Flame Restaurant

September 1, 2016

Opened in June, Discovery Primea Hotel and Residences’ Flame Restaurant is fast creating a name for good food and ambience, thanks to the tandem of David Pardo de Ayala, the hotel’s general manager who is also an award-winning chef and executive chef Luis Chikiamco who was trained and had worked in France.

Concept Flame offers unforgettable dining experiences by serving modern European food with Asian flavours.

Located on the 16^th floor of the hotel and enclosed in glass, the restaurant offers a sweeping view of Makati skyline and is therefore best experienced at night.

A marble-top open kitchen surrounds the restaurant and there’s an area called The Hub, akin to a bar for those who enjoy meeting and conversing with other diners.

Being a foie gras fanatic, I find the pan-seared delicacy creamy and up to my standards. After all, it came from the French Rougie duck, one of the best in the world.

The appetizer quezo de bola and hamon (edam cheese and ham) – traditional Christmas fares on Filipino tables – was served with great panache and with twists such as cheese foam and asparagus. It’s comforting and surprising, transporting me back to Christmas at home.

MICE application Flame can be hired entirely for events with up to 80 pax, and offers two private rooms that can each can seat 20 guests.

Event planners may order off the menu or work with the chef to design one that reflects both Flame’s cuisine and guest preferences. Rates vary depending on the day of the week; lunch or dinner; duration of event.

The Henry Manila

By Rosa Ocampo

September 1, 2016

The Henry Manila isn’t your typical cookie-cutter hotel, and therein lies its charm. It occupies several stately post-World War II houses in a spacious tree-lined compound in the heart of Manila which have been repurposed into a comfortable accommodation that evokes nostalgia and old world charm.

Rooms While all 34 spacious suites sport modern vintage design, each has a unique interior. Community sustainability considerations were taken in decorating and furnishing the rooms – non-profit, urban poor, women’s groups and the like provide many of the furnishings, linens, curtains, rugs, napkin dispenser and trash can (made from recycled paper) and toiletries. Coffee and snacks supplied are made in the Philippines.

MICE facilities The entire hotel can be reserved for a group of up to 100 people. Old world, Spanish era or Old Manila theme come naturally with the ambience. The huge garden can be spruced up for al fresco events such as a themed dinner with music, theater and other forms of entertainment. The gated compound offers privacy and exclusivity.

Planners can also choose to use The Library meeting room.

Other facilities There is a small restaurant in the hotel that can provide catering for group events and small garden pool. Wi-Fi connection is available in all rooms, and a shuttle service is provided to nearby malls.

Hotel guests can browse and shop in the showroom of furniture and interior designer Eric Paras, the atelier of couturier Jojie Lloren, and Albert Avellana’s art gallery, which are all in the building.

In strong standing: Penang

By S Puvaneswary

September 1, 2016

Penang’s newly formed CVB has hit the ground running, building marketing materials and an experienced team to raise the destination’s status as a MICE city. S Puvaneswary reports

Kapitan Kelling Mosque

Business events have always been an important source of tourism revenue for Penang, but it is only recently that the MICE courtship got far more serious with the establishment of a dedicated convention and exhibition bureau early this year.

Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB), a state bureau led by Ashwin Gunasekeran, quickly put in motion its game plan, which included publishing destination marketing materials by April. The Destination Experience Brochure and the Penang MICE Guide 2016-2017 are part of PCEB’s exercise to position and promote Penang as the preferred MICE destination in the region.

The Destination Experience Brochure showcases Penang’s rich culture, heritage, colonial, nature and artistic aspects while highlighting the diverse conventional and unique venues for events. Complementing that is the Penang MICE Guide 2016-2017, a detailed listing of over 50 venues across the state, ranging from luxurious hotels and grand convention centres to distinctive venues that capture the contemporary cosmopolitan and cultural heritage aspects of Penang.

PCEB also launched a three-year brand campaign, Experiences Unfiltered. Ashwin explained: “It is meant to add value to a meeting or incentive by drawing on the island’s unique heritage, local gastronomy, multiracial festivals, vibrant music and arts scene, and fusion of old and new buildings which offer a myriad unique venues for delegates to sample.”

