Conference & Incentive Travel articles from March 2009

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from March 2009

Reduced rates may be a silver lining.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... With the economic downturn in full spate, many planners have been quick to ring the death knell for the overseas event. Indeed, in this issue, clients such as Thinkbox (p14), Sainsbury's (p40) and Hyundai (p44) all opted for domestic event...

First Protocol in pre-tax success.(appointment of Taryn Fulton-Hart)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... First Protocol has reported a strong 2008 performance with a pre-tax profit of pounds 350,000. Chief executive Richard Waddington described it as an 'excellent performance', stating that the net profit would be put back into the agency to...

Banks Sadler in London job cuts.
March 1, 2009... Banks Sadler has made seven posts redundant at its London office. Chief executive Leigh Jagger blamed the recession for the job cuts and said the agency had worked hard to avoid redundancies. 'We are pleased we have been able to...

Recession forces Reed Travel Exhibitions to defer AIBTM.
March 1, 2009... Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) has postponed the launch of its new US show, citing the worldwide economic downturn for the decision. AIBTM - Reed's long-planned move into the North American event trade show market - was scheduled to go live...

Astrazeneca in Yahoo swoop.(appointment of Caroline Strachan)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Astrazeneca has recruited former Yahoo Europe international travel manager, global procurement and sourcing, Caroline Strachan. Strachan joins the pharma giant as global procurement leader (business travel). At Yahoo, Strachan was...

Agency top performers' start to the year bucks downturn.
March 1, 2009... The biggest UK agencies are reporting a steady start to 2009, despite the recession. Jack Morton Worldwide's business is ahead of where it was this time last year, according to the agency's executive vice-president, Julian Pullan. By...

Finishing Touch plans northern expansion.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... London agency The Finishing Touch is launching a Manchester office next month on the day it celebrates its 20th anniversary. The office, in Manchester's Northern Quarter, launches on 1 April and will be run by director Carli Pollard, backed...

Gyro wins Invensys Rail brief.(Gyro Live)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Gyro Live - the newly launched standalone events division of marketing group Gyro International - has followed its launch last month by securing a new event brief with Invensys Rail Group (IRG). IRG is a multinational company specialising...

Seventeen tackles music biz.
March 1, 2009... Agency Seventeen Events is working with environmental auditor Julie's Bicycle to help launch its Green Music Guide. The guide is an action plan that aims to cut the London music industry's greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2025. The event...

Experiential must vive la difference.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Everyone seems to agree that 'experiential marketing' is one of the big growth areas. In fact, it is such a buzzword that almost every marketing agency on the planet is claiming experiential expertise of some kind. Commonly these claims...

Eventia survey finds business levels down year on year.
March 1, 2009... The recession is taking its toll on the industry, with more than three-quarters of respondents to an Eventia survey reporting that confirmed business is down year on year. The survey of 65 Eventia members - a third of which were agencies -...

Smyle wins approved status with the Football Association.
March 1, 2009... Agency Smyle has been appointed as an approved supplier for the Football Association (FA), following a joint project with current client ITV last autumn. That event was at Wembley for ITV's key advertising partners, to mark the launch of...

Grass Roots HBI issues report.
March 1, 2009... Grass Roots HBI's annual Meetings Industry Report - published later this month - is set to report that event procurement is becoming more multi-territory. Contributors include Deloitte procurement manager Yvette Rudge, currently running an...

GL Events CCIB's general director has been killed.(Felix Martinez)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... GL Events Centre Convencions Internacional Barcelona (CCIB) general director Felix Martinez Tourino has been killed. Spanish media reported that police were investigating the shooting in Barcelona last month. A statement issued by GL Events...

Hillgate Solutions enters into redundancy consultation.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Hillgate Solutions has entered into redundancy consultation with two staff. Director of human resources Liz Carter said Hillgate had not made redundancies as of mid-February, but confirmed it was in consultation with two employees. ...

Fitch Live achieves business wins.
March 1, 2009... Fitch Live achieved business wins with BP, Hewlett-Packard and Visa. BP has awarded briefs for solutions across a number of divisions Visa appointed the agency to deliver events at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the HP...

Preferred Hotel Group combats recession.
March 1, 2009... The Preferred Hotel Group is looking beyond its traditional pharma base and targeting new markets to combat the recession. Director of marketing (EMEA) Chris Fradin said: 'We may have been reliant on specific industries in the past, but now it...

BI sees profits up for 2008.(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... BI saw turnover and profits grow for the year to 30 June 2008, according to latest accounts. Turnover climbed pounds 3.8m to pounds 20.7m, while pre-tax profits leapt from just pounds 89 to pounds 509,070. The directors' report said of...

