The current PICC building with its striking Brutalist architecture. Photo credit: PICC Facebook
The government-owned Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) is set to become the country’s largest convention and exhibition venue when it completes its expansion in a few years’ time.
The expansion will involve the construction of an adjacent eight-storey building that will be completed over the next three years.
The current PICC building with its striking Brutalist architecture. Photo credit: PICC Facebook
The board of directors of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Central Bank of the Philippines), which owns PICC, has approved the construction. The multi-storey building will provide 30,000m2 of exhibition area on the first three floors and about 50,000m2 of office space – a steady source of income – on the upper five floors.
Previously in November 2018, PICC was on the lookout for extra land to expand.
This will make PICC – currently with just 4,300m2 of space – the largest convention centre in the Philippines, PICC’s general manager Renato B Padilla shared with TTGmice on the sidelines of the 7th Summit of the Philippine Council for Associations and Association Executives last week.
He added that this expansion will help to address the lack of large-scale venues in the Philippines. Padilla also shared that the building will be “modern and intelligent”, and will be able to cater to international trade exhibitions.
Leveraging on her hosting of Tourism Australia’s signature incentives showcase Dreamtime this week, Perth has unveiled its re-invented offering for the international incentives market.
The bi-annual event which kicked off on Monday welcomed 120 business event planners and media, with more than half from key markets across Asia including Greater China which represented the largest group.
Dreamtime business meetings in session
Long regarded as an overly expensive destination by business events planners, Perth’s tourism team was keen to highlight significant developments in infrastructure and market readiness for the sector post its mining boom era, including a 60,000-seat stadium that can host a dinner on the grounds for 15,000 people and an upcoming airport link that will cut travel time to the CBD to 18 minutes.
“The incentive market for us has grown in the last few years to now be a third of what we do and the output for this state,” Perth Convention Bureau CEO Gareth Martin told TTGmice.
“We have been probably too quiet previously about what we can do and certainly what’s possible in our destination, and the wonderful products and services that are here, as well as the competitive advantage that we have in some industry sectors,” he continued.
Additionally, Perth has added 706 new hotel rooms in the last eight weeks alone and a 45 per cent increase in four- and five-star accommodation over the past three years.
“You can’t deny the hotel infrastructure has been absolutely tremendous but that gives business events planners choice,” Tourism Australia’s executive general manager events, Penny Lion, told TTGmice. “A group that might be watching their budget now has more choice about which hotels (to consider) because the frame rates here are very cost effective.”
Asia-Pacific currently represents 90 per cent of incentive event business for Perth, led by Malaysia, Singapore and China, with the latter growing at the fastest rate. But Martin suggests there is plenty of room for growth.
Martin: Resurgent Perth is ready for more MICE business
“We’ve had a specific focus on our new Asian neighbours in terms of attracting incentive events, and have seen significant growth in those markets,” said Martin. “But I think… we haven’t scratched the surface of what’s possible, and a showcase like this allows many agents to come to Western Australia, where maybe they haven’t. Many people have gone to the east coast on several trips, and we have had little focus in recent times so this is our opportunity.”
Delegate attendee Melvyn Nonis, director of MICE Matters in Singapore, indicated he was impressed with what he saw.
He said: “This was a destination that was tired. People have been to Perth before. And of course with the mining boom, MICE planners disregarded the place because of the (expensive) costs and availability of hotels.
“But right now the signals that we are getting from Australia is that there’s a renaissance with a lot of hotels coming online and the prices have dropped. So I’m convinced that it’s timely for us to introduce Perth to our incentive clients and bring them here. They would get the Aussie experience like the other cities but I think there’s a certain uniqueness in Perth.”
Martin added that the state is currently bidding to host significant international events and a showcase like Dreamtime significantly lifts its profile towards winning those bids. The last Dreamtime event in 2017 held in Brisbane generated business conversions worth A$50 million for the city. Delegates are currently continuing their Dreamtime experience with educational tours in cities across Australia.
First row, from left: Kari Wendel, Ian Cummings, and Saskia Gentil
Second row, from left: Nathan Brooks, Cristina Scott, and Stuart Whatley
CWT Meetings & Events (M&E), the meetings and events division of CWT (the B2B4E travel management platform), has announced the restructuring of its leadership team to six global positions under managing director Derek Sharp.
First row, from left: Kari Wendel, Ian Cummings, and Saskia Gentil Second row, from left: Nathan Brooks, Cristina Scott, and Stuart Whatley
The focus of the six divisional structures is as follows:
Headed by Kari Wendel, vice president of strategic customers, this group will include CWT M&E’s top accounts, including many Strategic Meetings Management (SMM) accounts.
