8 Degrees on the Lake - Sri Lanka's First Floating Venue by a 5 Star Hotel. Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo Extends Its unique Experience to a New Degree

14th January 2012, www.thesundayleader.lk

Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo extends its unique lakeside experience to a new degree with its latest venture – 8° (degrees) on the lake, a floating hotel venue for private events.  The 70’ by 30’ vessel which is in its final stages of construction will be the first of its kind to grace the waters of Colombo.  It will consist of an air conditioned lower deck and an open upper deck with a clear ceiling for protection, and will accommodate 100 passengers.


Living every word of the John Keells Leisure sector vision to “always be the hospitality trendsetter,” Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s latest venture sets a new benchmark for the industry.  8° on the lake will be Colombo’s first mobile floating venue by a five star hotel.  The vessel offers a unique setting for exclusive, high profile events with its minimalistic chic interiors designed by Nayantara Fonseka of Taru fame.  The layout and choice of décor is intended to capture the essence of its natural surroundings.

“The Beira Lake creates a beautiful setting to our hotel but it is time that it became more than just a view,” explains Denis Gruhier, General Manager of Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo.  “8° on the lake was conceptualized as a means of extending the guest experience beyond the expected. Although Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo is situated in the heart of Colombo with every convenience a business traveler would enjoy, when a guest steps into the hotel they could easily forget they are in the city.  Aboard 8° on the lake, the bustling city of Colombo will be a distant memory.”

The venue adapts itself to suit a variety of occasions.  For an intimate gathering, the host may wish to invite guests to cocktails at the upper deck followed by dinner at the air conditioned lower deck as the party travels across the Beira Lake.  The twin level arrangement allows for an event to be segmented to offer varying culinary and entertainment experiences at each level, ensuring that a guest is never bored.  If a large party is on the cards, 8 Degrees on the Lake maybe used as an extension to the Waterside, the hotel’s garden venue which now hosts a pier where the vessel will dock.

The hotel has already received several requests for bookings.  Malcolm Thomas, Banquet Sales Manager at Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo foresees the venue lending itself to Cocktail parties, Gourmet meals, Candlelit dinners, Champagne brunches, High teas, Weddings, Engagements parties, Bachelor and Bachelorette parties, Birthdays and Anniversary parties.

Colombo has a clear need for exciting event venues and Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo rises to the occasion with 8 Degrees on the Lake.  This innovation is set to spark a revolution in banquet offerings in the industry.

Related Info :

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Ceylon Cinnamon Enjoy Global Demand and Account for Half of Sri Lanka Spice Export Earnings

13th May 2011, www.island.lk

Cinnamon exporters at a meeting with the Industry and Commerce minister said Sri Lankan cinnamon did not require any promotional activity because it enjoyed high demand in international markets, so high that Sri Lanka cannot meet the demand, while cinnamon peelers were enjoying high salaries due to labour shortages, with industrialists reluctant to ‘share revenue’.

Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce met with members of the Advisory Committee on Spices and exporters earlier this week at the Export Development Board premises in Colombo.

"Our spice industry needs to re-invest its profits, so that the industry can continue to grow. The Divineguma programme of the government could be used to increase our cinnamon production by enlisting the households to grow cinnamon and various other spices so that families too would benefit," the minister said.

The committee members informed the minister that no ‘special marketing efforts’ to promote Sri Lanka cinnamon were necessary in the global marketplace since it enjoyed high demand, far exceeding the current supply volumes. "An additional 10,000 tonnes of cinnamon would be required to meet this demand," they said.

The committee members said that of the 30,000 hectares of cinnamon grown in Sri Lanka, 20 percent were peeled twice a year and 70 percent were peeled only once a year, thereby incurring potential foreign exchange losses. "10 percent peeled once in two years, if peeled at all," a member said. According to them, Sri Lanka’s cinnamon industry needs another 10,000 peelers due to worker shortage. Currently, a cinnamon peeler earns between Rs 30,000 to 45,000 per month, with a mere three months ‘on the job’ training.

Committee members said that high labour costs were a serious problem. Unlike in tea and rubber industries, there is a serious shortage of cinnamon peelers in Sri Lanka leaving the existing peelers to charge exorbitant amounts for peeling. Cinnamon peeling is skilled work and the communities involved in it for generations have begun to demand income sharing and no less. "We share a minimum of one-third (33 percent) of our cinnamon sales revenue with the peelers on a daily basis and some producers are compelled to share as much as 50 percent of their revenues" said Sarada M. De Silva, who runs spice and Ceylon cinnamon export firm Intercom Limited.

