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INDUSTRY OPTIMISM EXPECTED AT EIBTM 2002 Debbie Jackson, EIBTM's Exhibition Director said that just as the industry had supported AIME in the Asia Pacific, a major presence of European exhibitors at EIBTM reflected the optimism and confidence for the future of the industry. "The European industry is a major focus for meetings and event organisers and after a period of uncertainty, the situation has now stabilised and is looking extremely buoyant and moving forward." Hosted buyers and trade visitors to EIBTM will also benefit from a range of innovative ideas including a new seminar program especially designed for association executives, a new exhibition area called 'Technology for Meetings', the EIBTM stage which this year will come alive with new events, and the streamlined registration and travel arrangements for hosted buyers. EUROPE PREPARES FOR EIBTM One three day visit to EIBTM 2002 will help you discover everything you need to plan your next European event. Here are just a few of the European exhibitors participating. FRANCE The Parisian Line-up First time exhibitor, PARIS EXPO, the new brand for six major convention and exhibition centres created by French property company Unibail, will be talking to EIBTM buyers about its strategic plans to meet the needs of the international meetings market. The six venues, spread across Paris, are: Porte de Versailles, with eight exhibition halls and 30 meetings rooms; Cnit La Défense, a multi-purpose centre, hosting exhibitions and conferences up to 20,000 square metres, with three amphitheatres, seating between 300 and 1,200 delegates; Carrousel du Louvre, between the Tuileries gardens and the Louvre museum, is a versatile venue for corporate events as well as conventions, trade exhibitions and receptions. Built in 1987, Espace Champerret is well known for consumer exhibitions, specialist events and meetings; the conference centre Coeur Défense, has only been operating since October 2001, but is already attracting meetings, seminars and training courses. Finally, the sixth venue, Foyer de l'Arche, which seats just under 2,000 delegates, will open towards the end of this year. Building Igloos Building igloos is for Eskimos - but not any longer! It's just one of a package of novel and fun incentives devised by Domaine de Divonne, a five-star hotel and member of the Leading Hotels of the World, situated just 15km from EIBTM, on the French border with Switzerland. Sandrine Verglas, Sales Manager at Domaine de Divonne said they are participating at EIBTM as part of their plans to develop the hotel's growing incentive business. "We are focussing on very unusual incentives, such as building igloos or sledges in winter, which are then pulled by huskies, or building boats which we then sail on the Divonne Lake", she said. "We also have a new package to help reduce stress for delegates. They can have massages during their coffee breaks, or jog in the park in the morning accompanied by a counsellor." SWITZERLAND Venue Finder Thanks to a newly developed query system known as the Venue Finder, buyers at EIBTM are now able to locate Swiss congress, conference and seminar options quickly and easily, tailored to specific requirements. The new software, developed and written by the Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, in association with web specialists at Switzerland Tourism, will be one of the topics on the agenda at EIBTM's Swiss stand. Venue Finder, including 348 hotels and congress centres and 504 congress rooms/ seminar locations, can be found at MySwitzerland.com Other notable developments that Swiss exhibitors will present include: Luzern - Another 400 billion Swiss Francs has been invested in the Luzern Culture and Convention Centre, an architectural masterpiece, situated next to the lake in the city centre. Bern - A total of 73 billion Swiss Francs has been invested in the BEA Bern Expo, with a new exhibition Hall 2, offering additional 5,900 square metres of exhibition space. GERMANY Be a Movie Star! Tom Cruise move over… leave the limelight to the real movie producers and stars of tomorrow. That's the message to EIBTM 2002 of the highly original Bavaria Movie City Geiselgasteig. Bavaria VIP Service, a business division of one of Europe's leading media corporations, Bavaria Film GmbH, has been created to allow businesses to catch a glimpse of the atmosophere behind film and television sets. Spokesperson, Karin Dafner said they pride themselves on providing highly individual programmes for companies. She said: "We cater to the individuality of our visitors and the special attention they receive is the key to the success of these programmes. You can schedule an appointment for the delegates to spend time with a make-up artist or shoot a movie