From left: Stefan_Fuchs; Christian Jacquier; Michi Sonoda
Ayana Hotels has made three appointments to its executive committee covering the Indonesian islands of Bali and Flores.
Stefan Fuchs has been named general manager of Ayana Hotels in Bali. His new role involves projecting the company as a strong and reliable luxury hospitality service provider on a local and international scale.
From left: Stefan Fuchs; Christian Jacquier; Michi Sonoda
Fuchs headed operations for the Islamic Conference and Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, and was part of the opening team of several Ritz-Carlton hotels in Russia, Japan, China and Bahrain. Between 2006 and 2014, he was with the Jumeirah Group.
The German native was in charge of diverse F&B projects such as the Expo 1998 in Lisbon and at Formula 1 Grand Prix events.
Next, Brazilian Swiss-Chinese Christian Jacquier has been hired as hotel manager of Ayana Hotels in Bali. Previously executive assistant manager of rooms in 2015, he will now support Fuchs in overseeing 775 guestrooms, suites and private villas.
Lastly, Michi Sonoda will assume the position of executive assistant manager sales and marketing at Ayana Hotels in Bali and Komodo.
The Japanese was promoted from director of sales and marketing to her current role, where she will be responsible from initiating to managing the sales and marketing strategy for Ayana Hotels and also aligning all strategic activities of sales, marketing communications and events and reservations with that of the owning company.
Sonoda traces her hospitality roots to a career in spa and retail with The Ritz-Carlton Bali in 1997.
Business events continue to hold significant weight in Singapore’s tourism balance.
In 2018, the country welcomed more than 2.9 million business visitors, which accounted for S$4.7 billion (US$3.4 billion) in tourism receipts. With more business travellers seeking increasingly personalised and customised experiences, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has launched the In Singapore Incentives & Rewards (INSPIRE) programme.
Oriental Travel & Tours takes visitors into Ang Mo Kio, where they can interact with a bird-singing group and meet a bird-cage maker
Aimed at small- to mid-sized corporate groups, INSPIRE offers a selection of 63 complimentary incentive experiences designed as accompaniments to the main programme. Previously offered to corporate groups in South-east Asia and other selected regions, INSPIRE has been extended to markets such as the Americas, North Asia and Oceania.
The specially curated programme for corporate groups features four categories. Besides Singapore’s dining, entertainment, and nightlife, which the city-state is known for, groups can explore its constantly evolving, tailored attraction-based experiences. The two other categories that groups can opt for are thematic tours and learning experiences; as well as distinctive teambuilding activities.
An example of the experiences offered under the category of tailored attraction-based experiences is the making of bespoke cocktails at the UNESCO World Heritage site, Botanic Gardens; a tour around one-north, Singapore’s Silicon Valley; or attend a private, after-hours Garden Rhapsody show at Gardens by the Bay.
INSPIRE is open to corporate groups travelling to Singapore between now and December 31, 2021, with a minimum of 20 foreign event attendees staying for at least three days in Singapore.
Edward Koh, executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “The INSPIRE programme will assist meeting planners in organising activities for their meeting groups. Our value proposition of mixing business with leisure means the ability to conduct serious business, while providing access to leisure activities.”
Hitting the heartlands
Adding to the crop of unique corporate experiences are guided tours into Singapore’s heartlands. Offered by local operators and hotels alike, these increasingly popular tours may seem out of tune with the city’s gleaming, all-business image.
Oriental Travel and Tours offers tours that take groups through the peaceful residential blocks of Ang Mo Kio to meet a bird-singing club, a bird cage-maker, and to view a mock-up of a local home. Another operator, Tribe Tours, has launched a photography tour focusing on Singapore’s prolific government flats.
Jasmine Tan, co-founder, Oriental Travel and Tours, said: “Our clients are mainly from Europe and America, and they are looking for something different to do beyond attractions like the Merlion and Sentosa, especially those who have visited Singapore more than three times. There are many pockets in the island that they can explore.”
