Thai hospitality group Centara Hotels & Resorts has appointed two new additions to its executive management team, as the company embarks on an ambitious plan to double company revenues and optimise profitability.
With more than 30 years of experience in sales and marketing, Tabatha Ramsay has joined the company as vice president commercial, overseeing sales, revenue and distribution. She will report to Centara deputy CEO Markland Blaiklock.
From left: Tabatha Ramsay and Raymond Tong
Prior to joining Centara, Ramsay held a number of management positions with hotel groups, including Intercontinental Hotels Group, Minor Group’s Anantara Hotels, Oakwood Worldwide, and Vinpearl Hospitality.
Meanwhile, Raymond Tong, who has more than 25 years’ experience in hotel development and operations, has been appointed chief development representative China and North Asia. He will report to Centara senior vice president business development Andrew Langston.
Before becoming CEO of Ambassy Hotel Advisors, Tong held a number of senior-level roles during a 20-year career with AccorHotels, during which he helped develop more than 180 hotels, resorts and serviced apartments throughout China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as well as other Asia markets.
From left: Economist Corporate Network, The Economist Intelligence Unit's Andrew Staples; and Travel Corporation Asia's Robin Yap discuss
Economic growth in certain markets are challenged by ‘slowbalisation’ and rising geopolitical tensions
Intra-Asia leisure and business travel will keep the region’s tourism industry going
Asia-Pacific corporates expect more meetings and events in 2020
From left: Economist Corporate Network, The Economist Intelligence Unit’s Andrew Staples; and Travel Corporation Asia’s Robin Yap discuss
The global economy is in a challenging state, faced with the threat of ‘slowbalisation’, where the world is turning against globalisation, and rising geopolitical risks, according to Andrew Staples, global editorial director of the Economist Corporate Network, The Economist Intelligence Unit, who spoke at the inaugural SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series last Tuesday.
“This is an age of anxiety, due to VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity),” Staples emphasised.
“On the one hand, economic growth in financial markets like the US are doing pretty well, at record levels even, and unemployment is in multi-decade lows. In terms of monetary policies, interest rates are virtually zero in most advanced economies around the world. These should be spurring economic growth, yet on the other hand, there is a lot of uncertainty around the world.
“Some of the uncertainty is coming from (US) president (Donald) Trump who is challenging trade relations with China, questioning (the US’) relationship with Europe through NATO, and more. The US, as a global central power, used to quietly support things like the World Bank, the WTO, IMF and all the important infrastructure in the global economy. All that is being questioned now,” he explained.
Closer to home, demonstrations in Hong Kong are also hurting regional economic performance. A recent study by The Economist has placed Hong Kong in a technical recession, due to two negative quarters of growth.
In his presentation, Staples highlighted that the global GDP has slowed to 2.3 per cent in 2019, down from 2.8 per cent last year, with Brexit hurting investment confidence and Germany flirting with recession.
“Global trade this year is expected to post some of the lowest growth rates we’ve seen in the past 11, 12 years since the global financial crises of 2007 and 2008,” he said.
Amid the dreary outlook, Staples offered a sliver of hope through data that pointed to continued economic growth in Asia.
AMEX M&E expects conferences and tradeshows to grow two per cent year-on-year
In Asia, India and Australia next year are expected to post stronger year-on-year GDP growth at 6.7 per cent and 2.3 per cent, respectively; while China (six per cent), South-east Asia (4.3 per cent) and Japan (0.4 per cent) are expected to see slower advancement.
Within South-east Asia, Myanmar (7.1 per cent), Laos (6.5 per cent) are expected to put in the strongest GDP performance, while Singapore (1.2 per cent) and Brunei (1.5 per cent) will see slight year-on-year improvements. Malaysia and Indonesia are expected to maintain their GDP growth at 4.4 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively.
Thailand (2.1 per cent), Cambodia (6.4 per cent), Vietnam (6.5 per cent) and the Philippines (5.2 per cent) will see slower year-on-year GDP growth.
