Conference & Incentive Travel articles from May 2003

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from May 2003

FIRST OFF: Troubled times test industry's integrity.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... 'Robust' and 'resilient' are words that crop up frequently in this issue. The outbreak of SARS (p8), coming as it does hard on the heels of the Gulf conflict, is certainly sending out shockwaves, but it seems that most organisers are determined...

NEWS IN BRIEF: VisitBritain to encourage industries.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... VisitBritain is to encourage the scientific and medical industries to bid for international conferences to be held in the UK. Fact sheets have been produced which will be followed by a publication for the conference industry. Tel: 020 8563...

NEWS IN BRIEF: International Confex appoints manager.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... International Confex has appointed Jessica Blue as event manager. She will replace Paula Lorimer who left earlier in the year. Tel: 020 8987 7792.

NEWS IN BRIEF: First Option appoints managers.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... First Option, the hotel and conference booking agency, has appointed Neil Sankey and Richard Padun as conference and events managers. Tel: 020 7945 6000.

NEWS IN BRIEF: IBR creates business division.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... IBR has created a new business division to target specific industry sectors. The team will be headed up by Karen Johnston. Tel: 01483 52770.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Kerzner to create casino.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Kerzner International has announced plans to create a 3,000 sq m casino in the centre of Northampton. Tel: +1 242 363 6016.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Virgin Atlantic reward programme.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Virgin Atlantic has introduced a frequent-flyer reward programme for the corporate market. Tel: 01293 616161.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Marketing Manchester showcase.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Marketing Manchester will host its Destination Manchester showcase in London on 12-14 June. Tel: 0161 228 2960.

NEWS IN BRIEF: ABPCO recruits 50th member.(Association of British Professional Conference Organisers)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... ABPCO (The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers) has recruited its 50th member - Abigail Coia, director of Absolute Event Management. Tel: 0121 212 4100.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Wembley Conference reports 100% increase.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Wembley Conference Centre has reported a 100% increase in room occupancy for the first quarter of the year against 2002 figures. Tel: 020 8902 8833.

LTB business tourism plan presented for LDA approval.(London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau promotes idea to London Development Agency)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... London Tourist Board and Convention Bureau (LTB) has put together an action plan to develop business tourism in the capital. As CIT was going to press, the LTB was in the process of presenting its three-year plan to the London Development...

UK PRICE CHECK: Two-day event with golf.(Illustration)
May 1, 2003... Brief: A one-day meeting for 50 delegates with lunch, dinner, overnight accommodation and golf on the second day. Costs include VAT. THE BELFRY, SUTTON COLDFIELD 24-hour rate pounds 11,691 Dinner, lunch, F&B...

EMAB hands Hilton's Taylor strategic role.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Hilton UK & Ireland vice president of marketing Hugh Taylor has been appointed as non-executive chairman of the newly formed England Marketing Advisory Board (EMAB). EMAB was born out of VisitBritain and will focus on marketing England in...

Design firm buys out Rodber event services agency.(Williams Lea )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Design and print outsourcing firm Williams Lea has bought agency Rodber Thorneycroft for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition means Williams Lea can offer event management alongside its existing product portfolio, including direct mail,...

Archer Young to rename to reflect full-service role.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Archer Young Marketing has rebranded to better reflect its product range. Archer Young is to be known as a business performance improvement company rather than a marketing agency. Jamie Neil has been appointed as chief executive, having...

TFI restructure sees shift back to basics.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... TFI Group has undertaken a significant restructure, following a round of redundancies. TFI Group chairman Peter Franks refused to comment on the number of redundancies, but stated they were in part a result of the weakening of the...

Gilds establishes event managing arm Gilds Events.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Manchester-based hospitality staffing agency Gilds Associates has set up an event management arm. Provisionally named Gilds Events, the firm will be headed up by Celia Burrington, formerly business development manager at Your Events....

Acclaim extends remit by offering hospitality deals.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Event agency Acclaim has broadened its remit with the launch of a corporate hospitality service. Groups will be able to book for any of the UK's top corporate hospitality events via the service, and Acclaim claims it can secure better...

TRO merges with sister agency Act Live.(The Russell Organisation )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Russell Organisation (TRO) has integrated with sister agency Act Live. TRO managing director Rob Allen described the move as a logical step that would provide clients with a single point of contact. He stressed that no redundancies had...

PEOPLE AND PLACES THE ORIENT EXPRESS.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Orient-Express organised a murder-mystery day trip on board the British Pullman train last month to showcase its products and services. The event was hosted by the Copacabana Palace Hotel in Rio, UK representatives for Orient-Express Hotels...

