Xenios September

www.xeniosworld.com E-magazine & Guide for the MICE & Tourism Professionals

DESTINATIONS

MEETINGS & INCENTIVES

EXHIBITIONS

SP A RESOR TS

V ol. 13

No 4

World Travel Awards North & Central America winners unveiled TEN PERCENT RISE IN WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS VOTING REGISTRATIONS

Industry Leaders and Financial Experts Focus on 2010 at WTM Vision

International Meeting Statistics for the Year 2008

Around the world in 4 days Explore a world of business opportunities at WTM 2009 World Travel Market cemented its position as the premier global event for the travel industry with a massive 11% increase in visitor attendance and a 4% rise in exhibiting companies in 2008. Be part of an even bigger World Travel Market this year and: • • • • •

Shape your business future with global travel and tourism updates Conduct more business Meet new contacts Expand into new markets Take part in an array of high calibre seminars, conferences and events

ExCeL London 9-12 Nov 2009 Register for free entry at www.wtmlondon.com/xenios Official Supporting Publication

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Where The World Meets

The Global Meetings & Incentives Exhibition Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

1 - 3 December 2009

www.eibtm.com

The new Elicium: The RAI’s innovative and eco-friendly eye catcher

Heading for new record year for congresses in August to take part in a major library event and discuss issues such as internationalisation and content sharing.

2010 looks like being the best year ever for the congress city of Göteborg. To date over 20 major congresses have been booked, with more than 165,000 delegates. That’s more than twice as many congress delegates as this year.

With the opening of the RAI Elicium on Tuesday 29 September 2009 by His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, Amsterdam RAI will cement its leading position among Europe’s conference centres. By adding the Elicium to the pre-existing complex, the RAI can now justifiably claim to be ‘Europe’s largest conference centre’ in terms of the number of available rooms, surpassing well-known conference cities such as Berlin and Vienna. And the opening of the Elicium completes Amsterdam RAI’s six-year, 110-million-euro investment programme in new construction and upgrades.

The RAI Elicium is the new contemporary face of Amsterdam RAI. Its striking design comes from the boards of the Dutch government’s former chief architect Mels Crouwel. As well as enriching the RAI itself, this innovative building is also a major addition to the Amsterdam landscape. The new futuristic structure connects the various parts of Amsterdam RAI and was built with the very latest environmental technologies such as a climate façade and thermal storage 187 metres below the ground.

International focus With the construction of the Elicium, the RAI makes a clear statement of intent when it comes to attracting leading events in Amsterdam. The organisation has chosen for a qualitative expansion at its current location rather than a major new development of hall complexes. This allows Amsterdam RAI to increase its focus on facilitating the type of large, international, multi-day events that are of such importance to the Netherlands.

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The largest congress of all in 2010 is the EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology) Congress, which is one of the largest ever to be held in Göteborg and is expected to attract 9,000 delegates from all over Europe between 6 and 9 October.

Delegates to this congress alone are expected to account for a total of 27,000 hotel nights and spend approximately SEK 100 million during their visit.

The latest new congress next year is the World Library and Information Congress, IFLA 2010.

Around 3,000 delegates will meet for five days

This congress may be regarded as a real feather in our cap, as Göteborg had to take over from Brisbane, Australia at very short notice.

The five largest congresses in Göteborg in 2010: • ESHG – European Society of Human Genetics (11-15 June) 1,500 delegates • FEBS – Federation of European Biochemical Societies (27 June-2 July) 2,500 delegates • SICOT – Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie (30 August3 September) 1,200 delegates • IFLA – World Library and Information Congress 2010 (10-15 August) 3,000 delegates • EADV – European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (6-9 October) 9,000 delegates • ECTRIMS – European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (13-16 October) 5,500 delegates www.svenskamassan.se

Plan a meeting of excellence in Athens

If you’re looking for an inspirational destination, an award winning hotel, extensive and flexible conference facilities and a central location that allows delegates to enjoy enriching experiences, then the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens is the number one choice for you.

