Asia/Singapore Saturday, 3rd January 2026
Page 869

Tackling a gigantic gathering

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A sudden doubling of attendance throws PEACH a logistic challenge, but the venue emerges unscathed. Paige Lee Pei Qi writes

Event brief

Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall (PEACH) was tasked to host over 6,700 delegates from World Ventures for a four-day business event that featured live theater performances and personal development sessions. World Ventures is a home-based direct selling company.

Challenges

A last minute change in attendance more than doubled the original count of 3,000 delegates, and this occurred with just two weeks to go, recalled Vitanart Vathanakul, executive director of Royal Cliff Hotels Group and PEACH.

The result was a massive logistical challenge, especially in terms of crowd management and control, according to Vitanart.

In addition, accommodating F&B requirements for this large group, comprising of people of different nationalities and from diverse cultural backgrounds, was also a challenge.

Solutions

To accommodate the newly inflated group size within the limited time frame, PEACH mobilised staff from different departments to work round the clock to facilitate venue set-up and achieve speedy turnovers.

Vitanart told TTGmice: “A lot of intensive meetings between all concerned departments in the property took place in order to set up a plan for accommodating this massive group successfully.”

The meetings sorted out facility allotment and manpower assignment.

To resolve the crowd control aspect, Vitanart: “With thousands of attendees arriving and leaving the venue at the same time, teams were formed and assigned to handle a specific area. To (keep traffic flowing), many entrances were provided.”

“A schedule was created with regards to the opening and closing of the doors during the group’s arrival and departure. All entrances and exits were utilised to facilitate an organised queue system, with security guards assigned to strategic locations to ensure guests stay in line,” he elaborated.

To tackle the food and beverage challenge, Vitanart said the chefs prepared a combination of food items that would satiate different tastes. Pop-up food stations serving a selection of snacks, sandwiches and hot or cold drinks were also placed all over PEACH for those who were feeling peckish in between meetings.

To feed almost 7,000 multiracial and multicultural attendees during lunchtime and dinner time, PEACH activated 11 onsite restaurants and arranged for special buffets that featured a dazzling variety of world cuisines.

Key takeaways

Looking back on PEACH’s planning and execution of the World Ventures event, Vitanart commented: “With very large groups in particular, clear and candid communication with the event organisers is critical, as is the need for a discussion on the venue’s house rules which can help prevent property damage by careless accidents involving event attendees.”

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Royal Tulip Gunung Geulis Resort & Golf

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The four-month-old property – a luxury brand of Louve Hotels Group – is located in Puncak, about 90 minutes’ drive from Jakarta.

Rooms My Deluxe Room was spacious and minimalist in design. It had everything a bleisure traveller needed: a comfortable bed, work desk with good lighting, and Wi-Fi that works. However, I find it lacks the frills that guests might expect from a luxury hotel brand.

MICE facilities The hotel has a ballroom that can accommodate 450 people theatre-style and 280 people banquet-style. It has a 300m2 pre-function area and boasts direct access from the drop-off area.

There are also three meeting rooms, two of which are further divisible to two each. All rooms feature a TV Projector and other high-tech meeting equipment.

There is also a grab-and-go refreshment counter, which is always stocked and available around the clock.

For outdoor events, there is the Zen Deck, perfect for a themed dinner or reception as it allows for a view of the surrounding greenery. There is also a semi-outdoor venue near the teambuilding area.

Spanning 450 hectares, the resort also has space for outdoor teambuilding activities, and the resort works with a third-party company to organise such programmes. There are plans to develop on-site facilities such as a flying fox, as well as three-day event packages for corporates.

Other facilities The property has three F&B options (LL One, an all-day dining restaurant; Fire, a grill and pizza eatery; Breeze, a bar and lounge), a kids’ club, and three swimming pools. The resort is also flanked by two 16-hole golf courses.

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The Westin Jakarta

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The Westin Jakarta opened in late August, marking the brand’s entry into the Indonesian capital and laying claims to being the tallest hotel in the country. It occupies floors 50 to 69 of the mixed-used Gama Tower.

Rooms My Westin King is may be the lead-in category but with its location on the 56th floor, I felt like I was queen of the world. That, and a delicious welcome amenity of chocolates, tartlets and macaroons, indulged me completely. I found the room well equipped for a business traveller, featuring such things as high-speed Internet access and a smart TV that can project content from the guest’s mobile phone via Bluetooth.

MICE facilities Function rooms sit separate from the rest of the hotel, on the ground and second level of the building, which also meant privacy for hotel guests.

The elegant Java Ballroom on the ground floor has direct access from the hotel drop-off via the West Gate and East Gate. Spanning 1,100m2, it can take up to 1,200 pax and comes with a large pre-function area. I love the ballroom’s 8.3m-high ceiling, from which chandeliers depicting hundreds of trumpet flowers hang.

Breakout rooms are on the second level. Medan and Padang Rooms can accommodate 160 pax each, theatre-style, while four other smaller ones have capacity for 36 to 68 pax theatre-style.

All function rooms come with audiovisual facilities and high-speed Internet.

