NZ govt budgets NZ$50 million for Regional Events Fund
New Zealand’s business events industry has welcomed the Government’s drive to support domestic tourism through events with NZ$50 million (US$33.3 million).
The injection will go to nine major regional groups across the country via the Regional Events Fund.
The Regional Events Fund comes as a welcome addition to the government’s recently announced Domestic Events Fund, in which 20 of the 200 events receiving support were conferences and business events. The mechanics of how the fund will be distributed is still being worked through with further announcements to come.
Conventions & Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) Chief Executive, Lisa Hopkins welcomed the support.
She said: “This longer-term investment in events will support the rebuilding of the visitor economy and provide valuable assistance for the people who work within it.
“The fund will be a major boost for existing events, as well as the chance to develop new ones, building capability across the country. It gives the industry some funding opportunity across the next two to four years and will be especially helpful for 2021 and beyond.”
“CINZ will be encouraging the regional tourism organisations to ensure business events have a fair share of the fund and offer support to the New Zealand Convention Bureaux as they work through the process,” Hopkins added.
SIA to shed 4,300 jobs amid virus fallout
Singapore Airlines (SIA) Group will cut around 4,300 positions across its three airlines – SIA, SilkAir and Scoot – as coronavirus continues to batter the global aviation industry.
However, the potential number of job cuts may be reduced to about 2,400 in Singapore and across overseas stations, due to a number of measures that the airline has taken since March, including a recruitment freeze, natural attrition, and a voluntary release scheme for cabin crew.
“This decision was taken in light of the long road to recovery for the global airline industry due to the debilitating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the urgent need for the group’s airlines to adapt to an uncertain future,” it said.
The group reiterated that it expects to operate at less than 50 per cent of its capacity at the end of the financial year as compared to pre-Covid levels. Industry groups have also forecast that passenger traffic will not return to previous levels until around 2024, it added.
“Relative to most major airlines in the world, the SIA Group is in an even more vulnerable position as it does not have a domestic market that will be the first to see a recovery. In order to remain viable in this uncertain landscape, the group’s airlines will operate a smaller fleet for a reduced network compared to their pre-Covid operations in the coming years,” it said.
SIA said that it is working with Singapore-based unions to finalise the arrangements for those affected, and will try to minimise their stress and anxiety.
In a memo to staff, SIA CEO Goh Choon Phong said that no one could have predicted the pandemic’s devastating impact on the global aviation industry at its onset early this year.
“Having to let go of our valuable and dedicated people is the hardest and most agonising decision that I have had to make in my 30 years with SIA,” he wrote.
“For our impacted colleagues, please know that this is not a reflection of your individual strengths and capabilities. It is the result of an unprecedented travel paralysis brought about by a global pandemic.
“Please also be assured that we will conduct the process in a fair and respectful manner, and do our best to ensure that you receive all the necessary support during this very trying time.”
Australian MICE stakeholders welcome A$50 million govt stimulus
Australian prime minister Scott Morrison has confirmed that the Federal Government will be injecting a A$50 million (US$36 million) stimulus into the business events industry.
Under the Australian Business Events Grants Program, approved business events, including meetings, conventions, incentives and exhibitions, will be able to apply for upfront grants to cover up to 50 per cent of their costs (between A$10,000 and A$250,000).
Funding will support exhibiting at events in 2021 and will remain open until all funds are allocated or until June 30, 2021, whichever is sooner.
The Business Events Council of Australia (BECA) will work with Government on the design and implementation of the Australian Business Events Grants Program.
The funding is part of the Government’s A$1 billion Covid-19 Relief and Recovery Fund which supports sectors severely impacted by the pandemic.
In a statement, Exhibition & Event Association of Australasia (EEAA) said that the industry is now in a “much stronger position to commence rebuilding business confidence and injecting much-needed cash flow through the supply chain”.
EEAA indicated it is also consulting with BECA and Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for clear guidelines on state and territory border reopenings, to provide predictability and transparency in the way borders are being managed so businesses can forward plan and book their next business event.
Over in Perth, Business Events Perth chief executive Gareth Martin welcomed the funding announcement, saying it would help “reignite the sector and help restart the holding of business events across the country”, as the sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic.
Martin added the Federal funding complemented the Western Australian Government’s funding initiative for the industry announced in August, which made up to A$30,000 per event available to support organisations to host local business events in Western Australia.
“Business events are a key economic driver to our economy, supporting thousands of jobs across a range of local businesses. The restart of business events will not only be critical to the recovery of the visitor economy, it will also be important to Australia’s broader economic recovery. Business events are a front door for investment and trade and are a forum to collaborate and exchange knowledge and showcase Australia’s research and professional expertise and capacity.”
Meliá hires cluster DOSM for two Thailand properties
Meliá Hotels International has named Christian Lueke as the cluster director of sales and marketing (DOSM) for its first two properties in Thailand.
