton, Marriott International’s multi-property vice president Philippines.
He cited AmCham’s 120th-anniversary celebration as an example of what can be done at Collab. An exhibition and symposium titled MICE is NICE was held on the second floor, dinner and entertainment on the ground floor, and networking throughout the space with business leaders and corporate decision makers.
MICE organizers favoured the rising number of business event venues like Collab in metro Manila as they address the shortage of suitable venues and prepare for the increase in demand for such spaces.
As Michelle de Ocampo-Ballesteros, CEO of Ex-Link Events, said: “MICE in the Philippines is slowly pickng up. There is a higher demand for face-to-face events”.
Currently, most are either domestic or hybrid events, but is hopeful for the future as other markets in Asia are gradually gaining confidence in attending business events overseas.
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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.
