Marriott Hotels has opened the Melbourne Marriott Hotel Docklands, part of the retail, leisure, and entertainment precinct, The District Docklands on Waterfront Way.
For networking events and gala dinners, the five-star property offers 372m2 across three event spaces, where the largest available room is the 245m2 Promenade, good for 120 pax banquet-style.
Rooftop pool
Bleisure guests will also be able to make use of the first M Club executive lounge in Australia, designed to emulate a residential-style living room. It is open 24 hours, and is open to Platinum, Titanium, and Ambassador Elite Marriott Bonvoy members and guests who stay on executive floors, offering complimentary breakfast, all-day refreshments, and evening cocktails. The adjoining outdoor terrace offers an al fresco space for guests to take a breather if needed.
Meanwhile, all of the property’s 189 rooms all come decked out with regular mod-cons such as a 55-inch LCD TV, a walk-in-shower, work surface, and a curated ‘Made in Melbourne’ bar fridge.
Recreational facilities include a gym, as well as a heated rooftop infinity pool that is open all year-round and offers panoramic views across Melbourne’s CBD skyline, Bolte Bridge, Port Phillip Bay, and Hobsons Bay.
Aside from the bar – named Sunset House – adjoining the infinity pool, other F&B options include Archer’s, a restaurant serving Australian cuisine with fresh produce from local farms; Ada’s, the hotel lobby bar; Corsia, a laneway-inspired cafe with a European-inspired menu of light meals.
Travellers entering Singapore will have to abide by tightened measures for the next four weeks at least
Travellers entering Singapore will face stricter rules from 23.59 on December 2 as the city-state attempts to buffer against the spread of the new Omicron variant.
The Straits Times reported that while no Omicron cases have been detected locally, the Ministry of Health said the pre-emptive measures are needed for Singapore to assess the implications of the new variant. Such measures will also help to reduce the risk of importation of the virus.
Travellers entering Singapore will have to abide by tightened measures for the next four weeks at least
Under the new requirements, air travellers arriving on the quarantine-free Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) scheme must undergo supervised, self-administered antigen rapid tests at a Quick Test Centre on days three and seven of their arrival.
Previously, such travellers would only need to take a Covid-19 swab test prior to their departure for Singapore, and upon arrival.
All air travellers entering, transferring or transiting through Singapore must also have tested negative in a pre-departure test within two days of leaving for Singapore.
Third, all travellers must take a Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test on arrival. This will affect non-VTL travellers entering Singapore who are not from Hong Kong, Macau, China and Taiwan.
These tightened restrictions will be in place for four weeks, and are subjected to review and possible extension.
This announcement follows on the heels of the government’s decision to indefinitely postpone planned VTLs for Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Australians vaccinated against covid19 at melbourne convention centre
Australia has halted border reopening plans to international students and skilled workers, sparked by concerns over the new Omicron variant.
Initially slated to reopen on December 1, the date has been delayed at least two weeks.
Australians lining up to get vaccinated against Covid-19 at Melbourne Convention Centre
Australia’s borders have been closed to most non-citizens for more than 20 months, with the exception of fully vaccinated Australian citizens, permanent residents and immediate family, as well as fully vaccinated green lane travellers from New Zealand and Singapore.
The reopening to travellers from Japan and the South Korea will also be paused until December 15. The plan was to open borders to visitors from these two countries on December 1.
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison indicated that the temporary pause will allow the country to gather the necessary information to better understand the variant, the efficacy of the vaccine, the range of illness, and the level of transmission.
Australia has so far, detected five cases of the Omicron variant.
Elsewhere in Asia Pacific, Japan has also temporarily suspended entry for all foreign visitors for at least a month.
Japan National Tourism Organization has released a list of 42 ideas for incentives. As the purpose of incentive travel is important in the post-Covid era, the ideas were compiled and published as a collection for organizers promoting qualified incentives. The programmes are not just incentive trips but special, meaningful and fun activities offering a positive impact on the mindfulness, health, teamwork and spiritual well-being of all participants. They have already been well received on the new website that hosts their details.
Highlights include a thoughtful stay in Nara, Zazen meditation in Shiga, a green tea experience in Shizuoka, a running programme around the Imperial Palace, and a hiking and culinary activity in Mie. They are easily accessible, being only a couple of hours’ travel from both Osaka and Tokyo.
Meditate at JW Marriott Hotel Nara
In Nara, 60 to 100 pax can take part in mindfulness exercises while enjoying a luxurious two-night stay at Japan’s first JW Marriott. This programme includes a gala dinner in a unique location normally closed to the public: the private quarters of the head priest of Hasedera, a temple dating from the eighth century with vast scenic grounds unchanged for more than 1,000 years. How about considering this programme as an exclusive incentive event for outstanding achievers?
Hieizan Enryakuji Temple in Shiga offers zazen sessions in candlelight
Near Kyoto, in Shiga Prefecture’s Hieizan Enryakuji Temple, monks lead participants in writing a wish on a traditional Japanese candle and watching the flame flicker as part of a Zazen meditation thought to relieve anxiety and stress while improving concentration. The session, which is ideal as part of management training for executive candidates, lasts 90 minutes and is suitable for one to 30 participants.
Mt. Fuji rises majestically in the background, as viewed from Shizuoka’s Suruga, where tea harvests are plentiful
The green tea experience in Shizuoka blends historic Japan and relaxation. The open-air tea room at Kunozan Toshogu Shrine, a renowned national treasure, offers a traditional meal arranged in modern style, with green tea pairings presented by a local tea master. Up to 20 guests can enjoy the various culinary delights while overlooking Mount Fuji, Suruga Bay and tea fields.
Get physically fit in Tokyo, under the guidance of a professional coach from ASICS
For groups preferring something more physical, a professional coach from ASICS, Japan’s leading sportswear manufacturer, can help participants refresh body and mind in a running programme. The route circles Kokyo Gaien National Gardens, a well-loved sanctuary for runners in the heart of Tokyo. The 5km lap offers views of the Imperial Palace, the bustling Marunouchi business district, and Tokyo Station’s historic red-brick façade. Bespoke group T-shirts can be created two months in advance.
Trace the footsteps of Buddhist apprentice monks around the forests of Shirataki Daimyojin in Mie
In yet another outstanding experience, groups of two to 30 can traverse the same paths that Buddhist apprentice monks take in the forests around Shirataki Daimyojin in Mie, where the mountain is enshrined as a deity. Guides introduce aspects of Eastern dietary medicine, such as pickled food, and instruct participants on cooking rice using old, traditional ways during this four-hour programme.
Each of the 42 programmes is designed to offer inspiration to business groups by providing insights into the country’s unique lifestyle. Japan’s additional core strengths as an events host are its knowledge and resources, smooth operations, as well as clean and safe cities. In addition to these strengths, Japan has been preparing a programme suitable for post-Covid while travel has been suspended.
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Japan’s business events industry has adapted swiftly, offering cutting-edge approaches to online events, and stringent countermeasures against the spread of infections at hotels, conference centres and other facilities.
Now, as the world contemplates recovery, business event specialists in Japan are poised to welcome guests back with events that spark off exciting business opportunities.
New ideas begin in Japan: a country that has been improving its incentive offerings in response to the pandemic. Even if you have already attended an incentive trip here, many more special experiences await you.
To find out how you can create inspiring and meaningful delegate experiences in the destination, visit www.japanmeetings.org.
Event brief
MICECONnect is a spin-off of MICECON (Philippine MICE Conference), a platform for buyers and sellers to generate business events. Both events are organised by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, and are held every alternate year.
Although small in size, MICECOnect 2021 was held for the first time in Boracay. The event was seen as an important B2B event as it helped to position Philippines’ plum island resort as a premier and fun-filled leisure and business events destination.
To pull off the successful event, TPB worked closely with the Department of Tourism in Western Visayas, the Malay local government unit, and the Boracay MICE Alliance.
Event highlights
Boracay MICE Alliance’s director, Jobert Peñaflorida, said emotions ran high as MICECONnect 2021 provided hope and inspiration to the island which was closed during the lockdown and before that, during its rehabilitation.
MICECONnect 2021 also proved that Boracay is ready for business events, and continues to expand its hardware as it awaits for borders to reopen. The island is also confident in its capability to host small- and medium-sized business events, shared Peñaflorida.
The hybrid event brought together 52 online sellers and 48 pre-selected business events planners and organisers, of which 23 were onsite in Boracay.
Apart from a full day of B2B meetings, buyers were brought around the island to inspect hotels, resorts, and related business events facilities. They were also treated to several leisure experiences that can be incorporated into business events itineraries.
