 The Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa has been selected to receive Marriott’s Quarterly Award for Community Service in recognition of outstanding work in children’s charities. Up to 10 Marriott hotels from around the world are selected to receive this award direct from Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott, Jr. Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa provided support to three local schools in Chonburi and Rayong provinces. The resort provided 40 computers and a sound laboratory (valued at US$23,000), built a children’s playground and planted trees there (valued at US$11,000), as well as providing a source of drinking water at a school where students previously had to bring their own water from home (valued at US$2100).
A report released recently shows that activities associated with Hong Kong’s exhibition industry contributed HK$26.4 billion (US$3.38 billion) to the local economy in 2006, equivalent to 1.8 per cent of Hong Kong’s total GDP. The report findings confirmed the significant contribution of Hong Kong’s exhibition industry to the city’s overall economy and that it has grown strongly since the release of the first report on the industry in 2004. The ‘Economic Impact Study Report - 2006’ measured the economic impact of the exhibition industry for the 2006 calendar year, and was conducted by professional services firm KPMG Transaction Advisory Services Limited. Compared with the findings of the previous 2004 report, the results showed double-digit compound annual growth rates (CAGR) across all aspects of visitor and business-related expenditure, fiscal impact and employment generated from the exhibition industry.
Pimalai Resort & Spa, a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, was recently awarded a Green Gold Class certificate by Thailand’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and a Green Planet award by leading Swiss Tour Operator KUONI Travel. Both awards are in recognition of the resort’s ongoing and clear commitment to both foster and promote the responsible and sustainable development of tourism in Thailand, and doing so within the guidelines of a sound environmental awareness policy. This policy includes protection of the resort’s natural vegetation (including cashew trees and wild banana trees), using advanced water and waste-water treatment processes, minimising the use of motorised vehicles, running an intensive materials recycling program and applying a series of initiatives to protect the local seashore and coral dive sites.
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s general manager, Peter Brokenshire was presented with the Tourism Minister’s Special Award at the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2005/2006 recently. Mr Brokenshire received his award from the Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor. The Tourism Minister’s Special Award recognises individuals and organisations who have contributed significantly to Malaysia’s tourism industry. The award comes on the heels of the centre’s win for ‘Best Exhibition and Convention Centre in Asia’ at the TravelWeekly (Asia) Industry Awards 2007.
Boutique media agency Delivering Asia Communications’ expertise in travel and hospitality sectors has won the company a prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award for Marketing. In only its second year of operations, Delivering Asia Communications launched the Phuket Perfect campaign in conjunction with leading hospitality consultancy C9 Hotelworks to highlight the island’s idyllic lifestyle and market 31 condominiums for sale at the Movenpick Residence Karon Beach. The campaign won the coveted Gold Award for Hospitality Marketing.
PATA President and CEO Peter de Jong said the 2007 PATA Gold Awards were chosen from one of the strongest collections of candidates ever. An unprecedented 339 entries from 132 organisations worldwide were submitted for the 28 categories. Delivering Asia Communications conceptualised and executed the creative and purchased the media for the campaign, which focused on two core components.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) has appointed the representation firm Bryant & Tripptree Ltd (BTL) as its representative in North America. The appointment, announced at the PATA head office in Bangkok, became effective in July. BTL will coordinate PATA’s activities in North America through its offices in California and New York. BTL’s principals Barbara Bryant and Kathleen Tripptree have extensive experience in tourism and hospitality marketing and management, for organisations such as the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, the Hong Kong Tourism Board, Harbour Plaza Hotels & Resorts and the Bal Harbour (Florida) Department of Tourism.
Singapore is thrilled to be hosting a round of the 2008 FIA Formula One World Championships. The race, to be held on a new street circuit, will be the first night-time event in Formula One history. To add to the excitement, the event is proposed to take place next year in either September or October, which will position the Singapore leg right in the middle of the exciting last quarter of the championship, guaranteeing the global F1 community will be strapped to their seats. The proposed circuit is a 5.25-kilometre-long track in the Marina Bay area and it will run around many of Singapore’s landmark buildings and locations, promising visitors a fabulous view of more than just the action on the track! Stay tuned for further developments as the 2008 race schedule is finalised.
The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) and The Nielsen Company China have announced a broad strategic partnership focused on delivering unrivalled statistics, analyses and forecasts to the Asia-Pacific travel and tourism industry. The agreement includes a commitment to share information, facts and intelligence to support the reports and publications of both parties. The new relationship will also offer cooperation opportunities such as co-branded research and PR studies, and joint workshops. While the agreement will initially focus on the China (PRC) market, the relationship will take a regional perspective with the participation of other markets throughout Asia-Pacific.
Australia-based event design and management firm Off-Site Connections Event Management (OSC) has established a presence in Singapore. The OSC Singapore office was established at the beginning of August, just two short years after the opening of OSC’s operation in China, with an office in Shanghai. Over the course of the last 12 years, OSC has experienced great success in the international business events market within Australia and Asia. Regarded as a leader in producing and staging events for the Asian corporate market in Australia and China, the establishment of OSC Singapore has been a seemingly natural progression to continue OSC’s growth in Asia. General manager – Greater China, Anna Patterson says, “This is a great step forward for the company and I am sure we will maintain our huge success within the market continuing to bring Australia’s high standards of event production to Asia.” Off-Site Connections with be positioning Maryna King as director of events for the Singapore operation.
General manager of Central World Hotel and Bangkok Convention Centre, Michel Horn, recently led a group of “MICE Challenge Bangkok” (MICE buyers from the Netherlands), to inspect the new Bangkok Convention Centre and the progress of the hotel’s construction, which completed 53 floors out of 55 floors. The group was welcomed by long drum (Klong Yao) and Thai Classical dance on the 53rd floor.
Guests at a financial institution conference were treated to the best of Shanghai in the 1920s, courtesy of Off-Site Connections. Guests entered the pre-function area for drinks and canapés which was lined with genuine Chinese antiques, rickshaws, silk drops and opium beds. Entering the ballroom for the dinner they noticed hand-painted screens lining the dining area, warmly-lit with magenta hues. The stage featured vignettes of China vases, flowers, fans and a decorative carved central feature. Guests enjoyed a succulent five-course meal served throughout the entertainment acts which included Shanxi Dummers, A Thousand Hands, acrobatic performances, TMSK, an MC and a dance band. Both client and guests commented that this had been “their best conference dinner ever”.
In early June eight incentive buyers travelled to Shanghai courtesy of Air New Zealand for a famil hosted by the Shanghai International Conference Management Organisation (SICMO) and the Shanghai Tourism Bureau (SMTAC), organised by Motivating People. The group spent four nights in Puxi (the west bank of the Huangpu River) as guests of the Portman Ritz-Carlton Hotel and two in Pudong (the east bank) staying at the Pudong Shangri-La during which time they were able to experience much of what Shanghai has to offer the incentive industry and its clients.
A night at the opera – shown here are (from left): Michael Margolin (The Associates Group), Lisa Jane Thomas (Hat Trick Events), Dee Nicholas (Corporate Incentive Solutions), Lisa Moloney (Key Conference Solutions), Viv Pepper (Eagles Flight Australia), Peter Gray (Motivating People), Sheila Jackson (Le Rêve) and Roger Henning (Homeland Security Asia/Pacific) as they attended a very entertaining night at the Chinese Opera.
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