New Zealand has set its sights on South-east Asia as one of its key growth markets for the country’s business events industry.
“Conferencing until now has been predominantly focused on Australia but we’ve been exploring opportunities for South-east Asia, with new infrastructure coming onstream in Auckland in 2019 and Christchurch in 2020”, said René de Monchy, director trade, PR and major events for Tourism New Zealand, in an interview with TTGmice at CINZ MEETINGS 2017 which started yesterday.
René de Monchy
New Zealand is celebrating NZ$311 million (US$219.8 million) in economic impact from wins in conference and incentive bids over the past four years, a handsome return on investment from the New Zealand government’s NZD$23 million made in 2013 to attract business events to the country.
Convention arrivals are also on the rise for New Zealand, hitting 66,000 at year ending March 2017, a four per cent increase from the year before.
“Success breeds more success. Next year’s KPIs will be higher than last year’s. It is important that when we go with the industry and bid for conferences (and) attain a high win rate which we have so far. We’re at a win rate of about 75 per cent,” said de Monchy.
Amway China, which is bringing 10,000 delegates to Queenstown next year in waves of 600 people at a time, will generate NZ$50 million worth of economic impact for the destination. The event is by far the biggest incentive business New Zealand has ever won and it helps New Zealand’s position as an incentive and business conference destination.
The architectural designs for the upcoming Christchurch Convention Centre on New Zealand’s South Island have been revealed today at CINZ MEETINGS 2017.
General manager Rob McIntyre said in a press release: “We have studied the best practice worldwide and designed purpose-built boutique facilities around the way our clients work, creating seamless transitions between spaces and sessions. The venue will be responsive to a wide range of event requirements for up to 2,000 delegates, all within easy walking distance of city hotels.”
A rendering of the Christchurch Convention Centre
Features of the riverfront convention centre will include a 1,400-delegate auditorium that can be scaled to allow up to three events to run concurrently; numerous meeting rooms from boardroom scale to large flat floor plenary sessions; purpose-built banqueting area; and a public circulation space. Support infrastructure will include dedicated offices for PCOs, a hospitality lounge, boardroom, crew room and speaker preparation rooms.
New Zealand’s second largest city is home to world-class universities, Crown research facilities, start-up accelerators, and specialist innovation and health precincts.
“Here we can bring together people from all over the world with interests in Christchurch’s specialist areas of expertise, including earth sciences, health sciences, agriculture, food science, international education, building and environmental technology,” McIntyre pointed out.
Designed by international firm Woods Bagot, construction of the Christchurch Convention Centre is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019.
IJM Perennial Development, the developer of the Penang Waterfront Convention & Exhibition Centre (PWCC), is looking for an international venue operator to undertake sales, marketing, operations, catering and facilities management.
The PWCC is a flexible and multi-purpose integrated venue located on the eastern coastline of Penang, Malaysia. Its facilities include a 7,000m2 exhibition hall; plenary seating options of 700, 1,200 and 4,500; banquet capacity of up to 4,000 persons; a grand ballroom accommodating 800 people; and 15 meeting rooms of various sizes.
The Light City
The PWCC is part of a mixed development project, The Light City, which includes retail and dining, and is connected to two on-site international standard hotels that offer a total of 745 rooms.
The deadline to submit proposals is 16.00 on July 10, 2017, Kuala Lumpur time. For more information, please contact Richa Kansal at richa@gainingedge.com.
The ultimate question we are likely to face as mothers is how to find that delicate balance between family, children and a career. It’s a challenging decision but if you love what you do, you’ll find a way and make it work.
As any mother who has found herself in this position will tell you, leaving a child to recommit to a demanding career is a difficult choice, and a battle which I myself have had to face. Confronted by the decision of wanting to have children and start a family but not wanting to lose momentum in a career has at times left me torn.
Finding that balance between family and career, especially in the events industry
But why should we have to choose? Surely mothers should be able to spend quality with their children and have an active role bringing them up, but at the same time have a career, acting as a role model by showing them that following their career path and passion is also an option.
With 82 per cent of the events industry made up of women, I know I am not alone in my fight. Working in this industry is tough – yes, our hours are long and our schedules can be exhausting – but ultimately, we love what we do and so the key is finding what works for you.
As mothers we need to be smart with time management and know the difference between what meetings we need to attend and those we don’t. In this modern era with technology so readily available, we are more connected than ever, opening up endless possibilities, including the ability to work remotely and adding that all important element of flexibility to our lives.
I have been lucky to have an incredible company behind me which has supported me in my journey through motherhood and beyond. While it is possible to juggle both motherhood and a career without the full support of a business – and I know that many have to – there are many ways businesses can provide support.
