FCM Travel Solutions has appointed Calvin Xie as general manager for China based in Shanghai.
In his new role, Xie will drive the company’s business in China through a multitude of business aspects to accelerate its strategic and digital transformation, while increasing growth in managed travel through new wins and implementation of multinational and national businesses.
Xie has been the CFO for FCM in North Asia since 2018, where he focused on transforming the FCM China business and improving its financial stability.
Elizabeth Quay Carousel and Spanda Sculpture juxtaposed against Perth’s gleaming CBD
Perth was once talked about as the city where a restaurant could charge A$50 (US$35) for a humble plate of fish and chips. Thankfully, the economy that reflected that market has since disappeared and so has extravagant pricing in the city’s hospitality and tourism sector.
Elizabeth Quay Carousel and Spanda Sculpture juxtaposed against Perth’s gleaming CBD
No longer same-same, plenty has become different for corporate events in Perth. It’s not even a secret anymore, with Tourism Australia effectively shining a prominent spotlight on the city when it decided Perth should host not one, but all three of its main trade events last year.
Perth has undergone a surprising transformation. The West Australian (WA) capital has spent A$10 billion in new infrastructure and accommodation over the past five years to improve its tourist offering at an “unprecedented” level.
“There’s never been a better time to bring delegates to Perth,” said Business Events Perth’s CEO Gareth Martin. “The capability of our events has really changed with a 40 per cent increase in internal meeting space in the city alone”.
Fresh infrastructure developments
Some developments that have recently come online include the Elizabeth Quay mixed-use waterfront precinct along the Swan River, boasting at its doorstep Australia’s first Ritz-Carlton which opened last November. There’s also the 60,000-seater Optus Stadium, which won last year’s Prix Versailles Architecture Award for the Most Beautiful Stadium in the World.
Travel into Perth is getting more efficient too, with more than A$1 billion invested into an expansion for Perth Airport. An MoU was also signed to create a A$510 million Australian Biome Project at the airport, comprising five high-tech domes showcasing WA’s unique climates and environments in the vast state, and local indigenous culture and art. It’s believed the 15-hectare project will become a major attraction for international visitors.
A new airport link which will get passengers to the CBD in 18 minutes, is also scheduled for completion by 2021.
Before Covid-19 happened, more routes were on the cards. Singapore Airlines launched a fifth daily flight last year, while in January 2020, China Eastern Airlines trialled a new direct flight from Shanghai to Perth three times a week, with the intent of make it permanent. This would connect WA to about 25 million people in Shanghai, which could potentially translate into an additional A$40 million in tourism spend for the state’s economy.
Meanwhile, WA’s key tourist location of Fremantle is undergoing a A$270 million once-in-a-generation redevelopment to be completed this year. Known as Kings Square Fremantle Renewal, the project is designed to transform the port area into a vibrant retail, commercial, hospitality and community space complete with sustainably-built building and designs, and free Wi-Fi throughout the precinct.
These products and more were given the front stage at Tourism Australia’s key trade events –the Australian Tourism Exchange, Corroboree West, and Dreamtime in April, October and December respectively.
New luxurious digs
But what really excited event planners was the city’s new accommodation offering.
Perth has seen a 45 per cent increase in four- and five-star accommodation over the last three years, bringing the total room offering to 13,800 and tourism organisers have promised the prices are pleasantly not what you might expect.
“Five years ago, accommodation rates were ridiculously expensive in Perth. That’s changed dramatically for a number of reasons,” said Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre (PCEC)’s CEO Nigel Keen.
“For one, there was the initial investment in the mining sector where billions were spent with a lot of corporate travel which pushed the rates up and there wasn’t enough accommodation supply. Once the investment cycle came off and they went into production, we found low occupancy. The rates improved (and) at the same time, we’ve had an influx of new accommodation,” he continued.
The new product and pricing reality is the injection Perth needed to re-energise its tourism sector and become a viable international business events destination against its eastern competitors.
The glamorous Crown Towers Perth – which played function host at all three of Tourism Australia’s earlier-mentioned trade events in Perth – has also seen increased international and domestic visitation. “This is (due) to the Optus Stadium and (better) flight access into Perth,” said Crown Hotels Perth’s director of sales, Scott Alderson.
