Mandarin Oriental goes to Istanbul

September 22, 2021

Mandarin_Oriental_Bosphorus,_Istanbul_-_One_Bedroom_Suite — One-bedroom suite

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has opened its latest outpost in Istanbul, Turkey.

There are 100 luxurious guestrooms at the Mandarin Oriental Bosphorus, Istanbul, good for hotel group buyouts. For corporate events, the urban resort features three ballrooms, a garden terrace and pool area, an open area which can be decorated, and six meeting rooms.

The hotel has also introduced the Novikov concept to Istanbul, with the main Novikov restaurant on the shorefront, a Novikov Lounge Bar, a vibrant Bosphorus Lounge with waterfront terrace, and the Novikov Pool Bar.

Meanwhile, the spa offers an extensive range of wellness and beauty therapies and includes luxury treatment rooms, hammams, private relaxation areas, exercise and fitness facilities as well as an indoor and outdoor swimming pool.

The urban resort is located 15 minutes from the central business district and the city’s central Taksim Square. Istanbul’s major attractions, historical sites and museums are a short drive away, and the hotel is a short walk to the nightlife in Kuruçeşme.

Soon-to-open Hilton Singapore Orchard names GM

By TTGmice

September 20, 2021

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Hilton has appointed industry veteran Cedric Nubul as general manager for Hilton Singapore Orchard, which is set to open in January 2022 following an extensive refurbishment of the current Mandarin Orchard Singapore.

Nubul brings over 20 years of experience with Hilton hotels, including strong experience in conversion of hotels. He served in the role of general manager across the Caribbean and Colombia over the past eight years, and previously worked across France, Spain, Italy, the Maldives, and Malaysia.

Nest Virtual Convention Center opens its virtual doors

By TTGmice

September 20, 2021

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nest_virtual_640 — A screenshot from the NVCC website

Nest Group Indonesia (NGI) has unveiled the Nest Virtual Convention Center (NVCC), the country’s first web-based virtual venue.

Although virtual, NVCC offers both indoor and outdoor areas. The indoor space has a total area of 135,000m² consisting of a ballroom, exhibition hall, meeting room, and plenary hall, while the outdoor area measures 50,000m². The virtual model of a venue was superimposed onto the platform with the help of virtual reality 360, and 3D web technology.

On-site attendees can meet, network, and hold interviews directly on NVCC. When visiting a stand, attendees can also download and interact with exhibitors as they would in a physical event. Real-time chat, audio, and video calls help to ensure maximum user engagement and interaction.

On how this will benefit event organisers, Soegianto Husin, CEO of Nest Group explained that the virtual setup will help save on event costs, and cut down on preparation time without having the need to create a brand new website each time an event planner wants to hold a virtual event.

“If you have to build websites on a project basis, you have to pay for the venue design. Then you would have to pay for another platform on which the virtual event can be built open. For us, NVCC already is the venue, so we’re able to provide clients with all these services.

“We have also created many template designs for stages and booths, and clients just have to choose the one they want, which is included in one pricing,” Soegianto elaborated.

Eddy Mulyoto, founder of Empro production, shared his experience: “NVCC helps organisers deliver memorable experiences that the audience craves for, yet it makes the organiser’s work simpler because everything that’s needed to build a virtual tradeshow is already on the platform.”

“As long as organisers understand the event brief and know the detailed specifications of the client’s needs, organisers can deliver a unique experience in a virtual venue where attendees can meet new people, network, and interact as they would in real life.”

As for Donny D, managing director of Adcom Cipta Media, while he agrees NVCC makes it easier for event organisers to create and host virtual events, he hopes that there is enough bandwidth to successfully deliver numerous digital aspects of the event.

Indonesia unveils three-phase tourism recovery plan

By Kurniawan Ulung

September 20, 2021

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A-security-officer-stands-guard-when-reopening-Prambanan-Temple-in-Yogyakarta-Indonesia — Domestic tourism will lead the initial recovery phase; a security officer standing guard at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia pictured

The Indonesian government has unveiled its three-stage recovery plan to build a more resilient tourism industry post-Covid.

