One of the function spaces on the property with abundant natural lighting
The 316-key DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang in Malaysia is seeing a growth in demand for meetings, incentives and conferences at the property since its January opening.
The hotel’s business development manager, Joyi Ng, attributed the growth to the recognition of the Hilton brand, saying that it was strong in Malaysia and this has helped to attract more events. Events mainly hail from the domestic market, and overseas markets such as Singapore, Greater China, and the UK.
One of the function spaces on the property with abundant natural lighting
Ng further shared that 40 per cent of the hotel’s business mix are from the business events sector who make use of the hotel facilities for their functions. The remaining 60 per cent are leisure tourists.
From August 6-9, DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang will also be the venue for the Asian Leadership Conference 2018. Around 500 delegates are expected to attend, and it will be the largest conference booking to date, revealed Ng.
The seafront resort, located in the Batu Ferringhi area, has the largest pillarless ballroom in Penang, provides a lot of natural daylight and overlooks a garden and pool. Other meeting facilities include three function rooms that can hold 12 and 120 delegates, and a sea-facing terrace that is suitable for cocktails or teambuilding activities. In addition, the beach fronting the hotel, known as Miami beach, is also suitable for teambuilding events up to a maximum of 50 pax.
This property is the first DoubleTree Resort in Malaysia, and joins three other DoubleTree hotel properties in the country, namely DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Kuala Lumpur, DoubleTree by Hilton Melaka and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Johor Bahru.
Maureen O’Crowley, the executive director of Seoul Tourism Organization from 2008 to 2017, passed away peacefully on the evening of June 4 with her family by her side.
She had been battling pancreas cancer.
O’Crowley was deeply passionate about promoting her city, Seoul, as well as South Korea for leisure tourism and business events, and worked tirelessly as an advocate of both at travel trade events around the world with her team.
In an announcement on Facebook of her demise on Tuesday (June 5), Seoul Convention Bureau described O’Crowley as a “great leader, colleague, and friend”.
The post read: “Maureen O’Crowley, former executive director of the Seoul Convention Bureau, inspired and touched many hearts here at the Seoul Tourism Organization. She left an incredible legacy promoting Seoul and Korea around the world, and her work, passion, and kindness will always be remembered.”
Dubai prioritises the Asian market
Dubai has been expanding its presence in a number of Asian markets with offices staffed with team members from Dubai Business Events that can assist agencies, corporates, and planners.
The emirate is currently represented in cities such as Guangzhou, Seoul, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, and Kuala Lumpur. The latter three offices are just a year old, having opened in June 2017.
“Having that infrastructure of people on the ground helps us be proactive in sales, as well as provide support for these organisations looking towards Dubai (as an incentive destination),” Steen Jakobsen, assistant vice president, Dubai Business Events and City Operations, told TTGmice.
On why Asia was being looked at more keenly now, Jakobsen shared: “The focus is more on incentive programmes and on corporate meetings now. We’ve seen a growing interest from many markets throughout Asia such as Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. More direct-selling industries are using Dubai as a destination for their annual incentive programmes.”
At this point, half of Dubai’s business sector are incentive groups, and of this about 80 per cent are Asian companies. Particularly for the China market, incentive groups have been large. Forever Living brought 12,000 pax to the city, while NuSkin China brought some 14,500 pax.
Steen attributes this growth to the softened visa regulation a year ago for Chinese nationals. They can now obtain a visa upon arrival, and as a result arrivals leapt 41 per cent. – Rachel AJ Lee
ICC Wales construction enters new phase
ICC Wales has reached a milestone in the £84 million (US$112.7 million) project, with more than half the steel for the new centre now in place.
The joint venture between Celtic Manor and the Welsh Government will be able to accommodate 5,000 delegates in total. Function spaces includes a 4,000m2 pillar-free main hall, a 1,500-seated auditorium, 12 flexible meeting rooms, a glass atrium, and 2,500m2 outdoor plaza.
The building will be watertight by the end of November, and is on track for a completion by summer 2019.
When complete, ICC Wales is expected to bring £70 million a year into the Welsh economy.
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to open hotel in Houston
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts will be opening a second hotel in the state of Texas come 2023 in Houston’s Uptown District. It will be located near The Galleria shopping area, and the Texas Medical Center.
The property will comprise 150 rooms, and be located in a mixed-use development. The Houston outpost will have two F&B venues, outdoor pool, fitness centre, Rosewood spa, and meeting spaces.
Event brief
Asia Ability’s office in Malaysia was contracted by a healthcare technology company in Singapore to organise and execute a teambuilding event for 1,300 employees in July 2017.
The objective of the exercise was to provide a fun and engaging experience for the participants while at the same time reinforcing the organisational values.