of their own, complete with a copy to take home afterwards." Visitors can choose to make a crime movie, science fiction, a thriller or even a comedy. Not Bigger, Just Better Bremen Fair Centre is aiming to take one tailored message to the buyers at EIBTM this year: "Not bigger, just better". Mr. Hans Peter Schneider, Director of Messe Bremen, sums it up:" Sure, competitors in the hotly contested fair business have significantly higher square metres, but the Bremen Fair Centre makes the most of completely different talents: with the promotion of new event ideas, perfect planning, realisation of artful concepts, with clever infrastructure, individual service and a unique location right in the centre of Bremen." The Bremen team will be talking about improvements to congress equipment that will be installed and completed at the same time as this year's EIBTM. "Large congresses and conferences can easily be accommodated, "said Mr. Schneider. One Stop Shop Baden-Baden Marketing, responsible for promoting the town, close to the Black Forest, has two major new developments to talk about to EIBTM buyers this year - a new five-star hotel and a new incentive and conference brochure. The Dorint Hotel Maison Messmer recently opened in the centre of Baden-Baden with 161 rooms. The new brochure includes detailed information on a range of conference venues, locations, conference hotels and support programmes. "When it comes to incentives we are ready to deliver the extraordinary", said spokesman Ralf Schlichter. "You can bet on noble thoroughbreds during a racing event customised to a company's needs, or take to the skies in a hot-air balloon for the ultimate aerial adventure. From team building climbing exercises to raft trips and vintage car rallies, from sports or wellbeing programmes to excursions to the Alsace or the Black Forest. Incentives in Baden-Baden always leave a memorable impression." Going into Orbit In the pilot seat of a plane or in the working module of the space station ISS - these are just some of the unusual experiences that PRO TOURA EVENTS will be outlining to visitors at its stand. The company specialises in aviation and space travel, using the high-tech flight simulators of Lufthansa Flight Training in Frankfurt, Bremen and Berlin. But there are other equally enthralling choices, such as handling a super tanker, taking the helm of a high-speed ferry or wrestling the wheel of a racing car. Landmark Event High point of this year for Berlin's International Congress Centre (ICC Berlin) is the staging of the largest convention ever held in Germany - when 25,000 cardiac specialists from all over Europe will be gathering for their 24th annual congress. Christina-Editha Koch said the major event maintained ICC Berlin's outstanding track record. In total, there will be 400 conferences and meetings held during the year, with a combined attendance of 200,000. This includes 75 large-scale congresses, each with a minimum of one thousand delegates. Launch of New Luxury Resorts Specialist hotel and club owners and operators, CAA will be coming to EIBTM to talk about its new Palmerston brand of luxury resorts, with first class hotels and sports, health and leisure facilities. The Palmerston Golf Resort in Bad Saarow has been built on the shores of the Scharmutzelsee, just 45 minutes from the centre of Berlin. Championship courses have been designed by two of the world's master golfers, Arnold Palmer and Nick Faldo. There is also a 200-room hotel, dedicated conference facilities and 63 further apartments. Major Investment Completed A 5.11 million investment at the four-star Alsterhof in Berlin over the past three years has been completed in time to promote its great new assets at EIBTM 2002. The final investment means the opening of a new conference area at the top of the hotel on the seventh floor. The conference room with a capacity of 150 people and 176 square metres of space, can be divided into two rooms. The room also has a terrace and an integrated lighting system that changes colour. ITALY Serviced Offices at ATA ATA Hotels, with 18 Superior First Class hotels throughout Italy, is launching its new Business Offices concept at EIBTM 2002. "This concept is quite new in Italy and allows a client to rent a fully furnished and equipped office for an hour, 24 hours, a month or even one year", said Massimo Medri, Director of Sales. All the offices have state of the art technology and video conferencing and are linked to rooms for training, meetings and conferences. Multilingual secretaries and personal assistance service are also on hand to help executives. Re-opening of Conference Centre The Grand Hotel Dino's Conference Centre, at Baveno re-opens just before EIBTM The conference centre, extending to more than 1500 square metres, boasts auditoriums of