Event sizes scaled down as Singapore brings back Covid restrictions
TTG Conversations: Five Questions with Lina Ang, Sojern
Changes in consumer’s travel preferences, media diet and media channels along with continued pandemic challenges require travel and tourism marketers to take a different approach to target audience engagement, says Lina Ang, managing director APAC, Sojern.
In this new episode of TTG Conversations: Five Questions video series, Ang discusses how travel intention has failed to match up with actual search and bookings here in Asia-Pacific, where travel restrictions remain while national vaccination programmes are still a work-in-progress; challenged marketing budgets for travel and tourism companies and the impact on advertising activities; and the rise in social media marketing.
Ang also dispenses numerous tips for travel and tourism marketers looking to stretch their dollar, make sense of what the end of third-party cookies will bring, effect call-to-action amid a pandemic, and more.
Jakarta’s MICE stakeholders urge reinstatement of city CVB
Stakeholders from Jakarta’s business events industry have come forth to urge the city’s administration to reinstate the Jakarta Convention and Exhibition Bureau (JCEB), to ensure there is sufficient financial backing to help the capital win business events post-pandemic.
In 2016, JCEB was terminated by the city government after 20 years of operation.
These views were aired by stakeholders during a hearing with Dadang Solihin, Jakarta’s deputy governor in charge of culture and tourism, who requested input as the city government was preparing to issue business events regulations.
Before the pandemic, Indonesia lagged behind neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, in terms of the number of business events, said Hosea Andreas Rungkat, chairman of the Indonesian Exhibition Companies Association.
However, that has all changed due to the pandemic, as it has forced all countries to restart their courting of business events, Hosea noted.
“This is the opportunity to prepare a better marketing strategy, including forming a new CVB for Jakarta, so that after this pandemic ends, Indonesia’s MICE industry stood a chance to be on a level playing field with her neighbouring countries,” he said.
Christina Rudatin, lecturer of State Polytechnic of Jakarta and head of MICE Department Forum, said: “Jakarta has the opportunity to win bids. However, the list of potential business events were never used nor mapped by the Jakarta administration because the capital had no CVB.”
According to ICCA data, Christina pointed out that there were only 800 international business events slated from 2019 to 2029.
She lamented: “After the closure of JCEB, Jakartd has no focused marketing strategy and action plans on business tourism.”
Ndang Mawardi, president director and CEO of InspiroGroup, also pointed out: “We have difficulty answering questions about support from the Jakarta government when bidding for the hosting of international events in the capital, as there was no formal support structure.”
Dadang has indicated that he will be reading through the proposed business events draft, and convey the proposal of the reinstatement, or setting up, of a city CVB, to Anies Baswedan, the governor of Jakarta.
Park Inn by Radisson opens an outpost in Bacolod
Radisson Hotel Group has opened a 150-key Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod in Bacolod City, the capital of Negros Occidental province.
The upper-midscale brand property is located within the SM City Bacolod lifestyle mall, which provides easy access to delegates attending conferences or functions at the SMX Convention Center.
Smaller meetings can also be held at Park Inn by Radisson Bacolod’s three function rooms, or within the private dining rooms at Arima, the hotel’s all-day dining destination that serves a range of international dishes. Other F&B concepts include Dash, a grab and go concept; the casual Lobby Lounge; and the al fresco Marapara Plaza.
Hotel facilities include separate outdoor pools for adults and children, a fitness centre, and a jogging path.
Radisson Hotel Group now operates five Park Inn by Radisson properties in the Philippines, located in Clark, Davao, Iloilo City, North EDSA (Quezon City) and Bacolod, as well as an upper upscale Radisson Blu hotel in Cebu City.
Sarawak optimistic for MICE industry restart in 4Q2021
The Malaysian state of Sarawak is aiming to reopen for tourism and business events in 4Q2021, with the state well on its way to getting most of its population inoculated.
