The resort island of Bali has successfully concluded the , which ran from October 8-14 at Bali International Convention Centre (BICC), and the adjacent Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali.
A gathering of world leaders
While the BICC was transformed into a state-of-the-art press centre, the hotel was the site of a series of high-profile meetings, seminars and regional briefings. All 467 guestrooms were converted into offices for the delegates.
Some 36,669 people, including delegates from 189-member countries, were in attendance – a true test of Bali and the two properties’ ability to cater to mega-sized business and political events.
CWT Meetings & Events, a division of global travel management company Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT), has unveiled its predictions for the top 10 Asia Pacific cities for M&E in 2019. The ranking is based on proprietary and industry data in CWT’s 2019 Meetings & Events Future Trends report.
2019 forecast for top 10 Asia Pacific meetings and events cities
Next year’s table has one brand new entry, China’s Chengdu (10) and two cities that dropped out of the top 10 in 2018 – India’s Mumbai (9) and Melbourne, Australia (8). Of the three cities who dropped off next year’s list, two were new entrants in 2018 – Taipei in Taiwan (7), and China’s Guangzhou (9) – and one was a former high flyer, Shenzhen in China, which came third in 2018.
Across Asia Pacific, cost per attendee per day is predicted to fall 4% in 2019 to US$276. The average group size is forecasted to increase to 81 in 2019, up 3% from 2018.
“We continue to see a steady growth in the demand for meetings and events across Asia Pacific,” said Sam Lay, senior director, Asia Pacific, CWT Meetings & Events. “This is fuelling the need for more M&E professionals in the region, especially in China which is barreling ahead on all fronts.”
The Asia Pacific region is expected to lead the way for global growth in 2019, with the International Monetary Fund expecting the region’s GDP to rise by 5.6% next year, compared with a global increase of 3.9%. China, predicted to grow 6.4% in 2019, and India, predicted to grow 7.3%, will again lead the way.
Travel is growing in China across all sectors, and it is already the world’s largest business travel market. Chinese tourists also spent US$258 billion on international tourism in 2017, according to the UN’s World Tourism Organization.
The more mature destinations in the region – Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Seoul – are leading the way when it comes to hosting conferences that focus more on ‘thought leadership’ and the ‘exchange of ideas’ rather than pure commerce.
In growing markets, such as Vietnam, Philippines, and Cambodia, there are strong demand for exhibitions and trade shows, where there is a lot more activities centred around buying and selling.
Domestic events are also a huge part of the meetings and events market in more isolated parts of the region, including Australia and New Zealand. The Australian cities of Sydney – the region’s fifth most popular destination for 2019 – and Melbourne still hold considerable attraction as venues for regional and global conferences, despite long travel times.
Another destination set to see plenty of attention next year is Japan, which will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup tournament, followed by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. The country’s government wants to increase visitor numbers to 40 million in 2020, a 40% rise on 2017, with plans for 60 million arrivals by 2020.
The Lume opens its doors in UK’s Manchester
Singapore-based hotel investment platform M&L Hospitality has opened a new 19-storey hotel development, The Lume, in Manchester, UK, boasting both Crowne Plaza and Staybridge Suites hotel brands.
Located in the bustling Oxford Road area within walking distance of the city centre, the newly completed 328-room hotel development is the company’s first property in Manchester.
Located on the upper seven floors, Staybridge Suites will offer a mix of 116 studio and one-bedroom suites featuring fully-equipped kitchens and views of the city from the terrace on the 18th floor. Occupying the lower 12-storeys, Crowne Plaza will feature 212 guestrooms, a 120-seat restaurant, bar, 24-hour gym, club lounge and seven meeting rooms that can cater to over 200 delegates.
Vancouver Convention Centre opens local-focused cafe and wine bar
The Vancouver Convention Centre has opened its new café and wine bar, LOT185.
Overlooking Jack Poole Plaza with views of the Stanley Park and harbour, this new two-storey space for 80 people will offer a casual dining experience for event attendees and Vancouverites, as well as a unique space option for meeting planners.
The menu at LOT185 will focus on local ingredients while embracing the diverse landscape of British Columbia. An in-house bakery, overseen by executive pastry chef Maurizio Persichino, will provide fresh baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, and other grab and go items during the day.