Awarded Greece’s Leading Business Hotel year after year, the hotel offers state of the art facilities including the grandest column free ballroom in the city that holds up to 2,500 delegates and 35 fully equipped break out rooms.

The hotel has also acquired management of the Ethniki Conference Centre and features a 2,000sqm rooftop with stunning views so you can plan your next meeting or event where the possibilities are endless.

Back at the hotel, delegates can relax and unwind in the recently refurbished deluxe rooms and suites, browse the 350 works of Modern Greek Art displayed in the hotel, savour succulent Mediterranean cuisine, or indulge the senses at the I-SPA VIP Suite. At the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens we know only the very best will do.

15th World Route Development Forum -Airlines honour AIA with first place in Europe Athens International Airport (AIA) is once again the winner of the Routes Airport Marketing Awards in the Europe category.

AIA was awarded in the framework of World ROUTES 2009, the biggest gathering of airports and airlines, held in Beijing, from September 12-15. This time airlines from across the globe distinguished AIA for supporting their route development consistently and dynamically, through the airport’s wide-scale innovative marketing programmes.

During tough economic times, this new distinction has a special significance for Athens International Airport: In 2009, AIA was the only European airport with increased number of frequencies, with its airline marketing programmes having so far brought 12 new airlines to Athens in 2009 (Air Arabia, Baboo, Cimber Sterling, Libyan. Lvov, Transavia, Atlant-Souyz Airlines, Athens Airways, Etihad, Pegasus, Hellenic Imperial and Sun Express) and 8 new international destinations (Nice, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Tripoli, Benghazi, Casablanca, Izmir, Krasnodar).

Triple success for Vienna in congress acquisition ing in Vienna in 2006, will be holding its congress at the Reed Exhibitions Congress Center from April 13 through 18. The association’s second “appearance” in Vienna was decided upon at very short notice after the original destination became too small for around 7,000 delegates who had already registered for the congress. Thanks to the smooth cooperation between the Vienna Tourist Board’s Convention Bureau, the local hotel trade and Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, it was possible to react fast enough to secure this event for Vienna.

Vienna has successfully acquired three major international congresses that will be held at the Messe Wien Exhibition & Congress Center, the Austria Center Vienna and the Hofburg Vienna in the years 2010, 2011 and 2013.

In 2010 the European Association for the Study of the Liver, which held its fi rst meet-

MeetingMetrics Releases New Video Details of Online Session Evaluation Tools New York, NY, September, 2009 MeetingMetrics has just released a new information video for association education directors and meeting managers showing details of their upgraded online session evaluation tools in action.

"By streamlining and automating the evaluation process, we have managed to eliminate most staff time and outside resource costs while delivering a complete set of professional session evaluation reports as well as CEU validation reports," explains Ira Kerns, MeetingMetrics Managing Director.

The video shows the new streamlined survey participant experience, details of the automated online report center and how the online system delivers PDF reports by email directly to session speakers, education executives and association leadership within minutes. A link to the new information video is available via email request to info@meetingmetrics.com or by contacting Ira Kerns directly at 212-426-2333.

More information is available at www.meetingmetrics.com

MPI and CIC to Partner on Enhancement of CMP Credential

DALLAS (September 24, 2009) –Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Convention Industry Council (CIC) today announced a plan to upgrade the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation as an important and consistent global certification for the meetings industry. MPI will make an investment in the CMP program Also for the second time, ISMB/ECCB, the joint meeting of the International Society for to ensure its ongoing relevance amidst increasing performance Computational Biology (ISCB) and expectations on meeting and the European Conference on Computational Biology is returning to Vienna. 1,500 to 2,000 event professionals and also to make the CMP more globally scientists will focus on this topic from July 17 through 20, 2011 in the Austria available.

