Australian apartment hotel operator Veriu Group will be opening the Veriu Queen Victoria Market later this year, in light of the resurgence of corporate travel and the increase in the number of in-person meetings.
The property will feature three conference rooms and a dedicated breakout area, as well as a large outdoor terrace facing Queen Victoria Market, offering opportunities for curated market or foodie experience to delegates.
Punthill Caroline Springs’ conference room
More recently, the newly-built Punthill Caroline Springs offers a meeting space with floor-to-ceiling windows that open out across Spring Lake, as well as an adjacent breakout area, which can accommodate up to 110 delegates. The space can also be divided into two rooms for smaller events.
In addition to properties in Victoria, Veriu Group has a spate of Veriu and Punthill branded properties in New South Wales, and Queensland, that have been designed to accommodate and cater for all corporate conference requirements.
All conference rooms are furnished with a 75-inch TV monitor, as well as a webcam and speakers for any delegates participating remotely. Veriu Group will also take care of all culinary requirements, with a variety of F&B options throughout the day.
Axiata Arena for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Kuala Lumpur
Venue management company ASM Global has partnered with the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports via Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia to enhance existing operations and event activity at the Kuala Lumpur Sports City precinct, the largest sports complex in the country.
The announcement is a step forward in the Malaysian Government’s goal of developing the National Sports Precinct at Bukit Jalil into a world-class location for sports, entertainment, and community events.
Axiata Arena is a multipurpose indoor arena in Kuala Lumpur
This move also expands ASM Global’s footprint in Asia with the addition of KL Sports City, comprising the 87,400-seat Malaysia National Stadium and the 16,000-seat Axiata Arena. The company has a portfolio of more than 350 venues worldwide.
ASM Global will partner with local Malaysian company Sportswork to deliver services for Kuala Lumpur Sports City.
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From left: TCEB's Supanich Thiansing and Supawan Teerarat, and Unicity's Christopher Kim and Bobby Kim at the press conference at TCEB's office in Bangkok earlier in July
Nutritional supplement company Unicity has selected Thailand as the host destination for its upcoming 2022 Unicity Global Leadership & Innovation Conference.
To be held from August 5-7, 2022 at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center, the convention will be attended by more than 10,000 Unicity distributors from over 50 countries. There will also be post-event tours to Pattaya and Phuket, which in total, will generate some 660 million baht (US$18 million baht) for Thailand.
From left: TCEB’s Supanich Thiansing and Supawan Teerarat, and Unicity’s Christopher Kim and Bobby Kim at the press conference at TCEB’s office in Bangkok earlier in July
Supawan Teerarat, Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau’s (TCEB) senior vice president – MICE capability and innovation said in a press release that this will be the “largest corporate meeting and incentive travel group to visit Thailand since travel restrictions were lifted”.
To help bring the 2022 Unicity Global Leadership & Innovation Conference to Thailand, TCEB provided a partial subsidy and travel services. For example, Unicity executives and its pre-event conference teams will enjoy fast-track immigration clearance with TCEB’s MICE Lane Service at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, and arrangements have also been made with Thai embassies and consulates abroad to facilitate visa applications by Unicity delegates in their home countries.
“As the Covid-19 situation abates and business travel and tourism resumes worldwide, we are mobilising our resources to attract more MICE events to Thailand. International corporations are confident that Thailand is ready to host events of all sizes because we have all the necessary controls and support in place. TCEB’s collaboration with various government departments and MICE organisations are bearing fruit – we are witnessing an upswing in corporate meetings and incentive groups coming to Thailand,” Supawan added.
Looking ahead, TCEB forecasts Thailand will host no less than 25 international corporate meetings and incentive travel groups from July 2022 to September 2022, which will contribute more than 1,000 million baht to the Thai economy. This includes 15,138 travellers from the key source markets of India, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, the UK, and Vietnam.
