Sarita Chintakanond and Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched two new mobile applications, Smart BIZ Event and Smart BIZ Organizer, platforms which aim to connect Thailand with event organisers and event attendees globally.
The Smart BIZ Event app targets business events visitors by offering a one-touch registration system and comprehensive event information. Users can receive electronic copies of event materials, such as presentations, event calendars, indoor maps, brochures, and speaker information, by simply scanning QR codes.
(From left) TCEB’s Sarita Chintakanond and Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya launch the two new apps
The Smart BIZ Organizer also offers the QR-code scanning feature to help organisers efficiently check-in and search attendees. As well, the app provides real-time reports and analytics, allowing organisers to know how to improve their business events.
With the new digital tools, Chiruit Isarangkun Na Ayuthaya, president of TCEB, said his organisation “aims to bring event planning and event organising in Thailand to the next level”.
He elaborated: “The objective to modernise the MICE industry is in line with the bureau’s vision to promote Thailand as a hub for MICE activities in the region. Meanwhile, TCEB expects that the latest applications will attract 10,000 downloads by next year.”
Malaysian event technology specialist Evenesis is expanding its footprint to Indonesia by opening a sales representative office in Jakarta in January 2018.
Its CEO and founder, Yusno Yunos, told TTGmice that the company has already secured three resellers in Jakarta, and plans to have more resellers in major cities in Indonesia in the coming months.
Yusno: coming up with new technology solutions to help event planners
The company’s event solution products are for registration, RSVP, online payment gateway, event website, event mobile app, database management, venue sourcing, on-site check-in, on-site badge printing, audience engagement and event analytics.
Last year, Evenesis opened a sales office in Singapore. The company also has a partner in Hong Kong.
While the majority of his clients are corporates, Yusno revealed that he also works with associations, PCOs, event organisers, government-linked companies and venue providers.
Evenesis also plans to release new technology solutions in the coming months. For instance, it will introduce a Facial Recognition Check-in module which will check delegates in quickly via facial scans at the registration counter by 1Q2018.
Yusno said: “This will eliminate traditional registration queues. Through the scanned image, the organiser will immediately be able to validate and verify the identity and background of the delegate.”
The second phase of this software will include an emotion analysis artificial intelligence (AI).
“With this software, conference organisers can take pictures of delegates throughout the course of an event. Later, the software will be able to analyse the pictures and give an average rating of how satisfied delegates were during the course of the conference. We feel this ability to gauge the overall happiness and satisfaction of delegates instantly could be a breakthrough and game changer,” he explained.
Evenesis is also improving its AI capabilities of its chatbot to include business matching functionalities. Yusno claims that this is unique, as no company has developed business matching functionalities via a chatbot.
He shared: “This will be a new feature of our chatbot – codenamed Feedy – which is currently being used to display event details such as information on the speakers and programmes, and reply to certain questions and queries by the users.”
Yusno pointed out that using Feedy helps clients to avoid the costly process of building a mobile event app from scratch and maintaining it.
Operators of two of Penang’s most prominent natural attractions are banking on the city’s fervent courtship of business events to help conserve the destination’s natural environment.
In an interview with TTGmice, Katherine Chua, managing director of Tropical Spice Garden, an educational and recreational attraction in Teluk Bahang, Penang, said: “When you bring in congresses and meetings, you bring in attendees who are cultural investors and intellectuals, and (are able to) bring new depth of understanding of what Penang has to offer.”
(From left)Tropical Spice Garden’s Katherine Chua andThe Habitat Penang Hill’s Allen Tan
Chua is certain that “attracting corporate groups is one of the solutions to ensure the conservation of Penang’s natural attractions” while raising the quality of visitors the destination attracts.
Allen Tan, managing director of The Habitat Penang Hill, agrees, saying that “business event delegates are a higher calibre visitor who will more easily appreciate the natural qualities of a destination”.
He believes that there is an opportunity for Penang to “gain stronger environmental recognition that will also result in the preservation of natural assets” by courting more corporate, association and specialist groups passionate about the same causes.
