Hyatt Hotels has opened the 1,600-room Grand Hyatt Jeju in South Korea, billed as the largest Hyatt hotel in Asia-Pacific.
Part of the new Jeju Dream Tower, this opening also marks the return of a Hyatt hotel into Jeju, an island on the southern end of the Korean Peninsula.
Grand Hyatt Jeju
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Restaurant
Ballroom
Meeting Room
There are eight meetings and event spaces on-site, and individual spaces start from 80m2, going up to 346m2 (a combination of three spaces). The 260m2 Presidential Suite is also ideal for private events and intimate C-suite meetings, and features two bedrooms, separate living and dining areas, a massage room, and sauna steam room, as well as dedicated butler service.
Meanwhile, the other living spaces start at 65m2, and boast floor-to-ceiling windows that open out to views of Halla Mountain – the highest mountain in South Korea, the sea and the city. All come furnished with a 75-inch flatscreen TV and three-seater sofa.
Facilities include the Grand Club which suite guests have access to; the Korean Jjimjil Spa complete with red clay, cypress, ice and salt speciality therapy rooms; an indoor pool; and a 24-hour fitness centre. There is also a 4,290m2 infinity pool deck which features a heated infinity pool, private cabanas, a hot tub, a kids’ pool and a poolside bar.
Grand Hyatt Jeju also offers a wide selection of cuisines under one roof, thanks to its 14 restaurants and bars. Global cuisine choices include a Steak House, and a Japanese izakaya named Yumeyama; while Korean options include a farm-to-table Jeju Hot Pot, Noknamu Korean BBQ dining restaurant, and Pocha which offers authentic Korean street food culture alongside lofty views from the 38th floor.
The property is a 10-minute drive from Jeju International Airport, 15-minute drive from the port and cruise terminals, and within walking distance from shopping and culinary hotspots such as Jeju Dongmun Market and Nuwemaru Street.
For the past year or so, Singapore was perched on the brink of business events recovery, with the successful staging of several large-scale hybrid events and the launch of the Connect@Singapore controlled inbound and meetings initiative.
Improved pandemic controls allowed community restrictions to be cautiously lifted, individuals to return to their workplaces, business meetings to be conducted under Safe Management Measures (SMMs), and new event wins to be celebrated, such as the inaugural Global Esports Games scheduled for December 2021.
Singapore is prioritising the safety and well-being of all events stakeholders as well as the local community when a B2B event is held; Singapore’s Central Business District pictured
However, at press time in late-May, Singapore stepped back into a partial lockdown due to a spike in community cases, including unlinked infections. The current Phase 2: Heightened Alert restrictions differ from last year’s tough lockdown, as business events are still allowed to proceed but with capacity reduced to 100. Pre-event testing is also compulsory for meetings with more than 50 people.
The precarious state led several high profile international meetings to either cancel or postpone their upcoming plans in Singapore. These impacted events include the World Economic Forum and the Shangri-La Dialogue, both of which have been cancelled; and the 7th Architecture & Building Services 2021, which has been moved from June to November.
Large-scale hybrid events on trial
Despite the setback, Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is persisting with the phased reopening of the country’s business events industry.
Edward Koh, STB’s executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, said the “calibrated manner” of reopening will “prevent new clusters from forming and reduce transmission risk”.
The careful stance taken by STB includes “rigorous protocols and innovative solutions for the end-to-end visitor journey”, with measures constantly reviewed and enhanced through various pilot events, such as TravelRevive in 2020 and Geo Connect Asia 2021. Findings and data from these events are helping STB to refine SMMs and best practices for future events.
For example, meeting pods, which enabled one-to-one meetings between exhibitors, representatives and attendees during TravelRevive in November 2020, were well-received. Larger pods were then piloted at Geo Connect Asia 2021. These were double in size to facilitate more productive discussions among four people, with two representatives from each company.
He pointed out that the resumption of more business events depends on the success of the pilot events, and the ability and readiness of event owners and organisers to apply SMMs effectively. These SMMs have to span an attendee’s entire journey, before, during and after the event.
“We will also continue to actively work with stakeholders and the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers, to develop robust SMMs and best practices to guide the industry and support a successful recovery,” said Koh.
Helping hands
Besides laying the groundwork for the safe resumption of business events, STB also facilitates events take-off with grants through the Business Events in Singapore scheme and extra support services through the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme.
