Conference & Incentive Travel articles from January 2008

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from January 2008

Let's skip the school of hard knocks.
January 22, 2008... When Events Industry Alliance chief Trevor Foley passed his damning judgement on the state of event-management courses, the backlash began in an instant and has raged into the new year (Analysis, p12). With staff recruitment and retention...

MCI looks to enhance UK work with fourth office opening.
January 22, 2008... MCI is set to open a fourth UK office and raise staffing levels by 20% as it looks to develop its British presence in 2008. The agency currently has offices in London and Peterborough, plus a Belfast outpost that became part of the company...

Sledge retains independence and looks to Asian expansion.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Live events agency Sledge is eyeing new office openings in Asia and Australia in the wake of its acquisition by the UK wing of Australian marketing services company Photon. The acquisition of the London-based agency, for an initial cash...

P&MM back in for Openwork.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Financial services distribution network Openwork has reappointed agency P&MM to run its annual national conference in Birmingham. Some 1,500 delegates are expected to attend the 8 January event at the ICC. It will include an exhibition of...

Tracker Briefs.(Calendar)
January 22, 2008... In C&IT News Tracker this month: Agency Real Affinity wins the pitch to become WH Smith's sole event management provider in an pounds 850,000 deal (31.10.07). Leeds Metropolitan University students are given the chance to gain...

Nestle names venue finder.
January 22, 2008... Conference Care has seen off nine other agencies to secure the contract to manage Nestle UK's entire venue finding requirements. The deal sees Conference Care manage all venue finding work for Nestle UK and its Purina Petcare, Nestle...

MIA on target with AIM plan.(Meetings Industry Association)(Accredited In Meetings)(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... The Meetings Industry Association is heralding the success of its Accredited In Meetings scheme, claiming it is on track to have all it members accredited within a year as planned. Launched last April, the scheme aims to raise the standard...

Skybridge scoops Ford motivation account.
January 22, 2008... Ford of Britain has appointed agency Euro RSCG Skybridge to implement a new strategy for dealer recognition and reward activity. Full details of the programme were still under wraps as C&IT went to press, but it was confirmed that Ford's...

Imagination in events rethink.
January 22, 2008... Imagination has rejigged its events service to create a standalone full-service division. Previously, the event planning department handled logistics on behalf of Imagination's client teams. The newly created Event Group adds creative,...

Organise This footprint tool.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Organise This has launched an online measurement tool, designed to offer analysis of the environmental footprint of client events in line with BS8901. Based on the Convention Industry Council's event planning guide, the system enables...

Association assembly.
January 22, 2008... Delegates, speakers and exhibitors from the inaugural C&IT Association Forum, held at Excel London in November, sit down to dinner at the Four Seasons Canary Wharf

Preparation is key to ride out storm.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Every newspaper is currently filled with warnings about a potential downturn. The credit crunch has hit the US hard and it looks like the Eurozone may follow. Given that the single currency accounts for 60% of UK trade, it would be a major...

Genepi plans ski event for investment bankers.
January 22, 2008... International investment banking firm Livingstone Partners has appointed agency Genepi Corporate Ski to run its first-ever client 'ski summit'. The three-day event for 35 clients and staff will be held in Zurs, Austria in April. ...

Maritz bullish about growth.(Nick Bender)(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Maritz managing director Nick Bender has set his sights on expansion that could see the agency add more than 20 staff to its 160 employees in 2008. The news follows November results that saw Maritz contribute pounds 440,000 in pre-tax...

How to: Crisis Manage.
January 22, 2008... Get a board level champion If a crisis plan is to be fully communicated and implemented, it needs to be seen as a company priority. Identify team roles and deputies for each Ensure that everyone expected to play a part in crisis...

Grass Roots takes Royal & Sun on Antarctic trip.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Grass Roots Group has topped off a record year with a new piece of business for Royal & Sun Alliance, which will see the agency run its first-ever incentive to Antarctica. GRG will run a two-tier incentive programme for the insurance...

Excel wins at Eventia Awards.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Excel London stole the show at the 2007 Eventia UK Awards, taking home three of the top accolades. The venue won gold awards for Event Team of the Year, and Best Event Venue (over 500) at the ceremony, held at London's Hurlingham Club on...

Carrier News.
January 22, 2008... Lufthansa is introducing a three-times daily service between Bristol and Frankfurt in response to demand from business travellers The service begins on 30 March. Bmibaby has become the first carrier to run direct flights from Birmingham to...

