All Entries in the "MICE" Category

UniSpace hosts international glass event

UniSpace Sunderland will today host an architectural glass event attracting guest speakers from across the world in its iconic National Glass Centre (NGC) building.

The Symposium in Architectural Glass will bring 120 delegates to UniSpace for plenary sessions in the NGC, plus a dinner in the museum’s unique restaurant overlooking the River Wear.  This is the second time the National Glass Centre has hosted the International Symposium in Architectural Glass, which includes traditional lectures with panel discussions, workshops demonstrations and informal networking opportunities.

The Symposium will run for two days (May 17/May 18) and is organised with the help of the NGC-based Institute for International Research in Glass (IIRG), co-ordinated by Professor Sylva Petrova, of the University of Sunderland.

The emphasis of this event is how flat glass is used three dimensionally in space and as a creative means of expression. This will explore both the theoretical and practical aspects of this process: idea exploration; design development; use of new technologies; the possibilities of technical restrictions; and the multi-disciplinary approach prevalent in many projects.

Sharon Olver, Commercial Manager of the University of Sunderland responsible for UniSpace, commented: ‘The National Glass Centre is an architecturally unique building that houses a national museum and visitor attraction. We are delighted to be hosting this prestigious international event which addresses the latest thinking in glass technology.’

50% Growth Helps Estonia Rocket to 41st Place in ICCA Rankings

Estonia has gained an impressive amount of ground in the newly-released 2011 International Congress and Convention Association rankings list, moving up five slots from the previous year’s position to reach 41st place.

The number of association conferences held in the country jumped from 43 to 61 between the two years, an increase of nearly 50%.

The nation’s capital, Tallinn, also scored big in the list, going from 65th place to 43rd. The city hosted 49 ICCA conferences last year compared to 28 in 2010.

According to the ECB, the improvements can be attributed to its close cooperation with Enterprise Estonia and the cities of Tallinn and Tartu, introduction of a Conference Ambassador Programme, increased flight connections and improvements made to venues. It also credited Enterprise Estonia’s Conference Support Scheme for attracting more international events to the country.

ECB statistics show that there were 565 international conferences held in Estonia last year, their total number of delegates reaching 68,122. The average number of delegates per conference was 120.

The Estonian Convention Bureau is a non-profit organisation established jointly by public and private sector bodies. It was established in March 2008 in order to attract international conventions to Estonia. The bureau’s 23members include the cities of Tallinn and Tartu, the national carrier Estonian Air, and a number of DMCs, PCOs and hotels. It is co-financed by the Estonian Tourist Board, a division of Enterprise Estonia.

Vienna City Honors Organizers

Congress organizers who brought international congresses to Vienna last year were invited to City Hall on Wednesday, May 9 for an official ceremony at which Vienna Tourist Board President Vice-Mayor Renate Brauner, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber President Brigitte Jank, Director of Tourism Norbert Kettner and Christian Mutschlechner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board’s Vienna Convention Bureau, thanked them for their contributions.

They were all awarded honorary certificates, one of which Renate Brauner presented symbolically to Siegfried Kasper, Professor of Psychiatry and Chairman of the Department of General Psychiatry at the Medical University of Vienna. He was chiefly responsible for the fact that the 19th European Congress of Psychiatry with 4,050 delegates was held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in March 2011 and has already booked the same venue again for 2015.

Professor Kasper also played a key role in a number of congresses in Vienna, and this year the city has to thank him for the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology, which will be held at the ACV from October 13 thru’ 17 with 8,000 specialists in this field. This event was first held in Vienna in 2007.

Christian Mutschlechner provided one of the highlights of this festive evening: he had just received news of the ICCA statistics and was able to announce Vienna’s top ranking once again to precisely the people who had made this possible. The maxim “give credit where credit is due” could not have been more apt!

City of Vienna honors congress organizers

Vice-Mayor Renate Brauner (2nd from right), Austrian Federal Economic Chamber Presi-dent Brigitte Jank (2nd from left), Director of Tourism Norbert Kettner (right) and Christian Mutschlechner, Director of the Vienna Tourist Board’s Vienna Convention Bureau (left) expressed their gratitude to the organizers of international congresses who had ensured that Vienna headed the world-wide ranking of congress metropolises for the seventh time in 2011. Representing all those honored in this photo: Siegfried Kasper, Professor of Psychiatry and Chairman of the Department of General Psychiatry at the Medical University of Vienna (center).

Photo: © Gerhard Weinkirn

Vienna Number One World-wide in Congresses

For the seventh time in succession, Vienna has topped the world-wide rankings as a des-tination for international congresses. The International Congress and Convention Associ-ation (ICCA) published its 2011 congress statistics almost simultaneously with a cere-mony held at the City Hall by the City of Vienna to honor Vienna’s 2011 congress organ-izers. This produced an unexpected bombshell during the celebrations.

Vienna almost seems to have taken out a permanent lease on first place as a destination for international congresses. According to the ICCA statistics, the Austrian capital staged 181 such events in 2011, putting it at the top of the worldwide league for the seventh time in succession. It was followed by Paris with 174 international congresses and Barcelona with 150.

The other cities in the top ten were Berlin (147), Singapore (142), Madrid (130), London (115), Amsterdam (114), Istanbul (113) and Beijing (111). Austria was in 10th place in the countries ranking, headed – also almost by tradition – by the USA (759). Not fewer than 68% of Austria’s 267 international congresses took place in Vienna. The best placed countries after the USA were Germany (577) and Spain (463)

ICCA 2011 statistics: international association sector is resilient and showing healthy growth

With the release of the 2011 Top 20 Rankings for cities and countries, ICCA is reporting another year of continued strength in international association meetings market. 

For the first time ever, more than 10,000 regularly occurring association events which rotate between at least three countries were identified by ICCA members and ICCA’s in-house research team as having taken place during 2011, over 800 more than identified a year previously.

Table 1: ICCA country and city ranking measured by number of meetings organised in 2011

The top 10 countries showed little change, with the top six repeating their rankings, led by the USA, Germany and Spain.  The Netherlands and Austria appeared at 9th and 10th respectively, taking the place of Switzerland, which dropped from 10th to 12th, and Japan, which in the aftermath of cancellations due to the earthquake and tsunami, understandably dropped from 7th to 13th.  The USA saw by far the biggest jump in the number of events held, up by 136 to a new record 759 meetings.

In the city rankings, Vienna retained its number one status, and below it Paris overtook Barcelona in the 2nd and 3rd place duel. The biggest climber in the top ten was London, with the 2012 Olympics effect pulling them up from 14th to 7th, and Beijing, which led the way amongst the fast growing BRIC destinations by climbing from 12th to 10th.

“There are always going to be short-term competitive changes to annual rankings, some caused by external factors and some by marketing successes” said ICCA CEO Martin Sirk, “but the most important thing to note is that international association meetings continue to be in tremendously good health when compared with the overall situation in the global meetings industry. We’ve seen consistent annual growth in the number of international association meetings throughout the last few years of global economic instability, something no other sector can claim, even though we’re also hearing about increasing challenges in raising sponsorship amongst a sizeable minority of organisers.”

“I strongly believe that any destination wanting to achieve long-term overall success in the meetings business needs to invest in the research and specialised marketing and bidding skills required to attract these international association events.”

The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition Announces 33% of Booked Exhibitors Will Be New at AIBTM 2012

- 54 New Exhibitors Will Showcase for 2012 - 

The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition (www.aibtm.com) has confirmed that there are 54 new exhibitors presenting at AIBTM 2012, Reed Travel Exhibitions’ premier provider for the U.S. meetings and events industry.   The three-day networking event, held from 19^th - 21^st June in Baltimore will feature a full day of world-class education, followed by two days of exhibition trade show.

“As we get closer to AIBTM 2012 in June, we’re absolutely delighted with the demand we have had from both new and returning exhibitors from all over the world,” said Graeme Barnett, Event Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, AIBTM (Baltimore) and EIBTM (Barcelona).    “Approximately 33% of exhibitors that are currently signed on are new to AIBTM.  We are excited for the new opportunities these exhibitors offer to our 2012 attendees.”

Following AIBTM’s success at the inaugural event in 2011, approximately 67% of exhibitors that are currently signed on are returning from last year.  Of those, 26% have increased their floor space for 2012 including:  Anaheim/Orange County Visit & Convention Bureau, Argentina, Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau, Atlantic City Convention & Visitors Bureau, Certain Inc., Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, China National Tourist Office, Choice Hotels, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, Destination D.C., Dominican Republic Tourism Board, Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, Greater Houston CVB, Guatemala Tourist Commission, Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, IHG-InterContinental Hotels Group, Islands of the Bahamas, Marriott International Inc., Melia Hotels International, Moscow, Panama Tourism Authority, San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, Vancouver Hotel Destination Association, Vantage Hospitality Group, Inc., and Visit Florida.

In addition to those returning, 33% of AIBTM 2012’s show floor will include brand new exhibitors.  AIBTM is happy to welcome new organisations such as:  Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association, Aqua Global Events, Associated Luxury Hotels International, Blue Man Group, Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce/CVB, Carey International, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Cayman Islands Travel & Tourism, Columbus Convention & Visitors Bureau, Dolce Hotels & Resorts, Entertainment Cruises, Event Ready, Eventbrite, Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Gourmet Gift Baskets.com, Hard Rock International, Hello USA!, Hosts Global Alliance, Hungarian Tourism, India Tourism, Infinite Conferencing, Istanbul Visitors and Convention Bureau, Kansas City Convention & Visitors Association, Learning Through Travel, Little Rock CVB, Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau, LVH Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Meet Minneapolis, Meet Washington State, MMSC, Moroccan National Tourist Office, Nest DMC, Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau, Pacific World, Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority, Positively Cleveland, Prague Convention Bureau, QuickMobile, Reno Tahoe USA, Rosen Hotel & Resorts, Salt Lake CVB, Seneca Niagara Casino Hotel, Showcare Event Solutions, Site Solutions Worldwide, Star Travel Services,  The CVBs of New York State, Travel Portland, Visit Indianapolis, Visit Pittsburgh, Visit Scotland, Vitesse Worldwide, Wyndham Hotel Group and Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau.

For more information about ways to attend AIBTM please visit www.aibtm.com/visiting. You can apply for the Hosted Buyer attendance option by filling out the registration form - Hosted Buyer Registration.    Alternatively you can choose the Flexible Choice Option and attend as a Trade Buyer which will permit you access to all education, business and networking opportunities which will take place over the course of the show - Trade Buyer Registration.

AIBTM takes place from 19^{th -} 21^st  June, 2012.

Roger Rickard to Chair PCMA’s Plenary Session at AIBTM 2012

Key Government and Industry Leaders Discuss the Positive Impact of Meetings at the ‘Meetings Significance Forum’ 

Recent headlines shouted “AIG Effect”, “Don’t go to Las Vegas!” and “Lavish GSA Conference” yet face-to-face meetings have a significant impact on the economy, business, science, technology, diplomacy and all forms of socio-economic relationships at the local, national, or international level.

Now it’s time to face the facts and Roger Rickard, Partner & Chief Advocate, Revent, LLC and Founder of Voices in Advocacy™ is set to moderate the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) Meetings Significance Forum at AIBTM, The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition (www.aibtm.com) this year.

The key questions that will be addressed are:  How can government officials and the meetings industry understand each other without creating knee-jerk reactions? How do we open the window to better communications? What do government policy makers need to understand the meetings industry? What does the meetings industry need to understand about how government policy decisions are created? What are the best options for advocating the positive significance that meetings create both socially and economically?

“This forum will provide a platform for meeting industry leaders and U.S. government officials to engage in dialogue on how we, as an industry, can significantly shape and influence policy decisions that affect the business of meetings,” said Erica Keogan, Global Education Content Manager, IBTM Global Events Portfolio, Reed Travel Exhibitions.

Rickard commented, “We are presenting a voice to the meetings industry and U.S. government officials to share open dialogue on the socio-economic significance of meetings. This is a giant step forward.”

The must attend session will kick off the first official day of the show and will take place in Ballroom A, 9am, Wednesday June 20^th.

Deborah Sexton, President & CEO of PCMA stated, “Roger Rickard provides a unique vision and true leadership in our industry. As the moderator of this forum he’ll ensure the dialogue is substantive and insightful.”