Currently, Sarawak is in phase two of its four-phase recovery roadmap, where domestic tourism activities will be allowed once the state enters phase three.
Sarawak’s minister of tourism, arts and culture, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, said in a press release: “We anticipate entering phase three by the end of August where we aim to restart tourism and business events in Sarawak by the fourth quarter this year.”
Currently, Sarawak holds the highest record in Malaysia with 71.4 per cent of its adult population having been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 31 per cent of the adult population has completed both doses.
Recently, more than 2,000 of the state’s tourism and business events industry frontliners received their vaccination as part of the Industrial Covid-19 Vaccination Programme held at the Association of Churches Sarawak in Kuching from July 15 to 18, 2021.
Amelia Roziman, CEO at Business Events Sarawak, said: “The business events industry is finally one step closer to restarting. We are 70 per cent in delivering our state recovery plan for business events with updated Standard Operating Procedures and improved incentivised packages, alongside creative marketing and promotional materials to ensure the success of events held in Sarawak.”
Singapore to host global dermatology congress in 2023
The 25th World Congress of Dermatology (WCD2023) has been confirmed for Singapore come July 2023, with Triumph Group International (TGI) appointed once again to bring the high profile global meeting to fruition as event organiser.
The last edition in 2019 drew 17,000 delegates from 149 countries to host city Milan.
According to TGI, WCD2023 will be conceived as a green congress from the very beginning – in line with Singapore’s sustainable city status conferred by the Asian Green City Index.
Spokesperson Antonella Nalli shared that WCD2023 will feature a series of impactful online activities as well as a mix of in-person and online meetings and public events in Singapore and “hopefully around the world” in the lead up to July 2023.
Maria Criscuolo, chairwoman of TGI, said the company’s appointment to produce yet another edition of the congress reflects its expertise in organising medical events and in responding to the evolving needs of medical meetings.
Criscuolo said: “International solidity and reliability are the results of over 35 years of experience and thousands of organised events. However, experience is not enough. We need new ideas; we need to know how to read the signs of aging and be able to anticipate them. We need to understand that a medical event is different from what it used to be just a few years ago. We have entered the world of hyper-technological, sustainable and comprehensive global events. ”
The new win for TGI and Singapore comes as the Rome-based events and communications specialist expands its presence in Asia. It has launched an office in Singapore, joining Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Gopass scores more global travel industry buy-ins
More global travel industry companies are tapping the new Gopass Global pre-travel risk management platform to help their clients and staff plan Covid-safe travel in the post-pandemic world.
New user acquisitions in the past month include US-based corporate travel alliance Hickory Global Partners, which has more than 2,500 members; Lufthansa City Center, an independent franchise company in the travel agency market with 500 offices in 85 countries; and First Travel Group, New Zealand’s leading alliance of independent travel agencies.
These acquisitions follow Sabre Corporation’s adoption of Gopass Global in June.
The platform distills risk factors relevant to a flight itinerary from 35 global data sources, in near real-time, including headline destination safety factors such vaccination rates, border restrictions, quarantine requirements and safety protocols. It also identifies the risks associated with trip routing, transit points, airports, airlines, aircraft type and even the choice of seat, and provides travel planners with a quantifiable risk score for each itinerary.
Gopass Global director of distribution, Dave Simmons, said: “Travel brands are quickly appreciating how our technology can help them navigate their way through the bewildering and ever-changing maze of information about Covid impacts on travel.”
Simmons added that as countries began to open up to international travel, employers and employees needed an objective and measurable assessment of the risk associated with any proposed itinerary. Maximum scores could be set as part of a company’s travel policy and complement existing duty of care programmes.
Acknowledging the value of travel risk data offered by the platform, Malcolm McLeod, CEO of First Travel Group, said: “Knowledge is power and if the initial reaction from our members is any indication, they can’t get enough of it.”
Simmons confirmed that Gopass Global will reveal more major signings in the coming weeks.