Center Vienna. Steven Leard, conference “Enhancing the relevance and manager of the International Society for global availability of the CMP proComputational Biology which is organising this conference in Vienna, commented on the gram is a critical next step in the ongoing development of the reasons for coming back to Vienna: meeting and events industry,” „ In 2007 our experience with the Austria said Bruce MacMillan, president Center Vienna and the Viennese hotel indusand CEO of MPI. “As meeting try were so excellent that returning to and event professionals face Vienna was obvious. Another argument was increasing challenges to deliver the additional wish to experience Vienna as elevated performance results, city again, the survey amongst the MPI believes it is imperative to attendees which was conducted in 2007 invest in the future of our professhowed that about 78% would be happy to sionals and the contribution they return to Vienna.“ make to global business with the CMP positioned as a major eleA combined conference has been booked at ment in our Knowledge Plan.” the Hofburg Vienna from June 30 through July 3, 2013. The International Society In the current economic environfor Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research (ISSTDR) and the International Union against ment, expectations on the core skills of meeting and event proSexually Transmitted Infections fessionals are elevating, with (IUSTI) will be holding a joint congress, more emphasis placed on meetwhere to 1,000 researchers are expected to ing effectiveness and return on travel to Vienna for. Vienna was able to objectives and investments. win the event in the face of competition against Budapest, thanks to, amongst others, MPI’s investment will support CIC’s efforts to enhance the to a convincing presentation given by existing CMP curriculum to reflect Professor Angelika Stary, Chairperson of the the heightened business expecSexually Transmitted Diseases and tations now thrust on business Dermatological Microbiology project group and meeting professionals. of the Austrian Society for Dermatology and Venerology, and her deputy Claudia HellerWith over 14,000 meeting proVitouch. fessionals carrying the designation in 35 countries and territoAccording to Christian Mutschlechner, ries, CMP is the most widely recDirector of the Vienna Tourist Board’s ognized certification in the meetConvention Bureau, these three events ings industry. With the industry’s represent a total of around 50,000 rapid globalization, the demand overnights for Vienna and will contribute for the CMP standard in markets some 25 million Euros to the Austrian gross such as Europe, Middle-East, domestic product.

Africa and Asia-Pacific continues to escalate and the investment

by MPI will expand access to CMP.

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Fifty-three participants from 17 different countries came to Bolzano/Bozen in Italy to follow the 23rd ECM Summer School (29th August – 2nd September 2009).

ECM Summer School is an introductory training course designed for a wide spectrum of professionals working in all sectors of the meetings industry (convention bureaux, tourist offices, congress and conventions centres, hotels, airlines, DMCs, PCOs and Meeting Planners).

Although the educational programme contains core elements, which remain the same, the ECM Summer School doesn’t ignore current trends and latest developments of the meetings and tourism industry. Therefore the 23rd ECM Summer School was, for the first time in its history, organised in an environmentallyfriendly way.

“Green meetings are only possible in a territory that is favourable to them. Here in Bolzano, the “green” approach is very much in our DNA. We have a relatively small city, right in between the mountains so our resources are limited and we know it. Focusing our work on the domain of sustainable meetings and environmentally sustainable venues is only a logical result of our geographical situation,” explains Pier Paolo Mariotti, CMP, CMM, Meeting Manager of the EURAC convention center.

In its 24th year, the ECM Summer School will be hosted by the city of Tampere, Finland, from 28th August to 1st September 2010.

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ITTFA Member SATTE Announces Co Branded Show with ITB ITB Berlin, a product of Messe Berlin, has announced a co-branded show with SATTE for 2010.

ITB's decision to endorse SATTE is a reflection of its commitment to the India market, indeed to the entire South Asian region. It is recognition of the power of the Indian traveller and also recognition for India as a major generator on the travel and tourism circuit of Asia. It also recognises the leadership position of SATTE as the premier tourism product of the region.

