Makati’s urban oasis

Tag Archives: business events

With room rates starting from around AUD 250 a night, the Shangri-la hotel in the city of Makati is like an oasis in the vast Manila conurbation, and, considering its facilities, extraordinarily good value for money.

The feeling you’re going to be pampered, rested, relaxed and well-fed in five-star comfort descended on me as I walked into the hotel’s lobby to check in one warm afternoon recently. A marble lobby space extended into a cavernous lounge, with towering windows overlooking lush gardens and cascading waterfalls. A classical pianist was playing quietly, providing unobtrusive entertainment for guests having a late lunch and small groups having meetings. Immaculately dressed, smiling staff moved among the tables. Luxury!

This was a highlight of a recent trip to the Philippines, where well-heeled Makati is arguably the ritziest business and cultural hub in the country’s capital. This Shangri-la, one of more than 100 hotels and resorts owned, managed and operated by the Shangri-la Group in 78 destinations, is one of the oldest at 30 years.

“[Our hotel] has become a fixture in the community, with 696 guest rooms and suites,” says Alfonso Carlos Mendoza (pictured left), its young events executive. “And it’s an excellent venue for conferences because we’re in a heavily developed urban area with many companies, restaurants and entertainment outlets, and much business activity, in close proximity.”

Indeed Makati’s sprawling “Green Belt” shopping and dining precinct is adjacent to the hotel and much appreciated by meetings and events attendees, says Alfonso.

For meeting space, they’re spoiled for choice. The Shangri-la is home to the largest pillar-less ballroom in Makati City as well as a secondary ballroom for more intimate events. It holds the biggest inventory of guestrooms among five-star hotels in Makati City, and has eight restaurants and bars, says Alfonso.

“Corporate clients always come back,” he says. “In addition to the main ballroom which can hold up to 990 people in a round-table set up, we’ve got a big variety of smaller meeting spaces, for which, in many cases, the attendees choose to stay in the hotel.

“We had one such meeting yesterday, for example, an education group who flew in from China and were accommodated in 86 of our rooms. They came in three buses and we planned our check-in procedures very carefully, so it all went smoothly.”

Manila and the Philippines generally offer bargain prices in relation to accommodation – and food, especially, he adds. “We have many international-standard local chefs who can cater to any palate in the world and we can adjust menus to anything you’d wish for. The same applies to our MICE guests – any food or requirement, you just need to ask.”

Guests can find just about everything they need in the hotel complex, from a pool, renovated spa and gym to venues for meetings, meals and to socialise.

“Of course there are plenty of [entertainment] places outside the hotel that are very accessible, and many malls,” says Alfonso. “In Makati at weekends the roads are closed off so people can stroll and ride bikes round the town. Our international guests especially appreciate this.”

The hotel has a club offering, the Horizon, with dedicated floors for rooms and an exclusive lounge in which guests can get fed three times a day and have cocktails in the evening as part of their package. (I opted for this and it was a classy experience, made all the more so by excellent staff.)

The wood-panelled rooms have comfortable beds, air conditioning that works well, chocolates and fruit to snack on and much else. The reservations people will easily arrange car or limo airport transfers.

Venues like this may help explain why last calendar year was a huge one for the Philippine tourism industry, which welcomed almost five and a half million international visitors, recording more than PHP480 billion (AUD 13 billion) in receipts, according to the country’s Department of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. The new record was around 650,000 higher than the target of 4.8 million international visitors for the year.

Meetings package from AUD 115

The Makati Shangri-la presents a variety of meetings packages. For instance one whole-day corporate option for PHP 4200 (AUD 115) per person has plated and buffet lunch options, and the inclusions you’d expect like coffee, tea, flipcharts, public address systems and so forth. Reasonably priced open-bar package options from one to three hours are also available.

For more information click here.

After a brief cab ride on a humid island day, I arrive, tired, at the Patra Bali Resort and Villas in south Kuta. After checking in, I’m escorted to my room, a cool, high-ceilinged haven looking onto greenery.

The broad bed, with fresh-laundered white linen, is immediately inviting. But before napping I take a walk through the sprawling, eleven-hectare property – past lawns, sprays of purple bougainvillea and a tranquil koi pond. Soon I arrive at a giant swimming pool flanking South Kuta Beach and look out onto the placid Indian Ocean, studded with leisure craft. What a great place to hold a meeting.

However it’s the combination of assets in this five-star property, arguably, that make it special, its convenient location being one of them. The resort is a five-minute drive from Bali’s Ngurah Rai international airport, yet only two or three kilometres from the busy eateries and shops of the holiday precinct of Kuta, easily accessible by cab or a walk along the seafront.

The food at the hotel is good and diverse. The main restaurant is an indoor-outdoor affair overlooking the biggest of three hotel pools and the adjacent beach. In the evenings, leisured guests can have cocktails as the sun sinks into the sea in front of them. Breakfast is a classic southeast Asian buffet, with fare ranging from Indian and Chinese to omelettes and pancakes made on the spot at a busy cooking station. (Fresh, ripe papaya was, for me, a great attraction).

The Patra Bali has nine well-equipped events venues, including a 900-square-metre ballroom, the Denpasar, (taking 700 people theatre-style, 400 at round tables) that hosts functions ranging from receptions to corporate dinners. Small groups are equally well catered for: one well-equipped 32-square-metre room, for example, can comfortably seat 20 theatre-style. The tropical gardens near the white sand beach are host to weddings on a regular basis.

Typically for a Balinese venue, there are plenty of touristy after-meeting activities for delegates, including water polo and cookery lessons; there’s a tennis court, a kids’ club and convenience store.