The Arctic Survival Escape
Concept
Macau-based event organiser smallWORLD Experience has recently unveiled a range of virtual teambuilding experiences – one of which is the Arctic Survival Escape – to help companies bring remote teams together during this Covid-19 pandemic.
Aims of their teambuilding activities include improving communications, promoting interaction, boosting morale, and helping to motivate employees without needing them to leave the safety of their homes.
What
The Arctic Survival Escape is hosted via video conference, with smallWORLD Experience staff facilitating the event.
The engaging game has been designed to ensure participants put their heads together and complete a series of cryptic tasks, riddles and puzzles. As the name suggests, teams are “lost” in the Arctic, and they need to put their creative problem-solving skills together to enable their rescue.
The game features three stages, and lasts from around 90 to 120 minutes. It’s suitable for groups ranging from 10 to 200 persons, where larger corporate groups can be split into multiple teams.
MICE application
This was my first virtual teambuilding activity, and I met my teammates for the first time online. There were four of us, including a corporate travel agent from Hong Kong, and two event suppliers based in Singapore.
After a brief introduction from the facilitator, we got to introduce ourselves and pick a captain in our own breakout room. We then had to scan a QR code to kickstart the game. All sorts of challenges awaited us, and we had to put our heads together to solve them within a stipulated time frame.
For instance, the first scene led us to a hut, where we had to look towards the bookshelf for a clue. Based on objects on the shelf, we had to uncover the answer from a series of anagrams. The team captain was then in charge of typing, and submitting our answers.
We also had to identify tourism sites in Peru, as well as types of knots, and even scanned a barcode to find one of our require answers. Unfortunately, my team members and I were stuck at one challenge that tested our mathematical abilities. Thankfully, the facilitator stepped in to offer instant help.
In the end, we needed to crack a code based on numbers we came across throughout the entire activity, so it is important to jot down numbers as they appear during the game. We however, realised that we were missing one digit, and had to request help from the facilitator which cost us 100 points so that we could proceed to the next stage.
Note that once you clear a scenario, you will not be able to go backwards, so it is advisable to take a screenshot if required so you’ll be able to refer to previous clues.
Service
Joining the activity was a breeze, as I logged in five minutes before the event start time. We were all held in a virtual waiting room until everyone joined, so it’s important that participants are all on time.
All participants require the use of a tablet/mobile device, as well as a laptop/computer. The smartphone was primarily used to play the game, while the laptop was where you could consult and converse virtually with your teammates.
I seldom play games online, and it took me a longer time to warm up and familiarise myself with how the game worked, so I thought that it would have been helpful to have a short demonstration prior to the activity so participants like me would know what to expect.
There were also no screen-sharing abilities, which made it difficult to see what my teammates and I were working on, and whether we were at the same page.
Still, I enjoyed myself as the activity is an interesting way to teambuilding during the pandemic, and having some form of social interaction during this period was very much welcome.
Contact
Email: info-hk@smallworldexperience.com
Website: smallworldexperience.com
Qatar reopens for fully vaccinated international travellers
Qatar has reopened its borders to international travellers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, allowing them to visit the Middle Eastern country without the need for quarantine.
The same rule applies to citizens and residents of Qatar who are returning to the country. All visitors – vaccinated or non-vaccinated – will be required to present a valid negative Covid-19 PCR test result taken within 72 hours before departure.
Visitors wishing to enter Qatar must register and upload required documentation such as a vaccination certificate, a valid negative PCR test result taken within 72 hours prior to travel, and personal details through the Ehteraz website (www.ehteraz.gov.qa).
Travellers have to apply for the authorisation (free of charge) through the Ehteraz website at least 12 hours before departure to Qatar.
More than 80 nationalities can visit Qatar with a free visa-on-arrival, while visitor visa rules apply for other nationalities.
In addition, all travellers are required to download and activate the Ehteraz mobile app which requires a domestic Qatari SIM card, purchasable from either Ooredoo or Vodafone on arrival at Hamad International Airport. Upon activation, visitors will be able to participate in public activities such as visiting malls, restaurants and museums; and using taxis or public transportation.
