Conference & Incentive Travel articles from April 2006

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from April 2006

First off: Power 50 highlights your achievements.(rankings)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... In my short time at the helm of C&IT, I've quickly realised the extent to which this is a people industry. When it comes to communicating, deal making and motivating, there is still nothing to beat the face-to-face experience. And despite...

THA ends speculation with Q Group merger statement.(Thomas Hannah and Associates mergers)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Award-winning marketing communications agency Thomas Hannah and Associates (THA) has announced its merger with Q Group in March, ending months of speculation. The new company is known as the THA Group and boasts a combined turnover of...

Indeprod's Ashley leaves to start up his Side-A agency.(Simon Ashley starts new agency)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Indeprod creative business manager Simon Ashley has split from the agency to launch his own start-up events firm, Side-A. Ashley, who spent five years at Maritz, prior to two years at the Buckinghamshire agency said Side-A would target...

BCD acquires Talking Point parent and TQ3.(Talking Point parent)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Travel management company BCD Holding has bought Talking Point parent The Travel Company as well as travel logistics business TQ3 to create an international venture with a combined meeting spend of pounds 115m. The new company, called...

UK Price Check: Board meeting with overnight stay.(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Brief: Two day meeting for 20 boardroom-style with private dining and overnight accommodation in executive rooms and one suite in November 2006 in a five-star property in London. DDR includes lunch and F&B. Prices include VAT. MANDARIN...

UK Brief: Peachy Productions wins contract.
April 4, 2006... Peachy Productions has won a pounds 20,000 contract as preferred supplier to London's Millennium Hotel. The agency, whose other projects include running luxury yacht manufacturer Sealine's corporate hospitality packages, opened in January...

UK Brief: London Venue Expo poll.
April 4, 2006... London Venue Expo has revealed that 10% of event organisers do not view any venues before making a selection. The poll conducted last month asked 225 respondents about their booking procedures. londonvenueexpo.co.uk.

UK Brief: TRO awarded the Investors in People accreditation.
April 4, 2006... TRO has been awarded the Investors in People accreditation. It is the fifth time the event-marketing agency has won the UK award, which aims to improve the performance of a company through the strength of its staff. www.tro-group.co.uk.

UK Brief: Eventia launches an online directory.
April 4, 2006... Eventia, the UK event association, will launch an online member directory of freelance staff later this month. As well as allowing staff to upload details, Eventia's members will be able to advertise vacancies without charge....

UK Brief: Conference unit for Village Hotel & Leisure Club.
April 4, 2006... The Village Hotel & Leisure Club in Cardiff has built a pounds 250,000 conference unit with four rooms for 90 delegates. It follows a pounds 1.8m extension in September that added 32 new executive rooms to the hotel. www.village-hotels.co.uk.

UK Brief: Best Western Hotrls launches its 2006 meeting guide.
April 4, 2006... Best Western Hotels has launched its 2006 meetings guide. Aimed at the corporate market, the guide features more than 290 of the group's hotels as well as conference and leisure facilities. www.firstplace.co.uk.

City Council takes Cardiff convention bureau in-house.
April 4, 2006... Cardiff's conference bureau has now become part of the city council's offering and has been renamed Cardiff Conference Team following the withdrawal of support from former funding body the Cardiff Initiative. No redundancies will follow...

London bookings up after Olympic result.(olympic influence)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Business bookings to London have risen to pounds 60m since July's Olympic bid, win according to new data from Visit London. Figures from April 2005 to January 2006 show the total value of confirmed bookings to be worth pounds 76m, an 81...

US prize for C&IT Imex buyer party.
April 4, 2006... Participants in C&IT's Imex hosted buyer programme have the chance to win two Continental Airlines flights to Boston and three nights at any Kimpton Hotel. The winner will be chosen from the group at C&IT's exclusive buyers' dinner at...

C&IT's Campaign for Change makes an impact online.(Conference & Incentive Travel)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... C&IT has launched a corporate social responsibility website as part of its Campaign for Change. The website can be accessed via www.cit magazine.com and provides all the latest news on initiatives within the industry and will be updated...

