Chris Dexter has been appointed vice president, operations for South-east Asia and Pacific Rim by Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
The British national will lead the operations team from Wyndham’s regional head office in Singapore.
Dexter has been with Wyndham in China for the last 11 years, initially as general manager of Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hangzhou, before being promoted to vice president of operations for Wyndham Grand Plaza Royale Hotels & Resorts in Greater China, where he oversaw the operational responsibilities for 17 properties.
Dexter first embarked on his hospitality career in 1991 as F&B manager at the InterContinental Lusaka in Zambia. Other positions he has held include F&B director for Dusit Thani Bangkok; director of operations at Hilton opening properties in Chongqing and Phuket; and director of operations for the Leeds Marriott Hotel in the UK.
Christian Dolenc has been named general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Macau, following his most recent role as hotel manager of The Landmark Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
A native German national, Dolenc’s hospitality career began after receiving his diploma in hotel and catering business in 2001, as he underwent a range of placements in the UK, Switzerland and Germany.
Dolenc was appointed assistant front office manager at The Peninsula, Hong Kong in 2008 and in 2010, joined Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong as front office manager. In 2012, he transferred to Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta to take on the role of director of rooms before relocating back to Hong Kong as hotel manager of The Excelsior, Hong Kong in 2016.
IBTM China 2018 was held at Beijing's China National Convention Center. Photo credit: IBTM Events Facebook
IBTM, part of Reed Travel Exhibitions, is now the latest entrant into the Asia-Pacific region with a dedicated business events tradeshow.
This announcement follows on the heels of Messe Berlin’s reveal of its inaugural MICE Show Asia 2019, scheduled for debut this October 16-18.
IBTM China 2018 was held at Beijing’s China National Convention Center. Photo credit: IBTM Events Facebook
IBTM Asia Pacific will take place from April 6-8, 2020, in Singapore, at the Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre. It will bring together international, regional and local meeting planners and exhibitors for two days of pre-scheduled business meetings, education and networking.
Shane Hannam, portfolio director, IBTM, said in a statement that the company is drawn to the region’s strong business events industry, which “is expected to see the highest growth rate in the world to reach US$441.1 billion by 2025”.
Hannam added that IBTM Asia Pacific will allow the company to focus its IBTM China event on connecting Chinese buyers with international exhibitors and international buyers to do business.
IBTM Asia Pacific will be helmed by event manager Michael Jones, who has been with Reed Exhibitions for almost six years. The marketing and Hosted Buyer programme will be managed by the existing team based in Richmond, London, supported by Reed Exhibition’s teams in Singapore and Japan.
Other prominent business events tradeshows in Asia-Pacific include IT&CM Asia and CTW Asia-Pacific, taking place in Bangkok every September; IT&CM China and CTW China, held in Shanghai every March; IBTM China in Beijing every August; and AIME in Melbourne every February.
ICCA’s 2018 Statistics Report has identified Barcelona and the US as the top performing city and country, respectively, in terms of association meeting attendance.
In 2018, Barcelona becomes the number one city by estimated total number of participants (134,838), despite the fact that the Spanish city hosted 49 events less than Paris, the number one city by number of meetings.
Barcelona (pictured) is the top city in ICCA’s rankings
The study concluded that Barcelona hosted fewer but larger events. Paris and Vienna, respectively first and second in the ranking by number of meetings, take second and third position.
As for country rankings, the US holds pole position with an estimated total of 384,035 participants hosted in 2018. Spain, Germany, France and Canada takes up the remaining top five positions.
Asian presence on ICCA’s top 10 countries chart is provided by Japan at eighth spot and China at 10th, while the top 10 cities chart sees Singapore at the last position.
Along with the ranking of host destinations, the ICCA report also looked at the 55-year growth of the international association meetings market. It found that the exponential growth trend seen in the market has slowly matured while retaining “solid” growth patterns between 2013 and 2017.
The association meetings sector continues to diversify, in terms of terms of regional rotation area and regional popularity for hosting business events. Europe remains by far the most popular region for association meetings, but Asia-Pacific and the Middle East are rapidly expanding their share of the market.
Medical Science (16.9 per cent), Technology (14.2 per cent) and Science (13.5 per cent) are the three most popular international association meeting topics. September remains the most popular month for organising international association meetings.
