Conference & Incentive Travel articles from July 2005

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from July 2005

First Off: The lessons learned from London's unity.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... So many lessons can be learned by our industry by recalling the emotional events that took place during the first week of July. On the Wednesday I, along with so many others in the industry, was jumping for joy when it was announced that...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - Vox Pops.
July 19, 2005... 'The prospect of working in the events industry is now significantly more attractive. Winning the bid will encourage more young people to enter the sector and to work on some of the most exciting projects imaginable. - Grania Sweeting, managing...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - Olympic fever will generate C&I business across the UK.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The London Olympics could generate more than pounds 2bn for the UK visitor economy over a seven to ten year period if Australia's experience of the Sydney Games is anything to go by. Although figures specifically related to business tourism...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - UK Price Check.(Illustration)
July 19, 2005... BOARD MEETING Brief: High-level one-day conference for 50 delegates in central London with overnight accommodation, working breakfast and a gala dinner. All prices include VAT. Pounds THE SAVOY...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - Stratford a potential site for London's ICC.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The proposed international convention centre for London, if it gets the go ahead, could be based in Stratford. While the feasibility study has highlighted that there is demand for a centre, event organisers have been calling for a central...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - London MICE gets set for big influx of new members.(London Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Membership of London MICE, which represents venues and services in 'south central' London looks set to rise following the capital's winning bid for the 2012 Olympics. The body has already signed up more than 500 members since its inception...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - London Sheraton - Park Tower takes bookings for 2012.(Sheraton Park Tower)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... London's Sheraton Park Tower took three group bookings just two days after announcing its special rates for 2012. The bookings are from the London HQs of international companies for five-night packages. General manager Anne Scott said...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - Games sponsorships a bonanza for agents.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Event agents working with the official corporate sponsors of the 2012 London Olympics stand to be among the primary winners in the C&I sector. Sponsorship agreements will be decided by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games,...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - Security issue won't dampen enthusiasm.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The recent terrorist attacks in London will not dampen the impact on C&I business in the run-up to the Olympics, predict key industry figures. 'The timescales of the two events are very different and they should be treated separately,'...

Olympics: Industry Reaction - Sporting Legacies.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... SYDNEY 2000 OLYMPIC GAMES 'The focus on Australia in the lead-up to the Olympics helped to increase the number of companies considering Australia for an event, and that continues today. Hosting the Games confirmed that we were capable of...

Clients that break our code of ethics reap what they sow.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... There's currently lively debate about C&I agencies bypassing DMCs to work directly with suppliers. While it's healthy that everyone understands the freedoms that exist for service companies to choose their entry point on the supplier chain,...

NTOs question value of trade exhibitions ..(National Tourism Organization)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... National tourist offices have questioned the value and effectiveness of trade shows following on from the success of the inaugural workshops hosted by 19 UK-based NTOs. Under the banner, 'Where the World is Your Oyster' more than 70...

... while Confex tackles decline.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... International Confex is doubling the size of its sales team by appointing a sales director and managers for each of its four floor sectors. The move follows the appointment of event director Duncan Reid, who has been with CMPi, the owner...

MIA offers students EIBTM prize.(Meetings Industry Association )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The Meetings Industry Association (MIA) is setting UK event-management students a prize essay challenge. Entrants will need to explain the importance of good customer-service skills in the C&I industry, detailing how, if and where they...

Taylor quits Tyne for Midlands post.(appointment of Ian Taylor as commercial director)(Marketing Birmingham )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Marketing Birmingham has appointed Ian Taylor to the newly created post of commercial director. He joins from Newcastle Gateshead Convention Bureau where he held the same role. Marketing Birmingham chief executive Neil Rami said: 'We want...

Crawley becomes BACD chair with a focus on business.(appointmen of Sue Crawley at British Association of Conference Destinations)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) has appointed Sue Crawley as chair for the next two years. Crawley, who is business tourism manager for the Tees Valley Tourism Bureau, takes over from George Brookes. She...

