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Melbourne Convention Bureau rekindles its romance with Hong Kong buyers

By TTGmice
0

Melbourne Convention Bureau returned to Hong Kong last Monday with its first trade initiative since exiting the market for Shanghai in 2012.

The half-day showcase connected four Australian suppliers with 19 key buyers based in Hong Kong.

Melbourne Convention Bureau’s director of incentives and corporate meetings, Jasmine Lim, told TTGmice that it is time for Melbourne to do more in Hong Kong since travellers are put off by safety, visa and political issues in other parts of the world.

She said: “Although there were not many (business event) groups from Hong Kong to Melbourne in the last five years, I think current security issues in Europe and visa issues in the US will (change the course of demand). For the Chinese market, recent political exchanges have also struck Japan and South Korea off travellers’ list.”

Lim noted that Greater China is Melbourne’s strongest source market, putting in over one-third of total economic contribution from all arriving incentive groups between 2010 and 2016.

“Hong Kong has been a small market but we see potential growth in the coming 12 to 18 months, given the increased capacity from inaugural, five-weekly Hong Kong-Melbourne service by Virgin Australia from July 5. We see more groups will be looking to travel to Australia,” added Lim.

Already in the bureau’s bag are the 5,500-pax International Dragon Award Annual Meeting this August and the 3,000-pax incentive from AIA Hong Kong for January 2018.

With Melbourne seen as a key transit point to Tasmania, Lim said the bureau has also been recommending twin-city itineraries to corporate buyers. For instance, while the main group of delegates stay on to enjoy Melbourne, a smaller VIP group could head to Tasmania.

Suppliers are also keen to offer new programme ideas to entice the increasingly well-travelled Hong Kong market.

Blake Harris, managing director, Triump Leisure Solutions, featured in the Hong Kong showcase, said: “We handled Prudential Hong Kong a week ago and it’s vital to come up with new and creative event ideas like fireworks and water jetski shows. We have proposed a beach party for 2,000 people in Bondi Beach as no other operators has arranged this before.”

Sandakan eyes medium-size MICE groups

By S Puvaneswary
0

Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan is determined to build a stronger business events base, by attracting groups with 350 delegates or less, despite being in a destination with limited air accessibility and seat capacity.

The hotel’s general manager, Peter Padman, said the five-year-old property recently welcomed a group from Tier 1 cities in China earlier in April. The group comprised 260 delegates who looked into the bird nest business in Sabah, and it was the first time the Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan hosted a Chinese group.

Padman added: “The organiser from China will be hosting a similar event in September which is expected to attract some 200 delegates.”

In addition, a 120-strong student group from China will be holding a workshop at the hotel this June, and will be making use of its conference facilities.

Currently, Four Points by Sheraton Sandakan is the only international-branded hotel in Sandakan. Corporate and business events currently make up 40 per cent of the hotel’s business mix, where the key sectors are government, banking, and telecommunications.

Aside from the local and Chinese markets, the property is also reaching out to business events organisers in Singapore, Australia and India who are on the lookout for new secondary destinations. The main draws in Sandakan are soft adventure, eco-tourism activities and bird-watching.

Sarawak takes new MICE campaign to global markets

By TTGmice
0

Sarawak’s latest campaign, Redefining Global Tribes, which champions the impact of business events on the global economy, will be introduced at various key trade events worldwide from today.

The campaign will debut at the Associations World Congress in Vienna, Austria today before travelling down to the Australasian Society of Association Executives Conference and Exhibition in Sydney, Australia on May 11. It will then be introduced to attendees at IMEX Frankfurt on May 16.

Amelia Roziman, COO of Sarawak Convention Bureau, said: “Redefining Global Tribes is deeply rooted in key Sarawakian tribal values: Unity, Community and Identity.

“By applying the same principles to our latest campaign, Sarawak intends to solidify all business events communities under one global tribe to give business events a stronger identity in the economy.”

To kickstart the new campaign, the bureau and Borneo Tru Events have come together to organise the Tribal Warrior Challenge in Kuching on August 19. The challenge comprises a special obstacle course that can be tackled by business events professionals and members of the public. More than 4,000 participants are expected to join.

Terence Lim, general manager of Borneo Tru Events, explained that the challenge will offer three categories and the trail will be set “within the beautiful landscapes of Borneo”.

