The 37thWorld Association of Chefs Societies Congress to be held in Athens

Mission accomplished! Athens will be the venue for the 37th World Association of Chefs Societies Congress in May, 2016. The decision was taken by the majority of the 75 countries who participated in the voting process, on Saturday 5 May, during the 35th WACS Congress held in the city of Daejeon, South Korea. The other two contestants bidding against Athens were Johannesburg and Istanbul.

Through this decision, Greece establishes its prominent position in the international gastronomic scene, since the 37th World Association of Chefs Societies Congress is expected to attract over 2000 participants, including internationally acclaimed chefs, as well as talented chefs now emerging on the gastronomic stage, who will potentially be given the opportunity to sample authentic Greek flavours for the first time. This particular event has never before been held in a European city of the Mediterranean, and is expected to serve as a dynamic promotion for Athens, Greece and also Mediterranean food, while financially benefiting the companies involved.

The bid was submitted by the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation on behalf of Greece and its successful outcome was framed by the practical support of the Athens Convention Bureau and the Greek National Tourism Organization, as well as the financial contribution of the Municipality of Athens.

The result marks a huge success, since Greece is currently experiencing a period of economic decline which it is trying to overcome, by making efforts to put its economy on the road to recovery and improve its image in the international media. In Daejeon, South Korea, the presence of the Greek delegation was exceptional and, in combination with the excellent relations built with the representatives of the World Association of Chefs Societies, was able to outbid the other two co-candidate cities. In the first round, Athens received 27 votes, followed by Johannesburg with 24 and Istanbul with 22. About 50% of our goal –or perhaps somewhat more- had been achieved. In the second round of voting, Athens beat Johannesburg hands down.

Systematic work leads to positive results!

The Greek delegation set off for the grand final in Southeast Asia on 29 April. The President of the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation, Mr Miltos Karoubas, the Treasurer of the Federation, Mr Vasileios Karoubas, and other representatives travelled to S. Korea from Athens, together with the company coordinating the bid, ARTION Conferences & Events, represented by Ms Despoina Amarantidou and Ms Zoi Pazaiti. Also present were the Metropolitan of Korea Amvrosios and the Ambassador of Greece in Seoul, Mr Petros Avgerinos.

A few days earlier, over 600 kg of Greek delicacies had been delivered, as typical examples of the country’s gastronomy, which were offered to the participating chefs during the five days of the congress, and were greatly praised. A large number of indicative products from the Greek and Mediterranean gastronomic tradition were provided by food industry professionals, and were enthusiastically received. The Greek pavilion evolved into the most popular meeting point of the 35th Congress in Daejeon, with foreign guests present on a permanent basis, who came to ask about the Greek cuisine, and to discuss the current situation in our country.

The Greek companies who supported the Greek delegation by sending food were CHALARIS SA – traditional wrapped desserts from Tinos, KIMONAS – bakeries, patisseries, catering from Lemnos, ΤΟ PARADOSIAKO – traditional desserts from Zakynthos, PROTOPSALTIS ΤASOS – CREAM & CHOCOLATE – patisserie from Athens, VRYSSA S.A. – drinks, wine from Tyrnavos, RANTEVOU – patisserie/bakery from Naxos, TERRA CRETA SA – The traceable olive oil from Crete, KRITON ARTOS – bakery goods from Crete and THE CHIOS GUM MASTIC GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION – mastic sweets and bonbons from Chios.

The three bids were presented on Thursday 3 May, with Greece and Athens gaining the advantage. The simplicity and concise content of the presentation script, which highlighted the history and infrastructure of Athens, served to support the lobbying work that had been systematically undertaken by the Greek mission, not only during the five days in Korea, but also in the previous period. Thus, the positive result was ensured after the systematic and targeted work that had taken place.

The WACS Congress is of institutional, cultural and economic interest. It has been held without fail since 1928, except for the period of World War II. It has been hosted by 22 cities around the world so far, its duration is five days and approximately 2000 delegates from all five continents take part. At present, WACS boasts 87 members – official national chefs’ federations from around the globe. The WACS Congress of 2014 will be held in Norway; in 2010 the event was organized in Chile.

The Greek Monsters

Beetroot Design Group, the design agency and think-tank from Thessaloniki, who won one of the highest distinctions in communication design in the world (red dot Agency of the Year) and Benaki Museum, the largest independent museum in Greece, proudly present Beetroot’s acclaimed exhibition:“The Greek Monsters” for the first time in their home country, Greece!
As part of its reputable support to New Greek Excellence, Benaki Museum will be hosting the “Monsters” at the Pireos St. Annexe from the 26th of April to July 2012.

With the Greek Monsters, Beetroot aims to respond –not without a sense of humor– to the current ill socio-economical image of modern Greece as this is largely presented in the media around the globe, while presenting key philosophical stands and practices in design. The Greek Monsters are used with their dual meaning both as perpetrators and victims, and ultimately as contemporary symbols against racism, generalization and exclusion.

The Greek Monsters exhibition is a celebration of the creativity and optimism in contemporary Greece

Athens ready for the 37thWorld Association of Chefs Societies Congress in 2016

As Athens has been selected as one of the top three candidate cities for organizing the 37^th WACS Congress in 2016, along with Istanbul and Johannesburg, the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation is feverishly preparing for a dynamic presentation at Daejeon, Korea and invites the WACS members to support the Hellenic candidacy.

Now the time has come to Re-discover the Mediterranean Cuisine as neitherGreece, nor another Mediterranean country has hosted a WACS Congress for at least the last 30 years. That is why the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation intends to organize a traditional high level congress in the most historical city ofEurope, in Hellenic colors and flavors.

The Hellenic Chefs’ Federation, wishing to exploit in the best possible way this unique experience to promote Greece, its cuisine, its culture and traditions to the international gastronomic community, is rallying in this effort national and local bodies, which can make a substantial contribution to a successful outcome, namely the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the City of Athens, the Athens Convention Bureau, the Greek Tourism Organisation, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, etc.

During the 35^th WACS Congress inKorea, the attendants will have the opportunity to taste the “Greek Breakfast”, a new Breakfast Buffet consisting of traditional products and flavors selected from every corner ofGreece, introduced by the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels in cooperation with the Hellenic Chef’s Association and supported by the Greek National Tourism Organization. The Greek Breakfast has been the result of a fruitful cooperation between gastronomy experts from all overGreece, such as executive chefs, specialized degustators and representatives from the chambers and the traditional food production sector, responding to the high standards of the International Gastronomy.

“Our intention has always been to maintain the high quality and evolve our traditional dishes to a higher level by using new techniques and discretely adding new ingredients. This is what we have in mind for the WACS Congress in 2016: to organize a traditional high level congress, in the most historical city of Europe, Athens, in Hellenic colors and flavors” comments the President of the Hellenic Chefs’ Federation, Mr Miltos Karoubas.

The Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr Nikitiadis, appeared certain that the picture of Athens in international tourism markets is going to improve, saying  that the international gastronomic community will have the chance to taste the country’s unique cultural treasures.

“This event will bring together over one thousand internationally-recognized food professionals and will therefore provide an unprecedented opportunity to promote Greece, its food and tourism on a grand scale” stated D. Amarantidou, Communications Director at ARTION Conferences & Events, who is responsible for preparing the bid portfolio and coordinating the Greek delegation to Korea in May.

For more information you can contact the Hellenic Bid Coordinator, ARTION Conferences & Events: Tel: (+30) 2310 272275, 2310 252330, E-mal: wacs2016@artion.com.gr.

“ART AND MATHEMATICS:from the aestherics of Art to the logic of Mathematics”

Curators: Apostolos Papanikolaou, Aris Mavrommatis, Mathematicians

Beginning on March 23, 2012, the Museum Herakleidon will present an exhibition of works by M.C. Escher and V. Vasarely, from its permanent collections. The exhibition does not have a closing date, however the works on display will be periodically renewed.

