Conference & Incentive Travel articles from October 2004

Conference & Incentive Travel archives from October 2004

First Off: Seek and you shall find: help is at hand.
October 25, 2004... Networking - exactly what is it? Is it intensive meetings talking shop, schmoozing over lunch or supping champagne at the bar? All three I suppose, but the key (and it may sound obvious) is who you're networking with and how relevant they are...

London MICE lends support to capital's meeting sector.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The London Development Agency and the Pool of London Partnership have teamed up to provide funding for a new 'not for profit' MICE organisation. London MICE has been set up to promote and support businesses in London South Central...

UK Price Check.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Boardroom event in a luxury setting: 15 delegates for five days, four nights in March 2005. Accommodation, breakfast, lunch, refreshments, dinner, room hire, VAT. BALMORAL HOTEL, EDINBURGH 24-hour rate: pounds 15,900 Day delegate...

Planning approved for Wembley events.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Planning consent has been granted for the construction of a temporary live events venue at Wembley, during the pounds 25m refurbishment of Wembley Arena. The latter will be closed between January and September 2005. Wembley Arena...

Your chance to attend EIBTM with CIT magazine.
October 25, 2004... Conference and Incentive Travel magazine has a limited number of hosted buyer places available to its readers for this year's EIBTM show, which takes place at the Fira de Barcelona, November 30 - 1 December 2004. Event organisers will...

News brief: Visit Britain joins forces with Spa Business.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Visit Britain has joined forces with the Spa Business Association to develop the first national survey on spa issues, with a view to setting in place quality requirements. Tel: 020 8563 3038.

News brief: Event & Venue Security 2005.
October 25, 2004... Event & Venue Security 2005, a new show for the live events sector, takes place at London's QEII Conference Centre 18 - 19 April. Launched by International Business Events, it will showcase the latest practices and technologies required to...

News brief: Holiday Inn Docklands to be upgraded.(Holiday Inn Docklands)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Holiday Inn Docklands, which opened in May 2003, will be upgraded to the Crowne Plaza brand next month, following a major internal and external refurbishment. Tel: 0870 990 9692.

News brief: Stoke-on-Trent Conference Bureau appoints new manager.(Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent Conference Bureau )(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent Conference Bureau has appointed Claire Minshall as new manager. Tel: 01782 232076.

News brief: Mirage Events appoints senior event manager.(Claire Ward)(The Motivation Business )(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Mirage Events has appointed of Claire Ward as senior event manager. Ward joins from The Motivation Business and will oversee events including conferences, product launches and award ceremonies. Tel: 01883 740400.

News brief: York Tourism Bureau holds conference showcase.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... York Tourism Bureau is to hold a conference showcase on 21 October, at which 40 of the city's venues will exhibit. This follows the success of the destination's inaugural showcase last year. Tel: 01904 554451.

News brief: CitiExpress launches Birmingham to Geneva service.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... British Airways CitiExpress is launching a Birmingham to Geneva flight for the winter season. The weekly service will begin on December 18 with fares starting at pounds 99 return. Tel: 0870 850 9 850.

Fat Cat clients to benefit with a no fee experience.(Fat Cat Solutions)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Fat Cat Solutions, a new event agency in Warwickshire, aims to cut the cost to clients by dropping client fees. The company will make its money earning commission solely from the supplier. 'We felt that too many agents added costs at both...

Time Team gets up close and personal.(Time Team Conferences established)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... A Midlands venue-finding agency has been launched with the promise of putting inside knowledge of the hotel industry at the clients' disposal. Nuneaton-based Time Team Conferences has been established by David Tremmil, former sales...

Meetings Pavilion offers C&I focus at WTM.(Conference & Incentive Travel, World Travel Market)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The profile of the C&I sector will be boosted at this year's World Travel Market, with the launch of a Meetings Pavilion. Designed to highlight the growth and development of the meetings market, representatives from five key industry...

Venues Unlimited revamps logo to reflect expansion.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Venues Unlimited has given its corporate logo an overhaul in order to reflect the company's status as a fully-fledged event management company. 'When we set up 15 years ago, we were simply a venue-finding company and hence the name...

First Protocol in team boost as business grows.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... London-based event agency First Protocol has appointed Antonia Orange an account manager. She will be working alongside account director Siobhan Fitzpatrick. The move follows the opening of the company's first US office, which has...

