The World PCO Alliance has welcomed Rome-based Ega worldwide congresses & events into its association, and with that now boasts 20 firms around the world in its network.
Ega worldwide congresses & events has offices in Rome, Milan and Basel, Switzerland, and has worked with over 1,000 clients. It has a team of more than 30 meeting experts.
A screenshot from the Ega website
Some of the company’s recent projects include EXPO 2015 in Milan, G7 Conference 2017 in Taormina, World Congress WAIMH 2018 in Rome, and European Congress ESERA 2019 in Bologna. It is also the official housing agency in Milan for the European Association for Osseointegration 2021.
Founded in 1965 by Emma and Cristina Aru, Ega worldwide congresses & events specialises in international association conferences, institutional
and governmental meetings and corporate, as well as public events. Today, Ega is led by Claudia Maria Golinelli, full professor of event management at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Gaetano Maria Dieni, International Business Manager at Ega, represents the third generation in the family business.
“One of the appealing factors of applying to the World PCO Alliance was the fact that partnership is limited to one PCO per country and that there is a preference for agencies which primarily are active in their home market,” said Alain Pittet, Ega’s executive director, international business development.
“We are very happy that the World PCO Alliance has accepted us as their partner for Italy, as we strongly believe in the power of a global network of partners which together provide high-quality local solutions for clients.”
From Dusk to Dawn on display against . Photo credit: Meno Greenspan
From Dusk to Dawn on display against a backdrop that is Masada National Park. Photo credit: Meno Greenspan
New multimedia show at Masada National Park
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority has unveiled a 45-minute multimedia show, From Dusk to Dawn at Masada National Park, part of a larger historical exhibit.
Visitors start at the western side of Mount Masada, which offers historical information zones along the route that takes the visitors to the performance. The short film then takes visitors behind the scenes to learn about the archaeological excavations on Masada, as well as two audio zones that recount the story of the Roman siege of Masada and King Herod’s extravagant lifestyle.
The performance makes use of innovative video-mapping technology, as well as advanced lighting and sound effects, and is projected onto Mount Masada, its “screen”.
The open-air theatre hosts up to 1,500 people, and showtimes are every Tuesday and Thursday after sunset (winters 19.30, summers 20.30 or 21.30).
There is also a camping area to accommodate overnight visitors.
Oregon Convention Center completes US$40m renovation
Oregon Convention Center (OCC) in Portland, US, has completed its US$40 million renovation project, its first large-scale renovation since the venue was built 30 years ago.
The refurbishment includes updates to numerous public spaces in order to improve accessibility for event attendees, provide more space options and elevate design aspects. A plaza has been carved out to provide an outdoor space option for events, which will also serve as a community space for locals, staff and event attendees.
The completion of the renovation coincided with the opening of Hyatt Regency Portland hotel, adjacent to OCC. The sizeable convention hotel boasts 600 guestrooms, alongside spaces for meetings and events.
Marhaba updates its international lounge network
Marhaba, dnata’s airport hospitality brand, is expanding its international network in four different countries.
For starters, the airport services provider will be expanding its flagship lounge in Dubai (UAE), as well as opening an additional facility in Geneva. The expansion of the UAE lounge will be completed by summer, while the new Swiss lounge is expected to open by the end of 2020.
Two existing dnata lounges at the airports of Geneva, Zurich and Singapore will also undergo refurbishment and rebranding, bringing all facilities in the company’s network under the same brand in the next two years.
All facilities will offer comfortable seating, superfast Wi-Fi, and international buffet catering to a wide range of dietary requirements. Several lounges will also feature a quiet zone for relaxation, shower facilities and dedicated kids areas.
Marriott International has made several changes and promotions to its Asia-Pacific leadership team, with immediate effect.
First up is Bart Buiring, who now assumes the post of chief sales and marketing officer, and is based in Hong Kong. He was previously the company’s chief operations services officer, Asia-Pacific.
From left: Bart Buiring and Peggy Fang Roe
In his new role, Buiring will oversee the Asia-Pacific consumer strategy to Marriott International’s core hotel business and brands. This includes brand management, marketing, sales & distribution, revenue management, loyalty, customer experience, digital and communications. He has been tasked with the building of the Asia-Pacific customer base, adapting Marriott Bonvoy to the local market, while also leading the sales organisation and driving Marriott International’s Asia Pacific distribution and pricing strategy.
