Cvent Accelerate Singapore 2026 returns for its 5th edition

Cvent Accelerate Singapore 2026, the 5th edition of Cvent's flagship Asia Pacific conference for event planners, marketers and hospitality professionals, will take place this August. 

The conference brings professionals from the events, hospitality and marketing industry to explore how AI, data and event-led growth (ELG) are transforming business events from operational exercises into measurable growth engines. 

"Cvent Accelerate Singapore has been the region's premier forum for event, hospitality and marketing professionals for the past four years," said Will Kataria, Country Head & Senior Director, Asia Pacific, Cvent. 

"The fifth edition is particularly significant as it's the first in Asia Pacific since our global brand transformation, and it arrives at a moment when AI is fundamentally changing what events can do. We're bringing together the industry's most forward-thinking leaders to share what's working, explore what's possible and push the conversation forward." 

The programme will feature keynote presentations, executive panel discussions, breakout sessions, live technology demonstrations and networking opportunities covering topics such as AI innovation and the future of event technology, event ROI and business impact, strategic planning in the AI era, and sustainable & high-impact event experiences. Key sessions include:

- Decoding the Shift: B2B Event Trends & The Path Forward in the AI Age 

- The Future of Event Tech: The Next Act 

- AI-Enhanced RFP to ROI: How Planners, Marketers, and Hoteliers Win Together Event 

- Pipeline Anxiety: Solving the Fears That Keep Marketers Up at Night 

- Relevance Redefined: How AI is Reinventing Venue Discovery for Planners 

Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience CventIQ, Cvent's AI capabilities embedded across its platform, and learn how AI is being applied across the event lifecycle to support planning, attendee engagement, content generation and post-event insights. 

This is the first Cvent Accelerate in the Asia Pacific following the unveiling of Cvent's new global brand identity in mid-July. Cvent's new brand promise is built around the Presence Premium - that a room full of real people has great value in an AI-first world. The company also announced at the brand identity launch that it will invest more than US$1 B in technology, AI, and product innovation, the largest investment of its kind in company history.  

Food & Hospitality Asia 2026 is the biggest ever

Food & Hospitality Asia (FHA), Asia's premier international food and hospitality event returns this 21-24 April 2026 at the Singapore EXPO. 

Bringing together FHA F&B (food and beverage), FHA HoReCa (hotel, restaurant, and cafe), Prowine Singapore and IndusFood Asia, the unified event organised by Informa Markets is where Asia's F&B professionals and industry leaders can source efficiently from global suppliers, establish valuable connections, and gain insights on the latest market trends. 

Source: Informa. The Singapore Pavilion at FHA 2025.

FHA 2026 will cover 18 segments across the food, beverage, and hospitality industries. The biggest FHA event in a decade, this year's key segments for food and beverage include spotlights on fresh produce, convenience Food, Fine Food, Halal, Seafood, Wine & Spirits. For HoReCa, an expanded coffee, tea, and bar segment joins the lineup alongside Bakery, Pastry and gelato, foodservice technology, and more. 

An estimated 2,750 exhibitors, including 76 group pavilions from over 50 countries and regions, are set to participate, alongside 80,000 attendees from more than 115 countries. Notably, over 38% of exhibitors are first-time participants. Eight in 10 exhibitors are international. 

New at FHA 2026

Debuting at FHA 2026, FutureFWD is a four-day event showcasing next-generation solutions that transform operations and customer experiences across hospitality, foodservice, retail, and technology. The FutureFWD Seminar bridges hospitality, foodservice, retail, and technology, highlighting digital innovation, sustainability, and shifting consumer expectations. Look out for expert keynotes, panels, and networking opportunities to deliver actionable insights and connections for business success. 

Industry leaders are revolutionising food service and hospitality: RestoSuite drives operational excellence, Singtel Stack-EZ, Seito, and Xilnex Holdings streamline efficiency with digital integration, and Rolo Robotics and Koomi boost productivity through automation and advanced point-of-sale technologies. Lunchbox Asia and OpenTable redefine customer engagement, Zennio enhances personalised guest experiences, and Razer Fintech/Fiuu transforms secure payment solutions. 

IndusFood Asia 2026 is also set to launch at FHA 2026. Supported by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, this partnership elevates Asia's food and beverage trade while spotlighting India's vibrant and innovative food and beverage ecosystem. 

The inaugural Young Chefs Grand Prix is a premier competition for culinary talents aged 25 and under, featuring over 300 participants from 10+ countries. This event tests creativity and adaptability through challenges like an ingredient-sourcing relay and live cook-off. A collaboration with the Singapore Chefs Association, Singapore Junior Chefs Club, and endorsed by Worldchefs, it joins popular events like the FHA Bakery Challenge, FHA Dessert Challenge, and Asian Pastry Cup.

The Coffee, Tea and Bar segment now includes bar equipment and solutions, reflecting the growing trend of cafés and restaurants across ASEAN integrating bar-style beverage offerings like craft cocktails, cold brew taps, and mixology-inspired presentations. Featured manufacturers include Cimbali, Bravilor Bonamat, Melitta, Bunn-O-Matic, Mazzer, Nuova Ricambi, Fiamma, Barsetto, Moseener, and Joper, showcasing premium coffee machines, grinders, and roasting equipment. 

Complementing this lineup are leading syrup and beverage brands such as DaVinci Gourmet, Monin, Shott Beverages, 1883 Maison Routin, and Australian Fruit Juice.

Details

Secure complimentary trade tickets to Asia's Leading International F&B Event for a limited time. Visit the official website at www.foodnhotelasia.com to register.

