The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has created a programme that allows corporate team members to bond over a gourmet dinner while contributing financially to a local charity.

Dine in the Dark is hosted in a pitch-black private room and a four-course meal prepared by the hotel’s talented chefs is served by visually impaired guides. Without the power of sight, participants are challenged to identify and appreciate their meal using their remainig senses. Conversation with fellow diners in such an unusual setting will enable them to overcome the feeling of disorientation together.

Besides being an excellent teambuilding activity, Dine in the Dark also makes a positive contribution to the society as the hotel will donate to the Foundation for the Blind in Thailand for every cover at Dine in the Dark.

Dine in the Dark is priced at 1,450⁺⁺ baht (US$41) person, and can take a maximum of 40 pax each time.

Event planners can now go on a site inspection of the InterContinental Wellington conference floor without taking a single step, thanks to a new Google Maps feature.

Instead of seeing static pictures, clients can now take a 360-degree view of the hotel’s six function rooms and pre-function lounge.

The hotel’s business development manager, Julien Albrecht, said that while the ability to show a 360-degree view is not new technology, using it as a room-space sales tool that can stand in for physically visiting a property appears to be relatively new for the MICE market.

Albrecht added: “Time constraints and geographical distance means a lot of decisions have to be made by the event planner remotely, with the client
unable to visit a space before the day of the event. Rather than seeing static pictures, taking a virtual tour around the floor can give the client the reassurance that this (the function space) is the right fit for them.”

Hong Kong Airlines is set to launch daily flights from Hong Kong International Airport to Osaka’s Kansai Airport this month, beginning July 15.

Aside from flights to Osaka, the full-service airline currently flies twice-daily to Okinawa and Narita; once-daily to Okayama; five times weekly to Sapporo and Kagoshima; and twice-weekly to Miyazaki.

With the new route, Hong Kong Airlines will operate a total of 54 weekly flights to Japan.

Hospitality brand X2 has expanded into the cruising space with X2 Cruises, a luxury cruise offering on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River.

Its two-hour tours feature heritage sites along the river that highlights the significance of Chao Phraya as a waterway in the country.

All tours will be operated aboard custom-designed Italian cruisers with features including leather furnishings, air-conditioning, fridges and a sliding targa-style roof for open-air sightseeing.

Anthony McDonald, CEO and founder of X2, said: “Most people think of Bangkok as a busy city with streets full of cars, tuk tuks, buildings and malls, but actually Bangkok has other interesting sights. We see the lives along Chao Phraya River and canals as one of them.”

X2 Cruises is also available for private tours, sunset cruises and boat rentals.

Corporate event planners seeking a corporate social responsibility (CSR) element for their activities can consider Angsana Hotels and Resorts’ Meet for Good incentive programme at Angsana Lang Co in Central Vietnam, Angsana Laguna Phuket and Angsana Bintan.

Meet for Good features various opportunities to contribute to the local community and environment through activities such as visits to local orphanages or nursing homes, beach clean-up, cooking local dishes for the elderly, and giving language classes to disadvantaged children.

As well, Angsana Lang Co – which has four fully-equipped meeting rooms and a 392m² ballroom for 400 guests – offers full- and half-day meeting packages and a range of complementary recreational activities with Connect@Angsana.

Angsana Bintan provides a beachfront venue with meeting rooms where guests can have outdoor meetings by the South China Sea. Two meeting venues allow for a total capacity of 132 people, topped off by 111 guestrooms and suites. The meeting experience can be complete with golfing at the property’s 18-hole championship course and activities such as trekking and ATV rides.

And at Angsana Laguna Phuket, planners can choose from 11 meeting spaces, four outdoor venues and a 358m² grand ballroom.

The sprawling Penfolds Magill Estate in Adelaide Hills, just 15 minutes by car from Adelaide city centre, opened the Magill Estate Kitchen in June 2015 to offer visitors more wining and dining opportunities.

The Magill Estate Kitchen is also available for corporate hire, and its sun-lit, wooden interiors make it a suitable venue for casual get-togethers. It can accommodate 60 guests seated or 200 people for a cocktail party setting.

Dining, canape and wine packages are available for event planners to choose from. All dietary requirements can be catered for with prior notification.

While smaller groups can book the Magill Estate Kitchen for a gathering over brunch or lunch seven days a week, private hires are only accepted in the evenings. Private hires require a minimum spend of A$6,000 (US$4,448) from Monday to Thursday, A$8,000 on Friday and A$10,000 on weekends.

In addition to the Magill Estate Kitchen, the winery also offers a degustation experience in its Magill Estate Restaurant (seats 54 guests), canape-style parties in various locations such as the Magill Estate Gallery (seats 40 for meals or 80 for cocktails), and a nine-course tasting menu for 24 people in the Max Schubert Cellar.

A structured Penfolds Tour and Wine Tasting programme is available as an add-on to a main event. It can take up to 60 guests and costs A$16 per pax. – Karen Yue