Singapore industry entrepreneur and pioneer Kenny Goh has made a comeback with the establishment of MICE Neurol, an event technology company that promises to offer solutions based on five verticals, namely registration, data privacy protection, mobile app, engagement – incorporating gamification, live Q&A and feedback – and hardware rental control.
Goh: solutions will support uberisation and gamification concepts
According to Goh, the young company already has a number of government events in the bag.
Concepts such as “uberisation” and “gamification” will feature prominently in MICE Neurol’s solutions.
“Events are all about interaction and our surveys show that gamification is the ice-breaker on steroids and collecting redemptions for being on time, for example, is more fun and interesting for delegates,” he said.
As for the “uberisation” of events, Goh explained that it is the “peer-to-peer” delivery of a bespoke experience. For that to happen a platform is needed and he insists it costs next to nothing, unlike what organisers think.
Goh commented: “Three years ago it would cost about S$10,000 to S$12,000 to create an event app and it would take around two months to work. Now it can be done in six hours and our first client paid S$500 to get a taste.”
What is needed is experience, and a “fully integrated event technology company”, he pointed out.
And with the EU General Data Protection Regulation kicking in a few months back, and Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act, the events industry must get up to speed on what the law states and how data mapping and data proxies work.
Goh said “data transfer agreements” will be part of the event landscape. He also insists the entire event organising and managing process must be integrated and there cannot be many vendors.
“I see the professional organiser who is only an intermediary dying off,” he suggested.
The Reverie Saigon in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City is repositioning eight floors of its property, and is now offering 89 apartments for short stays.
The Reverie Residence, Liberty one-bedroom apartment
The apartments used to require a minimum three-night stay, but The Reverie Residence can now be booked for a single night of accommodation.
Guests of The Reverie Residence enjoy a separate entrance, lobby and lifts, 24-hour guest service, use of the Residence Lounge – which is furnished by Giorgetti and includes a private gym – and access to the hotel’s swimming pool as well as all restaurants and bars.
With this change, The Reverie has launched the Suite Dreams package. Rates start at VND 12,650,000++ (US$540) per night for a one-bedroom residential-style suite – with near half of this value being returned to guests in the form of a VND 5,750,000 daily credit (single or double occupancy).
The in-house credit can be used on a number of services, including airport transfers in luxury house cars; access to The Reverie Lounge for afternoon tea, cocktails and canapes; meals at any of The Reverie Saigon’s restaurants & bars; spa treatments; dry-cleaning and laundry services; and butler service.
Terms and conditions apply.
Suite Dreams is available for stays through February 28, 2019.
GIS Kaohsiung Asia's New Bay Area Convention Center
A vibrant line-up of business events taking place in cities outside of Taipei, Taiwan is helping to raise the profile of these destinations as interesting option for even more high-profile gatherings.
GIS Kaohsiung Asia’s New Bay Area Convention Center
An example is the Global Harbour Cities Forum on September 26 that shone the spotlight on the waterfront Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre in the Asia’s New Bay Area as well as the nearby offshore Penghu Island.
To draw even more corporate traffic to Penghu Island, MEET Taiwan is marketing the area as 2018 Most Beautiful Bays at the World Congress, as well as participate in a business exhibition that features a carnival, concert and container-park show floor.
“There are many developments and events coming up that we are excited to be a part of. For the rest of 2018, we will be promoting Taiwan’s business events following an ocean theme, encapsulating destinations like Kaohsiung’s bay and islands like Penghu,” shared Jessie Tseng, executive director of MEET Taiwan.
Over in Taichung, where the Asia MICE Forum 2018 was recently held, the industrial city will get its softer, greener side played up by the World Flora Exposition. Running from November this year to April 2019, the expo will be held in multiple new facilities across Houli, Fengyuan, Waipu and Shuinan districts. Taichung will also host the 2019 Taichung East Asian Youth Games.
Not only will these events raise the profile of the bay area and Taichung, the destinations are also getting a boost through new event venues.
Taiwan-based GIS Group has launched the GIS Taichung Wenxin Convention Center and the GIS Kaohsiung Asia’s New Bay Area Convention Center.
The former, designed by renowned Japanese architect Toyo Ito, features three meeting rooms incorporating several design concepts and glass walls.
Meanwhile, the GIS Kaohsiung Asia’s New Bay Area Convention Center boasts five differently sized meeting rooms, coupled with advanced equipment, technical support and spacious lounges.
Jason Yeh, CEO of GIS Group, said: “The MICE industry is a main part of the Asia’s New Bay Area plan. The transportation, accommodation, catering and tourism around that area form a package to attract local and foreign corporates to host their meetings and events.”
