Malaysia will be the first country in the region to host Radiodays Asia (RDA) 2019 when the conference takes place from August 27 to 28.
To be held at Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur, the conference will bring around 500 delegates, alongside an estimated RM5.4 million (US$1.3 million) to the country’s economy.
View of Kuala Lumpur from Lake Titiwangsa
Themed “Meet the Future of Radio and Audio”, Radiodays Asia 2019 will focus on the future of radio and audio businesses, exposing broadcasters in Asia to advanced strategies and ideas. The conference will also focus on the challenges and developments of the industry through a series of talk sessions and knowledge exchange platforms.
The event stems from Radiodays Europe (RDE), an international conference for radio professionals in Europe and across the world. First introduced in 2010, the event has been held annually, rotating to different host cities. The bid was first made in 2017, where Malaysia ousted competitors such as Dubai, Singapore and Sydney.
“We are honoured to have Radiodays Asia 2019 for the first time in Asia, and here in Kuala Lumpur. I was informed that RDA planned to hold their event annually in Kuala Lumpur for a three-year period, starting next year.
“Having Radiodays Asia here in our country will benefit the radio broadcasters in Malaysia, and offer the opportunity to showcase Malaysia to an international audience,” said Zulkefli Sharif, CEO of Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau.
In response to increasing conversations on sustainability within the business events community and beyond, knowledge sessions across five educational tracks and components at this year’s IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific will tackle environmental and community preservation and support.
The three-day event will feature over 20 knowledge sessions and more than 40 speakers.
A panel session during the inaugural Asian MICE Cruise Conference last year; the event will return this September
The second Asian MICE Cruise Conference on September 24, one of the five educational tracks, will include a session that discusses cruise companies’ commitment to sustainable efforts.
Angie Stephen, managing director – Asia Pacific of Royal Caribbean Cruises, and panelist of the sustainability session, Leaving Minimal Trail Behind, said: “As a collective, cruise lines have a huge role to play in reducing their environmental footprint, given the revitalisation of cruise appeal and demand. Royal Caribbean International is firmly committed to reducing waste and emissions of greenhouse gases in favour of sustainable practices. We are eager to share our current initiatives and work more closely with multiple stakeholders to make a more positive impact.”
Joining Stephen on the panel will be Jiali Wong, regional manager – Asia, Cruise Lines International Association.
Following the Asian MICE Cruise Conference, the Keynote Lecture for IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific will take on the theme, Sustainability – Future Proofing Your Business.
To be held from 15.20 to 16.20, the lecture is organised in collaboration with Chiang MICE, and moderated by sustainability advocate, MICE strategist and hospitality consultant, David Barrett. The compelling push for sustainability will be told through the eyes and perspectives of four iconic professionals from diverse backgrounds: Richard Jones, senior vice president of corporate communications, human resources and sustainability of Indorama Ventures; Marissa Jablonski, USAID FFP environmental advisor of USAID Washington DC Office; Supawan Teerarat, senior vice president of Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB); and Pairach Piboonrungroi, director of MICE Excellence Centre, Faculty of Economics of Chiang MICE University.
The engaging session will explore the multiple angles of sustainability and their indelible significance on future proofing businesses for the long term. Talking points include digitising businesses for the future, environmental conservation, community-based tourism, and investment in sustainable businesses.
Said keynote moderator, Barrett: “The prevailing notion of sustainability in industry practices are underwhelming. Recognising that incorporating sustainability takes time and substantial effort to cultivate, the very first step is to be heard and understood. A good platform with decision-makers and industry players from MICE and corporate travel is essential and IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is just that.”
Sustainability, in the form of future-proofing associations and their activities, will be discussed during the Association Day Forums on September 25 and 26.
GainingEdge will host the session, Association Development – Investing in a Sustainable Future; IAPCO will host Keeping International Association Meetings Relevant; ICCA & WPCOA will host Face Off: Should CVBs And PCOs Work Together For Greater Success?; and SITE will host The Future of Incentives – 10 Things You Need to Know.
ASEAN MICE Forum will return this year on September 26, from 10.40 to 15.00.
Building A Sustainable MICE City and SMART Cities – Leveraging MICE to Diversify and Support Economic Growth are part of this year’s conversations led by notable speakers and moderators from GainingEdge, Indonesia Convention and Exhibition Bureau, Meetings International, MICE Excellence Centre – Chiang Mai University, Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau, and more.