In another strong indication of healthy market growth, the average total expenditure at all international meetings in the ICCA Association Database has increased by a promising four per cent in 2018, from €10.6 billion (US$11.9 billion) in 2017 to over €11 billion in 2018.
Senthil Gopinath, ICCA CEO, said: “Our industry is facing challenges from saturation, consolidation and new entrants, to erosion of traditional business models and fragmentation. There are also great opportunities, including market growth, disruptive innovation, digitisation, new players, less market barriers, new audiences and new scalable models. Alongside all these developments, the number of events is continuing to grow exponentially.”
Six in 10 travellers report feeling more creative and productive when travelling for business, according to a research by global travel management company CWT.
Millennial travellers are more likely to say that they are more creative and productive when traveling for business. Those in the Americas lead the way (77% feeling more creative and productive), followed closely by those in Asia-Pacific (75% feeling more creative and 73% more productive), while European millennials rank third (58% and 57% respectively).
Millennials especially, say they are more creative and productive when on business trips
Overall, travelers from Asia-Pacific are more likely to have increased creativity (65%) and productivity (64%) compared to travelers from the Americas (58% and 60% respectively) and Europe (53% and 51% respectively).
CWT’s research also shows that six in 10 travellers are most productive when working face-to-face and collaborating with colleagues as opposed to working alone (30%) or remotely (14%). Asia-Pacific travellers’ productivity benefits the most from working face-to-face: 61% versus 53% for travelers from the Americas and Europe.
Niklas Andreen, executive vice president and chief traveller experience officer at CWT: “These findings are not a surprise – travel energises people, fosters fresh thinking, creates connections – and nothing beats a face-to-face meeting.”
The survey was created by CWT and conducted by Artemis Strategy Group between January 29 and 9 February, 2019. Responses were collected from more than 2,700 business travelers from all over the globe who travelled for business four or more times in the previous 12 months.
Starting from September 2019, Hello Kitty Land Tokyo (also known as Sanrio Puroland) in Japan will open its doors for both private and corporate events.
There are two options for event hire. Interested parties will be able to do a theme park buyout, in which case it would be closed to the public. Otherwise, it is also possible to hold a private event in a space such as the Fairyland Theater, Märchen Theater, Entertainment Hall or Yakata Restaurant.
Hello Kitty Land Tokyo
1 of 3
Hello Kitty character
Yakata Restaurant
Märchen Theater
Throughout the duration of private events, participants will be able to access all of Hello Kitty Land Tokyo without any restrictions.
Reservations start from ¥1 million yen (US$9,222), and includes 200 day passes, lighting, and audio/PA system. Meanwhile, the entire theme park can be booked for ¥10 million, together with 300 day passes or more and other customisable options such as the appearance of a favourite Puroland character or an exclusively designed show. In total, Hello Kitty Land Tokyo can host up to 6,000 people.
“We wanted to make it possible for fans and companies alike to use Hello Kitty Land Tokyo as venue for unforgettable private events. We are expecting an increase in demand from inbound tourism groups and MICE travel until 2020 and beyond,” commented Yuya Makizato, Puroland Entertainment’s spokesperson.
Venue hire will only be available until March 2020, though reservations beyond that can be negotiated.
The Raffles hotel brand under Accor, has opened its latest property in Greater China, the Raffles Shenzhen.
Raffles Shenzhen is strategically situated in One Shenzhen Bay, a 72-storey high building in the CBD. Along with the hotel, the building includes the Sky Concert Hall, certified as the highest music hall in the world, on the 71st floor; a Raffles brand residence; a helipad on the roof; class A office space; a car showroom; and international clubs.
Raffles Shenzhen Premier Room
Guests are welcomed through the 34th floor Sky Lobby with views of Shenzhen Bay, where the views extend to the 168 guestrooms and suites above.
Amenities on-site include six restaurants and bars, and 3,000m2 of event space including a pillarless grand ballroom supported by eight multifunction halls. There are recreational facilities as well, such as the Raffles Spa, fitness centre, and an indoor swimming pool area that includes a Jacuzzi, vitality pool and sauna.
