Wehinger has been appointed both area general manager Oceania and general manager of Parkroyal Darling Harbour, Sydney. He was last general manager of Marina Mandarin Singapore, and prior to that, the first general manager of Grand Millennium Beijing.
The Ascott Limited has appointed Vermeersch as area manager for its properties in Thailand and general manager for Somerset Park Suanplu Bangkok. He has held key positions in several companies such as city manager of Tianjin for Ascott.
Loeffelholz now oversees five Oakwood properties in Japan in his new role as general manager with Oakwood Asia Pacific. He joins Oakwood from Capital Servicing Group.
Hurst has been picked to lead the pre-opening of Best Western Premier Genting Ion Delemen, Malaysia. As general manager, he will also oversee all aspects of operations, sales and marketing at the property. He was last general manager of Ramada Plaza Kuala Lumpur.
Dany Lützel now leads Niccolo Chongqing as general manager. He was last general manager at Kempinski Chongqing, and before, general manager of Radisson Blu, St Gallen, Switzerland.
Goh has been promoted to the position of complex general manager of Le Méridien Bangkok and Plaza Athénée Bangkok, A Royal Méridien. She was formerly the general manager of the latter property.
Wong has joined Pan Pacific Tianjin as general manager. He was last general manager of Tianjin Modern Group’s hotel business and was responsible for the construction of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residence in Tianjin.
Here are some outright good news: the number of corporate meetings and incentive programmes that feature Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives has spiked over the past few years, with corporate event specialists reporting increments ranging between 15 per cent and 100 per cent.
When MCI conducted its 2015 Annual Client Sustainability Survey, it found that 95 per cent of its clients make sustainability a key consideration when planning their events, up from 25 per cent in 2011. Ninety per cent of clients have their own sustainability programmes (up from 15 per cent in 2011) while 68 per cent evaluate the sustainability of their supply chain (up from 25 per cent in 2011).
At FCm Travel Solutions Singapore, client requests for CSR activities have doubled over the past three years, according to Theresa Lee, head of MICE. Six out of 10 meetings and incentives it organises today feature CSR components.
Lee said: “We have received frequent requests (from our clients) to incorporate CSR activities into their meetings and incentive trips in an effort to build care and concern for people, planet and profit. That translates to a sustainable business and the environment they operate in.”
The numbers have also risen for Intas Destination Management in the Philippines – seven out of 10 meetings and incentive programmes today include a CSR activity compared to just three years ago, said Kevin Jemel Hinahon, marketing and MICE manager of the agency.
Hinahon said many of his clients today take the initiative to make that request, and the change is a welcome one.
He said: “This is a win-win situation. (CSR activities) make the trip memorable and meaningful. The trip will not only help individuals, it also inspires the participants and bolsters their spirit of volunteerism.”
Destination Asia Japan, which was established five years ago, has seen CSR inclusions blossom from “being very rare then to accounting for one in four today”, revealed its managing director, Jared Stenhouse, who added that “it is becoming standard for us to include a CSR component (in our response to) an RFP for an incentive project”.
Some event specialists said international firms with vast experience in organising business events are the main drivers of this growing interest in CSR achievements as part of business events.
Takayuki Kawahara, general manager of MICE sales division, Tobu Top Tours Co in Japan, observed that large companies, especially international pharmaceutical firms, were putting in the most requests for CSR activities, while Hinahon said his foreign clients were the most active champions.
What drives the desire?
There are various reasons, from an altruistic desire to leverage corporate power and a strong headcount during business gatherings to help the less fortunate in the destination hosting the event, to a more pragmatic need to appear as a responsible corporate citizen under public scrutiny.
Lee believes that the expanding millennial workforce is particularly driving the altruistic push.
She said: “The millennial generation grew up with the Internet and is well informed of global issues, especially those facing the underprivileged and the environment. They are always looking for ways to contribute to the betterment of their local communities and to society.”
