Gillian Officer has been appointed the director of sales for Te Pae, Christchurch Convention Centre. In her new role, Officer will have to work towards securing events for the opening of Te Pae from late 2020 onwards.
She was previously the director of sales – conventions and outcatering at SkyCity based in Auckland, and has held similar roles with the Wellington Convention Centre and The Edge, Auckland Convention Centre.
Te Pae, which means gathering place, is on track for opening in 2H2020. It will be able to host up to 2,000 delegates for a variety of events. The prime central city venue includes a divisible auditorium, 200-booth exhibition hall, banquet hall and 24 meeting rooms. Construction is well underway with 20 per cent of the venue now complete.
OSRAM Networking dinner at Suffolk House in Penang
Event brief
OSRAM Opto Semiconductors wanted a grand launch of its new fabrication plant in Kulim Hi-Tech Park, Kedah, in November 2017. The plant produces LED chips for premium applications, such as automotive lighting and video projection.
OSRAM engaged Penang-based Goche Corporation to handle the three-day event. The latter arranged sightseeing tours in the heart of Penang’s George Town, followed by a welcome dinner at Suffolk House for more than 300 clients and staff from Europe and Asia.
OSRAM Networking dinner at Suffolk House in Penang
The plant launch was held the next day and it included a tour, an elaborate product exhibition and a press conference led by OSRAM’s chief officers.
Taking advantage of the chief officers’ presence. OSRAM also decided to end the event with a worldwide sales meeting.
Challenges
Goche Corporation’s MICE manager, Wilson Teoh, recalled that the time difference between Malaysia and Germany was one of the key challenges in the preparation of the event, where Goche Corporation was required to liaise closely with an event management company appointed in Germany.
Teoh said: “Germany is eight hours behind Malaysia. Much of our communication was done online, via emails and conference calls.”
Another challenge was the weather, as the event fell during the year-end monsoon season in Penang. The wet season also saw a massive flood hit Penang in the lead up to the event.
Teoh recalled: “We had to build marquee tents for the pre-launch dinner as well as an air-conditioned tent for the conference and meeting on site in Kulim.
“Building such tents usually takes about 1.5 weeks but we had to stop work a few times due to the heavy rain. What made it more challenging was having to ensure that in the construction process, the wooden platforms used for the flooring did not get wet.”
A third challenge was proposing entertainment and menu options for the dinner event that would appeal to both European and Asian guests.
Solution
Flexible work hours was the solution to the time difference. Teoh said: “We adjusted our working hours in order to better align with our partners in Germany.”
To get around the construction delays as a result of the wet weather, Goche Corporation worked doubly hard as soon as the sky cleared.
“Whenever we had the chance of good weather, we worked overtime and even late through the night using lighting from generators,” Teoh recalled. “To ensure that the wooden platforms remained dry, we had to build the canopy first, followed by the platform.”
For entertainment, the team proposed performances that showcased Penang’s multi-culture. “We had songs and dances by the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan communities. For the dinner menu, the creative chefs at Suffolk House prepared a Western fusion menu improvised with local spices,” he said.
Key takeaways
Teoh believes that detailed planning is vital in ensuring a successful event. “Weather is unpredictable and you need a strong back-up plan which includes extra manpower to ensure that everything runs well,” he said.
Event: OSRAM Kulim Plant Launch Organiser: Goche Corporation Venue: OSRAM Kulim Plant and around Penang Date: November 22-24, 2017 Number of participants: 400
Christoph Holzapfel has been appointed as general manager of Six Senses Con Dao.
He joins the luxury resort in Vietnam from his most recent role as resort general manager at JA Manafaru in the Maldives.
His 25 years of hospitality experience includes leading teams in general management roles in Botswana, Namibia and South Africa with the Orient Express group, Abercrombie and Kent, and various independent lodges and camps. He has also worked with Anantara as general manager in Abu Dhabi, and has also been involved with several resort pre-openings.
Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) will intensify its efforts to get more business events from Asia, in particular South-east Asia, in line with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture’s strategic direction in attracting more regional tourists to Malaysia.
Zulkefli: investments to continue in relevant tradeshow presence
Zulkefli Sharif, MyCEB CEO, explained to TTGmice on the sidelines after the opening ceremony of Malaysia Business Events Week held at Resorts World Genting this week, that the direction was due to direct air accessibility where more than 70 per cent of arrivals into Malaysia are from Asia.
