FRHI Hotels & Resorts has promoted George Wee to regional vice president, in addition to his role as general manager, Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai. His focus will now grow and include increased responsibility for all the other operating Fairmont properties in China, and he will work closely with each hotel’s leadership teams on the development of strategic business practices.
George Wee
Bryan Chiu
Bryan Chiu has moved from his position as executive assistant manager at InterContinental Hong Kong to executive director of events. Chiu replaces Charis Yim.
Danny Tse
Danny Tse of InterContinental Hong Kong has been promoted to executive assistant manager from executive assistant manager – rooms. In his new role, he will be overseeing a wide range of hotel operations and departments, working closely with managing director Jean-Jacques Reibel. Tse joined the hotel in 2005 after spending almost two years at Pudong Shangri-La, East Shanghai.
Debanjan Kundu
Debanjan Kundu has joined The Ritz-Carlton Bangalore, India as director of sales and marketing. He was last director of sales and marketing at Sheraton Bangalore.
Sylvain Pasdeloup
Sylvain Pasdeloup has ascended the ranks to become general manager at Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua. He has been with the resort since it opened and was most recently its hotel manager.
Paul Cunningham
The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Central, due to open in 3Q2015, has appointed Paul Cunningham as general manager. Cunningham brings with him more than 24 years of experience in hospitality. He joins from The St. Regis Tianjin where he was also general manager.
GEN Y Luxury
Increasingly, meeting and incentive participants are Gen-Yers, who hotel chains believe require a new kind of accommodation and meeting concept. This accounts for a slew of new ‘lifestyle’ brands that defy the star-rating system, offering ‘smart luxury’ or ‘upscale select service’ to younger jet-setters or Millennial-minded travellers. Raini Hamdi guides you to the new names in the market that are keen to spread their wings, joining earlier entrants such as W, Aloft and Indigo
“Red clearly taps into a niche that has evolved in the last number of years and is making its way into developing markets around the world. It speaks to changing demographics – we know that today the younger generation, which forms almost a third of tomorrow’s travellers, uses hotel facilities differently than may be myself or other generations before me. It is much centred on community. It is an upscale select offering – there are reduced services and facilities but it is upscale from the build-out to the quality.”
Thorsten Kirschke
President Asia-Pacific, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group
“It is widely forecast that Millennials will account for a third of all travel spend in the very (short term) and 75 per cent of travel spend in 10 years’ time. They look for new experiences that are not cookie-cutter, and want hotels to be engaging and empowering. And today’s travellers are looking for different experiences as well. While the economy is recovering in most parts of the world, value is still king – many people are looking for affordability, coupled with stylish design and experience.”
David Kong
President & CEO, Best Western International
“The influence of the Millennials has become too strong to ignore, so in response, the hotel industry has converged upon a few key offerings like free Wi-Fi, social areas, curated local travel guides, etc. Everyone is going after the same pie but, in general, I think brands are doing a decent job of differentiating themselves. Some are design-led, others are tech-forward.
Everyone talks about humanising the brand and adding the personal touch – we built Hotel Jen on a virtual persona, probably as human as it gets.”
Howard Ho
Director of development – Hotel Jen
“We definitely want to retain our existing customer base, who have been extremely loyal to us, but we also recognise that their needs have changed. Today’s guests want more flexibility, as busy non-traditional work hours tend to blend the boundaries between business and leisure.”
Lothar Nessmann
Chief operations officer – Hotel Jen
“I am extremely excited that this new brand offers an experience which is light, organic, energetic and a look and feel reflective of the hotel’s individual neighborhood. Our research has shown that for a long while now, the demands of customers continue to evolve – gone are the days of the dark and brooding lifestyle hotel.
So with Canopy, we have taken a fresh approach to the lifestyle space; moving lifestyle out of the dark ages by giving it an upgrade with a differentiated, revitalising edge.”
Martin Rinck
President Asia-Pacific, Hilton Worldwide
“Venu is designed to cater to the growing influence of the Millennial generation which seeks a seamless lifestyle encompassing work, life and leisure. This generation is not only found in the European and Middle Eastern regions, but is strongly growing worldwide.
Not unlike their Western counterparts, Asian travellers, more than ever, have expectations revolving around their own lifestyle
and want their stay to underline their needs – clean, contemporary, cool and effortless. They therefore look for a brand that was designed for a Millennial mindset; a brand that was put together, not necessarily for the age-group or nationality, but the mindset; they are looking for contemporary lifestyle.”
Matt Balcik
Vice president operations, brand development, Venu
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts debuted Hotel Jen in Singapore last September, the newly-built Hotel Jen Orchardgateway, and by April 1 had rebranded its Traders hotels in Singapore, Hong Kong, Penang, Manila, Brisbane, the Maldives, Shenyang, Beijing and Johor Bahru to Hotel Jen, giving it an ‘instant’ portfolio of 10 Hotel Jen properties.
Director of development – Hotel Jen, Howard Ho, said third-party (Traders) owners had bought into Jen’s story and agreed to convert. That said, of the 10, six are owned by the group.
Jen promises a diverse collection of hotels in the best locations across Asia-Pacific and aims to foster a sense of belonging with the “new jeneration” of travellers through a brand persona, Jen. Guests are friends of Jen and, of course real friends treat you with warmth without being overly-fussy and will let you know where the best places to go are. There’s free Wi-FI everywhere all the time and convenient mobile charging stations, to name a few of the technology features. And no friends would dream of letting you venture out without free coffee/snack-box-to-go after breakfast at a ‘grab-and-go’ kiosk.
