Ayana Hotels has appointed Stefan Fuchs as general manager of Ayana Resort and Spa Bali.
In his new role, Fuchs will be managing a trio of Ayana properties. Besides Ayana Resort and Spa Bali, Fuchs will also be helming Rimba Jimbaran Bali by Ayana, and The Villas at Ayana Resort, Bali.
Born and educated in Germany, Fuchs started his career in the F&B industry, where he was in charge of diverse catering projects all over Europe, including the Expo 1998 in Lisbon, official government functions of the Federal Republic of Germany and Formula 1 Grand Prix events.
Prior to his current role, Fuchs has also headed the operations for the Islamic Conference and Asian Games in Doha; and was part of the opening team of the Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Russia, Japan, China and Bahrain. Previously, he was with the Jumeirah Group.
Fusion Suites Da Nang has appointed Jérôme Taillard as general manager.
With nearly two decades of industry experience, Taillard started his career in his home country of France with F&B positions, before taking on operational roles in China and then Vietnam where he further developed his skills in pre-opening and opening of hotels. More recently, he has held the general manager position at five-star hotels in Indonesia.
Taillard has also managed hotels in Phu Quoc and Saigon, where he was in charge of overseeing multiple hotel departments, implementing new brand standards, and developing and monitoring growth strategies.
Desaru Coast in Johor believes it in pole position to capture the attention of meeting planners and corporate companies across Asia, with two of its internationally-branded hotels, conference centre, two championship golf courses, and waterpark now fully operational.
Arokia Das Anthony, director, Luxury Tours Malaysia, called Desaru Coast a “refreshing and welcome addition” to what Malaysia can offer.
Aerial shot of Desaru Coast
He said: “It is a new venue for meetings and incentives, especially for organisers who have already held events in traditional destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Sarawak.”
Arokia also noted that Desaru Coast was a “young” destination that was officially launched in July, and had off-site venues that were good for incentives programmes. This is good for his company, as he indicated that they “always get queries from regional organisers and planners in India on what new destinations Malaysia has to offer”.
Vikram Mujumdar, general manager at the 275-key The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, shared: “The unique selling points of Desaru Coast as a business events destination are the facilities and attractions it has to offer.”
“Being away from the hustle and bustle of the city allows organisers to keep everyone in one place and happy. Delegates can attend meetings, teambuilding activities and incentive programmes, while spousal programmes can be arranged or family members can keep themselves occupied with activities around the destination.”
Adjacent to the resort is the Desaru Coast Conference Centre, also managed by The Westin Desaru Coast Resort. The venue has a total of 1,252m2 of fully-equipped event space with the capacity to host almost 1,400 guests.
The showpiece of the conference centre is a grand ballroom, which can be divided into four smaller event and pre-function spaces. There are outdoor venues by the beach available as well.
Vikram added that business to date for the ICCA-accredited conference centre has been encouraging from both corporate end users, as well as professional conference organisers. He hopes that the hotel’s recent full opening will attract even larger international business events opportunities.
“Corporate groups and events are the main business drivers and we foresee this trend to continue moving forward. As the development is still fairly new, the main focus is on marketing the destination as a large-scale integrated holiday and event destination,” he offered.
The other hotel located within the integrated resort is Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast with 365 music-inspired rooms.
Two more properties will come online soon: Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas on December 1 with 123 rooms and One&Only Desaru Coast by the end of 2019 with 42 suites.
Roslina Arbak, Desaru Development Holdings One’s CEO, shared: “Desaru Coast’s integrated facilities and strategic location make it a competitive location for the business events segment, which typically hosts participants from varying geographies. We are targeting regional and international corporations and associations that are looking for new destinations in South-east Asia. We can tailor event experiences to specifically address their requirements for both business and leisure components.”
Key markets for the company include the domestic segment, as well as Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and India. The company is also targeting international business travellers coming into this region via Singapore.