People and Places: Bournemouth.(tour)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... A 10-strong group of UK event organisers were treated to a whistle-stop tour of Bournemouth last month, complete with a flying display by the Red Arrows. The two-day event was the first fam trip organised by the Bournemouth International...

Procurement puts squeeze on clients to value marketing.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Those events agencies that feel procurement departments are giving them a rough time may glean some consolation from the news that purchasers are feeling out in the cold. Ironically, they are struggling to prove their worth to their own...

Aviemore brings in pounds 1m before opening.(Aviemore Highland Resort Conference Centre)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Aviemore Highland Resort Conference Centre, which opens this month, has already generated more than pounds 1m worth of advance conference business from UK firms. A further pounds 4m is potentially in the pipeline. Part of the new...

Chester grows team.(Chester & Cheshire Conference Desk )(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Chester & Cheshire Conference Desk has doubled in size over the past year, resulting in a dedicated team of four now concentrating on attracting meetings business to the area. 'We've doubled the team because of exceptional levels of...

Mersey appoints tourism director.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Mersey Partnership has appointed Martin King as its new director of tourism. His main role will be to help to deliver the Tourism Strategy and Vision conceived last year. He said: 'I believe my commercial and leadership skills will...

Toolkit LT265/245 Projectors.(NEC Corp.'s product information)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... What's this month's product? A new pair of high-end portable projectors from NEC, 'designed to deliver the ultimate flexible display for the events sector'. What is so special about them? The main benefit of the LT265 and LT245...

Record figures mark ten years of Eurostar.(Eurostar (U.K.) Ltd.'s market share)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Eurostar has claimed its highest ever share of the London to Brussels route and has relaunched its business travel strategy. The high-speed train service announced a year- on-year jump of 26% on the route to claim a 59% share of the...

Business up by 500% at Alton Towers' centre.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Alton Towers has dramatically increased its conference business following the first year's operations of its new conference centre and hotel. The centre has boosted conference trade from 4,800 bedroom bookings to 25,000. Conferences have...

Fairmont in new management role for Savoy Hotel.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Fairmont Hotel & Resorts takes over management of London's Savoy Hotel from January, following its sale to Kingdom Holdings and HBOS. The agreement is subject to the successful sale of the hotel by Quinlan Private, and will represent...

Webwatch: Fresh look at the QEII Centre.(websites)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Web: www.qeiicc.co.uk When was it launched? In late August, having been designed by web specialist Vohm for the QEII Centre. How does it differ from the old website? As well as a fresher, modern design, it has new functions....

News brief: Eujet launches flights from Kent International Airport.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Eujet, a new low-cost carrier, has launched flights from Kent International Airport to 22 European business and leisure destinations. These include Amsterdam, Dublin, Girona, Nice and Copenhagen. Tel: 0870 414 1414.

News brief: New edition of Essential London Eastside Venue Guide.
October 25, 2004... Visit London and Tower Hamlets Council have released the new edition of the Essential London Eastside Venue Guide, designed for people looking for the ideal venue in the East End. Tel: 020 7364 4458.

News brief: Moat House Hotels appoints brand manager.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Moat House Hotels has appointed Ann Checksfield as its corporate and conference brand manager. She comes from London Bridge Hospital, where she spent six years as marketing manager. Tel: 01708 730 522.

News brief: Rock-It Cargo moves into the conference sector.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Rock-It Cargo, freighting specialist, has moved into the conference sector. The company, accustomed to working with live music tours, provides cost-dependent solutions to transporting event presentation equipment. Tel: 01784 431301.

News brief: Berkeley Scott Group appoints head of division.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Berkeley Scott Group, hospitality company has appointed Russell Simove to head the cruise and seasonal divisions. Simove was previously at the De Vere Group and has past experience of the cruise sector. Tel: 0870 0117777.

News brief: London hotel The Cumberland relaunches this month.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Cumberland, one of London's largest and best-known hotels is being relaunched this month following a pounds 95m rebuild and refurbishment. Now part of BIL International - which owns Thistle - the 900-room property offers 26 meeting rooms...

