Oakwood Asia Pacific has opened the 162-unit Oakwood Apartments Brisbane, the very first Oakwood-branded property in Australia.
The property is located between Brisbane’s CBD and Fortitude Valley, and is walking distance from many retail and F&B options in the city.
Facilities include a tennis court, outdoor pool and spa, sauna, gymnasium, as well as Alto Restaurant and Bar which opens daily for breakfast and dinner.
Four conference rooms are also available and can accommodate up to 220 guests.
Mercedes-Benz Living@Fraser has been launched at the Capri by Fraser Changi City Singapore.
Nine terrace suites at the property have been given the Mercedes-Benz-focused design treatment, including S-Class gray-silver leather accents throughout the apartment, bed lighting inspired by signature Mercedes-Benz headlamps and a chandelier made out of Swarovski crystals.
Guests of the Mercedes-Benz suites are also entitled to services such as chauffer-driven airport pick-up in a Mercedes-Benz S or E class, special access to an AMG Simulator as well as exclusive use of the Mercedes-Benz Trek bicycles to explore Singapore’s East Coast.
Located in Changi Business Park within walking distance to Singapore EXPO, the property is part of a mixed-use development comprising offices, a shopping mall and a variety of dining, retail and entertainment options.
The suites are now open for stay at rates from S$400 (US$296.50) per night.
Xinyi Liang-Pholensa discovers organic, sustainable eats at this restaurant high above the city of Bangkok
Location
The 54th floor of Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre, right in the heart of Bangkok’s downtown at the Ratchaprasong Junction.
Ambience
A terrific tapas bar and restaurant perched on the 54th floor of Centara Grand & Bangkok Convention Centre, the venue has its feet firmly planted in the Thai capital’s pulsating downtown and its heart in the Iberian Peninsula.
Decked in hues of teal and terracotta, Uno Mas boasts a rustic yet elegant vibe with Moorish-influences, glazed floor, arches and exposed wooden ceiling beams.
The restaurant has three zones: the 42-seat Wine Cellar, the 60-seat Tapas & Raw Bar, and the 78-seat Dining Deck. The Wine Cellar has tables and lounge seats overlooking the glass cellar centrepiece, while the Tapas & Raw Bar features a huge display of fresh oysters and seafood, an open bar and communal tables.
At the Dining Deck, patrons can mingle in the semi-alfresco space over feisty cavas and scrumptious tapas while observing the signature Cochinillo suckling pig roasting over the fire pit and Josper oven. Furthermore, the chest-high glass walls wrapping the restaurant allow guests to move close to the edge for views of a setting sun over the sprawling city.
Menu
Led by Catalonia-born chef de cuisine and restaurant manager Joan Tanya Dot, Uno Mas specialises in Iberian-Mediterranean food, ranging from pièces de résistance like the 36-month-cured Jamon iberico ham to non-Spanish interpretations such as live Boston lobster tail sashimis.
Tapas plates hit our table minutes after our order: wild porcini mushroom croquettes, fried baby squid with aioli and lemon, and Wagyu beef and pluma pork meatballs. For main courses, we opted for fideua (angel hair prepared like paella) crowned with squid and langoustines and snowfish with Jerusalem artichokes and Joselito ham. The warm churros with Valrhona chocolate sauce rounded up our meal on a sweet note.
Uno Mas also shares a two-storey, 2,000-bottle transparent wine cellar with the famed Red Sky rooftop bar. An outstanding selection of 36 Spanish wines are available. Priced from 170 baht (US$5), drinks here are definitely a steal, considering the venue’s sky-high location in a upscale hotel setting.
Service
The crowds were visibly thinner when I visited on a Wednesday, a public holiday, allowing the staff to pay even more intimate attention to diners. I had wanted to catch the sunset but arrived too early, so the thoughtful receptionist suggested I enjoy a bubbly in the air-conditioned comfort of the Wine Cellar before proceeding to the Tapas & Raw Bar for dinner.
Verdict
No matter where one is seated, sublime tapas – and views – are guaranteed at Uno Mas.
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Contacts
Address: 999/99 Rama 1 Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok
Tel: (66) 2 100 6255
Email: diningcgcw@chr.co.th
Website: www.unomasbangkok.com
Opening hours
16.00 to 01.00 for Wine Cellar and Tapas & Raw Bar; 18.00 to 01.00 for Dining Deck
The new KidZania Singapore edutainment theme park on Sentosa island is now welcoming corporate clients, touting its ability to support venue buyouts for a wide range of events.
Located on Palawan Beach, the air-conditioned attraction offers 60 role-playing activities in a kid-sized city.
Leong Yue Weng, KidZania Singapore’s general manager, said: “Demand for unique venues in Singapore have been consistently high, especially given Singapore’s small geographical land area. Home to many global and regional headquarters, Singapore is favoured as a MICE destination. KidZania Singapore is perfectly positioned to leverage on this demand, and is able to offer a unique event space by delivering an entire city instead of a venue.”
Since its opening in mid-April, the attraction has received “overwhelming” interest from event planners looking to hold “a range of events, including corporate staff retreats and dinner-and-dance”, revealed Leong.
Leong opined that the attraction is also suitable for family days, product launches and cocktail receptions.
