The Westin Desaru Coast Resort has appointed Vikram Mujumdar as general manager.
Prior to his latest role, Mujumdar was most recently task force general manager at The St Regis Vommuli Resort on Dhaalu Atoll in the Maldives, and was earlier general manager at W Seoul Walkerhill in South Korea.
He joined Marriott International in 1999 as revenue analysis manager at the cluster revenue office in Boston, and has since been with the company. Over the years he has held various key management roles with Marriott across the world, including Marriott hotels in the UK and Singapore; the Sheraton Grande Laguna in Phuket; The Naka Island, a Luxury Collection hotel in Phuket, as well as the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel & Towers in Bangkok.
Mujumdar first began began his hospitality career as a management trainee with Oberoi Hotels and Resorts in India, before working his way up through the ranks to hold management roles at the company.
Business event planners in Asia are observing an air of caution surrounding clients’ event plans as concerns mount over an impending global recession, with even shorter lead times, a preference for cheaper destinations and more free-and-easy elements a common occurrence now.
While CWT Meetings and Events, which started 2019 on a strong footing, has yet to see “any significant dip in the volume of meetings, events and incentives so far”, its Singapore director, Petrina Goh, told TTGmice that “companies have become more cautious with their (events) spend”.
Nearby Vietnam is an affordable incentive destination; Halong Bay in Vietnam pictured
According to Goh, notable changes to their buying behaviour include offering more free-and-easy time – which relieves the burden of cost – into their incentive programmes, especially when reward trips are bound for pricey longhaul destinations such as Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
As well, the trend of short lead time that has plagued the industry for years now, has worsened, observed Goh. As companies struggle to have their budgets confirmed, clients are now giving notice only two months or a few weeks ahead of the event.
Clients on a tighter budget are also favouring nearby destinations. CWT Meetings and Events has recorded “a steady increase” in programmes to Thailand and Vietnam, while Dynasty Travel Singapore’s MICE division is seeing South-east Asian destinations gaining in popularity.
Dynasty Travel Singapore’s spokesperson Alicia Seah revealed that budgets for incentive events going forward are down from an average of S$1,000 (US$734) to S$2,000 per person, to S$800 to $1,500.
While buying behaviours for business events will change in the face of poor economic outlook, events specialists agree that incentive trips are unlikely to be frozen should a recession set in.
“Many companies know that incentives are a powerful performance motivator,” remarked Goh.
Seah: companies now give a mix of incentives and non-cash rewards
Seah said: “Most organisations rank the importance of incentive travel (highly) in building relationships with employees.” However, she acknowledged that many companies are now also employing other non-cash rewards, such as gift cards, merchandise and points programmes, as part of their human capital or marketing strategy.
Meanwhile, G2 Travel is maintaining a rosy outlook for its business events segment, with Al Mulenga, director of the Hong Kong office, predicting “comparable” business in 2020 to this year’s.
Mulenga said corporate business has not changed since the start of this year, and the company is seeing emerging interest from Vietnam and Malaysia.
G2’s corporate clients in Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan are still set on longhaul incentive destinations, specifically the UK, Scandinavia, Italy and also Eastern Europe. Budgets are also being maintained.
Sydney’s top business events leaders have embarked on a roadshow of its key markets in Asia in a bid to win new clients and build on existing relationships, with a keen eye on the evolving Indian market.
Business Events Sydney’s (BESydney) CEO Lyn Lewis-Smith arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to meet with agents and corporate clients, and she will head to Guangzhou next week. Meanwhile, bidding general manager Kristian Nicholls is in Tokyo, with trips to Mumbai and New Delhi marked for September.
BESdyney event in Beijing
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Nicholls told TTGmice that significant developments are underway in Sydney, such as an A$20 billion (US$13.9 billion) infrastructure project that includes a new airport and potentially 7,000 new hotel rooms.
“The broader picture of Sydney needs to be established in-market,” said Nicholls. “The ultimate for us is to have people get on a plane and come to experience Sydney. We’re very comfortable that once they come in advance of their decision-making process (of booking a destination) that they’ll be sold on Sydney.”
The trips are part of BESydney’s 50th anniversary activities this year, following an anniversary version of a Sydney fam programme in May where groups from China, Japan and India participated.
Nicholls said Sydney has also been experiencing strong growth from India, which is being responded to with a team of specialists that will develop relationships with agents.
“From a relatively low base in the last four or five years in India, we have seen some significant events that have come to Sydney so it’s definitely an interesting factor here.”
“And given the the size of the outbound market and the share that Australia is receiving, there is significant potential for growth in that market and Sydney will lead that growth,” he opined.
Finnair will soon begin flights to Busan; Gwangalli Beach, part of Busan, pictured
The South Korean coastal city of Busan will gain its first direct link to Europe come March 2020 when Finnair commences a thrice-weekly direct service between Gimhae International Airport and Helsinki Airport.
The service, part of an MoU between South Korea and Finland to facilitate multi-sector bilateral exchange, is expected to further improve Busan’s standing as a business events destination for Europeans.
