CEI's first issue of the year is out

The idea of white-gloved butlers opening doors for you is so very passé, it seems. In this issue, we discuss the changing perceptions of luxury and how the personalisation megatrend has resulted in a shift in the meaning of luxury as we know it. 

The fact that hotels and events have reached ‘peak luxury’ where five-star experiences are a given, we ask the industry what’s next. What can they offer clients that other five-star operations can’t? Is local the new luxury? Is luxury scalable across large groups? How pertinent is Instagram? 

On top of that, we turn our lens to China, one of the biggest luxury markets in the region. Learn how brands there are going ‘high culture’ to cater to swathes of big spenders—and see how digitisation plays a role through all of this. 

And it’s finally come the time to announce our annual Readers’ Choice winners. Flick to see all the winners you voted for! We’ve also added a separate Editors’ Choice where the CEI team has acknowledged outstanding venues and convention bureaus over the past year across categories such as tech, creativity, sustainability, and food and beverage. 

As the industry moves away from homogenised experiences, with it comes the rise of unique heritage venues in the region. We highlight some of the best refurbished venues that have caught the eyes of corporates and agencies. Abandoned textile warehouses never looked so cool. 

In our Tech section, we talk about multi-hub meetings as a viable virtual option. Planners give us tips on how to make sure your content doesn’t get lost, ensuring a smooth delivery, and having
an effective post-meeting strategy. 

Finally, a year after CEI moved to the Campaign network, we urge you to check out exclusive industry announcements, case studies, and photo galleries on campaignasia.com/cei. Thanks for your support over the past year and here’s to an excellent 2019! 

Access the issue here and subscribe to our thrice-weekly newsletter here.