Sustainable practices take centrestage at a new campground in New Zealand’s South Island focused on energy and water conservation.
Camp Glenorchy, 40 minutes’ drive from Queenstown, will open in December 2017 featuring rustic but comfortable accommodation for up to 70 guests, suitable for business retreats, workshops and tourist groups. There is a choice of basic or deluxe energy-efficient cabins with ensuites, bunkrooms, powered campervan/RV sites or even unpowered camping sites for a taste of life off the grid.
Camp Glenorchy
Everything from the design and choice of materials to its operating practices is aimed at achieving Net Zero energy consumption each year. Guests are encouraged to control their own energy efficiency and have the option to check in as an “Eco-Warrior”. Choices for heating, lighting, shower temperature and individual energy use can be tracked using an interactive in-room control panel.
Seeing the potential growth of Asia as a source market, Scotland is exploring ways to entice the burgeoning China outbound market, as well as the rest of Asia as a whole.
SSE Hydro in Glasgow. Photo credit: VisitScotland
Lindsay Brown, marketing manager – emerging markets & special projects business events, VisitScotland, told TTGmice: “We have growing numbers of visitors from China and India, but collectively, Asia is growing. Currently it’s very small compared to our other markets, but I foresee a significant growth for both the MICE and leisure markets over the next three years.”
When asked how much growth she expects from the market, Brown said it’s hard to put a number to it as visitors to Scotland were not registered. This is because most longhaul visitors from Asia usually start in London, and go on to Scotland, as opposed to entering via Scotland.
She explained: “For example, Chinese visitors to Edinburgh Castle last year numbered 150,000. But official statistics said that we had only 40,000 Chinese visitors to the whole of Scotland.”
In general, Brown feels that there is a trend of Asian groups looking towards Northern Europe as they want something different. For instance, participating in Scotland’s Highland Games in traditional dress can be organised as a teambuilding activity for companies.
Groups also perceive Scotland as a “very safe destination”, and locations that they usually head to are Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, and there are dozens of venues across the country – from castles to universities – that can be used as conference and meeting facilities.
Hence, the Asian market is something Brown wants to develop and work is underway – she has met with a variety of outbound agents from Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. But China still holds most potential.
“At the moment, I have an enquiry for 5,000 people from China going just to Scotland,” said Brown.
However, Brown lamented that there were currently no direct flights from China although negotiations are underway, and that improved flight connections would help a lot.
As well, properties in Scotland are also keen to lure more Asian travellers.
Christina Boyle, sales, marketing and revenue manager of Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa and Island, said: “Last year, we had less than five MICE groups from Asia. But we anticipate the MICE market from Asia to grow to 20 or 30 groups a year over the next three to five years.”
Isle of Eriska Hotel, Spa and Island is a five-star property set on a private island on the north-western coast of Scotland. It boasts more than 120ha of rugged landscape, a Michelin-star restaurant, 30-bedroom hotel, spa, nine-hole golf course, and private marina. The entire island can be booked out exclusively for events or incentives.
When asked what steps the property was taking, Boyle indicated that she would be attending tradeshows such as ILTM and IT&CM China. In addition, the property is also in the midst of creating a China-hosted website that will be fully accessible to all of Asia in numerous languages.
Boyle added: “We’re looking at a lot of avenues, such as having a separate sales person based in China or working with an agency in China.”
Nic Oldham, director of sales & marketing, Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scotland, also hopes to grow the Asian market, with a particular focus on China.
He said: “A month ago we did a fam trip with VisitScotland, and we had 28 buyers from China. That went very well and we’ve had enquiries for this year. China is an important emerging market for us.”
Currently for this 111-year-old, 300ha golf property that offers 200 rooms, the Asian market does not even make up one per cent. But Oldham indicated that he would like to see the segment stand at “five to seven per cent in the next three years”.
By growing the Asian market, Oldham hopes to reduce reliance on the American and domestic UK market which make up 50 and 37 per cent respectively.
To do so, Oldham revealed: “We will partner with companies, such as London-based China Holidays who do outbound and inbound and know the market. Hopefully from there, we will be able to organise our own trade missions.”
“However, we don’t just want to concentrate on Shanghai and Beijing. The China market jumped out at us because of its size and spending power. For Asia, markets like South Korea and Malaysia certainly need to be looked at,” he concluded.
