Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore has launched a wellness Meet Well, Be Well package for corporate guests.
For bookings of at least 20 rooms or more in any of the newly-renovated events spaces at the Mezzanine level of the brand new Tower Wing, guests will receive the following privileges: wellness-enhanced coffee breaks; option for participants to enjoy a healthy two-course lunch; room-delivered Breakfast Power Pack or buffet breakfast at The Line; complimentary room with Horizon Club access per night for every 20 confirmed and paid guestrooms; complimentary meeting package for every 20 confirmed and paying participants; 20 per cent savings on treatments at the spa; and a meditation group session.
Meet Well Be Well Shangri-La, Singapore
Guests who are in the hotel for meetings may also register for any of the following morning experiences: a 45-minute morning run on September 5 to Singapore Botanic Gardens led by a member of the hotel’s management team; 30-minute private yoga session at Banyan Deck; 30-min AquaSpin class; or 30-minute neighbourhood power walk. Advance notice of seven days has to be given.
This package is valid for bookings until December 30, 2017.
The Flight Centre Travel Group (FLT) has fully acquired two travel businesses in New Zealand – the leisure-focused Travel Managers Group (TMG) and corporate travel management company Executive Travel Group (ETG) – for an undisclosed sum. The deals are expected to formally settle during 1Q2018.
FLT managing director Graham Turner said the acquisitions would strengthen the company’s New Zealand operations, which is now the company’s fifth largest business globally by sales behind Australia, the US, UK and Canada.
Flight Centre Travel Group
“Executive travel and travel managers are profitable businesses, generating earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in excess of NZ$3 million (US$2.2 million) annually, with solid growth trajectories and good track records of success,” Turner said in a press statement.
This latest announcement comes back off the company’s recent acquisition of BHMAsia in Asia and Olympus Tours in Mexico.
Representing FLT’s first acquisition in the home-based sector, TMG provides systems and support services to a network of more than 180 individual brokers, as well as a 22-shop franchise network, which includes 12 TravelSmart shops and 10 non-branded stores. It was established in 2002 and generated about NZ$120 million in total transaction value (TTV) during its 2017 year.
EMG, established in 1978, is the largest independent corporate travel management firm in New Zealand and generated about NZ$60 million in TTV during the 2016 calendar year.
Both businesses were privately owned, with former FLT New Zealand employee Kevin Weston co-owning ETG and being a major shareholder in TMG.
Weston and his business partners, Nicola Jamieson and Dave Wallace, will continue to oversee both businesses’ day-to-day operations and will report to FLT New Zealand managing director David Coombes.
Pan Pacific Hotels Group (PPHG) has announced its first serviced suites property in Indonesia, slated to open in the capital city by 2020.
Located along Jalan Thamrin in the CBD, Pan Pacific Serviced Suites Jakarta will offer 161 units across levels 47 to 58 in the North Tower of Indonesia 1. The tower is part of a 19,000m2 mixed-development, which comprises offices, commercial spaces, and entertainment and retail offerings.
PPHG’s openings this year include Pan Pacific Melbourne, which just opened last week, while Pan Pacific Beijing and Pan Pacific Yangon will debut in their respective cities in September.
A slew of large-size corporate incentives booked into the main cities of Japan leading up to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics, as well as Japan’s brisk leisure travel business and tendency among quality merchants to operate small outfits, have made it increasingly challenging for the destination to confirm current enquiries.
Susan Maria Ong, MICE director, Asia Pacific with Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), told TTGmice: “We have many large corporate incentives led by insurance, banking finance and pharmaceutical companies coming in the main cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto for 2018 and 2019, and with the Games happening in 2020, the next three years have become quite difficult for companies now planning to take their events to Japan.”
Tokyo
The situation has led to enquiries being waitlisted, according to Ong, who believes it will ease once the Games are over.
Hiroshi Iizuka, director of sales and marketing, MICE, international travel division of Nippon Travel Agency, shared the same observations.
He said: “Japan’s main cities are always popular and crowded, and it is getting even more so as we head closer to the Games in 2020. Our cities aren’t just for business events, they also welcome (leisure) tourists and support local residents.”