Whereas dining functions presented by private chefs are often an elite affair, a social dining concept presented by VizEat looks set to give the experience a more homely feel, allowing guests to sample flavours of the destination in a local home.
Since coming into operations in 2014, the European company now has a network of 17,000 hosts in over 100 countries including Italy, the US, India, China, South Korea and Taiwan. Hosts not only provide a dining experience in their humble abode, some also offer cooking classes and market tours. To enjoy an activity offered by VizEat hosts, travellers need only to search and make a booking on the VizEat website.
While VizEat serves a largely leisure crowd, it has seen a 20 per cent monthly increase in corporate event bookings. And it is taking a serious look at the market by establishing online support for event planners.
Jean-Michel Petit, co-founder of VizEat, said: “In the coming weeks we will (introduce) a section on the website (allowing) corporate event planners to describe the event they are looking to organise. Based on (this), we will select the hosts and set up a co-branded website with the organiser.” The experience could set planners back by US$25 to US$50 per pax.
VizEat’s track record in putting together major social dining events includes the Airbnb Open in Paris last November, where over 1,000 Airbnb guests from around the globe dined simultaneously in local VizEat hosts’ homes in the French capital.
The company will run OuiShare Fest for 1,000 participants this month, and a dining event for a major insurance company as part of an annual meeting in June, with over 2,000 delegates expected in attendance.
While the bulk of corporate bookings comes from Europe, Petit said the company is determined to expand its reach into Asia and had participated in IMEX Frankfurt in April to build awareness of its specialisation.
“We are also planning to (establish) strong curated host communities in Singapore, Hong Kong and Seoul (which are active destinations for corporate events) by 4Q2016 and expand quickly across more key Asian cities by 1Q2017,” Petit said, adding that VizEat will work with the local tourism bureaus to promote the experience to corporate clients.
Event brief
Each year, prior to the commencement of AIME, Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB) hosts a Welcome Reception for hosted buyers, media and other industry players.
In 2016, MCB’s brief was to showcase Melbourne along with a unique event space in the city, and to ensure the audience knew the organisation was the event host. Through a rigorous tender process, Event Management Group (EMG) was awarded the contract.
EMG opted for the One Year in Melbourne in One Night theme in celebration of the city’s vibrant arts, culture, food and festivals. The vision was executed through multimedia, food and performance inspired by the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, providing the audience with a complete sensory experience.
EMG’s director, Peter Jack, explained: “Victoria’s Secret Fashion Shows showcase technology, design, lighting and music, and you’re sucked into it. What we wanted to do was deliver a show that in a 15-minute slot you could get a taste of what Melbourne is all about.”
Challenges
On the Friday prior to the event, ticket sales jumped. The event and venue was designed to accommodate between 1,000 and 1,100 guests comfortably, but numbers had grown to 1,400.
Jack said: “Unlike a convention centre, which is designed for people, traffic flow, movement and access, pop up venues aren’t – they’re converted spaces.
“So how do we ensure that we design something that people are pushed in all different directions and we create a flow? That was one of my biggest challenges when we hit 1,400 people.”
In addition, Jack said the event concept was a risk.
“It can’t be a one dimensional thing; it can’t be just about the venue, or the food, or the entertainment. If you can’t connect everything together it doesn’t make sense. If we’re talking about events and destinations then you need to be able to showcase what a destination can bring to the audience,” he said.
To pull off the event’s theme, Jack’s concept included a ‘show’ element combining film with a live performance; an art installation and roving performers; and four different food stations, including a fish and chippery, and an edible graffiti buffet. Furthermore, all these had to be executed on a very tight budget.
Solutions
To cater for the larger audience, Jack redesigned the entire event, switching around the food stations to ensure ease of movement for the large crowd. That is with the exception of the Asian noodle and dumpling experience, which was bundled into a tight corner to create a hot and steamy atmosphere.
“Are they going to be comfortable? No, but they’re going to remember the experience,” Jack said.
To realise his vision on a restrictive budget, Jack and his team worked with more than 30 partners – from the Atlantic Group for catering, right through to local department store, Myer, for the performers’ costumes.
Key takeaways
Jack conceded that flexibility, adaptability and leveraging partnerships were the key to success for the AIME Welcome Reception.
“We wanted to take them somewhere they didn’t expect to go,” said Jack.
And for Jack and his team, hearing the continuous roar of the crowd throughout the main performance was testament to success.
Event: Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo Welcome Reception
Organiser/Client: Event Management Group for the Melbourne Convention Bureau
Venue: 400 City Road
Date: February 22, 2016
Number of participants: 1,400
Event brief
Part of the effort to raise the profile of Singapore as a business events destination, North American buyers identified by Singapore Exhibition & Convention Bureau’s (SECB) media partner were invited to Singapore to be introduced to its national carrier, hotels, DMCs, attractions, venue, etc. The programme catered to buyers who had not been to Singapore before or are in need of a refresher on the destination’s products and services.
Challenges
As C-suite end-users and intermediaries were targeted, SECB and its partners had to create a programme that delivers greater sophistication than the usual fam trip and site inspections.
As well, the organiser had to give value not only to the invited North American buyers, who would have to invest one week of their time, but also to SECB’s partners.
