Conference & Incentive Travel articles from February 2006

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from February 2006

First Off: Communications is the issue - not size.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... It was late and the champagne had been flowing when I finally caught up with Nigel Cooper, Eventia chairman and managing director of P&MM, at the ITMA Awards. However, rather than celebrating his company scooping two gold and five silver...

Grass Roots fuels expansion with Latin America buy-out.(GrassRoots Inc)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Grass Roots Group has expanded its worldwide operation into Mexico, Venezuela, Columbia, Brazil and Miami with the acquisition of a controlling interest in Bittime, Latin America's leading incentive and rewards firm. Grass Roots...

C&I luminaries leave to seek new horizons.(Randle Stonier is resigned from Euro Rscg Skybridge )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Two of the industry's longest serving figures have announced that they are leaving their posts. Randle Stonier resigned as chairman of Euro RSCG Skybridge just before Christmas. The UK division of Skybridge was born out of the merger in...

Meetingsfare and Bedfare in peril as Expotel rebrands.(Expotel Executive Travel)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The future of former Montpelier Collection brands Meetingsfare and Bedfare is in question following redundancies and office closures made by parent company Expotel. Just five months after the acquisition, Expotel marketing manager Sharon...

UK Price Check: Residential conference.
February 1, 2006... Brief: Residential conference for 150 delegates theatre-style with two nights accommodation in a hotel in a major regional city, with two syndicate rooms for 50 delegates. Day-delegate rate includes all catering costs and prices include VAT ...

UK brief: Etc.venues launches Discount Calendar.(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... Etc.venues has launched a 2006 Discount Calendar highlighting when discounts are available for group bookings. This is part of its drive to encourage business on Fridays and Mondays when special deals are available at the company's six venues....

UK brief: The Roundhouse reopens.
February 1, 2006... The Roundhouse in Chalk Farm, London, has reopened following a pounds 28m refurbishment. The main space can cater for receptions of up to 2,000 and meetings for 1,700. www.roundhouse.org.uk.

UK brief: Hotel wins National Green Apple Award.
February 1, 2006... Novotel London West Hotel and Convention Centre has won a National Green Apple Award for Environmental Best Practice from The Green Organisation. The hotel's environmental strategy was key to its success as it is the only hotel in the UK to...

UK brief: Bath Tourism Plus launches directory.
February 1, 2006... Bath Tourism Plus has launched its 2006 Venues and Events Directory. It showcases 42 venues across the region and includes a listing of venue-finders and team-building specialists. bathconference.co.uk.

UK brief: Venue 06 to take place at Tatton Park.
February 1, 2006... Venue 06, now in its fourth year, will take place at Tatton Park near Knutsford on 21 March. More than 60 exhibitors from Chester, Cheshire and Warrington will promote their properties. www.adate4yourdiary.com.

UK brief: Town House purchases former automobile club.
February 1, 2006... The Town House Company, whose portfolio includes properties such as The Howard, Channings and The Bonham, has purchased the former Royal Scottish Automobile Club in Glasgow and plans to convert the venue into a 109-bedroom luxury hotel to open...

Cruise agency set up to assist with incentives at sea.
February 1, 2006... C&I planners considering holding their events on board a cruise ship can now get expert advice following the launch of the Cruise Incentive Agency. Set up by former Silversea charter and incentive sales director Graham Andrew, the company...

T-Mobile and Rand in exclusive venue deal.
February 1, 2006... T-Mobile (UK) has appointed Rand as its sole venue-finding agency. T-Mobile procurement manager Chris Birdsall said: 'This agreement makes it more worthwhile for Rand. They get to know us better so that we can become more of a partnership.'...

Wyndham Leigh in event arm launch.
February 1, 2006... Communications specialist Wyndham Leigh has launched a dedicated conference and events division following demand from its clients. The venture has cost Wyndham Leigh in the region of pounds 200,000 in technology and staff costs, according...

SB Nexus scales the Leading Hotel agency rankings.
February 1, 2006... SB Nexus has been named the top performing agency for 2005 by Leading Hotels of the World (LHW). Since its launch in 2003, the Swindon-based venue-finding consultancy has placed groups in LHW properties and cites Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape...

John Frieda hands Eventwise meeting role.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... International hairdresser and haircare specialist John Frieda has appointed Eventwise to run a global sales conference for 120 delegates later this month. The event, at London's Design Museum, is just one of several recent major wins for...

Event Buyers' Forum London.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Event planners' liability and the value of procurement departments were among topics addressed at the second annual Event Buyers' Forum, run by agency Penguins. The day-long event, held at London's Hellenic Centre last month, was attended...

