The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea may have drawn to a close on Sunday, but work to leverage the games to raise the country’s profile for business events is still going on at full speed.
The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang has given planners good vibes about South Korea
“The world now knows more about Pyeongchang and South Korea, so we have set up more infrastructure in the Gangwon province as valuable tourism assets,” said Jung Jiman, deputy director, Korea Tourism Organisation (KTO).
He added that greater awareness of Pyeongchang’s winter resorts and facilities among domestic and international planners will draw in more business events as well as spark developments in other provinces of South Korea.
The Games has also helped to dispel perceptions of “danger” that the market may hold regarding South Korea as a result of news surrounding a provocative North, noted Jung, who explained that potential visitors are now more aware of the “peaceful” relations between the two Koreas.
Jung observed at the recent AIME that “demand is growing” for incentive and meeting groups to South Korea, thanks to the Games.
Tricia Mikolai, managing director, BI Worldwide, observed: “There is not much fear from our clients in Australia. South Korea has been overlooked but now it’s the next destination for people to go.”
What it can benefit from is more information and awareness about its offerings, said Mikolai. She continued: “When we think of South Korea, we think of Seoul and the Olympics, but there’s so much more to it.”
Event planners in the region are opening up to facial recognition technology which allows delegates to register, print their badges, chat with each other and participate in live polls at events and conferences.
Launched last week at AIME, the facial recognition check-in suite by Malaysia-based Evenesis has already racked up interest among Asia’s event planners, said Yusno Yunos, CEO, founder of the company.
Yusno: Australian planners are still “shy” about facial recognition technology
“After we first spoke about this solution in Penang, we’ve gotten interest from parties in Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia,” revealed Yusno. Clients include several Malaysian PCO such as Place Borneo and Crystal Edge, and Singapore DMC like CWT Events.
The suite is slated to debut at the end of this year with enhanced uses, such as entry into the event building itself.
Such technology is able to contribute to a better event experience for attendees, opined Yusno. Besides automatic check-in and badge-printing, the facial recognition suite also allows organisers to detect and analyse delegate emotions in order to craft a more effective event.
Moreover, the machine is able to recognise a more diverse range of facial features, a capability that Yusno observed not many solution companies in South-east Asia can offer.
As the product kicks off, data protection and privacy is an emerging concern, noted Yusno. He asserted that delegates’ pictures will not be stored, and are instead processed as “data points” or pixels.
He shared that while the technology has “really bright potential in South-east Asia”, it received “shy” reception from Australian organisers at AIME.
He said: “Australian planners I met have heard about facial recognition, but they’ve not actually experienced it at an event. However, technology adoption here is very fast as compared to in South-east Asia, so I’m confident that if we push this here, it will take off faster.”
Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has joined forces with Rydges Hotel South Bank to create the South Bank Conferences initiative.
The initiative means that smaller- and medium-sized conferences wanting a convention centre experience will have the convenience of having a single point of contact for both accommodation and conference facilities.
New initiative allows Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre to get friendly for small- and mid-sized conventionsRecently refurbished Rydges South Bank boasts new event spaces
The recently-refurbished Rydges South Bank is connected by private entry to the BCEC. All 304 rooms including 64 suites have been refurbished as part of a A$30 million (US$23.6 million) upgrade including the creation of new spaces and experiences.
BCEC general manager, Bob O’Keeffe opined that South Bank Conferences is a game changer for the industry.
“For us it’s about providing value and choice for clients. Reflective of BCEC’s previous successful partnership model collaborating with business, the arts, education and research, this initiative is pivotal to developing innovative solutions targeting the specific conference needs of clients,” he said.
General manager of Rydges South Bank, Callum Kennedy, added: “Together with the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, we have listened to what conference clients want and what they need looking to the future and we have created a partnership that meets this need.”
The Great Room, which combines elements of a private members’ club with co-working spaces, has expanded to its second location in Singapore – the CBD’s Centennial Tower.
Spanning 3,344.5m2 over two floors with a 360-degree wrap-around view of downtown Singapore, The Great Room says the opening is a response to strong demand for its first One George Street location, which launched in 2016.
The Great Room’s second location in Singapore offers hot desks, hot offices and beautiful event spaces where business people can interact
The Great Room experience begins at The Drawing Room, which serves as a reception area housing the Bar and Café, and an event space for members to gather for evening cocktails and “large-scale fireside chats”.
