JW Marriott has expanded in China with the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Changsha.
The first JW Marriott property in Hunan province offers dedicated venues for social and business gatherings, including a 650m2 pillarless Grand Ballroom good for 500 guests and its exclusive 229m2 foyer.
A smaller ballroom, the Sixth Capital Junior Ballroom, with simulated soft natural lighting, is ideal for smaller events. A separate VIP room and five multifunctional meeting rooms meanwhile, features integrated conferencing technologies.
JW Marriott Hotel Changsha features 287 guestrooms, including 14 suites with floor-to-ceiling windows that open out to the historic Xiang River and the skyline of Changsha.
Recreational facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre, an indoor heated pools, and spa, all located on the 33rd floor. Business travellers with their families in tow can benefit from the Family by JW programme that offers a dedicated kids’ area and kids’ menu.
There are also five F&B venues on-site, ranging from the signature restaurant Hao Yu which offers local Xiang dishes and Cantonese cuisine, to the Japanese teppanyaki restaurant Ginza Onodera from Tokyo.
InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort in Vietnam has appointed Mauro Zanusso as its new executive chef.
In this role, Mauro will oversee the resort’s restaurants, bars and lounges, and manage the resort’s catering and in-room dining functions.
Zanusso has over 20 years of experience in fine-dining restaurants and five-star hotels around the world, from Italy to the UK, India, Brazil, Egypt, US, Japan and China. The Italian sharpened his knives with luxury hotel brands such as Four Seasons, St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton, and he served as executive chef of The St. Regis Shenzhen and The Ritz-Carlton Xi’an in China.
Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium has appointed Michiel de Kleer as general manager.
The Dutch national brings with him more than 20 years of hospitality experience, having worked with properties such as Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, and Crowne Plaza Changi Airport. Prior to his latest appointment, Michiel’s most recent role was general manager at Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road.
De Kleer joined IHG in September 2013 as executive assistant manager with Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park before moving to Crowne Plaza Changi Airport in the same capacity in February 2016.
David Castaño has been appointed general manager of Milaidhoo Maldives.
The Spanaird brings with him a wealth of experience, having worked in resorts located in Bhutan, Cook Islands, Tanzania, Chile, and New Zealand.
Castaño’s most recent hospitality experience includes a focus on achieving accolades through meeting high standards of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand globally.
Heavy investments in large-scale event bids to drive recovery
Leisure developments are giving Australia an edge in winning business events
Stakeholders cite uneven Covid regulations worldwide and slow airlift recovery as obstacles
Branagh: upwards trajectory in business events choosing Queensland. Photo: Rachel AJ Lee
Since relaxing its pandemic-related rules and border restrictions, Australian states have welcomed an influx of in-person business events and corporate groups, and are busy chalking up future congress and association bid wins.
For now, large-scale events are leading the recovery of international gatherings.
In New South Wales (NSW), in May, the state hosted 55 media from 11 countries for a number of familiarisation programmes as well as the Australian Tourism Exchange 2022, among other massive events, signalling that it is ready to welcome back business events and incentive trips.
To date, Business Events Sydney (BESydney) has secured 98 future business events scheduled to be hosted in NSW between 2022 and 2029, shared Destination NSW’s CEO Steve Cox.
The wins are backed by the multi-million-dollar Business Events Industry Support package rolled out in October 2021, designed to incentivise business event organisers to contract and hold business events in Sydney.
“Complementing this support for business events is our major investment in signature sporting and cultural events such as the 10 World Cups, Vivid Sydney and in 2023, Sydney WorldPride. We will work with BESydney to leverage our investment in sporting and cultural events like these to enhance Sydney and NSW’s appeal for the business event market, and to boost delegate numbers,” Cox elaborated.
In the same vein, Tracey Cinavas-Prosser, CEO of Destination Perth, said the Western Australian city is also leveraging upcoming sporting events, like the pre-season friendly between Manchester United and Aston Villa on July 23 and the year-end cricket test matches, to raise the region’s profile as a business events destination that can handle large-scale events.
Cinavas-Prosser underlined that “leisure and MICE go hand in hand”, and often business and association meetings would also require a fun-packed social pre/post-programme.
Domestic market leverage
When asked how the business events industry survived during the pandemic, Tourism & Events Queensland’s group executive marketing, Michael Branagh, told TTGmice: “Fortunately, the Australian domestic market has really gravitated towards Queensland, and we’ve seen a really strong growth and demand for business events in terms of incentives.”
“Previously, corporations that took their teams to international destinations for events are now more focused on keeping local in the short term. For instance, they could have gone to Thailand or Hawaii for their business summit, but the uncertainty (of travelling) and their low risk tolerance means they are holding their backlog of events in Australia now,” he elaborated.