The content for America Meetings Week and AIBTM’s Professional Education Programme for 2012, will be delivered in conjunction with other leading industry associations including SITE, ACTE, ICCA and MPI. For further information and for a full Education Programme outline please visit http://www.aibtm.com/Education-Program/ 

For more information about ways to attend AIBTM please visit www.aibtm.com/visiting. You can apply for the Hosted Buyer attendance option by filling out the registration form - http://www.reedexpovip.com/profile/web/index.cfm?PKWebId=0x381a09c.   Alternatively you can choose the Flexible Choice Option and attend as a Trade Buyer which will permit you access to all education, business and networking opportunities which will take place over the course of the show -https://www.compusystems.com/servlet/ar?evt_uid=745&campaigncode=CampGE 

AIBTM takes place from 19^th June – 21^st June, 2012.

Florence celebrates Amerigo Vespucci Year

2012 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of the Florentine navigator who named the continent America.

From the beautiful ceremony of the last February, Florence’s city administration is honouring the brilliant city dweller with many cultural events and initiatives all over the year.
Amerigo Vespucci, breathing the cultural atmosphere of the Medici court during his life, was the first Renaissance Humanist who brought to the sea the rational spirit of research, the scientific method to tackle a goal and to give a knowledgeable steering to the art of navigation. “He was first a man, than a sailor and an astronomer“.

The city celebrates the anniversary with lots of great events  and has a programme  that is always increasing with interesting social occasions; for now we recommend you the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in May, a prestigious music festival that will incorporate the theme of Amerigo in its shows, the concerts of the American singers Madonna and Bruce Springsteen and many exhibitions about great American people in art and science.
Have a look at  the official calendar here!

Lewis Moody guest of honour for charity lunch at Church House Conference Centre

Former England Rugby captain Lewis Moody was the special guest at a recent charity lunch held at Church House Conference Centre. The event, organised by Under the Posts, was held to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Parasol Charity – an organisation which provides aid and comfort to injured service personnel and their families – and the Alzheimer’s Society.

Under the Posts was created in 2004 following England’s success at the 2003 Rugby World Cup. It organises fundraising events for and on behalf of members of the team and their associated charities.

Guests enjoyed a sumptuous three course meal created by Church House Conference Centre’s in-house award winning caterers Kudos. This was followed by a question and answer session with Lewis Moody during which he told stories from his days playing with the England Rugby team as well as revealing the highs and lows of his remarkable career. Former hockey player Roger Dakin compered the event, entertaining guests with anecdotes throughout the afternoon. The lunch also included an auction of signed rugby memorabilia and tickets for future Under the Post events, as well as a silent auction, with all proceeds being split between the three charities.

General Manager of Church House Conference Centre Robin Parker says: “Church House Conference Centre is renowned for hosting high profile personalities. We’re delighted the lunch with Lewis Moody proved so successful. The Harvey Godwin suite provided an intimate setting and meant the 94 guests were able to feel close to one of the country’s biggest rugby stars. Those who attended thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon of sporting entertainment and donated very generously. The money raised from the event will greatly benefit three worthy charitable causes.”

EIBTM Technology Watch –Opens for Submissions

The continuing impact of new technology on the meetings industry is significant and the EIBTM Technology Watch Award is now the most high profile and longest running recognition scheme for innovation in the sector worldwide.  Considered to be the “Meetings Industry Tech Oscars” it will celebrate its 13^th anniversary this year.

Free to enter, the application process for submissions is now open at www.eibtm.com/techwatch.   The award winner will receive an exhibition stand within the Technology Village at EIBTM (value €3000) to showcase their product to over 15,200 industry professionals expected to attend this year’s event.

Chaired by Corbin Ball (recently named one of the 25 most influential people in the meetings industry) the expert judging panel will be looking for companies to demonstrate new and innovative technology solutions that can make a significant difference to the industry.

With the winner being chosen before EIBTM, the prize also includes a global publicity and marketing campaign pre-show as well as high visibility on site with:

• Inclusion in a monthly e-newsletter to over 28,000 industry professionals
• Announcement in the weekly EIBTM news alert which is issued to over 15,000 industry professionals in the  run up to the show
• Profile on the EIBTM website which receives over 1.3 million page views per year
• Exposure to the world’s industry media
• Inclusion in the official EIBTM catalogue (printed and online)
• Award presentation at the show
• Article in the official Show Daily at EIBTM distributed to all attendees

In 2011, the award went to US based ITN International.  ”The leads we generated and the contacts we made were extraordinary,” said Mike Sorgani, Vice President, Sales and Marketing of the full-service registration and lead management company.

“I will give you just one example.  Eleven days after EIBTM, we found ourselves in front of the producer of the world’s largest corporate event, describing how our technology could add excitement.  The invitation to visit the producer’s offices and make a presentation stemmed directly from our award and the prize for us to exhibit at EIBTM.  This particular opportunity is huge-and we owe it to EIBTM.” He added.

The Technology Village is a specialist exhibiting area of EIBTM where technology suppliers have the opportunity to showcase their products and services.  To enquire about booking a stand or for further information please visit www.eibtm.com/tech or contact david.benitez@reedexpo.co.uk

EIBTM 2012 takes place 27^th – 29^th November, Barcelona.

Inaugural Patron of BeSydney’s Ambassador Program

Acting Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Andrew Stoner will be the inaugural Patron of Business Events Sydney’s Ambassador Program, a business development program that helps to secure international events for Sydney and the state.

Business Events Sydney’s (BESydney) Ambassador Program brings together a diverse and talented group of 60 industry leaders, whose expertise spans medicine, science, technology, commerce and culture. These Ambassadors work closely with BESydney to assist, advise and support the bidding process that is integral to the State’s success in securing business events.

Each of the 60 professionals involved in the program offers their industry knowledge, advocacy and strategic advice to ensure BESydney has the most competitive chance of securing an ever-growing number of high-profile business events.

“BESydney Ambassadors represent the wealth of intellectual capital we have here in NSW, and I’m proud to be associated with this group that champions innovation, intellect, and global connections for the benefit of the State,” Mr Stoner said.

“Since the program’s official launch in 2009, this commitment has secured 12 events for NSW. These events are estimated to deliver around $25 million to our visitor economy, as well as many other far reaching and long lasting benefits to our communities and industries.

“Business events facilitate knowledge exchange, global networks, trade and investment opportunities, and increased innovation and productivity.”

Lyn Lewis-Smith, Chief Executive Officer of BESydney adds, “We are thrilled that the Deputy Premier accepted our invitation to be Patron of the program. This is another step towards a whole-of-government, and industry, approach to business events. This joint approach will be essential to maximise the success of the future Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct that is scheduled for completion in 2016.”

“The Ambassador Program has played a central role in bid strategies for a number of years and has assisted us to secure some fantastic events that align closely with NSW Government priority sectors including the Asia Pacific Conference on Metabolic Syndrome 2011, World Congress of the Bachelier Finance Society for 2012 and the 12th Congress of the International Society for Organ Donation and Procurement 2013.”

The Deputy Premier will tonight invest 12 new ambassadors to the program, bringing the total number of members to 60. The ceremony is a part of the BESydney Ambassador Dinner and Investiture held at Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. At this year’s dinner, The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG will present the key note address.

Ambassadors to be invested in 2012 are:

• Professor Attila Brungs, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research), University of Technology, Sydney
• Professor William Carroll, Head of Neurology and Neurophysiology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth
• Professor Andrew Cheetham, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Research, University of Western Sydney
• Mr Sean Clancy, Former Sydney Chapter Chairman, Young Presidents’ Organization
• Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte, Chief Executive Officer, National Information and Communications Technology Australia
• Professor Ian S Fraser AO, Professor in Reproductive Medicine; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney
• Dr Elliot Gilbert, Project Leader, Food Science, Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation
• Professor Roy Green, Dean, Faculty of Business, University of Technology, Sydney
• Professor Jim Piper, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), Macquarie University – Research
• Professor Judy Raper, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, University of Wollongong
• Professor Farzad Safaei, Director, Information & Communication Technology Research Institute, University of Wollongong
• Professor Jill Trewhella, Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, University of Sydney

Also introduced this evening will be the first members of BESydney’s new Future Leaders program. Future Leaders will attend global events to develop networks, identify bid opportunities, and to explore the structure and purpose of conferences and congresses to inform how they are designed to meet the needs of future generations.

“By working with future leaders today, BESydney hopes to uncover valuable information, stay ahead of emerging trends, develop more bid opportunities and profile the next generation of bid leaders. We have to be future-focused now. Tomorrow is too late,” Lyn Lewis-Smith said.

The first members of the Future Leaders program are:

• Dr Pia Winberg, Director, Shoalhaven Marine and Freshwater Centre, University of Wollongong
• Dr Andrew Hutchinson, Chancellor’s Post Doctoral Research Fellow, School of Medical and Molecular Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney
• Dr Amanda Kennedy, Deputy Director, Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law, University of New England
• Dr Jochen Schweitzer, Lecturer in Strategy and Marketing, Faculty of Business, University of Technology, Sydney.

A full list of BESydney’s Ambassadors, including those who will be invested on Monday 14 May, is available at www.businesseventssydney.com.au

Congrex Group and China International M.I.C.E. Co. Ltd. announce Collaboration

Congrex Group and CITS’s China International M.I.C.E Co. Ltd (CITS MICE) announce with immediate effect a move that creates a new alliance with a collaborative effort, that will encompass international congress marketing and project management. The collaboration between Congrex Holding BV and China International M.I.C.E. Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of China International Travel Service Ltd (CITS), follows a series of meetings held in Beijing and Stockholm respectively, and attended by representatives of both Groups’ board of directors and senior management.

The terms between the parties call for bringing together International and European Associations with the reciprocal Chinese interested parties and its various stakeholder groups with the intended result to increase participation by Chinese individuals and companies in international conferences.

Of the same importance are the two parties’ planned activities that will see the number of international conferences held in China by Professional International Associations increase, as well as the level of engagement in national and international congresses in China. Both companies are looking for the number of congresses, and participation in them, to rise. A dynamic exchange of know-how and technology supported by the two groups’ experts and their marketing efforts is expected.

Mr. Gu Han Xing, Vice President of CITS and Chairman of China International M.I.C.E. Co. Ltd expressed his satisfaction with the initiated working collaboration and commented, “We are extremely pleased with the understanding, which we have reached and the planned collaboration. We are confident that this will be a fruitful partnership and we look forward to this new venture together with Congrex.”

Congrex Holding BV’s Board of Directors, represented by Ms. Diana Feo de Tamayo, Chairman and Mr. Donald M Hellstedt, Director underlined Mr Gu’s comments by adding, “We believe to be building a bridge to China with an excellent partner at the right time. This collaboration represents a meeting of two groups that can mutually benefit from the value that each brings to the table. This value will benefit both Congrex and CITS MICE current and future clients as well as we are confident that it represents a win-win situation for all concerned parties.

The Sex Appeal of Big Brains: Are Tourism and Culture Being Overtaken by Intellectual Prowess in the Hunt for International Meetings Success?

Are the days of marketing a destination in traditional tourism terms numbered? How are cities finding new ways to harness the intellectual resources in their local universities and institutions? How can meetings management companies authentically position themselves as intellectual partners and not just logistics providers?

ICCA’s Breakfast Seminar at IMEX looks at numerous examples of why and how competition appears to be shifting from restaurants, art galleries and shopping to research institutes, PhDs, and peer-reviewed excellence. ICCA’s now traditional crowd panel format will guarantee a lively debate and provide innovative ideas for any destination, supplier, or international association executive looking for early morning mental stimulation!

Moderated by Martin Sirk, CEO, ICCA with ‘Crowd Panel’ of table moderators drawn from ICCA membership, this session will be a mix of Round Table and interactive plenary discussions.

Date: Tuesday 22 May 2012
Time: 08.45-09.45
Room: Seminar room level 9.2, Hall 9

Destination Britain & Ireland Opens in Bangkok

VisitBritain, the national tourism agency, launched its flagship business-to-business travel trade event, Destination Britain & Ireland (DEBI), along with Tourism Ireland in Bangkok today. The three-day gathering, now in its 9^th year, sees over 200 companies in attendance and around 4000 appointments taking place.

