In a move to attract more business events to regional Victoria, Novotel Geelong has launched a limited-time 2025 conference offer packed with perks, including big savings and bonus rewards, for event planners.
Peninsula Room
Those booking a conference by the end of June for an event held by September 30, 2025, will receive an assortment of exclusive benefits, including A$25 off the accommodation rate; buffet breakfast; 25 per cent discount on the day conference package; and 25,000 bonus ALL Meeting Planner points
Located on the waterfront offering views over the bay, Novotel Geelong features 109 guest rooms, each with a balcony, plus an indoor heated pool, steam room and fitness centre.
A dedicated function level with 11 unique spaces makes the hotel an ideal venue for small business meetings or a conference or event for up to 250 people.
This year’s Brisbane Truck Show has broken attendance records, welcoming 54,790 patrons to the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), which has hosted the Australian transport industry event since 2011.
Driven by a 12,000 increase in attendees compared to the 2023 show, this year’s Brisbane Truck Show has already eclipsed the previous event’s 92,982 room nights and A$43.6 million (US$28.2 million) economic impact on Queensland.
Brisbane Truck Show 2025
Big rigs, trucks, trailers and accessories along with the very latest in transport, equipment and related technologies filled 35,000m2 of space over three levels of the Convention Centre.
Beyond the BCEC, Truck Week 2025 extended the Show into a successful week-long festival of all things trucking, with innovation, road safety, sustainability and education all on the agenda.
Organised by the Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia, the Brisbane Truck Show is the biggest automotive exhibition in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the largest exhibition held at BCEC in size and scale and has a multiplier effect on the city’s economy, due to the involvement of suppliers, contractors and other local businesses connected to the Show. This is in addition to the 17 associated events held at BCEC during the Show.
The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands has appointed Oscar Postma as general manager. He brings more than 25 years of experience in luxury hospitality across Asia, Europe and the US.
In his new role, Postma will lead all areas of resort operations and service delivery, working with the team to maintain the brand’s standards and enhance the guest experience.
He was most recently cluster operations general manager for Conrad Singapore Orchard and Conrad Centennial Singapore. He also served as general manager at Regent Singapore, where he led the hotel through a brand transition and achieved record food and beverage results.
Sabre has appointed Maneesh Jaikrishna as vice president and general manager, airline IT solutions, Asia Pacific.
With nearly 30 years of experience in airline and travel technology, Jaikrishna will lead Sabre’s airline IT operations across the region. He will focus on expanding Sabre’s presence in Asia-Pacific, driving the adoption of its technology solutions, and strengthening customer partnerships.
He has held senior roles at SITA and Vision-Box, and brings experience from both Asia-Pacificand wider markets including the Middle East and Africa.
Langham Hospitality Group (LHG) has appointed Kevin Robinson as chief operating officer. Robinson returns to LHG after previously leading The Langham, Chicago during its pre-opening phase in 2011. He has over 30 years of experience in hospitality, including building working relationships with hotel owners internationally.
He will oversee daily operations across the group, support preparations for managing a larger portfolio, and be responsible for future hotel openings.
Robinson’s career includes leadership roles with Westin and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he gained operational and strategic experience in markets such as Egypt, the Caribbean, and the US.
From left: The Airalo booth at GBTA APAC Conference 2025, with Airalo's Mina Mizukoshi, Melvin Ng, and Charlotte Dawes
Airalo, an eSIM provider founded in Singapore, recently launched Airalo for Business, a platform which allows companies to centralise eSIM connectivity for employees travelling abroad.
“Airalo for Business came about because we saw an increase in the number of corporate travellers – who were already familiar with our services when travelling for their own holidays – use it for their business trips.
From left: The Airalo booth at GBTA APAC Conference 2025, with Airalo’s Mina Mizukoshi, Melvin Ng, and Charlotte Dawes; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
“When corporations look at travel, they always look at cost-savings for hotels or flights, and roaming is often the lowest priority. But we’ve seen an uptick in companies wanting to further reduce costs, and they have realised that (roaming charges) can be one of the ways to reduce costs,” explained Melvin Ng, senior director of partnerships (APAC), Airalo, told TTGmice on the sidelines of GBTA APAC Conference.
On the Airalo for Partners platform, companies can purchase multiple eSIM plans and assign them to individual users, set spending limits per employee or department and monitor data consumption in real-time through an analytics dashboard; and consolidate expenses into a single invoice.
According to Ng, Airalo’s plans are more “cost-effective than traditional roaming charges”. Currently, Airalo provides mobile connectivity in over 200 countries and regions, and is used by 500 companies globally, with more coming onboard this year.
