Tracy Ng has joined Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel as general manager.
Prior to her latest appointment, she was previously the general manager at Carlton Hotel Singapore.
Ng brings a wealth of hospitality experience spanning more than three decades, having embarked on her hospitality career after a stint with Singapore Airlines. She cut her teeth at properties such as The Elizabeth Hotel, Furama Hotel, Traders Hotel and Carlton Hotel.
An increase in regional flights, coupled with the introduction of international hotels and conference centres have contributed to the expansion of Cambodia’s business travel market.
The ancient temples at Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap have been the country’s major draw, allowing the city to be positioned as Cambodia’s main destination for business events.
However, the capital city has caught up in recent years with the entry of numerous boutique and internationally-branded hotels, as well as upmarket Khmer and Western restaurants. Phnom Penh is now regarded as a hub for meetings and conferences.
Michael James Parker, managing director of Rosewood Phnom Penh, which notes a strong demand from local and international corporates during weekdays, said: “The MICE market is set to grow exponentially in Phnom Penh.”
While the meeting and conference segment is growing, Steve Lidgey, general manager at Travel Asia a la Carte, noted incentives remain Cambodia’s strongest segment.
He said: “Arguably, incentives are best suited to Cambodia. Besides the historical temples, the countryside, resort islands and easy-going way of life means the country is a playground for incentive winners who want local experiences, but also the comfort of quality hotels and resorts.”
For Travel Asia a la Carte, Siem Reap remains the top choice, where delegates can visit Angkor Wat, carry out teambuilding activities, and be hosted in a huge range of four- and five-star hotels.
Added Lidgey: “(This can be done) while enjoying the ease of getting around a small town without the traffic hassles of large cities such as Bangkok. Cambodia is also less well-known, and companies look for more exotic destinations as they have already visited more traditional places in previous years.”
Virginie Kury, general manager at Asian Trails Cambodia, shared that the sprinkling of islands off the Cambodian coast are also rising stars among corporate groups. Developments on Koh Rong, including the opening of the luxurious The Royal Sands on Koh Rong, have added to the country’s appeal.
“There are now international-standards beach resorts with a high number of rooms,” she said.
However, Lidgey said higher capacity is essential for Koh Rong to cater to large corporate groups.
Factors that have helped push the country’s MICE appeal include the opening of conference centres at Sokha Phnom Penh Hotel, and Sokha Siem Reap Resort and Convention Centre.
The recent opening of international hotels, including Rosewood Phnom Penh and Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh, has also helped position the capital as a MICE contender.
The real catalyst, however, is the country’s improved air access.
Lidgey said: “The largest improvement is the number of regional flights, which have increased. This means delegates from all over the world can easily reach Cambodia in the shortest time.”
Despite this, the majority of airlines in Cambodia now belong to Chinese groups. Kury said the local authorities give priority to international flights to China and other Asian destinations, rather than push for longhaul connections.
“Cambodia has become a hub for Chinese airlines as the government offers them very attractive deals,” she said.
Looking ahead, Phnom Penh’s MICE potential is predicted to continue growing, as the country becomes more accessible and an increase in business-related products grow.
Parker said: “With the growth in direct flights from China and South-east Asia to Phnom Penh, the Kingdom has never been more accessible.”
But for the country to remain competitive, more destinations need to be developed.
Noted Lidgey: “Cambodia needs to market and grow destinations besides Siem Reap. We cannot rely on just having an excellent product in one location as companies always look for something new. Business is being lost to destinations like Danang (Vietnam) which was not on the map a few years ago.”
JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok has appointed Dongwoon Kim as director of sales and marketing.
A Korean national, Kim joins JW Marriott Hotel Bangkok from Renaissance Riverside Hotel Saigon, where he was also director of sales & marketing.
His previous stints include the positions of director of sales and associate director at the Grand Hyatt Guangzhou, and other sales positions at the Hyatt Regency Jing Jin City Resort & Spa, and the Hyatt Regency Xi’an.
Grand Park City Hall has appointed Rachel Ng as executive assistant manager, a promotion from her most recent role as director of sales at Park Hotel Alexandra.
In her new position, Ng will work with general manager John Kockan to
lead the sales, marketing and revenue teams to drive yield and growth for the hotel.
Ng brings some 17 years of hospitality experience to her new role. She spent more than a decade of her career with the Park Hotel Group, joining Grand Park City Hall in 2015 as senior sales manager and leaving as assistant director sales in 2013. She then took on the position of director of sales at Parkroyal on Beach Road and subsequently returned to the Park Hotel Group in 2014 as director of sales at Park Hotel Alexandra.
Anticipating a challenging year ahead for tourism, against a backdrop of global economic slowdown and geopolitical unrest, Jeju’s tourism authority is looking at inbound business events to bolster its tourism performance in 2020.
Speaking to TTGmice through a translator, Young-Don Kang, chairman of Jeju CVB and director general of tourism bureau, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, said Jeju depends heavily on tourism which contributes to more than 70 per cent of regional GDP.