Domestic activity has helped Queensland’s suppliers improve their products and experiences, and put the state in a prime position to welcome international guests.
Now as Queensland gears up its international marketing efforts, the team is discovering a challenge in selling to an audience that “already knows Queensland and its great beaches”.
For example, the Singapore audience is “very familiar with Queensland”, so the tourism body has to keep reminding them of everything they love about Queensland, as well as present new experiences, products and ways of exploring beyond Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Aside from India, Singapore is a market Queensland is watching closely, with Branagh indicating there was “very strong interest in business events and incentives” emanating from the city-state.
Call for normality
Despite her optimism for the future, Cinavas-Prosser called for greater consistency in Covid-19 border restrictions across the globe.
“We need the whole world to have confidence that this is not going away (in the near future). We have to learn to adapt like we have to any illness over the years, move on, and return to normal lives,” she opined.
For Cox, recovery is challenged by lacking airlift, something he considers “a crucial element in the rebuilding of international visitation to NSW”.
To speed this along, the NSW government announced a A$60 million (US$40.4 million) Aviation Attraction Fund to accelerate the state’s recovery by providing support to airlines to drive demand and increase capacity to levels prior to Covid-19.
When asked about NSW’s target markets, Cox shared: “Singapore, China, South Korea, India, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong have traditionally been in the top 10 markets for NSW. We expect these will continue to be core markets over the next 10 years. However, NSW cannot rely solely on traditional markets. Indonesia and Malaysia, currently just outside the top 10, have potential to grow in volume and value.”
Forward event bookings for Kuala Lumpur's (pictured) hotels and venues are looking healthy
The business events industry in Malaysia’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, is seeing brighter days ahead, although pre-pandemic levels of events will take more time to achieve, stakeholders indicate.
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s general manager, Alan Pryor, shared: “We expect international business events to go up by 20 per cent in 2023 as we are currently recording a continuous upwards trend in events beyond 2022. This will grow further as global economic recovery progressively improves.”
Forward event bookings for Kuala Lumpur’s (pictured) hotels and venues are looking healthy
The Centre has seen a significant increase in demand for in-person events, with up to 127 global meetings (51 conventions and 76 exhibitions) booked at the venue from this year up to 2024.
In 2Q2022, the Centre is slated to host about 300 in-person events, 66 per cent of which are domestic, 20 per cent international and the rest regional.
However, Pryor expects business evens to return to near 2019 levels only in 2024.
He pointed out: “While the demand for in-person events is strong, safety concerns around international travel remain. (Moreover), companies are in recovery mode and are operating at lower budget so business travel is kept to a minimal due to the price hike in flight tickets and accommodation.
“All these combined with other global issues such as the war in Europe act as deterrents to business events’ recovery.”
For Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur’s general manager, Michael Delargy, bookings for corporate events for events in 2H2022 started rolling in from May this year.
He noticed that lead times for small and midscale events have also become shorter, and due to the current high demand for event spaces, event organisers are less inclined to negotiate prices as their priority is to secure their preferred venue.
At press time, regional and international bookings for venue spaces at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur were predominantly from Singapore and India.
Delargy also opined that for the hotel to reach 2019 levels for business events, travel restrictions had to be lifted globally.
Over at The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, Sheryl Lim, executive assistant manager – sales & marketing, told TTGmice: “Forward business remains strong in 3Q2022 and 4Q2022. We are also seeing some conversions from neighbouring countries to hold their business events at our property.”
Describing how demands and expectations from business organisers have changed compared to pre-pandemic times, Lim shared: “Most event organisers now look for specially curated menu offerings to elevate the dining experience. Organisers are also looking for immediate responses when it comes to proposals and availability. Most conversions we’ve had come from immediate responses.
“WhatsApp has also become the main channel of communication for many organisers who wish to get all details including availability before entering the contracting stage.”
Meanwhile for Pryor, he noticed that sustainability has moved beyond a trend to become a demand.
He observed: “This year, major exhibitions like Food & Hotel Malaysia placed sustainability as a priority in the way the show was organised, managed and delivered.”
To help event organisers better manage their sustainability goals, the Centre has put in place measures such as installing an AI-powered system to track type and quantity of food waste, so that the Centre’s chefs can be more efficient in managing food and production costs, and lessen food wastage.
The organiser of IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific, TTG Asia Media, has opened registrations for buyers.
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 pre-pandemic IT&CM Asia in action
While all buyer registrations are complimentary, a confirmation fee is applicable for all hosted buyers. The hosted buyer programme is open to eligible business events, association, and corporate buyers from across the globe, and privileges include transport reimbursement and accommodation.