Agency reshuffles point to a sector at the top of its game.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... There seems to have been an unprecedented amount of change and reshuffling at senior level in agencies over the past few months. It probably started last September when Neil Pace left Grass Roots. This was followed by Debbie Watt leaving...

More venues impose smoke-free policies.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Cigarette breaks between conference sessions could soon become a thing of the past after another UK meetings venue made its premises smoke-free. Following demand from its clients, the Scarman Training and Conference Centre, part of Warwick...

Demand soars for event degree.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Manchester Metropolitan University is expanding its event management courses following a five-fold increase in applications. Events management lecturer Andrew Mcloughlin said: 'Interest in the Olympics in 2012, as well as Liverpool's reign...

Toolkit: Proj:X.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... What is it? An online storage system created by DRP for digital media in the form of a website that enables clients with broadband to access every aspect of their event. So what's so great about it? It means digital media no longer has...

ISES registers record membership growth.
February 1, 2006... The International Special Events Society (ISES) UK has experienced unprecedented growth in membership over the past year. The society now has 178 full-time members, up 56% compared with this time last year, and claims that new applications...

Exhibitors flock to luxury show.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Chewton Glen, Conrad Hotels, Relais & Chateaux and von Essen Hotels are among the new exhibitors at this year's Premium Travel show, taking place at London's Royal Albert Hall from 27-28 April. The re are predicted to be around 100...

Confex establishes CSR award.
February 1, 2006... International Confex has launched a corporate social responsibility (CSR) award in association with C&IT to recognise exhibitors that are actively improving their CSR credentials and to increase awareness in the industry. Exhibitors at the...

CSR offers ethical route to customer retention and sales.
February 1, 2006... Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is vital for our industry as it represents an excellent way of improving business performance while simultaneously meeting clients' wider social and environmental expectations. There is already a...

Great Hotels spurns trade shows in favour of forums.
February 1, 2006... The Great Hotels Organisation (GHO) is challenging the way hotels market themselves to the industry by launching Meetings and Incentives Forums, a series of pan-European trade shows for 2006. The four two-day shows will take place between...

World Price Check: Residential conference.(Illustration)
February 1, 2006... Brief: Residential conference for 150 delegates in Germany with two nights accommodation and two syndicate rooms for 50. DDR includes catering costs and prices include VAT. RADISSON SAS HAMBURG Room hire pounds 1,678 Bed...

Rezidor scheme will reward C&I agencies.
February 1, 2006... Rezidor SAS has launched an incentive scheme for C&I buyers organising events at participating Regent Hotels, Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts, Park Inn and Country Inn hotels within Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The programme, Rezidor...

Hilton introduces US luxury hotels: Waldorf=Astoria.
February 1, 2006... Hilton Hotels Corporation has introduced a luxury hotel chain across the US based on standards - including service and product excellence - set by its flagship New York property the Waldorf Astoria. The Waldorf=Astoria Collection has four...

Appointment: Concorde Hotels & Resorts.
February 1, 2006... Concorde Hotels & Resorts has appointed Dominic Brown as UK & Ireland senior sales manager for C&I. Joining from Maritim Hotels where he held a similar role, Brown will report to regional director of sales and marketing Elaine McCormack.

Appointment: Dundee and Angus Convention Bureau.
February 1, 2006... Dundee and Angus Convention Bureau has appointed Jillian Blain as assistant business tourism manager. Blain previously managed the events department at Apex City Quay Hotel and Spa in Dundee.

Appointment: The Barbican Centre.
February 1, 2006... The Barbican Centre's corporate sales department will be headed up by Anthony Hyde. He will be responsible for conferences, banqueting and corporate hospitality.

Appointment: Maastricht Convention Bureau.
February 1, 2006... Maastricht Convention Bureau has appointed a sales manager to promote the city to convention planners. Tonita Perea will work with director Marcel Knols and meetings and incentives sales manager Karin Bogman.

Appointment: PCI Fitch.
February 1, 2006... PCI Fitch has named Peter Cowie as managing director. Owned by WPP, PCI Fitch specialises in product launches and live events. Clients include Bentley, Boeing and Microsoft. Cowie previously headed new business development at WPP's JWT London.

Appointment: Fortesqueue's.
February 1, 2006... Fortesqueue's, the Surrey-based event management firm, has recruited three staff. Dee Goldsmith, who headed up her own event management company for seven years, will focus on the company's creative solutions. New and existing clients will be...

US venue-finder in recruitment drive for UK associates.
February 1, 2006... US-based venue-finding company Helmsbriscoe is is on a recruitment drive to increase its number of European 'associates'. According to managing director Pat Durocher, the firm has identified the UK and France as having the biggest potential...

