Aloft Langkawi Pantai Tengah has appointed Perak-born Ammar Kevin Eu to lead the opening team as general manager.
With nearly 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry under his belt, Eu began his career in hospitality in the F&B department as restaurant manager.
He then moved on to join the pre-opening team of JW Marriott Hotel Kuala Lumpur, where he managed restaurant openings and oversaw the expansion of the hotel’s conference centre. After a decade with JW Marriott, the seasoned hotelier became the hotel manager at Vistana Hotel Kuantan, and then resort manager at Tanjong Jara Resort.
In 2013, Kevin took on his first general manager role at Vistana Kuala Lumpur before moving to head the pre-opening team at the five-star luxury resort Mangala Resort & Spa in Kuantan and later on, the Swiss-Garden Hotel in Malacca.
How did you get into business events?
I have an F&B background, so the transition came naturally. (In my F&B roles), I occasionally engaged with event organisers. We’d chat about work and I’d find what they do interesting. I was also coached to sell, so in 2013 I started working in events and it started from there. It’s still about working with people but from a different perspective and angle. I love it.
What are your favourite aspects of the job?
To be a part of every event’s success is incredible. I feel like I’m helping to build something and seeing it from the initial stages, when we start planning, right through to the end event. I enjoy looking at all of the details for every aspect of the event, both internally and externally. To see guests happy at the end is always the greatest pleasure for me.
Anh Pham
What was your best event?
It has to be the APEC gala dinner we hosted in November 2017. It is one of the most prestigious events I’ve had the chance to be a part of. It’s also the main reason I joined Sheraton. We hosted 21 world leaders, several VVIPs and all the big corporates from across the world, so there were many special arrangements we had to pay attention to.
How was it different to other events?
There were many security and safety concerns. It was a very rare event to be involved in.
Sheraton was built to host it. When I joined in August 2017, the property was still under construction, so everyone was racing about to make it happen by November. The preparations had started about six months before I began my role.
What are your main challenges?
On a daily basis when I communicate with clients, I have to manage their expectations with a can-do attitude. The last thing we want is to over-promise and under-deliver. To overcome this, I always try to be as realistic as possible.
I make sure we communicate well with emails and through phone conversations. If there’s the possibility of them visiting, I’ll ask them to come over and see the product itself, what we can realistically accommodate and give them a real vision of how it’s going to be.
How do you see the business events industry developing in Vietnam?
Vietnam is a new destination compared with traditional ones like Thailand and Indonesia.
I think it will continue to grow significantly because there are many things to offer here. Many international hotel brands are here and starting to expand, and we have a lot of new brands opening too. We have everything it takes (to attract business events): infrastructure, great food, good technology to support international conferences, and a rich culture.
What more is needed to grow Danang’s events appeal?
Accessibility and flight connectivity are the main issues. With the opening of the new international terminal at Danang International Airport last May, we are seeing more direct flights being operated, and hope for even more and increased frequency in the future.
How’s your events calendar looking for 2019?
We have healthy bookings of both regional and international events.
A major event we are hosting in 2019 is an aviation conference taking place in March. For the last three years the conference has been held in Singapore with participants coming from across the world, including leading figures in the aviation industry. For 2019, organisers decided to move to a new location and selected Sheraton Grand Danang after attending an event at our resort. The contract was eventually signed 10 months (ahead of the event dates), with an estimated total of 700 guestrooms booked for the three-day event.
The partnership will provide a modern alternative to the traditional corporate travel distribution chain
RoomIt by CWT, the global hotel distribution division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), and SiteMinder, the global hotel guest acquisition platform, have announced a strategic partnership in the corporate travel distribution chain.
The two companies have teamed up to integrate their services and provide hotels with additional access to RoomIt travellers under CWT’s corporate travel programs umbrella.
The partnership will provide a modern alternative to the traditional corporate travel distribution chain
The new partnership will give eligible SiteMinder hotel customers access to RoomIt premium business travellers by offering more choices.
The connection is currently being piloted to SiteMinder’s hotel enterprise customers in the UK and Italy, and is expected to be offered to other SiteMinder hotel customers globally later this year. To be eligible, the properties of hotel groups and chains must currently be centrally located in a business travel destination, have more than 10 rooms, and provide amenities and services that cater for business travellers, including last room availability, in-room Wi-Fi and same-day cancellations.