This opportunity is not lost on the local hospitality sector, which has similarly responded by offering heartland experiences to customers, which include their business guests.
Six Senses Maxwell has partnered with Jane’s Singapore Tours to offer excursions to locales such as MacRitchie, Botanic Gardens and Tiong Bahru. Meanwhile, guests of Ramada by Wyndham Singapore at Zhongshan Park have the option of picking up a guide to Balestier, which provides a trail through the historic residential district to discover monuments, landmark buildings and vanishing trades.
Getting the inside scoop
Corporate groups on the hunt for activities with a more business focus are also in luck, as the rise of “localised” tours has sparked a niche group of such products, geared towards innovators and entrepreneurs.
Last year, tour operator Woopa Group launched a new brand, UBE Singapore, to cater to the city’s burgeoning events industry. UBE debuted with the Silicon Valley of Singapore Insider Tour, where participants can gain insight into thriving businesses in Singapore’s innovation parks, One-North and JTC Launchpad, and sit in for exclusive sharing sessions by founders of successful enterprises.
TY Suen, founder & CEO of Woopa Group, describes UBE Singapore as the “pioneer” of business innovation and start-up tours in Singapore.
“We aim to offer unique localised experiences (where groups can interact with) creative start-ups and businesses from key industries,” said Suen.
What lies ahead
Moving into 2020 and beyond, given a robust pipeline, the business events industry is likely to continue to shine.
Over the two-year period of 2020 and 2021, Singapore will host software company SAP’s Field Kick-Off Meeting, as well as – for the first time – the International Trademark Association’s 142nd Annual Meeting, which is expected to attract 8,000 participants.
Next year, Singapore will welcome the Asia-Pacific Life Insurance Congress and Million Dollar Round Table Global Conference.
However, the Covid-19 outbreak that erupted in January has given event businesses in Singapore “a very rough start” to 2020, said Aloysius Arlando, president, Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS).
Numerous global and regional events, such as the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit and the Aviation Festival Asia, have placed their bookings on hold or postponed events. As such, Arlando believes 2H2020 will see a “bunching up” of postponed events, many have been rescheduled to May and July.
Industry stakeholders are also expect Singapore’s events industry to make a comeback in 2H2020, after the spread of Covid-19 is stemmed, and international meetings and events resume regular programming.
Green shoots started sprouting in Asia last week where domestic travel and business deals showed strong week-on-week growth in China and other major Asian economies.
Benson Tang, executive director, Corporate Travel Community, told TTGmice on April 8, eight travel managers were on a CTC China Taskforce call, with some reporting that demand for domestic travel was 50 per cent higher compared to the week before.
Signs of optimism abound in the industry as China starts to get back on track; Shanghai pictured
Tang continued: “But of course the baseline the week before was low, so in terms of actual numbers it is still on the low side,” noting some travel was via high speed train instead of air travel. With many countries still imposing restrictions international travel was stagnant, he added.
According to Aurojyoti Bose, lead analyst, GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, business deals are also showing growth signs.
Bose revealed that the number of deals announced in Asia-Pacific increased by 56.7 per cent – during the week ending April 5 compared to the previous week – and described it as “a sign of revival of optimism”.
Deal activity increased in most of the key markets with China posting an increase in volume of 52.3 per cent, and Japan, India and South Korea by 68.6 per cent, 93.3 per cent and 38.9 per cent, respectively.
Sectors such as healthcare (including pharmaceuticals and medical equipment), and travel and tourism, also witnessed week-over-week improvement in deal activity.
However, the latest poll conducted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) between April 1 and 4 with responses from 974 GBTA global member companies, is sobering.
Scott Solombrino, chief operating officer and executive director, shared that member companies which responded had cancelled or suspended almost all business travel regardless of country or region.
On the impact in Asia, GBTA members reported their companies cancelled or suspended “all” or “most” business trips to China – 99 per cent, Hong Kong – 99 per cent, Taiwan – 98 per cent, and other Asia-Pacific countries (Japan, South Korea and Malaysia) – 98 per cent.
