Asia/Singapore Thursday, 7th May 2026
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The Vines Resort launches new outdoor function space

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THE Pavilion, an outdoor event space that can accommodate up to 100 guests cocktail-style, recently opened on March 1 on the grounds of The Vines Resort & Country Club in Perth’s Swan Valley area.

Three sides of the covered structure open out into the grounds, featuring views of the manicured gardens, koi ponds, and distant vistas across the golf course.

The Pavilion joins the resort’s list of function spaces that include The Barrett Lennard Room, The Boardroom, Samuel Copley and Cabernet.

Other on-site facilities include a golf course, the Keshi Day Spa and Muscat’s Restaurant, among many other F&B options.

Safety, familiarity key concerns for US incentive planners

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INCENTIVE groups from the US are not choosing Singapore as a destination because of concerns on safety and a lack of understanding of what the island country has to offer, according to some panellists at the Trends in Incentive Travel panel discussion at theSingapore: A Curated Discovery seminar.

Bill Sellmer, president, Sellmer Meeting & Incentive Travel, said that Americans are “ignorant of geography” and had the perception that “Singapore is not that safe”.

But concerns about Singapore not being safe were not well-founded as it is known to be a safe country.

Alluding to this gap between perception and reality, Ping He, Maritz Travel’s global general manager, Asia-Pacific, said: “The key word is perceived safety.”

Groups from the US are also deterred by the fear of an unfamiliar destination far from home.

Mike Farmer, vice president, group travel business development, Meridian Enterprises, said coming to Asia means long flights and North-Americans know more about nearby Europe than faraway Asia.

“There is the fear of getting around cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong,” he added.

However, he opined that groups from the US can be motivated to pick Singapore if they had the right information.

“If you can get the client here on a site inspection, Singapore will sell.”

Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort rolls out new experiential meeting programmes

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Five new packages for meetings and events are now available at the 203-key Sheraton Bali Kuta Resort, offering activities that range from engagement with the Balinese community to customised teambuilding experiences.

Aimed at enhancing the delegate’s experience, these packages are: Share Your Plate programme where guests create a meal with unknown ingredients which will then be shared with children from the local orphanage; a 15-minute post-lunch activity with Sheraton’s fitness team; a three-minute SHINE Spa massage session during coffee breaks; a selection of power bars and candies at the refreshment lounge; and an After Work Happy Hour session where beers and cocktails are served at the refreshment lounge. Prices per pax vary.

These packages come with use of the hotel’s meeting spaces, complimentary microphones, a projector, conference sound system, clutter-free meetings setup, stationery, candies and bottled water.

Staging Connections unveils LED wall at Crown Melbourne

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Staging Connections recently announced the launch of a new audiovisual innovation at Crown Melbourne – the VuePix E series Pro LED Wall. The 52m2 LED Wall has been added to the Palladium ballroom, and promises to deliver “a revolutionary visual experience of unmatched colour, brightness and intensity”.

The impressive 14.4m by 4m display comprises over 500,000 individual LEDs and will be a perfect addition for event organisers looking to impress. Staging Connections’ team of in-house multimedia designers can create custom content to leverage the power of the LEDs.

With a brightness rating of over 3,500 nits (10 times the brightness of an average home television), the LED Wall can provide animated backgrounds for a wide range of performances. It can also be stacked as a complete wall or as a series of smaller displays.

The LED wall will be used in conjunction with the existing Meyer Sound’s horizontal array loudspeaker system to provide a premium event experience.

Avani to join properties along Chao Phraya river

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The picturesque banks of Bangkok’s Chao Phraya river will see the addition of Avani Riverside this month.

All 248 rooms and suites in the hotel will offer stunning views of the river and the city, as will the Grand Ballroom which sits on the 10th floor. The event venue spans nearly 4,500m2 and boasts its own open-plan kitchen and the highest ballroom ceiling in Bangkok.

Also looking to charm event planners is Attitude Bar and Restaurant on the rooftop of the 26-storey building. Featuring a designer infinity pool and city panoramas, the venue is ideal for private parties and sunset drinks.

Other dining facilities at Avani Riverside are Long Bar, Skyline and Pantry.

