Prevue July-August 2017 - 18

Previous: Happy hour at Potato Head in Chinatown (photo credit: Singapore Tourism Board)
Right (clockwise from top): The Overlook meeting space at the Westin Peachtree Plaza; the Toothsome Chocolate
Emporium & Savory Feast Kitchen, Universal Orlando Resorts; Destin Harbor in the Emerald Coast, Florida

T

The demand for hyperlocal experiences has found yet another
avenue of expression: transformational F&B. While immersive food
and beverage that toys with the senses and connects attendees to
the destination is still on the menu, being whisked away to another
reality where they also feel like a local is also on the agenda. This
back-to-basics vibe plays out in numerous ways-whether plunging
into Atlanta's adventurous food festivals, the Emerald Coast's group
catch of the day or cocktails in Britain's literary haunts.

SINGAPORE
Food is "an integral part of our DNA and a vehicle through which we
communicate with and understand each other," explains Singaporean
Kershing Goh, who is also the Singapore Tourism Board's regional
director of the Americas. "I am not joking when I say that we eat
at all hours of the day!" This bodes
well for visiting meeting and incentive
groups that often connect with and
understand a destination through food.
Goh says the demand for experiential
culinary has recently shifted to the
transformational as attendees pivot
toward activities "that enable them to
discover what they can become" and
those that "speak to their innate desire
to become someone different because
they have indulged their passion." And while connecting like-minded
attendees has historically been reserved for conventions, the veer
toward the transformational is adding new layers to meetings and
incentives as well.
Singapore's culinary scene addresses this trend in numerous
ways. Open Farm Community, a collective of sustainable local
farms and innovators, offers an array of masterclasses on everything
from herb-infused ice cream for up to 15 attendees to "changkol
swigging," or urban farmer gardening for 20. A 10-minute bumboat
ride from Singapore to the northeastern island of Pulau Ubin
catapults groups back to 1960s Singapore and what used to be
rustic village life. Here, groups can create a dish in a kampong
(village) home during the "Kampong Cooking Escapade." Another
transformative experience can be found in Singapore's hawker
centres, or open-air complexes housing an array of food stalls-
some of which are Michelin-rated. Hawkers offer a harmonious
cultural infusion of Chinese, Malay and Indian dishes. The hawker
concept is so immersive that even culinary guru Anthony Bourdain
could not resist creating his own NYC version, the Bourdain Market.
"Every neighborhood in Singapore typically has its own hawker
center to serve the local community there," Goh says, recommending
the tian tian chicken rice, a Michelin Bib Gourmand awardee in
Chinatown's Maxwell Food Centre. "It is not to be missed."
Kampong Glam, once the seat of Malay royalty and now

the Malay-Arab quarter, offers many hawker options-from local
delicacies like Malay kuih (cakes) to Middle Eastern, Japanese,
Swedish and Mexican fare. In the one-north business district,
Timbre+ gastropark and its graffiti art shipping container food stalls
is yet another cool hawker centre. Meeting and incentive groups will
enjoy live music and limited edition seasonal beers in an energetic
start-up environment.
Exclusive F&B can also be arranged-whether booking an
outside-the-box restaurant in an iconic heritage building (quirky
Potato Head near the Maxwell Food Centre spans four floors),
horticultural-inspired dining at Gardens by the Bay or taking the
four-masted Royal Albatross out for a spin. The much anticipated
InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay, offering 225
studios and suites, will also offer immersive local experiences via
its Insider Collection when it opens
this fall. "We believe that culinary
experiences will continue to trend
toward attendees being able to be a
part of a community of like-minded
individuals," Goh says. "We have
local groups and operators that allow
attendees to participate as part of
the Singapore foodie community, and
spend a meal interacting with people
with similar culinary passions. It's
no longer just about eating, but about learning, sharing and being
transformed by this."

"Culinary experiences are no
longer just about eating, but
about learning, sharing and
being transformed by this."

18 | prevuemeetings.com

PORTLAND
As expected, the food and liquid assets keep stockpiling in the city not
only referred to by Time magazine as America's "food Eden," but which
is also the birthplace of the coveted James Beard culinary awards. A
confluence of food trends-locavorism, the new naturalism, food trucks
and carts and farm loop foraging-make the porridge just right for all
attendee tastes. Steve Faulstick, chief sales officer for Travel Portland,
adds that it's the little things that are making a big impact on the city's
culinary scene.
"Micro-restaurants are huge! With last year's opening of
Pine Street Market in Old Town's historic Carriage and Baggage
building and the opening of the Portland Food Hall this year, the
micro-restaurant trend is expected to keep going strong. Many
projects have also created great community spaces where locals
and visiting groups can gather around a table or fire pit and break
bread together."
RiverPlace in the South Waterfront also opened the 7,000-sf
CartLab last year, offering five fun micro-restaurants. The micro
trend is really an extension of the city's maker culture, a widespread
network of creative entrepreneurs of various disciplines who
collaborate on artisanal and DIY projects. In true Portland fashion,
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue July-August 2017