Edinburgh's Surgeons Hall enters C&I fray.
April 4, 2006... The Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh (RCSE) is investing pounds 14m in refurbishing and expanding its Surgeons Hall in Edinburgh to create the international conference venue Surgeons' Hall Complex. The development's centrepiece will be...

People and Places: Nottingham.(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Delegates from up to 50 agencies and associations were invited to explore Nottingham's C&I offerings in a weekend fam trip arranged by the Nottingham Convention Bureau. Proceedings kicked off at the Village Hotel & Leisure Club where 17...

Shared values and shared costs drive show attendances.(forecasts)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... The impact of globalisation, the explosion in internet use and demographic shifts have meant that some previously copper-bottom events are now experiencing worrying declines in attendance. As a result, many organisers are analysing their...

P&MM enjoys profit hike after busy year.(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... P&MM Group's pre-tax profits for the year ended 31 December 2005 are up by 30% to pounds 2m and gross profits by 30% to pounds 10m, following a year of expansion for the group. The financial results were announced last month, capping a...

Toshiba gives TFI World Cup job.
April 4, 2006... Toshiba has appointed international event management agency TFI Group to handle its programme of incentives and corporate hospitality based around its sponsorship of the 2006 Fifa World Cup in Germany. The win will see the agency handle...

HBAA minimum standards guidelines.(Hotel Booking Agents Association)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... The HBAA has concluded its working party investigation into meeting packages with a document outlining minimum standards. Input was received from a range of venue stakeholders and HBAA members were also given the opportunity to comment....

For all of its faults, this is still the most rewarding industry.(industry challenges)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... They say that each event and every client are different and that there are 1,001 things to remember and do when putting an event together. There also are hundreds of different reasons to hold an event and a thousand things that can make...

Swallow buys up six Scottish properties.
April 4, 2006... Swallow Hotels is strengthening its C&I potential with the acquisition of six new properties in Scotland. The purchases include key golf and conference hotels Carnoustie Hotel and Gleddoch House Hotel, making it the biggest independent...

Anand forced out in Expotel cut.(Dev Anand )(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Expotel has made its head of strategic projects Dev Anand redundant following a cost-cutting exercise. Anand joined Expotel six months ago when the hotel-booking and event-management agency bought the Meetings Fare and Bed Fare businesses...

Eventia announces ITM Awards.
April 4, 2006... Eventia has unveiled its new look ITM awards, which replace the former ITMA awards. The new awards are organised in association with media partner Conference & Incentive Travel. They focus on the international projects by events...

Las Vegas aiming to keep US top spot with refurbishment.(Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Bureau )(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... The Las Vegas Convention Centre (LVCC) has unveiled a pounds 420m enhancement plan as part of the city's bid to grow its share of business visitors and retain its position as the top US conference destination. Construction will start...

Relais & Chateaux opens UK office in bid to build sales.
April 4, 2006... Relais & Chateaux has opened a London office in a bid to establish itself as a key C&I player in the UK market. Nicola Liddiard will head up the office and the group sales division and her first goal will be to recruit a team to promote...

Etihad deploys 777s on its Gatwick route.
April 4, 2006... The UAE's national carrier, Etihad Airways, is bolstering its offering to C&I groups with a new Boeing aircraft. As well as touting itself as the first Middle Eastern carrier offering internet access via laptop, the 370-seat 777-ER...

World Price Check: Board meeting and overnight.(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Brief: Two day meeting for 20 with private dining and overnight accommodation in executive rooms and one suite in November in a five-star property in a European capital. HOTEL PARCO DEI PRINCIPI ROME Accommodation: pounds 4,409 Day...

Appointment: The Janet Sealy Partnership.
April 4, 2006... The Janet Sealy Partnership has appointed Penelope Tompson as account manager for the Dubai Convention Bureau after winning its European account. Giles Handford also joins the group as account development manager for Melbourne ECC.

Appointment: Eurostar.
April 4, 2006... Eurostar has hired former BBC transport correspondent Simon Montague to be its new communications director. He joins this month replacing Paul Charles who is joining Virgin Atlantic.

Appointment: Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
April 4, 2006... Starwood Hotels & Resorts has recruited Susan O'Driscoll as account manager for the Westin Dublin hotel. O'Driscoll arrives from DMC Ovation Group.