The fifth educational track, CTW Asia-Pacific Conference on September
25 and 26, from 13.50 to 18.00hrs daily, will shine the spotlight on corporate travel management trends and best practices such as cybersecurity risks, effective supplier relationships in travel procurement, travel policy disruption – managing compliance and traveler satisfaction, and duty of care – blurring the lines in bleisure travel.
Supported by the CTW Asia-Pacific Advisory Panel comprising of experienced industry practitioners from Accenture Philippines, Amway Thailand, Herbalife Singapore, CBRE – MCR India, Luxoft Poland, ByteDance China, and Osram China, this community-led event also features collaborative sessions in partnership with CWT, JTB and Cvent.
Other concurrent educational highlights taking place at IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific include:
The IMEX-MPI-MCI IT&CMA Future Leaders Forum 2019 (24 and 25 September) welcomes students from across the country to a 1.5-day programme that nurtures and inspires the next generation of industry professionals through conversations and game challenges.
IT&CMA Passionate Breakfast By ICCA and TTGmice, back for a second consecutive run, gives early risers a dose of motivational goodness amid a networking breakfast.
“Every year, our knowledge programme is carefully curated to support the educational goals of different delegate segments and interest groups. For the first time, the conversations that take place across distinct tracks will come together as part of this year’s overarching theme on sustainability, lending both cohesion and integration to a common talking point,” said Cheryl Tan, head of TTG Events.
Apart from the knowledge sessions, delegates are invited to look out for other sustainability spotlights taking place at the show, such as the daily complimentary coffee by Philippine Tourism Promotions Board, featuring a special line of blends from La Trinidad, Benguet, sourced from suppliers practising Fair Trade as part of the Foundation for Sustainable Coffee (FSCE) programme.
Co-located with CTW Asia-Pacific, IT&CMA is part of the IT&CM Events series organised by TTG Events, a business group of TTG Asia Media. IT&CMA and CTW Asia-Pacific is Asia-Pacific’s Only Doublebill Event in MICE and Corporate Travel. Both events have been co-locating since 2004, offering its delegates an unparalleled platform to do business, learn and network.
Encouraging open and honest communication is worth investing time and resources into when it comes to a company’s travel policy. More practically, giving employees the permission to query directives, even when they come from senior leaders, can enhance compliance across an entire organisation, including within a travel programme.
Employees can easily find themselves in the situation where, eager to show their abilities and with the desire to impress, they resist asking for guidance or questioning an approach, especially if a direction comes from a senior manager.
Clear communication between employees goes a long way into ensuring compliance when on the road
As an example, a junior travel manager may be asked to create an itinerary for a senior director that he or she knows is inconsistent with policy. If this travel manager doesn’t have the confidence or support to raise a concern, a violation will likely occur.
When such travel bookings are inevitably reviewed, the issue will be identified. This can have repercussions for all parties involved, and potentially even concerns for the organisation.
The question is how to stop this from happening?
New technology will continue to make it easier for employees to follow rules and comply with various policies. But, clear communication across an organisation, combined with individual accountability, remains of utmost importance.
Here are just three ideas which might help:
Employee accountability: Ensure employees understand that it is their obligation to raise questions or concerns. In parallel, build a communication process that supports and encourages employees to satisfy this obligation.
Leader accountability: Senior management must champion the importance of compliance; Tone from the Top is critical. One way to do this is to include Compliance as a regular agenda item at leadership meetings.
Communication issue raising process: Establish and publicise a reporting hotline or a whistle-blower process, where employees can raise concerns without having to worry about any repercussions.
Finally, as a senior manager, hold yourself accountable. If you have a question about your company’s internal policies, such as your travel policy, familiarise yourself with requirements, or speak to someone who can help.
One good thing about encouraging workplace communication, is that compliance is just one of many areas that will improve in your work environment. Start the process now and reap the rewards in the future.
Sasha Kalb is the Asia Pacific vice president for compliance & risk with American Express GBT. In this role, she leads all aspects of the development, implementation and ongoing maintenance of all areas of Compliance and Risk disciplines. She works closely with business leaders in a customer-facing role to address customer questions and concerns as they navigate the complexity of today’s regulatory environment, leveraging GBT’s compliance expertise as a competitive advantage within the business travel industry.