When asked by session moderator Robin Yap, chairman emeritus of The Travel Corporation Asia, what these projections mean to Asia’s tourism industry, Staples said: “You (tourism players) are in a really good sector. Look at the predicted drivers of growth – emerging economies, growing affluence, greater adoption of technology – that are in your favour.
“The Economist did a research and identified a growing band of people around the world, which we call the Globally Curious. These people are sincerely interested in what is happening around the world and want to learn more. This strata of people will grow, and they will look for more opportunities to travel and learn about other societies and countries.”
Speaking to TTGmice on the event sideline, Jameson Wong, Asia-Pacific business development director of ForwardKeys, agreed that the outlook for Asia’s tourism industry is still bright.
“Asian economies are still performing and there is growing affluence (in the region). At the same time, low-cost carriers (LCCs) are expanding in Asia along with an Internet proliferation which has made travel purchase far more accessible to everyone. These factors are feeding tourism growth,” said Wong.
Wong: Asia’s tourism future still looks bright despite global headwinds
ForwardKeys data has recorded growth of at least 12 per cent in travel bookings issued for the period November 2019 to April 2020 for all countries, with the exception of Hong Kong and Sri Lanka. Vietnam sees the strongest forward inbound booking growth at 33 per cent, followed by Japan at 27 per cent.
“We do not foresee a decline in these numbers, as many countries are stepping up promotions and opening up new destinations for tourism. For cost-conscious travellers, Asia is always a more affordable option than longhaul destinations. Furthermore, regional business travel will remain fairly constant,” he added.
Wong believes Asian businesses will continue to be a major driver of tourism traffic in the region, “come rain or shine”.
“Asia sees a lot of intra-regional business travel. Business trips have to be made in good times or bad, although companies will relook their way of travel. In the event that business class and full-service airlines are cut, this region has many LCC options to keep people flying,” he said, adding that intra-Asia travel takes up approximately 65 per cent market share of global travel annually.
Corporate meetings and events specialists are also maintaining an air of optimism around performance in this segment for 2020.
The 2020 Global Meetings and Events Forecast, published in September by American Express Meetings & Events, found that meeting professionals are bullish about 2020, as steady growth across all meeting types is predicted for the fifth consecutive year.
Total meeting spend for 2020 is expected to rise by 1.3 per cent in Asia-Pacific, with respondents here saying they plan to do more with less in the region, while always keeping the attendee experience in central focus. Client/customer advisory board meetings and conferences/tradeshows are expected to be held the most number of times in the new year, with a 2.3 per cent and two per cent growth over 2019. The number of incentives/special events are only expected to grow nearly one per cent per cent in 2020.
CWT Meetings & Events’ 2020 Future Trends Report has projected an eight per cent growth in the US$840 billion meetings industry in 2020 despite geopolitical and economic headwinds.
From left: WeChat's Eagle Yi; SACEOS' Veemal Gungadin; WeChat's Juliet Zhu; STB's Andrew Phua; and WeChat's Fengming Ma
On November 10, the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS), Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and WeChat came together to launch the MeetSG WeChat Mini Program (MeetSG) at the Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre.
This makes Singapore the first country in the world to introduce such an initiative targeting Chinese MICE travellers. With MeetSG, a library of information about Singapore as a MICE destination, business events and meetings community, as well as the city’s offerings, will be made available to over one billion monthly active users on WeChat, in their native language.
From left: WeChat’s Eagle Yi; SACEOS’ Veemal Gungadin; WeChat’s Juliet Zhu; STB’s Andrew Phua; and WeChat’s Fengming Ma
Developed in partnership with WeMeet, MeetSG will enable MICE event organisers to connect with their Chinese attendees by offering information including event schedules and venue, news and push notifications. It also allows Chinese MICE travellers to access up-to-date leisure information and offers – such as suggested places to eat and shop, as well as options to purchase tickets to tours and entertainment at partner venues, including Gardens by the Bay, Sports Hub, Sentosa and Faber Peak Singapore – to enhance their overall visitor experience in Singapore.