The property is busy, with leisure and events guests flocking to book, according to one spokesperson. That’s not surprising – because the Indonesian island is experience an astonishing post-covid renaissance. According to data released by the Bali Central Bureau of Statistics in July 2023, 439,475 tourists visited in that month alone, a growth of 6.80% on the previous month. From January to May 2023, 1,877,215 foreign visitors arrived in Bali.

From USD 50 per night for full meeting package

A full meeting package including two coffee breaks, lunch, notepad, pencil, candies, mineral water bottles, equipment (whiteboard, flip chart, screen, LCD, wifi and so forth) is USD 50 per night, according to sales manager Sri Wahyuni (pictured). A half-day meeting package is USD 35, including lunch, and an Indonesian buffet dinner can be laid on for USD 25 per person.

Rates for a de-luxe room start at USD 95 per night. That incudes a welcome drink on arrival, breakfast daily for two, tax and service charge and shuttle service to Kuta

For more information call +62 361 9351 161 or email reservation@thepatrabali.com

After a stop-start cab ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport, my arrival in the lobby of the Shangri-La hotel Bangkok, tired after a long flight, is a palpable pleasure. At last I can relax.

Inside, a smiling young woman in a turquoise traditional chut thai welcomes me, palms together, as do the people behind the reception desk. I stroll across the marble lobby and into the lobby lounge, a vast, high-ceilinged chamber with panoramic views of the fecund brown waters of the Chao Phraya River. This lamp-lit space, flanked by a bar, is furnished with silken chairs and fittings. Outside, between the hotel and the river, massed tropical gardens and outbuildings are set around a sprawling pool.

Dusk is falling as I’m ushered into my room, which looks out over the river. Dusk is falling and the lights of barges and ferries are churned into millions of points of glittering light. After two years of pandemic misery, it’s wonderful to be staying in the Shangri-La Bangkok! This is one of the world’s most iconic hotels, set in the heart of the country’s cultural, political, commercial, financial and religious epicentre known to locals as Krung Thep, City of Angels.

The Thais hope there’ll be more like me. Thailand had just 428,000 foreign arrivals in 2021, according to the Reuters news service, compared with nearly 40 million in 2019. In that year alone visitors spent about 1.91 trillion baht. (AUD77 billion).

“The pandemic definitely had a great impact on our hotel as the majority of our meeting groups or international conferences were either postponed or cancelled due to the uncertainty of the situation and the country [visitor-limiting] regulations,” says Virinya Maytheepattanachat, the hotel’s Director of Communications.

But here as elsewhere business prospects are getting better. “The situation is showing signs of gradual improvement with the easing of restrictions, especially [thanks to the confidence] of the organisers when Thailand hosted APEC 2022,” Virinya says. (In May, the Shangri-La Bangkok hosted an APEC senior officials’ meeting and related events.)

A variety of factors set this hotel apart as an events venue, Virinya adds. For a start, it’s the largest on the riverside in the city, occupying four hundred metres of water frontage, with 802 luxury guestrooms – with river or city views – in two adjacent towers, and 23 function rooms, one of which, the Grand Ballroom, can accommodate up to 1,500 guests for special events. Meanwhile a strong and experienced banqueting and events team can manage meeting sizes ranging from small groups to high-level heads-of-state gatherings.

And there’s plenty for delegates to do before or afterwards, Virinya points out. Bangkok is a diversified city with great food and an appealing culture, she says. There are new and upgraded convention centres within easy reach of the two airports via skytrain or underground trains. Many Shangri-La Bangkok events guests extend their stays to fly to the tourist island of Phuket or drive to the holiday town of Pattaya for short visits. “With direct access to the SkyTrain, public ferries and buses, the hotel is a lovely gateway.”

With conference room rates packages ranging between USD150 and 200 per night, depending on the season, the hotel represents good value for money when compared with five-star properties of similar quality in Singapore or other neighbouring countries, says Virinya. Moreover the managers consider special rates for off-peak months like April, July and August.

That’s a prime reason most of its MICE clients come from overseas, mainly the US, UK, Australia, Singapore and China, she says. They include pharmaceutical, IT, finance and medical organisations.

“Our social events including weddings, engagements, birthday parties, graduations and prom nights play an important role in our local catering [division] which is number two [in importance] after group catering.

A culinary journey awaits in the eclectic eateries, serving up traditional Thai and pan-Asian food as well as other cosmopolitan fare. There’s good street food around the hotel. The Siteseer paid 70 baht (about AUD2.80) for an excellent soup of pork, noodles and quail eggs.

More reasons for another visit.

More info:

Events team: (66 2) 236 7777

Email: events.bangkok@shangri-la.com.

www.shangri-la.com/bangkok

Sydney-based Emma Bowyer, widely respected owner and Managing Director of successful professional conference organisers ICMS Australasia, has been involved in the events-management industry for the best part of two decades. Emma has personally managed some of Australia’s biggest conferences, winning Event of the Year on three occasions for events under her directorship. She previously held a tenured position at the University of Technology Sydney in the Faculty of Business. She spoke to The Siteseer about how business is evolving as the pandemic recedes.

Siteseer: What do you see as the key priorities for event organisers as we appear to be, finally, moving away from pandemic-induced challenges?

Emma Bowyer: We didn’t lay anyone off during the pandemic; I made the decision early on, before JobKeeper was announced. Our thirty-five staff have been with me for quite a while. They are mostly in their twenties and thirties and have given me their loyalty, and I believed I needed to support them in turn. Initially the outlook was that the pandemic might last six months.

Then, as the situation became worse, we switched to virtual meetings very quickly. By June 2020 we were among the first companies in Australia to be running a major meeting on-line, which we did with the University of Melbourne, for 1,400 people. At that time there was no virtual conferencing platform; we needed a technical person, almost like a film producer, to give us what we needed.

