Carina Toh has been named director of sales & marketing at Holiday Inn Singapore Atrium.
An experienced hotelier with over a decade of experience in sales and marketing, she has worked in China since 2008 and was most recently director of sales & marketing at W Xi’an.
AirAsia and Plusgrade have teamed up to allow AirAsia customers to bid for upgrades and reserve the seat(s) beside them for extra space and comfort.
The deal was unveiled at the Aviation Festival Asia held in Singapore.
The partnership will offer ancillary services to customers such as upgrades or the ability to reserve open seats beside them, and enable them to experience premium products and services that might otherwise be out of reach – which in turn helps drive revenue for the airline too.
Ken Harris, CEO of Plusgrade, said: “We look forward to supporting AirAsia as they continue to innovate and develop new products and services for their customers, and to expanding our footprint in the thriving Asia-Pacific region.”
Karen Chan, group chief commercial officer at AirAsia shared that the collaboration “will enable us to offer more passengers the chance to access our premium products and services” such as flatbeds or popular seats with extra legroom.
“We are confident that our guests will love this innovative and seamless way to enhance their travel experience,” she added.
Sarah Clark has been appointed the role of chief executive officer of Tourism Tasmania.
Clark has served on Tourism Tasmania’s board since September 2021 and brings significant skills and global experience to the role, having been a leader in the tourism industry specialising in travel and marketing across multiple continents.
Before joining Tourism Tasmania, she was managing director ANZ at Intrepid Travel.
Thailand’s budget airline, Nok Air, has started operations from Bangkok to Hyderabad.
Nok Air will operate three weekly non-stop flights from its hub Don Mueang International Airport (DMK) in Bangkok to Hyderabad for the winter season, and increase frequency to four weekly non-stop flights during summer.
The new route through Bangkok will provide connection to over 20 locations in Thailand, including Phuket, Chiang Mai, and Chiang Rai, as well as with international locations like Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) and Yangon (Myanmar).
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has named Franck Droin as general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Macau.
In his new position, Droin will oversee day-to-day hotel operations, leading the team in delivering operational excellence and innovative guest experiences.
Prior to joining Mandarin Oriental, Macau, the native French and German national was general manager of Mandarin Oriental in Vietnam.
With the opening of numerous new business events facilities, a rapid uptick in both hybrid and in-person events and the return of face-to-face business meetings overseas, 2022 was a busy year for Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau (FCVB).
In the past 12 months, staff have been stepping up efforts to promote Fukuoka as a destination for the new wave of international events, first via online meetings and through fam trips, and from mid-2022, at in-person events such as IT&CM Asia in Bangkok and IBTM World in Barcelona.
They have also been redeveloping the city’s unique venue and unique experience programmes while updating sustainability offerings for event organisers. Sustainably made eco bags are now available for incentive group attendees, while 2023 will see the launch of a new activity booklet designed for overseas event planners.
To facilitate event hosting, the FCVB joined the Hybrid City Alliance in August 2021 “to increase cooperation, share information and strengthen our city’s links with other international bureaus,” said Kenneth Macphie, spokesperson for the FCVB.
Throughout 2022, the FCVB provided subsidies to help organisers hold events in the city. Incentive groups, as well as organisers of hybrid meetings and conferences in Fukuoka were all able to access financial support for their events.
Recent city development has allowed Fukuoka to improve its business events offering.
Two new large-scale venues, the Marine Messe Fukuoka Hall B, and Hakata International Exhibition Hall & Conference Center, opened in spring 2021.
Located at the Fukuoka International Congress Center, the pillarless 5,000m2 Hall B is equipped with ceiling suspension apparatus and lighting control. Meanwhile, the Hakata venue boasts an exhibition area, a multipurpose hall, several smaller meeting rooms.
Looking at specific markets, Macphie noted the FCVB is building on long-term demand in Fukuoka’s business events offering, particularly corporate events and incentives, from Asia Pacific countries.
Staff have long been focusing their marketing and sales activities on travel agents running large-scale events but, in 2022, have expanded their efforts to also “speak directly to corporate buyers to encourage future large (incentive) groups to visit the city,” he said.
This comes as interest has been growing in recent years, thanks to the city’s easy access from many parts of the region, as well as its improving range of facilities.
Fukuoka also announced the Tenjin Big Bang Project, an initiative capitalising on the relaxation of regulations on the height of buildings in Tenjin, its downtown area.
About 30 old buildings in the area are set to be redeveloped in the coming years, which will see “huge investment and redevelopment of the commercial centre of Fukuoka,” noted Macphie, who added that the project has already resulted in the launch of modern business events hardware.