In addition, Desaru Development Holdings One is in the midst of adding teambuilding activities and facilitation, as well as curating lifestyle and entertainment events that that will appeal to both the business event and bleisure traveller.
For instance, Desaru Coast hosted the inaugural edition of the Ombak Festival (July 5-7, 2019). The Ombak Festival will be an annual event with curated activities including culture, music and food that highlight homegrown talent and products, and showcase local expertise and creativity.
In the future, travellers to Desaru Coast can look forward to a wide range of outdoor activities that include ATV rides, mountain biking, a climbing tower and ziplines.
The cruising industry holds enormous potential for even further growth as Asian travellers understand its offerings better, and leisure travel players are not the only ones who will benefit from the boom.
Latest statistics from the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) revealed that the demand for cruising has grown year-on-year, and it is expected to almost double by this year-end to 30 million passengers. This figure was just 17.8 million a decade ago.
The future of cruising has never looked better
Last year also brought with it the highest number of Asian cruisers at 4.2 million, which represented a 4.6 per cent year-on-year growth over 2017.
All this information and more were shared with delegates in a keynote address from Jiali Wong, regional manager – Asia, CLIA, at the Asian MICE Cruise Conference, organised by TTGmice, on September 24.
Wong further revealed that the average cruiser age in Asia was 45.4 years in 2018, slightly younger than the global average of 46.7 years. These cruisers tended to favour sailings that are “closer to home”.
Wong noted that as lines between business and leisure blur even further, business events specialists are on the lookout for unconventional venues that can offer facilities for both meetings and leisure, which puts cruising in a favourable position.
The number of passengers globally are also expected to reach 40 million in 2028, a significant jump from the 28 million bookings last year.
Coupled with more than 120 new CLIA member cruise ships projected to be in operation by 2027 – of which 50 per cent will be mega ships with more than 100,000 gross tonnage, the future of cruising has never looked brighter.
Asia-Pacific was the third largest source market for global cruising last year, holding a 15 per cent market share (5.7 million passengers). A decade from now, 9.2 per cent of ships are expected to ply the waters here.
Watch the full session from the Asian MICE Cruise Conference below:
The Japanese city of Kyoto has unveiled two MICE services to appeal to event organisers who are motivated, and interested, to hold sustainable meetings.
Launched in English earlier this month, the Traditional Handicraft Rental Program and Kyoto Excursion Guide build upon the city’s efforts in responsible event hosting.
Jazz up your meeting tables with local decorative ornaments
Yoshiaki Matsui, deputy director, bidding and promotions division, Kyoto Convention & Visitors Bureau, told TTGmice that conducting these services is part of Kyoto’s “aspiration to become a more sustainable MICE city.” In 2016, Kyoto became the first destination in Asia to join the Global Destination Sustainability Index.
Participants of these meetings, Matsui added, can “contribute to the delivery of the UN Sustainable Development Goals”.
The rental programme features 74 handmade items by local artisans that can be used by event attendees or as decorative features in meeting rooms. Featuring craftwork unique to Kyoto, items include pass cases, neck straps, congress bags, fans, umbrellas, kimono, tapestries and lacquerware.
The programme has been billed as a way for participants to learn about Kyoto artisans and appreciate their work while helping to reduce waste. According to its description, renting “provides meeting organisers with reusable alternatives to otherwise disposable items, thus lightening the burden on the environment and contributing to the goal of building a truly sustainable society”.
Organisers, agencies and event-related facilities can apply for the programme, provided their primary event takes place in Kyoto city with a minimum group size of at least 30.
A monk taking a meeting group through a meditation session
The excursion guide, meanwhile, offers 10 activities under the themes of teambuilding, community development, cultural experience, traditional industry and networking. Examples include woodworking with sustainably grown cedar, Zen meditation at a temple, bonsai garden-making with an artisan, workshops in cultural properties, and knowledge exchange with Kyoto-based companies.