Innovations galore at Food&HotelAsia 2018

Display at the Suntec venue.

Food&HotelAsia (FHA) and co-located show ProWine Asia (PWA) are expected to host tens of thousands of visitors over four days, from 24 to 27 April in Singapore.

As the largest edition to date, visitors can experience exhibits from 3,500 international food, drinks and hospitality exhibitors across 120,000 sq m at FHA, alongside 300 international wines and spirits exhibitors across 7,500 sq m at PWA 2018.

Guest-of-Honour, Dr Koh Poh Koon, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, graced the opening ceremony for FHA2018 and PWA 2018.

As Singapore’s longest-running and Asia’s most comprehensive international food and hospitality mega trade event, FHA has grown from occupying a small hotel carpark in 1978 to spanning two venues at Singapore Expo and Suntec Singapore, housing the biggest-ever industry congregation today. Four tracks at the FHA International Conference and 50 complimentary workshops and activities spread across the two venues will additionally offer participants business matching, skills upgrade, and industry discourse.

Chocolate display at the Kaafe booth.

“This edition of FHA – [40 Years] is extremely special to us. The sheer increase in space, support of stalwart exhibitors and growing interest from attendees are testaments to FHA’s four-decade transformational journey. Today, we are irrevocably recognised by industry for being always on the forefront of latest innovation – for the industry,” said Rodolphe Lameyse, Project Director, Food & Hospitality, UBM, organiser of FHA and co-organiser of PWA.

“FHA is an event that ignites the six senses – taste, sight, touch, smell, sound, and the last, the business sense. I’m very excited to welcome everyone to join us at Expo and Suntec to celebrate the event’s 40^th anniversary, and together we take our six senses on a phenomenal journey to behold some of the world’s best tastes and innovations that are driving the food and hospitality industry of tomorrow.”

Sixty-one local and overseas group delegations will attend FHA, their presence a true reflection of its reputation as the preferred event in the region for the industry it serves. Trade professionals attending FHA2018 have indicated an estimated sourcing budget of US$11 billion*.

In collaboration with Euromonitor International, FHA also unveiled an industry white paper titled Smart Innovations Transforming the Food and Hospitality Landscape by 2020. The report provides a unique insight into major disruptors impacting the industry, such as megatrends of how developed market consumers are trading down on everyday commodities to trade up on experiences, and are increasingly choosing industry concepts that match their ethical values.

Highlights of the event include:

Singapore Expo

• Ticketing, deposits and card storage solutions to deter “no shows” reservations at restaurants (ResDiary, Hall 4)
• Nitro cold brew coffee straight from the bottle (Cool Cool Beverage, Hall 2)

Suntec Singapore

• Automated cooking systems that recreate the “wok hei” of traditional Cantonese stirfry (IKC, Level 4)
• A plug and play 3D food printing solution that can customise pasta, chocolates, sweets and starters (Continental Equipment, Level 4)
• Internet-connected table-top post-mix hygienic drinks system with real-time information, remote monitoring and personalised video upload functionality (Zerica, Level 4)

Digital initiatives that will transform consumers’ current dining or shopping experiences are also highlighted at FHA2018. Restaurant 3.0 by Enterprise Singapore in Suntec is one such showcase, where futuristic concepts for the consumers’ dining experiences from farm, processing and production, to service at the table, are highlighted.

At Expo, Enterprise Singapore and the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) launched the SMF SMART App at the Singapore Pavilion. This app not only consolidates online orders for overseas buyers, it is also capable of product traceability and authentication features, making it easier and more convenient for food manufacturers to export overseas.

Budding and top talents at FHA2018 are participating in a series of acclaimed competitions: the first-ever Asian Gelato Cup, Barista Super Duo Challenge, Latte Art Showdown, the Asian Pastry Week events, comprising the Asian Pastry Cup, the new Valrhona C3 (Chocolate Chef Competition and the Global Star Chefs Pastry Show, plus the FHA Culinary Challenge (FCC) series. Held once every four years, the National Team Challenge - part of FCC - returns to FHA with an arena for top national chefs to compete for Best National Team Award. The top three national teams will qualify for the Battle of the Lion competition held on the final day of FCC.

FHA2018 - #FHA2018
Date:	24 – 27 April 2018
Venues:	Singapore Expo, Hall 1 – 10 Suntec Singapore, Level 3, 4 & 6
Opening Hours:	9am – 6pm daily
Admission:	Business and trade professionals
Website:	www.foodnhotelasia.com

Hashtag: #FHA2018

*Based on 36,386 pre-registered visitors who indicated a sourcing budget as at 22 April 2018.

Explore Emaar hotels via virtual tours

Source: Emaar. Each virtual tour, assembled through panoramic photography and videography, shares the features of the hotel in vivid detail. 

Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties, has introduced panoramic, 360 virtual tours of its hotels in Dubai, UAE. The 360 virtual tours, captured in high-definition photographs and videos, offer visitors the opportunity to experience the unique value propositions of each hotel, discover its myriad facets and make a more informed decision.

The 360 virtual tours cover properties under the premium luxury hotel and serviced residences brand, Address Hotels + Resorts; the upscale lifestyle hotel and serviced residences brand, Vida Hotels and Resorts; and the new contemporary mid-scale hotel and serviced residences brand, Rove Hotels.