These forthcoming new builds include The Ritz-Carlton, scheduled to open in spring 2023.
Other infrastructure improvements include JR Kyushu’s September 2022 launch of a new bullet train line linking Saga and Nagasaki Prefectures, which will improve access between Fukuoka and Nagasaki. The new Nishi Kyushu Shinkansen line will shorten travel times between the two cities, allowing event organisers to easily incorporate trips to other parts of Kyushu into their Fukuoka itineraries.
“For event participants coming to Fukuoka City from overseas, it is now even easier to experience the fabulous history and countryside around Kyushu,” said Macphie.
The FCVB has also begun increasing its promotion of Fukuoka as a gastro-tourism destination following the city’s listing as a gourmet destination in travel guidebook Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2023 list. Fukuoka was the only Japanese destination to be named in the “Eat” category, helping it stand out as particularly attractive for gastro-tourism group tours.
Due to the “rapid return of domestic exhibitions” to Fukuoka, the FCVB is working to bring more international exhibitions to the city, as well as large “symbolic events” such as those centring around the arts, culture and sports, Macphie shared.
Sneaker Con will make its foray into South-east Asia with the first regional edition to be held in Singapore this April.
Well regarded among sneakerheads as the world’s premier sneaker and street culture show, Sneaker Con is a global event that has been held in more than 40 cities since its inception in 2009.
Sneaker Con SEA is expected to attract participants from around the region, and bridge the gap between regional and global brands and designers.
Alan Vinogradov, Sneaker Con cofounder, said in a press statement: “The first Sneaker Con SEA in Singapore is going to be the beginning of a South-east Asian journey for us and the community out there. We are going to bring influencers, creators and most importantly the sneaker community together for this special occasion, and it’s going to be wild.”
Held by Sneaker Con and O4X, the two-day event also benefits from Singapore Tourism Board’s (STB) support.
Ashlynn Loo, STB’s director for attractions, entertainment & tourism concept development, said: “Events like these add to Singapore’s tourism offerings, and boost our position as a vibrant and attractive lifestyle destination. The convention also complements our existing suite of experiences for street culture lovers, which we hope visitors will also get to explore when they come to Singapore for this event.”
Highlights of Sneaker Con SEA include trademark events such as Marketplace, where over 200 international and local renowned brands and collaborations are showcased; Trading Pit, said to be the backbone of every Sneaker Con and where event attendees will buy, sell or trade their favourite kicks and network with fellow sneakerheads; and Ballin’ and Sk8ing, where basketball, football and skateboarding activities will be conducted.
The ticketed event will be held at Singapore Expo, Hall 5 from April 1 to 2.
Returning for its seventh year, Norwegian Cruise Line’s Meet the Winemaker series promises an impressive guest lineup that includes new and familiar specialists.
A new addition to the series is Emma Walker, a Master Blender at Johnnie Walker who holds the highest rank in whisky craftsmanship. She will join the September 17 sailing on Norwegian Prima as it sails through Northern Europe. Cruise guests can learn the brand history and savour the wide range of aged whiskeys.
Also new is chef Ashley Breneman, who began her career studying at Le Cordon Bleu culinary institute and has worked for numerous celebrity chefs, including Gordon Ramsay on the hit show MasterChef. She is now the executive chef at Certified Angus Beef. She will be on the July 9 sailing aboard Norwegian Encore to Alaska.
Fourth-generation winemaker Miguel Torres, who pioneered planting Cabernet Sauvignon in Spain, creating Mas la Plana in 1970, will meet with guests aboard Norwegian Encore’s April 9 Eastern Caribbean voyage.
Returning fan-favourite hosts include celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez, world-class winemaker and member of the historic fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo; Napa Valley icon Michael Mondavi of the Michael Mondavi Family Estate; and The Drinks Business Master Winemaker of the Year 2023 recipient Gérard Bertrand, among others.
The regular series provides wine enthusiasts and gourmands an exclusive opportunity to engage with winemakers and connoisseurs through enriching and interactive seminars and activities on board. Cruise guests can also purchase wines on board that are otherwise only available by visiting the wineries directly.
Harry Sommer, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line, said: “These unique sailings offer a rare opportunity to get one-on-one exposure to esteemed winemakers and their collection of wines, all while visiting multiple destinations and enjoying an unforgettable vacation.”
More information can be found on the Meet the Winemaker series site.