Hotel Jen targets travellers who are looking for distinctive experiences of local interest and character, and families and groups who want a more independent, yet friendly and personable stay experience. “We created the over-arching idea of Jen to speak to the Millennial-minded psychographic, rather than to any particular demographic,” Ho said.
A typical Hotel Jen has anywhere between 200-500 rooms, a room size between 25-32m2 (although in places like Japan, it could be 17m2), one all-day dining outlet, one grab-and-go, bar and fitness centre. Other facilities like spa or meeting space are based on market demand.
For example, Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore, the former Traders, has 10 function and meeting rooms with capacity for 10 pax to 300 pax. It also offers professional event planning support, fast free Wi-Fi ‘everywhere always’, optional LCD projector, business and secretarial services, catering options and electronically-controlled ambience lighting.
Asked why conversions from Traders to Jen worked, considering the two were chalk-and-cheese, Ho explained: “Though we rolled out the brand via hotel conversions, we were not approaching it as ‘how do we improve Traders’? Rather, the central question for us was always ‘How do we create something fresh and super relevant to the young-at-heart, Millennial-minded travellers’?
“The properties that we’ve converted to Jen are highly-varied in terms of room size, design, and facilities. To some, this might seem like a hindrance and a disadvantage. On the contrary, we believe this is to be our advantage. We are not cookie-cutter. We offer services and styles that are specific to the location.
“In this initial stage, our focus are on two things:
“First, we are introducing relevant service touch points to the customers in a style that is uncomplicated, efficient and fuss-free. Paid for breakfast but don’t have time to sit down and eat? Grab a take-out box from the buffet, take whatever you want, plus coffee-to-go on the way out.
“Second, we are changing the employee DNA. For instance, we’ve modified our traditional delegation of authority to allow for much quicker decision-making and a more free management structure. This has spawned many new ideas from the field and greater staff engagement.
“Clearly, software is the most important element in the creation of Hotel Jen. Having said that, we are looking to enhance and refurbish some of our facilities. For example, our properties in Singapore (Hotel Jen Tanglin) and Shenyang are undergoing renovation.”
One of the key markets for Hotel Jen is China. Said Ho: “In fact, many of the Millennial traits are driven by Chinese consumers. Remember that China essentially went straight to mobile, skipping PCs and laptops and going straight to smartphones and tablets. Mobile is like a native language to them.
“And of course, growing our China presence will help us greatly in capturing outbound Chinese travel. China outbound has more than doubled in the past five years and exceeded 100 million for the first time in 2014. Shangri-La, as a whole, has spent the last 40 years operating in China. We are ready to leverage this brand awareness into global gateways to welcome Chinese travellers.”
The first signing of Radisson Red in the world is in Shenyang. The owner, Madam Lv Li Hua of Shenyang New Times Investment Co Ltd, had earlier picked Radisson Blu for one of the twin hotel development and, according to Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Asia-Pacific president Thorsten Kirschke, did not need much convincing to see Red, “as as it will help to capture a new market segment – the Millennial-minded travellers who seek a non-traditional lifestyle-elect stay experience” while Blu provides the traditional upper upscale experience.
Radisson Red is centred on a value proposition of Lifestyle Elect. This means that guests elect the type of stay experience that best reflects their lifestyle – how they live, work and play.
“Guests staying at Radisson Red hotels will not be constrained by the traditional delivery of services,” explained Kirsche. “They can choose to work or interact in the open, communal social spaces or studios, grab a sandwich from ReDeli and work in their rooms.”
The design of Radisson Red hotels is based on the non-traditional hotel concept of combining work and play, which is integral to the Millennial-minded traveller. The work desk in the room, for example, is replaced with a multi-functional table. Free Internet is offered to all and guests can check in on their mobiles in the absence of the traditional front desk. Guests arrive not in a lobby but a Hi All Gallery, where the art further reflects the local artistic flavour of the destination and is displayed in 2D, 3D or an interactive format.
A typical Radisson Red has 150-ish rooms, a studio room size (internal) of about 26m2, a 235m2 bar/deli and meeting space. Meet Event Studios, as the meeting spaces are called, are invented for work and play, combining seriousness with sense of fun to inspire Millennial-minded delegates.
But sizes vary depending on location. When it opens in 2016, the Radisson Red Shenyang will have 300 rooms. The MICE facilities include six multifunctional Meet Event Studios ranging from 50m2 to 180m2, and one 400m2 auditorium.
At press time, the Shenyang property remains the only Radisson Red signed but, according to Kirschke, the chain is in the midst of advanced discussions for Radission Red hotels in markets such as Australia, Indonesia and China.
“We also have strong leads in the US, including one in Minnesota, the hometown of Carlson. There are also opportunities to manage resorts in key destinations under the Radisson Red flag,” he said.
The chain also recently launched the brand in India, targeting both primary and secondary cities such as Ahmedabad, Benguluru, Chennai, the Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune, and leisure and religious destinations such as Goa, Jaipur, Katra, Shirdi, Tirupati.
It expects to have 60 Radisson Red hotels globally by 2020.
