Sam Chia and Carl Chapman have joined the team at St Regis Bangkok as director of sales & marketing, and director of F&B, respectively.
Chia was most recently leading the sales, events and marketing communications efforts at The St Regis Singapore.
From left: Sam Chia and Carl Chapman
He has a wealth of experience in the luxury hospitality industry that includes being part of the pre-opening team at Capella Singapore, a stint with the regional sales team of Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, and a prior role as assistant vice president – business development at Capella Hotel Group Asia.
Meanwhile, Chapman is a seasoned international hotelier from the UK with over two decades of experience with luxury hotels and resorts from the UK to Dubai. He has had stints at the Claridge’s and The Savoy, and has joined St Regis Bangkok from Dukes Dubai.
Seoul Tourism Organization (STO) has gained a new legal status since May 1 – shedding its former structure as a public-private partnership and government-invested corporation to become a fully government-funded foundation.
Now funded by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, STO has been re-established to “proactively respond to the changing tourism environment and promote Seoul tourism in a way that achieves the public interest and reflects professionalism and responsibility”, according to a statement from the organisation.
Rhee speaking at an event. Photo credit: www.campaignasia.com
Jae-sung Rhee, former executive vice president of the Korea Tourism Organization, has been appointed to a three-year term as president and CEO of STO.
Rhee worked at the Korea Tourism Organization for 33 years from 1985 to 2017 and held the position of director in every department within the organisation, namely as director of management, executive vice president, director of international tourism and marketing, director of domestic industrial affairs, and director of policy.
With an eye on the booming business events sector, Genting Cruise Lines has made a conscious effort to design and build cruise ships under the Dream Cruises line with event usage in mind.
Speaking to TTGmice in an interview, Michael Goh, international sales senior vice president, Genting Cruise Lines, said: “Take Bar City, the six water slides, the zipline and the 1,000-seat theatre for example. They were designed (as possible venues) for corporate events.”
Goh: current ships already have various spaces aimed at supporting corporate events
Bar City within Genting Dream is a collection of different bar concepts – from a Johnnie Walker House to a cigar lounge – that can “house incentive groups of a couple of hundred people for pre-dinner cocktails”, described Goh.
Outdoor facilities, such as the water slides and a multipurpose sportsplex, can be closed off for private functions while Genting Dream’s zipline can be used for teambuilding activities, Goh pointed out.
He shared that business events groups make up 25 to 30 per cent of Genting Cruise Lines’ business in Singapore, and group sizes can reach more than 1,000 people. The majority of business comes from Singapore, Indonesia and India, and spans companies including insurance, pharmaceuticals and multi-level sales.
Besides having event-ready hardware, Dream Cruises staff are also trained to understand the objective of the customer’s event and to propose suitable ideas.
The Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC) has launched a Continuing Personal Development (CPD) programme at the end of May for full-time staff.
Through this programme, every full-time staff will have a budget allocated for both internal and external training, as well as overseas exposure, where applicable.
Such trainings will go a long way in upgrading an individual’s skills and retaining personel
Staff will be able to choose programmes that will advance their career development. In addition, attendance at such programmes will contribute to their job performance appraisal.
Rohizat Baharum, director of Human Resource at MITEC, said the programme will not only help staff upgrade their skill sets, but it will also keep them motivated and their morale high within the organisation. He believes that providing staff with training opportunities will also help to build staff loyalty and retention.
He added: “Today’s young employees expect companies to provide them with training.”
More than half of MITEC’s 74 full-time staff are millennials, where the average age of employees is 32.
What interesting observations have you noticed of the South-east Asian MICE market?
First, there has been movement away from half a dozen key cities – which includes where we have legacy hotels – to second- and third-tier cities across the South-east Asian region.
We’ve been sending quite a few meetings to Myanmar, to both Mandalay and Naypidaw. Provided there is the airlift and right hotels, with safety and security taken care of, companies are actually becoming more creative in how they want to engage their customers or employees. Most of us would like to rest well, eat well, and be in an environment that is conducive to great meetings. This is a reason why meetings have been moving away from large cities, as it’s a lot easier to offer all the above.
For instance, I took a 150-pax team of mine to Bali. It felt like I was on a vacation, but working between sessions. Walking outside between gardens and breathing fresh air, (was so much better than) walking between two meeting rooms.