UK central to Finland incentives strategy.(Finland Convention Bureau)(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... The Finland Convention Bureau is focusing on the UK incentive market. The bureau is planning three fam trips to Turku and the northern regions this spring to highlight the destination's winter incentive potential. Finland Convention...

Sydney works to keep national top billing.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Large numbers of international C&I visitors will boost Sydney's coffers by pounds 57m this year as the marketing efforts of the Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau (SCVB) pay dividends. Around 30 major events have been secured by the...

MPI Futurewatch Key Findings.(Meeting Professionals International )(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Meeting Professionals International has released its 2006 Futurewatch study, in association with American Express. This annual research study looks at trends and indicators in the global meetings industry using information gleaned from...

Overseas brief: Cathay Pacific introduces Hong Kong to Manchester route.
February 1, 2006... Cathay Pacific is introducing a Hong Kong to Manchester route from 27 March. Operating three times a week via Moscow, it will take the number of Cathay's services from the UK up to 31 flights per week. www.cathaypacific.com.

Overseas brief: Moscow International MICE Workshop takes place in March.
February 1, 2006... The Moscow International MICE Workshop, now in its second year takes place on 21 March. The T-Modul Exhibition Hall will host corporate buyers and agencies from across the world and pre-registered appointments with hoteliers, DMCs and C&I...

Overseas brief: Leptos Calypso appoints The Representation Company.
February 1, 2006... Leptos Calypso Hotels has appointed The Representation Company to market its properties in the UK and Ireland. The group operates six properties in Greece and Cyprus including the Coral Beach Hotel near Paphos. www.leptos-hotels.com.

Overseas brief: Elevation Events launches hospitality packages.
February 1, 2006... Elevation Events, the corporate events company with clients including Deutsche Bank and the Chrysler Group, has launched official Ryder Cup hospitality packages. The four to five-day packages are based at the K Club, where the tournament will...

Overseas brief: Edmiston forges alliance.
February 1, 2006... Edmiston, the yacht charter specialist, has forged a strategic alliance with events agency Attention To Detail, to offer high-end corporate events. edmistoncompany.com.

Overseas brief: USA Hosts appoints MM Consultants.
February 1, 2006... USA Hosts, a DMC with offices or associate partners in 32 cities and resorts across the US, has appointed MM Consultants International to be its representation company in the UK. www.usahosts.com.

ITMA Awards: Rewarding success.
February 1, 2006... Last month the industry convened at London's Battersea Park Events Arena to discover which agencies were deemed 'the creme de la creme' at the C&IT sponsored ITMA Awards. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD David Hackett, former chairman of BI...

Sounding Off: Prevention the best cure when planning crisis management.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... Following on from Chris McQue's excellent column citing the Corporate Manslaughter Bill (C&IT, January 2006), it's worth pointing out that the spectre of unlimited personal liability has always been present. The real problem is that by...

In Person: John Worthington, Head of events, O2.
February 1, 2006... Mobile operator O2's headquarters may be based on a trading estate in Slough, but that's as far as the comparisons with TV's The Office go. For one thing, this is a place where most people would be more than happy to work. Visitors...

Special Report: Bridging the gap between cultures.
February 1, 2006... With more companies operating on a multi-national basis, events are increasingly having to satisfy the needs of a culturally mixed audience. So how do we maintain the entente cordiale, asks Anna Bowden. Picture the scene. You've organised a...

Analysis: Do we need a certification scheme?
February 1, 2006... Now that the MIA has dropped the Hospitality Assured - Meetings marque, the C&I sector and buyers are left without a recognised accreditation scheme for venues. Kerry Baggott assesses the situation. News that the Meetings Industry...

Agency Survey: The balance of power.
February 1, 2006... In a positive year for the sector, the big established agencies have taken the lion's share of business, but smaller agencies have more than held their own. Anna Bowden reports. That smaller agencies are here to stay is one of the key...

Case Study: ITMA Platinum Winner - Chrysler Group's African adventure.(Incentive Travel & Meetings Association)(DaimlerChrysler AG. Chrysler Group)
February 1, 2006... Running a driving programme for six groups across three African countries was a task in itself - then, with nine days to go, there was an anthrax outbreak. Kerry Baggott reports. The 2005 ITMA Platinum Award-winning event for the Chrysler...

Case Study: Grass Roots fulfils UN brief.
February 1, 2006... The agency faced tough challenges, from the limited space to DIY IT support, when it organised an event for the UN Environmental Programme Finance Initiative in New York. The Grass Roots Group agency faced a far from easy task when it was...

City & London Docklands: 10 of the best Meeting venues.(Illustration)
February 1, 2006... The eclectic mix of ancient and modern in London's Docklands means that the area is bursting with distinctive and unusual venues for planners. Paul Oswell rounds up ten that merit attention. THE BARBICAN Contact: Conference sales, 020...