The works were chosen along the theme of “Art and Mathematics”, a ‘gate’ that the Museum Herakleidon opened when it was founded in 2004 and that it holds wide open, both for the general public and the education community.

It has already been announced that the founders of the museum, Paul and Belinda Firos, have decided to focus the museum’s activities on learning and education, in a productive dialogue between art and science, which will evidence the artistic and scientific potential of our country and will broaden the intellectual horizons of the public.

Entrepreneur Week Greece

February 23, 2012 at 2:00 PM – February 25, 2012 at 4:00 PM

Entrepreneur Week Greece is organized in Athens by the Hellenic Start-up Association and the Entrepreneur Week, with the active support of YES – European Confederation of Young Entrepreneurs.

The 3-days events includes start-up presentation to angel investors and VC funds, B2B match-making event between Greek entrepreneurs and missions from US, Russia and other countrier as well as a top-level conference addressing both horizontal and sectorial issues for effectively promoting entrepreneurship in Greece

ABC Solutions® announces the Best of M.I.C.E Networking Forum® will take place in Athens (3-5 May)

The Best of M.I.C.E Networking Forums® bring together some of the main players of the M.I.C.E segment in Europe.

The fifth edition of the Best of M.I.C.E Networking Forum will be held in Athens from 3^rd to 5^th May with an estimated attendance of 120 European decision makers.

For Laurent Fuchs, Director of ABC Solutions, “This edition is very special to us for many reasons. Firstly, it coincides with Best of M.I.C.E Forums second anniversary, two years that have been filled with many challenges but also with successes. Moreover, the difficult situation Greece is experiencing makes us feel very involved in the country. We wish to do our bit and somehow contribute to the country’s economic recovery by bringing in quality M.I.C.E buyers with substantial budgets.

As an example, 80% of the buyers are senior decision makers for M.I.C.E business working for European blue-chip companies such as IBM, Lactalis or Saint Gobain. Lastly, we have the chance to call on great global partners such as IMEX, EIBTM or Aegean Airlines plus several local ones such as the Hotel Grande Bretagne or Conceptours, a Euromic member who has been a loyal exhibitor since the very beginning. The presence of quality buyers and suppliers, and solid partners leads us to believe this edition will top the previous one.”

Tim Ananiadis, General Manager of the Hotel Grande Bretagne and area director for Starwood hotels says, “For our hotel, the Best of M.I.CE is an extremely important event which is even more important for Athens and the area. Some of the most influential M.I.C.E. decision makers will be experiencing what Athens has to offer.

Given the unfair publicity Athens has received lately, this type of event allowing decision makers to personally evaluate the destination provides an unrivalled advantage for the city and the rest of Greek destinations. We are happy to have persuaded the organizers to choose our city. Although several other European suppliers will also be attending, we trust that we will be able to persuade hosted buyers to select Greece for some of their forthcoming events.

The long term experience and the meticulous planning of ABC Solutions is impressive and this along with the number of loyal return suppliers and buyers will definitely make this Forum a success.”

Sopexa Conference at HORECA 2012 – Gastronomy and Tourism: a powerful synergy!

More promising than ever before, particularly during this vital period for our economy, the synergy between gastronomy and tourism is being promoted through the Conference “Local food tradition and regional tourism development”, organized by the SOPEXA GROUPE with the support of ARTION,

Rezidor Announces the Radisson Blu Park Hotel, Athens

BRUSSELS, November 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the fastest growing hotel companies worldwide, announces the Radisson Blu Hotel, Athens. The existing Athens Park Hotel will be rebranded as Radisson Blu Park Hotel Athens by mid December 2011. The 152 room property is Rezidor’s very first hotel in Greece – the company is now present in 65 countries across Europe, Middle East and Africa.

“Despite the recent crisis and still challenging times in Greece, hotels in the capital city Athens perform well. We are glad to arrive in the country and that we are able to further strengthen the development of our core, upper upscale brand Radisson Blu in South East Europe,” said Kurt Ritter, President & CEO of Rezidor.

“Our hotel is a leading deluxe property in Athens, operating for 35 years. The unique, modern and innovative design is inspired by an urban nature concept. We look forward to joining the Radisson Blu family and to starting a fruitful international cooperation,” commented Vassilis & Mary Deverikos, owners of the hotel.

The future Radisson Blu hotel was fully renovated in 2009/2010. Further renovations are also planned for 2012. Currently, the property comprises 152 guest rooms, Gallo Nero restaurant, The Oak Room bar, St’ Astra rooftop restaurant, and two conference rooms. It also features a rooftop swimming pool with stunning views across Athens and its famous Acropolis.

The location of the hotel is in the northern part of the city centre, on Alexandras Avenue, which is one of the city’s main avenues and offers excellent access to the airport and surrounding area. The hotel is situated opposite “Pedion Areos”, Athens’ largest park, and next to the National Archaeological Museum. The immediate neighbourhood was redeveloped for the 2004 Olympics and is home to many offices and embassies. Athens’ old centre, the Acropolis, numerous museums and Kolonaki Square are all within walking distance.

Athens Ledra Marriott – Indonesia – A Spice of Life!

A culinary variety can be called a “Spice of Life” and nowhere in the world can one find such diversity than in Indonesia. The Indonesian archipelago is composed of 6.000 populated islands of diverse culture and tastes.

Gastronomical influences came from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and India while Javanese and Sundanese cuisines are indigenous all come together to create an abundant choice of tastes and delicacies.

Zephyros Restaurant at the Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel continues your journey of tastes with “A Spice of Life” from 30^th of November through the 4^th of December 2011. All traditional recipes that are derived from fresh ingredients and genuine food products from the region are all prepared to perfection.

Athens to host the 16th European Congress of Neurosurgery

An amazing success lies in the fact that Athens was chosen to host the 16th European Congress of Neurosurgery in 2016, following a successful bid by the Hellenic Neurosurgical Society (HNS) at the presentation of the candidate cities, during the 14th European Congress of Neurosurgery that took place on 13 October 2011 in Rome.

The organization of a congress of such calibre in a Greek city – approximately 2500 delegates are expected to attend – will underline its dynamic presence on the convention scene, contribute to promoting its tourism potential and provide actual support to the Greek economy.

Other candidate cities also participating in the bid for the congress included Geneva and Tel Aviv, with Athens finally prevailing. The Congress, that will be taking place for the first time in Greece and South East Europe in general, aims to promote the networking of neurosurgeons in Europe, and the exchange of knowledge among the neurosurgical communities of Europe.

The bid committee for the Congress consists of the Chairman, Prof. Panayiotis Selviaridis and the President of the HNS, Prof. Ioannis Patsalas, who were supported throughout the preparation phase by ARTION Conferences & Events (PCO), which put together the bid proposal and coordinated all the processes required to ensure a complete, flawless presentation, starting in 2007.
“We are particularly pleased that the Neurosurgeons of Europe have entrusted us with the organization of the Congress of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS), particularly during this difficult period for our country”, stated Prof. Panayiotis Selviaridis, Chairman of the bid committee for the Congress.
“The organization of the 16th European Congress of Neurosurgery in Athens is a unique opportunity to promote the Greek neurosurgical community abroad”, noted Prof. Ioannis Patsalas, President of the HNS.
“Such a successful outcome, which promotes convention tourism in our country, is of utmost importance, particularly at a time when Greece is “eager” to highlight its convention tourism potential abroad. “Good things can only be achieved with great effort”, as the ancient Greeks used to say, and after a lot of hard work over a number of years, against very strong competitors, we have managed, despite the current situation, to promote Athens in the best possible way and undertake the organization of the Congress in 2016”, stated Ms. Despoina Amarantidou, Communication Manager at Artion Conferences & Events.
The bid by the Hellenic Neurosurgical Society was supported by the City of Athens and the Athens Convention & Visitors Bureau.