Business travellers will appreciate computer connections and open meeting spaces in the lobby, as well as a complimentary shuttle boat service that connects the hotel with the BTS skytrain station and pier at Saphan Taksin.

Coex gets Muslim-friendly with provision of prayer room

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Coex convention and exhibition centre in Seoul has become the first venue of its kind in South Korea to offer a prayer room for Muslim visitors.

Explaining the move, Bo Kyung Byun, president and CEO of Coex, said: “As the number of our internationally oriented exhibitions has increased, so too have the numbers of our Muslim guests. We want to make sure our international guests feel at home at Coex, no matter where they are from.”

The new prayer room is located on the third floor of Coex and features separate rooms for men and women. To accommodate daily prayer schedules, the room is open from 03.00 to 22.00.

Other prayer necessities, including Qu’rans, clocks, carpets and a Qibla which indicates the direction towards Mecca, are also provided for the convenience of Muslim guests.

“This prayer room not only offers convenience to (Muslim event delegates) coming to Coex, but also encourages cultural exchange in the fields of trade and tourism,” said Mohammed Chraibi, chief director of the Korea-Arab Society.

Dubai’s ibis One Central opens

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AccorHotels has added a new property in Dubai with the opening of ibis One Central. The property is next to the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Part of the Dubai Trade Centre District, the hotel will target a mix of leisure and MICE travellers coming to the UAE.

It offers 588 guestrooms, five meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 200 people, on-site restaurants, and an array of amenities including free Wi-Fi, gym access, underground parking, and a complimentary shuttle bus service between the hotel and selected attractions in the city.

Qingdao gets second Grand Mercure property

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The 508-room Grand Mercure Qingdao Nanshan Resort has opened adjacent to Qingdao International Exhibition Centre, boasting its own selection of venues that can support a variety of events.

Meeting planners can choose from eight function rooms, two boardrooms and two pillarless Grand Ballrooms that can accommodate up to 1,000 guests.

Guestrooms spot contemporary interiors and are fitted with modern facilities, including a minibar, complimentary Wi-Fi connection and a flatscreen TV.

Dining options include Sunshine Global Western Restaurant, Linhai Xuan Chinese restaurant, and the Lobby Bar and Cigar Bar.

Business travellers can choose to unwind at the resort’s fully-equipped gym studio or take a dip in the pool and relax in the sauna. The resort’s private stunning beach is located within walking distance, where guests can enjoy relaxing strolls and breathtaking scenery.

SIA first to operate international flights from Canberra

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From September 2016, pending regulatory approval, Singapore Airlines (SIA) will ply the Canberra-Singapore and Canberra-Wellington routes four times weekly each, making it the first carrier to operate regularly scheduled international flights from Australia’s capital city.

Flights depart Singapore at 23.00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, and will arrive in Canberra at 08.35. The flight will then leave Canberra for Wellington at 09.50 and arrive at 15.05 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Return flights will depart Wellington at 20.15 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and arrive in Canberra at 22.05. On the same days, the flight will leave Canberra at 23.30 and land in Singapore at 05.50.

A Boeing 777-200 comprising 38 business class seats and 228 economy class seats will operate on the routes.

Tickets have gone on sale from January 25, with economy fares starting from S$650 (US$452) all-inclusive for Canberra-Singapore return and S$469 all-inclusive for Canberra-Wellington return. Business class fares start from S$3,166 all-inclusive for Canberra-Singapore return and S$1,450 all-inclusive for Canberra-Wellington return.

Singapore Airlines’ partner Virgin Australia will also codeshare on flights between Canberra and Singapore.

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InterContinental Singapore completes renovation works

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InterContinental Hotels Group, in collaboration with design firm Fbeye International, has completed a major five-year renovation of InterContinental Singapore.

The redesign sees the enhancement and continuation of the hotel’s colonial and Peranakan heritage theme, with the hotel lobby, lobby lounge, all-day-dining restaurant Ash & Elm, and the 316 tower rooms and suites overhauled.

Fbeye also previously redesigned the hotel’s executive club lounge, 67 shophouse-style guestrooms and suites, as well as Cantonese restaurant Man Fu Yuan.

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