What's the delay with accounts?(Viewpoint essay)(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Looking back at 2007, I cannot recall any previous year in which we have had to chase so many trading partners to get post-event accounts statements. How sad it is to sweat over delivering exceptional programmes only for painfully slow...

Measurement tool set for April.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... The Global Meetings Measurement Initiative - the long-planned economic measuring tool for meetings - is to be unveiled in April 2009. MPI vice president of global development Didier Scaillet confirmed the methodology currently being created...

Euro 2008 hosts count cost of England failure.(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Euro 2008 hosts Austria and Switzerland have defended their positions in the wake of England and Scotland failing to qualify for the competition, but admit that losses could 'run into millions'. The destinations teamed up ahead of the...

EIBTM to stick with Barcelona.(European Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition)(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Barcelona show EIBTM is to stay in the city until at least 2013, organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has confirmed. 'It was a simple decision, due to the venues on offer, the city itself and, perhaps more importantly, the partnerships...

One to Watch: Michael Luehrs, sustainability services manager, MCI.
January 22, 2008... Why are we watching him? He's the man charged with heading up MCI's new two-tier environmental initiative Sustainability Services. The first element is Sustainability Consulting, which will evaluate the environmental footprint of MCI's...

Appointments: HBAA.(Des Mclaughlin, Juliet Price, Chris Madge )(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... The HBAA's new executive committee includes five new faces. HBI managing director Des Mclaughlin takes over marketing responsibilities; Hotelzon's Juliet Price takes over training from Zibrant's Chris Madge (above), now HBAA vice chairman;...

Appointment: Dolce International.
January 22, 2008... Hospitality specialist Dolce International has undergone a restructure following its recent recapitalisation ahead of planned expansion. Mark DePiero becomes senior vice president (global acquisitions and development), while chief...

Appointment: Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.
January 22, 2008... Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has appointed Christina Deeny as director of sales and marketing. She will oversee sales, marketing, reservations and events functions

Appointment: Principal Hayley.
January 22, 2008... Principal Hayley has recruited former MWB Meeting Venues business development management Brendan Caffrey to the position of Beaumont House director of sales

Appointment: Hand Picked Hotels'.
January 22, 2008... Virginia Masser (left) has been named as the new general manager for Hand Picked Hotels' New Forest property Rhinefield House, following a pounds 4m investment

Appointment: Agency Out There Events.
January 22, 2008... Agency Out There Events has appointed Laura Wolfe as director. Her remit is to deliver the sales strategy for the business

Analysis: The battle for the next generation.
January 22, 2008... 'Crap' colleges have hit back, and industry leaders have had their say, but what is the best way forward for the industry, asks Leanne Bell. 'There are 56 event management degrees out there and most of them are crap.' When Events Industry...

Analysis: The rules of engagement.
January 22, 2008... Creative events mean nothing if agendas bore delegates. James Thornton investigates. That the phrase 'death by Powerpoint' has entered common usage serves as a fair indicator of just how much of a negative impact those meetings where...

Case study: Umbro's Wembley incentive.(Case study)
January 22, 2008... The sports group wanted to give its England retailers a day to remember. THE BRIEF: With its new England kit ready for launch, manufacturer Umbro decided to use the occasion to gather 100 of its retail partners together at the newly...

Venue focus: Property bulletin.(Gran Hotel La Florida completes the development of new meeting rooms)(Hyatt Corp. officially opens the first property under its new Andaz brand)(Grand Hotel Kempinksi has officially reopened after two years of renovation works)
January 22, 2008... Susie Harwood rounds up developments from Berlin to Bedfordshire. Gran Hotel La Florida, Barcelona Barcelona's 70-room Gran Hotel La Florida has completed the development of new meeting rooms. Offering spectacular views over Barcelona,...

Pushing Frontiers: Time for ... Slovakia.(City overview)
January 22, 2008... From geothermic mountain resorts high up in the Carpathians to the wintry elegance of the capital Bratislava, Susie Harwood finds the Velvet Revolution has extended to C&I too. INCENTIVES Explore Bratislava's historic old town on a...

Agency Focus: The C&IT Challenge.
January 22, 2008... The brief is to drive sales of a new electrical product at a retail call centre and includes pre-event marketing, with a five-day incentive trip for 40 delegates as the main reward A trip to Marrakech, nestled in the Atlas Mountains, would...

Agency Focus: 5 minutes with - McMenemy Hill.(Sean McMenemy and Chris Hill of McCann-Erickson Inc.)(Brief article)
January 22, 2008... Location: Camberley, Surrey Staff: 35 What's the lowdown? The agency's founders, Sean McMenemy and Chris Hill, have brought in a chairman (ex-McCann Erickson head Malcolm Summerfield) and promoted former sales and marketing director...

