Conference & Incentive Travel articles from May 2006

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from May 2006

First Off: Can Grass Roots stir Maritz into action?(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... There is no doubting the big news in C&I this month. Grass Roots' purchase of Maritz Europa marks an intriguing sector shake-up. Maritz's troubles over the past few years have seen it downsizing and reorganising. Enter David Evans and his...

Grass Roots seals deal for Maritz's European business.(Grass Roots Group )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... The Grass Roots Group has concluded a deal to take over Maritz's European operations, which has resulted in the company predicting sales of pounds 242m in the next fiscal year. The Tring-based group has bought a controlling stake in the C&I...

Glasgow Bureau reaps increase in convention sales.(Glasgow City Marketing Bureau)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Convention sales to Glasgow have risen by 8% to pounds 63m in the past year, following the creation of the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau (GCMB). In the year to April 2006, the city also saw a pounds 1m increase in conference accommodation...

Universal seeks work in uncharted sectors.
May 15, 2006... Universal CIT has appointed a new business development manager in a bid to develop work across new client sectors. The agency currently specialises in C&I and events for medical and pharmaceutical companies, with clients including...

UK Price Check: Residential conference.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Brief: Three day meeting with two nights accommodation for 40 delegates in a contemporary hotel out of London with good transport links across the UK. Rates include theatre-style meeting room with separate screen hire. CROWNE PLAZA NEC...

UK brief: Best Western adds new hotels to portfolio.
May 15, 2006... Best Western Hotels has added the three-star Best Western Kenwick Park Hotel in Louth, Lincolnshire and the three-star Best Western Moorside Grange Hotel & Spa in Higher Disley, Cheshire to its UK portfolio. www.bestwestern.co.uk.

UK brief: Royal Caribbean offers first season of cruises.
May 15, 2006... Royal Caribbean International is now offering its first ever season of cruises around the UK on Navigator of the Seas. Early bird savings are available for those booking before 31 July. royalcaribbean.co.uk.

UK brief: Earls Court invests in upgrading business centre.
May 15, 2006... Earls Court is investing pounds 20,000 in upgrading its business centre following feedback from visitors. The refurb will include new decor, equipment and signage to make it more visible from the exhibition floor. www.eco.co.uk.

UK brief: Dublin Convention Bureau appoints Moulden Marketing.
May 15, 2006... Moulden Marketing has been appointed by the Dublin Convention Bureau to offer sales and marketing support in the UK. This will include coordinating sales calls and a fam trip, plus a half-day workshop, which will take 30 UK buyers to Dublin in...

UK brief: Destination South West Wales formed for launch.
May 15, 2006... Destination South West Wales has been formed to launch a joint conference brochure for Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Neath and Port Talbot, and Swansea Bay, as part of a drive to attract visitors more cost effectively....

UK brief: Crown Business Communications acquires independence.
May 15, 2006... Crown Business Communications has acquired its independence from owner the Ferrovial Group in its 25th year of trading. Ferrovial has owned Crown since the buyout of Amey in 2003. www.crownbc.com.

RS Live becomes first UK agency to be carbon neutral.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... RS Live is the first agency in the UK to achieve carbon-neutral status. The agency, whose clients include Cap Gemini and Thames Water, undertook an assessment of the 400 events it runs each year to evaluate its carbon footprint. ...

De Beers gives India event role to Octopus.
May 15, 2006... De Beers has appointed Octopus Communications to handle a global conference for 500 delegates. The agency, whose clients include Coca-Cola and Glaxosmithkline, won the account in a four-way pitch last December. The conference was...

Jersey campaign targets UK buyers.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Jersey Conference Bureau has announced a campaign to get more UK buyers to experience the island. Jersey Conference Bureau general manager Hamish Reid said: 'We aim to bring over about 100 buyers during the year on fam trips and around 45...

Yorkshire science attraction Magna wins tourist gong.
May 15, 2006... Magna Science Adventure Centre in South Yorkshire beat off stiff competition to pick up the Business Tourism Award at the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence. Judges praised the Rotherham visitor attraction - a former steel plant - for...

Western and Oriental buys Lynton Cooper.(Western and Oriental acquired Lynton Cooper)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Luxury travel group Western and Oriental has acquired event management agency Lynton Cooper and sister tour operation American Dream Holidays for an undisclosed sum. Lynton Cooper will continue to trade as normal and there will not be any...