CWT inches toward NDC at scale; Singapore Airlines pictured
CWT has taken another step towards making wide-scale NDC adoption a reality with a new pilot programme that will see its travel counsellors make live NDC bookings for customers via its global distribution technology partners.
CWT will commence booking and servicing NDC-enabled content on Singapore Airlines and Air France-KLM, through the Amadeus Travel Platform, come August.
CWT inches toward NDC at scale; Singapore Airlines pictured
In addition to corporate negotiated rates, the pilot covers certain unique NDC-enabled content on these airlines. For Singapore Airlines, this will initially include special discounted fares, while additional amenities like paid seats and extra baggage will be added to the programme at a later date.
Meanwhile, with Air France-KLM, CWT’s customers will be able to access the airline’s continuous pricing offers, while seat bundles and sustainable aviation fuel options will be introduced in the near future.
CWT will expand the pilot to include other airlines on both the Amadeus and Sabre platforms through 2022.
WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency amid rising cases
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has labelled the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency, effectively sounding off an alarm for a coordinated international response and the possibility of funding and sharing vaccines and treatments.
More than 16,000 cases have been detected in at least 75 countries, up from about 3,000 at the end of June.
WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency amid rising cases
The decision by WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on July 23 has not triggered any major travel restrictions or mass vaccination orders in Asia.
While Singapore has eight monkeypox infections at press time, the Ministry of Health said on July 25 that mass vaccination of the population against the viral disease was not recommended. Health minister Ong Ye Kung said the benefits of vaccination do not outweigh the risk, but continued surveillance is ordered.
Thai health authorities, which had on July 24 upgraded the country’s monkeypox alert to the national level, advised against public panic, saying that the “virus does not spread rapidly like Covid”. The Medical Services Department said the country has sufficient medicine and facilities to treat patients in the event of a monkeypox outbreak, according to The Nation Thailand.
Indonesia’s Health Ministry told Jakarta Globe on June 24 that there are no identified cases in the country, but the government has established two labs to detect monkeypox and is preparing detailed guidelines for lab testing.
Australian hospitality company Crystalbrook Collection has rolled out a new event planning service called Meet Mindfully.
Designed to remove the stressors and environmental pressures of conventional corporate meetings, Meet Mindfully encourages meetings with purpose and value.
A guided meditation session at Crystalbrook Byron
No two Crystalbrook meeting experiences are alike, as each property will bring its own personality and local destination experiences to the table, to provide
Highlights include guided sound healing at Crystalbrook Byron on the north coast of New South Wales, local gin blending at Crystalbrook Kingsley in Newcastle – just over two hours from Sydney – and beehive workshops at Crystalbrook Riley in Cairns, Queensland.
Capacity varies based on the activity and ranges from a minimum of 10 people per group to a maximum of 100.
Why is New Zealand the best place to take your incentive? New Zealand is a real surprise. No delegate knows exactly what to expect, and when. There’s such a variety of exclusive activities that incentive planners will have no lack of exciting options to choose from to impress their well-heeled guests.
On top of that, New Zealand’s world-famous hospitality, or manaakitanga, is hard to beat. Our operators go the extra mile to make things special. Delegates arrive as strangers and depart as friends.
Can you give an example of an activity for top achievers? Take them to the top! Celebrate those who’ve reached the pinnacle of success with a Queenstown awards ceremony unlike any other.
Start with an exhilarating jetboat ride. The jetboat comes to a halt. Call for back-up. Helicopters fly in, each with a senior management team on board to ‘bring their teams to the next level’.
The group takes off on a scenic flight, landing on a pristine mountaintop. Champagne is served to toast the high achievers, alongside a feast of fresh New Zealand salmon, oysters and crayfish.
The CEO gives a speech and hands out awards, making it one cool (literally) top of the world experience that’ll never be forgotten.