It was also challenging co-ordinating with the three DMCs and other partners given the time difference between the US and Singapore.
Solutions
The event’s programme was structured to get around some of these challenges.
Important components of the programme were: Opening Education Session, which included a panel discussion and networking opportunities with the local industry; discovery of what Singapore has to offer by day and night; and Marketplace, where buyers had one-on-one meetings with 18 partner suppliers.
Kershing Goh, regional director, Americas, international group, SECB, told TTGmice: “Many incentive (groups) are now looking for a deeper connection to the places they go to. In creating the structure and content of the event, we took our inspiration from the 2015 SG50 story programme, targeted at the leisure market and which was very successful.
“To bring real business value to the buyers, we had to create an opportunity – the Marketplace session – for them to meet the airline representatives, DMCs and other suppliers.”
Key takeaways
There were many comments by the North American buyers on the heat and humidity in Singapore so the programme comprised a bigger proportion of night-time activities.
As well, the 15.00 to 18.00 time slot was set aside for the buyers to rest, Goh noted.
The organisers also had to take note of special North American dietary needs such as gluten-free food, vegan options and shell and fish allergies, etc.
Looking ahead, SECB will tweak the programme content to extend its reach in the North American market such as through working with other companies like HelmsBriscoe.
Macau is turning its attention to MICE arrivals after seeing a
decline in gaming visitation; Grand Hyatt Macau pictured
Stakeholders report growth in MICE business despite weaker attendance according to official data. Still, more programmes are being created to keep the Chinese interested. By Prudence Lui
With the global uncertainty and China’s economic slowdown, business events from China into Macau was negatively affected in 2015.
Based on Macau’s Statistics and Census Service, the total number of conference participants fell by 10 per cent to 88,189. This is despite the 125 per cent year-on-year growth in meetings and conference to 831 last year. Meanwhile, the number of exhibitions also decreased by nine year-on-year to 78 (where 74 were organised by non-government organisations), and the number of attendees dropped by 3.8 per cent to 2,393,461.
But with the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) stepping up officially to promote MICE in the Chinese destination on January 1 this year, things might just improve.
An IPIM spokesman told TTGmice that China is “always one of the key MICE markets for Macau”.
Besides courting planners from China through a stronger presence at related tradeshows like IT&CM China (Shanghai) and CIBTM (Beijing), IPIM is also pursuing the international MICE market.
“While there was a minor fall in visitor arrivals in 2015, MICE business is expected to continue its growth as new capacity comes online and the industry turns its attention towards this sector to fill the drop in gaming visitations,” said the spokesman.
The spokesman added that IPIM is “embarking on new programmes to support industry growth and incentivise new business to come to Macau”.
He elaborated: “We have a growing reputation as Asia’s mega events city and we will be hosting a number of large-scale MICE events such as the China Expo Forum for International Cooperation 2017, a 7,000-pax Herbalife China Extraordinary Meeting, and a 10,000-pax Jeunesse Global Greater China Meeting.”
Local MICE stakeholders are doing their best to pull in traffic too.
Sands China, vice president of destination marketing and sales, Ruth Boston, saw a positive overall increase in MICE business in 2015. She attributed this to Sands Resorts Cotai Strip Macao’s MICE promotion Meet for Free in Macao, which ran from July to December last year.
She said: “It helped us obtain more new business from MICE groups from China. Room nights increased by over 40 per cent from the market in 2015, as compared to 2014.”
“We expect a healthy and steady growth this year because we have successfully diversified our MICE business in key industries and focused on building strong partnerships with key players throughout the region. China is a key source market for us and we are investing significant funds in our marketing and sales efforts to grow business from mainland China,” Boston said.
Looking ahead, Boston feels that there are many opportunities to be tapped in China’s second tier cities such as Chengdu, Xiamen, Ningbo and Hangzhou. In 2016, the group will be conducting roadshows in some of these cities to showcase their MICE offerings.
“While the economy plays an important role in how it affects travel out of the mainland, people still want to discover new destinations and Macau is well positioned to cater for all market, from families to (business events).”
Grand Hyatt Macau also expects continued growth in business from China in 2016, bolstered by the efforts of the tourism and hospitality industry as well as the Macau government.
General manager Paul Kwok said: “We will continue to focus sales and marketing efforts on increasing business from China, especially from the MICE segment, through hosting fam programmes and appreciation events, as well as leveraging on our group’s sales network. “
From an incentive perspective, Macao Government Tourism Office received a total of 58 incentive groups comprising a total of 36,725 participants last year through the Incentive Travel Stimulation Program. The majority of the incentive groups were from mainland China with a total of 14,466 participants.
One of the largest Chinese group to make landfall in Macau last year was the 9,000-pax Joymain Annual Conference.
Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes said: “The majority of Chinese incentive groups were from the fields of medical technology, pharmaceutical services. In order to continuously promote tourism development, we launched a new edition of the Travel Stimulation Program on July 1, 2015.”
Air Cruise’s director, Eric Chang described 2015 as a quiet year for Chinese MICE with only a slight decrease thanks to the government’s support.
He remarked: “The government has been helping the industry directly and indirectly. For instance, it hosted more government events last year, with invitations extended to scholars and experts from the mainland.