Taking a proactive stance on this, Tan said the owner of The Habitat Penang Hill has formed a not-for-profit arm called The Habitat Foundation. The latter had in October sponsored a “bio blitz” that brought 117 scientists from around the world to Penang, teamed them up with local scientists primarily from Penang’s University Science Malaysia School of Biological Science, and set them off into the rainforest.
“They documented 1,700 species of biodiversity in just two weeks. They found a potential new species of scorpions and several other species that have never been reported on the island before,” revealed Tan.
An even bigger project is in the works, said Tan, revealing the creation of a rainforest research centre that will position both Penang and Penang Hill as a destination and centre of excellence for rainforest conservation and research.
At the same time, Tan believes that growing the number of business event visitors will push Penang out of the current backpacker rut it is in.
He said: “Penang has always been one of the stops on a typical backpacker trail. What frustrates me is that these backpackers would spend on experiences in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or wherever, but when they are in Penang, all they want to do is to sit on Chulia Street, pay RM10 (US$2.50) for a Tiger (beer) and wait for their Thai visas to come through. We are stuck in this zone and need to push through, and I think that business events will be a major catalyst for Penang’s elevation as a destination.”
At Tropical Spice Garden, corporate groups make up 20 to 25 per cent of its business, a figure Chua hopes to grow by finding the right DMC partners that recognise that the attraction “is a place of value, a place where event attendees can learn something about Penang’s spice trade, agricultural history, or biodiversity”.
Global travel management company Radius Travel has made a move into the meetings and events (M&E) segment by setting up Radius Meetings & Events last month.
Radius Meetings & Events manages and support all types of events, from small meetings and large congresses to incentives and reward programmes. It also provides DMC services, and consults and guides organisations on their strategic meeting management journey.
Balint: Radius’ M&E programme is designed to be nimble, customisable,
According to Radius Travel’s director of global M&E sales, Henrietta Balint, the move was made in response to requests from existing and prospective customers for a global meetings and events solution company that was different from the “mega players”.
As well, the company was motivated by “huge growth in the M&E category and a new focus from buyers looking at their programmes more strategically, and finding unique ways to drive value to their organisation through meetings spend”, she added.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland in the US, Radius Travel will have M&E “offices” around the world through agencies in its network. These representatives will deliver to clients on a local, regional, and/or global level.
Commenting on Radius Travel’s operations in Asia, Balint said the challenge lies in thinking regionally and globally.
She said: “Our focus is to ensure that clients know about our solutions on a regional and global level. We can provide M&E solutions to customers regardless of the maturity of their programme.”
Meanwhile, Radius Meetings & Events is quick to expand is reach, recently adding Inntel, the UK’s largest independent meetings and travel management company, and Proske, a Germany-based global event agency, to its growing list of network members.
Le Meridien Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia, has launched its Grand Marquee, a transparent marquee equipped with state-of-the-art meeting and catering facilities.
The 1,125m2 Grand Marquee is set in the property’s Palm Garden, and can cater to events for up to 1,000 people. The space can be adjusted according to an event planner’s needs.
Aside from the Grand Marquee, other meeting spaces in the 213-key hotel include six function rooms ranging from 26m2 to 310m2, as well as outdoor options at the poolside, an Elephant Courtyard.
Cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles and emerging technologies will take the spotlight at the Singapore Airshow 2018.
The show, which will run from February 6 to 11, 2018, will see more than 1,000 participating companies from some 50 countries exhibiting the latest products and services in cybersecurity, unmanned aviation systems, digital transformations and more.
Leck: key aviation trends will be looked at in depth
These pillars will also take centre stage at the Business Forums, to be addressed by prominent researchers and experts.
“These key trends are what’s happening in the industry, which is why we singled them out,” said Chet Lam Leck, managing director of Experia Events, organiser of Singapore Airshow.
He added that the exhibitions and discussion forums can expose visitors to product options and different viewpoints in the trade.
