Radisson Hotel Group has opened the Radisson Hotel Danang, a brand-new international upscale hotel, marking the brand’s debut in the Vietnamese city.
Planners can opt to organise events, meetings or gala dinners in the 270m2 Cyan Ballroom supported by state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, set against a backdrop of tropical palms and ocean views. The space can comfortably host up to 300 people in a theatre style or be flexibly divided into two smaller spaces.
Radisson Hotel Danang features 182 rooms and suites with views of the city, ocean or peninsula. The seven-room categories range from 28m² Deluxe Rooms to 70m² Family Room Ocean View, and the Executive Lounge is an exclusive 20th-floor space that offers extra services and all-day refreshments.
Recreational amenities on-site include the spa, steam room, fitness centre, and one of the highest infinity pools in Danang. F&B options meanwhile, include the Vivid Rooftop Bar & Pool on the rooftop (which can also be utilised for events); The Market Place for authentic Vietnamese cuisine; and Lobby Café & Terrace for drinks and snacks.
The property stands next to My Khe Beach, a 10-minute drive from Danang International Airport.
Radisson Hotel Danang becomes Radisson Hotel Group’s fourth property to open in Vietnam, joining upper-upscale Radisson Blu resorts in Phu Quoc, Cam Ranh and Radisson Hotel Phan Thiet.
Organisers of IT&CM China and CTW China 2022, TTG Asia Media and China-based CTG MICE Service Company Limited, have postponed the Shanghai-based business events and corporate travel tradeshow to July.
The three-day in-person event will be held from July 12-14, 2022, at The Anandi Hotel and Spa Shanghai, followed by an online networking and conference segment on July 27-28, 2022.
The exhibitions industry has shown its innovation, and resilience in responding to difficulties brought about by the pandemic
The seventh annual Global Exhibitions Day (GED) is set to place on June 1, 2022, a first-of-its-kind global coalition facilitated by UFI.
The focus will be on the irreplaceable value of physical exhibitions and face-to-face business events in creating platforms for economic growth and recovery.
The exhibitions industry has shown its innovation, and resilience in responding to difficulties brought about by the pandemic
“Global Exhibitions Day puts the spotlight on the exhibitions industry,” said Monica Lee-Müller, UFI president. “It is a recognition and a celebration of this spirit of innovation and resilience in the industry, and everyone is welcomed to join – working together to showcase who we are as an industry and what vital role we play.”
This day of advocacy is supported by more than 40 national and international industry associations, and leading exhibitions organisers. All businesses and professionals in the sector are encouraged to join the GED celebrations on June 1, 2022 by highlighting the impact of exhibitions on local economies – both in building businesses and connecting people from around the world.
Exhibition organisers and associations have managed to quickly bring live event platforms back, and events are seeing levels of attendance similar – if not higher – to those before the pandemic. Some shows around the world are bigger than they have been before the pandemic, driven by pent-up demand especially from small- and medium-sized businesses to meet and do business face-to-face.
Charlie McCurdy, CEO of Informa Markets, said: “The spirit of connection and collaboration are at the heart of our industry’s purpose – when people come together to achieve common goals, they thrive… Over the last few years, we have united as an industry to bring safe, successful events back to life. We’re once again celebrating the magic of face-to-face connection, and creating a sustainable future, together. We are more than ever seeing the value of our services through the eyes of our customers, who are returning to the show floor with urgency and enthusiasm.”
“The benefits of face-to-face interactions and the critical business function in-person events provide our customers are what drive our industry forward with determination and vigour. People want to meet to share ideas, products, and innovations; to be inspired, share best practices, and discuss challenges,” acknowledged Hervé Sedky, president & CEO – Emerald.
Hugh Jones, CEO – RX, added: “Nothing speaks of the power of face-to-face events to drive business recovery, growth and innovation, as the sight of customers streaming back through our show doors. But in these fractured times, our events also celebrate the importance of community, of coming together, of shared experiences where everyone is made to feel welcome.
