Douglas Glen has joined Carlton City Hotel Singapore as general manager.
With over 30 years of extensive leadership and global luxury hospitality experience, Glen will be responsible for driving all key operations and strategic initiatives for the 386-room upscale business hotel’s continued growth in revenue and brand reputation.
Glen has successfully managed high-profile, five-star international chain hotels in the UK and South-east Asia. For over two decades, the Scotland-born hotelier held various management positions with The Landmark Lancaster Hotel Group.
During his stint as the general manager of The Landmark Bangkok from 2013 to 2018, he played a pivotal role in the overall growth and profit of the five-star hotel, effectively developing a cross-functional culture for continuous improvement.
Prior to joining Carlton City Hotel Singapore in April 2019, Glen was most recently pre-opening general manager for the Steigenberger Hotel Riverside in Bangkok.
Prolonged city-wide protests in Hong Kong against encroaching control from Beijing have resulted in event cancellations and poor business expectations for the rest of the year, reported events specialists in the destination.
City-wide protests are hurting business events in Hong Kong
Besides a sit-in protest at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) which led to an abrupt 12-hour shutdown of the facility on Monday evening, Hong Kong has also suffered protests that spread into various districts over the last 10 weeks.
These protests – some of which were violent – have impacted tourism and business events.
Tourism stakeholders have reported poor business in July and their outlook remains bleak for August.
Most MICE stakeholders are reluctant to speak on record about the situation’s impact on business.
Doris Lam, general manager of Momentous Asia Travel & Events Co, told TTGmice that “the damage has been done”.
Lam said: “Business has been affected very seriously. Many groups originally bound for Hong Kong were cancelled, and many agents are letting their staff go on no-pay leave. It will take a very long time for (the industry) to recover.”
She added: “We are lucky that our next event is in China and another one is heading out of Hong Kong. Going forward, we may direct our events elsewhere. This is not good for Hong Kong in the long run.”
Over at Destination China, general manager Gunther Homerlein is expecting no new events for the rest of 2019.
“Traditionally this period brings us quite a bit of business, which can make up 15 to 20 per cent of our annual revenue,” he lamented.
However, for Destination China, confirmed events are still “stable”, with clients only asking for situation updates and not yet cancelling.
Homerlein said: “I believe if they had the opportunity to cancel under “force majeure”, at least 50 per cent of the upcoming events would. But most (clients) have invested deposits and would lose these at the moment if they chose to cancel. So for the time being, things are stable.”
He warned that “force majeure” would come into effect should the situation worsens and the United Nations or other globally-recognised body issues a travel advisory against Hong Kong.
“What has prevented this from happening so far is that there has not really been any risk to livelihood and no tourists have been hurt or affected by the riots and protests, with the exception of travel distruption,” he added.
Homerlein said event operations will have to work around the protests.
“The bigger rallies in Tsim Sha Tsui and Central earlier on affected us more than the now sporadic violent ones. If we know protesters are in an area, we avoid it. We have had to cancel a couple of dinners, based on clients concerns rather than the actual situation, but it is just a matter of keeping on line, keeping in touch and avoiding areas where there is confrontation.”
Corporate travel companies, like Connexus Travel, are issuing regular alerts to clients and advising them to monitor local media for updates on the demonstrations.
Operations have resumed at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) early Tuesday morning, a day after a massive pro-democracy protest there forced the shutdown of the travel hub, according to an AFP report.
Signalling a return of normalcy, check-ins at the departures hall were in progress and information boards showed several flights were boarding soon or about to depart.
A mass protest led to the forced shutdown of HKIA on Monday evening
The sudden shutdown of the busy international transport hub came after thousands of demonstrators staged a peaceful sit-in protest at the airport, said the AFP report, adding that the rally has enraged Beijing, which likened some of the violent protests to “terrorism”.
While only a few demonstrators remain in the airport, protestors have said they plan to resume their efforts later that day.
A South China Morning Post report claimed that Monday’s protest left hundreds of passengers stranded at HKIA. The Hong Kong Airport Authority moved to cancel all flights after 18:00 local time yesterday due to the protest, affecting about 180 outbound flights and 45 inbound flights. The lack of information from airlines meant that many passengers arrived at the airport clueless about the cancellations.
Affected Asian airlines included Singapore Airlines and its subsidiary Scoot, as well as the Philippines’ Cebu Pacific and Malaysia Airlines. They were forced to re-route or turn their flights back to their country of origin.
Yesterday, HK Express issued a travel advisory on the airport disruption and warned of some cancelled flights between August 12 and 13.
The airport closure was the latest in Hong Kong’s ongoing anti-government protests, which show no signs of abating more than two months after they were sparked by a controversial extradition bill but has since morphed into wider resistance against encroaching control from Beijing.
Although Hong Kong tourism authorities insist it is safe to travel to the city and many attractions remain open, the prolonged protests have since drawn travel advisories from the government of Singapore, the US and Canada, with travellers advised to exercise caution and to avoid areas affected by protest rallies.
