Queensland to reopen borders earlier than planned
With Queensland fast approaching 80 per cent of fully vaccinated residents, the Australian state has decided to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated interstate travellers from Covid-19 hotspots from December 13 at 1.00 – four days ahead of initial schedule.
Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told local media that “nominating a time and date provides travellers and business with certainty to make their plans”.
Fully vaccinated interstate travellers can arrive by road or air, and must provide a negative Covid test in the previous 72 hours. They will not need to serve quarantine.
Fully vaccinated International arrivals must provide a negative Covid test within 72 hours of departure for Queensland, and fulfil a test on arrival. These travellers are required to serve a 14-day home or hotel quarantine.
Travellers no longer have to wait two weeks to be considered fully vaccinated; one is enough. However, all travellers from hotspots must get a test on day 5 after their arrival.
Vaccinated border zone residents will also be allowed to move freely across the border without the need for a PCR test.
Unvaccinated residents will continue to face travel restrictions.
“We will live with Covid – but on our terms,” Palaszczuk said.
Only fully vaccinated people will be permitted to enter pubs, clubs, cinemas, festivals and theme parks in Queensland from December 17.
Philippines to implement a MICE Ambassadors Programme
The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines is putting together a MICE Ambassadors Programme, tapping Filipino association executives as frontrunners when it comes to securing and bidding for international events.
TPB has indicated it will provide special support through the planning to bidding stages, as well as the actual running of the event. Arnold T Gonzales, TPB’s acting head MICE department, said this was part of the government’s efforts to revitalise business events.
Gonzales further disclosed – at the 9th Summit of the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives (PCAAE) – that bid assistance would vary depending on the magnitude of the bid. Moreover, there is already an existing MICE Plus programme which planners will be able to tap onto for technical and financial assistance.
PCAAE founder and CEO Octavio Peralta pointed out that since the early days of the association, it already had its own TAP-In (TPB Ambassadors Program to Attract International Events to the Philippines) in place.
“In essence, TAP-In is encouraging our members with international affiliation to promote the country as a destination for MICE events,” Peralta noted.
He added that TPB should provide “all-out support to the MICE industry” by being a “total partner”, and not just “a provider of service”.
This means that associations should be able to receive assistance from the bidding process right through the conducting of the event, significant financing help, as well as in-kind support prior, during, and after the event.
Peralta suggested that support could include information on travel, health and safety, destination and venue options, travel visa facilitation, courtesy lanes at the airport, delegate and sponsor generation, as well as post-tourism options.
Trafalgar crafts bespoke mini group tours for Singapore market
Groups of 12 or more travellers can explore destinations in a safe bubble made possible by Trafalgar’s customised mini group tours, which come complete with a dedicated On-Road Team – including a travel director and driver – trained in physical distancing, hygiene and medical protocols, as well as destination expertise and local knowledge.
Aimed at Singapore residents looking to take advantage of the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs), the private trip can be crafted on a wide array of destinations with little or no surcharge on the original itinerary price.
Travellers can choose from over 300 award-winning group tours offered by Trafalgar, covering destinations such as Spain, Ireland and Hungary.
Trafalgar has updated its vaccination policy, requiring all guests to be fully vaccinated for guests’ peace of mind. In addition, the company’s wellbeing director will ensure that the establishments and locations to be visited comply with local health and safety protocols.
In the event of travel advisory changes, Trafalgar also offers free cancellation and booking changes.
MBB-Consulting Partner Group offers commercial audit service for exhibition stakeholders
London-based MBB-Consulting Partner Group has launched a commercial audit service to help event companies address performance concerns through the expertise of its international team.
The commercial audit service takes a deep-dive analysis of an event business’s current operations, with the objective of identifying practical steps to significantly improve its commercial performance. It will scrutinise various areas of operations, such as sales and team culture, systems and process integration, and financial and price planning. The results can then be referenced and compared to international benchmarks and industry best practice.
The group believes that this service is particularly timely as companies seek to emerge stronger from the disruption caused by the pandemic.
