Four Seasons Hotel Dalian is scheduled to open in a redeveloped financial and commercial hub in Donggang (East Harbour), China come 2020.
Four Seasons Hotel Dalian
Part of a mixed-use tower that also houses office space, the hotel offer 250 guest rooms and suites, a pool, fitness centre and spa, several ballrooms and meeting rooms, in addition to F&B options such as a hotel bar, lobby louge, deli and pastry shop.
A partnership between developer Luneng Group and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Four Seasons Hotel Dalian is set to begin construction later this year.
Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok has launched its Grand Goes Beyond meeting package which offers two event benefits at a special price.
Events and groups that book and hold their full-day or half-day meeting package between now and December 31, 2017 will receive two perks: one, tailor-made morning and afternoon breaks with arrival refreshments; two, lunch at a either Erawan Tea Room (Thai set lunch) or Spasso (Italian set lunch with appetizer buffet). Planners can also opt for an international buffet at The Dining Room with a top up of 200++ baht (US$6).
Grand Hyatt Erawan
Grand Goes Beyond meeting package is priced from 1,800++ baht per person for a full day, 08.00 to 17.00, and 850++ per baht per person for half a day, 08.00 to 12.00, with coffee break only. A half-day package inclusive of a morning break and lunch costs 1,600++ baht per person.
The decision was announced by Carey Bonnell, president of the International Association of Fish Inspectors (IAFI) during WSC 2017 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The bid from Penang was presented by a delegation led by PCEB and joined by various high-profile state leaders.
Chief minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng (centre) shares jubilant news with stakeholders
The World Seafood Congress was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and is owned by the IAFI. Each conference is organised by a selected institute in the host country, and is considered a platform for the exchange of information, ideas, and methodologies for the seafood sector, as well as on inspection, quality management, and seafood processing technology.
Chief minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng (centre) shares jubilant news with stakeholders
Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of Penang, said: “It is of great honour to us that the first World Seafood Congress in Asia will be held here. We get to create a legacy for the larger fishery and aquaculture industry in Asia.
“Congresses like this are as important to the host destination as well the delegates. We get to discover and learn from the experts regarding the sector and what we can do to improve it.
“In 2016, Penang’s fishery sector recorded a revenue of RM1.3 billion (US$300 million) and we believe this congress will make an impact on the numbers and bring more awareness and innovation to our fishery industry and to expose the world standards and practices to our local policymakers.”
Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO of PCEB, added that the wealth of knowledge and expertise shared through the congress would also benefit fishery industry players in the greater Asian region.
“We hope that the World Seafood Congress coming to Penang will help to pave the way for other Asian hosts in the future,” said Ashwin.
Ooi Kee Beng, executive director of Penang Institute, who was involved in the bid presentation, commented: “The team was very well prepared in presenting Penang’s case, and in showing all the advantages it has to offer the Congress. As the first Asian host for this premium congress series, and given how important nourishment from the sea is to less developed countries, Penang can now represent the region in this very important industry and has a good opportunity to partake more directly of the productive ecosystem surrounding it.
“As the local host, Penang Institute will draw on its national and regional connections to prepare for a congress worthy of Asia’s new position in the global economy.”
The WSC 2019 will take place in September at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre. Penang Institute is the local organising host for WSC 2019. The congress is supported by the Penang State Government, PCEB and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau.
Chief minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng (centre) shares jubilant news with stakeholders
The decision was announced by Carey Bonnell, president of the International Association of Fish Inspectors (IAFI) during WSC 2017 in Reykjavik, Iceland.
The bid from Penang was presented by a delegation led by PCEB and joined by various high-profile state leaders.
Chief minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng (centre) shares jubilant news with stakeholders
The World Seafood Congress was initiated by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and United Nations Industrial Development Organization, and is owned by the IAFI. Each conference is organised by a selected institute in the host country, and is considered a platform for the exchange of information, ideas, and methodologies for the seafood sector, as well as on inspection, quality management, and seafood processing technology.
Chief minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng (centre) shares jubilant news with stakeholders
Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of Penang, said: “It is of great honour to us that the first World Seafood Congress in Asia will be held here. We get to create a legacy for the larger fishery and aquaculture industry in Asia.
“Congresses like this are as important to the host destination as well the delegates. We get to discover and learn from the experts regarding the sector and what we can do to improve it.
“In 2016, Penang’s fishery sector recorded a revenue of RM1.3 billion (US$300 million) and we believe this congress will make an impact on the numbers and bring more awareness and innovation to our fishery industry and to expose the world standards and practices to our local policymakers.”
Ashwin Gunasekeran, CEO of PCEB, added that the wealth of knowledge and expertise shared through the congress would also benefit fishery industry players in the greater Asian region.
“We hope that the World Seafood Congress coming to Penang will help to pave the way for other Asian hosts in the future,” said Ashwin.
Ooi Kee Beng, executive director of Penang Institute, who was involved in the bid presentation, commented: “The team was very well prepared in presenting Penang’s case, and in showing all the advantages it has to offer the Congress. As the first Asian host for this premium congress series, and given how important nourishment from the sea is to less developed countries, Penang can now represent the region in this very important industry and has a good opportunity to partake more directly of the productive ecosystem surrounding it.
