The Conrad Centennial Singapore has appointed Tan Chii Shyan as the hotel’s new executive sous chef.
The Malaysian brings a wealth of experience and expertise, having developed his culinary techniques in various five-star establishments in Malaysia and Singapore.
Tan joins from Hilton Singapore, where he also served as executive sous chef.
Brought to you by the Singapore Tourism Board
With sustainability a top priority in Singapore, the garden city has key infrastructure that supports Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions (MICE) stakeholders in conducting green business events.
This is in line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, unveiled in 2021, which is a whole-of-nation movement to advance the national agenda on sustainable development.
The Green Plan charts ambitious and concrete targets over the next 10 years, strengthening Singapore’s commitments under the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and Paris Agreement, and positioning the city-state to achieve her long-term net zero emissions aspiration as soon as viable.
A wealth of green options for MICE events
The country’s business events ecosystem has also stepped up to the challenge of reducing its carbon footprint and waste with green initiatives.
From well-equipped energy-efficient venues, green meeting packages, complete with sustainable dining, as well as eco-friendly accommodation, Singapore is well-positioned to cater to all the needs of eco-conscious businesses.
For instance, MICE delegates mindful of their environmental impact can rest assured that they can stay, dine and work in sustainable ways when they attend a business event in Singapore.
Edward Chew, senior vice president, sales and marketing, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) told TTGmice that the premium lifestyle destination resort launched Eco-MICE packages that provide guests with meals served in sustainable packaging and feature reusable pens and recycled paper for use during events last year.
RWS houses world-class theme parks and attractions, six unique luxury hotels, the Resorts World Convention Centre and a casino.
To reduce food waste, all unserved food is donated to the Food Bank. Food grinders and a biodigester have also been installed in the kitchens to decrease food waste heading to landfills.
LED lighting are also installed across the resort’s MICE venues and motion sensors are fitted in washrooms – all to increase energy efficiency.
RWS became the first destination in the world to be certified in accordance to both Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Destination Criteria and its Industry Criteria for Hotels, and was also conferred the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) MICE Sustainability Certification.
Another MICE option with green operations is MAX Atria, the convention wing of Singapore EXPO. It is the first MICE venue to receive Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Platinum Award.
Its eco-friendly offerings include use of remote controlled, energy-efficient LED lights in MAX Atria and Exhibition Halls, solar panels, and a food digester to turn food waste into electricity, water and compost, according to Ang Chee Chiang, general manager, centre management, Constellar Venues. Constellar is the operator for Singapore EXPO and MAX Atria, Singapore’s largest purpose-built, award-winning MICE venue.
The facility even offers exhibitors modular structures and carpentry that can be repurposed.
Singapore is also home to one of the most sustainable event venues in Asia. Sands Expo and Convention Centre became the first carbon neutral MICE venue in Singapore in 2020, on top of being the first MICE venue in Asia Pacific in 2019 to attain the LEED Platinum green building certification for Building Operations and Maintenance.
In fact, Marina Bay Sands’ (MBS) investment in renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets covers 100 per cent of the carbon emissions generated from the said meeting venue’s gas and electricity consumption.
MBS’ green meeting practices also include delicious sustainable food options and having the event décor reused, recycled or planted.
For MICE planners new to the green frontier, they can also look to MBS’ Sands ECO360 Meetings Programme that helps them plan in three steps and customise their events to meet their sustainability goals.
The country’s first ‘Garden-in-a-Hotel’, Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay, Singapore, boasts of extensive lush greenery across 15,000 square feet of space which functions as natural air purifiers and sinks for carbon dioxide.
Its urban farm, one of the largest in the city-state, provides 20 per cent of the hotel’s supply, reducing its dependence on the food supply chain, as well as allows its culinary team to introduce more plant-based options and create awareness on their benefits and positive impact on the environment.
Interest for the hotel’s green meeting package has been high – an eco-centric alternative that focuses on purposefully implemented eco-conscious practices that help to reduce waste and minimise the carbon footprint for events, sustainable options for refreshments and a farm-to-table working lunch in eco-friendly bento boxes.