With collaterals, a brand campaign, sales and marketing team and support staff in place, the bureau has taken off on a marketing blitz at key MICE tradeshows such as IMEX in Frankfurt, IT&CM Asia in Bangkok and IBTM in Barcelona.

Ashwin said: “Penang is comfortable handling group sizes of up to 15,000 which incidentally was also the number of attendees at the largest MICE group to Penang this year.”

This mega event was organised by QNET, an Asian direct selling company. Held from May 3 to 7 at the Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SPICE) Arena, V-Malaysia 2016 was attended by 15,000 distributors from all over the world.

Another major MICE win for Penang this year was the inaugural WTM Connect Asia, a travel trade event in May. Organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions with support from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau and Penang Global Tourism, WTM Connect Asia saw a gathering of 70 hosted buyers from 25 countries, as well as 50 exhibitors, some from as far as Iceland, Peru and Italy.

Though this was a leisure show, Ashwin said the event generated “some good leads” for MICE which are being followed up on for conversions in 2017 and 2018.

“It was also a good opportunity for us to show agents all the new tourism products in Penang that can enhance the delegate experience. Familiarisation tours organised by Penang Global Tourism included the very popular heritage walking tour in George Town; a food trail to try some of Penang’s best local food; Hills and Temple tours that included iconic sites, Kek Lok Si Temple and the new tourism product on Penang Hill known as The Habitat Penang Hill; and Penang Garden tour took visitors to Entopia, a butterfly conservatory.”

Commenting on Penang’s development, Saini Vermeulen, executive director of Within Earth Holidays, said: “Penang has always been a popular MICE destination with all markets. Now with a bureau in place, and staffed with experienced people who understand the business and the needs of players, it makes it easier to get support when organising MICE events.

“It also makes it easier for us to market Penang to our overseas clients as they know there is a dedicated bureau to provide support.”

Ally Bhoonee, executive director of World Avenues, agrees. He commented: “With PCEB, the state is in a better position to bid for international events and to compete with neighbouring islands such as Phuket which offers similar products – beach, shopping and food.”

Clockwise from above left: traditional street food in Penang; Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion; colourful rickshaw in George Town

{Talking Numbers}

91
The number of weekly flights between Penang and Singapore, the highest number of flights to Penang from any single city

7,000
The average spend in ringgit – equivalent to US$1,769 – by business travellers to Penang. Leisure tourist spend only RM2,000 in the state

17,165
The number of hotel rooms in Penang, represented by 197 registered hotels. The state government estimates a five to 10 per cent increase come 2017

{Developments to Watch}

The Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SPICE) will revolutionise Penang’s standing as a MICE destination when it opens in 1Q2017. It is capable of supporting large conventions with as many as 8,000 people in its 4,546m² Grand Ballroom located at the subterranean floor. This space is joined by two VIP serviced rooms and 13 smaller function rooms, both on the lower and ground floors. The rooftop is a 2.8-hectare “green lung” which is capable of hosting outdoor events. SPICE will be the first purpose-built convention venue in the Malaysian destination.

Joining Penang’s ongoing hardware transformation is the revitalisation of Komtar, Penang’s tallest building with 68 floors and the world’s sixth tallest building. The project, understaken by Only World Group, is scheduled to be completed in October 2016.

Business event planners will benefit from the addition of a large pillarless ballroom capable of accommodating 1,200 guests; a VIP holding room; Grand Imperial Chinese reataurant which can seat 500 guests and another 15 each in 10 private dining rooms; two levels of club floors which house private dining, meeting, recreation and entertainment facilities; a rooftop bar for up to 500 people; an observation deck that provides a stunning panoramic view of Penang; and 1,394m² of events space.

For entertainment, there will be the Jurassic Research Centre indoor theme park where visitors can play palaeontologists for a day, as well as a 7D theatre resembling a submarine and a boutique aquarium showcasing tropical sea life.