VIVA Argentina

The Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel in collaboration with Air France and KLM are bringing an imaginative selection of culinary delicacies from Argentina to Athens. Argentinean cuisine offers distinctive tastes that resemble a unique fusion of Spanish, French and Italian cuisine creating a culinary reverie of fine dining.

Start your evening with a choice of Argentinean cocktails such as Tango Martini, Selva and more. Main courses include superb traditional Argentinean meat cuts showcasing authentic dishes accompanied by an array of garnishes. To compliment your meal a salad bar and mouth watering desserts are offered from our buffet.

Savor fine Argentinean wines such as “Broquel Malbec, Colome Torrontes, Alamos Chardonnay and Alamos Bonarda”. For the wine tasting enthusiasts a medley of wines will be offered during dinner. The night would not be complete without live entertainment and the famous Tango dancers that will perform before your very eyes. At the end of the promotional culinary week we will draw two round trip tickets for two from Athens to Buenos Aires including a 3 night’s stay at the deluxe Buenos Aires Marriott Hotel.

Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel Welcomes New General Manager

The Athens Ledra Marriott announced the appointment of Detlef  Winter as General Manager.

Mr. Winter is from Germany and has been in the hospitality industry for over thirty years. His extensive and impressive career as a hotelier includes working for 5 star leading hotels across Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa.

Detlef brings to the hotel a wealth of extensive hospitality experience that will surely be a great factor towards the success of his new role as General Manager. His responsibility will be to look after the entire operation of the Athens Ledra Marriott, one of the busiest hotels in Athens, with the goal of bringing the hotel forward in all aspects. He also believes that his role requires being a hands-on manager to become fully aware of everything that is happening inside and outside the hotel, and knowing the needs of his guests as well as of his associates is something he gives importance to. Detlef not only plans to maintain the excellent reputation of the Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel, but to bring in more business and further improve guest satisfaction, targetting not only the regional market but to encourage more international guests from the Middle East, Asia and Africa as well.

INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS CELEBRATE OPENING OF FIRST HOTEL IN PORTUGAL…

Guests Enjoy a Flavour of Portugal at the Athenaeum Intercontinental Athens

As the Athenaeum InterContinental prepares to celebrate the first InterContinental hotel opening in Portugal, over 350 bottles of Port and more than a tonne of sardines were today delivered to 19 InterContinental hotels around the world.

On 29 June, Athenaeum InterContinental guests will enjoy a flavour of Portugal at the Cafe Vienna, at the Lobby level of the hotel, to mark the InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas opening its doors on 14 July. Guests will sample Port as well as a delightful 3 course menu including among others sardines “alla Portuguese” and fruit salad with Madeira wine.

Mr. Panos Panayotopoulos, General Manager of the Athenaeum InterContinental, said: “Drawing on our local
knowledge and expertise to give our guests In the Know experiences and with the opening of the InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas, we are delighted to invite you to an authentic fiesta with Portuguese flavour at our Cafe Vienna.”

The InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas will be the first upscale hotel in Porto. In the heart of Porto, the
hotel is 15 minutes drive from the international airport and in walking distance of Bairro de Barredo, an area
brimming with cathedrals, markets, museums, bars and restaurants. It’s also close to the Douro River where
people can board a boat to Salamanca in Spain and visit the wine producing caves.

Set in the city’s main square, the 105 bedroom and 16 suite hotel is a renovated 250 year old palace. Guests can start their day with coffee and local pastries at the Cafe Astoria, modelled on the original Cafe Astoria on the ground floor of the building in the early twentieth century. The hotel also has a fine dining restaurant serving
traditional Portuguese food and a bar on the front facade which overlooks Liberdade Square.

INTRASOFT International is set to sponsor one of the most important international computer conferences

INTRASOFT International is set to sponsor one of the most important international computer conferences in the IT world’s calendar. The 37th ACM SIGMOD / PODS International Conference will be held this year in Athens from 12-16 June 2011 and will see over 550 scientists and professionals come together to explore cutting-edge ideas and exchange techniques, tools, and experiences on commercial information management.

The conference, which is reputed for its scientifically sound approach, goes beyond the traditional spectrum of management and data processing and explores web searches, extraction knowledge, social networks and database application in various areas of industry.

Up until 2003 the ACM SIGMOD / PODS conference was held exclusively in North America, and now every 4th year the conference takes place elsewhere in the world. Athens is only the second European city to host the event and was selected due to its buoyant scientific community in the information management field.

INTASOFT International joins Microsoft, Twitter and Oracle as event sponsors.

BOOK FOR THE BEST HOTEL PRICES:

Greek Gods Favour High Flying Hunt

It was Englishman Gary Hunt who left his personal mark on Greek soil by winning the third stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series 2011 in Athens on Sunday afternoon.

Lake Vouliagmeni was the venue where the 26-year-old took his first season victory and repeated his win in the 2009 final. With a whiff of the Olympic spirit omnipresent, Czech Michal Navratil made the extra step to the podium and finished third in front of more than 9,000 enthusiastic spectators and Artem Silchenko completed the top spots in position two. The midway stop of the 2011 Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series will take place in La Rochelle, France, on June 18, 2011.

KOHL LEADS THE WAY IN VOULIAGMENI

An unpredictable first round in Athens saw Luxembourg’s Alain Kohl take the early lead ahead of the final rounds of what is expected to be a wide-open competition live on redbull.tv this Sunday.

Kohl’s flying front somersault saw him walk away with the highest score of the day as each of the 12 athletes performed a single dive with a fixed degree of difficulty of 3.6.

“Can I win the competition? That’s a big question, I will try to do my best but we will see,” he said. “I’m aiming for the top six but really I just want to perform my dives as well as I can. I need to improve my flying back for tomorrow and that’s what I’m going to work on now.”

Kent De Mond, the first man up on the 27-metre-high platform, ended the day in third to possibly kickstart his World Series after an injury-disrupted start to the season.

“I was happy with it and not too excited,” he said, “but I watched the rest of the round and everyone kept bombing their entries and I was just surprised that I came up in third. It’s a good place to start, though, and it usually helps the competition when you have a good start like that.”

Compatriot Steven LoBue continues to make an impressive step-up to cliff diving. 2010 World Series champion Gary Hunt has ground to make up, though, after a disappointing first round where he failed to hit a reverse somersault, the dive of choice for four of the competitors before they returned to training.

The session was later suspended after Hassan Mouti missed a new dive – a front quint somersault with half twist tuck, with the Frenchman transported to hospital as a precaution.

Scores after Round One
1. Alain Kohl | LUX | 90.00pts
2. Hassan Mouti | FRA | 86.40pts
3. Kent De Mond | USA | 82.80pts
4. Steven LoBue | USA | 81.00pts
5. Slava Polyeshchuk | UKR | 81.00pts
6. Michal Navratil | CZE | 79.20pts
7. Artem Silchenko | RUS | 75.60pts
8. Sacha Kutsenko | UKR | 75.60pts
9. Cyrille Oumedjkane | FRA | 68.40pts
10. Gary Hunt | GBR | 59.40pts
11. Jorge Ferzuli | MEX | 59.40pts
12. Todor Spasov (Wildcard) | BUL | 37.80pts

PERFORMING TO AN AUDIENCE

Greg Louganis and Orlando Duque were among the high-profile spectators for the first day of training on Friday ahead of the third stop in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series in Athens, Greece.

Louganis, 51, will judge his first World Series event on Sunday and the presence of the US Olympian added an extra element to the warm-up at Lake Vouliagmeni.

“Every diver has heard of Greg Louganis, he’s a legend,” said Alain Kohl. “I’m looking forward to his judging. I just hope he is not too tough on us! He will probably be able to see things that nobody else sees.”

“I’ve listened a little bit to how Greg has been speaking to us about technique, how you rotate in a twist, for example,” said Jorge Ferzuli. “This is good for me because I’m always looking at how to do better. I’ve seen the videos of him diving because it was a bit before my time, but, for sure, he’s one of my heroes.”