So with that as background, one of our key priorities is to fast-track some of the technologies we’ve been talking about for years. Another is to continue to use the technology that’s available to us to serve and retain clients. We’re working with clients on events for 2022 and 2023. How can we retain and expand on the skills we’ve learned in respect of virtual conferencing to suit them, we ask ourselves? How can we digitally capture some of the content that’s being produced, and monetise it? That’s a priority too.

There’s been great restructuring in our industry that has helped us recover. Well before the pandemic we were thinking more and more about how we can work with clients in partnership models, rather than taking a blanket approach; rather than just saying these are our services and these are the prices.

Now we’re doing much more customising, with clients working closely [and more productively] with us and the technology providers. For example we’ve got an international engineering conference coming up in May, with seventy countries and over seven hundred delegates.

And for the first time, the Sydney Convention Centre has come to us with a customised package covering cuisine, AV and layout. So we’re customising, and as we move forward we’re reconfirming with industry stakeholders, convention centres and hotels what the priorities are for us as a business, organising international delegates to come to Sydney, and internally continuing to use the technology that’s helped us get through the pandemic.

SS: The convention you’ve just mentioned; can you tell us a bit more?

EB: It’s a hybrid, which is interesting, an event that got rescheduled. It was supposed to be delivered in late 2021. The local host had spent ten years securing the meeting for Australia and was devastated when they had to contemplate going virtual. He’s an Emeritus Professor from Newcastle, and really didn’t want to do that. But as the weeks and months passed his international community said they were grateful for having a virtual alternative for those who couldn’t travel. The content is obviously not free; it’s seventy five percent of the normal registration cost, and conversely if you come in-person you’ll also get access to the virtual platform.

This is a strategy that’s working really well for the business community now, especially for people under thirty-five. In conferences in the past we’ve often had a younger student cohort among representatives. It’s been around ten percent generally, but it’s more than doubled for this event. Their employers realise it’s good for their growth and for their learning; they see it as investing in them.

SS: What new skills are needed to manage the virtual and hybrid meetings environment?

EB: In a way we’ve all become television producers. In the TV world you have second-by-second breakdowns, you pre-record material to mitigate risk, with strict production quality control, you can do things with animation, and the bigger your budget the better it looks.

So we’ve learned new skills in these areas, in event technology production and animation, and we’ve learned how to do things digitally that were never previously in our vocabulary. It’s affected everyone across the company. Even the receptionist hasn’t got away with not learning new skills.

SS: How can associations in particular monetise these new styles of business events?

EB: Good question. So first they must put a price on their content; they must never have any part of a conference offer that’s free. During the pandemic all of our clients have had a paid registration model. Social interaction’s not great on virtual, everyone concedes that. But if it’s the best that’s available, it’s great, and there’s so much you can offer. We’ve done quiz nights, hired people from overseas who can run things in multiple time zones and so on.

You must also capture content. We’ve been pre-releasing some content, for example, for a conference coming up in 2023. We’ve pre-recorded our plenary confirmed speakers, of which there are six, having told them to give us a three-minute grab of what they’ll talk about at the congress, reinforcing why people should register. That’s been unscripted and a huge success. We tell delegates that if they register by a certain date we’ll send them thirty minutes of great content. In incentivising in that way you can monetise.

Then the conference comes. Post-event you can go back to your membership and can couple-up, what we call splice, key content, highlights and even two-minute sections and earn money that way. That’s the future for associations, digitising content in a way that’s appealing for all of their members.

SS: How have target audiences changed?

EB: They’ve become more discerning. That’s why some of the mid-level events are dropping off. Audiences are saying, if I’m going to travel I’m going to make my decision based on how good and significant the event and content is. What are the networking opportunities, and is there a special factor?

SS: How would you define mid-level?

EB: It relates to the subject matter. Take pathology. We’ve organised some pathology events, but there are divisions within that category, like forensic pathology, or genetic pathology for example. So you’ll typically have a world congress and people will divide up to meet to discuss their specialty, and all come together for a plenary. Now more of them are saying they’ll go to the big event, gain some extra knowledge, and for their own specialty they may access the virtual content. So whereas in the past someone might go to two or three conferences a year, they now might go to one instead, and do the other two virtually.

What kind of additional support for the industry would you like to see?

EB: In our industry many have talked about a central industry body that represents everyone. I understand the drive to represent parties is key but I think there are too many competing interests to do this well at the moment. In the end, the saying where there’s a political will, there’s a financial way probably rings true here.

SS: What in your view are the other major challenges facing businesses like yours?

EB: Maintaining quality. We’re in a maintenance period after a time of major change and working out where we grow from here. We’ve got our own staff conference in Alice Springs in July, and re-energising is a challenge for us and others. Everyone’s tired. But it’s not a bad challenge!

SS: Any other lessons you can share about your business and academic career?

EB: As you get older managing energy is important. I’ve found over time you sometimes put energy into things that could be better directed. Everyone has the same amount of time; it’s very democratic [in that sense], but the way you occupy it is vital. Stepping up into more of a consultancy role has been great for me personally. I’ve really enjoyed it. Prioritising and understanding the global and national landscape are very worthwhile directions for one’s energy.

SS: The recent international toxicology conference that was relocated to Sydney. Can you tell us a bit about that?

EB: We first ran the international toxicology meeting in 2015 in Brisbane. Then in 2018, a while ago now, I travelled over to Washington DC for an unrelated client, working on a space conference. While we were there we got an email from the toxicology client based in Melbourne. He learned I was in Washington and suggested I go to dinner with the president of the toxicology board. So off we went to the dinner in Washington with the president whom we’d never met before. We got on like a house on fire; he was with the FBI and very interesting to talk to.