Matthias Baur, one of the founding members of the MBB-Consulting Partner Group, also believes that the events industry has been held back by underperformance.
He added that the service’s “unique blend of incisive research capabilities combined with a deep understanding of the practicalities faced by events businesses” will able the group to deliver “market leading results”.
The service is designed specifically for exhibition organisers and venue owners.
Guarding against hotel horrors as global travel returns
Covid-19’s economic impact on local communities have led to a spike in theft from hotel rooms as well as crime in and around hotel precincts, which were already increasing prior to the pandemic.
Here are nine tips to help business travellers guard against opportunistic offenses.
The surprising item every traveller should pack – and it fits in the smallest part of your suitcase
Crimes could be thwarted with something as simple as a doorstop. Even in the modern era of high-tech surveillance and monitoring, the humble doorstop can still hold its own. When wedged under the door, it
can provide enough of a deterrent to make the thieves reconsider.
Doorstops with an inbuilt alarm – which can be as loud as a fire alarm – can scare off any would-be thief.
Think about those valuables when packing and storing
Travellers should reconsider the need to take expensive items along for the ride, leaving valuable and attractive items at home. If valuables must be brought on the trip, beware of storing valuables in hotel safety boxes, as some can be carried out of the room.
Location, location, location
Enhance one’s security by requesting a room between the third and sixth floor of a hotel, as this minimises the ability for thieves to climb onto balconies and through a window, but puts the guest still within reach of most fire ladders in case of emergency.
In addition, prioritise hotels that require a key/card to access guestroom levels. Do note that levels with hotel bars are usually accessible by the general public, so where possible, ask for a room away from general entry areas.
Be aware of your surroundings
Use one’s powers of observation to keep safe. Pay attention to emergency exits and fire escapes, and note how many steps they are away from one’s door to enable evacuation under heavy smoke, total power loss or a large-scale criminal act targeting the hotel.
At the same time, observe people in the hotel foyer – some may be paying extra attention to guests that they intend to mark out as a potential target of crime.
Pack a ‘go bag’
Get into the habit of packing a ‘go bag’ with essentials such as drinking water, non-perishable food items, a small first-aid kit and important documents. This bag could help one survive until help arrives.
Prevent unwanted visitors
In World Travel Protection’s travel risk training, clients are advised not to state their home address at reception; if one is travelling for work, provide the company’s details instead.
It is also prudent to have the reception staff write down one’s room number instead of speaking it out aloud.
Further, book a room next to the elevators to minimise the risk of being cornered at the end of a long hotel corridor.
Consider cyber security
The World Travel Protection team recommends avoiding hotel Wi-Fi use; instead utilise a Wi-Fi dongle or other hot-spotting device for increased cyber security. Only store on your computer what you need for your trip to minimise data that can potentially be stolen or breached.
Choose a hotel that is suitable for a long-term relationship!
Planning ahead is essential for a safer and more comfortable travel experience, and that includes picking the right accommodation.
Properties with windows that can be opened, and which offer good ventilation are a good bet. Travellers must consider the possibility of contracting the virus while on their trip, which could potentially mean an extended stay at their hotel. In case one has to be isolated for a period, be mindful of booking a room that is comfortable and has space to move.
Be risk aware
Businesses with staff travelling internationally should undertake risk assessments, including on destinations, accommodation and personnel who are travelling.
However, the onus is also on the individual staff member to look after their own safety. Consider offering travel risk training for staff who must travel frequently, so that they can learn to be risk aware and informed, and be able to recognise anything unusual.
Creating a digital environment that works
Event brief
Ongoing Covid-19 restrictions have forced DigiTech ASEAN Thailand, an important digital industry exhibition and business platform organised by IMPACT Exhibition Management Co, to be staged in a fully digital format for the second year in a row.
The edition drew support from many national and international organisations, such as Thailand’s Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, Hong Kong’s Event Technology Association, Japan Network Security Association, and Taiwan Electric & Electronics Manufacturers Association. Altogether, more than 100 tech and digital participating companies from countries such as Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Indonesia were in attendance, alongside 3,500 online attendees from 28 countries.
