Albert Lafuente is the new resident manager of Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh City.
Lafuente has extensive experience in sales and marketing and joins Sedona Suites Ho Chi Minh from Swissotel Clark where he was the director of sales and marketing.
Glenn Mandziuk helms Sustainable Hospitality Alliance
The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has named Glenn Mandziuk as CEO, replacing Madhu Rajesh who left the organisation in September 2021.
Mandziuk has amassed over 25 years of leadership experience in advancing sustainable practices in tourism, hospitality and economic development.
Prior to his new position at Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, he was president and CEO of Canada’s Thompson Okanagan Tourism Region.
Philippines positions Clark Freeport Zone as future MICE destination
The Department of Tourism (DoT) is banking on the development of the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) and the New Clark City in order to further boost the recovery of the country’s tourism industry.
The DoT, in collaboration with the Tourism Promotions Board, and the Subic-Clark Alliance for Development, showcased how CFZ and the New Clark City could be positioned as premier tourism hubs during the first Central Luzon Tourism Investment Summit and Business Exchange (CLTISBEX) Hybrid Edition held recently at Hilton Clark Sun Valley Resort.
They proposed CFZ as a modern sustainable aerotropolis and a preferred business events destination, while New Clark City could stand for an ideal destination for sports tourism in the Asia-Pacific region.
DoT 3 regional director, Caroline Uy, said: “Through the help of the private sector, the goal is to transform the CFZ into a preferred business and tourism destination in the Asia-Pacific region and enable investors to find long-term economic returns.”
CFZ is located in Pampanga, and can be easily accessed by the country’s major foreign tourist markets like China, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan.
A total of 35 foreign and local investors from the Philippines, China, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, and the UAE participated in the summit.
The event concluded with a total of 127 million pesos (US$2.4 million) investment leads which were mostly generated during the B2B meetings among 77 buyers and sellers.
As of December 31, 2021, CFZ is already home to some 1,153 companies that are also referred to as locators. These business ventures provided opportunities to a total of 121,341 professionals and workers inside the freeport zone which originally employed only 20,000 workers at the time of its opening.
For corporate groups, CFZ offers 80 convention halls, 3,648 hotel rooms, 126 dining facilities, and 45 tourism attractions such as Clark Safari, Clark Bike Path, Clark Museum and Theater, Aqua Planet, Clark International Speedway, and Dinosaurs Island.
In terms of exports, CFZ has since generated a total export of US$5.4 billion with a total investment of 265 billion pesos.
This announcement follows the recent opening of Clark International Airport’s new passenger terminal, which Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said will generate more gains to the industry, especially now that the DoT is also positioning CFZ as a business events destination.
Jublia releases improved event app
Singapore-based event networking platform Jublia has released an upgraded version of its event app, Jublia App 3.0.
The app now sports a cleaner look, and offers improved features for a more personalised event experience. Buttons have also been made more prominent for a better user experience, as well as haptic feedback on bookmarking exhibitors and favouriting sessions.
Personalised recommendations will also be offered to event attendees based on their interests, which can be updated anytime. An AI matchmaking system will then churn out relevant content recommendations.
The event app will also feature an AI-powered interactive floorplan, to help delegates move between meetings and sessions easily.
Push notifications have also been upgraded, to ensure that delegates do not miss anything on their schedule. This feature also keeps attendees updated with the latest event information, and provides pre-event, during, and post-event engagement for organisers.
Jublia App 3.0 has also enabled an Offline Mode, where users can still access their sessions and bookmarked company through their profile page, just in case of unstable connection data charges.
In-app messaging is also possible now, which will contribute to better networking opportunities. Delegates can easily schedule meetings at their preferred times and locations, either onsite or through virtual means. Those who choose virtual meetings will be able to click through to the Video Meeting App on the event app.
Finally, on the organisers’ end, the event app is capable of capturing data throughout the event, which can then be used to monitor the situation in real-time, obtain live feedback from attendees, as well as measure their satisfaction.
TTG Conversations: Five Questions with Richard Ireland, Clarion Events Asia
The recovery of international events in Asia is real and swift, observes Richard Ireland, CEO of Clarion Events Asia.
In this episode, Ireland, who is also president of the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers, talks about the current appetite for business events, how health protocols and risk management are changing as the world moves towards a Covid endemic state, the role of government agencies and CVBs in rebuilding the events industry, and how strong Asian source markets are helping to drive recovery in the absence of China and Hong Kong.
Japanese stakeholders deliver roadmap for MICE industry
Japan’s business events stakeholders have released a roadmap outlining how the country can ensure it does not lag in the global competition for business events.
The report was released by the Council of Stakeholders for the Resumption and Development of Safe MICE, whose members include the Japan National Tourism Organization, Japan Tourism Agency, Japan Congress Convention Bureau, Japan Convention Management Association, Japan Exhibition Association and Japan Hotel Association, as well as organisations in cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama and Sapporo.