The Rite of Passage category (8km) and the Headhunter category (12km) are open to the public, while the Bizst Mode (5km) is reserved for business events professionals selected by Sarawak Convention Bureau.

Amelia said the Tribal Warrior Challenge could be used as a platform for teambuilding, corporate events, celebrations, orientation trips, bootcamps and incentive trips in Sarawak.

Mercure Singapore Bugis

By Karen Yue
0

Opened officially on the last day of February this year, Mercure Singapore Bugis is a new-build located among a mix of office blocks and shopping malls, old and new.

The hotel enjoys a convenient location, being within walking distance of Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre. Other main venues in the city and the CBD are accessible by short train or taxi rides.

Rooms Mercure Singapore Bugis offers 395 rooms and suites in four categories – Standard Room, Loft Room, Superior Room and Executive Loft Room. As with most new-builds in space-starved Singapore these days, rooms are smaller. Despite the size, rooms do not feel claustrophobic, and they deliver on comfort with a layout that allows ease of movement.

Reflecting the brand’s promise to bring the destination’s uniqueness into the property, every guestroom floor features a different collection of quirky photographs and artworks that capture a specific side of Singapore. These commissioned pieces add a lively touch to common spaces.

All rooms come with a Handy integrated mobile device which offers guests unlimited free mobile Internet access, free local and IDD calls to 10 key destinations worldwide, and an up-to-date city guide along with exclusive merchant discounts.

MICE facilities The cubic hotel may look small from the outside but it surprises like Mary Poppin’s bag in terms of event facilities. Level two houses the 215m2 pillarless Queen Ballroom (below) which can accommodate a 120-pax banquet and be divided into three independent function rooms.

Three three other meeting rooms – Bugis Central, Capitol Boardroom and Marshall Junction – sit on a floor above and can each take in events with up to 20 pax. Bugis Central opens up into an outdoor courtyard with vibrantly coloured modern furniture.

Head up to the topmost floor and one will find Sky Deck on level 15, an open space with colourful seats on plush carpet grass and adorable chicken sculptures tucked among lush landscaping. The youthful vibe of Sky Deck has made it a popular choice for more casual corporate launch events.

Another venue option is a sheltered deck close to the Straits Poolside on the seventh floor.

Other facilities There are three F&B outlets here. BARtistry@One22 on the lobby level exudes a German bar vibe and serves a variety of premium coffees, beers, housepours, classic and Asian-inspired cocktails as well as wines from Mercure’s Flavours of the Cellar wine list.

A floor up sits Song Garden Chinese restaurant which takes in 120 diners in the main dining hall and even more in six private dining rooms. The largest dining room boasts a 25-seat round table with a motorised Lazy Susan system, and has been booked often for corporate luncheons.

On level three is the hotel’s all-day dining outlet, Royale. The 136-seater adopts a baroque interior and its menu features international and local favourites. A buffet line is offered every morning and on week nights.

I particularly love the hotel’s REDADYTOWORK, a chic alcove in the lobby with plush furnishings and oversized book shelves filled with reading materials and interesting ornaments. There is plenty of room for one to sit alone and bang away on one’s laptop, or use one of two complimentary iMacs at a workstation. There is also a six-seat meeting table.

Elsewhere, there is an infinity lap pool and a 24-hour gym.

Room count 395
Star rating Four
Contact
Tel: (65) 6521 6088; Email: HA0D7-RE@accor.com

New retreat for Emirates’ premium passengers at Changi Airport

By TTGmice
0

Emirates has reopened its first and business class lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport, after a five-month-long refurbishment.

The lounge is located in the departure area above Boarding Gate C1, and is part of a network of 41 dedicated airport lounges – representing an investment of over USD$360 million – located in major airports worldwide.

All Emirates first and business class travellers, as well as Skywards Platinum and Gold members travelling in Economy Class, will have complimentary access to the lounge, which now has the capacity to accommodate 222 people, up from 179 people.

Decked out with leather armchairs and Italian marble floors, the new lounge features facilities such as LED TVs, shower facilities, a business centre, as well as a prayer room. There will also be a hot and cold food served buffet-style, and beverage services which includes champagne, wines and spirits.