Ryoichi Yamada, director of marketing & sales, MICE Division of JTB Global Marketing & Travel, added that as most incentive groups preferred to visit Japan during peak travel season – such as when the cherry blossoms are in bloom – clients are faced with both capacity issues and high rates.
Adding to the capacity challenge are “traditional businesses that serve small groups, preferring to focus on high quality, personalised service instead of volume”, opined Akihito Saito, general manager, international travel division of Nippon Travel Agency Hokkaido.
He said: “This presents a problem when our clients need a special restaurant for dining events.”
Planners who are determined enough to confirm a large-sized corporate group in Japan in the coming years, will have to split delegates up across different accommodation and hunt down venues large enough for group dinners, according to Iizuka.
“It is a relief that the Japanese government has started to permit private hire of ancient castles and parks which have capacity for larger groups,” said Iizuka.
While Ong said the capacity issue is a “good problem” that demonstrates Japan’s strong demand, she admitted that it is still a problem that needs resolution.
“This is why we are doing more to introduce overseas event planners to tier-two destinations across Japan. Destinations like Kanazawa and Tottori are ready for business events. They can help alleviate the jam in the big cities and take on the overflow,” she said.
JNTO’s intensifying promotions of tier-two destinations are also targeted at encouraging more repeat groups.
However, the capacity challenge does not go away with programmes done in the less crowded, smaller cities.
“In such areas, local hotels tend to be afraid of accepting large groups due to language and cultural differences. Also, Japanese business owners believe that they need to prioritise regular clients over one-off large volume bookings,” commented Mika Tanaka, assistant general manager of Japana Planning.
Yamada said a group of 30 to 40 delegates is a “comfortable size” for corporate events in the smaller cities or towns, and anything more than 100 will be too big.
Luxury Bali hotel Alila Seminyak has embarked on its first roadshow in Australia, and its representatives are determined to promote Seminyak as a viable alternative event destination to Nusa Dua.
The hotel’s general manager, Pierre Lang, and director of event curation, Demy Suryadewi, are touring Melbourne and Sydney this week, meeting with travel agents, conference organisers and journalists.
Alila Seminyak
“The MICE sector is a very important market for us and we can cater well for small to medium-sized events,” said Lang. “We have unique spaces and would like to showcase these to Australia since (it is) only a few hours away by flight. Plus, Seminyak has so much to offer with easy access to great restaurants, bars and shopping”.
Most corporate events are currently held in Nusa Dua, where Bali’s only convention centre is located. But Lang is on a mission to educate event planners about Seminyak as a viable alternative.
Alila Seminyak has 240 rooms, making it one of the hotel chain’s biggest properties. “We have a dedicated events creation team,” said Lang. “We like to customise every enquiry. We can easily host 20 to 500 guests with extended facilities”.
The hotel can also fully customise audiovisual experiences and create unique coffee breaks. “For example, we can tailor for a picnic-style break or take meeting participants in one of our restored 1980 VW Kombi vehicles fitted out with karaoke facilities so they can sing their way through Seminyak’s streets,” he shared.
Lang dismissed concerns about traffic bottlenecks that may be problematic on roads leading to Seminyak. “We have secret ways to assist in traffic control. It’s also important to plan around peak hours,” he opined.
The hotel’s roadshow to Australia will be an annual event in addition to those the hotel already conducts in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Visitors can enjoy unmatched stargazing opportunities in Greater Palm Springs and its surrounding deserts, thanks to two International Dark Sky Places and a state-of-the-art observatory set to open in 2018.
Less than a one-hour drive from Greater Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park will be designated an International Dark Sky Park in August, a distinction the International Dark-Sky Community bestows upon parks that possess “an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.”
Joshua Tree National Park has long been a must-visit for stargazers, thanks to its stunning and unobstructed night sky views and ongoing night sky programming.
The park joins nearby Borrego Springs as an International Dark Sky Place. Borrego Springs, less than an hour’s drive south of Greater Palm Springs, is one of only 15 Dark Sky Communities in the world and the only Dark Sky Community in California.
According to the International Dark-Sky Community, an International Dark Sky Place “is a town, city, municipality or other legally organised community that has shown exceptional dedication to the preservation of the night sky” and “excel(s) in their efforts to promote responsible lighting and dark sky stewardship”.