Finnair will soon begin flights to Busan; Gwangalli Beach, part of Busan, pictured
The South Korean city has been gaining the favour of meeting planners, with its calendars marked for major gatherings such as the 2019 International Diabetes Federation Congress (15,000 participants), 2020 World Table Tennis Championships (2,000 pax), and the 2021 International Astronomical Union General Assembly (3,000 pax).
Currently, business travellers flying to Busan direct from Europe are required to transfer to the city via Incheon International Airport using either domestic air or ground services.
This development joins recent new air links to the city – SilkAir’s four-times-weekly flights between Busan and Singapore launched May 1 and Jeju Airlines’ four-times-weekly flights on the same route on July 4.
The Plaza Premium Lounge at Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, one of the lounges Priority Pass holders can use in India
Global loyalty and benefits firm Collinson has announced a multimillion-dollar investment in India to fuel the growth of its Priority Pass airport experiences programme, as well as to boost its technology capability with the help of local partners.
Priority Pass will see a doubling of its lounge portfolio in India over the next three years, building on its current portfolio of 45 airport lounges in 20 Indian cities. Globally, Priority Pass has a network of more than 1,200 lounges and airport experiences.
The Plaza Premium Lounge at Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, one of the lounges Priority Pass holders can use in India
Collinson’s wholly-owned and operated airport infrastructure business, Airport Lounge Development (ALD), is also working with airports across India to identify opportunities to open its own exclusive lounges and airport amenities. Already established in the airport lounge space in US and Europe, ALD will be bringing its business model to the Indian market.
The company’s investment in Indian airport experiences is part of a global vision to enhance its offering to more than 30 financial services clients in India and more than 1,400 banks globally.
David Evans, joint CEO of Collinson, said in a statement: “India is a vital market and one we see on a par with China in terms of growth potential. With 1.7 billion domestic passengers having flown in 2017 and outbound travellers expected to reach 50 million by 2020, the influence of the Indian traveller is only going to increase.
“We look forward to building out our lounge inventory and our own airport infrastructure, creating more locally relevant propositions and further strengthening our team on the ground with additional skilled local resource, and partnering with Indian businesses to redefine the airport experience for the benefit of domestic and international travellers,” he added.
Meet Taiwan has announced the sixth annual running of Asia Super Team, a business competition targeted at promoting Taiwan as a top-of-mind destination for incentive travel.
Taking on the theme, Enterprise Stars, this year’s event invites teams of four to compete for the opportunity to be chosen to travel to Taiwan for the 5D/4N competition from October 14-18, 2019. The team that wins the championship will bag an incentive travel package to Taiwan valued at US$50,000.
The competition is open to companies from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. One team from each country will be invited to participate.
A total of eight teams will get to immerse themselves in Taiwan’s business events environment by travelling through the country, visit key attractions and locations, and experience its festivals and major events.
Online registrations are open now, and will close on August 15. Results will be announced on September 16, 2019.
Asia Oceania Otorhinolaryngological Head and Neck Surgery Congress (AO ORL-HNS) 2023, the major ear, nose and throat scientific event in Asia-Oceania, is returning to Australia for the first time in 40 years.
The five-day conference will take place at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) in March 2023 and is expected to attract some 1,500 clinicians and specialist surgeons working with the ear, nose, throat, head and neck.
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre
The 15th AO ORL-HNS Congress is expected to deliver A$4.5 million (US$3.1 million) directly into the Brisbane and Queensland economies while fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing, and optimising healthcare across the region.
The main driver of the successful bid for the event is ear, nose and throat surgeon, Bernard Lyons, past secretary-general of The Asia-Oceania Association of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery Societies, and now president-elect.
Lyons worked with Ben Panizza and Phil Fisher, president of The Australian Society of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, and the team at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, in collaboration with Tourism & Events Queensland and Brisbane Marketing to secure the conference for the city.
“This meeting is potentially the largest meeting to be held in the field of otolaryngology head and neck surgery in Australia. It is a unique opportunity for Australia to interact on a scientific basis with our neighbouring countries in the Asia Oceania region. We are very excited to have been successful in our bid to hold the meeting, beating spirited challenges from (South) Korea and Vietnam,” Lyons said in a statement.
TWA Hotel at JFK Airport opens
New York City’s JFK Airport opened The TWA Hotel, housed in the airport’s restored TWA terminal building; the historic TWA terminal building opened in 1962 and closed in 2001.
The new hotel has 512 guestrooms, as well as a direct connection to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 via the terminal buildings “flight tubes,” a Jet Age design element that was featured in the movie Catch Me if You Can. There is also a fitness centre, rooftop infinity pool, bar and observation deck with views of runway 4 Left / 22 Right, as well as 4,645m2 of event space which includes a 1,390m2 ballroom.
F&B options include The Sunken Lounge cocktail bar; a lounge inside a transformed Lockheed Constellation “Connie” L-1649A aircraft; a 200-seater all-day restaurant by Jean-Georges, The Paris Café; as well as grab-and-go options alongside coffee carts throughout the grounds.