On the user’s end, employees will benefit from reliable data access, have more secure connections – as opposed to free public Wi-Fi – and be able to retain their primary phone number of calls and messages. Business travellers who country hop can also easily switch between local data plans.
And as the number of users continue to grow, Ng shared that Airalo has added hundreds of people to the customer support team, to ensure that whenever a user faces any problems, Airalo will be able to obtain help from a human.
“The brand is well known in Europe because that is where travel first started post-Covid (which was around the time eSIMS were increasing in popularity). The penetration in Asia-Pacific is much slower, but we’re making inroads, and have started marketing efforts,” Ng told TTGmice. Such efforts include being present at B2B tradeshows, reaching out to decision-makers on LinkedIn, and ad placements.
Airalo also helps with sustainability reporting by reducing plastic waste, and the carbon footprint associated with the manufacturing and distribution of physical plastic SIM cards.
From left: Festive Road’s Mike Orchard (moderator); CTM’s Ana Pedersen; FCM Travel’s Bertrand Saillet; Trip.com’s Tao Song; and Spotnana’s Sarosh Waghmar
The future landscape of business travel management will be driven by technology working seamlessly in the background, empowered by human support amid evolving traveller expectations, say panellists on the Pioneering Tomorrow: Rethinking the Future of Business Travel Management panel, part of the GBTA APAC Conference held last week in Singapore.
Bertrand Saillet, managing director of FCM Travel, kicked off the session by stating that it was necessary to innovate, particularly in integrating technology to support both travellers and corporate travel managers. He cautioned against over-reliance on a single technology, and highlighted the importance of robust aggregation layers, including traditional GDS systems, to ensure consistent service during disruptions.
From left: Festive Road’s Mike Orchard (moderator); CTM’s Ana Pedersen; FCM Travel’s Bertrand Saillet; Trip.com’s Tao Song; and Spotnana’s Sarosh Waghmar; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
Moreover, artificial intelligence will also no longer be an “incremental change”, but will continue to transform corporate travel management, opined Sarosh Waghmar, founder & chief product officer of Spotnana, a cloud-based travel-as-a-service platform.
“One of the biggest costs for TMCs at the end of the day is servicing costs, human capital. AI can help to solve this, which in turn, would result in cost savings, and these savings can be passed back to the customer,” he said.
Ana Pedersen, global chief commercial officer of CTM, next provided an example of how AI helped with cost efficiency during Cyclone Alfred off the coast of Queensland, Australia.
She elaborated: “CTM’s AI system Scout, saw a massive surge of self-servicing where customers could instantly cancel and rebook, within policy. This provided travellers with a more seamless experience, and we could redeploy over 30 full-time consultants to serve other customers with more complex situations that required human intervention.”
However, the increasing fragmentation of content remains a significant challenge for business travel buyers.
Saillet stressed the need for aggregation to navigate the overwhelming volume of options and ensure relevance for corporations. He cautioned against prematurely dismissing established systems like GDS, citing their reliability during disruptions when newer API-only connections can falter.
“The fire wasn’t actually at Heathrow itself, but nearby, and the airport managed to operate for most of the day. However, British Airways, despite promoting its APIs to travel agencies, saw its system buckle under the sheer number of requests hitting it at once. This meant that any travel agency exclusively using the British Airways API couldn’t help their customers, whereas those with access to the GDS, with its much higher processing capacity, were still able to operate,” Saillet elaborated.
Waghmar also echoed the importance of providing travellers with comprehensive choices, drawing parallels to the shopping experience on platforms like Amazon, where price comparison across multiple sites is usually unnecessary due to trust in the platform.
Regardless, Pedersen added that presenting travellers with a curated selection of the most relevant options is necessary. “We want to put out five most relevant options that resonate with company policy, company goals and traveller preferences.”
Looking ahead, panellists envision a future where travel management becomes increasingly integrated into the everyday tools and platforms that employees use.
Pedersen predicted the “retailisation of corporate travel”, where the user experience mirrors e-commerce platforms. She anticipates travel functionality becoming embedded within tools like Teams and Slack, powered by AI that can intuitively manage bookings, cancellations, and policy adherence in the background.
Meanwhile, Waghmar envisions TMCs evolving into “platform integrators”, leveraging AI to enhance their services.
Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, providing the latest forecast for APAC on the Main Stage; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
The growth and vital role of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in the future of global business travel was demonstrated by the strong turnout, engagement and insights from the GBTA APAC Conference 2025 held at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore from May 27-28.
Hosted by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), and co-located for the third year with the WERC Regional Summit, the event brought together over 950 industry professionals including corporate travel managers, travel suppliers, exhibiting companies and sponsors.