CIT Forum 2004: CIT Forum delegates urged to put crisis plans in place.
October 25, 2004... It's only a matter of time before a major disaster occurs in the C&I industry and the chances are the organiser will not be prepared. This was the stark message delivered by management crisis consultants Docleaf. Speaking at the CIT...

CIT Forum 2004: Organisers stick to the UK to avoid media attention.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The fear of media attention and increased financial transparency is curbing creativity said delegates at last month's CIT Forum. 'We wouldn't consider holding an event overseas,' said Royal Mail senior event manager Sharon Duggan. 'With...

CIT Forum 2004: C&I organisers should rethink post-event evaluation methods.(Conference & Incentive Travel)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The success of events is not being judged effectively because most feedback forms are ill thought out, according to P&MM director Nigel Cooper. 'Collecting feedback is vital, but most forms are not worth the paper they are written on...

CIT Forum 2004: Industry in favour of paying fee for fam trip places.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... A show of hands at the CIT Forum 2004 indicated that corporate delegates are not averse to paying for their places on fam trips. 'I wouldn't be against paying because then we, as a company, do not feel obliged to hold our next event at...

International: Sandals turns its attention to raising meetings profile.(Sandals and Beaches Holidays)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Caribbean leisure giant, Sandals & Beaches, is promoting its hotels to the meetings and incentives market with the appointment of a dedicated UK-based C&I sales manager. Sandals head of marketing Anil Swarup announced the appointment of...

International: Access provides a platform for communication.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... A dedicated trade show for the Austrian conference and incentive market launched in Vienna this month. Designed to provide a forum for communication and product education, Access was held at the Hofburg Congress Center from 4-5 October. A...

International: Florida beats storm for ABTA convention.(Association of British Travel Agents )(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Orlando and Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau has declared 'it's business as usual' in Florida despite the recent hurricanes. A site inspection by bureau officials has given the all clear to the main visitor areas and attractions....

International: World Price Check.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
October 25, 2004... Boardroom level event in 'luxury' setting: A total of 15 delegates, five days, four nights in March 2005. ES HOTEL, ROME 24 hour rate: pounds 18,428 Day delegate rate: pounds 1,178 F&B: Included Accomm/room hire: Included...

International brief: Switzerland Convention Bureau moves.(Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau )(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau has moved to 30 Bedford Street, London WC2E 9ED. Tel: 020 7845 7686.

International brief: Pattaya Convention Hall to hold trade shows.(Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Pattaya Exhibition and Convention Hall, in Thailand will hold Asia's three largest C&I trade shows in 2005 and 2006 - Corporate Travel World Asia-Pacific, Incentive Travel & Conventions and Meetings Asia. Tel: +66 38 250421.

International brief: Select Escapes launches collection.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Select Escapes has launched a collection of small and privately owned hotels, villas, game lodges, islands and yachts all over the world. The portfolio includes Pangkor Laut Estates in Malaysia, Las Alamandas in Mexico and Scotland's Skibo...

International brief: British Virgin Islands Tourist Board.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The British Virgin Islands Tourist Board has a new team to head its UK operation to attract greater business from the UK. Lynne Morris will become head of PR and advertising. Tel: 020 7355 9585.

International brief: Emirates to add Indian Ocean destination.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Emirates will add a third Indian Ocean destination to its network in January 2005 with the start of services between Dubai and the Seychelles. Tel: 0870 2432222.

International brief: The Spanish Tourist Office appoints deputy director.(Juan Sanabria)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Spanish Tourist Office has appointed Juan Sanabria as deputy director. This follows the news that the number of British visitors to the country was up 6% on the previous year. Tel: 020 7486 8077.

International brief: The European Spa Exhibition.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The European Spa Exhibition will debut at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco from 22-24 January 2005. The show is targeting professionals in the luxury tourism market. Tel: 00 377 93 10 54 42.

International: Try keeping your nose out of other people's business.(management of customer centered services)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... When operating projects, I have always believed that one should concentrate 100 per cent on the client who is paying the bill, and not get sidetracked by the allure of other corporate clients using the same venue. Some agencies see...

International: Call for Olympic host to grab C&I potential.(Conference & Incentive Travel)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Athens hoteliers are calling on the Greek government to embrace the conference sector in a bid to capitalise on the aftermath of the Olympics. The Athens Hotel Union is pressing the government to convert the city's Olympic facilities for...

