Conference & Incentive Travel articles from May 2002

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from May 2002

UK BRIEFS: Coventry & Warwickshire Promotions appoints manager.(Heather Monahan)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Coventry & Warwickshire Promotions has appointed Heather Monahan as sales and conferencing manager. Tel: 024 7660 7005.

UK BRIEFS: QEII Centre appoints chief executive.(Kirk Albrow, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre has appointed Kirk Albrow as chief executive. Tel: 020 7798 4426.

UK BRIEFS: Singapore Tourism Board appoints manager.(Gabriel Tseng)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Singapore Tourism Board has appointed Gabriel Tseng as UK and Nordic marketing manager. Tel: 020 7437 0033.

UK BRIEFS: TMO appoints account director.(Michelle Murphy-Zeller)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... TMO has appointed Michelle Murphy-Zeller as account director. Tel: 020 7917 1767.

UK BRIEFS: The NEC launches new web service.(Brief Article)(Product Announcement)
May 7, 2002... The NEC has launched a new service on its website. The venue's in-house operational services are now listed with facilities for online ordering at www.nec group.co.uk/gos. Tel: 0121 780 2828.

UK BRIEFS: Sellers Hospitality to manage packages.(British Grand Prix Race)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Sellers Hospitality is to manage provision of official hospitality packages at this year's British Grand Prix. Tel: 01484 435569.

UK BRIEFS: Scottish and Newcastle Retail produces directory.(conference facilities)(Brief Article)(Directory)
May 7, 2002... Scottish and Newcastle Retail has produced a directory of its 110 venues across the UK that offer conference facilities. Tel: 08702 03 04 03.

UK BRIEFS: Fortesqueue's offers regatta hospitality.(at Henley and Windsor)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Fortesqueue's, the event management company, now offers corporate regatta hospitality days at Henley and Windsor. Tel: 01892 619100.

UK BRIEFS: Initial Style Conferences offers discounts.(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Initial Style Conferences is offering discounts on motivational activities for groups booking more than 30 days in advance. Tel: 01483 285544.

UK BRIEFS: Belfast Visitor Bureau appoints executive.(Camilla Bradley)(Brief Article)
May 7, 2002... Belfast Visitor and Convention Bureau has appointed Camilla Bradley as sales and marketing executive. Tel: 028 9023 9026.

MIA survey spots first indication of recovery.(Meetings Industry Association)(Brief Article)(Polling Data)(Statistical Data Included)
May 8, 2002... While the majority of Meetings Industry Association (MIA) members have been experiencing cancellations and postponements after 11 September, 52% maintain enquiries have increased in the first three months of this year. The MIA's Quarterly...

UK BRIEFS: Topsail Charters launches activity package.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Topsail Charters, the ship chartering and event management company, has launched a meetings and activity package for the corporate market aimed at groups of ten to 40. Tel: 01621 857567.

UK BRIEFS: Five new members welcomed.(Conference Centres of Excellence increases membership to 32)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Conference Centres of Excellence has welcomed five new members taking its total membership to 32. Tel: 01306 886900.

UK BRIEFS: Destination Manchester showcase on 16 May.
May 8, 2002... Marketing Manchester will hold its annual Destination Manchester showcase in London on 16 May. Tel: 0161 237 1010.

UK BRIEFS: Chevalier Event Design appoints manager.(Liz Madden)
May 8, 2002... Chevalier Event Design has appointed Liz Madden as business development manager. Tel: 01923 211702.

UK BRIEFS: Special events manager appointed.(Earls Court and Olympia Group)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Earls Court and Olympia Group has appointed Charlie Shun as special events manager. Tel: 020 7370 8532.

UK BRIEFS: Appointments at Radisson.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Radisson SAS Hotels & Resorts has appointed Steven Connolly as corporate sales director and Victoria Laird as corporate sales manager. Tel: 0800 3333 3333.

Scotland's SITE chapter opens to boost profile.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE) has set up its first Scottish chapter with an initial 34 local members signed up. DMC K&N Associates president Kate Galloway has been elected president of the Scottish chapter and...

Basham quits post as P&MM prospers.(David Basham)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... P&MM group managing director David Basham has resigned from his position at the agency after 13 years. Basham took the decision to leave for personal reasons and will not be replaced. The four remaining directors - Nigel Cooper, David...