Marriott International, which has recently extended its partnership with non-profit organisation TED to deliver inspirational content to guests of Marriott Hotels into 2018, is considering ways to introduce the same valuable presentations to meetings held on-site.
The partnership, forged in August 2016, has led to TED-curated content relevant to Marriott Hotels’ guests in each region, ranging from curiosity and innovation to travel and entrepreneurship, being delivered to guests live and through in-room TV.
Mike Fulkerson
Past TED presentations delivered through in-room TV are currently only available across the US and in Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park in Asia, while live delivery is achieved through five global TED Talks Fellows salons in Seattle, London, Dubai, Bangkok and Santiago throughout 2016 and 2017.
The fourth edition will take place this evening at the Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park hotel.
Mike Fulkerson, vice president brands and marketing with Marriott International, told TTGmice that Bangkok was chosen to deliver the Asian TED Talks Fellows salon as “it was often the top few (travel) destinations no matter which ranking you looked at”.
Meanwhile, Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park was picked as the host venue – and the location to debut the in-room content distribution in Asia – as it is the only Marriott hotel bestowed with the Marquis designation, indicating a strong business event product that checks seven boxes including hotel size and the number of guestrooms.
The hotel, launched November 2016, has 1,360 keys – of which 700 are twin rooms, a critical requirement for meeting groups – and 35 function rooms, each boasting a different look and theme.
The roll out of past TED presentations across Asia will happen progressively.
Fulkerson revealed that Marriott International is also “exploring how we could bring TED content into clients’ meetings in meaningful ways”, and options could be pre-recorded TED presentations being shown at the start of meetings to inspire delegates or live presentations by TED Talks Fellows.
“There isn’t a big pool of TED Talks Fellows though, and those who are in there are not always available (to speak) or not always very affordable, so we need to carefully consider how to make this partnership (work for TED, for Marriott and for our clients),” he added.
Meanwhile, additional cities that will hold 2018 TED Talks Fellows salons have not been determined, but Fulkerson will push for Asia-Pacific destinations and properties to be in the line-up.
Marriott International’s global Meetings Imagined campaign, which focuses on delivering memorable meetings that put people at the centre and utilises an image-heavy website to suggest unique event ideas and guide objectives, has seen a change in client purchase habits and higher enquiry-to-booking conversion rates over the past two years.
Speaking to TTGmice on the sidelines of an ongoing MICE media fam at the new Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park, Xue Ying Mei, director of B2B marking and events with Marriott International, said that while online booking for event venues and services are relatively lower in Asia than elsewhere in the world, the informative www.meetingsimagined.com has led to a “higher conversion rate among meeting planners”.
“Planners who utilise the website to research for event ideas also tend to eventually rate our hotels higher on event experience, perhaps because they feel that the hotel had played a partner role (instead of just being a vendor),” Mei shared.
Mei added the global campaign is constantly evolving and expanding in terms of content.
It has recently added a Hotel Showcase feature, allowing the website to also convey much needed information on other hotel facilities besides function rooms and event ideas. In a few months’ time, the website will also be available in Japanese, in addition to the eight global languages currently offered.
As well, more Asia-Pacific content is increasingly being added to the website.
Enhancements to Meetings Imagined campaign also extend offline. The group has been investing in regular staff training to help sales personnel better communicate the programme to clients in fresh, new ways.
Currently, the Meetings Imagined campaign applies to JW Marriott, Autograph Collection, Renaissance, Marriott, Gaylord and Courtyard by Marriott branded properties.
Mei said other hotel brands recently acquired by Marriott International, such as those once under Starwood Hotels & Resorts, will eventually be brought under the programme as corporate integration progresses.
After months of searching, the Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) has finally chosen Melbourne-based Talk2 Media and Events as the new manager of its annual AIME tradeshow.
Talk2 Media and Events, founded in early 2016 and led by industry veterans Matt Pearce and Stephen Malbourne, will commence its management and operations of AIME in 2019. The company has approximately 30 staff in its Melbourne headquarters.
Karen Bolinger, CEO of MCB, said: “With proven success and an innovative and creative approach, it’s an exciting time in AIME’s journey and we’re looking forward to the new opportunities this partnership presents for the event and those who attend.”
