Minor Hotels has appointed Craig Hooley as the new COO of Oaks Hotels & Resorts and Avani Hotels & Resorts (Australia and New Zealand).
In his new capacity, Hooley will spearhead Oaks and Avani’s corporate and commercial operations in its key markets of Australia and New Zealand, where it currently has a portfolio of over 50 properties. Based in Minor Hotels’ regional office in Maroochydore on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, he will also develop forward growth strategies for the company and provide leadership across various corporate factions.
Prior to joining Minor Hotels, Hooley was general manager of Shangri-La Hotel, Sydney, following a successful tenure at Shangri-La International Hotel Management in Hong Kong.
Hooley has amassed extensive industry experience during his two-decade-long hospitality career, having held several key leadership positions with Mirvac Hotels & Resorts and InterContinental Hotels Group, both in Australia and overseas.
The high security surrounding the two zones in Singapore from June 10 to 14 as a result of the high-profile meeting between US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will not affect any major business meetings in Singapore.
A spokesperson from the Singapore Tourism Board told TTGmice that “there are no major business events taking place in the affected Tanglin and Sentosa areas during the week of the summit”.
Trump and Kim to meet in Singapore next week
While Shangri-La Hotel Singapore – declared a special event area for the summit by the Singapore government on June 3 – has declined to comment on the political meeting’s impact on corporate events and guests activities at the hotel next week, Capella Hotel Singapore has told TTGmice that the hotel will remain closed to external visitors from June 10 to 17, due to two consecutive private events.
Singapore meeting specialists are unperturbed by the high security requirements surrounding the meeting.
Crystal Sim, president & CEO of travel and events agency Albatross World, said all affected areas have been “clearly stated” and it is “for all of one day”. None of Albatross’ clients have chosen to avoid Singapore next week.
Daniel Chua, founder and chief executive of conference organiser Aonia, has no events this month which he now finds to be a “relief”.
Both Sim and Chua believe that the high-profile event will augur well for Singapore in terms of both leisure travel and business events.
“Even before the meeting has taken place, people around the world have become curious about Singapore, wanting to know where she is and why she’s so special to have been chosen for this important event,” said Chua.
“And if the meeting goes well, it will further demonstrate to the world Singapore’s stability and neutrality as a destination for the highest level political meetings, as well as her ability to deliver on the critical security requirements,” he concluded.
Bita Seow has been appointed executive director for the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS).
In her new role, Seow will be responsible for growing and maintaining the association’s financial sustainability, and providing leadership in building and managing a Secretariat Team for the association.
Seow has over 20 years’ of sales and marketing experience in the infocomm-media industry, having held senior positions at SP Telecom, MediaCorp, PacNet and SingTel. She also previously helmed the Singapore Precision Engineering Technology Association Secretariat as its executive director.
During the course of her career, she spent time at Chan Brothers Travel Singapore and Tourism Queensland in regional marketing for corporate and individual travel destination planning.
Working closely with the Singapore government, Seow will help shape the future of Singapore’s meetings, incentive, conventions, exhibitions and events industry and help chart the industry’s growth path to further the island state’s position as a leading regional and global business events destination and business events hub in Asia.
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa has appointed Brian Raymond Moore as the property’s executive sous chef.
In his new role, Moore will be supporting the executive chef Dietmar Spitzer at JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa in supervising daily operations at the resort’s 10 onsite Phuket restaurants and bars, banqueting, catering for meetings and events as well as overseeing all culinary initiatives and entire kitchen team.
The Australian brings with him 27 years of culinary experience and restaurant expertise.
Prior to this move, he was corporate group executive chef at the Epicurean Group in Hong Kong for a decade.
He sharpened his knives as apprentice chef in Grand Hotel (now Hotel Windsor) in Melbourne. He continued to hone his skills working in fine restaurants among Italian, French to European cuisine like Rogalsky’s restaurant; Laconda Veneta; Arigo Harry’s Bar; Rospar’s Restaurant; The Willow; Riva St Kilda Marina; Peter Rowland Catering; Chiones Restaurant; and Arthur’s Seat Restaurant in Australia.
Hospitality giant Marriott International has opened the doors to its first branded apartment hotel in Hangzhou, China, the Marriott Executive Apartments Hangzhou.
The property in Zhejiang Province’s capital city features 142 fully-serviced apartments ranging from 40m2 studios to 140m2 three-bedroom suites. Each apartment is outfitted with a fully-equipped kitchen, free Wi-Fi, and satellite TV.
A room in Marriott Executive Apartments Hangzhou
Residents can make use of meeting rooms, a mini-theatre, and health club facilities such as a 24-hour fitness centre, an indoor swimming pool, as well as a sauna. There is also a kids’ club for families with children.
On-demand services such as housekeeping, grocery shopping and chauffeur-driven limousines can also be arranged.
Strategically situated in the center of the Future Sci-Tech City and part of the European Financial City, Marriott Executive Apartments Hangzhou is close to an array of notable companies and major industrial zones, including Alibaba’s headquarters, Zhejiang Overseas High-level Talents Innovation Park, Hangzhou Internet Dream Town and Hundsun Technological Park.
In addition, the International Conference Center is just a short walk away, while it only takes 15 minutes to drive to Hangzhou Xixi Wetland Park, INtime Mall and Impression City Shopping Center.
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre (GCCEC) is struggling to accommodate increasing interest from Asian groups, losing significant amounts of business while it lobbies the government for an expansion.
Still buzzing from hosting the Commonwealth Games in April followed by the Infinitus China incentive group which brought in an extra 6,000 visitors, business tourism authorities have been working hard to ensure both events are leveraged for long term gains.
