Dusit International has appointed Lim as COO. Based in Bangkok, he joined Dusit in March 2013 as president of Dusit Fudu Hotel Management Company, Dusit’s joint venture company based in Shanghai. With this appointment, the office of the president of Dusit Fudu will be integrated with that of the COO of Dusit International.
Ekert now leads CWT in the position of president and CEO, replacing Douglas Anderson who has left to pursue other opportunities. Ekert was last executive vice president and COO of Travelport.
Ocasio has been chosen to open Mövenpick Resort Boracay this July. He has extensive hospitality experience, and was general manager at various properties under the Banyan Tree Holdings.
Suntec Singapore has made Ng its new chef de cuisine. Ng joins from Orchard Hotel where he was sous chef. He has over 20 years of culinary experience.
Goo has joined Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium as director of sales and marketing. She was last with Studio M Singapore and is armed with more than 15 years of experience in the hotel sector.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has named Jordan its new chief technology officer. He has extensive experience across leading B2C and B2B brands and was last senior vice president, technology and operations for NBC Universal International.
The founder of International Live Events Association Hong Kong chapter tells Prudence Lui that the country’s government can do more to elevate the country’s special events industry
You’ve said that Hong Kong’s special events industry is an immature one. Why do you think so?
In Hong Kong, we do not enjoy the degree of quality government support that overseas markets do, especially those in Europe and the US. Such support is not just about financial handouts although it is a main part.Furthermore, these overseas markets have large groups of vendors like furniture-makers while here we have only two to three that are exhibitions-based.
In the past 10 years, there has been improvement in areas such as general awareness on professionalism, education on special events and respect for event professionals. But there is still room for improvement. For instance, there is a lack of in-depth understanding about the event flow. An emcee was asked to put the event on hold when a committee representative wanted a break. It disregarded the knock-on effects on F&B services and disrupted the work of the lighting technicians and audiovisual guys.
What is needed to bring the special events industry to the next level?
More marketing and research efforts are needed. For instance, the US-based Convention Industry Council and the International Live Events Association (ILEA) headquarters looked at how much money the meeting industry can generate across the US. Putting a figure on the industry’s value to the economy could really open doors. I hope we can do the same so people would start to realise it is such a huge industry with so many small companies working together to orchestrate big events.
Since the Hong Kong government has allocated a budget of HK$220 million (US$28.4 million) to boost tourism this fiscal year, let us hope that we can get extra funding from Meeting and Exhibition Hong Kong (MEHK) to carry out such a study.
What will influence the development of Hong Kong’s special events industry?
Better and deeper education is easily the most important factor. We’ve been trying to educate the business community here but many still don’t grasp the full potential of the special events industry. Continuing professional education is a small thing here and although ILEA has attempted to improve this, it doesn’t have the money for larger projects.
On the bright side, worldwide universities like City University and the Polytechnic University have been offering event management courses over the last decade. Much younger entrants are also discovering the market, bringing some great ideas and different styles.
Is Hong Kong physically ready to support the growth of this niche industry?
We have been facing a shortage of venues for
Are there challenges in staging special events outdoors?
Well, yes. Currently you need separate licences from multiple government agencies (to do an event outdoors). It would be wonderful to have an individual or group with deep understanding of event processes working within the government that could actualise change. However, my concern with this is the government might then implement more rules and regulations, making it difficult to hold outdoor events. Currently, there are not many rules in place and those that exist are very ad hoc.
What kind of special events should Hong Kong aim to specialise in?
The Mega Event Fund commissioned a study to find out what events they could bring to Hong Kong, and that’s a great idea. But some events need to be created from within the community. Instead of finding out what events we can buy, it would be better to have more people with actual event experience to help make these decisions.
International Live Events Association was formerly known as the International Special Events Society. The rebranding, which was executed earlier in May, better reflects the association’s diverse membership and members’ involvement in live events.
Individual corporate travelers do not always possess an overall view of the travel volume generated by all their colleagues. Finding a one – off cheap rate doesn’t help companies consolidate volumes, neither does it gain negotiation power with hotels. With increased transparency and knowledge of public rates through the Online Travel Agencies and price comparison websites, corporate buyers today have trouble distinguishing between the different hotel pricing options available. The availability of free information also means that travelers may see low non – refundable saver rates on a hotel’s website and compare them to fully flexible rates negotiated by the company.
Corporates require the best of both worlds – a choice of hotels to meet travelers’ needs at the lowest price, bearing in mind booking conditions. Effective rate negotiation is as much about choice as price; the mix of rates available is determined by the corporate’s choices. The lowest rate may not be the most cost effective rate, as negotiated rates often include airport or local transportation, breakfast, Internet, parking and other amenities. Corporate buyers no longer need to choose between dynamic and fixed price models when it comes to finding the lowest hotel rates. Neither do procurement managers need to invest the time to create a hybrid model. In order to leverage the best value, HRS, the leading hotel solutions provider, has a few key pieces of advice for buyers:
+65 6580 2828
Today’s global organisations have a large number of employees working as international assignees, expatriates and business travellers. Employees who travel across borders often find themselves in unfamiliar environments and situations, subject to increased risks and threats, and less prepared to handle these situations than if they were in their home country.
As a result, employers carry an increased “Duty of Care” obligation to protect their employees from these unfamiliar – yet often foreseeable – risks and threats.
