Daily1 - IMEX in Frankfurt

Frankfurt 19-21 May
Daily
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2015
@IMEX_Group
The worldwide exhibition for incentive travel, meetings and events
Tuesday 19th May
Business opportunities
expand at IMEX
ELCOME to IMEX 2015, and to the
start of another week full of exciting
opportunities to learn from inspiring experts
and from peers, to do business face to face
and to network with colleagues from all over
the world.
The show continues to grow. Following
last year’s event which was bigger than ever,
in 2015 the show is again the largest in its
13 year history. Buyers and visitors will see
this growth evident in the hall with 55 new
stands from every continent and every meetings market sector amongst the 3,500 exhibiting companies who represent over 150
countries.
Go2Armenia, Moldova, Visit Faroe Islands,
Busan (Korea), Wuzhen and Ningbo (both
China) are among the interesting new exhibitors they can meet while Nigeria is represented for the first time by the Calabar
Convention Center. Many others including
Ecuador, Lithuania, Lviv (Ukraine) and Mauritius are returning this year. New hotel
groups present include Barcelo, Hyatt International, Mövenpick and Trump Hotel Connection while Ricoh, Eventtia, MeetingHand
and Eventbase are some of the many new
technology companies exhibiting.
Among 45 exhibitors who have booked
larger spaces are Australia, Abu Dhabi, South
Africa, Austria, Denmark and the Netherlands. From the Asia Pacific countries China,
Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Macau
and Singapore have noticeably larger stands
while North American exhibitors with larger
stands include BrandUSA, NYC & Company
and Texas Tourism. The stand of the German
Convention Bureau, IMEX’s German partners,
featuring more than 200 organisations, is
again the largest in the hall.
Visitors and buyers, including 34 new
hosted buyer groups many of which have
travelled from long-haul markets, will have
noticed that IMEX has continued to refine and
develop its appointment setting system
W
Also in this
issue...
Be well at IMEX
3
ICCA makes data easy
5
CCH future plans
6
Be Xceptional
8
Win a Congress bag
11
Take 5 spas
13
60 second guide – Peru
16
Microsoft’s Ruchi Aggarwal
19
IAPCO alliance
30
Making meetings great
34
SITE tackles exploitation
36
RAI’s new move
42
IMEX DAILY 2015
which has been built specifically for the
show. Developments have focussed on making it easier for buyers to manage and refine
their messages and appointments. The
unique Concierge Service launched a year
ago has been further enhanced, so too the
hosted buyer lounge services with free luggage storage and Wi-Fi.
The IMEX educational programme is now
based on the show floor around the Inspiration Hub, which is sponsored by Business
Events Sydney and DoubleDutch. With 170
education sessions, 30 of these in German,
there is something for everyone in the comprehensive choice of strands ranging from
Business Skills, Marketing and Communica-
tion, Risk Management, Technology and Social Media to Creative Learning and Sustainability. There are new early morning sessions
on Business Networking and Building Confidence and a new initiative – Creative
Thursday – with 12 original sessions on
thought-provoking subjects, some presented
in interactive, engaging ’play’ formats.
Two new session streams are geared
specifically towards young professionals –
for anyone with up to three years’ industry
experience – and senior professionals – for
anyone with eight or more years’ experience.
The Inspiration Hub also has a new dedicated
Health and Wellbeing track, part of a new initiative ‘Be Well at IMEX’ that features a sep-
arate meditation room and many sources of
advice on mindfulness and good posture to
help visitors stay in good shape and health
during their days at the show.
At the show’s Opening Ceremony this
morning, Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP, the
world’s largest business software company,
a passionate advocate of the value and
power of meetings in building business will
be delivering the keynote speech.
Around 40 government representatives
from around the world including ministers,
senior regional politicians and policy makers
are visiting the exhibition today before taking
part in the 13th annual IMEX Politicians
Forum, where they will meet with meetings
JMIC conference explores the
value of meetings and events
ORE than 50 meetings industry leaders,
together with academics, researchers
and planners, met in Paris last week to review
the current situation regarding the recording
and measuring of the economic, academic
and business benefits generated by meetings
and to recommend actions for better ways of
measuring them in the future.
While these benefits are an increasingly important rationale for the value of the industry,
there are few solid measures available, and
few tools available for evaluating the oftensignificant investments required to attract and
host meetings and events. Bringing together
industry professionals with those who are best
equipped to document and promote these
benefits was seen to be the most logical way
to make progress in an area that is of major
importance to the future of the industry.
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The JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council) Conference on the Value of Meetings at
the Palais des Congrès de Paris addressed
the ways in which the ability to better measure the value of event outcomes will help advance the role of meetings. An overview of
the data currently being gathered by a range
of industry organisations was also presented.
There was general agreement that what
meetings, conventions and exhibitions actually achieve for their organisers and participants far outweighs the values based simply
on what delegates spend. However, to communicate these values to the outside world
we need to be able to do a much better job
of measuring them.
industry leaders and will learn how to attract
more meetings to their destination as well as
gaining an appreciation of the economic
power of meetings.
Also in the hall today are more than 300
association meeting planners who took part
in another highly successful IMEX Association Day & Evening yesterday, as well as
more than 80 buyers from the corporate sector who took part in the Exclusively Corporate
@IMEX peer to peer education and networking event.
So, now, it’s time for everyone to seize the
vast opportunities to learn, to meet and to do
business. Have a great week!
Download the
IMEX App
EVELOPED in partnership with QuickMobile, the IMEX App is designed to
make your IMEX experience as smooth as
possible. Use it to access your schedule,
browse the events programme, navigate
the show floor and stay social.
Scan the QR code or go to imex-frankfurt.com/app.
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themeetingsindustry.org
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A$6BN
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INVESTED IN NSW ANNUALLY ON R&D.
PROFESSOR SAHAJWALLA IS THE
INVENTOR OF AN ENVIRONMENTALLYFRIENDLY PROCESS OF RECYCLING
PLASTICS AND RUBBER TYRES IN
STEELMAKING
Scientia Professor Veena Sahajwalla
Sustaining the environment and the
next generation of scientific leaders
VISIONARY
“Sydney is forward thinking
with people who want to make
a difference but who equally
want to showcase what we can
do. What I love about Sydney
is the visionary spirit and the
enthusiasm amongst its people
– it’s infectious.”
SYDNEYSHINES.COM.AU
202
In Sydney, you can be at the forefront
of discovery. Visit stand B320
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Join the IMEX
conversation
@IMEX_Group
ISITORS to this year’s show can share
their experiences from the show floor
by Tweeting about them using the hashtag
#IMEX15.
With this year’s show set to be the most
social ever, there has never been a better
time to get involved in the conversation.
Whether it’s sharing a thought, an observation, a selfie, or a piece of important information gleaned from an education
session, sharing it with the thousands of
other event professionals at IMEX is another way of enjoying the whole IMEX experience.
Just remember to keep to 140 characters, use the #IMEX15 hashtag, and watch
out for the @IMEXsocialteam who can
help you get started. Happy Tweeting!
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Rocco Forte Hotels launches new MICE service
OCCO Forte Hotels is launching a newly tailored offering for meetings, conferences,
events, and incentives in its 10 European properties from 1 July 2015.
The Silver, Gold and Platinum packages will
be personalised to clients’ individual requirements, with tiered benefits for meeting planners, as well as unique offerings for delegates
throughout their stay.
Fresh, seasonal and local produce is at the
heart of the Rocco Forte philosophy and remains central to the new offering with newly
developed menus to encourage productivity and
boost energy levels. Groups can choose from a
range of options across four menu types including healthy, international, inhouse speciality or
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regional cuisine.
Basics have also been enhanced, with meeting set-ups including freshly squeezed juices,
seasonal fruits, nuts and a selection of highquality teas, and bespoke herbal teas. Coffee
breaks have been re-imagined for Gold and
Platinum packages with baristas on hand to
make a range of coffees at break times and
after lunch. Nespresso machines are available
for all groups.
The Platinum package is all about rewarding
high-fliers and treating delegates to a unique
experience, complete with champagne party in
a presidential suite and private photographer to
capture the event.
Inventive and unique team building activities
are on offer at many of the properties. Brown’s
Hotel offers an interactive Treasure Hunt across
London where delegates source ingredients for
their dinner at Borough Market. At The Charles
Hotel in Munich, delegates can ride with Bavarian Rikschas and then enjoy a trip on the Isar
River. At all hotels, groups can enjoy culinary
team bonding activities such as cooking with
the chef, chocolate-making and cocktail
classes.
In addition, meeting planners are promised
complimentary accommodation for site visits,
simple contracts and cancellation policies and
responses to deadlines. A dedicated website
has also been launched.
Stand F555 roccofortehotels.com
MPI promotes member benefits
ECTOR Venegas of the MPI (Meeting Professionals International)
Germany Chapter remembers when he first attended educational
events hosted by MPI. “I was truly inspired by the network and community feeling,” said Venegas, an MPI member since 2009. “I experienced how new bonds are made and how experience is shared
between industry professionals.”
Venegas is just one of many MPI members who attribute a part of
their success in the industry to MPI, the largest global association for
meeting and event industry professionals. “Working with MPI has
taught me a lot of things and brought me closer to people throughout
the meeting industry,” added Danielle van der Kwartel of the MPI Mexico Chapter. “It has made me feel humble before so many professionals
that teach and work continuously to keep our industry moving forward.”
With more than 18,500 members worldwide, representing $23 billion in annual meeting spend, MPI believes that meeting and event
professionals serve a critical role. Some of the benefits to an MPI membership include:
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• A commitment to professional development by providing members
with the knowledge they need to succeed through educational programming at MPI’s signature events, other industry conferences,
online and at 70 chapters and clubs worldwide.
• Getting connected to people, ideas and marketplaces that can take
your career to the next level through MPI’s online community and
local chapters while also providing business opportunities.
• Networking events to aid in your professional growth.
• A wide range of issue-driven and relevant research, such as Meetings Outlook, MPI’s quarterly future-focused report, as well as
toolkits and white papers on topics including the future of meetings
and strategic meetings management.
• Member-focused content throughout MPI’s award-winning member
magazine, The Meeting Professional.
Go to mpiweb.org/join to learn more about membership and the value
of belonging to a dynamic association of fellow meeting and event professionals, or stop by the MPI stand.
MPI at IMEX
MPI is providing education throughout IMEX week from sessions on
Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certifications to the future of event
apps. (See the full programme in the IMEX Pocket Guide or the IMEX
App.) Plus the MPI Foundation is hosting its second annual Not-SoSilent Auction at IMEX. Thanks to the generosity of industry supporters,
more than 30 auction lots including trips to idyllic islands, exclusive
tours and concert tickets are up for grabs. The auction is open now at
benefitbidding.com/mpif or from your mobile device at ucanbid and
closes tomorrow on the MPI stand.
Stand F750 mpiweb.org
Be well at IMEX
OOD intentions to stay healthy, eat well,
sleep well and take time out for yourself
can fly out the window at trade shows, however the IMEX Knowledge & Events team are
turning this around for IMEX under the Be
Well at IMEX tagline.
Yoga, relaxation exercises, guided meditation and visualisation sessions are being offered every day by InnerSense. There’s a
series of sessions at the Inspiration Hub
(G680) on general wellbeing, from looking
after your back and perfecting your posture,
to how to obtain that elusive work/life balance. There are also tips on how to transform
your own meetings and events – if you’ve
heard of the slow food movement you might
be intrigued to find out there’s also a slow
meetings movement. Head to the Inspiration
Hub tomorrow lunchtime for the (s)lowdown,
and pick up the full list of events under the
Wellbeing/Health track on the IMEX App or in
the Pocket Guide.
The Meditation Room (Level 8.1, Hall 8) offers a sanctuary from the buzz of the show
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floor all day every day – you are welcome to
drop in and chill out at any time during show
hours. A wellbeing map is available at imexfrankfurt.com/wellbeing to guide you to wellbeing options on the show floor meaning
you’ll never be far from a green juice, a
healthy snack or a relaxing foot massage.
All are being encouraged to walk to the
show this week. Although more time on your
feet might seem an unappealing option, the
fresh air and exercise will help clear your
head and set you up for the day. Most hotels
are deceptively close – if you’ve taken a taxi
around Frankfurt’s one way system you can
be forgiven for thinking you are several miles
away from the show. Have a look at the walking map in the Pocket Guide or IMEX App for
orientation – and wear your comfiest shoes.
Plus, for those of us for whom a morning
walk is just not enough, see page 5 for details
on the IMEXrun tomorrow morning.
And breathe…
AIPC convention
centres provide a
community impact
AIPC (International Association of Convention Centres)
president, Geoff Donaghy, looks at capital investment in
the meetings industry
NE component of the industry economic equation that doesn’t get a lot
of attention may in fact be the biggest of
all, and that is the capital investment
made in developing the kinds of facilities
required to host events under today’s
demanding conditions. A recent analysis
has found that AIPC’s 175 member convention centres alone represent a collective capital investment of more than $50
billion in more than 50 countries around
the world, illustrating a significant economic impact in the host communities
which is typically funded by the incremental tax and operating revenues generated by events attracted.
As an industry, we have long focused
on the economic impacts generated by
the events our member convention centres host rather than the stimulus that
the initial construction creates in a host
community. However, what this study
shows is that even in the development
stage, centres generate jobs and spending in the local community. When you
add these impacts to the ongoing business and tax revenues a centre will continue to generate throughout its
operating life, you begin to realise just
how much impact our member convention centres have on their respective
communities.
Governments often engage in public
facility development as a means of economic stimulus but when that investment is in a revenue-generating facility
like a convention centre, it keeps paying
long term dividends back to the community. A government investor has multiple
ways of capturing the benefits arising
from a convention centre beyond what
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comes in by way of direct rental revenues; they also reap the benefits of the
additional tax revenues that accompany
organiser and delegate spending. Due to
the nature of the convention business,
these taxes are often paid largely by
non-residents, which means locals are
benefiting from government services
paid for at least in part by visitors rather
than locals.
And these are not just one-shot investments. In today‘s highly competitive
markets, convention centres need to
keep improving their products and
adapting to the rapidly changing expectations of clients and delegates, so there
is an ongoing stimulus – all part of a
powerful economic argument that is
driving convention centre development
throughout the world today.
Stand G216 aipc.org
imex-frankfurt.com/wellbeing
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oneworld events
the ‘one stop’ travel solution for large-scale meetings,
conventions and events
quick, easy-to-use solution
what makes a
oneworld event?
Single agreement covering all oneworld member airlines.
Quick response time – receive prompt acceptance confirmation.
• At least 100 attendees flying
internationally to your event.
oneworld promotional toolkit to build attendee awareness.
• Designate oneworld as your
Official Airline Alliance.
Customised click-through link to access discounted fares.
• Submit your requests three months
to five years prior to the event date.
discounts on travel throughout the oneworld network
• There is no financial commitment.
Significant flight discounts for attendees and one travel companion,
available for travel up to seven days before and after the event.
Discounts available online at oneworld.com/events with
no booking fees.
Attendees can also access discounted fares via a designated
travel agency.
Flights available on an expanded network across the oneworld
alliance covering almost 1000 destinations in more than 150 countries.
great online tools
Official Airline Alliance request form available online.
User-friendly booking tool that displays the most convenient flights
and multiple fare options.
View and download real-time booking and management reports
to help meet your attendees’ needs.
plus
Attendees can earn rewards and tier status points on eligible flights
and experience special privileges as a oneworld frequent flyer member.
oneworld events
register now at
oneworld.com/events
Organisers may qualify for travel credits to use on future flights
with participating oneworld carriers.
an alliance of the world’s leading airlines working as one.
TAM Malaysia Airlines Qantas Qatar Airways Royal Jordanian S7 Airlines
SriLankan Airlines
oneworld benefits are available only to passengers on scheduled flights that are both marketed and operated by a oneworld member airline (marketed means that there must be a oneworld member airline’s flight
number on your ticket). For information on oneworld, visit www.oneworld.com. airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways,
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Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, TAM Airlines and oneworld are trademarks of their respective companies. TAM Airlines (Paraguay) is currently not a part of oneworld.
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Redesigned ICCA association
database launches
CCA (International Congress and Convention
Association) is providing its members with
faster access to international association meetings business. The redesigned online version of
the ICCA Association Database, launched at
ICCA’s traditional mid-year plenary meeting in
Frankfurt yesterday, will provide simpler,
smarter and faster access to association meetings information.
The redesigned interface is more intuitive,
flexible, jargon-free and tablet-friendly. New
features include a new search engine and an
updated algorithm to quickly identify meetings
with relevant rotation areas which have not
been to a specific destination before - and find
confirmed meetings in a certain city or country.
A vast amount of filtering and sorting options
make it much easier for members to find highpotential association meetings business.