This year’s DEBI, which is VisitBritain’s largest trade event globally, welcomes 22 new companies from the UK and Ireland showcasing their latest travel and tourism offerings to influential buyers from the APMEA region. There are 62 UK businesses in total, with major attractions, hotels, tour operators, transport providers and regional and national tourist boards participating. The event offers these businesses a crucial route to 15 key markets in the fast growing APMEA region and an opportunity to further boost the 4.3 million visits that come to the UK each year from this part of the world.

Keith Beecham, VisitBritain’s Overseas Network Directorsaid: “2011 was a strong year for visits and spend from the APMEA region, with countries like Australia, China, India and the UAE reaching or maintaining their highest ever visitor numbers. Hosting DEBI in Thailand this year reinforces our investment and commitment to the region, highlighted by the fact that we are bringing the largest ever delegation of UK tourism businesses to meet with influential buyers from across APMEA in what is a special year for Britain.

“APMEA accounts for 14% inbound tourism to Britain in terms of visits and 27.7% of total spend, but there is scope for us to do more in order to attract a greater share of the market. To help us attract more visitors, we have increased our marketing investment and millions of consumers in this region will have seen our GREAT images through our £25 million image campaign that we hope will inspire them to choose Britain for their next holiday.”

It’s a Fact: Melbourne Number One in Australia for International Conventions

Melbourne has officially been recognised as the number one city in Australia for conferences and congresses, Minister for Tourism and Major Events Louise Asher announced today.

The Country and City Ranking Report 2011, produced by The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), saw Melbourne ranked ahead of any other Australian city at number 31 in the world, nine places up on the previous year.

Melbourne also ranked number nine in the Asia-Pacific region.

ICCA rankings apply to international association meetings with 50 or more delegates, that occur regularly, have been held in three different countries, and have been held within the listed city during 2011.

Ms Asher said the results were an incredible achievement for Melbourne and a true reflection of the city’s premier business events offering.

“To be recognised officially by the top congress and convention association in the world is a major coup for the city and one that we are incredibly proud of,” Ms Asher said.

“Furthermore, to be ranked ahead of Sydney and Brisbane, our biggest competition in Australia, is perhaps the most important indicator that our city’s facilities and overall international appeal are outstanding.”

Melbourne hosted 62 major international meetings during the qualifying period.

Karen Bolinger, Chief Executive Officer of the Melbourne Convention + Visitors Bureau (MCVB), which is responsible for bidding for and securing major international congresses and conventions for the State of Victoria, said the city’s reputation as Australia’s leading business events destination had continued to go from strength to strength in recent years.

“Melbourne is the top choice for many of the world’s major international associations holding regular congresses and conventions. These groups are attracted to Melbourne for a number of reasons, primarily the large pool of intellectual capital the city can offer, as well as the city’s world-class infrastructure,” Ms Bolinger said.

Over the next two years, Melbourne will host seven of the world’s largest medical and scientific conferences, proving that the city continues to be a global leader in innovation, scientific endeavour and ground-breaking research.

PACIFIC WORLD AND STI EUSKADI JOIN FORCES TO DRUM UP MICE BUSINESS FOR BASQUE COUNTRY

Pacific World (www.pacificworld.com), a multinational specialising in MICE planning and logistics, has recently signed an agreement with STI (Integrated Tourism Services), a firm providing a full range of PCO (Congresses, conferences, exhibitions) and MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences and events), with the aim of attracting, developing, promoting and managing congresses in the Basque Country’s main cities.

As a PCO, Pacific World is focus to strengthen relations with Convention Bureaus in Spain and other destinations with PCO potential including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Athens, Lisbon, Porto as well as other cities in Europe and Asia that offer good flight connections, superb infrastructure and attractive options for social programmes.

Pacific World, which forms a part of the TUI Travel Group, has over 30 years of experience in the meetings and event industry, during which it has planned and staged over 3,000 events delivering high levels of excellence as a result of its powerful international network. 
In addition to combining Pacific World’s global know-how with STI’s local knowledge, the latter will also help the former to build up a local presence in the Basque County.

As an international MICE operator, Pacific World will also include recommended Basque destinations in its portfolio, with a focus on Bilbao and San Sebastian as congress and meeting destinations. 

Pacific World will also contribute to the agreement with its acknowledged experience in the submission of congress bids; in addition to the necessary human and technical resources to choose and submit bids for local, national and international events.

This agreement is based on the interest of both parties in developing the Basque Country as a destination specialising in congresses and corporate meetings, as well as exhibitions and incentive trips, both at a national and international level.

The agreement signed by Pacific World and STI will require close cooperation with local institutions, promotional bodies, specialised public companies, corporate associations, universities, research centres, and institutions related to the industry, with the aim of involving all the region’s stakeholders in the promotion of the Basque Country as a MICE destination.

For more information please visit: www.pacificworld.com

The Sensations Dinner – Bringing you the third Brusselicious themed dinner!

On Thursday 15th June 2012, head to the Museum of Natural Sciences for a totally unique experience, delighting all five senses with the pleasures of the table. The Dinosaur Gallery is the venue for a journey of discovery encompassing a range of food and drink for you to taste of course, but also to smell, touch, hear and look at.

A treat for your taste buds, your nose, your tongue, your ears and your eyes…

As part of the extended Sensations exhibition, which will be on at the Museum until 2nd September 2012, you are cordially invited to come and stimulate all five senses at an evening buffet that will include blind tastings and some truly fantastic gourmet experiences. Do you like a bit of a flutter? Then you’ll love the “Casino des Sens” (Sensation Casino), which will be topped off by a fun questionnaire and quite a few surprises.

May the best man or woman win!

To celebrate Brusselicious, VISITBRUSSELS will be organising another 5 themed dinners:

• The Ommegang Dinner (Tuesday 03/07 and Thursday 05/07)
• The Moules-Frites Dinner (Saturday 21/07)
• The Comic Book Dinner (Saturday 08/09)
• The Slow Food Dinner (Thursday 20/09)
• The Toots Thielemans Dinner (Thursday 25/09)

For more information, visit www.brusselicious.be

Urban rapper Labrinth to headline Olympic gig

Olympic torch relay event taking place at Cheltenham Racecourse

Cheltenham Racecourse is to welcome the Olympic torch on 23^rd May.

Around 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the free, once-in-a-lifetime event, which will see urban rapper Labrinth, the artist behind ‘Let the Sun Shine’ and ‘Pass Out’, headline. The official celebration show will begin at 5pm, with the flame being delivered by an as-yet unnamed celebrity at 7pm, to light the cauldron on a main stage, situated opposite the racecourse grandstand. The show will also include performances by the Gloucestershire Youth Jazz Orchestra, Cheltenham Youth Choir and Tewkesbury Abbey Schola Cantorum.

The landmark venue, home to the legendary Cheltenham Festival, is the perfect setting to kick-start the South West’s sporting  fever ahead of  the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games this summer.

Building on its non-raceday activities Cheltenham Racecourse’s changing face of events is proving to be a popular crowd pleaser; pulling in footfall across the country to the South West. The progressive venue launched its ‘LIVE’ division in 2011 and has since hosted well-known faces including John Bishop, Micky Flanagan and Alexandra Burke.

The venue boasts a host of flexible event spaces including The Centaur, a 2,250 seated auditorium with state-of-the-art lighting and sound capabilities, as well as 300 acres available for outside events and 10,000 free car parking spaces; the facilities available make the venue the de facto choice for concert and comedy promoters.

Edward Gillespie, managing director Cheltenham Racecourse, comments “Everyone at Cheltenham Racecourse is delighted to be hosting this wonderful event, which I’m sure will live long in the memory. It is a great honour for us to be the site chosen to represent the whole county for the Olympic Torch Evening Celebration and I’m sure that this will be an occasion of which everyone in Gloucestershire will be proud. We’ll be doing everything we can to make sure that it is a night to remember.”

Relaxing journey on Latvia’s narrow-track train line

It is possible to take a relaxing journey on one of Latvia’s two remaining narrow-track train lines, which the locals lovingly call “mazbānītis” (little choo-choo train).

The Venetian Macao Named “Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel in Macau” for Fifth Consecutive Year

by TTG China Travel Awards

(Macao, May 8, 2012) – The Venetian^® Macao-Resort-Hotel has been named “The Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel in Macau” by the 5th Annual TTG China Travel Awards 2012 for the fifth consecutive year, demonstrating the integrated resort’s strong commitment to service excellence and its premium facilities.

Presented by one of the world’s most influential trade publishers, TTG Travel Trade Publishing, the TTG China Travel Awards plays a crucial and essential role in crediting the outstanding travel organizations that have achieved the benchmarks of service excellence and professionalism in the region. The winners of the 5th Annual TTG China Travel Awards 2012 were voted for by TTG China, TTG-BTmice China, TTG Asia, TTG India and TTGmice, through online and print voting held between January and March 2012.

Brendon Elliott, Vice President of Sales & Resort Marketing, Venetian Macau Ltd., said, “We are delighted to have been honoured again as the ‘Best Meetings & Conventions Hotel in Macau’ for the fifth successive year. The award signifies our continuous effort and commitment to strive to deliver to all clients globally. We are fortunate to be the largest and most diverse integrated resort in Northern Asia, which is ideal for hosting world-class events to intimate meetings. Our newest integrated resort, Sands Cotai Central, opened in April with the world’s largest Conrad and Holiday Inn, and with its international hotels it further cements Macao’s position as the largest integrated meetings destination in Asia.”

The Venetian Macao is specifically designed to meet the needs of meeting planners and event organizers and its award-winning service team makes anything possible for corporate events. With over 100,000 square metres of state-of-the-art exhibition space, flexible meeting space and ballrooms, the sheer size and scale of the CotaiExpo™ at The Venetian Macao sets it apart.

CotaiExpo offers more than 75,000 square metres of exhibition space, and is one of the largest exhibition centres in Asia. It is complemented by 7,000 square metres of pillar-free ballroom space and 108 meeting rooms with almost 25,000 square metres of flexible meeting space. The CotaiArena™, with seating for up to 15,000 people, is an ideal venue for major corporate events and product launches.

The Venetian Macao seamlessly combines state-of-the-art facilities, sensational entertainment and experienced MICE professionals to make sure every event is a successful one. Its team of tradeshow professionals works closely with organizers to ensure visitor promotion, marketing, travel services, logistics, conference management and technical support are all seamlessly integrated into the overall planning for events.

With the opening of Sands Cotai Central on April 11, Sands China’s meeting and convention capabilities have expanded, with the same guaranteed expertise and service that has made CotaiExpo the region’s MICE leader, providing organizers with a worry-free experience.

Some of the major events held at The Venetian Macao in 2011 were: 

·               Top Marques Macau

·               Ice World 2011

·               2011 China (Macau) International Automobile Exposition

·               Macao International Environmental Co-operation Forum & Exhibition (2011 MIECF)

·               The 6^th Asian Hairdresser Festival

·               The 16^th Macao International Trade & Investment Fair (MIF)

·               G2E Asia 2011

·               Youth Career Expo 2011

·               Macau Education Fair 2011

·               The 4^th International Tourism & World Heritage Travel Expo (Macau)

·               The 4^th Macau International Ani-Com

·               The 2011 Macau Winter Real Estate Fair

·               The 4^th Computer & Digital Product Expo

Barbican celebrates 30th anniversary with bumper year for corporate events.

Barbican records second best year for corporate business as the combined arts and meetings venue celebrates its 30th anniversary. 

In March 1982, the Barbican opened its doors to the public for the first time. And as the iconic venue commemorates its 30th anniversary, the Barbican is also celebrating its second best year for corporate business.

Anthony Hyde, general manager of Barbican Business Events, comments: “Meetings, conferences and corporate hospitality are an important part of the Barbican’s overall offering. And despite the economy stuttering and budgets being squeezed, the financial year for 2011-2012 was our second best on record. It’s recognition of the unique setting and high quality service we provide to clients. As the Barbican marks its 30th anniversary we look forward to the introduction of exciting initiatives and the completion of new spaces which will make the Centre even more attractive for meetings and conferences in the years to come.”