Venu Bluewaters Island
Venu by Jumeirah Group
Jumeirah Group re-engineered its brand Venu – launched five years ago but put on hold partly due to the world economic uncertainties – and reintroduced it last year as a “contemporary lifestyle hotel brand”.
Like Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts’ Hotel Jen, it has dedicated resources to the brand, appointing Matt Balcik as vice president operations, brand development, to lead the roll-out of Venu internationally.
In its reincarnation, the revised Venu targets travellers with a passion for simplicity, style, efficiency and effortless living and working.
Asked how Venu is different from the other new lifestyle brands, Balcik said: “Venu is infused with the spirit of Dubai – not as an Arabian brand, but as an expression of what has made Dubai the modern and dynamic city it is today: the spirit of a bold, ambitious, cosmopolitan nature.
“We’ve extracted that and made it part of the international proposition, since in a competitive landscape, the new brand has to find (space) somewhere between a W (Starwood’s contemporary brand W Hotels, set to enter Dubai in 2016) and an Aloft (Starwood’s mid-scale brand, under which one property already operates in Abu Dhabi),” he said.
According to Balcik, all Venu properties will feature a minimum of two F&B outlets, an all-day dining and a destination bar. It also strives to offer “a curated guest environment”, establishing the brand as “the one who knows” and the “social capital and social catalyst”.
There won’t be a vast ornamental lobby, rather, boundaries between work and play merge with “eclectic and transformative spaces”. Elevator music is out; in its place will be bespoke music playlists. There won’t be rows of machines at the fitness centre, but functional training zones inspired by nature with exercises relying on free weights and human form.
There will also be spa, retail and pool/beach, all designed and delivered to the “curated” promise.
Venu also wants to reinvent meeting spaces, doing away with traditional boardrooms, complicated technology and dark spaces.
“Meeting rooms are too often empty shells where people sit and disappear. There’ll be no corporate meeting rooms at our hotel. There’ll be places and tools for creative minds to come together. Unique places that can transform to suit work and play. They can provide that little piece of inspiration when it’s needed,” said a Venu specs sheet.
The first Venu, Venu Bluewaters Island located off the coast of Dubai, will feature between 250-300 rooms. It targets a rate of AED1,200 (US$327) to AED1,500.
Asia-Pacific is a big part of Venu’s growth plan. According to Balcik, China and South-east Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, will be the primary locations for the first generation of Venu properties in the region.
Canopy by Hilton (inset), rendering of a
Canopy by Hilton guestroom
Widely perceived by the New Gen as ‘my grandfather’s brand’, Hilton Worldwide sashayed into the lifestyle category in October last year with its launch of Canopy by Hilton.
The four essential elements of the brand are great neighbourhoods, comfort and design, more included value and a “positively yours” service culture, where hotel “enthusiasts” will deliver a one-stop approach to front-of-house service, said Martin Rinck, president Asia-Pacific, Hilton Worldwide.
“Canopy by Hilton is a much more accessible lifestyle brand targeting the upper upscale segment delivering exactly what the travellers desire: an energising, comfortable stay, with more included value – free Wi-Fi, complimentary breakfast, locally relevant welcome gifts and food offerings, and eco-friendly filtered water ‘fountains’ where guests can refill their water bottles.
“The brand is in its own new category – ‘accessible lifestyle’ – which means that it will appeal to a broader base of guests at the upper end of the upper upscale segment. Further, the phrase ‘accessible lifestyle’ also refers to a price point of view,” explained Rinck.
A typical Canopy by Hilton hotel will have an average of 200 guestrooms, spanning a minimum 27m2 to 35m2; an open space lobby spanning a minimum 400m2, featuring a reception, a café, a quiet lounge, a transfer refuge and outdoor spaces; and a fitness centre at a minimum of 55m2 in space.
Since no two Canopy hotels are alike, and each hotel is designed based on its neighbourhood and market drivers, each property will be a collaboration between the chain and the hotel owner to explore the hotel’s unique potential for destination dining, pools, rooftop bars and meeting spaces, said Rinck.
According to the chain, Canopy hotels will start opening this year. Twelve letters of intent have been signed, all in the US. So far, no Canopy has been announced for Asia-Pacific.
“We are certainly keen to grow the Canopy by Hilton brand in Asia-Pacific. Our strategy to maintain a robust development pipeline is by introducing the right brands with the right product position in target markets and by allocating resources so we can effectively drive new unit growth in every region of the world,” said Rinck.
From top: London Bankside guestroom and meeting room, New York Times Square lobby
Artyzen Hospitality Group, a subsidiary of Shun Tak Holdings, has set up a joint venture operating company with citizenM hotels to roll out the brand in Asia.
The brainchild of Rattan Chadha, founder and former CEO of fashion brand Mexx, citizenM created a buzz when it was launched in 2008 in Amsterdam, wowing audiences with its boldness and innovations such as introducing the living room concept to the lobby and having multiple zones to relax, meet and work. Its promise is to offer “the experience of a super-posh hotel, minus a super-posh hotel’s effect on your wallet” to the mobile citizens of the world.
The living rooms are filled with art and designer furniture, while the F&B concept, canteenM, features a full cocktail bar and high-quality food 24/7. Rooms are a combination of modern design, user-friendly technology and functional space.
