8 on Claymore Serviced Residences will be rebranded into an Accor property
Accor is set to operate the group’s first serviced apartment property in Singapore with the signing of 8 on Claymore Serviced Residences located in the city-state’s famous Orchard Road area.
Scheduled to commence operations around the end of this year, the property will operate under the name of 8 on Claymore Singapore managed by Accor, and will undergo a soft refurbishment for all rooms and public areas by mid-2022.
8 on Claymore Serviced Residences will be rebranded into an Accor property
The 85-room property will feature a range of accommodation, from executive studios to two- and three-bedroom apartments, each with living areas, fully equipped kitchens, in-room laundry facilities and bedrooms. Guests will have access to the Club Lounge, which also includes a pool and a 24-hour gym.
Accor’s signing of this conversion project following its rebranding of another two properties in Singapore – Fairmont Singapore and Swissôtel the Stamford. This property will join the group’s network of 28 properties in Singapore including the Raffles, Fairmont, Sofitel, Swissôtel, Novotel, Mercure and ibis brands.
Healthy optimism is building in New Zealand for the return of business events come 2022, with new regional destinations and conferencing venues to choose from. Surviving what has been described as a “topsy turvy year” which saw a 78 per cent drop in business compared to pre-Covid times, the industry is expected to start recovering from March or April next year, beginning with the Australian market.
New Regent Street pedestrian mall, Christchurch
“The nucleus of our plan is a high vaccination rate with the aim of 90 per cent,” Lisa Hopkins, chief executive, Business Events Industry Aotearoa told TTGmice.
With 80 per cent of New Zealanders already receiving their first vaccination, that number of fully vaccinated residents is expected to grow significantly by Christmas.
“(Based on a recent report) developed by the Tourism Export Council of New Zealand, we hope to see conferences and incentives from Asia begin to land at the end of 2Q2022, into 3Q2022. Given Air New Zealand’s position that only vaccinated travellers will be able to fly internationally on their planes, as have other airlines, there will be confidence that the risk is low,” Hopkins continued.
While the impact of restrictions on business has been highly challenging, New Zealand’s regions in particular have been busy producing new offerings for the sector.
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre opens in Christchurch in December, with Tãkina Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wellington and the New Zealand International Convention Centre in Auckland to follow.
“New regions have truly made their mark in the business events sector. In future, choosing a destination for an event will be challenging. We expect to see more dual destination programmes developing from beautiful rural landscapes one day, and deep rugged Fiords the next. New Zealand’s position as an aspirational incentive destination, coupled with world-class conference facilities has just been amplified,” she added.
Tourism New Zealand is also offering funding and support to encourage a steady pipeline of conferences and incentives for the future.
As the weekly Covid-19 infection growth rate has been below one for the past five days, Singapore authorities have eased a number of measures.
Zone sizes for business events have now been increased. For all event categories where zoning is implemented, they now can have up to 100 attendees in each zone, with at least two-metre safe distancing between zones, while keeping within overall attendance numbers.
Various curbs in Singapore (pictured) will be eased from November 11
Previously, unmasking was allowed for speakers – as long as the speaker kept a safe distance of at least three metres from the audience. With the adjustments, up to 10 people can now be unmasked and engaged in public speaking at any time, as long as the unmasked speakers maintain a two-metre distance from the audience.
Authorities are also exploring further easing of safe mangement measures which are able to enforce both Vaccination-Differentiated Safe Management Measures (VDS) and pre-activity antigen rapid test (ART).
Under this regime, all participants will need to be fully vaccinated and will be required to produce a valid negative ART result on-site prior to the activity. VDS+ART will be piloted at selected business events, as well as selected mass sporting events.
Meanwhile, live performances will now have at least two-metre separation between performers and the audience.
Static performers may be in groups of two, with no need to maintain safe distance. However, groups of performers should have one-metre safe distancing from one another.
Live music and entertainment, however, is still not allowed.
In addition, more Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTL) with Finland and Sweden, will be launched starting from November 29. A joint VTL with Malaysia for travel between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport will also commence on the same day.
Applications for short-term visitors and long-term pass holders will be open from November 22.
Singapore and Malaysia are also in discussions to launch a similar scheme for travel across land links.
The authorities are also expanding the types of tests recognised as a valid pre-departure test for all travellers arriving in, or transiting through, Singapore from Category II or III countries and regions, including travellers arriving via VTLs.
From 23.59 on November 11, a negative, professionally administered antigen rapid test (ART) result taken within two days prior to departure will be accepted as a valid pre-departure test.
The vaccinated travel lane will be between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (pictured)
Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to launch a vaccinated travel lane (VTL) between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport from November 29.
