Galaxy Entertainment Group has signed a deal with Accor to open an exclusive all-suite tower, Raffles at Galaxy Macau, within the integrated resort in 2H2021.
Located on the resort’s east promenade, Raffles at Galaxy Macau will feature approximately 450 suites, with a glass airbridge connecting the two towers on every floor. A selection of suites will boast their own private pools and gardens, while a small number of unique loft suites will be fitted with double-storey windows.
Raffles at Galaxy Macau is set to open in 2H2021
Guests may enjoy Raffles’ legendary signature afternoon tea experience or unwind in a secretive twist on the Raffles’ hallmark Long Bar – provenance of the iconic Singapore Sling – where they can sip a new iconic Sling tailored for Macau, or escape to The Glass House for breakfast or an elegant snack to enjoy the outdoors, in an indoor environment.
The Glass House, set amid a Mediterranean-inspired garden, is within a few steps of the Raffles’ private infinity-edge pool. Details on a luxury spa, and a speciality restaurant whispered to be helmed by a multi-Michelin-starred Japanese chef, are still under wraps.
Guests will also enjoy easy access to entertainment, shopping, dining and leisure attractions at Galaxy Macau, directly connected to the resort’s lobby podium.
Also on track to gradually open by the end of this year is the Galaxy International Convention Center (GICC). GICC comprises 46,000m2 of event space good for 16,000 people; a 10,000m2 pillarless exhibition hall, an auditorium for 650 guests, a banquet hall for up to 2,400 guests, a 4,000m2 conference hall comprising three dividable spaces, and a ballroom catering to more than 1,000 guests.
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre in New Zealand will have a Taste of Te Pae pop-up this month to showcase the venue to prospective clients ahead of its opening later this year.
Launching on March 17, the pop-up will operate for eight weeks until May 15.
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre will hold a pop-up for eight weeks
Te Pae Christchurch’s general manager Ross Steele said the pop-up had been developed, in part, in response to challenges caused by Covid-19.
“The events of the past year have obviously had an effect on construction timelines for the Centre. While we expect to be open in the latter half of this year, we still want to be able to showcase the venue to current and prospective clients, as well as the local community,” he said.
The pop-up, which will be located next to the convention centre site on Oxford Terrace, will include a food truck, as well as activation areas featuring interactive displays, a virtual reality dome and information about the Centre’s design, cultural narrative and the role of business events in the community.
The food truck, manned by Te Pae Christchurch’s executive chef Desmond Davies, will feature items from the Centre’s canapé and full-day menus, which have been designed with an emphasis on locally-sourced produce. Culinary collaborations with local suppliers are also being planned.
The activation area will include Te Pae Christchurch’s virtual reality walkthrough, developed by local company Jix Reality. Staff from across the business will also be on hand to meet with clients and members of the local community to answer questions.
The pop-up has also been designed using equipment, such as the food truck and outdoor furniture, that will feature in the Centre once open.
Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre is managed by ASM Global, and when open will feature a 1,400-seater auditorium, up to 2,800m2 of exhibition space and 24 meeting rooms.
The Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC) has unveiled the Harbour Studio, a brand new facility meant for online and virtual events.
The space features two 6m x 3m LED wall panels, allowing event planners to display high-resolution videos and powerful visuals. All supporting equipment is also available, including cameras, wireless clip microphones, LED lighting panels, video switcher, laptop playback equipment and various furniture selections.
The brand-new Harbour Studio
This will save organisers set-up time and efforts in coordinating with different service provides when setting up their live broadcast, webinar, product launch or media interviews.
All these are accompanied with fast and reliable telecommunications connections to connect participants from all over the globe, as well as full on-site support by professional technicians.
Harbour Studio is located inside HKCEC’s Port Café. The space features an open side which faces the world-famous Victoria Harbour, providing events a combination of creative visuals or natural backdrop. The close proximity to F&B facilities also makes Harbour Studio an ideal venue for hybrid events, with F&B easily available for guests who attend the events physically.