Appointment: Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau.
April 4, 2006... Melbourne Convention and Visitors Bureau has appointed Sandra Chipchase as CEO. She will join the bureau in the middle of this month.

Appointment: The Oberoi Group.
April 4, 2006... The Oberoi Group has recruited Markus Engel, general manager of The Oberoi in Mauritius, as vice-president of sales and marketing for the UK and Europe. Engel will oversee sales and marketing activities in Europe.

Appointment: Warwick Conferences.
April 4, 2006... Warwick Conferences has named Alan Robinson as director of training and conference centres. Previously general manager of the group's Radcliffe centre, he replaces Brian Healy who retires after 20 years.

Appointment: The Conference People.
April 4, 2006... The Conference People has named Philip Coates as the agency's new event manager. Coates previously held the same position at the Institute of Auditors.

Disneyland Resort Paris records 5% increase in events.
April 4, 2006... Disneyland Resort Paris has recorded a 5% growth in corporate events held in 2005 and a 2% year-on-year growth in corporate room-night bookings. According to business development manager Delphine Robert, the rise in business is down to...

Bermuda plans soft launch for C&I plans.(British Airways)(Conference and Incentive )(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... British Airways new daily service to Bermuda will be key in deciding the island's C&I strategy, according to the island's Department of Tourism. BA's daily service started on March 29 and offers 400 extra seats from London each week,...

Thomas Cook India signs with UK agency.
April 4, 2006... Thomas Cook India, the DMC division of the tour operator, has appointed Hills Balfour Synergy to represent the ground handler's offering in the UK C&I sector. Buoyed by the interest in the destination, the Indian DMC is targeting key...

People and Places: Stockholm.(exhibitions)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Delegates from nine agencies including the Grass Roots Group and Pickled Egg Events arrived in Sweden for a two-day fam trip arranged by Stockholm Visitors Board. After checking-in at the family-owned Hotel Diplomat in central Stockholm,...

Overseas brief: Emirates launches a new hospitality management division.
April 4, 2006... Emirates is reinforcing its commitment to service by launching a new hospitality management division. Emirates Hotels & Resorts will feature a portfolio of award-winning luxury conservation resorts across Dubai and other locations....

Overseas brief: Jamaica's international airports are being refurbished.
April 4, 2006... Jamaica's two international airport hubs are being refurbished for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. Montego Bay's Sangster is expanding its business lounge facilities and introducing additional gates, while Kingston's Norman Manley will expand its...

Overseas brief: Mandarin Oriental launches a new package.
April 4, 2006... Mandarin Oriental in Tokyo has launched a new package for business travellers in its deluxe rooms on the 30th to 33rd floors. It features free use of the spa's heat and hydro-treatment area, complimentary continental breakfast and express dry...

Overseas brief: Lufthansa expands it offering from London City airport.
April 4, 2006... Lufthansa has expanded its offering from London City airport with a six-day-a-week service to Stuttgart. With additional flights to Dusseldorf and Frankfurt, the carrier now runs 50 flights per week from London City. www.lufthansa.com.

Overseas brief: Choice Hotels Europe unveils a development plan.
April 4, 2006... Choice Hotels Europe has unveiled a pounds 35m development plan across all four of its hotel brands. The programme includes plans to upgrade meetings facilities and introduce more of its Meeting Focus product to its properties....

Overseas brief: Easyjet introduces a range of new destinations.
April 4, 2006... Easyjet has introduced a range of new destinations to its summer schedule, including Rijeka and Split in Croatia, Ajaccio, Bordeaux, La Rochelle in France and Rimini in Italy. www.easyjet.com.

Opinion: Sounding off - An analysis of past data must be basis for benchmarking.(benchmarking)(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... Benchmarking is procurement's hottest topic, but how do you really measure it? The latest thinking seems to be that you should ask a venue for its best rate. Then, when you have decided on the venue, you go back and negotiate a further...

In Person: Matt James, CEO, DNA Productions.
April 4, 2006... He is the brain behind the lavish soirees for Stella McCartney and Elton John. Kevin Spacey and Lisa Marie-Presley describe his events as 'amazing'. Yet a guarded modesty seems to flow through both Matt James and his event agency,...