In early 2016, the Penang state government had approved a project to reclaim 53 hectares of land. The masterplan involves building a waterfront promenade, seafront dining facilities, a man-made 400m long sandy beach area with a a pier walk, landscaped water gardens and a skate park. This complete project is known as Gurney Wharf, and it will be an iconic destination in Penang when work is complete in 2018. Gurney Wharf will complement Gurney Drive’s renowned street food offerings at night and provide additional recreational facilities to MICE delegates looking for authentic experiences.

Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre

Fantasy turns reality : Macau

By Prudence Lui

September 1, 2016

Macau may be challenged to meet demand for themed corporate events, but it is not looking about to fold, Prudence Lui writes

STUDIOCITY
New hotels reflect an aspiration to transform Macau beyond being just a
gaming destination; Studio City (pictured), boasts several event venues
on top of offering themed gala events

With there being tight restrictions on the use of government-owned unique sites in the territory, hotels and venues in Macau are increasingly having to cater to demand for corporate themed events.

Studio City, for example, has developed a forte in such events. It offers various conceptual venues such as the Event Garden, French Garden, Golden Reel and Pacha Macau. Its signature Hollywood themed dinner has been popular, as well as its Great Gatsby gala dinner – which involves a roaring twenties band, dance performers and themed décor and photo booths.

The resort recently organised the Hollywood Glamorous dinner for 2,000 participants at the multipurpose Studio City Event Center.

Grand Hyatt Macau is another property that has created parties based on themes, including Modern and Chic, Opulence Ball, Shanghai 1930s and Pool Party.

“The Dai Pai Dong-themed coffee break we recently introduced allows our clients to have a taste of local comfort foods while having a meeting. (Instead of giving delegates) a traditional coffee break, we invite a tea master to brew traditional ‘silk stocking’ milk tea, which is then served with Macau handmade egg rolls or a variety of street foods,” general manager, Paul Kwok, said.

On the appeal of themed events today, Grand Hyatt noted that participants are interested in their storytelling aspect and dynamicity, and want to broadcast these experiences via social media.

Kwok further pointed out that a key (motivation) of international MICE planners is to allow participants to explore local culture and experience something different from the normal setup. Companies almost always look for a theme for their welcome or farewell gala dinner to leave lasting memories for their participants, he continued.

Adding to that, MCI’s managing director for Macau, Peter Hassall, said: “The days of large themed events seemed to have disappeared for the moment, with clients opting for more of a small touch of décor with entertainment or to experience an off-site meal somewhere that reflects the destination in a restaurant if the group is not too large.”

A Studio City spokesman said: “Demand is positive, especially from international attendees. We are also seeing more requests from China and Hong Kong.”

However, hosting a themed event can be daunting for some clients, as there are difficulties in amassing resources such as venue, creative manpower, time and hefty investments, opined Kwok.

Fortunately, this is looking set to improve, with Hassall pointing out that the city’s events hardware is evolving in a good way.

“With properties (keen on) changing the perception of Macau as just a gambling destination, the design of new buildings and renovations of existing properties are providing more choices for groups.”

Specifically, he pointed out that The Parisian Macao will spark interest throughout Asia-Pacific and on its own could see good business given the size and style of the property.

The Parisian Macao boasts a total area of 5,200m² of meeting space catering to various uses, including a teambuilding event for 20 participants or a gala dinner for up to 2,600 guests.

A spokesman from the resort told TTGmice: “MICE groups can also enjoy views from the observation decks at levels seven and 37 of The Parisian Macao’s half-size recreation of the Eiffel Tower. Every evening there will be a lighting ceremony when the tower lights (up).

He added that for Paris-themed activities, the Parisian Streetmosphere offers live street performances that recreate some of the French capital’s most famous cultural and historical cameos. Performers range from high-kicking cancan dancers, to caricaturists and mimes to French cabaret singers.