“I am not optimistic about this year but the drop (in MICE business) will be limited to a single digit. The only opportunity I see in this situation is that the demand for business event manpower would not be as high as before so clients can expect better service quality.”
Domingos Savio Chang, managing director, Macao Professional Conference and Exhibition Organizer
Discover Macau’s fresh offerings
Pay a visit to the city’s latest attractions like Macau Studio City and revamped Macau Fisherman’s Wharf’s Legend Boulevard. The soon-to-open Parisian Macao’s iconic half-scale replica Eiffel Tower started lighting up at night recently.
Hold a swanky event
You would be spoiled for choice of event venues in Macau. The Galaxy Macao affords the option to host a gala dinner or party at the man-made beach. And at the Venetian. Planners can choose the Venetian Macao for a poolside party or a themed gala dinner.
Dip into the melting pot of international cuisines
Your Macau experience won’t be complete if you haven’t tried authentic Portuguese cuisine. Rua Do Cunha in Taipa is a great place to begin your culinary adventure with two Portuguese outlets there that hold Michelin stars. Alternatively, pamper yourself with international cuisine at fine dining restaurants in renowned luxury hotels or excite your taste buds with local dishes, such as wonton noodles along Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro or hotpot restaurants in Zona de Aterros do Porto Exterior district.
A 2015 landmark study places the industry’s worth at US$110 billion in 2014, and a double-digit growth has been forecasted. International hotel chains are eager to sink a bite into a larger slice of the pie, reports Caroline Boey
According to the Market Assessment of MICE Business Travel In China study conducted by the Global Business Travel Association’s (GBTA) GBTA Foundation, top MICE spend in China is dominated by manufacturing which accounts for US$59 billion, followed by utilities with US$13 billion, and agriculture and forestry with US$5 billion.
In terms of MICE spend per sales dollar, the study states that US$0.39 is spent for every US$100 in company sales. As for MICE intensity by sector, total MICE spend as a percentage of sales is highest in the utilities sector at 1.29%, compared to manufacturing at 0.39%.
These figures explain why major international hotel chains in China, despite the country’s economic slowdown, are ramping up expansion plans to cater to the growing Chinese MICE demand. Many developments are now being designed with a mega exhibition and convention centre attached, coupled with CSR considerations.
For example, Sheraton Harbin Xiangfang Hotel, with more than 20,000m2 of meeting space, is the largest facility in north-east China. It can accommodate up to 5,000 people and features a car elevator that provides direct access to the banquet hall.
Meanwhile, the Starwood Sustainable Meeting Practices Programme supports and reinforces Starwood Hotels and Resorts corporate commitment of reducing energy and water consumption by 30% and 20% respectively by 2020. Starwood currently has 161 hotels in operation and more than 160 in the pipeline across its nine lifestyle brands.
In 2015, Starwood opened Element Suzhou, the group’s first MICE-friendly hotel in the Asia-Pacific with carbon dioxide detectors in its meeting spaces. Once the limits of carbon dioxide are exceeded, the windows automatically open.
To grow market share, Starwood is strengthening its SPG Pro loyalty programme for meeting and travel professionals. They also recently launched a SPG Pro campaign targeting executive assistants.
Wendy Huang, Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ vice president, sales & marketing, Greater China, said government support for China MICE is strong.
In April 2015, China’s State Council announced its policy to improve MICE development in China. In September, they announced that the service industry – including the MICE industry – should be a development priority in future years.
Huang said: “The government aims to improve urban infrastructure to increase MICE competitiveness and the policies show the great potential of the Chinese MICE market in 2016.”
The shape of MICE in China is also evolving and Huang said new types of MICE business other than traditional industry and government events are emerging.
“There were more training and exhibition events, and association and non-governmental organisation meetings in 2015,” Huang said.
On the uptrend were MICE events related to IT, banking, finance, pharmaceuticals and automotive.
At InterContinental Hotel Group, which operate 250 hotels in nearly 100 Chinese cities, Kenneth Macpherson, chief executive, Greater China, observed that not only is the Chinese government promoting the MICE industry, exhibition and convention demand from various industries is also emerging.
“We’re very optimistic about MICE in China. The fast rate of growth in China’s exhibition industry stems from strong domestic demand for convention and exhibition services as well as the large volume of international trade,” he said.
“Together with some powerful local partners, we firmly believe that we can take advantage of a golden opportunity to integrate our rich resources in the MICE industry.
“For example, our InterContinental Shanghai National Exhibition and Convention Center is scheduled to open in July 2016. It will be the only hotel in the National Exhibition And Convention Center (NECC), one of the world’s biggest exhibition centres.”
Pointing to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the China MICE Economy Development Report in 2016, Macpherson added that “structural readjustment” and online innovations will power the development of the MICE industry.
He elaborated: “Mobile is the most important trend in China’s future development, possibly in every industry. IHG is the first in China to embrace new technologies and platforms. We utilise an advanced digital ecosystem to connect the guest journey through digital platforms, enhancing customers’ experience, which in return contributes to a robust 23% of revenue uplift.”
While first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou are the first to attach great importance to the development of the MICE industry, Macpherson said the development pace of second-tier and third-tier cities is quickening and cities, such as Chengdu in south-west China, have great potential to develop the MICE industry.