Speaking at the Global Tourism Forum last week, Rizki Handayani, deputy of tourism product and MICE at the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE), said in the first stage of recovery (2021 to 2022), the focus will be on spurring domestic tourism and accelerating digital transformation within the sector, while ensuring that the CHSE (Cleanliness, Health, Safety and Environmental Sustainability) protocols are being implemented across destinations.

Domestic tourism will lead the initial recovery phase; a security officer standing guard at Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, Indonesia pictured

The ministry will also focus on establishing travel bubble arrangements, and work with related government agencies to prepare for the gradual reopening of destinations across the country, particularly Bali.

To pave the way for Bali’s reopening, Teuku Faizasyah, director general of information and public diplomacy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that his office would help MoTCE analyse potential source markets and keep international travellers updated of the Covid-safe measures in place at tourist destinations.

Budi Tirtawisata, CEO of Panorama Group, urged the government to ease entry requirements for international travellers, including exempting them from quarantine if they test negative for Covid-19.

In the second phase of the recovery programme, from 2022 to 2024, MoTCE will aggressively promote tourism villages as it projects that community-based tourism will shine in the post-Covid era, said Rizki.

During this recovery stage, the government will focus on boosting the sector’s resilience, through stimulus funding to support the digitisation of tourism villages and development of creative hubs, as well as facilitating collaboration between e-commerce players and banks for capital assistance.

Rizki expects that the growth and acceleration phase will take place from 2024 to 2029. During this stage, the government will strengthen quality tourism and the destination resilience, promote wellness and adventure products, intensify marketing campaigns, speed up digital transformation, as well as strengthen the supply and value chains of the industry.

Yokohama pushes the green envelope for MICE events

By Kathryn Wortley

September 20, 2021

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Yokohama is eyeing more sustainability-focused business events following the successful hosting of its first international conference under the new Yokohama Blue Carbon Offset System, as well as the stepping up of green efforts by the global business events industry.

The 2^nd ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Summit, which was held in Pacifico Yokohama North, opted to use the programme developed by Yokohama as part of its green efforts, according to a recent press release by the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau (YCVB).

Yokohama (pictured) has successfully hosted the first conference under the Yokohama Blue Carbon Offset System

The total distance travelled by the 294 attendees and the resultant carbon emissions generated was calculated and combined with the total energy used to power the venue during the event to create an offset value.

Drawing on part of the participants’ registration fee, the offset money was used for programmes focusing on supporting marine life in the area that absorbs carbon dioxide.

“Since Yokohama was developed as a port, we wanted to implement a global warming countermeasure to take advantage of the city’s connection with the sea,” shared Yuki Murai, manager of project promotion division at Climate Change Policy Headquarters, City of Yokohama.

“By operating this system, we aim to raise awareness of blue carbon and have various environmental and economic impacts.”

YCVB’s business events team representative Asami Aoki told TTGmice that they have seen a rise in interest in a range of green issues among business events organisers. These include the recycling, food waste policy, sustainable credentials and carbon footprint offset capabilities of venues and facilities in the Japanese port city.

Business events providers have been responding to green demands, too.

Pacifico Yokohama’s efforts include reducing its water use to 35 per cent by utilising rainwater collected on exhibition hall roofs to cool generators and flush toilets at the conference centre. The facility, one of the largest in the world at 26,752m², also boasts a 93 per cent recycling rate.

Elsewhere in the city, the InterContinental Yokohama Grand has been awarded an Ethical and Sustainable score of 8.6 out of 10 for its implementation of additional green measures.

BCD Travel launches new corporate travel and expense platform

By TTGmice

September 20, 2021

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BCD Pay is a new cloud-based platform from BCD Travel that has been described by the company as a “frictionless digital payment experience from trip booking and payment through reconciliation”.

Available to clients as an add-on subscription, the new BCD Pay is a suite of solutions that use artificial intelligence, machine learning and open APIs to simplify, digitise and automate corporate travel payment, reconciliation and invoice management.

BCD Pay will ease pain points experienced by travellers, travel managers and finance teams related to their travel and expense payment

It provides seamless orchestration of payment, invoices and receipts during the trip and features an automated console to review, reconcile and audit T&E spend management, invoices, receipt, credit card and expense transactions.