BTP briefing to alert public sector to C&I.(Business Tourism Partnership)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Business Tourism Partnership (BTP) is spearheading activity to stimulate growth and awareness of the C&I industry. The body has produced a report to increase awareness and alert government departments to what the sector offers. The Business...

Glasgow tourism nets pounds 100m.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Glasgow is to receive a pounds 100m boost from the city council to develop its tourism infrastructure over the next five years. The Glasgow Tourism Action Plan will be spearheaded in part by the Greater Glasgow & Clyde Valley Tourist Board....

TOOLKIT PERFORMANCE NETWORK: What's this month's product?(Performance Network from Corporate Adrenaline)
May 1, 2003... Performance Network by Corporate Adrenaline What does it do? It allows clients to monitor and evaluate a conference through a web-based game, before, during and after events. How does it work? Once client objectives are...

Unsettling staff is no way to prepare for future recovery.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... It would be fascinating if it wasn't so frightening to see the way some employers in our industry are behaving, now that the chill economic winds are really beginning to bite. In one company, staff are describing themselves as 'depressed',...

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: SARS plunges Far East C&I infrastructure into chaos.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The SARS virus has thrown Asia's C&I industry into uncertainty. The areas most afflicted, China's Beijing, Shanxi and Guangdong provinces and Hong Kong, are the subject of warnings from the World Health Organisation (WHO) which advises...

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Toronto challenges WHO virus warnings.(World Health Organization on travel to Toronto, Canada following SARS outbreak )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Canada's Health Department has refuted claims by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that travellers should postpone non-essential travel to Toronto, as a result of the SARS outbreak. As CIT was going to press health officials had written...

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: DOME teams with analyst to gather air industry data.(OAG Worldwide)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Industry research foundation DOME has teamed up with data analyst OAG Worldwide on detailed reports on the airline industry to the C&I sector. The two bodies have produced three reports outlining airports' ability to cater to delegates;...

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: World Price Check.(two-day golf event)(Illustration)
May 1, 2003... Two-day event with golf Brief: A one-day meeting for 50 delegates with lunch, dinner, overnight accommodation and golf on the second day. Costs include VAT. K Club, Kildare, Ireland 24-hour rate pounds 15,957...

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Appointment at Reed Travel Exhibitions.(Rosemarie Sama, exhibition manager for AIME)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Reed Travel Exhibitions has appointed Rosemarie Sama as exhibition manager for AIME, the Asia-Pacific Incentive and Meetings Exhibition in Australia. Tel: 020 7470 8855.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Appointment at Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts has restructured its senior management. Current deputy chairman Stephen Alexander will become CEO, while Juergen Bartels and Guy Hands become joint chairmen. Tel: 020 7025 7039.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Whistler Conference Centre opens August.(2003)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Whistler Conference Centre will reopen in August, two months ahead of schedule, following an extensive renovation programme. Tel: +604 938 2709.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Pan Pacific Hotels lists activities.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Pan Pacific Hotels now has a page on its website, www.panpacific.com, listing unusual activities across the region. Tel: 01474 707934.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Historic Centres welcome members.(Historic Conference Centres of Europe)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Historic Conference Centres of Europe has welcomed five members to the consortium. They include the Athinais Conference Centre in Greece and Central Hall Westminster. Tel: +43 316 804 920.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: EIBTM to host debate.(Exhitition of Incentive Business Travel Management on the environment)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... EIBTM is to host a debate on environmental issues during the show, chaired by Ian Dockrill and featuring high-profile panellists, such as United Nations Environment Programme coordinators. Tel: 020 8441 3773.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Intercontinental Hotels to shed jobs.(Intercontinental Hotels Group)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Intercontinental Hotels Group has announced it is to shed 800 jobs worldwide as a result of the economic downturn, the war in Iraq and SARS. Tel: 020 7409 1919.

NEWS INTERNATIONAL: Special Interest appoints Marketplaces.(Special Interest Travel)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Special Interest Travel, a Malta-based DMC, has appointed Marketplaces as its UK representative. Tel: 01305 751510.

Imex debut exceeds show visitors target.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Last month's inaugural Imex show exceeded its pre-show visitor targets. It pulled in 5,624 visitors from 39 countries - 2,750 were hosted buyers. Imex chairman Ray Bloom said the figures give grounds for expansion in 2004. He aims to...

Suppliers launch Italian 'CVB'.(Italia Convention Bureau)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... A group of ten suppliers in Italy have banded together to form the Italia Convention Bureau (ICB), a private initiative. 'ICB's aim is to bring together Italy's offer under one roof so we can properly develop the incoming meetings and...

Pushing Frontiers Kainuu, Finland.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Incentive Travel Kainuu is a newly formed marketing body for the Kainuu region of Finland. Using the marketing slogan, Real Reward, the area in the heart of Finland is looking to develop the UK market. The region covers three main areas,...