Qatar Tourism in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health launched more than one year ago the Qatar Clean programme for the hospitality and tourism sector to ensure safe visitor experiences in Qatar.
Marriott and PCMA team up to offer Digital Event Strategist certification
Marriott International and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) have partnered to offer access to PCMA’s Digital Event Strategist (DES) certification course.
The DES certification is an additional benefit for event and meeting professions when booking an event at participating Marriott Bonvoy Events across Asia Pacific.
The DES course is a self-paced, six-course module supported by APAC Regional Experts that provide local expertise and hybrid event insights and commences with a final exam. It was launched in early 2021, as digital and hybrid event education has proven to be critical as economies begin to reopen and where reskilling is paramount to future-proof events.
Earning the DES certification provides industry professionals with the tools to plan, produce and measure digital and hybrid events from beginning to end; monetise digital events through fresh pricing and sponsorship strategies, and evaluate and choose the most sophisticated tech solutions.
Karen Bolinger, managing director APAC at PCMA, said in a statement: “Working with Marriott is a testament to PCMA’s commitment to its partners and industry as we continue to develop and deliver the necessary support and education both our members and clients need and want.
“In fact, PCMA’s most recent APAC survey indicated that over 70 per cent of meeting planners are looking for venues with broadcast facilities and in-house expertise, and 80 per cent of respondents said they will give their in-person and virtual event attendees an opportunity to interact. This means new skills are required to deliver on these business objectives.”
Reviews
The Slate Phuket
Just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport on the serene northern coast, this 178-key, Bill Bensley-designed resort offers delegates a quiet, tropical paradise steeped in Phuket’s tin-mining heritage
The Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok
The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike
Mama Shelter Zurich
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
In-person business events and live performances will scaled down and event size caps will be reduced from July 22 until August 18, as Singapore further tightens movement restrictions in response to a surge in Covid-19 community cases.
For live performances and business events, up to 100 persons may be allowed with pre-event testing, and up to 50 persons without testing. For spectator and participatory sports events, up to 100 persons may be allowed with testing. Testing would not be required if there are 50 persons or less.
The latest requirements include suspension of dining-in at F&B establishments, reduction in group sizes for social gatherings from five to two, and reduction in operating capacity at attractions and museums to 25 per cent from the current 50 per cent,
In announcing the updated Phase 2 (Heightened Alert) measures, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said a review would be done two weeks after implementation, and measures would be adjusted further based on the infection situation at that time.
The Covid-19 multi-ministerial task force decided not to differentiate the measures for those who are fully vaccinated, but will consider doing so when vaccination rates are higher or when the situation has stabilised, a Channel NewsAsia report quoted task force co-chair Gan Kim Yong as having said during a press conference on Tuesday.
The multi-ministry task force had earlier announced a tightening of community measures under Phase 3 (Heightened Alert) from July 19 to August 8, in response to growing Covid-19 clusters at KTV lounges and nightclubs. Since then, more clusters linked to a wholesale fish market and hawker food centres have emerged.
MOH said that unlike the KTV cluster, the current wave of infection affects a wider spectrum of the population including many seniors.
“At the current rate of transmission, it is likely that infection cases will rise sharply, and many people in the community will catch the virus. While close to 50 per cent of the population have completed their vaccination regimen, there remains a number of vulnerable individuals, such as our seniors, who have yet to take up vaccination,” the ministry said.
“Unvaccinated individuals are at higher risk of being infected, and higher risk of being seriously ill if infected. Hence, in the meantime, we must act decisively to contain the current outbreak and minimise the risk of our hospital capacity being overwhelmed, while we race ahead to vaccinate those who have not completed or started their vaccination.”
According to MOH, Singapore remains on track to having two-thirds of its population complete the vaccination regimen by National Day on August 9.