The International Congress on Infectious Diseases 2022's organising team on a recent site visit
With the recent reopening of Malaysia’s international borders, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre), is preparing to host more than 20 high-profile international events, 10 conventions and 13 exhibitions, from now until December 2022.
These upcoming international events include International Congress on Infectious Diseases 2022; International Conference on Tropical Agriculture 2022; International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium 2022; Asia Turbomachinery & Pump Symposium 2022; 3rd Asia Optometric Congress 2022; International Medical Exhibition & Conference 2022; International Café & Beverage Show 2022; Control World Expo, Oil & Gas Asia 2022; and International Invention, Innovation & Technology Exhibition 2022.
In total, 117 business and entertainment events have been confirmed at the Centre for this year.
The International Congress on Infectious Diseases 2022’s organising team on a recent site visit
Alan Pryor, general manager of the Centre, recently hosted a few site-visits for the upcoming conferences and further stressed the importance of winning and welcoming international meetings and exhibitions, as these are important to the country’s business events and hospitality sectors.
“The re-opening of our international borders will accelerate the country’s economic rebound, but we (the Centre) are returning to a tough business events landscape. The overall business pie has shrunk making competition stiffer and price wars more aggressive.
“Malaysia needs strong, compelling policies and strategies to capitalise on the destination’s attractive proposition to set itself apart from neighbouring competitors and help entice more international events to come to our shores,” Pryor added.
While the conflict has not affected corporate travel much, it will push fuel and airfares up
While the invasion of Ukraine has not created a big impact on the region so far, the corporate travel community here is having to grapple with challenges and its fallout.
A Singapore corporate travel manager told TTGmice that “corporate retaliation” by way of sanctions was causing operational issues, for example, Sabre purging Aeroflot content and causing “workarounds if teams still need to fly with the Russian carrier”.
While the conflict has not impacted corporate travel per se, it will push fuel and airfares up
He noted that petrol prices which have increased between 20 and 30 per cent since the invasion of Ukraine were also impacting the operation of the company’s fleet of vehicles.
While CWT has also not seen a big impact on corporate travel demand, Hwang Cheng Meng, vice president, global market management, Asia Pacific, said the event is a reminder to companies about the importance of having robust risk-management measures in place.
Benson Tang, executive director, corporate travel, Informa Markets, observed that the main impact, aside from energy supply destabilisation, would be inflation as energy prices rise, and on trade and investments as financial sanctions are imposed by the US and western allies. For example, the removal of Russia from the SWIFT international financial system and partly disabling businesses from operating globally.
Tang continued: “Russia is the world’s 11th largest economy in terms of GDP size, is a major exporter of oil, gas, and coal, and has the world’s ninth biggest population. Hence, Russia’s involvement in the war will have a significant impact on the global economy.
“The most significant effect will be the increase in airfares. Fuel accounts for around 30 to 35 per cent of the total operating cost for an airline, and it is a cost which impacts the ticket price.”
Uncertainty over fuel prices is most worrisome for the aviation industry, Tang opined, and airlines would need to reconsider their network structure, reduce their cost where possible and engage in serious revenue management activities.
Tang commented there would be disruption of the global supply chain and endanger the recovery of the global economy if the situation in Ukraine drags on.
PCMA Asia Pacific (APAC) has revealed its 2022 Regional Advisory Board, as the association prepares to launch its redesigned Convening APAC event for July to September 2022.
These 15 members will act as regional-local ambassadors to amplify the voice and presence of PCMA within Asia-Pacific.