ICCA CEO Martin Sirk (pictured) said: “The
Association Database is widely regarded as
ICCA’s most important product, but it’s still
under-used by many members, because it has
often been perceived as too complicated or that
it required too much time to extract useful data.
The redesign eliminates these barriers, and will
enable members to easily incorporate our data
into their day-to-day business processes. We
confidently expect to see dramatically higher
usage by those who are already in the habit of
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EXT month hundreds of meetings industry
peers will gather in Fort Lauderdale for three
days of empowering experiences at the 2015
PCMA (Professional Convention Management
Association) Education Conference. Learning design and trends, different room sets, meeting
breaks and learning formats will be explored,
showcasing to the attendee why thoughtful planning matters. For PCMA’s global audience and
those who cannot make the trip to Fort Lauderdale, the action will be brought to them.
Choice
Today...
logging on, a big growth in regular access by
those who currently aren’t using it, and significant increases in bidding activity by ICCA members across the world, as they find it easier to
identify and engage with prospective future
client associations.”
ICCA also recently added Big Data Search
functionalities to its Association Database. Utilising the databases of Google Scholar and Microsoft Academic Search, ICCA members can
identify leading academic contacts in specified
cities and regions, related to a specific meeting
in the ICCA Association Database or a specific
meeting subject. Finding these local ‘ambassadors’ is a crucial step in preparing a successful bid to host the next edition of an
association’s international meeting.
ICCA will be demonstrating its all-new Association Database at IMEX every morning at 9.00
on the Inspiration Hub, G680.
Stand A500 iccaworld.com
Experiences that empower
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Editor’s
You’ll be able to join the PCMA Conference
online on 15 June to experience high level education on strategy, technology, leadership,
learning and experience design, and gain a
deeper understanding of how people learn.
Sessions begin at 9.00 CST and run through
to 18.00 CST. Join from your desk and watch
the live general session ‘The power of environments – from rooms to relationships’ from developmental molecular biologist and Brain
Rules’ author, John Medina. In the afternoon
learn how to ‘Protect your attendees from
cyber theft and attacks’. The day rounds up
with a virtual happy hour, where you can network with fellow hybrid attendees. Register at
pcma.org/EduConhybrid.
The 2015 PCMA Education Conference Hybrid is sponsored by the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Ernest N. Morial
Convention Center.
Head to Room Seminar (Level 9.2, Hall 9) at 10.30 this morning to catch Bill McDermott’s keynote at the Opening Ceremony if you want to start IMEX feeling truly
inspired. Those of you who were lucky enough to catch Bill’s press conference
during IMEX America will know what we mean when we say the global CEO of
SAP, the world’s largest business software company, is one of the most passionate advocates for the meetings industry. Bill will also be down on the Inspiration
Hub (G680) at 11.30 signing copies of his book, Winners Dream.
If your answer to the question ‘Wearables – how many can you handle?’ is
‘none’ (or ‘one if I really have to’) then we suggest you go to the Meeting Design
Hub (C640) at 11.00 when Albert Roca, CEO, MooveTeam is promising to cut
through the noise surrounding wearables and explain exactly which ones you
need to know about.
Be the first to find out about the latest event technology and watch ten event
tech newcomers go head to head pitching their products to win the Event Tech
Startup Competition at 16.30 in the Inspiration Hub today. There are some great
products shortlisted so it looks set to be a closely-fought battle.
Go green by joining the IMEX Green Team at the Inspiration Hub. In return for
committing to reduce your environmental impact at IMEX, you’ll receive a green
ribbon to attach to your badge. And when you leave the show drop your badge
into one of the recycling boxes at the exit to help fund one of IMEX’s local legacy
projects (part of the badge back programme sponsored by the GCB German Convention Bureau). Keep hold of your badge if you’re back at the show tomorrow
though.
Giving back is also the order of the day for m:con which is running a prize draw
today in support of the Children’s Cancer Research Project at the University Clinic
Mannheim. You’ll find it on the Germany stand F100.
If you start to feel the need for a bit of quiet time away from the show floor
make your way to the new device-free Meditation Room (Level 8.1, Hall 8). Part of
the Be Well at IMEX initiative and open all day every day, this is the place for
guided meditation, yoga – and most importantly relaxation. Bliss...
And if you’d rather unwind over a cocktail and a canapé, happy hour will be in
full swing from 16.30 today on the show floor. If we didn’t have a paper to send to
the printer tonight we’d be heading to VisitEngland (F340) for ‘Gin O’clock’ and
then to Tourism Australia (B320) for a pie (or two).
Tomorrow...
Stand C252 pcma.org
The Barbican takes delegates to the movies
ONDON venue The Barbican is offering
delegates complimentary cinema tickets
as an incentive to book its meetings and event
spaces.
The venue is giving away tickets that can
be redeemed in Barbican cinemas for every
day delegate rate booking made at IMEX and
until the end of the month. The tickets, valid
until 30 November 2015, are worth £11 each.
Oliver Hargreaves, deputy head of sales at
the Barbican, said: “We wanted to give some-
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thing back to our clients and their delegates
which offers something a little different to the
traditional discount or breakfast upgrade. We
have already seen great feedback about this
incentive and hopefully it will really help to get
our clients’ delegates invested in the Barbican
and what we have to offer.”
The Barbican has three cinema screens
which show new releases, major themed seasons and the performing arts on screen from
National Theatre Live and Met Opera Live. The
cinemas offer state-of-the-art data and video
projection supported by the Barbican’s inhouse technical team.
Cinema 1 can also host private film screenings, which can be combined with a dinner or
drinks in the Garden Room and Conservatory.
The Barbican can host meetings from 10
to 2,000 delegates in its concert hall, theatres,
conference suites and boardrooms.
Tomorrow at 7.00 a band of IMEX runners will be setting off on the five kilometre
IMEXrun along the River Main in the direction of a delicious Brazilian breakfast. If
you fancy joining them head to the Brazilian Tourist Board (C100) today to register
or go to imex-frankfurt.com/imexrun. If breakfast isn’t incentive enough you’ll also
receive a Rio t-shirt – and that warm glow of satisfaction that comes from knowing you’ve done your exercise for the day. Especially recommended for those in
need of a bit of head clearing after tonight’s CIM Clubbing @IMEX. The run is organised by sports by tlc and sponsored by Prefeitura do Rio, Rio Tur and Rio Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Stand F400 barbican.org.uk
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Facing the future by embracing CCH history
T the end of last year, Hamburg Parliament
gave its go-ahead for the conversion and
expansion of the CCH – Congress Center Hamburg. The entire project will cost €194 million
and will begin in early 2017 for completion in
2019. Edgar Hirt (right), director CCH, outlines
the changes
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Why is the CCH being renovated?
Large parts of the building services engineering
are outdated and have to be replaced. Event organisers are also demanding more flexibility in
terms of functionality, for example, the relationship between maximum seating capacity, exhibition space and foyer space. To remain
competitive in the future the CCH and its overall
layout must be restructured. The CCH is also
extremely important for related service
providers: hotels, restaurants, retailers, transport and the tourist infrastructure which will all
benefit as a result.
What will define the new CCH?
The new CCH will perfectly accommodate the
varying requirements of future event formats.
Our marketing strategy, now and in the future,
is targeting events with a minimum group size
of 1,000 people. In the future, the CCH will be
able to host multiple simultaneous events. The
surprisingly expansive entrance hall of the CCH
will provide an ideal event location for product
presentations and marketing events. The CCH
will retain its benefits: it is centrally located in
London venue
sees dramatic rise
in events hosted
ONDON venue 30 Euston Square saw an
80% increase in the number of events
hosted in 2014, compared to the previous
year.
The venue staged 1,143 events last year,
an average of 95 events per month, compared to 633 events in 2013, an average of
52 events per month. 30 Euston Square also
saw a 33% increase in the number of enquiries handled, with 5,118 enquiries in
2014, an average of 319 per month, compared to 3,837 in 2013, an average of 426
per month.
Yvette Bradley, general manager of 30 Euston Square, attributed the venue’s success
to its customer service, catering offer and extensive conference and meeting space. The
venue, which opened in 2013, offers a 300seat tiered auditorium, 18 meeting and
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training rooms, six boardrooms and penthouse State Rooms with a rooftop terrace.
Bradley said: “In 2015 our clients will no
doubt look for new ways to impress their audiences, therefore we are constantly improving our offering in order to keep ahead of the
curve in the ever-changing conference and
events market. I have every confidence that
next year will be even more successful.”
The venue last month upgraded its Wi-Fi
infrastructure to two 1Gbps capacity hubs, as
well as creating a new delegate log-in interface, which can be branded to communicate
individual event messages.
30 Euston Square is a Grade II listed building and headquarters of the Royal College of
General Practitioners.
Stand F400 30eustonsquare.co.uk
the heart of Hamburg; hotels are a short distance away, and the Dammtor ICE train station
is nearby. It will be as attractive as ever, ensuring that the CCH becomes a world-class congress centre.
Could you sum up the changes?
I’d explain it as ‘history designs the future’. History will repeat itself in 2019 as the new CCH
continues its one-of-a-kind tradition. It was Europe’s most modern congress centre when it
opened in 1973 at its location in downtown
Hamburg. We’re now bringing along more than
40 years of experience as we move ahead into
the future.
Stand G100 cch.de
Global DMCs ally to promote Japan
ACIFIC World has confirmed a strategic alliance with JTB Global Marketing & Travel, Japan’s leading Destination Management Company, as of
this month.
Through this partnership, Pacific World will leverage the strength of JTB
Global Marketing & Travels’ incoming business and align itself to provide
meetings and events services in Japan.
The strategic alliance will enable Pacific World to showcase Japan as a
meetings and incentive destination to its network of corporate and agency
meeting planners worldwide.
Herve Joseph-Antoine, global MD of Pacific World said: “Japan is known
as an inspiring traditional destination, but the country is recently being rediscovered by corporates and associations based in the Americas and Europe
as a key strategic destination for conferences and events in the Asia Pacific
region. We have a long past working relationship with JTB, now is the time
to formalise this commercial alliance and offer a ‘new Japan’ value proposition to our clients together.”
Haruhiko Sakano, director of sales & marketing at JTB Global Marketing
& Travel said: “We are confident that with this strategic alliance we are able
to cover the Asian region and both our companies will be able to strongly
promote our destinations along with the rapidly growing Asian market.”
Through its strategic alliances, Pacific World now covers two of the most
important markets and destinations for meetings and events; Japan and USA.
P
Stand E300/D100 pacificworld.com
Hotel group offers meetings 3D hologram technology
H Hotel Group has revamped its meetings and events
offering with a new technology service, including threedimensional holograms and interactive videoconferencing.
Under the slogan ‘NH MEETINGS: inspire.create.enjoy’,
the offering now includes High Tech Made Easy, a service
that provides innovative technology solutions. NH’s meeting
rooms are now equipped with telepresence systems which
combine videoconferencing with interactivity, enabling the
participation of as many as 250 virtual attendees in a video
call or conference.
NH Hotel Group has also installed 3D holographic projection technology in one of its hotels, in what the company
claims is a world first for the meetings sector. The technology allows people to be present at an event or celebration even when physical attendance is not possible, giving
speakers the chance to make presentations in a very highimpact setting.
Other services available through NH’s meetings and
events offering include a specialised advisory service, ecofriendly meetings with customers given the chance to offset
the carbon footprint of their event and free and easy Wi-Fi
services.
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Stand C680 nh-hotels.com
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CLOSER TO WHAT MATTERS
OPENING NOVEMBER 2016
© Ian Simpson Architects
VISIT US
AT BOOTH
E120!
Creating real live experiences is part of our heritage as a famous Gathering Place
and 19th century ZOO - an inspiring location for an early morning run or engaging
conversations amidst wildlife.*
Nature nurturing connections and bringing you closer to your purpose and true
success. Closer to what matters to you.
• 30 meeting rooms accommodating 2,500 pax
• Auditorium seating 2,000 pax
• Adjacent to world’s most beautiful railway station incl Eurostar and Thalys
• State-of-the-art technology and excellent service
*All inclusive with the booking of the Convention Center
Discover more on www.fmcca.com
IMEX DAILY
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IMEX
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PART OF ELISABETH CENTER, celebrating life since 1897
707
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Bringing out the Xceptional
Yesterday, guests at Exclusively Corporate @IMEX heard motivational speaker Kevin Kelly explain how a great idea is less important than how it is
delivered. He outlines his philosophy to the IMEX Daily
You explained Xceptional execution (XE) to the
Exclusively Corporate @IMEX audience. What
is it?
The topic evolved through some very
interesting research conducted in the ‘00s by
Amar Bhide from Colombia University. He
tracked the fortunes of the major breakthrough
companies in the US over the previous decades
and found that 88% were the result of
exceptional execution of an ordinary idea – only
12% were new inventions.
This piqued my interest and indeed should
inspire many businesses. It means that you
don’t need to wait for that ‘wow’ idea, that
moment of intense inspiration. Instead you
should focus on your ordinary idea, which is the
‘most companies’ category, and do it
exceptionally well.
I decided to research this area further in an
effort to define what ‘Xceptional’ execution
looks like culminating in the development of the
four pillars of Xceptional execution which will
be the focus of my talk at IMEX.
You were a natural salesman who broke
company records. Is that something that can be
learned, or motivated towards?
One of the pillars of XE is a commitment to
lifelong learning but not just from the normal
sources. I advocate a position where you believe
everyone, and I mean everyone, is a potential
teacher. On this basis of course I believe we can
learn, grow and pivot.
Another interesting finding from more than
25 years speaking around the globe and
working with people is that human behaviour is
in the main very predictable. If you are ‘aware’
it is fairly easy with an ordinary idea to be a
great sales person.
I was born into a retail setting, so I have been
selling since the age of six – you could argue
that I would want to be good by now. When you
boil it down, signing six figure contracts and
selling in a shop are not that different.
How important is face to face meeting in a
world increasingly dominated by technology,
where we need never meet clients?
A recent report pointed to the re-emergence
of slow meetings.
Just recently I was on a webinar and a lady
asked me the same question. My answer
remains the same regardless of whether we
meet the client or not, our focus should be
always on personalising the service. As I have
said many times, customers leave, friends don’t.
The meetings sector is full of many highly
motivated people. How do you motivate those
who are already driven?
Do you have to? To use the Chinese
proverb “teachers open the door but you must
enter by yourself”.
What companies should we be looking towards
to learn the secrets of future success?
All companies and every person that crosses
your path. One of the events that transformed
my business was meeting an ex-student’s
brother who wanted to write a book. The
student became the teacher, very soon as it
turned out, by getting my website to the top of
the keywords table – it was totally unexpected.
Another transformation was when I contacted
my competition to learn the secrets to her
success – I walked on the shoulders of greats
and the rest is history as they say.
Does success look different for companies of
tomorrow - will they be judged on different
criteria?
You know, success is a fairly simple concept.
You should be happy at that destination.
Exclusively Corporate @IMEX was sponsored
by Kempinksi Hotel Frankfurt Gravenbuch,
Dubai Tourism, London & Partners, and
Starwood Hotels and Resorts.
kevinkellyunlimited.com
Tech firm launches single
click app availability
VENT technology supplier EventMobi has
launched a service that allows event organisers to make their customised event apps
available in all four app stores with a single
click.
EventMobi allows event organisers to create and customise their own registration and
event apps. Event attendees will then be able
to access the app through a web browser as
well as via Apple App Store, Google Play,
BlackBerry App World and Windows Phone
Store.
The service is part of EventMobi’s new allin-one package, Executive, which includes
custom registration, networking tools, and a
secure document library integrated into the
event app.
Bob Vaez, chief executive of EventMobi,
said: “At the end of the day, it’s not about native or web technology, it’s about the attendee
experience. We align ourselves with our
clients’ needs, understanding what they need
to create the unforgettable experience they
envision. Adding native app services to the
mix is just one more way we’re making event
technology simple, helping planners and attendees achieve their ultimate objectives.”
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Stand E705 eventmobi.com
Rebrand for French convention board
HE France Meeting and Convention Board has launched a new brand
which aims to generate a new image of France as a destination for
meetings, congresses and events. This identity aims to reflect the evolutions of the meetings industry and will adapt to the specifics of individual
T
08
markets as well as embracing new trends such as sustainable development, innovation and the digital world.
The Board will host an event on its IMEX stand today from 17.00 until
19.30. Visitors will learn about opportunities around the 2016 European
Football Cup, which will be held in France. They will also be able to enjoy
French music, food, wine and champagne.