Barbican is located in the heart of the City of London, and was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in March 1982. The architecturally renowned Centre – designed by Chamberlin, Powell and Bon in the Brutalist style – is now a Grade II listed building. Barbican is comprised of many spaces including the 1,949 seat Barbican Hall, the 1,166-seat Barbican Theatre, a 286 seat cinema, the Barbican Art Gallery, The Curve, Lakeside Terrace, a roof-top conservatory and Garden Rom as well as extensive conference facilities and three restaurants.

As the Barbican looks to the future, corporate clients can look forward to business becoming more integrated with the arts. The recently formed Barbican Business Events will bring together the venue’s rich heritage and history in this area and their professional expertise within the corporate events sector. The new approach is based on stronger partnerships with the artistic, creative learning and development teams.

Anthony continues: “As we look forward, the next couple of years promise to be very exciting. Our aim is to provide the best possible services. With the launch of the new Barbican Business Events team, which gives corporate clients access to highly professional event organisers as well as leaders in various artistic fields, the opening of new spaces within the Barbican’s portfolio and a host of other initiatives we’re confident the next 30 years will be even more successful for the Centre.”

Barbican, unlike many other venues was specifically built with the dual purpose of holding conferences and arts events and this ensures it remains one of the world’s most creative venues. Being centrally located the Barbican attracts clients seeking a high quality location for meetings and all events can benefit from the venue’s links with the arts in order to truly engage delegates.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Launches Global Partnership With MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS

SPG Members Can Live the Formula One Experience with Unparalleled Access to the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team 

STAMFORD, Conn., May 10, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG(R)), the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), today announced a three-year partnership with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. SPG(R) officially launched the new global partnership at the start of Formula One’s European season at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The details of the new partnership were announced this morning with the team and Michael Schumacher at the W(R) Hotel in Barcelona.

Considered the most prestigious form of motor racing in the world, Formula One consists of a series of races known as ‘Grands Prix’ held on purpose-built and street circuits. Through this new partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, SPG is giving its members unique access to experience exclusive Grand Prix events in incredible destinations such as Spain, Monaco, Singapore, Brazil, Abu Dhabi and more.

“We are extremely proud to be an official team partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team,” said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. “SPG goes beyond gaining and redeeming points, it’s about building a deeper relationship with our guests. We want to offer our members exclusive experiences that they are most passionate about – be it sports, music or arts. Through our collaboration with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, members can connect with their passion for this entertaining world-class sport.”

Game On with SPG: Access Like No Other

As part of the multi-year strategic partnership, Starwood Hotels & Resorts becomes the preferred hotel partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS globally. Members of the SPG program, which is free to join, can register for their chance to redeem over 120 Access Like No Other experiences, offering unparalleled access to the team. These experiences include exclusive meet-and-greets with the drivers and incredible one-of-a-kind views of the pit lane from the team’s hospitality suites at major Grand Prix events worldwide. SPG members will have access to guided factory tours and live race screening events taking them closer to the center of the action – all by using their Starpoints(R). To take advantage of this access and more, members can visit SPG.com/moments.

Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS said: “We are very pleased to have agreed a new team partnership with SPG and to welcome Starwood to Formula One for the first time. As regular travelers will always tell you, a good hotel can make a real difference to your trip and I am delighted that our team will have the opportunity to experience Starwood hotels as we travel around the world. We are very much looking forward to working with the company while introducing their SPG loyalty program to a new audience.”

IMEX America Index of Optimism captures spirit of progress and explores effect of US Presidential election, hot technologies and more

Meetings and events industry business and optimism is on the rise according to a group of North American buyers and suppliers surveyed in the latest IMEX America Index of Optimism, the IMEX Group announced today.

Conducted in Q1 the Index asked 200 respondents to describe their mood over the previous six months and covered topics such as new business, levels of optimism, use of technology, professionalism and the expected effect of the presidential election on the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. Of the participants 64% were buyers, with suppliers comprising the remaining 36%.

Showing ongoing business improvement, a strong 88% of respondents said they had attracted new sources of business in the previous six month period (up from just over 77% in the previous July 2011 IMEX America Index of Optimism).

The survey showed optimism among US buyers and suppliers to be on the rise with a little over 79% reporting they felt more optimistic than in the summer of 2011.  9% remain less optimistic and 12% were not sure. Compared to July 2011, when only 66% felt optimistic about the future, this 13% increase suggests a more positive outlook has returned, and both buyers and suppliers are feeling slightly more bullish about business prospects for the remainder of 2012.

When asked whether there was evidence that large meetings and events were attracting higher or lower numbers of attendees over the past six months, just over 53% noted a rise in numbers – a slight, positive increase from the 50% indicated in the July 2011 Index.  For 27% there was no reported rise in delegate numbers and 20% remained unsure.

The survey also asked if spending per participant at these events was on the rise. Results were virtually split down the middle with 38% saying yes, nearly 40% saying no, and the remainder declaring they were not sure.

When asked the “crystal ball” question everyone wants the answer to, whether the industry had seen the worst of the market difficulties yet, results swung to more positive ground. 49% said they felt the worst had passed.  31% believe there is more uncertainty to come, and 20% can’t decide either way.  These findings show less doubt and pessimism than in July 2011 when just 30% felt the worst had past and 34% felt there was more uncertainty around the corner.

Professionalism, Technology & the US Presidential Election Enrich Feedback
Further, The IMEX America Index of Optimism also sought feedback on the importance of continued professional development and industry recognition, as well as hot technologies and the upcoming US presidential election and its potential effect on the industry.

Just over 81% agreed that continued work is critical to build and reinforce the professionalism of the industry, acknowledging that this helps to impress the true value of the industry upon stakeholders and other influential groups.

In comment-format questions regarding use of social media and ‘hot’ technologies, Twitter, Facebook, smart phones, tablets and apps continue to dominate industry professionals’ lives and habits.  However, respondents emphasized their search for value rather than novelty, and only rate those technologies and devices that help them create better marketing programs and sponsorships, build stronger client relationships or deliver a richer attendee interaction or greater convenience.

Comments also suggest that appetite for greater network bandwidth in venues, more extensive wifi availability, and more and better mobile apps to facilitate information access and interaction, remains strong.

Further, interest in cloud-based CRM and database solutions was also expressed and there continues to be much discussion around virtual and video conference formats and technologies—especially for smaller audiences. This said, the continuing value of face-to-face connections, networking and relationship development created at live events was consistently reinforced by survey respondents.

Finally with the US buzzing with presidential election news and speculation, the Index asked participants how the upcoming election is likely to affect the meetings industry.  Many said not at all, although others indicated that election years typically lead to a more “wait and see” attitude on budgets and program decisions. However, some recent lengthening of lead times could help industry members get past the November 2012 bottleneck. Generally concerns over rising fuel prices, job creation and continued global economic instability created more concern than the specific outcome of the election.  Those in the medical/healthcare and pharma sectors, however, did express some concerns about direct and potentially negative impacts based on who wins or loses the race to the Oval Office.

Many provided comment that no matter who wins, it’s essential to keep pushing for more understanding and pro-industry action on Capitol Hill.

Says Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group: “Last October at IMEX America there was a tangible feeling of optimism among buyers and suppliers and our business figures reflected that. Our exit survey showed that hosted buyers placed total orders onsite of $281 million and expected to place a further $1.9 billion worth of orders in the nine months afterwards.  Interest in the next IMEX America is looking extremely strong with demand for booth space and for hosted buyer places all supporting the gentle upswing indicated by these findings.”  

Helsinki Will Host World’s Largest Gymnastics Event, Gymnaestrada

The world’s largest gymnastics event, Gymnaestrada, will be held in Helsinki in July 2015.

The Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre is Finland’s only venue capable of accommodating Gymnaestrada. It will therefore be at the centre of this massive event, showcasing both amateur gymnasts and top names.

Organised by the International Gymnastics Federation, FIG, Gymnaestrada will bring around 25,000 gymnasts from 60 countries. In terms of international groups participating, Gymnaestrada will be the biggest event ever held in Finland.

– The Helsinki Exhibition & Convention Centre is Finland’s only venue capable of accommodating such an enormous event. Gymnastics will be performed in its nine arenas from morning to evening. A huge sports celebration is in prospect, when amateur gymnasts of all ages and the biggest names display their skills in parallel performances, says Anne Martikainen, President of the Finnish Gymnastics Federation.

In addition to colourful skill displays in the halls, the event will entertain Helsinki townspeople by reaching into the city centre. The summertime city will be treated to large gymnastics displays on outside stages.

Gymnaestrada is held every four years. The event was last held in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2011.
In Finland, the event will be organised by the Finnish Gymnastics Federation, in partnership with the City of Helsinki and the Ministry of Education and Culture.

Congrex and CIMGlobal form powerful alliance in India

Conferences & Incentives Management Pvt. Ltd. (CIMGlobal) in India and Congrex announced that they have entered into an exclusive Cooperation and Execution Agreement for events taking place in India.

The new agreement is a powerful combination of Congrex international expertise and CIMGlobal’s market knowledge and experience in India. Congrex and CIMGlobal have already initiated bidding processes for conferences and events scheduled for India in its dynamic markets.

CIMGlobal has 15 years experience in delivering meetings, events and conferences in India and is a leading player in the Indian national and international conference market. CIMGlobal operates out of its HQ in New Delhi as well as offices in the major Indian cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Ahmadabad and Chennai. “We are very excited to work alongside Congrex in this new initiative. Their professional history, expertise, and strength within the industry is one that we know to be an important asset to support our mutual growth in the Indian market and beyond”, commented CIMGlobal founder and Managing Director Prasant Saha.

The exclusive collaboration will secure a new presence in the Indian market for which Congrex and CIMGlobal can together provide professional management services for international associations, corporations and governmental organisations on an extended scale in one of the world’s most important growing markets.

The Board of Directors of Congrex Holding BV, represented by Diana Feo de Tamayo, Chairman and Donald M Hellstedt, Director, commented: “We are very confident that the new alliance with CIMGlobal is a coming together of professionally complementing partners. We respect the important work that they have done in the Indian marketplace and what they have contributed to the industry there in 15 years. Our new collaboration is the natural next step for both our organisations and we are sure that it will bring mutual growth and development.”

AIBTM To Take Place On The Heels of The Star-Spangled Sailabration Event in Baltimore

AIBTM Follows Dozens of International Ships Anchoring Where “The Star-Spangled Banner” Was Penned, Launching the National Bicentennial of The War Of 1812 

The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition (www.aibtm.com), Reed Travel Exhibitions’ premier provider for the U.S. meetings, incentive, business travel and events industry, will begin at the conclusion of the Star-Spangled Sailabration in Baltimore.  The three-day networking event, held June 19^th – 21^st at the Baltimore Convention Centre will feature a full day of education, followed by two days of exhibitions.

Baltimore will welcome an international parade of tall ships and Navy warships that will anchor, launching the national Bicentennial of the War of 1812 on June 13^th.  The Star-Spangled Sailabration features seven days of free entertainment, lasting until the start of AIBTM, including ship tours, a Blue Angels air show, patriotic fireworks, memorial ceremonies and much more.  With more than three dozen ships hailing from around the world, vessels will offer free, daily tours from June 14^th-18^th.

AIBTM 2012, will feature AIBTM Education Day, comprised of a series of conferences, forums and workshops in conjunction with AIBTM’s Association partners, including the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE), the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE), International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and Meeting Professionals International (MPI).

The Hosted Buyer programme is a highlight of the show, where qualified AIBTM Hosted Buyers will have the opportunity to pre-schedule appointments with exhibitors of their choice, receive complimentary travel and accommodation, attend exclusive Hosted Buyer networking events, participate in pre-show and post-show city tours and enjoy other VIP benefits.   There is expected to be 20,000 pre-scheduled, on-site appointments, with a mix of new and returning buyers.

“We are so excited to be coming to Baltimore as these amazing festivities and cultural celebration have been affecting the area,” said Jaime Rosov, Marketing Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.  “It is an amazing opportunity to visit Baltimore for the Star-Spangled Sailabration and stay for AIBTM.  Not only will individuals be able to get a true taste of the city but they will experience all that AIBTM has to offer.”

“As the city of Baltimore, we are thrilled to be hosting these two large scale events,” said Sara Warfield, Director of Public Relations, Visit Baltimore.  “From our Inner Harbour, offering breath-taking views of the city, dining, cultural experiences and exciting nightlife, to our historical neighborhoods, AIBTM is a great time to explore the city.”

Additional features of AIBTM include a street themed Visit Baltimore Welcome Party at the Power Plant Live near the famed inner harbour for all visitors and exhibitors, networking events, Future Events Experience Area, a “Show Your Badge” Programme resulting in discounts at local restaurants, and so much more.

For more information about ways to attend AIBTM please visit www.aibtm.com/visiting. You can apply for the Hosted Buyer attendance option by filling out the registration form - Hosted Buyer Registration.    Alternatively you can choose the Flexible Choice Option and attend as a Trade Buyer which will permit you access to all education, business and networking opportunities which will take place over the course of the show - Trade Buyer Registration.

AIBTM takes place from 19^th June – 21^st June, 2012.

Join AIBTM on Linked in, Facebook, Twitter and Youtube.

ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF) 2013 TRAVEX Goes To Vientiane, Lao PDR

Event reports high registration numbers from international buyers wanting to meet leading ASEAN exhibitors

Vientiane, Lao PDR, 2^nd May 2012 – Laos, the host country of ATF TRAVEX 2013, has captured the industry’s attention. Delegates around the world are excited by destination Laos and are keen to see Vientiane gearing up for the task at hand. Laos will host the 32^nd instalment of ATF in Vientiane, the capital of Lao PDR, from 17 to 24 January.

ATF TRAVEX will take place from 22 to 24 January at the Lao International Trade Exhibition and Convention Centre (Lao ITECC), one of the most prestigious shopping and recreational centres in Vientiane. Situated on the Mekong River, Vientiane is the economic centre of Laos. It is celebrated for its ecotourism, Buddhist culture and food. This is the second time that Vientiane will be hosting the event.

In a statement to the TRAVEX secretariat, Professor Dr. Bosengkham Vongdara, Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Laos said, “This is an exciting time for Laos’ tourism industry and we are honoured to host ATF 2013. Since we last hosted ATF nine years ago, Laos has grown in infrastructure and facilities. Through ATF, we will do our best to contribute to strengthen and build an ASEAN community by 2015, as adopted and promoted at ASEAN summits by the region’s leaders.”

Mr. Saly Phimpinith, Director-General, Tourism Marketing Department at the ministry, also spoke about the facilities in Laos and added, “We are adding about 300 rooms this year to our existing capacity of about 3000. We also wish to give ATF TRAVEX delegates a glimpse of this simply beautiful country through the pre-show city tours and post-show tours.”

ATF TRAVEX 2013, the 3-day travel trade mart component of the ASEAN Tourism Forum is a showcase for the largest contingent of ASEAN destination products and services. TRAVEX has recorded strong interest and rapid take up rate early in its registration process. With eight months to go, the event has reported sales of more than 140 booths till date. Buyer registrations have hit a record high of 310 registrations, a whopping 40% more as compared to the same time last year. Some 70 leading international media have also registered early.

This early interest is attributed to the ATF TRAVEX’ continued success in delivering quality business leads and industry information. ATF combines business appointments, an education component and numerous social functions. Held in a sprawling exhibition hall, the business appointments will encompass the majority of delegates’ schedules over the three days.

The ASEAN Tourism Conference (ATC) – the educational component of ATF – will feature sessions by industry veterans, which will engage the audience through presentations and panel discussions on the major trends, and issues affecting ASEAN tourism today.

The social and networking events at ATF will continue to offer delegates the opportunity to create new contacts within the industry in relaxed and unique settings such as the popular golf game, late night functions or the hosted luncheons and dinners.

For more information, programme updates and to register for ATF 2013, visit www.atflaos.com

Discover the Danish Spirit London 27 Jul – 12 Aug 2012

IMAGINATION – Discover the Danish Spirit is a unique marketing and export platform this summer in London. From this platform, large and small Danish organisations can promote and sell Denmark and the Danish lifestyle, Danish products and experiences, and Danish competencies in the fields of tourism, food, fashion, design and innovation. And all of this will be done in a fun and innovative way.

THE “CAMMINI D’EUROPA” AT ART&TOURISM

The “Cammini d’Europa” is a network of international cooperation created with the support of the European Union. Its aim to sustain the development and growth of regions and areas touched by the main cultural routes which criss-cross Europe: The Route of Santiago, the Vie Francigene, the Route of Lebaniego, the Route of Sant Olav, the Routes in Jerusalem and other minor routes connected to them.

The goal of this network of institutions and private and public bodies which share a common idea of what development means, is to enhance the historical, cultural and socio-economic aspects of these routes in order to reinforce the feeling of belonging to a common European culture.
“Cammini d’Europa” promotes a shared, unified and integrated strategy of cultural promotion and local development: it is based on concrete actions and contributions; targeted at international promotion of the routes and areas involved; their hospitality services and support for the marketing of their products.

The Santiago Route and the Via Francigena are the most important pilgrim destinations in Western Europe. These routes, known as “European Cultural Itineraries”, have strong ties and common features. Since their very origins they have represented a fundamental means of communication as well as cultural and economic exchange. The interest aroused by these itineraries is an important indication of the need to strengthen the commitment at international level to promoting and adding value to these routes and other routes for pilgrims and cultural trade linked to them.

The goal of the integrated strategy which has been developed is to build up cooperation among the areas, provinces, and regions which these Great European routes cross; to organise, promote and market hospitality and the traditional products created in these “Cammini” at an international level.

Against this backdrop, the goal of “Cammini d’Europa” is to:
Create a uniform, recognisable identity for the itineraries as a tool for the cultural promotion of the areas. Encourage the development of concrete actions to identify a range of quality services for pilgrims and tourists in general under the logo of “Cammini d’Europa”. Create and optimise a strong European identity and tourist and cultural promotion of the areas, able to increase sensitivity and awareness at the local and regional level among populations and above all to stimulate the creation of new tourist services in the different areas of Europe, linking them to the great circuits of world tourism. Encourage the creation of links among different historical-religious routes and a strategic relationship between the rural and urban areas involved.

THE “CAMMINI D’EUROPA” AT ART&TOURISM
Since the first meeting last autumn, the routes which form part of the “Cammini d’Europa” have become one of the most important attractions in the fair. They have an area of almost 100 square meters which means that the Cammini are the second biggest meeting point in Art&Tourism, after the Region of Tuscany. Hosted in the Spadolini Pavilion, they offer precise information as well as a short multimedia experience.

THE VIA FRANCIGENA
Among all the routes, the via Francigena is the focus of special attention. It has enjoyed a great revival even in Italy since the seventies.
The Vie Francigena routes are part of history, they were travelled in the past by thousands of pilgrims journeying to Rome. History says that it was Sigeric, the Archbishop of Canterbury, on his way to visit pope John XV who initiated the route, known as via Francigena, establishing the creation of one of the most important pilgrim routes. Numerous other itineraries are being rediscovered and enhanced and they can be added to this famous one.
These routes can all be discovered at Art&Tourism and daily walks can also be booked.
910 million people travel throughout the world every year: 330 million of them choose a cultural destination.
Art&Tourism is the first international event dedicated to cultural tourism, it is unique on the world stage. An extraordinary opportunity for the most important players in the tourist sector to meet and exchange with the world of culture and art.

Organised by TTG Italia, part of the Rimini Fiera Group, in association with the Region of Tuscany and with the support of Toscana Promozione e Firenze Fiera, Art&Tourism offers an innovative format which presents cultural and artistic offer from all over the world together with high level tourist offer: museums, galleries, archaeological sties, festivals, public and private bodies, cities and areas with a strong cultural heritage and tour operators.
The first edition of this new appointment, dedicated entirely to culture and art will be held in Florence form 18 to 20 May in the ancient and evocative setting of Fortezza da Basso. Its aim is to bring together in the heart of Italy the very best of national and international cultural offer and the main tourist operators.

The Tuscan capital is the natural venue for an event which aims to expand and promote cultural tourism, a segment which accounts for 50% of the motivations to travel and 30% of the global income for this sector, with an estimated 330 million tourists every year.

Art&Tourism is targeted not only at tourism and cultural operators, but also at anyone who wants to encounter high quality opportunities.

Countdown to the first fair in the world dedicated to cultural tourism

After months of preparation Art&Tourism, the first event in the world entirely dedicated to cultural tourism, is getting ready for its long awaited debut on the international scene: ten days and the fair organised by TTG Italia, a company in the Rimini Fiera Group will open its doors in the elegant setting of Fortezza da Basso in Florence for a long weekend (18 to 20 May) of art, culture, music and lots and lots of tourism.

Art&Tourism is an event that is open to everyone – the general public and trade professionals. The exhibitors include main actors of international cultural tourism: public administrations, cultural and tourist bodies and institutions, museums, foundations, festivals, events agencies, art galleries, service companies which operate in the cultural sector, historical palaces and prestigious resorts, educational institutions, tourist operators, hotels, travel agencies specialised in cultural trips… everything, in short, a complete journey in the world of cultural tourism, a sector which gets more than 300 million people travelling every year.

“This type of tourism – explains Paolo Audino, managing Director of   TTG Italia – is an unparalleled and timeless resource. The idea of organising Art&Tourism stems from the two observations: everyone acknowledges that cultural tourism has the potential to be extremely important for Italy and no specific dedicated fair involving both professionals and the general public exists.  The formula of the fair is quite unique of its type. There is no other cross-cutting fair in the sector, there are some workshops which are more local and of lesser importance, but not an expo devoted to the numerous consumers of cultural tourism.

These “cultural” travellers are so numerous that they have significant influence on the economy in a country like Italy, which has a wealth of artistic attractions surpassing all other countries. According to Paolo Verri, project manager of Art&Tourism   “Culture and tourism are two sectors which together account for 10% of Italian GDP, but not enough discussion is devoted to them.  The objective of the fair is get them moving at the same pace.”

It is not by chance that the event is being held in Florence, world capital of artistic and cultural tourism: “Art&Tourism will be a great opportunity to present the cultural excellences of Italy and Tuscany to the world – declares Cristina Scaletti, town councillor responsible for Culture, Tourism and Trade in the Region of Tuscany – a unique appointment on the world stage which will relaunch Tuscany as a venue for international fairs. For three days, Florence and our region will become the beating heart of art and tourism, a place where national and international cultural offer can meet the main tourist operators to share and exchange the very best”.

So the most innovative appointment of the year is in one month in Florence for this fair (but not only: Art&Tourism, is not just a fair but also a true cultural appointment). Friday and Saturday morning are dedicated exclusively to trade professionals, while Saturday afternoon and all of Sunday will also be open to the general public: more than 25 thousand international visitors are expected at Fortezza da Basso. 

SVV expands significantly in Russia

Suomen Videoviestintä (SVV), a subsidiary of Finnish Fair Corporation, has won a major tender in Russia. SVV will be responsible for the conference technology used at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Second Senior Official’s Meeting in Kazan (Russia), which will be held in late May.

For this Finnish Fair Corporation subsidiary specialising in high-end conference and show technology, this endeavour paves the way to an entirely new area.

“Reasons for the choice of SVV include first-rate equipment, skilled technical staff and our reputation for reliability in Russia. Since 2007, we have supplied the technology for the main conference room at the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum”, comments Mika Vakkilainen, Technical Director at Finnish Fair Corporation.

At the APEC Meeting in Kazan, SVV will provide the technical equipment for the ministers’ meeting room as well as eight other conference facilities. The duration of the project including building, implementation and dismantling is approximately one month.

APEC was founded in 1989 to promote economic growth, cooperation, trade and investments in the Pacific Rim area. Participants of the Kazan meeting will include key economic experts from 25 countries.

RISK MANAGEMENT FORUM BY THE FEDERATION OF EUROPEAN RISK MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS (FERMA) WILL BE HELD IN MAASTRICHT IN 2013

Florence Bindelle, Executive Manager of  FERMA, just announced that Maastricht is the host city for roughly 1,500 participants of the FERMA Risk Management Forum in MECC Maastricht, From September 29^thto October 2^th 2013. This is the result of strenuous efforts and close cooperation with MECC Maastricht, other participants and the Maastricht Convention Bureau. Maastricht competed with Brussels, Istanbul and Monte Carlo.

About FERMA

FERMA is constituted by the national risk management associations of 20 countries with in total more than 4,800 members. Objective of FERMA is to coordinate, promote and support the development and application of in particular financial risk management in Europa. This is done, by for example, by organizing conventions, seminars and forums. 

FERMA in Maastricht

FERMA has chosen Maastricht because of the personal approach, the good cooperation of Mecc Maastricht with the Maastricht Convention Bureau, the facilities of Mecc Maastricht and the different possibilities for organizing sponsor evenings. In addition the central location of the city was an important aspect, because of members from the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Germany. 

The Risk Management Forum

During the Forum there will be two plenary sessions and as many as 15 to 24 workshops and academic sessions. In addition, there will be a fair with about 65 booths manned by over 40 companies. Moreover, there are enough breaks in order to network, which contributes to the previously mentioned objective of FERMA. 

How Maastricht won the Forum

‘Years of preparation precede,’ says Sonja Opreij-Speth, Sales Manager Conventions of the Maastricht Convention Bureau. ‘The first acquaintance of the Maastricht Convention Bureau with Florence Bindelle was already in February 2008, during a lunch with the embassy in Brussels, organized by the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) . Also Charles Beckers of MECC Maastricht was closely involved. He adds: ‘ We were finally able to offer a Bid in February 2010. A Bid is an official presentation of the city of Maastricht, the Congress Centre, locations with party- and diner possibilities, hotels, transport possibilities, benefits for the organizer, and so on. Sonja continues: ‘We then received a RFP (Request for Proposal, red.) for the  FERMA Risk Management Forum 2013 a year later. And that offer has now been approved. That’s very good news, not only for MECC Maastricht, but also for the whole city of Maastricht and surroundings!’ 

Economic interest

Charles Beckers explains: ‘Obviously, Mecc Maastricht benefits from the fact that the Forum will be held here, but that is only a small part of the overall impact of such an event. People don’t always realize that many different parties benefit when a convention or Forum is held in Maastricht. Consider, for example, the hotels that accommodate the participants during the event, but also the transport organizations that bring people to Mecc Maastricht. In addition, there is often a party and/or social program. Average, at least 10 events per evening take place in the city during the Forum, organized bij sponsors (insurance companies, broking firms etc.). Deelnemers zullen tijdens hun verblijf in Maastricht & regio ook restaurants en winkels bezoekenAttendees will also visit restaurants en shops and buy souvenirs. In short; the spin-off of such a Forum is enormous.’

All in all, a participant of a convention or Forum spends € 395,-  per day during his stay (source: indexed rate NBTC). For Maastricht & region the Risk Management Forum means:

• Over 1,500 convention participants- and visitors, who whether or not with a partner, will stay in the city;
• They will stay here at least 3 days (people often arrive earlier or stay longer);
• They ensure a minimum of  3,300 hotel stays;
• Together, they spend about  € 1.303.500,00- in Maastricht & region.

Controversy likely at IAPCO / IPCAA Seminar

Wednesday 22 May, 08.45 at IMEX, Frankfurt 

The IAPCO / IPCAA Seminar “How do you fit into the healthcare congress stakeholder chain?” is certain to cause controversy and perhaps even discord !

Martin Jensen, of H. Lundbeck, representing ICPAA, will review, amongst others;

Would you listen to what a convention bureau has to say?

Is there a trend among IPCAA members to re-think the strategies of attending healthcare congresses?”

Christian Mutschlechner, of the Vienna Convention Bureau, will be defending the position of the convention bureaux confirming that they can be, and are, instrumental in the selection process, attracting medical meetings to a city and he will answer the leading question as to “whether a convention bureau can do more than they are currently doing?”.

“But will PCOs continue to pursue medical congresses if there is the possibility that these become less attractive due to compliance?” argues Caroline Mackenzie of Congrex Holdings BV, IAPCO member.

Make your voice heard at IMEX – participate in the Seminar – Wednesday 08.45

TCEB Joins Pact with Phuket and TAT in Welcoming “Amway 2012” from China

Moving Fast to Implement Government’s Scheme and boost MICE industry

Phuket, Thailand: 4 May 2012 – Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau joins pact with Phuket Provincial and Tourism Authority of Thailand in welcoming MICE travelers ‘Amway 2012’ from China. The group includes 15,000 delegates, making it the year’s most distinct record. Highlighting 7 wonders of Andaman MICE as key selling points, the province opens doors for meetings events from all over the world. The event expects to generate more than 2,500 million baht in revenue.

Mr. Chaiporn Patanarak, Chief of Strategy for Province Development at Phuket Provincial, disclosed that, “Being selected as the destination for incentives event of Amway which brings more than 15,000 delegates to Phuket truly reflected the confidence that a major Chinese entrepreneur has in the kingdom of Thailand. Phuket possesses potentials and a variety of resources, making the province a perfect destination for international tourists and businesspeople. Thanks to Thai government who plays a vital role in allocating funds for local infrastructure development. For example, the improvement of mass transport such as the 3-route light railway project across Phuket, the improvement of dock such as deep sea port at Bang Rong Port and especially Chalong Bay Port which has now revamped as an efficient yacht marina and serves as one-stop yacht service centre,” 

Phuket is one of the world’s finest destinations. With the readiness in basic infrastructure for MICE, Phuket has been well praised and promoted as the “MICE City” of Thailand apart from Bangkok, Chiangmai and Pattaya. Furthermore, the provincial has designed special packages for those aiming to hold MICE events in Phuket in order to endorse Phuket as an ideal destination for MICE travellers, such as the arrangement of exclusive entrance to Phuket International Airport and extra security. 

“Phuket has welcomed MICE travellers every year. Tourists coming with MICE events account for 10 percent of general tourists that compose of European, American and Asian, respectively. MICE is hence considered an industry that generates significant revenue for the province. This time, the hospitality is a seamless collaboration between local representatives from Amway, public and private sectors which were pre-assigned to work under the model designed to ensure smooth operations for the meetings at Phuket Fantasy, the excursion, hotels and relevant attractions. So to speak, every party has strongly joined forces to impress Amway delegates with the touch of Thai hospitality.” concluded Mr. Chaiporn. 

Mr. Thongchai Sridama, Acting President of Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau, said, “TCEB, as the key supporter from public sector and main sponsor of the symposium, aspires to promote meetings and incentives market which are the biggest segment in MICE market. Currently, Chinese MICE market comprises of travellers from 3 main cities including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Chinese earn more and in relation with national growth, resulting in the increase in demand for excursion outside of China. Interestingly, the travel also has to convey a sense of luxury and taste, particularly when it comes to meetings and vacation in beautiful beach towns. This has raised the expenditure for up to 30 percent higher than MICE activities of other ranges. Chinese MICE travellers to Thailand has been the second largest MICE group after India through the years. The group has an average growth at 15-20 percent each year and tends to grow in a quantum leap for the Government of China has reduced the travelling regulations of the Chinese, allowing them to travel abroad more for both tourism and business. 

“The Amway China’s symposium this time is considered the meetings and incentives events for leading corporate people that could initiate the income distribution in direct and indirect ways. TCEB has provided full support in allocation and cooperation with public and private sectors, especially with the Tourism Authority of Thailand and Phuket Provicial that in turn collaborates strongly with the Immigration Bureau, Phuket Custom House, Phuket International Airport, Phuket Tourist Police, Phuket Provincial Police, as well as attraction sites, local hotels and transport companies. The endeavour was aimed to create special work groups and ensure smooth hospitality for delegates. It is estimated that these 15,000 delegates would generate more than 2,500 million baht of revenue into the national economy.” concluded Mr. Thongchai. 

Mr. Sansern Ngaorungsi, Deputy Governor for International Marketing (Asia and South Pacific), Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), disclosed that, “Chinese market is a key target for tourism of Thailand. Preceding situation of Chinese market has shown that growth emerges in a successive manner. In 2011, the number of Chinese tourists by nationality travelling into Thailand totalled at 1,760,564 which jumped by 56.88 percent from 2010. Chinese tourists generated 58,001.85 million baht of revenue into Thailand, surging by 68.77 percent. The Chinese market has well proved to be a shining star for MICE,” 

“The analysis of opportunity and positive factors of Thailand towards the Chinese market clearly reflected that Chinese tourist is one of the key target tourism markets for Thailand. Chinese market plays an essential role in enforcing the tourism and economy of Thailand. TAT foresees the happenings of Amway event will bring more than 2,500 million baht of revenue into Phuket. Besides, for the colossal corporation of China like Amway had selected Phuket as the destination for their meeting is truly a privilege as the event shall create reputation and recognition of Phuket as a premium travel destination among Chinese tourists, especially for MICE which is the market with promising potential of China. We are certain that the event will attract more of Chinese large-sized corporations into Thailand for their future meetings and incentives events.” said Mr. Sansern.

Mr. Martin Liu, Vice President of Amway Greater China Region, revealed that, “The 2012’s meeting of high-ranking Amway Business Owners in Phuket makes a new history for Amway China as it pools as huge amount of delegates as 16,000 which was divided into 7 main groups and 21 sub-groups. The gala dinners or massive celebration are being held at Phuket Fantasy for 7 times. More than 100 air-conditioned coaches are set for use continuously for one month from 15 April to 15 May 2012. The event is truly a new record for Amway China as more than thousand million baht of company’s budget was spared for this event, excluding personal expenses of the delegates themselves. The meeting at Phuket this time is the fruit of meticulous selection of the destination that is ideal in famous natural beauty, unique generosity of Thai people and wonderful Thai cuisine. Amway China anticipates the event shall raise the relationship between Thai and Chinese to a new height. Above all, the event definitely encourages and elevates the growth of Thai economy,” 

“The location of events is lined up by the lagoon of the Laguna Phuket which was divided into two zones, including the first area where the China Nights and grandiose gala dinners are taking place for 21 days; and the Amway Expo that features the exposition of Amway products and the exhibition of “Amway Charity Foundation” that highlights the activities Amway has contributed for the society especially for kids. Additionally, the showcase also includes Amway products using high technology and possessing excellent quality, such as high-efficiency water purifier, supplementary food and Amway online market. Amway strongly believes that all delegates will be well catered by every relevant party.” concluded Mr. Martin Liu. 

The overall picture of MICE industry in 2012 sees the tentative amount of foreigner MICE travellers at 750,000 which could generate around 60,120 million baht in revenue into Thailand by which the meetings and incentives segment shares the contribution at 45 percent. In 2012, this segment is expected to pool up to 378,000 travellers that could bring more than 27,000 million baht of revenue into Thailand.

THE MAYOR BOHUSLAV SVOBODA AWARDED AMBASSADORS FOR CONTRIBUTION TO CONGRESS TOURISM

Prague, 4th May 2012 – Last night, eminent scientists and leading experts were awarded for their efforts in the field of Prague congress tourism development in the Mayor’s Residence. The awards were handed out by the Mayor of the City of Prague, Mr. Bohuslav Svoboda and the President of Prague Convention Bureau (PCB) Mr. Sanjiv Suri. The festive evening culminated in presenting of the award for long-term contribution to congress tourism to prof. RNDr. Václav Pačes, who significantly contributed to the popularization of genetics. 

„I know the importance of congress tourism for the city and the importance of each congress Prague hosts, because as a doctor I actively participate in international congresses as well. Not only it improves the overall image of the city and its international position in industry and research, but it also provides enormous economic benefits. Every congress participant spends on average CZK 6.200 per day in Prague, which is almost double compared to the normal tourist,“ the Mayor of the City of Prague, Mr. Bohuslav Svoboda (ODS) said, adding that every year a number of international congresses is brought to our capital due to the help of Prague Convention Bureau.

To win such congress for Prague often means long-term effort and considerable investments. The candidacies of mostly periodical events are decided several years prior to the event and the preparation takes the same time, e.g. three years or more. The city’s objective therefore is to attract more and more congresses every year. This resulted in last year’s approval of a groundbreaking step in the support of candidacies, which is common in the competing destinations – free public transport for congresses with more than 500 participants who spend at least 2 nights in Prague and at least 20 per cent of them come from abroad. This year, the city has also decided to implement the largest marketing campaign ever focused on the promotion of this segment in the most significant foreign media.