SATTE and ITB signed an MoU on August 13th in New Delhi. On behalf of Messe Berlin, Dr. Martin Buck, director, Travel and Logistics was here in New Delhi for this big event. He confirmed that this is a step towards recognizing the importance of the growing might of Indian Tourism.

ITB has been keen to increase its international presence and to look beyond Germany. Last year, ITB embarked upon its maiden show in Singapore and launched the first edition of ITB Asia. A co-branded show in India is a big

recognition of the Indian market's potential and of SATTE in particular.

Asked to clarify how the Singapore model would be different from its endorsement of SATTE in New Delhi, Dr. Buck said: "SATTE and ITB Asia are product offers that cater to different market needs. Some buyers/sellers will attend one of the two and some will attend both."

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Navin Berry, chief co-ordinator, SATTE, exuded confidence in this new partnership as "it opens the doors for SATTE to acquire more international exposure, both for buyers as well as sellers. ITB will be extending its marketing muscle to SATTE and we expect this to translate into a more comprehensive international show. We expect more quality content enhancement from ITB and for us this is indeed both a recognition as well as a challenge to achieve new goals."

This new agreement will secure a more worldclass experience at the 17th annual edition of SATTE from 28-30 January, 2010.

WorldSkills Competition to be Hosted in Germany in 2013 Leipzig, 22 September 2009. On 1st September at 3:46 CET the relieving message from Calgary arrived. Wolfgang Marzin, Leipzig Trade Fair's CEO, jubilated in a text message: "We have won!" Now it is a fact: the WorldSkills Competition 2013 is going to be held in Germany - in Leipzig and the Leipzig Trade Fair and Exhibition Centre.

With a courageous presentation Leipzig's Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung, SkillsGermany chairman Dr. Theodor Niehaus and Leipzig Trade Fair's CEO Wolfgang Marzin had before beaten the last rival Paris and won the delegates from 45 WorldSkills International member countries for the city of Leipzig. "We had been excellently prepared", said Wolfgang Marzin: "We are certain that Germany and especially Leipzig and the Central German region are the ideal place to host the WorldSkills Competition 2013. We are located in the centre of the European Union, have excellent premises, an outstanding service and we are very experienced in handling international events."

Leipzig's Lord Mayor Burkhard Jung says: "This major event - we may call it the Olympics of vocational training - will be very beneficial for the culture, the hotels and restaurants as well as for the international reputation and the future development of the Leipzig region. Indirect returns of the mega event can amount to about 50 million Euros. It means an invaluable international publicity for the city. We will welcome 200,000 visitors from all over the world and with the future mega theme we will move into the focus of young people. This will give us the chance to carry Leipzig's charm and economical potential into the world."

"It was no walk-over since France was a strong and professional competitor", said Dr. Theodor Niehaus, chairman of SkillsGermany. "The German delegation was overjoyed.

Thanks go to all participating partners. The WorldSkills Competition 2013 will give vocational training in Germany strong impetus."

Liverpool’s Arena and Convention Centre, which forms part of the city’s iconic waterfront alongside the Three Graces is looking on number three as a lucky number, 09.09.09 A palindrome day where the day, date and year all match has thrown up some remarkable coincidences of the number 3 at ACC Liverpool: Liverpool; voted number 3 by Conde Nast Traveller’s super chic readers as the ‘UK city they would like to visit for a short break’.

3rd visit for Prime Minister Gordon Brown in less than a year highlighting that BT Convention Centre is at the forefront of the UK’s meeting industry.

The NHS Confederation Annual Conference, held in June 2009 at the BT Convention Centre, had an economic impact to the city estimated at £3m.

Association of Teachers and Lecturers are so impressed with the BT Convention Centre, they have booked 3 consecutive events; 2009, 2011 and 2013.

Music followers flock to the Echo Arena as Girls Aloud perform 3 gigs over a 3 week period.

Britain's biggest indoor sporting event will return to the Echo Arena for the 3rd time as the Whyte & Mackay Premier League Darts heads to Liverpool in 2010.