Olivier Harnisch, CEO, Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Introducing innovative digital experiences is part of our strategy to further enhance the guest experience. The 360 virtual tours open doors to the delightful and exceptional lifestyle offerings at our hotels, enabling visitors anywhere in the world to make informed decisions and plan their stay in vivid detail. We will continue to explore newer opportunities to strengthen our online engagement with our guests, underlining our commitment to provide value-added customer-centric experiences.”

The 360 virtual tours take visitors through the architecture that define properties under Address Hotel + Resorts, including Address Boulevard, Address Dubai Marina, Address Dubai Mall, Address Montgomerie, and Palace Downtown. The 360 virtual tours also take visitors through the ambience offered by Vida Downtown and Manzil Downtown, as well as the three Rove Hotels that are currently operational in central locations across the city – Rove Downtown, Rove City Centre and Rove Healthcare City.

The launch of the 360 virtual tours of all hotels is part of the digital transformation that Emaar Hospitality Group is bringing through several initiatives. The objective is to enable visitors to become familiar with the hotels and understand the real value that awaits them.

Interested?

To view, go to the websites for Address Hotels + Resorts; Vida Hotels and Resorts; and Rove Hotels to get to individual hotel sites and interactive tours. 

The virtual tours can also be experienced over smartphones through the new native apps that Emaar Hospitality Group has launched. The apps for Address Hotels + Resorts, Vida Hotels and Resorts, Palace Downtown and Manzil Downtown have gone live with the Rove Hotels App to go live shortly.

Avaya identifies gaps in the guest experience

Avaya has announced the findings of its first annual Hospitality Industry Survey, where 72 global hotel brands identified market trends and room for improvement.

Survey respondents aligned around three particular issues as they seek to improve the guest experience: guest engagement, communication and services. Many companies, however, are seeing significant opportunities by taking advantage of mobile, multichannel communications for both guests and staff, and updating standard, in-room devices with cool new applications and capabilities.

Various gaps in the guest experience were identified through the survey:

Engaging guests - more than half (55%) of hospitality companies say they struggle to engage their guests during the booking process, while 70% say they struggle during and after the visit.

Communication between guests and staff leaves a lot to be desired - 60% of survey respondents say the inability of their staff to effectively communicate with guests is a “main factor” diminishing the guest experience at their properties.

Services - six in 10 (62%) of global respondents said the quality of the guest experience at their properties would be significantly improved by enhanced in-room and on-property guest services.

Technology to the rescue

Since most guests are on the move during their stay - as well as a large portion of the staff dedicated to serving them - respondents recognised that mobile apps offer the most compelling opportunity for improving service of any technology (48%). In fact, 81% of respondents are planning to create high-functioning apps over the next five years.

“The guest experience is more important than price when it comes to repeat customers and recommendations. The big question is how do we improve the experience at a reasonable cost, when nearly everything about a hotel has high capital and operating expenses? With Avaya, our hospitality industry customers are finding exciting new ways of engaging guests, creating efficiencies and delight that will help ensure their properties are booked to capacity,” said Frederick Sabty, VP, Hospitality Worldwide for Avaya.

Avaya provides solutions to more than 2,500 hotels worldwide and has existing relationships with nine out of 10 of the world’s luxury hotels.

Increase effiiciency for hospitality and retail with Epson solutions

Epson Singapore, a provider of point-of-sales (POS) and labelling printers, showcased its latest POS solutions to streamline operations and enhance cost efficiency for the food and hospitality industries at Food&HotelAsia2016 (FHA2016). FHA2016 is the premier trade show in Asia that focuses on food and hospitality products and solutions from around the world.

Epson worked with system integrators Enterprise Advance System Intelligence (EASI) and POS Square to transform its booth at FHA2016 into a theme park with ticketing and F&B scenarios to show how its POS and labelling printers can be seamlessly integrated into hospitality and F&B operations. The setup offers solutions from front-of-house to the kitchen, enabling service and kitchen staff alike to focus on the customer and the business.

The scenarios also feature previews of the compact TM-m30 receipt printer and versatile TM-P80 portable receipt printers, the first such previews in Southeast Asia. Set to be launched towards the later part of this year, both products are ideal for tablet POS environments, as the TM-m30 can communicate wirelessly via Bluetooth or Ethernet, while the TM-P80 connects through both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.

In the theme park scenario, customers can order tickets and a meal together on an interactive touch screen or tablet. With rising wage costs and an increasingly tighter labour market facing food and hospitality operators, as well as greater consumer and industry acceptance of self-service concepts, Epson has partnered with EASI to feature a self-service kiosk concept for the first time at FHA 2016. The offering enables delegates to expedite basic ordering, ticketing and payment functions, providing convenience, control and choice for the customers while reducing staffing requirements.

Once payment has been made, the Epson ColourWorks TM-C3510 label printer prints out child and adult wristbands for entry, as required.

The codes printed on the wristbands can be read by a scanner on the turnstile, allowing entry for valid wristbands.

Valid wristbands allow turnstile entry.

Information on meals ordered as part of the theme park package or at a restaurant is sent wirelessly to the Epson TM-m30 receipt printer so that order tickets can be printed, giving the kitchen a headstart on cooking the food.

A tablet can be mounted above an Epson TM-T82 receipt printer to form a compact, advanced cash register.

Kitchen staff use an interactive touch screen powered by the TM-T88V-DT, which can control other POS devices such as the Epson TM-m30 receipt printer wirelessly to process orders. Staff can indicate when the queued order is being processed, and also when it is ready for collection. Every order that is marked as ready for collection triggers the printing of a collection ticket on the TM-m30 printer that can be paired with the food. At the same time the TM-T88V-DT ensures the display of the order number at the collection counter, so that the customer can pick it up. 