Proposal charges indicate industry's fixation with futility.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The issue of charging for proposals has been raised again, proving everything in this industry goes around with cyclical regularity. Surely it is time, though, for this debate to be buried once and for all. Let's review how the argument pans...

Barcelona reaps record delegate numbers in 2002.(Spain)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Barcelona attracted more than 300,000 meeting delegates last year for the first time, an increase of 18% on 2001. The rise was in part down to five large association conferences for 5,000-plus delegates. Overall, the number of meetings held...

MPI sets aside funds for sector research.(Meeting Professionals International)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is putting dollars 185,000 (pounds 116,000) into three research projects for the industry. In conjunction with event marketing firm George P Johnson, it will launch the second annual analysis into...

Germany meetings grow by 14% on 1999.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Germany pulled in EUR49.3bn (pounds 34.2bn) worth of C&I business last year, up 14% on 1999, according to a recent study. The German Convention Bureau-commissioned (GCB) report found the number of delegates attending meetings in the country...

People and Places St Moritz.(Switzerland)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Vantage Point's winter sports arm, The Corporate Ski Company, invited 20 potential and existing clients to St Moritz last month for a ski weekend, with partner hosts Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau and Swiss International Airlines....

APPOINTMENT AT: Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre.(Paul D'Arcy, CEO)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre has appointed Paul D'Arcy, former deputy chief executive officer of the Sydney Convention & Exhibition Centre, to the role of CEO. Tel: +61 89 33 80 300.

APPOINTMENT AT: Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau.(publishes new brochure)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau has announced the launch of its new brochure. Tel: 020 7851 1705.

APPOINTMENT AT: New South Wales Convention Bureau.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... New South Wales Convention Bureau has found the average delegate spend is Adollars 1,058 (pounds 417) - four times more than that of the average international leisure tourist. The bureau estimates convention delegate spend in the region is...

APPOINTMENT AT: Castello di Montegridolfo.(Moulden Marketing - UK representative)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Castello di Montegridolfo in Rimini has appointed Moulden Marketing as its UK representative. Tel: 020 7372 4844.

APPOINTMENT AT: Raffles International Hotels & Resorts.(Jennie Chua, president/CEO - Raffles Holdings)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Raffles International Hotels & Resorts has appointed Jennie Chua as president and CEO of Raffles Holdings. Tel: +41 1 893 1045.

NEWS IN BRIEF: Mason Rose offers reduced rates.(for conferences held at Hotel Eden, Rome, Italy)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Mason Rose is offering reduced conference rates at the Hotel Eden in Rome. Groups of 15 or more can take advantage of day-delegate rates which start out from pounds 80. Tel: 020 7235 3245.

APPOINTMENT AT: Convention Centre Basel.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Convention Centre Basel has appointed Leonhard Loew as general manager. Tel: +41 58 206 28 10.

APPOINTMENT AT: Dolce International offers incentive.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Dolce International is offering meeting planners an incentive of a two-night trip to Europe when they book a residential conference on selected dates in 2003. Planners can preview the relevant dates at www.dolce.com/2weekend. Tel: +33 1 41 39...

OPINION: Sounding Off - Managers at fault for staff deficiency at meeting venues.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Recent bad experiences of poor service have made me realise just how much venue managers underestimate the importance of their operations staff's role. Last year, we were forced to relocate our main annual event from the hotel we had used for...

CASE STUDY: Syntegra top sales team rewarded in Vancouver.
May 1, 2003... Syntegra always aims to take its top achievers on an annual incentive trip to new destinations with a range of unusual activities. With a glacier lunch, and bear and whale watching on offer, western Canada fitted the bill. When it comes to...

VENUE FOCUS: Mandarin Oriental to open property.(New York)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Mandarin Oriental will open its second New York property later this year. The hotel will have 251 rooms and a variety of meeting spaces. Tel: +852 2895 9288 RE 830.

VENUE FOCUS: Manchester City Football Club to offer facilities.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Manchester City Football Club has announced plans to offer corporate hospitality facilities at its new stadium. The stadium, which was used for the Commonwealth Games, will provide space for product launches, meetings and dinners for up to...

VENUE FOCUS: Caixa Forum-Madrid opens 2006.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Caixa Forum-Madrid will open in 2006. The social and cultural centre will offer dedicated meeting and exhibition facilities and will seat up to 322 delegates. Tel: 020 7467 5505 RE 832.

