RWS (pictured) will host talks and conferences centred on sustainability and innovation
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) continues to record a busy business events calendar for 2H2022, having confirmed over 50 conferences and meetings which will bring a total of more than 100,000 international and local delegates to the integrated resort.
These include the World Ocean Summit Asia Pacific, the Business Network International (BNI) Global Convention, 25th International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer Assisted Intervention, Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), as well as Singapore International Bunkering Conference and Exhibition (SIBCON).
RWS (pictured) will host talks and conferences centred on sustainability and innovation
About one-third of these confirmed events are large-scale, such as the annual award and dinner functions of Singapore Institute of Architects, Association of Singapore Marine Industries, Singapore International Chamber of Commerce and USANA Health Sciences.
And in line with RWS’ aim of being a global leader in sustainable tourism, a series of six co-created events with TEDxSingapore focusing on sustainability, innovation, marine science and conservation, marine biodiversity, marine exploration, and climate action will take place at the integrated resort.
RWS has made further strides in its sustainability journey by being the first destination in the world to be certified as a destination which meets both the Global Sustainable Tourism Council’s Destination Criteria and Industry Criteria for Hotels. RWS had also received the SACEOS MICE Sustainability Certificate Intermediate Tier for Venue in 2021 and won the Special Award for Sustainability for the second consecutive year at the Singapore Tourism Awards 2022.
These green accolades reaffirm RWS’ ongoing sustainability efforts as it continues to align its progress with the Singapore Tourism Board and Sentosa Development Corporation’s long-term sustainability plans.
The Thailand team at their pavilion at IMEX Frankfurt 2022
The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and 14 Thai business events suppliers have chalked up a total of 84 leads worth an estimated 1,873.6 million baht (US$53 million) and 28,388 MICE visitors over the three days of IMEX Frankfurt.
The 14 suppliers included five DMCs, eight hotels, and Queen Sirikit National Convention Center. According to suppliers, interested groups hail from countries such as Singapore, the UK, Germany and US. Some buyers were even able to confirm their plans to Thailand on the spot during IMEX Frankfurt.
The Thailand team at their pavilion at IMEX Frankfurt 2022
TCEB president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya said: “The number of leads is encouraging as Thailand has been lowering travel requirements to reopen the country, allowing the events industry to operate.”
To strengthen Thailand’s business events proposition and celebrate the reopening of Thailand, TCEB also rolled out a new business events brand – Thailand MICE – Meet the Magic – at IMEX Frankfurt.
“Now (that) the world is travelling again, Thailand is ready to distinguish itself in the eyes of MICE planners with the promise of a superlative and magical experience for all,” he added.
MCEC (pictured) brings both the events and aviation sectors together in this latest win
The 151st International Air Transport Association (IATA) Slot Conference is touching down at Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) in November this year.
Scheduled for November 15-18, 2022, the bi-annual conference will see airlines and airports negotiate global flight schedules and air traffic control management, and is set to welcome more than 1,000 aviation delegates across 230 airlines from around the world. The event will deliver an estimated A$4.7 million (US$3.2 million) to the Victorian economy.
MCEC (pictured) brings both the events and aviation sectors together in this latest win
The bid was put together by the Melbourne Convention Bureau who worked in partnership with Melbourne Airport to bring the convention to Melbourne.
Aside from delivering a boost to the state’s hospitality and tourism sectors, hosting the major aviation conference will help keep Melbourne front of mind for airlines to boost their flight services to Victoria, said Martin Pakula, Victoria’s minister for tourism, sport and major events.
Westin Hotels & Resorts has opened in the port city of Yokohama, a city located south-west of Tokyo, Japan.
The Westin Yokohama offers more than 1,000m2 of meeting space for event planners, comprising indoor spaces such as a Grand Ballroom and four meeting spaces, as well as The Westin Garden with the city’s skyline as the backdrop.
For convenience, delegates can be put up in one of the 373 guestrooms, all of which feature floor-to-ceiling windows, and the brand’s Heavenly Bed.
Wellness takes centrestage here, as the property features a dedicated wellness floor of 900m2, which includes Japan’s first Heavenly Spa by Westin with four treatment rooms. There is also a heated indoor swimming pool, state-of-the-art gym, as well as a RunWestin programme that provides jogging routes around the Minatomirai waterfront area.
Meanwhile, there are five F&B venues on-site, including the all-day dining Brasserie du Quai; izakaya-style Kissui-sen; and signature restaurant Iron Bay which also has a private dining venue for intimate events. Two bars round up the offerings – the lobby bar on the 23rd floor Sugar Merchant; and the speakeasy Code Bar for cocktails.