Event highlights
DigiTech ASEAN Thailand 2021 bore the theme, Connecting you with the global tech and digital community, and promised to bring together business and knowledge that help shape the digital future.
The event saw participating companies showcasing their latest business solutions, covering tech profiles such as business software, artificial intelligence, cyber security, e-commerce & digital marketing, data & cloud, smart solutions & IoT and 5G technology & network.
There were also more than 60 webinars with topics touching on the latest industry trends and strategies conducted by industry experts and professionals in English and Thai. Other online activities such as seller-buyer business matching meetings, live video product demonstrations and on-demand video presentations provided attendee engagements.
Challenges
According to show organiser IMPACT, one of the key challenges in putting the event together was the need to “quickly acquire new skill sets, competencies and understanding of technology to create a digital twin of the physical event that can meet the needs of face-to-face activities while at the same time, offer values for customers”.
The perceived value of virtual platforms remained relatively poor as compared to in-person platforms, the spokesperson noted, adding that there was still a human need for physical interactions that technology could not replace.
“Nevertheless, the prolonged pandemic without any full resumption of physical events over the last two years, has somehow hasten the adoption of digital platforms. These digital platforms serve as event marketing alternatives for companies to continue to do business, promote their brands, maintain customer relations, stay connected with industry peers and get updated on market trends,” said the spokesperson.
IMPACT drew on lessons learnt from the first digital edition of DigiTech ASEAN Thailand and were able to work with its technology vendors to offer a user-friendly digital platform that enhanced the business exchange and networking experience for participants and delegates.
The platform also served as an effective alternative market platform for participants to continue with their business activities in the digital sphere, especially in business, knowledge and networking exchanges.
Event DigiTech ASEAN Thailand 2021
Organiser IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd
Date November 24 to 26, 2021
Attendance 100 participating companies from Asia; 3,500 online delegates from 28 countries
A stronger future
The pursuit of wellness has been widely identified as a travel priority in a post-lockdown world, and South Korea’s Gangwon province may well offer valuable healing experiences for pre/post-event programmes.
Therapies in nature can be found at Romy Zian Garden in Gariwangsan Peak. Paths wind through lush greenery, where scenes and garden themes change with the seasons.
The mountainside Healience Seonmaeul keeps guests disconnected from the hectic world with a host of activities such as yoga in the forest, forest bathing in Jongjasan Mountain, and treatments in a spa boasting facilities like Carbonic Acid Pool and Red Clay Bedrock Sauna.
Donghae Mureung Health Forest makes another good wellness retreat. The eco-friendly lodging offers a traditional Korean bathhouse, known as a jjimjilbang, made out of red clay, as well as a salt cave sauna. Guests can also make themselves an eco-friendly souvenir of cypress pillows and natural shampoos.
For healthful stays, consider Osaek Greenyard Hotel, Park Roche Resort & Wellness, and Yong Pyong Resort.
At Osaek Greenyard Hotel, guests can strengthen their immune system with healthy meals and detoxifying hot springs bath, and ease tension with indoor yoga and pilates classes.
Park Roche Resort & Wellness serves up healthy dishes that use low-salt traditional Korean sauces and offers physical rejuvenation through a Wellness Club and Aqua Club.
Yong Pyong Resort invites guests to explore the lush forests of Mt Balwangsan, test their courage on the Balwangsan Skywalk tempered glass bridge, and participate in healing yoga and pilates classes.
If it is meditation that one prefers, Museum San Meditation Hall, designed by famous architect Tadao Ando, has a stone garden that is ideal for emptying the mind. The floor is maintained at 22°C year-round and the humidity level is carefully controlled. Wellness programmes range from a singing bowl meditation to a resting meditation.
IHG hires Adeline Phua as development director for SE Asia and Korea
IHG Hotels & Resorts has appointed Adeline Phua as director, development for the South-east Asia and Korea region.
