Andy Flaig helms Wyndham’s development in SEAPR region

February 12, 2020

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has appointed Andy Flaig as head of development for the South-east Asia and Pacific Rim (SEAPR) region.

He replaces David Wray who has completed his transition agreement with the hotel company and will remain with Wyndham Destinations Asia Pacific.

Based in Singapore, Flaig will lead a team of developers to drive the development strategies for Wyndham Hotels & Resorts through the expansion of its brands and portfolio of managed and franchised hotels across the SEAPR region.

Flaig joins Wyndham Hotels & Resorts with more than three decades of experience in the hospitality sector. He served in multiple senior leadership roles within the industry and was most recently the group chief development officer at Next Story Group where he was responsible for the growth of their hotel and lifestyle co-working brands.

Previously, he also spent four years with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group as executive vice president, development and technicalsServices for Asia Pacific, and eight years as managing director of Jones Lang LaSalle’s Hotels and Hospitality Group’s Advisory business in Asia.

Outlook 2020

By Karen Yue

February 12, 2020

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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.

Staples, who shared this observation at the inaugural SG Tourism Leaders Engagement Series in November, an event co-presented by TTG Asia Media, said this was an “age of anxiety, due to VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity)”.

“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. Yet on the other hand, there is a lot of uncertainty around the world,” he said.

Closer to home, prolonged demonstrations in Hong Kong are hurting regional economic performance.

Staples highlighted that global GDP had 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 (in 2019) 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, albeit at a slow pace for some markets.
India is expected to post stronger year-on-year GDP growth in 2020 at 6.7 per cent; 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.

Staples concluded: “You (tourism players) are in a really good sector. All the predicted drivers of growth – emerging economies, growing affluence, greater adoption of technology – are in your favour.”

Hopeful data
Jameson Wong, Asia-Pacific business development director of global travel intelligence agency 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.

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.

“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 2019 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 most frequently in the new year, with a 2.3 per cent and two per cent growth respectively over 2019. The number of incentives/special events are only expected to grow nearly one 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.

“All the predicted drivers of growth are in your (tourism players’) favour.”

Andrew Staples
Global editorial director, Economist Corporate
Network, The Economist Intelligence Unit

Right attitude
Asian business event leaders emphasised that an ability to adapt quickly to challenges and see opportunities in obstacles will tide businesses through.

Antonio Codinach, regional business director Asia Pacific, at Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), encouraged optimism among his industry peers. He said: “We are the most agile, fastest-growing region in the world. This is also a region that is the most stable and where opportunities are.”

Codinach said one’s attitude will shape one’s reaction to the projected future. “So, I choose to see the future with positive eyes. We need to be agile and adaptable to changes, and make a commitment to the industry or the destination we represent.”

Also upbeat about the future is Bruno Simões, managing director of DOC DMC Macau & Hong Kong, despite describing his business as being “in a situation” now, hurt by the social unrest in Hong Kong and soft event spend in major market China which is “locked in a trade stand-off with the US”.

His confidence is fuelled by his observation that “most corporate clients are ready for events and many associations are ready to grow (in this region)”.

He said: “Across the years, Asia’s business events industry has proven to be (strong in the face of technology disruption and crises). Hong Kong will recover very quickly, as she has done in previous crises.”

Jason Teh, managing director of Pico Malaysia, is optimistic too, due to a string of mega events happening around the world in 2020 and which Pico Group is involved in. “Most of our corporate clients are spending a bit more in the coming months. Business events is part of marketing, which will go on no matter the state of the economy,” explained Teh.

Business leaders were unanimous in the belief that the ability to turn a challenge into an opportunity will allow businesses to come up victorious.

Citing an example, Prashant Yadav, CEO, Liberty International India, said his company – which typically delivers outbound Indian events – moved swiftly to support Indian companies that have chosen to keep their events on home ground against a backdrop of a soft Indian economic growth.

“At least five companies that usually do annual incentives for 600 to 1,000 people to longhaul destinations chose to stay in the country. We turned the reluctance to leave India into a business opportunity for us and for India,” shared Yadav.

He added that some clients were also quick to capitalise on destinations in turmoil, when tourism products were offered at the best value for money.

