Peter Neto has rejoined Fusion as the general manager of Fusion Resort Phu Quoc, having headed another property under the Vietnamese hospitality group earlier.
In his most recent role, he was the general manager of The Taaras Beach & Spa Resort in Malaysia.
Prior to that, he had also helmed Cassia Cottage Resort on Phu Quoc from 2016 to 2017, Alma Oasis Long Hai (then a Fusion-managed seaside property) near Ho Chi Minh City from 2014 to 2015, and Tanjong Jara Resort and Gaya Island Resort for YTL Hotels in Malaysia between 2011 and 2013.
The hospitality veteran’s career spans over 20 years worldwide, including various countries across Asia with groups such as Rocco Forte Hotels and The Ritz-Carlton.
Encore Melaka, the new live art performing theatre at integrated mixed development Impression City by Yong Tai, has appointed TP Long as general manager.
In his new role, Long will oversee the strategic business growth and overall operations of Encore Melaka, including its ticketing sales and global market expansion.
Long has over 20 years of experience in the tourism, hospitality and education industry, spanning international trade and markets including India, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore, Thailand, Laos, Saudi Arabia, the UAE & Australia.
As competition for business events heats up among Asian CVBs, bureau chiefs say the traditional approach of CVB collaboration needs to make way for other forms.
Speaking on the panel, The Big Picture: Alliance Asia – Are We Competing or Collaborating at BE@Penang 2018 on December 6, CVB heads agreed that bureaus have their own directions and objectives to prioritise.
Panellists say that CVBs have to come to an agreement to promote Asia as a single destination for business events and the like
Gordon Yapp, CEO of Sabah Convention Bureau, explained that as Asian destinations are not as “matured” as European competitors, each Asian state or city CVB will have very different KPIs. Sabah Convention Bureau, for instance, is still finding its way to bring both the private and government sectors onto the same page.
Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO of Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), also took a practical view of the Asian alliance, saying that collaboration is only possible after an event is first won by a destination here.
“For Penang (as a second-tier destination), the key is to get the business into (Malaysia) first. And as meetings, especially association meetings, rotate, everyone in the region can then have the opportunity to win the business. So for an alliance to work, we need to talk to partners first on how to get the business to come,” said Ashwin.
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), regarded as one of the more matured CVBs in Asia, has been active in cross-border collaboration. Citing an example, Nichapa Yoswee, TCEB’s senior vice president business, pointed to the Thailand MICE Venue Standard which was established five years ago to guide local venues towards global standards in order to improve their ability to win international business events.
Nichapa said the Standards has since been adopted across South-east Asia, something TCEB had also pushed for.
Panelists acknowledged that a collaborative approach taken by Asian CVBs isn’t a fresh concept. The Association of the Asian Convention Bureaux (AACVB) was formed in 1983, but has since gone silent.
When asked if the sleeping state of AACVB was indicative of the region’s steep competition and therefore tough environment for an alliance to succeed, Nichapa revealed that she has been pushing for a revival since joining the Association in September.
She noted that AACVB was formed by the Thailand Tourism Authority at a time when there was no CVBs in Asia. By 2008 when the region had eight CVBs, AACVB activities intensified and members came up with a common website and ran the annual Asia for Asia Forum where CVB heads came together to set rules and regulations for the industry and formed partnerships for sharing leads, among other things.
“Over time, Asian CVBs became stronger and more competitive, so things like sharing leads have become impossible to do. We cannot go to our government and say we’ve lost this bid because we sent to to a neighbouring country,” explained Nichapa.
Her plans for AACVB’s revival includes pushing for four meetings and a re-prioritisation of alliance objectives.
“Now we have come to an agreement to focus on promoting Asia as a single destination for business events, education, research and standards setting,” she revealed.
Jason Yeh, CEO of GIS Group Global in Taiwan, who presented a case study on the successful alliance between Barcelona and Austria Convention Bureaux during the panel, agreed that “cooperation does not always mean sharing business information” and urged CVBs to think out of the box.