Pearce said in a media statement: “AIME is the most important international event of its kind in Asia-Pacific, trusted with providing the stage on which the business events community can connect and create business opportunities. We’re excited to explore how we can reimagine AIME so that it continues to foster connections, inspire new ideas and drive business outcomes for both visitors and exhibitors.”
Bolinger also thanked Reed Exhibitions “for their vital contribution to AIME over the past 15 years” which had allowed AIME to “become the largest event of its kind in the Asia-Pacific region”.
The Shangri-La Hotel, Yiwu – part of the 52-storey mixed-used Yiwu World Trade Centre in Zhejiang Province – has opened.
The hotel offers 362 rooms and suites that start from 48m2 and 96m2 respectively. Aside from the rooms, the property also offers 136 residences that are available in four configurations: one-bedroom studio (72m2), one-bedroom (96m2), two-bedroom (144m2) and three-bedroom units (192m2). Each apartment has a living and dining area and a kitchen.
For meetings and events, Shangri-La Hotel, Yiwu offers more than 3,880m2 of event space, comprising 11 functions rooms and a 2,000m2 pillarless Grand Ballroom which has the capacity for 1,000 guests banquet style. The hotel is also the first in the city to feature an elevator that is large enough to transport automobiles directly to the ballroom.
Recreational facilities include a spa, fully-equipped gym, an indoor heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi, and sauna and steam rooms.
There are also three F&B options on-site. Yue Xiu Wok is an all-day dining restaurant with extensive buffet presentations and multiple cooking stations. Within the restaurant are eight private dining rooms. Brown Sugar Bakery & Cafe serves up made-to-order Asian and Western dishes, while the Lobby Lounge is the gathering place for light snacks, refreshments and evening cocktails.
Hangzhou and Shanghai are easily accessible from Yiwu via a 30-minute and 90-minute high-speed train journey, respectively. Also located within a short distance from the hotel are the Yiwu International Commodity City, International Expo Centre, airport and train station.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has appointed Vishal Sinha as CEO of CWT India.
Based in CWT India’s head office in Gurgaon, Sinha will report to Kai Chan, CWT’s president for Asia Pacific. His responsibilities include growing CWT’s business in India, particularly with local companies and small and medium enterprises, many of whom do not yet have managed travel programmes. He will helm CWT India’s team of over 1,2000 people across nine offices.
Vishal Sinha
Sinha has more than 20 years of experience in the travel industry, including considerable international experience. He was most recently chief operating officer of TUI India. Prior to that, he spent seven years in Tokyo as regional general manager at British Airways. Sinha has also held a number of other business development and management roles at British Airways and has been based in India, the UAE, Hong Kong and China.
Sinha takes over from Geeta Jain, who has moved into a new global role at CWT as strategic programme vice president.
The Pullman Danang Beach Resort in Vietnam is offering business event planners a new meeting package that comes with an assortment of add-on perks.
To enjoy the package, planners must book an event with a minimum of 10 rooms per night, for at least two nights.
Privileges include one guaranteed room upgrade to a suite for the keynote speaker; one complimentary room of the same category for every 20 rooms confirmed per night (maximum of three); and a half-hour welcome reception with wine and small bites (minimum 50 pax per group).
Other benefits are 30 per cent off spa treatments, and 20 per cent discount on individual consumption at the Infinity bar for participants during stay.
As well, there will be Le Club AccorHotels Meeting Planner double points reward for bookings made and paid before July 31 for meeting planners.
The package expires on September 30, 2017, with accommodation and event materialisation required by December 31, 2017.
You are a young face in a 69-year-old company with more than 500 staff across China. Can we expect to see new, innovative and youthful vibes in this grand dame of a travel company?
I am a younger face but not youthful, having been in the industry for 20 years.
Having a new managing director doesn’t mean everything has to change. We maintain the core values of Swire Travel while looking at things from a different angle. For instance, we are looking into more technology adoption, greater automation, more vibrant workplaces and stronger team cohesiveness.
What do you foresee as being your biggest hurdle in taking the company further in the next decade?
There is a lot of talk about the next new things. For example, online booking tools, direct connectivity and new measures implemented by IATA, like bank guarantee and Personal Information Compliance for travel agents. These are key areas that everyone in the trade must address.