Currently there are citizenM hotels in Amsterdam, Glasgow, London, New York, Paris and Rotterdam. The first in Asia will open in Taipei in 2017, a 260-room hotel located in the colourful retail and entertainment hub Ximending.
The brand is MICE-friendly, offering the promise of “designer meeting rooms you want to meet in, which are fully equipped with audiovisual equipment, wipe-clean walls for notes, theories, scribbles and drawing pictures of your colleagues on”.
The citizenM Amsterdam hotel for example is within walking distance to the RAI congress centre. The citizenM Glasgow has meeting rooms for one to 20 pax and can handle events of over 30 pax.
“With the success we have had in Europe, it is natural that our next growth phase be in Asia. Choosing the right partner was our main strategic priority and we are ecstatic to be able to partner with Artyzen who are innovators themselves and have the resources to grow citizenM in Asia,” said Chadha.
Edmond Ip, Artyzen Hospitality Group’s vice chairman, said the group is targeting major gateway cities in Asia, as well as secondary cities such as Surabaya, Kota Kinabalu and Chengdu, for the brand.
From top: VIB Best Western concept drawing for building and lobby areas
Launched in October last year, Best Western International (BWI) introduced its Millennial-driven brand, Vib, to Asia in Bangkok in March.
The Vib concept re-imagines the Best Western hotel experience for today’s traveller who is seeking innovation, technology and style with an authentic, local flavour offered at a great value, said a press statement. To stand out from competitors, David Kong, BWI president & CEO, said the chain did extensive research to come up with a different product, and as a result, Vib hotels will have features such as a big and vibrant lobby, smaller rooms and functional technology.
“We believe that the stylish design of Vib combined with the concepts business model and low cost to build will be very appealing to developers and investors throughout Asia,” said Kong.
The first Vib hotel will debut in Seoul’s Gangnam district in 2017, featuring 150 rooms, a bar, F&B outlets and a swimming pool. “The Vib project we are developing is in the heart of the central business district of Gangnam, Seoul and is expected to break ground in the next six months. We believe the central business district’s high density and energy is the perfect fit for Vib,” said Best Western South Korea president John Choi.
BWI senior vice president, brand management & member services, Ron Pahl, added that Vib is envisioned as an “upper middle (scale) project”, positioned closer to Best Western Plus. “We don’t see a lot of middle to upper-midscale products, not just in Bangkok but also other cities, so we see opportunities, he said.
“We are hoping to sign three Vib projects this year and grow five projects a year. Bangkok is a key focus and we will consider all urban markets with high foot traffic and population,” he added.
Aside from Bangkok, Vib development opportunities are now being considered in Sarawak and Shah Alam, Malaysia, and Ortigas, Philippines.
Meetings and incentives however are not a large part of the Vib proposition, according to a spokesperson, with the main revenues drawn from rooms and F&B.
Nha Trang back in the game
Popular for years with the leisure travel market, Nha Trang is now eager to score again on the incentives front. By Greg Lowe
Tourism operators in Nha Trang are increasingly focusing on incentives to drive performance in a market where leisure travel has overshadowed MICE in recent years.
Vietnam-based travel consultants say while Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City remain the preferred choice for meetings and conferences, an increasing number of clients are requesting standalone or post-event incentives in the area surrounding the world-famous bay on the coast of the South China Sea.
Many expect the destination’s popularity to continue to rise in the coming years. However, Andy Carroll, global head of sales and marketing at Exotic Voyages, said maximising Nha Trang’s MICE potential would require a concerted effort from local authorities and the private sector to sustainably develop infrastructure and content.
“Nha Trang has been one of Vietnam’s most popular MICE destinations for the last decade,” he said. “With the resources and infrastructure it possesses right now, it will definitely continue to be a leading destination. However, visitors are seeking more activities at a given destination. Nha Trang should address that need in the near future.”
Both the local MICE and leisure markets have benefited in recent years from direct and charter flights from South Korea and Russia. DMCs told TTGmice another more recent trend had been the rise in trade from Europe, especially the UK and France. Furthermore, while the city, like many other regional destinations, has suffered from a downturn in Russian arrivals resulting from the recent collapse of the rouble, this has forced businesses that were previously leisure-focused to look more to the MICE sector.
“Nha Trang’s MICE business is recovering after falling asleep for some time to the benefit of leisure travel,” said Lise Papay Jurgens, MICE project manager at EXO Travel Vietnam. “Nha Trang has suffered from the fall of the rouble and it has had to open its doors to MICE (as a result).”
Most incentive itineraries piggyback the area’s leisure products, including cruises of the bay and its 200-odd islands, watersports, beach activities and spas, as well as cultural tours and more recently shopping.
While EXO currently gets requests for incentives from around the world, Papay Jurgens said domestic and Asian groups coming to Nha Trang favour teambuilding and activity-based itineraries.
“Nha Trang offers a good compromise between hitting the beach and group activities,” she remarked. “It’s a good mix for recharging and motivating staff and boosting sales.”
According to Nguyen Thi Hue, business development leader at Diethelm Travel Vietnam, the destination has seven five-star hotels with 1,421 rooms, five four-star hotels with 1,026 rooms, more than 90 quality travel operators along with high-grade attractions and integrated resorts including Vinpearl Land, Diamond Bay, MerPerle and i-Resort Nha Trang. Vinpearl Resort Nha Trang and Sheraton Resort & Spa Nha Trang have the most developed meeting facilities, with a combined event space of more than 10,000m2.