MeetSG, targeted at end-users attending business events, complements the first MICE WeChat Mini Program developed by STB’s Greater China office in 2018, which functions as a mobile planner guide for travel intermediaries and corporates. The MICE WeChat Mini Program allows access to Singapore’s MICE information such as MICE venues, itinerary ideas and suggestions, a directory of ground handlers, and information on STB’s MICE incentive schemes.
As a start, the MeetSG WeChat Mini Program will be piloted with a few upcoming business events in Singapore which attract a significant proportion of Chinese MICE delegates. They include Singapore FinTech Festival x Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SFF x SWITCH), in November 2019; Asia TV Forum & Market, in December 2019; Singapore Airshow, in February 2020; and Asia Pacific Maritime, in March 2020.
Melissa Ow, deputy chief executive, STB, stressed in a statement that China is an “important visitor market”. She noted: “We believe this initiative will also give us invaluable insights into the Chinese MICE visitors, which will in turn enable us to continually engage with them and enrich their consumer experience.”
A WeChat Go Workshop will also be held today in partnership with Suntec and the Mini Program partner, WeMeet. The workshop aims to introduce the MeetSG WeChat Mini Program to stakeholders from Singapore’s business events industry.
In 2018, China was Singapore’s top visitor arrival market. It grew by six per cent year-on-year to record more than 3.4 million Chinese arrivals into Singapore. In terms of tourism receipts, Chinese visitors were also top spenders in Singapore in 2018, contributing over S$3.9 billion (US$2.9 billion), representing an increase of one per cent year-on-year.
Melbourne is seeing a spike in incentive groups from Malaysia, and significantly more itineraries are venturing beyond the city for experiences, according to data from the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB).
Much of the growth can be attributed to the city’s combination of relatively new air routes, with AirAsia X flying directly from Kuala Lumpur twice daily into Avalon Airport on the west of Melbourne, and the offer of unique experiences. Malaysia Airlines meantime re-introduced extra flights to provide up to 17 services per week directly between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne in apparent response to demand.
Agents explore what Geelong region’s GMHBA Stadium can offer business events groups
“The Malaysian market has matured tremendously (for Melbourne) in terms of reward trips,” said Kelvin Yin, MCB’s regional sales director for South-east Asia and India. “There’s no doubt about it; I think low-cost carriers have played a part in that growth, with more companies choosing LCCs and spending more money on ground arrangements (instead).”
MCB told TTGmice there’s been a 50 per cent growth in corporate incentive group delegates from South-east Asia over the last three years, with Malaysia proving the most popular source destination by far at 175 per cent, followed by Indonesia’s 34 per cent. Interestingly, almost 100 per cent of visitors have ventured beyond the CBD to engage in activities in regional Victoria. There were 16,000 new international visitors to the region in the last financial year.
In response, MCB is increasingly working with lesser-known regional partners to promote more areas to encourage repeat visitation, such as facilitating the first Asian fam programme led by a regional convention bureau for incentive agents last week, which was met by positive feedback.
Malaysian and Indonesian incentive agents try their hand at Aussie Rules Football
“It was definitely an eye-opener for me,” said Lim Pei Pei, head of sales at Malaysian event management company ICEM. “They packed a lot of interesting places within our three-day programme but I’m very sure there’s even more (to discover) if we had more time.”
General manager for Malaysia’s Mice Vacations, Alex Chia, told TTGmice he has already received a number of enquiries for Melbourne next year, and that he expects the number of groups booked for the destination to exceed that of this year.
“I was surprised by the types of experiences available in regional Victoria. I think (many of our clients) would be interested in a swimming with dolphins experience, or staging a pop-up gala event at Flemington Racecourse (where the Melbourne Cup is held).”
Apart from Malaysia and Indonesia, Yin is keeping an eye on Vietnam as the next emerging market for Melbourne. Not only has VietJet recently announced plans for direct air services from Ho Chi Minh City to Avalon Airport in 2H2020, Yin added he is encouraged by the country’s economic growth and political fundamentals, and has plan to court the market soon.