In Person: Charlotte Gooch, Guardian.(Guardian Professional)(Occupation overview)
January 22, 2008... James Thornton goes centre stage with Guardian Professional's B2B head of events. Charlotte Gooch is head of events at Guardian Professional, the B2B department of the Guardian Media Group. She and her team of 12 run around 300 events each...

Sounding Off: We need a project management standard.
January 22, 2008... Generally speaking, agencies in the events industry are gradually becoming smarter at achieving commercial efficiency. Calculating their time and costing it realistically in order to achieve the desired margins. Perhaps then, it's time that...

Case Study: Currys hits the road to brief staff on products.(Case study)
January 22, 2008... Interactivity, education and fun were the key watchwords for the electrical retailer's national roadshow to educate staff about products in the lead-up to Christmas. James Thornton reports. THE BRIEF: Electrical retail giant Currys has been...

Spas: 5 of the best new retreats.
January 22, 2008... Yasmin Razak explores five of the latest spa openings across the UK and finds out what they have to offer discerning C&I groups. THE SPA AT CHANCERY COURT, LONDON What's new: For delegates in need of some post-Christmas rejuvenation,...

Airport Venues: For flying visits.
January 22, 2008... The continuing growth in air travel and infrastructure is widening the choice of venues. Paul Oswell reports. The boom in air travel over the past two decades has meant investment and expansion for most of the UK's airports. The capital's...

Sporting Venues: 5 of the best fields of dreams.
January 22, 2008... Phil Heard finds five prestigious sporting venues where delegates can get their kicks, whether they're sports fans or not. Manchester United Love them or loathe them, the cliche dictates that you have to admire the all-conquering red...

Manchester: The city by numbers.
January 22, 2008... David Atkinson assesses Manchester's C&I impact by looking at the city's vital statistics. 86: Manchester's ICCA ranking for 2006. The league table places Manchester fourth in the UK behind London, Edinburgh and Glasgow 'Manchester is well...

Belgium: Belgian business hubs.(City overview)
January 22, 2008... Leanne Bell investigates how Brussels and Antwerp are set to benefit from the new rail link. As the unofficial capital of Europe, Belgium has long been in a strong position to attract C&I business from the UK. But the recent completion of...

Frankfurt: The event planner's guide to - The best of Frankfurt.
January 22, 2008... Accessible, functional and with surprisingly vibrant nightlife, Paul Oswell finds a city designed for C&I. Frankfurt is often held up as the poster city for German organisational know-how. This is not to infer that it is a model of...

Madeira: 10 of the best places to stay on Madeira.
January 22, 2008... Properties on the Atlantic island are offering C&I groups a taste of the tropics and top-notch facilities with short-haul convenience. Reid's Palace The grande dame of Madeira's hotels was recently given a facelift and now offers a...

South of France: Provencal promise.(Dana Cote D'Azur revamps its offer)
January 22, 2008... The Cote D'Azur is revamping its offer to keep groups coming back. Despite being one of the most popular C&I destinations for UK groups, the South of France isn't taking anything for granted nor letting any of the new, up and coming...

South of France: New pretenders.
January 22, 2008... Two of the latest openings aim to steal a march on the region's crown. CLUB MED OPIO EN PROVENCE WHERE IS IT? Perched above Cannes, with stunning views across the region. Following a pounds 19m refurbishment, this 120-acre...

The Caribbean: Island hopping.
January 22, 2008... The Caribbean is backing its appeal with facilities for groups of all kinds. Dominica for eco-tourism In the Eastern Caribbean lies the island of Dominica. Covered by tropical forest across two-thirds of its landmass, it takes to its...

Madrid: 10 of the best reasons to visit Madrid.
January 22, 2008... Blah wiffle and so on for a bit. Ben Lerwill outlines why. 1: Hotel Puerta America Tired of humdrum hotels? When the pounds 52m Hotel Puerta America opened in 2005, travel magazines around the world sat up and rubbed their eyes The...

Diary: People, parties, pics.
January 22, 2008... Got any interesting pictures that will let our Diary writer's imagination run wild? Any crazy company initiatives? Any moments you'd care to share? Send your pictures and stories to Conference & Incentive Travel, 174 Hammersmith Road,...

Said & Done.
January 22, 2008... 'This is the cheesiest thing I have ever eaten' - One agency fondu-er at the Swiss Trophy reunion takes on 'The Grandfather'. We'll stick with a Werther's Original - 'Dubai has no environmental conscience and is the most Sodom and Gomorrah...