For Simões, a business slowdown presents the opportunity to “do things we never had time to do because work in events is intensive”.

“So, now is the time for us to sharpen our weapons. There are constant challenges to business – technology disruption, talent crunch, etc. When you are busy delivering events, you barely have time to stop and think about how to deal with these problems. This is now the best time to stop, look at what competitors and peers are doing, draw up an agenda to take the business forward, and learn,” he elaborated. – Additional reporting by S Puvaneswary

APAC destinations high on casualty list as global travel confidence dips

By Rachel AJ Lee

February 11, 2020

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Ximending-at-night,-Taipei — Travel confidence has dipped overall, with APAC destinations being cut; Taipei's Ximending pictured

Destinations with confirmed infections are the worst-hit
Domestic alternatives a saviour for some event planners
Full refunds not guaranteed for affected events

Travel confidence has dipped overall, with APAC destinations being cut; Taipei’s Ximending pictured

Event houses in Asia-Pacific are reporting cancellations or postponements of outbound events in the next few months as corporates suspend non-essential travel and travel confidence plunge over the Novel Coronavirus outbreak.

Destinations with confirmed Novel Coronavirus cases – across Greater China and South-east Asia – are the worst hit, found event specialists who are taking postponements for trips that are supposed to happen over the next few months; decisions around events planned for the later part of the year are now in limbo.

The extent of damage is similar across markets, with most event specialists reporting most, if not all, gatherings being axed or rescheduled.

Dynasty Travel Singapore, for instance has seen 80 per cent of outbound business events scheduled for February and March 2020 being cancelled, while India’s A T & Seasons Vacations Travel has reported business to China has been “completely wiped off” along with cancellations for other Asian destinations like Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Macau.

Simon Er, general manager business events & marketing of Singapore-based Global Travel, told TTGmice that the reactions are due to “the fear factor of being in a confined space like an aircraft over a period of time”.

Destinations further afield relatively unscathed
Longhaul destinations have remained unscathed, with some rare exceptions.

“It is business as usual for Europe and the US. We are telling corporates that they can opt for these destinations (instead of Asia) if their budget can be increased,” said Chander Mansharamani, managing director, Alpcord Network Travel & Conferences. He added that the Middle East or CIS destinations were “similarly-priced” alternatives to Asia.

At FCM MICE, clients are considering the Middle East for events in the later months of April and May, taking South-east Asia off their shopping list, observed Manpreet Bindra, brand leader.

Sunflower Holidays Malaysia’s managing director Mint Leong said some clients had chosen to can their programmes in Europe this March and April despite the continent having comparably few cases than Asia.

While Melvyn Nonis, director of Singapore-headquartered MICE Matters, which specialises in mainly European and US programmes, expressed relief that he had only two cancellations so far – a very low percentage of his total business, he acknowledged that “decisions may change as things change”.

He added: “I think the crucial time is this month, in the next few weeks. Most of our longhaul groups are departing in April, and for now there are no cancellations yet. Groups that are leaving in June or later in the year, are taking a wait-and-see approach.”

Domestic events an option
For some event specialists, not all is lost as clients are choosing to shift their overseas gatherings to their own backyard.

Raaj Navaratnaa, general manager of New Asia Holidays Tours & Travel in Malaysia, said two out of eight affected meetings and incentive programmes were redirected to local destinations.

Gotz Travel Malaysia’s managing director, Sheikh Awadh Sheikh Abdullah, has reported the same. Two 100-pax incentive groups, one to Vietnam and the other to Thailand, are now looking at shifting their April trips to within Malaysia.

Some clients of Yento Chen, CEO of Destination Tour Indonesia, are also considering turning to destinations like Bali or Raja Ampat.

Reassurance is key
Not willing to take a hit without a fight, some Indonesian stakeholders are trying their best to dissuade clients from cancelling.

Vidya Hermanto, managing director Orange Panorama, told TTGmice that a 4,600-pax incentive group from Indonesia was on the brink of cancelling its programme in South Korea. In response, his team produced an informative video that explained the situation at attractions and public spaces, and the steps that local governments have taken, along with other positive messages.

While he managed to save that piece of business, others fell through.