City & London Docklands: London 2012 - The Olympic Games effect.
February 1, 2006... Although six years away, London's successful bid to host the Olympic Games is being reflected in developments to the infrastructure around Docklands. Paul Oswell reports. As the last shreds of red, white and blue ticker tape were being...

Cardiff: The dragon's den.
February 1, 2006... Now that the capital has started to attract corporate clients, the city's convention bureau is turning its attention to the incentives market. Anna Bowden reports. The Welsh capital has always been a popular choice for leisure tourists and...

Cardiff: Case Studies - A tale of two solutions and one city.
February 1, 2006... Anna Bowden reports on how Cardiff hosted two very different events for two very different clients. Company: International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language (IATEFL) Venue: National Museum Cardiff and Cardiff City...

Med Incentives: Mediterranean medley.
February 1, 2006... With the sheer range of activities on offer, it is little wonder that the Mediterranean is seen by so many to be Europe's playground. Ben Lerwill matches destinations with incentive activities. CYPRUS FOR GOLF Cyprus's industry...

Developments: regional round-up.
February 1, 2006... Ben Lerwill updates C&I organisers with the new and forthcoming projects around the Med. CYPRUS Cyprus has always invested heavily in keeping the quality of its hotel stock high, and the past 12 months have been no exception. The...

Croatia: Jewel of the Adriatic.
February 1, 2006... Croatia's march up the leisure tourism rankings is starting to win over the UK's C&I sector, assisted by improved access and new hotels better suited to groups. Croatia's rocketing tourism figures are one of the great success stories of...

Croatia: 10 Things to do in Dalmatia & Beyond.
February 1, 2006... Robin McKelvie outlines ten activities in Croatia's cities, mountains and coastline for C&I groups. 1. WALK THE WALLS - Ideal for history buffs Taking a tour around the sturdy walls that for centuries preserved the republic's much...

The Baltics: The Event Planner's Guide to ... The Baltic States.
February 1, 2006... New EU members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are enjoying an increase in leisure tourism, but they are as yet relatively untouched by the C&I sector, which Ben Lerwill thinks is missing a trick. ESTONIA As the most distant of the...

Jamaica: Positive vibrations.
February 1, 2006... With plans for an international convention centre and the introduction of scheduled Virgin flights, Jamaica is strengthening its hand. Yasmin Razak talks to tourism chief Paul Pennicook. Director of Tourism for Jamaica since 2003, Paul...

Venue Focus: Aston Business School adopts a boutique feel.
February 1, 2006... Aston Business School Management Development Centre, located in central Birmingham, has completed a pounds 20m expansion and refurbishment. Built over five storeys, the complex has been designed along the lines of a contemporary boutique...

Venue Focus: Tate Modern makes an art of hosting events.
February 1, 2006... Tate Modern is making two spaces of the gallery's top floor available for corporate events from April. The East Room and the Tate Modern Restaurant were previously only available to corporate members and exhibition sponsors. The East Room...

Diary: Don't Miss ..(Calendar)
February 1, 2006... Eventia aircraft seminar: 15 February - Corporate group travel and the charter business are the subject of this free event. www.eventia.org.uk International Confex: 21-23 February - Event director Duncan Reid takes charge for the first...

Diary: The sun shines on the Maltese even in winter.(Diary entry)
February 1, 2006... It's January, it's dark, gloomy and so cold that Diary fears for his extremities and can scarcely wait to catch the office cold. Again. Getting by in northern Europe in midwinter is akin to living under a damp rock, so perhaps it's little...

Diary: Go on - lie down, pig out.
February 1, 2006... We live in tiring times, so little wonder London Sheraton Park Tower's Bedroom Boudoir Evenings have been such a hit. A room of 30 beds replete with finest duvets and sheets is available for hire with a three-course meal and champagne at...

Diary: The Headlines 10 Years Ago.(Brief Article)
February 1, 2006... A survey of 600 conferences by agency Banks Sadler reveals general dissatisfaction from event organisers in the training standards of UK hotels. The Granada Group's fiercely contested pounds 3.9bn takeover of Forte forces it to sell its...

Diary: A Holiday to Jamaica.
February 1, 2006... Your chance to chill out in Jamaica at SuperClubs' fantastic five-star Grand Lido Braco resort. The prize includes seven nights all-inclusive accommodation for two people, including all meals from a choice of restaurants, unlimited premium...

Diary: Eponymous tosh.
February 1, 2006... Realising that 19 January's International Penguin Awareness Day was too good an opportunity to pass up, Windsor-based event management company Penguins got into the swing of things by dressing up as the wingless Antarctic bird of the same name...