A more intimate Club Lounge caters specially to The Great Room Business Club members, which The Great Room says provides access to a social and professional network.
The Circle brings to mind a private supper club, where deals are done around the design team’s interpretation of the modern bonfire. “Like-minded tribes” from eight to 80 pax can gather in a variety of meeting spaces – a 14-pax boardroom; Studio, for 16 pax; Parlour, for six pax; or study, also for six – whether for learning, meeting, impressing or entertaining.
Hot desks and hot offices are also available.
Co-founder and CEO, Jaelle Ang, said: “We wanted to create an all-encompassing work and play experience… This opening further cements our purpose to change the way people feel about going to work. Because beyond productivity, work is also about new conversations, connections, inspiration, contemplation and repose. It’s our job to design the perfect backdrop to the highlights of life happening.”
The Great Room will also have a business and cultural programme for members, focusing on growth across professional, personal, wellness, creativity and cultural development.
By end-2018, The Great Room expects to be serving a community of over 700 companies across its seven locations in four cities, namely Bangkok, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Singapore.
Membership at The Great Room is tiered, starting from a basic fee of S$750 (US$569.80) for hot desk and hot office access.
Eastin Thana City Golf Resort Bangkok will open within the Thana City mixed-use development on April 1, 2018.
Thana City, which includes the newly renovated Thana City Golf and Sports Club, is located 25 minutes from the Thai capital’s downtown area, and 10 minutes from Suvarnabhumi Bangkok International Airport.
Soothing colour palettes are used for the superior room
When open, Eastin Thana City Golf Resort Bangkok will feature 194 rooms; an outdoor pool; a playground, kids’ club; a 24-hour gym; as well as futsal, badminton, tennis and squash courts.
Guests will also be able to enjoy facilities at the neighbouring Thana City Sports Club, which includes an international-class 18-hole course designed by Greg Norman.
For stays from April 1 to October 31, the resort is offering introductory rates starting at 1,899 baht (US$60.64) per night for a Superior room.
Following the multi-million dollar refurbishment of Cordis, Auckland, Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group has announced new expansion plans that will make the hotel the largest in New Zealand in terms of room count.
Cordis, Auckland will be New Zealand’s largest hotel, in terms of room count, by 4Q2020
The new tower that is adjacent and connected to the existing hotel will house an additional 250 premium rooms and Cordis signature suites. The size of the new rooms will start from 32m2, while the brand new Club Lounge will feature panoramic views of the harbour and Auckland Tower. This will bring the total number of rooms and suites to 650.
Currently, the recently-rebranded hotel has event space in excess of 2,000m2. There are plans to add a new event space of approximately 400m2 that will offer natural light and multiple configurations.
The hotel’s Eight restaurant will also have its capacity boosted by 60, as well as open a new bar with courtyard and outdoor seating.
Simon Manning, chief sales and marketing officer of Langham Hospitality Group, said in a statement: “On a broader outlook, with New Zealand’s International Convention Centre scheduled to open in 2020, Cordis, Auckland’s enhanced facilities and increased inventory will be in a strong position to support the country’s development of the robust conventions and events sector.”
Cordis, Auckland’s new tower is scheduled to be opened in 4Q2020, in time for The America’s Cup and Asia Pacific Economic Forum, two major events slated to be held in Auckland the following year.
A decade on from its founding, Airbnb is eyeing an ambitious 1.1 billion guests annually within the next 10 years, and hopes that a roadmap – which includes a new Airbnb for Work category – will get it there.
Airbnb for Work is rolled out with other new stay collections
To cater to different travel purposes, Airbnb has launched Airbnb for Family and Airbnb for Work as part of its new Collections. Four more categories will be rolled out later this year, namely, Collections for Social stays, Weddings, Honeymoons, Group getaways and Dinner parties.
Airbnb also unveiled new property categories and tiers as guests and homes become increasingly varied over the years.
Launching to guests this summer are four new property types – Vacation Home, Unique, B&B and Boutiques. The four will join the existing three categories of Entire Home, Private Room and Shared Space. Airbnb said the seven core property types will provide greater transparency and easier search by guests over the types of accommodation available.
