Daily News & Opinion

To keep up with the growing number of Australian visitors to Japan – a number which has increased by 170 per cent in the last five years – IHG has signed Kimpton Tokyo Shinjuku, a 162-room hotel set to open in 2020. The venue is the fourth property IHG has signed in the country over the past year, and its opening will coincide with the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Kimpton Tokyo Shinjuku will feature three meeting spaces with a 300 person capacity.

Paul Davison – an industry veteran with over 25 years’ experience in venue, festival and event management – has been appointed general manager of SMC Conference and Event Centre. Paul’s expertise includes technical production and business development, and he has been inducted into the MEA Hall of Fame for the Best In-house Audio-visual Team for the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in 2010, 2011 and 2012. SMC director Stephen Green said the appointment coincides with capital works that will enhance the venue’s facilities.

The Association of Australian Convention Bureaux has opened up its annual conference to business event practitioners from all walks of life, meaning PCOs, hoteliers, airliners and more can tap into discussions with convention and visitors bureaux from around the country. The conference is being held on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast from August 12 to 14. The line-up of speakers looks and sounds great, and is sure to be a lively conference with MC Lynne Schinella steering the ship.

Business trade expo NoVacancy took place over the last two days at the ICC Sydney, welcoming over 2000 visitors and 170 vendors from the accommodation industry. The event covered all aspects of running an accommodation business, including finance and design, refurbishment and marketing. A number of forward-thinking initiatives were also showcased, including connecting with a millennial audience through booking apps and artificial intelligence. Event director Brad Langton said the expo provided a ‘winning formula’ of combined quality and quantity.

The first major speaker has been announced for Luxperience 2018, with Dr Jordan Nguyen set to open the show on the welcome night. On September 16 at the ICC Sydney, Dr Nguyen, founder of social business Psykinetic and acclaimed thought leader on the intersection between technology and humanity, will enlighten attendees with his ‘out of the box’ thinking. Dr Nguyen will also discuss the power of reason over emotion as the driving force behind inspiration, and share his views on digitalisation.

From November, Virgin Australia will begin flying directly between Newcastle and Auckland, the first international route out of Williamtown Airport in 16 years. The three-hour flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays this summer, at a cost of $350 one way. Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack said “These flights will help drive regional tourism growth and dispersal of visitors to Australia’s most popular tourism destinations.” The flight will save passengers an estimated 10 hours in travel time.

A CUBE capsule hotel has opened in Singapore, marking the brand’s second instalment. The CUBE Boutique Capsule Hotel at Kampong Glam offers 56 beds within individual capsules, equipped with an electrical outlet, vanity area, a space for hanging garments and a locker drawer. The hotel is flanked by a range of food and beverage outlets, and provides alfresco seats for a view of the village. In addition to servicing leisure travellers, CUBE has attracted business travellers looking for secluded yet affordable accommodation.

Kangaroo Island Airport celebrated its 10th anniversary this week with the opening of an exclusive guest lounge by Southern Ocean Lodge. Designed by Australian creative Jardan and Ross Gardham, the new space will provide guests arriving and departing from Southern Ocean Lodge with pre-flight refreshments and luxurious lounging. Southern Ocean Lodgeowner James Baillie said “Our new private airport lounge means we can extend our guests’ connection with Southern Ocean Lodge and Kangaroo Island until the moment they board the plane.”