Cievents has a fantastic culture, actively encouraging employees to remain flexible within their working lives. A range of initiatives ensure that work life balance is achievable for everyone. This includes; ci-flex, flexible work hours allowing for personal endeavours, whether that be a yoga class, a run on the beach, coffee with a friend, childcare, school drop-offs or pickups; ci-summer, allowing staff to work summer hours, shorter days or less days during the week and; ci-me, giving all staff members a day off for their birthday, to celebrate and spend time with family and friends.
With such great incentives, allowing all employees to plan their work lives around their personal lives, it is unsurprising that cievents has such a high retention rate at 85.05 per cent currently. Businesses that want to retain staff should really consider how they can provide this important support to ensure a healthy work-life balance.
Now my children are older, you would think that I have more freedom. Unfortunately that is not the case. The truth is, family time never stops – just because I’m no longer changing nappies doesn’t mean that we don’t need to spend that quality time together.
I think sometimes businesses can forget this, and while I don’t mean that businesses should expect less from their employees, I think there needs to be an understanding of what is needed to support their personal lives. Hopefully, these conversations will become more and more common.
Fiona Batten is the general manager Australia, CiEvents, an award winning strategic event management agency for the corporate market with offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, London, Birmingham, New York, New Jersey, San Francisco, Toronto, Hong Kong, Auckland and Mexico City.
Three of Hertz Global Holdings’ car rental brands – Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty – are now operating in Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo, following the signing of a multi-brand partnership agreement with local franchise partner Andrew The Car Rental Company.
Mahen Kariyawasan, managing director, Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty Sri Lanka, said: “We intend to expand to the Colombo international airport and another downtown location by early 2018.”
Kariyawasan expressed optimism citing the country’s “booming tourism, growth in expatriate relocations and an increase in international investments”.
Rental options in Sri Lanka vary between short- and long-term, self- and chauffeur-drive options, with vehicles including compact, wagon/state, luxury cars, SUV and minibuses.
All international customers renting with Hertz in Sri Lanka will receive a free SIM card and gift coupons while supplies last.
Eventbrite, a ticketing and event technology platform, and Entegy, an Australian event suite, have teamed up to create an end-to-end event management solution.
The integration, which can be accessed through Eventbrite’s open API platform, Eventbrite Spectrum, will launch first in Australia and New Zealand.
It allows event organisers to create an event on Eventbrite and, using Eventbrite Spectrum connect it to an account in Entegy’s core operating system to transfer attendee data in real-time. Attendee data drawn from Eventbrite is seamlessly fed across the Entegy Suite, which includes best-in-class event apps, social and networking functions, live audience polling, Q&A and discussion, multi-session attendance tracking, digital exhibitor lead generation, and touchscreen kiosks for self-serve onsite name badge printing.
The collaboration will provide opportunity for conference and exhibition event professionals to streamline communications, drive stronger engagement, and simplify the logistics of running an event – all from their event dashboard.
Phil Silverstone, general manager of Eventbrite Australia and New Zealand, said: “Through our partnership with Entegy, we now enable event organisers to take the contact data generated through our system and deliver the next level of event experience. We believe the collaboration will assist more event organisers to maximise the outstanding technologies available to support events and improve attendee experiences.”
Three of Hertz Global Holdings’ car rental brands – Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty – are now operating in Sri Lanka’s capital of Colombo, following the signing of a multi-brand partnership agreement with local franchise partner Andrew The Car Rental Company.
Mahen Kariyawasan, managing director, Hertz, Dollar and Thrifty Sri Lanka, said: “We intend to expand to the Colombo international airport and another downtown location by early 2018.”
Kariyawasan expressed optimism citing the country’s “booming tourism, growth in expatriate relocations and an increase in international investments”.
Rental options in Sri Lanka vary between short- and long-term, self- and chauffeur-drive options, with vehicles including compact, wagon/state, luxury cars, SUV and minibuses.
All international customers renting with Hertz in Sri Lanka will receive a free SIM card and gift coupons while supplies last.
Stephen Tan will retire from his position as chairman of UBM SES with effect from June 30, a role he has held since January 2015.
Tan joined the company in 1984 as joint deputy CEO and became chief executive in 1989. He relinquished the position in 2015.
Under his decisive leadership and deep experiences across the industry, UBM SES has grown from strength to strength and is now one of the largest and most successful trade exhibition organisers in Asia.
“I am grateful and honoured for the opportunity to be at the helm for 26 out of the 33 years spent with the company. To say that it has been a memorable journey would be a great understatement. I am very proud of what we have accomplished through the years, as individuals, as teams and as a company,” said Tan in a media statement.
“UBM plc brings to the table sound corporate vision, dynamic leadership and a deep pool of industry knowledge and best practices. There is no better time than now to announce my retirement. I have no doubt that with the joint forces of two strong entities, the future of UBM SES will be well paved for many years to come,” he added.