As International Dark Sky Places, both Joshua Tree National Park and Borrego Springs offer unparalleled night skies illuminated only by the millions of stars above.
Pentahotel Moscow – Arbat to open 2018
Pentahotels has finalised definitive agreements with Capital Group, one of Russia’s most respected property developers, to open pentahotels’ first Russia hotel in Moscow in time for 2018 FIFA World Cup which will be hosted in the city.
Pentahotel Moscow – Arbat will be situated within one of the four famous “Book Houses” located on Novy Arbat, about a mile from the Red Square. Featuring 228 guestrooms, the hotel will include pentahotels’ trademark offerings, including pentalounge, European-led design elements, as well as meeting spaces and a gym.
“Penta’s global journey has just begun,” says Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group, pentahotels’ parent company.
Dorchester Collection rolls out offers for events and groups
The iconic hotels belonging to the Dorchester Collection have announced exclusive rates for events as well as special group booking offers for 2017.
Incentive groups and corporate events can look forward to attractive packages that take in personalised experiences on-property in elegant function spaces, and off-site adventures and private tours that range from vineyard tastings and truffle hunting to polo classes.
One of the packages come from The Dorchester, London. From £22,500 (US$29,738) for a minimum of 50 guests, a lavish, private Kitchen Party can be hosted. Guests can indulge in front-row perspective on one of the most highly regarded culinary operations in London, including imaginative canapés from the famous restaurants of The Dorchester and 45 Park Lane.
Additional options include masterclasses with legendary bar manager Giuliano Morandin, truffle masterclasses with executive chef Henry Brosi and personalised aprons for cooking challenges.
Groups bookings of at least 25 room nights made at any Dorchester Collection properties, will gain one complimentary room night for every 25 room nights occupied, two complimentary room upgrades with VIP amenities and a welcome amenity per room. Blackout dates and terms and conditions apply.
Participating hotels include Le Meurice, Paris; Le Richmond, Geneva; and Hotel Eden, Rome.
A new Board of Directors has been elected into the International Association of Convention Centres (AIPC) during the organisation’s 2017 General Assembly, which took place along with the 2017 Annual Conference of AIPC last week in Sydney, Australia.
Aloysius Arlando, CEO of Singapore EXPO Convention and Exhibition Centre and former AIPC vice president, has been elected president.
Aloysius Arlando
He is joined by Greg O’Dell, CEO of Walter E. Washington Convention Centre, the US, as vice president.
Jan van den Bosch, senior vice-president of RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, Netherlands, takes on the role of treasurer.
The board also welcomes two new directors: David Pegler, chief executive of ExCeL London, the UK, and Peter King, CEO of Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia.
Existing directors, Julie-May Ellingston, CEO of Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa, and Marc Rodrigues, general manager of Centre de Convencions Internacional de Barcelona, Spain complete the seven-member AIPC Board of Directors.
As PATA Travel Mart (PTM) marks its 40th edition this year since its 1978 inception in Manila, PATA CEO Mario Hardy concedes that change is imminent to this annual core event, especially in the face of growing competition from the rising number of travel tradeshows in Asia-Pacifc.
While lauding the 40-year existence of the show as its “greatest achievement”, Hardy believes the time has come for PTM to transform itself in order to stay relevant and unique moving forward.
Mario Hardy
The transformation is currently a work in progress, the PATA chief revealed. “There are ideas but we haven’t finalised what PTM will be like in the future,” he added. “We know it has to change and we have to do some significant changes to the format because there are too many similar shows already.”
Meanwhile, building PTM as a platform of “knowledge sharing” is what Hardy has strove to achieve, with seminars, workshops and forums underscoring the tradeshow in recent years.
For PTM 2017, which will be held in Macau from September 13-15, the Travolution Forum Asia will focus on technology and digital marketing while AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes has been confirmed as a special guest speaker at the Youth Symposium and forum, Hardy told TTG Asia.
As well, this year’s PTM will also the introduction of a PATA branded app, which will enable users to not only access content of PTM but other PATA events throughout the year. In this way, delegates would not lose any valuable contacts and connections made at an event but continue to building upon them in future, according to Hardy.