“There is more flexibility and variety in itineraries as we are connected more fluidly through air access, coach transport and now river access too. The whole state is more open and flexible to provide unique itineraries,” he elaborated.
The future looks promising
WA tourism stakeholders including PCEC, The Westin, Crown Towers, Captain Cook Cruises and Sandalford Wines shared with TTGmice that business has been good.
“(We are) 180 years old but this financial year has been the most successful in the company’s history,” said Grant Brinklow, CEO of Sandalford Wines which served 200,000 paying guests last year.
“And that’s due in no small part to the culmination of collective efforts by the (state) government, and significant additional investment by Sandalford and our proprietors in creating wine-related experiences.”
Returning from a day of incentive experiences in Perth during Dreamtime, director of Singapore-based MICE Matters, Melvyn Nonis, said he was convinced Perth deserved another look.
“This was a destination that was tired. People had visited Perth before and as MICE planners we discounted the place because of the high cost and lack of hotel availability.
“But I had a wonderful seafood lunch on a cruise with champagne, and sashimi lobster on the way to Rottnest Island where there are teambuilding possibilities. And there’s a certain uniqueness to Perth so it’s timely for us to introduce Perth to our incentive clients,” he elaborated.
As for geographical markets, with Perth’s isolation from Australia’s bigger eastern cities and close proximity to its northern Asian neighbours, there’s no question where the state will be focusing its efforts. Asia-Pacific already accounts for 90 per cent of incentive business for the state, with the largest source country coming from Malaysia, followed by China and Singapore.
But there is a gnawing fact. “In terms of Australia’s total trade with China, WA accounts for 60 per cent of that total trade, yet only five per cent of Chinese visitors come here,” said Martin. “So there’s an imbalance around the importance of the relationship that WA has with China. And I think that our opportunity is immense.”
Business events industry leaders in Malaysia predict that the recovery of the sector will take between six months to a year, starting with domestic events.
However, this assumption is built on the premise that the Ministry of Health Malaysia would soon announce that business events will be allowed, with strict guidelines and standard operating procedures in place.
Abdu Khani: domestic meetings first to return, with regional meetings being MyCEB’s next target
Abdul Khani Daud, CEO, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), said he was pushing for 500 people as the maximum limit for business events, raising the limit of 250 which the National Security Council is considering.
Abdul Khani was speaking at a webinar called The Future of BE in Malaysia. The session was organised by Place Borneo, a local MICE management company, and was moderated by Place Borneo’s managing director, Mona Abdul Manap.
For domestic business events, Abdul Khani believes that the local corporate sector is showing lots of potential. But this alone will not be enough, where the next step will be tapping business from neighbouring countries – Singapore, Thailand, Brunei and Indonesia – when borders are reopened.
However, the road ahead will be long. He said: “There are a lot of marketing activities we have to do in order to rebuild the confidence level of our destination and bring business back to Malaysia.”
For now, MyCEB is creating packages for the domestic market called Let’s Meet Locally, while the international market will have a similar initiative called Let’s Meet Tomorrow. MyCEB stressed that it be working closely with “hotels and integrated resorts” to develop these packages.
Eventually, he hopes that Malaysia will be able to collaborate with regional destinations during the bidding process, so that more than one destination will benefit from an international business event. MyCEB is looking at creating a one-stop online booking site where international meeting planners can find information about the various venues in Malaysia and make bookings.
Another speaker, Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO at Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), said the initial focus for Penang will be about getting national business events to choose Penang.
To this end, PCEB is putting together an enhanced Privilege Penang programme that provides support for local and regional meeting organisers starting from 20 delegates.
Meanwhile, the Sarawak Convention Bureau and Sabah Tourism, both acknowledged they stood a better chance of winning bids to host business events by collaborating with each other.
Noredah Othman, general manager at Sabah Tourism, said: “We should take advantage of our natural assets – islands, beaches, cultures and find ways to collaborate and win businesses because together we are stronger.
Amelia Roziman, COO at Business Events Sarawak, proposed bidding for business events as a “Borneo bid team” instead of as an individual destination.