Meanwhile, Peggy Fang Roe, previously the chief sales and marketing officer for Marriott International Asia Pacific, will transition to the newly-established role of global officer, customer experience, loyalty and new ventures at company’s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, US.
Roe will be responsible for orchestrating the end-to-end guest experience and the development of new ventures to accelerate customer engagement, including the continued growth of Marriott Bonvoy globally.
In addition, Rajeev Menon has been promoted to president of Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China); and Henry Lee to president of Greater China.
Sands Resorts Macao will be unveiling its More Than Just Meetings offer at the start of next month.
Valid for bookings made between February 3 and May 31, 2020, and events held from February 3 to December 31, 2020, event planners can choose from a list of offers, in accordance with the number of rooms booked.
The Venetian Macao’s ballroom is one of the numerous function spaces at Sands Resorts Macao
Perks include five per cent discount on the master bill; one complimentary room for every 25 rooms booked; one complimentary room upgrade for every 25 rooms booked; 15 per cent discount on gondola rides and 50 per cent discount on Eiffel Tower experience; and 50 per cent discount on selected in-house entertainment
Event planners can choose four of the above offers when reserving over 200 rooms on a minimum of one of the nights within their stay period.
Smaller events that require fewer rooms will also have the opportunity to enjoy one benefit for 25-100 rooms daily booked; two benefits for 101-150 rooms booked on minimum of one of the nights; and three benefits for 151-200 rooms booked on minimum of one of the nights.
In addition, event planners and delegates are also entitled to 50 per cent discount on Cotai Water Jet ferry tickets, 20 per cent on in-house audio-visual equipment rental, 10 per cent on new teamLab SuperNature Macao experience and Deluxe Privilege Booklets offering savings at Sands Shoppes Macao stores.
The offer is available at seven Sands Resorts Macao hotels – The Venetian Macao; The Parisian Macao; The Londoner Hotel; Four Seasons Hotel Macao; Conrad Macao, Cotai Strip; Sheraton Grand Macao, Cotai Strip and The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Strip.
Located on a private island connected by bridge to Onna, on the west coast of Okinawa, the Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island Okinawa offers 344 guestrooms.
A Standard Room measures 38m2 in size and comes with a lagoon view or ocean view, while a Premium Room, featuring a corner position, is 51m2; there are also six suites. Guests staying in a Suite or Club Access Room are also afforded access to the Regency Club Lounge.
Hotel facade
For functions, there are five ocean-view banquet rooms on-site. The smallest, at 60m2, can accommodate 30 pax in banquet- or classroom-style and 35–40 pax reception-style. The largest is 150m2, with capacity for 80 pax in any format. A pre-function room is also available for hire. Meanwhile, the 24-key Beach House across from the main hotel can be booked in its entirety for groups.
These meeting spaces are complemented by six dining destinations. Guests can also enjoy drinks at the Lobby Lounge, Lobby Bar, Firepit Terrace or Poolside Bar. Recreational facilities include an indoor and outdoor pool, lagoon, Spa Hanari, fitness centre, and activities such as morning yoga and stand-up paddleboarding.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has recently welcomed Allen Khoo as resident manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore.
In his new role, he will support general manager Tane Picken in the group’s first Shangri-La hotel. As resident manager, Khoo will be responsible for overseeing the operations and driving optimal guest experiences across Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore, Shangri-La Apartments and Shangri-La Residences.
Khoo joins the flagship hotel with more than 13 years of hotel leadership and hospitality management experience in Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts across Malaysia, China and Taiwan.
Prior to his move to Singapore, he was the resident manager in Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa, Kota Kinabalu, from May 2017.
Hot idea Bring technology into the programme, such as projection mapping, to enhance creative delivery
Event brief
In celebration of its 50th anniversary, Business Events Sydney (BESydney) organised a four-day familiarisation trip for key prospects and clients from its core markets in Asia, namely, China, India and Japan. Besides strengthening ties with these trade partners, the event was also an avenue for the destination marketer to showcase new products and experiences in Sydney and its surrounds to inspire future incentive events.
BESydney worked with a host of local industry suppliers, strategic partners and government agencies to pull off a spectacular show that would also convince clients who had already visited Sydney that this destination warranted repeat visits.