Analysis: Must the shows still go on?(trade shows)
April 4, 2006... Despite the cancellation of the M&IT Show and growing rumblings of discontent about trade shows, visitor numbers are still growing. Anna Bowden looks into the sector's bizarre love-hate relationship. The cancellation of this year's...

Special Report: Technology's silver lining.(use of videoconferencing systems by the conference industry)
April 4, 2006... Far from being a threat to face-to-face meetings, new technology is revitalising the sector by offering greater convenience and interactivity. Stuart Derrick reports. For years technology has been viewed as the dark cloud looming on the...

Case study: A Mini adventure in Marrakech.
April 4, 2006... When the car firm wanted to reward its top sales staff with their own Mini Adventure, BI obliged. The Brief: A nine-month incentive to motivate Mini's sales staff and reward top performing managers. 'We wanted something uniquely 'Mini'...

Case Study: Diageo's winning formula.(strategy for Europe, Middle East and Africa)(venue for global procurement meeting)
April 4, 2006... The global drinks brand set some tricky challenges for the venue designated to host its global procurement meeting, as Stuart Derrick reports. The brief: Diageo was launching its new global procurement strategy for EMEA and needed to...

Venuemasters Showguide: Venues of distinction.(academic venue consortium exhibition)
April 4, 2006... Academic venue consortium Venuemasters will gather in London in May for its fifth exhibition. Phil Heard reports. Venuemasters, the 92-member academic venue consortium is making its fifth annual sortie to the Business Design Centre in...

Birmingham & beyond: The centre ground.
April 4, 2006... Birmingham's success at getting delegates to vote with their feet is not based on its central location but its cosmopolitan heart, facilities and scenic surrounds. Birmingham, some might argue, was the first British city to recognise the...

Purpose-built centres: Keeping up appearances.
April 4, 2006... The age-old concerns about purpose-built conference centres lacking atmosphere and facilities are being addressed by a new wave of developments and refurbs. Anna Bowden reports. Having spent the past few years enjoying an extreme...

North West England: The town and country alliance.(services of the Northwest conference bidding unit)
April 4, 2006... The cities, regions and counties of England's North West are joining forces to target C&I business under the umbrella of the Northwest Conference Bidding Unit. Paul Oswell reports. There are few regions in the UK that can match the North...

Spas: Rescue remedies.(treatment service by resorts)
April 4, 2006... Spas are a rewarding and relaxing way to relieve the stresses of hard-working delegates. Amanda Statham highlights some of the treatments on tap at the world's top properties. BEST FOR LARGE GROUPS SILVER RAIN LA PRAIRIE SPA,...

Spas: Forthcoming attractions.
April 4, 2006... Amanda Statham rounds up new spa developments that will be vying for C&I favouritism. The Chi Spa at the Shangri-La Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa, Oman is set to open its doors at the end of May. The facility will include 12 treatment...

France: Introduction - Winning formula.(resurgent )
April 4, 2006... With the film version of The Da Vinci Code hitting the screens shortly, interest in France is sure to be resurgent, strengthening the special relationship with our neighbour. Yasmin Razak reports. From the spread of the low-cost airline...

France: Q & A - Paris and C&I, a tete a tete.(Conference and Incentive)
April 4, 2006... Yasmin Razak hears Delphine Benbassa-Fortuin's plans for the Paris Convention Bureau. Born in Grenoble, Delphine Benbassa-Fortuin's C&I career kicked off in nearby Lyon where she studied for a degree in tourism. The allure of the capital...

France: Paris incentives - Such a perfect day.(France travel)
April 4, 2006... For a quick motivational fix, why not cram the very best the city has to offer into a hectic 24 hours in the French capital, asks Yasmin Razak. Sitting in La Coupole, sucking on a Gaulois and a strong Merlot may have been Jean-Paul...

France: Paris venue update.(new website and facilities at hotels)(Palais des Congres de Versailles)(Hotel Concorde La Fayette)
April 4, 2006... Opening next month, L' Academie at Le Meurice will run a series of tailor-made programmes for corporate groups wanting to indulge in a wine-tasting course or to mellow out with a flower-arranging class. Gourmands can stick their hands in...

France: 20 reasons to visit Marseille and Provence.(travel services)(Country overview)
April 4, 2006... There's more to the South of France than the prestigious properties of the Cote D'Azur. Yasmin Razak outlines 20 reasons to venture inland and further along the Gulf du Lion. 5 INCENTIVE IDEAS - Make like the locals and learn how to...