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre
“I think the city’s been overwhelmed by the response and the work that’s been done by Destination Gold Coast in attracting sporting-related conferences,” said Adrienne Readings, general manager of GCCEC. “Enquiry rates from Asia have increased by about 200 to 300 per cent, especially from mainland China, thanks to Infinitus China.”
But bookings at the GCCEC have almost reached capacity, and the structural demands of some large-scale meetings means that the centre has turned away a “significant amount” of business.
“I don’t want to delve into the numbers because we’re working on a business case at the moment and a lot of that information is confidential,” Readings told TTGmice during last week’s This Is Gold Coast Business Exchange.
Since four years ago, Readings has been lobbying the government to extend the centre by up to 50 per cent, with the state government now undertaking scoping studies. But she admits the wait is costing them.
Readings: GCCEC in dire need of an expansion to cope with increased interest
“We’ve (been) measuring our lost business for about eight years. The Gold Coast is a very popular destination both nationally and internationally, and the combination is a bit of a perfect storm if you don’t have the space.
“We are the largest venue (in Gold Coast that can) accommodate big incentive groups, (and) international conferences out of Asia and Europe (which) require a lot of concurrent meeting space,” Readings elaborated.
The GCCEC currently seats 6,000 in an area divisible into three spaces, with more than 6,000m2 of exhibition space which can be divided into four halls and 22 meeting rooms.
Some hosted buyers from Singapore have indicated that Gold Coast has exceeded their expectations and they are keen to send groups Down Under.
For the first time since the annual showcase started in 2014, This Is Gold Coast Business Exchange (TIGCBE) invited event planners from South-east Asia. For the three hosted buyers, it was also their first visit to the Gold Coast.
SkyPoint Observation Deck
“It’s been more than I expected,” said Trendy Dai, senior event manager for George P Johnson. “The (suppliers) we met were very helpful and they have a passion for events. The itineraries we’ve been shown and entire concepts have been awesome, and quite a few hotels have impressed me.”
A customised programme designed for them included site visits to hotels and meeting venues, a helicopter ride over the the city, and a surprise visit by a koala at the SkyPoint Observation Deck.
Sufiyana Hassan, senior events executive for CWT Meetings & Events, said there is a perception among her clients that Australia is an expensive destination but her visit has given her ideas on how to cut costs.
“They’ll want to experience the city like a local (anyway) so we don’t have to do transfers. We can take the tram instead and it’s just a few stops (to nearby hotels). Also, I’ve seen innovative backdrops which are cheaper and more mobile that we can potentially use,” Sufiyana shared.
Both Dai and Sufiyana told TTGmice that the visit has convinced them to bring groups to the Gold Coast.
“My clients have previously asked about Gold Coast but we didn’t have much knowledge about this place so we were (lukewarm) about the idea,” said Dai, whose main clients are from the IT industry like IBM. “Now we know what’s best for which groups and have the right contacts in Gold Coast to make this happen.”
Sufiyana said her groups have been going to South Korea and Japan, but she’ll now ask them to consider the Gold Coast for future meetings and incentive experiences.
(From left) Trendy Dai, Sufiyana Hassan, and Erica Hegarty at a Polo By The Sea experience as part of This Is Gold Coast Business Exchange
However, Erica Hegarty, head of sales for Asia-Pacific at Pacific World, said while the Gold Coast impressed, it may not be the best place for her corporate groups.
“I feel that Brisbane would be a better option for corporate meetings because they have more venue options. But I think the Gold Coast has more choice when it comes to activities and experiences, particularly for incentive groups,” she opined.
Regardless, Hegarty said more of her Asia-Pacific based corporate clients have been asking about Australia as a meetings destination.
“They’ve done enough within Asia, and Europe has been more appealing because it’s just a few more hours travel than Australia,” Hegarty said. “But I think (the appetite) to experience new destinations (is there) and Australia is being mentioned quite often these days.”
A total of 68 hosted buyers attended the three-day showcase which ended on Saturday.
Marriott International has announced its vision for a transformed Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, with 25 per cent of Sheraton hotels worldwide having committed to renovations totalling an estimated US$500 million.
The company, which introduced its new Sheraton guestroom late last year, is showcasing its vision for Sheraton’s public spaces at the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference in New York.
Sketch of the Sheraton’s design foundation
Sheraton is the third largest brand in the Marriott portfolio, and the largest outside of North America in terms of room count.
“From the moment we closed the Starwood merger in late 2016, the revitalisation of Sheraton has been a top priority for our company,” said Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International.
Reverting to its roots as the gathering place for locals and guests, Sheraton’s strategy will include collaborative venues, technology enabled designs, and a host who helps deliver an experience that is exclusive to Sheraton.
“We wanted to build on Sheraton’s legacy of sitting at the heart of communities across the globe, but also create a differentiated positioning and compelling proposition for our owners,” added Sorenson.
“This is the first time in years that the brand has been above competitive benchmark in both rate and occupancy,” said Tina Edmundson, global brand officer, Marriott International. “We have improved brand standards, increased group bookings, and ramped up our business engine over the last year as a first step in a multi-phase, multi-year plan, leveraging our experience in revitalising lodging brands.”
Since joining Marriott International as part of the acquisition of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in September 2016, Sheraton has exited 6,000 rooms with another 2,000 expected to depart by the end of the year. During the same period, 5,000 rooms have been signed to the portfolio.
According to Marriott, intent to recommend for the brand has already increased two points year-over-year and market share has grown for the first time in years.
Sheraton’s portfolio currently consists of nearly 450 open hotels with 80 additional projects in the pipeline in 72 countries and territories. By 2020, the brand’s footprint is expected to expand to 90 countries.
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.”
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