Head of Tourism Australia’s business events unit, Penny Lion, says the organisation is monitoring consumer travel habits nationally to help guide them on greater international marketing efforts in the MICE sector, including in Southeast Asia.

The 608-room Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore has reimagined its East Wing, launching a new library reception area with meeting planners in mind, and a fresh F&B concept that can be used for private events.

With corporate wellness on the rise, Dusit International has introduced a group-wide concept refresh, Devarana Wellness, focused on travellers' holistic wellbeing, which the brand is confident "will bring sustainable value to all of our properties".

At PCEB's first event for the year, guests celebrated the destination's success in hosting 156 events in 2020. These events welcomed 19,283 participants and accounted for 48,963 room nights.

Accor is going from strength to strength in its Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea division, having officially signed 9,243 rooms room across 12 countries in 2020.

MCEC has set a new brand ethos, transforming its market position to become the ‘home of the unconventional’ alongside its 2021-24 strategy to continue innovating and evolving.

Event professionals in Singapore were sent into a tailspin last week when the city state announced tighter restrictions following a spike in community cases of Covid-19. 

On 29 April, the Macau Incentives, Meetings and Special Events Association (MISE) hosted a networking event for some 60 industry professionals from Macau and mainland China — the association's first in-person meet since January 2020.

Six Senses will remove and avoid all virgin plastic materials from its hotel and spa operations as it seeks to go plastic free by 2022.

Buoyed by increasing global corporate activities, travel management company FCM is expecting a 50% rebound in its global corporate travel business by the end of 2021.

George Koumendakos has been appointed general manager of Sofitel Kuala Lumpur Damansara.

Auckland has confirmed it will host the 36th Annual Scientific Meeting for the Epilepsy Society of Australia, slated for November 2022.

There were plenty of smiling faces at the first Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) Australia and New Zealand gathering for 2021 in late April, with members and guests buoyed by greater levels of enquiries thanks to the opening of the Trans-Tasman bubble.

After a year of virtual meetings, the industry is definitely ready to return to in-person sessions, but hybrid events are here to stay, according to the Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB).