Conference & Incentive Travel articles from March 2005

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from March 2005

First Off: How about this for an idea: try talking.(procurement officers' management)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... According to my dictionary, communication is the imparting or exchange of information, ideas or feelings. It's easy to define, but judging by the relationship between procurement officials and agencies and venues, not so straightforward to put...

Industry associations unite to strengthen sector profile.(Association of British Professional Conference Organisers, British Association of Conference Destinations, Hotel Booking Agents Association, Meetings Industry Association and Meetings Professionals International UK Chapter )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Five of the industry's key UK associations have agreed to work in collaboration in a move designed to strengthen the profile of the meetings market and deliver enhanced benefits to their members. The bodies involved are the Association of...

UK PRICE CHECK.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Sales event with exhibition: A two day sales event with an overnight stay for 250 delegates to be held in September. Price to include accommodation, room hire and VAT MARRIOTT REGENTS PARK, LONDON 24-hour rate: pounds 52,500 Day...

Von Essen embarks on C&I market push.(Von Essen hotels)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Von Essen hotels, which owns a chain of 17 country house hotels in the UK, is embarking on its first major marketing initiative and has earmarked the MICE market as the primary source of business. The group, which includes the prestigious...

Hotels make their strategy pitch to buyers at Confex.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... International Confex last month was the launch pad for a number of hotel chain initiatives. - Meeting @ Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is the group's new brand name for its C&I product. It outlines the service standards and facilities clients...

News brief: TalkIQ launched at Confex.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... TalkIQ, the software that enables communication and interaction (i.e. voting) between audiences and meetings organisers, was launched at Confex. Web: www.talkiq.com.

News brief: Warwick Conferences scores 77.1%.
March 7, 2005... Warwick Conferences, part of the C&I operation at Warwick University, has scored 77.1% in the Hospitality Assured for Meetings (HA-M) accreditation, the highest in the university sector. Tel: 024 7652 3222.

News brief: Concorde promotes Armstrong.(Sarah Armstrong )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Concorde Hotels has promoted Sarah Armstrong to director of conference sales UK & Ireland. Web: www.concorde-hotels.com.

News brief: Harrogate International Centre to invest.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Harrogate International Centre is to invest almost pounds 1.2m in information and communication technology. The first phase, costing pounds 275,000, is due to start next month. Tel: 01423 500500.

News brief: MVM appoints Lutvey.(Appointment)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... MVM, the event management company, has appointed Frances Lutvey as operations manager. She joins from Thistle Hotels where she was key account director. Web: www.mvmltd.com.

News brief: Alabaster appointed director.(Appointment)(IBR)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Morag Alabaster has been appointed account director - new business for the group of companies that include IBR, Illico Events, McGarvey Russell and MRM. Web: www.ibr.co.uk.

News brief: Corus launches Think Tank.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Corus Hotels has launched Think Tank, a meeting room designed specially to unlock delegates' creativity. The room will be trialled for six months at the Hotel Bristol from 4 April. Tel: 01275 395801.

News brief: Choice Locations books.
March 7, 2005... Choice Locations is now booking hotels for the corporate, association and government markets. Web: www.choicelocations.co.uk.

IBR group scoops contract as Xerox preferred supplier.(International Bio Research and Xerox Europe contract)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Xerox Europe has named the group of companies that includes IBR, Illico Events, McGarvey Russell and MRM, as preferred supplier for venue finding and event services. The winning group beat 20 other agencies for the business, and will...

Lloyds TSB devolves travel buying power.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Lloyds TSB has restructured its employee incentive programme to provide more power to the bank's regional directors. Instead of holding 12 major overseas events each year organised by head office for the whole company, the UK has been...

Bournemouth set to woo blue-chip clients to the BIC.(Bournemouth International Centre)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) hopes to attract more corporate business as it prepares for 2006, a year that will see it achieve a record number of bookings. More than 40 conferences have already been confirmed. While most are...

Etc.venues adds sixth property to its London roster.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Etc.venues, the provider of London-based meeting and training venues, has added a sixth property to its portfolio. Opening in early May, Prospero House is located just five minutes from London Bridge. Around pounds 800,000 has been invested...

P&MM expands by acquiring Archer Young.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... P&MM Group has grown its portfolio with the amicable pounds 682,000 acquisition of top performance improvement agency AYM Services, which trades as Archer Young. Archer Young, which counts Argos, O2 and HSBC among its clients, will...