On post-Covid-19 trends in the business events industry, Noor Ahmad Hamid, regional director ICCA Asia Pacific pointed out there will be likely more virtual and hybrid events in 2021.
Agreeing that this will be the new norm, Amelia shared that Business Events Sarawak was also looking at the feasibility of collaborating with partners to hold virtual site inspections to attract international business events to Sarawak post-Covid-19.
ICC Kyoto, where the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, is surrounded by greenery and has an eco-friendly certification.
Organisations in Japan are more likely to be interested in sustainable business events post-pandemic, thanks to increased awareness among the public of green issues, according to experts in Tokyo.
Lockdowns introduced to control the pandemic have resulted in improved air and water quality in major cities worldwide as well as more sightings of wildlife, leaving people considering how they can continue to reduce their impact on the environment even after the crisis subsides.
ICC Kyoto, where the Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1997, is surrounded by greenery and has an eco-friendly certification; its main hall pictured
“The crisis has given people pause to stop and think (about sustainability). This is an opportunity to reboot,” Tove Kinooka, co-founder and director of sustainability consultancy Global Perspectives, told TTGmice.
Furthermore, the pandemic has dispelled concerns and myths that more sustainable options for businesses were not possible.
“It has proved that massive, fast change is possible when we put our minds to it,” she said.
This greener consciousness, boosted by the 50th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, is giving the concept of sustainable events greater traction in Japan.
Industry experts say organisations view greener options as a way to help them better engage with staff, clients, investors and stakeholders.
As such, an uptick in demand is expected across the business events spectrum, from choosing greener venues and local plant-based cuisine to minimising waste and introducing sustainability-focused teambuilding activities.
As transportation to events is a big environmental consideration, Nobuaki Koshikawa, deputy general manager of human resources and general affairs at sustainable development company Cerespo Co., believes that post-pandemic, the number of online events will continue to increase.
“Up until now, it has been said that the value of an event lies in everyone sharing the same space and time and having direct communication,” he said. But since Covid-19 happened, this idea has been disrupted, with seminars and conferences held successfully online.
“After Covid-19, we need to think whether events will be online or offline, whether all programmes should be offered directly, and how we can reach more people. By considering this, the environmental and economic cost of events will be lighter,” he opined.
Koshikawa also predicts that increased interest in environmental issues will result in increased expectations for sustainable events, as well as more events about sustainability.
Corporate organisations are increasingly turning to virtual solutions for teambuildings, and more products are coming online to meet demand.
This is as companies are forced to design new offerings to fill the need for connection and boost morale in workplaces, even while employees practice social distancing and isolation.
One of the virtual teambuilding programmes in the Be Challenged stable
Australian teambuilding company Be Challenged said they are seeing a “strong increase in demand” for their virtual teambuilding programs, with enquiries coming from both local and Asian sources.
“We’re still getting fewer enquiries than we were (before Covid-19) but we’re now getting anywhere up to 25 or 30 enquiries per week as managers and organisations know they need to do something. (But) what exactly they want to do, they’re not sure,” Kingsley Seale, director of operations at Be Challenged, told TTGmice.
“That’s the biggest difference. In the past, they were quite clear on what they wanted to do. But this week we will be running five remote or virtual programmes which seems to be about the norm at the moment as some teams exit crisis mode,” he continued.
Be Challenged currently offers about 12 virtual products for teambuilding, with more possibly coming online as new programs are developed and offered through their license agreement with the global Catalyst Group.
Compared to traditional teambuilding sessions that can run for up to three hours, these online programmes come in shorter at 30 to 90 minutes. There’s also a priority of inclusion so that employees who don’t have access to high Internet speeds or gaming computers are not left out.
Kingsley shared that the available programmes catered to different team needs. These range from games that teach staff the benefit of learning from others in isolation, to connections that are organised just for fun with people divided into teams and challenges involving everyday household items like teaspoons or cups to “take people’s minds off the pandemic”.
Their most popular programme however, is the DISC self-profiling tool which has been adapted for virtual application.