Nine-time world champion Duque is forced to watch the action unfold from the side of the lake after arriving in Greece on crutches following the broken ankle he sustained in a skydive last month.

“Of course being here is bittersweet,” he said. “I get to watch, but I don’t want to be watching, I want to be competing. I just have to focus on the recovery now and getting better soon.”

Besides Louganis and Duque, a limited number of 5,000 spectators will watch the action unfold at Lake Vouliagmeni on Sunday. You too can watch the competition live on Red Bull TV. The coverage begins at 4pm (CEST).

Launch of International Museum Day 2011 ‘Museum and Memory’

Objects tell your story!

The worldwide community of museums will celebrate International Museum Day around May 18, 2011. Museum and Memory is the theme of International Museum Day 2011. Museums store memory and tell stories. They have numerous objects in their collections that are basic to the memory of the communities we live in. These objects are the expressions of our natural and cultural heritage. Many of them are fragile, some endangered and they need special care and conservation. International Museum Day 2011 will be an occasion for visitors to discover and rediscover individual and collective memory.

Memory is a preoccupation for organisations beyond the museum community. ICOM has therefore initiated close institutional partnershipswith the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme (World Documentary Heritage), the Co-ordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations (CCAAA), the International Council of Archives (ICA), the International Council of Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA).

IMD 2011 will focus on the African continent whose cultural contribution to the world is often unknown and deserves to be promoted.

The International Council of Museums (ICOM) establishedInternational Museum Day in 1977 to encourage public awareness on the role of museums in the development of society. Momentum has been rising unabated ever since. In 2010, International Museum Day garnered record-breaking participation with almost 30,000 museums hosting events in more than 95 countries.

Air China Launches New Route to Athens, Greece

European Association of Geographers Annual Meeting

Thursday June 2, 2011 – Sunday June 5, 2011 from 12:00am – 12:00am
Titania Hotel, Athens, Attica

Conference for those interested in the study of the world we live in and its lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena.Scope of the congress is for original and innovative research, learning, teaching and applying geography, as well as in promoting the significance of geography.
Website: http://www.ntua.gr/MIRC/EUROGEO/index.html

Acropolis Rally 2011

The story continues!
For more than half a century Athens,Greece remains faithful to its appointment with major sport events. The heart of the World Rally Championship keeps its beat for a week every year with the conduct of the Acropolis Rally!

With 57 years of history, the Acropolis Rally can be identified as anything except “old”. The Greek round of the World Rally Championship was, is and will remain one of the toughest tests in the WRC (World Rally Championship), perhaps the most popular form of motorsport worldwide. Thirteen countries, three factory teams, dozens of entries from every corner of the earth make up the puzzle of the organization, which in 2011 will take place in Greece from the 16th till the 19th of June.

Seven-times world champion, Sébastien Loeb, the champion of 2003, Petter Solberg, the Formula 1 world champion of 2007, Kimi Räikkönen, and all the protagonists of the championship, such as Jari Matti Latvala, Sébastien Ogier, Mikko Hirvonen and more, together with the Greek participants, will compete for three consecutive days on the Greek mountains, in a route of approximately 1,200 kilometers that will take them through Athens, Viotia, Fthiotida and back in the Peloponnese after 17 special stages.

During the 3 days of competition (17th 18th and 19th of June), all teams will “camp” in Loutraki, at the Army School of Engineering, an area with free access to spectators throughout the duration of the race.

This year the Organisation’s decision to conduct a night-special stage caused a sensation even at international level since it will be the first that will take place in a World Rally Championship event after many years. The night-special stage is ‘Nea Politeia’ (length 17.7 km) in Loutraki, and is expected to start at 21:33 on Saturday the 18th of June.
The last stage of the rally, ‘Neo Loutraki’, with a start time of 14:11 on Sunday the 19th of June, will be broadcasted live from National Television (NET) and also worldwide.

Detailed information, program and maps of the rally, can be found at the official site of Acropolis Rally

“GAMING & SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY: Corporate Culture or State Coercion?”

Thursday, February the 3^rd, 2011 Royal Olympic Athens Hotel. www.gaming-responsibility.com

Athens 24 January 2011. For the first time in Europe a dedicated conference referring to the “Gaming & Social Responsibility” will take place. In our days, there is a challenge unfolding more in the next years on the Gaming industry, the SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY issue.

The forum will focus to the Responsible Gaming, identifying best practices, ensuring meanwhile that the interest of players and vulnerable groups are protected.

At last, is Responsible Gaming a marketing tool of the companies that are active in this industry or it is the infusion of corporate philosophy that a gaming company adopts!

Government officials and market decision makers will be engaged to the Round Table of the forum for a live constructive discussion.

The forum will host high ranked researchers, academicians, European officials and market players from different countries.

Keynote Speaker of the forum will be Dr. Christodoulakis George, Special Secretariat for Asset Privatization, Ministry of Finance, Greece.

Issues that will be elaborated are:

• Does Social Responsibility Exist in the Gaming Industry?

• What is Responsible Gaming for Traditional and Online Gaming Companies?

• How gaming companies cope with gaming addiction?

• What are the challenges and opportunities for European online operators?

• Is Responsible Gaming Corporate Culture or State Coercion?

• Are relevant laws, regulations and responsibilities met and applied by the states?

• How can the gaming industry best use technology to encourage responsible gambling?

Organizers:

Financial-Academy started its activities in June of 2010 to provide training for professionals in the market from other reputable professionals involved either in the Greek market or in the foreign arena. The Goal is to create the appropriate field of training for quick implementation and transfer of knowledge into practice.

Archetype, a communication strategy company, started its activities in spring of 2010 offering valuable services to its clients interesting in mergers, acquisitions and business matching between corporations (startups and mature ones) and Private Equities or Venture Capitals in Europe, USA, Canada and Asia.

Sponsors of the Conference

The conference will take place with the support of the following sponsors:

• Golden Sponsor: Techlink Entertainment
• Advisory and Training Sponsor: Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE)
• Printed Media Sponsors: Re:CSR & Κεφάλαιο
• TV Sponsor: Channel 9
• Online Sponsors: Capital.gr, Derivatives.gr & WTMnews.gr
• Public Relations Sponsor: Action Global Communications
• Business Analytics Sponsor: Inventive

www.gaming-responsibility.com

Onassis Cultural Centre

The Onassis Cultural Centre is Athens‘ new cultural space hosting events and actions across the whole spectrum of the arts from theatre, dance, music and the visual arts to the written word, with an emphasis on contemporary cultural expression, on supporting Greek artists, on cultivating international collaborations and on educating children and people of all ages through life-long learning.

The foundations of the Onassis Cultural Centre were laid in Athens in 2004. The construction of the Centre was exclusively funded and overseen by the Onassis Foundation. The Centre was built on a privately-owned 3,000 sq. m. plot on Syngrou Avenue which is bounded by four roads and covers an entire city block. The Centre boasts 18,000 sq. m. of interior space.

Onassis Cultural Centre
107-109 Syngrou Avenue, 11745 Athens, Greece
Information/Tickets: 210 900 5 800,
Administration: 213 0 178000
Email: info@sgt.gr

“Kalimera Breakfast” with a taste of Greece!

As part of the HORECA 2011 International Tradeshow for Catering and Equipping Hotels and Catering Establishments, the first National Gastronomy Conference “Kalimera Breakfast” (“Good Morning Breakfast”) will be held by the Hellenic Chef’s Association on 5 February 2011 at the EXPO ATHENS Exhibition Centre.

5th Annual International Conference on Psychology, 30-31 May 2011 & 1-2 June 2011, Athens, Greece

The Psychology Research Unit of the Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) will hold its 5th International Conference on Psychology in Athens, Greece, 30-31May 2011 & 1-2 June 2011. The conference website is www.atiner.gr/psychology.htm.

