Sarawak Convention Bureau (SCB) will be organising and hosting the first Business Events Tribal Meet 2018 (TriBE 2018) in the state capital, Kuching, from August 23 to 26 this year.
At press time, the venue for the event as well as the list of speakers have not been finalised.
SCB’s inaugural TriBE 2018 will take place in Kuching (pictured) this year
International thought leaders will speak on digital disruptions within the sector – the challenges, the alternative solutions and the impact on the sector and the destination; a subject matter aligned to Sarawak’s vision of a digitalised economy driven by the chief minister of Sarawak, Abang Johari Abang Openg.
It will be a gathering of top-tier sector partners, association decision-markers, academia, corporate organisations, government officials as well as foreign and national media representatives.
TriBE 2018 will also provide a platform for the sector’s expert bodies – ICCA, PCMA and UIA – to share latest insights and best practices.
Also, the biennial Anak Sarawak Award will be given out at the event. The Anak Sarawak Awards is Malaysia’s first award that acknowledges conference hosts, industry members and suppliers for their passion, leadership and commitment in ensuring the success of business events in Sarawak.
TriBE 2018 is a teaser for the TriBE Assembly 2019 which will be formally announced at the event, SCB said in a statement.
Thomas Cook India (TCIL) will undertake a corporate restructuring, subject to regulatory approvals, that is aimed at streamlining its businesses into four key verticals.
The verticals include, travel (outbound, domestic, business travel and MICE), foreign exchange, destination management services and portfolio investments such as Sterling Holiday Resorts.
The restructuring also involves the consolidating of the human resource services business into Quess Corp.
Menon: businesses will be better realigned, which in turn would help take the company to the next level
Madhavan Menon, chairman and managing director, TCIL, said in a statement: “This proposed restructuring with the realignment of the travel businesses of TCIL and consolidation of the human resource services business into Quess Corp will simplify the group structure, enabling both TCIL and Quess to grow independently and consolidate their positions in their segments with far greater clarity of focus from an industry and growth/opportunity point of view – for investors, management and teams.”
In its current structure, TCIL along with its subsidiaries and associate companies such as SOTC, TCI, TC Travel and Sterling Holidays are engaged in various travel and travel related financial services, vacation ownership and resorts.
Meanwhile, Quess Corp is engaged in human resource and business related services such as industrial asset management, integrated facility management, human resource services and technology solutions.
The TCIL Group’s many travel and non travel-related acquisitions in recent years, including Kuoni Hong Kong and Kuoni’s multiple destination management services entities across 21 countries, among others, as well as Quess’ several acquisitions both in India and overseas had created complex structures both at the Quess as well as the group level.
In the wake of the proposed restructuring, TCIL will be a travel-focused company, while Quess will continue its growth trajectory in the high growth opportunity space of human capital and allied services, the release said.
“We believe that the proposed restructuring will give our individual lines of business the advantages of flexibility and the integration of size, scale and financial strength to take us to the next level of growth,” added Menon.
Hold your next meeting or conference in this fully equipped meeting room with LCD projectors, drop down screens and an advanced sound and lighting system. Located on level 6, and with a capacity of up to 100 guests, the venue is ideal for banquets and receptions. The Hilton Kuala Lumpur has a 'total service commitment' and with a dedicated member of our events team assigned to every event, all your needs are sure to be met.
Hilton Worldwide’s Meet with Purpose initiative is now available at all Hilton properties in Malaysia.
Inspired by its global corporate responsibility strategy, Travel with Purpose, Meet with Purpose programme focuses on three essential pillars: Mindful Eating, Mindful Meeting and Mindful Being.
One of the meeting spaces inHilton Kuala Lumpur. Located on level 6, it has the capacity of up to 100 guests
Mindful Eating is about offering a F&B experience that supports a healthier lifestyle and helps sustain engagement during meetings and events.
Constance Lee, assistant director of sales groups, conferences & event, said clients today are becoming more environmentally savvy and more conscious when holding meetings, which is how Mindful Meeting came about.
She added: “Being an environmentally conscious company, it’s our responsibility to promote and offer options and practices that reduce the use of resources and waste production in the meetings and events setting. By June this year, Hilton Malaysia will Say No to Plastic; plastic water bottles are replaced with glass bottles or pitchers and each (meeting) delegate will now receive recycled pens, notepads upon request.”
The third pillar is Mindful Being, which is about assisting meeting planners on ways to incorporate well-being into their meetings with ideas that pump up energy and boost creative thinking encouraging planners to incorporate interesting ideas into their schedule.
Companies across Asia are being invited to join the 2nd YAANA Corporate Challenge, which will take place in Chiang Mai, Thailand, from September 21-23 this year.
The 2D/3N corporate networking event has been designed for business people interested in environmental best practice, and is open to any sector. The event will see corporate managers participating in a 100km or 140km bike ride over two days, as well as taking part in relaxed activities such as a cocktail reception or dinner in the evenings.