While Koh said tourism revenue will inevitably shrink this year, the “fundamentals that make Singapore a key MICE hub and attractive location for business and leisure events remain unchanged”. This will put Singapore in a “good position” to emerge stronger after the pandemic ends.
Another positive step is the national vaccination programme, where the government’s target is to vaccinate the local population by end-2021.
Meanwhile, Koh pointed out that digital transformation is extremely crucial for the industry, and that includes hybrid events that have become the norm.
To support businesses in their digital journey, STB’s Business Improvement Fund will help business event owners pivot, upskill and build up technology capabilities. The fund encourages technology innovation and adoption, as well as the redesign of business model and processes in the tourism sector to improve productivity and competitiveness.
William Lim, director of operations, MICE Depot, told TTGmice that his company has benefitted from the Business Improvement Fund. “It accelerated our digital technology adoption and development of our digital solutions. It supported the development of immersive digital experiences for our customers. We will continue to embrace change and stay flexible to evolve quickly in this rapidly changing environment and will continue to adopt new technologies to address our customers and attendees’ needs,” detailed Lim.
However, STB’s focus on the digitalisation of the business events industry has met with disapproval from Kenny Yong, founder and group CEO of Fireworks Trade Media.
Yong pointed out that not every event organiser benefits from digitalisation and the shift to hybrid online/in-person events.
“Every bonafide organiser knows that you can’t monetise digital expos as much as you can from a physical event,” Yong remarked.
“I think STB could do more to map out ways to allow more attendees (at in-person events) and (have) more certainty in rules and regulations pertaining to shows. We are facing massive challenges (in informing) our exhibitors that footfalls would be limited in compliance with local laws and (that we are) not certain when shows could be staged. (This is) detrimental to shows in 2020 and 2021.”
The spirit of innovation has truly thrived amid this pandemic. We have seen major convention and exhibition centres in our region leading the charge towards venue and event digitisation, bringing onboard infrastructure that facilitates quality livestreaming and broadcasting. Along the way, hotels have joined in to offer livestreaming and broadcasting facilities, eager to be seen as a worthy supporter of increasingly popular hybrid online/in-person business events.
Venue managers that have gone on this path will soon realise that the only way to move is forward because with every online or hybrid event attendees experience, their expectations for quality content will rise. This puts pressure on event producers and planners to come up with novel ways to keep content and engagement interesting. In turn, event producers and planners will come to rely more heavily on partners that can help them easily turn ideas into reality, perhaps through the right equipment or with a collaborative mindset.
Far-sighted, savvy venues have continued to evolve and improve their digital and hybrid event offerings. They are finding audiovisual and broadcasting solutions from specialists that once catered only to television productions. No surprises there, as many event producers and planners have likened producing an online or hybrid business event today to delivering a major live performance.
Innovation is not only booming on the hardware front. The number of event software vendors across the world has expanded by 400 per cent in the past year, according to a global mapping study conducted by marketing specialist, Hoosh. You can read about this on TTGmice.com.
It is natural to feel that the familiar past of pre-pandemic days are more comforting than the unknown future, but the technology changes we are witnessing today are giving us a peek into a more exciting business events landscape to come, especially for conferences, meetings and product launches that could benefit from some creativity.
The combination of innovative event venues, new specialised apps to answer known and yet-unknown online and hybrid event needs, increased investments in event technology, and the consolidation of established event software players will ultimately benefit event producers and planners as well as attendees.
Business events are an important part of the Western Australian economy, bringing high yielding visitors to the State; Perth pictured
Business Events Perth has recently secured two separate bids to host Australia’s largest life sciences conference, AusBiotech, next year; and the International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases in 2024.
Business Events Perth chief executive Gareth Martin said AusBiotech 2022 is expected to attract over 1,000 researchers, developers, start-ups, investors, innovators, universities, and corporates to Perth. Slated to be held in October 2022, the congress will also bring new commercial opportunities to Western Australia’s thriving biotechnology industry.
Business events are an important part of the Western Australian economy, bringing high-yielding visitors to the State; Perth pictured
“Western Australia’s life science industry is one of the fastest-growing in Australia, with the total economic contribution estimated to be A$29.7 billion (US$23 billion) last year,” Martin said.