In-person buyers will be entitled to arrange up to 24 face-to-face Scheduled Meets opportunities (both in-person and remotely). They will also be invited to join in the social functions, and network over food and drinks.
There will also be panel discussions, knowledge sessions, and showcases to inform buyers of the latest developments and product updates.
Buyers attending in-person can also stand a chance to earn cash incentives and prizes by completing event missions.
Virtual buyers meanwhile, will be able to take part in networking sessions and business card exchanges to expand their networks and contacts.
In addition, Brand Showcase Presentations from participating business events destinations, suppliers and corporate brands; Knowledge Sessions with the hottest topics this year; as well as the Buyer Procurement Showcases; will be available online.
There will also be several Live Hosted Sessions By Brands, where virtual participants will be able to take part in interactive games, and win attractive prizes. A digital certificate of participation will be provided upon the event’s conclusion.
Lynette Tey, event manager of TTG Events, shared: “This year’s show aims to deliver a brand new format like never before, differentiating IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific 2022 hybrid from any other experience as our industry continues to evolve to stay versatile.”
Barely out of its recent lockdown, Shanghai has ordered mass Covid testing across various districts and areas as new infections surface
Shanghai, Tianjin and Beihai are some of the major cities in China that have ordered repeated mass testing or extended lockdowns on residents as fresh Covid-19 outbreaks emerge.
Barely out of its recent lockdown, Shanghai has ordered mass Covid testing across various districts and areas as new infections surface
Shanghai, which had only started easing its Spring lockdown in June, has planned mass testing across various districts and areas, such as Xuhui, Jingan and Huangpu, where new infections have surfaced.
Following rounds of mass testing in recent months, Tianjin will again put more than 12 million residents under new Covid tests after two local infections were reported.
Beijing shuttered a residential compound on July 18 to investigate two suspected infections.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA) will stage MEETINGS in Wellington for the first time at the capital city’s newest venue, Tākina Wellington Conference and Exhibition Centre.
Tākina Wellington Conference and Exhibition Centre is on track to open in June 2023, and will be up and running in time for MEETINGS 2023 on June 21 and 22, 2023.
The MEETINGS 2022 showfloor
Over the course of two days, New Zealand, Australian and international business event professionals will meet with New Zealand’s business events products, services, solutions, and venues.
This year, MEETINGS 2022 in Christchurch in June 2022 set a record with over 210 stands and 400 buyers, including 110 from Australia.
Wellington City Council general manager – Tākina, commercial development, David Perks said Wellington is excited to host MEETINGS and showcase its new venue.
“The investment Wellington has made into Tākina is a reflection of the commitment the city has to both being a visitor destination and, as New Zealand’s capital city, being the place important conversations are had.”
The Malaysian team, inclusive of members from MyCEB and PAM, celebrating their win
Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), in partnership with Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM), has won the bid to host the Union Internationale des Architectes (UIA) International Forum in November 2024.
The final bid presentation was carried out in a hybrid format at the UIA 148th Council Meeting and Extraordinary General Assembly, Madrid, Spain.
The Malaysian team, inclusive of members from MyCEB and PAM, celebrating their win
The event will be held for the first time in the South-east Asia region, and will take place in Kuala Lumpur.
The three-day event is themed Diversecity – Humanity and Sustainable Growth, and aims to address issues of the tourism industry and enhance the relevance of its activities while making contributions to develop a city model for future communities, with a focus on humanity and sustainable growth.
This UIA International Forum is expected to bring together over 2,000 delegates with an estimated economic impact of RM43.4 million (US$9.8 million) and up to RM18.5 million in visitor expenditure to the Malaysian economy.
Ar. Ezumi Harzani Ismail, chairman of UIA International Forum 2024, said: “We sincerely hope that this forum will achieve Global Declaration for the benefit of humanity while urging all nations to recognise and protect traditional heritage architecture in a sustainable balance with modern urbanisation.”
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De Kleer joined IHG in September 2013 as executive assistant manager with Crowne Plaza Bangkok Lumpini Park before moving to Crowne Plaza Changi Airport in the same capacity in February 2016.
Castaño’s most recent hospitality experience includes a focus on achieving accolades through meeting high standards of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World brand globally.
Shanghai, Tianjin and Beihai are some of the major cities in China that have ordered repeated mass testing or extended lockdowns on residents as fresh Covid-19 outbreaks emerge.
Shanghai, which had only started easing its Spring lockdown in June, has planned mass testing across various districts and areas, such as Xuhui, Jingan and Huangpu, where new infections have surfaced.
Following rounds of mass testing in recent months, Tianjin will again put more than 12 million residents under new Covid tests after two local infections were reported.
Beijing shuttered a residential compound on July 18 to investigate two suspected infections.