Event Business picks up Dennis bus win.(Alexander Dennis contracts with events for marketing)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The Event Business has been appointed by Alexander Dennis (ADL) - the UK's largest bus manufacturer - as part of a move by the company to put more marketing emphasis on events. ADL has not traditionally operated in the overseas event arena...

Oxford reports healthy profits.(Oxford International Event Management)(Financial report)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Agency Oxford International has reported sales of just over pounds 6m and pre-tax profits of pounds 200,000 for the year to 31 December 2008. Oxford International managing director John Walker said: 'We have a strong base of long-standing...

One To Watch: Paul Vaughan, non-executive director, Line Up.(appointment of Paul Vaughan)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Why are we watching him? Rugby Football Union (RFU) business operations director Vaughan has joined the board of agency Line Up. Managing director Duncan Beale said: 'Paul's breadth of experience first as a brand marketer, then an agency...

Appointment at The Ultimate Event Company.
March 1, 2009... The Ultimate Event Company has made several new appoint-ments including Glenn Mainwaring as sales manager, Sarah King as senior event manager, and Isabel Martin as event manager. -------------------- Did you find this article useful?...

Appointment at World Events.(Zoe Adam and Pantea Shafie)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... World Events has expanded its team in Europe with the appointment of two additional account managers - former Lyon-based Package Organisation senior project manager Zoe Adam and former ABAKO event manager Pantea Shafie. ...

Appointment at Helms Briscoe.
March 1, 2009... Helms Briscoe has appointed association specialist Carole McKellar to the post of executive director UK and Ireland. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please call 08451 55 73 55...

Appointment at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
March 1, 2009... Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has appointed Eva Ziegler global brand leader for W Hotels. Ziegler's remit includes leading the global development and growth strategy for W Hotels, which is scheduled to triple its properties by 2010. ...

Appointment at Top Banana Team.(appointment of Kevin Peggs and Debbie Styles)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Agency Top Banana Team has recruited five additional staff including former Quantum OEM sales manager EMEA and APAC Kevin Peggs to the post of IT account director and former LA Medica operations director Debbie Styles to the post of project...

Appointment at Rapport Events.
March 1, 2009... Rapport Events has appointed Fiona Barwell as client services director. Previously, she established the events division at creative agency Photolink. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the...

Appointment at The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.
March 1, 2009... The Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre has promoted former senior account manager Breda Cruickshank to head of exhibition sales. -------------------- Did you find this article useful? Why not subscribe to the magazine? Please...

Online @ C&IT this month ..(Conference and Incentive Travel)
March 1, 2009... A selection of the 100-plus news stories that C&IT breaks online each and every month. AGENCIES Oxford Motivation has issued a bullish 'business as usual' message following the buy-back of the business from parent company Indeprod,...

Discovering new frontiers.
March 1, 2009... Kunal Dutta hears which destinations were successfully pitched for the first time in 2008. - Vicki Knight, account manager, Kuoni Travel Services Kuoni Travel Services pitched a trip to Oman for a group of 100 product sales staff at a...

Game over for luxury venues?(Fuel-led)
March 1, 2009... With cost cuts and perception issues, C&IT asks two buyers if it's the end of the line for five-stars. YES - Carol Gress, head of marketing and recruitment, Mortgage Next We hold a range of events each year including one main conference...

Thinkbox investigates tomorrow's TV today.
March 1, 2009... The marketing body for commercial broadcasters invited 'televisionaries' to a forum that combined interactivity with a debate on TV's future. Julia Buchanan reports. The brief: Thinkbox is a television marketing body that represents UK...

BT's winning strategy.
March 1, 2009... Susie Harwood reveals how BT Global Services brought its sales force together in Las Vegas. The brief: BT Global Services wanted to bring its entire global sales force together for the first time. The World of Heroes conference was an...

Property Bulletin: Christy Wyatt charts the new developments from Bristol to Barbados.(briefs)(Best Western Premier Chantemerle)(Coral Reef Club, Barbados)
March 1, 2009... Best Western Premier Chantmerle, France The hotel opened in February in the Serre Chevalier resort in French Alps. The resort offers 150 miles of slopes and summits reaching between 1,200 and 2,800 metres, and a variety of ski sports. The...

Pushing Frontiers: Time for ... Lulea.(Lulea Convention Bureau)
March 1, 2009... Swedish Lapland town offers outdoor pursuits and is outside the eurozone. INCENTIVES Head to Camp Ebbenjarka or Adventure Camp Brandon for outdoor activities from snow-mobile expeditions, ice-breaking cruises, cross-carting on a...

Agency Challenge: The eco-annual conference.
March 1, 2009... This month's brief is for a two-day annual conference for 500 delegates from across Europe. The client is keen to make the event environmentally friendly but has a limited budget. Bringing in people from all over Europe is always going to...

