Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) has appointed Isabelle Chai as director of sales, events & marketing.
Chai has been tasked with driving SICC’s revenues through the implementation of sales activities and strategies, identifying new market and growth opportunities, as well as catalysing the branding and communications effort.
With almost 30 years of experience in international luxury hospitality experience, Chai’s sales & marketing career has been honed at hotels such as Kota Kinabalu Marriott Hotel, PODZzz Suites & Semporna Dream Villa, JW Marriott Beijing, The Ritz Carlton Beijing, Shangri-La Hotel Doha, Shangri-La Hotel Hambantota Sri Lanka, Sutera Harbour Resort, Hotel JenTanglin Singapore, Shangri-La’s Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa Muscat Oman and Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa Sabah.
Most recently, Chai was a negotiator with PropNex Realty, where she developed strategies and plans for prospecting clients.
SICC is the latest addition to business events venues in Malaysia, and the largest in Borneo. The six-hectare multifunctional venue offers a total of 153,197m2 meeting, conference, entertainment and exhibition facilities.
Located within the Future Park Rangsit complex in Bangkok, Thailand, the new-build, 226-key Novotel Bangkok Future Park Rangsit is now open.
The 226 rooms and suites come in eight different configurations, but all living spaces offer Novotel’s signature Live N Dream bed, 55-inch LED TVs, coffee and tea facilities, daybed, and workspace. Guests staying at the Executive Rooms and Suites can enjoy exclusive access to the Premier Lounge.
Good for large-scale conferences and weddings, the hotel’s two ballrooms offer spacious layouts, which can also be divided into multiple venues to suit the size and style of each occasion. There are also three meeting rooms, ideal for medium corporate and social events, training, and seminars. Conveniently located on the lobby floor, all meeting and event spaces boast natural daylight, state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, full-size LED screens, and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Other facilities on-site include a gym, outdoor swimming pool, kids’ pool, as well as three restaurants – a Sports Bar, the all-day dining Food Exchange, and Alberto’s Pizzeria.
The hotel is within a five-minute walk from Future Park, one of the region’s largest shopping malls, connecting guests with cinema, boutiques, and a wide range of entertainment options.
Cross-border coordination on travel protocols needed to promote tourism recovery, say stakeholders
Tourism stakeholders reiterated the urgent need for a coordinated approach to cross-border travel in order to support a stable travel and tourism recovery.
Speaking at Booking.com’s inaugural roundtable, The Travel Edit: Embracing the Unpredictable on January 18 in Singapore, Campbell Wilson, CEO of Scoot, called for a common list of vaccines recognised across all countries as well as unanimous usage of a single QR code across borders.
Cross-border coordination on travel protocols needed to promote tourism recovery, say stakeholders
Wilson said these should be available at the very least, despite a near “impossible task” for governments to agree on Covid-19 responses.
Fellow speaker, Kerry Healy, chief commercial officer, South-east Asia, Japan and South Korea at Accor, expressed frustration over differing state of border openings within South-east Asia, and emphasised the need for “harmony” in regulations.
Wilson added that government agencies, associations, medical community and economic divisions should work together to ease the administrative process to make regional travel less cumbersome.
Remaining flexible is top of the list in the Business Travel Trends for 2022 report
Travel management company BCD Travel has identified eight trends that will resonate with travel managers and travellers in 2022, which sees the sector refocusing its priorities due to the pandemic.
“With new Covid variants emerging, it’s not clear when business travel will return to pre-pandemic levels, but it’s high time companies start thinking about how to future fit their travel programmes,” said Jorge Cruz, executive vice president for global sales & marketing at BCD Travel.
“Crucial tasks for travel managers include measuring the value of travel, demonstrating the quality of its outcome, and proving to internal stakeholders that it’s worthwhile. The key is not to simply reduce travel spend, but to increase the effectiveness of that travel towards meeting the company’s goals.”
Travel managers need to remain flexible and adaptable during this period of uncertainty
1. The value of business travel is a moving target
Coming out of a sustained period with little or no travel, companies are reviewing the value of sending employees on business trips. Employees value travel for the opportunities presented by in-person meetings with colleagues, clients and business partners. But travel programmes need to adjust to the new ways of working created by the pandemic, including finding the right balance between virtual and in-person meetings.
2. Environmentally sustainable travel gains traction
The 2021 COP26 UN Climate Change Conference put climate change and sustainability firmly in the global spotlight. As more countries and non-governmental organizations, such as IATA (International Air Transport Association), make commitments toward a net-zero carbon future, the pressure grows for everyone. Companies are engaging with sustainability, and travel managers are exploring ways to reduce their program’s carbon footprint. BCD’s consulting arm, Advito, can help companies accurately report on business travel emissions across air, hotel, car and rail.