Different types of tickets can be printed on the receipt printer to manage workflow. The same wirelessly-connected receipt printer can be used not only for order tickets, but to print an indication of when the food has been prepared and is ready for collection, as well as another ticket to indicate that the food has been collected.

Products showcased include:

The Epson TM-P80 mobile receipt printer (background) is
larger than the TM-P20 in the foreground as it
accommodates receipts with a width of 3". It is designed
to be worn by wait-staff who can then process an order
and print a receipt for it on the spot.

Epson TM-P80 mobile receipt printers: Coupled together with a tablet/smart device, the new TM-80 allows servers to place orders and process payment anywhere, anytime. The TM-P80 combines the portable form factor introduced in the TM-P20, with compatibility with the industry standard 80mm receipt width.

Epson TM-m30 receipt printer: allows for either top or front access configurations to suit different POS setups, and has sleek lines for modern businesses.

The compact Epson TM-T82 all-in-one receipt printer

Epson TM-T88V-DT all-in-one printer: This cloud-enabled printer features an integrated terminal hub and web server that manages point-of-sales peripherals over the web. The TM-T88V-DT’s integrated storage also ensures that orders can be tracked, stored and processed again even if the network is down.

Epson ColourWorks TM-C3510 label printer, which comes with templates for coloured labels, wristbands and tickets, and the

Epson TM-T70II receipt printer, which is the smallest in its class.

“F&B and service operators are facing thinner margins even as rental and manpower costs continue to escalate. It is imperative that businesses continue to explore technology to streamline processes and automate manual operations to increase productivity and manage costs. We believe the Epson range of POS solutions will offer an integrated, efficient and (lower)-manpower intensive option to support our customers’ needs, so that they in turn can focus on their customers and bottom line,” said Tan May Lin, Epson Singapore’s General Manager (Sales, Marketing & Customer Service Division).

Interested?

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on Epson's next-generation mobility and payment solutions at FHA2016

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog posts about:

Office pantry ideas from FHA2016
The FHA2016 roundup

New food launches at FoodAsia2016

How Singapore food manufacturers strategise for success

What's new at FHA2016

Read the Suroor Asia blog posts about:

The Halal Supermarket at FHA2016

Halal products at FHA2016

Announcing the Halal Supermarket at FHA2016

Langham Hospitality Group brings back MICE incentive programme

Source: Langham Hospitality Group.

The Langham Hospitality Group is bringing back the Double the Extra Mile PLUS programme to reward event planners and organisers with extra privileges. The offer may be booked from 1 April to 30 June 2016 for events taking place between 1 July and 31 December 2016 at all participating The Langham and Langham Place hotels.

For qualified events with revenue of at least US$6,500, meeting and event planners may enjoy double hotel rewards or miles from any of the 11 selected frequent flyer/travel and lifestyle rewards programme partners. Various hotel rewards, including complimentary accommodation, food and beverage vouchers and spa vouchers will be honoured based on the event’s spending, or two miles may be earned for every US$1 spent on qualified meetings and events.

With Double the Extra Mile PLUS, qualified events with 60 rooms per night or more are further entitled to any two of the following additional concessions:

• Cancellation fees waived

• No attrition rate charges

• No food and beverage minimum

• Complimentary Internet access for all guestrooms and meeting rooms

• One complimentary room per 30 paid rooms

• One complimentary room upgrade to the next category per 30 paid rooms

• One theme refreshment break enhancement

• One 30-minute cocktail reception

• Spa credit for the meeting planner or the group’s VIP

• One roundtrip airport transfer for the meeting planner or the group’s VIP


“Due to popular demand and positive feedback from our customers, we have brought back (the) Double the Extra Mile PLUS programme again this year. We present meeting and event organisers with a thoughtfully curated selection of bespoke services and work with them to ensure they achieve an excellent event at our hotels,” said Simon Manning, VP of sales and marketing for Langham Hospitality Group. “The Langham Hospitality Group is dedicated in delivering exceptional services and customised meeting and event solutions. We will continue to create similar programmes to help our customers achieve their goals and allow them to earn rewards at the same time.”

The group has also developed takethelead, a dedicated online event platform that provides event planners with a one-stop, personalised service created to take care of their event, including planning, logistics, dining and entertainment.

Interested?

Read more on the offer 

Lithium identifies socially savvy airlines, hotels

Lithium Technologies has announced its Klout 50: Summer Travel Edition, which identifies the top 25 airlines and 25 hotels around the world based on social engagement and expertise. These travel and hospitality leaders achieved the most influence among their followers for the way they connect and share experiences on social, and also for the expertise they deliver to make everyone's vacations and business trips better.

The Klout 50 rankings are generated by each brand's Klout score, which tracks social engagement, sharing, and influence using proprietary algorithms. It is determined by more than 400 signals from eight different networks, including Facebook, Twitter and Google+ as well as real-world data from Wikipedia.