Tapas and Neapolitan–style pizzas will be featured in the afternoon and evenings with a menu crafted by executive chef Mark Massicotte that reflects the multicultural flavours that can be found all around Vancouver. A BC forward wine and craft beer list, complemented by a selection of international wines, will be offered alongside a full coffee bar with ethically sourced beans from North Vancouver coffee roasters, Moja Coffee.
LOT185 Café + Wine Bar will operate both in tandem and independently from the Convention Centre with its own entrance as well as entry points from inside the facility. The hours of operation will be Monday to Friday from 07.00 to 21.00, Saturday from 08.00 to 21.00, closed Sundays.
Oman wins international conference for 2024
The Oman Society of Lipid & Atherosclerosis (OSLA) has won the bid to host the Triennial International Symposium on Atherosclerosis (ISA) in 2024 in Muscat, Oman – bringing the Ministry of Tourism of Oman closer to targeting 11 million visitors by 2040.
First held in 1967 in Chicago, the ISA’s recent editions were held in Sydney, Australia and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The 19th edition will be held in Kyoto, Japan in 2021. The 20th edition be the first time the conference is hosted in the Middle East, and is expected to bring 2,500 delegates over three days.
The 2024 conference will be held at Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, which includes a 3,200-person theatre, 22,000m2 exhibition space and 55 meeting spaces.
Shenzhen, China (pictured) will soon be home to a Rosewood property
Rosewood Hotel Group is expanding its footprint across Asia with four new signings under two of its brands – Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, and New World Hotels & Resorts.
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will be going to Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hermana Mayor (Philippines), while the group will make its entry into India with the New World Jaipur Resort.
Shenzhen, China (pictured) will soon be home to a Rosewood property
“We intend to double the number of Rosewood hotels in the next five years, from our current 24 hotels in 15 countries, with a full one-third of new properties located in Asia,” said Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group. “China remains a priority and our entry into Shanghai and Shenzhen represents an important expansion of our footprint in Tier 1 cities.”
First up is Rosewood Shanghai, which has a scheduled opening for 2024. The hotel, located on the top floors of a new skyscraper in Suzhou Creek, Jing’an district, will be part of the Hopson One Suhewan development that will include grade-A offices, residences, luxury retail, and spaces for art and culture. The hotel will feature 220 rooms and 83 luxury Rosewood Residences (serviced apartments).
Also in China, Rosewood Shenzhen will open in 2022 with 300 guestrooms and 50 Rosewood Residences. The hotel will be part of a new mixed-use development project in the Pearl River Delta megapolis at the intersection of Nanshan, Futian,and Baoan Districts.
In the Philippines, Rosewood Hermana Mayor will be an ultra-luxury resort on a private island 10km from the mainland. Opening in 2023, Rosewood Hermana Mayor will feature 128 villa accommodations and additional Rosewoood Residences for private ownership. This property will also mark the brand’s first entry into the Philippines.
Come 2023, India will be home to a New World Jaipur Resort, which will be the brand and group’s first step into the Indian subcontinent. Owned by Keemaya Resorts and Spas, New World Jaipur Resort will be the first all-villa luxury resort in the city, featuring 181 villas and extensive leisure and event facilities.
Rosewood Hotel Group also has listed plans for its other two brands, pentahotels and KHOS. In the years to come, pentahotels is positioned for a growth plan that largely prioritises China locations. Meanwhile, upscale business-lifestyle brand KHOS will unveil its first hotels in a global rollout in 2019.
Langham Hospitality Group has added Splash Beach Resort, Mai Khao Phuket to its portfolio of hotels and resorts.
Formerly the Grand West Sands, the property under Langham’s care has been rebranded, renovated and upgraded with new features.
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Waterpark
Conference Centre
Exterior of the Baan Thai restaurant
The Splash Kitchen
Surrounded by 19 hectares of landscaped gardens on the north-west coast and part of Sirinart National Park, Splash Beach Resort offers 615 keys across various room categories from superior to pool villa. The lead-in superior room measures 34m2, while the four-bedroom pool villa is a spacious 270m2.
Another key feature of the resort is the 1,000m2 conference centre, said to be the largest in Phuket. The conference centre can host all types of events, from an intimate 50-pax event to a large 1,300-pax standing cocktail reception.
Meanwhile, set within the integrated resort is Splash Jungle Waterpark, which features thrilling rides, a six-level wave pool, a lazy river, and a play pool for younger ones.
Other amenities include a spa, and eight F&B options, ranging from the Thai restaurant Baan Thai, to the all-day dining eatery Splash Kitchen. There is also a three-storey Kids Zone with features such as a movie theatre, giant slides, and a rock climbing wall which will be completed by end-2018.