Experiences included a visit to the Motag Living Museum and a boodle (traditional Filipino finger-food feast) lunch at Nabaoy River; Boracay’s famed beaches; learning about the Ati Atihan Festival; and a fire-dancing performance. Delegates also tried their hand at making traditional crafts, and exploring the partaking in various culinary traditions.
Buyers also hobnobbed with officers of the newly minted Boracay MICE Alliance, which comprises tourism stakeholders working together to bring business events to the island.
As for proof that Boracay has what it takes to be a business events destination, TPB’s chief operating officer Maria Anthonette Velasco-Allones revealed: “Two events were contracted, generating an estimated 27 million pesos (US$533,280) in revenue, and participants are following up on leads for nine MICE events slated for December 2021 and 2022.”
The key takeaway from MICECONnect 2021, Allones and Peñaflorida stated, is that everything is interconnected. For instance, the recovery of the business events industry in Boracay will also spill over to other Philippines destinations.
Challenges
The most important challenge was dealing with health protocols, and sure measures to keep delegates safe and sound throughout their stay.
MICECONnect delegates were given a special group lane at the Caticlan Airport and at the ferry to fast track travel and related documentation, while adhering to required health and safety requirements including physical distancing.
Onsite participants were provided with antigen tests and health and safety kits.
Event MICECONnect 2021 Organizer Tourism Promotions Board Philippines Venue Boracay Date November 13-15, 2021 Attendance 52 online MICE sellers, and 48 registered buyers of which 23 were onsite
Japan has reinstated border controls as a precaution against the new Omicron Covid variant; a street in Tokyo pictured
Japan announced today (November 29) that it will be suspending entry for all foreign visitors due to the emergence of Omicron, a new Covid variant.
The measure will take effect Tuesday and last for about one month.
Japan has reinstated border controls as a precaution against the new Omicron Covid variant; a street in Tokyo pictured
With this, Japan will restore border controls that were eased on November 8 for short-term business visitors, foreign students and workers.
Previously, short-term business travellers to Japan need to undergo only three days of quarantine on arrival if they met certain criteria.
According to Kyodo News, prime minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that closing the border is a “temporary measure until information about the Omicron variant becomes clear,” adding that “when dealing with an unknown risk, it’s best to take every precaution”.
Japan is the second country after Israel to bar all entry to foreigners, while most countries around the world are scrambling to control flights and travellers hailing from several African countries.
It is currently unclear if the new variant is more contagious than the others that have been identified.
In a Reuters report, a South African doctor who was one of the first to suspect a different coronavirus strain among patients said last week that symptoms of the Omicron variant in patients have so far been mild.
Travellers from Singapore who arrived on the first VTL flights were warmly welcomed
The recent return of visitors to Australia from Singapore has given the business events community a huge boost, prompting new business leads and ending the drought of inbound travellers since the pandemic began.
Sydney and Melbourne opened their borders to fully vaccinated Singaporeans on November 21, greeting arrivals at the airport with live music, ‘welcome back’ messages and gifts.
Travellers from Singapore who arrived on the first VTL flights were warmly welcomed
The reopening has been seen as a critical move to restart international meetings in Australia, which is estimated to have lost A$35 billion (US$25 billion) in event cancellations last year and more than 92,000 jobs.
“It’s an incredibly positive and crucial step towards the recovery of Australia’s business events industry,” said Tourism Australia’s executive general manager of commercial & business events Australia, Robin Mack.
“For business events planners in Singapore, the reopening of our border provides the opportunity and confidence to book Australia for their next business event, while also signalling to our other key international markets that Australia is getting ready to reopen to the world.”
“Since the announcement of travel reopening with Singapore, we have received business leads from the region, highlighting that Australia is still seen as highly desirable with exceptional destinations, world-class venues and unique experiences. According to in-market intelligence, we expect enquiries to increase as planners’ confidence continues to rise,” he continued.
Mack said the border reopening begins a shift in focus, from keeping Australia top-of-mind with customers, to converting incoming leads and capitalising on short- to mid-term business. Tourism Australia will run a targeted PR and marketing drive highlighting Australia’s readiness to welcome back business events, as well as fam programmes “when the time is right”.
“Encouragingly, we are seeing business leads from Singapore for late 2022 and beyond from sectors including insurance and direct selling industries and a trend towards smaller corporate meetings and incentives,” said Mack.