Equally optimistic is AccorHotels’ vice president sales, distribution, marketing and loyalty, Greater China, Bobby Ong, said that despite the slowdown in the economy, he does not expect to see a reduction in the meetings segment, where its China hotels count pharmaceuticals, IT and manufacturing as its top three industries.
Ong added: “Chinese companies see meetings as an investment to doing business and more opportunities are forecasted for secondary cities due to business development opportunities at a lower cost.
“We relaunched our Le Club Meeting Planners programme and this year, we will continue to drive membership to grow higher loyalty in this segment. We will continue to drive business internally by cross selling programmes among our hotels. As part of AccorHotels digital plan, we hope to launch the capability for our meeting planners to book small meetings via our AccorHotels website before the end of this year.
“In 2016, the MICE outlook for Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou – which offer state-of-the-art facilities comparable to any major city in the world – will continue to grow with the availability of space and flights. Also, the slight devaluation of the yuan against the US dollar will make meetings in China more competitive.”
China’s mega MICE figures
The Market Assessment of MICE Business Travel in China is a study based on the GBTA Business Travel Index (GBTA BTI) – the survey of 1,500 Chinese business travellers and macroeconomic data. It is the first in-depth look at China’s domestic meetings spend. Here are the key findings:
• In 2014, China’s MICE spend was US$110 billion or 45% of total business travel spend with a volume of 138.5 million or 42% of business travellers. Business travel spend in China is estimated to reach US$299 billion in 2015 and increase to US$335 billion in 2016.
• China’s domestic MICE sector will continue to grow with a potential net increase of 20% based on respondents forecasting the number of meetings they expect to attend in the next 12 months compared to the previous year.
• Three locations are responsible for 76% of China’s MICE activity. The cities of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou contributed 27%, 25% and 24% respectively.
• In China, MICE spend is dominated by manufacturing, which accounts for a spending of US$59 billion, far ahead of utilities in second place with US$13 billion, and agriculture and forestry in third place with US$5 billion.
Profile of Chinese MICE delegates
The Market Assessment of MICE Business Travel in China study also revealed the following:
• Of the 1,500 business travellers surveyed, 86% said they had attended a MICE meeting with 10 or more people, and where they had to travel 80km or more in the last 12 months.
• A “typical” MICE event had between 50 and 100 people attending a convention or conference, a training course, a seminar or some other group meeting.
• As for the type of venue the MICE event was held in, 38% were in a conference or convention centre, 33% were on site at company offices and 21% in training centres.
• The average length of stay was 2.9 nights, where 59% stayed between two and four nights, while 25% only stayed one night. The average spend per trip was US$829 with air transportation taking up 32%, lodging 20% and F&B 15%.
• Hotels reaped a large benefit when a meeting is held at the same property with a designated room block, where 88% of delegates stay at the hotel.
• The top reason for choosing a hotel is the location (62%), followed by hotel service and amenities (51%), and brand (37%).
• Airlines also benefitted greatly with 64% of attendees flying to the MICE event, compared to 18% who took the train and 14% who drove a rental or personal car.
• The most common reason for taking the trip for 53% of business travellers is to attend a training course or to attend a seminar.
• There are different reasons for attending different MICE events but the most important reasons were for business development, followed by training.
• The median age of a MICE delegate is 37. Majority (48%) of delegates were aged 35 and 44. An overwhelming 72% of meeting attendees were male.
Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts
Starwood Asia Pacific Hotels & Resorts rolled out in March a programme that encourages planners to do more for the planet during their corporate gatherings.
The Sustainable Meeting Practices programme rewards meeting planners and organisers who are Starwood Preferred Guest and SPG Pro members with 2,000 bonus Starpoints for every event booked at nearly 300 participating hotels across the region. The offer is valid up to October 31 for arrivals by December 31, 2016, and a minimum spend of US$10,000 is required.
As part of the programme, participating hotels offer a comprehensive range of options that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible, and these promise to enhance the delegate experience. Steps taken towards this end include featuring locally sourced produce and sustainable seafood on the menu, doing away with table coverings or using reusable ones, and having recycling bins in all meeting spaces.
The Andaman A Luxury Collection Resort in Langkawi, for example, uses its unique location close to an 8,000-year-old fringing coral reef in Datai Bay to offer corporate clients a unique teambuilding programme that involves coral transplanting activities to help restore The Andaman Reef which had thousands of coral colonies destroyed by the 2004 tsunami.
The hotel holds The Andaman Reef especially dear, as it had helped to break the force of the destructive tsunami waves. Furthermore, the reef is home to a wide variety of marine life, which in turn helps the local fishermen earn a living.
At the heart of the reef rehabilitation programme is The Andaman’s Coral Nursery, a purpose-built facility where guests can get up close with different species of live corals and learn about the reef under the guidance of Gerry Goeden, head of marine environment at The Andaman, and his team. Delegates can snorkel in the pond, touch the corals and learn about its function in the underwater ecosystem.
Both the Coral Nursery and the reef rehabilitation programme are supported by the hotel’s Marine Life Laboratory, a multipurpose indoor space at the lobby.
