Accor has promoted Sarah Derry to the role of CEO Accor Pacific, effective February 1, 2022, taking over from Simon McGrath.
As CEO Accor Pacific, Sarah will continue Accor’s growth trajectory in the Pacific, build Accor’s brands, its loyalty network and bring together talent in the region.
Derry is currently senior vice president talent and culture, and joined Accor in 2017 after having owned and operated her own business for over 10 years. She has close to 30 years of hospitality experience, working for international hotel companies in a number of areas such as operations, talent and culture, business, strategy, and development.
Through all the efforts, MyCEB aims to win more international events that will contribute to its recovery
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), with support from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and the Economic Planning unit, will soon introduce a 3R (Reset, Restart and Responsible) recovery programme for the business events industry.
Under this initiative, MyCEB will help reduce travel costs to Malaysia for international delegates once borders reopen, as well as provide full Covid-19 insurance coverage including PCR swab test costs to the first 10,000 international delegates.
Through all the efforts, MyCEB aims to win more international events that will contribute to its recovery
MyCEB will also assist industry partners by absorbing costs related to registration, travelling, accommodation and logistics to attend three major international tradeshows this year – IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America and IBTM World 2022 Barcelona Spain.
MyCEB will be bringing at least 10 local industry players to each tradeshow, stated Abdul Khani Daud, CEO of MyCEB, in his keynote address at the second edition of X-Change Malaysia organised by AB & Artho Tourism Marketing & PR on January 26.
The bureau will also assist industry players in obtaining professional qualifications such as CMP and CEM or any other international qualifications that are related to the business events industry.
MyCEB has agreed to support Malaysian companies in maintaining their membership in international associations such as the Asian Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations, International Congress and Convention Association, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, and The International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, by subsidising the membership fee.
All these efforts are part and parcel of “resetting” the industry, and will go a long way in helping the industry be more recognised locally and international, noted Abdul Khani.
Currently, MyCEB is the process of establishing a mobile app that will assist stakeholders in obtaining comprehensive event information. The bureau, together with Business Events Council Malaysia, will also launch the MySafe Business Events planner in 1Q2022. The planner will inform and guide both international delegates and event organisers through Malaysia’s safety measures.
To date, MyCEB has secured a total of 122 business events to be held in Malaysia from now until 2030. This will bring around 178,000 international delegates to Malaysia and generate an estimated RM1.9 billion (US$453.3 million) in economic impact.
The general public will not be able to attend this year's airshow; the 2016 edition pictured
The biennial Singapore Airshow will still carry on this February from 15-18 at the Changi Exhibition Centre, despite a reduced exhibitor count, strict health controls, as well as no public days.
Compared to 2020, only a third of the exhibitors – around 350 companies – have confirmed their participation, with major industry players such as Airbus, Boeing and Lockheed Martin taking the lead.
The general public will not be able to attend this year’s airshow; the 2016 edition pictured
Noticeably absent are business jet makers Bombardier and Gulfstream, two notable firms which have declined to participate this year, due to the rapidly-evolving Covid-19 situation.
Local attendees will be required to conduct antigen rapid tests (ARTs) daily, while overseas attendees will undergo supervised ARTs. Those that test positive will be required to isolate in their hotel rooms for three to seven days.
A planned pre-show aviation summit for regulators and airline bosses has also been postponed, but organisers believe there is strong line-up of forums and programmes to keep trade visitors busy.
The 2020 Singapore Airshow, held in February 2020, received late cancellations from 70 exhibitors, and trade attendance was about 30,000, down 44 per cent from 2018.
Singapore's business events sector is gaining momentum as she gains confidence in holding Covid-safe events
Mid-to longer-term prospects for Singapore’s business events industry remain intact, and Singapore is well-placed to maintain its top business events destination status despite the ongoing pandemic.
Last year, the city-state hosted more than 200 business events, welcoming around 50,000 local and international attendees. These included pilot events where new Covid-safe protocols were tested, such as the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Industrial Transformation Asia Pacific 2021, Milken Institute Asia Summit, and the 50th St Gallen Symposium.
Singapore’s business events sector is gaining momentum as she gains confidence in holding Covid-safe events; Singapore’s skyline pictured
In 2021, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) managed to secure 26 significant business events, some of which are multi-year deals.
Notable events this year include the Singapore Air Show, Global Health Security Conference 2022, FIND – Design Fair Asia (2022–2024), World One Health Congress 2022, World Cities Summit 2022, 60th International Young Lawyers’ Congress 2022, and Seafood Expo 2022.