MAYOR OF LONDON TO OPEN 30TH WORLD TRAVEL MARKET

MPI ADDS GLOBAL TRAINING CENTER AT RYERSON UNIVERSI TY DALLAS (September 2009) Meeting Professionals International (MPI) announced today the addition of Toronto’s Ryerson University as the newest location for an MPI Global Training Center. An integral part of MPI’s Global Training, the Centers deliver elevated content on a local level for meeting and business event professionals.

Over the next two years, MPI anticipates partnering with at least 14 – 15 educational institutions worldwide similar to Canada’s widely respected Ryerson University.

Mayor of London Boris Johnson is to open the 30th World Travel Market at ExCeL - London on Monday 9 November.

The Mayor, who passionately promotes London across the world, will welcome nearly 50,000 UK and overseas visitors to the premier global event for the travel industry.

“Boris Johnson has become the face of London”, said Fiona Jeffery, Chairman of World Travel Market. “He became known to millions on television when he invited the world in Beijing to come to London for the 2012 Olympics.

“In the build-up to the next Olympics, the international travel industry is playing an important role in helping people from across the world to visit the UK for the world’s greatest sporting event “It‘s particularly appropriate that Boris will help the industry to celebrate 30 years of World Travel Market, which has not only helped bring industry professionals together to conduct business across the world, but has also served as a spotlight on the latest trends and developments.

“The industry has many challenges ahead and World Travel Market will provide a unique platform to help the industry improve, adapt and change.

Canada has a robust and powerful meetings industry. According to the Canadian Economic Impact Study, sponsored by the MPI Foundation, Canada’s meetings sector organized 671,000 meetings in 2006, welcomed 70.2 million participants, created the equivalent of 235,500 fullyear jobs, and accounted for $32.2 billion in direct spending.

As the hub of a dynamic meetings industry, Canada has the world.” attracted some of the world’s elite educators in the hospitality The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: sector.

“London has always been one of the world’s major trading posts - for thousands of years, One of the deciding factors for buyers and sellers have met here to strike MPI, when choosing a Global deals and exchange goods, ideas and informaTraining Center, is the prevalence tion. of a robust business or management school. The basis for this “The city also welcomes more international decision is based on meetings visitors than any other on the planet, so it is and events needing to be viewed entirely appropriate that the world’s travel as a business performance tool trade should continue to choose the capital for to enhance communication, their annual gathering. motivation and learning.

“Once again, you will receive the warmest of welcomes in the city that has something to offer everyone, from fine food to great evening entertainment in our theatres, bars and clubs. Enjoy your stay.”

For nearly a year the Mayor has been backing a major tourism campaign to attract domestic and overseas visitors to London. The aim of the campaign is to provide a £60 million boost to the capital’s economy by the end of 2009.

The campaign focus is on London’s unique experiences, sights and attractions.

World Travel Market’s opening ceremony with Boris Johnson takes place on Monday 9 November at Platinum Suite 4, ExCeL London at 11.30am.

The MPI Global Training Center for Meetings and Business Events at the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Ryerson University will offer a series of certificates and certifications that will allow meeting professionals to accelerate their career development by learning new, relevant skills. The center will offer globally recognized skills and competencies delivered at the local level which will then increase transferability, employability, compensation and recognition for meetings and business event professionals.

“Sustainability is now firmly at the top of the corporate agenda. Every company and organisation must seriously consider their impact on Xenios

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The Top 5 Most Dangerous Holiday Destinations UTRECHT, The Netherlands, September 17 /PRNewswire/ -All holiday goers want to enjoy a carefree time. Sadly, too often holiday goers get caught up in unsafe and unpleasant situations. The holiday review website Zoover has compiled a list of holiday destinations that are best avoided if you want to enjoy a carefree and much earned vacation.

1) Durban, South Africa In South Africa some cities are unable to guarantee your safety.