In addition, the resort boasts a cooking school, and water sports activities are also available. Guests can also avail the shuttle service between Phuket town and Patong.
To further grow Malaysia’s business events sector, there must be greater engagement and communication with the Malaysian government, where the real and extended value of business events in the country can be highlighted and demonstrated.
This was the message conveyed through a panel discussion by the private sector at the recent Business Events forum organised by The Malaysian Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (MACEOS) in Kuala Lumpur.
Working together is paramount in order to ensure Malaysia’s business sector continues to thrive
Alan Pryor, general manager of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, as well as protem committee of Business Events Council Malaysia (BECM), said the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) was very successful in winning international events to Malaysia when it was first launched in 2010, up until about 2012.
But MyCEB then lost a bit of engagement and monetary support from the government, which resulted in Malaysia losing out to regional competitors as well as countries like South Korea and Australia.
Thus, Pryor believes strongly in BECM’s primary role, which is to act as a single voice for the business events industry to communicate and liaise with the government. He also called for stakeholders to join forces with BECM to devise a national strategy to “grow the pie”, as well as keep the government updated on what the private sector is doing.
He emphasised that no one party can work in silo, and instead, the industry must work together and communicate with each other.
“We need to educate people on what we do and why it is important,” Pryor added.
Marcus Osborne, CEO of Fusion Brand, cautioned that the national strategy should be based on research and sharing of data, and one that must be dynamic, fluid and have buy-in from everyone.
Meanwhile, Vincent Lim, MACEOS’ president, added: “Venue is king. Since the opening of the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC), the government has no plans for the further development of large venues in Malaysia for exhibitions. We must engage the government now. To stay competitive, we need venues that are 100,000m2 so that large exhibitions have space to grow.”
Lim opined that the exhibitions sector should not come under MyCEB but should be under Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation or Ministry of International Trade and Industry instead, because the key performance index is not driven by foreign visitor arrivals but rather, its contribution to the economy.
“There is nothing wrong with MyCEB. It is just which ministry can drive the exhibitions sector forward,” stressed Lim.
Conference attendee Gracie V Geikie, director/principal consultant, Place Borneo Group, also opined that MyCEB should not be placed under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia because the business events industry is very different from leisure tourism. Instead, she proposes that MyCEB should be seen as a business unit with multiplier effects on the economy, and should be placed under the Economic Affairs Ministry.
“Meetings, conventions and congresses bring knowledge to the country and the government must understand how it benefits the destination and its multiplier effect on the economy,” she explained at the forum.
MITEC pushes the green envelope; aims to reduce its environmental impact and drive sustainability
Eight independent shows organised by UBM Malaysia will be co-located under a single show known as ASEAN Super 8.
ASEAN Super 8 will be held at the Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) over three days from March 19-21, 2019, in conjunction with International Construction Week 2019.
MITEC (pictured) will host ASEAN Super 8 next year
The eight shows are all related to the built environment and it will be the largest event of its kind for the built environment in South-east Asia.
The shows are Tenaga Expo and Forum; Green Energy Expo and Forum; ASEAN Solar & Eco light; ASEAN LIFT Expo & Forum (Southeast Asia Premier Lift & Escalators Technology Expo & Forum); IFSEC Southeast Asia Kuala Lumpur Edition (Commercial Security, Fire and Safety Exhibition; Ecobuild Southeast Asia; REVAC Expo & Forum (Southeast Asia’s Premier Refrigeration, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Expo & Forum); and Heavy Mach.
All shows, with the exception of Heavy Mach, were previously held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Heavy Mach was held at Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.
M Gandhi, UBM Asia’s group managing director (ASEAN business) and senior vice president, explained that moving all these events to MITEC will give them the physical space required for future expansion.
The inaugural issue of ASEAN Super 8 will utilise around 8,000m2 of floor space, and attract approximately 1,000 exhibitors from all over the world from the construction, energy and building sectors.
Gandhi shared that ASEAN Super 8 received support from the Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia, which in turn encouraged the industry to support the show.
He added that Malaysia has a vibrant construction and building industry, and with the help of MITEC’s 45,000m2 of exhibition space, there will be room for growth of ASEAN Super 8 in the coming years.
Earlier, UBM Asia had signed a five-year agreement with Prisma Galeri, which is the management company of MITEC, to hold these events from 2019 to 2023.
