COMPANION COMMUNICATIONS has been appointed as the regional agency for Raffles Hotels & Resorts. The mandate encompasses public relations, marketing communications, strategic advisory, storytelling, partnerships, content creation, and crisis support for Raffles Hotels & Resorts in the Asian region.

This announcement comes after key hospitality wins at COMPANION in recent months, including the launch of Capella at Galaxy Macau in Macau, the launch of Andaz One Bangkok in Thailand, and the global retainer for Island Shangri-La in Hong Kong. In addition, the agency has held the regional PR retainer account for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts for the past two years. 

Commenting on the news, Dominique Backhouse, Managing Director of COMPANION, remarked, "COMPANION leverages local knowledge and deep industry insights to give clients a competitive edge. We are thrilled to be appointed by Raffles Hotels & Resorts, a leader of hospitality globally, as we continue to work with some of the best brands within the sector."

The MC Collective has secured new partnerships with Lightfoot Travel and the Singapore Yachting Festival, expanding its portfolio across luxury travel, hospitality, and lifestyle.

Under the new mandate, the agency supports Lightfoot Travel’s strategic communications in Singapore and the rest of the APAC region. For the Singapore Yachting Festival, The MC Collective leads the event's strategic communications and media engagement ahead of its 2026 edition.

The client wins follow the agency's appointment of Michele Batchelor as Lead Consultant, Corporate. She brings more than 20 years of experience across American Express, Singtel, and Bloomberg. Michele supports the agency’s offering across corporate positioning, executive profiling, issues management, stakeholder engagement, and internal communications, while also bolstering its capabilities in lifestyle, hospitality, and F&B.

Eliza Marriott-Smalley, Founder of The MC Collective, said the new mandates reflect growing demand for senior-led, outcomes-focused communications across high-expectation categories.

Michele added, “I’ve led communications in complex, fast-moving environments and worked with agencies of every shape and size. What I value about The MC Collective model is the clarity and pace: senior people delivering strong thinking quickly, with no layers. It’s less like managing an agency, more like extending your own leadership bench.”

Anastasia Prikhodko has joined the team at Sandpiper in Sydney as Account Director. She was previously at IBM as Communications Specialist. Prior to this, Anastasia was at CSIRO and Ogilvy PR ANZ, following a career in journalism.