Murray Aitken has been appointed general manager of Six Senses Duxton and Six Senses Maxwell.
Prior to joining Six Senses, Aitken was running his own hospitality company based in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
The South African has spent the last two decades working in a number of countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Puerto Rico, for hospitality brands including Rosewood, Swissotel, Regent Hotels and Resorts, Raffles Hotels and Resorts and Onyx Hospitality.
The opening of Six Senses’ two Singapore properties marks the group’s entry into city locations. Six Senses Duxton will open on April 15 with 49 guest rooms and suites, followed by Six Senses Maxwell with 120 rooms and suites three months later.
Business events strategists for Asia-Pacific will get their first comprehensive study of market behaviour and trends, in a project that has claimed will lead to a transformation in the industry after it becomes available later this year.
This announcement was made by Melbourne Convention Bureau’s CEO Karen Bolinger on Monday, ahead of the start of AIME (Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo) which gets underway at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre today.
Karen Bolinger, CEO of Melbourne Convention Bureau, at the press conference. Picture credit: Adelaine Ng
“Business events have grown in scale and sophistication throughout Asia-Pacific,” said Bolinger. “And there are many anecdotal observations. But there is also minimal hard data to fully understand the challenges, opportunities, and the new business models that are likely to emerge in this growth sector”.
It was disclosed to TTGmice that the MCB will partner with PCMA Education Foundation and other researchers to launch both qualitative and quantitative studies that will investigate five key areas. These include current challenges faced by the sector, plans for future proofing businesses, issues for business events strategists, key criteria for future destination selection, and emerging business models for the region. It will also provide tools meetings professionals can use to integrate findings into their future event planning.
Bolinger said Melbourne’s success in growing its business events industry was the catalyst for their interest in creating the project. It comes off the back of securing significant bookings last year, including Spine Week 2020, the Annual Meeting of the International Continence Society 2021 and the General Assembly and Congress of the International Union of Crystallography 2023. Together they will bring more than 6,400 delegates worth A$48 million (US$38 million) in economic contribution.
Bolinger also added there’s now unprecedented support for business events in Melbourne from the Victorian state government.
“Business events are now written into two government portfolio strategies across seven industries. This is really good news for our clients because they can be confident of government support for their events,” she shared.
The MCB achieved its strongest results in financial year 2016/17 from its previous five years, earning A$321 million in economic impact.
With two internationally-branded hotels, a conference centre, and an attraction coming online from end June this year in Desaru Coast in Johor, Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels (TAR&H) has started to ramp up efforts to market the destination to meeting planners, corporate companies and outbound travel agents across Asia Pacific.
Philip Whittaker, CEO of Integrated Theme Parks & Attractions and chief commercial officer of TAR&H, said: “Desaru Coast’s close proximity to Singapore – 1.5 hours by road across the Causeway – means that Singapore is a second major target market, after the Malaysian domestic market. We see a strong potential to develop the corporate meetings market with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises across the region.”
The Ocean Course of The Els Club Desaru Coast
Compelling reasons to hold corporate events in Desaru Coast include easy accessibility from Senai and Changi Airports to Desaru Coast, and convenient access to and within Desaru Coast via regular shuttle services.
Two hotels, 275-key The Westin Desaru Coast Resort and 365-key Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, the Desaru Coast Conference Centre, Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark and retail and lifestyle village Desaru Coast Riverside will open from end June 2018. These new components will complement the existing golf courses, the 27-hole The Els Club Desaru Coast – Ocean Course and the 18-hole Valley Course.
Desaru Coast Conference Centre will be equipped with a banquet area and meeting space to host up to 1,000 delegates. The water park attraction featuring 20 different slides, and wet and dry rides will also be able to host corporate incentives, special events and teambuilding activities.
Whittaker added: “We believe the Desaru Coast development will attract meeting planners looking for a fresh, new destination particularly with its extensive integrated offerings. It will also appeal to the emerging ‘bleisure’ market, for those meeting delegates who may be compelled to extend their business meetings for a short break within Desaru Coast.”