Stand D200 rendezvousenfrance.com
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TEX AS
MEE T with
LEARN MORE ABOUT TEXAS AT BOOTH C180
From cosmopolitan cities with the best venues, hotels and restaurants to quaint towns
with timeless ranches, Texas offers something for every kind of business event. With
unmatched meeting resources and a welcoming spirit to boot, clients feel right at home.
www.meetingstexas.com
AUSTIN
LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD
DALLAS
DISTINCTIVELY DIFFERENT
®
Austin, Texas – Live Music Capital of the World® and home to Formula
1™, offers daily nonstop service from London Heathrow on British
Airways. In 2017, Austin will feature 36,000 hotel rooms, 11,000
located downtown, including a brand new 1,066-room Fairmont Hotel.
www.austintexas.org
Dallas is the perfect choice for exceptional meetings, boasting a
leading business environment, the title of America’s best sports
city, the nation’s largest urban arts district, the best shopping
in the Southwest, 14 exciting entertainment districts, a vibrant
dining scene, impressive accommodations and meeting spaces.
www.visitdallas.com
FORT WORTH
MAKES MEMORABLE MEETINGS
HOUSTON
COME & EXPLORE
Minutes from DFW International Airport, Fort Worth is a
modern meeting city, where fun meets function. For a true Texas
experience, visit the Stockyards National Historic District with a
twice-daily cattle drive, year-round rodeos and the world’s largest
honky-tonk, Billy Bob’s. You’ll also enjoy legendary Texas Cuisine
and popular attractions including our world-renowned museums,
shopping, racing at Texas Motor Speedway and your favorite
sports teams playing at nearby AT&T Stadium and Globe Life Park.
www.fortworth.com
America’s fourth-largest city is a cosmopolitan destination, filled
with exquisite dining, arts, hotels, shopping and nightlife. Choose
Houston for your next meeting or convention and enjoy stateof-the-art facilities set in a world-class city. With more than
75,000 hotel rooms and multiple meeting venues, Houston
offers diverse opportunities as a top destination for major events.
www.visithouston.com
™
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traveltex.com
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Conventions don´t have
to be conventional
A business trip to Madrid seems less like hard work than most.
Sunny weather, conveniently located conference venues and gourmet
lunches are just some of the bonuses for when you visit on business.
Aer a busy day, Madrid’s famous museums and elegant stores are a great
way to recharge before sampling the vibrant nightlife.
Relax over tapas in an outdoor café or dance until dawn. Whatever you do,
Madrid is the business.
info.mcb@esmadrid.com
(+34) 91 758 55 28
www.esmadrid.com/mcb
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ExCeL invests in event success
ONDON venue ExCeL is investing £15 million in developing the centre this year, on
top of the £4 million invested in 2014.
New developments at the venue include the
construction of a 136-room 4-star hotel, The
Sunborn Yacht, and a suite of six executive
boardrooms. The centre has also upgraded its
free Wi-Fi, which allows 16,000 users at any
one time. ExCeL London has also signed a tenyear contract with Compass Group UK and Ireland to become the venue’s catering partner,
part of a wider programme to revamp every aspect of visitors’ food and drink experience.
James Rees, executive director of ExCeL
London said: “From the arrival experience
through to delegate catering and staying connected on site, we will to listen to our clients’
feedback and tailor our investment to ensure
that we continue to deliver record breaking
events for London.”
ExCeL London will host more than 300 conferences in 2015, its biggest year yet. Events
include EuroPerio, Adobe Summit and The International Orthodontic Congress.
The first 20 visitors to the ExCeL London
stand each day will be given their own afternoon tea in a box to take away.
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Stand F400 excel-london.co.uk
Hong Kong hopes for continued MICE growth
ONG Kong saw the number of MICE
visitors increase by 11% in 2014, up to
1.8 million.
Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong
(MEHK), a division of the Hong Kong Tourism
Board, predicts that 2015 will see a rise in visitors from Europe. Dawn Page, director UK and
northern Europe at The Hong Kong Tourism
Board, said: “2014 was a great year for MEHK.
H
This year we anticipate more visitors from the
long haul markets, as growth of advanced European economies will resume.”
MEHK signed a three-year partnership with
the International Association of Professional
Congress Organisers (IAPCO) during last
year’s IMEX, which saw MEHK representatives
attend the IAPCO general assembly and the
first of what will be annual familiarisation trips
for IAPCO members to Hong Kong.
Visitors to the MEHK stand at IMEX this year
will be in with a chance of winning two trips
for two to Hong Kong to experience the city’s
unique mix of business and leisure activities
and sights. The prize draws will take place at
17.00 today and tomorrow.
Stand B350 mehongkong.com
Expansion plan for
sustainable Filderhalle
ERMAN conference centre Filderhalle
Leinfelden-Echterdingen is to expand
by 400m2 in 2016.
The extra space was previously a
restaurant, and will bring the total space
available to 2,900m2. The centre, which
has been awarded the Green Globe for its
sustainable approach, is also investing
€1.35 million in its kitchen.
Filderhalle Leinfelden-Echterdingen, situated near Stuttgart International Airport
and the Stuttgart trade fair grounds, was
the first conference centre in Germany to
be awarded the US Green Globe certificate
for sustainability. The certificate, which
covers more than 350 requirements, has
been renewed for 2015.
Roland Klenk, mayor of Leinfelden-Echterdingen, said: “I am very happy about the
successful certification for our Filderhalle.
The requirements of the international
Green Globe Association are extremely demanding and extensive. This makes re-
G
newed certification so much more important. Filderhalle has not only been recognised for its environmental sustainability.
The state of the art LED lighting technology
and the regional base of Filderhalle were
evaluated positively by the reviewers.”
The venue offers hybrid conferences,
which allow delegates to participate via
live streaming. Nils Jakoby, Filderhalle
managing director, said the venue’s investment in hybrid conference technology
was a further step in its sustainability
strategy.
“The Green Globe certification of Filderhalle is the basis and the ideal point of departure from which we develop additional
innovative services for our customers,” he
said. The venue has created a film explaining the new technology to event organisers, which can be viewed at website
hybrid-event.biz.
Stand F020 filderhalle.de
Sustainability is in the bag with Congress Frankfurt
USTAINABILITY is a great theme of today’s meetings
industry, and Congress Frankfurt, Messe Frankfurt’s
convention department, is no exception.
The conventions team is looking to raise awareness of
its approach with a competition to win a prize with a decidedly green flavour - one of three truly green Congress
Frankfurt bags.
In February this year, Messe Frankfurt’s new Kap Europa
convention centre hosted the 3rd Green Meetings and
Events conference and its 500 participants. It was a fitting
venue as Kap Europa is the first centre in the world to be
awarded a Gold Certificate by the German Sustainable
Building Council (DGNB).
After the conference, its advertising banner was recycled in a regional workshop for the handicapped to serve
a wholly new purpose. Messe Frankfurt has trained its employees as sustainability counsellors and supports the German Convention Bureau’s ‘fairplichtet’ code for
sustainability.
IMEX visitors who can guess what exactly the sustainable notebook bags were in their former life, may win one.
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Stand F110 congressfrankfurt.de
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Take 5 Spas
1. Therapia Spa
2. Banyan Tree Mayakoba Spa
3. Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain
4. Nordic Spa & Fitness
5. The Gleneagles Hotel
Istanbul’s Therapia Spa in The Grand Tarabya
is the only spa centre with Bosphorus views in
the city and is the perfect escape from stress.
The 4,500m2 luxury spa has floor-to-ceiling
windows to take in the views while sampling
its range of treatments. An outdoor swimming
pool has filtered sea water and floor-heating,
while four traditional Turkish hammams and
private hammams for couples are available.
Underwater Therapia bathtubs, a sand Therapia room, an ice grotto and four rainbow showers are just some of the facilities.
Mexico’s award-winning Banyan Tree
Mayakoba Spa is an invigorating, state-ofthe-art hydrothermal experience like no other.
Signature innovation, the Rainforest trail features eight different hydrothermal therapy experiences that include the Rain Walk, Aroma
Steam Chamber and Finnish Sauna to provide
a holistic and revitalising journey within an extravagant tropical world.
As well as conference facilities that can host
up to 1,000, the 245-room Ritz-Carlton,
Bahrain Hotel & Spa allows for guest relaxation. Its spa includes a tammam, sauna,
steam and Thalasso therapy pool, as well as
a range of recreation opportunities and pampering treatments. Resort facilities include
600 metres of secluded beach, outdoor and
indoor pools and Jacuzzis, a private island,
and a sports club.
Grand Hôtel Nordic Spa & Fitness was named
the World’s Most Innovative Spa at the Gala
Spa Awards 2015. The spa, which is built with
Grythyttan Rauk stone from Gotland, includes
a range of Nordic inspired treatments such as
the classic Swedish massage and Nordic
bathing. Personal trainers, a doctor of traditional Chinese medicine, a chiropractor, and
handpicked therapists, coaches and specialists are all on hand.
The Gleneagles Hotel is the place to visit for
a ‘holistic reboot’. Situated in the heart of the
iconic Scottish hotel, the Spa by ESPA is a
haven of tranquillity with treatments covering
a holistic range of therapies. Led by resident
naturopath, Louise Westra, the team tailors
programmes to specific needs spanning traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture,
physiotherapy, colon hydrotherapy and herbal
remedies.
Stand D425 thegrandtarabya.com
Stand B100 banyantree.com
Stand F600 ritzcarlton.com
Stand F200 grandhotel.se
Stand F350 gleneagles.com
Come visit us at the Malaysia Pavillion, B200.
The Isthmus, Sejingkat, 93050, Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 82 - 392 888
Fax: +60 82 - 420 222
facebook.com/BCCK.Sarawak
www.bcck.com.my
IMEX DAILY 2015
Your Events, the Borneo Way.
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Meeting planners are
the real stars in Berlin.
We know all there is to know about
arranging meetings.
convention.visitBerlin.com
Visit us at
IMEX, Booth
F 100-40
Do you need to arrange a meeting, convention or any
other type of event at short notice? If so, the Berlin
Convention Office is on hand 24/7 to give you all the
support you need. We work closely with local partners
across the city and can quickly provide you with
relevant advice, help and information. With the Berlin
Convention Office, you can rest assured that your
event is in good hands.
convention.visitBerlin.com
Member of
Our partners at IMEX 2015:
ESTREL Hotel & Convention Center
ELLINGTON HOTEL BERLIN
Messe Berlin GmbH
andel‘s Hotel Berlin
InterContinental Hotel Berlin
Conference & Touring
AMANO Group
CAMONSITE Conference and More GmbH
14
Ameron
Hotel Abion Spreebogen
BOLLE Meierei Event Location
Hotel Palace Berlin
K.I.T. Group GmbH
Kongresshotel Potsdam am Templiner See
Filmpark Babelsberg GmbH
Quality Travel GmbH
Roof GmbH & Co. KG
Scandic Hotels Deutschland GmbH
Sofitel Berlin Kurfürstendamm
Alpha Travel Consultants GmbH
Tempodrom Betriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG
Wyndham Grand Berlin Potsdamer Platz
Resort Mark Brandenburg
Palazzo Italia - Römischer Hof
Flughafen Tempelhof Berlin
EVENT HOTELS Berlin
heretonow GmbH
visitBerlin Convention Partner e.V.
Zeitreisen GmbH
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Red carpet meetings in Los Angeles
OS Angeles is showcasing venues that can
help meetings, conferences and events
capture the magic and excitement of Hollywood
red carpet award ceremonies.
The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention
Board is bringing glitz and glamour to Frankfurt
with an array of venues that will make delegates
feel like stars for the night.
LATCB will be stressing the variety of venues
on offer, suitable for all budgets, as well as the
links with cinema history, such as Hollywood
Roosevelt Hotel’s Blossom Ballroom, where the
very first Academy Awards ceremony was held
in 1929.
Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, now known as
TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood also hosted
the awards in 1944 and is now home of the
largest IMAX screen in the US. The venue has
three different event settings, offering a glamorous and sophisticated location on the Walk of
Fame to host a film screening and cocktail reception. For a spectacular event with more than
800 people, the Nokia Theatre at L.A. LIVE
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Conferences and conventions
boost German travel numbers
ERMANY was the top destination for European business travel in 2014, with a total
of 12.4 million professional trips.
The figures, from GNTB/IPK International and
World Travel Monitor, include a five per cent increase in conference and convention travel. Germany is also the second global destination for
association meetings, behind the US, according
to the International Congress and Convention
Association.
Matthias Schultze, managing director of the
German Convention Bureau, said: “We feel there
are several factors driving this growth. Germany
provides excellent infrastructure, good value for
money, high travel accessibility, and a wide variety of compelling cities and regions with rich
cultures. Meeting organisers and delegates can
also leverage the innovative industry expertise
that these cities and regions have in urban design, technology, pharma and biotech, mobility
and automotive, green technology, finance,
aerospace and more.”
The volume of international travel to Germany
reached a record high for the fifth year in a row
in 2014, with a total of 75.6 million overnight
stays, according to the German Federal
G
Statistical Office. Visitors from Europe accounted
for around 75% of the market, with Switzerland
and the UK generating the most visits. Visitors
from the Arab Gulf States and China led the way
from overseas markets, with the number of US
visitors also rising.
Petra Hedorfer, chief executive officer of the
German National Tourist Board, said: “The latest
forecasts suggest that the international travel
market will expand by between three and four
per cent in 2015. We will build on last year’s
strong performance and take a bigger than average cut of this growth. This will lay the perfect
foundation for our long-term outlook of achieving
121.5 million international overnight stays a year
by 2030, which we believe is a realistic objective.”
Stand F100 gcb.de
accommodates 7,100 and is home of the
Primetime Emmy Awards.
As well as events where films are premiered
and celebrated, groups can create an unforgettable day by having teams write, produce and
film mini-movies using real professional filming
in working studios and lots. This can be followed
by a private film festival banquet, complete with
judging and an awards ceremony.
Universal Studios Hollywood, LA Center Studios, Sony Pictures Studios, Warner Bros Studios and Paramount Studios, all have extensive,
high-end events facilities and specialised staff
to make such an event a reality.
Other Hollywood options include renting
a mansion to host an exclusive celebrity
party, getting pampered like stars with LA
spa treatments, and having group tours of
Hollywood. LATCB can discuss logistics of
these and many other options at this year’s
IMEX.
Stand C260 discoverlosangeles.com
Forum am Schlosspark goes high-speed
ERMAN venue Forum am Schlosspark has
upgraded its technology to allow organisers
to incorporate live streaming and online conferencing into their events.
The convention centre, situated in the
grounds of the Residential Palace 12 kilometres
north of Stuttgart, has established a secure
wireless local area network. Forty Wi-Fi access
G
points have been installed across the venue, offering internet access with a bandwidth of up
to 100 Mbits per second.
Venue operator Tourismus & Events Ludwigsburg has also set up an exclusive wireless
guest network. Event organisers can book
voucher quotas for their event allowing up to
900 client devices to use the Wi-Fi in all rooms
and foyers at the same time.
The Forum am Schlosspark offers event organisers two halls with a capacity of more than
1,000 people each, as well as up to ten meeting rooms. Foyers have enough space to host
accompanying exhibitions or fairs.
Stand F020 locations-ludwigsburg.de
Organisers use loyalty points
to finance events with Accor
USINESSES organising events in hotels run by operator Accor can now
use loyalty points to finance their next
meeting or conference.
Launched in March this year, the
scheme allows business event organisers
such as corporate clients, events agencies, conference organisers and venue
finders to convert the loyalty points they
have earned into e-vouchers. The
B
vouchers can be used to pay for 15% of
the total cost of an event, or a maximum
of €1,500.
The Le Club Accorhotels Meeting Planner offer is open to members of the existing Le Club Accorhotels loyalty
programme who are organisng a business event for more than seven participants or requiring more than seven
rooms. The offer runs across 2,000 par-
ticipating ibis styles, adagio, Mercure,
Novotel, MGallery, Pullman and Sofitel establishments.
In addition to the new scheme, organisers will still be able to spend their points
on stays, partner vouchers and air miles,
or use them to support Accor’s charitable
schemes Pur Project and Solidarity Accor.
Stand F660 meetings.accorhotels.com
Nigeria enters meetings sector with venue launch
IGERIA hopes the opening of the state-of-the-art Calabar International Convention Centre later this year will mark the country’s entrance into the international
meetings industry.
Designed by award-winning Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects, Calabar ICC
will be able to accommodate more than 4,000 delegates in 17 different settings.
The venue can host 1,800 delegates for plenary sessions and offers meeting rooms
that can be used individually or in combination.
The venue has already attracted international events including the 6th All Africa
Anaesthesia Congress in 2017, which will attract more than 1,000 anaesthetists
from all over the world.
The centre is part of the 367 hectare Summit Hills development, which will include
a business hotel, international hospital, 18-hole golf course and residential development. A scenic monorail will convey passengers across the Tinapa Lake between
the Calabar ICC and the Tinapa Lakeside Hotel.
The centre is located in Cross River State, a coastal region in south eastern Nigeria,
bordering Cameroon. The city of Calabar is famous for Carnival Carnival, which takes
place in December each year. Nearby is the Obudu Mountain Resort, renowned for
scenic views and year-round tropical weather.