PEOPLE AND PLACES: Planit Arches inspires.
May 8, 2002... The objective of the inaugural London Business Forum was to ensure everyone came away from the event feeling inspired. Live events agency Acclaim was called upon to help meet this challenge. London Business Forum founder Brendan Barns was...

Status appoints Jenkins MD after Wishart departs.(managing director, Jennifer Jenkins)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Event management firm Status has appointed Jennifer Jenkins as its managing director. Jenkins has been with the firm since January 2000 and was appointed to the board last year. She replaces Fiona Wishart who has left to pursue other...

NITB unveils its three-year plan to grow income.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has set out its corporate plan for the next three years, with a view to attracting more business into the region. The main aim is to increase visitor numbers to the country by 7% per annum and...

MRU requests help on staff skills gap.(MICE Research Unit seeks government subsidy)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The MICE Research Unit (MRU) has called for further government support of the C&I industry, following the results of its latest research into market trends. The research has shown there is a lack of skilled human resources in the...

bmibaby increases flight routes quota.(several airlines announce new destinations)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Delegates departing from central England will have access to 15 European destinations by the autumn, due to new routes being offered by low-cost carrier bmibaby. The carrier has launched the first scheduled service to Prague from East...

Bath and Bristol to continue with roadshow push.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Bath & Bristol Tourism & Conference Bureaus are to roll out more conference roadshows, following their London debut success. While dates are yet to be confirmed, the bureaus are looking to hold a second event in London, and Birmingham...

Law makers table revisions for Euro package directive.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... There are rumours on the continent that a long dormant, dark shadow is taking form to assert its power once again over Middle Earth - or at least the member states of the EU. Yes, it's the European Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package...

Overhauled CEA awards run with Event magazine.(Corporate Event Association)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Corporate Event Association (CEA) is to relaunch its annual awards, with CIT's sister publication, Event, as exclusive media partner. The CEA has revamped the category structure. Six awards will go to corporate clients, eight to...

LTB sets reward for industry innovation.
May 8, 2002... The London Tourist Board (LTB) and London Convention Bureau (LCB) have launched an award scheme to recognise the significant revenue the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions sector generates for the capital. The 'Innovations...

Ayrshire launch boosts enquiries.(Ayrshire & Arran Convention Bureau)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Ayrshire & Arran Convention Bureau has attracted pounds 1m worth of C&I enquiries since its launch last August. Events worth more than pounds 50,000 have been confirmed so far - a Range Rover product launch in Ayrshire and a week-long...

WEBWATCH: New York City site revamped.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... NYC & Company, the tourism marketing agency for New York, has redesigned its website, www.nycvisit.com. The site is a comprehensive guide for all visitors to the city but it also includes a specific section for meeting planners. Clicking...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Costa Blanca tenders for meetings business.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Costa Blanca Convention Bureau (CBCB) is targeting the UK as part of its first marketing push. The initial stage of the campaign took place at the Spanish Tourism Exchange for Professionals (STEPS) exhibition last month at London's...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: MPI nets membership record.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... An aggressive marketing initiative by industry body Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is attracting record levels of new members. In a departure from the traditional rules, suppliers, such as hotel chains and convention bureaus,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: World Price Check.
May 8, 2002... Two-day seaside meeting Brief: A two-day meeting for 50 at a seaside hotel. Meeting costs include accommodation, dinner in the hotel, meeting room hire, lunches, tea and coffee breaks. Prices include taxes. CAP D'AIL, MONACO ...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Barcelona gets set for summer delegate influx.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Barcelona is expecting massive numbers of conference delegates through the summer. The Catalonian capital will be hosting a meeting for the International Rotary Club from 22-26 June, with 35,000 members from all over the world, while...

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Six Continents to assume management.(of Holiday Inn resorts in China)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Six Continents intends to assume management of 40 newly-built Holiday Inn resorts in China over the next five years. Tel: 020 8847 3711.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: AIPC's annual conference to take place in Tenerife.
May 8, 2002... AIPC's annual conference and 44th general assembly is to take place in the Piramide de Arona in Tenerife from 30 June to 3 July. The conference will address the impact the past year's global events have had on congress centres worldwide. ...