Especially the harbor city of Durban is notorious as far as personal safety goes. A. Dijkhzuizen has the following warning: 'Be careful, don't just get into a taxi.

You could get ambushed, robbed etc.

2) Rio de Janeiro, Brasil This South American metropolis is known for its criminal activity and corruption . The reason Jeroen van den Bos won't return to Rio de Janeiro, in his words, is: 'At first glance it appears to be a beautiful city but in reality it's polluted and we were robbed at gunpoint of our money, sunglasses and sports shoes in the Ipanema suburb. The police did not make us feel any better or safer'.

3) Nairobi, Kenya The capital of Kenya displays a large discrepancy between the wealthy and poor. Bert has the following to say: 'Kenya and the capital Nairobi are beautiful but terribly criminal. Make sure that you take a taxi at night or are escorted at night because 'going out' without such safety precautions is foolish'.

4) Playa el Agua, Isla Margarita This popular coastal destination is becoming increasingly unsafe.

'Very dangerous, we could not even leave our compound.

Several people were robbed, and I mean with a gun to their head', according to Wendy who spent her holiday there.

5) Caracas, Venezuela In the capital city of Venezuela, poverty is sadly the cause of much criminal activity. Tonny Oosterwaal experienced this first hand: 'I was robbed at gunpoint which caused my wife to faint', he told Zoover.

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Mobile travel services – debut at ITB Berlin Mobile communication devices represent a growth market – for the first time ITB Berlin provides mobile travel services with a broad platform Berlin, September 2009 - Mobile communication devices are becoming an increasingly dominant aspect of the global travel industry.

Business travellers as well as holidaymakers carry smartphones, mobile phones and netbooks in their hand luggage to ensure they can be reached anywhere and at any time. For the first time ITB Berlin is providing this fastgrowing market with a platform of its own, and establishing itself in the mobile travel services segment at the earliest opportunity.

There will be a centrally located presentation stage and an adjacent exhibition area, along with targeted marketing activities and a convention both for newcomers and professionals, providing trade visitors, exhibitors and the general public with expert, first-hand information.

Mobile communication devices boost efficiency and productivity on business trips, saving companies an average of 42 minutes per working day and employee. For holidaymakers

they are increasingly becoming everyday travel companions. Irrespective of the fact that nearly 25 per cent of German holidaymakers check their e-mails several times a day, mobile electronic devices are increasingly replacing traditional travel guides.

Innovative mobile phone applications and mobile internet access provide travellers with more flexible ways of obtaining directions, information and meeting people than language/travel guides, weather reports and tour organisers’ information, for example.

Tour operators, travel agencies and tourism organisations also benefit from mobile networks, as they are more able to reliably reach and talk to customers.

ITB Berlin will also be catering to the booming market for specialist software for the tourism and mobile services sector with graphic demonstrations on the presentation stage.

Examples showing that consumers are quick to accept the innovations offered them include the use of in-car sat nav devices and electronic boarding cards. Industry observers expect all airlines to be offering them by the end of 2010.

Liverpool ‘top of the class’ with corporate and association market BT Convention Centre learns of new wins in education sector Liverpool’s reputation as a conference destination is increasingly gaining worldwide attention as a series of education sector wins are announced at BT Convention Centre Liverpool, part of ACC Liverpool. Among the bookings, new account wins are as prominent as repeat business; reflecting the growing demand for both the city and the venue.

For the first time ever, the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (ISSOTL) will be holding its conference in Europe. Liverpool has been chosen as the host destination for 2010 which represents a major coup for the city and the country as previous events have been held in America, Canada and Australia. The ISSOTL conference will bring over 500 delegates to the BT Convention Centre and city for three nights.

Following suit is the National Union of Teachers (NUT), which is holding its annual conference at the BT Convention Centre Liverpool for the first time. Taking place in April 2010, the fiveday event will draw more than 1,500 teachers, government officials and media. The large size of the delegation and length of their stay will have a positive impact on the city, which is estimated to reach £2m.