Harbour Studio is jointly run by HML and imEMC Limited, an event management company with 10 years of experience in creating online and offline events in Hong Kong.
JW Marriott Hotel Hong Kong, the flagship hotel of the JW Marriott brand in Asia Pacific, has appointed GP Yeow as its new general manager.
A seasoned hotelier with almost 30 years of experience, Yeow began his hospitality career in Perth Australia, and worked in both F&B as well as rooms divisions before moving up the ranks to become hotel manager.
With his extensive operational experience in Australia, Malaysia and China, the Malaysian was appointed as area director of operations overseeing Marriott hotels in north-east Asia and northern China in 2010 and 2012 respectively.
Prior to his move to Hong Kong, GP held the role of general manager at JW Marriott Beijing for more than five years, as well as general manager at W Hong Kong for two years.
Blythman: a dedicated resource to the health and wellbeing of employees is crucial during this period
Tina Blythman has joined the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre as a health and wellbeing advisor, a newly-created role due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some of Blythman’s tasks include leading large-scale and targeted organisational-wide health and wellbeing projects, implementing and assisting the coordination of company-wide health programmes and initiatives, educating leaders on their role in ensuring the health and wellbeing of employees, and actively promoting lifestyle events in and around MCEC.
Blythman: a dedicated resource to the health and wellbeing of employees is crucial during this period
Her first task will involve working with the Peer Support Network, a group of volunteer employees who are trained in mental health first aid, to identify and implement health initiatives across the organisation.
On the heightened emphasis on mental health amid the pandemic, Blythman said: “The world has changed so much in recent times; it has become more and more apparent that a dedicated resource to the health and wellbeing of employees just makes sense.”
“The hope is that my new role will help fill any gaps there may have been previously, like people wondering who the best port of call is for mental health and personal matters.”
Future plans include engaging with external speakers and trainers, as well as utilising her own learning background to facilitate new training and workshop opportunities for MCEC employees. She has also been tasked with delivering a measurement system and supporting framework to support a holistic health and wellbeing programme, as well as functioning as a key point of contact on mental health issues.
MCEC’s CEO Peter King said: “The importance of mental health and wellbeing has never been more apparent, and MCEC is committed to making sure our people feel supported and healthy. We have created a strategy specific to the needs of our employee base and we wanted someone who is 100 per cent committed to living and delivering this important initiative. This is not a part-time obligation.”
“Our desire to have a fully functional, happy and caring environment is critical to our organisation as we rebuild for future prosperity.”
Organisers often ask how they can create compelling exhibitor packages without live expo halls, networking parties or physical areas for branding. The truth is, digital events present countless opportunities to bring attendees and exhibitors together and encourage meaningful connections.
Sponsorships are a crucial part of monetising virtual events
Try these recommendations below to add value to virtual exhibitor packages and keep satisfied partners coming back.
Start by asking exhibitors to share valuable content during speaking sessions. Encourage attendee interaction via real-time chat, Q&A’s, polling and other engagement tools.
Provide opportunities for deeper connections. During exhibitors’ speaking sessions, for instance, they might invite attendees to continue conversations in small-group video chats and one-on-one meetings with experts.
Create immersive showroom experiences, like you have at in-person events. Build a virtual expo hall within your event website. Using the latest digital lead capture solutions, attendees can click on exhibitor booths of interest and connect quickly with experts. Exhibitors capture qualified leads. At the same time, attendees get prompt answers to questions during personalised, one-on-one video conversations – mirroring the experience at in-person events.
Encourage exhibitors to drive virtual booth visits before and during the event. They can use targeted emails, push notifications, social media and other channels.
Set exhibit hall times during session breaks. When virtual sessions and showroom hours run concurrently, virtual booths can get overlooked. Make showroom hours convenient, too, not at the end of a long conference day.