Beyond 2022, the business events slate will continue its robust growth with events such as Gastech 2023, Transport Logistic and Air Cargo 2023, SILMO Singapore (2023–2025), World Congress of Dermatology 2023, and Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2024.
At the recent STB media conference, Yap Chin Siang, deputy chief executive, highlighted two other prominent events that will grace Singapore shores – the Rotary International Convention 2024, the largest association convention ever hosted in Singapore; and the 110th Lions Clubs International Convention in 2028.
The former is expected to attract 25,000 members to the city-state, while the latter looks set to welcome 20,000 foreign delegates and generate more than S$50 million (US$37.2 million) in expected tourism receipts.
STB has also been working closely with SACEOS (Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers) to support the industry-led accreditation programme SG SafeEvent Standards Certification, where more than 80 organisations have already registered interest. To date, 40 organisations and 3,200 Ambassadors have been certified.
“All these underpin the appeal of Singapore’s MICE destination status and it is a testament to international confidence in our ability to hold high-quality events in a safe way, especially in a post-covid environment,” stated Yap.
CWT has appointed Belinda Hindmarsh as senior vice president, COO, of RoomIt and China, effective immediately. She reports to president and CCO, Patrick Andersen.
In this newly-created role, Hindmarsh will spearhead commercial development of RoomIt, CWT’s global hotel distribution division, and CWT’s operations in China – seeking to further leverage the growth trajectory and potential of both operations.
She joined CWT in early 2018 to lead Global Sales Effectiveness before becoming senior vice president, global market management & market development in 2020.
Hindmarsh has over 20 years of experience in the travel tech space, having held various international and global operations, marketing, supplier management and commercial roles with Expedia Group and Aer Lingus.
Interprefy has announced that current COO and board member, Oddmund Braaten, is transitioning to the role of CEO, effective February 1, 2022.
He takes over from Annett Polaszewski-Plath who has resigned.
Braaten has been leading Interprefy’s commercial and operational success for five years, and his appointment brings continuity and the necessary skills to lead the company on its mission of future growth and success in 2022 and beyond.
Renaissance Hotels, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 hotel brands, unveils its second property in Island of the Gods with the opening of Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort in Indonesia.
The new resort – which overlooks the Indian Ocean – features 310 guestrooms and facilities such as a 24-hour gym, spa, and four thematic pools, making it an apt choice for small corporate groups and bleisure guests with their families in tow.
For events, planners can make use of the 1,120m2 of function space across five event rooms and a maximum of seven breakout rooms. The largest space, the Grand Ballroom, is fully equipped with advanced audiovisual capabilities, and can accommodate up to 1,100 people.
Anchoring the six F&B experiences at the resort is Backstage, an all-day dining restaurant offering local and international favourites at its buffet and live stations. Other options include Lion X which serves Cantonese and Sichuan cuisine with modern twist; authentic Indonesian restaurant, Nusantara by Locavore; Tanah Liat which serves fresh seasonal seafood and plant-based cuisines; pool bar Atomic 17; and lobby lounge space, R Bar.
Situated on the southern part of Bali, Renaissance Bali Nusa Dua Resort is a 15-minute drive away from the Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT), the parent company of FCM Travel has appointed Michelle Degenhardt as its global sustainability officer.
She is based in FLT’s global head office in Brisbane, Australia.
In the newly-created role, Degenhardt will work closely with teams from FLT and its corporate brands across all levels to help ensure the company’s business practices are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable.
Her job scope includes collaborating with FLT and its subsidiaries’ various stakeholders including senior leadership team, employees, leisure and corporate customers, suppliers and partners to further develop and oversee the execution of strategies to deliver on the organisation’s environmental, social and governance objectives.
Degenhardt has worked for FLT for 17 years and was formerly the company’s culture and employee engagement leader, a role that included oversight of the Flight Centre Foundation in Australia. During her career with FLT, she has been involved in a number of sustainability-related issues and areas, including the development of the company’s Responsible Travel charter and the creation of a head office recycling and waste reduction programme.
Raffles Hotels & Resorts has appointed Dennis de Groot as acting general manager of both Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh and its sister hotel Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap.
With more than 15 years of experience in the hospitality industry, de Groot previously held hotel management positions in the Maldives, Azerbaijan and South Africa, including nearly three years at a private game lodge.
De Groot was recruited by the Accor Group in 2016 to oversee the rebranding of the Jumeirah Dhevanafushi as it transformed into the Raffles Maldives Meradhoo.
He then moved to Cambodia in 2018 as hotel manager at Raffles Hotel Le Royal and was appointed the acting general manager in January 2021.
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