BCD Pay’s functionalities were designed to address key pain points for its corporate travel clients, the TMC said.

A recent BCD survey found that more than half of clients struggled with missing invoices and receipts, credit card reconciliation, and the quality of expense and spend data. Meanwhile, more than 25 per cent of clients cited challenges in managing payments for meetings, events and non-employee travel, especially with the post-Covid rise of hybrid work.

Ajay Singh, vice president, digital payment and expense products, said in a statement: “BCD Pay eases the burden of travellers, who are looking for a simple process with no need to make payments or expense claims. It helps managers maintain and improve control over payment for corporate travel, meetings and events and get greater payment visibility. It also frees up management time by automating manual tasks related to reconciliation and workflow, and enriches data transfers by streamlining the T&E spend management process.”

During pilot testing, BCD Pay has shown a 75 per cent improvement in the cycle time of end-to-end data ingestion, reconciliation, reporting and data integration across a fragmented ecosystem of back offices, ERP systems and credit card issuer systems.

Langham opens a luxury outpost in Jakarta

By TTGmice

September 20, 2021

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Langham-Jakarta-Executive_Room — Executive Room

The Langham, Jakarta, has opened in Indonesia, making it Langham Hospitality Group’s first property in South-east Asia.

The luxury property located within the new complex of District 8 at SCBD (Sudirman Central Business District) features more than 2,100m² of flexible space, comprising a 688m² ballroom, outdoor garden, and 11 function rooms for events of all sizes.

There are 223 guestrooms available, including the 336m² Presidential Suite. Club guests will benefit from the Langham Club lounge on the hotel’s 59^th floor, which also boasts a writer’s corner, a reading library and private arrival and departure facilitates with dedicated butlers.

Recreational facilities include the Chuan Spa, a fitness centre, and Jakarta’s highest indoor infinity pool with panoramic views of the city. Meanwhile, F&B options include celebrity restaurant Tom’s by Tom Aikens; T’ang Court, inspired by its three-Michelin-star Cantonese restaurant namesake at The Langham, Hong Kong; and a rooftop bar.

Singapore’s M.I.C.E Matters takes inbound expansion route

By Karen Yue

September 20, 2021

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Singapore-based outbound events specialist, M.I.C.E Matters, has expanded its business with the launch of Insiders MICE SG business unit, which will focus on delivering international business events bound for the city-state.

Director Melvyn Nonis told TTGmice that the “pivot” was nothing new although M.I.C.E Matters had 90 per cent of its events held outside of Singapore pre-pandemic.

“While we have been pretty much an outbound company all these years, we occasionally supported our regular clients and close business partners whenever they had events in Singapore,” he shared.

He added: “Going into Singapore inbound was never actively pursued, but the topic came up every time we had our team retreats. The thought was always this: since we are home based, can we not develop a specialisation in Singapore too? We know there are many advantages for us to take this route – we know Singapore so well and we are experienced in delivering world-class business events. We are especially known in the market for impressive gala dinners, and we have delivered events in numerous destinations like Las Vegas and Rio de Janeiro.

“Furthermore, over the past decade, Singapore has risen to become a strong destination that can stand on her own, no longer a transit destination. There is a lot of value we can bring to Singapore.”

Nonis regarded the Covid-19 pandemic as a catalyst to this pivot. In promising to carry his team of 14 staff through the pandemic, Nonis knew he had to “purposefully engage” his employees and “keep them meaningfully productive” so that their mind would not wander as they worry about job stability.

With the decision to form Insiders MICE SG, the team is now pouring their time into reconnecting with the supplier network in Singapore, exploring the destination, and producing a new website that will be launched by the end of this year. They will soon undertake the SG SafeEvents certification by the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers.

Nonis intends for Insiders MICE SG to also act as a global sales and marketing representative for providers of experiential tours that have emerged during the pandemic. He said many of these tours are “excellent” and will add value to the Singapore experience for inbound events.

To build Insiders MICE SG’s branding on the global scene, Nonis has partnered with Body and Soul International, a network of DMCs that cover more than 110 destinations. The network has only one DMC in each destination, and Insiders MICE SG will stand as the Singapore representative.