General manager, Melvin Lim, said: “Sustainability is what is best for the planet, and our guests are increasingly demanding this level of commitment from us.”
To regulate energy use, the hotel’s other green practices include energy-efficient windows, guestroom filtered water systems and motion sensors.
To source more local produce, numerous Singapore hotels have also created their own food gardens. The Fairmont Singapore and sister property, Swissotel The Stamford even house a rooftop aquaponics farm to efficiently grow their own vegetables and seafood without pesticides and utilise far less water than traditional methods.
Going green makes business sense
Going green not only benefits the environment, it also bolsters demand and contributes to bottomlines for MICE players too.
Ang said: “We have seen an encouraging increase in the number of clients looking at reducing environmental impact of the event components and adopting more sustainable practices for their events. Being a sustainability-focused venue is a key strategic thrust that allows us to remain attractive and relevant as a MICE venue.”
RWS also saw more event enquiries from sustainability-conscious corporates, with several having subscribed and supported its campaign towards greener meetings, according to Chew.
Moving ahead, the MICE ecosystem continues to up the ante on the sustainability game.
Constellar will keep at charting its green targets and adopting established industry practices and standards towards being a carbon-neutral venue, with one of their key targets being organising net zero carbon events, Ang said.
Chew added that RWS is in the process of applying for the Events Industry Council Sustainable Event Standards, which will give it “a stronger edge in catering to the needs of business travellers and sustainable MICE events of tomorrow”.
Discover how easy it is to hold a green event in Singapore here.
To learn how Singapore can support your next business event, visit Singapore Tourism Board.
Singapore will remove most travel restrictions in a determined move to rebuild the economy, with ART on arrival, Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) and daily arrival quotas being the items to be struck off border regulations from March 31.
All Covid-19 vaccinated travellers to Singapore, including children aged 12 and below, will no longer be required to take an antigen rapid test (ART) within 24 hours of arrival from 23.59 on March 31.
VTL flights will be retired along with daily arrival quotas, while travellers will no longer need to apply for a vaccinated entry pass.
However, pre-departure tests taken two or three days prior to departure for Singapore will be retained for the time being, and travellers will still need to obtain a negative test result to fly.
The government will monitor the situation over the coming weeks, and changes will be made accordingly.
Separately, non-fully vaccinated long-term pass holders and short-term visitors aged 13 and above are generally not allowed to enter Singapore. Exemptions will be made for long-term pass holders who are medically ineligible for vaccines, long-term pass holders aged 13 to 17, and long-term pass holders and short-term visitors with other valid entry approvals.
Such visitors must take a pre-departure test within two days before departure for Singapore, undergo a seven-day stay-home notice (SHN) quarantine, and take a PCR test at the end of their SHN period.
Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce also announced several other changes impacting air and airport crew.
Air crew will also be allowed to resume normal activities in Singapore or overseas. They will be subject to similar testing requirements as vaccinated travellers.
Airport workers will only need to put on surgical masks, except for those in higher-risk roles who will be required to wear face shields and gloves. They will no longer be required to undergo regular Covid-19 testings.
Singapore’s airport will no longer be segregated into zones, allowing travellers to move freely in the transit area.
Social restrictions will also be eased from March 29, facilitating tourist activities. This includes expanding group size and dining out limits from five to 10, removal of mandatory mask-wearing in outdoor settings, removal of restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol after 22.30, resumption of live performances at all venues, and expansion of capacity limits for larger events and settings, with more than 1,000 attendees, to 75 per cent.
However, it is still mandatory to mask up indoors.
Speaking at a press conference, health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who co-chairs Singapore’s Multi-Ministry Taskforce, said: “Today’s announcement marks a pivoting, not a dismantling of our Covid-19-related measures. We cannot abruptly dismantle all our measures because that means letting down our guard, and that will result in the virus coming back to impact us and hurt us.”
The authorities are considering the safe resumption of nightlife businesses, such as bars and discotheques, stated the Ministry of Health.