And companies seeking to win loyalty from the millennials and retain talent are discovering that they need to be socially responsible too.
“A strong CSR policy is a strategic tool used to attract and retain talent for the business. By providing the employee with the opportunity for individual contribution towards the greater good of a cause, the community or the environment, the company helps the employee to foster a sense of belonging and a feel-good factor about themselves and the employer,” she added.
Talan Miller, managing director of Sabre Corporate Development, Australia, said: “The millennials – be they staff or customers – certainly seem to demand more community-minded values from the big brands. In reality, while some may have genuinely grown in altruism, I think that global connectedness and social media are actually holding some big brands far more accountable to their negative actions in some markets these days. So some seek to add some community credibility and charm to their brands or assuage some guilt after a certain major image crisis.”
Whatever the reason is for the CSR inclusion, Miller offers one invaluable advice to companies: ensure a balance in the contribution to charity and the cost of staging the event.
He elaborated: “We once saw a client donate approximately A$2,000 (US$1,468) worth of bikes, then with the charity representative still in the room, they gave about A$6,000 worth of fashion sunglasses as prizes to the winning teams from the team challenge linked to the donation. This looked a little shallow and hypocritical to external observers.”
Adding quality flesh to the bone
The growing implementation of CSR activities as part of a business programme is also simply to better engage an increasingly discerning audience.
Max Jantasuwan, group managing director of Events Travel Asia, Thailand, said: “Corporate clients are now looking at different ways to reward their staff and promote work-life balance. Incorporating CSR in meetings and incentive programmes rewards participants in a spiritual way and engages the team to look at life differently and appreciate what they have achieved.”
Stu Robertson, managing director of Team Up Events in New Zealand, agrees.
He said: “For a lot of (clients), creating a memorable experience for their participants and linking that with the community in the destination (and the organisational values is key). Incorporating a sense of giving can help create that memorable experience.”
Stenhouse added that business event participants “are looking for more ways to get involved in the destination they are visiting”.
He said: “They don’t want to just sit on the coach and watch things pass by; they want hands-on experiences.”
Furthermore, with corporate budgets for incentives being tightened these days, CSR activities are all the more attractive because they can can add substance to a reward programme without being seen as a cost, Stenhouse reasoned.
What works?
CSR programmes that benefit children and youths, and those that come with immediate and obvious results appear to be a hit, according to event specialists that spoke to TTGmice.
Brett Hollis, owner of Big Stick Adventures, Australia, found that activities that have an impact on other people and can provide an immediate visual, educational and emotional result are more popular with corporate clients, in particular those that reach out to disadvantaged and disable youths and transparent organisations with a blue ribbon vision (in support of child abuse prevention) and cause.
Robertson found that CSR activities that “deliver the biggest impact… and create the biggest smiles” and whose beneficiaries are included in the business event at some stage, are preferred.
Hinahon said activities that empowered local communities to make a sustainable livelihood are also popular, while Tokyo-based Event Services, Inc’s Lucky Morimoto said clients desired programmes that allowed their staff to interact with the locals as that will form part of the training or education.
Swire Travel Hong Kong’s senior manager, Eva Lai, said tree-planting in China are preferred by her clients in Hong Kong as “it is easy to handle and can accommodate groups of all sizes”, but added that they generally prefer to implement CSR activities on homeground.
Miller opined that while hands-on activities and visits to charity organisations might be great, companies should first consider how useful the donation or activity would be to the beneficiary.
He said: “The thing most charity projects actually need is cash to spend. It is just harder to make cash appear warm and fuzzy for those (incorporating a CSR element) with a pure event focus.
“A nice example was a global engineering firm that ran an A$2,500 teambuilding event to link to an A$12,000 donation to charity. There wasn’t a big song and dance over the donation, as it was just done because the senior leadership had a genuine desire to make a difference.”
Lee also advised care when selecting a local organisation to work with.
“We do our due diligence and conduct background checks on the selected organisations to make sure their books are in order and that they are not linked to any known scams or human trafficking/child labour issues,” she said.