“Almost every GBTA member company (98 per cent) reported cancelling and/or suspending all international business travel,” Solombrino noted.
On who should get the ball rolling for corporate travel to recover – the airlines waiting to see demand or corporates waiting until capacity, frequency and route networks get up and running, Peter Harbison, chairman emeritus, CAPA – Centre for Aviation, commented “it is a case of chicken and egg”.
“I think Asia will come out of this faster than the rest of the world as some countries have been better prepared. Domestic markets will recover fastest. Then international will take some time, and this will be where the value of some of the emerging search technology data can be tested.
Harbison: Asia’s business events sector, especially China, is raring to go once this crisis ends
“Smart airlines will be watching to see what people are looking for – where they’re ‘shopping’ online, and will do their route planning accordingly.
“For corporates, there are some conflicting forces at work. Travel is an easy area to make savings on when things are tough versus when executives need to be out and about selling after the hiatus.
“The word we’re hearing is that some companies are already looking for ways to get on the road, especially from China-based groups. Once the options of travel re-emerge, the road warriors will be back on flights,” Harbison elaborated.
This is because B2B simply doesn’t work well for doing new business, and sharing a virtual meal or late-night drink won’t ever get down to the sort of informal discussion that so often leads to success with the real thing.
On what will change when the Covid-19 pandemic is under control, Harbison noted: “We always talk about sitting next to people on an aircraft, where the air is well purified, but a greater risk is often the crowded atmosphere of airports, so passenger flows are going to have to be much better monitored, and testing on departure and arrival will probably be essential.
“That means major infrastructure and process changes. Think post-911 inconvenience of security changes and multiply that by three.”
Adriana Nainggolan, travel programme manager, Asia-Pacific, Autodesk, thinks the airlines, hotels and countries wouldn’t start back up so soon, and maybe only after three months or so.
“It is hard to tell. But if things are slowly getting back to normal, businesses will start planning again and carefully consider business travel. Perhaps to the key cities but it won’t be all at once,” she said.
On what would give peace of mind to travellers, Nainggolan opined travel insurance policies that allow travellers to get home when there is a pandemic or if Covid-19 returns. She also wanted clear airline and hotel evacuation policies should an outbreak occur again and hospitalisation and medical coverage that includes an air ticket home.
Jane Sim, commodity manager, South-east Asia, Siemens, opined airlines can make the first move to kick start corporate travel recovery with promotion deals, including value-add consideration for corporates, as “corporates are unable to plan when there’s a lack of frequency or routes”.
Malaysia's MICE stakeholders discuss ideas on how they plan to survive the economic downturn Covid-19 has brought
Covid-19 is pushing Malaysia’s business events industry players to innovate as they explore different business ideas to survive the economic blow the pandemic has brought.
This move will also help companies prepare for the post-Covid-19 period which will also bring about a change in travel trends, behavioural patterns and meeting requirements.
Malaysia’s MICE stakeholders discuss ideas on how they plan to survive Covid-19 by thinking out of the box
Allen Tan, managing director, IDA Exhibition Services, shared that he is looking into temporarily changing his business model from being an exhibition contractor and go into interior design for offices and corporate companies.
This is because Tan does not expect the exhibition business to recover in the next six months, and currently, there is zero revenue for the company’s core team of 15 employees.
But he can only start actively looking for business after the country’s Movement Control Order (MCO) is lifted. The MCO, put in place as the country fights the spread of Covid-19, started on March 18 and was recently extended to April 28.
“We are not rehiring new people, but upscaling the existing team into another area of work, and when the business events industry recovers, we will return to the exhibition business,” he pointed out.
He was speaking at a recent webinar organised by PCO Place Borneo, moderated by its managing director, Mona Abdul Manap. The webinar was titled Business Events: Business Impacts and recovery ideas for industry players post Covid-19.