NYC’s Seaport District unveils new rooftop space
Event planners now have more function spaces available in New York City’s Lower Manhattan, where the re-envisioned Seaport District NYC has just declared its Pier 17 complex open.
The four-storey Pier 17 building is topped by a spacious open-air rooftop entertainment space with an innovative glass-and-carbon canopy, and offers panoramic views of New York City’s waterfront and skyline.
With over 6,000m2 of usable space, the crown jewel of the Seaport District is ideal for hosting health and wellness events, movie screenings and corporate outings. It can take 3,400 standing, or 2,400 seated.
Throughout the winter season, the rooftop will also be transformed into a Winterland offering ice skating and warming stations, making it a perfect setting for holiday parties, fashion shows and gala dinners.
Pier 17 also houses several other event venues, such as The Green Room, Seaport Square, and Skyline Hall.
Reykjavík Convention Bureau appoints new MD
Sigurjóna Sverrisdóttir has taken over as managing director of Meet in Reykjavík – Reykjavík Convention Bureau.
She succeeds Thorsteinn Orn Gudmundsson, who led the bureau from its foundation in 2012. Sigurjóna has been with Meet in Reykjavík since 2012, most recently as director of exhibitions and events.
“Last year, we welcomed an estimated 135,000 international MICE travellers. The number has been growing steadily since the opening of Harpa Conference Hall and Convention Centre in 2011, with a 14.4 per cent average annual growth. We have also been climbing the ICCA country and city rankings; this year, Reykjavík moved up 30 places on the worldwide ranking,” she noted.
Terraevents France joins the DMC Network
The DMC Network has announced the entry of Terraevents France as an Affiliate Partner.
The addition of Terraevents France to the DMC Network comes on the heels of Terraevents’ offices in Italy, Portugal and Spain. The French office is located in Paris, covering Central and Northern France.
Terraevents’ owner Lorenzo Pignatti, said in a statement: “Being able to offer destinations like Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon, along with hidden gems such as Calais, Lille and Amiens is beyond exciting for us. This is a part of Europe that our clients are constantly requesting, and we are thrilled that our goal to expand into these markets is now a reality.”
Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse, situated on Singapore’s Mohamed Sultan Road has unveiled a new private dining event space, La Soffitta.
Aptly titled ‘the loft’ in Italian, La Soffitta is situated on the second floor of the Bistecca shophouse. The room features exposed original red brick and timber beams against a chapel-like vaulted ceiling with Bistecca artwork designed by photographer Scott Woodward.
La Soffitta, the space on the second floor of the shophouse
The space is available for bookings seven days a week, and has a capacity of between eight to 26 guests at one table, or 30 guests seated at three tables. It is an ideal setting for work events, small parties, and special occasions.
La Soffitta’s private dining menus are available with variable minimum spends for lunch or dinner, weekdays and weekends. Minimum spend starts from S$3,500 (US$2,530) for Mondays to Thursdays.
Meanwhile, Bistecca itself is also available for buyouts, and can accommodate 150 in a cocktail reception, or 60 guests for a sit-down dinner. Minimum spend for the restaurant starts from S$6,000 for Mondays to Thursdays.
Bistecca Tuscan Steakhouse opened in 2012, and was the first steakhouse to offer the Bistecca alla Fiorentina in the Tuscan style.
Stuart Gemmell has been appointed general manager for a trio of Siem Reap properties under Shinta Mani Hotels.
In his new role, Stuart will oversee the day-to-day operations of the three Siem Reap boutique hotels – Shinta Mani Angkor, Shinta Mai Shack and Bensley Collection – Shinta Mani Siem Reap. He will also work closely with the director of the non-profit Shinta Mani Foundation, a key part of the Shinta Mani Hotel Group.
Hailing from Melbourne, Stuart’s career spans 25 years in hospitality, with the past 18 in South-east Asia. Until recently, Stuart held the position of general manager at The Purist Villas in Bali, and for five years, general manager at IBAH resort in Bali for Warwick Hotels. He spent a decade with Orient Express Belmond as hotel manager on Road to Mandalay in Myanmar and in corporate sales roles.
Stuart spent the first half of his career handling operations management at Starwood luxury collection in Port Douglas Australia, and Hilton on the Park in Melbourne. Stuart has also headed up a hospitality training centre in Lombok and delivered digital marketing units at colleges in Australia.
Mauritius may be at least a medium-haul flight from most parts of the world, but the island nation definitely has the makings of an incentive destination.