SiteMinder’s managing director, Mike Ford, said in a statement: “The hotel industry is witnessing an unprecedented rise of direct connections, be that to guests or, now, a travel management company. This partnership is about rewriting the rules to provide hotels choice as they look to tap into the booming corporate travel market.”
A behind-the-scenes experience of this fast-disappearing performance art
A behind-the-scenes experience of this fast-disappearing performance art
Concept
Teochew opera is a fast disappearing trade that few understand and even fewer practise. The art form survives today through second- and third-generation performers, and usually emerges during key religious events such as the Hungry Ghost Festival, one of Singapore’s last vestiges of tradition.
The Art of Chinese Teochew Opera immerses participants in all aspects of the opera troupes’ backstage world, from their symbolic makeup to thousand-dollar hand-woven costumes.
A participant getting up-close and personal with the art form
Our session was held comfortably indoors in a clan association, where we met some of Singapore’s last opera performers – a local family, led by matriarch Tina Quek.
As the performers worked on their intricate makeup, university researcher Caroline Chia – who was our host for the session – narrated the heritage of Chinese opera and explained the significance of each performer’s dress and appearance.
The highlight of the experience was donning the elaborately embroidered costumes and headdresses, with the expert help of Quek and her daughter. Wearing the heavy and regal robes gave me great perspective and respect for the performers, who typically perform in the humid heat.
The session ended with a sample skit by the troupe that brought to life the costumes and choreography of traditional opera.
MICE application
A rare and immersive dive into a truly ‘hidden’ side of Singapore, this culturally rich experience is best suited for corporate groups and delegates that have a keen interest in traditional Chinese art forms and culture, as well as incentive groups hoping for an exclusive experience while visiting the Lion City.
The writer (middle) in traditional performance garb
More adventurous delegates would enjoy dressing up in the regal costumes and posing with the performers as well.
Service
Although opera is normally performed outdoors, this session was conducted comfortably in an air-conditioned room. Chia, as well as the Xperience Travel guide, were highly knowledgeable about the art and the performers, and urged participants to step forward for a closer look, interact with the props and ask any burning questions they had.
Photography is also encouraged, and while quiet and serious, the performers are not camera shy and were happy to engage in conversation about their work.
Transport is provided from the central pick-up point to the clan association, during which the Xperience Travel guide provided a brief background of opera in Singapore.
Sands Resorts Macao has launched a new offer, Meetings Beyond Imagination, which features an array of value-added benefits.
The offer is also extended to delegates, where those who attend events booked under Meetings Beyond Imagination are entitled to a range of dining, shopping and leisure perks available exclusively at Sands Resorts Macao.
The Parisian Macao’s Ballroom
Event organisers who book 25 to 100 rooms will be able to enjoy one offer, and this scales up to four offers for bookings of 201 rooms or more.
Offers are five per cent off the master bill; one complimentary room for every 25 rooms booked; one complimentary room upgrade for every 25 rooms booked; and 50 per cent off the Cotai Water Jet ferry ticket.
Meanwhile, extra offers extended to event organisers and delegates include 20 per cent off audio-visual equipment rental; 50 per cent off selected in-house entertainment; 50 per cent off Gondola Rides and Eiffel Tower Experience; 15 per cent off cocktail receptions at selected venues; and 20 per cent off at selected restaurants.
This offer is valid for meetings held between February 11, 2019 and December 18, 2020, available during the booking period of February 11, 2019 to December 31, 2019.
Meetings Beyond Imagination is available at all seven of Sands Resorts Macao hotels: The Venetian Macao; The Parisian Macao; Four Seasons Hotel Macao; The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central; Conrad Macao, Cotai Central; Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central; and Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central.
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts has opened the Wyndham Casablanca Jakarta, bringing the five-star brand into the Indonesian capital for the first time.
The rebranded property – formerly known as Park Lane Hotel Jakarta – offers 280 rooms and suites, including one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as a Presidential Suite.
Deluxe King Room
The hotel offers a host of facilities including a large lagoon-style outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi and children’s wading pool. Other recreational facilities include a fully equipped gym, as well as a spa with treatment rooms for a range of massage therapies. There are also two F&B options, the Riva Bar & Grill, and all-day restaurant Café One.
Meanwhile, events and functions will be able to avail its 13 flexible function rooms.
Located on Jalan Casablanca in Central Jakarta, Wyndham Casablanca Jakarta is conveniently close to the city’s key business precincts, embassies and several major retail and entertainment areas.
Hilton’s LXR Hotels & Resorts welcomes The Biltmore, Mayfair
The Biltmore, Mayfair is set to open as LXR Hotels & Resorts’ first UK property, following an agreement between Hilton and Millennium & Copthorne Hotels.
The luxury hotel, situated on London’s Grosvenor Square, will open for business in Spring 2019, marking the new brand’s European debut. Known as The Biltmore, Mayfair – LXR Hotels & Resorts, the property has been undergoing a multimillion-pound redevelopment since early July 2018.
Designed by Goddard Littlefair, the hotel will offer 257 guestrooms, many with views over Grosvenor Square, as well as 51 suites. Amenities on-site will include new culinary concepts headed by international chefs, an al fresco terrace, cocktail bar, and gym. Meanwhile, the largest function space is the 500m2 ballroom with capacity for up to 700 pax cocktail-style. There are smaller event areas for groups of 25 to 100 guests.
LXR is Hilton’s luxury collection brand. Last year, the collection welcomed its maiden hotel in Dubai at Habtoor Palace, a 234-guest room luxury hotel on Sheikh Zayed Road.
inVOYAGE sails to Monaco
Monaco has been announced as the host destination for the sixth annual luxury incentives and events forum, inVOYAGE, which will come to the Principality from October 6-9, 2019.
The forum will take place at the 278-room five-star Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo and its new One Monte-Carlo conference space. One Monte-Carlo opens in spring 2019 and will offer 10 meeting spaces, each of which will bear the name of an artist who has made a mark on Monaco’s history.
Local hotels and venues showcased during the forum include the re-invented Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the refurbished Columbus Monte-Carlo, and the luxury Hotel Metropole.
Last year’s edition took place at the Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah, the UAE. It attracted 220 event professionals.
UFI takes its Middle East/Africa conference to Dubai
UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, will host a regional conference for the exhibition industry in the Middle East/Africa region this year.
Open to all industry professionals, the conference – themed Embracing Change, Looking Forward to the Future – will take place on April 8 and 9, 2019, at the Dubai World Trade Centre in UAE.
Some of the topics covered will be digital impact and exponential change, the future of venues and events, talent management, the evolution of value and ROI from trade fairs, the economic outlook and visitors’ insights. It will also focus on trends and initiatives shaping the exhibition industry moving forward.
The exhibition industry in the Middle East has grown strongly over recent years, with the market size in the GCC region alone nearing around one billion US dollars, according to estimates from industry consultants.
“UFI currently has close to 100 member companies based in the region, organised in the MEA Chapter, who we are serving out of our Dubai regional office,” said Kai Hattendorf, UFI CEO and managing director.
“The conference is one of the region’s key initiatives, as well as numerous educational projects. Moving forward, we also plan to produce research around core industry data for this important region. And, last but not least, 2020 will see the UFI Global Congress returning to the region with Oman hosting this UFI flagship event.”
Franck Huang has been appointed head of development, China for Rosewood Hotel Group, which currently operates 14 hotels spanning its trio of brands – Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, New World Hotels & Resorts and penta hotels – in China.
Huang brings with him 15 years’ experience in the luxury hospitality industry and he was most recently vice president of development China at Marriott International.
The hospitality veteran has also held senior development roles at Starwood, where he spearheaded partnerships and deals for hotel brands such as Aloft, W Hotels and St Regis.
Tanjung Lesung beach, part of the affected Sunda Strait stretch
To speed up recovery of the tourism industry in the Sunda Strait area hit by a deadly tsunami last month, Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism is now encouraging government agencies and other organisations to hold their events in Anyer and Pandeglang.
A coordination meeting with the local industry and government sectors has been scheduled for January 11.
Tanjung Lesung beach (pictured) was part of the affected areas
Arief Yahya, Indonesia Minister of Tourism said: “Our first (marketing) move is to (bring) events here. As the tourism minister, I invite government agencies and (other) organisations to organise their events here.”