Another speaker, Gracie V Geikie, director and principal consultant at Planet Borneo Group, shared that while events for this year have been totally wiped out, the company is looking at events from next year onwards.
Planet Borneo Group has kept all existing staff, but will be reskilling them in this downtime. She elaborated that staff will see a realigning of workscopes where everyone contributes to business development.
“We have to take this opportunity to look at new revenue streams such as managing hybrid conferences. It will require a change of mindset of our employees. We have to reskill staff to sell virtual conferences, which I believe will grow in the future,” shared Geikie.
Mok Venia, managing director, Cat City Holidays, said she was looking at providing virtual tours as she believes that post-Covid-19, the DMC business will evolve with more demand for virtual everything – conferences, meetings and even tours.
She shared: “We will need more specialist guides, such as historians and botanists, to conduct virtual tours which in a business events setting could be pre- and post tours for those who participate in virtual conferences.”
Venia hopes to source for the right talents, and look for a vendor to set up a secure portal, among other things, but all this can only be done once MCO ends.
As for Borneo Convention Centre Kuching’s CEO Eric van Piggelen he shared that the company is developing its non-core businesses until the business events industry recovers.
Piggelen also predicts that in a post-Covid-19 world, there will be more emphasis on health security screenings in convention venues, as well as the an increased number of live streaming of conferences and events.
AsiaWorld-Expo (AWE) is said to be the world’s first exhibition and event venue to deploy the CLeanTech disinfection installation and advanced air purification technology, in a move as it readies itself for the eventual turn in business once Covid-19 blows over.
CLeanTech is a three-in-one disinfection installation combining a suite of technologies including BioEm Air Sanitising and Purifying technology, Aegis Intelligence and negative room pressure design.
CLeanTech disinfection system being deployed at AsiaWorld-Expo
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Visitors will encounter the device prior to event halls, and the door will open automatically once they pass through the built-in temperature check. The device will also help sanitise visitor’s outfits and carry-on items of visitors in 12 seconds.
In addition, BioEm is a natural botanical disinfection solution that can kill a variety of viruses, while Aegis Intelligence is used to purify venue facilities such as doors and door handles at major entrances, escalator handrails, washrooms and chairs in the restaurant. The cleaning will also be done for the uniforms of frontline staff.
Sammy Tsui, founder and managing director, BioEm Air Sanitising Technology, said that he hopes this disinfection technology will “strengthen the confidence of exhibitors and visitors alike, contributing to the acceleration of the economic recovery of the Hong Kong C&E industry”.
Irene Chan, CEO of AsiaWorld-Expo Management, added: “Once Covid-19 is under control, we are fully ready to bring back various large-scale exhibitions and exciting events in collaboration with our stakeholders.
“A safe and healthy environment is equally important as the state-of-the-art facilities. AsiaWorld-Expo has maintained close communication with organisers and we have high confidence in the future prospects.”
What has Oakwood done to achieve greater gender equality across the company?
Oakwood’s initiatives to support gender balance include a gender-diverse recruitment process; a merit-based rewards and promotions system; fair assessment of results; mentorship for all potential talents; and look at promotions from within.
How was Lina Abdullah selected for the position of regional general manager for Cambodia, Myanmar & Thailand?
We recognised Lina’s leadership competency five years ago when she was tasked to manage the former Oakwood Residence Garden Towers Bangna, Bangkok. Within two years, Lina led the pre-opening team at Oakwood Hotel & Residence Sri Racha to great commercial success and acclaim in 2017. By 2018, she was named as Thailand’s Best General Manager for the Hospitality Category conferred by CMO Asia in 2018.
She was also recognised as Rising Star of 2020 during the annual Serviced Apartment Awards in London.
Oakwood has a robust management programme to cultivate leaders for the future. Given our aggressive expansion plan to double Oakwood’s portfolio by 2025, there is an urgent need for senior leaders who embrace our Oakwood values and service philosophy. The best strategy for us to achieve this is through the promotion of internal talents.