„According to the international association ICCA, an international congress delegate spends in the hosting city on average 560 Euro per day. Total accumulated income in Prague is around 20 billion CZK per year.  The largest congress in the history of the Czech Republic, ERA-EDTA with almost 11 000 participants, which took place in Prague last year, for example, brought more than 25 million CZK to the city’s budget“, said President of PCB, Mr. Sanjiv Suri.

The celebration was attended by nearly 50 eminent scientists and leading experts who were accompanied by Prague Convention Bureau’s member agencies and Prague Congress Centre, whose representatives efficiently cooperate with these scientists. The event was also attended by the director of CzechTourism, Mr. Rostislav Vondruška, sales and product management director of Prague Airport, Mr. Stanislav Zeman, Mr. Aleš Hozdecký from Ministry for Regional Development, or the counsellor of the City of Prague for culture, heritage preservation and exhibitions Mr. Václav Novotný.

The awards were presented to winners in 5 major categories. This year, for the second time, the award for the corporate event of the year was handed out. The winner was Škoda Auto a. s. who was awarded for theirŠkoda World Dealer Conference 2011, one of the largest and logistically most demanding events in the field of automotive industry in the last few years. The preparations took about six months.

The award for “Candidacy of the Year 2011” was handed out to the president of the Czech National Committee of geodesy and geophysics – IUGG RNDr. Vladimír Čermák DrSc. for the candidacy for 26^th  General Assembly of the International Geodetic and Geophysical Union (IUGG) which will take place in Prague in 2015. The conference brings together 8 associations and is the largest event focused on geodesy and geophysics. That is why its duration is 11 days, which is really unique in the field of congress tourism. The participation of more than a hundred national delegations from all over the world and more than 5000 delegates is expected.

The award for the “Congress of the Year 2010” was handed out to the president of the Czech Society of Nephrology prof. MUDr. Vladimír Tesař, DrSc. for one of the largest European congresses, 48^th Congress of European Renal Association – European Dialysis and Transplantation Association ERA – EDTA. The total number of its participants in Prague exceeded 10 600 persons and it became the largest scientific congress held in the Czech Republic in history.

A special award of the Prague Congress Centre was handed out by the Mayor Mr. Bohuslav Svoboda together with the director of the Prague Congress Centre Mr. Michal Kárník to Prof. MUDr. Jiří Raboch, DrSc., the president of the Czech Psychiatric Society and regional representative of the World Psychiatric Association for Central and Eastern Europe. During his long practice in the field of psychiatry, many international congresses were held in the Czech Republic due to his activity, the most significant of them being the Congress of European Psychiatric Association held in 2000, the 14^th World Psychiatric Congress held in 2008, or the Congress of the World Psychiatric Association to be held in October 2012.

The evening culminated in the presentation of the award for the long-term contribution to congress tourism. The award was handed out to prof. RNDr. Václav Pačes, DrSc. Professor Pačes significantly contributed to the popularization of genetics among the public. Both at home and abroad he is thus seen as an authority of society-wide importance. His personal references in the field of congress tourism date back to 1988, when he was a member of organization committee of the Global Biochemistry Congress IUB in Prague which hosted 6000 delegates.  Since then he participated in candidacies and organization of dozens of international meetings.  

The awards will continue in future years. The number of congress ambassadors should continue to grow in future. Prague Convention Bureau is also planning to develop more activities within its Ambassadors Program, for instance regular educational meetings. The objective of this program is to stimulate interest of other Czech representatives in the international organizations in order to bring other international meetings to Prague. Within the program, new congress ambassadors can expect free professional advice from experienced ambassadors, or specific assistance from the Prague Convention Bureau and its members.

43 Travel Professionals Take Part in Meet Estonia 2012 fam-trip

From April 18 to 21, Estonia successfully hosted the ‘Meet Estonia 2011‘ workshop/fam trip attracting participants from 11 countries across Europe.

Organised jointly by the Estonian Convention Bureau and Enterprise Estonia, Estonian Tourist Board, the event gave 43 professional event planners and association representatives a taste of what Estonia has to offer as a meeting destination.

In addition to visiting the 1,800-seat Nokia Concert Hall, a number of modern conference hotels and unique historical venues, the visitors took part in an active programme that included a nighttime tour ‘Searching the Lost Key of Tallinn’ and a traditional Estonian-style party.
International meeting planners also had the chance to attend a workshop with local suppliers, and a large portion of them took part in post-tour visits to the university town of Tartu or the seaside resort town of Pärnu.

Participants found Estonia’s conference infrastructure to be fully up-to-date and good value for money, and were impressed by the both compactness of the destination cities and the availability of free Wi-Fi nearly everywhere.
Brunella Bertolino from Catania said the trip was an unforgettable experience. “I did not know Estonia before and I had no idea that it is such a nice, well organised, modern and efficient destination. I surely recommend the country to my clients” she added.

“We received overwhelmingly positive feedback from all the guests. As Estonia is still a relatively undiscovered destination, the short local distances, unique mix of medieval atmosphere and modern facilities, diversity of the venues and programme options as well as friendly, English-speaking Estonians were the facts that surprised participants the most,” said Kadri Karu, Managing Director of the Estonian Convention Bureau.

This was the third time that the Meet Estonia fam-trip took place. The Marketing Director of Estonian Tourist Board (Enterprise Estonia), Mr Tarmo Mutso, said that the number of meeting planners interested in participating in the Meet Estonia fam-trip has continued to grow every year. It is also rewarding to recognise that the previous trips have already resulted in actual cooperation and more events choosing Estonia as their next meeting destination.

This release was prepared by the Estonian Convention Bureau, a non-profit organisation established jointly by public and private sector bodies in order to attract international conventions to Estonia. The ECB’s 23 members include the cities of Tallinn and Tartu, the national carrier Estonian Air, and a number of DMCs, PCOs and hotels.
The programme “Promoting Estonia as a Conference Tourism Destination” is supported by the European Union’s Regional Development Fund.

COMPLIMENTARY WIFI FROM KUALA LUMPUR CONVENTION CENTRE

More value at no cost to event organisers and delegates!

Complimentary internet stations around the facility for convenient on-site accessibility

KUALA LUMPUR – In line with the Government’s call to get the federal capital all ‘Wi-Fi-ed up’, the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (the Centre) has upped its Wi-Fi connection to 40MB to offer guests faster connectivity at no cost on a best effort basis.
“Technology and social media are having a big impact on how venues are marketing themselves and packaging their product offerings.

It is becoming the norm; and not a competitive edge, for meeting delegates to expect to get their WiFi for free.

As a world-class convention facility, we are committed to ensuring we do our best to meet our guests’ expectations and needs in all areas, including information technology,” said Datuk Peter Brokenshire, General Manager, Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
“The great bandwidth means guests can not only remain ‘connected’ at all times and at no cost, but also enjoy faster and easier real-time access.”
The Centre’s public wireless internet is available through Wi-Fi ‘hot spots’ so anyone with a Wi-Fi enabled computer can access the service. There are also complimentary internet stations around the facility for convenient on-site accessibility.

TEAMWORK AND VENUE NETWORK DELIVER MORE GLOBAL RECOGNITION FOR AEG OGDEN

Two more significant international convention and exhibition centre awards have been added to the growing AEG Ogden trophy cabinet.

This week, the AEG Ogden managed Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) was judged “Middle East’s Leading Convention and Exhibition Centre” at the 2012 World Travel Awards in Dubai.

The annual World Travel Awards acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

The QNCC was officially opened last December and debuted by hosting the 20th World Petroleum Congress. Since then, the venue has hosted 112 events attended by more than 128,000 visitors including the high profile UN Conference on Trade and Development.

In late March, the AEG Ogden managed Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) was named “Best Convention Centre in Asia” in the 2012 MICE Report Awards.

These awards are organised annually by the MICE Report, the ultimate magazine for business travellers, conference organisers and meeting planners.

The KLCC opened in 2005 and now features an impressive annual international event profile. It has won a number of industry awards including Travel Weekly’s Best Exhibition and Convention Centre in Asia two years running.

The awards to the Qatar and Kuala Lumpur centres follow other significant recognitions of a number of Australian venues managed by AEG Ogden. They include:

•    Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC)

The BCEC turned in a dominant performance at the prestigious Meetings and Events Australia (MEA) awards. It won Australia’s Best Meeting Venue for 500 delegates or more and was named joint winner in the Corporate Social Responsibility (over 30 fulltime employees) category. The venue had earlier won three MEA Queensland awards taking its total award tally to 124 including 57 for catering.

•    Cairns Convention Centre (CCC)

The CCC features regularly in the International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) client survey which recognises excellence in convention centre management. Cairns was named by AIPC as the World’s Best Congress Centre in 2004 and has been in the top four World Congress Centres every year since 2002.

•    Darwin Convention Centre (DCC)

The DCC recently was the recent recipient of a major award by the prestigious Meeting and Events Australia (MEA) association. The Centre was announced the Northern Territory winner in the highly competitive category of Best Meeting Venue for 500 or more delegates.

AEG Ogden Director of Convention Centres, Geoff Donaghy said the company highly valued international and national awards bestowed upon its venues.

“They are recognition of the commitment, dedication and hard work that our management and staff put into making their venues stand out from the pack in what is a very competitive industry.

“Just as importantly, it shows the great teamwork that exists and operates within the entire AEG Ogden group.

“While each of our venues operate in highly competitive markets, there is a collaborative sharing of information, intelligence and resources across all of our venues.

“We are a genuine network and expanding even further into Oman, India and China. By working together, we are able to provide a unique and valuable service to the respective owners which entrust the management of their venues to AEG Ogden,” Mr Donaghy said.

Amsterdam RAI confirms leading position in sustainability

Amsterdam RAI can look back on a successful and sustainable 2011. With various environmental (re)certifications achieved and by including the new core value ‘Amsterdam RAI aims for sustainable results’ in its corporate mission, the RAI has firmly embedded its CSR policy within the organisation. Moreover, as the newly published sustainability report indicates, over the coming period Amsterdam RAI will be looking into ways to make CSR even more measurable and transparent.

Amsterdam RAI has high ambitions with regard to sustainability and the inclusion of the official core value ‘Amsterdam RAI aims for sustainable results’ in its corporate mission reinforces the point. “Our aim is to be a successful business that contributes to a sustainable society and ensures a good balance in all the choices we make,” explains Hans Bakker, General Director of Amsterdam RAI. “We believe that sustainability adds value to an organisation, and including it in the company policy will generate more clients and greater engagement among employees.”

Certifications
In the final quarter of 2011 Amsterdam RAI received three important certificates, namely an ISO-14001 certification, a golden recertification from Green Key and a silver recertification from EarthCheck. The certifications confirm that Amsterdam RAI has managed to firmly establish its sustainability policy and goals within its organisation and operational processes.

Sustainability goals
Amsterdam RAI strives becoming a leader in the field of sustainability within the conference and event industry by 2013. She is being reinforced by similar organisations, which allows the RAI to exchange knowledge and experience with other exhibition and conference centres, and stimulates it to take CSR activities to a higher level. Over the coming period, Amsterdam RAI will study how CSR can be made more measurable and identifiable within the organisation. This will allow the RAI to better monitor its own progress, and demonstrate that Amsterdam RAI is realising its aim to be a frontrunner in this field.

Seven themes
Amsterdam RAI has divided its sustainability goals into seven themes: energy and climate, mobility, water, waste, employees, procurement and social engagement. The RAI is a European frontrunner in the waste theme and in 2011 succeeded in the difficult challenge of finding an end product for carpets. Carpet waste is now used as a combustion product in the cement industry. EarthCheck was particularly impressed with the waste separation process at Amsterdam RAI. With its silver EarthCheck recertification, Amsterdam RAI maintains its leading position in the European MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions) market with regards to eco-friendly business.

GRI B
The sustainability report was developed in cooperation with the BECO Groep and established in accordance with the guidelines of the GRI B (Global Reporting Initiative). The complete sustainability report 2011 is available via www.rai.nl/csr<http://www.rai.nl/csr>

Belgian Pride will this year again be moving into the centre of Brussels

After its highly publicised emergence from the Brussels LGBTQI Quarter in 2011, Belgian Pride will this year again be moving into the centre of Brussels, from 12.00 noon on 12 May next.