Cam Ranh Bay unveils luxurious new gem

By TTGmice
0
The Anam

Vietnam’s Cam Ranh Bay is fast shaping up as a resort destination, and the latest product to materialise there is The Anam, a luxurious 117-villa and 96-room resort framed by swaying palm trees (3,000 of them!) and turquoise waters of the East Sea.

The Anam’s design pays homage to both colonial-era and age-old Vietnamese aesthetics by way of imperial Hue-style roofs, glowing lanterns, big-bellied water vases, decorative pools, customised mosaic floor tiles and stone pathways.

The Anam

The independently owned and operated 12-hectare hotel dangles a 10 treatment-room spa, a 3D movie theatre, three swimming pools, a water sports centre, a yoga room, a tennis court as some of its myriad recreational lures, making it an attractive reward stay for top achievers.

Business events were considered in its design and construction too, with The Anam offering The Colonial Room (170 pax theatre-style or 80 pax banquet), The Au Lac Room (250 pax theatre-style or 120 pax banquet), and three other meeting rooms. The movie theatre can be hired for corporate presentations too, and can seat 60 guests.

A kids club providing various indoor activities and games adds to The Anam’s ability to satisfy business event travellers’ growing desire to inject personal pleasure into their work trips.

Over coffee with… Des Pugson

By Karen Yue
0
Des Pugson

What motivated Banyan Tree to pursue business events?
A lot of our hotels are developed with good event facilities but our focus has always been on the leisure business, aside from our city hotels of course. We realised that increasingly, planners are looking for venues new and different, and we started to see that we fit quite nicely into that need. We are a leisure-driven resort but there is no reason (why) we cannot translate all that into a business events environment.

Des Pugson

To a lesser degree, that decision (to court business events) is also a realistic one. Resorts’ peak days are typically Fridays and Saturdays, while Mondays to Thursdays are always a little bit soft. We could fill that gap with the right type of business events.

What types of events are you most keen on?
Meetings and incentives, but (what we want and can handle) differ by brands. Angsana is built for volume and so the meeting and banquet facilities are geared to larger groups. Think of hotels like Angsana Xi’an, which houses the brand’s largest ballroom, over 1,000m2 (720 pax banquet-style), and 400 keys. It is catered to the meetings market that has time for an offshoot activity, such as a visit to the Terracotta Army Museum.
Angsana Fuxian Lake also has an enormous ballroom (1,000-pax banquet).

On the Banyan Tree side, people used to say to me, “Oh, we can’t do meetings there”. Well, we can. We just don’t do big meetings. We take executive retreats and board meetings with 10 to 15 people. Delegates can hide away to brainstorm, which is easily done at any Banyan Tree property.

We can also build distractions into their programme if they wanted, such as CSR-type activities which are part of our Meet for Good offer. Our hotels are very active on the environmental side.

How are you communicating to corporate clients who may know your brands more for their leisure appeal?
This has become one of our key messages going forward for all our main accounts. We’ve engaged with planners and will continue to do so to build the awareness.

Will your intensified focus on events influence how future properties are built?
Our new hotels are designed to contain good meeting facilities that are in line with (current and future) market demand.

When we were designing Angsana Xi’an, I remember wondering, my god, were we designing too big a ballroom? But at the end of the day, I’m glad we did!
Its (Chinese pavilion-style) courtyard is beautiful and designed for unique banquets. The massive hot springs (part of the hotel) also provide a great incentive activity option.
Planners sometimes associate resorts with beaches. That’s no longer the case. More and more resorts, particularly in China, are in the mountains. We’re about to open a Banyan Tree in Jiuzhaigou (Sichuan), half-way up the mountainside. It is a beautiful location, and another perfect place to host high-level, do-not-disturb type of meetings.

Can we expect to see more of your brands in non-beach locations then?
We still tend to be approached more for beach resorts than for hillside or mountainside resorts. The latter have a certain appeal though, and we are starting to get more requests from planners for something that’s not by the beach.

Europe would be an interesting place for such properties, with so many hills and mountains around. We are getting closer to Europe, with Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay opening last year in Morroco, a 20-minute ferry ride from Spain. We will open Angsana Corfu (Greece) in March 2018, and a Banyan Tree in (Bodrum) Turkey in 2019.