Willy TM Sihombing, managing director at Sedona Holidays Tour and Travels in Indonesia, had also gone down the education track, choosing to inform clients of government efforts in dealing with the outbreak, in addition to promising them the flexibility of changing event dates and destination.

“People are panicking and their confidence in travelling is low (due to extensive coverage) of the outbreak,” he noted.

Earnings for 2020 badly hit
Stakeholders across the board agree that losses are to be expected for 1H2020, with some optimistic that business in the later half of the year will help to make up for it.

Dynasty Travel’s Seah expects losses in the first half, but “pent-up demand for 2H2020″ should turn things around. Her confidence is based on about 80 per cent of enquires for 3Q2020 that are now on hold.

Leong is hopeful of breaking even this year as long as the virus can be contained by April.

Raaj, who is bracing for a 50 per cent decline in earnings this year vis-a-vis 2019, said recovery will not come immediately. A “gestation period of two to three months” needs to be taken into account after the virus is finally under control, as “organisers will want to wait and ensure there are no more new cases of infected people being reported,” he explained.

Full refunds not guaranteed
While travel and event suppliers are understanding and supportive of clients whose event plans have been uprooted by city-wide lockdown and travel suspensions imposed by the Chinese government, and have offered full refunds, the same cannot be expected elsewhere in destinations that are still open for business.

Events specialists explained that without government-issued travel advisories against a destination, suppliers will insist that visits are still possible and safe, and therefore there are no reasons for full refunds.

FCM MICE’s Bindra shared that suppliers in destinations like Thailand and Singapore are not giving any refunds.

Nonis intends to “rely on goodwill built up with our suppliers to negotiate on behalf of our clients”.

Additional reporting by S Puvaneswary, Rohit Kaul and Tiara Maharani

Some APAC events press on with added precautionary measures

By Rachel AJ Lee

February 11, 2020

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FHA-Food & Beverage Pavilion-1 — The Australian Pavilion at last year's FHA-Food & Beverage

Amid the gloom of multiple event cancellations that have hit Asia-Pacific as the Novel Coronavirus situation continues to develop, some tradeshow and event organisers have brought a sliver of hope to the industry with their determination to keep their shows going.

In Singapore, organiser Informa Markets will proceed with FHA-Food & Beverage as planned from March 31 to April 3, 2020, at the Singapore Expo, as the “event remains robust in the current climate and visitor pre-registrations continue to pour in”.

The Australian Pavilion at last year’s FHA-Food & Beverage

Informa Markets will continue to work closely with government authorities and agencies to put in place necessary measures, both pre-event and onsite, to help ensure the safety and confidence of the event’s participants.

However, Informa Markets’ FHA-HoReCa, originally scheduled for March 3-6, will be postponed to July 13-16.

When asked about the decision, Martyn Cox, event director for FHA-HoReCa and FHA-Food & Beverage, Informa Markets, told TTGmice: “In postponing FHA-HoReCa, the primary reason is the knock-on effects on the wider HoReCa industry relating to the trade of hospitality and food service equipment as a direct consequence of (affected) international travel during this period.”

“FHA-Food & Beverage will proceed as planned as the event serves a wide range of industry segments including retail, wholesale, e-commerce and F&B service that are not so much affected by the current situation in comparison.”

He added that even though FHA-HoReCa has been postponed, “withdrawal requests are minimal”.

Over in Jakarta, the ICCA Indonesia Committee is all set to hold the inaugural ICCA Indonesia Forum 2020 on February 25. As most of the attendees are Indonesians, with only a few speakers flying in from overseas, the event committee is confident that the flu outbreak will not impact participation.

And to minimise the negative impact of the outbreak on the incentive industry, the Association of the Indonesia Travel Agencies (ASTINDO) will be leveraging the two upcoming Astindo Travel Fairs as a platform to tell the public that travelling to certain countries is still safe and to emphasise the government’s outbreak prevention efforts.

ASTINDO’s secretary general Pauline Suharno said: “We will carry on with the travel fairs in Jakarta as planned on February 21-23, and Bali in early March, to help stimulate travel.”