The Higueron Hotel Malaga, Curio Collection by Hilton
The Higueron Hotel Malaga, Curio Collection by Hilton
Spain: Hilton adds Spanish property to portfolio
Hilton has unveiled a new Spanish property in the port city of Malaga in Costa del Sol.
The Higueron Hotel Malaga, Curio Collection by Hilton, offers 177 guestrooms, a sustainable Michelin-star restaurant, two art exhibits with works from local and international artists, and boasts the largest conference centre in the region.
Spanning 2,255m2, the conference space offers six meeting rooms and can hold up to 1,000 attendees, and is an ideal backdrop for a Mediterranean cocktail reception, to large-scale conferences.
The hotel is located 12km from Malaga-Costa del Sol International Airport, which operates extensive routes to destinations such as France, the UK and, most recently, the UAE.
Hungary: Hungexpo Budapest’s gets an upgrade, new facilities The largest multifunctional event venue in Hungary, the 36ha Hungexpo Budapest, has started its major remodelling project.
Not only will all existing pavilions receive a refurbishment, with new flooring and a facelift of the exterior, all of its eight exhibition halls, ranging from 5,000m2 to 20,000m2 and totalling 60,000m2 of space, will be interconnected with a covered passageway.
Additionally, two new exhibition halls of 5,500m2 and 7,500m2, both of which will boast a 10m-high ceiling, will be added to the event venue. In addition, a brand new arrival hall, and a conference centre will also be constructed. The three-storey congress centre will boast a 2,000 seat auditorium and three dozen smaller meeting rooms, plus a 2,000m2 rooftop terrace. Construction is expected to be completed by 2021.
US: Denver to host Music Cities Convention next year
The Music Cities Convention, first held in Brighton, UK, in 2015, will be heading to Denver, Colorado, in 2020.
The conference, which organisers claim is the largest in the world to explore the relationship between music and the built environment, will be held from September 23-25 at the McNichols Building.
University of Colorado Denver professor Storm Gloor, who developed a course called Music Cities, which teaches how municipalities could benefit from the music economy, linked up with Denver venues and the university to bring the international convention to the city.
The Denver convention will be the fourth edition in the US and ninth global edition. Organisers expect 40 speakers and 300 delegates the September event.
Following its earlier announcement that current CEO Markus Semer and CFO Colin Lubbe are stepping down from their roles, the Kempinski Group has found a new CEO in Martin Smura, who will take the helm beginning July 1.
The 50-year-old Smura brings a vast amount of management experience and expertise from top international hotel companies on five continents, and was most recently executive chairman of the board of the Dorint Hotel Group.
Smura also spent 15 years with the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) in various capacities such as director operations in East and Western Europe. He also held his first general management post while with IHG, and was the group’s youngest regional GM at 30.
Could you give us a quick introduction to the role the Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry (HKAPI) plays in Hong Kong’s public healthcare system?
Founded in 1968, HKAPI is one of the earliest associations in the world formed by R&D-based pharmaceutical companies. We work closely with different government bureaux, professional associations, academics and patient groups, consistently providing expert views across the entire spectrum of healthcare matters, including healthcare system reform, research and development as well as patient empowerment.
Though that mission has evolved over the years, it still follows the industry’s fundamental pharmaceutical philosophy that medicine is for all people.
Sabrina Chan
HKAPI also provides constructive advice on the healthcare system, supporting the implementation of regulatory requirements while maintaining supplies of critical drugs and vaccines to safeguard the public.
For instance, we reviewed the Drug Office’s e-submission system before its official launch two years ago. HKAPI implemented a pilot test on it and then gave comments to bridge (user) gap and to minimise bugs. We also offered training for members.
What are the various functions of HKAPI?
I lead the executive office and the day-to-day running of the associations’ interest in accordance with the strategic plans and budget. I also work with an eight-member Board of Directors, who are our sponsors and elected by full-time members once every two years in AGMs.
There are several task forces set up for strategic initiatives and system betterment, namely Preventive and Primary Healthcare; Patients, Enlistment & Risk-sharing; Open Access; R&D/Eco-system; Regulatory Affairs; Ethics and Compliance as well as Macau.
I work with staff, sponsors and taskforces to develop policies and planning for the implementation of strategic directions, and support the effective implementation of strategic plans.