He added that clients, especially those from Taipei and Hsinchu City, have expressed the need for more business event facilities in both Taichung and Kaohsiung.
Yeh pointed out that the new convention centres were designed to cater to the rise in “non-traditional” events that are “much more casual and creative”.
He said: “We offer different sizes of conference spaces, which allow a better fit for different event requirements. Instead of having fixed meeting settings, we are very flexible so guests can design their own meeting setup according to their needs.”
Asian corporate incentive groups are appearing to gain a stronger interest in destinations in Central and Latin America, according to destination specialists who have reported a rising number of enquiries from Asian planners.
Rio Secreto
Susanne K Prenzel, director of sales and marketing of Mexico-based Epic DMC, told TTGmice that while the current Asian traffic for her company is leisure, interest in Mexico is now spreading to corporate incentive planners.
“They are drawn to Mexico’s history, culture and food,” she explained.
So strong and promising is the Asian interest that hotels in Cancun are starting to employ more Asian staff and offer Asian breakfast options, observed Prenzel.
Maria Isabel Castaneda, representative of Peru-based Milenaria Meetings and Incentives, is also seeing Asian demand extending beyond the leisure segment. In response, her company has assigned a staff to attend a tradeshow in China to get business leads.
However, enquiries from Asian corporate incentive planners have yet to be converted into confirmed bookings, with price sensitivity being the main obstacle.
Castaneda said Asian incentive planners often found tailored incentive programmes to be too pricey, preferring instead the cheaper regular leisure tour itinerary.
For Luis Herrera, senior sales manager of Panama-based Panamazing Groups & Incentives, Asian corporate bookings have materialised.
Herrera said: “Two years ago there were no Chinese MICE groups. Last year, we received a few Chinese groups as well as a few Japanese incentive groups that came on cruise ships.”
Mark Jordan, regional director of sales with tour specialist Amstar, has also started to welcome Asian incentive business in the last two years, in the form of three small but high-end Chinese groups that went to Santo Domingo, the capital of Dominican Republic.
He said: “We arranged a walking tour of the Old City and dinner at a high-end restaurant. Their tour was part of a larger Caribbean and Latin America programme.”
However, the progress – while promising – is slow for Jordan.
“I’m constantly told the Asian market is going to explode (particular South Korea, Japan and China), but I’m still waiting for that to happen. For Amstar to have a (sales) office in Beijing, there must be business there,” he said.
Still, he is keen on promoting Central and Latin America as well as the Caribbean to the Asian incentive market. Amstar is pushing the region – everything south of Mexico – as a single destination.
Jordan explained: “If you’re going to come all the way from Asia and you have the budget, you won’t want to just see one destination. A possible itinerary would be three nights in Mexico, two nights in the Dominican Republic, two nights in Jamaica, and maybe even a side trip to Cuba. This is what our vice president of sales promotes when he goes to Asian tradeshows.”
To nudge curious planners into action, Costa Rica DMC is working with the local tourism board on strategic campaigns to increase Costa Rica’s visibility in Asia, revealed Gabriela Sanchez, director of sales & marketing. As well, fam trips for Asia-based incentive agents are offered, and Sanchez said her agency would look into participating in relevant tradeshows in Asia should interest continue to grow.
Destination specialists who spoke to TTGmice explained that the growing Asian interest could have been triggered by recent improvements in air access to Central and Latin America.
Previously, travellers from Asia take almost a day at least – with lengthy transits – to get to destinations in the region. But things have changed with All Nippon Airways (ANA) commencing its first direct flight from Japan to Mexico this year. Joining that is Air China, which launched a service between Shanghai and Panama, via a two-hour Houston transit.
Prenzel believes that the new ANA service will present business opportunities beyond Japanese corporate groups, as it makes Mexico more accessible to travellers from other important Asian markets like Thailand and Hong Kong.
With improved air access, Herrera is expecting an increase of 10 to 15 per cent in Chinese incentive groups over the next two years.
Marriott International has named Juan Samso general manager of The St Regis Zhuhai.
The Spaniard was most recently general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, and prior to this held the position of hotel manager for The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong.
Samso’s hospitality career with Marriott started in 1999 as the manager of pool & beach restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands. Subsequently, he rose through the ranks in various positions in Ritz-Carlton properties in Key Biscayne, Miami, Barcelona, Hong Kong and Macau, through where he gained his expertise in luxury hotel management.
The Asian hotel sector is rapidly evolving. As the regional business and leisure travel market grows, so does the level of competition from global hotel chains expanding their presence into new markets, as well as emerging local brands and boutique accommodation offerings. A hotelier’s ability to attract the right guest, at the right time, for the right price, has never been more challenging, and the need for advanced operating systems has never been greater. But what are the technologies that will actually add value to a hotelier’s business today? What are the market trends supporting travel industry growth, and what systems exist to help target these opportunities in the future?