People and Places: London.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Kempinski Hotel and Resorts used its five-star London property on Great Marlborough Street to host a cocktail evening for around 150 event planners, corporates, sales agents and tour operators. The event, part of a wider sales roadshow that...

Confex adds National Venue Show to roster.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Confex owner CMPi has consolidated its hold on the C&I exhibition sector by purchasing the five-year-old National Venue Show (NVS) from organiser Waypoint. NVS, which attracted 360 exhibitors and 6,000 visitors last year, will continue to...

Initial rebrands as Verve Venues.(Initial Style Conferences )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Initial Style Conferences is to rebrand as Verve Venues. The company's non-residential city-based venues will now be known collectively as Verve City. The 29-property business was acquired by the Alternative Hotel Group (AHG) from Rentokil...

Webwatch: www.lclworld.com.(Website overview)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... What's the story? Luxury Camps and Lodges of the World bills itself as the first worldwide 'eco-luxury' directory and launched its website arm this spring. What's the aim of the site? To display information from all of the 72...

Travel planners will be cast as demons in the new climate.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... 'Travel, it broadens the mind - and wrecks the planet.' Forgive me for uttering such heresy in these pages; those words are not mine, but they formed a newspaper headline that caused me to choke on my cornflakes just the other day. The...

Madrid is a dream, but its new terminal is a total nightmare.(Travel narrative)
May 15, 2006... Madrid is at last emerging from the shadow of Barcelona to reclaim its position as Spain's number one C&I destination. It is now one of Europe's cleanest, brightest and most vibrant cities. However, I'm writing this in the new Terminal 4 at...

MCI harvests benefit of global expansion.
May 15, 2006... Association, communications and events management group MCI has reported annual turnover of pounds 62m for 2005, 10.7% up on 2004. In the same period the number of corporate events handled has risen to account for 54% of business against...

Virgin aims for C&I income hike.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Virgin Atlantic has revealed plans to boost its share of the business market by at least 10% in the next three years. The airline is introducing a series of products targeting more profitable premium passengers, as well as new routes, such...

Pushing Frontiers: Indianapolis.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Known as the crossroads of America, Indianapolis blends cosmopolitan US style with small-town charm, ideal for planners with their sights set on a US location with a difference. The chequered flag reigns supreme in Indianapolis, which as...

Demand soars for German hotel accreditation scheme.
May 15, 2006... UK corporate buyers planning events in Germany are to benefit from the growing number of hotels with a new Conference Hotel Certificate accreditation. Set up in response to corporate demand for more consistency across the country's venues,...

World Price Check: Overseas conference.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Brief: Three-day meeting with three nights accommodation for 40 delegates theatre-style in a contemporary style hotel in South Africa with LCD hire. PARK HYATT JOHANNESBURG Day delegate rate: pounds 4,420 Dinner: pounds 3,214 Bed and...

Steigenberger looks to UK for growth plan.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... German hotel group Steigenberger has set its sights on the UK as it expands across Europe and the Middle East. Senior vice-president Marcus Bernhardt said: 'In Germany, the Steigenberger name has attracted the highest end of the corporate...

Imex backs C&IT pledge campaign in its CSR Centre.
May 15, 2006... Imex is pledging its support for C&IT's Campaign for Change by promoting the initiative in its Corporate Responsibility Centre. Visitors to the centre will be able to find out more about examples of CSR best practice and back the campaign....

Appointment: Lisbon Convention Bureau.
May 15, 2006... Lisbon Convention Bureau has appointed Alexandra Baltazar as its manager, replacing Carin Isacson. Baltazar previously worked at Lisbon Tourism.

Appointment: Conference Connections.
May 15, 2006... Conference Connections has employed award-winning film and video director Chris Tuff as head of video production.

Appointment: One Central Park.
May 15, 2006... One Central Park, part of the University of Manchester, has named Matt Foulkes as events co-ordinator. His responsibilities will include managing events, sales enquiries and building relationships with local companies.

Appointment: Fortesqueue's.
May 15, 2006... Fortesqueue's has named Tim Bull as director of sales and marketing, as part of an ongoing expansion. The event management company will be announcing the recruitment of further staff in the coming weeks.