Liverpool Kings Dock set for 2008 opening.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Work has started on the Liverpool Arena and Conference Centre, a pounds 150m project in the city's Kings Dock waterfront area, due for completion in 2008. The venue will be headed by new chief executive and former NEC Birmingham managing...

Trade bodies don't sway buyers.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... More than 60% of event planners do not value association membership. In a C&IT survey of 823 industry professionals, 498 said they were not more likely to hire a company if it was a member of an association. This mirrors research...

Webwatch: Venuecheck.com.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... What's the idea? The basic concept is to allow conference bookers to check venues against a 'date-searchable availability system'. Clients can enter specific requirements, including location, room layout and the number of delegates, as well as...

News brief: Luton Airport opens first phase of development.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... London Luton Airport has opened the first phase of its pounds 35m passenger terminal development. The new facilities include a 7,400m2 departure lounge and retail/catering complex. The final phase is planned for completion in September....

News brief: Kent Conference Bureau launches venue guide.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Kent Conference Bureau has launched a venue guide highlighting disabled facilities. The county asked its venues to self-assess facilities in line with National Accessible Scheme standards. www.conferencekent.co.uk

News brief: Visit Scotland appoints first meetings and incentives manager.(Visit Scotland )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Visit Scotland has appointed Manuela Calchini-Smith as the first meetings and incentives manager at its business tourism unit. She will focus on the UK's C&I market from the Edinburgh office. www.visitscotland.com.

News brief: Quintessential Hotels re-brands.
July 19, 2005... Quintessential Hotels has re-branded to QHotels with immediate effect and is currently ploughing pounds 40m into major refurbishments across its five Leeds properties, including pounds 10m at The Queens. www.quintessential-hotels.co.uk.

News brief: Expotel appoints head of business.(appointment of Anthony Coyle-Dowling)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Expotel has appointed Anthony Coyle-Dowling as head of business. He will head a team of eight across the Stockport and London offices. In addition, former Mazda chief executive David Heslop joins the venue finder as chief executive....

News brief: Appointment at Starwood Hotels and Resorts.(appointment of Shane Hodgers as director of sales)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Starwood Hotels and Resorts has appointed Shane Hodges as director of sales and marketing for its central London hotels. He is responsible for the sales and marketing, conference and events and reservations teams at the Sheraton Park Tower,...

Expotel awarded Virgin Trains deal.(contracts)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Virgin Trains has appointed Expotel to manage its hotel and conferencing needs for three years. Expotel national account manager Cathy Thompson said she was currently working with Virgin to assess its needs. Expotel is also examining...

Our survey says: C&I spend bounces back.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The number of events and budgets are up in 2005, according to a C&IT survey of almost 1,800 industry professionals. Of the planners surveyed, 48% claim to have healthier budgets than last year, with 39% quoting an increase in conference...

Kroll sets up staff screening to limit crime in UK hotels.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Global risk consultancy Kroll has launched a pre-employment screening process for hotels. The move follows a survey by recruitment firm Indago, which reveals that 57% of hotels do not carry out safety checks on staff. Kroll assistant...

BSkyB appoints Icor to cut meetings spend.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Digital satellite broadcaster BSkyB and drinks-brand giant Diageo have appointed new cost-reduction consultancy Icor to manage their hotel and meetings spend. Ray Woolridge, who was travel procurement manager at BSkyB at the time of the...

Easyjet changes tack on C&I with air lounge access.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Easyjet is offering airport lounges and larger group booking facilities in a drive to increase group business from its current level of 30%. For a fee, passengers can now use Servisair business lounges at 33 UK and European airports. This...

People and Places - Dubai.(roadshows)
July 19, 2005... A delegation of more than 35 Dubai representatives visited the UK for the emirate's summer roadshow. The event, entitled Invest In Your Future - Don't Miss The Dhow!, took place from 28 June to 1 July and included visits to Manchester, Glasgow...