Offer engaging sponsorship opportunities that encourage attendees to spend time in the exhibition hall. Take gamification, for example. Participants can enjoy scavenger hunts for items at virtual booths. Challenge them to climb the leaderboard and win prizes. They can earn points for connecting with exhibitors and other attendees, reading sponsored content, watching demos and more.
Finally, create robust exhibitor reports. When all attendee interactions are digitised, events generate a goldmine of data. Our industry has always looked to data to measure return on investment. This business intelligence also provides a window into attendee preferences and pain points.
Deliver reports quickly to enable timely and personalise event follow-up. Data-driven insights help sponsors, exhibitors and organisers strengthen their offerings. So marketing gets stronger, event after event, year after year.
From left: PCMA's Patricia Cheong; Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's Shonn Mills; Align Technology's Julie Tay; STB's Jeannie Lim; and moderator Janet Tan-Collis from SACEOS speaking at the SingapoReimagine MICE Virtual Show
The events fog is clearing up for Singapore’s events industry, as a promising roster of large-scale conferences is in the works.
Panellists at the SingapoReimagine MICE Virtual Show on March 3 revealed plans to organise physical events in Singapore this year, with attendance possibly running up to 2,000.
From left: PCMA’s Patricia Cheong; Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s Shonn Mills; Align Technology’s Julie Tay; STB’s Jeannie Lim; and moderator Janet Tan-Collis from SACEOS speaking at the SingapoReimagine MICE Virtual Show
These include the Invisalign Asia Pacific Summit, which is projected to welcome more than 1,000 healthcare professionals from Asia Pacific, Europe and the US; as well as a gathering of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, comprising 2,000 attendees and an international membership of 75-80 per cent.
These potential events join the anticipated World Economic Forum’s Special Annual Meeting 2021, slated for Aug 17-20, which aims to host some 1,000 delegates.
Shonn Mills, board of trustees member for the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, shared: “We picked Singapore for our conference location because it is a beacon for sustainable urbanism, and this has become even more important after Covid-19. Our plan is to have 2,000 members come to Singapore in November. I’m sure it will be hybrid too, but I’m hoping the measures that Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Ministry of Health put in place, as well as (developments) surrounding vaccination, will allow us to move ahead with a large-scale conference.”
Confidence in Singapore’s safe facilities and events were bolstered by the portfolio of hybrid events that have been piloted under the government’s Safe Business Events framework. Since STB opened up applications for MICE events on October 1, 2020, some 50 events have already been organised.
These include TravelRevive in November 2020, which saw some 1,000 attendees and exhibitors on-site, and the Professional Convention Management Association’s (PCMA) Convening Leaders in January 2021, which welcomed 300 delegates. Measures put in place to ensure safe meetings included daily antigen rapid testing, meeting pods with Plexi-glass and zonal systems to limit intermingling.
“The fact that 300 delegates agreed to join us and take the antigen rapid tests was a strong indication that the industry is ready to meet again in a safe manner,” expressed Patricia Cheong, associate director, development, PCMA.
She continued: “We are still a very long way from figuring out how to network virtually. The serendipitous moments that happen are only possible in physical meetings. I think we will continue to see smaller, regional events coming together first. We can learn, experiment and start building a box of experiences, which can then be used for bigger events.”
As Singapore leads the path towards the resumption of safe business events, various different measures are being trialled. This includes the “stepped-up testing regime” employed at TravelRevive and PCMA Convening Leaders, whereby delegates underwent pre-departure, on-arrival and pre-event testing in place of quarantine.
STB is also working towards international vaccination certification, in hand with ICAO and IATA, in order to “expedite travelling across borders”, described Jeannie Lim, assistant chief executive, STB.
The reimagined event will offer the same networking opportunities
The Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef has transformed the Sell TNQ educational programme for Australian meeting planners, into a new-look event BE Immersed: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef.
Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef’s general manager Rosie Douglas said the Sell TNQ had successfully showcased the region’s business events products and capability for 20 years, and the BE Immersed: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef has been revolutionised to build on the successful components of Sell TNQ programme.