“As the local host, Penang Institute will draw on its national and regional connections to prepare for a congress worthy of Asia’s new position in the global economy.”
The WSC 2019 will take place in September at the Setia SPICE Convention Centre. Penang Institute is the local organising host for WSC 2019. The congress is supported by the Penang State Government, PCEB and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau.
Thai mourners waiting outside the Royal Palace to pay tribute in August
The cremation ceremony for the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, taking place in Bangkok from October 25 to 29, is expected to see business closures and traffic disruption in central Bangkok.
Thai mourners waiting outside the Royal Palace to pay tribute in August
DMC Destination Asia Thailand, for example, notified partners that it will not operate its Royal Palace and City and Temple tours over the period. It added that traffic disruption is expected as it was likely that roads would be closed and crowded with people during the ceremony.
Bob Daniel, manager – product development, individual and group tours at the New South Wales-based Guidepost, said: “We are wary of October 26, as we expect many businesses in Bangkok especially to be closed. We will (try to) avoid Bangkok on this day.”
The agency will be relying on partners in Bangkok to advise on any disruption that may warrant itinerary adjustments, Daniel added.
However, Malinee Nitikaset Sunthorn, director, the Americas division, Tourism Authority of Thailand, stressed: “Thailand will be open to all tourists during the five-day period. There is misconception… that it is compulsory for foreign tourists to wear black during the period. We, Thais, will be wearing black to mourn (but) we don’t think tourist arrivals will be affected.”
Buyers interviewed at last week’s PATA Travel Mart 2017 were also doubtful that travellers will be deterred from visiting, while being mindful about conveying the solemnity of the occasion to clients.
Manila-based Shroff Travel managing director, Arjun P Shroff, said: “We have a small incentive group combining Bangkok and Chiang Mai during this period. We will inform them about the late King’s cremation ceremony and advise them to dress respectfully. Our ground operator partner in Bangkok will know which roads will be closed and how to get to places using alternative roads.”
John Ching, COO of Singapore-based Albatross World, added that the ceremony may even bring tourists with special interests and Thai expatriates living in Singapore to Bangkok.
Having gained Cisco as its new President’s Circle Sponsor, the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) is hoping to leverage Cisco calling, meeting and video technology to transform how it operates, trains and runs events.
ACTE Global
Through the sponsorship, Cisco collaboration technologies such as WebEx Event Center are expected to play a more strategic role in ACTE’s virtual events to provide members and non-members the tools and capabilities to enhance their education, with lesser constraints of physical location, time zone and traditional organisational boundaries.
ACTE will use Cisco’s collaboration products to power upcoming webinars, including the 2018 Corporate Travel Industry Forecast today; Virtual Card Strategy: The Value Chain on September 27; How to Give a Great Virtual Presentation (And Why This Matters in Corporate Travel) on October 2; Simplifying Managed Travel on October 18; and Taking Control of Your Hotel Spend on October 31.
According to ACTE, virtual collaboration tools are key at a time when one training a year is no longer enough to help corporate travel professions stay up-to-date with the latest information, pointing to rapid geopolitical changes, economic pressure and human resource challenges.
ACTE will also use Cisco technologies such as Cisco Spark internally to streamline their communication process in-house to lessen the amount of emails sent daily.
The ACTE membership will be introduced to further technology information at the London Aviation and Corporate Summit October 11-13.
The Exhibition and Event Association of Australasia’s (EEAA) Young Stars Program recently celebrated five years of mentoring with the leaders of the global exhibition and event industry at Luna Park Sydney.
Guests that evening were UFI – The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry CEO Kai Hattendorf and regional manager for Asia/Pacific Mark Cochrane.
The EEAA community of young leaders gathered to learn about global trends, opportunities and issues and their impact on the Australasian business event industry, and discuss their particular challenges and perspectives with Hattendorf and Cochrane.
EEAA chief executive, Joyce DiMascio, said: “The EEAA and UFI share a commitment to developing our future exhibition and event industry leaders and promoting the diverse and exciting career opportunities in our sector. We are very committed to promoting careers in our sector and showing the range of career paths that can be pursued.”
Hattendorf further reinforced the importance of programmes such as this to helping to build a sustainable future for the industry.
“Initiatives like the Young Stars Program are key to ensuring we identify, nurture and retain talent that will drive the future of our industry, and we at UFI are always happy to support these,” Hattendorf said.
Cooper: help for new meeting planners or planners of small meetings
IACC, an international association for convention centres, has published a Guide to Conference & Meetings Internet, aimed at helping those new to meeting and events management through the often technically-overwhelming task of arranging and buying internet and broadband services from a venue.
Cooper: help for new meeting planners or planners of small meetings
Mark Cooper, CEO of IACC, said in a statement: “As the industry continues to grow at a rapid pace, we’re seeing a greater number of Internet-reliant technologies enter the meetings and conference world. In order to support those tasked with organising smaller business events, we felt there was a need to provide some entry-level guidance on meetings Internet.”