A new addition to the upcoming Airshow is What’s Next @ Singapore Airshow, a segment that brings in start-up companies to showcase and pitch their latest aviation innovations to interested investors and partners.
This new initiative will help introduce “new mindsets” in aviation, “expose exhibitors to what’s available out there for them to tap on” and educate entrepreneurs on the requirements of companies in the industry, explained Leck.
He told TTGmice: “The key evolution for the Airshow is in how we’re continuing to curate and create a platform that is meaningful and adds value. We’re trying to grow the show into a smart-thinking and immersive show.”
Singapore has won the provisional bid to host the Rotary International Convention in 2024, which is set to be the largest association congress ever hosted by the Republic.
More than 25,000 Rotary members from around the world are expected to converge on Singapore to connect, engage and share insights on how to create positive, lasting change in their communities. To be held at the Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre, the event will run for five days, and include workshops, forums, breakout sessions, entertainment and other meetings.
The Rotary International Convention 2024 will be the second time Singapore is hosting the event
The annual convention, held in different cities around the world, was last held in Singapore in 1999 and was attended by approximately 19,000 participants.
The winning provisional bid was led by Rotary regional leader Chew Ghim Bok, and supported by Rotary clubs from Singapore and around Asia-Pacific. In addition to the Singapore Tourism Board, various public agencies and business event industry stakeholders also contributed to the successful bid.
As part of Singapore’s bid to host a convention that makes a lasting difference, the Rotary Clubs of Singapore plan to champion a legacy project striving towards sanitation progress and hygiene awareness by 2025.
After more than 12 years at the helm, PCMA president and CEO Deborah Sexton has decided to step down at the conclusion of Convening Leaders in Nashville January 2018.
The board has voted unanimously to approve COO Sherrif Karamat as the new CEO. Karamat joined PCMA in October 2003 as vice-president of sales and became COO of the organisation in April 2008.
(From left) Deborah Sexton and Sherrif Karamat
In addition to her role as CEO, Sexton has also served as president of the PCMA Education Foundation and publisher of PCMA’s Convene magazine.
Under Sexton’s leadership, and through her partnership with Karamat, PCMA more than doubled its membership and revenue, as well as expanded its global reach. During her tenure, the Foundation has more than tripled its support for scholarships, research and education programmes.
Travel industry marketing company helmed by Cauchi (pictured) now representing Tour East in North America
Shortly after beefing up its sales infrastructure in Europe, Tour East is now growing its representation in North America.
The DMC, which operates in 14 Asia-Pacific countries, has appointed New York-based Delivering America and Joe Cauchi as its sales representative on the continent, building on its longstanding MICE-dedicated presence in Minnesota.
Travel industry marketing company helmed by Cauchi (pictured) now representing Tour East in North America
Chris Bailey, senior vice president of Tour East, said: “Increasing air connections and related capacity from several major cities throughout North America makes travel to the Asia-Pacific region so convenient. When you combine this with the wide ranging and extremely affordable experiential-based travel opportunities this region offers, visitors can only grow.”
ITB Asia has signed an agreement with the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), which signifies an alliance with ACTE to be ITB Asia’s 2018 Corporate Travel Association Partner.
ACTE will play a leading role in promoting ITB Asia 2018, and joins ITB Asia’s Buyers programme partners to recommend quality buyers and corporate travel managers to the show in Asia.
(From left) Messe Berlin (Singapore)’s Katrina Leung, and ACTE’s Benson Tang
In addition, ACTE will be the official partner in organising the programme for ITB Asia Business Travel Day during ITB Asia 2018. The programme will include topics such as driving change, identifying industry pain points, building solutions and best practices, attracting new talent to the travel industry and reaching consensus through open discussions, among others.
“Through this strategic alliance and partnership for ITB Asia 2018, we look to strengthen the participation numbers in our corporate sector. We believe there will be a lot of positive impact through this partnership,” said Katrina Leung, executive director of Messe Berlin (Singapore), the organiser of ITB Asia.
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