various sizes to accommodate between 20 and 900 delegates. In addition, there are 40 studio rooms for between five and 15 people. SPAIN Major Renovation for Sol Meliá EIBTM will be the forum for Sol Meliá to explain more about an ambitious renovation and investment programme, totalling 60,000 million pesetas, which has just been completed on more than 50 hotels in Spain, the Balearics and the Canary Islands. The renovation has been so extensive that for many, the only element of the hotel that has been retained is the name. The plan has included other company hotels in major Spanish cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Seville, Granada, Cadiz, Alicante and Zaragoza - all of which have seen a considerable increase in business travel recently. PORTUGAL Lisbon Opens New Convention Centre Developments in Lisbon, including the opening of its new convention centre in October 2001, the launch of a novel venue, one of city's oldest food markets and the completion of a new hotel by July this year, means planning for EIBTM is a busy time for Turismo Lisboa. The newly restored convention facility at Praca das Industrias in Junqueira, is the result of a joint project between the Portuguese Industry Association and Lisbon's Town Hall. The modernisation, costing €12.5 million, offers five auditoriums, 20 meeting rooms, an exhibition area of 10,000 square metres, support areas, shops and restaurants over two floors. The opening of the top floor of one of Lisbon's oldest central food markets, the Mercado da Ribeira will offer an unusual and colourful area for corporate events, while a food and flower market will continue on the ground floor. The next hotel to be opened in Lisbon is the 259-room Opera Hotel, expected to be completed in July this year. The hotel is owned by the Portuguese hotel group, Vila Galé, which has 11 hotels located from the Algarve to Porto. AUSTRIA In Focus Austria, which last year earned an estimated 14.9 billion ATS from the meetings and incentive industry, is making elaborate preparations for this year's EIBTM, which the country considers a "marketing highlight". Representing some 550 suppliers in more than 240 cities, with a total seating capacity of 400,000, the Austrian National Tourist Office, will focus on the range and diversity of its products. "Austria's social stability, diversity and cultural heritage make it an ideal convention and incentive destination," said Hans Hollerer from the tourist board. "Competent partners and a comprehensive offer of hotels complete the range of services. In international ranking, Austria has been among the Top Ten most popular convention destinations for years. UK Film Premiere at EIBTM Britain's range of unique venues, events and VIP packages have been captured on film for a brand new video, produced by the British Tourist Authority, to be premiered at EIBTM 2002. A range of venues and services were included - from sipping champagne while overlooking London from a private capsule on the now famous London Eye attraction to an exclusive private viewing of the crown jewels. The video encompasses Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. "This is just a glimpse into the many options available here in the UK", said Adam Bates, BTA's Head of Business Tourism. The video will get its first showing at a special BTA reception on Tuesday 21 May at EIBTM, followed by an official launch of the Britain Pavilion. Innovative Showcasing A trend-setting, interactive CD, which can be transformed into a powerful planning tool, will be demonstrated by the ICC (International Convention Centre), Birmingham during EIBTM. The system is believed to be the first of its kind in the conference industry. Video clips, animated three-dimensional plans and images help bring the venue and its facilities to life on screen. The full potential though is only realised when the customer is given a password to activate the planning function. The 'unlocked' area provides everything a conference organiser needs, from order forms and checklists to maps and high resolution pictures for event literature. Nick Waight, Director of Conference Sales, said:" Electronic brochures have been around for several years and everyone is familiar with them. We have taken the concept a big step further." Opening of the Darwin Centre The new Darwin Centre, opening in September this year at London's Natural History Museum will be the subject of much discussion at EIBTM. Diane Waldron, Conference and Events Manager said that although the centre will be open to the public during the day, the venue will be available to host dinners and corporate receptions in the evening. It can accommodate up to one hundred guests for dinner or 150 for a reception. "This exciting futuristic building will safeguard the museum's precious collections