International: Tutu to attend ICCA congress.(Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... A total of 60 UK event organisers will join the 8th ICCA congress and 43rd General Assembly to be held in Cape Town, South Africa, this month. The organisers expect approximately 650 delegates from around the world to attend the event,...

International: Pushing Frontiers - Mozambique.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Located on the southern tip of Mozambique, the capital city of Maputo was devastated by war and poverty but the region's unspolit beaches, tropical gardens and colourful colonial architecture are attracting tourists back again. Indeed, a...

International: Singapore is first Asian bureau to join cities group.(Bestcities.net)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Singapore is the first Asian city to join Bestcities.net, a global alliance of convention bureaus that aims to develop industry best practice. Membership will be formalised on 1 January 2005, when San Juan will also officially join. The...

International: Thailand's Hyatt makes room for conferencing.(Hyatt Corp.'s new convention center)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... An innovative multi-functional event facility has been launched by Hyatt at Thailand's Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok. Opening this month, 'The Residence' is located on the mezzanine level of the hotel, and effectively creates a standalone...

International: Green light for Bali as FCO drops travel ban.(Foreign and Commonwealth Office)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Bali is back on the menu for C&I planners after the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has lifted its advisory travel ban on the island. The Indonesian island had been declared unsafe to visit for almost two years, following the fatal...

International: Azores gears up for a boost to its C&I opportunity.(Conference & Incentive Travel)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... The Azores' convention players are hoping for an uplift in C&I business with the launch of a route between London and the archipelago. Azores-based carrier, SATA International has announced flights from April 2005 when groups will be...

International: Australia picks Europe for incentive drive.(Tourism Australia)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Tourism Australia is continuing its C&I drive with a pan-European push. Dreamtime 2004, in Sydney from 28 October to 2 November, will show a range of incentive products in a two-day trade show, followed by a familiarisation programme....

International: People and Places - Stuttgart/Baden-Baden.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Last month, the German Convention Bureau (GCB) focused on Stuttgart and Baden-Baden as its presentation to a group of UK event organisers. This was the first time the two cities in southern Germany, had been featured by GCB. ...

Analysis: Clear the way for equal access.(disability access to the venues)
October 25, 2004... Any venue that has not made every effort to ensure that it offers access to all will come under scrutiny because of changes to the law on disability. Stuart Derrick reports. From 1 October the third part of the Disability Discrimination...

Opinion: Sounding Off - AV suppliers must get serious about the needs of SMEs.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... All too often well-established AV companies have either ignored the demand from SMEs or have supplied low-quality equipment and provided support staff with little or no experience of handing smaller events. It's easy to see why this can...

In Person: Paul Kennedy MBE, Director - Kennedy Consulting.(personalities of conference industry)
October 25, 2004... The man sipping a cafe latte in the Park Lane Hilton can quite reasonably assume he is the only living soul to have received honours from both the Queen and Paula Abdul. Her Majesty, who was 'very pleasant', bestowed Paul Kennedy with an MBE...

Case Study: Better safe - but sorry.(airport security)
October 25, 2004... With heightened security measures at airports, there's no, or very little, distinction between being a VIP and Joe Public. So how can you make a good impression from the start, asks Sharon Greaves. Without harping on about world...

Case Study: Name of the game.(Sizzling Pub Company hired Top Banana to manage its conference)
October 25, 2004... Educating a group of 200 pub managers is no mean feat. But one agency found a novel way to hold their attention, says Kerry Baggott. Pub landlords, and ladies, are known to be a tricky bunch of delegates. Just by their nature they are...

Corporate Hospitality: That's entertainment.
October 25, 2004... There is a huge variety of hospitality events to choose from, whether they are for getting to know potential clients or building relationships. Sharon Greaves looks at some of the UK options. As companies continue to invest in corporate...

Hotel Chains Survey: Have the tables, turned.
October 25, 2004... After two years of challenging market conditions, hoteliers maybe seeing some light at the end of the tunnel. Ben Lerwill analyses CIT's annual hotels survey. The new millennium has felt at times like one long endurance test for the...

London: Keeping an eye on the capital.
October 25, 2004... Now that Visit London has pushed business tourism higher up the agenda, it's looking like 2004 will finish on a positive note. Ed Shelton reports. With London falling 13 places in the International Congress & Convention Association...