Korea MICE Bureau will shine the spotlight on its Korea MICE Ambassadors programme, soft-launched earlier this year, and its new Korea Unique Venues brand at AIME 2018 this week in Melbourne.
Korea MICE Ambassadors currently takes in 12 outstanding individuals from various fields, such as healthcare and engineering, who have been selected to serve as front-runners in securing international business events to South Korea. The programme also seeks to leverage their achievements and networks to raise the status of South Korea as a meetings destination.
The National Museum of Korea is one of 20 world-class meeting venues
In addition, the new Korea Unique Venues brand markets the country’s collection of 20 world-class unique meeting venues. According to a press statement from the Korea MICE Bureau, these venues were selected through “close collaborations with local convention bureaus and suppliers, where the Korea MICE Bureau evaluated recommended sites and filtered them according to their characteristics, usability, and willingness to open the place for business events”.
Some of these venues include the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, The Spirited Garden in Jeju, Busan Cinema Center in Busan, and Gyochon Traditional Village in Gyeongju.
Min Hong Min, executive vice president for international tourism with the Korea Tourism Organization, added that the Korea Pavilion at AIME will feature a strong delegation representing four private sectors – US Travel, Jane Tour, Kims Travel and RYE Tour – and three convention bureaus from Seoul, Jeju and Goyang.
Conrad Centennial Singapore has completed the refurbishment of its 487 guestrooms and 24 suites, and has kicked its events capability up a notch with a new event space.
Interior designer Jaya Ibrahim Design is behind the design of the new rooms, which are all furnished with custom-made carpets with contemporary Peranakan-inspired patterns; black-and-white prints of US-based architect and photographer, Gene Nemeth; and window coverings made of a natural jute fibre. All rooms also now feature movable tables and daybeds, as well as regular mod-cons such as a 55-inch HDTV and motion sensors to activate electricity.
King Room
Guests on the executive floors and suites can also look forward to a completely new Executive Lounge on the 31st floor come 2Q2018.
Meanwhile, built with sleek, contemporary lines and overlooking a relaxing outdoor pool, The Pavilion is the latest addition to the hotel’s selection of event spaces. The glass-enclosed junior ballroom, which spans 234m2, is equipped with state-of-the-art audio and visual systems, including a videowall.
New event space The Pavilion, a glass-enclosed junior ballroom
The ballroom caters up to 140 guests banquet-style and 160 guests theatre-style. Its airy interiors feature high ceilings, making it ideal for small-sized elegant events. Guests can opt to use the blinds for an intimate event.
Singapore-based hospitality group Amara Hotels & Resorts has opened the Amara Signature Shanghai.
The property offers 343 spacious rooms and suites, with sizes ranging from 32me to 149m2. Amara Club Floors guests enjoy access to the Amara Club Lounge and perks such as 24-hour butler service, and express check-in and check-out.
For meeting groups, planners can utilise 1,100m2 of function space. The Grand Ballroom and 10 multipurpose function rooms are equipped with state-of-the art facilities specially designed for events and conferences.
F&B establishments include all-day dining restaurant BLU, lobby bar FLO, and a boutique shop Grab N Go. Other recreational facilities include a fitness centre that is open 24/7, and an outdoor pool.
Located at the intersection of Changshou Road and Jiaozhou Road, Amara Signature Shanghai is a few minutes’ walk from metro lines 13 and 7, a 10-minute drive away from Jing’an, a 30-minute drive from Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport and 50-minute from Shanghai Pudong International Airport. The hotel is also adjacent to 100AM Shanghai, a 10,500m2 complex comprising an office tower and a retail mall.
This Shanghai outpost is the first under the group’s newest luxury brand, Amara Signature.
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts has opened its second resort on Bali, the 177-key Wyndham Dreamland Resort Bali.
There are seven room categories ranging from the 36m2 Deluxe Room to the 72m2 suites with extended living areas and outdoor Jacuzzis in ground level units. There are also eight one- and two-bedroom villas, each featuring its own private swimming pool.