MyCEB’s key markets are China, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Japan. Strategy to tap these markets included conducting roadshows and sales calls as well as participating in business events tradeshows such as IT&CM Asia and IT&CM China, and working closely and supporting Malaysian business events industry partners who are also tapping these markets.
Zulkefli stressed that MyCEB will also continue to attend tradeshows in Europe and the US to court the associations meetings market as 60 per cent of association headquarters are based out of these regions.
Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik, the new deputy minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia, told reporters at a press conference that business events will continue to remain a key component to the country’s prosperity.
He said: “Business events contributed three times more revenue compared with leisure tourists and created value beyond tourism that extends also to knowledge sharing and transfer, trade and investment opportunities, social development and networking opportunities among delegates.”
In 2017, business events contributed eight per cent of total tourist arrivals to Malaysia which stood at 25.9 million. The Ministry is targeting business events contribution to grow to 10 to 12 per cent of the total 36 million tourist arrivals targeted in 2020.
The business events industry is expected to contribute RM3.9 billion (US$952,126,500) in incremental Gross National Income and 16,720 jobs in two years’ time.
The Asara Villa & Suite Hua Hin has undergone a complete rebranding and refurbishment by Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, and has emerged the Mövenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin.
The upscale resort overlooks the Gulf of Thailand, and features a collection of 96 private suites and pool villas. The 120m2 suites offer large balconies or terraces featuring day beds, as well as bathrooms with indoor and outdoor rainshowers and bathtubs. Meanwhile, the one- and two-bedroom villas span 150m2 and 200m2 respectively, and include luxurious indoor living areas, outdoor decks and private plunge pools.
Sea-facing villa with a plunge pool
Also available is a 400m2 two-bedroom beachfront villa with three separate pavilions, its own private beach area, large outdoor decks and a plunge pool overlooking the sea.
Facilities include the Asara Spa, a gym, outdoor infinity swimming pool, two restaurants, and a bar.
The property is located 10 minutes from the centre of Hua Hin and a two-hour drive from Bangkok.
Mövenpick Asara Resort & Spa Hua Hin is the latest addition to Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts’ extensive collection in Thailand. It joins six existing hotels in Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya and Chiang Mai.
Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka has joined the portfolio of 12 other Oakwood-branded serviced apartments in Japan.
The first international serviced apartment brand in the Umeda and Shin-Osaka areas offers both a total of 185 units, comprising 59 hotel rooms and 126 fully furnished serviced apartments.
Studio Hotel Room
Guests will have access to facilities such as a 24-hour gym, a meeting room, two laundry rooms, a car park, and the all-day Café O. Oakwood Hotel & Apartments Shin-Osaka will also provide services such as concierge and reception services and housekeeping.
The property is situated within walking distance to Shin-Osaka Station, the gateway to Japan’s Kansai region.
Hilton Petaling Jaya's Kristal Ballroom in
theatre setup
Hilton’s eight hotels in Malaysia have launched a new meetings package entitled Next Stop: Success.
The Next Stop: Success package is open for bookings from now until September 30, 2018, for events taking place from now until December 31, 2018.
Hilton Petaling Jaya’s Kristal Ballroom in theatre setup
Benefits include six per cent off the master bill, one complimentary room for every 25 master billed room per night; one complimentary upgrade to the next category for every 25 master billed room per night; and 2,000 bonus points per event and double points (two points per US$1 USD spent) on all meetings and events within the Hilton Portfolio.
Hilton operates eight properties in Malaysia across two brands: Hilton Hotels & Resorts which include Hilton Kuala Lumpur, Hilton Petaling Jaya, Hilton Kota Kinabalu and Hilton Kuching and DoubleTree Hotels & Resorts comprising DoubleTree by Hilton Kuala Lumpur, DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru and two brand new DoubleTree properties in Melaka; DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka and Penang; DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang.
Hotel Maya Kuala Lumpur has appointed Teekay Goh as general manager.
Goh embarked on his travel career with Mayflower Acme Tours and thereafter built up a career in the hospitality industry in the following two decades.