Airbnb also rolled out the new Airbnb Plus tier. Airbnb Plus homes have been inspected and verified in person against a 100+ point checklist covering cleanliness, comfort and design. Hosts in this tier would benefit from top placement, in-home services such as design consultation and expert photography, and premium support.
Airbnb Plus is available for booking, beginning with 2,000 homes in 13 cities.
Another new tier is Beyond by Airbnb, which launches this spring. Beyond by Airbnb will offer custom designed trips, including “the world’s finest homes, custom experiences and world-class hospitality”.
Airbnb has also revamped its Superhost programme and will launch a new guest membership programme later this year.
“Ten years ago we never dreamed of what Airbnb could become. In fact, people thought the idea that strangers would stay in each other’s homes was crazy. Today, millions of people every night do just that. But we want to go further by supporting and expanding our community so that in 10 years time, more than one billion people per year will experience the benefits of Airbnb,” said Airbnb co-founder, CEO and head of community, Brian Chesky.
As a growing number of companies consider off-site locations for their events, a more varied picture of venue options is emerging in Hong Kong.
Harbour City Ocean terminal new extension
According to business event players TTGmice interviewed, demand for non-hotel venues is on the rise. Pacific World’s business development manager, Dwirt Ang, for example, said that the company’s overseas clients often come with the idea that gala dinners work best when held away from the main meeting hotel.
“Over the past two years, clients are looking beyond technology (capabilities at the venue) and focusing on fostering personal connections. Though many hotel venues offer an amazing combination of venue space and great food and service, many high-end clients prefer that dinner events be held off-site (so) delegates can escape the monotony of ‘always’ being in a hotel for their events.”
Likewise, LORE’s managing director, Beatrice Remy, added: “(Many of our) corporate clients have already visited the destination and are looking for a fresh environment. (The appeal of) Airbnb and inspiring, entrepreneur-friendly workspaces is transferring into the events industry. Clients demand inspiration and surprise… we live in an experiential society.“
Examples of unconventional corporate event venues, shared Destination China’s general manager, Gunther Homerlein, include the Asia Society, which has a rooftop that gives a sense of the city without being “right in the middle of it”.
There’s also the Jao Tsung-I Academy, reminiscent of a bygone era; and the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, he added.
Moreover, the Po Toi O fishing village offers a refreshing backdrop, much different from the cityscape that the corporate crowd is so used to. “We have done a couple of great lunches at Po Toi O. We bring in wine, servers, cutlery, tables, while making use of the amazing restaurants and local feel of the place,” he shared.
Located in the Shouson Hill private suburb, Crown Wine Cellars, a UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Site, is ideal for board events or high level dinners.
While spaces not typically used for corporate events are coming onto the radar of planners, choosing off-site venues not equipped with a full kitchen comes with the downside of having to juggle permits, food safety and menu.
Pacific World’s Ang said: “It is always challenging, but it’s made easier if the venue is supportive and open to new ideas… It is also important to work with a well-established off-site catering company.”
Moreover, Homerlein pointed out: “Unfortunately (the city is faced with) a dearth of unique off-site venues that are available to clients. It is the city’s biggest drawback and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) and other authorities do very little at all to help develop or seek new venues. So we have to stick with what we have and try and make more out of them.”
According to HKTB, the city boasts several innovative meeting facilities with more to come.
The Zero Carbon Building in Kowloon, for instance, is the first of its kind in the city. It includes a multi-purpose hall with low-carbon facilities and can accommodate over 100 delegates in a seminar setting, while its nine outdoor exhibition and landscape areas covering around 3,000m2 are ideal for exhibitions and events.
For heritage venues, there is the gothic-style Bethanie located in Pokfulam built by the French Mission in 1875. It now includes two performance venues, an exhibition hall, a chapel and a museum.
More is in the pipeline. Among the upcoming meeting and event facilities is the Harbour City Ocean Terminal Deck & New Extension at the end of Ocean Terminal. Catering both to tourists and business event delegates, the new facility will offer a 270-degree sea view of Victoria Harbour; 11 dining outlets with alfresco areas (six outlets have started operation); two event spaces, each sized 603.9m2; and a 200-seat outdoor grandstand. The rooftop takes in a lawn, terrace and lobby across 1,486m2 and can hold about 1,000 pax.
As well, the West Kowloon Cultural District (under construction at press time) will be home to flexible event spaces with versatile lawn and concrete paving, making it a good option for outdoor events.
