Penang has been selected as the host city for the inaugural ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Summit 2019, set to take place from December 5-6.
The ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Summit will be organised by the ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter and co-hosted by Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) and Anderes Fourdy, a Malaysia-based PCO.
Penang aims to create a lasting impression with its multi-experience liveliness-in-a-city and warm hospitality
It will be held at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre in conjunction with the fourth edition of BE @ Penang, co-organised by PCEB and Anderes Fourdy.
Initiated by ICCA Asia Pacific members, this event aims to bring ICCA’s Asia-Pacific members together for knowledge sharing, networking and explore possibilities for partnership and business opportunities among themselves and within the region.
The bid by Penang was supported by the members of ICCA in Malaysia and key industry partners of PCEB. Further information on the ICCA Asia Pacific Chapter Summit 2019 will be announced at IMEX Frankfurt next month.
The other 11 cities which submitted their proposals to host the summit were Bandung, Bangkok, Colombo, Haikou, Huzhou, Incheon, Manila, Quy Nhon, Singapore, Xiamen and Yokohama.
The chapter will call for bids to host 2020 summit later this year.
A rendering of the how the newly-refurbished ballroom will look like
Plaza Hotel Kuala Lumpur has been rebranded to Plaza Grand Hotel Kuala Lumpur since earlier this month, following a change in hotel management to Kenny Rich Properties.
The 158-key property is currently undergoing its first major refurbishment since its opening in 1981, a revamp to the tune of RM1.2 million (US$294,300).
A rendering of the how the newly-refurbished ballroom will look like
AB How, the property’s general manager, revealed that the refurbishment of the ballroom is expected to be completed in May, with two floors of guestrooms completed next in July, and two meeting rooms by the end of the year.
With the revamp, How is also keen on increasing the hotel’s share of regional meeting business, in particular from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. A majority of corporate events the Plaza Grand Hotel Kuala Lumpur currently handles are from the domestic market.
She said: “The hotel used to get a lot of Singapore leisure traffic in its early days, but this has reduced due to increased competition from other properties. We will increase marketing efforts for these markets.”
Among the hotel’s greatest selling points, according to How, is its value-for-money meeting packages. A full day meeting package costs RM90 nett (US$22), inclusive of one lunch and two tea breaks.
Another asset is the hotel’s accessible location, situated within walking distance to the Sultan Ismail STAR LRT station and Medan Tuanku Monorail station, and a 10- to 15-minute drive to Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
Upcoming developments slated for Sentosa Island are poised to mould Singapore into a stronger magnet for meetings, conferences and incentives, as the island prepares to welcome new facilities catering to the mid-tier business segment.
The first of these developments are three mid-range hotels operated by Far East Hospitality (FEH). They are Village Hotel at Sentosa, offering 606 rooms; as well as The Outpost Hotel with 193 keys, which features a stylish adults-only colonial island concept.
Aerial view of RWS area in Sentosa
In 3Q2019, the old-school luxury-styled Barracks Hotel will accompany its sibling properties along Artillery Avenue, bringing 40 rooms within a conserved colonial building. These three properties will raise Sentosa’s total room count to more than 4,000.
With the entry of FEH’s more affordable accommodation options, Sentosa is expected to gain points with the business events segment.
FEH’s CEO, Arthur Kiong, said: “Sentosa is a driver of business and is very popular, but it’s interesting that 90 per cent of its 3,200 rooms are in the luxury class. (Our new cluster) caters to families, groups, MICE and niche segments.”
He added that the rooms will be “egalitarian” and “priced effectively”, and that FEH is “working on establishing key partnerships with attractions on Sentosa”.
For the past decade, midscale conventions were largely limited to facilities at Resorts World Sentosa, said Judy Lum, general manager, Diethelm Travel (Singapore).
“Sentosa is a great MICE destination. Greater availability of midscale properties should stabilise hotel pricing on the island, which would in turn be able to attract more events,” predicted Lum.
He said that while Resorts World Sentosa and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort are popular choices for corporate events, “the hotels in Sentosa are typically priced slightly higher than those in the city”, and that “rates have been rising significantly on the island due to limited availability”.
He added: “We expect that Village Hotel at Sentosa will generate considerable interest for corporate meetings and events, as it will provide a more cost-effective option compared with most of the alternatives which tend to be high-end luxury properties.”
This range of more affordable accommodation will appeal particularly to the European and UK markets, opined Guy Allison, director of procurement, Tour East Holdings. He observed that in recent years, European and UK visitors have eschewed five-star luxury accommodation for three- to four-star boutique hotels.
He remarked: “Sentosa is starting to attract people to stay in Singapore for not just one or two nights, but three or four – maybe even a week. With the new developments, it might even become a destination in itself.”
He also expressed assurance that while Singapore is costlier compared to its neighbours, the country is “becoming more value-for-money”, and more affordable, compared to five years ago.
In the near future, Sentosa will be expanded to provide more leisure and business facilities.
Sentosa Development Corporation’s (SDC) assistant chief executive and chief financial officer, Chin Sak Hin, told TTGmice that in these plans, the nearby Pulau Brani will be “transformed” into a part of Sentosa, “retaining the island charm with new attractions and nature zones”.
