Luxury hotel brand Cordis has opened its fifth outpost in Sci-Tech City, an integrated complex in Hangzhou, the capital of China’s Zhejiang province.
Meeting options within span four meeting rooms, a 600m2 pillarless ballroom, and a business centre for corporate events and business travellers.
Cordis Hangzhou, Sci-Tech City
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The 600m2 pillarless grand ballroom is six metres in height and can accommodate up to 300 guests, and it can be further divided into three individual spaces. Meanwhile, the other four meeting rooms feature natural lighting and an unblocked city view.
There are 186 rooms and suites, starting from the 36m2 Superior Room, right up to the 190m2 Presidential Suite with its own living room, dining area, and kitchen. Regardless of category, all rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as Cordis’ signature Dream Bed.
Facilities include a heated 25m-long indoor swimming pool, 24-hour gym, the Chuan Spa, two restaurants, and a bar. For business guests with their families in tow, the hotel also offers a Cordis’ kids programme to keep them entertained throughout their stay.
PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 took on a hybrid format; the physical version at Marina Bay Sands pictured
The Covid-19 pandemic has been a sobering reminder that association bodies need to shed their inflexibility and fear of change, in order to better provide for their community members.
Speaking at the PCMA Convening Leaders forum last week, Martin Sirk, international advisor at Global Association Hubs Partnership, expressed that the pandemic “exposed the rigidity of the association model”.
PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 took on a hybrid format; the physical version at Marina Bay Sands pictured
He elaborated: “Covid-19 exposed a lot: governance, inflexibility, and the rigid and conservative systems (in associations). It’s very difficult to have any experimentation.”
Another “weakness” that was revealed is the lack of a “true presence around the world” for associations with a global scope, pointed out Tommy Goodwin, CEO, Miller Wenhold Association Management.
Goodwin stated that because of this lack of regional or local influence, many associations have been “unable to mitigate risks around the world and unable to capitalise on opportunities”.
“You would need a presence on the ground in strategic markets and various regions. Have regional managing directors in different parts of the world to sense what is happening and create benefits for members. You could even empower local chapters or volunteers to be your voice around the world – you’d want to make sure (your message) from Singapore is a scream, not a whisper, by the time it reaches Washington DC,” he explained.
This should serve as a wake-up call for associations to step up and become the true movers and shakers that some communities need during the global crisis.
Goodwin said: “Associations can help bridge the gaps that have been left behind by many governments and private corporations.” He further suggested that the industry could scale back its operations to a regional and local level.
Meanwhile, Sirk asserted that the existing “specialist monopoly” model should be dissolved, allowing for more complex and new meeting solutions, as well as partnerships.
Particularly in the Asia Pacific, the use of digital and social platforms can significantly improve the standing and effectiveness of associations, especially among the younger generation.
Shirlena Soh, president, Association of Biomedical Laboratory Professionals Singapore, shared: “The use of digital and social media platforms is very minimal. Most associations are not as professionally run like those in the US or Europe. Digital is very important to engage the younger population who can rejuvenate the association.”
Jeanette Stanton has been appointed events project manager for Business Events Industry Aotearoa (BEIA).
She will be re-joining BEIA on February 15, 2021, following six years as marketing and business events services manager with Auckland Convention Bureau.
Previously, Stanton was instrumental in developing and managing key events such as MEETINGS and the industry annual conference as part of the BEIA team (then known as Conventions and Incentives New Zealand).
Current MCO restrictions insufficient to stem Covid spread, say tourism players; women walking past closed shops during lockdown in Kuala Lumpur pictured
The latest stimulus package (known as PERMAI) unveiled by Malaysian prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, on Monday evening (January 18), was a let down for the business events industry.
Under the package, the wage subsidy programme would be extended for one month to all employers regardless of the business sector. They stand to receive a wage subsidy of RM600 (US$148) for each employee earning less than RM4,000.
Malaysia is undergoing its second MCO; two women walking past shuttered stores in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers’ (MACEOS) president, Francis Teo, said that this sum “was not enough”. Overall, the PERMAI package did not provide a significant financial stimulus package” for the beleaguered industry.