LONDON: 10 OF THE BEST - New capital venues.
October 25, 2004... With new venues opening all the time, from the ultra-modern to the traditional, groups have an even wider choice of places to meet in the capital. Round-up by Dave Saunders. BURLINGTON GARDENS ROYAL ACADEMY OF ARTS Contact: Janet...

Telford & Shropshire: Telling all.
October 25, 2004... With pounds 3.4m in EU funding at its disposal, Telford is hoping to build on a record year that saw it host 150 per cent more events. Ginny McGrath reports. Telford has battled hard to position itself alongside the major UK conference...

UK Golf: Doing the rounds.
October 25, 2004... Meeting on the golf course is one of the oldest methods of entertaining clients and improved facilities ensure it remains one of the best. Mark Hillsdon tours the UK to see what's available. With the popularity of spas, quad biking and...

UK Airport Hotels: 10 of the best.
October 25, 2004... Take the stress out of flying and check into a hotel close to the terminal, says Moss Murray. RADISSON SAS HOTEL, MANCHESTER AIRPORT Contact: Conference department, 0161 490 5060 Web: www.airport.manchester.radissonsas.com Number of...

Portugal: Long-term winner.
October 25, 2004... The hosts of Euro 2004 may have fallen at the final hurdle of the championships but will they take the trophy for boosting their C&I offering? Yasmin Razak reports. Four months on from Euro 2004, the host country's pride continues as the...

Portugal: Beyond Lisbon - out to the coast.(travel)
October 25, 2004... Why not try the neighbouring towns, says Yasmin Razak. Lisbon's reputation as the city by the sea has been forged by a renewed effort towards promoting the coastal region of Estoril and Cascais. While the capital has enviable...

Netherlands: Voyage of discovery.
October 25, 2004... A fam trip to the Netherlands showed a group of European buyers the many facilities available outside the capital. Sarah Wild reports. The old adage 'actions speak louder than words' has clearly been heeded by the Netherlands Board of...

Qatar: A cultural exchange.
October 25, 2004... The booming oil and gas business in Qatar has provided capital to build a host of luxurious facilities. Ben Lerwill looks at how the state is developing into a viable C&I destination. If the progress of the MICE industry depends on...

Venue Focus: In association with www.venue-directory.co.uk.(Directory)
October 25, 2004... FAIRMOUNT CHATEAU DOES A DOUBLE ON SPACE Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, located within Canada's Rocky Mountain Parks, has doubled its meeting space with the launch of a new $65m (u28m) facility. The six-storey Mount Temple Wing provides an...

Diary: Let's go to ... Tunxi.
October 25, 2004... OK, hit me. I'm bored of the Dubais and Monacos of this world. Just as well. No playground of the rich and spoilt, this - we're off to Tunxi. Ooh, China. Stunning natural vistas, depths of imperial culture, and just the slightest...

Diary: How we kitted out our pad with hotel extras.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Diary has to admit to having snaffled away the odd bottle of hotel shampoo on its travels, but it was still shocked to peruse the findings of First Option's latest survey. A whopping 61per cent of Americans nab toiletries, and that's just the...

Diary: Born too late to cash in.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Sri Lankan Airlines (SLA) has come up with a jaunty way of marking its silver anniversary. Anyone born or married on its day of conception, 1 September 1979, is eligible for a hefty discount on air tickets to the island. The spirit should be...

Diary: Confessions of an event planner.(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Why is it that American clients seem to only be able to work in dollars? I was recently driving home late when my mobile rang. The US client wanted to know why the budget I had just submitted was a third more expensive than the same...

Diary: Competition.
October 25, 2004... Each month, CIT tests your observational skills. This month, readers can win a fantastic hamper from the luxury Elysium Resort, Cyprus containing E'SPA products from the hotel's Opium Health Spa - a treatment voucher, fine olive oil, a bottle...

Diary: Pro-active.(Kerry Baggott appointed as editor of CIT magazine)(Brief Article)
October 25, 2004... Never slow to accept a free drink, the great, the good and the thirsty of the C&I industry turned up in force to toast the appointment of new CIT editor Kerry Baggott (right). After an emotional introduction from magazine publisher, Paul...