The island nation of 2,040km2 is rich in scenic beauty and boasts a dramatic coastline fringed by white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, alongside a extensive bucket-list of activities both on land and in water to provide once-in-lifetime experiences to visitors.
The country’s top tourism leaders and industry players see under-developed opportunity to grow Mauritius as an outbound destination for Asian travellers, whether for leisure or business.
Aerial view of Le Morne Brabant peninsula
Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, minister of tourism, said: “We believe that Mauritius needs a share of the global tourism market. We want to promote Mauritius as a quality destination, and peg the country as a high-end destination.”
In support of this, Arvind Bundhun, director of Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA), revealed that the NTO has rolled out “big visibility campaigns” in key Asian markets like India and China to shore up destination awareness of Mauritius among travel operators, OTAs and travel consumers alike.
To court more incentive visitors to its shores, the MTPA has launched a Special Incentive Scheme, which includes grants of up to MUR200,000 (US$5,648) to MICE promoters; and provides a VAT refund scheme on accommodation costs for events with at least 100 foreign delegates staying a minimum of three nights.
Bundhun also sees potential in “developing the golf market from Asia” for Mauritius, where ample greens are set against breathtaking Indian Ocean backdrops.
On the island, travel and hospitality suppliers are getting into the act of wooing more corporate incentive groups too.
Lahlali Moussa, general manager of Riu Le Morne Club Hotel & Resort and Riu Creole Club Hotel & Resort – two all-inclusive resorts located adjacent to each other on the Le Morne Peninsula in – told TTGmice that both properties have introduced Asian theme nights spotlighting Thai, Indonesian and Chinese cuisines in their F&B outlets.
Both resorts are also starting to target corporate incentive groups from Asia. Said Moussa: “We are looking at possible venues in our resorts to host events. Meanwhile, we already have standard meeting rooms with teambuilding and cooking classes.”
Over in Black River-Tamarin district, Marguery Villas Conciergery & Resort – with its villa collection varying between one and four rooms, each with their own pools and garden gazebo – is a prime example of Mauritius’ exceptional and growing pool of lodging. Offering tailor-made services through its concierge services, this property will make an ideal retreat that combine a vacation setting for C-suite meetings or teambuilding events.
As well, Mauritius’ splendid natural landscapes make an awe-inspiring backdrop for corporate incentive and teambuilding programmes, and is a key reason driving Sweety Moheeputh, a veteran with two decades of tourism industry experience, to set up her own quad bike company last year.
Pont Naturel Quad offers ATV rides, as well as teambuilding and private group tours to its namesake Pont Naturel (Natural Bridge) – an iconic volcanic rock formation that looks like a man-made bridge – in southern Mauritius. Quad rides go around Pont Naturel, as well as to nearby sights like Old Sugar Mill.
Already, Pont Naturel Quad has made inroads into the Chinese corporate incentive market, riding on the connectivity gains made with Air Mauritius’ connection to Shanghai as well as seasonal charter flights from China.
However, Moheeputh would like the airfares and connections of Air Mauritius to improve, in order to make Mauritius a more attractive destination for Asian markets.
“Affordability and visibility” are key challenges for Mauritius, shared MTPA’s Bundhun, especially when it comes to marketing Mauritius to the Asian markets, as competition is intensifying especially between other resort destinations like the Maldives and the Seychelles.
Connectivity is hence key to make Mauritius a top-of-mind destination for Asian corporate incentives and leisure market alike, a point that Air Mauritius’ CEO Somas Appavou is now seeking to address.
In Asia-Pacific, the national carrier currently flies to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bengaluru in India, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Perth.
Appavou remarked that Air Mauritius was climbing in Chinese traffic three years back, but the ongoing Sino-US trade war coupled with an eroding yuan has caused the destination to lose momentum in courting the Chinese market.
On its end, Air Mauritius is now trying to seal more alliances with Chinese carriers. Said Appavou: “We are working on (securing) partnerships with Chinese carriers, and we have started discussion with China Eastern Airlines.”
Taking inspiration from Singapore as a key Asian hub, Appavou sees opportunity in positioning Mauritius as a hub between Asia and Africa, having started the Africa-Asia Air Corridor a few years ago.
This initiative has also helped to market Mauritius as part of the “Blue and Green Safari” joint campaign, which sees the island nation promoted as attractive tourism destinations alongside Kenya and South Africa, said the tourism minister.