3. New worker expectations demand policy changes
Gone are the times of rigid employment policies for office-based workers. The transition to remote settings is rapidly changing the way we work and travel. Companies need to adjust workplace policies to the needs of digital nomads and hybrid employees, firmly placing them on the people risk management agenda.
4. People risk management goes beyond business travel
An increase in remote and hybrid working demands companies extend their duty of care to employees whenever they are away from the office, and not just when they’re on a business trip. Forward-thinking companies are moving from travel risk management to people risk management. They recognise the shift from keeping their travellers safe to keeping all employees safe, no matter where they are.
5. A broader set of risks must be factored in
The risks associated with a global pandemic have dominated people’s minds for almost two years. But as travel returns, it’s important to recognise the other risks to which travel managers and their travellers may be exposed, such as extreme weather events, terrorism, economic risks and cybersecurity breaches. Companies must evaluate their travel risk management programme to ensure their employees’ safety and security on the road.
6. Cybersecurity essentials are vital
Cyber threats continue to grow, as does their potential impact. Many travel managers already recognise the importance of cybersecurity, placing it at the forefront of their TMC relationship. But they also need to protect their company and travellers from active cyber threats. The first step is to recognise cybersecurity as a daily risk to travel and take responsibility for tackling it. Prevention, or minimising the impact, will pay dividends over simply responding to cyber incidents after the damage has been done. Second, as employees are often the weakest point in a company’s defense, it’s highly recommended that travellers receive proper security training and follow the right precautions when taking a business trip.
7. Globalisation reset is underway
Globalisation has brought incredible benefits over the last 20 to 30 years. But political unrest, changing consumer values and costs and supply-chain issues are forcing a rethink. Companies are shifting from a consolidated to a more diversified approach toward supply, production and consumption and looking at ways of bringing production back closer to the point of consumption. Business travel patterns may shift as a result. As the reset unfolds, travel managers can have the best of both worlds by selecting travel suppliers with global networks underpinned by local operations that provide the support and expertise tailored to the specific needs of employees in each market.
8. Fintech is in focus
BCD’s travel buyer survey revealed payment and expense to be among some of the biggest pain points when managing business travel end-to-end. Adopting fintech-based solutions can help simplify, digitize and automate corporate travel payment, reconciliation and invoice management. Travellers, travel managers and finance teams can mutually enjoy the benefits of a frictionless, digital payment experience, from trip booking and payment through reconciliation.
To learn more, the full report – entitled Business Travel Trends for 2022 – can be downloaded here.
This win significantly exudes Malaysia’s tenacity to successfully secure bids to shore, further escalating Malaysia’s position as a top business events hub in Asia, particularly in the field of medical and health congresses.
The Malaysian Society of Colorectal Surgeons, in collaboration Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has won the bid to host the 20th Congress of Asia Pacific Federation of Coloproctology & 14th Asian Society of Stoma Rehabilitation Congress in March 2025.
Held in Sabah, the in-person conference will explore the advancements and breakthroughs in the field of coloproctology and stoma care.
This win exudes Malaysia’s tenacity to secure bids in the field of medical and health congresses
Abdul Khani Daud, CEO of MyCEB, expressed his pride in Malaysia being chosen as the host country, and hopes that the congress will lead to networking, as well as innovation and research in the medical field.
“As the incoming President of the Malaysian Society of Colorectal Surgeons (2023 – 2025) and organising chair of the congress in 2025, I look forward to showcasing the advances in medical science and state-of-the-art facilities that Malaysia has to offer to overseas delegates.
“Winning a bid of an international congress is not easy and winning it for the second time is even more challenging,” said Luqman Mazlan, organising chair.
stainability and a focus on vegetarian, vegan and gluten friendly options has been really important in the development of this menu
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) has unveiled a new menu for 2022, which will feature Victoria’s finest fresh seasonal produce.
From grab-and-go gourmet to sophisticated dining, the food offerings have been given a new look, as well as include more diverse options such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-friendly meals.
Sustainability and a focus on vegetarian, vegan and gluten-friendly options was a large part in the development of this menu
The beverage selection has also been given a facelift, and now includes house-made cocktails using spirits from Victorian distilleries, as well as Seltzers from Melbourne-based Moon Dog Craft Brewery.
Highlights include the new cocktail menu, with canapes to choose from such as Green mango, tofu, edamame, and sambal rice paper roll with nam prik or Truffle mushroom, whipped Meredith goat cheese and lemon thyme tart.
Meanwhile, the gala menu includes options of seared Wimmera duck breast with spiced carrot puree, pan fried panisse, crisp seasonal greens and red wine jus, and Seared Victorian 3030 barramundi with saffron potato, baba ganoush and herb oil.
MCEC also continues to offer sustainable options such as Ecoboxes and the 100-Mile Menu, a three-course plated menu including canapés, where all main ingredients are sourced from local farms and markets within 161km (100 miles) of MCEC, supporting Victorian food producers while reducing the carbon footprint.