The second floor’s Retreat Lounge is a comfortable space where delegates can enjoy free flow of tea, coffee and snacks. It can also be rented for events.

All events held at the hotel are supported by a dedicated three-storey kitchen as well as spacious loading elevators with doors 2.6m wide.

Other facilities All-day dining restaurant, Seasonal Tastes, boasts seven open kitchens. For quick bites of pastries, coffee and tea, there is Daily Treats on the 52nd floor. The three-story Henshin, opening this month, specialises in Japanese-Peruvian cuisine and offers a rooftop alfresco bar on level 67.

Other amenities include a fitness centre, swimming pool and spa.

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Marriott Taipei

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This purpose-built MICE hotel opened in 2015 in the northernmost part of Taipei’s Zhongshan District, a new precinct with wider roads, greener environs and a lower density of buildings. Marriott Taipei is the only five-star international hotel in the district, and it provides business travellers easy access to Neihu Technology Park and Nangang Software Park. It is also only a five-minute walk from Jiannan Road MRT station, and two stops away from Songshan Airport.

Rooms The hotel offers 320 rooms, of which 25 are suites, and four are specially-equipped rooms for handicapped guests.

I stayed in the 40m2 Deluxe Room and enjoyed the floor-to-ceiling window which allowed in natural light and afforded unobstructed city views. I like how there were ample electrical outlets  around the room for me to charge my gadgets.

A long wooden panel along the wall made up for the lack of a work desk. However, this space could use brighter lights.

MICE facilities Because of its massive international conference centre, MICE business accounts for 40 per cent of the hotel’s overall traffic. With 3,000m2 of space, the conference centre is the largest in town, and is suitable for all sorts of events, from small social parties to large-scale conventions.

The 1,260m2 pillarless Grand Ballroom on the fifth floor has a 9.9m-high ceiling and has capacity for 1,000 people, cocktail-style. On the same floor are two junior ballrooms, which can be combined to accommodate 230 people, and three breakout rooms.

Eight salons on the third floor are suitable for smaller events, while the Garden Villa on the eighth floor is perfect for intimate social gatherings.

But what every event planner should check out at this hotel is the Panorama Ballroom on the 36th floor. The 360-degree view of Taipei city it offers is a winner.

The property can also cater for car show thanks to a heavy-duty cargo lift.

In August, the hotel partnered with a virtual reality firm to create a feature on its website that virtually walks clients through its MICE facilities. It’s the world’s first Marriott to roll out this initiative.

Other facilities On-site facilities include a gym, swimming pool and spa, as well as five F&B outlets, some of which offer private dining areas.

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Career inspiration – Joanna Patterson, Director of account management, Southeast Asia, FCM Travel Solutions

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JoannaPattersonYou joined FCM from the airline industry. What inspired the switch?

I’ve worked in various airlines for over 20 years, and wanted the opportunity to re-invent myself.

I also wanted to get out of my comfort zone and thought FCM was a great choice. In the last few years, it has established itself as a leader in the TMC space. (And with) their recent expansion and brand transformation across technology, branding and services, this is the perfect time to join them and help bring the business to the next level.

How will your past experience in the airline business aid you in your new role?

Air spend usually represents more than 80 per cent of companies’ travel budget; understanding how airlines deal with corporate clients will be of great advantage to FCM and our clients as we help them negotiate for the best deals.

I am also in the position to upskill my team to improve our customers’ travel programmes, thus increasing savings and efficiency.

Change management is another valuable skillset I’ve brought with me that will help support new clients as they make the transition from another TMC to FCM.

What do you hope to achieve in your career at FCM?

As a leader, the best result you can hope to achieve is to groom future leaders. My top priority is to develop my team to their maximum potential and for them to be recognised as the best account management team in South-east Asia. Concurrently, I am also mentoring the team in Greater China, and expect them to grow into their roles.

I’ve always wanted to spend a few years in New York, so once my teams are settled, I will be more than happy to explore a role in New York and live out my dream!

What do you love most about the travel
business?

People! I love being able to meet new people from different cultures. It can be a client review meeting in Singapore, a conference in Hong Kong, a video conference with the US – everyone has experiences to share and stories to tell. The best ones are around a few drinks and lots of laughter.

Tommy Lai

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Lai has been promoted from his role as vice president, development with Onyx Hospitality Group to vice president, North Asia. He has been with the company since 2012.

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Sudesh Sharma

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Sharma has taken up the newly created role of deputy director of operations at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. He has over 25 years’ experience working in the hotel, banquet and convention industry in destinations including Singapore, Bali and Malaysia.

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Michael Martin

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Martin has been appointed to the dual role of general manager of InterContinental Singapore and regional general manager, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) Singapore, Malaysia and Batam. He brings with him over 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

Marc Sittl

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Sittl now leads Mövenpick Siam Hotel Pattaya as general manager, having left his last role as general manager of Lebua at State Tower and Tower Club at Lebua in Bangkok

Laura Tan

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Tan now leads The Settlement Hotel Melaka as general manager. Prior to this, she was the general manager of Hotel Grand Continental Kuching.

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