“People are being forced to work remotely which is quite a big change for most of us,” said Kingsley. “You’re seeing some interesting behaviours coming across from teams, and as a result some teams are maybe becoming a little dysfunctional or not performing at the higher level that they need.”
“DISC allows people to explore why certain people react the way they do, or why certain people communicate in a certain way. It helps to bring that cohesion back and work towards being a more functional team, and as a result, you get better output,” he continued.
Kingsley believes while virtual offerings will not replace face-to-face meetings when lockdown restrictions are lifted, they are here to stay and will likely increase in future.
Hybrid events will be the norm until travel restrictions are completely lifted
South-east Asian companies are likely to continue to leverage on virtual platforms and host hybrid events in the near future, perhaps until a Covid-19 vaccine is available.
This view was raised by M Gandhi, group managing director-ASEAN business, Informa Markets, at the recent Exhibitions: Key to Rebuilding Economies webinar on May 6.
Hybrid events will be the norm until travel restrictions are completely lifted
Hosted by the Malaysian Association Of Convention & Exhibition Organisers & Suppliers (MACEOS), other attending speakers include Mohd Mustafa Abdul Aziz, deputy CEO, Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE) and Abdul Khani Daud, CEO, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB).
Moderated by Francis Teo, honorary secretary, MACEOS, the webinar was set up to bring MACEOS, MATRADE and MyCEB together to discuss plans and frameworks that needed to be put in place to support the recovery of the exhibition sector.
During the webinar, Gandhi also predicted that the South-east Asian exhibitions industry will reopen in three phases. First, events will see domestic participation, which will be followed by bilateral participation, made possible by agreements between countries with lower-risk of transmission. Eventually, at the last stage – when a vaccine is available – exhibitions will be open to participants worldwide.
However, before the industry reaches the final phase and operates at pre-Covid-19 capacity, virtual elements and exhibitions will continue to supplement and complement physical exhibitions, Gandhi reckoned.
For instance, general managers in charge of South-east Asian countries at Informa Markets were working to allow more exhibitors to connect with buyers online, through the company’s Digital Showrooms platform.
While the virtual solution fulfils its purpose of helping business overcome pandemic-caused disruptions, Gandhi did not foresee complete digitalisation of exhibitions, emphasising the importance of buyers being able to touch and test products at physical events.
Nevertheless, hybrid events and the use of online elements will be here to stay, providing delegates with the option to attend events virtually, which would open up the exhibitions to more attendees worldwide.
Vincent Lim, president, MACEOS, agreed that hybrid exhibitions will become more common going forward, especially as organisers seek to engage participants across a range of countries who will be emerging from the pandemic at different times.
One industry player that seemed to be leaning more toward digitalisation than the rest, however, is Mohd Mustafa. He shared that MATRADE has held 474 virtual B2B meetings between March 18 – when the Movement Control Order (MCO) was first enacted – and press time. The agency is also looking at allowing online trade exhibitions to apply for its Market Development Grant.
Currently, the Malaysian government has not given a concrete date for the resumption of live gatherings and business events in the country. The sector is however, taking action to provide policymakers with the information they need to legislate a restart of exhibitions.
According to Lim, a task force – comprising MACEOS, the Business Events Council Malaysia, and the country’s Arts, Live Festival and Events Association – has submitted a set of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for live and business events post-MCO, to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture for approval.
Gandhi reckoned that, in following the SOPs put forward by the task force, Malaysia could be ready to resume trade exhibitions in August or September this year.
The Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), in partnership with the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, have debuted virtual training platform webEDGE.
Starting out with 14 courses on congress project management, the platform was launched to help industry professionals upgrade their skills amid travel disruptions.
Digital education will be here to stay
Developed by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO), webEDGE will feature courses delivered by 24 meeting industry experts from IAPCO accredited member companies. Topics covered include risk and crisis management, budgeting, negotiations and cultural intelligence.
IAPCO’s involvement means issues will be addressed from an international perspective, a factor that drew MyCEB to offer the platform for the industry, which depends on business between countries, shared Abdul Khani Daud, CEO, MyCEB in a press statement.
Abdul Khani said he believes the platform’s content, which also incorporates real-life case studies, will help raise professionalism across the supply chain in the business events industry.