Tokyo Haneda Airport is within a 25-minute drive and Tokyo city centre is within a 36-minute train ride from The Westin Yokohama.
As international meetings and events faded out of Taiwan over the past two years of the global health crisis, the government turned its attention to something that it could not do during the many years of packed business events calendar – it led a digital transformation in the business events industry.
Through staging virtual and hybrid events over the last two years, the industry was able to identify and rectify gaps in this capability that has shown to be critical for business continuity.
At the same time, Taiwan’s hotels and venues committed to upgrades while new experiences were born, all to prepare for the return of international events and attendees.
The Kaohsiung Exhibition Center hosted the Wind Energy Asia 2022 in March
Supporting the digitalisation effort is the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), which created an online exhibition platform that provides product displays and online meeting services to enable Taiwan’s industries to communicate with foreign buyers throughout the pandemic. A TAITRA spokesperson also shared that smart technology and big data analysis were introduced to various business activities, which “not only improved the efficiency of events but also captured more business opportunities through precise marketing methods”.
“With the dynamic power of technologies and digitalisation, we will continue to work together with MICE professionals to revitalise the industry and propel it forward in the post-pandemic era,” the spokesperson added.
TAITRA’s digitalisation focus echoes through the industry, with many event venues investing in facility upgrades to ensure they are ready for future events.
Taipei World Trade Center, TAINEX 1, TAINEX 2 and Kaohsiung Exhibition Center are all equipped with 5G communications, allowing event participants and visitors to quickly locate booths on their smart devices.
Also in on the technology game is the 30-year-old Taipei International Convention Center (TICC), which established a brand-new digital studio, TICC 103 iStudio, in 2021 to appeal to meeting planners. The facility can support livestreams, webinars as well as virtual and hybrid meetings.
Set to complete in 2023, Taoyuan Exhibition Centre will boost the destination’s venue portfolio with 10 meeting rooms that can take between 100 and 2,000 attendees.
When Kaohsiung Exhibition Center (KEC) hosted gaming event League of Legends: Wild Rift in November 2021, 5G experiential visits surged past 41,700, including onsite and online livestreaming. The figure was 10 times more than in-person visitors during the physical event.
Come August, KEC will welcome the 11th Creative Expo Taiwan, the largest gathering for the creative industry.
Michael Tu, president of KEC/Interplan Group, told TTGmice that the venue’s digital transformation has bestowed it with various technical solutions, such as 3D 4K Beam Display projection and 360-degree real-time production, to deliver immersive exhibitions and events.
“Along with our 5G infrastructure, we will inspire PEOs and PCOs to create unforgettable hybrid experiences for the satisfaction of visitors and attendees,” Tu added.
However, GIS Group, founder and CEO, Jason Yeh, noted that not all venues in Taiwan are equipped with 5G infrastructure even as demand is moving towards the high-tech end.
Episode Hsinchu
“High-tech exhibitors demonstrating interaction between robots or hosting game shows with Virtual Reality devices require very low‑latency and low-delay. Wi-Fi is not enough to support such exercises, and 5G is the best solution now. But as not all venues are (equipped) with 5G, it results in very high cost for set up on a project basis,” said Yeh.
That limitation aside, Pairry Chiang, director of impact with event organiser Asia Concentrate Corporation, said technology could be harnessed for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Chiang shared that a proposal was put to MEET Taiwan, the events promotions agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, to play a leading role in connecting PCOs with various technology companies to help events meet SDGs.
For instance, the Asia Pacific Social Innovation Summit in May 2022 has made sustainability a key focus this year. It utilised the Taiwan iPass, an electronic ticket loaded with tourism resources, to encourage attendees to rely on mass transportation. Local ingredients were also prioritised in the preparation of lunchboxes.
“There are many things MEET Taiwan can assist to make business events in Taiwan more sustainable,” opined Chiang.
Meanwhile, event planners considering Taiwan will be glad to know that the accommodation scene has not remained stagnant during the travel freeze.
Ten new hotels were opened in 2020 and 2021, with more in the pipeline. Some of the upcoming openings include Hotel Indigo Alishan in Chiayi County, Wyndham Sun Moon Lake and InterContinental Taichung Hotel.
Hyatt Hotels Corporation has also extended its footprint in Taiwan, where on April 1, it opened Episode Hsinchu. Following that later this year is Hyatt Place New Taipei City Xinzhuang, as well as Park Hyatt Taipei, Andaz Taipei, Hyatt Centric Songshan Taipei, and Hyatt Regency Kaohsiung – all set to launch over the next two years.