The registration fee is 250 euro, covering access to all sessions, 2 lunches, coffee breaks and conference material. Special arrangements will be made with local hotels for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a one-day cruise to picturesque Greek Islands and a half-day tour to archaeological sites will be organized.

The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) was established in 1995 as an independent academic organization with the mission to become a forum where academics and researchers from all over the world could meet in Athens and exchange ideas on their research and discuss the future developments of their discipline. Since 1995, more than 100 international conferences were organized and more than 80 books have been published. The Institute is organized into four research divisions and nineteen research units. Each research unit organizes at least an annual conference and undertakes various small and large research projects.

ITB Business Travel Days – solutions for travel managers and event planners

MICE Day at ITB Berlin 2011 in cooperation with the Association of German Event Organisers has tips for event planners – in-depth workshops and discussions on planning and optimising services – tips from experts for intelligent social media strategies

Berlin, 17 November 2010. A badly organised event can not only cause lasting damage to a company’s reputation but also result in huge and ultimately unnecessary costs. This is why Gerhard Bleile, President of the Association of German Event Organisers, advocates not leaving quality and costs up to chance: “Combining traditional and innovative thinking is a recipe for outstanding success.” Concrete ways to help further this idea will be presented at MICE Day at ITB Berlin on 9 March 2011. In cooperation with the Association of German Event Organisers, MICE Day at ITB Business Travel Days offers a concise overview of trends and innovations in event planning. At the ITB Business Travel Days from 9 to 11 March 2011, at lectures, workshops and panel discussions, experts and practitioners will present the latest findings on business travel and events.

At the ITB Business Travel Days the MICE Day in particular will be presenting event organisers with a compact range of advanced training courses offering concrete approaches. The focus will be on MICE guidelines which help to reduce in-house time and effort as well as external costs during procurement, without sacrificing the quality of an event. Good briefings also contribute decisively to the success of an event. MICE Day will warn of typical mistakes.

A further presentation will examine optimum return on investment. This lecture will explain the importance of service, teamwork and customer motivation. Book author Benno van Aerssen will speak about vicious circles in MICE planning and how to escape them with intelligent ideas.

The popular topic of social media has found its way into the event world and is a must on the MICE Day agenda. A workshop will discuss which changes are important and how organisers and speakers can use networks to their own ends. The panel discussion will conclude with participants exploring trends in the meetings industry and highlighting current developments.

In Hall 8.1 the well-established ITB Berlin Business Travel Lounge will invite decision-makers and senior executives to talk about successful networking.

A trade visitor pass to ITB Berlin grants admission to all the lectures at the Business Travel Forum.

Any event planners who would like to explore Berlin’s hottest venues outside the exhibition grounds have an opportunity to do so on the Friday of the fair. MEET BERLIN, a group which oversees 65 event venues and various caterers, outfitters, artists, will be holding a grand open day for the third time.

From 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. agencies and corporate planners have an opportunity to personally get to know numerous event venues, caterers, outfitters, artists, hotels and other service providers working for the events industry. Participants can experience the programme on a bus tour or find out about the many attractions for themselves. More details are available at www.meet-berlin.net/tour.

TOP INDUSTRY AWARD WINNING

The Athenaeum InterContinental Athens has been awarded Greece’s Leading Conference Hotel and Greece’s Leading Business Hotel for 2010 at the World Travel Awards Europe.

Founded in 1993 and described as the “Oscars” of the travel industry, the World Travel Awards represent the ultimate accolade celebrating excellence in product and service worldwide. This year, a phenomenal 185,000 industry professionals participated in the voting process casting their votes on the best hospitality products.

“Winning once again at the World Travel Awards Europe as we did in 2005, 2006, 2007 & 2009 is a brilliant achievement for the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens. This time, however, our excitement is even greater since we’ve been recognized not only as a Leading Business Hotel but also as a Leading Conference Hotel.” stated Mr. Panos Panayotopoulos, General Manager of the hotel. “We strongly believe that the driving force behind the hotel’s success is our ability to deliver the highest possible service standards whilst offering an environment of discreet luxury and comfort to all of our guests. Our goal is to ensure that the hotel continues to consistently deliver on its promise to its customers.”

The Lost World of Old Europe

In parallel with the main exhibition, the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, in collaboration with the Hellenic Ministry of Culture and Tourism, is staging a presentation of objects from Greek Neolithic sites of the same period for comparative reasons. The presentation, which features 90 exhibits from several museums, explores the similarities and the differences between Greece and the Balkans during the 5th and 4th millennium BC. The exhibition will last until 10 January 2011.

The unknown world of “Old Europe” is revealed in this exhibition, which features more than 200 Neolithic objects from Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. Among the exhibits are impressive models of the human form, stunning painted pottery and metalwork, including the earliest known assemblage of gold artefacts from the cemetery of Varna.

The exhibition, which is being staged by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University, in collaboration with the National History Museum of Romania, Bucharest and with the participation of the Varna Regional Museum of History in Bulgaria, and the National Museum of Archaeology and History of Moldova in Chisinau, demonstrates that during the Neolithic period, the various regions of Southeastern Europe had more things in common than differences.

Don’t miss the exhibition “The Lost World of Old Europe” at the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, Greece.

Athens Classic Marathon

For the last 28 years, the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) organizes yearly, the international Athens Classic Marathon event; a popular mass sport and tourist event, in which thousands of runners from Greece and abroad participate. The Athens Classic Marathon is a unique event, held on the authentic, historical, Olympic Marathon course and will take place on Sunday 31 October 2010. The Athens Classic Marathon race is dedicated to the memory of the Balkan pacifist, Grigoris Lambrakis.The originality of this race, the opportunity a runner has to run the course that was originally run by the ancient Athenian soldier and message bearer and then, by Spyros Louis, the first Olympic Champion in the Marathon event in 1896, attracts more and more runners and simple citizens every year from Greece and all over the world.

Among all the Olympic sport events, the marathon race stands out, as it was born out of a true historic and heroic event. It was a true triumph accomplished by a news-bearing foot soldier from ancient Athens, who announced – with his last words – the victory of the Greeks against the Persians during the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC.

This year, the 2010 Athens Classic Marathon, which will be held on 31 October 2010, coincides with the celebration of the 2,500 years anniversary from the Marathon Battle, honoured throughout the year by the international Marathon and Sport Movement as well as by millions of individual runners and sport fans all around the world.

The actual race will be held on Sunday 31 October 2010, from the city of Marathon to the Panathinaikon Stadium with more than 21,000 runners participating not only in the Marathon Race, but also in the shorter road races of 10km and 5km, held parallel.

In addition to that the Athens Classic Marathon Expo will take place between 28-30 October 2010, at the Zappeion Megaro, focusing on Sports, Tourism and Health. Furthermore, SEGAS (the Hellenic Athletics Federation) will honour the 2,500 years anniversary from the Marathon Battle with a big event to take place outside the Zappeion Megaro on Friday 29 October 2010, at 19.30pm. This worthwhile event is open to the public and it consists of dramatic act, videos, and music. Do not miss it!

For more information, visit: www.athensclassicmarathon.gr

Myrtis: Face to face with the past

Women Choosing ICT Careers: Influencing policy from practice

The European Conference “Women Choosing ICT Careers: Influencing policy from practice” will take place on 26 October 2010 in Athens, Greece. The Conference will mark the successful conclusion of the EC co-funded project “gender-IT” implemented by seven partners from Cyprus, Greece, UK, Estonia, Spain and Sweden.

Tuesday, 26 October 2010
Where: Hellenic American Union
22 Massalias street,
10680 Athens, Greece

There is NO conference attendee registration fee. Participation is free of charge.
All registered attendees will have the opportunity to participate in the conference works, including two coffee breaks and a luncheon.
First come-first served!