Instead of applying for this management training programme, candidates are shortlisted and assessed based on a set of performance criteria. Team leaders are responsible for identifying and nominating candidates for career advancement.
How does Oakwood show its commitment to having more women in leadership positions?
Oakwood is committed to being a fair employer and strong advocate of gender equality.
We have a structured annual performance appraisal system that helps us recognise rising stars within the organisation. With every potential talent, a carefully crafted career advancement plan is developed according to individual strengths and weaknesses. This talent development process is gender-neutral.
In recent years, we have nurtured five celebrated women leaders in Asia-Pacific aside from Lina.
Patty Luo – executive assistant manager, Oakwood Premier Guangzhou. Luo is also the winner of the Stelliers Greater China 2019: Hotel/ Resident Manager of the Year 2019
Tamaki Okoshi – executive assistant manager of Oakwood Apartments Azabudai, Tokyo and Oakwood Residence Azabujyuban, Tokyo
Tomoko Watanabe – executive assistant manager, of several Oakwood properties in Tokyo, namely Oakwood Apartments Minami Azabu, Oakwood Apartments Roppongi Central, Oakwood Apartments Shirokane, Oakwood Residence Aoyama
Kyoko Terada – executive assistant manager of Oakwood Apartments Nishi-Shinjuku and Oakwood Residence Shinagawa
How do you think the industry will evolve in terms of gender balance?
At Oakwood, we have noticed a significant increase in women leaders across the organization. In addition, the change in perception towards women in society, especially within Asia, as well as our results-driven appraisal system contribute to the emergence of women leaders.
Most importantly, organisations that are committed to operational success would recognise leadership potential, be it male or female.
Rooms
Avani Sukhumvit Bangkok is located adjacent to On Nut BTS and situated atop lifestyle complex Century The Movie Plaza 2. It also is a mere four BTS stations from the Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre.
The property offers four room categories, starting with the 26m² Avani and Avani Skyline rooms to the 37m² Avani Deluxe and Avani Skyline Deluxe rooms.
The lobby’s aerial feel pleasantly surprised me, along with canvases of modern grey marble floor and wall tilings, offset with curated splashes of playfully-coloured furniture – think safflower red, saffron yellow, minty turquoise and purple bordering on fuchsia.
Entering my Avani room for an overnight stay on one of the hotel’s higher floors, I felt the smart, playful vibes. Small wooden magnets had been arranged into a welcome message on a blackboard above the tea and coffee station stating: “Check-in time is now, check-out time is never.” Small quirky messages printed on the toiletries and laundry bag made me feel welcome.
The powerful vibrance of Avani Sukhumvit’s rejuvenating colour scheme, seen in the lobby and repeated inside the room, continued to win me over, as did the unrivalled panoramic view of Upper Sukhumvit’s neighbourhoods – with not another skyscraper in view – from the window.
More fun messages greeted me via small square pillows on the bed. I also received a whimsical edible garden concoction as a welcome treat.
I appreciated the large selection of lights – though I found the switches mildly confusing – and multiple USB ports near the desk and the bed.
The comfy mattress was furnished with two soft pillows and two hard pillows, though I felt the pillows could have smelt fresher. A miniature daybed by the window and an open closet setup made the room seem more homey and relaxed; the latter was also helpfully stocked with one of the largest ironing boards I’ve seen in a hotel room.
Although my room was in the lead-in category, the bathroom is by no means meagre and did not skimp on space, with Malin+Goetz sensitive skin toiletries adding a nice empathetic touch.
MICE facilities
Avani Sukhumvit’s meeting facilities total 1,267m² and are located on the seventh floor, the same floor as its Greenhouse Restaurant & Terrace.
Spaces include the 500m² Grand Chambray Ballroom, 365m² Cashmere Room which can be split into smaller rooms, and 187m² Cotton Room. Both the Cashmere and Cotton rooms offers direct access to the Greenhouse restaurant, making it easy to serve coffee breaks with minimal disruptions. The pre-function area also has escalators that exit directly and conveniently into the lifestyle plaza below.