What Makes Me Click: Hugh Robertson, managing partner, RPM.(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... The creation of RPM in a cowshed back in January 1993 was intended to fulfil my passion for working in the live events industry and to create a company of which we could all be genuinely proud. RPM has been in the Sunday Times 100 Best...

Agency Focus: 10 minutes with ... Eventwise.
March 1, 2009... Managing director Peter Jackson discusses mergers and economic prospects with Leanne Bell. Location: London Bridge Staff: 20 full-time - What's the lowdown? Eventwise was merged with sister company Concerto: Live last year...

In Person: Samantha van Leeuwen, PWC.(PricewaterhouseCoopers L.L.P.)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... Leanne Bell talks procurement and personal experiences with the hotels and venues head. Pricewaterhousecooper's Samantha van Leeuwen occupies a unique position in the events world. As head of UK hotels and venues, she balances the needs of...

Show Preview: The Gulf showcase.(Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition)(Conference notes)
March 1, 2009... GIBTM is bucking the downturn with new exhibitors and a focus on education. Stuart Derrick reports. Organiser Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE) is bullish about this year's Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM), at Abu...

London: Navigating the decline.(QEII Conference Centre)(Unmissable)
March 1, 2009... Five London C&I players talk to Julia Buchanan about the impact of the economic downturn. - Tracy Halliwell, head of business tourism and conventions, Visit London The number of enquiries is very similar compared with last year but...

London: 5 of the best forthcoming.
March 1, 2009... - The Berners Hotel This refurbished hotel is due to open later in the year as part of the boutique Eton Collection chain. Located in the heart of the West End, the Grade II protected building will have 155 luxury rooms, a spa, restaurant...

London: Case Studies - Sainsbury's gets active.
March 1, 2009... The supermarket convened at Lord's for its Active Kids national conference. The brief: Sainsbury's Active Kids Get Talking national conference was the culmination of a year long process, which involved the supermarket carrying out a...

Midlands: Centre stage.
March 1, 2009... The Midlands is going from strength to strength culturally with the completion this year of a pounds 130m investment programme, bringing several new arts venues to the area. David Atkinson reports. Birmingham Britain's second city has...

European Convention Centres: Meeting demand expectations.
March 1, 2009... C&IT gauges how the recession is affecting some of the continent's larger purpose-built venues. - Lene Mortensen, congress and events director, BC Bella Center A/S, Copenhagen On the congress and events side, we are seeing a very...

Dublin: The fair city.
March 1, 2009... Ireland's capital has a lot going for it, as the following statistics show. 11 - Five-star hotels in and around Dublin. They include The Shelbourne, Marriott's 246-room property in St Stephen's Green that reopened in 2007 after a two-year...

Switzerland: Alpine mission.(briefs)(HSBC Private Bank)(Altitude Inspires)(Switzerland Convention and Incentive Bureau)(Interview)
March 1, 2009... Christy Wyatt meets the new manager of the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau. Urs Treuthardt is manager, meetings and incentives, at Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau - What's your strategy for boosting C&I traffic to...

Murcia: The event planner's guide to ... Murcia.
March 1, 2009... Paul Oswell goes looking for hidden gems in one of the lesser-known regions of Spain. The fame of La Manga aside, Murcia remains one of the lesser-known regions of Spain to UK groups. It's a mostly agricultural region with a strong sense...

The Algarve: 10 good reasons to choose the Algarve.
March 1, 2009... Luxurious accommodation, stunning scenery, golf and high levels of service are among The Algarve's draws for C&I groups, finds Victoria Furness. 1. Most visitors stick to the east of the Algarve in resorts like Vilamoura or Albufeira. But...

The Algarve: Case Study - Towergate visits Vilamoura.(Towergate Partnership)
March 1, 2009... Delegates took time out to relax during the insurance intermediary's annual conference. The brief: Every year, insurance intermediary Towergate Partnership holds a three-day conference for its managing directors to plan its strategy for...

Athens: Olympian ideals.
March 1, 2009... The city's new convention bureau argues that 2004's successful Games represent a more accurate reflection of the Greek capital than the recent civil unrest, as Clive Walker reports. The director of the newly established Athens Convention...

Athens: Case Study - Advent's cultural understanding.
March 1, 2009... Brief: Advent Software completed celebrations for its tenth year in EMEA with a summer Olympics-branded conference, tapping into the Beijing-branded euphoria. The gathering set off Advent's winter Olympics, held earlier that year in Oslo. 'The...

Hong Kong & Sanya: Best of both worlds.
March 1, 2009... Susie Harwood learns why Hong Kong and Sanya are working together to attract groups. Hong Kong Tourist Board (HKTB) is giving serious backing to its efforts to attract the C&I market. A new dedicated worldwide initiative, Meetings &...