Meanwhile in Bangkok, Future Energy Asia 2020 is taking place as planned this week, from February 12-14. The annual exhibition and conference, dedicated to advancing future energy solutions, will host over 150 exhibitors from nine countries/regions, 4,000 trade professional representations from over 50 countries, 1,000 conference delegates, and 200 industry speakers.

Organisers dmg events and ExpoSis, together with the exhibition venue BITEC, have implemented precautionary measures such as increased frequency of cleaning and sanitising common spaces, changing of air-con filters, and the provision of sanitisers at all key entrances and information counters.

Although SingEx Holdings was unable to comment on whether other events at the Singapore Expo would continue, Aloysius Arlando, its CEO, said: “With learnings from episodes of years past like SARS and H1N1 for example, Singapore’s MICE industry, today, is more prepared than it has ever been for such situations. It is with this preparedness and greater understanding that we can swiftly calibrate our course of actions that are in line with advisories from the authorities to mitigate the impact the outbreak will have on businesses in the MICE industry.

“For as long as we stay strong as a community, we are confident that the MICE industry is resilient and will bounce back from whatever setbacks that may come our way, as past experiences in SARS, H1N1, MERS and the haze have shown.”

Seeking to assure MICE stakeholders, Andrew Phua, director of exhibitions and conferences, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “Our MICE industry continues to operate and remains open for business. Nonetheless, we will continue to stay vigilant, strengthen our defences, and prepare for all scenarios. The health and safety of locals, visitors and industry partners remain a priority and we are monitoring the situation closely.”

Singapore is not alone in this, for ICCA and the Joint Meetings Industry Council have called upon all industry members to actively support measures that help restore and build confidence in event participation.

This includes ensuring that all policies and procedures within the industry’s spheres of influence that help secure the health and safety of event participants are in place and up to date; consulting with event organisers and related service providers to explore ways in which any programme adjustments that need to be made in response to outbreak-related impacts can be accommodated; and most importantly, continuing to support awareness of the essential roles of meetings, conventions, exhibitions and business events as drivers of recovery and advancement of global economic and societal development.

**

Update, February 17, 16.18: Informa Markets has just announced it is postponing the FHA-Food & Beverage event to a later date due to global travel concerns and the spill-over effects on the F&B industry in light of the latest developments regarding the Covid-19 outbreak. The event was originally scheduled to take place from March 31 to April 3, 2020, at Singapore Expo.

Coronavirus infections linked to Singapore meeting chip away planners’ confidence in the city

By Pamela Chow

February 11, 2020

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Confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus local transmissions arising from a business meeting at Grand Hyatt Singapore in mid-January have led to a wave of event rescheduling and cancellation for two major event agencies in the city-state.

The 109-pax event, according to various news reports, had attendees from China as well as from other parts of the world. A Briton, South Korean and Malaysian later emerged as having been infected at the event.

Gloomy skies ahead for Singapore (pictured) as clients place events on hold, change destinations or postpone plans

According to Pacific World Singapore’s global managing director Selina Sinclair, clients have postponed or put programmes on hold, or “have requested to change destinations for their events”.

In response, the PCO has had to relocate some of these events to other cities.

Meanwhile, CWT Meetings & Events’ Singapore office is in the midst of “ongoing consultations with clients to ensure that the well-being of attendees is fully considered before they decide how best to proceed with planned or proposed events anywhere in the world”, shared Sam Lay, the company’s senior director, Asia Pacific.

Both companies are keeping close tabs on the situation and have doubled up on communications with suppliers and partners.

Sinclair added: “We are working proactively with local health authorities, vendors and suppliers to understand the measures that venues and hotels have put in place for the events, as well as kickstart conversations with partners including suppliers and all logistical arrangements.”

She regards the situation as still being in the “monitoring phase”, and expects clarity in the next two to three weeks on the state of containment.

Meanwhile, Kuwaiti and Qatari governments had on Monday issued a travel advisory to their citizens to avoid unnecessary travel, or delay travel, to Singapore because of the spread of the coronavirus.

Singapore’s government raised its DORSCON (Disease Outbreak Response System Condition) alert to Orange over the weekend, which defines the disease as being severe and easily transmitted from person to person, but has yet to spread widely in the country and is being contained.

As of press time, Singapore has 45 confirmed cases, of which 23 are locally transmitted.