With Body and Soul International’s strong project pipeline out of South and North America as well as Europe, Nonis is confident that Insiders MICE SG will be able to bring more longhaul MICE groups into Singapore once border restrictions relax further.

Nonis said: “We are committed to developing this Singapore inbound expertise. This isn’t something we are doing just for now to tide through the outbound freeze. This is a sensible direction to grow into and we are ready to even expand our team if the need arises.”

While demand for inbound business events will not materialise in large numbers immediately, Nonis is confident that Singapore is in a good recovery position.

He explained: “Singapore has arrived on the global tourism scene, and is one of the first few countries in the region to reopen doors to international travellers. And because there are not many places in Asia that have reopened to fully vaccinated international travellers, options are limited for companies ready to resume their overseas meetings and incentives. Therefore, Singapore will be on that list, and businesses know that Singapore shines for conferences and exhibitions.”

Meliá Chiang Mai welcomes two seasoned F&B professionals

By TTGmice

September 15, 2021

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Suksant_Chutinthratip+Jay_Tadifa_Abiang_640 — From left: Suksant Chutinthratip; and Jay Tadifa Abiang

Meliá Chiang Mai has welcomed an executive chef and director of F&B who bring more than four decades of combined experience to the urban hotel slated to open in December this year.

Thai national Suksant Chutinthratip and Filipino national Jay Tadifa Abiang have been named executive chef and director of F&B respectively.

From left: Suksant Chutinthratip; and Jay Tadifa Abiang

Equipped with 27 years of hospitality experience, Suksant comes to the hotel’s pre-opening team after working as the executive chef at Hotel Nikko Bangkok, Rayong Marriott Resort & Spa, and Courtyard by Marriott Bangkok. He was also an executive sous chef for SkyCity Auckland Entertainment, managing VIP and gaming restaurants, as well as Renaissance Ratchaprasong Bangkok Hotel.

Beginning his hospitality career in 1994 as a cook helper at The Ambassador Hotel and Convention Centre Bangkok’s Le Bistro, Suksant climbed the career ladder at various properties including Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, a Luxury Collection Hotel Bangkok, The Peninsula Bangkok, Lotus One in Dubai, Raffles Singapore, The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel Bangkok, and Le Meridien Bangkok.

Meanwhile, nine of Abiang’s 16 years in the hospitality industry have been in hotel management with Meliá Hotels International. Prior to his appointment at Meliá Chiang Mai, he was executive assistant manager at The Reed Hotel Managed by Meliá, and the F&B manager at Meliá Ba Vi Mountain Retreat in Vietnam. He also worked at Meliá Hanoi as an assistant F&B manager, as well as a banquet manager and bar manager.

Abiang started his career as a bartender at Hanoi’s Press Club. He has also been a restaurant supervisor and manager at My Way Café and Lounge in Hanoi and an operations manager in Au Lac Do Brazil Restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City.

Comprising a 22-floor tower fronted by an adjoining seven-floor podium building, Meliá Chiang Mai will have two restaurants, two bars, two lounges, a YHI Spa with seven treatment rooms, a fully-equipped fitness centre, swimming pool, ballroom and four other meeting spaces.

Signature restaurant Mai Restaurant & Bar on the 21st floor will specialise in contemporary Northern Thai dishes with Mediterranean influences, while all-day-dining restaurant Laan Na Kitchen will offer Mediterranean cuisine in a marketplace setting.

Building a lasting legacy

By S Puvaneswary

September 15, 2021

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You took on the position of CEO, BESarawak, in August in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic. Why did you agree to take on this challenge, and what are you doing to improve the business events landscape?
I’m passionate about business events and believe that my 15 years of experience can steer the organisation and industry in the best direction especially in today’s circumstances.

When you’ve already gone so far, why not go the furthest you possibly can when the opportunity comes?

We’ve begun leading the changes to transform Sarawak through legacy impact. Through legacy impact, we are able to measure the intangible value of business events in transforming economic and social development.

Our vision is in line with the Sarawak government, where legacy impact is included in their post-Covid development strategy 2030 to regenerate Sarawak in the next 10 years. Besides legacy impact, being tech-savvy and caring for the environment are also two of our main agendas.

