Asia/Singapore Thursday, 9th April 2026
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Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain unveils new event space

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AN ELEGANT multipurpose hall is about to join Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain’s offering to business event planners.

Set against a backdrop of the majestic mountains in Sichuan province with the resort’s one-hectare organic garden in the foreground, the spacious Qing You Hall can accommodate banquets of 300 guests or classroom meeting setup for 280 pax.

Designed for maximum flexibility, the pillar-free ballroom can be divided into three separate spaces, ideal for meetings and smaller gatherings or breakout areas. For larger and diverse events, planners can utilise a covered terrace and a lawn along with Qing You Hall. Vehicular access to all areas offers the potential for incentive or exhibitions to be held as integral elements of the primary affair.

Qing You Hall’s interior features beautifully crafted soft-hued timber finishes and paneling wrapped in rich earth tones with just a hint of delicate Chinese embellishments. Stunning lighting features descend from vaulted ceilings, augmented by recessed high-tech down lighting that can be programmed to create any mood desired.

A VIP anteroom is available for receiving dignitaries and special guests, while the hall itself is outfitted with state-of-the-art sound system, audiovisual capabilities and wireless Internet access.

Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain also supplies a dedicated team to provide event planners with support and service from the planning stages through to the event conclusion.

Manish Puri, general manager of Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain, said: “I know that our guests will love the venue for conferences, meetings and incentives, (as it gives) the opportunity for attendees to gather in the pure air of our location and the activities offered in this traditionally spiritual setting.”

Singapore tops UIA’s latest destination ranking

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Singapore’s Esplanade

SINGAPORE, Brussels and Seoul are the top three cities for international meetings in 2015, according to statistics collected by the Union of International Associations (UIA).

The report looked at 458,453 meetings held in 1,449 cities across the world and found Singapore most popular, having played host to 736 or 6.3 per cent of all international meetings in 2015.

In close second was Belgium’s capital city of Brussels. It was the chosen city for 665 meetings. Seoul, meanwhile, took the third position with 494 international meetings in its bag that same year.

Remarkably, the city-state of Singapore ranked fourth as a country, after the US in first place, South Korea in second and Belgium in third.

Paris, Vienna, Tokyo, Bangkok, Berlin, Barcelona and Geneva also won top 10 city placings on UIA’s list.

Minor Hotels rebrands former Centara Hotel & Convention Centre Khon Kaen

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CENTARA Hotel & Convention Centre Khon Kaen has been rebranded under Minor Hotels’ Avani flag since July 1, 2016.

According to a statement, Avani Khon Kaen Hotel & Convention Centre is “uniquely positioned to meet the needs of business guests”, boasting 4,000m2 of meeting space.

In addition to having 196 guestrooms across five room types, the property also features an outdoor pool, a fitness centre and a spa.

The property is a 15-minute drive from the Khon Kaen Airport and located close to a number of leisure attractions such as the Dino Park water park and a nearby shopping district.

With this rebranding, Minor Hotels will have 16 properties under the Avani brand in operation in Thailand, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Seychelles, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia and the UAE, with a pipeline of further openings in Asia and the Middle East.

Dining with four senses and a conscience

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The Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit has created aGuideDID 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.

 

A stylish prelude to dinner

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Why settle for a predictable pre-dinner cocktail in the foyer of a ballroom when you can do the same inside a tram that travels from Stamford Plaza Adelaide Hotel in the city centre to either its sister property along Glenelg Beach, Stamford Grand Adelaide Hotel, or the Morphettville Racecourse?

The tram ride lasts around 35 minutes door-to-door, a suitable duration for guests to enjoy canepes and wine as well as good conversations and the city’s sights before arriving at the next destination for dinner or more ice-breaker or teambuilding activities.

According to Russell Cool, area general manager of Stamford Hotels Adelaide, who takes care of the two five-star hotels in Adelaide, South Australia, the arrangement is flexible as more tram cars can be added to the line for larger gatherings. So far, the largest corporate hire was for 200 guests using two tram cars.

The two hotels also work closely with the Morphettville Racecourse to put together creative offsite events for clients. – Karen Yue

Best Western shows MICE prowess with Bangkok property

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Best Western Hotels & Resorts has launched the Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel, its latest property in Bangkok.

A 927m2 ballroom with a capacity for almost 900 people is among the nine separate function spaces at the hotel, which is expected to become “a major hub for the MICE market”.

“With its extensive conference and banqueting facilities, including four floors of function rooms, Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel will surely become a firm favourite with meeting planners,” said Olivier Berrivin, Best Western’s managing director of international operations for Asia.

The new hotel offers a range of accommodation for short and long stays, a restaurant serving modern Thai and international cuisine, a cafe, an outdoor infinity pool and a fitness centre.

Best Western Plus Wanda Grand Hotel is located close to Don Mueang International Airport, the Thai government complex, IMPACT convention centre, World Medical Center and several major retail and entertainment areas.

InterContinental Wellington introduces 360-degree virtual site inspection

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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.”

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Hong Kong Airlines flies to Osaka

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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.

X2 launches luxury cruises on Chao Phraya River

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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.

Angsana properties tout CSR incentive programme

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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.
AngsanaLangCo

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