Running in conjunction with the conference will be the Australia Biotech Invest & Partnering event, which will provide opportunities for local companies and professional service providers to connect with key stakeholders and investors.
There are currently around 40 biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies and more than 50 medtech and digital health companies based in Western Australia, along with 22 research institutions and almost 65 services and support organisations.
Business Events Perth partnered with the Western Australian Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation and the City of Perth to secure the event.
Next up in 2024, the International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases will return to Perth for the first time in over 50 years.
The International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases is one of the leading global conferences on neuromuscular diseases, attracting thousands of delegates from around the world.
The event was first held in Perth in 1971, following the ground-breaking research by Western Australian Emeritus Professor Byron Kakulas AO who showed that degenerated muscle could regenerate in quokkas.
This research eventually led to United States Food and Drug Administration approved treatments developed by the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, with application to other diseases.
Tourism Australia supported the bid to bring this event back to Australia through the Business Events Bid Fund Program.
Tourism Australia’s managing director, Phillipa Harrison, said in a statement: “Securing these types of events, particularly with the long lead time involved, will ensure that Australia remains front of mind among global decision makers and continues to attract high-value business events in the future.”
To secure the conference Business Events Perth worked with the local conference organising committee, which features prominent neurological scientists from the Perron Institute and PCOs Arinex.
IBTM has partnered with leading international industry associations, visionaries and thought leaders for the education programme
The Singapore Tourism Board is offering support of up to 70 per cent to employees of Singapore registered companies in the MICE sector who would like to attend IBTM Wired, set to take place from June 28 to July 1, 2021.
The Tip-It (Training Industry Professionals in Tourism) grant is open to all Singapore citizens or permanent residents of Singapore who are employees of Singapore-registered companies in the MICE sector.
IBTM has partnered with leading international industry associations, visionaries and thought leaders for the education programme
The grant supports up to 70 per cent of course fees and 70 per cent of absentee payroll, capped at S$7.50/hr (US$5.70/hour) The deadline for applications is June 4, and application forms can be downloaded here.
IBTM Wired features a packed conference schedule with over 30 topical education sessions and four high-profile keynote speakers designed to give events professionals the key tools they need for the next chapter in meetings and events.
The event includes online access to the SMF (Singapore MICE Forum) x IBTM Wired conference, in partnership with SACEOS (Singapore Association for Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers), which takes place on June 28.
In addition to the education programme, visitors can use the ‘walk up’ video meetings function at the event to request forge new business connections with suppliers, venues and destinations from around the globe.
The updated Roadmap will Recommend strategies for the recovery and development of the Philippine MICE Industry
The Philippines’ MICE Roadmap 2030, which laid down the strategies to position the country as a desirable business events destination in Asia and the Middle East within the decade, will be updated taking into account the impact of the global pandemic.
Raquel Tria, acting MICE head, Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), said the update should include a Covid-19 impact assessment on, and inclusion of, proposed measures on Covid-19 responses and recovery for Philippine MICE stakeholders.
The updated Roadmap will also recommend strategies for the recovery and development of the Philippines’ MICE industry
The updated version should assess the feasibility and relevance of the Roadmap targets, re-identify targets for each of the four segments (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions), and update the statistical data and pertinent information,” Tria shared with TTGmice.
First unveiled in 2018, the MICE Roadmap 2030 is a comprehensive 10-year programme that prioritises the expansion of economic opportunities from MICE, as well as strengthens Philippines’ global competitiveness. It was initiated by PACEOS (Philippine Association of Convention/Exhibition Organizers and Suppliers) in partnership with the Department of Tourism, its marketing arm TPB, and the Department of Trade and Industry.
TTGmice understands that PACEOS’ members agree that it is necessary to update the Roadmap, and will be meeting to discuss the issue.
PACEOS’ board member Orly Ballesteros said: “The pandemic brought to a halt the growth of MICE in the country. At the same time, the change in the MICE landscape (which saw the incorporation of) digital is another critical area that must be discussed in the recalibration.”
“The government should allot additional resources to the marketing and revival of the tourism sector. The strategic recalibration will be critical as we face a new world in the tourism industry, a world where health and safety, and sustainability, are the main (drivers that will help us reclaim the) growth momentum that we have experienced before pandemic,” Ballesteros added.