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Amrath Hotel & Restaurants' portfolio.
May 8, 2002... Amrath Hotels & Restaurants, the hotel group from the Netherlands, now has 13 privately owned hotels and one conference centre in its portfolio. Tel: +31 35 62 64 250.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Pan Pacific San Francisco offers discounts.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Pan Pacific San Francisco is currently offering group rates of up to 40% off the normal rates. Tel: 020 7323 2133.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Technomeeting will take place in June.
May 8, 2002... Technomeeting, the International Exhibition for Congresses, Conventions and Incentive Schemes, will take place at the Fira de Barcelona from 18-20 June. Tel: +34 93 233 21 65.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Eurostar has promoted Emma Harris.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Eurostar has promoted Emma Harris to head of business, C&I sales. She will report to Mike Lambrou who has assumed the role of director of UK sales. Tel: 020 7922 4494.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Sydney Convention Bureau to host medical conferences.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Sydney Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced the city will gain Adollars 106m (pounds 40m) from hosting two major medical conferences this year. Tel: + 61 9332 5204.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Vision Hotels makes Judy Till a director.
May 8, 2002... Vision Hotels, which represents C&I-focused properties, has made Judy Till director. Tel: +33 1 42 70 74 45.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: German campaign targets UK market.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 8, 2002... The German National Tourist Office's (GNTO) 2003 marketing push, which is focusing on the theme 'Germany - routes to success; trade fairs, congresses, conferences and more,' is to develop further activity to attract UK C&I business. As...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Palais des Sports in Paris venue alliance.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 8, 2002... Marketing body Paris Expo has added the Palais des Sports to its portfolio of venues. It joins the six other venues collectively promoted under the Paris Expo banner. It can host conventions and large-scale events, and offers three seating...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Demand pushes early start date on Cape centre.
May 8, 2002... The Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) will be taking bookings from 1 July 2003, one month ahead of the originally anticipated opening date. 'It is important for the centre, and important for the city of Cape Town that we...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Garish hotels need to provide neutral event foundations.
May 8, 2002... Television is a very strange beast indeed. Producing a live show for a mass audience is similar to producing a live event. It involves creativity, and transforming dull venues into extraordinary locations with a strong visual impact - easier...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Philadelphia seeks European business.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 8, 2002... The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau (PCVB) is to run a dollars 1.2m (pounds 830,000) international marketing drive as the city gears up for its most successful meetings and conventions year. The city is hosting 231 meetings,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: People and Places - Charms of Carcassonne.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Allied Travel France, Orient-Express Hotels and Ryanair recently co-hosted a buyer's fam trip to Carcassonne in the South of France. Its citadel, the third most visited monument in France after the Eiffel Tower and the Mont St Michel, is just...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: People and Places - Web tool launch from Shangri-La.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Asian chain Shangri-La Hotels has teamed up with software firm Event411 to offer conference organisers access to the online registration and meeting management tool, PremierPlanner. The package, distributed in Asia by Hong Kong-based...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: People and Places - Brisbane centre scoops purpose built MIAA gong.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC) has picked up an award for the Best Purpose-Built Convention/ Exhibition Centre in Australia. The award was given at the Meetings Industry Association of Australia Awards for Excellence...