His vast hospitality experiences encompass a spectrum of hotels, resorts and serviced suites, including various senior sales positions with Berjaya Hotels & Resorts, Pangkor Island Beach Resort, Lanson Place Ambassador Row Kuala Lumpur and Parkroyal Serviced Suites Kuala Lumpur.
Desaru Coast in Johor, Malaysia, believes it is well placed to capture the attention of meeting planners, corporate companies and outbound travel agents across Asia, with several more internationally-branded hotels and a conference centre coming online soon.
The first two hotels developed by Desaru Development Holdings One – the 365-room Hard Rock Desaru Coast and 275-key The Westin Desaru Coast Resort – as well as Desaru Coast Conference Centre which will be managed by The Westin Desaru Coast Resort, are scheduled to open from end of 3Q2018. The conference centre can host up to 1,000 participants in a theatre-seating.
A rendering of the soon-to-open Desaru Coast
Roslina Arbak, CEO of Desaru Development Holdings One, said: “Event planners seeking to combine teambuilding activities can benefit from the centre’s close proximity to the Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark, as well as the Desaru beach.”
Towards the end of 2018, incentive planners can also look forward to the One&Only Desaru Coast. The 52ha beachfront development will have 42 suites, two luxury suites and an exclusive four-bedroom villa. This will be followed by the opening of Anantara Desaru Coast Resort & Villas in 2019.
Roslina shared that key foreign markets Desaru is targeting for business events include Singapore, Indonesia, China, Hong Kong and India, as well as international tourists travelling to Malaysia via Singapore.
To capture as much of the market as possible, Desaru Developments Holdings has set up trade representatives in key markets such as Singapore, Indonesia, China and India. It is also working closely with Tourism Malaysia and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau to raise awareness of the destination regionally and globally.
Roslina elaborated: “We are actively leveraging on international tourism trade events including PATA Travel Mart and ITB Asia to help us bring focus to Johor as an international business hub, and Desaru Coast’s advantageous location in the southern gateway into Malaysia, especially for those coming from Singapore or Indonesia.”
She added that Desaru’s close proximity to Singapore also bodes well, as the destination is 1.5 hours by road from Singapore. By sea, from Changi Ferry Terminal to Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal, and from there it’s a 30-minute drive to Desaru Coast.
“In addition, we have also recently launched our Desaru Coast Shuttle Service which provides accessibility to and from Desaru Coast via Singapore and Senai Airport. For those travelling to and from Senai Airport, there are four scheduled shuttle trips daily,” Roslina shared.
Mega-show veteran India Exposition Mart Ltd (IEML) held the inaugural India International Hospitality Expo last week at the India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida, an event said to be the country’s first exhibition that showcases various facets of the hospitality sector including F&B equipment, decor solutions, architecture and food.
The event, inaugurated by Harsimrat Kaur Badal, India’s minister for food processing industry, saw participation from 203 exhibitors, with international brands being represented by their local agents.
Kumar: India International Hospitality Expo will become the single sourcing platform for India’s hospitality sector
Explaining how the India International Hospitality Expo stands out from other similar shows, Rakesh Kumar, chairman, IEML, said: “The existing hospitality industry exhibitions in the country are mainly focused on food. We have, however, brought service providers and equipment providers onto a B2B platform. Our aim is to build this event along the lines of Hotel Expo Dubai.”
He also aims for the event to be regarded as “a single sourcing platform for the entire hospitality sector”.
Other unique features of India International Hospitality Expo included a culinary theatre curated by renowned Indian chef Devender and a curated fashion show for the hospitality industry by Sunil Sethi, chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India.
Kumar expects the second edition of the show to see more exhibitors especially from around the globe.
The newly-opened Ritz-Carlton, Bangkok anchors the One Bangkok development with cosmopolitan elegance. Featuring the city's largest ballroom and a spectacular new penthouse suite, it delivers exceptional hardware and deeply authentic, soulful service for business and leisure travellers alike
Behind the imposing, Brutalist concrete that defines Zurich’s Oerlikon district lies a surprising secret. While its exterior honours the neighbourhood’s industrial roots, stepping inside Mama Shelter reveals a vibrant, neon-soaked world that is a far cry from its rigid shell
A polished urban retreat designed for business travellers, Hyatt Regency Kuala Lumpur at KL Midtown combines thoughtful design, seamless service, and exceptional facilities.