The 55m² outdoor Terrace is an alternate function space that runs the length of the Greenhouse and can host up to 160 guests, perfect for networking or post-event mixers.
Other facilities
One of the most enjoyable experiences throughout the entire stay was the AvaniSpa; its clean, relaxing interior scented with hints of lavender and lemongrass gave city-weary me a nice reprieve from the outside world.
The Deck – Pool & Bar area and AvaniFit gym are also located on the ninth floor along with AvaniSpa.
The Greenhouse Restaurant is one of my favourite spaces on the property. A quarter of the restaurant is cordoned off, catering to corporate travellers with faux-leather seating and plenty of plugs and USB ports. The other part of the restaurant sports lots of plants, while floor-to-ceiling windows let in lots of natural sunlight.
I found the breakfast buffet spread very pleasing, with gluten-free options – the bar with which I measure hotel buffets, due to my gluten sensitivity – and also the selection of dried fruits which included guava and pomelo skin. I also learnt that these were made in house and helps to reduce food waste.
I also enjoyed all-you-can-eat ala carte buffet (899 baht nett; US$27.50) at dinner; with a nice selection of seafood dishes and 150-day-aged beef tenderloin on the menu, it seems well worth the price.
In recent years, the neighbourhood of On Nut which the hotel stands in has blossomed, loved by expats and locals for its more subdued vibe and convenience and access to malls (W District, Summer Hill (Phra Khanong) and Tesco Lotus On Nut), street shopping, and indie vibe from a sprinkling of cafes and art galleries. A hidden gem nearby is Soi Sukhumvit 71/1, which contains a small street market, affordable massage shops, and Better Moon x Refill Station cafe, Thailand’s first bulk store that sells zero-waste lifestyle items.
Service
All staff were constantly smiling, polite and cordial; and I was always greeted with a smile, particularly from the ladies at the spa who made my spa experience especially relaxing.
Verdict
As Avani Sukhumvit is the first five-star hotel on Bangkok’s east side, Minor’s first venture into Upper Sukhumvit will be a boon for event planners, delegations and business travellers alike.
JW Marriott has opened its second resort on Hainan, the JW Marriott Sanya Haitang Bay, adjacent to the Yalong Bay National Tourism Resort.
The property offers over 3,400m2 of indoor meeting space across 12 function rooms, complemented by more than 7,900m2 of outdoor space for teambuilding sessions or a cocktail party. Its largest venue, the 1,500m2 Grand Ballroom, can hold up to 1,300 theatre-style or 800 banquet-style.
An aerial view of the resort
Accommodation for corporates are spread across its 142 guestrooms and 18 villas, and they would also have access to two F&B venues serving up farm-to-table experiences. A hands-on cooking class or speciality drink-making session can also be arranged for groups.
Additionally, recreational facilities include the Health Club with over nine different-sized pools, as well as the Spa by JW.
Macau knows where its strength lies. Even before the city was crowned one of UNESCO’s Creative Cities of Gastronomy two years ago, the city had been promoting its food culture, developed over hundreds of years, as a lure for both holidaymakers and business event groups.
The unique Macanese cuisine has its roots in Portuguese cuisine and was shaped by a blend of ingredients and cooking techniques from Malaysia, India, and even Africa, as well as the local Chinese population.
Colourful shophouses in Taipa Village house some of Macau’s most authentic gastronomy delights
According to UNESCO, Macau, once part of the Silk Road, is testament to one of the earliest and longest-lasting trading relatioships between the east and the west.
It comes as no surprise then, that the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) has been leveraging on the city’s conferment by UNESCO to promote Macanese cuisine to incentive travel planners, under the Incentive Travel Stimulation Program.
The programme offers groups – that meet certain size requirements and are staying for a minimum of two days in Macau – experiences such as a half-day historic tour of the city, or a cultural performance of up to 30 minutes.