Located within The Newton 1 Tower, Citadines Sudirman Jakarta offers service apartments in options of studios, one- and two-bedroom units, and family suites.
Each apartment has a private balcony and is furnished with amenities such as LED TVs, a microwave oven, an induction stove, a refrigerator and air conditioning.
Guests can enjoy a curated programme featuring key places to explore within the neighbourhood.
The property includes an outdoor swimming pool, kids pool, an outdoor jogging track and fitness corner, launderette and meeting rooms.
Destination specialist Discova will open its first lounge in Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali, Indonesia on July 1, becoming the only DMC to offer such a facility.
An agreement with the airport will allow Discova to operate the lounge until 2027, with potential to extend after.
Discova opens its first lounge in Ngurah Rai International Airport on July 1
Peter Christiansen, regional manager for Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Laos, said: “Ever since Discova opened in Bali seven years ago, we have wanted to improve the way in which visitors here are welcomed, to immediately immerse them in the warm and friendly atmosphere that has made the island so famous and loved. We want to make it memorable right from the get-go, and offer a completely smooth and stress-free arrival experience.”
Upon arrival, guests can enjoy a drink and chilled towel at the lounge. The driver or guide will meet and escort them to the private parking area and drive them to their accommodation.
Discova is also working with Cross Hotels & Resorts to allow guests to complete hotel check-ins at the lounge itself.
Grand Hyatt Jakarta has welcomed Anumodit Chaturvedi as new hotel manager.
Chaturvedi has been with the Hyatt family for over 15 years and joins Grand Hyatt Jakarta after his time at Grand Hyatt Singapore and Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.
Passenger ferry services between Singapore’s Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal and Malaysia’s Desaru Coast Ferry Terminal will commence on July 7, with operations set to scale up progressively in response to demand.
For the initial months, Batam Fast will operate one round trip from Thursday to Sunday, with a 330-pax ferry. The journey is approximately 90 minutes per sector. Ferry tickets and service schedules will be made available online at desarucoast.com and batamfast.com from June 30.
Desaru Coast gets a boost in international accessibility with the launch of Singapore-Desaru ferry services
Roslina Arbak, managing director and CEO, Desaru Development Holdings One, said the new service “will make Desaru Coast even more accessible to international travellers”.
“This is a game-changer for the destination. It will enable us to unlock new market opportunities in all travel segments and at the same time, position Desaru Coast as an attractive hospitality investment to draw like-minded investors for our next phase of growth.”
Paul R Gannaway, CEO of Batam Fast, said Desaru Coast and the south-eastern Johor region are popular tourist destinations, and the new ferry service “will give holidaymakers a rewarding experience”.
Desaru Coast will celebrate the launch with special packages that include return ferry tickets, hotel stays and golf, as well as day-tripper deals.
Cairns Convention Centre promotes local industries – like agribusiness (pictured) in a digital campaign to the international association market
Cairns Convention Centre has developed a suite of content, including videos and factsheets featuring key industry sectors of the region, and launched an international digital campaign highlighting the research projects, innovation, and experts that are producing ground-breaking work.
The campaign focuses on Agribusiness, Tropical Health, Aviation, Life Sciences, Renewable Energy, Education and Tourism.
Cairns Convention Centre promotes local industries – like agribusiness (pictured) in a digital campaign to the international association market
Janet Hamilton, Cairns Convention Centre’s general manager, said Tropical North Queensland was widely known for its unique natural assets but the team wanted to also highlight the local expertise of the region to draw in business events.
“For example, Cairns is home to the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine which is responsible for a range of research projects, from new tests to detect Malaria, through to exploring how venom could help develop new life-saving drugs,” Hamilton elaborated.
“Agribusiness is another sector that would benefit from hosting events in the region. Delegates can benefit hugely from our local agribusiness industry and how it is utilising research and innovation to maximise growth opportunities. From the world’s first banana-based flour and the A$173 million (US$125 million) avocado industry, to the ground-breaking research carried out by the Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture, there’s so much for delegates to experience.”
The digital campaign is supported by Tourism Australia’s Advance Program Funding, which aims to increase the number and value of business events for Australia.
The digital campaign so far has reached over 160,000 key decision makers resulting in over 12 new international business leads.
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Grand Hyatt Jakarta has welcomed Anumodit Chaturvedi as new hotel manager.
Chaturvedi has been with the Hyatt family for over 15 years and joins Grand Hyatt Jakarta after his time at Grand Hyatt Singapore and Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur.