Louis T Collection has appointed Chaivaree Chitrakorn as general manager of Mantra Samui Resort in Koh Samui.
Her second posting with the hospitality management company, Chaivaree joined Louis T Collection in June 2017 as hotel manager for Hotel Bocage, a six-room boutique hotel in the Thai resort town of Hua Hin.
The Thai national spent most of her career – as an attendance management executive – with Cathay Pacific Airways in Hong Kong, before relocating back to her homeland in 2017 to join Louis T Collection.
Planning your next event? Conrad Centennial Singapore is the perfect place to host unique events and gatherings of all sizes.
Breath-taking banqueting rooms are all part of the surroundings at Conrad Centennial Singapore.
The Pavilion, which is the latest addition to the hotel’s selection of event spaces, is a sophisticated glass-enclosed ballroom that overlooks the hotel’s relaxing outdoor pool. Accommodating up to 160 guests in theatre seating, the airy and open interiors of The Pavilion features not only high ceilings, but also offers a sense of luxury amidst the city’s dynamic landscape.
The elegant yet versatile ballroom provides an extensive area, catering up to a maximum of 700 guests for a Gala Reception. The ballroom can also be further partitioned according to the guests’ needs.
For more intimate gatherings or break-out rooms, choose from a host of smaller salons, located adjacent to the ballroom.
There are also thirteen newly refurbished guest rooms on level six that can be converted to breakout meeting rooms. A round table for 10 persons can be placed in each of the rooms.
The hotel has also recently completed the full refurbishment of its 511 guest rooms and suites. The new design features the use of natural materials throughout the room, exuding a smart, polished and refreshed look. For guests staying in the Executive rooms and suites, they can be pampered by the luxury of choices and personalisation options our hotel offers. Guests are entitled to an unprecedented access to both the hotel’s newly renovated lounges. The Executive Lounge on Level 31 has an exclusive residential ambience, accompanied by sweeping views of the Civic district and the Marina Bay whilst the second lounge, the Lounge by the Pool, is perfect for families with its strategic location next to the swimming pool.
Offering a casual setting, the Lounge by the pool is the ideal spot for lounging and enjoying a relaxed afternoon, away from the hectic city life.
For more information about the accommodation and banquet facilities or to arrange for a visit, please email sinci_salesadm@conradhotels.com or call +65 6334 8888.
Nancy Chan will take up the role of managing director at Uniplan Hong Kong as of January 2, 2019.
With an aim to foster Uniplan’s business development in Hong Kong and the South China region, Chan will further enhance Uniplan’s offerings from strategic marketing consulting to design and the implementation of brand experiences.
With over 20 years of experience, Chan is a seasoned senior executive with diverse background in exhibition, event, telecommunications and manufacturing industries. She carries in-depth understanding of the MICE industry having held various positions in the industry’s value chain. Her career has taken her to work and live in the UK, Hong Kong and China.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has appointed Brenden van Blerk as general manager of voco Gold Coast, the world’s first voco property.
The veteran has been part of the hospitality industry for more than 22 years. Van Blerk’s IHG journey began in 2013 as the room division manager at the Holiday Inn Sydney Airport, before moving on to becoming the operations manager at the Holiday Inn Old Sydney.
He was then made general manager of the Holiday Inn Potts Point Sydney, before moving to voco Gold Coast in the same capacity.
Prior to joining IHG, Brenden spent 10 years in the US market working with brands like Hilton, Marriott and Starwood in a diverse array of hotel styles, markets and hotel phases such as opening, conversion and renovation.
Despite the business events industry boom across Asia and the growing need for talented individuals to join the workforce, few schools in the region offer dedicated degrees or diplomas in business events management.
This, coupled with the vast study choices in non-hospitality/tourism track available in universities and colleges across the region, has made the talent crunch in the business events industry even more pronounced.
Here in Asia, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University is one of the more proactive educational institutes in offering specialist courses in business events. Its School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) offers a Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in Tourism and Events Management and even a Master’s degree in International Tourism and Convention Management.
Kaye Chon, SHTM’s dean, said the School works closely with the industry to develop relevant programmes to groom the next generation of convention and event managers.
“We are mindful of Hong Kong’s push to strengthen its leading position in the market. With the spread of convention and event management as a specialist field, SHTM is committed to nurturing passionate and pioneering professionals to satisfy industry demand.”
Undergraduates apply what they have learnt from the classroom in a real-life work environment. They spend two semesters organising an international conference and complete internships with tourism/events organisations, such as the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.
The SHTM Event Society, founded by students, has a mentorship programme in cooperation with various event associations, where mentors help participants gain insight into and experience in business events. Networking with event industry leaders introduces contacts for their future careers.
At the postgraduate level, students learn industry best practices, management skills and research, taking them from theory to practice for a competitive advantage. The flexible delivery and modes of study allow students to complete their studies in just one year to fast-track their careers. The programme also caters to people already in the field who wish to advance their knowledge without giving up their jobs.
Over in Malaysia and Singapore, the respective associations of convention and exhibition organisers and suppliers – MACEOS and SACEOS, respectively – collaborate with tertiary institutes offering event management courses and liaise with industry members to provide internship opportunities to students.
“SACEOS has established arrangements and forged partnerships with several local and privately-run institutes and universities on business event certification and development to grow the pool of business event talent and develop relevant, future-ready competencies of industry professionals,” said its executive director, Bita Seow.
At the School of Hospitality in Republic Polytechnic Singapore, the Diploma in Integrated Events Management (DIEM) focuses on learning by doing.
DIEM programme chair, Lynn Yue, said: “Our Industry Immersion Programme (IIP) provides students opportunities to intern with established local and international hospitality providers and pick up valuable work experience over a 24-month period. Some students even get internships overseas.
“The IIP responds directly to employers’ needs for capable hospitality employees by improving the talent pool in advance. Organisations can hire seasoned individuals who will be able to jump straight into a career (from graduation).”
Sample data from the annual Singapore Ministry of Education graduate employment survey shows that about 65 per cent of DIEM graduates move on to pursue a degree programme, some after a few years of work.
As well, the government-supported SkillsFuture study awards encourage continuing education. Events students can pursue an Earn and Learn Programme conducted by Singapore’s Temasek Polytechnic.
However, with fewer than 25 industry vacancies per year in the city-state for some 700 potential graduates from qualifying institutes, this suggests that the majority will have to seek employment in the wider hospitality sector or head overseas.
Yue estimated that about 30 per cent of DIEM graduates stay on in Singapore’s hospitality industry, though not all may be employed in business event companies. “The local MICE sectors rely more on freelance project managers and contractors,” she explained.
There is no doubt that when businessmen meet, be it at intimate functions where contracts are inked or at massive conferences where the latest commercial issues are discussed at length, trade is established and money is both spent and made.
But more than just making a beeline for commercial gains, for-profit corporates are also establishing valuable legacies for the communities they are involved in.
New projects benefiting the host city are often launched at business events. The Public Utilities Board, for example, moved to support and grow water firms during the Singapore International Water Week 2018
One of the clearest legacies of business events and activities is the exchange of knowledge that shape future industry developments, opined Ailynn Seah, vice president of sales – MIC and association, Marina Bay Sands (MBS) in Singapore.
Seah explained: “Many of the high profile events that were hosted at MBS have seen new projects being launched and key announcements being made, which in turn impact related industries within the city-state. For example, during the Singapore International Water Week, the Public Utilities Board launched the Singapore Water Exchange – a new development to house water firms across the industry and further its growth.”
Business events are also an important creator of jobs, noted Didier Scaillet, CEO, Society for Incentive Excellence, who referenced the Economic Significance of Meeting to the US Economy study released earlier this year by the Events Industry Council.
“In terms of impact on direct employment, the business events industry ranked second to healthcare across all industries. Business events create opportunities, empower communities and enhance local livelihoods,” Scaillet said.
Through events, companies are also fulfilling corporate social responsibility (CSR) goals, pointed out both Seah and Scaillet.
Said Scaillet: “CSR plays an integral role in driving employee engagement and building a thriving corporate culture, and has therefore become a critical part of the engagement strategy of organisations. While CSR has become a formal organisational approach to giving back, the actual action of giving back can be very powerful, authentic and transformative for employees.”
He attributed the rise of CSR initiatives during events partially to the millennial workforce. “A survey by Cone Communications found that 65 per cent of millennial employees say an organisation’s dedication to social/environment causes is directly linked to employee loyalty. And, a Towers Watson survey made a direct link between CSR and engagement – specifically calling out CSR as a driver of engagement.”
He added: “The events industry has long supported green meetings and CSR opportunities and with the millennial population, it will likely do even more to push the CSR envelope.”
Within the sphere of corporate incentive travel, inclusion of CSR elements in programmes is on the rise.
According to the Incentive Travel Industry Index, CSR inclusion has risen in Europe (from 38 per to 43 per) and in Asia (from 17 per cent to 38 per cent).
“Across all regions, CSR and sustainability are second only to the national economy in terms of impact of planning and implementation of incentive travel programmes,” Scaillet said.
Seah believes that event venues can be a catalyst for the achievement of CSR goals. She said: “When clients hold events at MBS, our team will first develop an understanding of their meeting objectives – including any requests to incorporate CSR-related or sustainable elements into their programme. We collaborate with the client to ensure that the right community experiences and green initiatives are curated into the meeting design process.
“Our value-add comes from our staff’s expertise and knowledge on the social landscape in Singapore, coupled with MBS’ leadership in CSR.”
Citing examples of how this was recently achieved, Seah pointed to the Schneider Electric Global Innovation Summit and the 7th Responsible Business Forum on Sustainable Development organised by Global Initiatives in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme.
For both events which took place in 2018, the MBS team created ‘Earth-friendly’ menus that featured organic, fair trade or Rainforest Alliance Certified, responsibly produced or locally sourced ingredients – a step-up from the venue’s standard green meeting Harvest Menu which offers locally sourced F&B options to reduce food miles.
At the Schneider Electric Global Innovation Summit, the MBS team also tapped on its network of charities to help the organiser channel their leftover event furniture towards a charitable cause.
Seah recalled: “We connected the organiser with the Association for Persons with Special Needs (APSN) and facilitated the donation of 320 furniture items such as shelves, sofas and tables to the organisation. These furniture items were used to furnish APSN’s new Centre for Adults, a sheltered workshop and training centre space for their beneficiaries.”
Summing up the deeper, wider impact of business events, Scaillet said: “The true potential of face-to-face events extends to the heart of society. Events facilitate human encounters, help overcome barriers, build understanding, cultivate connections and promote peace. And that’s why it is more important than ever for the business events industry to embrace our responsibility to advocate for a world that is safe, open, and inclusive.” – additional reporting by Rachel AJ Lee
This article is part of The Soul of Business Events, first published in TTGmice December 2018/January 2019
Organisers of AIME 2019 have announced a strong line-up of Australasian exhibitors that includes Melbourne & Olympic Parks (M&OP), Meet in Regional NSW (New South Wales), and Tourism New Zealand (TNZ).
M&OP, home of the Australian Open, will showcase its range of venues as well as a new function centre opening in 2022.
The NSW government will represent some of the state’s most iconic destinations, venues and hidden gems at AIME 2019
The NSW government will have its largest stand ever at AIME next year, with some 24 co-exhibitors from across the region in participation.
NSW minister for tourism and major events, Adam Marshall, said in a press statement: “The conferencing industry is currently worth A$173 million (US$124.5 million) in overnight visitor expenditure to rural and regional NSW, and we look forward to growing this number even further as a result of our presence at AIME 2019.”
Meanwhile, TNZ will feature some of the country’s most scenic locations, recently celebrated as the People’s Choice – Favourite Destination at the 2018 Australian Travel Awards.
“New Zealand’s business event offering continues to grow, with two new world-class convention centres under construction in Auckland and Christchurch and one announced for Wellington (in early December). The range of activities and experiences available in New Zealand are varied and unique, offering conference delegates a memorable experience. We are excited to showcase this at AIME 2019,” said Anna Fennessy, TNZ global manager business events.
If there was one significant change in Asia’s business events industry over numerous decades, it would be the ability to win over global gatherings.
Mike Cannon, who began his business events career in 1978 with the formation of a DMC in Australia and went on to head Sarawak Convention Bureau as CEO from 2012 to 2017, observed that Asia in the early days “lacked the creativity to entice my clients (from Australia)” in comparison to destinations in New Zealand, the UK, Europe and North America.
“It was beer, beach, some culture, and price – that’s it. But how that has changed,” remarked Cannon, who now runs Mike Cannon Business Events – Asia Pacific, a consultancy focused on marketing, branding, training and representation for organisations targeting business events. “Singapore, even with its rigid bureaucracy and conservative environment, has excelled in its offerings for corporate events. And Bali, despite being ‘full’, still offers a unique experience for corporate events – and keeps refreshing.”
Susilowani Daud, president director of PACTO Convex Indonesia, who started her business in the early 1990s, confessed that she used to be annoyed by Singaporean business events leaders who saw Indonesia only as an extension for meeting programmes held in the city-state.
Suprabha Moleeratanond
“At that time, the Jakarta Convention Center was still under construction to host the Non Alignment Movement Summit. The airport in Jakarta could barely handle the arrivals of 10,000 delegates across those two days,” she recalled.
Susilowani’s confidence in her country’s ability to score on the regional business events stage has since changed.
“Today, Jakarta and Bali – to say the least – are ready to compete (as standalone destinations). We have the venues, hotels and airports that can accommodate large events,” she said, adding that general infrastructure across the country, including in secondary cities, has been vastly improved over the past four years.
Adding to that, the Indonesian government kicked off in 2017 its 10 New Balis programme to replicate the economic effects of tourism in Bali across 10 other destinations in the country.
National tourism authorities elsewhere in South-east Asia are doing the same.
Having successfully developed five MICE cities, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau is now following through a new masterplan to grow the Kingdom’s pool of quality destinations for a range of business events.
Vietnam National Administration of Tourism is calling for fresh infrastructure in Quang Ninh Province, where the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2019 will be hosted in Halong Bay. The event is expected to show the world that Vietnam in general has the ability to pull off large-scale events, noted Dinh Ngoc Duc, the NTO’s director of marketing.
There are success stories of states and cities that have taken it upon themselves to get business events-ready too – such as Penang and Sarawak in Malaysia.
Another major, positive change in Asia’s business events industry, according to Cannon, is the improved air accessibility “that has made Asia much easier to sell”.
On the other hand, industry veterans are lamenting an aspect of the industry that has remained frustratingly unchanged, and that is the lack of cooperation among regional CVBs to raise Asia’s competitiveness, standards and profile.
Suprabha Moleeratanond, ICCA honorary member and once chairperson of the Asian Association of Convention and Visitor Bureaus (AACVB), said: “I have always wanted to see cooperation among Asian CVBS and have hoped that together they can help to grow the industry.
“If associations and business enterprises that lie around Asia-Pacific can be exhorted by national CVBs and brought to work together, to share their expertise and experience, one can imagine how that will generate new knowledge, social understanding, and cross border business for Asia. It would benefit all CVBs, if they can develop a database together.”
However, she acknowledged that Asia’s “diverse cultures and languages, and the competitive nature of Asians” make it hard for such a collaboration to work.
“Now that Asian governments see the impact of business events on their country and their political, social and economic agenda, together with the growth of China and India, I observe stronger competition and less cooperation among Asian CVBs,” Suprabha added.
Also dismayed by the lack of regional CVB cooperation, Cannon said: “Done well, the AACVB has the opportunity and potential, not only to keep pace with Australia and China, but also to drive Asia as the future business events destination. But it is frustrating that it hasn’t taken off. On its website, the latest bit of news was tabled around 2011.”
Susilowani also highlighted the continued lack of “government commitment to support the industry, especially in bidding for large association events”.
When asked for their vision of Asia’s business events industry for the near future and advice on regional advancement, views are varied.
Cannon hopes industry peers will pay more attention to China as a potential rival. While the market is large enough to fill its own massive supply of business events infrastructure, he warned that soon the Chinese would want to meet elsewhere and China venues would have to look globally to fill their spaces.
Suprabha continues to urge a stronger collaboration among national CVBs in Asia, while Susilowani hopes to see Indonesian players work hand in hand with the government to “grab business. – Reporting by Karen Yue and Mimi Hudoyo
This article is part of The Soul of Business Events, first published in TTGmice December 2018/January 2019
Why get to Indonesia’s Komodo Island the usual way when you can do it in style and touched by the fingers of luxury?
Ayana Hotels, known for its lavish accommodation and stellar hospitality in various highly-prized locations around Indonesia, has recently debuted a specially-built Phinisi cruise ship that sails to Komodo Island, calling at well-known areas such as the Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Excursions on Ayana Lako di’a (which means safe journey in Balinese) are two-, three- or five-nights in length, and making the experience perfect for corporate charters.
Onboard the 54m-long Phinisi vessel – the world’s largest – are nine luxury cabins, which can hold a maximum of 18 passengers. Guests can expect five-star treatment, full dining options and spa treatments. Water activities such as snorkelling, diving, and stand up paddle-boarding are available, alongside dry activities such as yoga and dolphin watching.
Cruises set sail from Mondays to Saturdays on a regular basis, and on Sundays, Ayana Lako di’a can be used as a corporate event venue.
Event spaces onboard include the multipurpose front deck, spacious dining room, and the upper deck. The ship can accommodate up to 120 people for a reception, and 70 in round-table format.
Event planners can also choose to combine the luxury cruise with an equally exquisite land programme at the Ayana Komodo Resort on Flores Island’s breathtaking Waecicu Beach. The five-star picturesque property has a grand ballroom for up to 220 guests.
Opened in September with 13 suites and 192 guestrooms, each offering ocean views, the resort is the only five-star hotel in Komodo. Other facilities include six F&B venues, a spa, a gym, and two swimming pools.
Shinta Mani Hotels has made two senior management appointments in Cambodia.
From left: Kenan Moumin and Amara Colenthier
Kenan Moumin is appointed the general manager of Shinta Mani Angkor and Shinta Mani Shack Angkor. Moumin has experience in the upscale and luxury resort scene, having worked for companies including Starwood and Marriott in Central China as well as AccorHotels, where he was part of the Accor Executive Leadership Program in Australia.
Amara Colenthier is named the villa manager of Shinta Mani Angkor – Bensley Collection. Of French Khmer ancestry, Colenthier is a hotel and restaurant management graduate with experience in the luxury hospitality scene.
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.
The Pavilion, which is the latest addition to the hotel’s selection of event spaces, is a sophisticated glass-enclosed ballroom that overlooks the hotel’s relaxing outdoor pool. Accommodating up to 160 guests in theatre seating, the airy and open interiors of The Pavilion features not only high ceilings, but also offers a sense of luxury amidst the city’s dynamic landscape.
The hotel has also recently completed the full refurbishment of its 511 guest rooms and suites. The new design features the use of natural materials throughout the room, exuding a smart, polished and refreshed look. For guests staying in the Executive rooms and suites, they can be pampered by the luxury of choices and personalisation options our hotel offers. Guests are entitled to an unprecedented access to both the hotel’s newly renovated lounges. The Executive Lounge on Level 31 has an exclusive residential ambience, accompanied by sweeping views of the Civic district and the Marina Bay whilst the second lounge, the Lounge by the Pool, is perfect for families with its strategic location next to the swimming pool.