The minister believes that the government-led move would speed up recovery, as was the case in Bali post Mount Agung’s eruption and Lombok following the earthquake and tsunami last year.
This is part of a three-step recovery undertaken by the government to get the affected areas on their feet, including trauma healing, institutional and destination rehabilitation as well as destination marketing.
Arief set a goal for the destination to be back on its feet within three months.
A devastating Sunda Strait tsunami hit the coasts of Banten and Lampung on December 22, causing damages along the tourism belt of Anyer, Carita, Labuan, Tanjung Lesung and Menes.
The affected areas were closed following the event, but operations gradually resumed from December 24.
According to Guntur Sakti, chairman of the Tourism Crisis Centre of the Ministry of Tourism, 69 hotels and villas were affected.
“Hotels along Carita Beach were the most severely damaged, (some) up to 90 per cent.
“While about 50 accommodations were not (directly) affected, they suffered just the same as no guest came to Carita following the tsunami,” Guntur said, citing data issued on December 25.
Banten, however, is not all about the beach, according to its provincial tourism authority.
Eneng Nuchayadi, head of Banten Tourism Office said: “Banten has many destinations and attractions – natural, cultural and man-made – located in Serang City, Serang Regency, Lebak, Tangerang City and South Tangerang City just to name a few.”
Some of the sites include Batoe Koewoeng hot water bath, the 25m-high Cihear Waterfall within the Halimun Salak mountain area and Banten Grand Mosque.
Tanjung Lesung is one of the 10 New Bali destinations the government has identified, with special economic zone and infrastructural development planned.
The city of Wellington in New Zealand will soon welcome a new conference and exhibition centre, with building approval having been recently granted by the city council.
Construction on the 18,000m2 venue, which will feature 10,000m2 of convention space spread across its top two floors and a 1,650m2 ground-floor exhibition gallery to accommodate touring exhibitions, is set to start next year.
A rendering of the soon-to-be-constructed Wellington CEC
Designed by Wellington-based Studio Pacific Architecture, the venue draws inspiration from many sources including Wellington’s harbour, its wild weather, hilly landscape and Maori mythology.
Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA)’s general manager, regional development destination and attraction, David Perks, said in a statement that the Wellington Conference and Exhibition Centre (WCEC) will “take things to a new level”.
For instance, the WCEC will enable the city to put in bids for larger international conferences, and put the city on equal footing with Auckland and Christchurch, where both have conference venues under construction, as well as Australia, where its major cities already have purpose-built convention facilities.
The completed WCEC will also free up Wellington’s core performance venues such as the Opera House and Michael Fowler Centre to focus entirely on performance events.
Perks said the business events market is currently worth around NZ$240 million (US$162 million) to the city, and added: “Business event visitors each spend on average NZ$299 a day compared to non-business event visitors who spend NZ$190 each a day. That spending gets spread across the city on things such as accommodation, transport, eateries and bars, and in the retail sector.”
Moreover, the new convention centre is slated to host 111 new events annually, delivering nearly 149,000 new delegate days to Wellington, stated a report by Business and Economic Research (BERL). This represents 16 per cent growth from the current position. The space is also expected to attract over 272,000 annual visitors, generating an additional NZ$3.8 million in direct visitor spend.
The building’s glass cladding emphasises the shimmering, sinewy skin which changes in transparency throughout the day
The BERL report also revealed the convention and exhibition spaces would contribute a NZ$90.6 million annual spend, adding NZ$44.8 million to Wellington’s GDP while creating 554 new jobs. It showed the three-year construction phase would generate an additional NZ$171 million spend, contribute NZ$76 million GDP to Wellington’s economy, and create 864 jobs.
Tourism New Zealand’s global business events manager, Anna Fennessy, said the development of a large-scale conference venue is a huge win for Wellington.
“International business events deliver a range of benefits beyond the significant economic contributions they provide to the local economy. They have the potential to generate long-lasting positive social change in our communities through the expert knowledge delegates bring with them and they allow Kiwis to share their expertise and knowledge too. The introduction of a large-scale conference venue for Wellington means these benefits will be absorbed across the region for years to come,” she said.
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
The five-star property excels in backing its expansive facilities with seamless service and personalised attention, setting the benchmark for luxury in Bangkok.