Corporate leaders will unite in Chiang Mai for a weekend of green practices, networking and cycling
This is in support of Operation Smile, which funds corrective surgeries for Asian children born with facial deformities such as cleft lips. Last year, the YAANA Corporate Challenge raised US$25,000 for Operation Smile, and the target is US$40,000 this year.
Three fundraising corporate sponsorship packages are available for companies – a US$5,600 platinum package that entitles participation of three riders, a US$4,000 gold package for two rides, or a US$2,400 silver package for a single participant.
Packages include bikes with full technical support, accommodation, corporate branding, apparel, meals, souvenirs, publicity for participating brands, and more.
“It is not a cycle race. Our priority is corporate networking and fundraising based on sustainability and conservation themes. It’s also about health, enjoying amazing scenery, and raising funds that will enhance young people’s lives,” said Mark Remijan, chief financial officer of YAANA Ventures.
Last year’s YAANA Corporate Challenge bike ride took place in coastal central Vietnam in September 2017.
King Guest Suite in Embassy Suites by Hilton Seattle Downtown Pioneer Square
Downtown Seattle gets an Embassy Suites by Hilton
Embassy Suites by Hilton has opened in Seattle’s Pioneer Square with 282 guestrooms.
There are 17 room types, from premium and penthouse suites to spacious two-bedroom units complete with a separate living area, private bedroom and mini-kitchen. Each room is equipped with an HDTV, wet bar, refrigerator, microwave and complimentary Wi-Fi.
Property amenities include a health club with an indoor pool, exercise room and sun deck, the Zephyr Bar, as well as event facilities such as the 690m2 King Street Ballroom and an outdoor event terrace.
Saudi Arabia joins ICCA
The Saudi Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB) recently become a member of ICCA.
Tariq Al-Essa, CEO of the SECB, said: “Becoming a member of ICCA is testimony to our commitment to engaging in the meetings industry worldwide. This will enable us to utilise the expertise of ICCA and enhance the meetings business of Saudi Arabia.”
In addition, the SECB has indicated that investment – in marketing activities to market the country as a destination for international meetings, conventions and exhibitions – will be increased during 2018.
ICIM5 heads to Vienna in 2020
The 5th International Congress on Invertebrate Morphology (ICIM5) will take place at the University of Vienna in 2020 in the first week of August.
It is expected to attract more than 500 international participants, all of whom are leading experts concerned with the study of invertebrates such as mollusks, insects and crustaceans.
Participants will present and discuss their latest findings from a range of disciplines relating to the morphology of invertebrates. Special topics of the congress include aspects of evolutionary and developmental biology, phylogenetics, genomics, and functional morphology.
Wharf Hotels has appointed Randal Linhart as group director of restaurants, bars and events.
He will report to the company’s vice president, operations, Thomas Salg. In his new role, Linhart will lead sustainable efforts for the group including sourcing sustainable food suppliers and lead the elimination of plastic consumption across the group. In addition, he will drive F&B marketing initiatives and new signatures for the group’s brands, Niccolo and Marco Polo Hotels.
Randal Linhart
A seasoned hotelier, Linhart has over 25 years of experience in hospitality, having held senior positions with luxury hotel groups including Rosewood Hotel Group and Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in 14 cities throughout Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Europe and North America.
Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa has appointed Win Kyaw Zaw, also known as Eugene Win, as hotel manager.
Win joined Hilton in 2015 as operations manager for Hilton Ngapali Resort & Spa, bringing with him a wealth of experience in the hospitality industry amassed over more than two decades from international hotels in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, the UAE and Singapore.
He first began his career as a receptionist at the Andaman Club Hotel in Kawthaung.
A growing appreciation for a healthy body and mind among consumers has led to similar expectations when they are travelling for business.
Corporate events are no longer satisfied with simply incorporating low-sugar meals crafted to keep delegates’ mind alert during meetings, or utilising venues with natural light or fun layouts to encourage lively interaction.
The wellness trend is on the uptick
Some planners and hoteliers are observing a growing demand for wellness programmes to be incorporated into meetings, incentive and teambuilding events.
In Japan, a land famed for its mineral-rich onsens, wellness-themed incentive and teambuilding events are on the rise and evolving.
“We are seeing an increase in demand for wellness programmes from corporate groups recently, with our zazen meditation and yoga sessions the most frequently requested,” said Yayoi Awashima, director of sales for Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel on the banks of the Hozu River in Kyoto’s Arashiyama district.
“But we are also finding increasing interest in indigenous wellness programmes – something that is different from what is available elsewhere and unique to the location,” she said, adding that groups in the past have generally been made up of women in their 40s and 50s from companies in the luxury fashion and cosmetics sectors. An ideal group size is between 20 and 30 people.
As well as onsen bathing, Suiran can arrange moonlit or early-morning yoga in its leafy gardens, zazen meditation within a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site or forest bathing in a bamboo grove.