VENUE FOCUS: Sapphire Suite open.(Birmingham)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Sapphire Conference and Banqueting Suite opened in Birmingham at the beginning of the year. The venue's plenary hall can accommodate up to 450 delegates. Tel: 0121 666 7003 RE 833

VENUE FOCUS: Le Meridien Luxor open.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Le Meridien Luxor opened at the end of last year. The Egyptian property offers a purpose-built conference centre that can cater for conventions, workshops, dinners and product launches for up to 1,000 delegates. Tel: 020 7025 7039 RE 834.

VENUE FOCUS: Dundas Castle launches events structure.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Dundas Castle has launched a semi-permanent structure for events in conjunction with De Boer Structures and Sodexho Prestige. The Grand Pavilion offers 2,000m2 of floor space. Tel: 0131 319 2039 RE 835.

VENUE FOCUS: Maritim Hotels awarded contract.(Mellieha, Malta)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Maritim Hotels has been awarded the management contract for a 190-room resort and conference property in Mellieha, Malta. Tel: 020 7872 2480 RE 836.

VENUE FOCUS: Savoy relaunches event spaces.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Savoy, London has relaunched its event spaces. The hotel worked in conjunction with Show Presentation Services to upgrade its AV equipment. Tel: 020 7750 6760 RE 837.

VENUE FOCUS: Paramount opens latest four-star property.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Oxford Hotel was officially opened last month. The four-star property is part of the Paramount Group and underwent an pounds 11m rebuild. It now offers 168 rooms, refurbished by award-winning designers, and space for up to 300 delegates for...

VENUE FOCUS: Argentinian capital welcomes Sofitel brand.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Sofitel Buenos Aires has been built within the historical Art Deco Bencich Tower in the Retiro area of the city. The 144-room property, which opened at the end of last year, offers a choice of four meeting spaces for up to 350 delegates....

VENUE FOCUS: Mount Hotel completes refurbishment.(in Wolverhampton)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Mount Hotel and Conference centre in Wolverhampton has completed a pounds 2.7m refurbishment. Day delegate rates start at pounds 45 and 24-hour rates at pounds 120. The Great Hall, a Victorian-style room, can accommodate up to 200 delegates...

VENUE FOCUS: Beaufort Singapore rebrands.(becomes The Sentosa Resort & Spa)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Beaufort Singapore has rebranded as The Sentosa Resort & Spa. The name change follows a pounds 5.5m upgrade, which included the opening of Spa Botanica. The resort on Sentosa Island offers 214 rooms and a convention centre for up to 400...

VENUE FOCUS: Coronet undergoes refurbishment.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... The Coronet in south east London is a former theatre and cinema that has undergone a pounds 2m refurbishment to create a multi-purpose event space. It has a maximum capacity of 2,100, a raked auditorium for 572, and it can be divided into five...

DIARY: Let's go to... Southport.(Lancashire)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... And on what island, pray, is this sun-kissed Caribbean idyll? Lancashire, just up the A565 from Bootle. Not so glamorous then. Well hold on - it is the Paris of the North, you know. I didn't actually. Explain this tenuous Francophile...

DIARY: Turn dull conferences into Mexican festivals.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... So much for Diary grabbing a seat in the back row and catching up with some Zs in the conference season. According to research from Crowne Plaza, the biggest bug bear for meeting organisers is the snoring delegate. The survey, which...

DIARY: Lights, CAMRA, action.(Cotswold Conference Centre)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... You have to hand it to the good people at the Cotswold Conference Centre. Not only do they organise a mean meeting, but they also know what brew revives drooping delegates - 'Mmm... beer,' as Homer Simpson would have it. The centre is...

DIARY: Confessions of an Event Planner.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... We've all been there, a simple event, planned with great care, what can possibly go wrong? Take this case - a press launch at the Kensington Hilton with a VVIP in attendance, a party at The Riverside Studios then all back to the hotel for...

DIARY: Competition.
May 1, 2003... Every month CIT will be testing your observational skills and giving away a fantastic prize. This month, thanks to our friends at De Vere Hotels, we're giving away a luxury two-night break at the five-star De Vere Cameron House Hotel on Loch...

DIARY: Royals creatures of habit.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2003... Say what you like about the Royals, but at least they're creatures of habit and sticklers for tradition. Put a cuddly, vivacious fun-loving woman with a drink in a room, and you can guarantee Prince Andrew will make a beeline for her....

EIBTM SUPPLEMENT: Show Preview - Exhibitor A-Z.(Exhibition of Incentive Business Travel Management)(Directory)
May 1, 2003... Your at-a-glance guide to the exhibitors at EIBTM 2003 Exhibitor Stand No A Abbit-Meeting Support 1447 Abercrombie & Kent 2393 Aberdeen & Grampian CVB 2341 Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre 2348 Abu Dhabi Tourism 2215 Accor...