People and Places: London.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Visit London has called on a group of representatives from across the industry to become the first London Business Tourism Champions. The members of the group - launched at International Confex and initially 27-strong - will act as...

Procurement limits scope of small firms.(International Confex)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Procurement could be the death knell for small event-planning agencies hoping to win big contracts. That was just one of the predictions made by a panel of experts at a keynote seminar at International Confex. According to First...

Joint deal for Heart of England.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Eight convention bureaux have joined forces to promote tourism to the Heart of England. Backed by initial funds of pounds 50,000, the bureaux in the partnership comprise Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire, the Black Country,...

Webwatch: BACD - Web www.bacd.org.uk.(British Association of Conference Destinations)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... What's the lowdown? The website for the British Association of Conference Destinations (BACD) has undergone two upgrades in recent months. The first, which took place in September, transformed it into a useable tool with a set of practical...

Let's find cashless alternatives for our hard-working staff.(human resource management)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... After a couple of difficult years, business is improving, but many employers in the C&I industry are hesitating before investing in additional staff. There is still little cash for bonuses and pay rises, so how can companies reward loyalty and...

International: LSO International hangs on to 3G technology congress.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... French Riviera-based destination management company LSO International has retained its hold on the 3GSM World account despite the telecoms congress moving from Cannes to Barcelona in 2006. Having worked on the 30,000-strong delegate...

International: World Price Check - Sales event with exhibition.
March 7, 2005... A two-day sales event with an exhibition and an overnight stay for 250 delegates in September. Price to include accommodation, full F&B, room hire and VAT Sofitel Capsis, Rhodes 24-hour rate: pounds 43,750 Day rate: pounds 12,500...

International: MCI opens in Madrid to cover all of Spain.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Event management company MCI has opened an office in Madrid. This brings its number of European bases to nine and follows on from its new branch in Barcelona. 'The Madrid office gives us excellent DMC knowledge within Spain,' says MCI...

International: Eurostar agrees deal with French meeting venues.(International Confex)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Eurostar signed partnership agreements with France's leading conference venues in Paris and Lille at International Confex last month. Eurostar will act as preferred partner to the Leading Venues of Paris, Paris Expo and the Grand Palais in...

International Brief: Hunt & Palmer appointed.(Visitur)(Hunt & Palmer Marketing Services )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Visitur, the Turkish-based DMC, has appointed Hunt & Palmer Marketing Services as its European representative. Web: www.huntpalmer.com.

International Brief: Mexico Tourism Board service.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The Mexico Tourism Board has launched an online service allowing conference organisers to compare prices from Mexican suppliers and fill in online proposal forms. Web: www.visitmexico.com.

International Brief: Virgin Atlantic Upper Class.(Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Virgin Atlantic has fitted all of its Gatwick-based aircraft - travelling to Orlando, Las Vegas and the Caribbean - with the new Upper Class Suite. Web: www.virgin.com.

International Brief: Easyjet routes.(Easyjet Airline PLC)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Easyjet has launched routes from Stansted to Asturias in Spain, as of 24 March, and from Luton to Grenoble, France from 20 April, which will replace the existing Stansted to Grenoble flights. Web: www.easyjet.com.

International Brief: Conrad Hotels intends 50.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Conrad Hotels intends to have up to 50 properties by 2010. Plans for 2005 include hotels in Phuket and Tokyo. Web: www.conrad.hotels.hilton.com.

International Brief: MSTT/Supereps appointed.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Nepal DMC Yeti Travels has appointed MSTT/Supereps International to be its UK marketing representative. Web: www.supereps.com.

International Brief: Orient-Express Hotels property.(Orient-Express Hotels Ltd.)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Orient-Express Hotels has acquired its first property in Russia. The five-star 301-room Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg can accommodate up to 350 delegates theatre-style. Web: www.orient-express.com.

International Brief: Palm appointed.(appointment of Anette Palm at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre )(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has appointed Anette Palm as its representative from Europe. Palm has over 20 years' experience within the conference sector. Web: www.klcc.com.my.

International: San Francisco looks to UK with site visits.(travel destination)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The San Francisco CVB has earmarked the UK C&I market for future growth with the launch of a series of fam trips and hotel site inspections. The announcement was made in London during a week of direct sales calls and appointments with key...

International: Tourist figures hit 20-year high after post-Sars upturn.
March 7, 2005... Latest statistics from the Madrid-based World Tourism Organization's World Tourism Barometer reveal that international tourist arrivals soared by 10% in 2004 compared to the previous year, to reach 760 million. This represents the best growth...