These excursions “contribute to the preservation of Kyoto’s cultural heritage and natural environment, giving back to the communities that make these unique experiences possible” stated the guide. The guide also includes an overview of the activity, the suggested time, how to get there from main hubs, cost per person and minimum number of pax required.
Davao City (pictured) bags MICE Conference 2020 hosting
On the back of its most recent win over Clark to host MICECon in September 2020, Davao is working hard towards raising its profile at travel roadshows to sustain the growth of foreign visitors to the city.
In 2016, out of the 1.7 million visitors, only 10 per cent were foreigners. Last year, the percentage rose to 14 per cent, out of 2.5 million visitors to the Philippine city.
Davao City (pictured) bags MICE Conference 2020 hosting
A double-digit growth in foreign visitors is expected this year as arrivals have already totalled two million in January-July, shared Regina Rose Tecson, overall-in-charge of Davao City Tourism Operations Office.
Previously, Davao was “overwhelmed” by the growth in foreign visitors as it lacked enough convention facilities, hotels and transportation options, but the city is now confident in positioning itself as a leading MICE destination in the BIMP EAGA (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area).
“We will go full blast. We’re looking at getting help from PACEOS and the Tourism Promotions Board,” said Tecson during the Philippine MICE Forum which was held on the sidelines of the ASEAN Federation of Exhibition and Convention Associations’ (AFECA) annual general meeting in Manila early this month.
In addition, Davao’s private sector-led Let’s Do MICE in Davao programme, in place since it first hosted MICECon in 2013, is said to be one of the most active in the Philippines and offers generous incentives to business events organisers.
Tecson said sweeteners to come next year include larger discounts from partner airlines, hotels, convention centre, retail merchants, transport providers and caterers; the hosting of 3D/2N fam tours for inspection teams; and special assistance from the city government depending on the size of the events.
New air links to Davao are also help bring in more overseas participants. Fresh connections last year include Cathay Pacific’s flight from Hong Kong on September 28; and Xiamen Air’s Davao to Jinjiang, China, on December 18. This June, Qatar touched down for the first time, while Garuda Indonesia launched its maiden flight from Manado, Indonesia.
According to the Manila Bulletin, the Department of Tourism is pushing for a direct flight between Davao and Taiwan. However, Tecson pointed out that it is unclear when this link will be established and expressed hopes for chartered flights to first be launched between the two destinations.
On the infrastructure end, the shortage of keys is being addressed, with a Dusit and the Acacia Hotel Davao coming online. Several other properties and convention facilities are also under construction.
Despite the developments, Tecson lamented that travel advisories against certain parts of Mindanao island as well as martial law in Davao could turn business delegates away.
PHOTO CAPTION: TAT's Kitsana Kaewtumrong, and Tanes Petsuwan; GlobeWomen Research and Education Institute's Irene Natividad; Thailand's former Minister of Tourism & Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul; and Thai Host Committee's Chonchanok Viravan
The 2020 Global Summit of Women will be held in Bangkok next year, from April 23-25.
From left: TAT’s Kitsana Kaewtumrong, and Tanes Petsuwan; GlobeWomen Research and Education Institute’s Irene Natividad; Thailand’s former Minister of Tourism & Sports Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul; and Thai Host Committee’s Chonchanok Viravan
The conference, in its 30th edition, sports the theme Women: Revolutionising Economies. It is expected to welcome over 1,000 leaders in business and government from around the world.
Key topics include Changing the Face of Economic Leadership Globally; Promoting Ethical Corporate Governance through Diverse Perspectives; Creating Innovative Enterprises for 21st Century Global Market; Increasing Countries GDPs While Uplifting Families and Communities; and Leading the Fight to Preserve the Planet’s Resources for Future Growth.
There will be countless networking opportunities at the expo
Indonesian trade fair organiser Pamerindo Indonesia will debut the Hotelexpo Indonesia and Specialty Food Indonesia – previously known as Hotelex Indonesia and Finefood Indonesia – on July 22-24, 2020, with content weighing heavily on smart technology.