International: Vietnam backs C&I growth with new convention centre.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Vietnam has announced the construction of the country's largest convention centre. Located in Ho Chi Minh City, it will have four 12,000m2 exhibition halls, a conference hall and a four and five-star hotel. It will cost dollars 25m (pounds...

International: World Price Check.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
July 19, 2005... BOARD MEETING Brief: High-level one-day conference for 50 delegates with accommodation, working breakfast and a gala dinner. Prices include VAT THE OKURA, AMSTERDAM Pounds Day-delegate rate ...

International: Virgin debuts direct Gatwick-Cuba route.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Virgin Atlantic has launched a direct route between London Gatwick and Havana in Cuba. The services will operate twice a week, with both inbound and outbound flights on Thursdays and Sundays. They add to the existing twice-weekly Cubana...

International: UK planners rank Spain as the best place of business.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Spain has been voted most popular overseas destination by UK event planners in a survey for the Spanish Tourist Office (STO). The 95 companies surveyed, split almost 50/50 between agents and corporate planners, also voted Spain the...

International brief: Emirates Towers Hotel launches women only floor.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The Emirates Towers Hotel in Dubai has launched the Middle East's first hotel floor exclusively for women. The ten rooms and one suite are on the 40th floor and will be serviced only by female staff. www.jumeirahinternational.com.

International brief: Le Meridien to manage hotel in Malaysian Borneo.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Le Meridien is to manage a hotel in Malaysian Borneo. The 292-room, five-star property will open in the autumn, when the group will also reopen its Barbarons property in the Seychelles following a pounds 7m renovation. www.lemeridien.com.

International brief: Federation of Conference Towns launches online organiser.(European Federation of Conference Towns )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The European Federation of Conference Towns has launched an online meetings organiser, which will make it easier to send requests to more than one destination at a time. www.efct.com.

International brief: Hilton expands in Beijing.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Hilton is expanding in Beijing with the first Conrad hotel in China and the first Scandic by Hilton outside Europe. Both properties are scheduled to open in time for the Beijing Olympics in 2008. www.hiltongroup.com.

International brief: AIPC membership reaches highest level.(International Association of Congress Centres)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres) membership has reached its highest level at 140, with the addition of 13 new centres including the KLCC in Malaysia. www.aipc.org.

International brief: Great Hotels publishes C&I collection.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Great Hotels of the World has published its 2005 C&I collection for planners, featuring eight new properties, including Le Mas de Pierre on the French Riviera and the Aleksandar Palas Hotel in Belgrade in Serbia. www.ghotw.com.

International brief: Pan Pacific launches C&I brochure.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Pan Pacific Hotels & Resorts has launched a C&I brochure detailing all its properties with specific facilities for groups. www.panpacific.com.

International: MPI rolls out trial of its career-plan software product.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The 3,400 attendees at this year's Meeting Professional International (MPI) World Education Conference held in Miami in July trialled the technology for MPI's Career Pathways initiative (C&IT, May). The online tool, which will be launched...

International: Copenhagen to host 2007 MPI conference.(Meeting Professionals International)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Copenhagen will host the 2007 Meeting Professionals International (MPI) European Education Conference, while London has been chosen to host the event in 2008. The host cities were announced at MPI's World Education Conference held in early...

International: Leela aims to double its portfolio in India.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The Leela Palaces and Resorts, the hotel group currently comprising four properties in India, is to double its portfolio over the next four years. With five-star hotels located in Mumbai, Bangalore, Goa and, as from 15 July, the beach...

International: Pushing Frontiers - Zambia.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... It was 150 years ago that Dr. Livingstone first laid eyes on the awesome Victoria Falls. Now a World Heritage site, the Falls are at the heart of the African nation's incentive offer. Livingstone Town, just five miles from the spot where...

International brief: Preferred Hotel Group launches Boutique.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Preferred Hotel Group has launched Boutique, a global collection of hotels with 150 rooms or fewer committed to exceptional service. The hotel group aims to boost membership from its current 40 properties to 100 by the end of the year....