“We always say that we are a world-class destination, but this will bring us to another level. We are working closely with other government agencies on planning this whole area, and we are now at the masterplanning stage,” said Chin. SDC is also currently developing the Sentosa 2030 masterplan.
The tides of change are also rolling beyond Sentosa. In October last year, senior minister of State for Trade and Industry Chee Hong Tat announced major rejuvenation plans for the nearby Tanjong Pagar waterfront.
This 1,000 hectare area, which Chee said is “as large as Sentosa island itself”, will be branded the Southern Gateway of Asia.
FEH’s Kiong commented that this development is set to be “the harbinger of very, very exciting developments for Sentosa, as well as the rest of the precinct”.
From left: President James Rees and new CEO Senthil Gopinath
ICCA’s board of directors has appointed Senthil Gopinath as its new CEO, based in the organisation’s head office in Amsterdam.
In his new role, Gopinath’s responsibilities include developing and executing annual business plans, ensuring operational sustainability and careful financial controls, and building ICCA’s global membership and presence with a special focus on developing member services adapted to each of ICCA’s key regions.
From left: President James Rees and new CEO Senthil Gopinath
Gopinath’s meetings travel career spans more than 20 years, of which 18 years spent working within ICCA member organisations. He joined the ICCA team in 2016 as regional director of ICCA Middle East (ME). In that role, he forged new relationships with regional governments and industry partners, and grown ICCA ME membership by more than 80 per cent.
His other career accomplishments include elevating MICE operations for Emirates Group as its head of business development and operations; re-structuring and re-strategising the business model of VFS Global a part of Kuoni Travel Group, where as vice president – South Asia of VFS Global, annual profits grew over 60 per cent in two years.
Gopinath also created an innovative private-public partnership model for the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau as its general manager and CEO, increasing business tourism by 78 per cent and driving a 64 per cent increase in revenue.
His appointment marked the end of a hiring process that began in October 2018 and drew more than 100 applicants for the position. In the past 10 months, Dennis Speet was interim CEO.
Following Phuket, Thailand’s second Rosewood has risen on Bangkok’s Ploenchit Road as a 30-storey standalone building, featuring 159 rooms including 34 suites and studios.
Deluxe rooms, starting at 42m2, have been outfitted with a separate living area to create a residential experience; while the property’s suite collection includes the loft-style Manor Suite, which features floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall windows. Three signature “houses” also boast their own private meditation areas, terraces and outdoor plunge pools.
Rosewood Bangkok
1 of 9
Deluxe Room
Deluxe Room
Executive Room
Lakorn European Brasserie
Lakorn European Brasserie
Lennon's
Nan Bei
Nan Bei
Pool
Iconic features within the hotel include an indoor 10-storey waterfall, and works of established and emerging Thai artists.
Four F&B options are available at this ultra-luxury hotel, including all-day dining venue Lakorn European Brasserie, Chinese restaurant Nan Bei; Lennon’s, a speakeasy-style bar; and upscale organic cafe G&O (green and organic).
Recreational facilities include Sense, A Rosewood Spa with five treatment rooms, an indoor-outdoor saltwater lap pool and a fitness studio.
Event planners can look to The Pavilion, a 320m2 residential-style venue with show kitchen that can seat up to 200 pax, or the 100m2 Ploenchit Boardroom on the 28th floor.
InterContinental Singapore Grand Ballroom in classroom setup
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) is offering a five per cent rebate off the master bill – room revenue only – for groups of 10 or more rooms per night.
To qualify for the deal, new group bookings must be contracted between now and June 30, 2019, with stays to be completed by December 31, 2019.
InterContinental Singapore Grand Ballroom in classroom setup
Rebate includes five per cent off the master account folio for consumed guestrooms only, up to a maximum discount of US$10,000. All other charges on the master account folio must be paid in full, and do not qualify for the discount.
This offer is available at more than 5,600 participating IHG hotels and resorts globally. Some exclusions may apply.
For more information, contact a IHG sales representative or visit ihgb2b.com.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has appointed Karen Morris as named regional director of sales and marketing for Australia and New Zealand.
Morris has been with Six Senses for almost three years, and was previously managing sales and marketing for Six Senses Fiji, in addition to handling the Australia and New Zealand market for all properties globally. Her new role will see her refocusing her efforts on full-time global sales.
Morris will continue to drive the high-level strategy for the Australia and New Zealand market while collaborating closely with all property directors of sales and marketing across the group’s portfolio.
From left: Karen Morris and Sabrina Ding
In China, Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain has appointed Sabrina Ding as director of sales and marketing.
With more than 12 years of experience in hospitality industry, she brings extensive knowledge and international experience to this role.
Fresh out of school, Ding joined Shangri-La Hotel, Xi’an, as sales executive, before moving to Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa in the Philippines. She then joined Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts in Dubai as cluster sales manager.