Appointment: London Marriott Grosvenor Square.
May 15, 2006... London Marriott Grosvenor Square has made Kevin Kelly its new general manager, replacing Hunter Hansen. Kelly has worked for the Marriott group for nine years and most recently was GM of the London Marriott Marble Arch.

Appointment: Air Malta.
May 15, 2006... Air Malta has named Joe Cappello as chief executive, replacing Ernst Funk. Cappello was formerly chief operating officer at the airline.

Appointment: Hilton UK and Ireland.
May 15, 2006... Hilton UK and Ireland has recruited Oliver Stockland as general manager of its pounds 53m development in Canary Wharf, London. The property, due to open in July this year, will be the first Hilton property to do so since the takeover by the...

Baglioni appoints MICE ambassador to boost revenue.(appointment of Adalgisa Conte )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Baglioni Hotels Group has appointed a MICE development and events manager in a drive to promote its portfolio of 14 properties across Italy, France and the UK to the C&I industry. Adalgisa Conte joined the company last month and lists...

South Africa names Lue to replace Taylor.(appointment of Angelina Lue )(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... South African Tourism has appointed Angelina Lue as its new head of global tourism, filling a role that has been vacant since Rick Taylor resigned last April. The former executive manager for conventions and events at Cape Town Routes...

Dubai looks to generate conference leads.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Dubai has renewed its focus on C&I business from the UK as its latest visitor statistics reveal an increase of 13% in the number of UK visitors. Statistics from the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) for 2005 found...

People and Places: Cyprus.
May 15, 2006... UK representation company Moulden Marketing took a group of 100 UK buyers to Cyprus for a fam trip and workshop, in association with Cyprus-based DMC OM. 'We wanted to combine both elements so that buyers had two good value points for...

Overseas brief: Star Alliance welcomes members.
May 15, 2006... Star Alliance has welcomed its 17th and 18th members with the addition of Swiss and South African Airways. Customers travelling on both airlines can access alliance benefits, such as mileage redemption and access to lounges, with immediate...

Overseas brief: Hilton Hotels to manage Conrad Shanghai.
May 15, 2006... Hilton Hotels will manage the Conrad Shanghai, scheduled for completion in 2008. The 362-room property will be the third Conrad hotel in China. www.conradhotels.com.

Overseas brief: Visit Denmark runs fam trip to Copenhagen.
May 15, 2006... Visit Denmark is running a fam trip to Copenhagen and Malmo from 28-29 June this year. The event begins with an opening session at London City Airport and is aimed at planners with at least two years experience. To apply, email Visit Denmark...

Overseas brief: Radisson SAS to take over management of Intercontinental Hotel Dubai.
May 15, 2006... Radisson SAS will take over the management of the Intercontinental Hotel Dubai from 1 October this year. The property is the first five-star hotel in the Emirate to be located in the city's business district. www.rezidorsas.com.

Overseas brief: BMI launches additional services.
May 15, 2006... BMI has launched addition services from London Heathrow to Mumbai, upgrading its four-times weekly flights to a daily service. The route celebrates its first birthday this month. www.flybmi.com.

Overseas brief: Marriott acquires Paris Rive Gauche Hotel.
May 15, 2006... Marriott has acquired Sofitel's 782-room Paris Rive Gauche Hotel from Accor. The property will be rebranded as a 757-room Marriott in late 2007. In the interim, it will be operated by Marriott as the Rive Gauche Saint-Jacques Hotel & Conference...

MPI News: Copenhagen wins right to host event.
May 15, 2006... Copenhagen has been chosen ahead of London, Prague and Oslo to host the 2007 MPI Professional Education Conference (PEC) Europe. The event will take place between 18-20 March next year at the city's Bella Center, although other venues...

MPI News: MPI Europe achieves growth target early.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... MPI Europe met its target of attaining 1,500 members by the end of June 2006 three months early - representing a 40% rise in three years - delegates were told at the MPI Professional Education Conference (PEC) Europe in Davos in March. The...

MPI News: MPI Culture Active launch held back.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... The launch of MPI's Culture Active Tool, developed in association with Richard Lewis Communications, has been postponed until later this year to avoid 'overshadowing' its online career guide Member Solutions, launched earlier in 2006. MPI...

MPI News: Greener meetings 'don't have to be fully sustainable'.
May 15, 2006... Running a 'green' event is not about achieving complete sustainability but about taking small steps that add up, delegates were told at MPI seminar Site Selection with a Green Perspective. Green-advocate agency Organise This director Fiona...