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Stand C340 conventioncentrecalabar.com
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Danes aim to steal
the scene with
cinematic meetings
Milan Expo looks to
energise visitors
HE latest international exposition, Expo
2015, opened in Milan at the beginning of
this month, putting the Italian city in the world’s
spotlight for six months.
The event, under the theme ‘Feed the Planet,
Energy for Life’, is expected to attract some 20
million visitors and delegations from 130 countries. The city plans to repurpose some of the
T
futuristic pavilions after the event.
In preparation for the Expo, the city has created new buildings and transport infrastructure
and revamped its internet technology. Milan’s
conference management operator, Milano Congressi, runs three conference centres with a
total capacity of more than 20,000 seats. Stella
Polare, which can host plenary gatherings of up
to 17,000 people, is located next to the Expo
2015 site.
The last Expo event took place in 2012 in
South Korea. The next, which will focus on the
theme of Future Energy, is scheduled for 2017
in the city of Astana, Kazakhstan.
Stand D420 micomilano.it
60 second guide: Peru
Where is it?
Peru has been a centre of civilisation for more
than 5,000 years and is enjoying a 15-year
sustained economic growth, primarily supported by private investment in areas such as
mining, finance, manufacture and tourism.
NOWLEDGE sharing and storytelling is high on the agenda as Business Events Denmark invites
visitors to explore unique settings under the theme of ‘Land of MINDblowing Meetings’.
Danish meetings professionals will explain why meetings should be like brilliant film plots with
engaging and inspiring scripts. By exciting, encouraging and engaging audiences, they will reflect
on an event and be motivated for further action, claim the Danes.
Business Events Denmark points to its strategic meeting design concept Meetovation as providing
the framework for this cinematic approach based around a scene (the venue), a setting (the country),
actors (meeting participants), and exciting plots (a goal). At IMEX it promises help to plot meeting
experiences with crazy setups, total involvement, food for the brain and no chance of just sitting
doing nothing.
Visitors will hear about castle venues, energising meetings food, Viking-game-team building and
RIB-boat-transfers. Details will be on postcards that can be sent as a ‘note to self’, your colleague
or boss about how to increase the return on investment on any type of meeting.
Partners on the Business Events Denmark stand include AC Hotel Bella Sky Copenhagen, BDP
Event & Congress, storytellers Inspiring Denmark, Tivoli Hotel & Congress Centre and Wonderful
Copenhagen CVB.
K
Stand F270 visitdenmark.com
How do you get there?
Its location makes it easy to connect with every
part of the Americas, as well as Europe and the
Asia-Pacific basin. Some 23 airlines connect
Peru to the rest of the world, and the capital
Lima is the hub of two of the most important
airlines in the Americas: Lan and Taca. Jorge
Chavez International Airport in Lima has won
best airport in South America at the World Travel
Awards for six years running.
of only being visible from the air. The Paracas
National Reserve and Ballestas Isles offer visitors the opportunity to cruise in a speedboat
alongside sea lions and watch Humboldt Penguins.
And of course no visit to Peru is complete
without a trip to Machu Picchu, the lost citadel
of the Incas and one of the New Seven Wonders
of the World.
What’s new?
Lima is preparing for the opening of its new
state-of-the-art convention centre. The next two
years should see large investments in the
Peruvian hotel sector, both in local chains such
as Casa Andina, and in top international chains:
Marriot, Westin, Meliá, Sheraton, Hilton, Belmond and Swisshotel, among others.
Who has been there?
Peru has hosted major international events including the World Economic Forum 2013, World
Travel and Tourism Council 2014, and the International Monetary Fund meeting in 2015.
The capital Lima will host meetings show Fiexpo Latino America for three consecutive years
Stand B180 peru.travel
What does it offer?
As well as the capital, cities like Arequipa and
Cusco, and the Paracas maritime reserve, are
ready to receive congresses, meetings and incentive trips. Lima is home to museums that
hold the gold and silver from pre-Hispanic civilisations. The Nasca lines in the region of Ica remain an unsolved mystery and have the allure
Worldhotels revamps its MICE programme
ORLDHOTELS has reinvented its meeting, Incentive, Conference and Event programme as it adds seven new hotels to its
global portfolio.
World Events is World Hotels enhanced programme for the MICE market, and aims to
drive business to hotels seeking to increase
their share in the MICE segment.
The hotel group has signed up MICE experts
in France, Germany and the UK to connect the
group’s hotels to local blue chip clients. In addition to dedicated sales support, hotels
participating in World Events are invited to networking opportunities with European highvalue clients and receive priority access to key
MICE trade shows.
Geoff Andrew, Worldhotels’ chief operating
officer, said: “With World Events we are providing our hotels with a key ingredient to succeed in the international MICE market: strong
W
16
relationships with local buyers serving highquality clients.”
The company has welcomed seven new hotels to its global portfolio in the first quarter of
2015. The new additions, which had to meet
the group’s high quality standard, include five
hotels in Europe and two in Asia. The Asian hotels are Hong Kong’s Hotel Sav and Hotel Luna
in Vigan City, Philippines – a new destination
for Worldhotels. The additions in Europe are
Worldhotel Wings Rotterdam, Amsterdam
Tropen Hotel, Victoria Palace Hotel in Paris,
Swiss Diamond Hotel Lugano in Vico Morcote,
Switzerland, and Aqualux Hotel Spa Suite &
Terme in Bardolino, Italy.
Andrew said: “We are strategically developing our portfolio to add new key destinations
and reinforce destinations with high potential.”
Stand D640 worldhotels.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
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VANCOUVER
SPECTACULAR BY NATURE ™
Great meetings are in our nature
Contact Sharla Wasilinchuk at
sharla@tourismvancouver.com
18
Call Direct 1.604.631.2853
tourismvancouver.com/meetings
@MeetVancouver
IMEX DAILY 2015
Daily 1
Unleash the power of
the organisation
Businesses need to involve all the stakeholders in their organisations for future success.
Ruchi Aggarwal explains what skills are necessary to do so
Your session focuses on abiding business skills. What are the most
important of these skills and why?
It’s a huge challenge to be able to stack and prioritise business
skills. When I sat down to reflect on the topic and prepare for this talk,
I realised the level of inter-dependency of each on the other and the
equal importance of each in shaping and making us who we are.
One that really got me thinking is ‘making things count’. We constantly
focus on what can be ‘counted’ rather than what really ‘counts’. Think
about it!
Are there some business skills that are new or becoming more important
in today's business world?
Yes. The rules of business are constantly changing and the pace of
change is fairly rapid. This calls for recalibration of our business skills
and, to borrow from Marshall Goldsmith, a realisation that ‘What got
us here, may not get us there’. An entrepreneurial mindset is the need
of the hour. Anticipate, conceptualise, boot-strap, win. And what fascinates me is that this skill is invaluable not only in start-up environments, but right across the spectrum. I work for a large organisation
in Microsoft where we are constantly encouraged to think like entrepreneurs, to take risks and be prepared to learn from our efforts.
As someone who works for a technology company, what role do meetings
have in the organisation? Is their importance diminishing as technology
enables other forms of communication and ways of working?
Technology certainly adds a most useful layer of functionality and
productivity. It connects people like nothing else can. It has brought
about a complete shift in how an engagement can be sustained and
how real time transmission of messages and real time feedback can
be achieved.
Having said that, there is no substitute to an offline connect. It builds
trust, engages an audience and facilitates business objectives in a big,
big way.
In my experience, meetings set the base and create the trust. Technology enables meetings to get more productive and gives us an option
to keep the conversations going.
What are the main challenges large corporate companies face in
delivering their strategies and marketing plans?
Any plan or strategy is only as good as its execution and impact. And
the moment teams grow in size and agencies get involved, the message
or core has the potential of getting diluted. Keeping the eye sharply tuned
to focus on the expected outcome, injecting innovation in all aspects of
delivery and keeping ROI in mind are some of the challenges we face in
actualising that strategy. What does wonders is to get a set of partners in
place, an ecosystem that can support and enable 100% excellence. That
is where effective and real team work between agency and client becomes so critical.
How does a company as large and diverse as Microsoft harness the power
of its people, and share learnings?
To put it simply, we use technology as a huge lever to connect. Our
ecosystem of stakeholders is complex with customers, employees, partners, developers and agencies all needing to work towards the same goal.
We use many predictable platforms, face to face and remotely, to share
the vision and beam our energy together. This becomes critical to ensure
our base or starting point is the same. This is then followed through by
regular and thorough reviews, where learnings are captured, new tactics
are attempted and then shared right across.
What gets stakeholders to accept and internalise those learnings is
their content and the authenticity with which they are shared. The spirit
is always to progress, and progress together. If there was one word that
really sticks out in my mind as the mantra for group success, it is collaboration – plenty of it.
What business sector is producing the greatest innovation in communications at the moment?
‘Innovation is the change that unlocks new value’ and without unlocking
new value and communicating it to stakeholders, there is no business sector that can survive. There are brilliant forms of engagement that we see
happening all around us, and the rules and methods are changing. It is
business sector agnostic actually. Models of MICE are evolving – the client
wants more, for less; the consumer has the power to make or break a
brand since there is instant two-way communication and feedback. Hence
the power and criticality of the skill to actively listen has gone up manifold.
You worked for Scottish Rugby for a number of years. What lessons can
sporting organisations bring to the world of business and communications?
There is perhaps no better analogy to show a business process from
strategy to execution than watching a rugby team in action. The pre-prep,
the team readiness, the briefing, the positions, the huddle, the strategy,
execution bit by bit, inching a way to success, failing and trying again –
and finally hopefully succeeding, or taking away key learnings to succeed
next time. It’s blood, sweat and tears. Business is like that too, and it’s
there for us to take lessons from.
Ruchi Aggarwal is lead for partner strategy and marketing for corporate
accounts at Microsoft. She is presenting ‘Ten business skills that never
go out of fashion’ today at 14.30 on the Inspiration Hub, Stand G680.
Ruchi is also presenting ‘How to make your client your best friend. Secrets
of a corporate marketer’ on the Inspiration Hub tomorrow at 15.00.
Live campaigns – the most
innovative marketing approach
OLJA M. Dams, CEO at VOK DAMS gives
his views on live campaigns.
“The concept of live campaigns expresses
a new confidence in our industry. The fundamental change in live marketing is the everincreasing demand to strategically integrate
events into the client’s overall communication
plan.
Live campaigns are strategic interventions
that highlight the importance of events in the
marketing mix. The live channel in marketing
campaigns will no longer be one communication channel amongst many. By responding
to the needs of different target groups, the
live channel becomes the content provider for
the campaign and therefore, its epicentre.
The reason for this trend is the change in
communication today, especially for the Generation Y target group. Communication needs
to be authentic, emotional and relevant, and
it needs to offer added value.
Every marketing professional knows that
attention is the currency of the 21st century.
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IMEX DAILY 2015
Even if the aim of communication has not
changed – to successfully convey messages
to recipients - communication channels have
changed fundamentally. In times of the mobile
internet, there is an abundance of information
at one’s disposal at all times.
And, what is even more important, everyone can simultaneously join in with the communication. That’s why live campaigns often
include co-creation, an innovative event format that’s currently trending in live marketing – people coming together for the purpose
of creation, or to collaboratively find solutions.
In short, live campaigns are a consequence
of socio-cultural developments while at the
same time implying a reassessment of the
entire marketing discipline centered around
events.”
Hear more from Colja M. Dams at 10.30 this
morning at the Inspiration Hub G680.
vokdams.de
Briefs
New website for Kyoto
To promote and attract more MICE events to Kyoto, KCVB has renewed its English
MICE website to enable event organisers to easily send enquiries about availability and
rates to multiple meeting suppliers at once, and receive replies directly. The site links
with many unique party venues for MICE in Kyoto, such as a national museum,
traditional Japanese architecture and historical temples registered as UNESCO World
Cultural Heritage Sites.
Stand B400 meetkyoto.jp
Radisson goes Belgian
The Radisson Blu Royal Hotel in Brussels has just completed a €7 million renovation
programme of its bedrooms and 18 conference rooms. As well as embodying a new
urban style, the renovation also plays on the hotel’s Belgian heritage. Meeting room
ceilings are painted as Magritte skies while the hotel foyer pays tribute to the nearby
UNESCO World Heritage site, the Grand Place.
Stand E155 radissonblu.com
Phoenix Voyages expands in South Korea
Destination and event management company Phoenix Voyages Group has
strengthened its presence in South Korea by opening an office in Seoul. The office will
be the company’s tenth in Asia. Phoenix Voyages has also appointed a new country
manager to head up its South Korean operation
Phoenix Voyages offers a range of South Korean activities including performances
and historical tours, traditional ceremonies in the heart of the Buddhist temples,
culinary experiences and private taekwondo lessons.
Stand F320 phoenixvoyages.com
A&K founder honoured
Geoffery Kent, founder of Abercrombie & Kent, was recently awarded a Lifetime
Achievement Award, the highest accolade in the travel and tourism industry in the
United States, at a gala event attended by hundreds of travel agents. Geoffrey Kent
was recognised for being a pioneer in the field of experiential travel. A&K will outline its
DMC services for groups and MICE at IMEX.
Stand G620 akdmc.com
New members for euromic
euromic, the events and destination management partnership, will have representation
from all 39 of its member destinations at IMEX. This will include DMCs inducted at its
recent AGM in Amsterdam: Pacto Ltd. in Indonesia, Talas-M in Montenegro, Talas-S in
Serbia, DT-Slovenia in Slovenia and Walthers DBS in South Africa. In February,
Argentina Travel Partners (ATP DMC) was voted in as the new member in Argentina.
Stand E780 euromic.com
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Daily 1
Belgrade Hotel
celebrates city
heritage and
Serbian cuisine
HE Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has invested €55 million in a new hotel in Belgrade,
which opened earlier this year.
Radisson Blu Old Mill Belgrade held its grand opening ceremony on 25 March. Its design
aims to reflect the industrial heritage of Belgrade’s downtown area using natural colours
and materials such as oak, stone, bricks, copper and textile. The hotel’s restaurant aims
to promote Serbian culinary tradition and operates a ‘zero kilometres’ policy, meaning that
all food products are grown and purchased locally in Serbia.
Thomas Swieca, general manager at Radisson Blu Old Mill Hotel Belgrade, said: “At
the moment, Belgrade is one of the most attractive business destinations in the region
and we are very enthusiastic about the perspective this city offers, primarily oriented towards key European and regional markets.”
He added: “Belgrade has been widely positioned as the new capital of cool, a city that
is vibrant 24 hours per day, and we are very proud to be part of it.”
The hotel offers 236 rooms including 14 suites and a conference centre. It is the first
hotel in Serbia to receive the Green Key eco-label, promoting sustainable tourism. The
hotel partners with local company DMC Vekol to offer services in destination and event
management.
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Stand E010 radissonblu.com
Marina Bay Sands
receives another
sustainability plaudit
INGAPORE’S Marina Bay Sands has been
awarded the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award. The
integrated resort is now the largest commercial building in Singapore to win this honour.
In the past two years, the resort’s sustainability team has led projects across different
business units to implement and drive
changes to maximise energy savings. This
has been a challenging project given the
scale and complexity of the resort and its various stakeholders.
Since 2013 a total of 31 projects were im-
S
City partners launch
Club Liverpool to attract
global investment
IVERPOOL has rebranded its event
ambassador programme as it prepares for
the launch of its new exhibition centre.
The new programme, Club Liverpool, is
being led by Liverpool Convention Bureau in
partnership with venue ACC Liverpool, home
to BT Convention Centre, Echo Arena and Exhibition Centre Liverpool. The programme
aims to promote the UK city as a world-class
conference and event destination and aims to
double the number of existing city ambassadors in the next 12 months.
It includes a refreshed website, ClubLiverpool.co.uk, which enables ambassadors to
access event news, networking opportunities
and key information. Members will gain access to exclusive ambassador events in Liverpool to network, gain insight into what’s
new in the city and meet other city ambassadors in order to share best practice.
Liverpool’s ambassadors have helped to
attract more than 120 national and international events to the city region since the programme started in 2004. The Club Liverpool
programme hopes to build on this success,
and aims to bring major national and international events to the city, particularly in the key
education, scientific and medical sectors.
L
20
Kate Currie, Liverpool Convention Bureau
manager, said: “Becoming an ambassador is
a fantastic opportunity to showcase your
home city – including its culture, heritage and
scientific innovation – to your colleagues
around the world. Working together as joint
advocates allows us to get our messages out
to the right people and show just why businesses should recognise Liverpool as a world
class destination for conferences and
events.”
A new £66m exhibition centre is set to
launch at ACC Liverpool in September 2015.
The 8,100m2 complex will double the current
event space and will be Europe’s first
plemented resulting in energy savings worth
an estimated $13 million between 2013 and
2014. Marina Bay Sands saved 66,150,000
kWh of electricity, the equivalent of the average annual electricity used in 14,380 fourroom flats in Singapore.