MACAU2
Clockwise below: Macau Peninsula’s glittering structures;
traditional incense coils burning in A-Ma Temple; artist’s
impression of The Parisian Maca

{Talking Numbers}

21
Macau’s standing in the 2015 ICCA Asia-Pacific rankings, up 38 places from 2012, where it was in 59^th place

108
The percentage growth in Macau’s exhibition space from 94,000m² to 197,000m² in the past five years

909
The number of conferences hosted in Macau in 2015, according to data from Macao’s Statistics and Census Service. Of this, 540 were corporate meetings, 173 were conferences or organisation/association meetings, 57 were major conference, and 78 were exhibitions

{Developments to Watch}

The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is now under construction. When complete, It will shorten travel time for travellers. Those driving from Hong Kong to Macau, for example, would only take 30 minutes, making Macau a convenient add-on for business event programmes in Hong Kong.
HK-Zhuhai-Macau-bridge
picture by cozyta/shutterstock.com

The number of hotel rooms is expected to increase to 50,000 in the next few years, which will substantially boost Macau’s capacity for business events and provide more choices for event planners.

The four-storey north extension of the Macau International Airport passenger terminal building is slated to complete in 2Q2017. It will add 14,000m²of floor space and increase the designated passenger capacity from six million to around 7.5 to 7.8 million persons.

A rose garden for MICE: Philippines

By Rosa Ocampo

September 1, 2016

Everything’s coming up roses for Philippine MICE, with high profile event wins in the bag, stronger tourism push by a new tourism chief and an ISO-certified TPB. Rosa Ocampo reports

Clockwise from above: Malate Church, Manila; snorkelling
in Cebu; colourful jeepneys Picture by Tappasan Phurisamrit/shutterstock,
View Apart/shutterstock and soft_light/shutterstock

Major changes looming on the Philippine business events tourism horizon bode well for this small but fast-growing sector.

Foremost is the need to “reinvent” the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) – the Tourism Department’s marketing arm – as local governments bond with the private sector in taking the initiative to create the equivalent of their own convention bureaus and promote their own business events campaigns instead of relying on TPB.

This trend in northern Luzon, Cebu, Davao and other parts of the country will help spread business events out of Manila to other local destinations, according to TPB COO Domingo Ramon Enerio III.
Domingo

As well, it will enable TPB to engage more in international activities without precluding the need to reach out to Philippine destinations requiring its guidance.

“Now is the golden opportunity for the destinations to be responsible for their own marketing. This is a welcome thing. We can create more noise with more players,” Enerio told TTGmice.

“MICE has become a byword for the industry,” he added.

Charting the state of Philippine MICE, Enerio shared that 2015 targets were achieved with about 200 MICE-assisted events held in the country. This year’s target is to increase that by 10 per cent.

While the Philippines still doesn’t get big events of 5,000 pax or more, it is however getting its fair share of smaller events with 500 to 3,000 pax.

“And we have been able to organise a few ourselves,” said Enerio, pointing to the Asia Premium Travel Mart which is now on its second year as well as other travel trade shows for both consumers and businesses.

Katrina Cruz, American Express Transnational’s team leader for meetings and events, agreed that Philippine MICE is growing as the country gains marketing traction abroad. Cruz is also satisfied with the direction the TPB is taking.

Another change concerns the country’s MICE campaign – Fun Works – which is aligned with the It’s More Fun in the Philippines overall tourism campaign.

While Fun Works highlights the Philippines as being easier for work and ideal for fun and productive meetings, Enerio said it requires more explanation as it is sometimes misinterpreted as the name of a theme park, like DreamWorks.

There are also comments that a MICE campaign should be serious, since it deals with businesses.

However, the trade is generally supportive of reviewing the effectiveness of Fun Works. One of them, Khristinne Araneta, marketing manager of Cebu-based Green Earth Tours and Travel, said that even with the criticisms, MICE prospects are bullish as there are now more hotels and events venues not only in Manila but in up and coming destinations such as Cebu and Davao.

Indeed, one of the thrusts of new tourism secretary, Wanda Tulfo Teo, is to develop new tourist destinations and activities. Teo is also conferring with other government agencies to build and improve infrastructures including airports, roads and rail networks linking destinations all over the Philippines.

Another positive change is ICCA’s approval of the Philippines’ appeal to consolidate metro Manila as one geographical location instead of separating Manila from nearby cities like Pasay and Paranque.