The results in the report
Results offer actionable insights for MICE professionals to attract more business to their venues and destinations
Events management software company Cvent released the inaugural Asia edition of the Cvent Planner Sourcing Report, in response to growing sourcing volume and MICE activity in the region.
“Asia continues to grow in popularity as a leading MICE destination, which is also reflected in the 2019 Cvent Top Meeting Destinations list,” said Chris McAndrews, vice president of marketing for Cvent Hospitality Cloud.
The report offers actionable insights for MICE professionals to attract more business to their venues and destinations
This year’s study revealed that companies continue to invest in their meeting and event programmes, as well as how meeting planners sourced venues, and what influences their decision-making.
More than 80 per cent of respondents said that their budgets have increased for events, including corporate parties, galas, trade shows, conferences, seminars, and conventions.
Interestingly, 84 per cent said that budgets for non-revenue generating events such as trainings and milestone meetings have also increased – highlighting the important role live events plays in supporting both internal and external corporate goals. This increase in budgets indicates higher executive expectations, and added pressure on event planners to deliver more compelling experiential events for their attendees.
Additional findings from the study include:
Event Professionals are planning more events than ever before – meaning additional MICE business opportunities for hoteliers and destinations. Ninety-four per cent of planners said that they manage 11 or more events each year, while 75 per cent are organising more than 50.
More than 80 per cent of respondents said that their overall event attendance has increased.
Increasing budgets means higher expectations and more internal influencers. With the increase in event spend, planners must work with others in their organisation, such as IT and finance managers, who also have influence over event budget decisions.
Top four areas of expected budget increase include: ground transportation (92%), venue (88%), F&B (88%), and client entertainment (87%), pointing to a growing desire to create a strong event experience.
Respondents identified additional budget stakeholders including information technology and finance departments. Venues need to be aware of how these stakeholders can influence final budget approval.
Planners analyse a number of different factors when sourcing event venues or deciding to submit a request for proposal (RFP). Less than half of respondents (47%) cite venue cost as an influencing factor. Other factors including space layout, location, and brand reputation are increasingly important.
Top features influencing booking decisions include: Ease of networking activities (44%), availability of preferred dates (35%), and unique atmosphere and existing relationship with the venue (both 33%).
Forty-nine per cent of planners surveyed highlighted the venue’s brand and reputation as a key consideration for RFP submission.
Meanwhile, 50 per cent said they were influenced by positive reviews of the venues they were sourcing.
Next, 78 per cent of planners said they would expect a cost savings of at least 6% before considering a switch to their second-choice venue – demonstrating that planners are willing to invest more if they believe a venue can provide a memorable event experience.
Communication, transparency, and attention to detail throughout the RFP process can make a venue stand out. By providing proactive solutions, offering a digital presence that caters to the event planners’ needs, and delivering a quick, thorough response to RFPs, hoteliers can win more group business.
Nearly half (46%) of planners cite communication problems as the reason for choosing to not submit an RFP to a venue.
Also 23% want better attention to detail in RFP responses and 38% said that trustworthiness in a venue’s RFP responses is a primary area of improvement.
The survey was conducted among more than 500 event planners in Asia. The full report can be found here.
Patrick Imbardelli, chairman of the board of international hospitality company Next Story Group, has been elected to the YPO – a global leadership community of chief executives with approximately 28,000 members in more than 130 countries – board of directors from 2019 to 2022.
He also is serving as the chair of YPO’s Flagship Events Committee, and a member of the Compensation of the Human Resources Committee.
Imbardelli joined YPO as a member in 2003. Since 2006, Imbardelli has held several YPO leadership positions including chair of the Singapore Chapter, member of the South-east Asia Regional Board, and member of the Australia and New Zealand Regional Board. Imbardelli has also chaired several YPO’s global events and served on the Global Leadership Conference Supervisory Committee.
In his role as chair of the Flagship Events Committee, he also oversees YPO EDGE 2020, which will gather 2,500 CEOs and business leaders from around the world in San Diego, California, US, for an annual thought leadership summit conference.