The resort managed to cut energy utilisation per visitor by 23% between 2012 and
2014. Water consumption per visitor in 2014
also fell by 7.8%.
Furthermore, a waste management plan,
started in 2012, tracks recycling figures
across 15 categories of waste, including
paper, plastic, glass, metals, oil and food
waste. More than 2,200 tonnes of waste is
recycled annually.
Marina Bay Sands was also the first venue
in Southeast Asia to be certified with the international sustainability standard ISO 20121.
Last year, it supported Messe Berlin (Singapore) in staging ITB Asia’s first-ever carbon
neutral event in its seven-year history. The
event attracted 9,650 attendees from 108
countries across three days.
Stand B380 marinabaysands.com
Utrecht celebrates
Grand Départ with
cycling events
purpose-built inter-connected arena, convention and exhibition centre.
Sara Wilde McKeown, chair of Liverpool
city region’s visitor economy board, said:
“Hosting business events and conferences
has a huge economic impact on the city,
extending right across the hospitality, retail
and tourism sectors. To secure these
events we have to compete with leading
cities across the world and creating valuable connections through a robust ambassador scheme is the strongest way to
achieve this.”
Stand F340 liverpoolconventionbureau.com
HE city of Utrecht in The Netherlands is
set to host an international conference
on cycling and science to mark the arrival
of the Tour de France in July.
The Science & Cycling conference,
which takes place on 1-2 July at Educatorium Utrecht University, is the culmination
of a 100-day programme of events in the
fields of sport, culture and science. The
programme kicked off on 26 March to
T
countdown to the arrival of the Tour on 1
July.
The conference will allow cycling experts
and scientists to exchange the latest research
and experiences. An experience square, set
up alongside the conference, will allow companies and institutes to give demonstrations
of their products and technologies.
Stand E100 utrechtconventionbureau.nl
IMEX DAILY 2015
www.stuttgart2go.com
Daily 1
© Daimler AG /© Porsche AG
Stuttgart for all your senses
Enjoy a coffee in a cosy café atmosphere whilst learning
about diverse meeting options and free services, discover
local inventions that changed the world & participate in the
#Stuttgart2go selfie competition.
Meet us at Stand F020
IMEX DAILY 2015
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Daily 1
Asia
Pacific
presence
for PSAV
VENT technology company PSAV has
opened a Singapore office.
The branch operation will focus on providing event technology services to clients running their events in the Asia Pacific markets.
In the past PSAV has supported events in this
region but this is the first time it will have a
permanent presence.
Mike McIlwain, president and chief executive of PSAV, said: “We have seen Asia become the fastest growing market in the
meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibits industry and PSAV is now looking to
offer clients the same high levels of experience in this area as they receive in the Americas, Middle East and Europe.”
The operation will be headed by Hamish
Slengard who is experienced in managing
events in Asia, particularly in China and Singapore. Slengard has worked in the event
technology field for 20 years.
Sapporo gets the science of
meetings right to win events
E
Stand E700 europe.psav.com
APPORO is promoting itself as a world-class destination
for wildlife, veterinary sciences and science congresses.
The capital of Japan’s Hokkaido Prefecture, Sapporo can
boast of several recent wins. In 2018, 2,000 participants will
attend the XXXth World Buiatrics Congress, its first time in
Asia. Meanwhile, the 5th International Wildlife Management
Congress will attend the city in July.
As home to 2010 Nobel Prize Laureate for chemistry, Dr
S
Akira Suzuki, Sapporo has also been building its reputation in
the field and has won the Asian Chemical Congress for 2017.
Sport is another area of success. Sapporo has just hosted
the 2015 World Women’s Curling Championship and has now
secured the 2016 FIS Snowboard World Cup, 2017 Sapporo
Asian Winter Games and 2019 Rugby World Cup. It has announced its intention to bid for the 2026 Winter Olympics
This compact city offers a variety of high quality facilities,
accommodation, and easy flight access. A recent addition to
its unique venue family is Sapporo JRA Racecourse, the first
ever racecourse in Japan to be used as a unique venue. Incentive planners and media from all over Asia have visited the
racecourse in recent months for the Sapporo MICE Leaders’
summit.
Stand B400 conventionsapporo.jp
Luxury Venice
New Oman centre
predicts busy first year hotel opens on
private island
MAN Convention & Exhibition Centre
(OCEC) is predicting 200,000 attendees in its first year when it opens in
2016.
The OCEC and the Oman Ministry of
Tourism have joined forces to promote
Oman as a hub for knowledge exchange
and the creation of business-to-business
opportunities, as well as highlighting the
Sultanate’s business events’ potential.
The OCEC and the Ministry are undertaking a third European Convention
O
22
roadshow to showcase Oman’s offering,
including a spotlight event at the Oman
Pavilion during the Milan Expo 2015.
Situated four kilometres from Muscat
International Airport, the centre will include two auditoriums seating 3,200 and
450 people and five exhibition halls with
22,000m2 of exhibition space. There will
also be 13 meeting rooms for 80 to 300
delegates, two ballrooms seating up to
2,360 people, ten hospitality suites, a VIP
Pavilion, a food-court and a multi-storey
car park with capacity for 4,000 vehicles.
Accommodation will include a 5-star
hotel linked to the convention centre, two
4-star hotels, a 3-star hotel and apartments with a combined total of 1,000
rooms.
Press can learn more about the centre
on Thursday during a press conference
held in Room Symmetrie 3, Hall 8 Level
1, at 10.15.
Stand E620 omanconvention.com
HE 250-room JW Marriott Venice Resort
& Spa has soft-opened ahead of its grand
opening celebration on 24 June 2015. The
hotel was designed in collaboration with
award-winning Italian architectural firm Matteo Thun & Partners. Facilities include
Venice’s largest spa, a rooftop infinity pool
and four restaurants including the fine dining
Italian restaurant, Dopolavoro Dining Room.
The 1,750m2 spa will be operated by GOCO
Hospitality.
The resort offers five accommodation options. The hotel has 191 rooms, most with
glass walls and private balconies, while La
Residenza offers 12 guest rooms leading to
private gardens by the spa and lagoon.
L’Uliveto has 26 guest rooms with views
over ancient olive groves, La Maisonette offers 20 split level suites with private patios
and gardens and La Villa Rose is a private
retreat with two bedrooms set in a private
garden with a pool. The 40-acre grounds
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also include an events space in an original
church.
Mitzi Gaskins, vice president and global
brand manager for JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, said: "The opening of our first property
in Italy marks a time of great growth and development for the JW Marriott brand and this
will be celebrated by a spectacular opening
event in June. The new JW Marriott Venice
Resort & Spa incorporates modern design elements with authentic Venetian offerings to
create a truly genuine experience in a culturally rich market."
JW Marriott Venice is the brand’s sixth European property and first resort in Europe.
Other planned openings include JW Marriott
Bodrum, Turkey in May; JW Marriott Cabo
San Lucas Resort, Mexico this autumn and
JW Marriott Vancouver Place Stadium, British
Columbia, Canada in 2016.
Stand C520 jwmarriottvenice.com
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Aloft bring a fresh
and modern style to
German hotels
Birmingham NEC gains multimillion
pound entertainment complex
£150 million leisure and entertainment
complex will open this summer on the
site of UK exhibition and events centre the
NEC.
Resorts World Birmingham will play an integral part in the NEC’s wider strategy to
offer a more diverse leisure and hospitality
experience, and to increase the amount of
time visitors spend on site.
The leisure complex is the first of its kind
in the UK with sister sites in Manila, New
A
York and Singapore. It will include additional
conference space and the Genting Hotel, a
178 room 4-star hotel with 5-star suites.
There will also be an Asian-themed spa, a
gym with a 15m pool, 12 restaurants, 50
shops, an 11 screen cinema and a casino,
as well as three bars. The NEC already provides more than 182,000m2 of indoor
space across 20 inter-connecting halls, a
purpose built arena and 34 conference
suites.
Martin Clarke, the NEC’s venue marketing
director, said: “Resorts World Birmingham
turns the NEC into a 24/7 destination. With
Resorts World opening at the NEC, there is
the opportunity for delegates to make the
most of the networking and entertainment
opportunities open to them after hours.”
The complex will create 1,150 jobs when
it opens in the summer.
Stand F340 thenec.co.uk
Montreal goes for gold
TARWOOD Hotels Aloft brand is coming to
Germany with two new properties opening
this year.
Aloft Stuttgart is set to open in July 2015 in
the Milaneo shopping complex within quick access of the city centre and Stuttgart central station. The Mercedes-Benz and Porsche
Museums are also short train rides away. The
property has 165 guest rooms and suites.
Munich will get its own 184-room Aloft in
August 2015, just in time for this year’s Oktoberfest. Located opposite the central train station and its U-Bahn and S-Bahn lines, the hotel
S
is in close proximity to the Oktoberfest grounds,
Hofbraeuhaus, Maximilian Street, and the Old
and New Town Halls.
The hotel concept aims to be modern, fresh,
and fun with an open plan layout that creates
space for relaxed interaction. Facilities include
the WXYZ bar, the Re:fuel snacking station, a
game lounge named the Re:mixSM, and the
Re:chargeSM gym. The hotels also offer free
hotel-wide high speed internet access.
Stand G150 aloftstuttgarthotel.com
aloftmunichhotel.com
ANADIAN convention centre Palais des congrès de Montréal has
reached the standards to qualify for a gold international quality
standards certificate.
The venue is one of only 26 convention centres worldwide to qualify
for an AIPC Gold Quality Standards international certificate. The certification measures a convention centre’s performance in ten areas, including customer service, supplier relations and environmental responsibility.
Raymond Larivée, president and chief executive of the Société du
Palais des congrès de Montréal, said: “We are extremely proud of this
certification which speaks to the quality of our service and infrastructures,
our continuous improvement programmes and sound management.”
The Palais des congrès de Montréal will host 127,000 delegates,
more than ever before in the financial year 2014-15. The number of
room nights booked for business tourism purposes in 2015-16 is already
up 39% compared with the average for the past five years, at 210,300.
C
Stand B280 congresmtl.com
Swedish hotel restructures events offering
TOCKHOLM’S Grand Hôtel is boosting its events and
conferences operations by appointing its first events
manager.
Camilla Mörk has the remit of managing and further
developing the Swedish hotel’s events and conferences
operations.
Pia Djupmark, chief executive of the Grand Hôtel,
said: “Grand Hôtel is unique on the Swedish market in
that our restaurant, event and conference operations
account for an equally large part financially as our hotel
operations. Traditionally, Grand Hôtel has had a restaurateur, with responsibility for both our restaurant and
events and conference operations. As part of our overall
development work, we have decided to divide that area
of responsibility into two different positions. The added
resources will allow us to create a more attractive offering.”
Mörk was previously director of events and group
sales for US hotels such as The Bryant Park Hotel, The
Setai Hotel South Beach and The Gansevoort Hotel
Group. She said: “I look forward to contributing my
knowhow and experience from the American market.”
The Grand Hôtel has also appointed Karl Persson,
previously restaurant manager at the hotel’s Veranda
restaurant, as food and beverage manager, with responsibility for the hotel’s entire restaurant operations.
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Stand F200 grandhotel.se
IMEX DAILY 2015
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60 second guide: Messe Frankfurt
What is it?
As well as hosting IMEX again in 2015, Messe
Frankfurt is one of the foremost meetings and
exhibitions venues in Europe. Last year it was
home to more than 130 congresses and conferences outside of trade fairs, attended by
some 113,000 people. The events covered
everything from medicine and finance to IT.
What does it offer?
Its nine halls offer more than 350,000m2 of
space on a site that is almost 600,000m2.
The flexible facilities and infrastructure, mean
that the Frankfurt exhibition grounds can accommodate many types of event. As well as
the halls, the Messe includes the historic Festhalle, the modern Forum, the Portalhaus and
the Congress Center. All the buildings are
connected by means of a covered mobile
walkway. Accommodation is no problem
either, with 5,000 hotel beds within a
15 minute walk of the Messe.
What’s new?
Last May saw the opening of the new Kap Europa congress centre in the neighbouring Europaviertel district, marking the beginning of a
whole new chapter in the ongoing development
of the Frankfurt base. It is the first convention
building to be awarded Gold Certification by the
German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
Who has been there?
Notwithstanding the thousands of guests at
IMEX this week, Messe Frankfurt is home to
mega events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair,
the Frankfurt Motor Show and Musikmesse.
Booking for congresses is looking good too
with upcoming events such as the Green
Meetings & Events conference, the CFA Institute Annual Conference, the 118th German
Medical Assembly, the German Senior Citizens’ Day and the 99th Annual Conference of
the German Society for Pathology.
Stand F110 messefrankfurt.com
Think Tank Berlin – Leaders
in Science and Research
T IMEX Frankfurt, the Berlin Convention Office (BCO)
and its 27 hotel and service partners not only present
you the multifaceted options the city has to offer for your
perfect event, but also the high concentration of excellent
research institutions. Together with the Technical University of Berlin, the BCO is presenting a unique project at
Stand F 100-40: iBOSS. With this sustainable approach,
it will later be possible to produce satellites on a modular
basis. This will enable them to be renewed in orbit, instead of having to be abandoned as debris in space.
This project is just one example of the innovative
strength of Berlin. With four internationally renowned universities, seven universities of applied sciences, 22 technology parks and business incubators as well as 70
non-university research institutions, the German capital
is the country's largest scientific centre. This innovative
environment makes Berlin an internationally sought-after
destination for high-class science events. According to
the latest congress statistics, meetings and conferences
related to science and research represented 15 per cent
of the total 131,000 events in 2014.
The 2015 congress highlights in the medical field include "Euroanaesthesia 2015 - The European Anaesthesiology Congress" (30 May-2 June 2015), "EAN 2015 European Academy of Neurology" (20-23 June 2015)
and "ESICM LIVES 2015" (3-7 October 2015), the European congress on the subject of care. Another highlight
A
26
is the "DGPPN Congress" of the German Society of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Neurology (25-28 November 2015). All these conventions are
held at CityCube Berlin, which is celebrating its first anniversary this May. Since its opening, CityCube Berlin has
become a real marketing success and has been very well
received by customers. The convention centre offers
modern equipment, while its links with the adjacent exhibition grounds provide the center with enough space
for even the largest of events.
We know Berlin – The visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office
The visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office (BCO) markets
the German capital as a convention destination. Established in 2001, the BCO offers comprehensive support
for the organisation of conventions, meetings and incentives in Germany’s capital. Customers benefit from the
experienced team, the vast network of national and international contacts as well as comprehensive service
for associations, corporates and agencies. These facilities
include the arrangement and booking of hotel allotments
free of charge, the organisation and supervision of site
inspections, recommendations for social events and supporting programmes and the provision of brochures and
city maps.
Stand: F 100-40 convention.visitBerlin.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
Daily 1
Where World Leaders Meet
Brisbane successfully delivered the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit,
the world’s most significant business event.
Discover how we can deliver yours at The Australia Stand B320.
IMEX DAILY 2015
choosebrisbane.com/imex
27
Daily 1
German venue launches new event app
TUTTGART’S Leiderhalle convention centre
has launched a mobile app to benefit event
organisers using its facilities.
Event organisers can use the basic app for
free, giving their delegates access to information about the Kultur-und Kongresszetnrum
Liederhalle, as well as directions and information about accommodation, dining establishments and the surrounding area. Organisers
can also customise the app for a fee, tailoring
it to their own event with participation lists and
convention programmes, and adding facilities
such as registration, voting, or interaction between speakers and delegates.
Ellen Schmid, from Liederhalle’s marketing
team, said: "Since the basic framework of the
S
Sixties-inspired luxury
hotel opens in Italy
OURISM company Falkensteiner Michaeler Tourism Group AG has
opened a 5-star hotel in Italy.
The Falkensteiner Hotel & Spa Jesolo on the Italian Adriatic coast, is
the fourth hotel in the 5-star Premium Collection of the Vienna-based
hotel group, which aims to expand its role in the premium sector. Designed by New York architect Richard Meier and Italian interior designer
Matteo Thun, the hotel utilises pop art elements and bright 1960s
colours.
Otmar Michaeler, chief executive of FMTG, said: “This beach hotel
comes at the right time for us. Lately, our expansion strategy has been
increasingly focused on Italy, Germany, and Switzerland. For the premium
hotels of our group and for our guests, this project is an important addition
to the Alpine-Adria region.“
He added: “This hotel will be a charming homage to the glorious past
of the Italian bathing resort, and brings the glamour and flair of Miami to
the Adriatic.”
The hotel includes a pool and beach house with 126 rooms and suites.
app already exists, the expansion and modification for each respective organiser is simple
and affordable. This makes it easy to individualise the app for each and every event.”