Opened last September, The Parisian Macao is the last piece of the puzzle that completes American developer Sheldon Adelson’s grand dream for Macau. The integrated resort is designed with a French flair and promises an affordable luxury experience alongside various non-gaming attractions for both guests and visitors.
The Parisian Macao
Room Compared to its mammoth sister property The Venetian Macao, the 3,000-room The Parisian Macao appears small and cosy, which to me is a good thing. The French ambience is comforting and feels authentic, and I could walk around the property without getting lost.
More than one-third of the hotel rooms have a view of the massive Eiffel Tower replica. However, I got myself a 33m2 deluxe room that overlooks Four Seasons Hotel Macao and The Venetian Macao. The room, dressed in beige, white and red, is functional with basic amenities that business travellers would appreciate – a writing desk, a flat-screen TV, and a bathroom with both shower and bath.
MICE facilities The Parisian Macao has smartly placed all its Paris-themed meeting venues at one end of level five, with them all covering 5,200m2 of space.
The largest venue is the Parisian Ballroom which can accommodate gala dinners for 2,600 guests. The other meeting venues include five meeting rooms, two boardrooms, a Business Centre, outdoor spaces and the 1,200-seat The Parisian Theatre.
I like that the meetings floor is linked to Hall E at The Venetian Macao via a covered walkway. It takes a mere two-minute walk to get from one end to the other, allowing meeting planners with massive gatherings on their hands to easily combine spaces in both properties.
Other facilities The Parisian Macao’s Eiffel Tower, while only half the size of the original in Paris, towers still above Macau at 38-storeys high. There are observation decks on the seventh and 37th floors, which are accessible by two elevators that zoom up to the top in 40 seconds. The panoramic views from up there are beautiful.
There is also a nightly 20-minute illumination show with music from 19.20 to midnight.
Further entertainment can be found at The Parisian Theatre which is presently running Thriller Live, a tribute concert to Michael Jackson. This will end on September 3.
For business travellers who are extending their time in Macau with their family, the 2,000m2 Qube Kingdom indoor playground will tantalise young ones. There is also Aqua World, a pay-for-play water park with a pool and three slides.
Event brief
The Transamerica Direct 2016 Client Conference was a three-city incentive programme for the top clients of the US-based Transamerica Life Insurance Company taking in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
During their stay in Tokyo, the group took part in The Walkshop, an English-language guided walk through the dense forest that surrounds Meiji Shrine. More than merely providing an explanation of the site’s history and significance, Walkshop participants are encouraged to focus on the three concepts of knowing, being and doing.
Drawing on East Asian culture to examine these important concepts, and how they interact, promotes efficient and effective action that can be applied in the work place or private life.
Challenges
The challenges occured in two stages – in the initial planning and after the event had commenced.
Senior management of Transamerica Direct had already selected Japan as the destination, so it was up to Amy Ingalls, director of the company’s Meeting Planning & Events office, to devise a programme that would engage a group of seasoned travellers and provide them with more than they could get from simply walking around the shrine with a brochure.
On site, weather was an issue as Tokyo is notoriously hot and humid in the summer with temperatures peaking in August. The heat can be energy-sapping and, in extreme cases, lead to people being taken unwell.
The final complication involved participants’ desire to snap as many selfies as possible. Some wandered off to take photos during the event, interrupting the flow of the event.
Solutions
Given that the party was largely made up of experienced travellers, Ingalls believes she made the right choice by engaging a DMC with local skills and knowledge, and then following their advice for a Walkshop event.
Weather issues were somewhat alleviated by warning the participants well in advance. With hindsight, Ingalls said future events should have staff stationed along the route ready to hand out cold water.
Banning selfies outright is impractical – and will not go down well with participants – so Ingalls resorted to explaining the schedule clearly to participants and included a set amount of time at the outset and end for them to get snap happy.
Key Takeaways
“I would choose (Japan) again as it is one of the cleanest, safest countries that I have ever visited, while the locals are all very polite and welcoming to tourists,” Ingalls remarked.
She was also pleased to have left the programme in the hands of a “fantastic” DMC, which knew the ideal excursion to both educate and entertain.
“I worked with James Kent at The J Team DMC and they (the team) were fantastic and very detailed,” she said. “They know the country very well and have a deep understanding of incentive programmes and the attendees.”
She gave the thumbs up to how The Walkshop provided “interaction and knowledge” to participants.
“The Walkshop was great for this age group; the average age was approximately 48,” she added. “The participants asked a lot of questions and enjoyed the interaction with Adam (Fulford, who devised the experience). But it is possible that a younger age group might not enjoy this format as much.”
Event: Transamerica Direct 2016 Client Conference Organiser: The J Team DMC and The Walkshop Venue: Meiji Shrine, Tokyo Date: August 6, 2016 Number of participants: 30
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.
The Light City
Kariyawasan expressed optimism citing the country’s “booming tourism, growth in expatriate relocations and an increase in international investments”.