Priority registration is now open.
The number of registration places is limited and it will be awarded on a first come, first served basis.

http://gender-it-forum.itec.edu/conference/

Energy Photovoltaic Exhibition – Athens

Photovoltaic-Athens is one of the largest exhibition for the sector of Photovoltaic of Athens. The exhibition will provide the most propitious environment for showcasing new trends and applications in the photovoltaic Industry. Photovoltaic exhibition will be held between 21-24 October 2010 at Mediterranean Exhibition Centre.

Investors in the fields of Renewable Energies & Energy Efficiency, engineers and technicians of local governments, Management Consultants , Officials of Central And Local Government, industries, manufacturers, commercial enterprises, construction companies, technicians, technicians from Industry, Hotels and Marine sectors, representatives and tradesmen from Greece and abroad.

Profile for exhibit includes PV Systems (Modules -Solar Cells), Inverters, Charge Controllers, Batteries, Mounting Systems, Connection boxes, Cables and component parts, Monitoring Systems, PV Parks, Co-ogeneration, Installations, Planning, and Service, Photovoltaics, solar systems, wind generators.

Business Timing: 10:00am – 08:00pm Public Timing: 10:00am – 08:00pm

2nd Annual International Conference on Fine and Performing Arts

The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) organizes its 2^nd Annual International Conference on Fine Arts in Athens, Greece, 6-9 June 2011.

The aim of the conference is to bring together scholars, researchers and students from all areas of Fine Arts (such as Animation, Architecture, Art History, Art Education, Book Arts, Ceramics, Community Arts, Fashion Design, Fiber, Furniture/Woodworking, Glass, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Jewellery/Metal Arts, Media Arts, Painting/Drawing, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Fiber Arts, Visual Studies, Writing and Literature, etc) and Performing Arts (such as music, drama, dance, etc). Panel organizers are encouraged to submit their proposals by inviting other scholars that do research in the area.

The registration fee of €250 (euro), covers access to all sessions, two lunches, coffee breaks, and conference material. Special arrangements will be made with a local luxury hotel for a limited number of rooms at a special conference rate. In addition, a number of special events will be organized: a Greek night of entertainment, a special one-day cruise in the Greek islands and a half-day tour around the wider area of Athens (Attica).

Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words (using email only to:atiner@atiner.gr) by 15^th of November 2010 addresses to: Dr. Stephen Andrew Arbury, Academic Member of ATINER and Professor, Radford University, USA. Abstracts should include: Title of Paper, Full Name (s), Affiliation, Current Position, an email address and at least 3 keywords that best describe the subject of your submission. Decisions are reached within 4 weeks. If you want to participate without presenting a paper, i.e. chair a session, review papers to be included in the conference proceedings or books, contribute to the editing of a book, or any other contribution, please send an email to Dr. Gregory T. Papanikos, (gtp@atiner.gr) Director, ATINER.

The Athens Institute for Education and Research (ATINER) was established in 1995 as an independent academic organization with the mission to become a forum, where academics and researchers – from all over the world – could meet in Athens and exchange ideas on their research and discuss the future developments of their discipline. Since 1995, ATINER has organized more than 100 international conferences and has published over 80 books. Academically, the Institute consists of four research divisions and nineteen research units. Each research unit organizes at least an annual conference and undertakes various small and large research projects.

Star Clippers: autumn break in the Aegean

Tall ship specialist Star Clippers is offering a new short autumn break in the Aegean, combining a night in a luxury Athens hotel with three nights’ cruising the Greek islands on the graceful, four-masted square-rigger, Star Clipper.

Departing September 28, 2010, the holiday begins with a night in the five-star boutique hotel, St George Lycabettus, close to Athens’ chic Kolonaki district of shops and bars, within easy reach of the Acropolis.

Star Clipper sets sail from Piraeus, the port for Athens, on September 29, calling at the dramatic, volcanic island of Santorini, where the whitewashed cube-houses and blue-domed churches of Fira, the capital, are sprinkled across jet-black cliffs, towering over a deep blue sea. The second port is beautiful Mykonos, famous for its shopping, nightlife and long, sandy beaches. As well as plenty of opportunity to explore each destination, there will be time to relax on deck, enjoy a cocktail in the al fresco Tropical Bar and appreciate the beauty of a tall ship powered by 3,365 square metres of sail. The ship returns to Athens on October 2.

Fares for this special voyage start at just £799 per person, including full board and entertainment on the ship, one night in Athens, return flights from the UK and transfers.

For more information and bookings, visit: starclippers.co.uk

THE 18th AIMS WORLD CONGRESS IN ATHENS

On 4 April 2009 AIMS decided that the 18th World Congress of AIMS will hold in Athens on 28-30 October 2010, on the occasion of the 2,500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon. The Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) and the Organizing Committee of the 18th World Congress of AIMS will be welcoming race organizers from all around the world to the birthplace of the Marathon legend, honouring the Marathon Movement and its history.

AIMS holds a World Congress open to all members, on average every two years. In order to allow all members the possibility of hosting any Congress the interval between Congresses can be anything from 18 months to 30 months.

The Establishing Congress was held in London in 1982, but was little more than a private meeting among those marathon organisers who had been instrumental in forming the Association (only formalised at that meeting). After that, the first open Congress of AIMS was held in Tokyo in January 1983, and since then 16 more AIMS World Congresses have been held, the latest of which was the 17th World Congress held on 2-4 April 2009 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

At that Congress Athens was voted as the venue for the 18th World Congress of AIMS, to be held on 28-29 October 2010, followed on 30 October by the 4th AIMS-IAAF Marathon Symposium. The normal format for the World Congress is two days of presentations and seminars followed by a specific business day. In Athens there will be a day of seminars followed by the business day and then, the AIMS-IAAF Symposium. Breaks are scheduled within both the seminar and business programme to allow for informal discussion among members, and there is a social programme run in parallel with the scheduled sessions.

Maria Guleghina at Megaron Athens Concert Hall

The first individual appearance in Athens of top Russian soprano Maria Guleghina will be a major artistic event. This famous opera singer will be appearing at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall on Friday 24 September accompanied on piano by Massimiliano Bull, a permanent member of La Scala in Milan. Maria Guleghina comes to Athens on the heels of triumphant appearances as Turandot at the Metropolitan Opera, the Arena di Verona and the Zurich Opera.

Guleghina is among the leading performers of her generation, having played mostly dramatic roles of the operatic repertory. “Cinderella of Russia” and “vocal miracle” are just some of the phrases that have been used to describe her in the international media.

Her long career has included appearances at the Metropolitan Opera, La Scala, the Gran Teatre del Liceu, Covent Garden, the Arena di Verona, the Paris Opera, Wigmore Hall, Suntory Hall and the Mariinsky Theatre. She has also performed at the opera houses of Moscow, Tokyo, Osaka, São Paulo, Hong Kong and elsewhere. Each performance is a major success and is followed by rave reviews. “After one of her performances, one can feel and experience the mysterious ability of music to reach the depths of the human heart,” wrote the Metropolitan Opera Review.

Maria Guleghina has worked with top performers and conductors, including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, Leo Nucci, Renato Bruson, Jose Cura and Samuel Ramey, Gianadrea Gavarezzi, Riccardo Muti, James Lavine, Zubin Mehta, Valery Gergiev, Fabio Luisi and Claudio Abbado.

She has received important awards, such as the Puzzini prize as best performer of his works, the 2001 Bellini Prize, the Giovanni Zanatell Prize for her debut in Verona, the Maria Zamboni gold medal and the Osaka Festival gold medal in 1999, among others.

Guleghina’s programme at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall will include arias from operas she has appeared in, as well as a selection of Italian songs. It should be noted that her appearance in Verdi’s Nabucco with Leo Nucci in 2007 at the Greek National Opera in Athens was another of her great performances and was enthusiastically received by the Athenian audience.

Don’t miss the top Russian soprano Maria Guleghina on Friday 24 September at the Megaron Athens Concert Hall.