Prior to joining the Six Senses group, Ding was associate director of sales at Jumeirah Dubai Commercial Cluster.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Bay area plan should be a plus for tourism
Deepening cooperation and coordinating economic development of the region’s 11 cities will provide a host of opportunities
With recent strides made in the region’s economic development, cities included the Outline Development Plan (ODP) for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) are anticipating a business events boost in the coming years.
A Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) spokesman, said: “The ODP and recent infrastructure developments, such as the Hong-Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and inter-city rail developments, will greatly enhance Macau’s position as a MICE destination as it will open up the region, make it more accessible and provide more scope for multi-city, multi-regional collaboration for hosting MICE events.”
The GBA area plan should be a plus for tourism as it’ll deepen cooperation and coordinate economic development of the region’s 11 cities; Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Bay pictured.
IPIM has developed the concept of ‘one event, two locations’. For example, The Macao International Aerospace Forum was held concurrently with the 12th Airshow China last November in Zhuhai, while in July the International Comparative Literature Association Congress will be held in Macau and the pre-board meeting in Shenzhen.
Macau-based Powerhouse Convention and Exhibition’s president, Todd Cai, shared: “When the (IPIM) concept was announced a few years ago, we started observing additional exhibition traffic from China to Macau because it promotes manufacturing, production and cooperation among 11 Chinese cities such as Guangzhou and Shenzhen.”
Cai added: “Aside from linking satellite meetings and events, there are also opportunities to develop pre- and post-tours, technical tours and other types of tour programmes that encompass regional destinations.”
“Meeting business has also benefited thanks to governments’ effort to improve transport infrastructure and connection between cities, and the plan will help stimulate more international conventions to Macau, followed by post-tour or incentives to GBA. It’s a win-win situation,” the IPIM spokesperson noted.
Sands China, vice president of destination marketing and sales, Ruth Boston, commented: “The plan outlines a number of initiatives for the 11 cities in the region including programmes for transport infrastructure, and easier flow for goods and services. As such it will make it easier for people to travel within the region which can only enhance Macau’s reputation as a centre of tourism and leisure in the long term.”
Faces of Hong Kong’s CEO, Ivy Sung, expressed hope that Hong Kong can be the main hub drawing all relevant business events arrangements based on the city’s prime location and its ability to deliver multi-destination business events programmes.
Cai also expressed his hopes that IPIM will organise more overseas promotions to drive awareness and provide more training for trade when it comes to bidding international events.
The IPIM spokesperson noted: “We plan to strengthen MICE collaboration between Macau and the Greater Bay Area cities, especially in the area of co-organising training programmes and events.”
When the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) completes its expansion by mid-2019, it will boast an additional 11,000m2 of flexible and multipurpose space in the heart of the city.
The upgrade will raise the Centre’s space inventory to 33,659m2, enabling the venue to accommodate larger international association meetings or mega trade fairs, as well as concurrent events, said Alan Pryor, general manager at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
A rendering of the upcoming expansion
He shared: “Over the past 13 years of operation, the Centre has successfully built a strong base of annual repeat clients. Currently, 60 per cent of our events are recurrent and continue to increase in size year-on-year.
“Adapting to these ever-growing events, combined with the need for more flexible space, was one of the main reasons we initiated the expansion. Having the extension gives us the room to be even more creative, innovative and customisable in meeting our clients’ needs.”
Its prime location in the heart of Kuala Lumpur – surrounded by many existing as well as upcoming office and hotel developments – has brought about an increased demand for space, requiring the Centre to better its ability to “host larger and more events simultaneously”, said Pryor.
The additional space, which will have a direct link to the existing facility, is made up of a large foyer area for pre-event activities. There will be three new halls measuring 2,862m2 each, and each hall will have two hospitality lounges which can be utilised as secretariat rooms, VIP rooms and meeting spaces. The new halls can be further subdivided by operable walls.
With the expansion, Pryor is confident that the Centre will provide “the capability to meet the current and future needs of the Malaysian business events industry”.
Now the whole world has access to Beyond Business by Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways has expanded its Beyond Business by Qatar Airways corporate rewards programme to its entire network.
The programme, which first launched in Europe and the Americas in January 2019 and in Qatar last month, introduces a new currency, Qrewards, targeted at business travellers.
Now the whole world has access to Beyond Business by Qatar Airways
With Beyond Business by Qatar Airways, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can earn Qrewards to redeem on flights to any of the airline’s 160-plus destinations.
Unlike other programmes where redemptions are permitted only on select flights at select times, Beyond Business by Qatar Airways enables businesses to redeem Qrewards on any flight with available seats.
Once registered with the portal, corporates will be able to book flights, redeem their Qrewards, and access reports that will help manage their travel budgets.
By progressing through three new reward tiers – Elevate, Accelerate and Ascent – customers can unlock faster earning and unique benefits, including fast track Qatar Airways Privilege Club Gold status, lounge access and upgrades.
In celebration of the launch of the programme, Qatar Airways will offer 3,000 Qrewards for all new accounts created in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa until May 3, 2019.
Bonus Qrewards will be credited to the account within a week of qualification. Eligibility requirements and additional information can be found on the programme’s website at www.qatarairways.com/beyondbusiness.
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