Come August, Angie Stephen – currently Royal Caribbean Cruises’ associate vice president, market development, China – will replace Sean Treacy as managing director, Asia-Pacific.
Angie Stephen
From his current base in Singapore, Treacy will relocate back to Miami, where he will take up the new role of associate vice president strategic planning for international.
Stephen will relocate to Singapore to take on Treacy’s role, bringing with her almost 20 years of experience in the company, including in her current position as associate vice president, market development, China.
In her new role, she will take on the management of the Singapore source market for the Royal Caribbean International and Azamara Club Cruises brands.
Marriott International has signed its first Le Méridien in Australia, with the brand scheduled to launch in Melbourne come 2020.
Converted from a low-rise building, the 12-storey, 235-room Le Méridien Melbourne will feature facilities such as a 210m2 function space, three breakout rooms, a heated swimming pool and fitness centre.
The Melbourne property will join the current four Le Méridien hotels in the Pacific; Le Méridien Nouméa pictured
The traditional lobby space will be reimagined into the brand’s signature Le Méridien Hub, which evolves from a coffee house by day to a cocktail bar by night. Other F&B concepts include the 70-seat M Salon bar; the 50-seat Latitude Bar, which will offer light bites and illy coffee; and Cuisines, a 90-seat all day dining restaurant.
The hotel sits amid art galleries, boutiques and bistros, with the city’s cultural centre close by. It fronts the Bourke/Spring Street tram stop and is located a stone’s throw from Victoria’s Parliament Square.
Commenting on the brand’s launch in Australia, Richard Crawford, senior director development, Australia, New Zealand and Pacific, Marriott International, said: “It comes at a perfect time. Alongside Melbourne’s growing demand from domestic travellers, new international direct routes from the US, Asia-Pacific and South America are driving continued growth in international visitation.”
Upon opening, Le Méridien Melbourne will join Marriott International’s growing portfolio in the Pacific, with 29 hotels in operation, including four existing Le Méridien hotels: Le Méridien Tahiti, Le Méridien Bora Bora, Le Méridien Isle of Pines and Le Méridien Nouméa.
The signing comes as part of Marriott International’s plan to open 50 hotels in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific by the end of 2021.
Osaka is busy expanding its appeal as a destination for incentive travellers, with an added focus on big-spending groups at the luxury end of the spectrum.
“Up until 2010, MICE in general for us was mainly international conferences and conventions associated with the universities in and around Osaka, many of which were major global events in the medical sector,” said Yasunori Fukuda, head of the MICE promotion division at the Osaka Convention and Tourism Bureau.
“That was the sector that we were chasing and we had a range of financial supports available for those events.
“That market is stable today, but there has been a rapid increase in incentive travel to Osaka since 2012, for a variety of reasons,” he told TTGmice.
Osaka’s Umeda district cityscape at twilight
Those factors include a sharp increase in incentive arrivals from other parts of Asia after the Japanese government relaxed visa requirements for a number of nations; more affordable flights thanks to the growth of low-cost carriers flying into Kansai International Airport; and more tax-free shopping to reel in those with cash burning holes in their pockets.
Seventy per cent of incentive travellers arriving in Osaka are from Asia, with Taiwan, China, South Korea and Hong Kong heading the list, followed by Thailand and Singapore. More recently, according to Fukuda, arrivals from Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia are challenging those market-leaders.
“In 2017, we had some very large corporate incentive groups coming to Osaka, such as insurance firms or networked businesses based in China or Taiwan, with as many as 5,000 visitors,” he said.
“That sector is stable, but we really want to build on the smaller but very high quality groups of around 200 people or so,” Fukuda said.
He added that the aim is to attract major corporations in the region looking to hold their board meetings in a new city that also has plenty for executives to do on the fringes of meetings.
“These are big-budget meetings, they want to stay in five-star hotels and have unique experiences as well,” said Fukuda. “In the past, we might have targeted large incentive groups, but our strategy is now shifting to smaller groups with larger budgets at the higher end of the market.”
Aoi Samata, head of international sales at the Hilton Osaka, said inbound incentive travel in 2017 flattened since peaking in 2015 – but expects a more positive performance in 2018.
“I think 2017 has been the calm before the storm of the major events that are coming to Osaka and Japan more generally in the next few years,” she said.
“Osaka and Kobe will host eight games in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, and we also expect a positive impact the following year, when Tokyo hosts the Olympic Games.”
The 527-room Osaka Hilton is already fielding requests from agencies putting together packages for the rugby tournament that will go on sale early in the New Year.
Meanwhile, Osaka, traditionally seen as “Japan’s kitchen,” is building on that reputation for its overseas incentive travellers with a number of new attractions, including courses on how to create the city’s unique cuisine, such as takoyaki (balls of batter with octopus meat fillings) and okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes).
The city is also emphasising its night culture, with its tourism bureau drawing up a list of the top 50 night clubs, bars and live performance venues that would appeal to foreign visitors.
The bureau and companies in the city are active in promoting Osaka at business-event-related travel shows around the world, with some pointing out that Japan’s second city is also able to take advantage of its proximity to Kyoto – just 30 minutes away by train. It also helps that Kyoto continues to suffer from a chronic shortage of hotel rooms throughout the year.
Yet Jim Watanabe, of the MICE section of Kinki Nippon Tourist Kansai, believes that more needs to be done to extricate Osaka from the shadow of Tokyo for incentive travellers.
He said: “In comparison to Tokyo, we are still not so well known. To win more MICE visitors, we need to be able to provide more high-quality events and facilities.
“We need to do something different to what is available elsewhere in Japan – more hands-on experiences and unique venues – and we need to communicate that,” he said, adding that continuous communications is key.
“But I believe there is a lot of variety in and around Osaka and that makes us a very attractive destination.”
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.
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.