I passed on his details to my colleagues and in late 2021 we got a phone call from the client in Melbourne. He told us they were planning to have their meeting in South Africa, but after holding out for as long as possible, had decided to go virtual.

The association had never done anything virtual before, so the client asked us if we could help them. They said that even if fifty percent of their membership came on board and if we could construct something funky and fun like eighty talks in eighty minutes, we could construct a program.

So they set off with a target of three hundred participants and thirty thousand dollars in sponsorship. That was all over the Christmas period. In the end we had over eight hundred delegates, over a hundred thousand dollars in sponsorship, and three extraordinarily good days of programming and networking events. Each board member had ten minutes to talk about their country, so there was a tourism aspect. Someone walked through a gallery in Tokyo for example; it was very interesting.

The feedback they’ve had from their own communities has been outstanding. It blew away their expectations of what could be done with virtual conferencing. Now we’ve been appointed to do an event for them in 2023 in Hobart, and their world congress is coming to New Zealand in 2025 and we’ve been appointed for that.

SS: Also shows how valuable personal networking can be.

EB: It does.

SS: What’s your outlook now?

Very positive! People internationally have a fantastic appetite for coming to Australia. The Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne bureaux we’re working with are pushing strongly to emphasise that it’s safe to travel, which is important to people. The fact we don’t have to have negative tests before getting on a plane any more and that COVID variants are becoming less virulent is a strong sign of recovery.

In the space we’re in it’s more important than ever to have conferences because scientists can innovate and share research. One of our clients was involved with developing the AstraZeneca vaccine at Oxford University, which has had fantastic outcomes. That can be highlighted across many disciplines. There’s good stories everywhere and conferences can reflect them.

Moving forward, for us, I see us helping clients get their message out better. Pathologists talking to pathologists is one thing but if you can let the world know what conference delegates do, through public lectures, media releases and advertising, that will be wonderfully interesting, informative and productive.

To contact Emma or ICMS Australasia, please click here.

In line with the zeitgeist, the City of Dreams integrated resort in the Philippines capital is demonstrating how a big, visible commitment to sustainability can help boost the bottom line.

The 6.2-hectare complex, set three kilometres from Manila’s airport and owned by Melco Resorts and Entertainment, is home to three luxury hotels, a giant casino, meetings and delegate-entertaining facilities, a shopping precinct and a range of classy restaurants. Throughout these operations, “sustainability is a really big commitment” says Charisse Chuidian (below, left), Vice President Public Relations for the complex.

With business ramping up here after the Philippines’ pandemic-induced paralysis, what does that mean in practice? And what can others emulate?

Phasing out plastic

A whole suite of initiatives are in place, explains Charisse, a well-known public-relations operator in the Philippines who’s been in her current role for eight years.

For a start it involves addressing one of the most troublesome pollution issues of our time – the use of plastics and plastic bottles. The City of Dreams is phasing the bottles out and replacing them and single-use plastic packaging with other eco-friendly options.

“We’re replacing non-biodegradable materials with alternatives like bagasse packaging for take-away boxes, paper pouches and cardboard boxes instead of acetate boxes for chocolates, and greaseproof paper for sandwiches,” says Charisse’s colleague Romina Gervacio (pictured with Charisse), Director of Public Relations.

Single-use plastic bottles in all gaming areas have already been eliminated, and small toiletry amenity bottles in the rooms of all three luxury hotels (Nüwa, Nobu and Hyatt Regency) have been replaced with reusable and refillable pump bottles. As The Siteseer discovered during a recent visit to the onsite Hyatt Regency, this represents no hardship, and we wondered why more hotel operators haven’t taken the same steps sooner.

Water recycling on site

To bolster this and other initiatives, the resort has installed an onsite water filtration plant and bottling system, which is expected to save the equivalent of more than four million single-use plastic bottles of fresh water per year. It also now recycles wastewater, with treated greywater being reused in the property’s cooling towers, saving in this way an estimated 88 Olympic-sized pools of water a year.

“We have our own herb garden on site as well,” Romina says. “And we brew and roast our own coffee purchased directly from local growers.”

City of Dreams is touted to be the first integrated resort to have installed solar power. The panels produce 1.2MWh at full capacity, able to charge around 139 million cellphones in a year, they say.

Eighty-eight percent of its food and drink supplies are sourced from small to medium-size local businesses and it uses, for example, only sustainable seafood and cage-free eggs.

The company’s sustainability strategy is led by Melco Resorts CEO Lawrence Ho, who has outlined ambitious sustainability goals for the group’s properties, including carbon-neutral and zero-waste operations by 2030. City of Dreams Manila and its Property President Geoff Andres been already been widely recognised for this work, with the 2022-2024 ASEAN Green Hotel Award having been presented to the trio of hotels on the property.

Employee welfare a priority

The City of Dreams’ commitment to sustainability extends to the way in which it treats its three thousand-plus employees. Management offers workers 24/7 buffet and unlimited meals in an employees’ dining room, sleeping lounges and bathroom facilities, free shuttle-bus services at pick-up and drop-off points, and generous discounts in the hotels and restaurants. It enrols qualified managers in eCornell courses free of charge, offers skills training and more.

During the pandemic the company gave financial assistance via paid leave to those unable to work. “We also provided in-house accommodation for those who needed to be onsite, and free vaccinations for employees and family members. The staff vaccination rate is 99.9 percent, and only vaccinated people are rostered. (The Forbes Travel Guide announced in April that the property had won the 2022 “Work Here, Work Happy” accolade.)

Unsurprisingly, like all hospitality businesses around the world, this one was devastated by the pandemic. According to one source, covid caused the Philippines’ economy to decline to its lowest level since World War II, with GDP decreasing by 9.5% in 2020, the worst drop since records began in 1947.