Your brands are seen as being luxurious. With the general business outlook being conservative, is it hard to get clients onboard?
I’m a positive thinker. When you tell me the economy is bad, I’ll say as bad as it may be, there are always companies doing well. And the desire to recognise achievers in the company transcends economic limitations. As a (commericial entity) ourselves, we’ve got to hunt down that piece of business, find those customers that are doing well.

How does the AccorHotels Group alliance benefit your company?
We now have a great opportunity in business development because of AccorHotels’ worldwide network, which a company our size can never have. This will raise our brand awareness worldwide.

We can leverage on AccorHotel’s worldwide reservation system to get more visibility. Corporate accounts wanting to book hotels will see Banyan Tree brands and properties in the system.

AccorHotels’ loyalty programme is also accessible to us. Their guests can redeem stays at our properties, which opens up another market for us. The cost of developing our own loyalty programme is prohibitively high.

Is there a risk of your management style, brand identity and products being influenced by the bigger partner?
AccorHotels’ interest in Banyan Tree is because it is Banyan Tree. They want our level of hotels in their portfolio. They consider us the market leader in luxury resorts.
The hotel business is increasingly centred around a few massive, global players, so smaller players like ourselves have to tie up a relationship with a bigger partner which does not affect our brand and experience yet enable us to fly more flags around the world.

Amway Taiwan’s extreme production

By Rebecca Elliott
0

Event brief
Amway Taiwan awarded 1,150 of its top achievers a five-day incentive programme to Sydney, culminating in an elaborate gala dinner at one of the city’s newest venues, the Cutaway at Barangaroo.

According to Chris Lewis, event director at Staging Connections, the event brief was fairly standard as far as gala dinners go – entertainment, processions, a toast and reveal of the following year’s destination, all within the allocated budget.

Staging Connections was awarded the contract based on two key factors – providing one point of contact from development though to event execution and its “warts and all” approach.

Lewis explained: “We look into all avenues of the concept and include things that won’t work and advise the client.”

Challenges
Staging Connections faced a number of challenges in executing the gala dinner. Being a brand new venue, the event was the first of its kind and size to be hosted at the Cutaway.
“It was a steep learning curve for all involved,” said Lewis. “There were power restrictions, limited weight loading on the floor, ceiling and rigging points, and engineering that had not been signed off. There were also massive audio delays being such a large venue.”
In addition, while guest numbers remained the same, the size of the event doubled in terms of production, projection, stage set, table styling and entertainment. While the original proposal estimated 70 performers, the final number grew to 130.

“Finding a solution for green rooms and travel distances from green rooms to back stage areas without being seen was a huge challenge. We could not fit another thing in the room,” he recalled.

“Plus we had to drive seven Classic Mustangs on and off the stage, do a loop of the room and pick up the next lot of winners for the procession. It was extremely tight.”
The final challenge was Amway Taiwan’s request for fireworks that were “bigger and better than New Year’s Eve”. Lewis said gaining approval for a pyrotechnics display is difficult at the best of times and having that in a new location made for a whole new level of complexity.

Solutions
Lewis said working closely with the Barangaroo Delivery Authority (BDA) was key to the success of the event.

“For a new, untested venue there lots of teething problems,” said Lewis. “But when they (BDA) raised concerns, they provided solutions for a work around.”
Good pre-production, detailed meetings, and allowing his team to take ownership of their roles were also essential according to Lewis.

He said the audio solution was the hardest to get around, but they were able to create walls and draping to absorb some of the sound and minimise delay.
“The set up through to the final fireworks was delivered flawlessly.”

Key takeaways
Lewis said allowing the client to get to know his team grew their trust in Staging Connections’ ability to deliver the event.

He concluded: “Trust in yourself and the team you surround yourself with and great things happen. The client sees it as well, which leads to a more than successful event.”

Avoid an Oscar mix-up at your next event

By TTGmice
0

In what was perhaps the biggest mishap in the Oscars’ history, on February 26, movie La La Land was wrongly announced as the winner of the coveted Best Picture award instead of Moonlight. Human error, probability theory, celebrity distraction – regardless the mitigating explanation behind this mistake, the Oscars and the event organiser suffered an embarrassing hit to their reputation.