For the airlines, Lithium used Skytrax's World Airline Awards 2014 to identify the top 25 social media winners. Key findings include:

British Airways ranks #1 on the Klout list for social influence (and #17 in the World's Top Airline list) and is an expert in Europe, Hong Kong and Scotland
Virgin America ranks #8 on Klout and made a huge jump up from #46 on the World's Top Airline list
Cathay Pacific Airways has expertise in "Food" – which shows that content needs to engage a follower or customer holistically, and not just through the lens of a customer relationship management (CRM) or revenue record

Klout 50: Summer Travel Edition

Airlines in the Top 25 Airlines which fly to Asia Pacific or the Middle East, Klout Score

1. British Airways, 90.27

2. Air Canada, 87.83

3. easyJet, 86.24

4. Virgin Atlantic, 86.18

5. Malaysia Airlines*, 86.02

6. Turkish Airlines, 86.00

7. Cathay Pacific Airways, 85.20

8. Virgin America, 85.15

9. Virgin Australia, 85.03

11. KLM, 81.76

12. Qatar Airways, 80.86

13. Qantas Airways, 80.56

14. Garuda Indonesia, 80.44

15. Delta Air Lines, 80.12

16. Emirates, 78.39

17. Jetstar Asia, 76.93

20. Etihad Airways, 72.38

21. Lufthansa, 71.97

22. AirAsia, 71.57

23. AirAsiaX, 71.57

24. Swiss, 70.45

25. Air Astana, 70.45

For the hotels, Lithium analysed Travel & Leisure's World's Best 2014 Top 100 Hotels and found that six Four Season Hotels made the top 25 list, which indicates the brand is socially savvy.

Klout 50: Summer Travel Edition

Hotels in Thailand, Hong Kong and India within the Top 25 Hotels list, Klout Score

9. Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, India, 60.33

12. Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur, India, 59.95

17. Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai, Thailand, 55.16

20. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok, 54.51

22. Four Seasons Hotel, Hong Kong, 53.95

23. The Peninsula, Hong Kong, 52.78

Lithium notes that the lowest Klout score among the top 25 airlines is higher than the highest score among the top 25 hotels. Lithium believes this is because airlines have been forced to deal with "social shaming" via Twitter and other social networks in very public ways—and have built social infrastructures to handle those service complaints. Additionally, the airlines are bigger companies than the individual hotel properties ranked in this Klout list, indicating the benefits of scale and unified social presence on digital networks.

"What these Klout Scores reveal – especially for those who ranked further down by the respective lists we analysed, but higher on Klout - is that what they do on social really matters to their customers," said Katy Keim, Chief Marketing Officer at Lithium. "You can be ranked and judged by a variety of factors within your industry, but your customers are online, they're social and they're paying attention to your presence there. These airlines and hotels should be very proud of their social media accomplishments and we're proud to be able to recognise their reputation among consumers."

The Klout 50 was launched in 2014 as the ultimate ranking of brands that are authentically connecting with their digital audience. These social elite brands are the most active on social media platforms and their audiences consistently share and interact with their digital content.

Interested?

See all the Klout Expertise rankings at www.klout.com and explore each brand's "topic expertise."

*Malaysia Airlines (MAS) today appointed an Administrator to facilitate the transfer of selected assets and liabilities from MAS to a new company, Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB), which will effectively take over by 1 September 2015. MAS continues to operate throughout the period up to and including 31 August 2015, after which MAB will operate the business of the airline.
posted from Bloggeroid

BHM Asia launches new booking website for its X2 and Away villa brands in Chiang Mai

Source: www.VillasChiangMai.com

Asia-Pacific hotel management, development and consulting group Bespoke Hospitality Management Asia (BHMAsia) has launched a new website for holiday villa rental that lists all villa properties in Chiang Mai under its X2 (CrossTo) and Away brands. 

According to BHMAsia, a Chiang Mai holiday villa means more space than a hotel room, with separate bedrooms and social living spaces accommodating up to 14 people in some cases. Each villa is served by a dedicated villa manager, who can arrange breakfast and traditional Thai buffets or arrange sightseeing and travel itineraries. 

The X2 Chiang Mai - Nimman, for instance, is located in the trendy Nimmanhaemin area of Chiang Mai, and will launch in July 2015. The villa’s modern retro design reflects the hipness of the area. Spread out over 580 sq m, the X2 Chiang Mai - Nimman townhouse villa offers accommodation for 14 guests with seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.

The X2 Chiang Mai - Nimman features a living room, fully equipped kitchen, games room with snooker table, rooftop BBQ and sundeck.

The website provides full information about the villas, availability, latest deals with instant confirmation of bookings. There are choices of three, five and six bedroom villas including X2 Chiang Mai-North Gate, X2 Chiang Mai-South Gate, and Away Phucome Chiang Mai. 

Escape to The Meydan Hotel or Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa this summer

Source: Meydan Hotels & Hospitality website.

This summer Meydan Hotels & Hospitality is introducing The Great Escape at AED 490 per room per night at both Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa and The Meydan Hotel, till 30 September 2015. The offer is ideal for a short corporate getaway.

Just 45 minutes' drive from the city, Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa is situated amongst sand dunes, offering an authentic desert experience. The Meydan Hotel, on the other hand, is 10 minutes from downtown Dubai. Starting from 65 sq m, the hotel also offers some of the largest rooms in the city.

As part of The Great Escape, guests have a choice of experiences, including desert safaris, camel and horse riding, a falconry show, and archery at Bab Al Shams. The Meydan Hotel offers a tennis academy managed by Tennis 360, as well as The Track, Meydan Golf, a nine-hole championship golf course that is open till 11pm daily.

Guests can choose from Asian, Indian, Italian, and Mediterranean cuisines. For the month of Ramadhan, the Al Hadheerah, an open-air desert restaurant at the Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa, will present traditional Arab cuisine along with cultural entertainment in an air-conditioned tent.