“Beautiful beaches and a temperate climate together with the local culture, historic sites and attractions have boosted Nha Trang as a great sightseeing and shopping destination,” Nguyen said. “With local private and government efforts, it should emerge as a prominent MICE destination.”
Currently, groups range from about 30 to 100 pax, with some hitting the 200-mark, according to travel consultants, though the destination has the capacity to handle larger events.
Major wins by Nha Trang over the past decade include the 22nd APEC Ministerial Meeting, 14th ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting, Vietnamese Cultural Diplomacy Workshop and a number of other regional and international events.
While group size is decreasing, Carroll believes the downside of this trend can be easily offset by diversifying and upgrading tourism products.
“As a result, travellers will be likely to stay longer and spend more on their trip. Beach activities along with the collection of high-end resorts must be the core element for MICE tourism in Nha Trang because that’s what travellers come here for. Other things such as historic sites, shopping and nightlife will only add value,” he pointed out.
Ideas – Mixing culture and sports in Nha Trang
Day 1
After breakfast visit Long Son pagoda, the most important pagoda in Nha Trang. Located on a hill overlooking the city, it houses a 24m Buddha image.
The group will then take a short drive to Po Nagar Cham Tower, an impressive Cham dynasty complex which dates back to around AD780. The north tower is pretty much intact while the other three are in ruins. The complex also has two temples and a 1.2m statue of the goddess Yan Po Nagar.
Next, be driven to i-resort Nha Trang in Thap Ba for lunch followed by an afternoon of spa treatments and traditional mud baths at the resort.
Dinner will be served at Ana Beach House followed by a private party at the beachfront restaurant and bar.
Day 2
Start a day of raft building and racing at 08.00. Teams are taken to a nearby beach where, after being briefed, they must collaborate to build rafts from plastic drums and bamboo. Points will be awarded from speed, cooperation, build quality and sea worthiness.
A barbeque of freshly caught local fish will be served with a range of Vietnamese dishes on the beach.
After lunch teams will race to capture inflated balls in the water. They can play pirate and try to sink their competitors as a way to level the playing field.
A rest at the hotel will follow before the group ends the day with dinner at Truc Linh restaurant, which specialises in local seafood.
Day 3
In the morning
catch the cable car across the bay to Vinpearl Land, an island integrated resort complete with a water park, amusement parks, bowling alleys and ice rinks. There’s plenty to do at the 200,000m2 attraction.
Need to Know
Cruise in style
Huong Hai Ha Long recently launched Emperor Cruises, a new luxury service offering cruises of Nha Trang Bay and the surrounding area. The company operates a fleet of ten 58m vessels with eight cabins and a maximum capacity of 24 guests.
Day, evening, overnight and custom cruises are available on the boats which feature a restaurant, bar, spa and all-suite accommodation with balconies.
Visit www.emperorcruises.com for more information.
Add flavour to your event with local festivals
Festivals offer one of the most enjoyable ways for groups to immerse themselves in the local culture. Tet Nguyen Dan, or Vietnamese New Year, which is celebrated on the first day of the first lunar month of the year, is one of the biggest national festivals. Nha Trang is also home to a number of provincial and local events, such as the Whale Festival which takes place at Ong Temple in the third lunar month, Po Nagar Festival in April, and Am Chua Festival in May.
Evason Ana Mandara debuts a new dining experience
The new Ana Beach House at Evason Ana Mandara serves local seafood and Vietnamese cuisine in a relaxing and informal setting.
Perfect for corporate gatherings, the beachfront restaurant features five dining areas – a lounge, a cocktail bar, an open sandy beach complete with lounge beds, and two poolside settings. It can easily accommodate groups of 100 pax.
New stay options in the city
Nha Trang recently saw the opening of the five-star Muong Thanh Nha Trang Centre Hotel, located on Tran Phu street overlooking the bay. Along with 458 rooms, the property features six F&B outlets and four event venues, the largest of which can accommodate 1,000 people.
Other major developments include the January opening of Cam Ranh Riviera Beach Resort & Spa, which is about a 20 minute drive from the main town. The 70-room property boasts pool villas and a 200m stretch of private beach.
Dusit Thani will also be opening its first Vietnam property in the area as part of the Cam Ranh Flowers Resort. The 266-room beachfront hotel is scheduled to open next year and will also feature 173 residential units.
Walk this way
A new sea walking tour has piloted in Nha Trang through a joint venture between Holiday Diving Nha Trang and Thailand Holiday Diving. Clients don a special helmet complete with oxygen supply which enables them to walk along the seabed in Nha Trang Bay at a depth of five metres. Tours take about 15 minutes and enable groups to see local marine life up close. No diving experience necessary.
Top ways to bond
Top Team Vietnam offers a wide range of specialist teambuilding activities in and around the Nha Trang area. Clients can choose from a range of off-the-shelf products, including the Zombie Walk, where teams have to work their way through a challenging course while avoiding attacks from the “walking dead”, as well as other activities such as treasure hunts, beach boot camps and amazing races.
The company also offers a range of other MICE related services.
Visit www.topteam.co for details.
Artistic attractions
New and improved museums are coming up in Singapore and they are ready to support corporate event planners. By Paige Lee Pei Qi
Singapore’s flourishing creative scene has led to a mushrooming of new and improved homes for the arts, giving business event planners a more beautiful unique venues to choose from.