The monks at Shunko-in Temple, Kyoto also provide lodging and wellness programmes for visitors to the ancient Japanese capital, with demand rising sharply in the last three years, said reverend Taka Kawakami.
The venue benefits from its location in the heart of a city rich in religious, imperial and traditional accents at every turn.
“A year ago, people really only wanted mindfulness programmes to meditate and reduce stress.
“Now, the most popular course examines emotions and biases, with participants learning how emotions can influence their attention, behaviour and ways of thinking. If people can identify their biases, then they can adapt to new conditions in diverse office environments quickly,” Kawakami said.
The temple’s courses are popular among high-tech companies and venture businesses, as well as among business schools such as Harvard, Wharton and INSEAD, to develop mental wellness and broader well-being.
Shunko-in Temple’s courses are ideal for people in their mid-20s to 40s, opined Kawakami, with typically a 50-50 gender ratio in groups of between 20 and 40.
Some 6,000km away, in Sri Lanka, the same wellness trend in the business events space is taking hold.
The destination is seen as a relatively new contender for teambuilding and wellness programmes but the market is growing, found destination experts.
This is a market that can grow exponentially, believes Jetwing Travels’ managing director, Shiromal Cooray. The company is part of Jetwing Group whose subsidiary Jetwing Adventures specialises in adventure travel and corporate wellness programmes, apart from others.
Since moving into this niche 19 months ago, Jetwing Adventures has completed about six programmes for clients mostly from Europe, with the largest group being 18 executives.
While Sri Lanka has an assortment of yoga and Ayurvedic treatment providers, most hotels and resorts do not specialise in corporate wellness programmes. Instead, it is often companies like Ayurva Traveller – a wellness travel specialist – that support overseas planners.
Ayurva Travels got its first big client in December 2017, when a Singapore-based multinational company flew 40 executives from different parts of the world into Sri Lanka.
Nilusha Kodituwakku, Ayurva Travels’ founder, opined that Sri Lanka could well be the next Bali, a destination also renowned for its wellness restreats, should it be promoted right and have proper guidelines in place to ensure “that the right people get into the (wellness) business”.
In Sri Lanka, popular wellness treatments include sound baths (an ancient sound-healing practice using a special gong), meditation, and acro-yoga (a combination of yoga and acrobatics). These would be worked into a programme that includes teambuilding games. – Additional reporting by Feizal Samath
This story was first published in TTGmice May 2018 issue, as part of the cover feature. Access TTGmice electronic magazines by clicking here.
Crystal Lagoon, one of the Bintan’s newest attractions, can help draw domestic corporate travellers
Bintan Resorts, which has traditionally relied on Singapore and its hub status for arrivals, is now playing up its beach destinations and ability to host large family and corporate groups to attract more travellers from Indonesia’s domestic market.
This was revealed at a sales mission that Bintan Resorts organised last Friday, which marked the start of the company’s major marketing activities this year across six cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Batam and Medan). A new destination video showcasing the best of Bintan Island was also unveiled.
Crystal Lagoon, one of the Bintan’s newest attractions, can help draw domestic corporate travellers
Donny Tan, manager marketing, Bintan Resorts International, said: “We realised that Indonesians enjoy beach resorts now. Ten years ago, we did not see Indonesians travelling to places like Raja Ampat or Belitung. Now, they go to these places. We have a big market here at home, so why not tap into it?”
Tan believes that with latest developments such as the Crystal Lagoon – the biggest recreational seawater body in South-east Asia – Bintan has much to offer to the domestic market.
Other new attractions that opened in 1Q2018 include Rumah Imaji, a trick-eye museum with more than 50 optical illusions of the Riau Islands’ culture and heritage; and Food Gram, a F&B outlet in Plaza Lagoi shopping centre.
As for Tom Panggabean, sales manager of Banyan Tree Angsana and Cassia, the Indonesian market, mainly the corporate sector, makes up around five per cent for the resort. “We are now opening ourselves to the leisure, family and FIT markets, too, apart from growing our existing corporate market,” he said.
“We believe that our new Cassia Bintan, which has a serviced apartment concept, suits the Indonesian market well,” he added. “They like to travel together (with friends or families) and share a room, enjoy cooking their own meals, and it is the most affordable (compared to Laguna Bintan’s Banyan Tree and Angsana).”
Dylis Low, sales manager of Treasure Bay Bintan, which also participated at the Bintan Resorts sales missions, shared that current Indonesian visitors to Bintan mainly hail from nearby Tanjung Pinang and Batam, and they head to the island for attractions such as The Chill Cove @ Treasure Bay Bintan and Crystal Lagoon on the weekends.
“However, we want to grab the markets from other cities in Indonesia like Jakarta. The resort has ongoing marketing campaigns to reach out to the Indonesian corporate groups, families and adult travellers,” Low added.
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.