“Tourism must get through the tough year in 2020,” Kang emphasised.
“To do that, we are changing our strategy to move away from low-cost package tours that currently form the bulk of our inbound arrivals. By focusing on courting more business events, we can raise the quality of inbound tourism because this segment generates more money.”
Bearing in mind that corporates tend to spend more prudently on events in a challenging business environment, and favour nearby destinations, Kang said Jeju CVB will target source markets that are closer in proximity.
He identified Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China and Indonesia as Jeju’s key geographical markets for corporate incentive programmes, which along with corporate meetings are the most common types of inbound business events to the island province.
Kang shared that Jeju hosted 281 international business events with 87,100 attendees, as of August 2019, which he said was “a significant increase”. The destination will continue to “be busy” in September and November, with most of the inbound events being incentive groups from China. At least 2,000 Chinese incentive visitors are expected to arrive during this period.
“We do not get many exhibitions here because of Jeju’s small population, but we have welcomed international association conferences and would like to host even more of them. We will welcome some prominent ones in 2020 and the years ahead,” Kang said.
Some of the upcoming prominent association conferences include the 2021 International Union of Materials Research Societies International Conference Asia, 12th Annual Conference of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Asia Pacific Region in 2022, and the 19th World Congress of the Federation of the Deaf in 2023.
To raise Jeju’s appeal for business events, tourism authorities are working to improve direct air connectivity. Jeju presently enjoys direct air access from several cities in China and Japan, as well as Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Taipei (Taiwan) and Hong Kong. Industry insiders said a South Korean airline was working to launch the first direct flights between Singapore and Jeju in mid-2020.
“Our other enduring strengths as a MICE destination include our visa-free policy for international visitors and resort vibe that allows business event attendees to feel like they are here on a holiday,” Kang explained, adding that new developments coming up soon will be critical in Jeju’s ability to attract more business events.
One of the new developments to watch is the Jeju Dream Tower mixed-use complex, which will house the 1,600-key Grand Hyatt Jeju, event venues, a shopping mall that specialises in Korean fashion and casino. Slated to open in June 2020, Grand Hyatt Jeju boasts a collection of 14 F&B outlets, most of which will have private dining spaces, and the brand’s signature Residence event spaces.
Come 2022, Jeju will also welcome a new exhibition centre next to the existing ICC Jeju.
According to Kang, ICC Jeju has reached its maximum capacity and a new venue is needed to allow the destination to attract more and larger events.
Jang Sung Mi, marketing department, manager, ICC Jeju, shared that the yet-to-be-named venue will offer 39,000m2 of space through an exhibition hall and four conference rooms.
Anticipating a challenging year ahead for tourism, against a backdrop of global economic slowdown and geopolitical unrest, Jeju’s tourism authority is looking at inbound business events to bolster its tourism performance in 2020.
Speaking to TTGmice through a translator, Young-Don Kang, chairman of Jeju CVB and director general of tourism bureau, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, said Jeju depends heavily on tourism which contributes to more than 70 per cent of regional GDP.
“Tourism must get through the tough year in 2020,” Kang emphasised.
“To do that, we are changing our strategy to move away from low-cost package tours that currently form the bulk of our inbound arrivals. By focusing on courting more business events, we can raise the quality of inbound tourism because this segment generates more money.”
Bearing in mind that corporates tend to spend more prudently on events in a challenging business environment, and favour nearby destinations, Kang said Jeju CVB will target source markets that are closer in proximity.
He identified Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China and Indonesia as Jeju’s key geographical markets for corporate incentive programmes, which along with corporate meetings are the most common types of inbound business events to the island province.
Kang shared that Jeju hosted 281 international business events with 87,100 attendees, as of August 2019, which he said was “a significant increase”. The destination will continue to “be busy” in September and November, with most of the inbound events being incentive groups from China. At least 2,000 Chinese incentive visitors are expected to arrive during this period.
“We do not get many exhibitions here because of Jeju’s small population, but we have welcomed international association conferences and would like to host even more of them. We will welcome some prominent ones in 2020 and the years ahead,” Kang said.
Some of the upcoming prominent association conferences include the 2021 International Union of Materials Research Societies International Conference Asia, 12th Annual Conference of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine International Society Asia Pacific Region in 2022, and the 19th World Congress of the Federation of the Deaf in 2023.
To raise Jeju’s appeal for business events, tourism authorities are working to improve direct air connectivity. Jeju presently enjoys direct air access from several cities in China and Japan, as well as Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Taipei (Taiwan) and Hong Kong. Industry insiders said a South Korean airline was working to launch the first direct flights between Singapore and Jeju in mid-2020.
“Our other enduring strengths as a MICE destination include our visa-free policy for international visitors and resort vibe that allows business event attendees to feel like they are here on a holiday,” Kang explained, adding that new developments coming up soon will be critical in Jeju’s ability to attract more business events.