Arranged this year as a co-production with VISITBRUSSELS, this Belgian Pride promises to be full of surprises: as well as the traditional, highly coloured atmosphere of the Parade through the centre of the City, PrideVillage, where publicity will mix light-heartedly with entertainment and commitment, will also host a number of street show venues, which, following the example of Arabic Corner, will be based on initiatives by associations and private individuals: the African Pride stand, which will offer the public a playful way of supporting international solidarity, Leather Corner, Popular Corner and Latino Corner.

There will be a level of diversity that the public is bound to love. And last but not least: the Association Corner of the three umbrella organizations representing the Belgian Pride organization, also the info point.This year, again, the Bourse will be the setting for lots of artistic, national and international surprises, guaranteeing an atmosphere that stays true to the nature of the event.

“Visible Citizens. I want to be! … Do you “?… will, therefore, be the slogan for a Belgian Pride that aims to be more citizen-focussed and diverse than ever.

ECM Summer School – the pearl of the meetings industry!

Nothing better describes the ECM Summer School than the image of its host city this year: Dubrovnik, the so called pearl of the Adriatic! The 26^th Summer School runs from August 25-29, 2012, and will provide at least 50 fortunate students with the foundation and knowledge to progress a rewarding career in the meetings industry.

As is the case every year, the number one goal of the ECM Summer School is to provide a solid basic education for those just starting out in the Meetings Industry. Uniquely, it brings students face to face with leading industry practitioners, through a seminar that reflects the latest trends; new technologies and practices.

Pier Paolo Mariotti, Meeting Manager of EURAC Convention Center in Bolzano, Italy, hosted the 23rd Summer School in 2009. Since 2010, he is the new Course Director of the ECM Summer School.

“The Summer School has now been in existence for 25 years, and we all do our utmost to ensure it continues well into the future by maintaining the highest standard of course content, retaining and recruiting the very best of speakers, and giving up-to-date examples showcasing latest trends in the meeting industry.  There is no such training in the meetings industry! Try it out!”, says Pier Paolo Mariotti.

ECM will organise a press conference introducing the 26^th Summer School among other new topics on May 23^rd at 10.00 at IMEX in Frankfurt.

SMMEX renews Wembley Stadium contract

The Sport Merchandise and Marketing Exhibition (SMMEX) has signed up to hold its annual show at Wembley Stadium for the next two years. The exhibition has been held at Wembley Stadium since 2009 and will remain at the venue until 2014.

The most recent exhibition was held in March attracting more than 120 exhibitors and 700 key decision makers and buyers from more than 20 sports making it an unique opportunity to meet face to face and see the latest innovative merchandise, products and services.

Jeremy Storey Walker, event director for SMEXX, comments: “SMMEX provides buyers and specifiers from sporting clubs and associations across Europe the chance to meet up with premier suppliers of unique products and services in a relaxed, informal environment suitable for finding all of their sports merchandise and marketing needs. As Wembley Stadium is the home of national football it is the natural choice of venue for our event. It provides the flexible spaces we need and is well equipped to meet the exhibitions requirements. The team at Wembley are friendly and on hand to assist with the smooth running of the exhibition and we are delighted to have signed to keep the event at Wembley for the next two years.”

Jackie Boughton from DNC Wembley comments: “SMMEX’s decision to bring the annual exhibition back to Wembley for another two years is recognition of the team’s hard work in making events at the stadium a success and we look forward to welcoming them back for future shows.

Yokohama’s conventions industry grows in stature

2 May Yokohama, Japan: Looking at Yokohama’s list of convention bid wins, one cannot help but be impressed. Starting with the International Stem Cell Research – the first in Asia – this year to the International Congress of Psychology in 2016, one thing stands out – big attendance figures are anticipated.

Associations who will be holding their meetings in Japan will be happy to know that Japan ranks second in Asia for the highest number of attendance, according to the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA).
When ranked with other countries, Japan is 12th in the world in 2010 in terms of number of convention delegates.

In terms of number of international association meeting attendance, Yokohama was in the Top 2 rankings of Japanese cities in 2010, after Tokyo according to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) statistics.

Information technology and biotechnology are the leading industries in Yokohama, with the city being deeply involved in the Tokyo Bay Genome Project. Yokohama’s highly regarded RIKEN Institute is the nucleus of this biotechnology cluster in Japan.

The city also has a special incentive programme for companies who locate their business to the Yokohama Science Frontier area. Companies who are engaged in the life sciences industries, and those in the environment, medical and welfare, high-technology or design fields are offered incentives to move their head office function into Yokohama. The International Tropical Timber Organisation, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organization and United Nations University International Advanced Studies today have a presence in Yokohama.

International conventions also receive special attention with the Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau offering special support and assistance to meeting planners who meet their criteria.

For congress delegates who want to unwind after the work is done, Yokohama is a great jumping off point for day trips into the Tokyo area, and to the old feudal capital of Kamakura. A Yokohama Travel Guide smart phone apps in multiple languages is currently available for all visitors.

Said Ms Kana Nomoto from Yokohama CVB: “According to the World Justice Project, Japan is among the Top 5 out of the global 66 for Order and Security. Japan’s public order and security record is well known around the world, and as such international delegates can explore the city on their own without any apprehension.”

Yokohama is easily accessible from two international airports, Haneda and Narita. With PACIFICO Yokohama as its flagship, Yokohama currently has an impressive list of 19 meetings booked for the future according to ICCA. So, Yes! Yokohama! because 165,000 future congress delegates can’t be wrong.

Yokohama will be participating in the upcoming IMEX 2012, Frankfurt which takes place from 22-24 May 2012 at Messe Frankfurt.

Upcoming Association Conferences in Yokohama

Vienna on top – the Congress Dances at the Hofburg

The latest meetings statistics make excellent reading for Vienna, with significant growth for the entire industry in 2011. Conferences and meetings totals jumped 7% to 3,151, overnight stays were up 6% to 1,412,133 and induced GDP for the calendar year rocketed 9% to EUR 838.4 million. The Hofburg Vienna stood out with a set of particularly strong results .

Putting the impressive statistics to one side for a minute, the capital also made headlines with numerous awards during the year. Vienna led the inaugural global Smart City Ranking, leaving traditionally strong competitors such as Toronto and Paris in its wake. Smart Cities are characterised by factors such as exceptional innovation, sustainability, quality of life and digital governance. The 2011 Mercer quality of life study and the latest ICCA Congress rankings both saw Vienna claim the top spot. And according to another international study you would be hard pressed to find anyone more hospitable than the Austrians in Europe.

With all of that in mind, it’s hardly surprising that the Hofburg Vienna is in a position to offer such an impressive line-up of events each year. Upcoming highlights include the 33rd International Vienna Motor Symposium (26-27 April), which will bring together 1,000 experts from the industry. After that it’s time for a series of medical events including the MedicRes Congress (7-9 June), the TERMIS World Congress (6-8 September) and the European Neuroendocrine Association Congress (11-15 September). The Hofburg will also host a number of scientific get-togethers later this year such as theICAR – International Conference on Arabidopsis Research (3-7 July) and the Third International Symposium on Life Circle Civil Engineering (2-6 October).

Gateway to the East – events from CEE, Russia and Asia in the ascendancy

Vienna and Moscow have enjoyed particularly close diplomatic ties ever since the historic summit meetings between the USSR and USA were hosted in the nation’s capital. Nikita Kruschev and John F. Kennedy sat down at the negotiating table here in 1961. US President Jimmy Carter and USSR General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev signed the SALT II treaty in the Hofburg in 1979.

To this day the Hofburg Vienna continues to play a key role as an interface between East and West. From official state visits by Russian President Vladimir Putin, to international conferences such as the World Economic Forum on Europe and Central Asia 2011, and the Caucasus and Central Asia Ministerial Conference in September 2012 – the Hofburg Vienna continues to write history as a destination for high level international political meetings.

Leading figures from the world of business are also very much at home in the former imperial residence. On 30 November theRussian Business Gala will provide Russian and Austrian entrepreneurs an opportunity to network in a fine setting where they will also be treated to a performance by Vienna State Opera principle dancer Kirill Kourlaev. The Hofburg Vienna’s latest New Year’s Eve highlight, LE GRAND BAL, will feature performances by prima ballerina Olga Esina, soloist Roman Lazik and virtuoso musicians from the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper on 31 December 2012. And a Russian fairytale themed Russian Ball at the Hofburg on 7 February 2013 promises to be a night to remember.

Jumeirah’s first European resort is now open

Five-star Jumeirah Port Soller in Mallorca welcomed its first guests on April 24

Dubai (UAE) and Puerto de Sóller (Spain): Jumeirah Group, the global luxury hospitality company and a member of Dubai Holding, celebrates the opening of its first European resort this week.

Nestled on the bay of Sóller in Mallorca (Spain), Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa is a luxury five-star resort ideal for travellers who want to discover the local traditions, connect with the destination and enjoy an internationally recognised service.

Strategically located in the northwest of the island of Mallorca, Puerto de Sóller is a small fishing village famous for its bay, its port and its location, one of the most charismatic sites in the island: the Orange Valley found in the Sierra de Tramuntana, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Crowning a cliff overlooking the splendid bay of Sóller, Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa occupies an area of 18,000 square meters, offering 120 rooms and suites, two restaurants, four bars, two swimming pools and Talise Spa.

The resort is divided into 11 low-rise structures respecting the harmony of the landscape and integrating the visitor into the exceptional natural environment. The interiors have been carefully selected in order to create a contemporary and comfortable look. Different shades of beige and earth colours and local woods such as olive and pine, local crafts and vernacular architecture, spacious rooms with large windows overlooking the sea, mountains or harbour make the resort an unparalleled experience.

The gastronomic is supreme with the opening of two restaurants, Es Fanals and Cap Roig, the latter promising to become a culinary must on the island thanks to its creative cuisine with a strong local accent and the use of the freshest seasonal products.

For leisure moments, the hotel boasts three terraces, one of them ideal for watching the sun go down whilst enjoying cocktails and tapas. Young pirates aged 3 to 12 will appreciate the Barbaroja Kids Club, while teenagers and adults will enjoy the guided tours, cooking classes and yoga sessions on offer.

The prime location of Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa will offer nature lovers the chance to explore by foot or on mountain bikes almost 200 kilometres of tracks that run along the coast or golf at any of the 26 courses on the island. There is the opportunity to go diving, snorkelling and fishing; the hotel can also arrange boat rentals with experienced skippers who will guide guests to secluded beach coves.

Talise is Jumeirah’s global spa brand. Talise Spa at Jumeirah Port Soller occupies over 2,200 square meters and offers magnificent views over the Port of Sóller and the Sierra de Tramuntana. It features ten treatment suites and a thermal area equipped with a Hammam, an ice room, a glass-panelled sauna overlooking the valley, a relaxation room with fireplace and an outdoor heated Hydropool.

Designed to set a new standard in the Spanish wellness sector, Talise Spa offers a complete programme of treatments that combine the latest cosmetic innovations from prestigious brands like Barcelona-based Natura Bissé, Aromatherapy Associates, Linda Meredith and Bastién Gonzalez.

Guests at Jumeirah Port Soller Hotel & Spa will stimulate all five senses, with a daily selection of local seasonal fruits in every room, a fragrance chart to scent the room to the guests’ taste, welcome hand massages, or orange aromas in the lobby to recreate the characteristic smell of citrus of the Sóller Valley. These small details will contribute to a cultural and social connection with the destination.

Jumeirah Port Soller is the latest addition to the Jumeirah portfolio of luxury hotels and resorts in Europe, along with Jumeirah Grand Hotel Via Veneto in Rome, Pera Palace Hotel, Jumeirah in Istanbul and Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living in London. From the start of 2011 to the end of 2012, Jumeirah Group will have more than doubled the number of hotels it manages and almost quadrupled the number of countries in which it operates. In the coming six months, Jumeirah expects to open Jumeirah Bilgah Beach Hotel in Baku, Azerbaijan; Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel and Spa, Kuwait; and Jumeirah Creekside in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.