Applications for The Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant programme, for professionals and researchers in Brisbane, is now open.
The grant offers a share of A$30,000 (US$20,361) to professionals and researchers to attend an international conference in their field, and help Brisbane bid to host the conference in future. Applications close on January 12, 2020.
Applications for the The Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant are now open; public transport ferry against the backdrop of Brisbane city pictured
Former recipients, University of Queensland scientists Christina Schroeder and Johan Rosengren, used the grant to attend the 2018 International Peptide Symposium in Tokyo. They then spearheaded a successful bid for Brisbane to host the event for 2021.
Backed by the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, Brisbane Marketing and Tourism and Events Queensland, the symposium will see about 650 global researchers and experts in peptide science visit Brisbane, delivering an economic boost of over A$2 million.
Another recipient, clinical director of not-for-profit Hear and Say, Emma Rushbrooke, worked with Brisbane Marketing to secure the AG Bell Global Listening and Spoken Language Symposium for Brisbane in 2021, after using the grant to attend the 2018 event in the United States.
As a result, the city will welcome about 500 global experts in paediatric hearing and healthcare, generating over A$890,000 for the economy.
Brisbane’s lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said in a statement: “We want local trailblazers to benefit from attending an international conference where they can build valuable global networks, broaden their knowledge and skills and gain recognition of their work in Brisbane. At the same time, the recipients will work with the city’s economic development board Brisbane Marketing and partners to bid for the conferences to be held in Brisbane.
“Business events are big business for Brisbane, generating an average A$250 million for the economy every year, bringing together word-leading experts and providing opportunities for research partnerships, investment and collaboration,” he noted.
The Lord Mayor’s Convention Trailblazer Grant is run by the city’s economic development board, Brisbane Marketing.
New Zealand’s tourism minister has recognised 27 experts, who have secured large-scale international conferences for New Zealand, at an event in Auckland last week.
They included university academics, industry professionals and medical specialists who have championed their field of expertise such as health sciences, agriculture, earth sciences, IT, aerospace and advanced engineering.
Conference wins include the International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, which is expected to bring 1,800 experts to Auckland in 2022; the World Leisure Congress, which will attract some 1,500 delegates to Dunedin in 2022; and the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) Conference in 2021 that will bring around 1,000 of the world’s leading volcanologists to Rotorua.
The conference wins celebrated at the event represent an estimated 14,420 delegates and nearly NZ$29 million (US$18.2 million) in economic impact for New Zealand.
Speaking at the event, René de Monchy, Tourism New Zealand’s director of commercial, said: “In the last financial year New Zealand has won 32 events that will contribute an estimated NZ$40.5 million to the economy over the coming years and involve over 19,000 delegates.”
Monchy added that these conferences will “create long-lasting, positive social change in our communities”, and help grow the country’s industry sectors while bettering the lives of New Zealanders.
Six Senses opens on Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has planted another flag in Turkey with its latest opening in the Sariyer district of Istanbul’s European side.
The hotel offers 45 guestrooms and suites, divided between the two restored Ottoman-era mansions. Amenities within the three-storey property include lounges, banqueting and function rooms, a gallery, and gym.
There are two F&B options on-site: Toro Latin GastroBar offers Pan-Latin and Asian cuisines alongside cocktails; and the all-day Kahve café with its pastries and Bosphorus views. A private boat moored in front of the property will be also be available for guests to take sightseeing trips and excursions.
This marks the second Six Senses property in the country, the other being Six Senses Kaplankaya.
St Petersburg extends free visas to international delegates
International MICE delegates from 53 countries visiting St Petersburg will now be able to arrange free e-visas for visits of up to eight days.
The 53 countries include Singapore, The Philippines, China, India, and Japan. Previously, 34 countries already had visa-free entry in Russia.
Qualified visitors need to complete an online process on the website of the consular department of the Russian Foreign Ministry. The application must be made no later than four and no earlier than 20 days before the expected date of entry.
This new initiative follows similar schemes previously introduced for travel to Kaliningrad and the Kaliningrad Region, as well as Vladivostok and airports across the whole of Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District.
Routes Americas flies to Colombia for 14th edition
Routes Americas 2021 will be held in Bogota, Colombia – according to an agreement that was signed between Routes and OPAIN – El Dorado Airport Concessionaire (BOG) of Bogotá El Dorado International Airport, during the 25th World Routes in Adelaide, Australia.
The 14th Routes Americas, the air service development forum for the Americas, will help the country, city and region to raise awareness among the airline industry of the opportunities that Latin America presents.