How can you avoid a similar blunder at your next event? We’ve got you covered with our top tips:

Planning
Attention to detail is key. Always take some time to check, double-check and even triple-check your work. Grab a colleague to take a second look at the project – we’re often so consumed that we may not spot errors a fresh pair of eyes can easily identify.

We always recommend having a pre-planning stage when organising events all around the world. Have procedures in place to minimise the possibility of nasty surprises.

Rehearsals
Carry out full running orders and rehearsals prior to the start of the event. This ensures that all stakeholders during the event, from your spokespeople to your event technicians, know what will happen and when.

Never assume anything and check every single detail during rehearsals. This is the time to answer any doubts and troubleshoot any possible problem.

Behaviour
When an issue does occur, event managers need to be trained in how to behave in order to maximise the best possible outcome.

They can own the moment (like Warren Beatty) or make good of it (like Jordan Horowitz who speedily and gracefully announced there was a mistake), while always remaining focused on the attendees’ experience.

Communication
When the wrong winner was announced, reports suggested that there was confusion among the backstage crew at the Oscars for over two minutes before someone decided to communicate that error. In those two minutes, three thank-you speeches were finished by the time the mistake was made known.

Keeping people informed at all times minimises time wastage and ensures everybody is clear in their roles. Technology and event management tools can play a huge role here in enabling clear and instant communication with all stakeholders.

Partners
Any event organiser will need strong partnerships with their suppliers to ensure the event runs successfully. Trust and familiarity form the bedrock of such relationships.

Having capable partners on-site will enable you to focus on your objective – to provide the best possible service to your clients and deliver an excellent event experience.

Reflection
Knowledge is power. Reflecting on the event within your team and with external stakeholders helps exchange and amass knowledge that would ultimately be useful to your team and future events.

No matter how well (or badly!) an event went, it is essential to carry out a full debrief to reflect on what worked and what could be improved.

People can learn from mistakes, while best practices during the event can be shared as a successful case study for future events.

CWT Meetings & Events, a division of Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the world’s leading business travel and meetings management companym is a  global, full-service, award-winning meetings and events agency with unparalleled experience, providing innovative, effective, end-to-end strategic meetings and event management services. It has more than 1,400 event specialists worldwide, delivering more than 27,500 creative, high-quality events for customers from all industry sectors each year. Visit www.cwt-meetings-events.com for more information.

Donovans, Melbourne

By Karen Yue
0

Family-run Donovans restaurant on the St Kilda foreshore has been in business for the past 21 years but it never feels old, thanks to owner Gail Donovan’s obsession with fresh, new interiors which she overhauls every six months.

With its location in a popular part of Melbourne and set against gleaming white sands and sparkling blue sea, the restaurant makes a lovely, relaxing spot for lunch during a post-conference city tour around the area.

Concept Donovans restaurant feels like a beach house touched by Martha Stewart and inhabited by a loving couple that have travelled the world and collected plenty of souvenirs along the way. Furniture is large and plush, and the sandstone fireplace is enticing. The walls are adorned with happy photos of Gail and her family which includes her beloved dogs.

During my visit in February, the interior was a warm palette of orange and beige. The gents took on a baseball theme, complete with bats and baseball cards, while the ladies went all industrial with cogs and metal boxes. Gail intends to go with chocolate and navy hues for the second half of the year, and to give a new design theme to the bathrooms.
Food-wise, Donovans serves comfort food and the menu changes daily according to the freshest produce available in the market that day. However, 10 signature dishes loved by regular diners stay put on the menu. They include the old-fashioned chicken pie with mushrooms and vegetables in a milky gravy and a crispy pastry lid on top.

MICE application While full venue hire is not allowed – Gail insists on being able to welcome her regular diners always – there are two beautiful rooms set aside for private functions.

The sea-facing room with a small sandstone fireplace is the larger of the two, accommodating up to 20 guests seated. A smaller, more contemporary styled room on the other side can seat up to 12 guests. Room layout can be altered to suit the objective of the gathering. Menus can be customised.

Service Service staff are attentive and friendly, and Gail is always around to make diners feel at home. When it isn’t too busy, Gail might even take you on a private tour of the restaurant bathrooms!

Contact
Website: www.donovanshouse.com.au
Tel: (61 3) 9534-8221
Email: eat@donovanshouse.com.au

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