MICE stakeholders have warmly welcomed the lifting of travel restrictions and venue capacity increases.
Richard Ireland, president, Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers, commented that the announcement was timely, and the association will “work closely with the industry and government” to help boost Singapore’s profile as the “world’s leading destination for safe international MICE events”.
Elaine Chia, APAC CEO of Comexposium, added: “We are delighted to hear that Singapore is taking the next step in its progressive approach to reopening, proving that international MICE events can be held safely without compromising participant experience. The move bodes well for our upcoming events in the year ahead. Global travel restrictions have severely impacted the MICE business, but given the recent relaxations, we are confidently hopeful that we will see visitor numbers to our various events recover to pre-pandemic levels soon.”
“The MICE industry has seen a clear and increasing demand for in-person interaction to resume in a post-pandemic environment. Displaying a strong commitment towards reopening our borders and easing our restrictions are essential steps for us to rebuild confidence among global business communities in our ability to convene international audiences safely for immersive and engaging event experiences,” Jean-Francois Quetin, group CEO of Constellar, said.
Oakwood will manage the 250-key Oakwood Hotel Cheongju that is set to open in the capital of North Chungcheong province come 2026, a win that will deepen the brand’s footprint in South Korea to three properties.
Set within the Cheongju Millennium Town landmark, Oakwood Hotel Cheongju will comprise 150 hotel rooms and 100 apartments.
The expansion to this region, where the Cheongju Industrial Complex for the semiconductor, biotech and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as the Cheongju Aeropolis aerospace cluster and other key industries are based, “represents a strategic advancement for Oakwood in an emerging market for global hospitality brands”, noted Dean Schreiber, CEO of Oakwood.
Served by Cheongju International Airport’s high connectivity, the city is also a famous hub for academic institutions and universities, along with the Korea Air Force Academy and Korea National University of Education.
Popular for its numerous hiking, trail racing and mountain biking routes, the destination features myriad attractions such as the ancient Sangdang Mountain Fortress, Cheongju National Museum, Heungdeoksa Temple, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, and the historic Chojeong Haenggung palace.
The New Zealand government will be ending its vaccine mandates from April 4, which includes the increasing of indoor event capacities, lifting of gathering restrictions in outdoor settings, and scrapping of vaccine passes.
Starting from March 25, the number of people allowed to gather indoors increases from 100 to 200, under the changes to the red light setting. Under this setting, there will be no outdoor capacity limits.
Business Events Industry Aotearoa’s (BEIA) chief executive Lisa Hopkins welcomed the reduction of restrictions, and stated it is a further move in the right direction for the sector’s recovery after border reopening was announced last week.
“Our sector hasn’t been able to work effectively since last August when traffic light settings of the Covid Protection Framework were set at red and gathering numbers restricted to 100. Confidence has been at an all-time low,” she stated.
She added that up to 100 multi-day international conferences and events are currently waiting to confirm bookings for New Zealand.
On April 4, vaccine passes are also set to be scrapped, and certain vaccine mandates will also be lifted.
Tourism Australia’s business events arm, Business Events Australia (BEA), has launched a dual marketing campaign aimed at fast-tracking the recovery of business events tourism both domestically and internationally.
The new brand campaign, targeting BEA’s global key markets in the UK, Europe, North America, South-east Asia, India, and China begins this month, and will encourage business events decision-makers to take their events offline and hold their next event in-person, in Australia.
“We have tailored messaging across the incentive and association sectors,” Kelly Maynard, BEA’s head of distribution development and partnerships told TTGmice.
“The new international brand campaign is part of our recovery and reopening stretch, and we’ve been really keen to start delivering some of the activity we’ve been working on while the borders were closed,” she continued.
Maynard shared that one of the key focuses of the campaign will be fam trips for key decision-makers to experience Australia firsthand, meet with industry players and give them the confidence to quote Australia. Participation at international tradeshows will also play an important role.