Colombia is strategically located between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and El Dorado has a robust domestic connection with other regions as the country’s main air terminal. Five years ago, Routes America was also held Colombia, in the city of Cartagena.
CWT has appointed John Pelant as executive vice president and chief technology officer with effect from November 1, 2019.
Based in Minneapolis, Pelant will report to Kurt Ekert, president & CEO of CWT, and serve as a member of the CWT Executive Leadership Team.
John Pelant
Formerly CWT’s chief information officer, Pelant will oversee the continued development of CWT’s engineering and technology, innovation and IT infrastructure and operations. He will take over these responsibilities from Andrew Jordan, who has decided to leave the company at the end of 2019 to pursue other interests.
A former vice president of global IT operations, vice president global product development, and vice president Americas IT & global functions, Pelant was appointed senior vice president and CIO of CWT in August 2016.
Oakwood Residence Hanoi has opened, marking the brand’s entry into Vietnam’s capital city.
Oakwood Residence Hanoi is situated in an upscale residential neighbourhood within the West Lake (Tay Ho) District. Guests can choose from 262 studios, one-, two, three-bedroom apartments or penthouses. Each unit comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, washer and dryer, high-speed Internet and hotel amenities.
One-Bedroom Apartment
Guests can also expect a suite of services including round-the-clock guest relations and security, housekeeping services, laundry and dry cleaning services, shuttle bus services, as well as activity programmes. Other amenities include a residents’ lounge, restaurant and bar, fitness centre, children’s play area, as well as the city’s first all-season infinity pool fitted with a retractable glass roof.
Oakwood Residence Hanoi is the brand’s third serviced residence in the country following the debut of Oakwood Apartments Ho Chi Minh City in December 2016 in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3, and Oakwood Residence Saigon in District 7 in April 2018.
The soon-to-open Hotel Chadstone Melbourne, MGallery by Sofitel, in Australia has unveiled an incentive offer for events planners, ahead of its official launch on November 1.
Planners who reserve and confirm a meeting or event with Hotel Chadstone Melbourne ahead of its official opening – with a spend of A$5,000 (US$3,372) or more – will receive a signature Hotel Chadstone tote bag to take home with a surprise gift inside. Gifts could include Balmain beauty products, luxury bathrobes, champagne, accommodation, dining or spa vouchers.
Altus Bar & Restaurant
To qualify for this offer, the meeting or event must be confirmed by December 31, 2019 and held between November 1, 2019 and July 31, 2020. Terms and conditions apply.
The 250-room hotel features facilities such as a rooftop bar, swimming pool, restaurant and wellness centre. There are also eight function rooms on-site, ranging from the ballroom that can cater for up to 650 guests cocktail-style, to a private event space within the hotel’s rooftop venue good for 110 banquet-style.
Nick Cheesman has been appointed to the role of hotel manager at YotelAir Singapore Changi Airport, where he will oversee all aspects of operations and technology implementation.
Cheesman has around 14 years of hospitality experience, having cut his teeth at prominent hotels such as Regent Singapore, Shangri-La’s Villingili Resort & Spa in the Maldives, Four Seasons Hotel London, and Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo.
Prior to his Yotel move, Cheesman served as director of rooms at M Social Singapore.
Representatives of the Hachioji Visitors & Convention Bureau welcoming MICE journalists during a Tokyo fam trip last Wednesday
The Japanese city of Hachioji in Western Tokyo – host of the IFSC Climbing World Championships in August this year – is hoping to leverage the international event to raise its profile as a popular destination for global sports meets and demonstrate its ability to welcome large, specialised gatherings including business events.
The Championships, organised by the International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC), was attended by more than 253 athletes from 39 countries over a 12-day period.
Representatives of the Hachioji Visitors & Convention Bureau welcoming MICE journalists during a Tokyo fam trip last Wednesday
Speaking to TTGmice through translators, Takeyama Jun, director, Hachioji Visitors & Convention Bureau, said hosting the IFSC Climbing World Championships has led to other climbing and bouldering sports events in the city.
Emphasising Hachioji’s expertise in supporting large events, Takeyama said the city attracts many sports gatherings, most of which are university leagues. The city with a population of just half a million has 21 universities, which are helping to bring many international academic conferences to the destination.
The city’s appeal among organisers of sports events is enhanced by its lush natural environment, with Mount Takao being the star attraction. Standing 599 metres tall and protected within Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park, Mount Takao is home to 1,600 plant species and rich wildlife including flying squirrels, foxes and wild boars.