All the hotels and casino at the City of Dreams Manila were closed from March till May in 2020 with no dine-in business. Happily, things have since turned around since then, and new restaurants have opened in its shopping precinct, helping entice customers back.

The eateries include Italian, Thai and Korean outlets and a popular local café which complement others in the shopping boulevard, like the sensational “Red Ginger,” which specialises in a variety of Asian fare.

Occupancies up

Hotel occupancies are good again, Charisse says, with business mostly accounted for by local guests. The local MICE business on site hasn’t been far behind.

“Our family entertainment area DreamPlay [a 5,000 square-metre facility that offers a variety of activities] is up and running again. [It’s] not only for children but also used for team-building exercises,” she adds. In fact some meeting organisers have used it recently.

The CoD’s onsite ballroom can cater for up to 700 seated and is supported by a generous-sized pre-function area, two fully equipped board rooms with a capacity to seat 24, and a banqueting kitchen equipped for Filipino, Chinese, and Western fare.

From around AUD350 a day

What does it cost to stay here? A Club Deluxe Room (pictured above) with Hyatt Lounge access that includes breakfast and cocktails kicks in at around AUD360 a day. Prices on the Internet for room-only at the Hyatt Regency at time of writing were around AUD310 per night.

For inquiries and reservations, call 632 8800 8080 or e-mail guestservices@cod-manila.com.

For more information, visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

“That’s a really good Holiday Inn you’re staying at,” said the Malaysian gent I’d been chatting to at a café in Bali’s Segara Beach. “And your Aussie dollar goes a looong way here.”

My genial acquaintance was referring to my home for a few days – the Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali. The facilities of this red-roofed, rather atypical Holiday Inn complex, set in lush tropical gardens alongside a sandy beach, close to Denpasar airport, are indeed special. And leisure and meetings guests do get excellent value for money when making a booking here.

Room prices start at around AUD 90 per night (breakfast included), and full-board residential meeting packages with lunches, dinners, use of meeting rooms and the works thrown in start from IDR 1,400,000 (around AUD 130) per person per day.

Considering the quality of this resort’s rooms, food and service, it’s not surprising, then, that its post-pandemic business has roared back to life. The hotel was running at over eighty percent occupancy when I stayed there in late 2022. Covid? What Covid? Most guests here, or indeed anywhere on the island, didn’t bother to wear masks.

From all accounts, and as the number of visitors in the streets of Kuta and surrounds attests, the broader MICE industry in Bali is recovering well also. During the pandemic, according to one UN report, with no tourists coming onto the island some Balinese were forced to plant vegetables to survive. Now there’s a palpable feeling of optimism in the air; many shops and eateries are busy and queues have formed at the airport once again. The only stricture still in place for visitors to Bali is that they must show evidence of at least two covid vaccinations to be allowed in.

“Yes, our MICE business has returned to normal after the pandemic,” confirms Yesaya Siagian (above, right), the Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali’s Cluster Marketing Communications Manager.

With a Holiday Inn Express – the InterContinental Hotels group’s chain offering limited services at a reasonable price – set next door to the resort property, there’s plenty of extra accommodation for delegates who need it.

The biggest of the MICE facilities on the resort property is the Cinnamon Ballroom, which can accommodate 150 banquet-style or up to 250 for receptions and conferences. Altogether, five meeting rooms at the resort cover almost six thousand square metres. PCOs interested in organising a gala dinner in the vast gardens or on lawns adjacent to the beach can do that as well.

“Here you can discover an inspirational setting for a meeting or special event,” says Yesaya. “They include weddings and social gatherings, and our meeting and function spaces are equipped with comprehensive audiovisual capabilities.”

Guests get access to the kind of facilities you’d expect in a tropical island resort: a spa (the Tea Tree), room service, enticing swimming pools, a pool bar, a beachfront restaurant and an all-day-dining eatery (Palms) serving Indonesian delights. Each guest room has a private balcony overlooking the Indian Ocean or lush vegetation.

Kids aged 12 and under stay for free when sharing their parents’ room. At any time of day, up to four kids aged 12 and under eat for free at the Palms Restaurant.

From AUD 90

The room rate, as mentioned, is outstanding value given the quality of the accommodation and surrounds. The resort flanks a beach dotted with bathers and leisure craft and is just 1.5 kilometres from the airport. (Actually within walking distance of the airport, or a five-minute cab ride). It’s located in the heart of Bali’s key leisure and business districts.

Meeting packages are similarly reasonable. The half-day meeting-only package, for example, is IDR 550,000 (about AUD 50) per person. That includes up to five hours’ meeting room use, a coffee break, lunch or dinner, wifi, LCD and screen, mineral water and refreshments and so on.

Click here for more information.

Like a tapered candle rising 88 storeys above the harbour, the Crown Sydney skyscraper is the city’s newest landmark. In every way, it’s an events location that towers above the ordinary.

Completed in four years and opened last December, the Crown Resorts-owned, black-glass-clad building houses 349 hotel rooms and suites and 82 private residences – each of which has a view of the water – and a variety of outstanding events venues.

Each interior space, including the bedrooms, has a unique floorplate because architects Wilkinson Eyre have forgone traditional symmetry for an unconventional building shape that resembles intertwined glass petals.

The interiors exemplify smart design and the latest in six-star hotel gee-whizzery. Rooms and meetings spaces alike are an amalgam of layered textures: custom fabrics, marble, pristine bedding; and carpets, fittings and metallic detailing whose greys and sea-blues reflect the sparkling crushed-diamond surface of the harbour below. In the bedrooms, curtains and blinds can be swept open and shut at the touch of an icon on a bedside control panel.