Presence of a supportive local convention bureau and state government has enabled Hyderabad to enjoy a triumphant year in inbound business events.
For Gorav Arora, director, sales & marketing with Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre & Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC), the year 2017 was in fact the “most successful year in the recent past” for the capital city of Telangana state in India.
Hyderabad Convention International Centre
“We have seen double-digit growth. HICC hosted some major conferences and association events last year,” Arora revealed.
He gave credit to a supportive state government, saying: “(It) has been proactive in supporting new businesses in the city which has (in turn brought more business events) to Hyderabad. The government has also supported many conferences (held in Hyderabad), such as the recent Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) that has placed the city in the global spotlight.”
GES is an annual gathering of emerging entrepreneurs, investors and supporters from around the world.
Chander Mansharamani, managing director, Alpcord Network Travel & Conferences, also commended the state government for being proactive in attracting global conferences, adding that Hyderabad’s current infrastructure also brings value to interested event planners.
He explained: “Hyderabad boasts of a purpose-built events venue in the form of HICC. The ecosystem of the city includes hotels, conference venues and transport providers (that allow events to be coordinated seamlessly).”
Gary Khan, CEO of the Hyderabad Convention Visitors Bureau (HCVB), added that the entry and expansion of global business conglomerates like Samsung and Google in Hyderabad had also helped the city in its bids for trade association meetings.
Other notable business events that took place in Hyderabad last year included World Endoscopy Conference 2017, InterDrought-V, International Union of Crystallography Congress and SKAL World Congress.
According to major PCOs and PEOs in the city, Europe and the US are traditional main source markets for association events. However, 2017 witnessed the emergence of South-east Asian demand out of Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.
Swadesh Kumar, founder, Shikhar Group of Companies, also observed more conferences coming out of the Middle-East.
He said scientific, medical and IT meetings were the most common in Hyderabad, and were the biggest drivers of business for the local meetings industry in 2017.
“Even the domestic market performed extremely well for Hyderabad last year,” he added.
Khan revealed that HCVB has now decided to push Hyderabad aggressively to corporate incentive buyers in global markets.
According to industry players, so strong is Hyderabad’s appeal for business events that even the new Goods & Sales Tax imposed last year had failed to dampen interest.
With the new tax, the highest tax rate of 28 per cent applies to hotel room rates of more than 7,500 rupees (US$118) while an 18 per cent tax on F&B applies.
Arora expects the city’s good performance to continue into 2018.
“We have a good pipeline of business for 2018 and we expect this year will be better than 2017, even though it is too early to gauge the impact of the new Goods & Services Tax on business events performance,” remarked Arora.
Not to be outdone by their metropolitan neighbours, smaller cities in Australia are emerging with unique marketing campaigns and new business event offerings, with some destinations set to transform entire precincts.
For example, Cairns is pumping A$176 million (US$138 million) into the expansion and refurbishment of the Cairns Convention Centre, which will open in the 2018/19 financial year near an upcoming integrated resort and entertainment district. The city is also receiving a slate of new hotels in the next three years, marking its first hotel opening in over two decades.
Aerial view of Brisbane
Rosie Douglas, director of business and tourism events, Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef, said that these additions will increase the city’s total exhibition space by 3,000m2.
“We’re not a capital city, we don’t have massive universities, but we are all about the natural environment. So we’re hoping to pull in more events and conferences from the agriculture and marine science industries. That’s the identity that we’re pushing,” Douglas told TTGmice on the sidelines of AIME 2018.
Similarly, Brisbane is banking on its geographical advantage to promote the coastal city, to the extent of pumping in A$110 million to transform the previously derelict Howard Smith Wharves into a riverside restaurant and hotel complex.
Its general manager – events, Scott Bayne, shared: “We’re really pushing the focus on local and regional (aspects) of Brisbane and greater Queensland. A lot of people don’t fully appreciate that we have a river connection to a beautiful ocean and beaches that are only accessible from our site, and other sites to come (in the future).”
Hardware aside, the local supplier network plays a role in attracting agents as well.
Lilian Hii, executive assistant to chief information officer, Boral Digital Solutions, observed that unlike in certain larger cities, suppliers in Queensland are eager to help each other by referring agents to other suppliers.
“They have the drive to build up Queensland as a region instead of competing (with each other),” said Hii.
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.