“Corporations may also want to pay attention to the emotional impact of certain CSR activities on their staff,” suggested Brian Kock, senior manager – destinations & events management, Swire Travel Hong Kong.
“Once, we proposed a visit to some soldiers (who were maimed in battle) but that was rejected because it was too impactful on the delegates.”
Destination considerations
As business events have corporate objectives to fulfil, destination choices will not be influenced by the availability of CSR opportunities, as rightly pointed out by Sumate Sudasna, managing director of CDM – Conference & Destination Management, Thailand, who remarked that “(event delegates) do not travel to save the world”.
However, Sabre’s Miller said: “It does compel them to look deeper at what stark contrasts might exist between their five-star resort and the poor local villages.When it crosses their minds that just 25 per cent of their gala dinner’s bar bill might save lives, provide safe housing or train several teachers, it can be a sobering experience. When carefully planned, these feelings can help lead to increased awareness and advocacy of local CSR issues.”
Hollis believes that every destination offers worthy causes for corporations to fight for and it is up to the client to decide which best fits their corporate CSR ambitions and culture.
Even Japan, a first-world country, can offer up impactful CSR opportunities, said Stenhouse.
“We had some projects in Fukushima and Tohoku which were badly hit by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. We brought groups to the temporary housing units for survivors and ran some English language classes. Even just bringing tourism business into these areas is a big help,” he said.
Kawahara added that event delegates visiting Japan are also able to volunteer at sports events and take part in tree-planting activities.
Max said the growing demand for CSR inclusions within business events has made it necessary for event specialists like himself “to be more creative in tailoring CSR programmes that cater to the client’s corporate identity” while using available resources.
Diethelm Travel Group, which has strong local networks in the Asia destinations it operates in, is able to “provide all our clients with CSR activities wherever the destination our client chooses, be it Cambodia, Laos, Thailand or Myanmar”, said Jeremie Descelles, sales and account director (MICE, France, Africa and Asia).
Expecting the demand for CSR activities to rise further, Kawahara concluded that event specialists “need to be ready for that”.
From cooking for impoverished children in Auckland to saving a protected bear species in Laos, event specialists show that there are many ways to do good while meeting for business
Spreading the love to brother bear
A Singapore-based investment company – a client of FCm Travel Solutions Singapore – wanted to introduce a CSR experience for the first time to its corporate retreat. The experience involved a fundraising campaign within the different teams in the company, and part of the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the investment teams went towards this company-wide initiative.
Luang Prabang was the chosen destination. FCm Travel Solutions Singapore worked with its local vendor, EXO Travels, to propose the Free the Bears programme.
The group visited the Bear Rescue Centre at Nam Kan natural protected area, home to the largest community of protected Moon Bears (also known as Asian Black Bears) in Laos. Participants were given a project overview before being taken on a behind-the-scenes tour of the sanctuary. They also learnt how the bears were taken into care after their rescue, heard the stories of how each bear came to live at this sanctuary, what they were being hunted for and how Bear Rescue Centre continues its mission to protect, preserve and enrich the lives of bears in six countries – Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Donations raised through the Free the Bears programme went towards food, medical and care for the bears.
A contribution to green education
MCI Asia Pacific helped client Symantec sponsor and co-organise a Plant-for-the-Planet Academy (an official UN education project) for a group of children as part of the company’s Vision Symposium.
During the Academy, professionals educated the children about environmental issues and inspired them to become Climate Justice Ambassadors by equipping them with the skills to educate their own friends and family about the importance of the environment.
As a result, the achievements saw US$10,000 donated by Symantec to sponsor the Academy, and 43 children between the ages of eight and 14 became Climate Justice Ambassadors.
Also, 19,228 pledges to plant trees were collected and US$15,000 was donated by Symantec to plant trees in Campeche, Mexico.