When a guest approaches the lavatory and bidet arrangement, the lid opens automatically – as if by legerdemain – in a whimsical welcome.

Naturally, because they’re so new, the various event spaces feature the most advanced meetings technology like wireless internet connections, data tech, webcasting and video-conferencing facilities, according to Food and Beverage Manager Events, Jodie Ringma (pictured below). “Organisers love the attributes of our venues,” says Jodie.

Strong interest

Not surprisingly, Jodie adds, despite the Covid-19 pandemic local PCOs are showing significant interest in Crown Sydney as they slowly regain confidence, especially for smaller events.

“For planners seeking a venue that has ‘more’, this is ideal,” explains Jodie, an events specialist whose experience includes several years at the Sydney Opera House.

“Crown Sydney is home to eleven restaurants and bars, a luxury Crown Towers hotel and one of the best spas in the city. That means you can create a multi-faceted event without guests ever having to leave the property.”

Many events here at present comprise weddings and, until international borders reopen, mostly Sydney corporate business, usually a combination of high-end company gatherings and product launches, says Jodie.

Because of the pandemic corporate planners are tending to book with shorter lead times and hosting smaller functions. And Jodie and her colleagues expect changes to restrictions and capacities at very short notice are likely to be an ongoing impact on their business.

“Due to the pandemic PCOs are typically saying you know what? We’ll just do something for forty and see what kind of response they have with that. They’re being mindful that they’re going to ease back into the market place. There’s also a lot of last-minute booking.”

The Crown Sydney events team has adapted to these circumstances by being extra-flexible in booking terms and conditions, offering quick turnaround times. “We’ve recently hosted a number of events for luxury brands across fashion, automobiles and electronics and private dinners for A-listers,” says Jodie.

The prime Crown Sydney meeting place is the high-ceilinged and column-free Pearl Ballroom (left). With pillowed and patterned walls, this space accommodates up to 390 guests cocktail-style or 340 seated, with an expansive pre-function area that helps create a seamless space for galas, receptions, award ceremonies and conferences.

And it can be divided into three areas for more intimate events.

A broad variety of spaces are available for smaller functions. The Opal Suite, for example, can accommodate 20 people seated or 50 cocktail-style and has been much in demand for business presentations and special events, says Jodie.

It features a private bathroom, powder alcove (popular with bridal parties), hanging closets and a private kitchen and like all the hotel’s facilities it has spectacular views over Darling Harbour.

Likewise the Pavilion can accommodate 50 in ceremony seating or cocktail-style, and is in regular use for romantic ceremonies and cocktail receptions.

Sky Deck, another private event space, is set to open soon. Located on level 66, it will take up to 25, cocktail-style, and features an external viewing platform.

From AUD112 per person

The question PCOs ask first: how much will it cost me? A daily meeting package here starts at AUD112 per person, says Jodie Ringma, which, given the quality of the property and its jaw-dropping location is arguably highly competitive.

While it’s obviously at the higher end of the pricing scale, with hotel room rack rates at around AUD869, it still represents great value considering what you get for your dollar, Jodie insists. “From the venue, views, menus, execution, service and experience point of view it’s outstanding.”

Moreover she and her team seek to ensure they offer the broadest variety of options possible; rather than stipulate a price, they consider what clients want, then design an event specifically for them. So the offer includes bespoke menus, flexibility, and a swag of options – for instance three styles of charger plates, three colours of napkins and tablecloths, silver napkin rings and coloured water glasses. “It’s those small details that our team never overlooks,” she says.

The menus can draw on the Crown Sydney restaurants including Nobu (the Japanese fusion eatery named after acclaimed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa) and Silks (Cantonese fine dining) which can really set the event experience apart, Jodie says. “I also think our central location, in the heart of Barangaroo, adds to its appeal.”

Indeed it’s this newness and location that are driving most interest. “Crown Sydney is Australia’s most exciting new event space and there’s a desire to be one of the first to hold an event here,” Jodie adds. “The venues have facilities designed not just to frame the views of Sydney Harbour’s icons, but to stand alongside them as a defining landmark of the city.”

More info, click here.

Email: events@crownsydney.com.au

You’re a hotelier. With terrifying suddenness, the Coronavirus decimates your events and leisure business. What do you do? Swiss-Belhotel International’s people did some lateral thinking.

With occupancies plunging everywhere, and recognising that any crisis can represent opportunity for those flexible enough, the General Manager of Swiss-Belhotel in South Brisbane, Patrick Laybutt (left), and colleagues sat together to put action plans in place.

“It was after the introduction of the various Covid-19 restrictions had been introduced in New Zealand,” Patrick explains. “One of our decisions was to look after clients at our Australasian properties who can’t work from home, people who need an office space, or have come back from overseas and need to stay longer.”

With 134 generously sized spaces ranging from hotel rooms to suites with galley kitchenettes at the South Brisbane hotel, for example, they realised they could adapt their apartment-style set ups to include the attributes of an office space.

The result was a “live-stay-work” package, which gives much-needed help to guests while generating revenue for the hotel to continue supporting staff and owners through a difficult time, says Patrick.

The live-stay-work campaign has targeted corporate as well as past and loyal customers seeking longer stays, who were approached via the hotel’s database. It was also aimed at expats returning home. “We worked closely with our extensive network and association connections,” says Patrick.

In South Brisbane, hotel-living package guests can choose, inter alia, a superior room with king-size bed, ensuite and walk-in shower; a river-view suite overlooking the city and Brisbane River towards South Bank, or across the Kangaroo Point cliffs to the city; or a “Swiss SuperSuite”.

“Living at Swiss-Belhotel Brisbane in South Bank is like having a permanent office with a feel of home as you experience everything luxury and have a personal haven of relaxation and comfort,” Patrick says.

That means in-room dining, breakfast deals at $17 per person from a selected menu, Uber eats delivered to rooms, in-door pool, gym, unlimited Internet access, 10% off laundry, hand sanitisers in rooms and optional daily or weekly housekeeping.

The response has been great, says Patrick. “People appreciate us being proactive and coming up with a tailored offer that meets current demand. We especially see good pick-up at our Swiss-Belsuites Victoria Park [Auckland] hotel as it’s only five minutes’ walk from a large supermarket and has spacious suites – all apartment-style with balconies.”

Meantime events are obviously on hold given the current clamp-down on gatherings. “Next to general cleanliness, social distance is currently on our mind,” says Patrick. “The health of our guests and associates is our number-one priority.”

From AUD1,950 a month

A superior room at South Brisbane is available from $90 per day, $560 per week and $1,950 per month. A “super-suite” starts from $120 per day, $805 per week and $3,300 per month.

The hotel is adjacent to the Mater private and public and Lady Cilento Children’s hospitals and the newly opened Ronald McDonald House is directly opposite. It’s ten minutes’ walk to the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and 14 minutes’ walk to The Gabba stadium. The CBD is 3.6 kilometres – eight minutes’ drive – away.

If, as Czech writer Milan Kundera observed, business has only two functions – marketing and innovation – the Swiss-Belhotel is doing both well.

More info, click here.

Email: reservations-brisbane@swiss-belhotel.com

Geoff Donaghy is CEO of the International Convention Centre Sydney, which recently announced a naming-rights partnership with superannuation industry fund First State Super. He chatted to The Siteseer about what this means, and what else is new and exciting at Sydney’s premier, state-of-the-art events venue.

Siteseer: Geoff, what will the partnership mean in practice for the parties, and how will you both benefit?

Geoff Donaghy: [It’s] a commercial arrangement with mutual benefits. For First State Super the partnership gives their brand the opportunity to be in the heart of Darling Harbour and significantly increase their visibility while providing benefits for their members.

But the relationship runs much deeper than that, and shows their confidence in our operation. First State Super is an existing equity partner in the ICC Sydney project and we both see this as a great way to align our values, cultures and businesses. It’s this aspect we’re very excited about exploring and advancing.

SS: How successful was the recent PCO Roundtable and what key lessons did participants take away?

GD: Our PCOs are a very important client group for us, and in March this year we held our second PCO Roundtable. PCOs act on behalf of many of our major international and national clients so it’s immensely important we communicate with them our developments, improvements and advances on a regular basis. [Afterwards clients such as] the CEO of Associations Forum and panel moderator John Peacock applauded us for establishing such a close relationship with PCOs, as did WALDRONSMITH Management Managing Director Kate Smith.

SS: Would you mind pointing to a couple of what you consider to be some other important events at ICC Sydney in the past year or so and why, looking back, they were successful?

GD: Over the past twelve to eighteen months we’ve delivered many major events that have been successful in their own right. [For example] the ASEAN Australia-Special Summit held in March 2018 saw twelve heads of state attend our venue for a high profile and high-security event, which our team delivered seamlessly. In October 2018 we also delivered Sibos, the world’s biggest financial services event. This saw us welcome more than 7,600 business leaders, academics and entrepreneurs from 150 countries.

Exhibitions are an equally important business segment for us and we’ve a number of major repeat events returning to us annually. The Sydney International Boat Show, which uses all of our exhibition space and event deck and builds a major temporary jetty facility in the adjoining Cockle Bay area to display yachts and super boats, is returning to us for the third year in a row next month.

SS: What are your most important business segments? Do you still see big opportunities in the Asian incentive business?

GD: ICC Sydney was designed to [host] a broad range of market segments – from national and international conventions to trade and consumer events as well as important local events like gala dinners and sales meetings. We’re also the major down-town entertainment venue for the city, which sees us arrange live concerts, musicals and comedy shows.

In terms of economic contribution, venue capability and city reputation, international events are [obviously vital] for a convention centre like ours. Earlier this year we held our second annual CEO Asia Roadshow visiting Japan, China and Singapore as these are markets in which we see enormous growth and potential. We’re also ramping up our activities in North America [resulting in] significant success for both corporate and association events.

SS: Would you mind sharing some facts and figures about how important the integrated ICC Sydney has become for the state and national economy?

GD: Sure. Our first two years of operation saw events we hosted delivering a significant impact for the economy of New South Wales. According to a Deloitte Access Economics study in 2018, delegates attending ICC Sydney generated $820 million in direct expenditure for the state, an increase of $35 million on the $785 million direct contribution of the previous year. International and interstate visitors helped generate 72 percent of the total expenditure, resulting in more than 1.57 million overnight stays in Sydney accommodation and the creation of 5,248 full-time equivalent jobs for the local economy. Next month we’ll be releasing our 2018 and 2019 figures, and we expect these results will further show our contribution to the local economy.

SS: Does ICC Sydney represent value for money and why?

GD: It has a burgeoning reputation for the highest quality of operation and with both client and delegate satisfaction ratings at 99 percent, yes, we believe we offer very significant value for money.

SS: How well have the people of Sydney embraced it?

GD: ICC Sydney has become the venue of choice for Sydney. As a landmark venue in the city we run a wide range of public events from children’s shows and exhibitions to those hosting international artists such as Kylie Minogue and Seinfeld. We also support events for charities like the Variety Children’s Charity Annual Christmas Party and Stand Tall event involving over 6,000 high school students. Earlier in the year we hosted the inaugural VIVID School, which brought together STEM students and budding artists from years nine to twelve from across the state.

SS: What are the priorities for you and your team right now?

GD: It’s a given that success will attract competition and our industry is immensely competitive, across the globe.

[So] the most important priority for our team is to maintain the highest-possible standards at the highest-possible level of consistency, ensuring we’re constantly reviewing and refreshing what we offer to clients across all our market segments.

SS: Are you still enjoying what must be a hugely challenging job? What pleases you most?

GD: Opening and establishing a world-class venue does come with challenges. What pleases me most is watching the team come together and receiving recognition for their extraordinary efforts across Australia and around the world. This is what I find most gratifying as a CEO in the venue business.

More info: sales@iccsydney.com, info@iccsydney.com

GEOFF INSIGHTS

Geoff Donaghy is Director of Convention Centres for venue management specialist AEG Ogden, which operates convention facilities in Australia, Asia and the Middle East including the International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney).

He is CEO of the ICC Sydney, which opened in December 2016 and established as one of the world’s leading convention, exhibition and entertainment facilities.In addition to his role at ICC Sydney, Geoff is Director of Convention Centres AEG Ogden and the immediate past President of the Brussels-based International Association of Congress Centres. He is on the executive committee of the Joint Meetings Industry Council.

Geoff’s experience in the business events industry was born from his airline and hotel industry experience. He headed the Cairns region’s successful tourism and convention bureau for five years before managing the 1996 opening of the Cairns Convention Centre. He also served for five years as Chairman of the Business Events Council of Australia. He has been awarded the Australia Centenary Medal by the Federal Government, the Australian industry’s Outstanding Contribution Award, and the Joint Meeting Industry Council’s Global Power and Profile Award.

After malt whiskies in the club lounge, we return to our room on the thirty-third floor of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, and find a note from the concierge. It’s a follow-up to a request my wife made earlier in the day.

“We have checked with the silversmith in the convention centre, and they can fix your silver necklace,” the message says, “but it will take seven to 10 working days.”

It then lists another jewellery store that can fix the broken clasp the same day, 30 minutes’ cab ride away.

It’s the kind of obliging assistance we received continually during a recent four-day stay at arguably the finest meetings and convention hotel in Hong Kong.

Our 40-square-metre club room, with its vast white bed, muted carpets and colourings and classy artworks, had panoramic views of Victoria Harbour – and, everywhere, the city’s slim, towering skyscrapers which at night gleamed and twinkled like a giant jewellery box.

The food, service, facilities and proximity of this property to the pulse of the city may help explain why it’s won a swag of industry awards – such as best business hotel in Asia, best meetings and conventions hotel in Hong Kong, best city hotel for business events and others.

But there’s plenty of competition in the luxury hotel category in Hong Kong. Why should PCOs favour the Grand Hyatt? Richard Greaves (pictured above), Area Vice President and General Manager, is clear on this. A key factor that sets the hotel apart is attention to detail and emotional engagement with clients and guests, he explains.

“We strongly believe that to create exceptional event experiences for guests, we must first make the effort to get to know them beyond a mere superficial level, more like a friend,” he says.

“How else can we expect to exceed their expectations and create the special details that make an event memorable?”

It’s a familiar theme, often-repeated by hotel operators, but the Grand Hyatt’s success suggests that it’s not just talk. The hotel has 22 flexible event venues which are much in demand for repeat business for meetings, incentives, conferences and private parties, catering for anything from 12 to 1,600 guests. The Grand Ballroom is one of the largest in the city, while the Poolhouse, an outdoor venue overlooking the swimming pool and gardens, can be set up to handle welcome or farewell cocktails.

In particular the hotel is a sought-after spot for weddings, of any size up to 888 people. Accommodation is included in wedding packages and there are preferential rates in its 542 rooms and suites for the guests. “We’re honoured to be regarded as the hotel for glamorous events,” says Richard.

“Our service team has always been our most recognised asset. It takes years of training and expertise to take care of the logistics of week-long events, as well as the everyday needs of conference guests and others staying at the hotel at the same time.”

Attendees have much to choose from pre- and post-conference, Richard adds. “The city, especially Wanchai where the hotel is located, has a lot to offer.”

For example they can visit the Wanchai wet market for a glimpse of local everyday life. Or take a tram for a slow tour around Hong Kong Island, visit heritage buildings and temples around Wanchai, hop on the Star Ferry to cross Victoria Harbour, or shop in Central and Causeway Bay (10 minutes by taxi).

There are 11 restaurants and bars in the hotel, and a great spa (The Plateau) atop the building.

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong’s clientele typically includes financial and tech companies, and it hosts many medical and pharmaceutical conventions. Because it’s located next to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, it’s naturally popular with people attending trade shows.

From USD 245

So, what everyone considering arranging an event immediately wants to know: how much does it cost to book this gem of a property? Room rates online start from around USD245, and the Club rooms – offering access to the big club lounge with its jaw-dropping views of the harbour and sunsets – start from around USD 500. The conference full-day rate is from around USD154 per person, but the operators stress that PCOs and other event organisers should contact them to start a discussion about prices and venues.

Siteseer says:

In the pantheon of good hotels in the former British colony, this is up there with the best. To help celebrate its thirtieth anniversary this year, most of the event venues have been renovated, as have the classy, understated rooms and suites. The club lounge, to which we had access, offers drinks all day and a free-of-charge, sumptuous buffet in the evenings. The eclectic mix of Asian and western fare here included pastas, patés, dim sims, seafood, soups, salads, hot and cold savoury taster dishes and much else. The staff were smart, charming and never missed a trick. Because it was my wife’s and my wedding anniversary, a bottle of champagne awaited us in the room when we arrived. And a charming card. We look forward to returning.

More information:

+852 2584 7068

hongkong.grand@hyatt.com

Click here for more prices.