AirAsia has since last Thursday started collecting the increased passenger service charge (PSC) of RM73 (US$17) levied by Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB), following a recent court ruling.
AirAsia has begun collecting the increased passenger service charge (PSC) of RM73
In a statement, the airline said that it will be doing so “under protest”, after losing a lawsuit against MAHB.
In July, the Kuala Lumpur High Court had dismissed AirAsia and AirAsia X’s striking out application in relation to the payment for outstanding PSC to Malaysia Airports (Sepang) (MASSB), a subsidiary of MAHB. The airline subsequently appealed against the order to pay RM41.5 million (US$9.9 million) of arrears to MAHB.
PSC, or airport tax, is charged by MAHB on all departing passengers for the use of airport facilities, and is collected by airlines such as AirAsia on behalf of the airport operator.
MAHB had imposed a higher PSC of RM73 on passengers using klia2 to destinations beyond South-east Asia, stating that it was implementing the same charges as at the full-service terminal KLIA, effective July 2018.
The new PSC was higher than the previous rate of RM50, and AirAsia had refused to collect the additional RM23 from its guests, saying that it was ensuring air travel remains affordable for all, and also that the inferior service and facilities at klia2 could not match up to those at the KLIA.
In February, AirAsia had sued MASSB for almost RM480 million (US$117 million) for supposed losses incurred from operating at klia2.
Following this latest development, AirAsia will now collect the additional RM23 in PSC, and the differential amount will be clearly indicated in the itemised fare as “PSC (Under Protest)”.
AirAsia Malaysia CEO, Riad Asmat, said: “We will collect the full RM73 PSC but we do so under strong protest. Itemising the additional PSC will allow our 5.5 million guests departing from klia2 for non-ASEAN destinations annually to see how much they’re paying for inferior facilities. I believe many will agree with us that they’re not getting their money’s worth, especially when compared to the far superior facilities at KLIA.”
AirAsia X Malaysia CEO, Benyamin Ismail, added: “We really don’t want to be (collecting the PSC), and we sympathise with our guests. PSC for passengers flying beyond ASEAN has more than doubled in less than two years, from RM32 to RM73.”
He added: “This is an arbitrary hike and we will continue to oppose it until all our legal options are exhausted. However, we are forced to collect the additional RM23 as we cannot afford to continue subsidising our guests in the event our appeal falls through. We hope our guests will understand.”
This new ruling culminates the months-long contentious dispute between AirAsia and MAHB over the PSC.
The Gold Coast has been selected to host the Amway Taiwan 2019 Leadership Seminar in November, an incentive event that will bring over 950 distributors and company representatives to the destination.
Amway Taiwan 2019 Leadership Seminar to head to the Gold Coast this November
Destination Gold Coast CEO Annaliese Battista said the event is expected to inject A$2.8 million (US$1.9 million) into the Gold Coast economy.
The Gold Coast was selected ahead of other international destinations bidding for the programme, including Canada, Hawaii and Tokyo.
The Leadership Seminar is designed as a reward to motivate distributors to achieve excellence and outstanding achievement in their business.
“We are delighted to have secured this important incentive and offer our support to Amway Taiwan who will no doubt deliver an inspiring and motivating itinerary as part of their robust distributor reward programme,” said Battista in a press statement.
“The Gold Coast offers business event travellers exceptionally diverse tourism experiences and high-quality venues in an enviable globally-renowned destination.”
Tourism Industry Development minister Kate Jones said securing another Amway business event was a coup for Queensland and would showcase the Gold Coast’s best tourism offerings to some of Taiwan’s best sales people.
“Winning the bid to secure a second Amway event for Queensland above other international competitors demonstrates the strength of our tourism offering and the importance of business events to Queensland’s tourism economy,” she said.
The bid was a collaborative effort by Destination Gold Coast and Tourism Australia, and supported by the Business Events Bid Fund Program and Tourism and Events Queensland’s Business Events Acquisition and Leveraging Fund.
Seasoned hotelier Frank Beck is now the managing director of a cluster of three properties on the Malaysian island of Langkawi – The St. Regis Langkawi, The Westin Langkawi Resort and Spa, and the Langkawi International Convention Centre (LICC).
He brings to the role more than 30 years of experience with Marriott International Inc., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and ITT Sheraton Corp. He has held senior management positions in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, including eight years in Indonesia.
Beck will lead the vision of the cluster properties and forge the team forward with enthusiasm, charting its strategic direction with the right priorities to reflect a growing customer market, competitive environment and a more desirable guest experience overall.
Following an A$260 million (US$175.8 million) redevelopment, Canberra’s Kambri precinct now boasts modern and versatile conference and events venues that are available for hire.
Located a 12-minute drive from Canberra’s city centre, Kambri offers two multipurpose spaces – one with 500 retractable seats and the other with 220 retractable seats, a 300-seat cinema, a drama theatre for 150 guests seated, and an exhibition space with a large outdoor balcony overlooking the precinct.
These are located within the Culture and Events buildings, where there are also a lobby bar and kitchen facilities to support catered functions. A list of preferred caterers are available for planners’ choosing.