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Boca Raton Resort Club appoints associate director.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Boca Raton Resort and Club in Florida has appointed Christine Tascione as associate director of sales, to handle the incentive accounts for the resort. Tel: +1 561 447 3000.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts appoints director.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts has appointed Austin Frost regional director of sales and marketing. Tel: 020 8747 8484.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Orlando Convention Bureau appoints vice-president.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau has appointed Vincent LaRuffa as vice-president of convention sales and services. Tel: +1 32 821 8017.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Bangkok's Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit offers discounts.
May 8, 2002... Bangkok's Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit is offering discount rates for groups this summer. Tel: +66 2653 0333.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Grand Heritage Hotels launches new division.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Grand Heritage Hotels has launched a Distinguished Hotels, Resorts & Inns division. Seven of the Elegant Hotels Group's Caribbean properties are the first to have joined. Tel: 020 7244 6699.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Great Hotels of the World offers service.(venue-finding service)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Great Hotels of the World is now offering a free venue-finding service for planners. Tel: 020 7383 2335.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Qatar Airways launches management service.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Qatar Airways has launched a destination management service called Discover Qatar. Tel: 020 7896 3636.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Ramada Hotels seals Mid-East expansion deal.(Ramada International Hotels and Global V Hospitality)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Ramada International Hotels and development firm Global V Hospitality have agreed to develop 80 hotels in the Middle East and North Africa over the next five years. The plans include 18 properties in Saudi Arabia, five each in the UAE,...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Valencia events up on last year.(convention business increase)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 8, 2002... Convention business in Valencia was worth EUR102.7m (pounds 62.9m) to the local economy in 2001, an increase of 10% on the previous year, the city's Tourism & Convention Bureau reports. The number of conferences held in Valencia last year...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Finland gets set for conferences boost.(Finland Convention Bureau report)(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)
May 8, 2002... Finland is to pull in congress revenue worth EUR76m (pounds 47m) this year with 183 international association conventions hosting 45,000 delegates, according to the Finland Convention Bureau. As in previous years, the Helsinki region will...

INTERNATIONAL NEWS: Pushing Frontiers - Ukraine ready for business.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Ukraine is situated in eastern Europe bordering Russia, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and the Black Sea. It proclaimed itself independent in 1991 and since then there have been extensive programmes to restore some of the country's...

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: South Africa's Convention Centre appoints executive officer.(Alec Gilbert)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... South Africa's International Convention Centre in Durban has appointed Alec Gilbert as chief executive officer. Tel: + 27 31 572 4655.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: EventClicks forms partnership with Axis.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... EventClicks, the Asia-Pacific meetings and event specialist, has formed a partnership with Australian events group Axis. Tel: +852 2911 7918.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Disneyland Resort Paris Business Solutions appoints manager.(Xavier Guilemin)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Disneyland Resort Paris Business Solutions has appointed Xavier Guilemin as business development manager for the C&I market in the UK, Scandinavia and Ireland territories. Tel: 020 8222 1378.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: The Representation Company welcomes new DMCs.(directors of meetings and conferences)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Representation Company has welcomed three new DMCs to its portfolio: American Express of Egypt, DMC Istanbul and Dole StilNovo of Italy. Tel: 01753 546876.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Raffles International renames hotels.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Raffles International has renamed four of its hotels, giving them the Raffles name as part of a strategy to consolidate the brand identity of its landmark and premium hotels. Included in the rebranding is London's Brown's Hotel, London, which...

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Millennium Hotels rebrands hotel.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Millennium Hotels and Resorts has rebranded the Copthorne Harbour View Hotel as the M Hotel Singapore. Tel: 020 7872 2480.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Brisbane Convention Bureau appoints manager.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Brisbane Convention Bureau has appointed Louise Hart to the post of manager. Tel: +61 3221 8411.

OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Accor Hotels is offering discounts.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Accor Hotels is offering a discount on room rates for group bookings at 21 of its hotels in Belgium. The offer is valid until the end of June. Tel: +32 2 718 07 50.

[0] OVERSEAS BRIEFS: Qatar Airways launches management service.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Qatar Airways has launched its own destination management service called Discover Qatar. Tel: 020 7896 3636.

OPINION: Sounding Off - The downside of a C&I utopian vision.
May 8, 2002... Last Sunday afternoon, in front of another scintillating F1 race on the TV, I nodded off and started to dream. I was transported to the year 2040 and was able to see how airlines and hotels had changed their approach with regard to C&I...

CASE STUDY: Barclays finds value at Excel - Barclays' debut HR event had a short lead-in, but Excel and Live combined to make the event a success. Jennifer Creevy reports.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Barclays Bank had never held an event purely for its HR department staff before January this year. And with 1,000 delegates attending from all over the UK, as well as Europe and Africa, it was no small task. 'There was no formula for this...

AIRLINE SURVEY: Carriers regroup - For an industry already deep in recession, and in a rivalry with the no-frills carriers, the airlines companies' struggle for profitability was further hit by 11 September.
May 8, 2002... However, as Stephanie Roberts discovers, despite several high-profile closures, airlines are fighting back, and groups are a vital component of their recovery. At the close of last year, the airline industry was facing one of its most...