2022 Regional Advisory Board
The following individuals will serve a two-year term:
Deborah Caldwell, senior vice president, regional lead APAC global events, Bank of America
Jean Chua, head, branding & communications, NTT Data
Simon Lin, vice president & executive director, APAC, HIMSS
Teagan Seccombe, head of events, Australia, Harcourts International
Deanna Varga, CEO & founder, Mayvin Global
The following individuals’ terms have been renewed for 2022:
Weemin Ong, vice president, conventions & exhibitions, Marina Bay Sands
Global Board liaisons:
Paula Rowntree, head of Eevents, Australian Psychological Society
Veemal Gungadin, CEO, GEVME
Staff Board liaison:
Florence Chua, PCMA managing director, APAC
Convening APAC 2022 will deliver a virtual everywhere experience July-September and two in-person experiences, one in Australia slated for August, and another in Singapore from September 7-9, at Marina Bay Sands. Themed, Your Community. Your Purpose, the experience offers live and on-demand, in-person and virtual activations for the community to remain connected for conversations, collaboration and practical learning throughout.
Registration is expected to open in late May.
“The business events industry is poised for recovery in the region with varying phases of reopening. There is a pressing need for the community to collaborate more to navigate the continued uncertainties ahead and, overcome the talent crunch faced in all markets,” said Chua. “Continuing education needs to be balanced with the workload of increased business to ensure our talents are recharged and up to speed with the latest developments.”
JW Marriott has opened the 301-key JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa, nestled within the Nandi Hills region of Bengaluru.
The property houses a fully-equipped Convention Center, spread over more than 3,250m2 and accommodating up to 4,000 guests. The convention centre is the first and largest of its kind in Bengaluru, with a 2,230m2 pillar-less ballroom. An additional 6,130m2 of open lawns and a range of smaller halls and breakout rooms provide the flexibility to accommodate outdoor networking sessions and conferences.
Luxury Suite
There are six dining options on-site, including the all-day dining restaurant Aviary; Aaleeshaan which offers North-Western Frontier Indian cuisine; and Patisserie Truffle & Co for freshly-baked pastries and gourmet coffees. There is also the Flamingo Bar & Pool, an open-air dining space with a terrace as well as a swim-up bar.
Recreational facilities meanwhile, include the Spa by JW with seven therapy rooms, a fitness centre, two outdoor pools, a lap pool and a temperature-controlled lagoon pool with a jacuzzi. A wide range of activities are also offered, such as yoga and meditation sessions, and cycling expeditions to explore the surrounding Nandi Hills.
For corporate guests travelling with children, there is a Kids’ Club offering a full schedule of family-friendly programming, including sessions with a local magician, an afternoon of creative fun with art, as well as music and sightseeing tours on and off the resort.
In a bid to rebuild its global network to meet growing travel demand, Emirates will restart operations to Bali, London Stansted, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires progressively from May 1, as well as boost the frequency of flights to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore.
Starting from May 1, Emirates will operate five weekly flights to Bali, utilising a two-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and further scale that up to a weekly service.
From August 1, the airline will resume operations to London Stansted with five weekly flights, utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that will come with First Class cabins. The route will be served daily from September 1.
Emirates will serve the UK with 110 weekly flights by October this year, to hubs such as London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow.
Come November 2, Emirates will operate four weekly flights to Buenos Aires via Rio de Janeiro on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and scale that up to a daily service.
Meanwhile, to cater to rising demand, services to Nigeria’s Lagos will be ramped up to 11 weekly flights from July 1 and double daily from September 1. Services to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, will be operated five times weekly from May 1 and then daily from September 1.
Services to Mauritius will go from daily to nine weekly flights between April 9 and end-June, and then scaled up further to double daily from July.
The airline will also increase passenger services to Singapore from seven weekly flights, to 14 weekly flights, starting from June 23.
Australia’s Victoria state has earned hosting rights to the 2026 Commonwealth Games (Victoria 2026), as well as the 2028 and 2040 Presidents Cup, all of which will bring hefty local economic benefits and positive legacy for its people.