Offering a new spin to catering in Canberra are Kambri’s catering duo of Sammy and Bella, sisters who first rose to fame as the winners of TV show, My Kitchen Rules, in 2011. They’ve since gone on to appear as guests and resident chefs on dozens of TV shows, as well as opening restaurants, plus writing, photographing and blogging about food.
In addition to the Culture and Events buildings, the six-floor Marie Raey Teaching Centre building offers a multitude of rooms and cutting-edge technology for programming opportunities outside of University teaching hours.
This includes the top level ‘Superfloor’ with high ceilings, uninterrupted views across Canberra, an outdoor balcony, and a flexible collaborative environment for up to 300 people.
For those wanting a dynamic non-traditional space, there is an Amphitheatre with tiered seating adjacent to Sullivans Creek, as well as a range of other hireable outdoor options including University Avenue, The Lane, and The Lawn.
While business events are welcomed to use the facilities, Kambri’s calendar of events will also be kept packed with concerts, comedy shows, sporting action, and art exhibitions.
Harbour Grand Kowloon will launch 360 guestrooms in the new Tower as well as revamped Grand Ballroom and harbour-facing Salons this month.
The new Tower is connected to the hotel’s main building by a sky bridge, and its location promises unobstructed views of Victoria Harbour and the city in more than 75 per cent of the hotel’s room inventory.
With the new guestrooms, the hotel now offers over 900 keys to travellers.
All new guestrooms come with contemporary furniture, exquisite marble bathrooms and modern facilities.
The renovated Grand Ballroom and Salons are now dressed in bronze with hints of teal and gray accents, and adorned with sculptural chandeliers made with crystals from Swarovski, offering a perfect setting for celebratory and gala events.
The Grand Ballroom can take up to 600 guests for cocktails and 33 round tables for banquets.
The venues are also outfitted with state-of-the-art facilities including a high definition LED wall in the Grand Ballroom and built-in LCD projectors and screens.
The Grand Ballroom and Salons join the Whampoa Conference Centre which opened on the same floor late last year. The latter has seven function rooms, all with natural daylight. These combined facilities span 2,350m2, allowing Harbour Grand Kowloon to position itself strongly for meetings and events.
As well, Waterfront Bar & Terrace and Corner Café have also been given a new look.
“Harbour Grand Kowloon has a long-standing reputation for its warmth and comfort, and the recent renovations and new Tower are big steps in improving our guests’ hotel experience,” said Tady Cheng, director of rooms.
Themed “Progressive Momentum”, MBEW 2019 is put in place by the national bureau with the significance of ensuring that Malaysia forges ahead progressively as Asia’s Business Events Hub. This momentum is powered by dynamic collaborations, the courage to constantly push limits and the constant need for every player to remind themselves that the industry professionalism bar must be continuously raised. Moreover, MBEW 2019 helps participants to strengthen the business events industry in Malaysia through knowledge exchange, building relationships and to elevate the professionalism of the Malaysia industry players to be on par with international level.
Following the success of the 4th edition of MBEW which was held last year at Genting Highlands, the event has recorded 175 participations comprising delegates from the industry, association, academician, government and media partners.
The MBEW 2019 offers tailored outline programmes to allow participants to share knowledge, establish new and influential contacts and be involved in the industry with the experts through series of talks. This year MBEW 2019 offers outstanding array of speakers and interactive programme prepared for this year’s edition.
Among the objective can be achieved by participating MBEW 2019 include custom designed programme featuring series of talks by the professional industry experts. This will enable participants to get exposed with variety points of view, ideas and trends concurrently create better collaboration and networking opportunities. Hence, this will improve individual self-development which leads to new ways of conducting more productive business and a great way to maximise your brand.
Moving towards sustainable event practices to reduce the usage of plastic and non-recyclable item, MBEW 2019 will be featuring a new initiative with the introduction of its new hashtag campaign #mbeNOWASTAGE. As the initiative highlighted, participants are encouraged to bring their own water bottle throughout the day.
Bringing to significance, MBEW 2019 will be coincides with World Tourism Conference (WTC) 2019 which will be held from 26 to 28 August 2019. The conference will serve as a platform to explore new possibilities and potentials it holds within the discovery of new frontiers in the tourism sector.
To register for the 5th Malaysia Business Events Week (MBEW) 2019, please visit the official registration page at www.mbew.com.my/register/registration/.
For more information on the event, including programme updates, please visit www.mbew.com.my
WorldHotels announced the expansion of its leadership team with the appointment of Gregory Habeeb as president, North America.
For the past six years, Habeeb served as global vice president, hotel & hospitality, for British luxury fragrance brand Molton Brown.
From left: Gergory Habeeb; Melissa-Gan
Prior to that, Habeeb held a number of positions in luxury hospitality organisations, before being appointed as the vice president of hotel development for WorldHotels.
Meanwhile, Melissa Gan has been promoted to managing director, Asia-Pacific, rounding out a team that continues to be supported by Asia-Pacific president Roland Jegge.
Gan joined WorldHotels in November 2005 and has been influential in growing the brand across the region.
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.
