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
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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
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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.
From left: Culture Royal Group's Derrick Buntaran and IVENDO's Mulkan Kamaludin watching on as IPOS' Harry D Nugraha presents Indonesia's minister of tourism and creative economy Wishnutama Kusubandio with a proposal titled Indonesia First during the IPOS event in Jakarta
MICE has been placed at the forefront of Indonesia’s tourism policy, as its Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Wishnutama Kusubandio has revived the directorate that manages the country’s business events industry.
During the Indonesia Professional Organizer Summit (IPOS) Vol. 6 held in Jakarta on November 25, Wishnutama said: “I ensure that events and MICE will get special attention from us. (As such), within the new organisational structure within the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy (MoTCE), we will appoint a special deputy who will focus on developing tourism products, events, and MICE.”
From left: Culture Royal Group’s Derrick Buntaran and IVENDO’s Mulkan Kamaludin watching on as IPOS’ Harry D Nugraha presents Indonesia’s minister of tourism and creative economy Wishnutama Kusubandio with a proposal titled Indonesia First during the IPOS event in Jakarta
During the opening of the summit, the founder of IPOS, Harry D Nugraha, also handed the minister a proposal, entitled Indonesia First. The proposal, Harry revealed, contained a variety of thoughts and three recommended programmes by the participants of IPOS and members of the Indonesia Event Industry Council (IVENDO) to accelerate the development of MICE in Indonesia.
“These programmes are tactical and they can be implemented immediately,” he said.
The proposal also highlighted the importance of synergy between society, destination, and marketing. Society referenced actions to raise awareness around the importance of MICE, which would in turn help develop destinations, while marketing referenced efforts to strengthen Indonesia’s position in the eyes of the international business events market.
Wishnutama added that his decision to put MICE back in the spotlight was in line with president Joko Widodo’s belief in the industry’s important role in bettering the Indonesian economy. For one, it helps to create jobs while contributing to more foreign exchanges.
Under Joko’s leadership, MoTCE has also been tasked with creating a medium-term Integrated Tourism Masterplan that will be in effect until 2024, and a long-term plan that will be in effect until 2045. The masterplans will include the mapping of potential MICE events, among other issues.
Wishnutama has also voiced his commitment to prioritise not only quantity, but also quality, when it comes to developing the country’s tourism. “A business events delegate can spend three- to four-times more than a leisure tourist. The larger the amount they spend, the larger the contribution to the nation’s economy,” he pointed out.
Business events, Wishnutama added, would also open doors for local players from 16 subsectors of the creative economy industry, ranging from culinary to fashion, to promote their products on the international stage.
Large-scale international sporting events – such as the FIM Motul Superbike World Championship, MotoGP races, and the U-20 soccer World Cup in 2021 – are on Wishnutama’s mind too, as these will draw foreign tourists to Indonesia’s shores.
“We are also approaching (various companies to put ourselves forward) as hosts for big events, such as the MTV World Stage that we have proposed for Bali. (Also), the president has asked us to prepare Labuan Bajo as the venue for ASEAN Summit and G20 Summit in 2023,” he revealed.
IPOS’ Harry is confident that the country’s business events industry will have a bright future ahead, once the directorate of event and MICE is formed.
He hopes that the deputy who leads the directorate will be someone who has the willingness to prioritise mutual assistance in working to reach a common goal, and did not mind if the deputy was an official from MoTCE, but he or she had to form a team that also involved industry players.
“(Overall), the team must be experienced, and have the capacity and capability to immediately run, as Indonesia has a lot of catching up to do to be on par with other countries in the business events sector,” opined Harry.
Incentive travel traditionally dominates Myanmar’s MICE landscape, but industry players say its meeting and conference draw is growing.
Edwin Briels, managing director of Khiri Travel Myanmar, said: “Ten years ago, the focus was on incentives and offering real, amazing and unique experiences rather than having meetings or conferences.”
A fisherman on Inle Lake
He added the lack of basic infrastructure, such as Internet, reliable electricity and visa on arrival, and few facilities to host conferences and meetings meant this sector remained undeveloped.
But May Myat Mon Win, general manager of Chatrium Hotel Royal Lake Yangon, opined that recent years have seen the country’s meetings and conference landscape develop as more upscale hotels, attractions, activities join the scene. This includes the opening of several convention centres in Yangon and Mandalay.
However, Zarni Htwe, managing director of Adventure Myanmar Tours & Incentives, said that despite growth in the MICE market, a major challenge is competing with regional countries.
Zarni added: “Nowadays, the destination is well-known but due to the competitive environment, not only among local DMCs but also among destinations, it is more and more difficult to get business.”
The quality of events in recent years is another development in the market, noted Cyrus Pun, CEO of Memories Group. He said: “We have seen a significant increase in business activity in Myanmar, and this has led to rapid development in the MICE industry. This growth can be seen in the number, size and sophistication of events and much higher-level curated options now available.”
But due to infrastructure challenges, bigger groups remain limited to Yangon, while Pun noted that smaller parties can “easily venture to lesser-travelled areas of the country in search of a unique experience.”
Factors pushing the destination’s business travel landscape include the entry of five-star hotels with large meetings rooms and ballrooms, better flight connections, the introduction of an e-visa, and cheap and reliable mobile Internet.
Looking ahead, industry players believe the destination holds great potential, although infrastructure in Yangon and Mandalay has to be further improved, with Bagan’s potential – as a conference and sightseeing destination – be better developed.
Opined Pun: “I expect we will see more interest in MICE from abroad, as well as further development of the domestic MICE market.”
“Myanmar is a late-comer and we have the late-comer’s advantage. This is the place of transformation, which should produce more results in coming years. The future is bright and MICE market can only (continue to grow),” added Win.
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