Victoria 2026 is estimated to contribute more than A$3 billion (US$2.2 billion) to the state’s economy, and create more than 600 full-time-equivalent jobs before the games, 3,900 jobs during the games, and 3,000 jobs beyond the Closing Ceremony.
Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat (pictured) and Gippsland across Victoria will be regional hubs for the 2026 Commonwealth Games
To be held across multiple regions, Victoria 2026 will create a new multi-city model for the Commonwealth Games, with four regional hubs to be established in Geelong, Bendigo, Ballarat and Gippsland – each with its own athletes’ village and sport programme. The opening ceremony will be hosted at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The games will also see significant investment in community infrastructure, including housing and world-class sports facilities. These will leave a legacy of affordable housing for the regions and modern sports infrastructure to encourage Victorians to get active and attract future major events.
Premier Daniel Andrews shared: “It’s a great honour to have Victoria chosen as the host venue for the 2026 Commonwealth Games – we can’t wait to welcome the world to all of our state. The Commonwealth Games in regional Victoria is great for jobs, hospitality and our economy.”
“Hosting the Commonwealth Games in four years’ time will deliver major benefits, particularly the regions, and leave a lasting legacy for the growth and development of sport throughout Victoria,” said Martin Pakula, minister for tourism, sport and major events.
Meanwhile, Melbourne’s iconic Sandbelt will play host to the Presidents Cup in 2028 and 2040, bringing the prestigious global golf event back to Victoria.
Previous Presidents Cups were held in Melbourne in 1998, 2011 and 2019. The biennial event generated a combined economic impact of more than A$121 million, thousands of hours in broadcasts globally, and more than 315,000 spectators, including 47,000 visitors to Victoria.
The 2028 Presidents Cup will also help deliver on Victoria’s Golf Tourism Strategy 2018-23, as the state vies to be recognised as one of the top five golf destinations in the world.
Pakula said: “Securing two more Presidents Cups is a real coup for Melbourne, promoting our city to the world and providing a boost for tourism and jobs. The PGA TOUR joins the likes of the Australian Open, Formula One, T20 Cricket World Cup and Super Rugby in choosing our world-class facilities for their international events.”
Oceania Cruises has appointed chef Alexis Quaretti as director of culinary programmes and development. Previously senior executive chef for Oceania Cruises, Quaretti will now oversee all aspects of the development, introduction, and implementation of new concepts across the line’s seven ships and 12 restaurant brands.
Quaretti first joined Oceania Cruises in 2004 and was soon promoted to executive chef at the young age of 27.
“We welcome Chef Alexis, one of the most influential chefs in hospitality, back to the Oceania Cruises family with open arms,” said Howard Sherman, president and CEO of Oceania Cruises. “He brings a unique perspective to the role, having been an integral part of our growth and prowess over the last 20 years helping build our reputation for serving The Finest Cuisine at Sea.
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
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.
In a bid to rebuild its global network to meet growing travel demand, Emirates will restart operations to Bali, London Stansted, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires progressively from May 1, as well as boost the frequency of flights to Nigeria, Mauritius and Singapore.
Starting from May 1, Emirates will operate five weekly flights to Bali, utilising a two-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and further scale that up to a weekly service.
From August 1, the airline will resume operations to London Stansted with five weekly flights, utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that will come with First Class cabins. The route will be served daily from September 1.
Emirates will serve the UK with 110 weekly flights by October this year, to hubs such as London Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow.
Come November 2, Emirates will operate four weekly flights to Buenos Aires via Rio de Janeiro on the Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and scale that up to a daily service.
Meanwhile, to cater to rising demand, services to Nigeria’s Lagos will be ramped up to 11 weekly flights from July 1 and double daily from September 1. Services to Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, will be operated five times weekly from May 1 and then daily from September 1.
Services to Mauritius will go from daily to nine weekly flights between April 9 and end-June, and then scaled up further to double daily from July.
The airline will also increase passenger services to Singapore from seven weekly flights, to 14 weekly flights, starting from June 23.