Led by Ian Cummings, vice president of commercial, this group will deliver the full portfolio of M&E services (e.g., SMM, events, incentives, group air, etc.) and account management best practices across the globe at the local, multinational and regional levels.
Led by Saskia Gentil, vice president of global sales and marketing, who will add to her current portfolio of global sales, global marketing.
Headed by Nathan Brooks, global lead of supplier management, who will continue to lead CWT M&E’s global supplier strategy, with a focus on growing the preferred supplier base and to drive more business to preferred suppliers.
Led by the newly-joined Cristina Scott, vice president, global operations, the goal is to ensure the highest level of discipline in how CWT M&E operates globally.
Led by Stuart Whatley, head of product and technology strategy, who joined the M&E team to develop more robust product and technology roadmaps and partnership strategies in the meetings and events space.
Marriott International held its sixth annual Run to Give charity run across 120 locations involving more than 620 hotels in Asia-Pacific from August through November.
More than US$500,000 was raised in support of longstanding non-profit partners as well as charities from local communities, with the participation of over 52,000 runners and volunteers. The funds raised this year was an increase of US$100,000 from 2018.
Today, Marriott International’s sustainability and social impact programme, Serve 360, is at its two-year mark, and continues to navigate the company towards its 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals.
These annual charity runs have been a step for Marriott towards achieving 3.5 million volunteer hours in Asia-Pacific by 2025, which is one of its Social Impact Goals supporting the priority area Nurture Our World under Serve 360. Up till end of 2018, Marriott has already surpassed the two million volunteer hour mark in the region; the company expects to add at least another 100,000 hours towards this goal with the completion of this year’s Run to Give.
Canvas Planner wins IBTM Event Business Accelerator programme
IBTM World has crowned Canvas Planner the winner of its inaugural Event Business Accelerator (EBA), a newly-launched business mentorship and investment programme for young entrepreneurs.
The winner was announced at a graduation ceremony following two days of live pitching to potential investors at IBTM World 2019, which took place at the Fira Gran Via Barcelona in November.
Canvas Planner is a tool which helps to improve remote digital performance by combining digital whiteboards called canvasses with tasks in order to create a visual and collaborative approach to task management. The founders, Nanna Ulsøe and Jane Houlind Ulsøe, received a 5,000 euro (US$5,534) cash prize to help develop and scale the product to the meetings and events industry.
Ed Poland, Hire Space co-founder and chief operating officer, who sat on the judging committee, commented: “We decided to pick Canvas Planner as the winner of Event Business Accelerator because of its user-friendly and scalable product offering, which was outstandingly pitched by Jane Ulsøe on the Accelerate stage. We’re excited to see how the company will grow, both within the meetings and events industry, and beyond.”
Luxembourg unveils national CVB
The European city of Luxembourg has launched a national CVB – Business Events Luxembourg – as it looks to business events to drive the image and visibility of the Grand Duchy on the international stage, while contributing to economic development of the country.
The new Luxembourg CVB was set up by the government and the City of Luxembourg in a 50/50 investment.
Francois Lafont, CEO of Business Events Luxembourg, has said the bureau would play a “crucial role” in securing business events for the destination, with an emphasis on associations from its key economic and research sectors. He added that one of its main goals is to enter ICCA’s top 50 list of destinations worldwide, as well as double the number of international congresses.
Casa De Campo presents new event space
Luxury Caribbean resort Casa De Campo in the Dominican Republic has opened a new event space, Marina Riverside Centre.
The Marina Riverside Centre boasts an open-air tent design allowing for indoor and outdoor space, and has the capacity for up to 1,360 guests.
Set on the shores of the Chavon river, the function space is surrounded by river-edge views of both the Caribbean Sea and the nearby marina. It been designed to offer maximum security and exceptional privacy if needed, while being able to host late night events without impacting other resort guests.
The 2,830ha luxury resort currently features two large conference venues totalling 1,765m2 of dedicated meeting facilities, with numerous smaller outdoor and indoor venues also available on-site.
Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas has made its debut in Malaysia with the Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas, which opened on December 1.
The property offers a range of luxury accommodation and has 123 keys comprising 90 deluxe guestrooms in low-rise buildings that overlook the gardens, lagoon and ocean; 13 standalone luxury one- and two-bedroom pool villas; and 20 expansive three- and four-bedroom residences with its own an infinity pool, full kitchen, and chef and butler service.
Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas
1 of 4
Facilities on-site include multiple dining options offering local Malay, Asian and international fare; an observatory bar; two swimming pools; the signature Anantara Spa; dedicated kids and teens clubs; and a conference centre.
The hotel joins other facilities and attractions in Desaru Coast, such as The Els Club Desaru Coast that comprises two golf courses that feature 45 holes in total; an adventure waterpark; a waterfront retail village; and another conference centre.