Hard-to-top experiences
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Delegates are treated to a private tour at the Hobbiton Movie Set and a Hobbit-themed lunch
Helicopters can fly your team to Auckland’s Kauri Bay Boomrock to bond over amazing food and activities
Treat your top achievers to a unique experience with a traditional Māori welcome
What other type of exclusive event could be arranged? A magical day starting in Auckland. Delegates are driven in luxury cars to a heli-pad and flown to Hobbiton movie set for a private tour and a Hobbit-themed lunch at The Mill House. Helicopters then fly them to Auckland’s Kauri Bay Boomrock, with its beautiful coastal views.
Delegates receive a traditional Māori welcome and are presented with a special pounamu (greenstone), with designs such as a ‘Koru’ which signifies growth, strength and peace.
The CEO will present the awards, then a celebrity chef will deliver a fantastic meal of the best wine, meat, seafood and fresh produce New Zealand has to offer.
Will my hard-to-impress high-end guests be satisfied? Because New Zealand is small and exclusive, it guarantees a very personalised service. We have great luxury options in terms of accommodation, high quality food and drink choices, complete with attention to detail to make things first-class.
We work with independently validated Qualmark operators and Covid Clean Approved venues to ensure your delegates are in good hands.
We provide destination inspection support so you can personally experience what’s on offer. Book your bespoke familiarisation trip with us today!
Tourism New Zealand’s Edward Kwek can show you the best options to suit your group
Ready for the incentive of a lifetime? For more inspiration, check out The Ultimate Reward – an incentive in New Zealand below:
To discuss an incentive itinerary tailored to your team and objectives, contact: Edward Kwek
Trade Manager Business Events Tourism New Zealand
Contact: +65 9152 9122
Email: Edward.Kwek@tnz.govt.nz
Website: businessevents.newzealand.com
Japan, Singapore and South Korea possess the most powerful passports in the world, according to the latest results from the Henley Passport Index, which is based on exclusive and official data from IATA.
Japan holds the number one spot on the index, with a record-high visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 193, while Singapore and South Korea come in joint-second place, with a score of 192.
The most powerful passports in the world are Japan, Singapore and South Korea according to Henley Passport Index
Despite the unmatched and unprecedented worldwide access afforded to the citizens of these three nations over the index’s 17-year history, international passenger demand in the Asia-Pacific region has only reached 17 per cent of pre-Covid levels, according to IATA’s latest statistics, having hovered below 10 per cent for most of the past two years.
This figure is far behind the global trend where markets in Europe and North America have recovered to around 60 per cent of pre-crisis travel mobility levels.
EU member states dominate the rest of the top ten spots on the latest ranking, with Germany and Spain in joint-third place, with access to 190 destinations visa-free.
Finland, Italy, and Luxembourg follow closely behind in joint-fourth place with 189 destinations; while Denmark, Netherlands, and Sweden share fifth place with visa-free access to 188 destinations worldwide.
Both the UK and US have dropped down a rank, to sixth and seventh position, respectively.
The UAE passport, which now sits at 15th place on the ranking, with a visa-free or visa-on-arrival score of 176, has been the biggest climber on the index over the past decade. In 2012, it sat at 64th place on the rankings, with a score of just 106.
According to the latest Henley Private Wealth Migration Dashboard, the UAE has also become the focus of intense interest among affluent investors and is expected to see the highest net influx of HNWIs globally in 2022, with a forecast net increase of 4,000 – a dramatic increase of 208 per cent versus 2019’s net inflow of 1,300 and one of its largest on record.
Exclusive research conducted by Henley & Partners reveals that top-ranking passports have almost regained pre-pandemic levels of access. By comparing the current level of travel freedom with the most severe Covid-related restrictions imposed over the past few years, results show that UK and US passport holders now have unrestricted access to 158 destinations around the world – as opposed to just 74 and 56 destinations, respectively, at the height of the pandemic in 2020. Japanese passport holders enjoy unrestricted access to 161 destinations, as opposed to only 76 in 2020.
