SINGAPORE is expected to be the second busiest spot next year for meetings and events in Asia, the region that is likely to record the strongest growth in both the number of meetings and overall meeting spend.According to the American Express Meetings & Events 2013 Global Meetings Forecast, Shanghai will be the top meetings and events destination, while the number of meetings in Asia is set to ...

WITH its waterfront location, Punggol Point could be the perfect spot for a seafood restaurant or dining hub such as the one at East Coast Park, said those in the food and beverage industry. They pointed out that one of the main draws of a site there, put up for sale and designated to be a food and beverage development, is its waterfront location. This makes it ideal for seaside alfresco dining. ...

Raise the nutritional value of vegetable soup by adding fruits to it. Gazpacho is a cold, raw vegetable soup from the southern region of Andalusia in Spain. It is usually prepared with tomatoes and cucumbers. Mr Yen Koh, the regional executive chef at the food solutions department of Unilever Singapore, has adapted the recipe for gazpacho by using cucumbers, green apples and green grapes instead. ...

CRUISE passengers can look forward to twice the number of check in and immigration counters and more security lines at the revamped HarbourFront Cruise and Ferry Terminal. The terminal underwent a $14million upgrading its largest in its 21 years and its new look was unveiled yesterday by Minister of State for Trade and Industry Teo Ser Luck. The cruise centre is now better placed to seize ...

THE shortage of manpower, a result of tightened labour conditions, has left many hotels with less satisfied customers, according to a recent survey conducted by the Institute of Service Excellence at Singapore Management University (ISES). The hotels sector recorded the biggest drop in customer satisfaction scores on the Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG), scoring 70.1 points, 5.9 ...

NEW RESTAURANT Halia at Raffles#01 22/23 Raffles Hotel1 Beach RoadTel 9639 1148Opening hours Mon Fri, from 11.30am, set lunch; all day dining until 10pm. Sat Sun, brunch menu, all day dining until 10pm. HALIA Restaurant long associated with the Singapore Botanic Gardens has branched out of ...

THE World Entrepreneurship Forum (WEF) will return to Singapore for the second time when the sixth edition takes place next year. The 2013 WEF, tentatively slated for Oct 30 to Nov 2, is expected to be bigger in terms of scale and participation compared to previous ones as the forum continues to evolve. (The) Asian dimension is something we can bring to the table, said Inderjit Singh, member of ...

THE opening date for Singapore s first Sofitel hotel has been pushed back to the second quarter of next year, but the parent group said its plan to expand in the Asia Pacific region remains on course. The reason for Sofitel So Singapore s delay from its original slated completion date in early 2013 was in part because it wanted to be careful building on the former Ogilvy Centre, a conservation ...

THINK of German cuisine and what comes to mind would probably be mugs of cold beer served during Oktoberfest. But Brotzeit, the German bier bar and restaurant franchise, believes there is much more to German fare than beer. Sean Flynn, its CEO, says the concept of high quality German food, complemented by premium German beers in a contemporary setting, is what distinguishes it from other German ...

Tickets are selling fast for the third edition of the annual Asian Masters culinary festival, so be sure to secure places at the dinners and workshops available. Seats are still available for at least four dinners at the gourmet event, which runs from Nov 1 to 30. It is organised by Sphere Exhibits, a subsidiary of Singapore Press Holdings. The gourmet dinners feature a variety of Asian fare, ...

BELLMAN Kenggatharan Suppiah was on duty in the hotel lobby when he saw a man rushing out of a restaurant, gasping for air. The 30 year old, who works at Royal Plaza on Scotts, reacted by performing a first aid procedure called abdominal thrusts. Yesterday, the Malaysian, who is certified in first aid, was lauded for his act and received the Bravery Award and a Special Mention plaque at the ...

AT GARDENS by the Bay in Marina South, the Supertrees that rise 25m to 50m into the sky are not just for looks They also mimic functions of the real thing. Ferns, climbing plants and orchids wend their way up the Supertree frames, similar to what they do in a rainforest. At the top of the Supertrees, solar panels harness the sun s energy, just as real trees absorb sunlight to make food in a ...

SINGAPORE yesterday won awards for being Asia s top city attraction and the best meetings and conference destination at what is touted as the tourism industry s Oscars. The Republic lost out in both these categories last year to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok respectively at the World Travel Awards. Winning awards is always a nice icing on the cake but at the end of the day, sometimes we win some, ...

[SINGAPORE] The month of October is set to be the busiest ever for Marina Bay Sands (MBS) in terms of its MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) business. The integrated resort (IR) is hosting 13 tradeshows this month four times the monthly average since its convention centre opened in April 2010 and will collectively welcome 46,000 delegates. The strong numbers were ...

TRAVEL industry players will have plenty of chances to network and share ideas at TravelRave 2012. Organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), the event is in its third year, and includes conferences, talks and networking sessions. It began yesterday, and will last until Friday. Eight events will be held, including two new ones Hotel Technology Conference 2012, an annual gathering to discuss ...