A bigger geographical coverage for Manila enables the Philippines and the metro to improve their standing in ICCA’s country and city rankings.

Enerio sees 2016 as a good year for MICE due to a number of event wins by local organisations and associations. Also this year, Manila hosted the ASEAN Tourism Forum, Madrid Fusion for the second time, and the World Street Food Congress for the first time.

And the country isn’t just attracting solemn business events. The Cobra Energy Drink Ironman triathlon which Cebu has been hosting the past three years, is now an Asia Pacific Championship. Close to 3,000 athletes from 43 countries – the biggest triathlon event in the Philippines – came to race in August this year.

A bonus this year for the local MICE trade, Enerio said, is that TPB has become ISO certified after passing the auditing stages conducted by Certification International Philippines Inc, an affiliate of Swindon-based Certification International UK, covering the design, development and provision of Philippine tourism marketing and promotion services.

{Talking Numbers}

{Developments to Watch}

There may be winds of change in the Philippine MICE sector, and the trade is waiting to see what plans new tourism secretary, Wanda Tulfo Teo, has for growing this industry. They want to know whether Teo, a seasoned travel agent, will maintain the status quo or implement new policies and direction.

The delicate political relationship between China and the Philippines, made even more tenuous by the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague rejecting China’s claims over the disputed islands in the South China Sea, has a bearing on MICE from China. As of press time, several chartered flights from China to Kalibo (Boracay) and Cebu – an indispensable lifeline for bringing in Chinese incentive groups – were cancelled, something that happened repeatedly in the past few years each time there is a geographical tussle between the two governments.

The private sector is reducing its dependence on the Tourism Promotions Board and becoming more proactive in bidding for international events. It is even spending its own resources to mount its own events like the Asia Premium Travel Mart as well as inbound, travel consumer and B2B travel shows.

Malaysia’s MICE, education sectors to gain from 2018 World Library and Information Congress

By TTG Asia

August 25, 2016

MALAYSIA will play host to the 84th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in 2018.

The announcement was made by IFLA’s president Donna Scheeder at the 82nd WLIC earlier this month in Columbus, US.

The bid was led by the Librarians Association of Malaysia, with strong support from two agencies under the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, namely the National Library of Malaysia and Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), along with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

WLIC 2018 is expected to generate RM44.4 million (US$11 million) in economic impact to the country and fully maximise Malaysia’s growth potential as an international education hub and first-world knowledge economy.

The eight-day annual congress is expected to draw over 3,000 participants from more than 100 countries.

Zulkefli Sharif, CEO at MyCEB, said: “The WLIC 2018 adds to the (growing) list of world conferences that have selected Malaysia as the host country. In a time when Malaysia is already being recognised for its effort to elevate the quality of Malaysian education offerings, we are giving rise to a platform that provides the opportunity for delegates both locally and globally. This will allow them to network, raise awareness and support a library and information profession which anticipates and responds to the needs of communities.”

Philippine agency CITTI powers up with 1 DMC Asia’s global reach

By Rosa Ocampo

August 25, 2016

MANILA’S Corporate International Travel & Tours Inc. (CITTI) has joined 1 DMC Asia, an association of professional DMCs throughout the region and globally connected through 1 DMC World.

In return for annual dues, 1 DMC Asia “does the marketing for us to be connected to all MICE travel planners, either through social media, travel shows, and other marketing arms in the industry,” explained CITTI president Shan Dioquino David.

David added that the fact that 1 DMC Asia has only one representative in every Asian country and CITTI is its sole Philippine representative boded well for his company’s current MICE expansion.

“They expect us to have the same level of professionalism, high standard of service, unique and creative programs in the country that we represent,” David told TTGmice e-Weekly.

1 DMC Asia has a presence in 17 Asian countries while 1 DMC World is the umbrella association of DMC members in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, and the Caribbean, aside from Asia.

Six Marco Polo hotels lure planners with new perks

By TTG Asia

August 25, 2016

Marco Polo Ortigas, Manila

MARCO Polo hotels in Hong Kong and the Philippines have joined forces to attract corporate clients and meeting planners with a slew of new rewards.