Our goal is for Sarawak to be a better place to live, visit and meet and as one of the advanced and developed second-tier destinations in Asia Pacific for the next 10 years and for the new generation to come. We are blessed to have strong government support and dynamic industry partners, who are some of our strongest collaborators sharing the same vision.

Not knowing when the Movement Control Order 3.0 will end is hindering MICE players from making operational plans. What is your advice to the industry?
Be positive and look at the impact of the pandemic as an opportunity to be better, to innovate more ideas and look towards a new future. Be open to collaborations. Working in silos is not a smart strategy anymore because collaborations give you fresh perspectives and new ideas.

Be as creative as you can despite events not being face-to-face. For business events, much of our relationship building comes from face-to-face meetings but since this cannot be done for now, we need to find ways to engage delegates and create a stimulating hybrid environment.

Use this downtime to get certified and qualified. We’ve been helping our industry partners to get internationally certified in digital events among other things. Trends are now suggesting that international planners do choose host destinations based on levels of expertise and professionalism, and how your business adapts to their current needs.

Many destinations that have opened up also initially face a skilled manpower shortage due to retrenchments or have moved outside the industry. Do you see this as a possible issue that will impact the business events industry in Sarawak?
It’s no secret that most industry partners began exploring other opportunities since the pandemic. This is the way to survive.

However, we want to support them as much as we can hence the launch of incentivised packages for business events planners. The value booster for business events planners is a complimentary half-day city tour. For every 100 national and international delegates, 30 will be eligible to enjoy this tour. This strategy will benefit our industry partners to get a slice of the pie. These packages are valid for business events hosted in Sarawak from 2021 until December 2022.

Another support we have been offering to partners is education. Exploring opportunities outside the industry does not mean that we can’t arm ourselves with industry skills and knowledge.

So far, 26 people were awarded the Certified Incentive Specialist de by the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) and we’re halfway through the Digital Event Strategist (DES) course by Professional Convention Management Association.

All of the above is our way of ensuring that when the skies reopen for business events, we have an industry standing there ready to go back into action!

Hybrid events will play a key role in the resumption of national and regional business events. Is Sarawak ready to meet these demands?
Yes, we are. Digitalisation of business events has been on our agenda even before Covid-19 arose. This is also one of Sarawak government’s key priority areas. The initiative has accelerated and we took it as an opportunity to improve our existing business events technology.

Kuching is now a member of Hybrid City Alliance, joining 21 cities around the world including Sydney, Geneva, and Fukuoka. Being part of the Alliance will give us a chance to highlight Kuching as a hybrid business events destination.

In terms of soft and hard infrastructure investment, our government and private sectors have invested in increasing efficiencies and productivity by digitalising services, further upgrading digital connectivity infrastructure and developing more digital talents.

More industry partners in Sarawak are sufficiently equipped to execute physical and hybrid events, with more in the process of getting their DES certification to strengthen their professionalism and services.

What are Sarawak’s strengths to woo organisers to hold their events in the new normal?
Firstly, we have Business Events Planners Incentivised Packages for physical and hybrid events which have flexible guidelines and policies to cater to the needs of the clients with added value support in place.

Secondly, #ResponsibleSarawak initiative is to empower business events planners to organise, and delegates to attend, socially responsible events in Sarawak. Under this initiative, there are many services that we can offer to ensure the success of events such as a Special Advisory Team to help organisers ensure that their events comply with all government pandemic regulations and standard operating procedures. Besides providing guidance, we will furnish items such as non-contact thermometers and hand sanitisers, among others.

Thirdly, BESLegacy initiative is a legacy impact measurement to help planners restructure their business model and maximise their ROI and diversify the outcomes of their events so that it yields impact on the economy, society and environment.

Mandarin Oriental goes to Istanbul

Soon-to-open Hilton Singapore Orchard names GM

Nest Virtual Convention Center opens its virtual doors

Indonesia unveils three-phase tourism recovery plan

Yokohama pushes the green envelope for MICE events

BCD Travel launches new corporate travel and expense platform

Langham opens a luxury outpost in Jakarta

Singapore’s M.I.C.E Matters takes inbound expansion route

Meliá Chiang Mai welcomes two seasoned F&B professionals

Building a lasting legacy

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