Yeh said: “We in Asia have common interests. For example, there are more and more American associations that want to develop their membership in Asia-Pacific region but don’t know how. If Asian CVBs can work together and help them grow their membership here and create networking opportunities, we will have the chance to grow association meetings in the region.”
Secondary destinations like Borobudur in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, are slowly gaining
Despite the challenges of air connections, secondary cities in Asia are seeing success in attracting business events through innovative means, noted industry leaders at the third BE@Penang conference last week.
Nichapa Yoswee, senior vice president – business, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), said the movie, Hangover 2, which had scenes shot in Pattaya, had improved demand among European and American corporate meeting planners.
Secondary destinations like Borobudur in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (pictured) are slowly gaining ground with clients looking for off-the-beaten track and fresh destinations
She said: “It is not a brand new movie but it puts the destination in the minds of organisers and delegates who connected with it.”
Nichapa added that TCEB has also enjoyed success with social media marketing campaigns that employed plenty of destination pictures to promote the various business events cities outside of the Thai capital Bangkok. This appealed not only to the millennials, but people of all ages are looking for “Instagrammable destinations”.
Mona Abdul Manap, CEO of Kuching-based events specialist Place Borneo, has found that Sarawak’s off-the-beaten-track reputation has earned it favour among Asian and European meeting planners as well as younger event delegates, such as those in the IT and technology sectors, who seek adventurous experiences that they can brag about to friends or on Instagram.
Citing an example, Mona said a four-wheel drive experience which involved travelling on dirt logging roads as well as a boat ride from Long Terawan was deemed the highlight of the programme for an incentive group from Poland.
For Sarawak, success in attracting global business events had also come from the state’s hosting of ICCA Congress 2016, said Mike Cannon, former managing director at Sarawak Convention Bureau, who was on the panel of Second Tier Destinations: To reinvent the wheel or to follow the proven way? at the BE@Penang conference.
Cannon said: “The on-going benefit was that we were recognised by our peers and in turn, their clients by default. It made it so much easier for us to win bids because we had credibility and recognition.”
A deeper hunger for winning business compared to their peers in capital cities has also given secondary cities a stronger position, opined Ajit Singh Sikand, president and CEO at HBC Luxury MICE Consulting.
He explained: “Once they understand the client brief, they will deliver accordingly. We once did a champagne breakfast on a hot air balloon for an incentive group of 20 people in Borobudur, Indonesia, yet another second-tier destination now on the map for clients looking for new and fresh destinations.”
In China, emerging cities have been able to use cost comparison to their benefit, according to Alicia Yao, deputy secretary-general, MICE Committee of China Association of Travel Services.
Yao said convention bureaus in emerging Chinese destinations offer sponsorship to attract business groups, something that main cities Shanghai and Beijing do not do.
As well, prices are more competitive in emerging Chinese destinations. Citing an example, she said staying at an international five-star hotel brand with meeting facilities was 30 to 50 per cent cheaper in Suzhou as compared to Shanghai and about 30 per cent cheaper in Hangzhou. She said: “Both cities also offered authentic experiences where delegates can see the real China in terms of culture, history and attractions.”
Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) is leveraging increased services by Qatar Airways from Doha to intensify its efforts in attracting more corporate and association meetings from the UK as well as the US.
Qatar Airways started its three weekly services in February 2018, prompting strong hopes of business boost by business event players. The airline went on to raise frequencies to four times weekly on July 1.
Ashwin
PCEB CEO Ashwin Gunasekeran, said Europe, the US and India will be the bureau’s focus markets for 2019, although regional source markets will continue to get marketing attention to drive year-round traffic.
He shared that in 2019, PCEB will take up a bigger pavilion at The Meetings Show in the UK in June, due to good response from buyers this year when the bureau participated for the first time together with suppliers from Penang.
“The UK is not a new market for us as we have historical ties with the British who are also familiar with brand Penang. What we intend to do is to showcase our world-class meetings facilities and to shout out to the market that while we may be an emerging destination, our capabilities and services are comparable with capital cities in this region,” said Ashwin.