The Great Escape room package by Meydan Hotels & Hospitality includes*:

- Wi-Fi Internet access

- Use of hotel’s gym and pool

- 24-hour check-in and check-out (only at The Meydan Hotel)

- Lawn activities including putting green, volleyball, archery and table-tennis (only at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa)

- 25% off across all food and beverage outlets

- 25% off all spa treatments

- 25% off all tennis programmes (Tennis 360)

- Up to 50% off at The Track, Meydan Golf

- 25% off desert safaris on jeeps (only at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa)

- Up to 55% off car rental bookings

- 15% off Al Yamamah Rewards card, Meydan Hotel & Hospitality’s food and beverage loyalty programme

In addition, guests will receive a 20% price reduction in entry fees** when visiting popular attractions in Dubai, such as Kidzania, Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo, Dubai Ice Rink and SEGA Republic. Daily shuttle transfers offered by The Meydan hotel will provide guests with convenient accessibility to these entertainment venues.

Guests sharing memories of their stay using #mydxbescapeplan hashtag stand a chance of winning prizes, with the ultimate winner being crowned “The Great Escapee”.

To activate The Great Escape, contact Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa at +971 (4) 809 6100, or The Meydan Hotel at +971 (4) 381 3333. Bookings can be made online at www.meydanhotels.com/theGreatEscape.

For more formal events, there are a 450 sq m ballroom and the purpose-built Meydan Grandstand with 16,300 sq m of space at the Meydan Hotel, while more intimate events can be organised at the Falcon meeting rooms at Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa. There are two meeting rooms available for boardroom-style events for up to 16 delegates, and a third room that can accommodate up to 36 delegates classroom-style. Audio-visual equipment is available, and wireless Internet connections. Outdoor venues include the Falcon Courtyard, Masala Courtyard, Masala Rooftop Lounge and Garden Café. Bab Al Shams is also very near Endurance City, an outdoor multi-purpose venue that offers a combination of indoor rooms, large outdoor facilities and dining halls.

*Terms and conditions apply. Rates are subject to 10% service charge, 10% municipality fee, and tourism dirham fee of AED20 per room per night.

**To make use of The Great Escape privileges or reduced entry fees to downtown Dubai attractions, advance reservations should be made at the Concierge desk through the Escape Artist.

Cristal Group develops proprietary multilingual commission-free reservations tool

The Cristal Group will become the first hotel management company worldwide to develop its own zero commission based reservations tool that promises cheaper hotels.

A new multilingual website based on a proprietary booking engine will launch this month. According to Cristal's Chief Operating Officer Kamal Fakhoury, the new website will make it easier for customers to book Cristal Hotels, with extended language options that will include Arabic, and Chinese among other languages. 

“With hotels in Abu Dhabi, Iraq, Lebanon and more to come in Saudi Arabia, we are building an international client base and it is vital that we can communicate with potential customers in their language,” he said.

“Looking ahead, China and Russia have been identified as major growth markets for the future, with 140 million Chinese alone visiting overseas destinations in 2015 – while Germany remains a strong source market for destinations such as UAE.”

Further benefits of the new website will be competitive pricing, as the proprietary booking engine ensuring that hotels do not pay direct web booking commission and can pass this saving on to owners and customers. The new website will also feature a dedicated media, marketing and HR portal, he added.

“We will ensure we have international reach through partnering with global distribution experts, Travel click, but have determined the scope of the new brand website through intensive research that ultimately benefits both the client and the hotels.”

The Cristal Group was established in the UAE in 2007 followed by the British Virgin Islands in 2012 to deliver hospitality consultancy, technical services, asset management and brand management. Its vision is to be the premier business and leisure hotel operator in the Middle East, Africa and Asia. 

White paper on managing talent in the China hospitality industry offers solutions

The Florida International University’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management (CSHTM) and its Institute for Hospitality & Tourism Education & Research (IHTER) have released a white paper on talent in the Chinese hospitality industry which may be of interest to HR managers handling Chinese resources as well as to those in the hospitality industry. 

Managing Growing Pains of China’s Relentless Hotel Development Pipeline provides the hospitality industry with ideas on what can be done to address the severe shortage of qualified and skilled talent in China for hotels entering the market, including professional coaching, conflict resolution and career ladder strategies at the workplace.

Authored by Simone Champagnie, executive director at IHTER; Danqing Liu, Associate professor at CSHTM’s Marriott Tianjin China Program; and Christine Toguchi, MD at MacroVision Network and the Project consultant for IHTER, the paper explores the insight, ideas and pertinent questions arising from the intellectual exchange that took place at the Visionary Leaders Forum in Shanghai last June. 

Click here to download the white paper in English and Mandarin.

Travellers happy to interact with hotels on social media

The 2014 Accorhotels Social Media Monitor reveals that hotels are the biggest opportunity in social media with almost half of travellers – especially the Chinese and Indonesians and those aged 25-44 – following a hotel brand in Asia Pacific, a greater percentage than those who follow airlines or other travel-related brands such as online travel agents.

Airlines come first in countries with a strong carrier, such as Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Other travel-related brands come in third place overall; with China, the Philippines and Thailand showing the most interest. Fashion and music brands only made a top three appearance in Vietnam and Japan. Despite it being a cliché, men tend to follow sport and finance brands more, juxtaposed with fashion and cosmetics for women.

Source: Accor.

Accor worked with ORC International to survey over 6,500 travellers across 13 countries to uncover the social media habits of its guests across Asia Pacific. As the largest hotel group in the region, with 600 hotels across 17 countries, Accor is uniquely placed to provide a full insight into the social media habits of travellers and the group uses the results to better target travellers where and when they are looking to search, book or share their travel experiences.