International: Make it Singapore scheme extended.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Singapore Tourism Board has expanded its dedicated MICE campaign following its 2004 results. The Make It Singapore initiative commenced in November 2003 with a package of benefits for organisers. It successfully attracted 40 major events...

International: Eastern European DMCs gain UK presence.(Destinations Unlimited)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Destinations Unlimited, the representation agency founded in 1989 to promote DMCs, has reported a growing interest in Central and Eastern Europe. Destinations Unlimited partner Darren Mitchell said: 'Our emphasis is on Europe as a whole...

International: People and Places - The Seychelles.(travel destination)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Seven agency representatives from the UK were invited to the Seychelles last month on a fam trip to promote Beachcomber's Sainte Anne Resort and Spa. After flying direct from Heathrow with Air Seychelles, the group was welcomed with flower...

International: Vancouver set to enhance Canada after centre refit.(Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre)(renovation)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre is set to triple in size by summer 2008. Work has commenced on the expansion project, which will add 33,351m2 to the centre, and Tourism Vancouver has contributed pounds 38m. Vancouver Convention...

International: Where's the luxury in trying to relax to the roar of planes?(airlines)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... I heard recently about a plane load of people unexpectedly forced to overnight on Antigua after a technical fault. An aircraft load of people returning to their hotels wiped out availability, resulting in off-island transit passengers finding...

International: Agents call to retain working time clause.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... The UK events industry is urging the Government to be lenient when it comes to review proposed changes to the Working Time Directive later in the year. If the UK adopts a policy similar to that of France, agents will be forced to pass...

International: The Working Time Directive Latest Proposals..(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Britain is the only member state of the European Commission to adopt the opt-out clause when the Directive was negotiated back in 1993. Following widespread abuse of the clause, the European Commission is reviewing Britain's right to opt...

International: Pushing Frontiers - Phoenix & Scottsdale.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Phoenix and Scottsdale, set in central Arizona, offer a host of incentive options for golfers, art aficionados and wannabe cowboys. With the rising popularity of Las Vegas, the convention bureaux from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tucson have joined...

Opinion: Sounding Off - The cynics are the long-term losers in race for the Games.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... There's nothing wrong with a bit of cynicism. However, there are times when it is so wildly misplaced that it suggests something profoundly disturbed about the exponent. Media cynicism is a particularly ugly and virulent manifestation of...

In Person: Nigel Gifford - Managing director, High and Wild.
March 7, 2005... Nigel Gifford is not your everyday MD. An ice axe rather than a brief case is more his thing, while more often than not his office is a rock face instead of an office. Gifford's passion for life and the outdoors is what drives adventure...

Analysis: People power.(human resource and customer services)
March 7, 2005... If it is the case that there is a correlation between happy staff and healthy profits, should agencies be pitching to human resources managers? It's a fact that now the service industry has become the mainstay of the UK economy - as...

Showcase: ITMA Awards.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Thanks to Eurostar, the industry convened at Disneyland Resort Paris to discover who had won the prizes for 2004's best incentive and corporate event programmes at the annual ITMA Awards. Setting the scene The awards kicked off at...

Case Study: Voyage of Discovery.(Land Rover UK Ltd. and P&MM Travel Ltd. contract)
March 7, 2005... In a departure from the usual rustic destinations, Land Rover opted for Stockholm to convey the urban appeal of its new Discovery 3. Changing the perception of a well established brand was the challenge faced by P&MM board director John...

Destinations Survey: Global playground.(conefrence destinations)
March 7, 2005... With more of the world opening up for business, the choice of incentive destinations is bigger than ever before. So why are UK buyers sticking to the old favourites? Anna Bowden investigates. Once again, CIT's Annual Destination Survey has...

Destinations Survey: Top emerging destinations.
March 7, 2005... ABU DHABI Language: Official language is Arabic, although English is widely spoken and understood. Both are commonly used in business. Time: GMT+4 Visa required: No Exchange rate: pounds 1= 6.92 UAE Dirham Dialling code: +971 2...

Show Preview: Spanish eyes.
March 7, 2005... March sees the fifth annual Spanish Tourist Exchange for Professionals taking place in London, with exhibitors promoting the best of the country under four themes. This is the fifth year that the Spanish Tourist Office has held its London...

London: Urban renais sance.
March 7, 2005... Millions of pounds are being ploughed into projects across London that will see the city's conference facilities and infrastructure given an unprecedented boost. Jane Dunford takes a look at the latest capital developments. It's a time of...