This was announced by Singapore prime minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a joint statement on Monday (November 8).
Vaccinated travel lane set to launch between Changi Airport and Kuala Lumpur International Airport (pictured)
The reopening covers only air travel, and does not include land travel via the Causeway or Second Link.
“The prime ministers also look forward to restoring travel across the land links between both countries in the near future,” said the statement.
In a Facebook post, Lee wrote: “Singapore and Malaysia have made good progress vaccinating our populations and managing the pandemic. So we agreed that it is timely to progressively resume cross-border travel between both countries. This will help revive our economies, restore people-to-people ties, and strengthen our bilateral partnership.”
Under the VTL, fully vaccinated travellers will be able to travel between Singapore and Malaysia without having to serve quarantine or stay-home notice, and will only need to take a Covid-19 PCR test prior to departure and upon arrival.
Singapore had earlier announced VTLs with 13 other countries, including Australia, Switzerland, Britain and the US.
As more corporations and organisations establish serious sustainability goals and expect their vendors and business partners to do the same, meetings and events suppliers can no longer ignore the need to have responsible processes and offer programme elements in order to score projects, says SITE Thailand president, Max Boontawee Jantasuwan.
In this episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions, Max details SITE’s global sustainability initiatives as well as the recent SITE Thailand M&I Sustainability Advocate Project, and offers tips on how to connect with and win over community-conscious clients.
The International Society of Dermatology (ISD), in collaboration with The Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD), will be running a continuous four-day programme from November 10-13.
Billed as the world-first ‘dermathon’ conference, the conference has been designed to boost international participation, packing in 150 hours of presentations in a virtual format.
A screenshot from the ISD website
Congress president Dedee Murrell said: “Unlike most medical congresses it will showcase Australia, as well as the latest developments in treatments and understanding of skin diseases – not to mention the rolling, 24-hour design.”
ICD 2021 conference organisers have also weaved in design elements to showcase the host city of Melbourne to the fully virtual audience, including facts on Victoria throughout the programme, playing Melbourne promotional videos and clever use of branding with the assistance from the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).
MCB chief executive Julia Swanson said digital solutions have truly come into their own during the pandemic – a trend that has been accelerated out of necessity.
“While virtual events are not a substitute in-person connections, they are an opportunity for business event organisers to ensure their events are maximising reach and growing their audience.
“From a destination viewpoint, Melbourne’s integration into ICD 2021 provides for greater reach globally of the Melbourne brand, building on the captured audience of a live event via compelling content, our knowledge, industry strength and our people at the virtual podium beamed to a broader global audience. This increased awareness is not just beneficial to a destination’s visitor and tourism brand, but our city’s business and innovation brand.”
Senior events operation manager Alessandra Damant, of PCO Arinex, said the non-stop format of the conference was an exciting development.
“Ordinarily virtual events struggle to obtain widespread international attendance due to time zone differences – so the committee decided to circumvent that by holding a dermathon,” she said.
With a few days to go, delegates from 65 countries have registered to attend, including from far-flung places such as Tanzania, Colombia, Latvia and Jamaica.
Bacolod City is positioning itself as a premier destination for meetings,
The city of Bacolod in the Philippines will soon join Iloilo and Boracay to become a trio of business events destinations ready to attract business events to the Western Visayas.
Cristine Mansinares, Western Visayas regional director for tourism, shared that Bacolod city’s tourism stakeholders are in the process of forming its own MICE Alliance, following in the footsteps of Iloilo and recently, Boracay, with support of the Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board.
Bacolod is working towards positioning itself as a premier destination for business events
Mansinares pointed out that Bacolod, the capital city of Negros Occidental exudes a colonial vibe, and offers a host of gastronomic delights and vibrant festivals. In 2018, Bacolod successfully hosted the 2018 MICECON, the country’s largest meeting event where local and international attendees were present.
This year’s MICECON meanwhile, will be held in Boracay from November 12-16, postponed from October, to provide the island enough time to prepare for the hybrid event, shared Boracay’s MICE Alliance chair, Cleofe Albiso.
Inspired by Iloilo which formed its own MICE Alliance and Meet You in Iloilo campaign two years ago, the two other destinations are also expected to offer attractive incentives and packages to entice meeting planners and organisers while sprucing up their meetings hardware including hotels, convention centres and pre- and post-tours.
Albiso, who was also former chair of Iloilo MICE Alliance, added that these three MICE Alliances in Wester Visayas signal their readiness to host both local and international business events in the new normal.
The roadshow was held on 3rd November at Corinthia, London following the conclusion of WTM
London 2021.
Visit Maldives held its first dedicated business events roadshow in the UK on November 3, 2021, as part of the destination’s global Redefining MICE campaign.
