HARBOUR Plaza 8 Degrees hotel in Kowloon, Hong Kong, has created a series of full- and half-day packages for conference organisers.

Priced at HK$480 (US$62) per person, the full-day deal offers complimentary use of selected audiovisual and standard meeting equipment, unlimited coffee and tea throughout the conference, two refreshment breaks, lunch and other benefits.

Half-day options, with and without lunch, are priced at HK390 and HK$280 respectively.

These packages require a minimum bookings of 10 pax, and are valid from now till December 31, 2014. Prices are subject to a 10 per cent service charge. Other conditions apply.

Conference planners can also spice up their event with a cooking class that will teach delegates how to whip up mango napoleon, baked chocolate fondant or dim sum. This add-on activity costs HK$280 per person.

Contact catering@hp8dcatering.com.

SHERATON Macao Hotel, Cotai Central has rolled out Meet 24, a programme aimed at providing greater convenience for small-sized meeting groups.

Instead of the usual check-in time of 15.00 and check-out time of 11.00, Meet 24 allows meeting groups to check-in anytime and check-out at the same time on the day of departure at no additional cost. The same flexibility is extended to the meeting space, which can also be held for the same duration.

Said to be a first for Asia-Pacific meeting planners and exclusive to Sheraton Macao Hotel, Meet 24 is available only to members of the Starwood Preferred Planner programme and is valid from now till December 19, 2014.

To qualify for the offer, planners must make a minimum booking of 20 guestrooms per day and a maximum of 100 guestrooms, plus at least one full-day meeting for all participants.

Ruth Boston, general manager of sales & marketing, Sheraton Macao Hotel, said that notwithstanding the size of the property, smaller groups remain a priority for the hotel.

“Meet 24 reinforces Sheraton Macao Hotel’s commitment to cater for groups of all sizes and aspirations. Our new offer delivers flexibility at a time when planners are looking for ways to make their meetings more productive and cost effective, especially when time is limited and budgets are tight. Our conference floors also offer multiple meeting solutions with spaces specifically designed to accommodate smaller meetings and events. “

Contact the Sales Hotline at (853) 8113-0700 or email at sales.macao@sheraton.com

GOLD Coast Tourism Corporation will debut the annual This is Gold Coast Business Exchange in June, an initiative that will allow local meeting specialists to explore business avenues with more than 40 association and corporate event planners from Australia and South-east Asia.

The event programme is fully hosted and includes a combination of networking events, site inspections and one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments.

Gold Coast Tourism director of business events, Anna Case, said the event is the result of a collaborative city approach aiming to replicate the success of similar events held on a smaller scale last year.

“The Gold Coast continues to rival Australia’s capital cities as a more effective conference and incentive option. Last year the number of business events held on the Gold Coast increased by 28 per cent and we aim to keep these numbers growing.

“This is Gold Coast Business Exchange provides association and corporate meeting planners with the most cost-effective and efficient way to research and plan a Gold Coast event, at the same time demonstrating that our city has the infrastructure, range of product and the professional services to deliver exceptional events.

“The event will create new business opportunities, energising the business events sector on the Gold Coast and cementing the destination’s position as a world leading conference, exhibition, meetings and incentives destination.”

This is Gold Coast Business Exchange 2014 will be held from June 19 to 21, 2014 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. A post-event familiarisation trip will follow from June 21 to 22.

Registration will open at AIME on February 18. Visit stand 1922 or email thisisgoldcoast@gctourism.com for more information.

TANGALOOMA Island Resort on Moreton Island, 40km from Brisbane, is building a new all-purpose waterfront venue that is suitable for conferences and events.

Opening this April, the Waterfront Pavillion will have absolute beach frontage with stunning views overlooking the Glasshouse Mountains and the South East Queensland coastline. Fully air-conditioned and with inbuilt audiovisual equipment, the venue will cater for over 250 delegates.

The Waterfront Pavillion will join Tangalooma Island Resort’s two other conference rooms. The resort is able to support themed dinners and has its own series of teambuilding activities, such as Millionaire Quiz Show and Alpha Challenge, through a partnership with True North.

VENUE management specialist, AEG Ogden, has commenced its recruitment drive for key positions at both the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre and International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney.

Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre will continue its human talent hunt following the appointment of its general manager last month. Positions for a director of sales & marketing and sales manager – exhibitions are available.

Trevor McCartney, general manager of Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre, said the recruitment of these roles and other senior executive positions was another major milestone in the lead up to the completion of the venue in late 2016.

Located four kilometres from the Muscat International Airport, the Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is being constructed in two stages. The first, incorporating 22,000m2 of exhibition space will be completed in 2015, followed by stage two, featuring 3,200- and 450-seat tiered theatres, 14 meeting rooms and two ballrooms due for completion in late 2016.

Meanwhile, ICC Sydney is hiring for three positions – director of sales, international sales manager and communications manager.

ICC Sydney CEO and AEG Ogden’s director of convention centres, Geoff Donaghy, said: “These highly specialised positions require specific experience and an appropriate background and as such, we expect strong interest from applicants both in Australia and abroad.”

ICC Sydney is due for completion in December 2016.

THE opening of luxury Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ first property in Beijing in the first quarter will provide corporates and meetings planners a new sophisticated option.

Marc Brugger, managing director of Rosewood Beijing, told TTGmice e-Weekly that the hotel was specifically targeting corporate clients in art, fashion, music and the movie industry.

“We are also targeting those in design, advertising, innovation and the like, clients who are looking for and enjoy a space that is filled with art and culture which inspires them to create,” Brugger said.

“We are going after both domestic and international events but will mainly focus on the former. The domestic market is still very strong because the second- and third-tier cities are growing rapidly, and that is helping our business.”

According to Brugger, the 283-room hotel will offer more landscaped outdoor space than other luxury hotels in Beijing, with terraces, gardens and balconies integrated into the design of its restaurants, spa, recreational facilities, meeting and function areas.

Located in Chaoyang business district, opposite the iconic CCTV Tower, the hotel has 3,050m2 of meeting space, including a 767m2 pillarless ballroom and an adjacent 301m2 garden terrace.

In addition, The Pavilion is a venue with two areas that can be combined and comprises dining spaces, a bar, lounges and show kitchens. The 1,712m2 space can accommodate up to 160 guests.

The hotel has seven restaurants and lounges, and Sense Spa has six treatment rooms and five spa suites for overnight stays. Recreational facilities include an indoor swimming pool, gym and yoga studio.

Meanwhile, the group has just announced it will open the 229-room Rosewood Sanya in 2017 in Haitang Bay, southern Hainan. It is located within the integrated resort surrounding the International Finance Forum Convention Center, Sanya’s largest meeting facility, opening in 2015.

The 651m2 rooms will be among the largest in Sanya, and the hotel will also feature 61 residential villas in the 16-hectare resort.

The group will open Rosewood Chongqing in 2015.