Tough love turned into sweet love for Web In Travel last night when it won the Trade Conference of the Year in the Singapore Experience Awards 2010 held last night in Singapore. It beat two other finalists, CommunicAsia and International Maritime Week, in the category.
The third ITB Asia closed in Singapore with 6,605 attendees, a 7.4% increase on last year. Organizers, Messe Berlin (Singapore), attributed growth to three forces: the diversity of specialist travel forums within ITB Asia, resurgent Asian outbound demand, and enhanced buyer quality.
Web in Travel, the region’s leading travel distribution, marketing and technology conference, is using several new customer engagement tools with its delegates. “Since we are a conference that’s a lot about discussing ‘the next big thing’ and encouraging innovation, it is important that as organizers, we too demonstrate the motivation to try out new ways of doing old business,” said Yeoh Siew Hoon, owner of the conference.
HEDNA, the Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association, is holding a half-day seminar on the workings of hotel electronic distribution. The seminar, open to members and non-members, will take place in Singapore on 21 October from 11.30 to 15.00 at the Suntec Convention Centre.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) today announced the signing of the first Holiday Inn Express hotel for Singapore, which is set to open in the heart of Orchard Road by 2013. Holiday Inn Express Singapore Orchard Road will fly the flag of the world’s most iconic hotel brand in Singapore’s best-known retail, entertainment and residential district.
David Anderson has been appointed Vice President, Brand Delivery Asia Australasia and Global Resorts, a new role created to support revenue driving activity across the region and focus on the multi-brand growth strategy for IHG resorts around the world.
Capella Singapore, the ultra-luxury resort on Sentosa Island, has been named one of the world’s top 40 business hotels in the September issue of London-based Wallpaper* magazine. Wallpaper* teamed up with Fortune magazine to celebrate the best new business hotels around the globe and the shortlist of 40 properties will be whittled down to just ten in the December 2010 issue of the magazine (on sale on 11 November).
Travel leaders will soon gather in Bangkok on 7 September 2010 to discuss the latest trends in travel distribution and marketing that are affecting the Thai travel industry. As well, a networking event will be held to introduce industry leaders to students of travel, tourism and hospitality in an effort to groom tomorrow’s tourism leaders. The events will be hosted by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association (HSMAI) Asia Pacific, who are teaming up WIT-Web In Travel, to bring Asia Connect as well as WIT*e, the inspiration and mentoring event run by WIT, to Bangkok.
A veritable who’s who of the industry is speaking at the conference. Online travel brands represented include global/regional names such Google, TripAdvisor, Expedia, ZUJI/Travelocity, Wotif and Agoda and local players such as eLong, China; Yatra, India; HotelandJoy, Korea and travel.jp, Japan.
For entrepreneurs who are keen to start up their own business in the digital travel space, this is your chance to get an edge and make your dream come true with the WITovation Entrepreneur Competition & Bootcamp, Singapore. The competition is open to start-ups from zero to two years old, looking to build a sustainable business in the digital travel space.
Chris Chan has been named the new dean of the Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management (CNI), as well as professor of accounting at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration (SHA). By joining Cornell University and Nanyang Technological University as dean of CNI, Chan will provide academic, intellectual, strategic, and administrative leadership to the institute, as well as further elevate the CNI brand in Asia.
The Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management (CNI) was honored with Hospitality Excellence Award 2010 at the China Hotel Investment Conference (CHIC) in Shanghai, China today.
John’s appointment comes at a time when the hotel, long regarded in the industry as Singapore’s icon of Asian hospitality, is poised to showcase a series of exciting developments for the Meritus brand. The British national brings with him some 25 years of industry expertise gained through key assignments across Europe and Asia with major hotel companies including Hilton Hotels and Jarvis Hotels. In Singapore where he is also a permanent resident, John was general manager of The Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel from 2007 to 2009. Under his leadership, the hotel received the prestigious Spring Singapore Service Excellence Award 2008, a coveted accolade conferred on organizations that demonstrate the highest standards of world-class business and service excellence. The hotel was also nominated for the top five awards under the Best Hotel Operations category of Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2008.
The Rainmaker Group, a world leader in automated profit optimization software and services for the global hospitality industry, announced it will host a workshop on resort total property profit optimization at the EyeforTravel Asia 2010 Travel Distribution Summit in Singapore April 28 – 29.
Mr Wehinger brings with him 25 years of international experience in the hospitality industry, including stints in regions such as Europe, Africa, the Middle East, United States, South East Asia, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia. Prior to joining Marina Mandarin Singapore, the Austrian national was the General Manager who opened the Grand Millennium Hotel in Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games. He was also the opening General Manager of the Kempinski Hotel Beijing Lufthansa Centre in 1992. He has held the position of General Manager with Intercontinental Hotels Group and Kempinski Group; and the positions of Director and Managing Director respectively in The Mint Organization Sydney/Shanghai/Dubai, and The Raffles Club Hong Kong. He has also served in senior management positions in Sonesta Hotels in Cairo, The Ritz Taipei and Southern Sun Hotels in South Africa.
The historic Raffles Hotel in Singapore, famed for its colonial grandeur and the Singapore Sling cocktail, is to change hands in a deal worth $275 million (£180 million).
The Marina Mandarin Singapore is a world-class, highly popular, 5-star luxury hotel that enjoys an excellent location in the heart of Singapore. With breathtaking views of Marina Bay and the Singapore financial district, the hotel also offers convenient access to the Marina Square Shopping Mall, and is directly opposite the Suntec Convention & Exhibition Centre and The Esplanade – Singapore’s Performing Arts Centre. With a distinctively majestic atrium soaring through 21 levels of the hotel, Marina Mandarin Singapore is imbued with a philosophy of providing Asian grace, warmth and care in an atmosphere of relaxed elegance.
Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with more than 7,000 hotels and 11 brands, today announced that its Ramada® and Days Inn® brands will enter Singapore with the development of two hotels: the 391-room Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park and the 405-room Days Hotel Singapore at Zhongshan Park.
Sanjay Nijhawan has been promoted to the newly-created role of chief operating officer international at Guoman Hotels Management to drive the brand’s development in Asia. It will be the first time the Guoman brand has opened outside of the UK market. Shanghai will be the first property to open, followed by two planned ventures in China. Based in Singapore, Nijhawan will be supported by director of operations Philip Chambers, who for the last six months has been working to establish an operation in Shanghai, ahead of the opening.