In his new role, Lueke will oversee sales and marketing at Meliá Koh Samui, which opened in January this year; as well as Meliá Chiang Mai, slated to open early next year in the kingdom’s mountainous north.
A hospitality veteran with three decades of industry experience across Europe, Asia and Africa, the German has worked in Thailand for 14 years, most recently as Minor Hotels & Resorts’ regional director of sales for Southeast Asia.
Before that, he was the Bangkok-based cluster DOSM for Hyatt Hotels, overseeing Park Hyatt Siem Reap, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa and Hyatt Regency Phuket.
His previous roles also include stints as the DOSM for Destination Properties; the cluster DOSM at Courtyard By Marriott responsible for resorts in Surin, Patong, Kamala and Hua Hin; as well as the group DOSM for the Onyx Hospitality Group, formerly Amari Hotels and Resorts.
Trio of promotions at Swire Hotels
Three members from Swire Hotels’ senior management team will be progressing into new roles.
Michael Faulkner, general manager of The Middle House since its opening in 2018, will be transitioning into head of sales & distribution at the Central Support Office based in Hong Kong this September.
His new role will focus on developing a comprehensive distribution strategy for both The House Collective and EAST. Prior to his role at The Middle House, Faulkner was director of sales & marketing at The Opposite House and general manager at EAST Beijing.
Taking over from Faulkner as general manager of The Middle House is Mark Passmore, who was previously the general manager of The Opposite House in Beijing. He will now be responsible for leading The Middle House through the next phase of its evolution.
Passmore started his work with Swire Hotels in 2007 in Hong Kong before moving to become the general manager of The Temple House in 2013, where he oversaw the pre-opening and opening of the property. He was instrumental in steering The Opposite House through its renovation and repositioning.
As The Opposite House prepares for a relaunch, Olivier Dumonceaux will continue as hotel manager and assume responsibility of the property, overseeing all aspects of the House.
Dumonceaux joined Swire Hotels in 2016 as the director of restaurants & bars at The Temple House, where he led the pre-opening and opening of the property. In 2018, he relocated to Beijing to take over as hotel manager of The Opposite House, overseeing the renovation and opening of three new restaurants and bars as well as the multifunctional event space Commune.
Virtual IT&CM Asia, CTW APAC debut with new features
The double-bill trade event, IT&CM Asia and CTW APAC, will maintain its presence this year amid ongoing travel restrictions with a virtual format that weaves in 24-hour access to the exhibition, flexible meetings and buyer showcases, among others.
The five-day event will be held from November 16 to 20, 2020.
Organiser TTG Asia Media has created 24/7 virtual and interactive exhibitions booths that buyers can access round the clock; flexible business meeting arrangements that allow for mutually requested scheduled slots and walk-ins; destination and corporate brand presentations and mini-roadshows; insights into buyers’ procurement motivations; daily themed knowledge sessions and networking activities.
Qualified buyers are welcomed with no registration fees and full event access as well as unique incentives upon completion of event sessions and missions.
Hong Kong secures multiple MICE event wins
Hong Kong has recently been chosen as the host city for six future international MICE events, two of which are repeat events, while four will be heading to the destination for the first time.
In total, these business events are expected to bring in about 10,000 high-yield visitors, deliver economic contribution, and drive multi-sector development.
YK Pang, chairman of Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), said in a press release it was “encouraging” to welcome major events to Hong Kong for the first time. They are the International Airline Transport Association (IATA) World Cargo Symposium 2022, Asia Sports Technology Conference 2021, Asia Crypto Week 2021, and the Congress of the Asian Society of Transplantation (CAST) 2023.
Phillip King, founder and chairman of Varcis Group, explained his decision why Hong Kong is chosen to host the first Asia Sports Technology Conference in the Greater China region.
“As the gateway to Mainland China and its burgeoning sports market, with a superb infrastructure, strong financial and investment credentials, excellent IP protection and common law, plus an excellent Innovation & Technology Hub with a thriving start-up ecosystem, Hong Kong is the ideal destination for hosting this first-ever sports tech conference in the Greater China region, as it also plays a pivotal role in the Greater Bay Area.”
The other two repeat events will be The Congress of Asian Society of Cardiovascular Imaging (ASCI) 2022 and Asia Funeral and Cemetery Expo & Conference (2021, 2023, 2025).
Kenny Lo, chief executive, Vertical Expo Services Company and organiser of Asia Funeral and Cemetery Expo & Conference 2021 said: “Since the first edition came to Hong Kong back in 2009, the show has gradually developed into the largest international expo and conference of its kind in the Asia Pacific region. We have every confidence that the city will bring our next three editions to even greater heights.”
Pang added that HKTB will continue to proactively engage international and domestic organisers to bid for hosting rights for major MICE events.
The HKTB has also prepared a series of recovery campaigns for the MICE industry and is closely monitoring the development of the pandemic in various source markets. The campaigns will be launched when the time is right.