According to Export Development Board of the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, Sri Lanka’s total spice exports value in 2010 stood at US$ 165 million and 51 percent of it belonged to Ceylon Cinnamon (US$ 84 million). Spice exports earnings increased by 27 percent in 2010 in comparison to 2009 while cinnamon exports revenues too increased by 13.3 percent compared to 2009. Sri Lanka is topmost exporter of Ceylon cinnamon having 85 percent of world market share for ‘Ceylon cinnamon’ while having 14.5 percent market share in overall world cinnamon market. Mexico is Sri Lanka’s main cinnamon export destination followed by USA. More than 85 percent of locally produced cinnamon are exported.

Minister Bathiudeen was also informed by the Committee that the Sri Lankan spice volumes (including cinnamon) for export, despite their high quality, are facing the risk of rejection in tough international market segments such as North America, due to the lack of various essential cleaning and sterilisation process facilities at pre-export stages. A committee member said that post-harvest drying of spices before the export is essential and if any moisture is left in the commodities, the export shipment could be rejected and compelled to be incinerated at the importers’ end. The Sri Lankan exporter have to bear additional charges for safe destruction of the entire shipment, a member said.

Related Info :

• Sri Lankan Spice Industry Records 65.56pct Growth in 2010

• Sri Lanka Spices to Have value Addition. Spice Council Website Launched to Provide Market Information

• Sri Lankan Spices Can Double Per Capita Incomes in 5 Years

IBGL Invests Rs600mn in Sri Lanka Cinnamon Tea Production

28th September 2010, www.dailynews.lk, By Ramani Kangaraarachchi

International Business Galaxy Ltd (IBGL) will invest Rs 600 million to meet the huge demand for cinnamon tea around the world. IBGL Chairman Ajintha Wickramanayake told Daily News Business the company will go for a private placement to meet this challenge shortly.

He said two million shares at the rate of Rs 300 each will be issued to the public in a revolutionary manner.

“We can teach people how to generate income through our products utilizing funds at a time investors look for new avenues to invest their money after the recession,” he said.

The shareholders will be paid dividends at gross profit level and not at the net profit levels like in other companies.

As such shareholders have placed lot of confidence on the company and they will get higher return as a result.

It is significant that the company has allocated 20 percent from the profits to original shareholders.

Wickramanayake said IBGL offers creative and unique food and beverage products with health benefits using Sri Lanka commodities which is essential to people worldwide.

“The return on investment for the shareholders is definite and fast. IBGL is one of the first to take this opportunity to explore and produce this superlative product,’ he said.

Sri Lanka has still not recognised the commercial opportunities of Cinnamon and Green and Black tea.

The Ceylon Cinnamon with Green and Black Tea is prophylactic and a blood purifier and is one of the best beverages available in the world,” he said.

Sri Lanka's John Keells Upgrades Habarana Cinnamon Lodge Hotel at $2.5mn

03rd May 2010, www.lankabusinessonline.com

Habarana Lodge has signed a deal with the Board of Investment to invest 2.5 million US dollars to re-furbish and upgrade its hotel in north-central Sri Lanka, the investment promotion agency said.
The 140-room Cinnamon Lodge Hotel at Habarana, part of the John Keells group hotel chain, will be upgraded to a five-star rated hotel, the BOI statement said.

"The hotel is expected to attract more guests with the boom in the tourism industry."

BOI approval for projects enables companies to be entitled to incentives like tax breaks and duty free import of equipment and raw materials.

Sri Lanka's tourist industry has revived with a sharp upturn in arrivals following the end of the 30-year ethnic war last May.

The BOI statement also said it signed another deal with Emmaus Industries for a venture to manufacture ladies footwear for the export market to be supplied to well known brands in the European Union and USA.

The joint venture between Italy and Sri Lanka represents an investment of over 650,000 US dollars, the BOI said.

The manufacturing plant established in the industrial estate in Dankotuwa, north of Colombo, is expected to provide employment for a work force of 220.

Sri Lanka to Upgrade Cinnamon Industry

06th December 2009, lankapuvath.lk

Inaugurating a series of programs connected with upgrading the cinnamon industry in the Southern Province Professor G.L. Peiris, Minister of Export Development and International Trade, said cinnamon is a traditional industry with its roots deep in our culture and history, but it needs to be upgraded with the infusion of modern technology to secure the maximum benefits in world markets in an increasingly competitive international environment.

The cinnamon industry, he continued, provides a means of livelihood for 100,000 persons in the Southern Province.

With a view to improving methods of peeling and other aspects of the manufacturing process, which has up to now been done entirely by manual means, the Government is establishing 20 manufacturing centres with appropriate equipment.

The Government spends Rs.600,000 on each centre, the total expenditure being Rs.12 million.