Instead, MACEOS proposes a wage subsidy of 50 per cent for those earning up to RM6,000 for three months to mitigate the cascading impact even after operations resume at the end of the movement control order (MCO). Eligible employers must also prove 80 per cent or more decline in revenue or income compared to January 2020.
Teo stressed: “A one-size-fits-all wage subsidy does not work here. The business events industry has suffered terrible losses, close to 90 per cent loss in revenue, equivalent to RM2.3 billion since the first MCO started in March 2020 in Malaysia. Many will be on the brink of winding up if a stronger financial package is not provided.”
He also added that the 10 per cent electricity bill discount offered to six specific business sectors – including convention centres – was not going to be of much help since the industry was not allowed to operate during the MCO anyway.
At this point, Teo related that many industry players are struggling to stay afloat by deploying strategies such as salary cuts work from home arrangements, and taking unpaid leave.
“We are cutting operations costs as much as possible. There is nothing else we can skimp on,” Teo said, adding that a solid financial aid programme directed at the business events industry was sorely needed.
Commissioned studies to understand developing health-related situations around the world, as well as commitment by global authorities to stop international flights should future infections surface may allow the travel and tourism industry to better prepare for imminent pandemics, advised two global infectious diseases experts at last week’s PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 conference.
The event took on an online/offline hybrid format, with the live segment hosted at Marina Bay Sands Singapore, with support from the Singapore Tourism Board. Safe Management Measures for MICE Events, which includes Antigen Rapid Tests, zoning arrangements for attendees and safe distancing, was implemented.
Paul Tambyah (left) and Peter Doherty (centre) shared their expert views on the panel, We Have Vaccines. Are We Back To Normal Yet?, at PCMA Convening Leaders 2021 on January 14
Paul Tambyah, president-elect of the International Society of Infectious Diseases, said: “We depended on science and international organisations like the World Health Organisation (for information), but the (travel and tourism) industry needs to start commissioning their own studies. It is key to know what is going on around the world. You need to be aware of what’s happening in a farm in China, in Mexico or somewhere in West Africa.”
Joining the panel via live-stream from Melbourne, Peter Doherty, Nobel Laureate Professor and patron of the Doherty Institute, urged the travel and tourism industry to lobby national authorities to have a global agreement to “stop passenger planes right away” should a similar spate of infection flares up locally or “in any country across the planet”.
Doing so could limit the pandemic to a smaller scale and reduce economic damage, he remarked.
“We have been operating over the years on the influenza mantra, that you can’t stop the flu virus. But we stopped the planes in the skies for Covid-19 and we stopped the spread. So this can be done,” Doherty said.
Tambyah and Doherty believe in continued hygiene precaution even as vaccines are available
Both medical experts are optimistic about the vaccine developments, saying that it could help the world return to normalcy.
Tambyah noted that the new mRNA technology allows vaccine manufacturers to produce vaccine within weeks. “The people who make these biotech vaccines say they can produce within four to six weeks, even if there is a new strain of Covid going around, maybe Covid-21 or Covid-22,” he said.
In comparison, the flu vaccine is produced through a “tedious process” that could take months.
When asked if it was therefore safe for the world to resume travels, Doherty referenced the case of passengers who were infected onboard a September 2020 flight from Dubai to New Zealand. All the infected passengers were in aisle seats close to the index case.
“We see the same pattern with influenza. The virus doesn’t go through the air; they (inflect) people who are close by. I’d suggest getting a window seat,” he said.
With or without vaccines and imminent pandemics, Tambyah said people would have to get used to the idea of mask-wearing.
Doherty agrees that continued social distancing, mask-wearing and frequent hand-washing are wise even as people got inoculated, but said that past experiences show that people throw caution to the wind as soon as a bacterial outbreak is over.
While Tambyah acknowledged that it would be hard to sustain the current level of social distancing for a long time to come, he suggested that the pandemic could forever change the way people socialise and interact.
