The world’s largest independent destination management company, Liberty International Tourism Group, has announced its launch into the Pacific, with Eugene De Villiers at the helm. Offices will open in Sydney, Perth and Auckland.
Eugene is a consummate professional and is sure to make inroads with Liberty in the Asia Pacific very quickly indeed.
The Heritage Dunedin Leisure Lodge will officially join the Heritage Hotel Group from May 1. The lodge is situated in Duke Street, close to the CBD and in walking distance to the University of Otago, the Forsyth Barr Stadium and Botanic Gardens.
Heritage Hotels continues to prioritize New Zealand regional centres in its expansion plans.
With the help of Tourism Australia’s Business Events Bid Fund (BFP), the value of business events secured have almost doubled in the past three months to reach a new milestone of $187 million. The effectiveness of BFP is also reflected in the number of applications received from the Australian business events industry which has now reached 79 since its launch. Alongside this, total expenditure by international business events visitors in the year ending September 2018 was worth AUD4.92 billion, an increase of 16 per cent […]
Great when a plan comes together!
PCOA’s first webinar for the year will take place on February 21 between 1:30 and 2 pm, and will centre on the strategies used to keep annual conferences with return delegates fresh. The webinar will be hosted by Jetts conference manager Mark Hollis, who will explore aligning business strategy with conference deliverables, pushing the boundaries and accepting collateral damage, and learning from the past to inform the future. The webinar is free to PCOA members and $25 for non-members.
If you noticed a few extra yawns in your audience last year you may want to take part.
The EEAA is calling upon emerging leaders to ‘road test’ its work to develop a Sustainability Charter for the business events industry. A board-led Environmental Sustainability Working Group has completed the first phase of its work and is seeking the feedback of young business events sector professionals. The feedback will be gathered at two back-to-back Young Stars Sustainability Forums taking place at the ICC Sydney on February 25 and the MCEC on February 26.
Need further convincing? There’ll be drinks and canapes afterwards.
Late this year a 193-room Courtyard by Marriott will open in Osaka’s central business district. In addition to its relaxing guest rooms, Courtyard by Marriott Osaka Honmachi will offer two suites, complimentary Wi-Fi and a meeting room. On the signing, chief development officer, Asia Pacific, Marriott International Paul Foskey said “The expansion of our hotels reflects a solid increase in the demand of both business and leisure travellers in the cosmopolitan Japanese city.”
Osaka also has its own International Convention Centre, which, according to a random Google reviewer, has ‘very fast Wi-Fi’.
The GCCEC’s 2019 Linkage Grant Program – an initiative that provides academics and professionals with the opportunity to attend an international conference in their field – is officially open for applications. The program provides grants of up to $5000, and the recipient will have the chance to learn about the latest thinking, trends and innovations. In return, they will champion the GCCEC as a choice for future international conferences. To date, the Linkage Grant Program has provided more than 70 conference leads for the GCCEC.
Sounds like a fair trade off. Mention ‘Gold Coast’ and the work is pretty much done for you.
Wellness and sustainability-focused hospitality brand Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas has joined hotel company IHG. Six Senses features properties in 12 countries, including a 19th-century wine estate in Douro Valley, island resorts in the Seychelles and Maldives and beach-side retreats in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Oman. The brand will join a number of luxury IHG names, including InterContinental Hotels & Resorts and Regent Hotels & Resorts. Six Senses is expected to expand to 60 properties within the next 10 years.
The only new couple I care about this Valentine’s Day.