To further hoteliers own understanding of industry and technology trends, IDeaS Revenue Solutions, the leading provider of revenue management software and advisory services, together with hospitality innovation leader Hotel ICON, staged a pivotal hotel technology summit. The sold-out event, called HOTECH 2020, attracted over 300 hotel executives from Hong Kong and across Asia to discuss the outlook for the regional hotel sector and the role of technology in sales, marketing and revenue disciplines.
“Many hotels across the APAC region are incorporating new technologies into their business. From chatbot concierge services to property specific apps, hoteliers are constantly looking at ways to enhance guest experiences,” said Richard Hatter, general manager Hotel ICON & adjunct associate professor at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management Hotel ICON & The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. “HOTECH 2020 was a vitally important summit that promoted a message of hotel executives not only needing a working knowledge of common operational technology platforms, but also an understanding of how new solutions like AI and machine learning will disrupt the industry into the future. The hotel sector is still a ‘people and service business’. Technology needs to be employed correctly to furnish us with the right data to make the right decisions as well as delight our guests and win their return business.”
HOTECH 2020 featured top industry keynote speakers, such as Ephraim Lam from Facebook and hospitality digital marketing expert Anthony Yiu, along with multiple industry panel discussions, which featured market leaders from organisations such as Oracle, Expedia Group, YMCA, The Ascott and Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Discussions at the event covered topics such as consumer trends in the online travel market, operational technology advancements, disruptions in travel distribution, revenue management and AI in the hotel sector.
Ting Huang, research analyst for Euromonitor International, spoke at HOTEH 2020 about exploring the future of online travel. She discussed the state of the regional travel market and how the future of travel would be increasingly shaped online and via mobile channels.
“The opportunities for the Asian hotel sector are significant. Today, the regional travel market is worth USD $843 billion and makes up 35 per cent of the total global travel sector. However, what is key for Asian hoteliers is that a growing portion of their guests will come from within Asia Pacific, and China will account for half of this market. Therefore, it is vital that hoteliers understand what motivates and attracts in-region travellers to choose one hotel property over another, particularly in relation to online influences and mobile booking preferences,” said Huang.
“Authentic interaction with future guests must be relevant and linked to the demographic’s expectations as shaped by their consumer behaviours on platforms such as Facebook and Wechat. For instance, hoteliers looking to target millennial travellers could learn from AirAsia’s recent partnership with the mobile dating app Tinder for their ‘Meet Malaysia’ campaign. This campaign leveraged the popularity of the dating platform with younger travellers to show off the best aspects of Malaysia, encouraging individuals to swipe right and ‘match’ with the destination.”
What people say about a hotel online today not only impacts consumer perceptions of a property but can also directly influence its future financial performance. Rachel Grier, area managing director Asia Pacific for IDeaS, presented on this topic at HOTECH 2020.
“Online review sites and social media platforms were once relegated to the periphery of a revenue management strategy and handled exclusively by the public or guest relations department,” said Grier. “Recent Cornell research found a correlation between reputation scores and average rates. In the study, a one per cent uplift in reputation score led to an increase of 0.89 per cent in ADR and 0.5 per cent in occupancy. These numbers are significant.”
“In today’s digital ecosystem, hotel guests have more buying power than ever before. To not only survive but thrive in such a challenging environment going forward, it is vital that hoteliers ensure they deliver on the ‘seven Ps of marketing and revenue’. This means not only ensuring your product (property) is as strong as it can be, but also generating the right promotions, in the right place, for the right price, targeting the right people, using the right proof points and following the correct processes,” continued Grier. “It is the revenue department that has access to the data that will enable marketing and sales to make better, more profitable and strategic decisions. Collaboration across these departments is essential as we move toward 2020.”
A key theme of discussion at HOTECH 2020 centred on the role AI would have on the industry. Dennis Leung from the SAS Institute directly addressed this topic in his presentation.
“What hotels throughout Asia need to embrace is that AI is not a distant opportunity for their industry. It is already here,” said Leung. “After all, hotels first began introducing automated decisions to the world of hotel revenue management nearly 30 years ago. Today an AI driven customer journey can help maximise ‘pre-trip’ conversion through customer journey targeting, omni-channel engagement and lead nurturing. The technology can assist hoteliers ‘on-trip’ through maximising basket value and guest satisfaction through real-time offers such as location or activity-based discounts. Finally, hoteliers can use AI to help drive customer loyalty ‘post-trip’ through generating guest feedback for future targeting and developing personalised loyalty offers.”