Citing an example, he said: “In restaurants you tend not to sit so closely to other people as you would at a bar. Maybe the way we interact is going to change. We are going to do more business interactions over three- or five-course meals, which isn’t such a bad idea.”
Hot idea
Ensure that the moderators are seasoned professionals, as they would be able to fill the silence in the event of a connection problem
A screenshot of Philconstruct’s lobby
Event brief
As physical events were still not allowed in November, Philippine Constructors Association (PCA) agreed to a virtual show for 2020 with the proviso that it be futuristic, in keeping with its image of looking ahead into the future in tandem with the country’s build, build, build programme.
Global Link-MP’s COO, Jing Lagandaon, said Event Xtra was chosen as the platform provider as they found the software interactive, sleek, and was easy to navigate right from the get-go. Moreover, other platforms did not allow visitors to converse with exhibitors, which was a key component.
Global-Link MP’s in-house designers developed a 3D design technology where the virtual venue – from the lobby and exhibition halls to the products and a help desk – was made to be as lifelike as possible. This also helped to showcase the construction equipment and machinery as closely to the real deal.
Event highlights
Being a virtual show helped to solve travel concerns like security, and the added costs of plane tickets and hotels. It featured a mix of local companies, as well as some of the show’s regular foreign exhibitors from countries such as Australia, New Singapore, and Germany.
In addition, stakeholders from all across the Philippines, and the world, could tune in without leaving their homes, but still provide the same opportunity to network with top-level professionals and stakeholders from the construction and HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) industry.
Another bonus of a virtual setup was that Event Xtra could provide data analytics easily, and had a list of those who came to the exhibition booths for exhibitors to follow up with.
Philconstruct also featured an online edition of Technoforum, the show’s knowledge-sharing forum which welcomed notable speakers from all over the world.
Challenges
The most major challenge was transforming Philconstruct – a mega international exhibition that physically took up two separate venues in Metro Manila – into a virtual tradeshow.
Lagandaon shared that organising a virtual event is akin to starting a new business or concept, as they had to approach every single exhibitor and explain the idea via Zoom.
“We were not able to convince everyone (to join us virtually, but) those who we are able to convince realised that it works,” she said. “We have also transformed the way we do things and the sales mindset.”
One of the challenges in holding a virtual event was Internet connectivity, which in the Philippines is notoriously slow and unstable. As a result, 80 per cent of the Technoforum was pre-recorded.
One of the live presentations, unfortunately, ran into connection problems. It was fortunate that the moderator was a past PCA president, and being knowledgeable in his craft, he managed to fill the 20 minutes of dead air until the speaker was able to reconnect.
“We have been talking about digitisation for the construction industry for the past year or so. Doing this virtual edition of Philconstruct is just another way of showing the industry that there are more ways to do business now. Of course, we hope we can once again do the physical shows but we believe virtual is here to stay,” shared Ronaldo Elepano, the show’s overall event chairman.
For 2021, Philconstruct has announced it’ll be organising both virtual and physical shows.
Event Philconstruct VX (Philippine International Construction Equipment, Building Materials, Interior & Exterior Products Exhibition and Technology Forum) Organiser Global Link-MP for Philippine Constructors Association Dates November 5-11, 2020 Attendance 13,700 visitors and 147 exhibitors from around the world
Japan halts entry from all countries to stop spread of COVID-19 variants
The Japanese government has suspended its green lane travel arrangements with other countries, until the country’s state of emergency is lifted.
This affects the Singapore-Japan Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL). During this time, travellers will also not be able to apply to travel from Japan to Singapore given the reciprocal nature of the RGL, said Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in a media statement.
Japan halts entry from all countries to stop the spread of Covid-19 variants; Narita International Airport pictured
Travellers who have already received approval to enter Singapore under the RGL can continue to do so, but are advised to check the latest immigration regulations upon their return to Japan. Singapore work-pass holders from Japan may continue to use the Work Pass Holder General Lane for entry into Singapore.
All travellers entering Singapore will be subject to prevailing health requirements.
This comes as Japan temporarily bans the entry of all non-resident foreign nationals into the country amid a surge of Covid-19 infections.