MPI News: Ovation emphasises value of networking.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... The events industry could learn a lot from its clients when it comes to driving business forward, according to Irish DMC and event management agency Ovation managing director Patrick Delaney. At an MPI education seminar in Davos, Delaney...

MPI News: MPI PEC Europe trends in the global industry.(Industry overview)(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Globalisation and the need to provide clients with a wider and more customised range of products were highlighted by a panel of experts as growing challenges to the events industry at an education seminar in Davos. 'The world is getting...

Opinion: Sounding Off - The race for space could be simplified with more honesty.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Managing conference diaries can be like solving a quadratic equation. Balancing client needs with meeting space and bedroom availability, while factoring in someone else holding space, can make for a conference diary dilemma. In this...

In Person: John Hackney, Chief executive, Euro RSCG Skybridge.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... Dynamic North London lad - and wannabe rock star - John Hackney has an energy and enthusiasm for success that makes him the ideal candidate to lead one of the industry's biggest agency players. Appointed last year as chief executive of...

Analysis: Smoking delegates face up to ban.
May 15, 2006... From next summer, England will fall into line with Scotland and Northern Ireland in banning smoking in all enclosed public spaces. Anna Bowden assesses the impact this might have for C&I planners. After months of wrangling, MPs finally...

Case Studies: IT players opt for CSR events.
May 15, 2006... Microsoft and Manpower divisions chose itineraries and venues to reflect their CSR stance for events at home and abroad, as Yasmin Razak discovers. Company: Elan Computing (part of Manpower) Venues: Purkal Youth Development Society,...

Diary of a start-up: The leap of faith - from worker to entrepreneur.
May 15, 2006... 'That smaller agencies are here to stay is one of the key findings of this year's C&IT Agency Survey.' Which is a relief, you see, because I intend to find out if this is true or not. 'Could I do this for myself?' is a question I suspect...

Airline Survey: Turbulent relations.
May 15, 2006... The flight can make or break an incentive, but not all airlines share this anxiety. When it comes to the service driven world of event management, airlines are a precarious link in the supply chain. To organisers, they are a crucial aspect...

Imex Show Preview: What's on show for 2006.(Imex show chairman Ray Bloom's Interview)(Interview)
May 15, 2006... C&IT speaks to Imex show chairman Ray Bloom about what visitors can expect from this year's Frankfurt exhibition. From a career that started at a car dealership, Ray Bloom, has gone on to become a colossus of the C&I sector, founding EIBTM...

Imex Show Preview: Newcomers make their Imex debut.
May 15, 2006... A round-up of some of the companies taking stands at Imex for the first time this year. AMEX For the first time, Amex will be profiling its American Express Corporate Meeting Card, which offers exclusive savings on meeting costs at...

Venues one hour from London: In touching distance.
May 15, 2006... Comfort, seclusion, top facilities and convenience are all viable options for events within an hour of the capital, whether you're travelling by car, train or plane, as Yasmin Razak reports. BEST FOR A QUICK GETAWAY - THE ORIENT EXPRESS ...

Venues one hour from London: Case Study - Alfa tests out Wiltshire's hospitality.
May 15, 2006... Car maker Alfa Romeo chose Whatley Manor in Wiltshire to show off its new Brera Sports model. The brief: Launching the Alfa Brera sports car to UK dealers required a venue with picturesque countryside, so delegates could take the new...

Christmas Venues: The party season.
May 15, 2006... Although spring has only just made its appearance, organisers are already contemplating where to hold this year's Christmas party. Claire Bond looks at the Yule-tide trends for 2006. Even as the last strands of tinsel were being torn down,...

Nottingham and Beyond: Beyond the forest.(City overview)
May 15, 2006... Experience Nottinghamshire has been spreading the message about the region's C&I offering. And, as Kunal Dutta finds, buyers are responding positively to the region's marketing message. When it comes to pitching Nottingham as a C&I...

Nottingham Incentives: An activity for every delegate.
May 15, 2006... ARCHERY AT SHERWOOD - Tel 0115 948 3284 Flee through the ancient oaks of Sherwood Forest and try your hand at an archery competition. The Tales of Robin Hood has entertained corporates, such as McDonald's, Boots and Experian.The Grand...