Indonesia rolls out new MICE tradeshow to build industry confidence
Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE), in partnership with Biztrip Teknologi Multimedia Solusi and Global Mediacom, will be organising the Indonesia Corporate Travel and MICE (ICTM) 2020.
The B2B business events mart will take place face-to-face in five Indonesian cities between September and November this year.
ICTM 2020 will first be held in Jakarta on September 18 and 19, followed by Bali on October 1-3, Yogyakarta on October 15-17, and Malang (East Java) on November 5-7. It will then head back to Bali on November 19-21, and end in Bogor (West Java) on November 27-29.
Johanes Chang, founder and event director of ICTM 2020, revealed: “In every city, 30 corporate buyers will meet with 30 MICE providers. Apart from the buyer-meet-seller sessions, there will also be seller workshops, talk shows, a buyer exchange forum, gala dinner and post tours.”
Participants will be required to take swab tests before attending any of the events.
Speaking on the choice of cities, Johanes said they were business destinations which are ready to promote. Aside from stalwarts Bali and Jarkata, the ministry also incorporated new potentials such as Malang and Bogor.
Rizki Handayani, deputy of tourism products and events, MoTCE, said: “The event aims to motivate the business events industry in Indonesia to continue doing business amid the existing limitations.”
“The focus is to let corporate buyers get first-hand updates from sellers and answer all the questions they might have on the readiness of the suppliers and destinations to accommodate their needs in the new normal,” Johanes added.
Rizki hopes that the event will become a platform that will help develop the capacity and capability of all stakeholders through discussions and networking. She opined that this is necessary for the industry to get back on its feet so that the country will be ready to compete internationally when borders reopen.
As such, by jointly organising the event and fully hosting the buyers, the ministry hopes ICTM would be able to build confidence among companies to start their offline events again.
As close to reality it gets
Hot idea
Consider inserting eye-catching animations or engaging presentations in your virtual event to prevent online fatigue
Brief
The Global Virtual • Reality Conference is an annual gathering of global industry leaders and experts in technology who discussed trends and industrial applications in relation to virtual reality (VR), augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
In light of international travel restrictions imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the fifth edition was switched into a virtual format this year. This was the first time the conference had departed from its physical format.
Migu Video Technology thus entrusted Pico+ to develop a virtual exhibition solution, where the brief was to create an immersive and interactive experience for the audience.
Highlights
The two-day conference comprised a virtual launch event and an exhibition that showcased how VR has been used in the different industries, its innovative practical applications and state of development.
There was also a signing ceremony to cement collaboration efforts between Migu Video Technology and several other companies. All of the signees were invited to the virtual stage – and although they were scattered across the globe in reality – they simultaneously pressed interactive buttons to kickstart the signing.
Participants entered the exhibition either via VR headsets, or experienced the venues in panoramic ultra-high definition via mobile phone or television screens.
Cherry Ye, general manager, business operation of Pico+ China, said: “The virtual conference gathered more than 60 industry experts from 10 countries. Each guest was represented by an avatar and delivered keynote speeches and dialogues as though present in person.”
For example, the avatars could move freely in the virtual space, and could even give micro expressions and gestures. Audience members could also react by clapping, standing up, or waving their hands. Visitors to the exhibition were also guided by virtual brand ambassadors.
“We created solutions that were able to mimic the realism of a physical event as much as possible. To this end, we used avatars with micro-expressions and gestures, and provided virtual attendees with options to provide real-time feedback”, shared Ye.
Challenges
Ye shared that the team only had less than two weeks to develop the solutions, although she said it was not “unusual” at that juncture.
Although the virtual format allowed connections between attendees and speakers, one key challenge was to ensure the audience remained engaged and energised throughout the event.
“It is just as easy for them to leave as it is for them to join the virtual event,” noted Ye.
As such, the team aimed to minimise drop-off rate by injecting visual and audio, where announcements of collaboration programmes and product introductions were augmented with vivid animations to keep the audience attention.
Event The 5th Global Virtual • Reality Conference
Organiser Migu Video Technology
Dates May 17-18, 2020
Attendance 420,000 logins accumulated from the first day of the conference (May 17), until the end of May
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Japan and Singapore will commence a green lane for essential business and official travel for residents from both countries on September 18, making it the first such arrangement for the North Asian country.
In a joint statement, the foreign affairs ministries of both countries said that the Business Track arrangement will allow the safe resumption of cross-border travel and business exchanges with the necessary public health safeguards in place.
These safeguards include pre-departure and post-arrival testing as well as the need to adhere to a controlled itinerary for the first 14 days in the receiving country.
Operational details including the requirements, health protocols and application process will be published on the website of the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs website and Singapore’s SafeTravel website on September 18.
To date, Singapore has four other reciprocal green lanes for business and essential travel with the governments of Malaysia, China (selected cities), Brunei and South Korea.