“We’re seeing some great leads from all across Asia including Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. We’ve also got some good business from Japan and Korea and when the Chinese border opens we’ve got significant business in the pipeline quoting for 2023 and 2024,” she added.
In the meantime, BEA’s domestic campaign will highlight the benefits of face-to-face meetings as being critical for business success in today’s hybrid working environment. It will be launched across business press, social media, use digital displays, and be supported by a public relations programme.
BEA’s announcement at the Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) in Melbourne was followed by another announcement by Australian prime minister Scott Morrison of A$60 million (US$44.8 million) in added funding to entice international visitors back to Australia.
A$15 million of that package will go to Tourism Tropical North Queensland, with Morisson citing the destination’s high reliance on international tourism as its reason for financial priority.
Australia’s business events industry contributed A$36 billion annually to the country’s economy before the pandemic hit. Tourism Australia’s International Visitor Survey 2019 also noted that business events visitors spent on average 74 per cent more per night compared to leisure visitors.
Thai prime minister general Prayut Chan-ocha has greenlit the proposal from the Eastern Economic Corridor Office of Thailand (EECO) to organise the Thailand International Air Show at U-Tapao International Airport in 2027.
The proposal for an air show of this scale is the first of its kind initiated by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB). The recommendations were based on a series of feasibility studies and consultations conducted by TCEB since 2018.
The Thailand International Air Show has been scheduled for 2027, 2029, and 2031, and will include a conference, an indoor exhibition, static and aerial displays of aircraft, and receptions.
EECO will be the official organiser of the show, and is supported by TCEB and the Royal Navy of Thailand in the working committee. TCEB will be responsible for marketing and public relations, both domestically and overseas, to raise awareness and attract potential exhibitors.
TCEB will also plan a series of activities from 2023 through to the opening date of the show. In the announcement stage from 2023–2025, TCEB’s Road to Air Show project will familiarise domestic entrepreneurs and businesses to the concept of the air show and how they can benefit from it. During this period, TCEB will also organise the Aviation & LOG IN Week, a roadshow to the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) where meetings, exhibitions, and mega events in related sectors will be held in the same location around the same time.
The soft launch of the air show will take place in 2025 in the form of press conferences, academic conferences, and participation in aviation-related tradeshows worldwide before the full show starts in 2027.
It is expected that the planned full shows slated for 2027, 2029 and 2031, when combined with the soft launch to be held twice in 2023 and 2025, is expected to attract some 75,000 participants, contribute 4,777 million (US$142 million) baht to the GDP, create 18,760 jobs, and generate 1,788 million baht in tax revenue.
TCEB’s president, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, said that the approval is a testament to the potential for business events to drive Thailand’s economic transformation.
This comes as the EEC is set to be Thailand’s new centre for industrial investment, and with U-Tapao airport’s upgrade to become Bangkok’s third international airport, the air show will be a catalyst for the growth of Thailand’s civil and commercial aviation industry.
“As Thailand recovers from the impact of Covid-19, we believe that large-scale, high-profile, international events such as the air show will not only give our economy a boost but also give our manufacturers and service providers a very targeted platform to showcase their specialised capabilities.
“We know there are extraordinary business opportunities to be found in our aviation, aerospace, and logistics sectors under Thailand 4.0 and the Thailand International Air Show will be a key event for investors from around the world,” Chiruit added.
The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has revealed the 16 sustainability executives from across the global travel industry who will serve on GBTA’s Sustainability Leadership Council.
The Council will advise on GBTA’s overall Sustainability Program in its mission to demonstrate the significant contribution that the business travel sector can make on climate action and corporate responsibility.
In November 2021, GBTA embarked on its “sustainability journey” to address one of the biggest challenges the business travel sector – and society – are facing today. Since then, 16 travel industry companies stepped forward as Founding Partners of the first-ever GBTA Sustainability Program, with each nominating an executive from their company to serve on the Council.