MyCEB’s launching of webEDGE follows a series of efforts by tourism industry players in various countries to step up training during the current downtime.
“It is time to take a step back and not only plan for the future, but to include learning and development as part of the process for a bigger and better comeback,” said Abdul Khani.
Training on webEDGE will not be a “touch-and-go process”, said Abdul Khani, as participants will be able to earn certification and a social media badge for their time. Additionally, the modules are, in total, approved by the Events Industry Council, for 15.25 Certified Meeting Professional Program (CMP) hours.
Another factor that differentiates the platform is a community forum that promotes knowledge sharing and allows participants to clarify doubts.
MyCEB is promoting the virtual learning channel through its database and digital platforms, urging professionals to make full use of the advantages of digital training to learn at their own time.
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre will also be hosting an IAPCO EDGE Seminar in 2021.
The future format of physical business events as life returns to a new normal will be debated at the second edition of the TTG Conversations webinar series, to be held on May 21 from 15.00 to 16.00.
Titled, Setting the stage for a return in business events, the hour-long session will feature panellists: Ian Cummings, global vice president, commercial, CWT Meetings & Events; Kerry Healy, vice president sales Asia Pacific, Accor; and Vincent Yap, director, integrated marketing solutions, Pico Art International.
Cummings, Healy and Yap will share their views on how offline business events will evolve
Panellists will paint a picture of the state of recovery in meetings and tradeshows, discuss how new necessities – from heightened awareness of personal and public hygiene to physical distancing – will impact the way business events are conducted in time to come, and share what the new considerations will mean for event suppliers and specialists.
The session will be moderated by Karen Yue, group editor of TTG Asia Media.
Registration for TTG Conversations: Setting the stage for a return in business events is now open. Capacity is limited and registrations are on a first come, first served basis.
TTG Conversations joins the company’s stable of widely-read and established trade titles, including TTGmice and TTGassociations, as well as the many knowledge sessions of IT&CM Events and CTW Events that take place several times a year.
The debut session was held on April 29, focusing on the value of virtual meetings and considerations needed in transitioning physical events online. A recording can be viewed here.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has rolled out Booking with Confidence group meeting packages, valid at all its properties till January 31, 2021.
Besides group concessions, planners are given greater flexibility, as cancellation fees will be waived should governments’ travel restrictions result in event cancellation.
Mandarin Oriental Bangkok Mindful Meetings
Planners need to book a minimum of 10 rooms for two nights or more to enjoy the package benefits. These include one complimentary guestroom, as well as a free guestroom upgrade to a suite, both applicable for every 20 guestrooms booked, with the latter being subject to availability.
Delegates who wish to arrive or leave three days before or after the group to enjoy the sights and sounds of the destination will also be able to enjoy concessional room rates applicable for event groups.
The package also includes a two-night complimentary stay for planners to conduct site inspections ahead of the event.
Not only will attendees be given amenities upon arrival, they can access free Wi-Fi once they register for loyalty programme Fans of MO and be guided through a half-hour wellness session such as meditation or yoga in a pre-booked meeting space.
Planners are also encouraged to work with the on-site conference service manager to tap on Mindful Meetings by Mandarin Oriental, a service that incorporates wellness-focused solutions into business events.
Ingo Stöneberg has joined Alma resort in Vietnam as executive chef, where he will oversee the resort’s 14 dining venues and event needs.
Before joining Alma, the German was the executive sous chef at Emirates Flight Catering in Dubai for four years. At the time, Emirates Flight Catering had a clientele of 120 airlines and airline-hospitality lounges at Dubai International Airport, cooking up some 225,000 meals daily.
Before that, Stöneberg was chef de cuisine at the Hilton Hotel in Abu Dhabi for more than two years, where there were 12 F&B outlets and conferences catering for up to 2,000 people.
Other five-star properties he has worked for include Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, and was part of the pre-opening teams for Jumeirah at Etihad Towers and for Starwood Hotels and Resorts at The Romanos, A Luxury Collection Resort, and The Westin Resort in Costa Navarino, Messinia, Greece.
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.