The e-catering platform, which is expected to launch in the region in the next one or two months, according to CEO Bernard Quek, will allow event planners to develop an F&B menu with a participating hotel, grant their remote event delegates the freedom to pick and chose what they would like to enjoy, and have the meal or refreshment delivered to different addresses within a set time frame.
Having seen success in moving hotel partners towards online retailing and F&B delivery throughout the pandemic’s recurring lockdowns and continued travel restrictions, Singapore-based Global Hospitality Solutions (GHS) is now preparing to launch an e-catering platform that will enable Asian hotels to revive some of their lost on-site events business.
Established in 2002, GHS specialises in technology that helps hotel partners be present in the entire customer journey in travel and tourism, from engaging travellers to driving purchase and eventually rewarding for loyalty.
GHS will make it easier for event planners to feed their remote event attendees
The e-catering platform, which is expected to launch in the region in the next one or two months, according to CEO Bernard Quek, will allow event planners to develop an F&B menu with a participating hotel, grant their remote event delegates the freedom to pick and chose what they would like to enjoy, and have the meal or refreshment delivered to different addresses within a set time frame.
GHS will provide the technology – supported by its existing WhyQueue Hotel e-Store solution – to facilitate e-catering, as well as manage the operations to ensure the right transport vendors are used to carry through hotel partners’ brand standards in the delivery service.
WhyQueue powers a private e-store for both hotel companies and individual properties, and have enabled hotels to develop different and more stable revenue sources during the travel and tourism crisis.
Quek said GHS’ move to create an e-catering platform was inspired by the rise in “Zoom parties” – online gatherings with entertainment and catered food, involving a number of people dialling in from different locations.
While the platform is still in its final phase of development, the GHS team had a taste of what’s to come when a hotel partner received an order for 400 meals that had to be delivered to 400 different locations at the same time on a particular day as part of a remote event.
“This service supports the future of entertainment, the future of work, and the future of business events,” he remarked.
He added: “(Business events) is a big piece of business for hotels, but (it is) gone for so many hotels in cities that have been going in and out of lockdown and have almost zero international arrivals. E-catering could bring back events revenue, especially now that remote parties and events with F&B are growing in frequency.”
Quek said there have been some expressions of interest from hotel partners that have benefitted from WhyQueue during the pandemic.
WhyQueue now supports various hotel companies and properties, such as Grand Hyatt Singapore, Grand Hyatt Jakarta in Indonesia, and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts across Asia-Pacific. It recently won over Marco Polo Hotels and will be establishing an online store for the chain’s properties in Manila.
The Sustainability Pavilion at the World Expo 2022
More than 370 delegates from around the world travelled to Dubai to attend the sixth International Participations Meeting (IPM) in-person, the final IPM before the October 1 opening of Expo 2020.
The IPM was held on May 4-5 at Dubai Exhibition Centre, and those present represented 173 of the Expo’s 190-plus participating countries, with others attending virtually.
The Sustainability Pavilion at the World Expo 2022
During the two-day IPM, attendees were briefed on the latest in operations, security, city readiness, marketing and communications, and programming, while organisers also presented the stringent measures being taken to ensure the health and well-being of Expo’s workforce, participants and visitors, in line with the UAE’s wider efforts to combat Covid-19.
The World Expo will be one of the first mega-events to take place since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, and it will welcome more than 200 participants, including nations, multilateral organisations, academic institutions and businesses.
For the first time in the 170-year history of World Expos, each participating country will have its own pavilion – a dedicated space where it can showcase its culture and progress to the world, creating partnerships and exploring solutions relevant to its circumstances and people.
It is also the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, and the largest event to be held in the Arab world.
Expo 2020 Dubai will run from October 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022, coinciding with the 50-year anniversary of the founding of the UAE.
People are keen to travel again, but Restrictions and Low Vaccine Uptake Remain a Serious Barrier
New research released by Collinson’s Priority Pass has revealed that pre-pandemic frequent flyers are ready to get back on a plane, as 77% of travellers in Asia-Pacific expect to travel more in the next 12 months (from March 2021).
Yet, despite travellers longing to hit the skies, entry restrictions – such as the need to be a resident – remain in place for many countries in the region; with most requiring several weeks of quarantine upon entry.