It noted that in-person events have resumed in other countries and indicated that Japan needs to work on inviting business events back “without delay” while “paying attention to ensuring safety” in the face of “even greater competition” than pre-pandemic.
However, the report pointed out the difficulty in doing so as “the attitude and policy of the government and future prospects toward the resumption of international MICE are not clear”. The result is that overseas officials are not fully aware of Japan’s attitude toward attracting business events, it continued, adding that more communication is needed.
Concerning the digitalisation of the industry, stakeholders predicted that hybrid events will continue, even as the industry welcomes more face-to-face events, which may reduce the number of in-person attendees.
Host cities, therefore, need to do more to encourage overseas participants to visit Japan by distributing content that introduces the attractions of the area and venue, as well as the “significance of face-to-face conferences as networking opportunities”, the report noted.
The report recommended that cities should procure necessary equipment and know-how for hybrid capabilities, and deepen cooperation with universities to support researchers to bid for international conferences.
Stakeholders also called for greater collaboration among tourism partners, such as local CVBs, DMOs and DMCs, to promote business events and tourism in a more unified way, for the benefit of both industries.
Voco goes to Brisbane
IHG Hotels & Resorts has opened voco Brisbane City Centre, the first for the city, and the second voco for Queensland.
The hotel offers 1,200m2 of event space across 11 sustainably-focused meeting and function spaces such as the Grand Chelsea Ballroom which can host up to 600 guests for a conference.
The property’s other conferencing spaces are scattered throughout the property, and each has been named after Queensland’s National Parks to pay homage to the locations that are home to many Australian native birds and wildlife.
Delegates can stay in one of the 194 guestrooms that feature an abundance of natural light, sustainable bedding, smart in-room technology, and sweeping views over the city or river.
Other facilities include a rooftop pool, 24-hour fitness centre, and two F&B options – Zuma restaurant for breakfast, and Kraft & Co, cafe by day and lounge bar at night.
CWT launches 24/7 English-Mandarin bilingual service
CWT has opened a new bilingual service centre – located in Singapore – that will offer companies round-the-clock travel assistance in English and Mandarin.
This is in response to growing demand from Chinese multinationals that require a convenient and consistent corporate travel experience for their employees based outside of China.
The centre consists of a team of travel counsellors who are fluent in both languages and have received special training in Chinese culture and traveller preferences. Companies that sign up for this service will have access to 24/7 assistance for their employees’ travel arrangements including flight, ground transport and hotel bookings, as well as on-trip support in the event of trip disruptions such as flight delays and cancellations.
“We have seen a swift resumption in travel by our Chinese clients’ overseas employees, as countries around the world have relaxed restrictions,” said Albert Zhong, general manager, China, CWT. “In the case of certain companies, these travellers are already travelling as much – or even more –than they were pre-pandemic. Through our new bilingual service hub in Singapore, we can provide our Chinese customers and their employees around the world with a more consistent experience, whenever they need support, and in their preferred language.”
One of China’s biggest technology companies was the first customer to use this service in May, and the feedback from their travellers has been overwhelmingly positive. CWT also has several other large Chinese multinational clients that have expressed interest and are expected to go live later this year.
IT&CM China and CTW China reschedules 2022 show
Due to the current China situation, IT&CM China and CTW China 2022 has been rescheduled to November 28-30, 2022, in-person at The Anandi Hotel and Spa, followed by an online networking and conference segment on December 12-13, 2022.
Organisers TTG Events and China-based CTG MICE Service Company Limited, stated in a joint statement: “We see positive indications towards the return of physical events, however, the situation is still very dynamic, and we have a responsibility to ensure our delegates have the safest and best possible experience. We look forward to re-connecting with everyone in November in Shanghai.
“The region’s industry has been waiting to be able to come together and meet with quality venues, destinations, suppliers, and buyers in person. IT&CM China and CTW China 2022 will provide a safe platform to do so, as well as also demonstrate the industry’s commitment to the resumption of Chinese MICE travel and events.”
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center provides MICE training to Thai students
IMPACT Exhibition and Convention Center has restarted Kla MICE, a programme dedicated to teaching university students the foundations of event management over a two-month period.
Over the. two months, students work closely with senior executives and managers from multiple departments such as operations, sales, F&B, exhibitions, and human resources to gain knowledge and hands-on experience. The programme culminates in an exhibition themed MICE & Sustainability.
Currently in the programme are 40 students in their junior year from various Thai universities. This is the third batch of students IMPACT has trained.
Thamita Chongswatvorakul, director of the Corporate Human Resources Department, said: “The Thai MICE industry needs more young professionals whom we can rely on to make the MICE industry thrive again.
“The MICE industry is a potent business sector that generates billions in revenue, contributes to economic growth, and creates millions of jobs; therefore, as a proactive MICE operator, we will do our best to push Thailand’s business events forward, promote the exhibition industry in the global MICE market, as well as help the industry overcome challenges with respect to a shortage of experienced staff.”
Kla MICE, roughly translated to “the new kids on the block” in Thai was introduced in 2019 with approximately 40 sophomores joining the course then.
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