The guide is also a reference and educational tool for venue sales and planning team members, ensuring they have the knowledge required to match Internet related services to the needs of their clients.
Cooper added: “The guide helps to break down the barriers faced by many in the industry; it includes a helpful and comprehensive summary section on basic terminology, which equips everyone with day-to-day jargon associated with meetings Internet, so it’s ideally suited for both event organisers and venues.”
The guide was designed by IACC volunteers in Australia, Europe and America; with the project led by Clotilde Gay, director of sales for Dolce Hotels and Resorts, an IACC certified venue.
The complexity of today’s world has compelled us to reevaluate the way we live, rethink our priorities and reflect on the complicated balance between freedom and security in our personal and professional lives.
Fifteen years ago, I was involved in the organisation of the G8 summit in Italy. At the time I would have never thought that all of the training and the protocols established for managing that event would someday be applicable in a daily work setting.
The constant security personnel presence would help attendees feel safer
In the past, problems that could arise included strikes, sudden schedule changes for the arrival of a head of state, the cancellation of flights, or natural disasters. You only had to think about hiring reliable vendors, making sure they were appropriately insured and checking that all updates were implemented correctly. Today, it is critical that event planners know how to organise and coordinate security, particularly for phenomena that are more complicated and global in scope such as a hypothetical terrorist attack in a city or an airport.
So, how do event planners best address the needs of clients who may directly or indirectly suffer the consequences of these phenomena?
Here are some basic considerations.
Have a plan in place for all staff members and suppliers that serves as a blueprint on how to handle any type of crisis. Provide training so that everyone knows what to do in any type of emergency. Information sharing and raising awareness of security standards will help mitigate material damages and the impact on participants.
Over the last two years, my company worked hard to organise an international conference that brought together executives of the world’s largest insurance companies. The goal was to provide exclusive and prestigious venues that would allow the program to be conducted with utmost discretion. The venues were chosen on the basis of aesthetics, exclusivity and confidentiality and the choices turned out to be crucial for managing event security.
Working closely with local security personnel, we communicated the details of each day’s schedule to the national police and continually provided the client with updates regarding the importance of security personnel presence during all phases of the event. Security was managed discreetly, requiring significant work behind the scenes so that the attendees felt safe and the overall tone of the event was unaltered. Choosing experienced, discreet and professional event vendors and using the client’s own staff and internal security helped ensure that the event was operated successfully, from start to finish.
Cybersecurity is another consideration. It is extremely important to safeguard information and sensitive data communicated via email or on an event website. In the case of the insurance conference, none of the schedules or event reminders contained any specific details that could be intercepted and used in ways that would endanger the safety and security of the participants.
For events abroad, I always recommend relying on local suppliers who know the destination and, in the case of a problem or a sudden risky situation, are in a position to resolve it quickly with an innovative solution. Based on more than 25 years of experience, I could choose to work directly with the facilities and infrastructure in the host country.
However, it is precisely because of my experience that I always choose to collaborate with colleagues at the event site and rely on local experts to provide enhanced security to ensure the event’s success.
We have been often challenged by clients who preferred to save money on safety in favour of investing in other aspects that would impress attendees such as staging, speciality entertainment, etc. Although security can be costly and can affect an overall budget, I always say to my clients, “It’s always preferable to have fewer oysters rather than hold an unsafe event.”
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Annamaria Ruffini is SITE president-elect and president & CEO of Events In & Out based in Rome, Italy. This opinion was first published on motivate.siteglobal.com.
IMEX America's Ray Bloom announces new venue for the show
IMEX America’s Ray Bloom announces new venue for the show
IMEX America exits Las Vegas from 2021 The IMEX Group will move its IMEX America show from Las Vegas to Mandalay Bay from 2021 through to 2025.
IMEX Group chairman Ray Bloom acknowledged the support the team at Sands Expo Las Vegas had given the show since well before its launch in 2011, and said he was looking forward to four more successful shows with venue until 2020.
Bloom explained that the move was necessary as IMEX America was unable to “lock in space from 2021 onward” at the Sands Expo Las Vegas.
“We look forward to establishing successful partnerships with the Mandalay Bay and MGM Resorts International teams, and we know that their world-class facilities will be an equally fitting home for the show,” he concluded.
Convention Centre Dublin pulls in parasitology congress The Convention Centre Dublin will host the 28th International Conference of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology in 2021.
The conference is expected to attract 1,000 international participants and generate in the region of €1.6 million (US$1.9 million) for the local Irish economy.
The venue had worked closely with conference ambassador professor Grace Mulcahy to initiate the bid for Dublin, which was put together by the local committee in partnership with Keynote PCO, and supported by national tourism board Fáilte Ireland, Meet in Ireland and Dublin Convention Bureau through the Conference Ambassador Programme.
Norwegian’s non-stop Orlando-Paris service takes off Low-cost airline Norwegian has launched its first flight from Orlando International Airport to Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport, allowing it to hold claims to being the airline with the most European connections from Orlando.
Flights are operated once per week on Mondays, with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
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.