Asia Ability
Challenges
Asia Ability’s signature teambuilding activity, Trade Winds, met the requirements of the client. It is a fast moving and highly immersive pirate themed game that explores the skills of negotiation, information gathering and networking.
A challenge was securing enough manpower to prepare the props needed for 1,300 participants, the largest group the teambuilding specialist has handled so far for Trade Winds. Props included pirate costumes, make-belief trading coins, cards, manual instructions and treasure chests, among others. Asia Ability has less than 20 full-time staff around the region and historically, preparations for events has been done mostly in-house.
Another challenge was getting everyone in this group to fully participate while ensuring the company’s key messages were effectively delivered.
Solution
The last two weeks before the event were the most frantic, recalled Hailin Gambud, programme manager at Asia Ability.
Gambud said: “We may be a small team but every member at Asia Ability in the different regional offices chipped in to help, including senior management, to ensure all the props were ready for the event and packed into boxes to be taken to (the site).
“We attribute part of the event’s success to (our cooperative) offices in Singapore and Thailand (whose staff) chipped in to (help). For example, the lead facilitator, David Fotheringham, is from our office in Thailand. Dressed as Jack Sparrow, he oozed charm and quickly got the audience fully engaged.”
He was assisted by Asia Ability’s experienced facilitators as well as freelancers sourced by the Singapore office. The latter were provided with training prior to the event so that they understood the concept of the game, and were able to assist and encourage participants.
Key takeaways
Gambud recalled that a series of in-house meetings were conducted to plan minute details, and to anticipate the different behavioural patterns of participants.
“We had trained personnel to encourage the quieter personalities within the group to participate and have fun. Most importantly, we were able to draw on our talented pool of team facilitators who brought both their professionalism and the all important great energy required to facilitate a successful large scale team event,” said Gambud.
Event: Staff Teambuilding 2017 Venue: Singapore Expo Convention and Exhibition Centre Date: July 14, 2017 Number of participants: 1,300
US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s summit will reportedly take place at Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island next week.
Sentosa and the linkway to the island from Harbourfront have been designated by the Singapore government as a special event area for the upcoming summit between the two leaders.
An aerial view of Capella Singapore, the location for the historic summit
This came in a public order published on the government’s online gazette on June 5, and adds to a previous announcement that the area around Shangri-La Hotel Singapore – area comprising the districts of Tanglin, Newton and Orchard – has also been designated as a special event area.
It said extra security measures would be in force for both these areas between June 10 and 14.
For instance, drones, weapons, flares, loud hailers, sound systems and banners will be banned in the special zone, with police allowed to conduct body searches on those entering the area.
Macau’s ongoing expansion of its family-oriented product and experience offerings through attractions, as well as entertainment facilities within hotels and resorts, has made the destination – once better known as a gaming paradise – an attractive option for corporate family days and staff parties.
According to Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO), most of such events hail from Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.
MGM Theater
For planners of corporate family days and staff parties, a plethora of new non-gaming attractions are ripe for picking.
The new MGM Cotai, for one, has plans for impressive performances at its MGM Theatre, said to be Asia’s first dynamic theatre with revolutionary technology that brings to life multisensory experiences. As well, the hotel has over 300 permanent art pieces and an exclusive array of digital art on display.
The transformed Taipa Village – once home of fishermen – now tantalises visitors with various heritage attractions, innovative dining experiences, unique shopping opportunities and diverse arts and entertainment options.
Taipa Village Destination’s associate director, head of marketing, Pamela Chan, told TTGmice that as a “culturally-rich enclave”, Taipa Village has been a popular destination for festivals, family carnivals, workshops and other activities.
“Our Easter programme this year attracted more than 250 family visitors (locals and foreigners) over two consecutive weekends,” Chan said.
She added that restaurants within Taipa Village are ready to welcome special corporate gatherings, such as staff appreciation dinners and other celebratory events, and can support requests for customised menus.
“The Taipa Village Art Space is also a prime venue for local and international visitors to appreciate artworks of different media, from paintings, photography and sculptures to multimedia installations and films,” she said.
Fun outings can also be sought at Planet J, a theme park within Sands Cotai Central. The attraction, which offers over 200 interactive games across a 9,300m2 site, is popular for corporate family days and staff appreciation events.
Planet J’s sales and marketing manager, Dilys Leung, explained that Planet J works great for such gatherings as the theme park is suitable for both children and adults.
New to Planet J are augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) games. City Gate AR, for instance, presents a three-metre tall dragon created with AR technology. Participants don AR goggles and are armed with weapons to fend off the fearsome creature.