Yumura Aiko, MICE marketer with Hachioji Visitors & Convention Bureau, said Mount Takao’s well-preserved natural environment and hiking trails have gained interest among some corporate groups that seek a different experience of Tokyo during their meetings.
To enhance a nature-based day trip extension from meetings held in nearby Tokyo, Hachioji Visitors & Convention Bureau is working with Takaosan Yakuo-in Yuki-ji temple on Mount Takao to offer local experiences to corporate and private groups. Besides architecture tours around the century-old Buddhist temple led by a monk and observations of the dramatic Fire Ceremony, Yakuo-in has tatami rooms for hire, where groups can conduct meetings or banquets over exquisite shojin ryori vegetarian cuisine.
“We are interested to get more international conventions, especially large ones. To this end, we are working with Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau to market the city to overseas MICE buyers,” said Takeyama, who added that venue capacity in the city will get a boost in the arm when a 2,400m2 convention centre opens in 2022 close to the Hachioji train station.
F&B professionals deepened their technical expertise and knowledge of fine wines at the event
New trade-targeted initiatives featured at Resorts World Sentosa’s (RWS) The GREAT Wine & Dine Festival last week has allowed the annual public event to accomplish greater business objectives.
Held from October 10-12, the festival featured an exclusive trade day for the first time. The event opened to visitors from the F&B sector from Singapore and the region, showcasing more than 400 wines, which attracted many sommeliers and bar managers, who took the opportunity to network with distributors at the wine crate-designed booths.
Exhibitors included 27 local and overseas wine distributors who brought in a comprehensive selection of wines ranging from classic regions such as Tuscany or Bordeaux to new-world regions such as Australia, New Zealand and California, as well as organic and natural wines.
A highlight on the showfloor was a special themed zone that featured eight sake breweries across Japan, which were brought in by a partnership between RWS and the Tokyo-based Japan Sake & Shochu Makers Association.
The second new trade initiative was The Harvest seminar on October 11. The by-invite event was attended by about 80 members of the wine trade across South-east Asia who built up their technical know-how through participation in a panel chaired by esteemed wine experts who were specially flown in for the event.
British wine writer and television presenter Oz Clarke spoke about trends in the global wine and spirits arena, while Kenichi Ohashi, owner of Yamajin, a liquor distribution company in Japan and a Master of Wine, shared wine pairing tips for Asian cuisine with Hong Kong-based wine critic Jeannie Cho Lee, who is also the first Asian Master of Wine. Swedish sommelier Andreas Larsson, who was elected World’s Best Sommelier in 2007 and American Master of Wine & Master Sommelier Doug Frost divulged tips and tricks on pairing wines with Western cuisine.
The wine experts also conducted masterclasses on topics such as Spain’s and Japan’s indigenous grape varietals, and comparing old and new-world wines. These classes were also opened the public.
RWS hopes to position these classes and The Harvest seminar as thought leadership platforms for industry practitioners to interact and share best practices in the wine industry.
By involving its sommeliers and F&B managers in this event, RWS also hopes to build up its wine programme and capabilities to complement dining experiences at its stable of 12 celebrity chef restaurants, including the one-Michelin-starred table65.
The GREAT Wine & Dine Festival also comprised a gala dinner on October 10, where the results of the inaugural Wine Pinnacle Awards, which celebrates fine wines and wine personalities, were announced.
Chef Nicolas Masse of two-Michelin-starred restaurant La Grand’Vigne in France was flown in to helm the five-course black-tie gala dinner for more than 300 guests, which included head honchos and ambassadors. The night’s entertainment included a wine-themed dance performance complemented by aerial dancers and jazz tunes by the Cultural Medallion recipient Jeremy Monteiro and his jazz quartet.
A RWS spokesperson said: “Welcoming the crème de la crème of the world’s wine community required seamless execution from our MICE and F&B teams. It put our hospitality, facilities and event planning expertise to the test.”
Amadeus predicts that travellers will expect everything to be easily accessible to them through one, simple to use app
‘Super apps’, voice-enabled bookings and 5G roll-out will have a significant impact on business travel in 2020, according to a new paper released by travel technology company Amadeus.
Despite the growth of technologies that make virtual meetings possible, business travel spend in the region is still predicted to double between 2020 to 2025, with the region forecast to eventually account for half of the world’s total spend.
Amadeus predicts that business travellers will expect everything to be accessible to them through one app eventually
‘Bleisure’ travel – where employees add leisure time and activities onto work trips – has also been rising in Asia, with a survey by Amadeus finding that Asian corporate travellers are twice as likely to book work trips that include weekends than their European counterparts.