Suzanne Neufang, CEO of GBTA, providing the latest forecast for APAC on the Main Stage; photo by Rachel AJ Lee
Peter Koh, chairperson of the APAC Advisory Board with GBTA, told TTGmice: “Last week’s fourth GBTA APAC conference saw 950 delegates from 32 countries with 50 per cent first-time attendees making up 50 per cent of the total.”
He added there were 250 buyers from 18 countries and more than 40 exhibitors and sponsors, an increase of 20 per cent from 2024.
The first conference held in Bangkok in 2022 had an attendance of just 200, and Koh is hopeful that next year’s edition will cross the 1,000 delegate count.
The two-day programme showcased over 80 featured speakers and prominent regional experts plus 10 breakout sessions, guided by regional APAC committees, along with collaborative buyer- and supplier-only sessions.
Sessions focused on industry forecasts, current challenges, and emerging trends shaping the future of business travel. Key topics included travel programme evolution, workforce mobility, artificial intelligence, payments, sustainability, and the next generation of business travellers.
In 2022, GBTA and WERC saw the opportunity to create a gathering for the APAC business travel sector. While each organisation’s conference runs independently, the collective attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors benefit from access to all sessions, a shared expo, and networking events.
“Our collaboration with GBTA brings together complementary communities, expands our collective reach, and elevates the experience for members and sponsors, all in the pursuit of empowering more seamless global talent mobility. We look forward to another impactful year together,” said Anupam Singhal, WERC president and CEO.
“We saw a convergence in the shared objectives of GBTA and WERC. Co-locating our events has been very successful. This year’s attendance exceeded last year’s by nearly 20 per cent and this is a testament to the continued relevancy and value our shared attendees receive from our partnership,” said Elle Ng-Darmawan, regional director, APAC, GBTA.
According to a press release, GBTA and WERC will again co-locate their conferences next year. It will be held at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore on May 12-13, 2026. – Additional reporting by Caroline Boey
Milken Institute’s Richard Ditizio; and STB’s Melissa Ow at the MoU signing ceremony
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Milken Institute have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to anchor the Institute’s key event – Milken Institute Asia Summit in Singapore for the next three years (2026 – 2028).
The annual Milken Institute Asia Summit is organised by Milken Institute’s International team, spearheaded by its Asia headquarters in Singapore. Since its launch in 2014, the Milken Institute Asia Summit has established itself as an exclusive, world-class event that gathers business leaders, senior government officials, high- level finance executives, institutional investors, and philanthropists from around the world to address critical challenges and propose actionable solutions.
Milken Institute’s Richard Ditizio; and STB’s Melissa Ow at the MoU signing ceremony
This year’s Milken Institute Asia Summit will take place from October 1-3, continuing its tradition of scheduling it during Singapore’s Formula One race week, and reinforcing the city-state’s position as a premier destination where high-impact business discussions and world-class sporting entertainment converge.
STB and the Milken Institute’s Asia headquarters have maintained a long-standing relationship through robust and mutually beneficial engagements since the first Milken Institute Asia Summit was held in Singapore in 2014. A testament to this success was the Institute’s innovative response during the Covid-19 pandemic, when it successfully pivoted the 7th Milken Institute Asia Summit in 2020 to a hybrid format, bringing together 200 in-person attendees and 1,100 global leaders and senior executives virtually.
The partnership was further strengthened at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, where STB hosted the Sponsors and Speakers Welcome Reception, showcasing Singapore’s hospitality to influential audiences from around the world.
Most recently, STB and the Milken Institute collaborated on the 11th Milken Institute Asia Summit in 2024, which featured the participation of Singapore’s deputy prime minister and minister for trade and industry Gan Kim Yong, and Singapore’s minister for health Ong Ye Kung.
Hilton Colombo has introduced a new package targeted at corporate events, incentives, and team retreats.
Yacht farewell party at Port City
The offering is available for groups of 25 or more, with rates starting at US$288 per night based on double occupancy. The package includes daily laundry service (three pieces per guest); complimentary airport transfers; complimentary breakout rooms for meetings; half-board dining at Graze Kitchen (lunch and dinner); morning yoga sessions on the lawn; and a yacht farewell party at Port City.
This limited-time offer is available for bookings through October 31, 2025.
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.
He was most recently cluster operations general manager for Conrad Singapore Orchard and Conrad Centennial Singapore. He also served as general manager at Regent Singapore, where he led the hotel through a brand transition and achieved record food and beverage results.
Robinson’s career includes leadership roles with Westin and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, where he gained operational and strategic experience in markets such as Egypt, the Caribbean, and the US.