Together, we review and evaluate present and future opportunities, threats and risks in the external environment as well as current and future strengths, weakness and risks relating to the industry.
How big is the association today?
There are 39 full members, 28 associate members and two members under Academics and NGOs – the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Cancer Fund.
Multinational companies engaged in the research and/or development of pharmaceuticals remain our core members, including the world’s top 20 companies. Our member companies provide over 70 per cent of the prescription medicines in Hong Kong. Annual subscription fee for
Has this membership changed?
When I first (joined HKAPI in 2004), there were 53 members. That number slipped over time due to mergers and acquisition (M&A) among member companies. This is a dynamic phenomenon but it doesn’t impact our membership revenue since annual subscription fee is based on members’ sales turnover.
The pharmaceutical industry faces high risks because of the costly and lengthy R&D process for new drugs, which comes with a high chance of failure. According to a 2016 study by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, the discovery of a new drug through to getting the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval takes 10 to 15 years and costs US$2.6 billion. Less than 12 per cent of these candidate medicines make it into a Phase One clinical trial approved by the FDA.
On the other hand, our associate member categories have become more diversified, attracting law firms, device companies, communications, researchers, PR firms and even local big companies. We hope they provide better services for our members, and understand us more through HKAPI (and the) platform (we provide) for training and exchange of best practices and experience.
Since HKAPI also focuses on intellectual property such as patents, members like Baker & McKenzie has helped us a lot on law-related discussions.
How competitive is Hong Kong’s pharmaceutical industry?
Last year we did a survey on Hong Kong’s clinical trial attractiveness and identified other countries like Singapore and South Korea that have already exceeded us, so we have to catch up. For example South Korea has a dedicated department – the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety – which takes a one-stop-shop approach to attract clinical trials. But this is not happening in Hong Kong yet. We have to apply for approval from ethics committees, negotiate with investigators and apply for procedures – all of which takes a longer time.
We have submitted proposals to the government to have a faster setup of clinical trials in Hong Kong.
Does HKAPI have a major annual conference that brings international pharmaceutical professionals together?
We seldom do but our members may work with different associations to hold theirs. We may also support related conferences.
For instance, the Pharmaceutical Society of Hong Kong will host the 2020 Federation of Asian Pharmaceutical Associations Congress, drawing 2,200 delegates. HKAPI will definitely support it and details of our involvement are usually announced at a later stage.
Hong Kong has risen higher in status as a medical hub in Asia due to her high compliance with the code of practice. HKAPI has laid down standards for all medical conferences held in Hong Kong. We produce and distribute unbiased promotional leaflets and advertisements to prevent patients from being affected by inaccurate, outdated or missing information (regarding medicine). Also, we specify that medical conferences cannot take place in resorts where gaming opportunities are present.
HKAPI has a close working relationship with Meetings and Exhibition Hong Kong (MEHK). How does this partnership work?
MEHK has long been a super-connector for and a long-term supporter of HKAPI. We work across many facets and maintain a long-term partnership in elevating Hong Kong’s profile in the world’s pharmaceutical industry.
As MEHK extends its business network through HKAPI to bring even more pharmaceutical events to the city, HKAPI takes on the role of city ambassador.
And when HKAPI hosts its local events, MEHK conducts study missions to international association meetings and functions as a bridge to connect us with international association partners and event organisers for global exposure. MEHK’s efforts include securing speaker line-ups and opportunities for us to join industry networking events.
When MEHK organises study missions for association executives, I am often invited to speak about my experiences in running associations in Hong Kong and in Asia-Pacific.
As well, MEHK always helps to advise medical event organisers on compliance with our Code of Practice.
Is HKAPI affiliated with regional associations?
We are a member of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) since 1970 as well as a member of the steering committee of the Asia Partnership Conference of Pharmaceutical Associations (APAC) since its establishment in 2011.
Do these affiliations help HKAPI in connecting members with global peers or be involved in global activities?
I am myself a member of the working group and mentor of the three-day APEC Business Ethics for SME Forum since 2012. It’s tough from the outset as it was a small group of trainers and therefore required high involvement from members. My role varied every year, working with members and mentors and taking on speaking, training and facilitating responsibilities.