Through the teambuilding exercise and visits to the Coral Nursery, delegates will play a direct role in conserving the marine environment at Datai Bay and in creating a more sustainable local fishing industry.
The Andaman’s general manager, Christian Metzner, said: “Multinational companies with headquarters in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore are increasingly looking for corporate social responsibility programmes involving meaningful projects which can be incorporated into the meeting and incentive programmes.
“It gives us an edge during the bidding process that we can offer this programme which is unique to Langkawi and I believe, the only one of its kind.”
Starwood also provides a free Meetings Impact Report (MIR) that assesses the environmental impact of individual events via indicators such as energy and water consumption, waste management and sustainable food choices. Once the MIR is calculated using the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative, meeting planners can offset the event’s carbon footprint through donation opportunities offered by South Pole Carbon, Starwood’s global carbon-offset partner.
Starwood vice president, sales – Asia Pacific, Nichlas Maratos, said: “We recognise that besides making sure that our internal operations and infrastructure are ecosystem friendly, our efforts should also include our customers and make it possible for them to actively participate in and be involved in this initiative.”
He added: “We see it as our ongoing efforts to educate our customers about how much they can do for the environment if they made sustainable options.”
– S Puvaneswary
Pan Pacific Hotels Group
Pan Pacific Hotels Groups (PPHG) has an active community outreach programme in Singapore. Among them is a periodic activity that sees chefs from various properties in Singapore visiting Bakery Hearts, a local social enterprise that provides women from low-income families an opportunity to supplement their household income by making and selling baked goods, to teach the women how to bake tasty and beautiful pastries.
But PPHG takes its partnership with Bakery Hearts further by involving the organisation in three public fund-raising events held at the Parkroyal on Beach Road hotel in July and November 2015 and April 2016, during which guests were able to purchase baked goods.
The Singapore Cheshire Home is another beneficiary of PPHG’s corporate social responsibility programme, and the hotel company had featured handicraft created by the residents at an internal Chinese New Year function this year. More than 300 guests in attendance were invited to purchase the art pieces.
Ng Cuili, a spokesperson with PPHG, told TTGmice that the company is presently exploring opportunities to involve both beneficiaries in corporate events hosted at Pan Pacific and Parkroyal branded properties in Singapore.
Ng said: “The Singapore Cheshire Home is happy to work with us to make their handicraft available for sale at corporate events held at PPHG properties, and we are discussing how to make this a regular initiative.”
While such a collaboration is still being discussed with Bakery Hearts, Ng
said her team is ready and “happy” to connect interested corporate clients with the organisation.
To helps guests and meeting clients conserve the environment during their stay and events at the Pan Pacific Singapore, the hotel participates in Soap for Hope, a soap-recycling project which involves the collection and donation of unfinished soap bars in guestrooms, reprocessing and sterilising them, and then donating them to rural areas and communities in South-east Asia.
The hotel also re-distributes unconsumed food and pastries from events held on premises to the staff cafeteria and unused notepads to internal associates.
Throughout the hotel’s F&B outlets, condiments are provided in refillable containers instead of convenient packs to minimise packaging waste.
To reduce paper wastage, the hotel’s express checkout feature allows guests to view their bills from the in-room IPTV while soft copy invoices are emailed to registered guests’ emails, should these be required. – Karen Yue and Paige Lee Pei Qi
Hilton Worldwide
Last May, Hilton Worldwide announced an expanded carbon emissions solution, the Clean Air Program, which aims to reduce the environmental impact of meetings and events held at more than 90 hotels and resorts in Asia-Pacific.
Under this programme, event planners are given a free analysis of the carbon emissions of their event. Hilton uses LightStay, its proprietary system to calculate environmental performance and track carbon emissions from every meeting and event. Its ‘meeting calculator’ feature takes into account the function room’s water and electricity usage, and the food consumed at the event.
Hilton then purchases the equivalent carbon credits to finance environmentally-friendly projects across the region in partnership with carbon offset solutions provider Climate Friendly.
Martin Rinck, president Asia Pacific, Hilton Worldwide, said: “The awareness of carbon production has been profiled especially over the past five years. It is at the forefront of everyone’s mind.
“As a responsible organisation, it is important to do the right thing than to do things right. When we come out with such a programme, it is about giving organisations who are planning events the ability to offset their carbon footprint on their behalf.”
Hilton has identified nine projects across Asia-Pacific to be funded under the Clean Air Program, including the Tasmanian Native Forest Protection Project in Australia, 45-Turbine Wind Project in Tamil Nadu India, Borneo Rainforest Rehabilitation Project in Sarawak, Malaysia, and the Siam Cement Biomass Project in Thailand. The programme covers all events held in participating hotels and resorts. – Paige Lee Pei Qi
InterContinental Hotels Group
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) properties are guided by the IHG Green Engage system in their operations by way of a checklist of actions that helps hotels monitor, reduce and manage energy, water, waste consumption and carbon emissions.
Such actions include the use of environmentally-friendly event materials, the avoidance of disposable dining ware, cutlery and single-serving containers, provision of restaurant menus that indicate the local origin of food and beverage options, and the display of bathroom signs to guide efficient use of water.
According to Michael Blanding, director, corporate responsibility, Asia, Middle East, Africa and Greater China, the checklist takes into account costs and guest experience.