The study also determined a strong correlation between a nation’s passport power and its peacefulness.
Henley & Partners noted that all of the nations occupying the top 10 spots on the Henley Passport Index can also be found in the Global Peace Index’s top 10 ranking. Likewise, for the bottom ranking nations.
Rising Covid-19 caseloads across South Korea have forced the government to tighten its testing regime for arrivals, with all travellers entering the country from July 25 required to take a PCR test within 24 hours.
Currently, travellers are given up to three days upon arrival to fulfil the test.
South Korea has tightened its testing regime for international arrivals due to recent Covid-19 surge; Jeju International Airport pictured
Travellers must stay in their accommodation until a negative PCR test result is obtained. In the event of a position result, travellers must quarantine for seven days.
To facilitate on-arrival testing, South Korea is expanding the number of test centres at airports across the country. There are now three test centres in Incheon International Airport and one in Gimhae International Airport. Jeju International Airport will get a test centre within this month.
As of July 21, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported 71,170 new Covid-19 infections in the country, including 320 from overseas. New cases have remained above the 70,000 mark for the third straight day on Thursday due to the spread of a highly contagious Omicron subvariant.
According to a notice posted on the Korea Tourism Organization website, the government may limit the 48-hour pre-entry test method strictly to PCR only should the wave persist. Currently, South Korea accepts negative results through either 48-hour PCR or 24-hour RAT/ART test methods that are supervised by health authorities as a pre-entry requirement.
China's zero-Covid strategy is taking a toll on its MICE industry; people walking in Chengdu pictured
China’s beleaguered meetings industry could find a silver lining if “freelancing” becomes a viable route for practitioners who have lost jobs and wish to return when opportunities arise.
China Star founder Liu Ping is proposing the launch of an HR workshop for all sectors of the industry – such as event organisers, simultaneous interpretation companies, and technology providers – to address legal, contractual, remuneration and other questions related to freelancing.
China’s zero-Covid strategy is taking a toll on its MICE industry; people walking in Chengdu pictured
Liu is seeking support from ICCA to invite international speakers who have used freelancers, and a freelancer to share their experience on a panel.
China Star, established in 2005, implemented a freelance programme this year when it had to trim headcount. These team members, exclusive to the company, work from home or remotely in any location.
As part of the deal, Liu said China Star “raised the bonus for each project” freelancers take on, but they had to “pay their own insurance”.
“The government should invest in and pay to train (freelance) staff (who lost their jobs due to the Covid-19 pandemic),” she commented.
Manpower attrition is also affecting expatriates in the industry.
The expatriate founder of a DMC, set up more than 10 years ago will be leaving China soon, while an expatriate director moved home earlier this month.
She said: “It is unfortunate to have to close the company, but there has been no cash flow for the last 10 months. It is expensive and time-consuming to operate in China where you have to have special licences to do things legally. It was not possible to carry on anymore with no government help.”
Meanwhile, Alicia Yao, general manager of IME Consulting, observed the industry is facing a talent war with companies headhunting staff to work on and design meeting programmes.
Yao continued: “Online tech companies have taken over about 50 per cent of traditional meetings business and are trying to hire staff with three to five years of experience.
“But there is not enough talent who can design and manage hybrid events. Staff with 10 to 15 years of traditional industry experience are losing out to juniors who have better English language and digital marketing skills, and are eager to learn.
“There was more demand for incentives in the past,” Yao noted. “But clients are organising more sales and marketing events now, and there is a shortage of the right people who can run hybrid events and design content.”
Yao noted that among those who have managed to stay on are working part-time to manage and run meetings for associations in distribution and retail, sectors that are doing well.
She added: “The challenge in China (because of ongoing Covid-19 outbreaks and a zero-Covid policy) is having to switch meeting dates several times. Attendees still prefer meeting face-to-face and online events are not as popular.”
Despite the challenges, Yao is hopeful China will open for incoming business by end-2022.
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
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A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