During the roadshow, Visit Maldives provided the latest destination information and travel guidelines to both the trade, and tourists, who visited, marketing the destination as a safe haven due to the naturally social-distanced geography and the stringent safety measures in place.
Maldives’ industry partners and travel agencies in Europe had the chance to mingle
Various opportunities for businesess to conduct business events in the Maldives were also highlighted, as well as the unique experiences available for visitors from this segment.
There were also 20 industry partners from the Maldives present at the roadshow, who were afforded a chance to meet with 50 travel agencies in attendance.
Global travel management company FCM is inviting corporate travel managers to experience a preview of its new proprietary omni-channel platform.
Specific details around the platform’s full capabilities are under wraps; however, those signing up to receive an advance demo will get a realistic expectation of what’s to come when it debuts early next year.
FCM revamps travel management platform
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At the platform’s heart will be a clear and informative landing page displaying an instant overview of key information such as upcoming trips alongside live updates, notifications and changes to bookings. The user interface has also been designed to ease seamless navigation between an array of features and tools.
As an open platform, FCM’s signature ‘plug and play’ flexibility remains front and centre. Clients will have the ability to choose from a number of integrations to deliver on their multi-national and local needs – like booking tool selection, expense suppliers and duty of care providers. While the introduction of a single approval flow joins multiple online booking tools, offline bookings and even multiple markets into a simplified approvals experience.
Additionally, an improved ecosystem of communications prioritises safety and wellbeing by combining technology and personal service to support bookers and their travellers 24/7/365.
“As the world has changed, so have the challenges our clients face too. With geographically dispersed operations and a remote workforce the new norm, our travel management solution has been purposely designed for the digitally savvy workforce, offering a powerful suite of digital tools and dashboards that puts travel managers, arrangers, and travellers firmly in control,” said Marcus Eklund, FCM’s managing director.
The new FCM platform is already piloting with a growing number of global clients, and it is expected that new customers will have access from early 2022.
The conference programme Designed to provide tangible learnings and innovative solutions for attendees in a post-pandemic world,
IBTM has announced the first details of its Knowledge Programme for IBTM World Barcelona, due to take place at Fira Barcelona from November 30 to December 2, 2021.
The conference programme includes three keynote speakers, as well as a packed schedule of sessions around four themes: trends and technology; gamification and engagement; the future of event planning (including sustainability, safety and security and government support); and career and personal development.
The conference programme is designedto provide tangible learnings and innovative solutions for attendees in a post-pandemic world
Keynote speakers are drawn from industries outside of meetings and events, and include expert in digitisation and internationalisation, Alba del Villa Olano. Del Villa Olano has spoken at more than 20 international conferences and founded and directed several digital projects. A visiting professor at the University of Navarra and consultant for several leading Spanish companies, Del Villa Olano will discuss how the digitalisation process affects the events industry and offer ideas on how event organisers can adapt to the changing landscape.
On day two, ex-Deutsche Bank and PwC employee and founder and CEO of TLC Lions, Gian Power, will present a keynote session on the power of storytelling. Power will share his story and explore what he’s learnt about happiness and authenticity in the workplace. During this session, attendees will be provided with resources and tips to implement into their own lives, as well as takeaways for their organisations.
On the final day, founder of Wavelength Marketing, Darren Coleman, will explore how event organisers can harness the power of experiences to make their events stand out. With over 20 years’ brand marketing experience spanning both B2B and B2C, Coleman has helped organisations such as Orange, Nikon, Standard Life, Pepsi, BUPA, and UK Trade & Investment address a range of brand-related issues.
A further 65 Knowledge Programme sessions will be delivered by a diverse range of expert speakers from organisations including the United Nations Climate Change, LinkedIn, CrowdComms, American Express Meetings and Events, ICCA, VisitScotland, BBC Creative and more.
The programme also includes a specially curated Association Programme which will follow three core themes: inspire, exchange and solve. The programme will feature case studies, speeches and panel sessions from some of the leading organisations in the association sector.
IBTM Accelerate will also return to help answer delegates’ questions on the future of the events industry. IBTM Accelerate will showcase solutions, applications and technologies on specific meetings and events industry challenges. The programme will address issues such as the change in consumer behaviour, the role of technology, sustainability, and the future of the events industry.
In addition, on day two, IBTM’s Elite Corporate Programme will explore key insights focused on the needs of corporate Hosted Buyers. Themes include the future of the meetings experience, restarting events and evaluating their success, and peer-to-peer learning and insights.
IBTM World Barcelona has also been granted preferred provider status from the Events Industry Council for its Knowledge Programme. This allows delegates to gain Certified Meeting Professional points for each education session attended.
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.