Panel discussions at HOTECH 2020 also looked at more practical issues around integrating new technologies into legacy hotel operating systems and how hotel executives themselves can upgrade their own capabilities to operate in an age of advanced automation.
“It is more important than ever for hoteliers to stay updated on the fast-moving trends across various demographics, trip types and booking behaviours,” said Boon Sian Chai, senior director of market management, Expedia Group. “Equally so, having a working knowledge of the tools and technologies we will all need to fulfil our roles successfully in the future is of critical importance.”
About IDeaS
With more than 1.6 million rooms priced daily on its advanced systems, IDeaS Revenue Solutions leads the industry with the latest revenue management software and advisory services. Powered by SAS® and with nearly three decades of experience, IDeaS proudly supports more than 10,000 clients in 124 countries and is relentless about providing hoteliers with insightful ways to manage the data behind hotel pricing.
IDeaS empowers clients to build and maintain revenue management cultures—from single entities to world-renowned estates—by focusing on a simple promise: Driving Better Revenue.
IDeaS has the knowledge, expertise and maturity to build upon proven revenue management principles with next-generation analytics for more user-friendly, insightful and profitable revenue opportunities—not just for rooms, but across the entire hotel enterprise. For more information, visit www.ideas.com.
About Hotel ICON
Unlike any other, Hotel ICON is an upscale Hong Kong hotel in the heart of Tsim Sha Tsui East. Standing as a testament to Hong Kong’s creative energy and vibrant arts scene, Hotel ICON showcases work from the city’s celebrated designers and the world’s most acclaimed architects. Offering the ultimate in comfort and committed to service excellence, Hotel ICON’s 262 stylish guestrooms comprise seductive extras, including complimentary wired and Wi-Fi internet connections, smartphone with unlimited mobile data and an ultra-slim 40” Ultra High Definition LED TV. Located on level 9, Hotel ICON’s Angsana Spa is a tranquil oasis while the harbour-facing outdoor swimming pool and fitness centre allow guests to exercise while enjoying views of Hong Kong Island’s spectacular skyline.
With a maximum capacity of 580 persons, Hotel ICON’s grand Silverbox ballroom is the ideal venue for a celebration or theatre-style conference. Hotel ICON houses three restaurants: Above & Beyond, The Market and GREEN, providing guests with exceptional quality of the food and impeccable service. wallpaper* magazine included Hotel ICON in its 2011 list of the world’s Best Business Hotels and DestinAsian included the hotel in its Luxe List 2011. The premier hotel has also won in 2 categories including the Top 25 Hotels in Asia in the 2017 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Awards. Join us by following our official social media accounts at @hoteliconhk and share your memorable moments with us by using the hashtag #hoteliconhk.
What’s special: The restaurant’s concept and design are based on artistic and cultural elements of Yunnan’s minority ethnic tribes. Every corner of the atmospheric restaurant on The Bund showcases the colourful and original patterns, handiwork and embroideries of Tibetan, Yi, Na Xi, Dai, Miao and Yao tribes. Local religious beliefs, ancient poems, song and dance also provide inspiration.
Lost Heaven, The Bund lounge
Serving Yunnan folk cuisine, the food is based on indigenous recipes and cooking techniques from the province, combined with a western and South-east Asian twist.
This unique approach has made Lost Heaven a one-of-a-kind restaurant, earning it the reputation of a “must-visit” and “landmark restaurant”.
Event application: The average cost for dinner per head, not including drinks, is around US$30. The second floor can seat around 200 people. DMCs in Shanghai have booked the venue for groups, and have also used the third and fourth floors where there is a bar, a terrace and a space for private parties and meetings.
Contact: contact@lostheaven.com.cn
What’s special: Located within Kerry Hotel Hong Kong, Dockyard is Hong Kong’s first digital food court which relies on an app to deliver the menu, ordering and payment requirements.
Dockyard, Hong Kong
For the technophobes, thankfully, there are also printed menus and a human cashier.
The restaurant comprises nine international food outlets, serving Chinese, Indian, Japanese food and more.
The design of the space adopts an industrial chic vibe with a nautical twist, paying tribute to the maritime history of the Hung Hom location.
Dockyard also hosts some of the hottest live bands in town. Table football and pool are available for hire, perfect for getting delegates to socialise.
Event application: Dockyard can accommodate groups with 10 to 100 guests. Planners can choose either a set menu or buffet. For exclusive venue buyout, a minimum spend applies and the rate varies according to the service and setup needed. Full venue hire is only available on weekdays.