A talent for fund-raising
The Nu Skin Got Talent Show was a single-night event during the 2014 Nu Skin Greater China Regional Convention, where the global wellness company arranged for its distributors to form teams and put up a talent showcase, effectively marrying entertainment, team-bonding opportunities and charity. To vote for their favourite team, the audience had to purchase voting tickets and sales proceeds were channelled to the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation which supports humanitarian projects in more than 50 countries.
Various charity sales booths were also set-up at the convention, to raise additional funds for the Foundation.
According to Avis Chau, vice president of Nu Skin Greater China Success Inspirations and general manager of Nu Skin Hong Kong and Macau, both the Nu Skin Got Talent Show and charity booths raised HK$2 million (US$257,625). This amount went into supporting charity projects in Greater China including the Nu Skin Greater China Children Heart Fund.
Helping nature along
A group of 100 delegates from a Malaysian education sector held a two-day CSR programme in the Setiu Wetlands in Terengganu this January. Put together by local DMC Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours in partnership with local non-profit organisation Sahabat Setiu, the programme saw the delegates learn about the importance of the mangrove ecosystem and take part in activities such as releasing terrapins into the river, planting 500 mangrove seedlings and clearing rubbish in the Setiu Wetlands area.
Alex Lee, CEO of Ping Anchorage Travel & Tours, said: “(The programme) also benefitted the local community in Setiu as (its people) were paid for helping with the tree-planting, and for demonstrating how mats and baskets are made using plants from the wetlands.”
Experimenting with tea leaves
A group of 50 German delegates who were in China for a meeting and incentive sought out a CSR activity that promotes sustainable tourism.
The handling agent, Germany-based Globalevents, organised a tea plantation activity that gave delegates an understanding of cultural preservation and sustainable agriculture. The highlight of the day was the hands-on tea-growing experience during which a specialist detailed the different methods of the tea-growing process. The group got to learn how to choose and pluck tea leaves, and at the end of it, brewed their own tea using the leaves they had plucked.
According to Frauke Melchert, senior sales manager MICE with Globalevents, the delegates were all very pleased as the experience was unique and they could try the fruits of their labour.
A tale of green commitment
When a major Japanese finance company took 400 employees to New York for a week-long incentive trip, it obtained permission from the authorities to plant a tree sapling in Central Park. According to Japan’s Event Services, Inc, president Lucky Morimoto, the client was keen to promote a message of environmental responsibility as well as lasting friendship between the US and Japan. Planting a tree was seen to satisfy both.
Furthermore, the project was warmly welcomed by the company as it could be revisited by employees for many years.
A vision for a happy world
In April 2016, Sabre Corporate Development handled a group of 100 global leaders and their partners from a major international software company and helped delivered a CSR event in Gold Coast, Australia.
As the client had global operations, it requested a programme that would deliver equally far-reaching results. As such, Sabre used World Vision, an international humanitarian aid organisation, and its Smiles programme as the medium.
Following a three-hour conference and teambuilding activity, the group chalked up dozens of education packages, vaccinations, water projects, livestock animals, solar lights, seeds and other items that were eventually donated globally via World Vision.
Satiating a need to feed
Some 25 participants from Tonkin and Taylor, a multinational engineering company, visited a low socio-economic school in Auckland to participate in a Feed the Need programme. Their challenge was to prepare, cook and serve lunch for 75 school kids.
A Tonkin and Taylor representative said: “We got way more out of the programme than we ever expected – it was a great feeling and we came away a little awed by the kids’ talent and were hugely impressed with all the organisation that had happened behind the scenes.”
Rwanda’s diverse offerings include trekking on the Mikeno volcano
Picture by Monika Hrdinova/www.shutterstock.com
A new convention centre, upcoming international branded hotels and a growing MICE reputation could change Rwanda’s fate, writes Paige Lee Pei Qi
Rwanda’s MICE tourism is poised for a major lift on the back of the US$300 million Kigali Convention Centre which had opened last month, along with the entrance of several new city hotels that will boost accommodation inventory in its capital Kigali.