For meetings and events, the resort has three small boardrooms, as well as a larger function room for up to 300 people for a seminar or 250 for a banquet.
Other amenities include three F&B venues, two swimming pools and the Tirta Spa, a complex with six treatment rooms and a yoga deck.
The resort’s close proximity to a variety of attractions and recreational facility makes it ideal for corporate incentives and teambuilding programmes. It is a minute’s walk to Dreamland Beach, a coastline with white sands, beach clubs and local cafes. Opposite the resort, the award-winning New Kuta Golf Course offers an 18-hole links-styled fairway terrain overlooking the Indian Ocean. Nearby too are surf spots Bingin Beach and Padang Padang (10 minutes away), and Uluwatu Temple (15 minutes away).
Wyndham Dreamland Resort Bali joins its sister Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali on this Indonesian island.
Sophie Couturier has been appointed corporate director of sales & marketing by Shinta Mani Hotels, managed by Hospitality Management and Development Asia (HMD Asia).
Based in Siem Reap, Couturier will oversee all matters pertaining to sales and marketing for Shinta Mani Hotels, as well as new properties in the pipeline.
The French native brings over a decade of experience in Asia to her role, with senior positions throughout the region, particularly in boutique properties. Prior to joining Shinta Mani Hotels, she was group head of sales with Samadhi Retreats in Kuala Lumpur.
The benefits of hosting this conference extend beyond tourism gains
Malaysia has won the bid to host the 10th International Conference on Isotopes & Expo (10ICI), the first time a South-east Asian country is hosting it.
The five-day event will be held in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, and will be held from February 3-7, 2020. The conference is expected to generate an estimated RM3.4 million (US$865,708) in economic impact.
The benefits of hosting this conference extend beyond tourism gains; Kuala Lumpur skyline pictured
The event will bring together over 1,000 leaders and researchers from all over the globe to discuss isotope technology and applications for interaction, find out what the latest research is, as well as explore topics such as sustainable development in the field.
Malaysia managed to secure the bid for 10ICI 2020 at the final evaluation by WCI Selection Committee held at Doha, Qatar. The conference is held every three years and has previously been hosted in cities such as Beijing, Sydney, Vancouver, Cape Town, Brussels, Seoul, Moscow, Chicago and Doha.
Malaysia is set to host several world congresses in 2018, starting with the United Nations’ 9th Session of the World Urban Forum 9 (WUF9) this month, the 22nd Biennial Congress of the World Council of Enterostomal Therapists (WCET) 2018, the Worldchefs Congress & Expo in July, the 84th World Library and Information Congress 2018 in August, and the 2018 World Cancer Congress and the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) World Congress 2018 in October.
Marriott International has signed a five-hotel conversion deal with Samhi Hotels to grow its upper-midscale tier Fairfield by Marriott brand in India.
The addition of these properties will add a combined total of 583 new rooms in Chennai, Pune, Goa, Delhi and Bengaluru.
Fairfield by Marriott Coimbatore, one of the properties currently operational under Samhi
“With the conversion of these five hotels to Fairfield by Marriott, Samhi Hotels will now have 14 hotels managed by Marriott International across a range of our brands in India as we look at further expanding across the country,” said Paul Foskey, Marriott International’s chief development officer in Asia-Pacific, in a statement.
Neeraj Govil, area vice president, South Asia for Marriott International added: “We (will) continue to focus on growing our portfolio of upper-midscale hotels in India as we foresee immense growth opportunity in this segment, fuelled by an increasing number of travellers opting for hotels positioned in this tier to cater to their business and leisure needs.”
The Fairfield by Marriott brand has nine hotels currently open across India since it debuted in 2013. In addition to 10 operational Fairfield Hotels in South Asia, there are an additional 13 in the pipeline, including these five conversions with Samhi, taking the total count to 23 Fairfield by Marriott hotels in the region.
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