Collinson’s Priority Pass has launched a global partnership with CarTrawler – a global B2B provider of technology solutions for the travel industry – offering members access to CarTrawler services through the Priority Pass app.
The partnership represents a push towards creating a seamless travel experience for members, by going beyond the airport to enhance the overall customer journey
With 56,000 locations around the world, CarTrawler leverages a network of over 2,200 car rental and mobility providers to ensure optimal availability and pricing – allowing for travellers to choose from a range of add-on transport options that best suit their needs, budget and schedule. The service will be available globally to all Priority Pass Members in 42 different languages and includes car rental, as well as a variety of airport transfer options including shuttle and on-demand ride-hailing.
The new global partnership is accessible within each market that Priority Pass has a presence. Members across Asia-Pacific including Hong Kong, Mainland China, Singapore, Australia and India can gain access to competitive rates from multiple car rental and mobility providers such as Avis, Hertz, Europcar and Enterprise. Members can also simply use any valid payment card to hire their vehicle or pay for their transfer.
“Collinson is dedicated to continually innovating our range of premium travel experiences, to meet the rapidly changing needs of today’s traveller. More specifically our customers are looking for enhanced, digitally enabled, end-to-end customer experiences. This partnership with CarTrawler directly responds to that need, providing a market-leading benefit, beyond the airport, delivered directly into their hands via our Priority Pass app,” said Christopher Evans, joint CEO at Collinson.
Irmohizam Ibrahim, group managing director of the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, was recently appointed the inaugural chairman of Convention and Exhibition (C&E) Member Advisory Council (MAC), World Trade Centers Association (WTCA), headquartered in New York.
On his appointment, Irmohizam commented: “It is a great honour not just to be the first Malaysian, but also the first Bumiputera to hold this position in chairing the global Convention and Exhibition industry, I sincerely hope that our country’s image can be enhanced and viewed positively by the whole world through more cooperation and collaboration amongst WTCA members which now comprises of 326 WTCs worldwide. In order to revive this industry, an open and inclusive approach by every member is necessary.”
Irmohizam expressed his sincere gratitude and thanks to all WTCA Board Members and the leadership of the World Trade Centers in all 86 countries who gave him confidence in leading a world organisation in the business events industry.
During his two-year term, Irmohizam aims to collaborate and make as many connections as possible to generate sharing of experiences between the association’s global members.
Previously, WTCA divided the C&E MAC into several regions, namely the Asia Pacific, America and Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Recently, all WTCA Board members have agreed to merge all MACs into one global group. This amalgamation will increase participation in business events, exhibitions, and conventions from all WTCA members. It is hoped that it will also benefit the rest of the world to collaborate and diversify services such as the business events industry.
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has appointed an experienced programme and project management professional, Haryati Md Haidar, to the director of strategic projects role.
In this role, Haryati is responsible for establishing the structure and framework for the Centre’s strategic projects and organisational change management, while streamlining, facilitating and providing cross-divisional support to ensure seamless project management.
Haryati joined the Centre in 2004 and was heavily involved in the successful implementation of the Event Business Management System, which encompassed the Centre’s entire operation, from sales processing, event planning and delivery and inventory, to resource planning and revenue management. During this period, she designed, developed and customised process flows, business cases and management reports.
In 2009, Haryati was key to the delivery of the Centre’s Integrated Business Management System, where she was responsible for compliance monitoring. She was also integral to the development of the Centre’s strategic approach that ensured the venue continually met the requirements of its integrated management system standards, including quality, food safety, occupational safety and health, sustainability and business continuity.
Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, the Group’s newest luxury hotel in China’s Greater Bay Area, has opened.
The hotel is located on the upper floors of a new 79-storey building in Futian business district. Each of the 178 luxurious rooms and suites – among the largest in the city – provide vistas of the cityscape, greenery of Lotus Hill Park, Bijia Mountain Park and Shenzhen Bay.
Deluxe View Room
Event planners will delight in The Cube, the hotel’s main events venue. Function spaces within The Cube include the 700m2 Grand Ballroom, as well as the Mandarin Ballroom and Oriental Ballroom, where the latter two each features 400m2 of space and floor-to-ceiling windows. There is also a 900m2 covered outdoor event space named the Terrace, which offers scenic views of park greenery and the skyline.
Planners also have the option of booking The Gallery, a banquet space
on the 77th floor of the hotel offering sweeping views towards Lotus Hill Park and the glittering Shenzhen cityscape.
For business travellers and club guests, The Mandarin Club, located on the 78th floor, provides a private lounge experience. Meanwhile, recreational facilities include The Mandarin Spa, a fitness centre, and indoor swimming pool.
There are also eight F&B options on-site, ranging from the Cantonese fine-dining restaurant by Chef Fei, to the cake shop serving scrumptious patisseries from the hotel’s Afternoon Tea menu.
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