In this newly-created role, Phua will be supporting the strategic growth of IHG brands in South-east Asia, focusing on its luxury and lifestyle portfolio, and establishing a China desk to facilitate cross border investments and cooperation for the region.
Phua brings 16 years of global experience in hospitality strategy, planning, development, ideation and concept creation, feasibility, valuation, investment and asset management across China, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Americas.
Based in China for the last 13 years, she joins IHG from an Asia practice of a Swiss cross border real estate investment and hospitality advisory firm based in Shanghai where she was founder and partner. Prior to that, she was senior director at Starwood’s Greater China development team and partner at HVS in Asia Pacific, first based in Singapore and then moving to Shanghai in 2009 to establish their China practice.
Business Events Perth receives A$15 million injection
The Western Australian (WA) government has unveiled a new Reconnect WA funding package worth A$185 million (US$132 million), targeted at attracting tourists, skilled workers, international students and events.
Out of the A$185 million, the State’s official convention bureau, Business Events Perth, will receive A$15 million to attract business events to the state to support its business events, hotel, and hospitality industry.
As well as the funding for Business Events Perth, the package includes a A$65 million aviation fund directed towards re-establishing international and interstate flight routes that were disrupted by the pandemic, as well as targeting new routes including Germany, India, China and Vietnam.
Business Events Perth chair Bradley Woods said the funding would act as a direct and significant boost to WA’s tourism industry and praised the State Government for recognising the importance of the business events sector.
“In 2019, Business Events Perth generated A$153 million in confirmed business events with A$5.3 million in funding, which is an ROI of 1:29, so we expect that this new funding from the WA State Government will generate significant economic returns for Western Australia and also support Perth’s CBD hotels which have borne the brunt of the pandemic.
“With business event delegates spending up to five times more than their leisure counterparts and almost two-thirds of delegates choosing to attend a conference in order to extend their trip to take a holiday, the business events sector has a vital role to play in the ongoing recovery of Western Australia’s overall tourism industry,” Woods elaborated.
Business Events Perth CEO Gareth Martin added that the funding boost would underpin a strong recovery for the business events sector in Western Australia that would have a flow-on effect for a broad range of businesses and the State’s visitor economy as a whole.
“Through the funding of the State Government over the last 15 months, Business Events Perth Perth has directly supported over 350 local events while securing a pipeline of national and international business events for future years.
“In the face of an increasingly competitive national and international market, this much-needed boost in funding will drive a significant return on investment for WA and support local jobs in one of the most affected sectors,” said Martin.
Full details of the package will be released shortly.
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Desaru Coast Destination Resort in Johor, Malaysia has launched MICE Reinvented, a new campaign that aims to inspire new ways of hosting business and social events at the destination.
It puts forth five distinct event pillars: Corporate events, reimagined; Future-proof conference and exhibitions; Wanderlust destination weddings & celebrations; Sports & such and, Nature & nurture.
Roslina Arbak, managing director and CEO, Desaru Coast Destination Resorts, said in a press release: “Just as the pandemic redesigned the way we live, it has driven us to relook and rethink how events will look like in the future.
“Leveraging our portfolio of assets as an international destination in the world where people seek inspiration, rejuvenation and reconnections, Desaru Coast has reimagined all possible spaces and experiences across the destination to offer a multitude of integrated indoor and outdoor programmes.
“Future (events) at Desaru Coast can be designed with an enchanting mix of indoor and outdoor experiences to include all five-star facilities along with curated activities at the beach, forest, mangroves, local villages, golf courses, ballrooms and conference centre.”
The destination offers four-, five-star international hotel brands with an inventory of close to 800 rooms, indoor event spaces that can accommodate more than 2,300 delegates, two award-winning golf courses, and the region’s largest waterpark.
Desaru Coast has a positive reputation among sporting events. In 2019 it hosted the Desaru International Bike Week, which drew over 45,000 bikers and visitors to the destination.
Come 2022, L’Etape Malaysia will be held in the destination on June 4 and Desaru Coast Ironman on July 24.