Planet J supports corporate planners with assistance in arranging teambuilding programmes as well as lighter activities such as magic shows and educational sessions.
Last November, Macau earned the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation, another milestone in MGTO’s efforts to diversify the destination’s appeal. MGTO believes that Macau’s latest UNESCO status will earn it even more corporate groups in search of wholesome fun.
CWT Meetings & Events Hong Kong’s events manager, Frederick Leung, told TTGmice that Macau has indeed become a hot pick for corporate family days and staff parties.
He explained: “Macau’s luxury accommodation, fine-dining restaurants and wide ranging activities and entertainment for all ages create a complete package not found in many other destinations in the region.
“Guests staying in Cotai Central can also access facilities at some of the other hotels in the area. This makes Macau an attractive choice for corporate incentive trips and events.”
However, he saw the need for more venues and attractions independent of hotels and resorts in the destination.
“Many of the new dining and entertainment options are located in hotels, and access is often restricted to hotel guests. Developing more off-site venues and attractions will contribute to making Macau more appealing,” CWT’s Leung elaborated.
Manuel Wu, managing director of Macau Explorer Cultural Travel – an agency that specialises in unique destination experiences such as tailored culture tours and cooking classes as part of corporate events – has observed a rising trend in corporate groups heading to Macau for “cultural and community activities that help drive the local economy”.
While BCD Travel Hong Kong hasn’t seen requests for corporate family days, managing director Lily Agonoy said the destination gets a lot of staff appreciation programmes from Hong Kong. She attributes this to Macau’s accessibility from Hong Kong and reputation of being an integrated entertainment destination.
“The new integrated resorts are making Macau more appealing, as their entertainment facilities cater to different age groups,” said Agonoy, adding that the destination itself can support fun arrangements such as family day carnivals, circus-themed corporate events, and sporty staff appreciation retreats with activities like yoga or Zumba.
Onyx Hospitality Group has appointed Sukamal Mondal as general manager of Shama Lakeview Asoke Bangkok.
An Onyx veteran with 12 years of service in China and Thailand, Sukamal was most recently general manager at Oriental Residence Bangkok. Prior to that, he headed Shama Sukhumvit Bangkok as general manager.
Trump’s presidency may have put Trump Hotels’ overseas expansion on hold, but the wheels for business growth are well in motion.
The group is readying for its Asian debut with two openings in Indonesia in the coming months, and there are plans afoot to target more of the business events and incentive segments.
The brand has two confirmed openings in Indonesia; Trump International Hotel Washington DC pictured
“About four years ago, the goal was to have 30 Trump hotels (up from the current 11) by 2020. But with Trump’s presidency, the choice was made to not do any more developments outside the US to make sure there is no conflict of interest.
“If a Trump hotel opens in Shanghai for example, people will wonder if it is for some (non-business) reason. The decision was a sacrifice, but also a safe play,” Andy Conklin, vice president of sales at Trump Hotels, told TTGmice during ILTM Asia Pacific.
Against this backdrop, several segments are coming into greater focus as growth drivers – Asian travellers, business event and incentive groups, as well as three- and four-star tiers with plans to launch two new brands, American Idea and Scion.
“All of Asia has grown in the last two years. We first saw big growth on a small number, and now (there is) big growth on a much bigger number,” Conklin observed.
Deals for Trump Hotels’ first two Asian properties, signed before Trump’s presidency and expected to materialise soon in Indonesia’s Lido and Bali, are hence seen as milestones in the group’s strategy to build brand recognition among Asian travellers and attract them to its hotels around the world, said Conklin.
Following the announcement of a resort and residential development overlooking the south-west coast of Bali, the group has announced another partnership with Indonesia’s MNC Group, a rebrand of the existing Lido Lakes, for a property 65km south of Jakarta.
MNC Group president and CEO Bapak Hary Tanoesoedibjo shared in a press statement: “The area will be a 3,000ha integrated lifestyle resort destination, heralded by the completion of the Bogor-Sukabumi toll road – also developed by MNC Group – which will provide guests an opportunity to escape to this new destination.”
Trump Hotels will be involved in phase one of the 700ha Lido development which will include a six-star luxury resort, 18-hole Ernie Els championship golf course, Lifestyle Country Club, spa as well as a high-end residential products.
Business events and incentive groups make up another key growth segment, as Conklin said that “as a brand we are evolving more into a MICE and groups brand (compared to) four years ago”.
Conklin said recent developments, including the ones in Indonesia, are reflecting that ambition. Trump International Hotel Waikiki, the Trump hotel that traditionally sees the largest number of Asian guests, has just one meeting room, and Trump hotels in Las Vegas and New York are also more leisure-focused. In contrast, the group’s more recent openings have gone big on corporate-friendly facilities.