As of mid-January, the Japanese government extended the state of emergency covering Tokyo and its three neighbouring prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama to include Osaka, Kyoto and Hyogo, Aichi, Gifu, Tochigi and Fukuoka prefectures. Under the declaration, residents in those areas are being asked to avoid all non-essential outings.
The number of infections nationwide has hovered around 6,000 for the past several days, with the most rapid increase seen in urban areas. The detection of a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus in four travellers who arrived in Japan from Brazil earlier in January has also added to the concern.
With Singapore’s phase three reopening and a vaccination rollout, Singapore-based Conference & Exhibition Management Services (CEMS) is bullish that it can target a 70 per cent subscription rate for its signature events – both virtually and in-person at Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
Edward Liu, group managing director of the 40-year-old regional and international organiser, commented Singapore’s comprehensive plan to vaccinate everyone who wants it by 3Q2021 or end-2021 was a “complete game-changer”.
MBS will play host to more hybrid events this year
He added the relocation of the Davos-based World Economic Forum 2021 in Singapore, from May 25-28, 2021, expected to attract thousands of business and government leaders and media from around the world, was a very clear signal the city is ready to host international conferences and exhibitions, and reinforces the readiness and strength of the MICE industry.
Liu continued: “We are seeing more positive responses from prospects compared to the last six months of 2020, and we are quite prepared to step up more aggressive marketing plans to take on more participants,” adding CEMS is introducing “a virtual element” to support its live events.
“This is to cater to foreign exhibitors due to restrictions in their own countries, in particular Italy, for the Singapore International Jewellery Expo (SIJE) which traditionally fields 40 to 50 sellers showcasing millions of dollars worth of exhibits.
“You cannot do business long distance. But under the circumstances, those who cannot come can work with our established partner (global leader in business and security services) Brink’s to help set up and secure the exhibits.”
SIJE 2021, held from July 8-11, is targeting 200 exhibitors from 25 countries, with a good number from Hong Kong, Thailand and Japan, and 70 per cent of its traditional 10,000 trade visitors and the public, Liu noted, mindful that it is not yet normal times with restrictions in place.
CEMS is eyeing 1,000 pre-registered or walk-in delegates daily at Architecture and Building Services 2021, held from June 30 to July 2, versus 2,000 pre-Covid. Meanwhile, its four-in-one trade-focused Café Asia/Sweets and Bakes Asia/International Coffee and Tea Industry/Restaurant Asia is expected to yield 222 exhibitors from 27 countries and more than 6,000 participants.
the trend for global virtual events and how this has resulted in a huge strain on existing IT infrastructures
In-person company and industry conferences have certainly taken a hit as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. As a sector that is dependent on bringing international audiences together in a physical space, the pandemic has forced many to rethink their business models.
However, the good news is foundational unified communications and collaboration (UCC) and content delivery technologies already existed to make the transition from in-person to online conferences.
Nonetheless, the shift from in-person to online events has not always been seamless. The digital infrastructure for these types of virtual venues requires the need to scale communication backbones quickly to support what is turning out to be a new reality for business conferences.
The trend for global virtual events has resulted in a huge strain on existing IT infrastructures
Virtual events are exploding as is their digital infrastructures
The global virtual events market size was valued by Grand View Research at US$77.98 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.2 per cent from 2020 to 2027.
For example, the fifth edition of the Singapore FinTech Festival (SFF) last year reportedly attracted more than 3.5 million session views on the online event platform and social media. Offering a hybrid experience, the latest edition of SFF was able to facilitate more business and virtual meetings that were conducted through the event’s technology platform, compared to previous years.
As virtual conference platforms experience unprecedented growth, it puts a huge strain on existing IT infrastructures. Virtual events can now extend over multiple days, and sometimes weeks, and feature different types of online interactions such as live presentations, streaming video, social media, break-out rooms, chat sessions, polls, virtual reality to hold onto attendees’ attention.
In an IDC Virtual Events Survey, published in May 2020, virtual event attendees ranked how they would like to be engaged during a virtual event. No surprise, the more interactive engagement methods, such as chatting with the speakers and participants, downloading presentations, polling and community discussions ranked the highest. It is also not a surprise that these are highly digital interactions.