She added: "With the event app, the participants can send their questions via smartphone
to the speaker platform and communicate directly with the moderators and speakers. The
app enables the guests to become an active
component of the event and it simplifies socialising and making contacts.”
The event app is available for Android and
iOS systems and can be downloaded from
Google Play and the App Store.
Stand F020 liederhalle-stuttgart.de
Environmental drive makes
tracks in the Black Forest
T
GERMAN tourism company is partnering
with an automotive events organisation
to offer environmentally-friendly driving experiences.
Schwarzwald Tourismus and automotive
event organiser Drive in Motion have come together to offer the Black Forest e-drive experience 2015. Between ten and 30 participants
can take part in one of 12 one- to three-day
guided tours of the Black Forest area between
May and September this year, driving a highperformance Tesla electric sports car.
Two participants will share an e-drive Tesla
S, Tesla P85D Performance or Tesla Roadster
model. The cars can accelerate from 0 to 100
km/h in less than four seconds, can travel up
to 460 km with one charge of a 85 kWh battery and have a top speed of more than 250
km/h, with no carbon emissions.
The guided round trips start at automotive
venue Motorworld Region Stuttgart. On the
three-day tours the teams stay in the Hotel
A
Stand F655 jesolo.falkensteiner.com
Irish conference support
scheme brings in the Euros
RISH tourism development authority Fáilte
Ireland has attracted three international conferences to Dublin, worth almost €2 million to
the Irish economy.
The conferences, totalling 1,400 delegates, were won with the assistance of the
authority’s Conference Ambassador Financial
Support scheme, which offers support and
assistance to Irish members of international
groupings to bring their association’s conference to Ireland. The total amount of conference business confirmed in one month
represents a potential financial impact of €10
million.
I
28
In October 2016, the Life Cycle Assessment of Foods Conference 2016 will take
place in Dublin with 450 delegates expected,
while the International Network of Basin Organisations European Conference on the
Water Framework Directive will attract 750
delegates and will take place in November
2017. The Fire Safety for All in Buildings Conference is bringing 200 delegates in April
2016.
Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism and
Sport, Paschal Donohoe, said: “I am particularly pleased to see that the Conference Ambassador Financial Support Scheme is really
making a difference – creating leads, opportunities and wins for business tourism in the
capital and beyond.”
Miriam Kennedy, head of business
tourism at Fáilte Ireland, said: “The average
business traveller tends to spend two or
three times as much as a leisure tourist.
Therefore, wins such as these are incredibly
important for many of those hotels and venues who cater for such large events – sustaining and growing jobs as well as revenue
in the sector.”
Stand F420 meetinireland.com
Ritter in Durbach. Participants can book extensions to the experience such as team
competitions using alternative energy
sources.
Schwarzwald Tourismus chief executive
Christopher Krull said: “With the offerings
from Drive in Motion, we can provide comfort-oriented sports car drivers with an exclusive, yet environmentally-friendly round trip
package for the Black Forest. In this way we
want to get more people interested in the
high-end gastronomy and accommodation on
offer in the Black Forest.”
The e-transport offering is part of
Schwarzwald Tourismus’ drive to make the
Black Forest the most environmentallyfriendly rural tourist region in Germany. Initiatives include free public transport passes for
tourists, an e-bike network and a car-sharing
scheme for holiday-makers.
Stand F100 drive-in-motion.com
New hotels and venues
abound in Lyon
F
RANCE’S second-largest city, Lyon, is
boosting its MICE offering with hotel and
venue launches.
Groupe Métropole, which already owns four
hotels in the Lyon area, is set to open Hotel
Parkest in July. The hotel is located in Genas,
near the exhibitions and conventions centre
Eurexpo Lyon. It will have 100 rooms, and
300m² of seminar rooms.
Meanwhile Fourvière Hotel, located on the
slopes of Fourvière Hill, is scheduled to open
in June. Once known as Visitandines Convent,
the hotel is built in a 19th century former
chapel. In addition to 78 rooms over three levels, the hotel will also offer a 750m² garden
enclosed by the cloister and its 36 arches. A
lounge bar, tea room and restaurant have been
created in the chapter of the convent, and a
large room leading out on to a veranda on the
same level and overlooking a 1,500m² garden
can be used for reception events.
Another hotel, Hotel OKKO, opened in December last year, situated in the city’s reno-
vated former prefecture. The hotel has 85
rooms with a contemporary and minimalist design.
The city also has a new events venue, which
opened at the end of last year. Musée des Confluences, designed by Austrian architects Coop
Himmelblau, presents the story of the earth
and humanity from its earliest days. The museum has two auditoriums, four permanent exhibition spaces covering 3,300m², special
areas devoted to temporary exhibitions and
workshops and digital and experimental areas,
as well as a self-service restaurant and a
restaurant with a terrace. Organisers are able
to use the modern venue’s meeting rooms and
exhibition space for their own events.
Lyon Convention Bureau will present the
Musée des Confluences and new hotel developments at the Atout France Press Conference,
which takes place at 14.15 tomorrow, in Room
Symmetrie 3 (open to press only).
Stand D140 lyon-france.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
Daily 1
Japan looks to future
with new business
tourism branding
HE Japan National Tourism Organization
(JNTO) is set to unveil its new meetings
and events brand at IMEX, showcasing the
strengths of Japan as a leading destination
for meetings, incentives and events.
The new brand aims to unite Japan’s diverse cities, venues, and suppliers under the
message that holding a meeting in Japan
can help propel business into the future. The
branding emphasises Japan’s leadership in
science, technology and industry, its distinctive and inspiring culture, and the country’s
T
track record of high-quality event management.
Meetings and events are a core component of the Japanese government’s goal of
welcoming 20 million foreign visitors by
2020. The 2020 Olympic and Paralympic
Games in Tokyo are set to stimulate growth
in the meetings and events industry and provide a catalyst to strengthen infrastructure
throughout the country. There are plans for
new large scale meeting facilities that can
cater to more than 10,000 delegates, as well
Manchester venue wins
gold people award
as new hotels, such as the Four Seasons in
Kyoto which opens this year.
Delegates at international conferences will
this year benefit from fast lanes at Narita and
Kansai International Airports to minimise the
time spent waiting at airport customs. In
2015, Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports
also saw a 50% increase in flight capacity
from 2010, with plans to further develop capacity through 2020 and beyond.
Stand B400 japanmeetings.org
ONFERENCE and events venue Manchester Central has been recognised as
a top employer.
The venue has been awarded Investors in
People (IIP) Gold status after implementing a
number of learning and development opportunities for its team throughout the last year.
Manchester Central was the first major
venue in the UK to achieve IIP Bronze status
and has advanced to Gold in just over two
years.
Angie Robinson, chief executive of Manchester Central, said: “A venue’s greatest
asset is its team and it is essential that we
continue to invest in ours. We’re passionate
about attracting and retaining the most talented individuals and we will continue to develop a workplace where team members can
learn, develop and progress.”
C
Employee-focused initiatives introduced
by Manchester Central include online learning and development initiatives and an accessible and convenient way for team
members to share feedback.
The venue, which can host up to 10,000
delegates in more than 23,000m2 of space,
will host national association conferences
this year from organisations including the
British Insurance Brokers’ Association (BIBA)
and the British Dental Association (BDA). The
6th World Congress on Ecological Restoration and International Surgical Week will both
take place at Manchester Central in 2015,
as will the Council for Advancement and
Support of Education (CASE) Europe’s fourday annual conference.
Stand F340 manchestercentral.co.uk
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29
29
Daily 1
IAPCO renews and
How DMOs are building the
extends its winning destination experience of
partnerships at IMEX
HE International Association of Professional Conference Organisers (IAPCO) is confirming
its commitment to raising the standards within the meetings industry with worldwide partnerships being signed at IMEX this week.
After a successful two-year partnership, IAPCO and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), are signing up for another two years of close collaboration. Education, experiences, platforms and networking have all proved to be successful outcomes of this
strategic relationship. “I am delighted to continue this alliance said IAPCO president, Michel
Neijmann. “Such partnerships exist to further the professionalism of our industry.”
Both Dubai and Hong Kong are renewing their Destination Partnership Agreements, originally
signed at IMEX 2014, which is evidence of the strong alliances between the members of
IAPCO and the destinations.
Two new Destination Partners, Toronto and Hamburg, are also due to sign in the next two
days, completing the worldwide spread. Destination Partnerships are strictly limited to specific
regions: Americas, Europe, IMEA and Asia Pacific.
Nicky McGrane, who is responsible for corporate partnerships at IAPCO said IMEX was the
natural location for the deals. “The show is the marketplace for our industry, where we form
alliances, where we network, where we learn, where we complete our research for locations,
venues, destinations and services. Where else can business be conducted with such ease
and efficiency? We are here to do business and IMEX delivers that forum.”
T
Stand G316 IAPCO.org
IMEXlive online
IMEXlive is back at imex-frankfurt.com every day of the show featuring a
selection of the best social media reporting from IMEX. You’ll be able to
view the content as it happens and join in by posting on Twitter or Instagram
with the hashtag #IMEX15. IMEXlive is powered by Cvent’s SocialWall.
#IMEX15
tomorrow’s businesses
EETINGS and events have always revolved around bringing people together face-to-face to drive business and develop new
business relationships. That is never going to change. However, with
so much disruption occurring in the industry today, the methods and
strategies that destination marketing organisations (DMOs) are employing to attract face-to-face events are undergoing major shifts.
At the top end of the supply chain, DMOs collectively have the most
broad-based vision of meeting industry trends on a global scale. As
the gateways and Googles of their respective destinations, DMOs are
driving today’s knowledge economy in the international tourism, hospitality and meetings sectors.
To help define the future role of DMOs, DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International) launched phase one of its ground-breaking DestinationNEXT research in 2014. Collating survey data from
327 DMOs across 36 countries, the study prioritised three primary
destination marketing strategies or ‘transformational opportunities’
moving into the future:
M
recognising and doing around these buckets of transformational opportunities, and then understand how you can react to them.”
During tomorrow’s Research Pod session, ‘How DMOs are building
the destination experience of tomorrow’, tourism industry editor Greg
Oates will present a first-hand look at this exciting research and explore ways for your organisation to capitalise on it (Inspiration Hub,
G680 13.00-13.30).
You can learn more about the DestinationNEXT initiative from
DMAI’s president and CEO, Michael Gehrisch from 9.00 to 9.50 in
Room Dialog, Level 9.2, Hall 9 on Thursday: ‘DestinationNEXT – the
road map for the future of DMOs’.
Stand C165 destinationmarketing.org
1. A shift from one-way broadcast marketing to two-way consumer
engagement
2. More emphasis on brand management, place making and product
development
3. More partnerships with economic development organisations
(EDOs) and non-tourism stakeholders, and better measurement of
the value of those partnerships
So what does this mean for meeting planners? DestinationNEXT
signals a pervasive strategy realignment among DMOs globally to engage with their clients in new ways, promote their destinations more
productively, and offer a better-rounded destination experience with
better business deliverables. Planners live in the middle of all of that.
“DestinationNEXT is about where the industry is heading,” says
Christine (Shimo) Shimasaki, managing director of empowerMINT at
DMAI. “So what I would say to planners is, look what the industry is
EXPERIENCE
MEETINGS
SPACE TO THINK, FAST FREE WIFI AND FOOD FOR THE MIND.
ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS.
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HOTELS DESIGNED TO SAY YES!
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30
IMEX DAILY 2015
Daily 1
MEET.
STAY.
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IMEX DAILY 2015
31
Daily 1
Global DMC adds Travel company plans
new destinations Tuscan musical adventure
LOBAL DMC Partners has expanded
its network of independent destination
management companies with seven new
partner companies in 2015.
Kathy Clarke Hawaii joined the network
of handpicked DMCs at the beginning of
April to support groups travelling to the
Hawaiian Islands. Three other new partners are based in the US: New York’s
Shackman Associates, Philadelphia-based
Stockton & Partners, and Offsite Utah in
Salt Lake City.
Equilibrium Events Bahamas and the
Dominican Republic’s ECT joined Global
DMC Partners to help meet the demand
for more destination options in the
Caribbean for incentive groups and programmes. Portugal-based Emotionstore
DMC, the new destination management
division of Travelstore Group, is the network’s newest European DMC partner
based in Portugal.
Global DMC Partners president Catherine Chaulet (pictured) said the new destinations had been added to meet a high
demand for more destination options for
groups and meetings worldwide, with Portugal in particular subject to high demand
from both US and international groups.
“Lisbon is Europe’s hidden gem at a
cost-effective price,” she said. “It fits the
mould for many different types of programmes from incentives to corporate
meetings since the destination is rich in
culture, has many unique and high-end
restaurants and a trending nightlife.”
At the end of 2014 Global DMC Partners
G
VENT planner Italy’s Finest is offering a
tailored package for a small group of
guests in Tuscany as part of opera singer Andrea Bocelli’s tenth Teatro del Silenzio concert.
The concert, which takes place in a natural open-air amphitheatre this August, is the
E
centre-piece of the four-day experience,
which also includes deluxe accommodation
at the Villa San Paolo, a private viewing of
award-winning premium wine cellars, meals
at trattorias and Michelin-star restaurants
and guided tours of artistic treasures across
the region.
Last year Italy’s Finest took a party of 50
guests on a Chianti safari, including helicopter rides, a luxury barbecue and a visit to a
world-famous butchery where they learned
how to create different cuts of meat.
Stand D400 italysfinest.com
formed a strategic alliance with Associated
Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), providing the company with expertise and access
to the network of DMCs worldwide.
Global DMC Partners will host a client
event for buyers at its stand tomorrow
from 17.00-18.00.
Stand D010 globaldmcpartners.com
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32
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IMEX DAILY 2015
Daily 1
IMEX DAILY 2015
33
Daily 1
Winnipeg wins
with new
properties
Great meetings
take practice
Face to face communication is a skill that we need to use, or
we may lose our ability to make the most of meetings, says
Jonathan Bradshaw, CEO, The Meetology Group
CCOMMODATION options in Winnipeg
are set to be transformed this year with
a new ALT Hotel opened in April and a major
improvement programme at the local airport.
Following the recent opening of the Courtyard by Marriott Winnipeg Airport, the Best
Western Plus Winnipeg Airport Hotel is undergoing a four-year renovation programme,
set for completion in 2017. Holiday Inn Winnipeg, Airport West’s own renovation programme, is set to finish in September 2015.
Other notable refurbishments in the city
include the Clarion Hotel and Suites which
has just begun a complete rolling renovation.
MICE bookers should watch out for the redesigned Birchwood and Chateau Riel Ballrooms and the new outdoor patio connected
to the hotel’s lounge.
Meanwhile, Place Louis Riel Suite Hotel
has embarked on a complete renovation of
its main floor, while Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Centre has completed the redesign
of its conference centre. The expanded ballroom now offers 2,100 m2 of reconfigurable
space for up to 2,500 guests.
A
Stand B280 tourismwinnipeg.com
AST week, whilst manually filling out my
name and address on a delivery form, I
realised something rather worrying – my
handwriting is getting worse. Yes, in fact, not
only is it getting worse it is getting almost illegible to anyone but me. As I handed the
form to the lady behind the counter she could
hardly hide her dismay at the messy scrawl
that covered the page and had to ask me to
clarify a number of the words.
As I drove home I questioned why this
was. At school my writing had been quite acceptable and yet, as the years went by I
found myself ditching joined-up writing in
favour of capitals only to seemingly become
rather poor at this too. Then it hit me, the reason was simple – we simply just don’t write
as much as we used to. Think about the last
time you picked up a pen to write anything
substantial and compare that to the times
you use a keyboard to expertly tap (or slowly
poke) in your message. I can’t prove it but,
based on my own brief survey of friends and
family, it seems that our lack of writing practice is having a serious effect on our skills in
this area.
However, it is the possible demise of far
more common, complex and arguably impor-
L
tant skill that I’ll be exploring at IMEX - face
to face interaction.
I’m looking forward to delivering a number
of Meetology themed sessions this week exploring the behavioural science behind effective human interaction. I’m hoping one of
these – Is face to face communication becoming a dying art in the digital age? – will
provoke a healthy debate with attendees on
their personal experiences of interaction at
events. What changes and impacts both on
the actual communicating process as well as
BOOK. MEET . CELEBRATE
IN SINGAPORE’S
Golden
Jubilee!
Planning your next Meeting or Incentive in Asia?
We invite you to choose Singapore, and join in the festivities as our nation celebrates
its 50th birthday! Make the most out of our exclusive Golden Jubilee offers from our
participating partners at IMEX 2015.
the quality of the relationships that develop.
My theory is that, rather like handwriting, the
plethora of ‘virtual’ channels we now use to
connect with others may be impacting our
ability to interact face to face as we lose
practice in this skill.
