Hoeflich has been appointed general manager of Marco Polo Shenzhen. He was last hotel manager of the three Marco Polo hotels in Hong Kong, and has over 20 years of hospitality experience under his belt.
Amazing Heritage Race
By Paige Lee Pei Qi
The Amazing Heritage Race is Food Playground’s latest product, a fun activity that gets teams racing through Singapore’s heritage-rich Chinatown while picking up interesting knowledge about local culture and feasting on popular local eats.
Concept This three-hour outdoor activity combines good food, cultural immersion and fun experiential learning.
Participants are placed in teams and must wind through Chinatown following route markers, overcome road blocks and work through unique challenges, fun detours and a variety of interactive tasks.
The skills and cultural diversity of team members will come through as they have to work closely to solve the various challenges and obstacles in a race against the clock.
MICE application Food Playground can arrange this activity for group with 12 to 60 people. The programme can be customised to accommodate special dietary needs and include Halal, vegetarian or gluten-free food items.
The duration of the race can also be tailored to group’s preference.
The Amazing Heritage Race is also not confined to Chinatown. Groups can choose to race through Tanjong Pagar, which is another heritage enclave within the CBD.
In the event of light rain, disposable ponchos will be provided. The race cannot be conducted in extreme weather conditions and an alternative indoor cooking programme will be activated.
Rates from S$80 (US$60) nett per participant.
For groups desiring a full-day programme, Food Playground can pair the Amazing Heritage Race with a half-day team cook out.
Service The Amazing Heritage Race is hardly the run-of-the-mill races I’ve experienced. Furthermore, what’s there not to love when the activity blends cultural showcase with food and fun games?
Contact www.foodplayground.com.sg/amazing-race-team-building.html
Intercontinental Singapore
By Yixin Ng
InterContinental Singapore has just completed an extensive multi-million dollar renovation which upgraded its facilities to provide a fresher interior as well as a more comprehensive solution for event organisers.
Rooms All 338 guestrooms in the main wing now flaunt a new look after a round of facelifts was completed in February.
My Club-InterContinental room was as luxurious as one would expect of a higher-tier InterContinental room, and it came with club benefits. But the ultimate luxury for me was the bed. The sheets and duvet were feathery smooth to the touch and the mattress firm and springy.
For those who appreciate more spaciousness, I found that rooms on the top floor have higher ceilings.
MICE facilities The hotel is home to more than 1,000m2 of event space, including 11 meeting rooms and a pillar-less ballroom for up to 500 people. Event organisers have even more venues to choose from post-renovation.
Breakouts and networking lunches can be hosted at the chic European brasserie Ash & Elm. A private dining section can seat groups of up to 40, while another for 10 guests is suitable for VIP gatherings.
The newly renovated Presidential Suite welcomes exclusive events too, while the Lobby Lounge, an elegant new space with whitewashed pillars and a subtle blend of classic and contemporary decor, is the perfect spot for pre-event networking or afternoon tea.
Other facilities Fitness buffs can look forward to the upgraded hotel gym. An open studio space complete with yoga mats is also available.
The hotel’s new complimentary guided walking tour can be a potential activity for small-sized corporate groups. Conducted every Saturday, the walking tour visits 20 art institutions and historical sites including the former Saint Anthony’s Convent, now home to the National Design Centre.
Options for retail, dining, nightlife and arts and culture are all within walking distance of InterContinental Singapore, and I’m certain time-starved business travellers will appreciate the convenience.
Maison Eight
By Prudence Lui
Perched on the 21st storey in a new-build commercial complex in Tsim Sha Tsui is Maison Eight. The restaurant opened in April in a lavish and enviable location, and serves up French cuisine, innovative cocktails and Bollinger champagne.
Concept Guests enter through the hand-stamped Italian leather doors that lead into a penthouse designed by Two Men in Hats. Views of Kowloon and Hong Kong are spectacular on all sides.
MICE application Tired of staging events in hotel ballrooms? Maison Eight could well be your relief. It is able to host small to mid-scale events, and the 740m2 restaurant features four different venue concepts.
There is the intimate 32-seat French restaurant Esmé, available for a sit-down lunch or dinner.
Next, Salvatore at Maison Eight is the first cocktail bar in Asia by The Maestro (world-renowned bartender Salvatore Calabrese), and is headed by his protégé Fabien Marcault.