Contact: (852) 2252-5228
What’s special: Located in Menteng, Central Jakarta, an elite residential area since the Dutch Colonial period, Plataran Menteng is an elegant restaurant that has been a hit with product launches, small meetings, corporate gathering or theme dinners.
Plataran Menteng, Jakarta
While it retains the European-style facade of the 80-year-old house, the venue was expanded from a single-storey building into three levels.
Plataran Menteng serves fusion Indonesian cuisines inspired by Indonesian and Asian traditional recipes.
Event application: The first floor comprises two dining areas and two private rooms that can altogether accommodate up to 120 seats.
The second floor offers two dining areas and five private rooms, three of which can be combined to form a larger venue. The private rooms can host six to 100 guests.
On the third floor is a cigar lounge and a dining area for 60 people plus a bar and access to the rooftop. This area is suitable for product launches, pre-dinner cocktails on the rooftop, and dinner in the dining area.
The private rooms and main dining areas can be hired for private events, varying minimum charges apply to different spaces.
Set and customised menus are available for planners to pick from.
Contact: www.plataran.com
What’s special: Sonya’s Garden is a spacious, rustic and relaxing restaurant in the middle of a vast garden. It serves fruits, flowers, vegetables and herbs from its five organic and pesticide-free greenhouses as well as freshly baked bread with homemade dips from its own bakery. A gourmet Filipino menu featuring meat entrees is available for groups of 10 or more.
Sonya’s Garden, Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines
Mid-priced, food is consistently good. The cool clime, charming garden setting and options for lodging, spa, and quaint shops are worth the two-hour trip for groups that want to escape Manila’s urban jungle post-meeting.
Event application: Sonya’s Garden can accommodate up to 400 persons in the main restaurant. Sonya’s Garden also has two event venues.
Contact: www.sonyasgarden.com
What’s special: Set within a historic government reception hall modelled after the Joseon Dynasty’s Jagyeong-jeon building at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, The Korea House treats visitors to a host of royalty-infused experiences. Visitors can dine on traditional royal Korean cuisine, participate in group cultural activities while dressed in traditional hanbok, prepare local cuisine such as kimchi and more.
The Korea House, Seoul, South Korea
Event application: Experience programmes run for 1.5 hours and are open to groups of at least 20 people. Groups of more than 50 participants require prior reservation and coordination with officials in charge.
Planners should note that this venue is closed on the third Monday of each month, Seollal (Lunar New Year’s Day) and Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day).
Contact: www.koreahouse.or.kr
What’s special: IFT Educational Restaurant is a training unit for the hotel and culinary students of Institute for Tourism Studies, Macao. It encourages Macao’s future hoteliers to put theories into practice, and supports their endeavour to serve guests at international standards.
IFT Educational Restaurant, Macao
The facility supports organic agriculture and the slow food movement. It also recycles food waste by turning it into fertiliser, practises crop rotation and uses biological pest control at its garden at the IFT Mong-Há Campus.
It is also worth noting that IFT Educational Restaurant had found its way into the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand awards last year.
Event application: Set lunch is priced from MOP280 (US$35) per person while set dinner and buffet are priced from MOP380 and MOP280 respectively. Customised menus are not available. The restaurant supports venue buyout for groups of 80 to 100 guests.
Contact: fbreservation@ift.edu.mo
What’s special: Supanniga Cruise, a new 40-seat dinner cruise, is the latest product of the Laorauvirodge family which is behind the hugely popular Supanniga Home Boutique Hideaway and Krua Supanniga by Khunyai restaurant in Khon Kaen, and Supanniga Eating Room in Thonglor, Bangkok.
Supanniga Cruise, Bangkok
Beautifully designed and wearing warm and welcoming hues of yellow, orange and brown, and using traditional materials such as Mudmee silk and terracotta, the Supanniga Cruise makes for a memorable setting for dining events.
Event application: Two cruise options are available: Evening Cocktail Cruise and Evening Champagne Cruise as a pre-dinner activity, and Sunset Dinner Cruise which presents a six-course Thai dinner and grand nighttime view of the glittering architecture on the riverbank.
Supanniga Cruise welcomes private charters, with prices starting from 47,000 baht (US$1,452) for an hour-long Evening Cocktail Cruise to 120,000 baht for a 135-minute-long Dinner Champagne Taittinger Cruise. The cruise seats 40 people – 24 on the top deck and 16 on the lower deck.
What’s special: The Baan Khanitha is renowned among Bangkok folks for being the purveyor of top quality Thai cuisine. The first restaurant of the group opened in Sukhumvit Soi 23, occupying an elegant wooden Thai house that is richly decorated inside with handicrafts, sculptures, paintings and lush plants.