Aside from this I’ll be delivering a number of additional sessions based on the experience of our team of world-class
behavioural scientists. The team has helped
companies such as BA, HSBC and Merlin
Entertainments improve their performance
by equipping their teams with the skills to
interact more effectively with customers,
guests, suppliers and each other so I hope
you’ll want to join me as we explore some
of the science behind areas such as negotiation, business networking and public
speaking.
I am fascinated by human interaction and
I look forward to sharing some insights with
you. Have a great IMEX.
Is face to face communication becoming a
dying art in the digital age? is held tomorrow
at 12.30 at the Inspiration Hub, Stand G680.
Art and
technology
partnership
aims to
attract
events
T
HE French city of Nancy aims to attract conferences through a partnership between art, technology and
management.
The partnership aims to follow in the
footsteps of the Ecole de Nancy, one
of the most accomplished art and
craft, architecture and design schools
of the 20th century. The city’s Ecole
Nationale Supérieure d’Art de Nancy,
Ecole des Mines de Nancy and ICN
Business School have come together
to promote engagement and cooperation in the city, and attract congresses
and conferences to the area. The move
reflects the ‘events made easy’ motto
of Nancy’s recently-launched convention bureau, which offers services including venue finding, hotel booking
and advice.
Last year the city opened congress
centre Jean Prouve, a 3,000m² exhibition space with two auditoriums of
850 and 300 seats, and a panoramic
reception space which holds up to
1,200 guests
Stand D200 nancy-tourisme.fr
meetology.com
CTICC Expands!
New doors open early 2017
With 10 000m² additional multi-purpose
exhibition space, 2 000m² additional meeting
space, a reduced environmental footprint
and a significantly increased socio-economic
contribution, we are ready for bigger and
more concurrent events.
For more information about the even bigger
and better CTICC visit www.cticc.co.za or
email us at sales@cticc.co.za.
With over 6,600 weekly flights from 320 cities, Singapore is your springboard to discovering Asia. Discover our
vibrant multicultural heritage and mouth-watering cuisines, and a rich concentration of customisable business
and leisure experiences in our dynamic city.
Book
Stay at one of our world class
hotels and access state-of-the-art
convention venues
Meet
Wow your delegates with
the most engaging experiences
in unconventional venues
Celebrate
Transform your event with
the exciting energy of signature
festivals and local events
www.cticc.co.za
Meet us at the IMEX
Singapore
Pavilion
34
(B380)
10 Golden
offers await!
IMEX DAILY 2015
Daily 1
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IMEX DAILY 2015
35
Daily 1
SITE joins ECPAT
initiative at IMEX
ITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence) has officially joined
ECPAT’s efforts to end child exploitation and human trafficking. The
association’s international board of directors formally signed the
Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct (The Code) during SITE Nite
Europe in Frankfurt yesterday. The Code is an internationally accepted
set of voluntary guidelines that travel and tourism companies can implement to prevent child exploitation and human trafficking.
Rhonda Brewer, SITE president and vice-president, sales, Maritz
Travel Company, was instrumental in creating this partnership. Maritz
Travel has been a member of The Code since November 2013.
“Signing the Child-Protection Code signifies SITE’s commitment to
speak out against the sexual exploitation of women and children and
our intention to leverage our influence in the industry to help victims
become survivors,” said Brewer.
“SITE’s global membership and reach will be instrumental in spreading the message to countless companies and individuals who may
come across child trafficking victims,” said Michelle Guelbart, director
of private sector engagement for ECPAT-USA. “We look forward to this
exciting partnership.”
With more than 2,000 members in 90 countries, SITE will use its
channels of communication and events to inform and educate its
members, suppliers and customers about this critical issue and encourage their support for ECPAT’s work around the globe. Actions will
include training for staff and members, connecting SITE chapters to
regional ECPAT offices/NGOs, communication of procedures for reporting of possible cases to local authorities and
submission of reports to The Code organisation.
By enacting responsible policies,
members of The Code play an essential
role in protecting children from the sexual
exploitation that is particularly prevalent
in the travel and hospitality industry. With
the use of online classified ads, child
S
Taking new networking
possibilities on the road
T
HINK differently, don’t take the beaten path
and create new innovative events with a
low budget. This is the daily challenge for most
event planners. But how can you create even
better, more sustainable and methodical
meetings and events? And how do other event
professionals approach this challenge?
These are typical questions for members of
Veranstalungsplaner.de (the Association of
German Event Planners e.V.) and the association has addressed them by creating the new
Netzwerkstatt Praxisfrühstück roadshow
which will cover Cologne, Hamburg, Berlin,
Frankfurt and Munich this summer. The roadshow is the start of a whole range of new networking and knowledge exchange formats
and opportunities which will be introduced by
Veranstaltungsplaner.de, in cooperation with
strategic partners including EventMobi Germany and Ameron Hotels.
Event professionals can start learning from
Veranstaltungsplaner.de on their stand today
as part of their Netzwerkstatt Anders Denken
programme. Kerstin Hoffmann-Wagner, Hoffmann Eventberatung will be providing tips for
small and medium sized businesses at 10.30.
At 11.30 Horst Wagner from Publicis Pixelpark
will explain how communication will work in
the future. Thorben Grosser, EventMobi GmbH
will explain how to incorporate gamification in
events this afternoon at 14.30.
Tomorrow at 10.30 you’ll be able to find out
how you can create inspirational, productive
meetings with insights from Julius Jost, Spacebase GmbH. Christopher Bauder, Whitevoid interactive art & design, who designed the famous
‘Lichtgrenze’ installation for the 25th anniversary
of the fall of the Berlin Wall will share his event
production insights at 11.30 tomorrow.
Veranstaltungsplaner.de is a central networking platform for decision-makers and
managers in the German meetings industry.
The association’s work revolves around supporting event planners effectively, sharing innovative knowledge and experience as well as
bringing people and ideas together.
(Note that all education on the Veranstaltungsplaner.de stand is in German.)
Stand G165 veranstaltungsplaner.de
trafficking has moved off the streets and behind the closed doors of
local hotel rooms. Airlines are a primary means of transport for tourists
who travel overseas to sexually exploit children. Unfortunately, very few
victims are identified and fewer still receive the help and services they
need.
SITE Board members will discuss SITE’s support of ECPAT and The
Code on the SITE stand this Thursday at 12.00. All are welcome to attend.
To learn more about ECPAT-USA, The Code, and how you can get involved in ending child slavery at the source visit ecpatusa.org/thecode.
Stand A250 siteglobal.com
More than
you imagined
Imagine your congress at a place where delegates can
engage, connect and be inspired by a country that has
been trading for more than 5,000 years.
The new Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre is set
to become an iconic landmark for the city of Muscat
and the Sultanate of Oman.
Located in its own precinct supported by four hotels
totalling 1,000 rooms, a shopping mall and business
park, this world-class facility is perfectly suited to host
global congresses, corporate meetings and exhibitions.
Amongst its features are a tiered auditorium seating
3,200 people, plus an additional auditorium which seats
450, 13 dedicated meeting rooms, six rooms in the
Grand Ballroom, two rooms in the Junior Ballroom,
10 hospitality suites and 22,000 square metres of
column-free exhibition space - that is more than 40
different meeting space options for your next congress!
As we open Oman to the world of business events,
explore its beauty, diversity and opportunity.
36
www.omanconvention.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
Opening 2016 | Proudly managed by AEG Ogden
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Event organisers encouraged
to let their creative side show
ESS than 40% of event planners are creative thinkers despite 71% believing they have a creative approach to their
work, according to new research by London & Partners in partnership with supplier directory MICEBOOK.com.
The research, which was developed to mark the launch of
the London Convention Bureau’s Love the Event, Love the Experience campaign, also reveals that while 53% of event professionals feel under pressure to deliver innovative events, less
than a third of respondents say that risk-taking is encouraged
by their organisation. Only one third said that they were allowed free time to think, and only 32 per cent agreed that creative excellence is rewarded by their organisations.
More than 400 event planners were invited to find out
whether planning of events is dominated by rational leftbrained or emotional right-brained thinkers. With under 40%
of respondents shown to be right-brain thinkers, the study
highlights that global event planners must push themselves
to embed creativity within their workplaces in order to deliver
bold, dynamic events.
Tracy Halliwell, director of business tourism and major
events at London & Partners, said: “Creativity and innovation
are growing ever more important as clients demand event activations that set them apart from their competitors and deliver
enduring memories for consumers. The experience itself is
now what drives the event, but it’s only by combining pioneering ideas with concrete solutions that we can truly surprise
and delight.”
Respondents were tested using a 30-Second Brain Test devised by agency Sommer+Sommer. Its chief creative officer,
Leonard Sommer, said: “An event without an extraordinary experience certainly has less impact as memory systems in the
brain are not fully activated. To ensure an event leaves a lasting
brand impression, event planners need to incorporate unique
emotional experiences, both to make them memorable and to
help overarching messages resonate”.
Two-thirds of those surveyed blamed lack of time for ham-
Lanyon reveals
smart cloudbased events
management
London & Partners Love the Event, Love the Experience
campaign aims to encourage planners to embrace the emotional, creative aspects of event planning. Leonard Sommer,
world known creative expert, will be on the London & Partners
stand at 15.00 this afternoon for networking, drinks and discussion on creative thinking.
EETING and events technology company,
Lanyon, is unveiling its new one-stop solution at this year’s IMEX.
Following a number of key acquisitions over
the past 18 months, the provider of cloudbased software for corporate meetings, events
and travel claims its system is a smarter way
to drive business performance.
Lanyon brings together some of the industry’s best-in-class meetings, event and travel
software to create an offering that provides
customers with all of their solutions from one
partner. The software is used for managing
corporate meetings, events and travel programmes, while helping hotels better connect
with corporate clients.
The hotel management software enables
hotels to generate more profitable transient
and group business, by processing higher volumes of electronic RFPs and by marketing intelligently to corporate buyers.
Lanyon has united with Active BSG,
Passkey and GenieConnect, for its latest version. This new Lanyon offers customers a solution that helps its customers manage all
aspects of the event, from registration, attendee management, mobile, iBeacon, and
post-event marketing and follow up in one
place. Lanyon is a trusted partner that runs
meetings and events for more than 80% of
the Fortune 100.
An independent study by researchers Hobson & Company found the average company
saw a three-year ROI of 448% by using
Lanyon’s solutions.
Stand F400 conventionbureau.london
Stand D680 lanyon.com
M
L
pering creativity, with another 53 per cent blaming budget limitations. However, three-quarters of those surveyed believe
that their team members are free to deliver creative ideas.
Chetan Shah, founder and CEO of MICEBOOK.com, said:
“Whilst time-constraints and restricted budgets can sometimes
hinder creativity, a balance is always needed between the creative and the logical. Great teams bring together a mix of personalities, approaches to work and creative or logical attributes.”
;OLYL»ZTVYL[V
TLL[PUNZHUKPUJLU[P]LZ
PU(I\+OHIP
/LYL»ZZP_VMV\YILZ[!
Best-in-class pricing. Teambuilding with a
difference. Exceptional facilities.
Slick support services. Compelling destination
support. Cultural engagement.
;OLYL»ZUL]LYILLUHIL[[LY[PTL[VZWLUK[LHT
[PTL^P[O\Z
Visit us at04,?Z[HUK,
38
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Adelaide celebrates expansion Conferences are
with a kilometre of cakes
growing in Sri Lanka
DELAIDE Convention Centre’s West Building
attracted 18,000 visitors to its official opening
over four days in March, the first completed stage
of the venue’s multi-million dollar expansion.
The new building’s facilities include the
Panorama Ballroom, which can cater for up to
600 for a gala dinner and 1,000 for a meeting
or conference, and can be sub-divided into
three smaller meeting spaces. Multi-functional
halls can be sub-divided into six different configurations. A movable plenary facility can seat
up to 1,000 and can be moved to various locations within the halls, with total capacity of up
to 5,500 guests.
A
Work on the East Building, the second stage
of the redevelopment, is scheduled for completion in mid-2017. The multi-purpose facility will
have plenary capacity of up to 3,500 seats.
A programme of free and ticketed events
aimed to showcase the building’s versatility,
with events including public expos, business forums, art exhibitions, concerts and even a successful attempt to break the world record for
the longest line of cakes. The Longest Lamington saw the venue’s kitchen team of 150 people spend more than 600 hours baking more
than 21,000 lamington cakes, with 60 staff
then putting them into a record-breaking line of
1.073 km winding through the new building.
Adelaide Convention Centre chief executive
Alec Gilbert said: “The West Building opening
provided a chance for us to showcase the best
of South Australia and an opportunity for visitors
to learn more about what we do and the contribution we make to the state’s economic, social and cultural fabric. The diverse range of
events across the four days also gave conference and event organisers a chance to see the
new West Building’s unique features and versatility in action.”
Stand B320 adelaidecc.com.au
ICE arrivals have increased in Sri Lanka over the last three years and represented 10% of the
1.5 million visitors into Sri Lanka in 2014.
The Sri Lanka Convention Bureau (SLCB) is aiming to spread the word about this emerging destination at this year’s IMEX. The country recently hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meetings at the Waters Edge retreat, and aims to build its reputation as an enticing destination for
incentives, congresses and corporate meetings.
Looking to the future, the SLCB aims to position Sri Lanka internationally as a recognised venue
for meetings and events. Other successful international conferences hosted by Sri Lanka include
the 22nd Working Meeting IUCN SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, the 42nd SKAL Asia Pacific Congress, 2nd International Conference on Engineering, Mathematics & Physics, and the 2nd International Conference on Psychological Sciences and Behaviors – ICPSB.
Sri Lanka offers a great diversity of attractions including its beaches, culture, heritage, wildlife
and mountains. Incentive programmes can include visiting sandy beaches snorkeling, scuba diving
and waterskiing, whale watching and spiritual development.
M
Stand B265 visitsrilanka.net
Historic venue wins silver in green audit
L
ONDON’S Church House Conference
Centre has been recognised for its
commitment to the environment.
The historic Grade II listed building in the
heart of Westminster has achieved Silver
status under the UK’s national sustainable
tourism certification scheme, Green
Tourism. Green Tourism is the only certification scheme validated by Visit Britain,
through the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT).
The venue was assessed against criteria
covering areas such as energy and water
efficiency, waste management and biodiversity. The centre has put initiatives in
place to reduce its impact on the environment including recycling and the use of recycled materials, in-house water bottling,
water reduction systems and sourcing
products from local and sustainable
sources.
Church House Conference Centre operations
manager Alison Forsyth said: “Being such a
historic venue, it is a challenge to maintain
sustainable and efficient practices, so it is
a great achievement for Church House to
have been awarded Silver under the Green
Business Tourism Scheme.”
She added: “We make every effort to ensure all staff and partners are committed to
our green policies and work in a sustainable
way. For example, our catering contractor,
Harbour & Jones Events, has implemented
an ongoing review of sustainability
processes in food supply and equipment
procurement with a view to reducing food
miles. The venue plans to make further reductions to its impact on the environment
in the future, following recommendations
from Green Tourism’s report.
Church House Conference Centre offers
19 flexible event spaces, which accommodate between two and 664 guests, and can
host events including meetings,
conferences, awards ceremonies, gala dinners and receptions.
Stand F400 churchhouseconf.co.uk
MEP provides the inside track on hip Istanbul
URKISH destination management company MEP is flagging
up the growing appeal of the capital Istanbul with news of a
raft of new openings.
Soho House opened the doors on its biggest ever venue in
Istanbul in March this year. Located at the 18th century, former
American Consulate building, Palazzo Corpi, Soho Group’s new
venture has 87 rooms, a Cecconi’s Italian restaurant, a signature
Cowshed Spa, and a private cinema salon.
MEP has confirmed the first group at Starwood’s newly
opened 118-room St Regis hotel. Located on the European side
of the city, with floor to ceiling views of the Bosphorus, the property has butler service in all rooms. Austro-American chef, Wolfgang Puck has also opened his first ever restaurant in Turkey
on its rooftop.
The DMC can also provide advice on luxury options such as
celebrity favourite La Petite Maison. Since opening last summer,
the restaurant has brought the wining and dining scene of the
city to a new level in Turkey. Located in the Park Hyatt Macka
Palace in the upscale shopping district of Nisantasi, it has
brought its French charm to the luxury district.
T
Stand E400 meptur.com.tr
40
IMEX DAILY 2015
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THE EVENT
FACTORY
WHERE EVENTS
BECOME OUTSTANDING
COME AND MEET US ON STAND D210
IMEX DAILY 2015
PARTENAIRE
OFFICIEL
10, av. Princesse Grace - 98000 Monaco
T. (+377) 9999 2100 - grimaldiforum.com - gf@grimaldiforum.com
41
Daily 1
A flying glimpse of Belfast Waterfront
ISITORS to IMEX will get a sneak preview
of Belfast Waterfront Conference and Exhibition Centre’s planned expansion with a 3D
fly-through of the construction process and
transformation as a time-lapse sequence.