Coronavirus to have “small impact” on AIME

By Adelaine Ng

February 11, 2020

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Organisers for AIME indicate they are looking forward to a successful show with robust registrations despite the drop in travel confidence due to the coronavirus.

The annual event in Melbourne for the Asia-Pacific’s meetings and event industry will kick off this coming Monday with an Australian government travel ban on all flights from China still in place and disruptions elsewhere. However, TTGmice has learned that travel restrictions have brought about a “small impact” on the show’s total numbers.

AIME is all set for the show next week; photo from last year’s event

“AIME is shaping up really well,” said Matt Pearce, CEO of Talk2 Media & Events, which took over the reins of AIME and launched a reboot last year.

“The one thing all events have to consider is the “what happens if” and AIME is no different. This year it is bushfires and coronavirus, hence we have had to keep our hosted buyer recruitment open longer, our diaries open longer and generally ensure our marketing of AIME is extended. We are working hard to ensure that our visitors and exhibitors have a successful show.”

Pearce admits this year’s AIME will have a different flavour however. “There may be some additional emphasis on dealing with the impacts of these natural disasters, but the fundamentals of AIME won’t change and in fact, will help our visitors find alternative locations and opportunities.”

TTGmice understands there are currently about 2,000 registrations with numbers still being added. Last year’s registrations recorded more than 2,500 attendees. AIME maintains its overall number of participants has increased over the last two years, but Pearce believes it “could have been even higher” if there was no coronavirus.

This year’s AIME will launch an Associations Round Table for industry members to discuss issues relevant to the sector. It will also see the continuation of the Knowledge Exchange Program, a full day of lectures and workshops relevant to the business events community.

“The tone of (AIME) won’t change,” said Pearce. “We are the first large-scale event of the year, so we know people are keen to get on with and drive their businesses. This is even more true this year,” he added.

Vietnam DMC rounds up SME operators to craft creative itineraries

By Marissa Carruthers

February 11, 2020

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LUXPERIA-Branded-Hero — Luxperia partners SME operators to curate travel experiences around Asia

Vietnam-based luxury DMC is aiming to disrupt the market and offer a platform for South-east Asian SME operators to shine.

In an age of corporate buy-outs and acquisition of DMCs, the team behind Luxperia are doing things differently. The Ho Chi Minh City-headquartered company has spent the last 14 months gathering a collective of boutique operators from across South-east Asia to curate innovative itineraries that tap into their wealth of ground knowledge.

Luxperia partners SME operators to curate travel experiences around Asia

Linh Le, principal and co-founder of Luxperia, said: “During the last 10 years, there has been a lot of acquisitions with corporates buying DMCs and tour operators, through to ground suppliers. However, we’re seeing growth in the number of local SME operators. We don’t want to create another DMC model but a network of smaller DMCs to work as one collective.”

Luxperia has brought together a network of experts in MICE, adventure and culinary tourism across the region to craft creative itineraries that offer authentic and unique local experiences, enabling the DMC to curate a diverse range of luxury, niche-led itineraries.

Said Le: “We want to make it win-win for both economies and international buyers. We are seeing increased competition from large DMCs, but we want to use that as a positive. If we can turn it around and share best practices, learn from one another, then there’s huge benefits for SME operators to join together.”

Sustainability is another key driver of Luxperia’s philosophy. Its collective of operators includes grassroots experts able to tap into their local networks, ensuring that local communities benefit from tourism.

Added Le: “It’s important we support and boost local economies with each of these small individual players. For example, a regional expert in northern Laos would know local communities and cottage industries. Supporting these artisan villages, buying local produce and introducing crafts to international tourists helps the growth of the micro-economy and adds to jobs.”

With Luxperia’s Spain-based CEO Vicente Catala having established the company in Spain, Portugal and Latin America, Le is now tasked with growing business from English-speaking markets, including the UK, Australia, Europe and the US.

Added Le: “What’s most important is we offer a multifaceted win-win scenario for local people and communities, the buyer and the end consumer.”

To join Luxperia’s collective, visit https://luxperia.com/.