Ranked as the 13th most sought after MICE destination on the African continent by ICCA last year, Rwanda has been steadily building its niche in MICE since the launch of the Rwanda Convention Bureau (RCB) in 2014.
According to Faustin Karasira, acting head of the tourism department in Rwanda Development Board, which oversees the RCB’s activities, at least 40 per cent of overall tourism revenue, which is targeted at US$860 million, is expected to come from MICE by 2018.
Total revenues based on MICE tourism in 2015 were US$35 million, up from US$29 million in 2014.
Karasira said: “We are ready to be positioned as a MICE hub within Africa especially with new infrastructure like the Kigali Convention Centre and international branded hotels.”
Adding to that, Joseph Birori, managing director of MICE with Primate Safaris, said the increase in meeting and hotel facilities will help him sell Rwanda much better and the destination’s potential for MICE will now be “taken seriously”.
New and upcoming hotels in the destination include the 251-key Kigali Marriott Hotel, 161-room Park Inn by Radisson, as well as Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre with 292 rooms.
Kigali Marriott Hotel, which opened in May, is expecting 50 per cent of guests to be business travellers, according to Peter Mukulu, the hotel’s director of sales & marketing.
Mukulu said: “There are not a lot of international hotels in the city. By establishing a Marriott, we will be able to help drive the inbound MICE market.”
While the hotel is expecting the bulk of guests to be from regional Africa, he said his team will be courting the international market especially through their US and Europe counterparts by establishing a presence at related tradeshows.
Playing host to international events has also lifted the city’s prominence. Karasira said: “The growth of international events being held in our country displays confidence in our MICE capabilities which will help us see further growth in MICE tourism as word gets around.”
High profile international events this year include the World Economic Forum in May, which welcomed 3,000 delegates, as well as the African Union Summit later in July and the Global Africa Investment Summit in September – each expected to host 2,000 guests.
Birori pointed to Rwanda’s reputation for security and tour offerings as other key selling points.
He said: “Business travellers especially are big on safety and Rwanda is well-known to (be a clean place with) low crime rates.
“On top of that, Rwanda has exclusive nature and wildlife attractions for incentive activities like mountain gorillas trekking tours.”
Karasira added that the national MICE strategy is in line with diversifying the current tourism product offering while complementing existing gorilla tourism, eco-tourism, cultural and community-based tourism, the mainstays of Rwanda’s economy.
Increased air connectivity is also one of the factors that has bolstered Rwanda’s MICE sector.
The number of international airlines operating in the country has increased from five in 2010 to nine in 2015. South African Airways, Qatar Airways, KLM, Turkish Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Kenya Airways, flydubai, Emirates Cargo and Ethiopian Airlines are airlines currently operating in Rwanda.
Moreover, Africans arriving in or transiting through Rwanda are not required to apply for visas prior to travel as they can get them upon arrival in the country.
The Kigali International Airport, which went through an upgrade in 2014, increased its annual capacity to 1.6 million passengers, up from 600,000. Also, a new airport, Bugesera International Airport, is in the works and will provide extra capacity for passengers and cargo when opened.
Manzi Kayihura, owner of Thousand Hills Expeditions, identifies three must-dos in Rwanda
Learn its history
Dedicate at least half a day to the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, which documents the 1994 genocide during which an estimated one million people died over the span of 100 days. It also serves as the final resting place for over 250,000 victims.
Get close to nature
The forest fringed lakes, papyrus swamps, savannah plains and rolling highlands combine to make Akagera National Park among the most scenic of reserves anywhere in Africa. The park has vehicles for hire for game drives, which come with a driver, a guide and a choice of half- or full-day drives. Be prepared to come up close and personal with the wildlife.
Say hello to the mountain gorillas
Visit the habitat of the endangered mountain gorillas at the Volcanoes National Park through a gorilla trekking tour. The adventure takes anything from 30 minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the group’s physical strength.