Prevention is key
In an ever-changing and volatile world, the growing focus is clearly on prevention and risk mitigation. Our statistics have shown a positive trend of an emerging risk management culture where risks are managed efficiently and effectively. A recent study by International SOS Foundation also showed that there are tangible commercial incentives to investing in preventive programmes.
It is evident that corporate meeting planners can no longer ignore the importance of having a robust business continuity plan to ensure the safety of their attendees, and they must take proactive steps to minimise and avoid costly emergencies and evacuations.
For them, being able to identify a suitable business event destination based on a sound understanding of the health and security risks of the destination is crucial. Preparation – including a risk assessment, education and health check programmes – will reduce the need for intervention during and after travel. In the case of an emergency, in addition to taking certain precautions, the onus lies on corporate meeting planners to make sound decisions as to whether or not an event should be cancelled.
Medical and travel security risks can easily escalate at short notice during a crisis or evolving situation. The bombing incidents in Bangkok and Jakarta last year were painful reminders that one could easily become a victim of an attack even in urban – and typically perceived as safe – areas. In such time-critical situations, having access to up-to-date intelligence and actionable advice from a trusted source are absolutely critical for corporate meeting planners to assess whether or not to proceed with an event.
To better prepare corporate planners, we advise the following top 5 action tips towards assessing risk and preparing for emergency situations on the ground:
1. Identify specific health and security risks at event location
2. Ensure event delegates are prepared for the trip – this can be in the form of either pre-travel briefings or sending notifications that includes relevant medical, security and itinerary details
3. Set up an online platform hosting critical information about the destination country and make it easily accessible for delegates and/or business travellers
4. Ensure first aid kits (or stations) and evacuation routes/plans are in place in case of emergency
5. Have a reliable partner, with the necessary medical and security expertise, to support you on the ground
As international travel continues to be an inevitable part of global meetings and conventions, corporate meeting planners need to manage their duty of care responsibilities by strengthening their capability to protect the health and safety of delegates. Our call is for corporate meeting planners to step out of their day-to-day mind-set and think about the success of events at a broader level, which includes delegate welfare. Beyond the delivery of a grand event to your guests, true success also hinges on the organiser’s security, safety and crisis management capabilities.
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Philippe Guibert is the Regional Medical Director, Consulting Services, Asia at International SOS, integrating a risk management framework into an organisation’s broader policies through education, information, preparation and prevention.
International SOS is the world’s leading medical and travel security risk services company, pioneering a range of preventive programmes and delivering unrivalled emergency assistance during critical illness, accident or civil unrest. www.internationalsos.com
This article is written by Philippe Guibert
Today’s global organisations have a large number of employees working as international assignees, expatriates and business travellers. Employees who travel across borders often find themselves in unfamiliar environments and situations, subject to increased risks and threats, and less prepared to handle these situations than if they were in their home country.
As a result, employers carry an increased “Duty of Care” obligation to protect their employees from these unfamiliar – yet often foreseeable – risks and threats.
Prevention is key
In an ever-changing and volatile world, the growing focus is clearly on prevention and risk mitigation. Our statistics have shown a positive trend of an emerging risk management culture where risks are managed efficiently and effectively. A recent study by International SOS Foundation also showed that there are tangible commercial incentives to investing in preventive programmes.
It is evident that corporate meeting planners can no longer ignore the importance of having a robust business continuity plan to ensure the safety of their attendees, and they must take proactive steps to minimise and avoid costly emergencies and evacuations.
For them, being able to identify a suitable business event destination based on a sound understanding of the health and security risks of the destination is crucial. Preparation – including a risk assessment, education and health check programmes – will reduce the need for intervention during and after travel. In the case of an emergency, in addition to taking certain precautions, the onus lies on corporate meeting planners to make sound decisions as to whether or not an event should be cancelled.
Medical and travel security risks can easily escalate at short notice during a crisis or evolving situation. The bombing incidents in Bangkok and Jakarta last year were painful reminders that one could easily become a victim of an attack even in urban – and typically perceived as safe – areas. In such time-critical situations, having access to up-to-date intelligence and actionable advice from a trusted source are absolutely critical for corporate meeting planners to assess whether or not to proceed with an event.
To better prepare corporate planners, we advise the following top 5 action tips towards assessing risk and preparing for emergency situations on the ground:
1. Identify specific health and security risks at event location
2. Ensure event delegates are prepared for the trip – this can be in the form of either pre-travel briefings or sending notifications that includes relevant medical, security and itinerary details
3. Set up an online platform hosting critical information about the destination country and make it easily accessible for delegates and/or business travellers
4. Ensure first aid kits (or stations) and evacuation routes/plans are in place in case of emergency
5. Have a reliable partner, with the necessary medical and security expertise, to support you on the ground
As international travel continues to be an inevitable part of global meetings and conventions, corporate meeting planners need to manage their duty of care responsibilities by strengthening their capability to protect the health and safety of delegates. Our call is for corporate meeting planners to step out of their day-to-day mind-set and think about the success of events at a broader level, which includes delegate welfare. Beyond the delivery of a grand event to your guests, true success also hinges on the organiser’s security, safety and crisis management capabilities.
–
Philippe Guibert is the Regional Medical Director, Consulting Services, Asia at International SOS, integrating a risk management framework into an organisation’s broader policies through education, information, preparation and prevention.
International SOS is the world’s leading medical and travel security risk services company, pioneering a range of preventive programmes and delivering unrivalled emergency assistance during critical illness, accident or civil unrest. www.internationalsos.com
Article by Philippe Guibert.