Specific to meeting groups, IHG hotels “promote local sustainability initiatives such as low carbon alternative means of transport, and provide meeting delegates with feedback on their energy and resource usage”, said Blanding.
“We also promote each hotel’s participation in the IHG Green Engage system and their associated certification level on IHG booking sites to help meeting delegates make sustainable travel choices,” he added. – Paige Lee Pei Qi
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ effort in sustainability can be traced back to 2013 when it launched the Experience It teambuilding philosophy to differentiate its meeting product as well as to engage and inspire guests through activities tied to hotels’ corporate social responsibility and sustainability initiatives.
Within this philosophy are three touchpoints: one, to partner with one of Shangri-La’s community engagement programmes; two, to participate in special biodiversity conservation projects and habitat-protection initiatives; three, to be involved in healthy, on-site activities and sustainability initiatives.
The Experience It programme is unique in the way that each Shangri-La property has the flexibility to develop its own offerings. Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa, for example, offers an Experience It programme that gets meeting delegates to build a fish house, plant corals and go on a Shangri-La Marine Sanctuary Discovery Tour.
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ director of CSR and sustainability, Yui Ku, told TTGmice that event planners want opportunities to deliver memorable experiences.
“Through interaction with local children or participation in an eco-themed teambuilding exercise, (meeting delegates) can do things differently and for a purpose,” she said.
According to Yui, events often run on a tight schedule and planners, restricted by a limited budget, are normally unable to conduct an activity as impactful as an Experience It programme.
In addition to Experience It, Shangri-La properties also actively work to reduce the carbon footprint of events held on premises, such as by using water dispensers, substituting glass containers for bottled mineral water (its resorts have their own water bottling facility), using ingredients sourced locally, and re-purposing wine crates and boxes as food stands, litter bins or ornaments.
Yui added: “The reduction of carbon emissions is part of our overall efforts to reduce environmental impact across all our hotels. The group-wide target in 2015 was to reduce the carbon footprint intensity by 20 per cent from 2010 levels; specific targets were allocated to each hotel.” – Prudence Lui
Hyatt Hotels & Resorts
Since Hyatt first introduced sustainability in meetings across hotels in Asia, it has seen this commitment growing in importance and relevance. In the initial stage, the concept was to engage Hyatt hotels around the region to create custom opportunities for clients interested in hosting green meetings. For instance, Grand Hyatt Singapore encourages guests and planners to make green choices for their meetings through its Meet and Be Green programme.
Senior vice president for brand and commercial strategy, Asia Pacific, Carina Chorengel, said: “These initiatives become part of a larger sustainability effort that goes beyond green meetings and events, and is integrated into our global operations. Our current 2020 vision includes a set of measurable and actionable goals across three focus areas, namely using precious natural resources wisely, building smarter and greener hotels to meet the challenges of tomorrow, and inspiring innovation among our colleagues, suppliers and other stakeholders to develop more sustainable ways of doing business, today and in the future.”
She added: “Currently, we integrate sustainability into our daily hotel operations. Our efforts involve everyone from meeting delegates, associates and guests, to hotel owners as they all play a key role in these efforts.”
Hyatt’s internal drive for sustainability saw it removing shark fins from its event menus in 2012. By 2014, it established a complete ban on the item in all its restaurants and F&B outlets worldwide.
Meetings are also able to reduce their carbon footprint before they even begin, thanks to Hyatt hotel’s use of LED lighting, sustainable menus, recycling practices and reusable materials.
Participating Hyatt hotels around the region are also able to provide clients with an estimated carbon footprint of their meetings using the Hotel Carbon Management Initiative. – Prudence Lui
AccorHotels
AccorHotels has made 21 commitments to sustainable development under its Planet 21 programme. These commitments include establishing 30 per cent less food waste, 100 per cent low-carbon new buildings and renovations for its owned and leased properties, and 1,000 urban vegetable gardens in its hotels, among others – all by 2020.
And under the guidance of Planet 21, AccorHotels is currently rolling out sustainable seminar packages under the Meeting 21 brand.
Gaynor Reid, AccorHotels vice president communications, Asia-Pacific, explained: “The Meeting 21 standard covers our offerings from amenities, equipment, furniture and floor coverings in meeting rooms to F&B packaging and menu.”
What this means is, meeting attendees at AccorHotels properties can expect to see more recycling bins, LED lighting and locally sourced furnishings being used in meeting rooms, and sustainable food options on the event menu, for instance.
Reid added that “sustainable experiences for participants” will also be available. Such experiences could be teambuilding programmes or group activities that are related to nature or the local community.
In Bangkok, seven hotels under AccorHotels came together in 2012 to start the Food for Thought initiative that collects unconsumed food at the hotels and transform them into nutritious dinners for people under the care of Fatima Centre.
“Unconsumed food from events (held at the hotels) are also donated towards this cause,” Reid said.
At Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, meeting delegates get a stationery set that comprises of eco-pens which are made out of recycled paper by the Yayasan Peduli Tunas Bangsa foundation in Indonesia, established by the hotel giant to alleviate poverty by providing maximum education to underprivileged children while protecting the environment.