Held at the Jakarta International Expo, the expo will attract retailers, business owners, and industry professionals from across the globe to learn about key advances in hospitality and food services.
There will be countless networking opportunities at the expo
Ben Wong, managing director of Pamerindo Indonesia, said the upcoming tradeshow will be more focused on products and smart technology in the food and hospitality segments.
The expo will tackle topics related to automated hospitality appliances, smart food storage, sustainable amenities and food production, which have been identified as trends for the industry in 2020.
Astied Julias, event director of Hotelexpo Indonesia and Specialty Food Indonesia, added that the expo will also spotlight artificial intelligence products, as the self-service hotel concept is on the rise.
Responding to the rise in sustainable accommodation, eco-friendly products, including packaged food and amenities with paper-based and biodegradable packaging material, will also be featured.
HRS announces Invisible Pay Platform, a two-click payment solution for business travellers
Hotel and travel technology provider, HRS, has launched Invisible Pay, a new corporate hotel payment platform that promises to simplify travellers’ hotel payment process through automation.
The solution leverages HRS’ proprietary hotel management platform to combine innovative check-in/out payment technology with the company’s proven solutions.
HRS announces Invisible Pay Platform, a two-click payment solution for business travellers
It is built to accommodate the data requirements of both corporate accounting departments and hotels, speeding up payments and securing financial data with 98 per cent acceptance.
What this means for the traveller is lesser time spent in the check-out line and reduced expense report effort, thanks to the fully itemised digital receipt data that will be uploaded into the corporate expense system.
For the employer, the account department stands to benefit from improved invoice accuracy, while travel managers will see reduced rogue bookings and increased usage of preferred hotels.
Hotels will gain from secure data processes that minimise engagement for their finance departments.
“As we’ve piloted with integrated hotel payment solutions around the world in recent years, the programme compliance metrics are clear,” said HRS CEO Tobias Ragge. “When our clients use our payment solutions, we’ve seen hotel compliance rise by 23 per cent on average. The downstream savings – both in room rate and more seamless expense processing – increasingly drive CFOs to deploy across oceans and maximise the incremental savings.”
Invisible Pay is said to address the industry’s longstanding challenge – high levels of out-of-policy spend and insufficient use of preferred hotels. According to a GBTA research released in July 2019, 88 per cent of business travellers surveyed said if their company offered central or direct payment with a hotel, they would book that property over one that does not offer this method.
Singapore-based Ent-Vision is piloting a master data platform that seeks to facilitate right connections between tradeshow visitors and exhibitors.
Ent-vision’s platform uses a combination of search technology, natural language processing and machine learning algorithms, as well as attendee data which is collected, filtered and standardised into a set of information.
Find the perfect tradeshow match with the help of AI
Tan Kim Heng, director, Ent-Vision, explained that from there, artificial intelligence (AI) can profile trade visitors, recommend the most relevant booths, and propose business matching, which in turn improves the event experience for both exhibitors and visitors. AI can also provide a tangible map of an event participants’ journey at a tradeshow, thereby allowing the organiser to view the data to improve future shows.
Tan added that the platform is compatible with various event technology sources with an open API.
Citing Cvent as an example, Tan explained that Ent-Vision’s master data platform can work with the event registration solution to provide event organisers with business matching and profiling capability. However, he cautioned that training is needed for every AI solution, and this would take time.
“The longer the platform is used, the better trained the AI will be, as it has been fed with all available pieces of information. Information can be gathered by the event organiser, or gathered from public domains such as job sites,” he elaborated.
The master data platform has just completed a pilot test with a company in Singapore, with one more scheduled for 2020.
Looking ahead, Tan envisions expanding the product to Indonesia where it can absorb content in Bahasa Indonesia. There are also future plans to integrate more multilingual content such as Chinese, Korean and Japanese.
Just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport on the serene northern coast, this 178-key, Bill Bensley-designed resort offers delegates a quiet, tropical paradise steeped in Phuket’s tin-mining heritage
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