Last year, the tourism office partnered with Macau events management company smallWORLD to offer four incentive travel groups from Hong Kong an experience of baking Macau’s iconic Portuguese egg tarts, under the guidance of a professional chef.
Latent market
Beyond bringing local cuisine to incentive travellers, the government has been working to put the city on the international gastronomy map by attending food fairs and entering gourmet awards.
Despite this, Bruno Simões, director, smallWORLD, said that challenges in securing group reservations at restaurants are preventing more industry players from featuring Macanese cuisine in corporate event programmes.
He told TTGmice that restaurant operators are already occupied with catering to the city’s army of tourists – total arrivals came in at 39.4 million in 2019 – and are struggling with the shortage and high cost of manpower.
Nevertheless, rather than viewing these as limitations, Simões said that there is an “opportunity” here to tailor gastronomic packages for corporate groups.
Simões and his team have crafted a Macau gourmet discovery activity, part-treasure hunt and part-cultural education. It is offered to a wide range of groups with 10 to 500 people.
As participants need to work together in smaller groups to solve challenges that bring them through Macau’s alleyways and taste local specialities, the programme makes for a choice teambuilding activity. Also, smallWORLD offers groups the choice to go on an Asian or Western trail.
Covid-19 outbreak notwithstanding, smallWORLD is determined to keep pushing out more food-related programmes for corporate clients. A street food tour and a workshop that introduces participants to tea tasting are in the pipeline, revealed Simões.
Barcelona bar and restaurant specialises in Spanish tapas, and charms planners with themed spaces that are great for corporate gatherings
Hotels step up to the dining table
Some Macau hoteliers are recognising the opportunity to charm incentive groups through their belly, and are modelled their offerings accordingly.
According to Takami Koga, director of sales with JW Marriott Hotel Macau and The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, gastronomy has become a key consideration for meeting and conference organisers when it comes to choosing venues.
As such, both hotels have been incorporating Macau’s rich culinary heritage into their business events packages.
“This is the city’s competitive advantage; it gives events that dash of culture and character, reminding planners why Macau is a choice destination for successful events,” commented Koga.
Besides seeking to acquaint event attendees with local cuisine, the two hotels take into account the diverse dietary requirements and preferences of an international delegation. Food allergies, religious needs, and using gluten-free, organic and sustainable ingredients are all factored in when catering for events, noted Koga.
Koga’s team recently surprised a wine company with customised menus that featured dishes paired with the company’s own wine products.
While Macanese cuisine is a big draw for many corporate clients, JW Marriott Hotel Macau and The Ritz-Carlton, Macau also strive to offer home-away-from-home dining experiences.
“Once, we hosted a corporate group from Beijing, and we served da lu noodle, a comfort food found in the Chinese capital. Our Korean guests were offered marinated Korean side dishes and soju, which are off-the-menu items,” shared Koga.
The Taipa niche
One of Macau’s most well-known gourmet destinations, Taipa Village served as the official cultural partner of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2018 and 2019. The heritage-rich destination provides an interesting juxtaposition to the neighbouring Cotai Strip, which is known for its glitzy casino resorts.
Here, travellers can find traditional shophouses, quaint, cobbled streets, niche shops, and of course, innovative dining outlets offering a range of cuisines, from traditional Portuguese and Spanish delicacies to modern Italian cuisine.
One player in Taipa Village that is targeting corporate groups is modern Spanish tapas bar and restaurant, Barcelona. Since its opening in September last year, the dining establishment has played host to several smaller-scale events such as corporate gatherings and wine tastings.
While each floor of Barcelona has a distinctive theme, what stands out immediately is the rooftop bar. Ideal for welcome receptions, product launches and private celebrations with up to 30 guests, the rooftop bar charms guests with a beautiful view of Taipa Village.
A short walk from Barcelona is another corporate dining venue, Bella Taipa, a four-storey Italian restaurant with a seating capacity of 30. Planners can choose from a range of traditional Italian dishes and reinventions of such dishes with a modern touch.