The reimagined event will offer the same networking opportunities
“With meeting planners eager to start work on reactivating the business events industry, it is timely to evolve our key educational programme to meet the needs and expectations of our business events clients’ as well as reflecting our leave greater destination brand promise,” she said.
BE Immersed: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef will be held on May 6-9, and will showcase the region and its natural beauty for post-touring options, Covid-safe practices for meetings, and unique off-site events to stage events in the post-pandemic world.
Registrations to attend BE Immersed: Cairns & Great Barrier Reef are now open.
The 360-degree panoramic 3D virtual city that could be viewed from a smartphone
Event brief
The China Mobile Global Partner Conference was transformed into a hybrid event for the first time in 2020, held virtually as well as on the ground in Guangzhou.
The theme was “5G integration into all industries, digital intelligence leading the future”, widely regarded as a starting point for commercialised 5G service construction and development in China.
The event attracted hundreds of senior executives from well-known local and overseas companies as they explored the potential of commercialised 5G service and promoted its construction, application, integration and innovation.
Pico+ was appointed by China Mobile’s Migu to create the event’s H5 webpage, an online virtual city, and multi-themed online virtual exhibition halls with 360-degree panoramic view function to display brand information from nearly 150 companies.
Event highlights
The team used Web3D technology to create a 360-degree panoramic 3D virtual city platform that would provide an optimal mobile phone experience. Users opened the H5 webpage on their phone to interact with the virtual city – rotating, dragging, zooming and panning by touching the screen.
The virtual city’s multi-themed virtual panoramic exhibition halls were equipped with dual interactive technology, allowing content to be displayed either via mobile phone or VR headset. Visitors could also use the automated photo generation function, which enabled them to select their preferred scene, choose the frame colour, portrait location and size, to generate a personalised photo for saving and sharing.
This resulted in a virtual world that delegates could interact with smoothly, and was also eye-catching, which boosted engagement among visitors and achieved a high engagement rate.
Cherry Ye, general manager, business operation of Pico+ China, shared: “Virtual character animation was another online event highlight. The virtual characters guided and interacted with participants through vivid body movements, mimicking the experience of offline events.”
Challenges
Audiences have become fatigued by online events that now seem too predictable and impersonal. Keeping the virtual audiences engaged was a major challenge.
To encourage their virtual audience to connect and stay engaged with the content over the three-day event period, the team turned the whole programme into a game.
Users were given incentive points to interact with the virtual city, and points were given when they did registration and sign-up, logged in daily, checked into virtual scenes, browsed content, and created photos in the exhibition halls. Points could be redeemed for gifts once certain totals had been reached.
Event China Mobile Global Partner Conference 2020 Organiser China Mobile Dates November 19-21, 2020 Attendance During the three-day event, more than 100 million engagements and 50 million unique visitors were recorded on the online platform
The Westin Singapore has converted one of its function spaces within the hotel to a dedicated Virtual Studio.
The Virtual Studio has been now fitted with a 7.2m x 2.8m green screen that can accommodate up to three presenters on-site with two remote connections; a HD camera system; on-screen personalisation; and on-site technical support.
The green screen in action
A two-hour Virtual Studio rental package starts from S$3,800++ (US$2,824).
In addition, the Virtual Meeting package can be customised based on different event requirements with additional options for live streaming. Hybrid meetings with in-person attendees and concurrent off-site viewers are available as well.
Packages range from 100 to 500 persons; and comprise a single session agenda up to three hours live streaming capacity (excluding China); supports for two onsite speakers and two remote speakers; as well as archival recording for three hours.
Planners can also now have meals delivered to offsite attendees. Lunches start at S$75 per person; a lunch and afternoon tea break at S$90 per person; an evening cocktail package at S$60 per person, or S$45 with every order of lunch or half-day package. Prices are nett and inclusive of delivery to one location per person.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
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