International brief: Shangri-La appoints Symon Bridle.(appointment of chief operating officer)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts has appointed Symon Bridle as chief operating officer. The new post was created in response to the company's rapid growth. Bridle will oversee financial and operational performance across all existing and forthcoming...

International brief: Radisson SAS Golden Sands to open in September.(Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort and Spa)
July 19, 2005... The Radisson SAS Golden Sands Resort & Spa in Malta will open in September, with an offer for conference groups of more than 20 delegates. The package, priced at pounds 77.25 per person for people sharing a twin room, is valid from1 December...

International brief: Emaar and Giorgio Armani reach agreement.(Emaar Hotels and Resorts)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Dubai's Emaar Hotels & Resorts and fashion designer Giorgio Armani have agreed to develop a collection of luxury properties called Armani Hotels and Resorts. The 175-room Dubai Armani Hotel is already under construction, with completion planned...

International brief: BMI confirms plans.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... BMI has confirmed plans to launch a service from Heathrow to Riyadh. As of 1 September, the three-times weekly service will offer a three-class service using its Airbus 330 fleet. www.flybmi.com.

International brief: Maverick launches in UK.(Maverick Helicopter Tours)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Maverick Helicopter Tours, a Las Vegas sightseeing operator that offers flights over the Grand Canyon, has launched a UK operation. www.maverickhelicopter.com.

Sounding off: Agency success is down to delivering a personal service.
July 19, 2005... People working for a support agency or business occasionally struggle to describe exactly what it is they do. When I started The Grass Roots Group in 1980, we offered 'motivation solutions to business problems', then it became 'making the most...

In Person: Sofia Vandaele - Hotel manager, Sheraton Belgravia.(Sheraton Belgravia Hotel's manager, Sofia Vandaele)
July 19, 2005... At 31 years old, Sofia Vandaele is one of, if not the, youngest hotel managers in Starwood's European, Middle East and African portfolio. Since taking the helm of London's Sheraton Belgravia Hotel on 1 April 2005 (she assures me it was not...

Case Study: AOL's Polish inspiration.(America Online Inc.)
July 19, 2005... The internet giant celebrated its anniversary with a trip to Warsaw to inspire its senior staff's creativity. Warsaw isn't the first city that would spring to mind as a conference destination for multinational internet giant AOL, but then...

Reader Poll: The Results.(conference centres ranked)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... This month, we round up the incentive and conference destination heavyweights in the final part of C&IT's first reader survey, and reveal the lucky winner of the fabulous Maldives prize. UK PURPOSE-BUILT VENUES In what became the...

Country Retreats: Pastoral pleasures.(rural properties)
July 19, 2005... Some groups really benefit from getting away from it all. Yasmin Razak visits some of the UK's best rural properties and samples their activities. IDEAL FOR FOODIES Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, Oxfordshire Contact Pauline Hobbs, 01844...

Management Training Centres: 10 of the Best.(hospitality industry)
July 19, 2005... Stephanie Siegle reviews the venues chosen by clients such as 02, Microsoft and Prudential. AVIEMORE HIGHLAND RESORT Contact Susan Libecks, 0870 124 4124 Web www.aviemorehighlandresort.com Number of meeting spaces 22 Largest space...

European Convention Centres: Safety in numbers.(commercial centers)
July 19, 2005... Almost every major European city now has a convention centre for large-scale events for 1,000 or more delegates. So how do the big players differentiate themselves? Dave Saunders reports. Europe's leading convention centres may claim...

European Convention Centres: Europe's premier league players.(Barcelona International Convention Centre)(Lisbon Congress Centre)(Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin)
July 19, 2005... Dave Saunders reviews the latest developments at some of the continent's biggest convention centres. The Barcelona International Convention Centre - www.ccib.es The CCIB is the largest purpose-built convention centre in southern Europe and...

Cruising: Sea change.(Royal Caribbean International)
July 19, 2005... Last year's record passenger numbers were boosted in part by the C&I sector, which has overcome many of its doubts about incentives at sea. Sue Bryant reports. The bright orange plastic cabins on board Stelios's new Easycruise ship are...

Cruising: Incentives at sea set by budget.(cruise lines)
July 19, 2005... Sue Bryant finds cruising packages to suit the cash-strapped to the money-no-object incentive. BUDGET (+) Carnival Imagination, short cruise from Miami along the Florida coast and Mexico How to get there Take a BA, Virgin or...

Golf Venues: 10 of the Best.(Europaeischer Hof Bad Gastein)(Golf Chateau de la Tournette)(A-Rosa Scharmutzelsee)
July 19, 2005... Mark Hillsdon embarks on his own European Tour to find some of the continent's best golf hotels. OFF THE BEATEN TRACK Europaeischer Hof Bad Gastein, Austria Contact: Elizabeth Gusterer, +43 64 342 5260 Web: www.europaeischerhof.at...

Canary Islands: An oasis for business.
July 19, 2005... In light of the fall in the number of leisure tourists, the Canary Islands' convention bureaux have turned their attention to the burgeoning groups market. As stalwarts of leisure tourism, the Canary Islands need no introduction. ...

India: Maharaja motivation.
July 19, 2005... Organisers are putting doubts about India's suitability for incentives behind them and are embracing its distinctive sights, sounds, smells and spectacles. Kerry Baggott explores the destination that offers delegates an experience of a...

VenueFocus: Historic coaching inn reopens for business.(Haycock Hotel)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... The Haycock Hotel, whose guest book boasts entries by royals from Queen Victoria to Princess Diana, has reopened following extensive refurbishment. The 400 year-old property, based in Wansford, near Peterborough,was originally a coaching...

VenueFocus: Riviera farmhouse launched as deluxe venue.(Le Mas de Pierre)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Le Mas de Pierre, a converted farmhouse near Nice on the French Riviera, has opened. The property is situated in the town of Saint-Paul de Vence and offers 48 rooms, each of which have their own loggia, terrace or private garden. It also...

VenueFocus.(Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe)(Hilton Hotels Corp.)(Big Brother House)
July 19, 2005... Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe has opened in the heart of Dresden. The 185-room four-star property is located opposite the newly renovated Frauenkirche on Neumarkt Square, on the same site as the original Hotel de Saxe, which closed in 1888. It...

Diary: Don't Miss ..(Hotels and motels)(Calendar)
July 19, 2005... C&IT Agency Forum: 3-5 August - The inaugural C&IT Agency Forum brings 50 of the UK's most influential professionals together at the Riverbank Park Plaza, London. www.haymarketevents.com/forums/ National Venue Show: 13-15 September - The...

Diary: Don't forget your beer goggles, snorkel, etc ..(Tyrolean Starkenberg )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... With the current spa fad spreading its well manicured talons in every direction, it takes something pretty special to stand out from the pack. Therefore, the Tyrolean Starkenberg resort in Austria warrants appreciation for its latest...

Diary: Hotel cradle snatchers.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... There's been a lot of debate recently over the need to train hotel staff, and north of the border they've decided to nab them early. Industry partners including Skibo Castle and the Westin Turnberry are behind a new board game aimed at 12...

Diary: The Headlines 10 Years Ago.(British Tourism Authority )(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... - The latest research from the British Tourism Authority shows that in the previous year (1994), 60 per cent of domestic conferences were non-residential, one-day events, and more than half of these were attended by 30 delegates or fewer....

Diary: Competition.(Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire)(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Do you know where this shot is taken? If you do, then you could be staying at the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire. Opened in February 2005, it has 133 rooms including 22 suites. Enjoy Traditional or Champagne Afternoon Tea in the...

Diary: Stars in their eyes.(Brief Article)
July 19, 2005... Can you tell what it is yet? This very grainy image of the self-appointed most important couple in the world was taken moments after their intervention single-handedly won London the Olympics. It was taken on Visit London commercial...