The study found that four out of five respondents follow brands on social media, with the Chinese and Vietnamese the most keen, and those from Japan, Australia and New Zealand the least so. Generally speaking, women and younger travellers are more likely to follow a brand on social networks.

Malaysians and Filipinos use social media first and foremost to get immediate assistance, along with travellers above 55. Chinese and Hong Kong users are the most likely to seek VIP treatment, while the Indonesians show the greatest affinity with brands. Younger travellers and Koreans use social media mostly to get information. Women are looking more for information and deals than men; whereas men are more likely to show loyalty to a brand and are more sensitive to VIP treatment.

With regards to the key motivation for following a brand, the top two spots have swapped from last year and now people want to get information first (74%), followed by deals (71%). Overall, Thais and Japanese are the hungriest for information, and New Zealanders and Singaporeans are the top bargain hunters.

“By understanding what our guests are looking for when they engage with our brands online, we can better target the messages and services we offer them, whether it be in-hotel deals, advice on the best attractions within a city or access to VIP services,” says Emilie Couton, VP Guest Experience, Accor Asia Pacific.

Travellers tend to use hotel pages on social media more before and after their stay:

- Two out five travellers use it at least 'sometimes' to search for information before their stay. Filipinos, Thais and Vietnamese are the biggest users, and New Zealanders and Australians the smallest. Overall, one-third of respondents said their usage has increased in the past year and the younger the traveller, the higher the increase.

- One-third follow a hotel brand when they are staying there,  at least 'sometimes', with Vietnamese, Thais and Indonesians leading the pack. Women are more likely than men to follow a hotel brand, especially when at the hotel. And the younger they are, the more they are likely to follow the hotel brand

- Almost half always or sometimes follow the brand after their stay. Again, the Vietnamese, Chinese and Thais are the most likely to do so.

- When in-house, almost half of respondents said they usually share their location, especially when staying in an upscale hotel. Thais, Vietnamese, younger travellers and women are the most likely to do so, which suggests they like to brag or show off more than other travellers. The Japanese are the most discreet about sharing their location.

“Engaging on social media with guests while in-house is a great opportunity for us to impact positively on their experience,” said Couton. “We need to give guests good reasons to follow individual hotel accounts by providing content relevant to each stage of the trip and giving them something that will enhance their visit.”

Following is one thing, but then what? The good news is that one-third of travellers have already booked a hotel after having seen an advert on social media, with younger travellers the most likely to do so, along with the Vietnamese, Thais, Filipinos and Chinese.There is overall positivity around social adverts in the online space. More than two-thirds of travellers find them useful or don’t mind them, with only 15% ignorant of their existence and just 12% finding them irritating. In general, women find ads on social media more interesting and useful than men.

To view the 2014 Accorhotels Social Media Monitor video click here, and here to view the entire infographic.

NEXT Hotel Brisbane officially opened ahead of G20 Summit

SilverNeedle Hospitality has officially declared its flagship NEXT Hotel open in Brisbane, together with the Lennons Restaurant & Bar, a modern restaurant and bar featuring Queensland’s best artisanal produce.

Lennons was the name of the hotel in the NEXT Hotel building prior to SilverNeedle Hospitality carrying out its rebranding and redevelopment as the NEXT Hotel Brisbane.

Source: SilverNeedle Hospitality.
The Right Honourable Lord Mayor of Brisbane
Graham Quirk, and Iqbal Jumabhoy, Managing Director
& Group CEO of SilverNeedle Hospitality on the
roof terrace for the opening ceremony.

Following a multi-million dollar redevelopment, Singapore-based SilverNeedle Hospitality adds hotel rooms to the city of Brisbane, which will host the G20 Summit next month. Located in Queen Street Mall, one of Australia’s busiest pedestrian malls and close to the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Convention Centre and the Brisbane River, NEXT Hotel Brisbane and Lennons Restaurant & Bar are perfectly located to suit the professional and leisure needs of the business traveller. 

"We are excited to launch the first of our flagship brand, NEXT Hotels, in Brisbane. This is also the first hotel in Australia where guests, by downloading the NEXT App, can use their smartphones as mobile keys for their rooms. In another first in Australia, NEXT Hotel Brisbane provides a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone in every room that guests can access as a wireless hotspot when they are outside the hotel,” said Jumabhoy. "Our dedication to providing innovative service points to our commitment in making time count for our busy guests.”
In addition to the innovations mentioned by Jumabhoy, NEXT Hotel Brisbane can also connect calls for guests in Australia through their room numbers, even if the guest is not in the room. 

Another first for Australia was announced during the official opening - US-based fashion giant Forever 21 is locating its first store in Australia in the retail space of the the NEXT Hotel building.

For further details or to make a booking, please visit: nexthotels.com/brisbane

NEXT Hotel Brisbane offers smartphone-based room access

SilverNeedle Hospitality’s flagship NEXT Hotels brand is redesigning the guest experience with DOCOMO interTouch, offering guests more freedom and control with mobile guest services through the NEXT App mobile app. 

Part of that new freedom includes enabling the first NEXT Hotels property in Brisbane's Queen Street Mall to allow guests to open their room doors using their smartphones as room keys. NEXT Hotel Brisbane, which accepted guests from 24 September, is the first hotel in Australia to offer such a service.

Source: Next Hotel Brisbane website.

"Our NEXT Hotels brand is dedicated to providing the ultimate guest experience, and that requires us to effectively combine the use of space, technology and service to ensure that every moment is memorable and stress-free," said Iqbal Jumabhoy, Managing Director and Group CEO of Singapore-based SilverNeedle Hospitality. "It's all about giving travellers the freedom to choose how they want to experience our hotels.”