Outstanding European cultural personalities meet in Athens 16-19 September

The European Cultural Parliament, ECP, with almost 100 outstanding artists, authors, philosophers and other cultural personalities coming from 40 European countries will hold its 9th session in Athens 16-19 September upon the invitation of the Hellenic Parliament and the City of Athens. The session will constitute part of the Athens celebration of 25 Years European Capital of Culture.

Athens Ledra Marriott – A Post Card from Armenia

Aromas of unique tastes from Armenia!! The Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel sends you a “Post Card” from Armenia where our Zephyros Restaurant embarks on a culinary voyage with a promotional week of Armenian tastes from the 21^st of September to 26^th of September 2010. All traditional recipes of authentic tastes are derived from fresh ingredients and genuine herbs and spices from the region, prepared to perfection and coupled with a renowned selection of Armenian wines.

The Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel brings an imaginative array of culinary delicacies from Armenia to Athens. With the assistance of the local Armenian community and the Yerevan Marriott Hotel, the Zephyros Restaurant at the Athens Marriott hotel will showcase traditional recipes in a lavish dinner buffet accompanied by live entertainment.

In cooperation with the culinary expertise of the tenacious Armenian community of Athens, Zephyros Restaurant has created a sumptuous range of traditional dishes including “Cheese Barag”, “Pasterma”, refreshing “Tahn Soup” and the famous “Keshkag Chicken” all accompanied by a rich selection of desserts. You can choose from an affluent selection of Armenian wines and for the more adventurous wine tasting is available. The night would not be complete without trying the famous Armenian cognac “Ararat”.

On Saturday 25^th of September at 22:00 the “All Armenian Fund Hayastan” beneficiary Gala Dinner will be held at Athens Ledra Marriott Hotel.

10th European Conference on Accelerators in Applied Research and Technology

The 10th European Conference on Accelerators in Applied Research and Technology (ECAART 10), takes place in Glyfada, a very attractive suburb of Athens, between the 13^th and the 17^th of September 2010.

The scope of this multidisciplinary conference is to present the recent developments in accelerator technology and to review the applications of particle accelerators in basic and applied physics research, in material science, medicine, art and archaeology, as well as, in mineralogy and geology.

The previous conferences of this series took place in Frankfurt a.M./D (1989, 1991), Orleans/F (1993), Zurich/CH (1995) Eindhoven/NL (1997), Dresden/D (1999), Surrey/UK (2001), Paris/F (2004) and Florence/IT (2007). The Local organizing team will make every effort to offer you a conference of high scientific quality in a very pleasant environment.

“WOMAN AS MUSE, 1900-1950″

The Herakleidon Museum from September 3rd until November 21st 2010 will present the exhibition with the title: “Woman as Muse, 1900-1950″. The exhibition will showcase about ninety (90) works on paper – watercolors, prints and drawings of the first fifty years of the 20th century, by European artists (including Greeks). The works come from the Museum’s collection, the Greek National Gallery, the Alpha Bank Collection, as well as from the private collections of Mr. George Economou and Mr. Charalambos Leontiadis.

From the Herakleidon Museum’s collection works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Henri Matisse, Aristide Maillol, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Landacre, Dame Laura Knight, Theophile-Alexandre Steinlen and Childe Hassam.

From the Greek National Gallery collection works by Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse, Gustav Klimt, Pablo Picasso, Egon Schiele, Jules Pascin, Yiannis Moralis, George Varlamos, George Economidis, Markos Zavitzianos, Emmanuel Zeppos, Dimitrios Galanis, Alexandros Korogiannakis, Dimitris Giannoukakis, Angelos Theodoropoulos, Costas Grammatopoulos and Yannis Kefallinos.

From the Alpha Bank collection works by Spyros Vassiliou, Dimitrios Galanis, Angelos Theodoropoulos, Dimitris Giannoukakis, George Economidis, Costas Grammatopoulos and Markos Zavitzianos.

From the George Economou collection works by Franz von Stuck, Alfons Walde, Lev Tchistovsky, Anton Peschka, Otto Muller, Otto Rudolf Schatz, Arthur Brusenbauch, Max Beckmann, Jeanne Mammen, Bela Kadar, Jean Metzinger and Erich Metzoldt.

The Charalambos Leontiadis collection participates with the work “La Parisienne” by Dimitrios Galanis.

The female form has been an inspiration to artists of all ages and ethnic groups, dating back to antiquity. The exhibition “Woman as Muse, 1900-1950” will showcase works on paper by world renowned artists of modernism, depicting their varied interpretations of the female form and reflecting the prevailing artistic movements of their time. Woman is portrayed as mother, muse, lover, friend or confidante. She is alternately nurturing, beguiling, assertive or conspiratorial.

Diageo Reserve Announces World Class Bartender of the Year 2010: Erik Lorincz From Connaught Bar, London

The title of DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS Bartender of the Year 2010 was presented to Erik Lorincz from Connaught Bar at The Connaught, London. After a year long global challenge which saw 9000 bartenders from around the globe shake, stir and pour their way through national heats, just 24 of the most talented and inspirational bartenders remained to go head to head over four days of WORLD CLASS challenges this week. Erik claimed the overall title after impressing the most recognised names in the business – Dale DeGroff, Salvatore Calabrese, Peter Dorelli, Gary Regan, Alberto Soria and Hidetsugu Ueno.

Congratulating the winner of the second global DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS competition, Rudy Paoli, Managing Director, Diageo Reserve said: “WORLD CLASS is a truly international celebration of the flair, creativity and skill of the bartender and the appreciation of great spirit brands. Erik represents all of this and we would like to congratulate him on this fantastic achievement.”

WORLD CLASS judge Dale DeGroff commented, “What’s most impressive about DIAGEO RESERVE WORLD CLASS is how every aspect of the craft of bartending is tested by the challenges and judges. You need to be creative, thorough and skilled – it’s daunting. Each year I learn different skills from everyone I meet at World Class including the contestants. These 21st century bartenders are the pioneers of a new golden age of the craft.”

WORLD CLASS 2010 Bartender of the Year, Erik said “This is a dream to win such a prestigious award, to be judged by some of my heroes such as Salvatore Calabrese and Dale DeGroff has really inspired me. I’m really excited about the year ahead.”

WORLD CLASS was established by Diageo Reserve, the luxury division of DIAGEO plc, to educate and inspire talented bartenders to create exceptional cocktails, service and experiences, which are then brought to life in some of the best bars around the world.

Using the premium liquids of the Reserve Brands portfolio – Ketel One(R) vodka, Cîroc(R) vodka, Tanqueray(R) No.TEN(TM) gin, Don Julio(R) tequila, Zacapa(R) rum and Johnnie Walker(R) Gold Label(TM) and Blue Label(TM) Blended Scotch Whisky – the finalists showcased their skills in six classically themed challenges, from ‘Architecture’ which tested the bartenders ingenuity and ability to adapt fresh ingredients from a local market to create a cocktail out of their chosen produce to ‘History’ which examined the bartenders’ knowledge of mixology and pursuit of perfection.

Cultural Weekend for Two

Enjoy a weekend for two in Athens with culture, relaxation and fun. Hilton Athens has just created a package in cooperation with Benaki Museum, one of major cultural institutions in Greece. Take advantage of this unique package and take a weekend break in Athens with €249 for two only. The package includes:

• 2-night stay in a Double Hilton guestroom
• Access to Hiltonia Spa (gym, indoor pool, sauna)
• 2 tickets for 3 museums (Main Building, Pireos Street Annex and Islamic Art)
• 10% discount at the Benaki Gift Shop (Main Building)

Booking  is easy, simply click on ‘Book a Room’ at www.hilton.com .

Etihad Airways celebrates successful first year in Athens

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, today celebrated another milestone with the first anniversary of its services to Athens, as flight EY91 from Abu Dhabi touched down at Athens International Airport.