The five-star Andara Resort & Villas in Phuket, Thailand, has recently unveiled a meeting package promotion.
There are 63 villas and suites on offer here, ranging from the lead-in Terrace Suite all the way up to a seven-bedroom Pool Villa with an in-villa chef and villa attendant. Guests staying at the property will be able to hold meetings in common areas such as the living room, while still be able to enjoy privacy in their own rooms.
Andara Resort & Villas
1 of 4
Resort facilities include the Silk Restaurant, spa, fitness centre and resort pool, daily fitness group activities and Kamala area shuttle services.
One- to four- bedroom suites start from 15,000+++ baht (US$675) per night, while four- to seven-bedroom villas start from 49,000+++ baht per night. Additionally, a full-day meeting package starts from 2,300+++ baht inclusive of lunch and coffee break. Meeting packages require a minimum six persons, up to a maximum of 20 people.
Coffee breaks and lunch will be served inside the villas, although guests also have the option of dining at Silk Restaurant. In addition, teambuilding sessions can be included, such as muay thai sessions and community outreach activities.
The Meeting Package Promotion runs from now until October 31, 2021. Rates are subject to 10 per cent service charge and 8.7 per cent government tax.
Simon Barnett has been appointed hotel manager at Four Seasons Hotel Singapore.
With more than 25 years of varied experience and hospitality expertise, he was most recently hotel manager at Four Seasons Hotel Sydney.
Prior to that, he served as director of catering and conferences services in Four Seasons Sydney, as well as director of sales and marketing at the hotel.
Barnett has worked for international hospitality groups across the globe, including five years as director of sales and marketing at Jumeriah Hotels & Resorts in London and New York, and tenures at Hilton Hotels in the UK.
Villa de Pranakorn, operated by Unicorn Hospitality, has announced that Erik Lannge will be joining the property as general manager.
Lannge has been tasked with handling the pre-opening stages, as the 47-key property prepares to open its doors at the end of next month.
He has over eight years of experience in the hospitality sector, having first joined Oakwood as a management trainee, specialising in F&B. Lannge then moved to Rembrandt Hotel Bangkok, and later became the director of F&B at the Novotel Bangkok Siam Square.
In 2017, Lannge was appointed general manager of X2 Koh Samui, before being promoted to the role of cluster general manager for X2 Kui Buri, X2 Le Bayburi, and Away Pranburi Beach Resort.
Authorities believe; an aerial view of Seminyak, Bali
The Bali administration, in conjunction with several private companies in the Indonesian province, has founded the Bali Convention & Exhibition Bureau (BaliCEB) at the end of October.
The independent, non-profit organisation will promote Bali as a MICE destination with the greater aim of bolstering MICE arrivals, as well as help to win bids for large-scale international business events to the island.
Authorities strongly believe in the appeal of Bali as a MICE destination; an aerial view of Seminyak, Bali
Around 50 companies in Bali have signed up as members of BaliCEB, among which are the owners of five convention centres and around 20 hotels equipped with event facilities.
I Ketut Jaman, managing director of Melali MICE – one of the eight initiators of BaliCEB – explained that BaliCEB was created because the local government believed that Bali held great potential to become a world-class business events destination, but it did not have an independent organisation to manage and promote itself. He also clarified that BaliCEB was also not a division within the Bali Tourism Agency.
“We will start promotional activities next year, and we have the intention to participate in MICE tradeshows, such as IMEX Frankfurt and America,” said Ketut.
Other tasks on BaliCEB’s to-do list include recording an inventory of convention centres, hotels with MICE facilities, as well as MICE players from across the island ranging from PCOs to DMCs; and preparing materials for international promotions, such as an official website and guide book.
From 2021, BaliCEB will actively approach its target markets, namely international organisations, corporates and associations, as well as join various bidding events overseas. To this end, Ketut shared that BaliCEB will form a special bidding team filled with professionals experienced in business negotiations.
BaliCEB’s activities will be partly funded by the central and local governments and industries.
“(In November), we held an audience with the Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Wishnutama Kusubandio, and he (voiced his support) for BaliCEB. But first, we need to formulate activities that BaliCEB will participate in. The allotted fund from the ministry will be determined later,” shared Ketut.
A partnership with the tourism ministry and various tourism promotion boards is also in the works.
On whether the formation of BaliCEB will overlap the role of Indonesia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (INACEB), Ketut said it will not and added: “Instead, BaliCEB and INACEB can support and complement each other.”
This is as INACEB has been tasked with promoting all MICE destinations across Indonesia, which is a large undertaking. BaliCEB therefore, will help relive some of the pressure by promoting Bali at tradeshows overseas.
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
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