Monaco: Dawning of a new era.(City overview)
May 15, 2006... Prince Albert's succession to the throne has signalled Monaco's move towards a more accommodating style of glamour - and better value for money. Paul Oswell investigates. The recently relaxed dress code at the famous Monte Carlo Casino may...

Monaco Showcase: Monaco's finest properties.
May 15, 2006... From grande dames to new modern classics, Paul Oswell rounds up some of the principality's best hotels. COLUMBUS HOTEL - www.columbushotels.com At the cutting edge of Monaco's 'new luxury' feel is this boutique property, the brainchild...

Austria: Tyrolean strong hold.(City overview)
May 15, 2006... Salzburg and Graz have the hotels, accessibility and incentive appeal to attract discerning groups, but they still lose out to ICCA stalwart and capital Vienna for the bigger association events. Anna Bowden takes the measure of Austria's C&I...

Austria: Graz's cultured offer.(Travel narrative)
May 15, 2006... Graz's place in the arts firmament was assured after its tenure as European Cultural Capital, making it ideal for incentive trips. Following a record-breaking stint as European Cultural Capital in 2003, Austria's second largest city is now...

Denmark: A fairytale romance.
May 15, 2006... It's not just picturesque castles and Hans Christian Andersen that attracts buyers to Denmark, but its modern congress centres, ease of access and affordable quality hotels. Copenhagen for big groups Fortune has smiled on Copenhagen in...

Czech Republic: Old town, new vision.(City overview)
May 15, 2006... Long popular with the leisure market, Prague has attracted growing numbers of blue-chips to sample its beauty, history and ever-developing C&I hospitality offer. Robin McKelvie reports. Gone are the days of the early 1990s when Prague was a...

Ireland: A tale of two cities.
May 15, 2006... Dublin's reputation for 'the craic' and Belfast's meeting facilities used to make choosing between them easy. But now the distinctions are less clear, as Steve Jones reports. Belfast or Dublin? Not so long ago, it wasn't a taxing choice...

Ireland: Rural Retreats - The Emerald Isle's country gems.(Country overview)
May 15, 2006... Ireland is blessed with numerous magnificent castles and stately homes. Steve Jones reports. DROMOLAND CASTLE, NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS - Web: www.dromoland.ie This 16th-century fort is reckoned to be one of Ireland's finest and is situated...

Venue Focus.
May 15, 2006... Wyboston Lakes has refurbished its Fairways Suite to hold day meetings for up to 150 delegates. The property has wi-fi access across the 350 acre site that is located in St Neots, midway between Cambridge and Bedford. Tel: 01480 212 625 ...

Diary: Don't miss ..(Brief article)(Calendar)
May 15, 2006... Imex: 30 May - 1 June - Frankfurt's annual C&I showcase. www.imex-frankfurt.com BACD AGM & Convention: 7-9 June - 'People, Partnership & Profit' is the theme of this year's event at the Carriageworks in Leeds. www.bacd.org.uk Eventia...

Diary: South Korea legislates against 'ugly' exports.(Brief article)
May 15, 2006... And we thought Brits abroad had a bad image, but as yet our sunburnt, drunken xenophobes, embarrassing as they are, have yet to barred from travelling en masse. Not so in South Korea, which has become so ashamed of its tourist exports that...

Diary: Please God, put it away.
May 15, 2006... Ignoring the cries of dismay, C&IT associate editor Stuart Derrick just couldn't resist the temptation of getting out his chopper and flaunting it at the put-upon denizens of Yorkshire. The occasion was an aerial jaunt around the county at...

Diary: The Headlines 10 Years ago.
May 15, 2006... - Friendly Hotels strengthens its links with the US Choice Hotels International group following an agreement that will see it take on the master franchise for the UK and Ireland for a minimum of ten years. The deal also commits Friendly to...

Diary: A Trip on the British Pullman.
May 15, 2006... Win a glamorous day out on the British Pullman carriages of the Orient-Express to the historic city of Bath. Board the elegant cream and umber carriages at London's Victoria Station where you will be welcomed on board by liveried stewards,...

Diary: The eyes have it.
May 15, 2006... Frequent travellers can find it hard to leave the one they love behind - the doting companionship, body warmth, the limpid, pleading hazel eyes, wet tongue, cute tail and, er, cold nose. But fear not - and as a follow up to last month's...