Hong Kong & Sanya: Two takes on the South China Sea.(City overview)
March 1, 2009... A five-day fam trip in November saw agents visit Hong Kong and Sanya on a similar itinerary to this. They give their verdict below. Day 1 Arrive in Hong Kong early afternoon and transfer to The Langham to relax and freshen up, or head...

Birmingham: 10 Value-added reasons to pick Birmingham.
March 27, 2009... With more groups staying close to home, Birmingham is offering cost-saving incentives to attract business. David Atkinson reports. 1. The in-house team at Birmingham Convention Bureau offers a one-stop shop for event planners, including a...

Liverpool: Cultural trail.
March 27, 2009... A new convention bureau is one legacy of Liverpool's City of Culture tenure. On 10 January, at an event held at the regenerated Pier Head, Liverpool handed over its European Capital of Culture status to the Austrian city of Linz and...

Liverpool: BCSC's jubilee conference.(British Council of Shopping Centres)
March 27, 2009... The shopping centres association wanted to recognise retail's contribution to regeneration. The Brief: The British Council of Shopping Centres (BCSC) wanted to celebrate its 25th anniversary with a conference and exhibition for 3,000...

Liverpool: Check out - Hard Days Night Hotel.
March 27, 2009... Where is it? This four-star Beatles-themed property is located in a Grade-II listed building in the heart of the city centre, just around the corner from the Cavern Club and ACC Liverpool. Group check-in: A separate group check-in desk can...

France: Bureau briefing.
March 27, 2009... Alyson Cook meets the new head of Maison de la France's UK office to hear her plans for this year. Veruschka Becquart, head of Maison de la France Convention Bureau in the UK, left France in 1996 to continue her studies in Ireland. After...

France: 72 hours in ... Lille.(Diary entry)
March 27, 2009... A three-day incentive in the Normandy town can take in the opera, gourmet food and the arts. DAY 1 08.00: Enjoy breakfast after a good night's sleep at the 72-room Hermitage Gantois, a 15th-century hospital, now a four-star property....

France: Paris versus Cannes.
March 27, 2009... One has filmic glamour and Mediterranean warmth, the other elegant chic and top facilities. Two C&I capitals go head to head. PARIS GETTING THERE: Paris has two international airports: Orly and Roissy Charles de Gaulle. Air France...

France: Case study - Esselte's vintage tour.
March 27, 2009... Wine and hotels made Bordeaux an ideal setting for a meeting and parting gift. The Brief: Office-supplies manufacturer Esselte wanted to host a meeting for senior managers across its UK and European divisions. The aim was to discuss...

Barcelona: Catalan conclusions.
March 27, 2009... Barcelona's popularity as a C&I destination never seems to wane thanks to its accessibility, hotels and nightlife. Janine Kelso asks corporates and agencies why they still recommend it. HELENKA SOSNA-ROSE, European brand manager, Hewitt...

Venice: Commercial current.
March 27, 2009... A revamped convention bureau aims to grow Venice's C&I revenues. By Victoria Furness. The seductive glamour and romance of Venice has long appealed, certainly to leisure travellers. However, this strength on the leisure side has led some...

Venice: Budget comparison - Venice for every pocket.
March 27, 2009... From guided walks to gala dinners in ornate palazzos, there is something for all budgets. BUDGET POUNDS How to get there: Low-cost airlines flying to Venice's Marco Polo airport include Jet2 (from Leeds/Bradford) and Easyjet (from...

The Canary Islands: Atlantic archipelago.
March 27, 2009... Clive Walker rounds up the openings and developments from each of the Canary Islands. TENERIFE As the largest of the seven Canary Islands, Tenerife is the natural choice for blue-chips looking to organise events on the archipelago...

Norway: The northern light.
March 27, 2009... Surprisingly competitive venue costs and natural beauty give Norway an edge. OSLO FOR LARGE GROUPS Norway's notoriously pricey capital might not be the most obvious choice of destination in the current financial climate, but groups...

African incentives: Continental diversity.
March 27, 2009... Agency buyers highlight 2009 African hotspots from Morocco to the Cape. LUCY COLLINS, senior account manager, Black Tomato The destination that we are getting most excited about in 2009 is South Africa. We're also looking forward to...

African incentives: Venue update.
March 27, 2009... Hotel companies are strengthening their presence across the continent. In Northern Africa, Kempinski's Hotel Soma Bay opens on the Egyptian shores of the Red Sea on 1 May and will offer 325 rooms and six restaurants and bars. Kempinski is...

Malaysia: Natural diversity.
March 27, 2009... Malaysia's islands, cities and natural backdrops make for an array of options. KUALA LUMPUR FOR LARGE GROUPS The opening of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in 2005 has helped propel the Malaysian capital up the conference...