Macau’s inbound MICE sector is bearing collateral damage from Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests, as corporate groups that typically twin Hong Kong with Macau choose to avoid both destinations for fear of travel and event disruptions.
Although the protests in the Special Administrative Region of China have taken a peaceful turn on Sunday, after months of rallies – with some escalating into violent clashes with the police – the change has come a little too late for some destination specialists.
China International Travel Service (Macau) is packaging Macau events with Zhuhai (pictured)
China International Travel Service (Macau), assistant general manager, Tina Lit, told TTGmice that business has been “seriously affected”.
“Clients usually twin Hong Kong and Macau in their programmes. We have received a lot of cancellations, especially for meetings from China and South-east Asia,” Lit said.
Lit lamented that the cancellations are not a “short-term impact”, as Macau-bound events as far out in December have also been scratched off her books. Affected events have group sizes of a few hundred to 1,000 people. To stem the damage, Lit said her company has started to package Macau with other destinations such as China’s Zhuhai, dropping Hong Kong entirely.
Over in Hong Kong, Faces of Hong Kong has also reported gloomy business. Managing director, Ivy Sung, said there have been “non-stop cancellations from clients due to protests and travel warnings issued by various governments abroad”.
“Even an event for 2022 has decided to change destination from Hong Kong to Singapore”, said Sung.
“For upcoming events, we are doing our best to keep them in Hong Kong by suggesting postponements,” she said, but added that her team also has to abide by clients’ wishes and offer assistance should the switch of host city to elsewhere in Asia be required.
Sung noted that event demand for Macau is hit too, as “we often include Macau for programmes to Hong Kong”.
Meanwhile, requests for updates from popular business event properties in Macau have been declined.
The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna presenting at last year's Global Wellness Summit
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the US$4.2 trillion global wellness economy, has decided to move its 2019 conference from Hong Kong to Singapore, with the event maintaining the same dates from October 15 to 17.
“In an effort to ensure travel is as seamless as possible in and out of the Summit, our GWS leadership, advisory board and partners felt this shift in location was important for the collective wellbeing of everyone involved,” said Susie Ellis, chairman and CEO of GWS.
The Italian region of Emilia-Romagna presenting at last year’s Global Wellness Summit. Photo credit: Global Wellness Summit’s Facebook
“We are working closely with event organisers and the host sponsor to ensure the event remains first-class and there is little interruption for all attendees and presenters.”
The event will now take place at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.
In a press statement, Ellis remarked that Singapore “is a storied destination and financial centre that will be an exciting home for the 2019 Global Wellness Summit, offering delegates a unique opportunity to gain first-hand insights into the many opportunities available in Asia’s exploding wellness markets, including China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia and more”.
Ellis’ statement added that the Summit is a traditionally sold-out event.
Past Summits were held in the US, Switzerland, Turkey, Indonesia’s Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria and Italy.
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has unveiled an Exclusive MICE Lane Service at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok, especially for VIP MICE travellers to Thailand.
The Exclusive MICE Lane Service experience begins with a TCEB MICE Lane Officer meeting the arriving VIP as he or she disembarks from the plane. This officer will be the VIP’s personal guide, directing the VIP through a Priority Lane at immigration, accompanying the VIP to the baggage carousel and then to a pre-arranged departure point from the airport.
VIPs being greeted by MICE offers and escorted to the fast-tracked MICE Lane
Any MICE event organiser with an event that is endorsed by TCEB is automatically eligible for the Exclusive MICE Lane Service, and the service is available to a maximum of 15 VIPs per flight.
To apply for the Exclusive MICE Lane Service, the organiser needs to send an email to TCEB requesting the service, complete and submit an application form to TCEB at least 21 days before the VIP’s arrival date, and reconfirm all details.
Organisers can also opt to display welcome signs at the airport and make use of an advertisement screen in the arrival hall. For this a request needs to be made at least 21 days in advance, after which TCEB will work with airport management to identify appropriate display locations.
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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A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
Sasha Kalb is the Asia Pacific vice president for compliance & risk with American Express GBT. In this role, she leads all aspects of the development, implementation and ongoing maintenance of all areas of Compliance and Risk disciplines. She works closely with business leaders in a customer-facing role to address customer questions and concerns as they navigate the complexity of today’s regulatory environment, leveraging GBT’s compliance expertise as a competitive advantage within the business travel industry.