One of the new developments to watch is the Jeju Dream Tower mixed-use complex, which will house the 1,600-key Grand Hyatt Jeju, event venues, a shopping mall that specialises in Korean fashion and casino. Slated to open in June 2020, Grand Hyatt Jeju boasts a collection of 14 F&B outlets, most of which will have private dining spaces, and the brand’s signature Residence event spaces.
Come 2022, Jeju will also welcome a new exhibition centre next to the existing ICC Jeju.
According to Kang, ICC Jeju has reached its maximum capacity and a new venue is needed to allow the destination to attract more and larger events.
Jang Sung Mi, marketing department, manager, ICC Jeju, shared that the yet-to-be-named venue will offer 39,000m2 of space through an exhibition hall and four conference rooms.
IBTM, which will debut its Asia-Pacific edition in Singapore next April, has agreed to run the Singapore MICE Forum 2020 (SMF2020) in partnership with SACEOS (Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers).
SMF2020 will take place at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre from April 6, and it will be followed by IBTM Asia Pacific on April 7 and 8.
SMF2020 will be structured around five key themes: innovation; technology; design; sustainability; and event trends, and will include a combination of dynamic talks, campfire sessions and case studies from thought leaders within and outside of the industry. At least 500 event professionals are expected to participate.
Nick Pilbeam, divisional director of Reed Travel Exhibitions which IBTM is part of, commented: “We know from our extensive research prior to launching IBTM Asia Pacific, that there’s a real appetite for education in the Asia-Pacific region and we’re delighted that we’re going to be delivering on that through our partnership with SACEOS. SMF2020 will provide an inspiring and educational kick-off to our inaugural event.”
The initiative comes off the back of a recent agreement between Singapore Tourism Board and IBTM Asia Pacific signed at the opening day of IBTM World in Barcelona.
Hotel solutions provider HRS has signed a new multi-year agreement with hospitality giant Accor, where under the terms of the agreement, HRS’ roster of global corporate clients will be able to access the most competitive rates and flexible terms from Accor properties.
Business travellers, who are members of Accor’s loyalty programmes, Le Club AccorHotels (which will be enhanced by the end of the year under the new name ALL – Accor Live Limitless), will also be able to gain points and rewards when booking via HRS corporate channels.
Robert Hornman, senior vice president of HRS EMEA, said in a statement: “Beyond working more cohesively during the hotel sourcing process, we leverage our direct connect pipeline with Accor to drive more efficient sharing of Accor’s rates, amenities and corporate-friendly contract terms to managed travel programmes and business travellers.”
“HRS has made tremendous strides in expanding its direct relationships with the multi-national and regional corporations Accor seeks to grow volume with,” added Markus Keller, senior vice president of global sales for Accor. “Their data-driven mindset increasingly marries with our approach to working with corporations, and we’re confident that this newly-defined level of engagement with HRS will help drive valuable business travellers to our hotels around the world.”
Hyatt Hotels has unveiled a series of initiatives to reduce waste at Hyatt brands globally, which will be introduced as soon as possible and no later than June 2021.
The initiatives include transitioning to large-format bathroom amenities to replace traditional small bottles of shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and lotion; increasing the number of water stations in key public spaces at hotels for guests who wish to refill reusable water bottles; and serving water in carafes or other containers for meetings and events.
Transitioning to large-format bathroom amenities and reducing single-use water bottles builds on Hyatt’s broader commitment to reduce disposables and select environmentally preferable options whenever possible, with the exception of when single-use bottles are needed for water quality reasons.
Other recent global initiatives have included removing plastic straws and drink picks and making alternative options available only by request at Hyatt hotels, and increasing the use of compostable, recyclable, or recycled content packaging for to-go food containers.
While these global efforts ensure guests will consistently have the option to avoid single-use water bottles while staying at Hyatt hotels, a number of properties have already introduced additional efforts.
Examples include in-house water bottling plants that reuse glass bottles and replace single-use bottles at Alila Villas Koh Russey, Alila Manggis, Alila Ubud, Alila Villas Uluwatu, Alila Bangsar, Alila Jabal Akhdar, Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa, Hyatt Regency Delhi, Andaz Costa Rica Resort at Peninsula Papagayo and Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa.
Meanwhile, reusable bottles are distributed to all guests at check-in at resorts such as Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort, Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Miraval Arizona and Miraval Austin.
As well, filtered water spouts installed in all guestrooms at Park Hyatt Istanbul – Macka Palas to provide fresh drinking water.
ICCA CEO Senthil Gopinath and his team were in Xiamen from November 9-14 to hold the ICCA Global Executives Round Table Conference, the first time ICCA has held a Global Executive meeting in a city outside of its Amsterdam head office.
The activity was part of the fifth edition of the 2019 International MICE Week, where ICCA joined the Xiamen International MICE Summit, supported its existing members and welcomed ones such as Shaanxi Meton Conference and Exhibition Management, as well as signed an MoU to increase further collaboration.
With 84 member-organisations currently, China is the country with the most ICCA members.