The new and enhanced spaces will be available from spring 2016 when a new, fully integrated 4,000m2 facility is set to open taking the
venue’s total space up to 7,000m2 and offering
more choice and flexibility. The completed centre will have two conference and exhibition halls
with a total of 2,500m2 flat floor space, additional meeting rooms for up to 200 delegates,
a 2,000 seat auditorium, a 380 seat studio, and
14 meeting rooms.
With 50 international and national event
bookings under its belt, the team at Belfast Waterfront hopes the facilities will ensure a continuing stream of business to Northern Ireland.
A number of associations have already chosen
Belfast as their host city for the first time while
others are returning with repeat business.
An injection of more than £1 billion over the
past decade has helped transform Belfast’s
meeting place.
V
Stand F420 waterfront.co.uk
Hotel group boosts portfolio
with island venue
RAI develops with Amtrium and first on-site hotel
T’S onwards and upwards at Amsterdam RAI
where a new conference, meeting and office
concept, RAI Amtrium, is set to open on
2 June 2015.
The new facility is on the city centre side of
I
the RAI complex and has been designed by
Mels Crouwel of Benthem Crouwel Architekten. The building fits in seamlessly with the
current RAI complex providing a new and
modern look.
On the ground floor of Amtrium a 540m²
ballroom can be divided into two equal parts,
and a 600m² lounge links to RAI Halls 4/5 and
1. The first floor has three meeting rooms and
reception space, while the second floor has
915m² of space. This is suitable for small
expos, product presentations, receptions and
dinners, and has an excellent view of the city
of Amsterdam.
In addition to its atrium, the most eyecatching element of the building is a large
greenhouse for city farming. It will provide
vegetables and herbs for the new restaurant
ROAST Amsterdam, a unique rotisserie created by Michiel Deenik from the restaurant
Visaandeschelde.
Amsterdam RAI is also on the verge of fulfilling a long-held ambition to build an on-site
4-star hotel with at least 650 rooms. It has announced that construction of the RAI Hotel will
begin in mid-2016 for a 2018 finish.
Stand E100 rai.nl
euromic gains Maltese partner
ERMAN chain Atlantic Hotels has taken
over the management of the newlyopened Severins Resort and Spa on the island of Sylt off the coast of northern
Germany.
The five-star hotel in the village of Keitum
offers 62 rooms and suites and 22 studios
and apartments, as well as function rooms for
G
conferences and meetings and a 2,000m2
spa. The hotel boasts the longest thatched
roof in Europe.
The Atlantic Hotels chain comprises nine
hotels in Bremen, Bremerhaven, Essen,
Lübeck and Kiel.
Stand F100 smart-tagen-und-feiern.de
ESTINATION management company On Site Malta has become the
40th member of international DMC consortium euromic.
On Site Malta, which has the motto ‘Originality, Stamina and Motivation’, helped the Maltese Ministry for Tourism create its Quality Assured
scheme for DMCs and was the first company to be awarded with this
certification.
Paul Selis, managing director of On Site Malta, said: “We are looking
forward to introducing many more visitors to our stunning islands through
D
this association.”
Karim El Minabawy, president of euromic, said: “On Site Malta’s reputation for professionalism reflects their focus on flawless operations and
creative programmes and is in keeping with euromic’s high standards.”
euromic limits its members to one per country, with existing members
voting on the inclusion of new partners.
Stand E780 euromic.com
AIM Group expands into Germany
EETINGS and events consultancy AIM Group International is joining forces with two new partners to offer
services from Munich and Berlin.
Berlin-based event management agency Quality Travel
and live2communication, a Munich-based event marketing
company, have joined AIM Group as Affiliate Partners.
Gianluca Buongiorno (pictured far left), president of AIM
Group International, said: “Affiliate Partners are strategically
chosen to complement the current offer of AIM Group in the
fields of congress management, corporate events and DMC,
while enhancing the partner company’s international presence through AIM Group’s global offices.”
Martin Elingshausen (pictured centre), owner of
live2communication, said: “Thanks to this union we will activate a new strategic approach, share business leads, and
offer to our current and future clients a wider network and
expertise.”
Fulvia Pieroni (pictured left), managing director and owner
of Quality Travel, added: “We are looking forward to merging
our expertise with AIM’s approach and we will both benefit
from this partnership and new market impact.”
M
Stand A400 aimgroupinternational.com
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SAT
Pavillion
C400
Johannesburg - Most visited city in Africa two years in a row
(MasterCard Global Cities Index 2014)
Johannesburg - Most inspiring City in the World
(Annual Good City Index 2014)
conventions@joburgtourism.com
www.joburgtourism.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
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Leeds Castle guests camp like medieval knights
INE-HUNDRED year old Leeds Castle in Kent, England, is offering a luxury historic camping experience, Medieval Knight’s
Glamping.
The castle, an hour’s drive away from London, will host a village
of eight traditionally coloured striped tents based on medieval design. Available between April and September, guests will sleep under
canvas but enjoy the luxury of a four-poster bed, warming log stove,
crisp cotton bedding and cosy fur throws as well as privileged views
of the castle.
Guests can explore the moated castle by day and cook on a cast
iron griddle over an open fire pit. Alternatively the Great British
Kitchen offers evening bistro-style meals and the Fairfax Restaurant
serves cooked breakfasts, while breakfast hampers can also be delivered to guest tents each morning. A nearby holiday cottage provides shower facilities and a spacious sitting room with sofas and
a television. Guests can also access iPod docking stations and free
Wi-Fi.
Leeds Castle also offers a historic setting for meetings, teambuilding, conferences and banqueting with luxury bedrooms for residential events. The castle can accommodate up to 80 meeting
delegates, and 100 diners and offers 20 luxury bedrooms situated
in 500 acres of parkland. The adjacent Maiden's Tower is a 100capacity event venue offering a private walled garden and five luxury
en-suite bedrooms. An additional 17 bed and breakfast rooms are
offered in the Stable Courtyard.
Across the moat, Fairfax Hall holds up to 180 guests for evening
receptions in an oak-beamed 17th century barn and the Garden
House offers private meeting room facilities for up to 24 delegates
located in the cottage garden. The castle also offers a Go Ape! high
wire forest adventure, a nine-hole golf course, hot air balloon flights,
Segway, and a falconry experience.
N
Stand F340 Leeds-castle.com
Visitors want to return to Brazil
Halifax unveils cutting
edge Convention Centre
ALIFAX Convention Centre, the new facility
which is set to open in 2017, has conventions booked up to the year 2020.
The landmark building is part of a
mixed-use development that includes retail
and hotel components and will offer MICE
bookers in the Nova Scotia capital more
than 11,000m2 of event space over four
levels, including a 2,800m2 ballroom with
views over downtown and 4,600m2 of
multi-purpose convention space. The facility will be divisible to host two large conferences simultaneously.
The HCC’s website is already live and potential delegates and bookers can go online
and explore detailed floor plans, drawings and
live webcams.
HCC has this month joined Digital Nova
Scotia, an industry association representing
the region’s fast growing ICT sector. The venue
will use the association to target national and
international ICT events for the HCCO.
H
RECENT study by the Brazilian Tourism
Board, found that more than 91% of visitors attending events in the country plan to return at some point.
The Embratur survey found that more than
92% of event visitors said that Brazilians’ hospitality was one of the best things about their
visit. More than half of these tourists were visiting the country for the first time, and said that
their decision to attend the event was positively influenced by the fact that it was being
held in Brazil.
A
According to the International Congress
and Convention Association, Brazil is the
number one choice for events in Latin America, and among the top ten international
event destinations in the world. Hosting the
2014 FIFA World Cup resulted in renovations
to airports and the opening of new multi-purpose event venues and high-level hotels
across the country, according to the tourism
authority.
Stand C100 mice.visitbrasil.com
Stand B280 halifaxconventioncentre.com
Terme di Sirmione presents new Lake Garda property
ERME and Grandi Alberghi Sirmione S.p.A. has enriched its offering with a new property, the 4-star Hotel
Acquaviva del Garda.
The Lake Garda hotel joins the Italian group’s other
properties the Grand Hotel Terme, Hotel Sirmione e
Promessi Sposi, and Hotel Fonte Boiola.
Hotel Acquaviva del Garda has 84 modern rooms and
a focus on business, meetings and events. Its seven
meeting rooms provide space for up to 456 people, and
almost all the rooms have natural light, are soundproofed
and technologically equipped. A wide roof terrace overlooks the lake and can be used for business events or parties.
Other facilities include a spa area covering 800m2, a
large garden with swimming pools and a private beach
with hydromassages. The restaurant offers local cuisine
at the indoor dining room or on the terrace.
T
Stand D400 termedisirmione.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
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Wild horse resort offers wilderness adventures
US eco-resort and wild horse safari retreat has launched a
meeting and team building programme including wilderness
adventures.
The 2,300 km2 Mustang Monument resort in North East Nevada
is able to accommodate up to 40 delegates in a combination of
cottages and hand-painted luxury tipis. The saloon can be transformed into theatre-style seating, and the main house offers privacy
for main board meetings. The dining tipis offer an unusual breakout
facility for more creative meetings.
Team challenges available include competitive 4x4 expeditions
in all-terrain Maverick buggies, precision target shooting, horseriding across the mountainous range and cross country GPS navigation. In the evenings card games and bourbon are on offer back
at the ranch saloon.
A
Stand C260 mustangmonument.com
More marketing resources
for Destination Asia clients
DESTINATION management company Destination Asia is expanding
the online marketing resources available to its MICE clients.
The company’s events brand Destination Asia Events offers a passwordprotected site allowing clients to
access a range of downloadable and
visual content. Resources include virtual tours of previous events and destinations, image galleries, event
brochures, fact sheets, 360° virtual
tours, hotel portfolios, programme
overviews and access to destination
presentations. The events website currently offers resources for Vietnam, Indonesia, China and Cambodia but will
expand to include Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong in
2015.
Destination Asia has launched a new
A
corporate website to improve services
for its business partners across the
world. The new-look site has been developed to work across all devices including mobile and tablets and puts an
emphasis on improving the user experience and highlighting current, useful
product and services information. The
site details each of the 11 destinations
covered by Destination Asia.
The company has also released a
corporate social responsibility brochure
which promotes the need to facilitate
responsible travel both socially and environmentally. The brochure gives
details on projects supported by Destination Asia including a Sun Bears Conservation Centre in Borneo and a
school library in Cambodia.
Stand B380 destination-asia.com
Scottish venue undergoes
multi-million pound expansion
DINBURGH venue The National Museum of
Scotland has secured more than £10 million in funding to develop ten new galleries.
The galleries, which are set to open next
year, will give organisers the opportunity to
offer tailored events, such as drinks receptions
surrounded by couture fashion or interactive
scientific displays. The spaces will showcase
internationally important collections of decorative art, design, fashion, science and technology. Most of the 3,500 objects featured will
be on display for the first time in generations.
A grant of £4.85 million came from the
Heritage Lottery Fund, while £900,000 came
from the Scottish Government to renew the
roof of the west wing of the Victorian building,
E
ICC Sydney brings under-construction venue to life
I
NTERNATIONAL Convention Centre Sydney
(ICC Sydney) will bring its planned new facilities to life at IMEX with the help of the latest
technology.
ICC Sydney has created an animated short
film combining 3D modelling with live footage to
take the viewer on a journey of ICC Sydney, which
opens in December 2016. The film reveals a
conference in action, plenaries taking place in its
theatres and Australia’s largest ballroom dressed
for a gala dinner. Viewers can walk the floor of a
tradeshow in the exhibition centre and a showcase event on the open air event deck.
The film aims to show the scale of the buildings, the ease of connectivity across the venue
and how the AU$1.1 billion development links
with the wider AU$3 billion transformation of Darling Harbour.
ICC Sydney will also be showing a scale model
of the venue, which features a plinth with drawers that pull out to depict a horizontal ‘slice’ of
the buildings, showing the location of each room
and how they are related.
ICC Sydney chief executive officer and director
46
of convention centres for AEG Ogden, Geoff Donaghy, said his team has had to deliver innovation
in order to showcase the benefits of the precinct
during the building’s construction phase.
“Our challenge to build an engaged and excited community without a completed venue
prompted us to create an innovative series of activities that show, connect and entice clients to
ICC Sydney,” he said.
When completed, ICC Sydney will house the
first community-funded solar energy project of
its kind in Australia. Built across the roofs of ICC
Sydney, it will generate around five per cent of
the energy required for the venue.
The completed venue will include convention facilities capable of hosting three separate
events, a range of plenary options ranging
from 750 to 8,000 people, exhibition capacity
of 35,000m2 including 2,400m2 of multipurpose space and a 5,000m2 external event
space. Seventy rooms will provide 8,000m2 of
total meeting room space.
where some of the new galleries will be located. The work is the third stage of a £80
million redevelopment of the museum.
The National Museum of Scotland recently
partnered with fellow Edinburgh venues the
Festival Theatre and the Royal College of Surgeons to offer a distinctive conference destination. The historic Festival Theatre can host
the main conference event in its 1928 auditorium while the Royal College of Surgeons of
Edinburgh provides breakout, exhibition and
catering space, and the National Museum of
Scotland provides an atmospheric destination
for a key social event.
Stand F350 nms.ac.uk
Produced by Event Live Media
Email: info@eventlivemedia.com
Web: www.eventlivemedia.com
Editor: Stuart Derrick
Assistant editors: Mike Fletcher,
Ben Bold
Photographer: Kristina Schaefer
Publisher: Matt Underhill
Design & layout: Ian Dack @uncutid
Printed on sustainable resource paper
Reproductions are not permitted without
express written consent of the Editor.
All efforts are made to ensure factual
accuracy is correct at the time of
publication.
Stand B320 iccsydney.com
IMEX DAILY 2015
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AIPC,
Conven
tion Cent
res.
BILBAO,
B
ILB
BAO, SP
SPAIN
BEC CONV
CONVENTIONS – Bilbao Exhibition Centre
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
Marisa Ma
Marín, Director
TEL [34] 94 404 0067 | congresos@bec.eu
www.becconvenciones.com
www.becc
Bob Pellegrini, CASE, Vice President of Sales
TEL [1] (617) 954 3331 | rpellegrini@SignatureBoston.com
www.SignatureBoston.com
Boston Convention & Exhibition Center
WINNER 2003
BILBAO, SP
SPAIN
BOSTON, UNITED STATES
Bilbao Con
Conference Centre and Concert Hall. Euskalduna
Renteria, Commercial Director
Begoña Anguisola
An
TEL [34] (94
(944) 035 000 | info@euskalduna.net
www.eusk
www.euskalduna.net
Hynes Convention Center
Bob Pellegrini, CASE, Vice President of Sales
TEL [1] (617) 954 3331 | rpellegrini@SignatureBoston.com
www.SignatureBoston.com
BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM
BIRMINGH
BOURNEMOUTH, UNITED KINGDOM
The International
Intern
Convention Centre, Birmingham
James Elst
Elston, Sales Director
TEL [44] 12
121 644 5148 | james.elston@theicc.co.uk
www.theicc.co.uk
www.theic
Bournemouth International Centre
Pat Coyne, Director of Venues
TEL [44] (1202) 456 506 | pat.coyne@bhlive.co.uk
www.bhlive.co.uk
BOLOGNA, ITALY
BOLOGNA
BREGENZ, AUSTRIA
Polo Congressuale
Cong
Bologna
Aldo Sanso
Sansone, Managing Director
TEL [39] (051)
(05 637 5111 | info@bolognacongressi.it
www.bolognacongressi.it
www.bolo
Kongresskultur Bregenz
BONN, GERMANY
GE
BRIGHTON, UNITED KINGDOM
World Conference
Con
Center Bonn
Marie Méchineau-Herrmann,
Méc
Sales Manager
TEL [49] (22
(228) 926 7125 | m.mechineau@worldccbonn.com
www.worl
www.worldccbonn.com
The Brighton Centre
Finlandia Hall – Congress and Event Center, Helsinki
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre
Sibelius Hall, Congress and Concert Centre, Lahti
Las Vegas Convention Center
Lisboa Congress Centre
London Convention Centre, Canada
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre
Ursula Kaufmann, Head of Sales
TEL [43] 5574 413 352 | ursula.kaufmann@kongresskultur.com
www.kongresskultur.com
Palais des congrès de Montréal
La Cité – Nantes Events Center
Ottawa Convention Centre
Liz Brand, Sales Manager
TEL [44] (1273) 292 671 | liz.brand@brighton-hove.gov.uk
www.brightoncentre.co.uk/conference
Québec City Convention Centre
San Diego Convention Center Corp.
PAGE SIX
PAGE SEVEN
Kursaal Congress Centre, San Sebastian
Vancouver Convention Centre
IMEX DAILY 2015
www.aipc.org
47