Hilton in Malaysia aims to Elevate Ideas

By TTGmice

February 11, 2020

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Nine Hilton properties in Malaysia have come together to unveil Elevating Ideas, a flexible meeting package that reinforces its Meet with Purpose concept with sustainable practice, healthy food choices and mindful breaks.

The participating hotels are Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Hilton Kota Kinabalu, Hilton Kuching, DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka, DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang, and Hilton Garden Inn Puchong.

Room rates start from RM165 (US$40) nett/per room, per night, while full-day meeting packages go for RM110 nett and up.

Event planners can enjoy discounts and complimentary rooms plus upgrades, as well as a complimentary delegate pass for every 10 paying delegates and more.

Bookings have to be made by March 31, 2020, with events to be held from now until June 31, 2020.

For more information, visit https://hiltonmalaysia.com/meetings/.

Suwon gets first Courtyard by Marriott

By TTGmice

February 11, 2020

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Marriott International has opened the first Courtyard by Marriott in Suwon, South Korea, part of the new MICE Complex within Suwon Gwanggyo New Town.

The newly-opened Courtyard by Marriott Suwon offers 288 rooms, ranging from the lead-in 28m²Premiers to the 84m² Lake Park Suite.

Meeting amenities include the 70-seater Executive Lounge featuring views of Gwanggyo Lake Park, the Lake Park Ballroom which can take up to 300 pax theatre-style, as well as three multipurpose boardrooms for 16 pax each theatre-style.

There is also a fitness centre, laundry room, and two F&B options including the Suwon Kitchen which serves an international menu and has four private dining rooms.

For guest’s convenience, the hotel is connected with the Suwon Convention Center, Gwanggyo Lake Park, Galleria Department Store, and Aquarium.

New Chinese restaurant Mott 32 joins Marina Bay Sands’ restaurant portfolio

By TTGmice

February 11, 2020

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Mott32_Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck with Mott 32’s “Signature Cut”_640x400 — Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck

Chinese restaurant Mott 32, founded and operated by Hong Kong-based restaurant group Maximal Concepts, has opened its latest outpost in Singapore.

This follows locations in Hong Kong (the first opening six years ago), Las Vegas, Seoul, and Vancouver. Located on the Galleria Level of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, the 149-seater Mott 32 is open for dinner daily, with lunch service commencing today.

Mott 32 Singapore

1 of 9

Helming the kitchens of Mott 32 Singapore is Hong Kong-born executive chef Chan Wai Keung. With over 35 years of professional culinary experience, the veteran is known for his mastery in traditional Cantonese cooking, specialising in seafood, dim sum and soups.

Mott 32 Singapore will be serving iconic dishes from the original Mott 32 menu, such as the Barbecue Pluma Iberico Pork Glazed with Yellow Mountain Honey, and the Apple Wood Roasted Peking Duck with Mott 32’s “Signature Cut”.

A number of offerings will be exclusive to Mott 32 Singapore, such as the Signature Crispy Sugar Coated Peking Duck Bun, Crispy Prawns with Salty Egg Yolk and Oatmeal, and the Wok-Fried Live Whole Crab in Black Pepper Singapore Style.

In addition to the a-la-carte menu, Mott 32’s menu will also feature handmade Cantonese dim sum items with a twist, such as Soft Quail Egg, Iberico Pork, Black Truffle Siu Mai; and South Australian Scallop, Garoupa, Caviar & Gold Leaf, Egg White Dumpling.

Mott 32 is in possession of an extensive wine collection, and its mixologists have created a selection of cocktails inspired by Asian ingredients and culture, three of which are exclusive to Singapore.

Andy Flaig helms Wyndham’s development in SEAPR region

Outlook 2020

“All the predicted drivers of growth are in your (tourism players’) favour.”

APAC destinations high on casualty list as global travel confidence dips

Some APAC events press on with added precautionary measures

Coronavirus infections linked to Singapore meeting chip away planners’ confidence in the city

Coronavirus to have “small impact” on AIME

Vietnam DMC rounds up SME operators to craft creative itineraries

Hilton in Malaysia aims to Elevate Ideas

Suwon gets first Courtyard by Marriott

New Chinese restaurant Mott 32 joins Marina Bay Sands’ restaurant portfolio

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