As Macau’s tourism sector recovers from the effects of Covid-19 on inbound travel and events, new and established food experiences may work well to rebuild planners’ interest in the destination.
Hot idea
Create opportunities for low-pressure buyer/seller interactions when the subject of a trade event is challenging to comprehend
Brief
The second edition of Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific (ITAP) carried on the Learning Journey concept of the inaugural edition in 2018, persisting in its objective to ramp up Industry 4.0 (I4.0) adoption across Asia-Pacific so as to help companies in the manufacturing and related industries overcome low labour productivity.
Whereas the 2018 edition focused on introducing digital revolution to visitors, the 2019 edition intended to push companies into action.
Highlights
Realising that the concept of I4.0 can be “overwhelming” for visitors new to digital transformation, the organisers created new zones – Collaboration Lab, Learning Lab and Robotics Experiential Zone – to close the gap between exhibitors and visitors, and encourage interaction that will bust myths surrounding innovation.
James Boey, executive director, SingEx Exhibitions, said: “We realised that many visitors to ITAP 2018 ended up wondering how all the various components and technologies they saw at the show would fit into their business or their factory. They thought that adopting them would be a five-million-dollar investment.
“We wanted to break that mindset and show them that there is innovation that can fit their budget. To do that, we knew we had to make ITAP 2019 very open with its learning approach. We didn’t want our visitors to stay away from the big booths and pick up a brochure to study later on.”
Boey explained that with Collaboration Lab, organisations like Microsoft and Emerson came together to co-create by test bedding and retrofitting solutions, and “told their stories on how users could innovate in bite-size”.
At the Learning Lab, live demonstrations on the capabilities and applications of autonomous solutions in the intralogistics environment were presented.
The Robotics Experiential Zone, curated with Singapore Industrial Automation Association, featured robotics displays and interactive exhibits, and provided opportunities for “people to see, build their own robots, ask questions, and learn”.
Another worthy highlight of ITAP 2019 is its approach to making digital transformation more palatable for workers and supervisors who worry that their employer’s automation would cost them their job.
“While innovation must come from the top, we recognise that it is also important to engage the middle-level and lower-level workers. Hence we worked with the National Trades Union Congress to engage union workers and reached out to all the trade associations,” explained Boey.
Guided tours for each industry specialisation was curated. For instance, there was a track just for F&B workers.
“We made it easy for the workers to digest, to convince them that they can work alongside automation, and to encourage them to see the value of upskilling themselves,” he added.
Challenges
While the new interactive zones brought attendees closer to exhibitors, Boey said they also competed for attendees’ limited time on the showfloor.
“We need to improve on this, perhaps by creating a Disneyland concept where we recommend different line-up of activities that are suitable for three hours at the show and for full days across three days,” reflected Boey.
Convincing people from across Asia-Pacific to fly to Singapore for the event was also a challenge, recalled Boey.
“Most people are reluctant to reinvent the wheel – to innovate their business – if it works,” he said.
To build attendance, Boey’s team spent five months in key regional markets, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, Myanmar and Indonesia, to “sing about the value proposition of ITAP, emphasising that ITAP is not yet another manufacturing show, that it has rich learning and networking opportunities, it inspires new solutions, and identifies trends that will impact businesses that do not change”.
To get participants from emerging South-east Asia markets, ITAP 2019 worked with Singapore Airlines to offer an all-in-one package that came with a conference pass, lodging, flight and food, priced under S$1,000 (US$689).
By the end of the show, attendance records showed a presence of 3,255 unique foreign attendees – 18 per cent of total attendees and a 67 per cent increase from the 2018 edition. There were also 200 hosted buyers from the region.
Event Industrial Transformation Asia-Pacific 2019 Organisers SingEx Exhibitions and Deutsche Messe Venue Singapore EXPO & MAX Atria Dates October 22-24, 2019 Attendance 23,000 people from 77 countries
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