Global hotel solutions provider HRS has been selected by Airbus to oversee the digital transformation of its hotel programme.
HRS was chosen by Airbus to manage its global hotel negotiations and ensure the right content flows seamlessly into existing booking tools and new mobile applications. Beyond sourcing and booking, HRS and Airbus are working together to implement virtual payment for travellers for the totality of its preferred hotel properties.
Raggge: HRS shares the goal of increasing use of digital solutions for all traveller functions
With HRS virtual payment, travellers no longer need to use personal or corporate cards at the hotel as expense reports for lodging are done automatically.
“The trend is clearly leading in the direction of digital solutions. Data transparency, cost efficiency and traveller satisfaction are today’s challenges that we solve with our solutions,” said HRS’ CEO Tobias Ragge.
“Corporations are taking a closer look at the value of outsourcing versus traditional hotel programme management. Given today’s corporate hospitality arena – with digitisation, fragmentation and globalisation driving increased complexity – companies need a truly customisable model, and we are taking the lead.”
HRS is already engaging with global hotel chains, smaller groups and independent hotels on Airbus’ behalf for 2019 rate negotiations, with preferred hotel suppliers required to accommodate Airbus’ virtual payment initiative.
The International Federation of Societies for Microscopy (IFSM) has picked Busan, South Korea as the host city for its 20th World Microscopy Conference (IMC20) in 2022.
Busan beat other destinations like South Africa (Cape Town), Netherlands (Maastricht), US (Portland), and Spain (Madrid) in the race.
The successful bidding team from South Korea
Taking place from September 25 to 30, the event is expected to be attended by approximately 3,000 delegates from 37 countries. Scientists in the microscopy sector will discuss trending issues and network with other people in the industry. The event will include a simultaneous exhibition of global microscope manufacturing companies.
Held every four years, South Korea will be the second Asian country, after Japan, to host the conference.
“This success is a fruitful result of our strong collaboration with the local community, academe, and the private sector,” said In Sook Lee, director at the Korea Tourism Organization – Convention Team in a press statement.
“Last year, Korea was the top meeting destination according to the Union of International Associations, and we are determined to promote Korea’s knowledge, expertise, and capability to attract more international conferences,” she added.
What’s the backstory?
AIQ was started back in mid-2014 in Singapore with the goal of using computer vision technology to simplify direct interactions between images and videos. This seamlessly connects physical contents and assets to the digital online world beyond QR codes or barcodes.
Our patented Video and Image Recognition Technology (VIRT) can do two things. One, it lets users take a photo of a still image and interact with it.
For example, I can take a photo of what you are wearing now and find 10 similar versions of your outfit that is available for sale online. The technology can recognise that your outfit is a short dress, it is collarless, and of a certain cut. However, back then in 2015, e-commerce was just taking off and many consumers were skeptical about purchasing clothes online. Consumers back then wanted to be able to touch and feel the fabric, and be sure they like the material.
The second part of VIRT is that it recognises videos, be it live or recorded. If it is a recorded video, the client using VIRT can decide which parts of the video will offer a certain interaction with the user.
VIRT did not resonate well with users at the beginning (who did not trust it or could not imagine how it would work). So, we moved to build many proofs of concept with notable partners such as America’s Got Talent, where TV viewers in South-east Asia could use the technology, point at the contestant who was singing at that time and receive information such as the contestant’s name and song title, or even vote for the contestant.
I understand the retail support possibilities of VIRT. But how was it useful for RetailEX ASEAN, which was the first large-scale exhibition and conference in Asia to implement it?
One of the key challenges in business events – as observed in my capacity as exhibitor, attendee and speaker at tradeshows and conferences over at least nine years – is the huge amount of paper waste on the last day of shows. Not just paper waste from brochures and posters that cannot be reused once the event is over, but also product samples that exhibitors don’t want to ship back and incur costs. Plus, these things cost money to produce.
To deal with that problem, some exhibitors turned to QR codes that allow their customers to scan and get information. But QR codes are fixed and cannot be modified should you wish to use a different link at the next show.
There are other limitations with QR codes. The code is built for the machine, not for the human eye. You need to scan it to make sense of it. As well, QR codes aren’t widely adopted in the Western markets; it is more used in China and Asia.