This year, the APEC Business Ethics for SME Forum was held in Japan and the theme was Promoting a Code of Ethics – Identifying the Relevant Stakeholders. I was a speaker at the opening and closing Japanese sessions and was also involved with mentor assignment and tables. I would say this was the most sustainable meeting I have (been part of), and I am so happy to see our group growing stronger with more members.
For years, we worked hard on promoting the Code of Practice and were rewarded by more Asian countries joining us. The Philippines issued an Administrative Order for the code in 2014. Recently, China Pharmaceutical Innovation and Research Development Association joined IFPMA and I flew to the capital and assisted it by reviewing its first draft of the code with other members.
What’s the biggest challenge in the work that you do for HKAPI?
It’s how to align different members’ demands and thinking (with our goals and activities). We have adopted various methods to obtain members’ thoughts, such having our CEO to meet with the general managers of member companies to seek their views. Prior to that, we conducted member surveys.
We adopt an evidence-based discussion approach and we carry out a lot of surveys and research. As such, coordination and support from members is vital.
When developing systems, I need to balance societal benefits with compliance clauses. I am fortunate to have the support of the Board of Directors. Our members treat me well too.
No matter how different the Board’s view is during discussion, we must unanimously align with the outcome.
I am also very proud of our high ethical standards and compliance to the Code of Practice. For years we have worked very hard on this for the industry because if one member were to breach the code, it would be a loss for the whole industry.
HKAPI marked its 50th anniversary in 2018. What’s your vision for the next 50 years?
We hope to help Hong Kong citizens expediently use innovative and effective healthcare solutions, and to continue to foster professional development to fuel industry growth.
Undoubtedly, our ongoing responsibility is to leverage the experience we gain from different places and multinational companies, and share best practices with our members to improve our medical system.
This is our dedication and explains why many position papers have been submitted over the last decade. One cannot imagine why a small office of six people would drive so many qualitative research and surveys. Some of these surveys are not one-off, rather they are questionnaires sent out regularly to monitor the effectiveness of a particular system.
Tell me more about HKAPI’s efforts on professional development.
HKAPI is a platform equipped with different forms of training for members because of good submission practice and good review practice. High ethical standard is our cornerstone.
We conduct systematic educational programmes such as a 22-week course for nominated medical representatives from member companies. We also conduct regulatory training programmes such as the one implemented with the University of Hong Kong (HKU). HKU students are welcome to participate for free to gain professional knowledge outside of their syllabus. As well, our ongoing Code of Practice workshop takes place at least once a year, drawing about 120 participants. All these are in addition to our patients’ workshops and trainer training sessions.
On the academic front, we support HKU and Macau University each year by staging a seminar to exchange intelligence on healthcare systems or special topics involving the two cities. Our seminar this year focused on public-private partnership in the healthcare system.
And finally, we have the Patient Empowerment Forum which is organised annually with the Hospital Authority and Hong Kong Alliance for Patient Organizations. It is now in its fifth year, and the 2018 edition covered topics like diabetes, medical device, digital device, medicine and home care. The event promotes exchange among stakeholders, academic members and even governments.
A champion for ethical standards
Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Sabrina Chan was with the External Affairs Department of i-CABLE Communications, tackling government relations, regulatory issues, corporate affairs, and the promotion of the company’s core products and services.
She co-founded the Telecommunications Research Project under the Centre of Asia Studies (University of Hong Kong, HKU), and was a journalist for various print and electronic media outlets.
Chan studied communications in Hong Kong when she began her tertiary education. She holds a graduate degree in International Studies from the University of Sheffield (UK), as well as law degrees from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and University of Tsinghua (China).
She is a member of the High Level Steering Committee on Antimicrobial Resistance and of the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee in Hong Kong.
Other career achievements include:
A close partnership with universities in the roles of Chair of Advisory Board of the HKU Bachelor of Pharmacy Programme, and as Adjunct Assistant Professor of CUHK School of Pharmacy
A long-time member of the Working Committee to develop strategies for promulgating Codes of Practice across APEC economies
A mentor with APEC and IFPMA programmes, where she shared best practices through training workshops and panel discussions at various forums attended by delegates from APEC member economies and biopharmaceutical sector experts
This article was first published in TTGassociations January 2019, a sister publication of TTGmice
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