As a result, the amount of additional bandwidth required to successfully deliver the various digital aspects of virtual events without any performance hiccups is constantly increasing. For example, high-definition (HD) video for a large virtual event needs a huge amount of bandwidth.
YouTube recommends that 13 Mb/s is used to stream 1080p HD content with other devices streaming on the same network. Multiply that by thousands of virtual conference participants trying to access that same video and if the video streaming technology is poor or fails during a live online-conference, then you’ll probably never virtually see those attendees again.
There are two types of online business events that require the same IT infrastructure modernisation and optimisation to succeed:
• Private corporate conferences need internal virtual private networks (VPNs) to be literally up-to-speed to securely interconnect thousands of distributed participants. For these types of events, network bandwidth capacity, resiliency and security are critical factors.
• Public vendor or industry events, where there is a “rolling thunder” of multiple activities over days or weeks, with participants from all over the world coming in over the public Internet, have the same requirements as private corporate conferences. However, these online venues require scalable IP peering among multiple internet service providers to boost bandwidth capacity for UCC, digital media providers and content delivery networks.
To keep private or public virtual event attendees engaged and happy, enterprises and online conference platform providers need to dynamically turn up the network, redundancy and security capabilities of their infrastructures to meet the burgeoning demand.
New year, new realities
According to the Global Interconnection Index (GXI) Vol. 4, an annual market study by Equinix, 70 per cent of new value created over the next decade will be based on digitally enabled business models. With Singapore ranked as the top Asia-Pacific meeting city on the annual International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)’s global rankings for 18 consecutive years, business meetings and events – physical or virtual – will always be important for connections, driving business growth and economies forward.
Since October 1, 2020, event organisers can apply to pilot MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) events in Singapore, subject to attendance caps and the necessary approvals from the authorities. There are also robust Safe Management Measures (SMM) in place which event organisers are expected to strictly implement and enforce.
The year 2021 will be the year of transition as we welcome the golden age of events – a mix of physical, virtual, and hybrid events. With this in mind, we expect enterprises and online conference platform providers to leverage interconnection services to access thousands of network, cloud and content providers to successfully host virtual conferences for tens of thousands of participants per event, without a hitch.
Yee May Leong is Equinix’s managing director of South Asia. In this Singapore-based role, Leong leads the company’s business strategy in Singapore and Indonesia.
She joined Equinix in May 2019 with over 30 years of experience in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector, holding senior management positions in technology companies including IBM, Lotus, F5 Networks and Orange Business Services, where she spearheaded the companies’ market growth and industry leadership in the Asia-Pacific region.
IAAPA, the global association for the attractions industry, has decided to shift its annual exposition and conference to the Shanghai New International Expo Centre, from August 10 to 13, 2021.
The IAAPA Expo Asia 2021 was initially planned for Macau in June.
IAAPA Expo Asia 2021 will now be held in Shanghai this August
IAAPA explained that the relocation and date change were in response to the continued impact of the global pandemic.
Hal McEvoy, president and CEO, IAAPA, said: “IAAPA’s role has always been to help members meet, do business, and learn from each other. It is more important than ever we provide such opportunities in a safe manner, at the right time, in the right location.
“After careful review and with significant input from our team, members, exhibitors, and the IAAPA Board of Directors, the decision has been made to relocate IAAPA Expo Asia 2021 to Shanghai, China. Given the continued uncertainties impacting travel – international and domestic – we believe the relocation and event date change will provide more opportunity for exhibitors and attendees to participate.”
Plans are underway to ensure a smooth transition to the new venue.
This year’s event will kick off with a conference day followed by three days of tradeshow, additional education programmes, exclusive special events and more.
McEvoy said the event would abide by safety guidelines and operational procedures recommended by global and health authorities as well as event industry experts.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
Yee May Leong is Equinix’s managing director of South Asia. In this Singapore-based role, Leong leads the company’s business strategy in Singapore and Indonesia.