VIRT goes beyond QR codes. It allows customers to interact with a poster or a 30-second commercial that is running at the booth. It offers green benefits, as it cuts down on the need for printed brochures. Exhibitors can produce smaller quantities of generic brochures that can be reused at multiple shows, but rely on the technology to drive customers to relevant and updated information online. The other benefit is, VIRT turns the entire booth into an interactive space (so that) posters and videos on display do more than just show a pretty visual.
Another pain point at events is the access to presentation slides.
There are many conference sessions at an event. Attendees may want to download slides of a session they are keen on. Often, the links are consolidated and sent to attendees after the event. It is tedious for attendees to scroll through to identify the slides they wanted.
At RetailEX ASEAN, during my presentation for example, members of the audience were able to use the RetailEX app we created, point their smartphone camera at my slides, and instantly get my presentation file in the app which they can download later and share with their peers.
As well, in Asia where people are generally too polite to ask questions, the technology can be used to improve interaction during a panel discussion. For example, one could point the VIRT-powered app at the session backdrop, and be directed to a page where they could text their question or opinion to the moderator.
These three features – interactive content at exhibitor booths, access to conference materials simply by scanning slides, and Q&A interaction – were VIRT-powered features that were built into the RetailEX ASEAN app.
How else can VIRT be used by event organisers and owners?
VIRT can be used to provide greater value to event sponsors by allowing sponsor logos, posters, videos on display at the event to be interactive. Sponsors can tailor the message they want to convey when their materials are scanned by the event app.
I’ve attended business events where exhibitors use near-field communication (NFC) to allow attendees to choose the information they want to receive, and then tap their badge or phone to a device to complete the process. How’s that different from VIRT?
Well, one has to be near to that device in order to use NFC. With VIRT, the user needs to capture just 30 per cent of the image or video. Imagine being in a rush and trying to get information from a popular booth but not being able to get close enough to the device to tap your badge or phone.
As well, the user needs to have an NFC-ready smartphone to use NFC. Not everyone has such a feature in their phone. Furthermore, NFC features drain phone batteries.
VIRT needs the user to only activate their smartphone camera, which is a feature that many are familiar with and have on their device.
What is the cost of utilising VIRT?
There is a basic setup, and costs will depend on how complicated the setup is. If the client needs only still images or a few videos to be interactive, it could cost them as low as a few hundred dollars.
We also offer a monthly subscription based on a CPM/CPI model. For a few hundred dollars a month, the client could get up to 10,000 interactions. One scan, one interaction. The subscription fee goes up with increased interactions.
This model works for retail since there would be frequent usage. But how about tradeshows, which could be held just once a year?
If the event is organised by a company that also runs many other events, the solution can be used multiple times with just one basic set-up.
That said, we can support one-off trade events which will still benefit from extended usage. Interactions will not take place only during the show. Buyers will still want interaction with sellers they are interested in after the show, and we can help to facilitate that. We do that by not only offering our technology to the event organiser, but also to the exhibitors.
Did you offer VIRT to exhibitors at RetailEX ASEAN?
Yes, but there were no takers. They were apprehensive because they were not entirely sure what VIRT was. Many thought that VIRT meant augmented reality, which is pricey to produce and sucks up a lot of bandwidth. You have to understand that VIRT is still very new.
But RetailEX ASEAN was a good showcase for the technology. We had many event organisers present at the show who came up to tell us how interested they were in our technology and wanted to use it at their upcoming events. That’s a great start.
In your opinion, what’s the future of interactive technology and its implication for events?
I see the world of Harry Potter, where the Fat Lady in the portrait sings and talks to the students.
QR codes took 15 years to be adopted by consumers. But images can be recognised for their interactive possibilities in a shorter period of time because that capability can be seen and understood. Interactive images and videos will push QR codes into the sunset.
The future we see is one where all surfaces – walls of event venues and public spaces – can host interactive materials. We might even have intelligent interaction, where the technology can scan a viewer who stands close and build a profile of him or her, and then recommend a suitable product.
The way a smartphone is used will also change. The camera and voice recognition/command features will become most critical, while other features might change or be phased out. Keyboard usage will lose its relevance as more smartphone users use voice command to order action or conduct online search. The smartphone camera will become the eyes for everything.
On that same note, imagine the day the smartphone camera can face a marketing poster and right away offer the user the same content in 25 different languages. It is a great solution for exhibitors looking to interact with a global audience.
Just 10 minutes from Phuket International Airport on the serene northern coast, this 178-key, Bill Bensley-designed resort offers delegates a quiet, tropical paradise steeped in Phuket’s tin-mining heritage
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