Next, there is also a strong desire for sustainability, plus a connection to local culture.
When we opened the Bali conference, we invited two teenage girls to speak about how proud they were to be Balinese and what they wanted to do to tackle the plastic issue (in the sea) in Bali. They delivered a great message, and every delegate told me that it was an inspiring way to start the event.
Lastly, meetings are now being driven by customers who are sure about what they want, and what outcomes they need out of the meeting. This ties in with Hilton’s Meet with Purpose campaign, which was piloted in Singapore in 2016 and officially launched this June.
We’re in a very competitive space – there are lots of brands and meeting venues that one can choose from in Singapore for example. Two things can help to make us stand out – our people, and the products that we have created and put together and how they deliver them.
As a whole, how is Hilton planning to capture more business travellers?
Innovation and technology are two crucial points. We are rolling out the digital key as corporate travellers like that ability to move in and about (our properties), as well as the connectivity. Technology will also allow them to choose their room, and even the view outside their room.
We also are working towards providing sustainable offerings. For instance, the choice of being able to have healthy food options and local food options without having to specially look for it. We see that the emerging travel class in China want comfort food, yet they also want to experiment (and try other cuisines). We need to get this mix right.
We’re also looking for gaps in markets to fill with our 14 brands, primarily in key cities for corporate travellers.
In Asia-Pacific, Hilton and DoubleTree brands are quite well set. But there are different travellers across the corporate traveller segment, from the budget traveller to the luxury traveller, so we need to give them a choice of brands.
What is Hilton’s expansion plan in the Asia-Pacific region?
Today we operate 224 hotels in 21 countries. Our pipeline is double that, with 441 hotels due to open in the next five to six years.
Hilton currently has the largest pipeline in this region. One in four hotel rooms across Asia-Pacific under construction has a Hilton flag on it.
For the Asia-Pacific region, the key market is clearly China. For my region, key markets are Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, while emerging ones are Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Myanmar.
We’re opening the first Hilton-branded property in Dili, East Timor, in 2019, and we’ll be the first branded hotel in the country.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur has added two event spaces to its repertoire, the Poolside Residence and Poolhouse.
The Poolside Residence is a collection of five private event rooms – Poolside Residence 300, 301, 302, 303 and 304 surrounded by the Gallery and the Loft Kitchen. With floor-to-ceiling windows throughout, the Poolside Residence is a modern and versatile residential-style event space spanning over 765m2. Coffee breaks and meals can be prepared at the Loft Kitchen – a personalised space overlooking the Petronas Twin Towers.
The spruced up Poolhouse
With flexibility in mind and a capacity of up to 170 guests for banquet or 240 guests for a reception, the Poolside Residence is the ideal venue for casual networking sessions, breakout meetings, open house events, cocktails or welcome parties in an informal setting.
Formerly the Poolside restaurant, the newly refurbished Poolhouse is a glasshouse facing the hotel’s swimming pool and surrounded by tropical greenery, serving both local and international favourites.
Measuring 150m2 complete with an al fresco terrace, the all-day dining space is equipped with a contemporary show kitchen. It can support after-parties and outdoor barbecues.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur now offers a total of 13 event spaces with the two new additions, complementing the Grand Ballroom, Grand Salon, Grand Residence and Sky Lounge.
Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, Honolulu, Oahu Island, Hawaii
Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii
Hawaii eyes more SE-Asian incentives, global conferences
Following on its success in attracting incentive groups from Asia-Pacific, Hawaii has stepped up efforts in growing numbers specifically from South-east Asia as well as in scoring more global conferences.
Priscilla Texeira, managing director, Hawaii Tourism Authority Global MCI, described South-east Asia as a “new” and “lucrative” market for Hawaii’s business events sector. To achieve its goal, Hawaii opened a South-east Asian office two years ago to serve Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Supporting Hawaii’s South-east Asian ambition is a number of new flights launched in the region – Scoot’s Singapore-Osaka-Honolulu service and AirAsia’s Kuala Lumpur-Osaka-Honolulu service.
“Flights are a very large factor when it comes to getting corporate groups over,” Texeira pointed out, adding this is something the destination is constantly working on.
The destination is also aiming to attract more global business events.
AlohaConnects – a Meet Hawaii marketing and sales initiative – debuted two years ago to put the country on the world stage as a competitive destination for world congresses and international conferences. AlohaConnects helps to emphasise Hawaii’s strategic location, relevant industries and Hawaii Tourism Authority’s extensive activities in the business events space.