“Our recent international research also supports this, with 80 per cent of incentive decision-makers from Singapore indicating they are likely to visit Australia in the next two years – rising to 88 per cent in the next three years,” he continued.
Australia’s border opening to Singapore has also been welcomed by event planners, who can now forecast meetings with more certainty.
“(It’s) an exciting step for Australian business events,” said Nicole Walker, managing director of Arinex. “We are assessing ways we can maximise any opportunities with Singapore and I will be meeting with clients and representatives from (there), as well as across the Asian region at IBTM World this week.”
“We are also actively approaching new inbound groups through our representation partner Body and Soul, who are tapped into the Singaporean market and will identify prospects on our behalf,” she continued.
Australia welcomed 74,000 business events visitors from Singapore in the year ending December 2019, who spent a total of A$270 million. Australia will also welcome fully vaccinated citizens from Japan and South Korea from December 1.
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) recently organised a two-day workshop, entitled “MyBE Knowledge: Innovative Bid 2021” to prepare industry players for the post-pandemic era where bidding for events is expected to be much more challenging.
The workshop, held virtually on November 10 and 11, was part of MyCEB’s ongoing efforts to upskill and further equip industry players with the know-how to create a strong winning bid for Malaysia. It was attended by more than 100 industry players.
Speakers sharing their bidding expertise with their virtual audience
MyCEB’s chief operating officer, Noor Ahmad Hamid, urged industry players to not be complacent as the post-pandemic era will post new challenges. It is therefore necessary to equip stakeholders with the “right information, data knowledge, market intelligence, and innovative ideas”.
The programme comprises sharing sessions by two speakers, Hanafiah Harunarashid, the consultant vascular and endovascular surgeon at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, and Douglas Archer, the conference manager of World Cargo Alliance (WCAworld).
Both have direct knowledge of bidding in their respective fields and shared their vast experiences from the perspectives of a local host and client.
Both speakers further pointed out that it was crucial for industry players to put emphasis on the significance of identifying Malaysia’s unique selling points, benefits analysis and competitive analysis to boost the delegates arrivals to the country. They also highlighted how to formulate a winning strategy and create an outstanding pitch to bid for international conferences.
Informa Markets has revealed that FHA-HoReCa, an industry event serving the hotel, restaurant and café sectors, will be held from October 25-28, 2022 at the Singapore Expo.
FHA-HoReCa is an expansion from one of Asia’s longest-running food and hospitality biennial trade events in the region, Food&HotelAsia (FHA).
A previous edition of FHA-HoReCa
FHA-HoReCa will brings the latest food service & hospitality equipment, products and services across five key profiles – Bakery, Pastry & Gelato; Foodservice & Hospitality Equipment; Hospitality Style; Hospitality Technology; and Speciality Coffee & Tea – serving distributors, importers, manufacturers and retailers from Asia under one roof.
In addition to the physical show floor, FHA-HoReCa 2022 will also be accessible in the digital space on FHA Match, a virtual business matching platform launched by Informa Markets in 2021 to bring suppliers and buyers together to meet and do business.
Virtual attendees will still get to experience the festivities organised on and off the FHA-HoReCa 2022 showfloor, participate in virtual networking,
business matching and knowledge sharing activities.
Its sister show, FHA-Food & Beverage, has also been moved from March 2022 to September 5-8, 2022, with the Singapore Expo remaining as the venue for the event.
International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) has launched a new outdoor entertaining service – Connect Outdoors – that allows attendees to enjoy styled, reimagined networking opportunities featuring health and wellbeing culinary trends.
The venue has refreshed its service by adding four outdoor networking packages that can be integrated into a broader event programme, complete with recommended theming solutions from the venue’s styling partner Divine Events.
Coffee and Conversations – tea and coffee breakout areas set up outdoors give guests a chance to relax and enjoy the surroundings.
Connect and Revive – promotes wellness and mindfulness in an outdoor event space available for breakfast, brunch or breaks.
Rustic Winery Reception – brings a summertime celebration to life.
Sky Deck Social Club – reminiscent of a tropical getaway – think sundowners, music and a relaxed atmosphere embedded into the event programme.
ICC Sydney CEO, Geoff Donaghy said: “Our new Connect Outdoors packages have come at a time of renewed demand for in-person connection and experiences.
“The new service invites event organisers to rethink their networking opportunities by taking advantage of the venue’s outdoor spaces and uninterrupted views across Darling Harbour and the iconic Sydney CBD skyline.”
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