Other Jet Age touches include a series of museum exhibitions on TWA and midcentury modern design curated by the New York Historical Society, a reading room with Herman Miller-designed furniture and Phaidon books, and a Warby Parker Pencil Room, where travellers can use pencils emblazoned with one-liners to fill out custom postcards.
Hamburg to host world’s largest stem cell conference
Hamburg and the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg – have won their bid to host the 2021 annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR).
The largest global gathering of stem cell scientists, ISSCR 2021 is set to bring 4,000 researchers from around the world for the convention. In addition, the venue is scheduled to reopen in 2020.
The successful bid was put together by several groups: the Life Science Nord cluster initiative, Fraunhofer IME ScreeningPort, the Hamburg Ministry for Science, Research and Equality, the Hamburg Convention Bureau and the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg.
ITP announces new partner in Chile
Travel management consortium ITP (International Travel Partnership) has appointed Chile-based Turismo Rays to its corporate travel network.
Rays Group is a travel agency with over 20 years experience in travel and tourism, covering various businesses segments: Corporate, Consolidation, Leisure, Inbound, MI and MICE. It focuses strongly on the large/middle market enterprises sector and counts many global organisations within their customer base.
“The addition of Turismo Rays brings a new dimension to our travel management coverage and capabilities in South America,” said Ian Epps, director of partnership relations at ITP.
“We expect Turismo Rays to add considerable value to our already comprehensive coverage in Latin America with many opportunities for regional as well as worldwide commercial initiatives.”
Located in the old city of Qufu – better known as the birthplace of Chinese philosopher Confucius – is the first JW Marriott hotel in Shandong Province, and the 16th in China.
The hotel, designed by Kai Cui, the academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, features 188 individual guestrooms and nine complex suites. There are six room categories, from the 45m2 Deluxe to the 98m2 Executive Suites.
JW Marriott Hotel Qufu
Recreational facilities include a 24-hour fitness centre, spa and indoor heated swimming pool. There are also four F&B options on-site: the hotel’s signature restaurant Residence serving Cantonese and Shandong cuisine; the smart casual JW Kitchen with an international menu; the intimate Lounge for afternoon tea and wine; and the Tea Library in the lobby where guests can experience local tea culture guided by an expert tea master.
Event planners may avail the property’s seven multipurpose function spaces, such as the 800m2 Grand Ballroom with a 9m-high ceiling which can be further divided into two, and the 200m2 Function Room which can be further divided into three smaller halls.
To woo more Asian corporate travellers, Taiwan has embarked on a campaign this year that highlights her traditional sites and small towns.
Under this campaign, a total of 30 rural towns have been shortlisted for showcase. These include Miaoli’s Yuanli Township, which is home to grass-woven arts and crafts; Tainan’s Yanshui District for its Beehive Fireworks Festival; Jiaoxi Township in Yilan for its hotspring hotels; and Hualien’s Fenglin, which has been recognised by Cittaslow International as Taiwan’s first Slow City.
Serene autumn landscape in Miaoli’s Yuanli Township, one of 30 rural towns being promoted by MEET Taiwan for corporate events
Nina Lin, deputy executive director of MEET Taiwan, told TTGmice that as local experiences and “slow travel” take over the leisure space, they are also gaining popularity among business travellers.
“We hope that business travellers coming to Taiwan (for events) can extend their stay and explore our (rural districts). Some of our trade partners provide curated one-day itineraries to event delegates. We hope that this campaign will help visitors experience more of Taiwan’s cultures and local offerings,” said Lin.
The arrival of this campaign is timely, as trade players have observed rising demand for incentive travel and teambuilding trips to destinations beyond Taiwan’s familiar city areas.
Han Chang, representative of inbound tour operator Taiwan Tour, noted that there has been an increase in the number of requests for “relaxing” incentive trips, and these are often held in more rural areas such as Taitung and Hualien in eastern Taiwan.
These groups would engage in activities such as outdoor cycling, visits and interactions with aboriginal communities as well as sticky rice-making to experience the “original culture” of the country, he said.
Although footfalls are being pushed to smaller townships in Taiwan, Chang said visitorship to the capital will not be dented.
He explained that a large portion of corporate groups – especially first- and second-time visitors – still expect to make a stop at Taipei when in the country, as it is a landmark of Taiwan.
“The last day or two could be spent in Taipei, be for shopping or to visit other venues in the capital city,” said Chang.
Taiwan has remained a firm favourite for incentive programmes, particularly among companies from China and South-east Asia.
Lin shared that the number of corporate groups from South-east Asia has “increased ten-fold” since the 2016 launch of the New Southbound Policy, an initiative of the Taiwanese government to enhance cooperation and trade exchanges between Taiwan and 18 countries in South-east Asia, South Asia and Australasia.
When asked about the preferred activities in Taiwan of these markets, Lin said groups generally “demand for programmes with an element of creativity and destinations which can accommodate large groups”.
However, finer differences between China and South-east Asia markets exist.
“For example, the Chinese have certain expectations about Taiwan, and may want to visit famous landmarks like Alishan (National Scenic Area in Southern Taiwan). South-east Asians prefer something fresh and unique, and are more open to trying innovative things like using technology in their teambuilding activities,” Lin said.
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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