“Global business events – world congresses, associations, regional conventions, meetings and conferences – is a fairly new market for us. We go after conferences that have relevancy to Hawaii, for example scientific, medical, earth and ocean (environmental), cultural, and technology (IEEE),” she shared.
The initiative has seen success, scoring Hawaii hosting rights to the Association for Computing Machinery in 2020 which will attract over 3,000 people, as well as the Rotary International in 2020, with over 10,000 attendees expected.
Texeira said Hawaii’s membership at ICESAP will allow it to “garner a stronger presence in the Asia-Pacific market”.
“Now that PCMA has bought ICESAP, we feel that we can be the bridge for US companies or associations that want to increase their attendance from Asia-Pacific (at their events),” she explained, adding that the destination will also “capitalise on our strategic location as the connection between the East and West” to attract business events. – Rachel AJ Lee
Marriott debuts in West Africa
Marriott International has opened the 208-room Accra Marriot Hotel, standing just opposite of the Kotoka International Airport. Amenities on-site include three F&B venues, 800m2 of meeting space, a pool, and a gym.
Set in the heart of Airport City, a burgeoning urban development, the Accra Marriott Hotel is also located a few kilometres outside of the CBD providing easy access to major corporate businesses, government entities and well-known city landmarks.
New venue to rise in Scotland
Plans have been approved for a £4.5million (US$6 million) venue development in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Impact Centre will contain a 1,000-seat auditorium, along with a 200-seat rehearsal space, cafe, bar and dedicated educational spaces.
As well as being the home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the centre, when it opens in 2021, will be used for music performances, talks, conferences and as a venue for the Edinburgh Festival during August.
Malaysia-based Swiss-Garden International Hotels, Resorts & Inns has appointed Peter Gan Hock Chye as COO.
In his new capacity, Gan will be responsible for leading the operations for the group’s portfolio of 10 hotels, as well as steering the company’s future growth and maximising potential of the brand especially in new markets.
The hospitality veteran has over 30 years of leadership experience, and was most recently the COO and general manager for Aoluguya Hotels & Resorts based in Harbin, China.
Before that, Gan was COO for Ansa Hotels & Resorts, and general manager – operations & hotel operations for Dusit International. He had also spent time as general manger for Starwood Hotels & Resorts in China as well as Berjaya Hotels in both Malaysia and Mauritius.
Dusit International has appointed Eric Piatti as general manager of Dusit Thani Laguna Singapore, the Thai hospitality company’s first property in the country that is slated to open in 1Q2019 within the Laguna National Golf & Country Club.
Piatti brings to his role more than 30 years of senior management experience at luxury hotels in the US, Switzerland, Japan, China, India, Egypt and Thailand.
Prior to joining Dusit, he spent five years as general manager of Swissôtel Nai Lert Park in Bangkok, and was previously the general manager of Swissôtel Beijing and Fairmont Heliopolis & Towers in Cairo.
Rooms Each of the 55 four-storey units, with a small rooftop, was originally built to house many families sharing common facilities.
Now, each unit accommodates one or two people in a one-bedroom villa, and up to six in a three-bedroom villa. The elegant interiors feature Chinese and French elements and all the comforts of a modern luxurious home. Each level offers separate living, entertainment, relaxation and sleeping areas; and minibar soft drinks and snacks are complimentary.
Capella Villa King Bedroom
MICE facilities There is approximately 1,300m2 of meeting space, including the signature le Comptoir de Pierre Gagnaire restaurant which can accommodate 70 people for an exclusive sit-down dinner, or about 100 people for a cocktail event.
The boardroom on the ground floor of the reception building seats 16 people, while the 120m2 space upstairs is being renovated to accommodate 50 people classroom-style.
The hotel’s outdoor courtyard has been used for a fashion industry media event, where a tent had been constructed for a product launch. Its sheltered Secret Garden is suitable for cocktails for up to 80 people, while the Capella Library can accommodate 40 people for a similar event.
A dining space in Capella Shanghai
Other facilities The fitness and recreation area houses a 24-hour gym with state-of-the-art equipment, five single and two double treatment rooms at award-winning Auriga Spa, which features a flotation tank, vitality pool and salt-wall lounge.
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.