Baan Khanitha and Gallery
The second brand opened on Sathorn Road, this one occupying a more modern house with whitewashed walls. But true to Baan Khanitha fashion, the interior is warm and welcoming, dressed in red wood, vibrant paintings and oversized potted plants.
The group presently owns four restaurants – the other two on Sukhumvit Soi 53 and at Asiatique – and a dining cruise.
Like all Baan Khanitha restaurants, the Sathorn branch is a fine-dining venue, and every dish is made with only the finest and freshest ingredients, many of which are sourced from the group’s own Baan Panalai Organic Farm.
What makes the Sathorn branch stands out from the rest, is its Gallery which exhibits selected art pieces made by local and international artists.
Event application: Baan Khanitha & Gallery’s Terrace Room seats 120 guests while the Sathorn Room accommodates 35. The Silver and Jewelry room each seats 40 guests.
What’s special: The restaurant retains the nostalgia of its past – a hairdressing salon that was in operation for more than 80 years until it closed in 2014. The floor tiles and half-length mirrors are original fixtures, while other paraphernalia such as the barber chairs, mannequins with wigs and hairdryers are props sourced from other hair salons.
The Barber Café & Bar
The private dining room, known as Shanghai Room, has a unique Chinese theme, with Chinese furniture and paintings of olden China adorning the walls.
Tucked behind the restaurant is a bar tended by a mixologist who is versatile in crafting various cocktails. A pop-up cocktail station can be arranged with advance notice for delegates to try their hands at making their own concoctions.
Event application: For foreign delegates who wish to sample local Sarawak cuisine or fusion Western cuisine, this place is an attractive proposition. Its location, near the Kuching Waterfront and within walking distance to the main city hotels, makes it an ideal dinner venue in the city for group with less than 100 people.
Shanghai Room can seat 50 people.
With advance notice, the chefs are able to accommodate various dietary requirements, including gluten free and vegan diets. Menus can be customised.
There is no minimum spend for venue buyout, but a minimum group size of 80 pax applies.
What’s special: Sitting on the western bank of the Kamo River, Funatsuru is one of the most prestigious kawayuka restaurants in Kyoto, dating back to 1870.
Funatsuru, Kyoto
The five-storey building has been registered as an important cultural property by the national government and incorporates many of Japan’s most impressive design elements, as well as traditional gardens and one of the city’s largest decks for diners, stretching out towards the river.
The venue serves French cuisine using the freshest local ingredients and produce of the season.
Event application: The venue has one restaurant and three banquet halls, all adorned with Japanese art and overlooking the Kamo River and the Higashiyama Mountains.
The Grand Ballroom has a capacity of 200 people in a buffet setting, while the smallest of the three halls, the VIP Room, seats up to 40 people. A buyout of the banquet halls is possible, while planners can also request for customised menus.
The venue is also able to arrange a selection of entertainment, some unique to this ancient capital of Japan, including the Kyo-mai traditional dance performed by Kyoto geisha, live music performances with koto and shamisen bamboo flute, or even the dissection of a whole tuna by a sushi chef.
Contact: www.funatsuru.com/en/party@vmc.co.jp
What’s special: Traditionally popular during the hot summer months, yakatabune – which literally means roof-shaped boat in Japanese – can now be rented throughout the year.
Yakatabune Harumiya, Tokyo (Photo from JNTO)
While the skyline of Tokyo may have changed dramatically in the 250 years since these party boats were first launched, the boats remain true to their traditions. The food that is served – and the way in which it is served, at low tables with guests sitting cross-legged – has not changed down the years. After the meal has been cleared away, musicians and singers of traditional Japanese music come on, often dressed in kimono. The modern version of aural entertainment – the karaoke machine – may be available too.
Event application: Yakatabune Harumiya operates five boats and can provide charters for groups of between 20 and 80 people. Prices for a 2.5 hour cruise, including entertainment, range from 10,000 yen (US$90.25) per person to 25,000 yen per person, depending on the menu. The company operates three routes, with the Cherry Blossom Cruise being the most popular during spring and the Odaiba Cruise, taking in the fireworks, a hit on summer evenings.
Contact: yakatabune-tokyo.com/index.html
What’s special: Planners looking to highlight sustainability and farm-to-table practices at their event can consider this sanctuary away from the bustling city centre of Singapore. Located in the tranquil countryside of Kranji, Bollywood Veggies has a 4.05ha farm of 540 types of plants, with a bistro that features local and fusion dishes. Here, groups can participate in farm tours, treasure hunts, kampong (village) races, terrarium-making or plant-potting sessions, culinary classes and tasting of farm harvests and farm brew.