France: Southern flavours - On the menu: the gourmet trail.
April 4, 2006... It's time to add the South of France's culinary delights to the incentive menu. From sampling Chateauneuf du Pape in Provence to checking out the hip restaurants in Monaco, planners looking to the South of France are showing a heightened...

Barcelona: Spain's star player.(post olympic business)
April 4, 2006... Barcelona's top billing in the ICCA rankings is little surprise to planners wowed by its culture, accommodation and incentive potential. Ben Lerwill reports. Were London to experience a post-Olympic business boom just a fraction of the...

Barcelona showcase: The Catalan capital's new hotels.
April 4, 2006... Ben Lerwill visits some of the recent stylish additions to Barcelona's burgeoning hotel property portfolio. DOLCE SITGES: Located a half-hour drive (rush hour permitting) from downtown Barcelona, the Dolce Sitges boasts no fewer than 37...

CANARY Islands: The C&IT readers' guide to ... Spain's happy isles.
April 4, 2006... Corporates and agents give Ben Lerwill their recommendations on the best of the Canaries. HOTELS GRAN HOTEL BAHIA DEL DUQUE, TENERIFE - Recommended by Kate Buchanan, senior account executive at Principal Promotions A quick look...

African incentives: A walk on the wild side.(travel services)
April 4, 2006... While not yet offering the full five-star luxury of South Africa, agencies are being won over by the real and varied offer of Namibia, Zambia, Kenya, Zanzibar and Mozambique. While sun, Stellenbosch and safaris have ensured South...

Malaysia: Asian fusion.(travel services)(Country overview)
April 4, 2006... Malaysia's mix of beaches, rainforests and modern cities is noteworthy, but blend that with its history, culture and meetings infrastructure and its case becomes compelling. Teresa Machan reports. Rich in culture, history and natural...

Malaysia: Malaysia packages by budget.
April 4, 2006... Teresa Machan suggests itineraries for groups on every budget from shoestring to deluxe. BUDGET (pounds) How to get there: Malaysia Airlines offers 22 flights per week direct from the UK to Kuala Lumpur International Airport,...

Diary.(Calendar)
April 4, 2006... DON'T MISS... MIA Summer Cup: 18 May - The Hertfordshire hosts the MIA's annual golf competition and social get-together. www.mia-uk.org Imex: 30 May - 1 June - The annual pilgrimage to Frankfurt. www.imex-frankfurt.com Eventia...

Diary: The hotel room strong box that plays too safe.(Brief article)
April 4, 2006... It's good to see that the issue of security is being taken so seriously. However, one four-star hotel that Diary won't identify to spare its blushes may have gone too far. When C&IT rookie Kunal Dutta was despatched to Robin Hood country...

Diary: Northern hospitality.
April 4, 2006... It's grim 'oop' North, Diary understands. Maybe that's why 'folk' are so friendly, as a way of compensating for t'grimness an' all (don't bother writing in...). But there aren't many places where a hotel would be prepared to put up a stray...

Diary: The headlines 10 years ago.
April 4, 2006... - Renewed IRA terrorist activity, culminating in the bomb at Canary Wharf, fails to have any significant effect on London hotel occupancy rates and booking levels, even with the sensitive US market. Meanwhile, over in the Province, Belfast's...

Diary: A two-night break at Matfen Hall.
April 4, 2006... Win a two-night mid-week break at Matfen Hall. The luxury property is situated in the Tyne Valley, 20 minutes from the centre of Newcastle, and has just been voted 'Best Large Hotel in North East England' and 'Most Excellent Venue 2005' by...

Diary: Cheese and crackers.
April 4, 2006... It's taken hours, if not days, of painstaking research scanning the schedules, but Diary has finally found a sporting event more pointless than the Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games combined - but at least it's fun. Les Grand...

Venue Focus.
April 4, 2006... THE COLLOQUY OFFERS A STYLISH COUNTRY RETREAT The Colloquy, situated on a 700-acre estate, is a tranquil country retreat in Herefordshire. The property has three meeting rooms that includes a media centre for up to 50 delegates...