83 Finalists Vie for 27 Awards in Singapore Experience Awards

A total of 83 finalists have been shortlisted for 27 award categories at this year?s Singapore Experience Awards organised by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Featured in this year?s finalists repertoire are established players, past Singapore Experience Awards winners, and new tourism products like ION Orchard and Shanghai Dolly. Also included in the mix are new entrants like the People?s Association?s Chingay Parade Singapore 2009 ? a local favourite which has evolved over the years to become a highlight on Singapore?s events calendar.

Strong submissions also featured prominently in this year?s new award categories ? Best Education Experience, Best Enrichment Experience, and Best Healthcare Experience ? reflecting the creativity, quality and diversity of experience providers beyond traditional tourism.

Winners will be unveiled at a gala presentation ceremony on 28 October 2010 at the Shangri-Lla Singapore graced by Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry, and Ministry of Education, Mr S Iswaran.

Singapore Experience Conversation

This year, the Singapore Experience Awards introduces The Singapore Experience Conversation - an exclusive, by-invitation-only annual forum. The forum will provide an opportunity for experience providers to have an open dialogue about inspirations and challenges arising from an ever-changing consumer landscape.

Forum participants this year will hear from special guest speaker B. Joseph Pine II, internationally acclaimed author of the published best-seller in 1999, ?The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre & Every Business a Stage?, on how businesses should keep adding value to their economic offerings by continually redesigning their experiences.

Highlighting the importance of businesses to constantly innovate in order to create compelling and memorable experiences, Mr Tony Lai, STB?s Assistant Chief Executive for the Sector Planning and Development Group, said, ?Businesses today compete on experiences and one way they can better engage their customers is by creating a personalised, user-centric experience. This is what the Singapore Experience Awards celebrates ? individuals and organisations who push the bar by thinking of creative ways to make their customers? experiences memorable on their first visit, and even better on their next.?

The Singapore Experience Awards will round off TravelRave 2010, a platform for industry leaders, experts and professionals to uncover business opportunities, share insights and best practices, showcase industry innovations and celebrate tourism achievements.

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Changi Airport in Singapore Again Tops Global Airport Poll

For the second successive year members of Priority Pass, one of the world's largest independent airport lounge programs, have voted Changi Airport in Singapore as their favorite, followed closely by Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok.

The poll, which had over 9,000 participants from 150 countries, revealed that the two leading Asian airports remain head and shoulders above any others in the world.

Next best was Dubai, which is leading the charge of a clutch of airports in the Middle East, vying to capture a greater share of international long-haul transfer traffic.

Best in Europe, according to Priority Pass members, are Copenhagen, Amsterdam Schiphol and Zurich, while Lima takes the crown in Latin America and Houston in North America.

Jonathan French , Head of Brand at Priority Pass, said, "Priority Pass members take an average of 17 flights a year each, so these results are from a sample of people who, between them, will fly over 150,000 times in 2010. They know what they are talking about! Congratulations are due to the teams at Singapore and Hong Kong airports, where they make traveling a pleasure for our members."

The best airports, as ranked by Priority Pass members, are:

Changi Airport Singapore
Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Intl
Dubai World Central Intl
Copenhagen
Amsterdam Schiphol
Seoul Incheon International
Zurich
Lima Jorge Chavez Intl
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Intl
Houston TX Intercontinental

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Interview with Pieter Idenburg - CEO of Suntec Singapore

What does it take to be one of the very best MICE venues in the whole Asia Pacific region? What high tech panels is Suntec Singapore installing in its halls and what will they do for visitors, and how much have they cost? What impact have the two IRs - Resorts World Sentosa / Universal Studios Singapore and Marina Bay Sands had on business?

 In this HD video interview with Mr Pieter Idenburg who is not only CEO of Suntec Singapore, but also CEO of Suntec International, we discuss all these things plus much, much more.

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StayWell Appoints Jason Dowd as GM of Park Regis Singapore

Australia-based StayWell Hospitality Group (SWHG), one of Asia Pacific?s largest independently owned hotel management companies, has appointed Jason Dowd as General Manager of the Park Regis Singapore.

The 203-room hotel located in the heart of downtown Singapore is scheduled to open before year-end and will be the brand?s first property to open in South East Asia.

Jason, an Australian national with more than a decade of hospitality industry experience, joins Park Regis Singapore from SWHG?s head office in Sydney where he was Group Operations Manager overseeing properties in New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania for five years. Prior to joining SWHG, Jason was with Australian owned Constellation Hotel Group where he held several senior executive positions in various regional resorts.

?Park Regis Singapore will be our first property in Southeast Asia and marks the start of our expansion strategy across the region. To introduce the brand into Singapore, we needed a strong leader with an excellent track-record. Jason?s extensive hospitality industry experience will play a major role in successfully positioning the hotel as a preferred choice of stay for both business and leisure travellers,? said Simon Wan, CEO, SWHG.

Park Regis Singapore will be within easy reach of Singapore?s vibrant entertainment and dining hubs such as Clarke Quay, Boat Quay and China Town. It will also be close to Raffles Place, Singapore?s commercial hub. Perched along the Singapore River, the hotel will also offer views of the city and is a five minutes? walk away from Clarke Quay MRT train station.

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