“As well, we have the Penang Factor, which is the authentic experiences, rich history and cultural heritage that delegates may not find in a capital city.”
PCEB will replicate this destination marketing model at IMEX America 2019.
Ashwin also told TTGmice that the state government has asked PCEB to take the lead in developing the Indian market in 2019 for corporate incentives and conferences. Thus, next month, PCEB will organise a second roadshow series to India, to the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Ahmadabad, as well as regular familiarisation trips for media and agents from India.
Commenting on PCEB’s India plans, Rohit Mishra, senior project manager at PCO Anderes Fourdy, said: “India is a vast and diverse country. It’s great that PCEB is visiting the north, south and western central parts of India because the needs of conference delegates are different. Penang also has many local medical associations and this may attract medical and pharmaceutical conferences from India.”
PCEB’s roadshow is timely, considering improved air connectivity between Malaysia and India with IndiGo Airlines’ new services from Bengaluru and Delhi in November. Malindo Air is also studying the possibility of starting direct flights between Delhi and Langkawi in 1Q2019.
BCD Meetings & Events (BCD M&E) has appointed Sanjay Seth as its new managing director, Asia Pacific, effective January 1.
Currently director, Singapore & regional accounts, APAC, Seth will replace BCD M&E Asia Pacific’s current managing director, Lisa Hopkins, as she moves into her new role as vice president, APAC industry relations & global network in January.
Sanjay Seth
Working closely with Hopkins, Seth will begin the region’s transition planning immediately. He will work with the region to further develop a strategy focusing on growing Asia-Pacific, which includes developing local teams and offering expanded services to BCD M&E’s customers.
Prior to joining BCD M&E 17 months ago, Seth founded Truth Serum 317 in 2015 and helped clients, like Abbott Diabetes Care, with design thinking and business transformation.
Prior to that, he was managing partner for Singapore-based Squake, where his team delivered strategy and creative development for clients, including Bacardi Martini, Diageo, Chrysler South East Asia and Standard Chartered.
What is your outlook for Asia’s business meetings and incentive market in 2019?
Asian markets continue to evolve as its feeder markets grow. Thailand has always been a big market for incentives and meetings, and I see this continuing for the foreseeable future. At Mantra Samui Resort, we are seeing interest from clients looking for an incentive trip that incorporates wellness.
Sri Lanka, where we have three hotels, is also seeing growth (in incentives and meetings), especially from the large international corporates.
What are your key markets for next year?
Mantra Samui will continue to focus on China and South-east Asia, where it receives most of its business due to airlift restrictions into Samui.
Sri Lanka will continue to focus on its key feeder markets India, China and South-east Asia. We also see opportunities from the US, the UK and Europe.
As for Perth, we see opportunities from Australia’s domestic meetings and incentives segments, as well as from South-east Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Samui faces airlift restrictions. How has this affected business volume?
Koh Samui has been seeing a decline (in arrivals) in 2018, which is primarily due to the restricted airlift caused by the local airport and its inability to receive large aircraft. But we hope to see new routes and more partnerships coming through the airport in 2019.
Is the company facing local challenges in other destinations as well?
Sri Lanka is a destination that weathers well no matter the situation. We have not seen any decline, even with the recent political instability that the country is facing. I foresee that Sri Lanka will continue to grow.
How about Perth? You will be opening Quay Perth soon, with the provision of a co-work space.
Quay Perth is an exciting property with almost all the large corporate companies located within a short walk of the hotel. Perth also has a lot of transient corporate clients visiting regularly for business from other cities, and at Quay Perth, we see the opportunity to host these clients looking for a base to work from for a day or two each month.
Our co-working space will be the first within a hotel in the city. We are excited to have the addition where we see our clients utilising the space not only for working, but for networking and entertaining. Working from cafes is very much a part of the Australian way of life so adding a co-work space that offers that vibrant surrounding – but with a business and networking focus – should resonate well.
Are you working on bringing this integration of hospitality and workspace into Asia as well?
We see a great opportunity to continue rolling out our co-working space where it makes sense. For example, in Koh Samui, we see many expats spending a lot of time on the island and looking for a place to work and relax, so we believe that this concept will be an area of growth.
Rooms
The hotel offers 196 keys across five categories.
I spent three nights in the lead-in category room and found its 30m2 space more than ample for my needs as a business traveller. The king-size bed was more firm than soft, which worked out great for me as a person with back problems.
1 of 6
Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre
Lobby
Avani Room
Courtyard
Convention centre theatre set-up
Convention centre u-shape set-up
There was a desk with a lamp, and in-room Wi-Fi was speedy. Ample power points were dotted all over the room to ensure my devices never ran out of juice. I also liked that I could control the lights from my bedside. My bathroom featured a rain shower, as well as a handheld shower head. Water pressure was strong, and the hot water temperature was constant.
The property is located around a 10-minute-drive from the town centre, and because of this, its surroundings were peaceful and quiet.
MICE facilities
The best part of this hotel was its location, as it is directly connected to the Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre. I could walk from my room and be seated in the conference hall in a mere five minutes.
The convention centre bills itself as one of Khon Kaen’s largest meeting venues with space for up to 2,000 guests. In total, it boasts more than 4,000m2 of venue space across eight function rooms.
While attending the conference was convenient and meant that I didn’t have to get up extra early, I personally wished that the hotel was a little nearer to the centre of town and its night markets. However, even though Khon Kaen is one of the less-popular Thai cities, Grab was surprisingly an easy way to get around, and I could easily find a car to take me to CentralPlaza Khon Kaen or a night market nearby.
Other facilities
The property has an infinity pool that overlooks a calming field of green. It would have been a perfect place to unwind, but unfortunately, my packed PATA Destination Marketing Forum schedule meant that I had no time to vegetate by the poolside. Other recreational facilities include a gym and a spa.
F&B options include the dim sum restaurant Ju Fang, as well as all-day-dining restaurant The Globe, where buffet breakfasts were served every morning.
Service
Excellent. All staff I came in contact with were courteous and extremely eager to help, plus they always did it with a smile. It’s nice to always feel the warmth of Thai hospitality whenever I’m in the country.
Also, when my housekeeper realised that I finished the two provided glass bottles of water on the first night, she thoughtfully added a third bottle from the second night onwards.
Ascott’s latest opening, the Ascott Sudirman Jakarta, is part of Ciputra World 2, an integrated development that also comprises a Grade A office tower and retail mall.
The 43-storey serviced residence offers business travellers 192 units, ranging from studio, one-, to three-bedroom apartments. Each apartment comes with a fully-equipped kitchen, living room and dining area, bathrooms with bathtub and rain shower. There is also complimentary wireless Internet access, LED smart television with home entertainment system, washing machine and dryer.
Studio
Guests can enjoy a range of lifestyle facilities including a swimming pool with a view of the city skyline on the 30th floor, games room, library, residents’ lounge, all-day dining restaurant, gymnasium with steam and sauna facilities, yoga corner, outdoor tennis court, business centre and meeting rooms.
Ascott Sudirman Jakarta is situated within a 45-minute drive from the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and a 35-minute drive from the Gambir Train Station.
Ascott has more than 130 serviced residences and business hotels with close to 22,000 units across 39 cities in Indonesia.
Gregory Gubiani has been appointed as the new general manager of The Westin Kuala Lumpur.
Prior to his move to Westin, Gubiani helmed the Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral from 2015 to 2018.
The French national has over 14 years of hospitality experience, starting his career as a resort host in an international five-star luxury resort in Maldives before becoming a front office manager in French Polynesia.
From there, he then joined Starwood Hotels and Resorts as front office manager at Le Méridien Nouméa, New Caledonia and then to The Westin Melbourne, where he was executive assistant manager in charge of rooms.
He then moved to South-east Asia in 2011 to step into the hotel manager role at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur before opening Le Méridien Bali Jimbaran, Indonesia as its general manager.
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.