Queensland’s Gold Coast is being thrust into the literal limelight as developments in the city’s screen industry pick up speed, with at least two reputable industry gatherings secured recently.
In January, the Gold Coast was announced as host city for the next three editions of the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, regarded as the Australian version of the Academy Awards.
According to a press statement from the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA), the wins will see AACTA president Russell Crowe, vice president Nicole Kidman and ambassador Cate Blanchett leading a lineup of talent on the Gold Coast, generating A$3.4 million (US$2.3 million) for the visitor economy.
AACTA will also develop several initiatives, including the expansion of its ScreenFest programme, which will be presented on the Gold Coast in the lead-up to the AACTA Awards in February 2024. ScreenFest will feature a range of screen culture and creative development activities covering all aspects of film, television and digital content creation, including workshops, skills and employment seminars, masterclasses, and showcases of local and international work. These will sit alongside programmes that support and amplify First Nations storytelling.
In yet another win for Destination Gold Coast, business events stakeholders and the local screen industry, is the three-year contract to host Screen Forever, a business event that brings together local and international screen industry leaders across all genres and disciplines. The Gold Coast successfully delivered the 2022 edition in March, and will welcome the next edition this May.
Karen Bolinger, the interim CEO of Destination Gold Coast, said the screen industry development brings more than just star power to the Gold Coast.
“It leads to job creation, knowledge exchange in the space of film production, innovation and talent, and attracts investors and entrepreneurs in this industry,” said Bolinger during her meeting with TTGmice at AIME 2023.
Destination Gold Coast’s head of business events, Selina Sinclair, added that few knew about the ongoing “massive screen development that is going on here”.
“Baz Luhrmann relocated his production company HQ to the Gold Coast to make his Elvis biopic. Village Roadshow, which has also made big investments in the Gold Coast, operates the Village Roadshow Studios in Oxenford. That is one of the largest studio lots in the Southern Hemisphere,” detailed Sinclair.
“Many of these studios are a product of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast – sporting infrastructure that has been converted for other uses,” she added.
It is estimated that Village Roadshow Studios alone has attracted about A$3.6 billion worth of film, reaffirming the city’s position as a movie-making heavyweight. Big-name movies to film in the city include Thor: Ragnarok; Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales; San Andreas; and The Shallows.
The big screen development resonates with Destination Gold Coast’s new brand, The imagination capital of Australia, which was unveiled in 2022 to spotlight the strength of the city’s health, innovation, education, screen and arts, and sports industries.
“There tends to be a one-dimensional view of the Gold Coast, as a place for sun, sand and surf. But the Gold Coast is not one dimensional,” asserted Bolinger.
Event owners that have to answer to stakeholders demanding “different outcomes from their events” will discover many positive aspects of the Gold Coast that will spur commercial achievements.
To emphasise the power and presence of the Gold Coast’s intelligent community, Destination Gold Coast launched a new ebook, The Imagination Collective, at AIME 2023. It comprises stories about the people, the industries and the growing pool of knowledge in the city.
The Sabah Tourism Board has introduced an incentive support programme toattract more business events to the state, and continues to support the development of human capital for the business events industry through several initiatives.
Organisers who bring in a minimum of 30 national or international delegates per business event are eligible for the incentive support which is known as Sabah BE Here For You. The support is on a reimbursement basis and the maximum support per event is RM100,000 (US$21,274).
In 2022, a total of 53 events were supported, which included the 2nd Asia Parks Congress in May; 24th Family Medicine Scientific Conference in September; and the 6th World Tourism Conference in November.
Meanwhile, capability building and knowledge upgrading initiatves included a four-day Congress Certification Program 1.0 in December 2021, as well as subsiding the cost of The CCP 2.0 Advance Masterclass. Topics covered topics such as budget preparation, digital marketing application, event technology, nd digital event strategies.
Such activities also contribute to the nation’s economic recovery and growth under the 12th Malaysia Plan and the Shared Prosperity Vision 2030.
The Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), a waterfront purpose-built conference, exhibition and entertainment facility in Kota Kinabalu, is also doing its part by hosting educational programmes for local associations to understand more about the business events industry, and equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to bid for regional and international meetings and conferences.
Elsewhere in the business events ecosystem, Borneo Trails Tours & Travel has created new incentive packages for the European market, which were promoted at World Travel Market in London last November.
The 10 to12 day nature and culture packages combined state capital Kota Kinabalu with Sandakan, a hotspot for wildlife sighting. The company is also working with local organisations on CSR programmes in remote areas, as European clients tend to incorporate a CSR component into their itineraries.