The US$300 million Kigali Convention Centre, which opened its doors in June this year, is deemed to be one of the most important infrastructure developments in the country.
Part of the Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre complex, Kigali Convention Centre has a flexible conference hall that can host up to 2,600 seated delegates, and is suitable for summit events, conventions, festivals or even concerts. Another flexible conference room for up to 800 pax, can be divided into six smaller spaces. There are also 18 meetings rooms as well as exhibition foyers.
Apart from meeting facilties, F&B options include an all-day-dining restaurant and a fine-dining restaurant.
The five-star 292-room Radisson Blu Hotel & Convention Centre offers accommodation support to events, and the hotel tower comes with its own event spaces too, allowing it to complement larger-scale gatherings taking place at the Kigali Convention Centre.
These meeting facilities include an arena that spans more than 1,200m2, a divisible conference hall as well as 10 meeting rooms.
Sitting on a hilltop in the heart of Kigali near the Parliament building, the convention centre is also conveniently located 20 minutes by car from the Kigali International Airport.
Several global business events have been booked at the new
Kigali Convention Centre
Shanghai is still a strong draw for events,
especially from the finance and scientific
sectors
Despite tough economic times, China’s financial hub has remained resilient and continues to be a magnet for business events. Caroline Boey reports
The 2016 MICE outlook for Shanghai continues to be upbeat as the city has been booked to host a number of international transportation and medical conventions that will attract some 3,000 participants.
The destination is one MICE city that has and continues to reap the benefits of its MICE infrastructure development. Case in point – the opening of the mega National Exhibition and Convention Center last year resulted in 24 new major local and international exhibitions organised in the city in 2015.
Patrick Chen, deputy director – International Tourism Promotion Department of the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, said a number of the 24 events were entirely new ones. He also noted that Shanghai is still a strong draw for events in the finance and scientific sectors.
This year, Shanghai will benefit from meetings like the Ministers of Finance gathering for 700 delegates. It was held at the end of February in the run-up to the 2016 G20 Hangzhou Summit in early September.
Chen added: “We are expecting a few more G20-related events (such as the Ministers of Trade meeting this month) which could bring in more than 1,000 attendees. The recent opening of the Shanghai Disney Resort will also contribute to MICE growth.”
With MICE infrastructure in Shanghai continuing to develop in new areas and in the further reaches of the metropolis, Chen said the city’s metro network is similarly expanding with the opening of new stations on Lines 7, 12 and 13.
According to new and established DMC players, Shanghai’s MICE performance is strong.
They said that Shanghai is benefitting from high-profile celebrity events with the likes of British actor Benedict Cumberbatch (of Sherlock fame) hosting product launches, which continue to raise the city’s hip factor.
The opening of luxury hotels – such as Jin Jiang Tower Hotel and Ahn Luh Zhujiajiao – and new state-of-the-art venues providing even more options for meeting planners and MICE buyers, also helps to make Shanghai a hot destination, they add.
Boutique DMC, Bespoke Shanghai, which set up a presence in the city last year, is upbeat. The company first started in Beijing in 2009, and it specialises in meetings for senior management and groups of up to 50 or 60 people.
Sam Braybon, bespoke ambassador to Shanghai, Bespoke Shanghai, said: “Shanghai has seen a strong 2015 MICE performance and this is expected to grow further this year. The city has invested heavily in infrastructure to ensure that its conference and exhibition facilities are among the best in China, and it has the best selection of luxury hotels and top-end restaurants that help support and attract high-level clients. Then there are a number of new hotels opening in 2016, plus Shanghai Disney Resort, which should mean a lot of publicity and an even higher profile for the city.”
International DMC Pacific World, which has had a presence in Shanghai since 2000, reports good demand for international corporate events.
Violet Wang, Shanghai-based destination manager, Pacific World, said: “Businesses are still choosing Shanghai to open new offices and we are still seeing a lot of business transactions with Shanghai. The US and Asia are major markets for Pacific World and it is enjoying a rise in sporting and product launch events.”