The most prominent development is the National Gallery Singapore which will open this November. Occupying the former Supreme Court and City Hall, buildings that are steeped in history, the National Gallery Singapore will house 19th– and 20th-century art pieces from Singapore and South-east Asia. Facilities include an auditorium, a performance venue, a children’s gallery and cafés.
It will also offer two memorable event spaces for corporate gatherings, one of them being a rooftop plaza with majestic views of the Padang and Marina Bay Sands. The other space can accommodate a 300-pax standing reception.
Opening also this year is the Singapore branch of the famous Pinacotheque de Paris museum. Slated to welcome visitors in May, the 5,500m2 attraction will have spaces for private hire. Event organisers can also work with Pinacotheque de Paris to come up with customised tours of exhibitions and unique entertainment opportunities.
Pinacotheque de Paris is positioned as a premier venue of cultural activities and educational events, and will feature retail and F&B outlets.
While the National Gallery Singapore and Pinacotheque de Paris continue their construction in earnest, event planners seeking unique art inspired venues can already take their events to the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall. The grand dame of Singapore’s performing arts scene and a beloved national monument opened in July 2014 following a S$158 million (US$127.1 million) refurbishment.
First launched in 1862, the refreshed Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall now offers new public spaces, changing rooms, a loading bay and a central atrium as an additional area for activities.
Since last July, the venue has played host to several events including the Singapore International Festival of Arts.
According to Linda Low, relationship manager at Pacific World, a global event specialist, corporate clients are always looking for such heritage venues for their events.
Low said: “Museums make a coveted venue for most corporate events. The intimate setting of museums inspires creativity in (event programme) and use of spaces as compared to conventional ballrooms.
“Furthermore, with exhibits forming the backdrop, museums set a unique mood for every event.”
Low expects interest to start streaming in for these new venues.
The existing Peranakan Museum on Armenian Street is well sought after by corporates, according to Low who has previously held a few events there. The museum, which displays a comprehensive collection of culture across nine galleries, offers event planners the Ixora Room which can host up to 50 guests. A private tour of the museum is available upon request.
However, Low warned that it would cost more to take an event to a museum.
She said: “Such venues usually incur higher costs as third party contractors are required for things such as set-up and audiovisual production.”
Sharing similar sentiments, Aonia managing director, Daniel Chua, said: “The key issues in such venues are the lack of professional staff and F&B facilities (that are) available in a hotel.”
Judy Lum, group vice president sales and marketing, Tour East Singapore, also warned that great care must be taken when the event is held in a space where a renowned collection is on open display.
“Yet at the same time, it is these priceless exhibits that excite the clients to have the event held at the museum,” she remarked.
Chua recommended that museums be used for “special corporate events” such as those that entertainment business partners or product launches.
For artistic attractions that occupy conserved heritage sites, their beautiful architecture can lend a touch of elegance to events held there. When the Singapore International Festival of Arts opened at the Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall in August last year, decorations for the gala event were intentionally kept to a bare minimum to bring focus to the colonial architecture.
Ideas – Explore Kampung Glam on foot
Morning
Now that business is done, it is time for some fun. Start your extension in Singapore with a little history and culture lesson at Sultan Mosque, the oldest mosque in Singapore, built in 1820. Take time to appreciate its exterior before entering (for free) to admire its impressive Indo-Gothic style architecture. Be sure to check out the grand prayer hall where guides are on stand-by to dish out a detailed history of the mosque.
After a tour of Sultan Mosque, backtrack to its visitors’ entrance. You will be faced with a pedestrian street lined with two rows of colourful shophouses. This is Bussorah Street, a popular tourist destination in the heart of Kampong Glam.
Strolling down Bussorah Street, you will arrive on Baghdad Street. Turn right, walk on and you will find two traditional caneware shops: Gim Joo Trading on your left and Rishi Handicrafts at the corner of Baghdad Street and Arab Street on your right. Take time to stock up on souvenirs.
Afternoon
From Rishi Handicrafts, you have already arrived on Arab Street. You can spend hours shopping at the numerous textile, carpet, fragrance, and Islamic religious stores found here. Be sure to walk along Aik Bee Textile Co., the only store left on Arab Street that has retained its original setting. Cafe Lé Caire @ Al Majlis is a good place to recharge on Middle Eastern cuisine and rest those tired feet.
Evening
As you walk down North Bridge Road, you will arrive at a small back alley on your left. This is Haji Lane, where you will find a mixture of original, locally designed products and unique vintage pieces retailed in home-grown fashion and lifestyle boutiques.
The shophouses along Haji Lane and Bali Lane are painted with interesting arty designs and graffiti, which are uncommon in Singapore.
Conclude your walking tour with dinner, drinks and live music at the popular Blu Jaz Café.
Itinerary provided by Guidegecko.com
Need to Know
Splashing good time
The ever-popular musical Singin’ In The Rain, a production from London’s West End, will open from July 9 until July 26 at the MasterCard Theatres, Marina Bay Sands.
The high-energy choreography and sumptuous set design – including 12,000 litres of water – promise to entertain and charm the audience, along with songs from the MGM score, including Good Morning, Make ‘em Laugh, Moses Supposes and the classic Singin’ in the Rain.
A word of warning: there is a high chance of a shower spray over the first four rows of the stalls, so go for these seats if you are game enough!