The Ballroom at Maison Eight is an elegant salon – with its own private terrace – that transforms into a lounge in the evenings. Both The Ballroom and Salvatore has space for a 120-pax sit-down dinner, or 220 guests cocktail-style.
Lastly, Le Club 1829 – the first Bollinger champagne room in the world – features a wine cellar with a collection of over 2,300 bottles (that includes cuveé and key vintages) for up to 18 people.
Corporate buyouts are possible.
Service Maison Eight scores with its elegant and relaxing ambience, and friendly staff. Another plus point is its amazing view of the city.
FreshBiz
By Prudence Lui
FreshBiz is a game-based workshop that requires participants to think multidimensionally with the help of a boardgame. The aim of the game is to mimic a constantly changing business environment, where different skills are required to solve problems.
Concept Unlike the traditional Monopoly boardgame where the goal is to win by bankrupting the other players, FreshBiz is a play-to-win activity where collaboration, cooperation and sharing success together is the main aim.
Each game requires four or five people to play as a team. Multiple teams can play simultaneously and the winner is the first team in which all players have reached the “Winner” lot in 90 minutes.
To start with, participants are offered action cards and chips. They then pass from section to section – paying tolls to pass. During the game, participants have to exercise their entrepreneurial skills by taking loans, trading stock, negotiating and closing deals.
MICE application Players will have to be creative and smarter in handling their budget, cash flow, and strategise in order to turn their original capital into the profits they need to move ahead in the game.
The game emphasises that collaboration is the new competition, and is promoting the development of entrepreneurial thinking and smart businesses sense in the New Shared Economy.
Take my team for example. We chose to play as a team by sharing all our resources and investing collectively in order to ensure all members reach the destination in the shortest time possible. We also learnt how creativity with money is more important than the amount of money itself.
Service Throughout the game, there were certified and qualified facilitators on hand to answer our queries, in addition to the written instructions.
After the game, an event director guides participants through a reflection. Participants share their thoughts on the game and learn how to implement them in their businesses.
While this activity is typically held indoors, holding it outdoor in a cafe is also feasible. It costs US$160 per person for a half-day workshop. A minimum of 30 pax is required, while the maximum of participants is 100.
Japan to form an association for associations
Shogo Kaneda
THE Japan Society of Association Executives (JSAE) is in the process of being formed, with an aim to “share ideas and best practices” among local associations and their executives.
Initiated by Shogo Kaneda, senior consultant, consulting department, MICE Japan, JSAE will be similar to the American Society of Association Executives and the Philippine Council of Associations and Association Executives.
When asked why he decided to form the association, Kaneda told TTGmice e-Weekly: “So far, Japanese associations have been focused on (supporting) the domestic market. However, various private companies have started providing similar services to associations here, such as training, certification and event management.”
Moreover, he added that Japanese associations were facing problems such as communicating with the younger generation and getting them involved in association activities so that a future academic and trade base can be developed.
Kaneda concluded that MICE Japan is “supporting these kind of associations with local CVBs and local associations to collaborate and create synergy”.
Canberra chases MICE on the back of new international flights
CANBERRA Convention Bureau hosted its first MICE familiarisation programme in partnership with Tourism Australia and Singapore Airlines last week, leveraging the September 21 commencement of a new international direct flight connecting the Australian capital with Singapore and Wellington, New Zealand.
The group of nine incentive agents and media from Greater China were first-time visitors to Canberra, revealed Michael Matthews, chief executive of Canberra Convention Bureau.
The two-day programme showcased the city’s business events experiences and brought participants to National Arboretum Canberra, Pialligo Estate and Poachers Pantry for dining functions; Royal Australian Mint, Parliament House and Floriade for tours, and The Truffle Farm Canberra for a truffle hunt, among others.
Commenting on the experience, Ye Wei, general manager of Carissa MICE Service Co, China, found Canberra to be “more nature based than I thought it would be”.
In response, Matthew told TTGmice e-Weekly that Canberra offers “many unexpected and un-programmed pleasures”, as it is a “city set among nature”.