Wang elaborated: “The aviation, automotive and insurance industries are still strong and association meetings in high-tech and clean energy return every year. With the devaluation of the Chinese currency, Shanghai has become more affordable for markets such as the US, and also Australia and New Zealand – but to a lesser extent because their currencies have also depreciated.”
“Incentives are also back and the new trend is CSR teambuilding activities with experiences that engage and inspire staff. China’s strong cultural element is important for overseas participants. This year, we expect to see an uptrend from pharmaceutical companies, where compliance has eased and five-star accommodation can now be considered,” Wang said.
For Renaissance Shanghai Pudong Hotel, it expects demand for corporate meetings, primarily for training and education, to come from the insurance and pharmaceutical sectors.
To maintain its MICE share in an increasingly competitive environment, the hotel’s ballroom was upgraded in 2014 and renovation of its guestrooms was completed in August 2015.
Sam Braybon, Bespoke Shanghai’s bespoke ambassador to Shanghai, recommends three activities that can be done around the bustling city
Discover something old
Follow an expert guide into Shanghai’s Old City and learn about its early days as a Ming Dynasty trading post that was famous for cotton and textile production. Then traverse a tangle of impossibly narrow lanes surrounding Shanghai Confucius Temple and discover its architecture, before marvelling at the discreet villa where Einstein and his wife once dined during a stopover.
A different type of bar crawl
The city is a world-class party town and those looking for a good time can dress up and indulge in a three-hour signature Shanghai cocktail experience.
Accompanied by a doyenne of Shanghai’s nightlife scene, visitors can visit three of the city’s hidden bars and obtain exclusive access to three bartenders, where each bartender will craft a cocktail based on one’s favourite spirits and flavours.
Time hop into the past
A stroll along the Bund will give visitors a feel for Shanghai’s luxury business environment, while a visit to the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center tells the story of Shanghai’s transformation from a sleepy backwater to a global financial hub.
The ultra-luxurious Park Hyatt Shanghai is located between the 79th to 93rd floors of the Shanghai World Financial Center in Pudong.
Opened in 2008, its 87th floor Chef’s Table is a sought-after venue for exclusive and sophisticated dinners. Or when a special space that embraces the clouds and offers stunning views – which look directly at the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Jin Mao Tower and the Bund – is called for.
Visitors to the space are greeted by soaring ceilings, elegant European décor and a well-planned space for an intimate gathering.
One of the most exclusive spaces in the hotel, the interior was conceptualised by New York-based award-winning designer Tony Chi. What resulted was a fully equipped high-end Bulthaup kitchen that features its own music system.
Event planners can play around with the venue’s natural light, open kitchen and multifunctional space to enhance an exclusive and tailor-made dining experience that is supported on site with chef services.
The venue is ideal for small gatherings, especially those that require exceptional F&B services. Moreover, wine connoisseurs will delight in the exclusive wine library which stores more than 500 labels from around the world.
Aside from catering to exquisite dinner parties for 12 guests, a hotel spokesman said the Chef’s Table has also played host to pastry and floral master classes for small MICE group events. These, she said, were held during Park Hyatt Shanghai’s Masters of Food & Wine Passion Week – a high-profile annual highlight in Shanghai’s foodie calendar.
For bigger events, the spokesman added that Park Hyatt Shanghai also has a Private Dining space on the 93rd floor available.
For example, tai chi classes for MICE groups can take place in a spacious tai chi “courtyard” at one end of the pool area at Water’s Edge spa on the hotel’s 85th floor. It is one of the city’s highest pool, spa and fitness facilities.
Other meeting spaces include: seven salons measuring between 74m2 and 171m2 on the 86th floor; intimate spaces of 66m2 and 240m2 (that add up to 600m2)on the Private Dining level on the 93rd floor; while the Sky Arena on the 94th floor has a 760m2 space available.
From left: Park Hyatt Shanghai’s Chef’s Table; a pastry master class in session