Bollywood Veggies Farm
Event application: The venue offers packages for corporate groups starting from S$40 (US$30) per person, with limits of 20 to 300 pax. Planners who would like a completely customised itinerary can write in with their requirements.
Contact: events@bollywoodveggies.com
What’s special: If you’ve taken your events to all the best rooftop dining venues, perhaps it is time to look down – down into the underwater world.
Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora
Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora offers South-east Asia’s only underwater aquarium dining experience. Located within Resorts Word Sentosa’s S.E.A. Aquarium’s Open Ocean exhibit, the restaurant puts diners right with underwater creatures – separated only by floor-to-ceiling glass walls.
Food is prepared with sustainably sourced meat and seafood.
Event application: Ocean Restaurant by Cat Cora does not have private dining rooms, but the venue can be hired for a private event. A maximum of 70 guests is allowed for a full venue buyout.
Contact: dining@rwsentosa.com
What’s special: SMT Seoul is the brainchild of Soo Man Lee, founder of SM Entertainment company which is behind many of South Korea’s biggest music and film talents.
SMT Seoul
The modern restaurant sits in the upscale Cheongdam-dong district, and its interior is styled like the home of a moneyed celebrity who entertains frequently – large living rooms, cosy nooks for friendly get-togethers, karaoke studios, and themed dining areas.
As the restaurant is also a popular venue for SM Entertainment artistes, there is a private elevator from the basement carpark to allow VIP guests to escape inquisitive eyes. Planners with VIP corporate guests will appreciate this convenience.
The menu at SMT Seoul features Seoul-style cuisine with Western, Chinese and Japanese influences, and much attention is paid to plating.
Event application: Playground on the lower level is suitable for larger luncheons and dinners, and seats 80 people. Penthouse on the third and fourth levels feature multiple private dining rooms and semi-private spaces, and can accommodate 50 people seated.
On the fifth, topmost floor is the Rooftop Terrace, an open space that makes a perfect canvas on which to create unique events. It is suitable for 100 guests in a standing cocktail setup.
For private events, a chef’s table can be arranged.
Contact: www.smt-seoul.com
What’s special: Bongraeheon is named by the Seoul Metropolitan Government as one of the city’s Proud Korean Restaurants, and certified by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as a restaurant that provides an authentic royal cuisine experience.
Bongraeheon,Seoul
Solid recognitions aside, Bongraeheon is a beautiful venue, occupying a traditional Korean house with sprawling lawns and verdant gardens.
Staff are dressed in the hanbok of royal courtesans, and guests are served like kings.
The menu emphasises light and clear tastes, with every dish skilfully prepared to demonstrate the essence of traditional Korean cuisine.
Event application: Bongraeheon comprises two function halls: the 73m2 Bongraeheon 1 seats 50 guests while the 50m2 Bongraeheon 2 seats 20.
Longhaul bookings from Philippine corporations remain surprisingly upbeat despite high inflation rate, weak local currency, and other economic developments that are poised to render outbound travel from the country more expensive.
Speaking to TTGmice on the sidelines of a recent JTB Philippines MICE roadshow in Manila, Toyota Motor Philippines’ senior travel consultant Pritchie Sumeracruz, explained that the need for incentive programmes remains as it is not good to “stinge on our achievers as they bring in the sales”.
Destinations in Europe still rank highly for Philippine outbound incentive groups; a tourist train travels on Jungfrau Railway in Switzerland pictured
She shared that every year Toyota Philippines has six to eight incentive groups – from 30 to 300 pax – that prefer longhaul destinations. This year, destinations that rank highly for top achieving principal dealers are Slovenia, Croatia and Vienna.
It helps that DMCs offer competitive rates despite the eight per cent drop in the value of the Philippine peso a year ago, and 6.8 per cent inflation raid, Sumeracruz said.
Meanwhile, Vivienne Cruz, vice president of Yokohama Tire Sales Philippines, said that instead of cutting budgets for incentive trips or sacrifice the quality of the trips, the company instead increases the sales quota for their achievers.
This is because their achievers prefer Europe, widely considered as a plum destination unlike countries like US and Japan where it is relatively easier to visit and secure visas.
Meanwhile, other corporations that are already familiar with domestic and Asian destinations are increasingly turning to longhaul options. For instance, Atlas Fertilizer sent representatives to JTB Philippines’ MICE roadshow to look for European packages which the company will be rewarding their sales team with.
From the other end of the spectrum, Dominique Oi, Switzerland Tourism’s MICE manager South-east Asia, acknowledged that incentive trips from the Philippines is “picking up”, and that Europe is still the number one longhaul favourite.
Next year is promising to be as good as this year, enthused Oi, with incentive groups choosing Switzerland as a single destination. These groups spend 4N/6D on average, with some having relatively higher budgets than others.