“Coming across kangaroos lazing in the sun, wild and colourful birdlife in the trees at every turn, strolls by Lake Burley Griffin, and sunset on the mountain range that surrounds our city were memorable for the agents. What I think surprises many is our proximity to the South Coast beaches and also the Snowy Mountains. Canberra as a base for these destinations mean you can climb to the top of Australia and watch whales on turquoise coastal waters later , all in the same day,” he said.
Due to time constraints, the programme called at only “a fraction of all the possible venues available”.
“We would have liked to (showcase) the region more fully, including our many wineries, and the coast and mountains. If we had more time we would have also shown more of the quality hotel stock and the many unique venues (for) large groups at our national institutions,” he added.
More opportunities to tell the Canberra MICE story will come for the bureau, as Matthews pointed out that last week’s familiarisation trip “will be the first of… future visits in partnership with Tourism Australia and Singapore Airlines”.
He added: “More site inspections are already planned for specific business opportunities, particularly around multi-destination stays in Australia.”
Meanwhile, Canberra Convention Bureau is now represented by Cecilia Chen, sales manager China, based in Shanghai.
Meixi Lake Hotel, other developments boost Changsha’s MICE appeal
A rendering of a guestroom at Meixi Lake Hotel
SLATED to open at the end of October is the 310-room Meixi Lake Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Changsha.
The hotel, equipped with seven meeting venues totalling 2,679m2 – the largest measuring 1,100m2 – is targeting small MICE groups from the electronics, IT, automobile and medical sectors, general manager Eddie Tang, said.
The ideal group size for corporate meetings, product launches and seminars the hotel is eyeing is between 150 and 200 people, with the domestic market taking up a 90 per cent share, he added.
Heavy machinery, advanced materials, automobile and parts manufacturing, electronics and IT, food, tobacco and biological medicines are industry pillars in Changsha, the capital of Hunan in south-central China.
Taking up the upper floors of a modern tower with businesses, shops and a cultural centre, Meixi Lake Hotel is located 10 minutes from the Changsha National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, 20 minutes from the Changsha North Train Station and 45 minutes from the Changsha Huanghua International Airport.
Meixi Lake Hotel is the first international luxury brand to enter the city in years, and the property will complement the 260,000m2 Changsha International Convention and Exhibition, expected to be ready end-2016.
Moreover, the construction of a 67ha movie town in Xiangjiang New Area, with investment by Huayi Brothers Media Corporation, China’s largest private film company, is expected to further enhance the city’s tourism appeal.
Chinese leisure, MICE arrivals spike for Faber Peak after two-year promotions
View from The Lookout at Faber Peak
FABER Peak Singapore’s move to offer full venue hire for private events have earned it the favour of several leisure and corporate groups from China and along with in-market promotions in China since 2014, the hilltop attraction has seen a 200 per cent hike in Chinese arrivals this year.
Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly, Jacqueline Low, deputy director, sales & business development with Mount Faber Leisure Group, said: “We have discovered what pleases the Chinese, and it is having bragging rights (acquired from their travels). They like being able to return home and say, hey, we had an entire hill to ourselves.”
“They also enjoy greenery and nice scenery, and we have both in abundance here,” Low added, pointing to the hill’s lush landscape and the cityscape that can be seen from the hilltop.”
At the time of the interview, a Chinese tour group had held a lunch party at Faber Peak’s Spuds & Aprons restaurant, and participants were free to explore the many open spaces for photo opportunities.
As Mount Faber Leisure Group owns and manages a variety of event venues and F&B outlets at Faber Peak and does the same with Singapore Cable Car, event planners are offered “great flexibility when holding events with us” as well as numerous branding opportunities, such as covering cable cars in corporate livery.
“All our spaces can be used and we can support creative ideas. For instance, our cable cars have been used as breakout rooms and for competing teams on a teambuilding challenge to come together and complete a task. The ride back and forth takes 30 minutes, just enough time for such activities,” said Low.
Low’s team has been taking these messages to China as part of Singapore Tourism Board’s destination showcases since 2014, as well as work Faber Peak’s various leisure appeal into a micromovie that was broadcasted on Youku in 2014 and Qunar in 2015. It also held a campaign with Ctrip in end-2015, and is now finalising another with Alitrip.
Low said: “China is a very important arrival market for Singapore, and as one of the key attractions here, we must feature it strongly in our own plans. We are proud to see a 200 per cent increase in Chinese leisure and corporate group arrivals since we started our promotions in China two years ago.”
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