Tickets are on sale from S$65.
Dinosaurs in Singapore?
Why, yes, at the new 8,500m2 Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, which swung open its doors in April.
Home to over a million plant and animal specimens, the museum’s highlights include Prince, Apollonia and Twinky, three 150-million-year-old diplodocid sauropod dinosaur skeletons.
Tickets are priced at S$20 (A$15) for adults and S$12 for children and the elderly.
Visit lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg for more information.
Stay and meet in Singapore’s up and coming west
The fast developing Jurong Lake District welcomed its first major hotel last month with the opening of Resorts World Sentosa’s Genting Hotel Jurong. The 557-room hotel is a 15-minute drive from Tuas Checkpoint, which connects Singapore to Johor Bahru in Malaysia, and a 40-minute drive from Singapore Changi Airport.
Its range of MICE facilities include the pillarless 427m2 Genting Ballroom which comes with a high ceiling and ample natural light, and seats up to 300 guests. Five meeting rooms at the hotel offer natural daylight and flexible layouts, while the rooftop sky lounge with an adjoining lawn is suitable for more intimate events.
Top entertainment option
Located at the 43rd storey of Ocean Financial Centre – 240m above the ground and on the topmost floor, Italian restaurant Zafferano makes a memorable venue for corporate gatherings. It specialises in modernised classic Italian dishes and stocks an extensive range of wines by the glass.
Zafferano can be hired entirely for exclusive events with up to 150 guests. For smaller coctail parties, the open-air rooftop terrace is a delightful venue as it affords guests panaromic views of the island.
Email events@zafferano.sg for enquires.
This way on a Segway
Singapore’s beautiful Marina Bay waterfront can now be enjoyed atop a Segway.
Starting from the Marina Bay City Gallery, the two-hour tour takes visitors around sights like the Marina Bay Promontory, the Marina Bay Sands and the ArtScience Museum.
Prices from S$68 for the activity, which runs from Tuesdays to Sundays, 10.00 to 19.00.
Visit www.segwaytours.com.sg/tours/marina-bay-signature for more details.
Wine and dine at La Terrace
Treat your delegates to an expansive sunset sea view, set against the silhouette of yachts moored at the Marina, while sipping wine and cocktails at the new La Terrace by Saint Pierre at Sentosa Cove.
Freshly opened in April, this 100-seater French restaurant offers an exquisite menu which includes oysters, caviar, scallop sashimi and its house speciality home made foie gras. Corpoate dining events can be arranged for up to 50 guests in the private room. Complimentary corkage services are available as well on Sundays and Monday nights from 5.30pm. Email info@saintpierre.com.sg for reservations.
Never resting on its laurels
While Meet Taiwan has generated good revenue, the trade recommends new products to be pushed to keep the Chinese coming, writes Prudence Lui
The five-year MICE promotion programme led by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and Ministry of Economic Affairs, Meet Taiwan, will be drawing to a close come 2016. The programme has proven to be successful, given the new high of US$1.2 billion in revenue derived from MICE activities in 2014.
Taiwan registered about 544 MICE events last year, up 21 per cent year-on-year. Asia continued to be the powerhouse for Taiwan’s international meeting and corporate incentive business – out of the nearly 190,000 international MICE travellers who visited Taiwan, about 150,000 were from Asia, and mostly from Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Australia. As such, two sales missions to Asia have been planned for this June (Busan, Osaka and Fukuoka) and July (Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok), comprising seminars and meetings with potential buyers.
A TAITRA spokesman said: “As with last year, Asia-Pacific and the exhibitions segment remain our targets, but we are focusing more on Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia this time, in conjunction with the launch of our Super Team in Asia – Season 2 programme in May. We added Australia this year because compared with American and European tourists, Taiwan is much more accessible to Australian tourists.
“Moreover, around 10,000 Australian business travellers visited Taiwan last year, way fewer than the other five Asian countries. Therefore, we want to make Taiwan more attractive as an incentive destination for Australians.”
Super Team in Asia inaugurated last year and invited enterprises in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia to form teams to plan their ideal trip to Taiwan online and campaign for votes on community websites. Teams most popular on the Internet thereafter entered the next leg of the competition held for five days in Taiwan. Singapore’s Seng Hua Hng Foodstuff emerged the winner and took away an incentive travel package worth US$50,000.
Meet Taiwan has also launched two other programmes aimed at drawing overseas MICE. The Taiwan Value Go highlights Taiwan’s vibrant and diverse culture by presenting nine activities across Taiwan, such as Taiwan International Orchid Exhibition, Ilan Green Expo, Sanyi International Woodcarving Festival and Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival. Overseas MICE visitors can include these international exhibitions around Taiwan in their itineraries.
The Taiwan Meeting and Incentive Rewards Program meanwhile offers subsidies to overseas event organisers and Taiwanese travel consultants which arrange groups to Taiwan for corporate meetings and incentive travel. Groups of more than 20 people from foreign companies staying two consecutive nights in Taiwan for a meeting, training, company visit, awards ceremony, teambuilding activity, etc are eligible to apply. Whether they are for an inspection package or group package, subsidies range from NT$10,000 (US$328) to NT$100,000, depending on group size.