SilverNeedle Hospitality is also launching the NEXT App, which contains the "room key". The NEXT App, available in both Android and iOS versions, works with free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel to allow guests to request hotel services through their smartphones – from making a room reservation, entering the room, controlling in-room gadgets and ordering room service, to checking out of the hotel. 

Prior to arriving at NEXT Hotel Brisbane, guests can check in using the NEXT App; select their preferred rooms or accept the pre-assigned rooms; and receive their own room key codes on their smartphones, bypassing the conventional check-in process to get to their rooms.

"The NEXT Hotels are truly innovative in their delivery of guest technology and they have been a real pleasure to work with," said Charles Reed, CEO of DOCOMO interTouch.

The NEXT App interconnects all the systems and services with the hotel so guests do not have to be physically in their hotel rooms to manage their stay. The integrated NEXT Technology allows them to change the TV channel, set the mood lighting, adjust the room temperature or order their next meal. If they don’t want the housekeeping staff to freshen up their rooms, they can activate the ‘Do Not Disturb’ indicator even when they are away from the hotel. Guests can also watch their favourite movies and stream their desired content securely on the Samsung Smart TV available in every room.

Guests who prefer not to use their own smartphones during their stay can use the NEXT App on Samsung Galaxy S4 smartphones as part of the NEXT Connect service that is provided in every NEXT Room at no extra charge. This NEXT Connect App also has features that can be used outside the hotel. The HotSpot feature provides free WiFi for guests’ smartphones and laptops outside the hotel, for example. 

The phone system also provides access to free local calls and cheaper international calling rates with no additional roaming charges. Plus, the NEXT Service offers online concierge assistance to book a taxi around the city, order room service on their way back to the hotel or make an in-room massage appointment.

The NEXT App can be downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. For further details or to make a booking, please activate the NEXT App or visit nexthotels.com/brisbane.

Racquet club VIP packages available for BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore

Racquet Club, the official VIP hospitality programme for the BNP Paribas Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Final Singapore presented by SC Global, offers an enhanced experience for businesses which want to bring their customers, partners or employees together for a premium sports event.

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The hospitality package includes:

• Access to the private Racquet Club hospitality pavilion and Aces Lounge
• Privileged seating
• Free flow of beverages
• Gourmet themed buffet menu
• Complimentary tournament programme and Racquet Club lanyard

The promo code RACQCLUB399 can be used to book tickets at www.sportshubtix.sg to enjoy afternoon or evening tennis action on October 22 at the Racquet Club for S$399 instead of S$850. At the time of writing, Racquet Club packages were available for October 20 to 22.

Call +65 6653 9305 or email WTAFHospitality@WSGWorld.com.

Accor relocates luxury and upscale team to Singapore to focus on Asia Pacific

Accor has moved its Global Luxury and Upscale marketing operations from Paris to Singapore in a move that signals the growing importance of Asia Pacific in these segments. Asian consumers now account for almost half of global luxury sales, the company said. The implications for MICE organisers are that events in this part of the world may have to be of a certain standard to satisfy participants from this part of the world.

“Asian travellers are very demanding and the standard of hotels in this region is very high. We believe that Asia right now is a hub of creativity, innovation and transformation and that this environment provides the perfect breeding ground for us to take our luxury and upscale brands to the next level,“ says Rick Harvey Lam, Senior Vice President Global Marketing, Accor Luxury and Upscale Brands, who recently relocated from Paris to Singapore.

Accor believes that Asia will replace North-America and Europe as the key market for travel in future, especially in the upmarket and luxury segments. And while China and India are leading the way, other markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines also have a growing affluent middle class with increasing disposable incomes, Accor said. Accor has luxury and upscale hotels in all these regions and will continue to grow its high-end footprint in all these countries.

"Over the past decade Asia Pacific’s economic development has been remarkable and as travellers become more affluent, their desire to travel and explore the world grows, making this region the fastest growing luxury market in the world,” says Michael Issenberg, Chairman and CEO Accor Asia Pacific. “We currently have more than 170 luxury / uspscale hotels with over 37,000 rooms in the region, plus over 70 luxury and upscale hotels under development. This means that Accor will open, on average, a new luxury and upscale hotel in Asia Pacific every month for the next five years.

“With Sofitel celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, Accor has a long history in luxury and upscale hotels and our credentials in this segment continue to grow with our expanding pipeline in this sector, including more than 30 Pullman hotels in China alone,” he said.

The move of the Luxury and Upscale Global Marketing team to Asia follows a restructuring of Accor’s business model around geographical lines, with all its brands now divided into three segments: Luxury and Upscale; Midscale; and Economy/Budget. The Luxury and Upscale segments include Accor’s Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure and The Sebel brands. China hosts 19 Sofitel and 15 Pullman hotels, making it the number one market for these brands outside of Europe.

With its central location, excellent infrastructure and business-friendly climate, Singapore is an ideal hub from which to manage Accor’s growth in the region, and brings the company’s leadership closer to more of Accor’s core luxury and upscale markets.

Source: Accor. Artist's rendition of the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour.

As one of the world’s largest and oldest operators of luxury hotels, Accor aims to make its Sofitel, Pullman, MGallery, Grand Mercure and The Sebel brands the reference point for discerning travellers throughout the Asia Pacific region and globally. In recent months Accor has celebrated the successful launch of several high-end hotels across Asia Pacific, including Sofitel So Singapore, Pullman Shanghai South, and the signing of Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour at the Sydney International Convention Centre.