Conklin elaborated: “We spent US$250 million on four golf courses in Miami, where there’s over 1.1ha of meeting space. Our conversion project in Washington DC (only 1.5 years old) features 3,530m2 of meeting space, and the largest ballroom in the luxury set in DC. Our latest hotel, the year-oldTrump International Hotel & Tower, Vancouver, is a small hotel with just 147 rooms, yet features 1,394m2 of meeting space.”
With awareness of these offerings still lacking, Conklin is now at “the many opportunities to educate everyone” stage.
To drive interest, the group is planning to enhance its Trump Card programme to extend rewards beyond “transient guests” to individuals travelling in groups, be it for leisure or business. There are also plans to roll out planner privileges, which rewards planners with free stays at participating hotels.
Delegates were welcomed to this year's This Is Gold Coast Business Exchange with a food fiesta at Miami Marketta. Photo credit: Adelaine Ng
Destination Gold Coast has successfully concluded its largest ever business showcase event, This is Gold Coast Business Exchange (TIGCBE), and plans to include more international buyers next year.
A record number of participants attended the three-day event which ended on Saturday, profiling 40 venues and suppliers to 68 hosted buyers from Australia, New Zealand and South-east Asia.
Delegates were welcomed to this year’s This Is Gold Coast Business Exchange with a food fiesta at Miami Marketta. Photo credit: Adelaine Ng
“This was our most successful programme yet,” said Anna Case, director of Gold Coast Business Events (GCBE). “Our hosted buyers embraced this fast-paced programme with energy and enthusiasm and all left with a huge smile and great memories of their Gold Coast experience.”
GCBE estimates that leads generated from TIGCBE 2018 will amount to A$19.5 million (US$14.9 million) in economic impact.
But Case said her team has also become more selective with the hosted buyers they invite for the annual showcase.
“(This year) we had 100 registrations and we’ve been very stringent with running them through a qualification policy as we have a responsibility to our clients. We’ve turned away many applicants,” she said.
This year’s event also marks the first time buyers have been hosted from Asia since the first event in 2014.
“In the first year we had a few clients from China and it had its challenges,” shared Case. “We weren’t equipped because we were trying to run a mainstream programme that was designed for the domestic market. So we went into recovery mode… and this time we’re a little bit smarter and have some fantastic clients from Singapore (with a programme) designed just for them”.
Case hopes to host more buyers from South-east Asia next year, as well as making the programme more “China-ready” for hosted buyers from China.
The New Zealand government has allowed business events of no more than a 100 to start; Auckland skyline pictured
The industry association for New Zealand’s business events sector, Conventions and Incentives New Zealand (CINZ) is seeking the removal of the GST disadvantage New Zealand-based international conferences face, as compared to other global destinations.
Speaking to a group of industry stakeholders, leaders and media at the annual business events showcase MEETINGS 2018 in Auckland, CINZ chief executive Sue Sullivan shared that discussions with Inland Revenue are ongoing.
A tax reform would bode well for the New Zealand business events sector; skyline of Auckland pictured
Currently, GST must be charged at 15 per cent on registration fees for conferences held in New Zealand, regardless of whether the conference attendees are residents or non-residents. This is putting New Zealand conferences at a GST disadvantage compared to Australia, in particular.
“This will have wider economic consequences for ‘NZ Inc’ too, if New Zealand cannot provide a workable and straightforward scheme for GST refunds to overseas businesses attending conferences in New Zealand,” she said.
“Australia now has an edge on us in a number of ways including zero-rated GST for international delegates since October 2016, state bureaux funding in various forms for conference bid support, and the recent Federal Government announcement of a A$12 million (US$9.2 billion) Bid Fund Program over three years, one of most important recently announced developments.
“We need to be looking at ways New Zealand can keep up and compete,” Sullivan pointed out.
Allan Bullot, tax partner with Deloitte has been liaising with Inland Revenue on behalf of CINZ to look at a proposed solution to the GST disadvantage.
“In 2014, changes were made to the New Zealand GST legislation that allowed non-resident businesses without New Zealand operations to claim back GST on costs incurred within New Zealand, bringing us in line with various international guidelines for the treatment of business related costs.
“While opportunities exist for non-resident businesses sending staff to New Zealand to attend conferences to technically claim GST refunds, in practice it is difficult, if not impossible, to economically recover the GST on New Zealand conference costs. The 2014 GST legislative changes have in practice not been effective for the New Zealand conference industry and the GST problem has remained.
“Amending the New Zealand GST legislation to allow zero-rating of certain services made in relation to conferences would be a solution similar to the Australian approach,” Bullot said.
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.