However, in addition to dangling new perks, overseas DMC Qingdao Jiahua Wenhua International Travel deputy general manager, Yu Zhong, pointed out the importance for the authorities to gain repeat traffic with new products. He said: “We have been in this business for six years but the traffic volume now can’t be compared with the early days when the destination first opened its gates to Chinese residents.
“A lot of Chinese may have already visited Taiwan…In fact, most of the itineraries are standard, round-the-island programmes. In order to excite the clientele and drive repeat traffic, we are exploring new tour products, such as Penghu and Jinmen.”
Local event organiser Asia Concentrate Corporation manager, Pairry Chiang, concurred: “From our conversations with Chinese travel agencies, we found that most Chinese tourists are tired of the same attractions, such as Sun-Moon Lake and Ali Mountain. But Taiwan has more to offer, and our culture is the highlight!”
The company stays competitive by rolling out new ideas, such as a coffee tour, to woo incentive groups. With a choice of economical and luxury packages to suit different budgets, this five-day tour guided by a barista takes participants into the local coffee culture and production through visits to coffee farms, factories and special cafes in Tainan.
Chiang shared: “Everyone was eager to know more about the coffee tour. Even local travel agencies have asked me to work with them on this tour.
“We believe most travellers, especially business travellers, are looking for unique experiences they can share back home. This kind of tour makes Taiwan feel like a theme park, where you can discover more than you have expected.”
Ideas – Two-day trip in scenic Yilan
Day 1
Morning: Set off by coach from Taipei to Yilan on the east coast of Taiwan. The county is blessed with natural beauty and a rich culture. Visit the reputed LuoDong Mingshen Market, the biggest marketplace in the county for daily necessities, and the best spot to experience local life. Then head to Luogong Forest Showroom to trace the history of the local logging industry.
Afternoon: Enjoy a traditional Yilan lunch at Eland-Chun Restaurant. After lunch, descend to Meihua Lake (Plum Blossom Lake) for a 30-minute bike ride. Then proceed to the National Center for Traditional Arts, where visitors can enjoy local arts and performances, handicrafts and snacks.
Evening: Return to the hotel for a buffet dinner.
Day 2
Morning: After breakfast, set off to Wufongchi Scenic Area to explore the natural beauty of the Yilan region. The Wufongchi waterfall spans three levels and is connected by a 100m walking path. Ascend to the highest level which features the longest waterfall (50m) and is a popular cooling spot.
Afternoon: Head to W Nan Restaurant for a palatable menu created by the chef using local seasonal ingredients. Then take a leisurely walk around the neighouring towns such as Jiufen Village and Dansui Old Street to sample local street food, sightsee and shop.
– Itinerary provided by Willy Event Consultants
Need to know
New rooms at Regent Taipei Taiwan
Regent Taipei upgraded its guestrooms on the fifth and sixth floors and kicked off its Regent Balcony Premier last December. The rooms all feature a 56m2 space which can accommodate up to four persons along with an extended outdoor balcony area. An exclusive Regent Balcony Lounge has been specially designed to accommodate guests staying on these two floors, offering business services and refreshments.
V Air offers connection to Macau
Taiwan-based V Air inaugurated its Taipei-Macau route on April 10 with round-trip services every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Flight ZV156 departs from Macau at 22:15 and arrives in Taipei at 00:45 the following morning. Flight ZV155 departs from Taipei at 20:10 and arrive in Macau at 21:55.
The route’s frequency is expected to be increased to daily service in June, after an Airbus A320 aircraft joins the fleet. The budget airline also targets to expand its network to Japanese and Korean destinations by end-2015.
Get to know comprehensive Taiwan tea culture
Asia Concentrate Corporation’s new tea tour is ideal for incentive groups interested in a comprehensive Taiwan tea culture experience.
The five-day tour covers Taipei, Taichung and Nantou, where clients visit tea plantations and experience the tea-picking, rolling and drying processes. A tea producer will accompany the group to share his knowledge of tea products and modern tea culture, such as Taiwan’s renowned pearl milk tea.
The package costs US$1,934 per pax including five-star accommodation and meals.
Ambassador Hotels presents a new brand in amba
The Ambassador Hotels has launched amba, a new brand which caters for a new generation of travellers.
Last April, the 90-key amba Taipei Zhongshan opened for business and is only a five-minute walk to Taipei Metro Zhongshan Station. The rooms ranging from 20m2 Smart rooms to 31m2 Balcony rooms are all equipped with complimentary Wi-Fi, a 42-inch TV, a wireless Bluetooth speaker as well as Taiwanese tea and fresh coffee from an automatic coffee maker. The Achoi restaurant on level one can be booked for small meetings and private events, hosting up to 80 guests for cocktails or 50 guests seated.
The group’s third hotel, amba Taipei Songshan, and the first amba resort, amba Kenting, are both scheduled to open in 2016.
Taiwan to welcome first Marriott in July
The 320-room Taipei Marriott will soft-open on July 3, followed by a grand opening in Q4.
Situated near Neihu Technology Park in a mixed-use complex housing a convention centre, a shopping mall and luxury apartments, the property features five restaurants and a bar as well as 3,000m2 of space for a maximum of 2,000 guests.
The 1,260m2 Grand Ballroom on the 21st level is the largest pillarless ballroom in Taiwan’s International-hotel category, while an outdoor venue and a chapel are located on the eighth level rooftop garden.
The hotel will start receiving banquet guests in August.
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