Radisson Hotel Group expands brand freedom with the launch of Radisson Individuals

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Radisson Hotel Group has announced the launch of a new brand, Radisson Individuals, giving independent hotels and small chains the opportunity to become part of the global Radisson Hotel Group platform and benefit from international exposure, with the freedom to maintain their own unique style and identity.

Radisson Individuals hotels are selected for their original personalities and characteristics, offering guests the chance to discover new locations around the world and at home, while always delivering Radisson Hotel Group’s high standards of quality and “Yes I Can!” service, combined with the local flavors and qualities of the member hotels.

Federico J. González, CEO, Radisson Hotel Group said, “The launch of Radisson Individuals marks another milestone in our ambitious five-year transformation plan to be recognized as one of the top three hotel companies in the world and the brand of choice for owners, guests and talent. We created Radisson Individuals in response to the evolving demands of the modern market. Joining Radisson Individuals is an ideal first step for individual hotels with strong service scores who wish to remain independent or may be considering transitioning to one of our successful core brands in the future. The new brand is also a strong proposition for local and regional hotel brands seeking to explore additional distribution channels and co-branding options.”

Radisson Individuals represents an outstanding opportunity for hotels to enhance their visibility, nurture customer confidence, and access a wider audience through multiple distribution channels and a global sales structure. These hotels will benefit from the contracting power and economies of scale that come from a brand that is trusted by millions of guests across the world, as well integrated IT and revenue platforms, and comprehensive operational systems to deliver higher GOP margins.

Hotels wishing to join Radisson Individuals will undertake a compliance assessment focusing on four key parameters: health and safety compliance, online rating, fire compliance, and their ability to connect to the Group’s main operating systems. Hotels will receive training on the Group’s “Yes I Can!” service philosophy and achieve above 80% Guest Review Index (GRI) score, to ensure that “Every Moment Matters” and that every guest experience pillar is achieved.

Radisson Individuals member hotels will also have the opportunity to become part of Radisson Rewards™, the global guest reward program that offers exclusive benefits and makes each participating property the preferred place to stay for millions of loyal guests worldwide.

In 2018, Radisson Hotel Group launched its new brand architecture under the Radisson Hotel Group umbrella, with the aim of introducing a select number of compelling brands to their owners and guests alike. The launch of Radisson Individuals bring the number of brands in the Radisson Hotel Group portfolio to nine, including Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel, all brought together under one commercial umbrella brand: Radisson Hotels.

Dusit partners with Pixel One to provide safe, dynamic and affordable solutions for hybrid meetings in Thailand

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"New models facilitate small gatherings while simultaneously leveraging technology for secure, reliable and instant global reach." 

Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has teamed up with innovative Bangkok-based event management company Pixel One Production Co., Ltd, which specialises in audio-visual production solutions for MICE business, to deliver new services for virtual and hybrid meetings at Dusit Hotels and Resorts throughout Thailand. 

The new services, collectively dubbed VICE ROOM (Virtual Interactive Conference Experience), see Dusit’s hotel meeting rooms transformed on demand into high-end recording, live-streaming and presentation studios for worldwide broadcasting. A multi-screen video wall allows for real-time interactions with remote event participants, while a green screen backdrop can be incorporated for high-definition virtual backgrounds. Dedicated professional event specialists are also on hand to ensure swift and seamless connectivity. 

Officially introduced recently as part of a special event held at Dusit Thani Hua Hin for travel industry specialists and representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the VICE ROOM debut demonstrated how meetings can be held safely, sustainably and economically in the new normal. Dusit employees from overseas joined the presentation and could be seen interacting with Dusit’s Group CEO, Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, in a group conversation facilitated by Future One’s high-tech set-up.

Ms Suthumpun believes that hybrid meetings models will be essential for stimulating Thailand’s MICE business in a post COVID-19 world. Not only will they serve as an attractive and safe platform for seminars, meetings and training sessions for companies based in Thailand, but they will also help to engender confidence among international businesses waiting to return, she said.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has brought major shifts to ways we live our lives, with measures such as social distancing making it very difficult for people to meet in person,” said Ms Suthumpun. “Our strategy to meet these changes, and the subsequent shifts in consumer preferences, is to offer convenience, experience and value at every opportunity. This includes collaborating with others to offer innovative solutions which we hope will benefit our industry at large. Our partnership with The Pixel One Production aims to achieve this by combining its solutions for socially distanced meetings and seminars with the expertise and renowned hospitality of our own Dusit Events team. Ultimately, our services will serve as a one-stop, affordable shop for safe, efficient and highly engaging hybrid meeting models and solutions. And these will be available at all Dusit Hotels and Resorts in Thailand, and also for offsite events catered for by our team.”

Mr Chatupol Sittichai, CEO of The Pixel One Production Co., Ltd. and Future One The Virtual Center, said that the solutions his company offers have been designed not only to facilitate remote participation, but also enhance creativity and engagement by enriching the meeting experience with virtual Q&As, live polls, and animated presentations, amongst others.

“The VICE ROOM has been carefully designed to help people connect and communicate via advanced technology, but still feel like they are interacting in the same place by sparking the kind of creativity that occurs in actual meetings,” said Mr Sittichai.  “Our connected systems and technologies, including a curved wall of high-definition screens that can simultaneously display up to 100 remote participants, enable real-time interaction and ensure information and content are relayed quickly and efficiently for effective outcomes. What’s more, our large green screen backdrop allows for all kinds of virtual screens to be superimposed behind the presenter, enhancing participation and engagement even further.”

Hybrid meeting packages at Dusit Hotels and Resorts in Thailand, including a VICE ROOM set up for up to 100 remote participants, are available now, starting at only THB 90,000 for a one-day set up.

Abandoned fishing gears are “immortal menace” to marine life

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New report from WWF says abandoned fishing gear an “immortal menace” which must be central in the fight against plastic pollution

The report, Stop Ghost Gear: The most deadly form of marine plastic debris, shines a lights on how ghost gear is responsible for harming 66 per cent of marine mammal species, half of seabird species and all species of sea turtles, often subjecting them to a slow, painful and inhumane death. 

So-called “ghost gear”, fishing equipment which is lost in the sea, can continue killing marine life for decades or even centuries after it first enters the ocean, making it the most deadly form of marine plastic debris

WWF is calling on governments to develop a legally binding global plastic pollution treaty that addresses this fundamental threat to marine wildlife 

PHILIPPINES—Abandoned fishing gear is the deadliest form of plastic debris for marine life and has already driven the vaquita porpoise and other marine mammals to the brink of extinction, yet even as this crisis continues to intensify, little attention is being paid to it by governments or industry, according to a new report from WWF.

The report, Stop Ghost Gear: The most deadly form of marine plastic debris, shines a lights on how ghost gear* is responsible for harming 66 per cent of marine mammal species, half of seabird species and all species of sea turtles, often subjecting them to a slow, painful and inhumane death. It also damages vital marine habitats such as coral reefs and mangroves and threatens the food sources and livelihoods of coastal communities and fishers, according to the report, which highlights how tackling ghost gear should be at the fore of efforts to combat the global plastic pollution problem. 

Commenting on the report, Marco Lambertini, Director General of WWF International said:

“While the consequences of plastic waste are finally starting to receive the attention they deserve, there’s still too little awareness about the catastrophic harm caused by ghost gear. This needs to change urgently given that it’s the most deadly form of marine plastic debris and that it can linger in our oceans for centuries, wreaking havoc like some kind of immortal menace: continuously and cruelly killing whales, dolphins, seals, seabirds, turtles and sharks, and damaging vital ocean habitats.

“This report unveils the impact and the tragic scale of this invisible ocean killer, and how it is linked to the practices of fishers and the fishing industry, as well as making it very clear that the current legal framework on marine plastic pollution and ghost gear is fragmented and ineffective. This is a global problem which requires coordinated action across the world, which is why WWF urges governments and businesses to support the establishment of a new global UN treaty on plastic pollution that sets out global goals and binding targets for both land- and marine-based plastic pollution, which in turn can help drive robust local regulation of ghost gear. We must stop ghost gear from decimating marine life and drowning the ocean we all depend on once and for all.”

The report shows that:

At least 10 per cent of marine litter is estimated to be made up of fishing waste, which means that between 500,000 and 1 million tons of fishing gear are entering the ocean every year. 

The number of species affected by either entanglement or ingestion of plastic debris has doubled since 1997, from 267 to 557 species. 66% of marine mammals, 50% of seabirds, and all 7 species of marine turtles .

5.7 per cent of all fishing nets, 8.6 per cent of traps and pots, and 29 per cent of all fishing lines used globally are lost around the world each year. 

In the upper Gulf of California, Mexico, illegal and abandoned gillnets have driven the vaquita porpoise to the brink of extinction – only around 10 individuals remain.

Ghost gear damages valuable marine habitats, damaging coral, harming the habitats of sessile animals, damaging vegetation, causing sediment build-up, and impeding access to key ecosystems.

Ghost gear has negative economic impacts, posing dangers to livelihoods and navigation by boat.

Studies estimate that over 90 per cent of species caught in ghost gear are of commercial value. 

Ghost gear can act as a navigation hazard, affecting a vessel’s propulsion and the ability to manoeuvre, causing operational delays, economic loss and, in extreme cases, injuries or even the loss of lives of crew members or ferry passengers.

As well as calling on governments to support the establishment of a new treaty to stop plastic pollution, WWF is encouraging countries to join the Global Ghost Gear Initiative - a global alliance of fishing industry, private sector, corporates, NGOs, academia and governments focused on solving the problem of lost and abandoned fishing gear worldwide.

Members of the public are invited to join almost 2 million others in signing the petition calling governments to take urgent action at www.panda.org/plastics.They can also support the campaign by uploading a photo or video of a sea species to social media with a big hashtag (#) over it and tagging #StopGhostGear.