Digital Domain held "The Next Frontier in Travel" press conference at Taoyuan International Airport. Daniel Seah, CEO of Digital Domain (left in the photo), and Mr. Song Hoi See, Plaza Premium Group Founder and CEO (right in the photo), to initiate the business of digital human hospitality services.
The joint venture will
function as a separate entity, utilizing the strengths of its parent company’s
core business in Hollywood visual effects technologies to provide industry
leading innovations. This venture combines Digital Domain's cutting-edge
digital human technology with Mr. Song’s extensive expertise in global
hospitality and airport services through Plaza Premium Group. Together, they
will offer intelligent, interactive, and highly personalized services to meet
the various aspects of changing needs for modern travelers.
Today, Digital Domain
held the "The Next Frontier in Travel" press conference at Taoyuan
International Airport. Distinguished guests, including Taoyuan City Mayor, Mr.
Chang San-Cheng, Digital Domain CEO, Mr. Daniel Seah, Plaza Premium Group
Founder and CEO, Mr. Song Hoi See, and Taoyuan International Airport
Corporation Ltd. Chairman, Mr. Yang Weifuu attended the event and delivered speeches.
Strategic Vision and
Expertise Unite
This collaboration
represents the convergence of two industry leaders:
Digital Domain: With
over 30-years experience in creating some of the most breath- taking visuals
for Hollywood films, the veteran VFX studio is now ready to take some of its
innovative technologies, originally developed over the years for film, beyond
the big screen. This joint venture cements the company’s first significant
branch into the commercialization of VFX technologies outside the realm of
media and entertainment. Specifically, the studio’s Oscar winning digital human
technologies refined over decades of expertise and Hollywood film-making
experience will be further refined and perfected to provide real-time services
in hospitality and travel industry through expert guidance and collaboration
with Plaza Premium Group.
Mr. Song Hoi See
(Founder & CEO of Plaza Premium Group): A visionary in global airport and
travel hospitality, Mr. Song Hoi See brings unparalleled leadership and insight
from his role as Founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group. With over two decades
experience in the industry, Mr. Song and his expert team in travel hospitality
are based in Hong Kong and operates in over 80 airports with over 250
locations. They are not only the largest independently run pay-in lounge
operation in the world but also white labeling for 13 other brands globally.
Mr. Song brings not only his extensive knowledge in the travel and hospitality
industry to the table, but also his vast network of connections for
opportunities of digital human services to expand to, both within and in
surrounding industries.
Revolutionizing
Hospitality and Airport Services
The collaboration will
establish new industry standards by combining cutting-edge real-time digital
human technologies with traditional hospitality services in the areas of
travel, hotels, tourism offices, duty-free and other concessions, call centers
etc. Through enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency, the
joint venture will aim to create a seamless combination of digital innovation
and personalized service across all hospitality sectors.
Leadership and
Innovation at the Helm
Mr. Song Hoi See's
involvement is a significant asset to the joint venture. His visionary
leadership and extensive experience with Plaza Premium Group will guide the
partnership toward achieving its goal of revolutionizing the hospitality and
travel sectors around the world. Daniel Seah, CEO of Digital Domain, stated,
"Mr. Song Hoi See's expertise will be key in identifying and executing
upon industry leading opportunities with our technologies, but equally if not
more importantly, Mr. Song’s values and passion are what I believe will be the
foundation of this successful partnership and the success of this venture."
In partnering with
award winning VFX house, Digital Domain, Mr. Song Hoi See remarks, “Digital
Domain, as a Hollywood based studio, is considered by many, to be a pioneer in
Digital Human Technology. Through their proven experience and leadership in
Digital Human Technology, we aim to leverage their experience in delivering an
innovative, and immersive customer service in airports and hospitality sectors
world-wide.”
Driven by shared
commitment to excellence and innovation, this strategic collaboration marks a
new chapter in the hospitality and airport services industry. The joint venture
is dedicating itself to transforming customer experiences and setting new
standards for service and efficiency.
Notably, today’s press
conference featured a surprise appearance by the virtual Teresa Teng along side
Daniel Seah, CEO of Digital Domain. Their interaction leads to the introduction
of a brand new proof of concept highlighting the potential of AI powered
virtual human services for travelers to interact with in the near future.
Aligned with the theme
"Next Stop, the Future," the conference showed a glimpse of what an
airport VIP lounge equipped with a virtual ambassador informational kiosk could
be like for future travelers. Driven by artificial intelligence-related
technologies, the virtual human kiosk provided essential assistance such as
elaborating PPL lounge offerings, route navigation, and airport vicinity
inquiries, all while adding a personable response to human-computer interaction
in real-time situations.
Embracing the added
value of AI in the tourism and travel service industry, Taoyuan City Government
and Taoyuan International Airport also provided co-organizational support for
this press conference. Mr. Chang San-Cheng, Mayor of Taoyuan City, emphasized:
"Currently, Taoyuan Airport has developed an ecosystem spanning from
production and manufacturing, data storage, and now to AI applications, beyond
advancing AI services at Taoyuan Airport, this collaboration aims to enhance
global awareness of Taoyuan International Airport using AI technology, for
instance, using virtual technology to showcase local celebrities welcoming
guests at the concierge desk or recreate famous Taiwan attractions at the
airport, creating an immersive experience that leaves visitors with a deeper
appreciation of Taiwan and Taoyuan International Airport, this initiative seeks
to elevate Taoyuan International Airport's global ranking."
Digital Domain is refining its virtual human solutions for use in smart kiosks. The company plans to collaborate with local manufactures through cross-border licensing and remote technical support. This effort aims to promote and expand AI virtual human technology across various settings such as airports and hotels. Taoyuan International Airport is optimistic about the potential of integrating such technologies and supports the development and implementation. Mr. Yang Weifuu, Chairman of Taoyuan International Airport Corporation, stated: "Through the collaboration between Digital Domain and Plaza Premium Group, a new AI virtual assistant service has made its global debut at the Plaza Premium Lounge at Taoyuan International Airport. This innovation not only enhances the passenger experience but also marks a significant step toward Taoyuan Airport becoming a smart airport. I believe that with every new smart service that has been introduced it will progressively improve the user experience, making travel more convenient. Thank you to Digital Domain and our strategic partner Plaza Premium Group for selecting Taoyuan Airport for this launch and to everyone for their trust and support of Taoyuan International Airport. Let’s look forward together to the advanced travel experiences that AI virtual customer service will bring!"
Digital
Domain held "The Next Frontier in Travel" press conference at Taoyuan
International Airport featured a surprise appearance by the virtual Teresa Teng
along side Daniel Seah, CEO of Digital Domain (left in the photo).