Highlights
BESydney took the familiarisation trip to a whole new personalised level. After conquering the world-famous Harbour Bridge, delegates were treated to a panoramic view of an art and light projection show on the sails of the Sydney Opera House, as the day of their climb coincided with Vivid Sydney, an annual festival of light, music and ideas.
Another highlight was the welcome dinner-in-the-dark hosted in Luna Park, which featured projection mapping technology to deliver a multisensory dining experience. Projected designs changed along with the programme and presentation of food.
The closing dinner was memorable too, one that was infused with Aboriginal elements on Goat Island. It came with a surprise performance by the Australian Girls Choir and a dazzling explosion of fireworks over the Harbour Bridge to conclude the event.
BESydney’s efforts yielded positive payoffs: Delegates spoke of their newfound good impression of Sydney, and discovery of fun experiences in Sydney’s suburbs that they did not think were possible before. Think sand dune quad biking in Port Stephens and horse riding at a ranch within a two-hour drive from Sydney.
Challenges
This was one of BESydney’s biggest fam trips, in terms of participant numbers and investment dollars, according to BESydney’s regional director for Asia, Sinead Yeo.
“It’s not always easy to combine different markets together into one core programme. We worked around that by splitting the various markets up into different activity groups. For example, the Indian group visited the iconic Sydney Cricket Ground and spent time with (Australian) cricketing legend Stuart MacGill, while the Japanese contingent went to Manly Beach, as beaches were high on their requests,” she said.
To overcome the other major challenge of catering to the food preferences of different nationalities, BESydney arranged for separate dining experiences. During combined dining sessions, organisers opted for an array of Asian and vegetarian offerings to tickle everyone’s taste buds. BESydney also impressed with its swift response to last-minute requests. One chilly day after scaling the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it had its scheduled restaurant prepare a hot soup within 30 minutes, in time for the arrival of all groups.
Event BESydney 50th Anniversary Sydney Familiarisation Organiser Business Events Sydney Event company Business Events Sydney Venue Various hotels and attractions in Sydney and regional NSW Date May 26-30, 2019 Attendance 21 corporate clients, travel agents and media
IBTM Asia Pacific provides a gateway to the APAC meetings, incentives, conferences and events market.
Meet with a curated mix of industry suppliers and pre-qualified hosted buyers and be inspired by content that will elevate your events.
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Gain insights and inspiration for your next event from our leading sector experts who will be delivering the latest industry updates.
The renowned Singapore MICE Forum (SMF) comes to IBTM Asia Pacific this April. This will include a combination of dynamic talks, campfire sessions and case studies from event experts across the world.
The Forum will be structured around five key themes; Innovation, technology design, sustainability and event trends
Don’t miss the latest updates in your own language, with the introduction of Interprefy, a real-time interpreting service.
Industry Suppliers
Discover the latest and greatest products and services in events all under one roof.
Meet with leading event suppliers such as: New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Dubai, Cuba, Netherlands, Portugal and many more.
Supplier Types:
Airlines & Cruise Line
Hotels, Resorts & Spas
Attractions & Entertainment
Conference & Meeting Venues
Convention & Visitor Bureau
Destination Management Services
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National Tourist Organisations
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Networking Events
Join a number of exclusive networking events around your business appointments, where you will have the opportunity to engage with new prospects and catch up with industry peers.
Monday 6th of April 2020
To celebrate the launch of IBTM APAC we invite you to a party at the Mandarin Oriental pool with stunning 360 degree views of the iconic Marina Bay.
Wednesday 8th of April 2020
To end the party in style we invite you onto the Genting Cruise Ship, Dream. Taking place at the Zouk Beach Club
Create, Connect and Inspire at IBTM Asia Pacific.
Click here to register now Click here to find out more about our Hosted Buyer programme
From left: Accor's Victor Pang and Patrick Basset; and Star Convention Hotel's Phisamai Supanuntaroek, Pong Supanuntaroek, and Pat Supanuntaroek
Accor has signed an agreement to manage the Star Convention Hotel in the city centre of Rayong province, Thailand.
Aside from being rebranded into the Novotel Rayong Star Convention Centre this year, the property will also undergo a major renovation of its public areas, dining outlets and 235 guestrooms in the first phase followed by another 336 guestrooms in the second phase over the next two years.
From left: Accor’s Victor Pang and Patrick Basset; and Star Convention Hotel’s Phisamai Supanuntaroek, Pong Supanuntaroek, and Pat Supanuntaroek
In total, the property will offer 571 keys, alongside facilities such as eight meeting spaces – the largest can hold 2,000 people theatre-style – and an outdoor swimming pool.
