FOLLOWING its launch in October 2015, the Global Association Hubs Partnership (GAHP) – an alliance comprising Destination DC, Dubai Association Centre, Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau (SECB) and visit.brussels – has announced a host of dialogue platforms for senior executives of associations.

Roundtable discussions will be held throughout the rest of the year – at the European Association Summit 2016 in Brussels, May 31-June 1; the Global Engagement Summit in Washington DC, June 8-9; American Society of Association Executives Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, August 13-16; and IMEX America in Las Vegas, October 18-20.

“A key aspect of the GAHP is to establish and drive on-going dialogues with association decision-makers. These platforms provide opportunities for associations to exchange best practices while also allowing us to understand their market demands and leverage their experiences and advice,” said Jeannie Lim, executive director, conventions, meetings & incentive travel, SECB.

“We can then facilitate suitable channels to meet their global expansion needs.”

Meanwhile, Hervé Bosquet, who was head of the Brussels Convention Bureau until the end of 2015, has been appointed senior advisor of GAHP.

Melissa Riley, vice-president, convention sales & services, Destination DC, said: “The long-term issues guiding Hervé and all partners are to help associations to build capacity, better support their overseas membership and grow their activities.”

PROPERTIES under Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ The Luxury Collection portfolio are flaunting their epicurean charms to court an “increasingly sophisticated” corporate event clientele that demands quality dining experiences.

Speaking to TTGmice e-Weekly last Friday, Starwood’s director, brand management for St Regis and The Luxury Collection, F&B marketing, Yeoh Fay-Linn, said: “Corporate groups are more sophisticated these days. They want a local taste of the destination during their dining functions, and they don’t want to be limited to the usual banquet rooms.”

“True to The Luxury Collection’s new tagline (which came with a brand rejuvenation last September), Hotels that Define the Destination, our properties bring the destination’s unique flavour into corporate events,” she said.

“For instance, while the Keraton At The Plaza hotel in Jakarta has a Mexican chef to add variety (to the cuisine options), attention is also paid to providing a spread of popular local food.”

Yeoh said hotels must think out of the box when providing banqueting options today.

Yeoh said The Andaman, Langkawi, partners with The Els Club Teluk Datai golf course to deliver dining functions at a particular scenic hole, while planners desiring a corporate social responsibility element in their dining function can book the Dine in the Dark programme at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit’s BarSu. Servers are visually-impaired individuals that are paid a regular wage and 50 baht (US$1.40) from each cover they serve goes to charity.

“Understanding that dining plays an important role in the travel and event experience, The Luxury Collection properties also have a strong culinary offering through experienced chefs,” Yeoh remarked.

The prowess of these chefs are celebrated in a series of pop-up dining events called Epicurean Journeys, with one taking place this week in Singapore.

Bindu Panicker, general manager, corporate communications with India-based ITC Hotels which has 11 properties under The Luxury Collection, said her hotels are renowned for their “dedication to culinary excellence” and that a premium dining experience delivered by various chefs from across its portfolio in a single location can be organised.

Such arrangements have been adopted by clients such as Dell, GE and Cisco Systems, shared ITC Hotels corporate chef Manjit Gill.

Panicker has also observed greater emphasis on healthy dining, sustainable sourcing and local food options at corporate events. To cater to these needs, ITC properties have rolled out Alert Meets, a menu that is locally sourced and prepared to keep participants alert and focused; SunyAqua, ITC’s signature drinking water that is sourced and bottled on premises and infused with healthy indigenous herbs; One Bite Wonders, small portions of snacks that are convenient to eat during networking events and will help delegates maintain an appetite for main meals later on; and Responsible Sourcing, a promise to provide farm to plate organic food.

THE newly formed Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) has launched a three-year brand campaign known as Experiences Unfiltered, to make Penang the top-of-mind destination for meetings and incentives.

PCEB CEO, Ashwin Gunasekeran, explained: “It is meant to add value to a meeting or incentive by drawing on the island’s uniquely rich heritage, local gastronomy, multiracial cultures and festivals, vibrant music and arts scene, and fusion of old and new buildings (that make for) unique venues.

“For organisers who wish to sample the real or raw Penang, we will put them in touch with local product owners and help them design a uniquely Penang experience.”

Ashwin said one such experience could be a Penang Teochew Opera performance at the Khoo Kongsi grand clanhouse, or a gala dinner in the same venue where guests would be served traditional Malay cuisine.

Offering another example, he said an authentic South Indian lunch served on a banana leaf could be arranged for delegates in Little India.

Emphasising that the experiences will be customised to the needs of the organiser, Ashwin said: “PCEB designs programmes that capture the best of Penang’s wealth and authentic experiences, ensuring MICE delegates an experience of a lifetime.”

To build awareness of the new campaign and showcase Penang’s attractions, a cycling adventure race through the UNESCO World Heritage site of George Town will be held on May 30.

PCEB’s inhouse publications, Destination Experience Brochure and Penang MICE Guide 2016–2017, will support the new campaign, while a social media blitz using Facebook, YouTube and Instagram will soon follow, using #ExperienceUnfiltered and #PenangUnfiltered tags to align with the brand messaging.