Against this backdrop, Amadeus’ Future of Corporate Travel paper, written in conjunction with senior leaders from Musement, BorderPass and Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation, identifies five key trends that travel companies in the region need to be aware of as corporate travel continues to grow and evolve:
1. Voice is the next frontier for bookings
There’s a major shift happening between human and computer interaction, particularly with voice technology across Asia-Pacific. As travel companies continue to invest in voice technology, businesses will have quicker access to the traveller’s profile, real-time alerts and in-flight amenity checks within a single natural sentence. This means that travel consultants and travellers won’t have to go through multiple screens; they will soon be able to achieve the same goal much more quickly – using voice.
Nishank Gopalkrishnan, chief business officer, Musement, commented: “I personally think voice will be the differentiator moving forward. If you think of it, talking to one another is the most natural thing humans do. Typing, swiping and other forms of interaction are all just intermediate steps, as we are unable to efficiently talk to a machine. This will change, and companies that devise the most efficient way of selling high value and high engagement products via voice will lead in the future.”
2. The rise of ‘Super-apps’
Corporate travellers are juggling so many travel apps, including for their airlines, travel agencies and hotels. In the future this will move to a ‘one-app/ super-app’ concept, giving corporate travellers the ability to book, make changes, get an itinerary and claim expenses – all on one single app. It is already one of the top trends among big players in the mobile space.
Much like WeChat has done for years in China, several other companies in Asia like LINE, KakaoTalk, Grab, and Go-Jek are expanding to other verticals to add functionalities and content to their apps, from mobility options to food delivery, media, payments and travel, targeting more business travellers.
Moving forward, travellers will expect everything to be easily accessible to them through one, simple to use app. This is a commercial opportunity for travel companies, and businesses need to bear this in mind when reviewing the solutions that they make available to their employees.
3. Feeling the impact of 5G
Faster networks through 5G are now being deployed across Asia-Pacific and are enabling other technologies to take off, changing the way that travellers move around their own cities and travel to others. Thanks to the increased speed and amount of data, there will be more advanced connected devices – from smart homes to self-driving cars and smart cities – and increased personalisation through Artificial Intelligence (AI).
This greater connectivity will allow travel companies to provide a seamless travel experience in which a business traveller can go door-to-door from their home to a hotel with little hassle and a truly personalised service. The frictionless experience will continue at their hotel with 5G smart hotels – offering faster connection speeds for smartphones and connected devices. With 5G, the end traveller is going to be better connected than ever before. Businesses need to be ready for this and ensure they best equip their employees to take advantage of 5G hyper-connectivity.
Edgar Vega, commercial head of APAC, mobile, Amadeus, commented: “Business travel is no longer just about getting to and from home. It is a series of experiences that demand an intuitive, streamlined management – which is driven through mobile. I’m convinced that the 5G rollout will completely transform the corporate traveller’s mobile experience. For starters, access to unlimited data will allow for more informative and productive business trips while on the other side corporations will be able to provide better guidance for their corporate travellers in terms of access to hotel, transfer and destination services in virtual reality format.”
4. Mastering security with a seamless travel experience
The security of corporate travellers will always be the number one priority for corporations and travel management companies. However, maximum security doesn’t always mean a smooth travel experience. One trend to look out for in the near future is how the travel industry will master security alongside a seamless travel experience.
Innovation in this space is already well underway and biometrics are playing a huge role in making this happen. Long queues and scanning passports will become a thing of the past as travel becomes frictionless. Amadeus is already working with several airports in line with IATA’s One ID vision to use biometrics to reduce wait times and move towards a remotely-hosted biometrics solution for the industry.
By providing a seamless travel experience, business travellers will be able to spend less time waiting in queues and spend more time focused on the job they are there for. This is crucial for those that travel regularly for work – especially in terms of keeping job satisfaction levels high.
5. Duty of care
In most countries, employers have a legal and ethical duty of care to their employees when they travel, which means they should take all reasonable steps to ensure employees’ health and safety.
In the near future, we expect to see companies evolving their duty of care approach to a real-time one that uses mobile technology and instant messaging to keep track of their employees’ well-being minute- by-minute. This will allow companies to provide real-time assistance and disruption management to tackle any issues directly and without delay.
Jun Noguchi, senior manager, head of HR systems health & safety Fuso, human resources, Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation: “In any industry, the safety and security of employees traveling for corporate travel is a company’s number one priority. For us, it’s essential that we have a trusted travel technology partner that will help us focus on operations and then cost optimisation. This will ensure we always undertake the right duty of care priorities and help us continue to give our employees the highest quality experiences whilst they travel for work.”
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.