At the same time, AccorHotels provides the Carbon Optimizer, a tool that enables guests to measure and reduce their meetings’ environmental footprint and offers suggestions on what can be done to offset that impact.
However, Reid is cautious about projecting the results of Meeting 21, saying that the programme is optional for hotels and that it is still in its infancy.
Still, she said the company is “optimistic that (Meeting 21) will make a difference in the long run”. – Michael Mackey
Onyx Hospitality Group
Onyx Hospitality Group has a green meetings programme that is executed by its two properties in Thailand – Amari Watergate Bangkok and Amari Ocean Pattaya.
According to David Barrett, executive director of events, Amari Watergate Bangkok and Amari Pattaya, the Green Meetings Package allows “our MICE activities and delegates to become a part of our commitment to corporate responsibility while meeting our business objectives”.
Barrett pointed out that meetings create a “sizeable carbon footprint”, so the hotels’ Green Meetings Package “is the first step to reducing such negative impact on the environment”.
In line with the Green Meetings Package, meeting rooms in participating hotels are set up in a sustainable manner. Drinking water and stationery are supplied in a communal style to conserve resources, rooms use natural light and energy efficient equipment, coffee beans used for coffee service are sourced from certified producers, and set lunch is prepared with locally sourced produce.
In addition, through a partnership with Trees Trust (Asia), one tree will be planted for each delegate at an event held at the hotels. Delegates will receive photos of the tree being planted as well as regular photo updates to instil a long-term interest in the activity.
“We anticipate our Green Meetings Package will reduce the carbon footprint of a full-day or half-day meeting by 20 per cent,” said Barrett, although he admitted that “green meetings remain a niche segment, as most clients are driven by price and not environmental savings”. – Michael Mackey
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group hotels worldwide follow a sustainability policy that is built on three pillars: Think Planet – minimising its environmental footprint; Think People – taking care of the health and safety of guests and employees; Think Community – community action and business ethics.
In keeping its Think People promise, Carlson Rezidor hotels work on reducing their environmental footprint by certifying the hotel building, eco-labelling hotel operations, making specific Think Planet investments, and engaging staff and guests.
Inge Huijbrechts, vice president responsible business, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, told TTGmice: “In EMEA (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) Think Planet activities have reduced our hotels’ energy consumption by 22 per cent over the last four years, and in APAC (Asia-Pacific) the Earthcheck eco-label of our properties has reduced energy by 23 per cent.”
“This significantly reduced energy consumption in the hotels lowers the carbon footprint of the meeting for the corporate client,” she added.
Besides the company’s internal sustainability drive, meeting planners who are members of the Club Carlson for Planners loyalty programme can utilise the Meeting Minus Carbon carbon offsetting service. The free service uses the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative to calculate an event’s carbon footprint and Club Carlson will then purchase carbon credits to offset the impact. The service is managed by Carbon Footprint, which purchases and invests carbon credits in projects in India, Brazil and Kenya.
Huijbrechts said Carlson Rezidor’s sustainability programme for meetings stands out in the marketplace because each tonne of carbon generated is offset twice. She explained: “Once in Verified Carbon Standard wind energy projects in India, and again in a REDD certified (Reducing Emissions from Avoiding Planned Deforestation) forest conservation project in Brazil or in a tree-planting initiative in Kenya.”
Furthermore, Meeting Minus Carbon is “the only programme to consistently offset the meetings and events carbon footprint for all Carlson Rezidor hotels worldwide”, and its “reforestation and forest protection projects have a considerable local community benefit”.
Huijbrechts described the adoption of Meeting Minus Carbon as being “fantastic”, having offset 35,000 tons of carbon since its launch on Earth Day 2013.
“In addition, the Blu Planet towel reuse programme at Radisson Blu Hotels (one of the hotel brands in the Carlson Rezidor family) has helped to provide safe drinking water for life to over 5,000 children in just one year since its launch. Since we have introduced the connection to community water projects, the towel reuse take-up by stayover guests has increased on average from 20 per cent to 40,” she added.
Hotel brands under the Carlson Rezidor group take the green commitment further by weaving sustainable practices into their own meeting offerings.
Huijbrechts shared that an essential part of a responsible and sustainable meeting lies in the F&B offering.
One of the two features under Radisson Blu’s Experience Meetings concept is Brain Food which follows six principles including the use of primarily fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and pure ingredients with minimal industrial processing which therefore have minimal impact on the environment.
Park Inn by Radisson’s Smart Food makes using local ingredients a priority.
Radisson RED adopts a No Food Waste policy and abides by it by pricing breakfast by the item to encourage guests to take only what’s needed, providing RED merchandised containers to regulars to reduce waste, using only disposables that are made of responsible materials, and finding ingenious ways to incorporate misshapen fruits and veggies in its dishes.
Huijbrechts observed that large corporations with their own sustainability programmes tend to be more interested in Carlson Rezidor’s Responsible Business features in general and Think Planet activities at the hotels.
She said: “A number of key corporate clients – mainly in the Nordics and North America – want to have a detailed follow-up of the carbon footprint of their stays and events in Carlson Rezidor hotels. We provide this information based on the Hotel
Carbon Measurement Initiative tool and discuss with clients how we can help them further reduce their footprint by staying and meeting at our hotels.”
– Karen Yue