Bella Calleja, JTB Philippines’ MICE manager for non-Japanese corporations, shared that corporate clients were more inclined towards longhaul destinations they considered new and exotic, such as South Africa, New Zealand, and Turkey.
CITES secretariat working to ‘try and honour’ the arrangement
Sri Lanka’s industry officials yesterday confirmed that the country’s new tourism campaign, So Sri Lanka, will launch as planned after obtaining support from the new government.
The destination marketing campaign was earlier in limbo after the sudden sacking of prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe by president Maithripala Sirisena on October 26, which threw the country into a constitutional crisis.
The campaign launch will proceed as planned at WTM London
But now, the So Sri Lanka campaign will be launched as planned on November 5 at WTM London. The campaign will filter into a larger three-year long destination marketing campaign starting in 1Q2019.
This certainty was reached after industry officials met on Tuesday with the new tourism minister Wasantha Senanayake, who reassured officials that the campaign can proceed as planned.
Sri Lanka Tourist Hotels Association’s president Sanath Ukwatte, who was present at the meeting, said they presented the new campaign to Senanayake, who then agreed to its continuation.
“He (minister) gave his okay to the campaign,” Ukwatte said.
Although tourism promotion and marketing campaigns are normally done by the official Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) in consultation with the private sector, SLTPB’s managing director Sutheash Balasubramanian was not present at the meeting.
Balasubramanian, who ends his contractual term today (Thursday), said he won’t be attending the WTM, as positions like these are normally political appointments made by the then minister-in-charge. He however, confirmed that the new minister agreed to proceed with the campaign.
So Sri Lanka has been in the works for the past three to four years, having made to jump through bureaucratic hoops, tender processes, various procedures and changing governments. The industry has been clamouring for a new promotion campaign since the aftermath a 30-year-long ethnic conflict that ended in 2009.
A new Certified Association Executive (CAE) programme and continually improved content at its annual Association Leadership Forum Asia Pacific conferences are among the investments the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) is making in this region to further its reach to associations based here.
Speaking to TTGmice yesterday on the sidelines of Association Leadership Forum Asia Pacific, which kicked off on Tuesday at Grand Hyatt Singapore, ASAE president and CEO John Graham said: “What we are doing now in Asia-Pacific is part of a long-term vision that started five years ago when we did a study to determine which markets outside of the US would be the most receptive to our products and services.
Graham: ASAE is investing in Asia Pacific as it believes the region holds alot of potential
“We found that Asia-Pacific holds the most potential. Perhaps this is due to the way the region is developing in the associations space. There are real opportunities for ASAE to become more grounded here.”
With the completion of the study, ASAE debuted the ASAE Great Ideas in Association Management Conference in Hong Kong in 2015 – the association’s first education conference conducted outside of the US.
Graham noted that ASAE’s conferences in Asia-Pacific “have changed along the way” to better suit the needs of association executives in the region.
“Our Association Leadership Forum Asia Pacific this year is a lot more interactive and offers many opportunities for our attendees to share what they do and to learn from one another. The format is similar to the one we take in North America.”
While attendance at ASAE’s conferences in Asia-Pacific has not grown significantly since 2015, Greta Kotler, chief development & credentialing officer, said the “calibre of attendees is now much higher”.
“We are seeing more experienced association representatives and leaders at our conferences here,” she said.
Graham shared that many Asian cities are keen on hosting future ASAE education conferences, which are regarded as opportunities to showcase their destination for association meetings, and to upgrade the professionalism of local association executives. ASAE has yet to issue an official tender for the 2019 edition, but Bangkok, Singapore and Yokohama are among the informal contenders.
ASAE is also looking to pilot a CAE programme in Australia next year, before rolling it out to the rest of Asia-Pacific.
While ASAE has been offering its certificate course on association management to Singapore-based association executives through the Singapore Business Federation since 2014, Graham said the move to pilot the “higher-level” CAE certification in Australia was motivated by the fact that Australia was more similar to the US in terms of the level of association development and desire for professionalism.
However, Kotler added that a meeting later this week with the Singapore Business Federation was scheduled to discuss the possibility of offering the CAE certification in Singapore too.
“Graduates of our certificate course (in Singapore) have been asking what’s next for them. The CAE certification is the next step for the profession,” she said.
ASAE is also keen to amplify the legacies left behind by Asian associations through its annual Power of A Awards. The Awards recognises associations that are able to leverage their unique resources to solve problems, advance industry/professional performance, kickstart innovation and improve world conditions.
Award winners have traditionally been North American associations, but ASAE hopes to globalise it by including nominees and winners from Asia-Pacific.
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