Imbardelli has more than 30 years of hospitality experience. He has also served as a non-executive director and an advisor to Next Story Group for the last three years. In June 2019, he was appointed chairman of the Board of Next Story Group.
The hospitality veteran was formerly the chief executive Asia-Pacific of InterContinental Hotels Group, and the chief executive and a board member of Pan Pacific Hotels Group. He is also a director of IDEM Hospitality and The Goodnight Co., and previously a director and advisory board member of Symmons Industries in Boston.
Angsana Laguna Phuket, located at the Angsana Laguna Phuket resort complex in Thailand, has unveiled a brand new, 1,500m2 multipurpose space.
Named the Angsana Convention and Exhibition Space (ACES), for theatre-style seating, ACES can accommodate up to 1,500 guests for a multinational business conference or a MICE seminar.
Angsana Convention and Exhibition Space
1 of 6
ACES can comfortably seat 850 guests in a classroom setting, or 225 guests in U-shape and boardroom arrangement, with room to spare for light, sound and staging.
The venue is also ideal for welcome receptions and gala dinners, accommodating up to 800 guests for banquets or 1,500 guests for standing cocktails.
Light and sound themes are customised for each event, arranged for by a team of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) and Certified Incentive Specialists (CIS) who are on-hand to assist planners from start to end.
Catering is offered along with the use of the venue, and options include themed coffee breaks and fine-dining banquets. Planners have the added advantage of personalising menus with any one of Angsana Laguna Phuket’s six restaurants and bars, covering local and international cuisines.
Angsana Laguna Phuket was recently recognised by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau for meeting the Thailand MICE Venue Standard Designation and ASEAN MICE Venue Standards certifications to host international-standard MICE events.
A second Ritz-Carlton has risen in India, in the heart of Pune’s – a city in the western Indian state of Maharashtra – downtown and across the road from the Poona Golf Club.
The hotel features 198 guestrooms and 35 suites, the largest being the Presidential Suite with two bedrooms, a living room and dining area, private bar and in-suite treatment room. Guests staying on the Club Level floors will enjoy access to the Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge on the 18th floor that features views of the golf course, private check-in, a dedicated Club Concierge, and small bites throughout the day.
The Ritz-Carlton Pune
There are five dining venues on-site, ranging from modern Japanese restaurant Ukiyo to Aasma, the hotel’s rooftop lounge serving Indian cuisine. Other recreational facilities includes a fitness studio, yoga deck, and Ritz-Carlton Spa with eight treatment rooms.
Event planners may avail the myriad spaces on-site spread across more than 3,200m2, with spaces such as an outdoor foyer for hire.
Veranita Yosephine Sinaga has been appointed as CEO of AirAsia Indonesia, taking over from Dendy Kurniawan with immediate effect.
In her new role, Veranita will be responsible for the company’s airline operations in Indonesia, working with government and industry stakeholders to play a key role in leading local transformation efforts as the company expands beyond air transport to offer travel and lifestyle services, as well as financial services.
Veranita joined AirAsia Indonesia as deputy CEO in July 2019, bringing with her more than 18 years of fast-moving consumer goods sales experience.
Prior to joining AirAsia, Veranita served as sales director at Kraft Heinz Indonesia, where she led and orchestrated multiple commercial growth initiatives. She also spent a number of years with Danone Waters Indonesia and British American Tobacco Indonesia.
Rosidah Abdullah has been appointed director of sales & marketing at the soon-to-open Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown in Malaysia.
In her new role, Abdullah will head the hotel’s sales, marketing, events, revenue management and reservations divisions, while developing business strategies that drive growth, maximising all revenue streams and exceeding business goals of the hotel.
With 15 years of sales and client management experience in the hotel industry, Abdullah previously served as director of sales at a sister property of the Marriott group in Malaysia, The Westin Kuala Lumpur.
Prior to that, Abdullah was assistant director of sales at Grand Millennium Hotel Kuala Lumpur under the Millennium Hotel and Resorts. She was also the senior sales manager of Hilton Worldwide Malaysia’s national sales office for four years where she oversaw key accounts for six Hilton hotels nationwide.
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.