Council members have deep sustainability experience and/or expertise and will serve a one-year calendar term. They are:
“There is a real need for our entire industry to tackle this incredibly complex challenge. And sustainability will be a key factor for business travel’s recovery. Both companies and travellers want to better manage the impact of business trips that will and must still take place,” said Mark Cuschieri council chair and vice president, GBTA Board of Directors.
Jenny Sabineu, manager, travel services for Salesforce, serves as the Council vice chair and is also the chair of the global GBTA Sustainability Committee, which will focus on identifying and developing the right tools to educate and guide GBTA members. Delphine Millot, senior vice president, sustainability for GBTA, has oversight for the Council, as well as for GBTA’s Sustainability Program and initiatives overall.
She said the priorities for GBTA in its sustainability journey are to raise awareness and educate GBTA members on the challenges ahead; define unifying goals and a holistic vision for a sustainable future for business travel; and increase collaboration and engagement across all levels of the industry.
Millot outlined some of the GBTA Sustainability Program initiatives currently underway.
In the coming weeks, GBTA will release the global industry’s first-ever comprehensive study – across travel suppliers, travel buyers, and policy and government stakeholders – on the state of sustainability in the business travel industry and actions to improve the sector’s environmental performance.
Sustainability will be a major theme – including education, research, speakers, and expo opportunities – throughout the GBTA Convention, August 14-17, 2022, in San Diego, with a featured spotlight on sustainability on August 16.
GBTA is also developing an education programme and toolkit for corporate travel managers to help build sustainable travel programs and influence traveller behaviour.
On November 8, GBTA will host its inaugural GBTA Sustainability Summit in Brussels, prior to its GBTA Europe Conference 2022 in partnership with VDR. Timed adjacent to the United Nations Climate Summit, COP27, GBTA’s one-day event will bring together the business travel industry and policy leaders to outline concrete solutions to decarbonise the sector in alignment with the Paris Climate Goals.
The 62nd annual International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress, scheduled for November 12-15, 2023, will be heading to Bangkok, Thailand.
The Congress aims to help reimagine the city’s future together with ICCA, the Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), and the global business events industry to benefit the local community.
“Our intention for the 2023 ICCA Congress is to co-create an annual congress that rewards every delegate while also supporting all of ICCA’s strategic goals, and at the same time, portraying our vision and capability as a host destination,“ stated Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, TCEB’s president.
Thailand has been an active member of ICCA since 1974. This would be the third time for Thailand to host ICCA Congress – and the second time for Bangkok.
“The recently pledged Net Zero Carbon Events initiative, for example, is in sync with TCEB’s vision and goal. For us, as a country, Thailand reimagines a future of sustainable development where no one is left behind.
“As a city, Bangkok reimagines a future as a world metropolis and a centre of knowledge and creativity. As a national convention bureau, TCEB reimagines a future in which business events help foster the social and economic growth of the country while simultaneously reducing the industry’s carbon footprint and preserving environmental resources for the next generation,” Chiruit added.
Discova has formed a partnership with Horus Development & Consulting that will utilise the latter’s in-depth knowledge of the South-east Asian travel markets to lead B2B promotions in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.
Horus will be developing education, training and events aimed at increasing market knowledge of Discova in the region. Both companies have also expressed commitment to jointly promote sustainable and responsible travel.
Benoit Badufle, managing director of Horus Development & Consulting, said: “The plea for a more sustainable tourism industry has become greater than ever, and it is a core value of our company to leave a positive impact in travel.
“Likewise, Discova focuses on sustainable and community development. With 95 per cent of its employees based locally, it drives direct benefits into the local communities and, retrospectively, benefits Discova with unrivalled grassroots knowledge and experience.
“We are honoured to join Discova in driving positive change and rethinking growth in the travel industry.”
Discova’s sales & marketing director Andrew Turner shares Badufle’s positive outlook. He said: “We regard Asia as a key source market opportunity with increasing outbound regional travel demand. Growth in these markets is a key element in both our short- and long-term goals. This exciting partnership with Horus will enable us to capitalise on their expansive knowledge and experience, and we look forward to extending our sustainably focused services to South-east Asian markets.”