The hotel is situated in the hub of one of Thailand’s major agricultural and industrial provinces, and is approximately 2.5-hour drive from Suvarnabhumi International Airport and an hour’s drive from U-Tapao International Airport.
“We’re very excited to have the Star Convention Hotel join the Accor network and to grow our portfolio in a city like Rayong. We believe that the Eastern Seaboard, including provinces like Rayong, Chonburi, Trat, with the upcoming high-speed train route will offer excellent development opportunities in the future,” said Patrick Basset, chief operating officer of Accor for Upper Southeast & Northeast Asia and the Maldives.
“The signing of our partnership with Accor also reflects our confidence in Rayong’s tourism industry and the East Economic Corridor (EEC) Policy,” added Phisamai Supanuntaroek, director of Star Convention Hotel.
Accor operates over 86 hotels in Thailand, with a pipeline of 13 hotels scheduled to open over the next three years. The group currently manages a portfolio of 158 Novotel hotels across the Asia Pacific region.
Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo is home to all kinds of pack and original equipment manufacturer suppliers
Hot idea
Offer buyer-centric incentives along with a telemarketing campaign to boost buyer count
Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo is home to all kinds of pack and original equipment manufacturer suppliers
Brief
Launched in 1996, Cosmoprof Asia is the region’s leading B2B international beauty trade show. With the “1 Fair 2 Venues” formula introduced since 2016, Cosmopack Asia at AsiaWorld-Expo is home to all kinds of pack and original equipment manufacturer suppliers, while Cosmoprof Asia at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre housed exhibitors of finished products.
The 24th edition of the show, like other Hong Kong-based events, faced the ongoing protests and social unrest which began in June 2019. But despite ongoing protests and social unrest, the 2019 edition was held as per normal. In fact, last year’s tradeshow grew five per cent compared to 2018 in terms of exhibition area.
Highlights
To drive innovation and enrich the experience of attendees, Mimi Yeung, senior project manager, said the MEXME Factory showcased the development and production of a revolutionary all-in-one cosmetic tool, designed by international design agency centdegrés, in collaboration with leading companies exhibiting at Cosmopack Asia.
Meanwhile, Cosmolab, the project done in partnership with Opal Cosmetics, focused on aromatherapy and fragrances, where visitors learnt how different scents can influence emotions, Yeung shared.
CosmoTalks sessions across both venues provided market updates and insights, while Cosmotrends Gallery showcased the most interesting products and the upcoming trends of the beauty community.
Lastly, the Cosmoprof and Cosmopack Asia Awards Ceremony held on November 13 celebrated the most outstanding products and industrial solutions.
Challenges
The unprecedented situation in Hong Kong made visiting for foreigners challenging in 2019 across all industries.
Yeung commented: “Still, Cosmoprof Asia is an important event for business and trading for the beauty industry and has many stakeholders counting on the show to continue in November. The challenge was how to create a safe and efficient environment for all participants.
To assure the safety and security of attendees, measures introduced included tightened access control, increasing the number of security staff, monitoring real-time protests, updating attendees on the latest situation in Hong Kong, and making special transport arrangements.
Alice Suen, event director, Cosmoprof Asia, commented: “The saying ‘tide over the difficult times’ best describes our mindset. With the extremely fluid situation and the unprecedented challenge, it was really tough.”
Several enticing ideas were also implemented, such as offering buyer-centric incentives with 10,000 complimentary hotel room nights available to buyers nominated by exhibitors, and hotel sponsorship for some 300 VIP buyers from South-east Asia and China. A massive telemarketing campaign targeting 30,000 Asian and global buyers was also mounted.
Regardless, she attributed the show’s success to the relentless momentum of the staff and the high level of dedication and professionalism of the different local and overseas planning to successfully deliver Cosmoprof Asia.
Event Cosmoprof Asia and Cosmopack Asia Organiser BolognaFiere Group and Informa Markets Venue Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre (Cosmoprof Asia) and AsiaWorld-Expo (Cosmopack Asia) Date November 13-15, 2019 (Cosmoprof Asia) and November 12-14, 2019 (Cosmopack Asia) Attendance 2,955 exhibitors from 48 countries and 40,046 visitors from 129 countries
The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike
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