During its first year of operation to Athens, the Abu-Dhabi based airline has performed strongly, despite challenges in the market, with average seat factors of more than 70 per cent, which is expected to rise during the summer period to reach over 90 per cent.

Etihad commenced services between Abu Dhabi and Athens in June last year operating three flights per week, and as a result of its success on the route, quickly increased to five flights per week in November and to a daily service in January.

Dimitris Karagkioules, Country Manager of Etihad Airways in Greece, said: “Our first year of operations has been extremely important to us as we position ourselves for success in the Greek market. We are very pleased at the performance of our flights and the impressive passenger numbers are a strong reflection that the airline is meeting the needs of the market in Greece.

“Our daily flights connect seamlessly with many cities on Etihad’s global network, and we are pleased to help connect Athens with Greek communities throughout the world, particularly in Melbourne and Sydney.

“Our aim moving forward is to build our presence in Greece and to ensure that even more passengers travel with us and experience the award-winning product and service for which Etihad is renowned.

“I would also like to thank our partners at Athens International Airport for their tremendous support of our operations during the past 12 months.”

Etihad Airways’ goal is to provide convenient flights with strong connections to its passengers in Athens, and to strengthen the breadth and depth of its network through the implementation of codeshare agreements to respond to the growing demand of passengers who wish to travel to and from Greece through Abu Dhabi.

As an example of this, Etihad recently commenced a codeshare agreement with Olympic Air, which means Etihad Airways customers around the world are now able to fly to two of Greece’s leading holiday destinations, Rhodes and Thessaloniki, as well as Romania and Bulgaria for the first time.

Etihad also operates a codeshare service with Sri Lankan Airlines, providing passengers in Athens with connections from Abu Dhabi to Colombo and Male (Maldives).

Etihad offers a superior product and service experience to its Greek passengers and to all guests travelling to Greece. The airline has recently introduced its ‘Inspired Service’ concept in Economy class as well as in its premium classes, which seeks to provide all customers with service individually tailored to their needs.

In both cabins, Etihad offers its customers state-of-the-art, on-demand entertainment systems, allowing customers to enjoy the latest movies, TV shows, music and interactive games as well as recharge laptop computers and mobile devices.

Etihad operates two-class A320 aircraft to Athens, configured to carry 140 passengers with 20 seats in Business class and 120 in Economy class. Flight EY091 departs Abu Dhabi at 9.40am and arrives in Athens at 1.30pm. Flight EY090 departs Athens at 2.30pm and arrives in Abu Dhabi at 8.00pm.

Etihad, which began flying less than seven years ago, was awarded three titles at the recent 2010 Skytrax awards: World’s Best First Class; Best First Class Airline Seat; and Best First Class Onboard Catering. This win built upon its success at the 2009 Skytrax awards where it won the Best Business Class and Best Business Class Catering categories. It also won the title of the World’s Leading Airline at the World Travel Awards (WTA) in November 2009, as well as six Middle East awards at the WTAs in May 2010.

Athens set to host largest ever international business visitor contingent for a single event

Posidonia flies Greek flag with famous blue and white logo at New York’s Times Square

As Greece continues its journey through the uncharted waters of fiscal uncertainty the country will be reprieved from the negative media spotlight next week as it prepares to host Posidonia, the world’s largest international maritime event and welcome to Athens’ waterfront Hellenikon Exhibition Centre leaders of the global sea transportation community from a record 87 nations and territories.

The famous colourful landmark NASDAQ tower at New York’s Times Square is already displaying the blue and white logo of Posidonia Shipping Exhibition 2010 in a gesture of support to the listed shipping companies as thousands of visitors and hundreds of international journalists converge to Athens for what Greek government officials describe as a lifeline to the country’s tourism sector and a platform to attract much needed investments.

Speaking at the prize giving ceremony of this year’s Posidonia Cup, a sailing regatta which has been heralding the official opening of Posidonia Exhibition for the past five editions, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism Development Georgios Pousseos said that Posidonia’s contribution to Greece’s MICE sector is vital both in terms of generating revenues for the local economy and as an image guardian for the country’s battered international reputation.

Posidonia Exhibition officials put the windfall to Athens’ tourism sector at around Euro 50 million, the estimated amount to be spent by the expected 10,000 international participants over the duration of the five-day event which officially opens its gates on Monday afternoon.

“Every two years Greece becomes the centre of international attention for all the right reasons as Posidonia’s appeal in the global shipping industry is unprecedented due to its unique breadth, scope, tremendous commercial potential and the media’s avid interest in the Greek shipping muscle, which is the mainstay of the country’s economy with a seven per cent contribution to the country’s GDP,” said Theodore Vokos, Project Manager, Posidonia.

Over 1,850 shipping companies from Greece and the rest of the world will participate in this year’s event which is the biggest in its 44 year history a tangible demonstration to the might of Greece’s shipping industry, which controls the world’s largest merchant fleet accounting for 15 per cent of the global tonnage and contributes an annual 13.5 billion to the country’s GDP.

Rihanna live in Athens 2010

Rihanna will be in Athens, Greece for the first time 1 June at Karaiskaki Stadium for an unforgettable concert. In her four-year career, Rihanna has already sold more 12 million records worldwide and earned much acclaim. She has managed to get five singles on the Hot 100 No. 1 spot and in January 2010, Rihanna won two Grammy Awards for Jay Z’s single, “Run This Town”. Don’t miss Rihanna in her first concert inAthens, Greece 1 June at Karaiskaki Stadium.

In 2005, Rihanna released her first studio album titled Music of the Sun, which rose to the top 10 of the Billboard Top 100. The hit single “Pon de Relay” stood out. Less than one year later, she released her second album titled A Girl Like Me (2006). The album immediately made it to the top five of the Billboard Top 100 album charts. In the same year, Rihanna had her first US No. 1 hit single titled “SOS”, and was among the top 10 with “Unfaithful” and “Break It Off”.

Her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), immediately rose to No. 2 on the Billboard 200, earning her five Top 10 hits, including three at No. 1 (“Umbrella,” “Take a Bow” and “Disturbia”), as well as the international No. 1 hit, “Don’t Stop the Music”. This album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning in the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration category for “Umbrella”, on which Jay Z participated.

Don’t miss Rihanna in her first concert in Athens, Greece 1 June at Karaiskaki Stadium.

Jean-Michel Jarre in Athens, Greece

A leading composer and performer of electronic music, Jean-Michel Jarrereturns to Athens, Greece for a single appearance at the Faliro Taekwondo Pavilion on 1 June. The concert is part ofJarre’s first world tour titled “2010″ which pays tribute to his friend and famed science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke. Jean-Michel Jarre will present in Athens, Greece pieces from his entire body of work in a mesmerising spectacle that takes advantage of state-of-the-art sound, light and special effects technology.

Since 1977 and the astounding success of his first album, Oxygene, which sold 18 million copies and became the top-selling French album in history, Jean-Michel Jarre, son of famous compose Maurice Jarre, has become one of the top names in music of all genres. More than 80 million copies of his albums have been sold worldwide, placing him on the list of artists with the most sales in the 20th century.

Jean-Michel Jarre’s concerts are unique audiovisual spectacles watched by audiences so big that he has earned four Guinness world records for attendance. He has appeared four times before audiences of more than 1 million spectators. He was the first Western artist to play live in post-Maoist China in 1981. In 1997, a concert at Moscow’s Red Square was attended by more than 3.5 million people, an open-air event record.

Jean-Michel Jarre has collaborated with NASA and has given concerts at the Pyramids of Egypt, the Eifel Tower, the Sahara sand dunes in Morocco, in Beijing’s Forbidden City and before Pope John-Paul II. He is a representative of UNESCO and the United Nations on matters of the environment and education. An asteroid has been named “4422 Jarre” in his honour.

Don’t miss this unique concert by Jean-Michel Jarre on 1 June at the Faliro Taekwondo Pavilion in Athens, Greece.