As a travel agency, we need to focus on adding value as well as the key things we must deliver as an intermediary.
Technology will be more sophisticated but also easier to use. Yet, that can never take away the human aspect of the business. While we are implementing many online (corporate travel) booking tools for SMEs, it is always nice (for the client to be able) to pick up the phone and have someone take care of their booking and complex itinerary, and to have someone look out for them as part of crisis management.
Many leaders in the business of travel have spoken up about the importance of grooming the next generation. What are your thoughts about this, and what are you doing yourself to ensure your company continues to draw and retain true talents?
I am savvy, coming from a very structured training programme, where I got to experience different departments in Cathay Pacific and Swire Travel. When I was with Swire Travel’s leisure department, I built the team and Iater moved on to corporate travel which provided me a good spectrum of knowledge across travel operations. That’s why we now have a Travel Executive Programme that recruits young university graduates who undergo a three-year programme rotating through various departments.
We also hand-pick potential staff and put them in continuous professional development. For examples, should someone want to go for language or finance classes, we would ensure they are on track in their training plan.
Every year, we go through the training needs of each staff, then match and identify strengths in order to unleash talent. We also provide opportunities to go abroad for conferences and fam tours, (where staff could pick up new knowledge such as) as financial technology.
What about improving the work environment and career opportunities for women in travel, women like yourself?
We do a lot of mentoring. I have many mentees myself whom I meet with for coffee and face-to-face discussions about what their (general) concerns. Many of them seek not only career advice but also personal ones.
I had a talk with a staff who joined us recently as account manager. I advised her to first know her style – how she portraits herself in this industry. Being a young woman you have to deliver yourself as being more professional and knowledgeable, which is something that is of no issue to the older generation.
I’m also part of WINIT, a global women’s travel organisation that promotes women’s career opportunity within the travel trade.
(Within the company) we are doing very well with at least 70 per cent of the management team being female. We keep improving the work environment for them, such as by providing space for stretching exercises during lunch time and after office hours as well as talks on medical issues. To encourage work-life balance, lights go off at 20:30, but with (the option) to continue (working if they prefer). The system serves as a reminder for them to leave work.
What would you like to achieve in your first 12 months in this role?
I’ve got a lot to do. The first thing is to make sure staff are happy and are delivering on our core values. Secondly, I’m making sure technology is in place for all spectrums in the back and front offices for our corporate and leisure travel teams. Thirdly, we have created Chinese synergies and are now looking for new opportunities in the region by enhancing our China network. Guangzhou is our next hot spot, and we will follow (that by targeting) other secondary Chinese cities as well as other Asian countries.
The opening performance at this year’s Singapore Tourism Awards gala event was a dreamy dance between man and robot – specifically drones moving to the music and with their human partners. It was something I’ve never seen before and thought would seem right at home at a party onboard a Starship Enterprise spacecraft.
And it struck me as a good example of how technology could be used to enhance an event experience.
Karen Yue
Of course, the sort of technology available in the marketplace today can do far more than put up an unusual dance; they promise to benefit both event organisers who need to achieve ROI on their event spend and event attendees who hope to meet their business goals while being entertained.
Solutions powered by near-field communication, for instance, allow exhibitors at tradeshows and companies at product launches to distribute far more corporate information to targeted individuals and recipients no longer have to lug tons of materials back to their office at the end of the event.
With our community comprising events specialists, one should expect MICE trade events to be at the forefront of technology applications in delegate engagement. How else do you communicate with and impress these expert buyers who, on a daily basis, guide their clients towards the best ways to do events to meet corporate objectives?
Oddly, there are still MICE trade events that utilise manpower-heavy attendee registration procedures when online registration and QR code driven on-site badge collection are already commonplace. And for some organisers who have adopted QR code badge collection, even the process is raw and often human intervention is needed.
Then when you head onto the show floor, you find some exhibitors still relying on brochures or slideshows and videos on tablets to show off their latest products and ideas. Using immersive videos or Virtual Reality to take buyers on a walk through a new hotel or recently revamped event venue, or give them a taste of a helicopter ride over lush vineyards would make a far bigger and more lasting impact, don’t you think? If a picture is worth a thousand words, then immersive technology is worth a million.
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