However, PTM will retain its cornerstones of keeping the show relatively small as well as roving across different host destinations from year to year.
“It’s not the largest show and we don’t aim to be the largest; we’re small and intimate, which makes it easier for people to network and do business together as opposed to running from one place to another,” Hardy stated.
Unlike other travel tradeshows which are closely associated with marquee cities, Hardy states that the “rotating” nature of PTM, particularly to secondary and tertiary cities, is a USP and adheres to PATA’s principles of advocating sustainable and responsible tourism.
“In the last three years we have been promoting the importance of showcasing the secondary cities; there are far too many tourists in capital cities and we need to push them away to other destinations,” he commented, acknowledging that PTM’s destination choices had come under criticism from the industry.
Yet despite the proliferation of tradeshows in the region, Hardy believes the pie is big enough for everyone as “tour agencies and operators around the world are focusing on different niche markets and attend shows relevant to them”.
He continued: “I think we’re still far away from shows disappearing or seeing a slowdown unless obviously there is a crisis that stops people from travelling. Otherwise, business will continue as it is today and will continue to grow.”
Speakers at the Singapore MICE Forum cautioned that simply adopting digital services is no longer enough to build a successful and standout event.
Instead, planners should work towards blending both physical and digital elements in order to create personalised experiences.
Kai Hattendorf, managing director/CEO of UFI, speaking at the Singapore MICE Forum
“Many events work on a ‘start-stop’ mentality, where engagement starts when the event opens and stops when it ends,” said Errol Lim, COO and co-founder of Jublia, which provides business-matching and online-to-offline technology for conferences and exhibitions.
Instead, what they should do is secure both offline and online engagement that can build a community around their delegates throughout the year, advised Lim.
Mohan Belani, co-founder and CEO of technology media platform e27, added: “Events tend to be too time- and space-driven. Companies should create more opportunities for business matching through online engagement – not just for current attendees but also for future attendees.”
The way to do this, suggested Belani, is by using data analytics on attendees to provide more personalised service in the future.
Experimentation becomes important in this situation, especially as delegates are “evolving”, said Claire Smith, vice president (sales and marketing) of Vancouver Convention Centre.
She observed that successful events challenge delegates to “think differently” and allow them to “create their own experiences (of the event) that are meaningful”.
Smith cited the PCMA 2017 Education Conference as a good example. It used live streaming to emulate talkshow interviews with attendees, thereby increasing reach and delegate-centred content.
In addition, Melissa Ow, deputy chief executive of Singapore Tourism Board, shared that IACC – a global association of meetings professionals – reported more than 80 per cent of planners believe that interactive technology will become integral to business events in the next five years.
“The tradeshow floor and meeting environment will then become an intermesh of physical content as well as elements that are VR- and AR-enhanced,” concluded Ow.
According to UFI, 65 per cent of companies in Asia-Pacific have digitised their existing exhibitions through apps, advertising and signage, with Thailand and China leading at 73 and 67 per cent respectively.
In partnership with key industry partners in the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) precinct, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has established the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre Business Events Alliance (KLCC BEA) to drive business events to the destination.
KLCC BEA comprises the Centre, hotels, professional event planners, shopping, dining, entertainment and transportation partners located in the heart of the city. Partners include Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, Impiana KLCC Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Kuala Lumpur, the Marini’s Group, MCI Malaysia, Suria KLCC Shopping Mall and Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
(From left) MCI’s Yap Shook Fung; Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur’s Christian Nannucci; Impiana KLCC Hotel’s Aarron Nelson; Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur’s Robert Dallimore; The Centre’s Alan Pryor; Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur’s Frank Stocek; Marini’s Group Ginny Ng; Suria KLCC’s Francis Tan; and the Centre’s Angeline van den Broecke
These stakeholders will be offering a specific set of benefits to meeting planners and event organisers, as well as develop a benefits programme which will provide value adds from each partner.
The Centre’s general manager, Alan Pryor, shared: “The alliance presents a compelling business events proposition that provides a seamless and single point of first contact for meeting planners and event organisers. A private sector initiative, the KLCC BEA allows us to market the fully-integrated city centre offering and create an all-inclusive proposition for meetings and events from a venue, planner, accommodation and entertainment perspective.”
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