The six participating hotels are Marco Polo Davao, Marco Polo Plaza, Cebu and Marco Polo Ortigas, Manila in the Philippines and Marco Polo Hongkong, Gateway and Prince Hotels in Hong Kong.

From now until October 31, 2016, book at least 15 rooms and one meeting or banquet to satisfy the minimum spend requirement – HK$70,000 (US$9,026) in Hong Kong and 200,000 pesos (US$4,291) in the Philippines – to earn a free night at one of the six hotels.

The stay period is from August 17, 2016 to March 31, 2017. Other terms and conditions apply.

For more information, visit marcopolohotels.com.

Starwood hotels in Macau go high-tech for events

By TTG Asia

August 25, 2016

BOTH the Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel, Cotai Central and The St Regis Macao, Cotai Central have debuted tech initiatives for business event planners and guests.

For MICE planners, there is the secure digital meeting planning tool eVent Portfolio which helps to streamline the event-planning process and enables event planners to be environmentally-friendly.

First of its kind in Asia, the centralised web-based tool integrates all documents and correspondence, and sorts them by time and date into an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface. eVent Portfolio can be used on a PC, Mac or mobile devices, where users can plan events easily and connect with other parties by texting through eVent 911, available three days before an event.

This application is offered free to meeting planners, and Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and The St Regis Macao are the only hotels in Macau to offer it.

The St Regis Macao’s Astor Ballroom

“eVent Portfolio is Starwood Hotels and Resort’s game-changing, web-based tool that makes planning an event faster, easier and more efficient, and offers an organised, systematic and detailed approach to putting together and managing any medium- to large-scale event. (It also) features a special sustainability tab that lets planners track how much paper, energy and waste they are reducing during their meetings. (This will) kick off a new era of mobile event planning, one that centres around going green,” said Daniella Tonetto, general manager of sales and marketing for Sheraton Grand Macao Hotel and The St Regis Macao.

In addition to eVent Portfolio, all of the 4,400 rooms across both hotels will feature complimentary Handy phone devices that allow all hotel guests unlimited local and international calls (to China, US, UK, France, Australia, and Singapore), along with unlimited data access.

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong unveils a fresh event offering with upgraded suites

By TTG Asia

August 24, 2016

Ambassador Harbourview Suite’s spacious living room

REFURBISHMENT of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s largest suites is now complete, marking the culmination of a four-year renovation project at the hotel.

According to a hotel statement, Presidential Suites were designed to encourage entertaining, each housing a grand piano; a ‘bartender’s corner’; two living areas – a principal area for chairman’s meetings and larger, more formal gatherings, and a junior space for casual, intimate soireés.

In addition, each suite features a study, a dining room for up to 12 guests and a fully-equipped kitchen which allows dinner parties catered by the hotel’s chefs.

Andreas Stalder, senior vice-president of product development for Hyatt Asia Pacific, said: “Guests staying in presidential suites usually travel with an entourage and need a separate entrance for staff, a fully-equipped kitchen and connecting guestrooms. They also often need an extra space, but for differing purposes… so we decided to include an unfurnished room in our new Presidential Suites that can adapt to different scenarios and be fitted out as necessary.”

The two 400m² Presidential Suites follow separate aesthetics, namely Classic Traditional and Contemporary Eclectic.

The 110m² Ambassador Suites are evocative of the Bohemian Chic and Aristocratic Adventurer, while the 80m2 Diplomat Suites were inspired by Oriental Chic and Feminine Aristocrat themes.

Suites in these categories include a living area; a work space/dining area for four people; bathroom equipped with an oversized square tub; twin vanity areas with a TV embedded into the mirror; a walk-in wardrobe; and a separate WC.

Stays at the Ambassador and Presidential Suites come with round-trip limousine airport transfers, a one-hour in-room massage, and dedicated Suite Butler service.

All suite guests are given access to the Grand Club Lounge, also newly-renovated.

Other spaces upgraded in this round of renovations are hotel guestrooms, Grand Ballroom, Grand event venues and Grand Café.