Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has announced the signing of an agreement to manage a luxury hotel in Chongqing, southwest China. Mandarin Oriental, Chongqing, which is slated to open in 2016, will form part of a premier mixed use project located in Jiangbeizui Central Business District, the new financial, commercial and business centre of the city. This development will comprise office towers and significant retail and will become the premier lifestyle destination for the local community and the region.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has unveiled its new European headquarters in Berlin, enhancing the airline’s presence in the German domestic market and further cementing its strategic relationship with airberlin.

Located in the heart of Berlin’s historic Potsdamer Platz, the new office houses both Etihad Airways’ European and Germany sales and marketing teams, and includes joint Etihad Airways-airberlin reservation and ticketing counters.
The office is located on the eighth floor of an iconic Richard Rogers-designed building on Linkstrasse, the architect who is also known for his work on the Pompidou Centre in Paris, and both the Lloyds building and Millennium dome in London.

Leading Asian hospitality group, Dusit International, has appointed Mr. Sameh Shawkat to the position of Regional Director of Sales and Marketing – Middle East and Africa, based in the Dubai MEA Regional office. Mr. Shawkat will focus on building and fostering relationships with key clients and partners and strengthening the Dusit brand in the region.

Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre committed to sustainable water usage. ‘Every Drop Counts’, the winning entry of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s Environmental Photography Competition organised to encourage energy and water conservation among team members. The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) celebrates this year’s World Tourism Day (WTD) with practical efforts aimed at conserving water in its day-to-day operations.

as part of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group’s annual Responsible Business Action Month (RBAM) this year, Park Plaza Sukhumvit Bangkok plans to provide 3 water filter system supplied in 3 different schools.During Responsible Business Action Month, which takes place in the whole month of September, Carlson Rezidor hotels make special efforts to organize social and environmental activities, engage employees, guests and the local community and raise awareness on important social and sustainability issues.

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) — the voice of the global business travel industry – today launched its pre-conference GBTA Academy education programme. Delegates attending the GBTA Europe conference in Prague, Czech Republic were invited to participate in a choice of two pre-conference education programmes to maximise their ROI whilst out of the office.