London: Back the 2012 bid.
March 7, 2005... If London were to win its bid to host the Olympic Games in 2012, the eyes of the world would be on the capital. Jane Dunford finds out how the bid is going and why it deserves your support. The race is on and London holds its breath. With...

London: Lights, camera, action.
March 7, 2005... London's cinema history means there are a raft of screening rooms for hire. London has long been a star of the silver screen. The capital's film credits rival any worldwide, ranging from long-term classics to the latest releases. Last...

10 of the Best Sporting Venues.
March 7, 2005... Whether you want to watch a game or get involved, there's a venue to suit, as Sharon Greaves reports. CAFE ROYAL Contact: Michael Helliet, 020 7388 5999 Website: www.mayfairsportingclub.com Number of meeting spaces: 1 Largest space...

Northwest England: A united front.
March 7, 2005... In a bid to win more of the large-scale C&I business, the key regions in the northwest of England are pooling resources and offering buyers a more streamlined service. Stephanie Siegle reports. Northwest England is discovering if there...

Coastal Resorts: Coast to coast.(United Kingdom: meeting venues)
March 7, 2005... Hosting a meeting by the sea holds huge appeal for event organisers, and leading destinations are continually upgrading, while smaller towns are widening their appeal, says Dave Saunders. The leading six UK coastal C&I destinations -...

Malaysia: Twin peaks.
March 7, 2005... While Kuala Lumpur is cementing its foothold in the conference market, Robin Nowacki discovers how the rest of Malaysia is selling itself as the ideal incentive destination. With the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) opening this summer...

Madeira: Big attractions, small island.
March 7, 2005... Quaint and compact, Madeira's size does not reflect its extensive C&I offering. The island of Madeira may be closer to Morocco (albeit separated by 400 miles of Atlantic Ocean) than to mainland Portugal, but it has a culture that is...

Portugal: The pousadas of Portugal.
March 7, 2005... While Madeira has its quintas, back on the mainland the equivalent are pousadas - historic country hotels that offer both comfort and tradition. Yasmin Razak takes a tour around some of the foremost examples. POUSADA CONDE DE OUREM FATIMA...

Dublin: Grand design.
March 7, 2005... Ireland's capital city is attracting congress business even before the location for its new convention centre has been announced. Ginny McGrath reports. It may be three years away from getting a national convention centre, but that is not...

Dublin: Dublin themes.
March 7, 2005... With so many key selling points, there are several hooks on which to hang a Dublin incentive. Literature Dublin is justly proud of its literary culture - no other city can claim to have produced four Nobel prize winners for literature....

Venue Focus.(hotels and motels)
March 7, 2005... WEMBLEY ARENA OPENS ITS TEMPORARY HOME. Wembley has completed work on an enormous temporary pavilion that will host large-scale events during the 12-month renovation of its Arena venue. Wembley Arena Pavilion cost pounds 4m to build and...

Diary: Don't Miss..(calendar)(Calendar)
March 7, 2005... ABPCO Annual Conference: 18-22 March - The Slovenian capital of Ljubljana will be the setting for this year's programme, which is to include team-building activities. www.abpco.org STEPS: 30-31 March - More than 100 Spanish exhibitors will...

Diary: Fiddlers are the proof of the show going on.(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... A presentation to a roomful of footsore prospective buyers at a trade show is riddled with potential pitfalls, so full marks to the Hungarian National Tourist Office for improvising its way out of a nasty technical hitch at Confex. The Budapest...

Diary: Joining the iPod squad.
March 7, 2005... Malmaison Hotels has shown its fingers are very much on the pulse by introducing iPod speakers in all its suites across the UK. Could this be the death knell for the dreary Muzak that greets arriving guests in so many of the world's hotel...

Diary: The Headlines 10 Years Ago.
March 7, 2005... A survey of incentive houses shows the US, Spain and France heading the list of most popular destinations. The five regions deemed to be 'the destinations of the future' are South Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, China and Zimbabwe. ...

Diary: Competition.
March 7, 2005... Once again CIT is testing your observational skills. This month, readers can win a day at Ascot Park Polo Club in Surrey and learn how to play the 'sport of kings'. Don't worry if you can't ride a horse; 85 per cent of clients at the club - the...

Diary: Builders' farce.(conference of builders)(Brief Article)
March 7, 2005... Without them there would be no conference centres, no hotels, and, erm, no over-run costs. So it was heartwarming to see builders at Manchester's Midland Hotel given recognition last month in the form of a dainty afternoon tea. There's nothing...