UK COASTAL VENUES: Seaside alternatives - Seafront destinations have been marketing their professional credentials to woo corporate groups. And clients are, as Jennifer Creevy discovers, following the lead of political parties.
May 8, 2002... It is no longer just the political parties that dominate coastal venue use; corporate clients are taking to them more these days as well. KPMG chose Eastbourne for a conference recently, BT Cellnet is just one of a number of Blackpool...

COUNTRY RETREATS: Splendid isolation - UK properties are answering the call for small, high-end meeting venues, by offering seclusion from distractions, exclusivity, personal service, and even grandeur. And, as Belinda Gannaway finds out, this need not come at a price.
May 8, 2002... The countryside in general may still be suffering the fallout of foot and mouth, but the UK's luxury retreats are winning new and loyal custom. Group stays may be shorter, and the focus more business than leisure, but hard pressed executives...

FOOTBALL VENUES: Business arenas - Football clubs are extending their offer to the meetings market with purpose-built facilities in new stadiums or by expanding existing amenities, as Abigail Wills reports.
May 8, 2002... When footballer Roy Keane famously criticised the lack of atmosphere at Old Trafford, and put it down to those Manchester United supporters more interested in free drinks and prawn sandwiches than the match, he was, unwittingly, focusing...

AUSTRALIA - CASE STUDY: Continental Tyres opts for Australian odyssey - Australia proved to be the perfect destination for Continental Tyres as it offered cosmopolitan cities and stunning tropical scenery for its well-travelled group. Stephanie Roberts reports.
May 8, 2002... One objective of an incentive is to present delegates with an extraordinary experience they would not find on a holiday themselves. So when Continental Tyres decided to change the length of its dealer incentive programme from nine months to a...

DENMARK: Danish short-haul solutions - Denmark has benefited from the trend away from long-haul destinations but, as Catherine Chetwynd reports, its commitment to developing facilities and incentives makes a strong case for its future.
May 8, 2002... After Gammel Dansk, Aquavit and Hamlet, Denmark is probably best known for elegant design: Arne Jacobsen and Georg Jensen spring to mind. But mention first-class restaurants, unusual and state-of-the-art conference venues - with creative...

GREECE: Greece's cultured offering - The investment in Athens leading up to the 2004 Olympic Games is boosting Greece's C&I product Stephanie Roberts finds these improvements extend to the Greek islands as well.
May 8, 2002... The ancient Greeks helped shape the modern world in many respects; without them we would not have the Olympic Games, Pythagoras' Theorem and even the origins of democracy can be traced back to Athens. Now perhaps better known as a holiday...

MONACO: The prospering principality - Home to the stars, the wealthy and showcase events, Monaco has long understood its allure to the meetings and incentives market.
May 8, 2002... But, as Dave Saunders discovers, far from relying on its glamorous reputation, the principality is constantly in the process of developing its offer of high-class facilities. Set between the foot of the Southern Alps and the Mediterranean,...

MAURITIUS: Motivational Mauritius - Once regarded just as a honeymoon destination, Mauritius is beefing up its MICE offering, while retaining its appeal, as Jennifer Creevy finds out.
May 8, 2002... Mauritius is claiming a huge stake in UK C&I business. Air Mauritius launched its fourth weekly direct flight from London to the island last month and its January figures show business passengers are up 14 per cent over 2001. DMC White Sand...

VENUE FOCUS: Paddington hotel's offer for the business traveller.(Hilton London Paddington hotel)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Hilton London Paddington opened earlier this year and has 355 rooms, including 20 suites. The four-star deluxe property is well-suited to the business traveller and is linked to Paddington Station and the Heathrow Express terminal, which...

VENUE FOCUS: New conference centre planned for cliff-side resort.(Johannesburg, South Africa)(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... The Westcliff Hotel in Johannesburg is to invest in the construction of a 1,260 sq m conference centre. Part of the Orient-Express Hotels group, the property has 115 rooms. The new meeting facilities are scheduled to be completed early next...

VENUE FOCUS: Greenwoods Estates opens in June.(Brief Article)
May 8, 2002... Greenwoods Estate opens in June and has executive meeting facilities for up to 30 delegates. The Georgian building is situated in Stock, near Chelmsford. Tel: 01277 829990 RE 735.