for generations, providing state of the art facilities for scientific research", said Ms. Waldron. BIC Aims to Keep Top Spot The Bournemouth International Centre (BIC), recognised as one of the UK's premier conference and exhibition venues, has embarked on a continuous programme of upgrades and improvements and services to help it maintain its top spot. A new £30,000 infrared deaf-loop system, for example, is currently being installed into the BIC Pavilion complex. The system operates by relaying sound directly by line-of-sight and can be used by the hearing-impaired, either with a headphone receiver or a loop necklet - both of which are available at the venue. Clive Tyers, Head of Conferences and Exhibitions said that business had been brisk. The coastal resort of Bournemouth has won some exciting new business and achieved a high number of repeat bookings recently." A Royal Welcome London's Queen Elizabeth 11 Conference and Convention Centre is keen to communicate its latest developments and improvements at EIBTM. For example, visitors entering the building are greeted with fixed VIP lights that pan round the lobby, displaying a company logo; and a new private dining club has been established for company executives wanting to talk business, while at the same time keeping in touch with their offices. Launch of Conference Packages Elite Hotels, the independent hotel group which includes three award winning country house and coastal location hotels in the south of England, is to launch a range of conference packages at EIBTM. Graeme Bateman, Managing Director of Elite Hotels said that his company aim is to provide event organisers with a creative solution to team building and motivation. He said: "Our three hotels provide the perfect platform for companies who wish to incorporate an active element to their conference." Hotel of the Year Eastbourne's five-star Grand Hotel will be taking the opportunity at EIBTM to discuss just why they have been named as one of the Hotels of the Year in the new and prestigious 'Which? Hotel Guide 2002'. The Grand, recently refurbished, is one of just four hotels nationwide to win the 'Coastal Corker' accolade that has gone to the best seaside hotels, providing all round excellence. Stop Off For Stansted Historic Down Hall Country House Hotel, dating back to 1540, has got the welfare of business travellers in mind. The hotel has launched a special overnight rate for visitors flying out of nearby Stansted Airport. The cost is from £75 per person sharing a double room or £95 in a single room. Taste of Scotland The Scottish Convention Bureau and its partners will be hosting a traditional Scottish evening for Hosted Buyer groups during EIBTM at Perle du Lac Restaurant, Geneva on 22 May. There will be Scottish entertainment as well as a few surprises ! Creativity Wins One of the most successful DMC's on the island of Cyprus - OM Destination Management is gearing up to talk to EIBTM visitors about how creativity has been the key to its growth. "Creativity is the name of the game", said Company PR Director, Myrto Toufexi Kleovoulou, " and that is what we will be keen to communicate at EIBTM." The latest theme events to become popular are based on the customs, traditions and history of Cyprus. For example the Medieval Feast is located in a real medieval castle and the Village Festival at the cobbled square of a mountain village. Team building activities include the Boat Building event, where delegates use their technical and creative skills to construct their own boat or raft to float on water. Or the Bridge Building event that requires delegates to ensure a 4X4 jeep can pass on top of a wooden bridge. SLOVENIA In Celebration The Grand Hotel Union in Slovenia's capital, Ljubljana, will be in party mood when the team come to EIBTM, 2002. The four-star hotel, with its state of the art conference centre, celebrates its one hundredth birthday in two years time. But May is also a significant month for the hotel, when it will be offering expanded facilities with an increase from 12 to 23 conference and banqueting rooms, equipped with the latest technology and air conditioning. Five Star Convention Centre A month before EIBTM, the five-star Habakuk located on the slopes of the Pohorje Hills, at Maribor will be launching its own modern congress centre. The centre with more than 3,000 square metres of space, will accommodate nearly 900 delegates for conferences and exhibitions. The hotel offers 91 double rooms, four suites and six apartments with 24-hour room service. A further 40 rooms are soon to be completed. Among the many activities offered to guests include skiing, cross country skiing, tobogganing, horse riding, mountain biking, paragliding, hiking, cycling and archery. |
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