The global survey took into account the opinions of over 46,000 members of Collinson’s Priority Pass traveller experience programme. Further findings include leisure travel is projected to make up more than half of trips (55%) taken in the next year. And while business travel will recover more slowly, there is demand for it to return, with the expectation that business travel will account for 45% of flights taken in the next year globally.
People are keen to travel again, but restrictions and low vaccine uptake remain a serious barrier
Confident and excited – the world’s travellers are ready for a reboot After more than a year since Covid-19 first hit the travel industry, vaccination roll-outs have brought a glimmer of hope – with 41% of APAC respondents stating that being vaccinated against Covid-19 would be the top reason for encouraging them to travel, while 33% said that the lifting of international travel bans would be their top reason.
When questioned on the possibility of travelling by air in the next 12 months, 78% of members globally expressed feelings of excitement and 61% felt confident.
Globally, international travel will likely increase year-on-year. However, survey respondents project that domestic travel is still set to make a greater recovery than international travel during the next 12 months – at 64% versus 59%, when compared with 2019 travel levels, respectively.
Travel experience expectations for the immediate future have changed dramatically Around the world, the desire to keep health risks to a minimum has resulted in key changes to the way people experience airport travel, with the aim of keeping external contact to a minimum.
Since the pandemic began:
24% are more likely to use unmanned facilities, such as biometric passport kiosks
48% are more likely to use airport lounge access than they did before the pandemic
20% are more likely to pre-order and collect their food and drinks before departure
49% indicated that social distancing and contactless transactions at the airport are of a relatively high importance when travelling
Vaccinations are creating an environment of hope Despite Asia’s low vaccination rate in comparison to the EU and US, 79% of travellers cite growing confidence in the safety of air travel as more people are vaccinated.
While vaccines have yet to be fully rolled out globally, their availability continues to generate hope, as do the discussions around digital health certificates; with 82% of APAC respondents saying they would be happy to use one – which is even higher than the global average of 74%.
Globally, 76% of members say they would feel confident to travel internationally if getting vaccinated became a mandatory measure. This sentiment is echoed by a further 64% of travellers who agree that Covid-19 testing and the use of digital health certificates would encourage them to travel abroad.
Quarantines seen as ineffective, unnecessary, and a barrier to recovery The survey also shows that while quarantine regulations continue to be enforced around the world, 60% of APAC travellers do not feel it is an essential safety measure; while a further 69% see it as a major deterrent for international travel. When reasons behind this largely negative sentiment towards quarantine are explored in depth, 83% blame the additional costs involved and 69% also cite the unpredictable nature of quarantine rules, while 62% are reluctant to spend so much time indoors; a finding which is likely linked to an increasing emphasis on mental wellbeing when travelling.
“In APAC, it is clear that travellers are ready to get moving again if the right protocols are in place – so we need to focus our efforts on delivering a return journey that is seamless, safe, enjoyable and helps build on these initial signs of traveller confidence and excitement,” said Todd Handcock, president, Asia Pacific of Collinson.
“Working together to help reduce the impact of identified barriers will prove essential; as will communication and collaboration between all players in the travel ecosystem, governments and other relevant bodies to enable to implementation of globally consistent and accepted travel health solutions.”
Whether it is gas, charcoal or electric, South Australia’s recently launched Weber Grill Academy is offering corporate delegates and incentive groups the chance to become a barbecue master.
The academy offers interactive BBQ experiences on their spacious 120m squared all-weather balcony, with spectacular views across parklands to the city of Adelaide. All that’s required is a curiosity for grilling methods and an appetite for delicious food cooked with smoke.
Delegates get hands-on experience under the guidance of Weber’s grill experts who provide tips and tricks to the perfect steak. They will also demonstrate techniques for roasting crunchy pork crackling, fire roasting pizzas, and baking a chocolate brownie or pavlova.
An adjacent al fresco area serves as a dining area complete with a full bar, catering facilities and AV equipment. Groups can compete in team food challenges, or enjoy an entire day’s delegate package based on barbecued dishes created from quality Australian produce.
The academy prides itself in sourcing local ingredients, including from the famed Adelaide Central Market, and celebrating South Australian beer and wines.
Interactive experiences are limited to about 20 guests, to ensure maximum interaction with barbecues and grill specialists. However, capacities for events and meetings will be adjusted as required to meet Covid-19 restrictions.
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