Testament to BT Convention Centre Liverpool’s quality of service and product is the announcement that the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) will be returning in 2010, following a successful event in 2008. Over 500 members of the NAHT will return to the BT Convention Centre Liverpool for their two-day conference and exhibition.

Equally impressed with the venue is the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. Having held its annual four-day event for 500 in early 2009, it has contracted both 2011 and 2013 events, confirming the venue’s noted status amongst professional conference and event organisers.

Industry Leaders and Financial Experts Focus on 2010 at WTM Vision

BA and TUI Travel bosses discuss the future at the rebranded WTM Vision – The Global Economic Forum An unprecedented collection of financial experts and senior travel executives will debate the impact the worldwide financial downturn will have on the industry in 2010 in the rebranded WTM Vision – The Global Economic Forum.

Industry opinion on the best business strategies to prosper next year comes from a list of who’s who in travel and tourism comprising of; British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh TUI Travel Chief Executive Peter Long Carnival UK Chief Executive David Dingle United Nations World Tourism Organization Secretary-General Taleb Rifai Royal Caribbean Cruise Line Vice President and Managing Director Robin Shaw P&O Cruises Managing Director Carol Marlow Visit Britain Chief Executive Sandie Dawe, and Mexican Tourism Board Director Manuel Diaz-Cebrian Intercontinental Hotels Group Chief Executive Andrew Cosslett, and Taj Managing Director & CEO Raymond Bickson The panel of economic experts debating the business strategies suggested by the industry leaders is chaired by former BBC journalist and economics expert Peter Hobday.

Restatement Report, which will be unveiled at the conference.

The report looks at the impact the global financial downturn has had on growth in the travel and tourism industry.

Cox & Kings Executive Director Peter Kerkar and aviation expert John Strickland are also on the panel.

The Global Economic Forum has been rebranded to WTM Vision – The Global Economic Forum following the successful inaugural WTM Vision Conference in London this summer.

WTM Exhibition Director Craig Moyes said: “The impressive line up of industry and economic experts will give delegates some fresh thinking and innovative business ideas for 2010 and beyond.

“Experts agree travel and tourism will be on the rise again next year, just as it has in previous eras. It will not be straight forward but those companies that have survived the downturn are robust and flexible so should be in a good position to capitalise on a more promising future.”

The WTM Vision – The Global Economic Forum takes place at ExCeL- London on Thursday November 12 (Platinum Suite 4 11am – 1pm) Registration fees, including VAT, are: £70 (before September 18); £95 (before November 6); £115 (on the door).

The panel includes Nic Marks, who is founder of well-being centre nef (the new economics foundation). Marks uses an innovative Happy Planet Index to analyse economic data. He will demonstrate HPI on Euromonitor International’s latest Forecast Xenios

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...WORLD TR AVEL MARKET LEADS ...ON ALL THE TOP ISSUES ...WORLD TR AVEL MARKET

WTM predicts the next 30 years of technology innovations WORLD TRAVEL MARKET, the premier global event for the travel industry, will predict future technological developments in the travel and tourism sector as part of its 30th anniversary celebrations.

WTM’s technology programme will explore potential technological developments of the next 30 years, looking particularly at the booking process, marketing, CRM and the holidaymakers’ inresort experience.

On Thursday 12 November the Travel Technology @ WTM Seminar Programme, in association with Genesys Travel Technology Consultancy, will explore the future of travel technology with a high calibre panel of speakers, including; • Cheapflights Executive Chariman and private equity group HOWZAT Media Founder Hugo Burge • Expedia Europe Vice President of Product Strategy Graham Cook Furthermore, EyeforTravel will use its two-day WTM conference (Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 November) to focus on the increased role the mobile phone will play over the next 30 years of travel technology. For more information go to www.wtmlondon.com/ traveltech

Greece has bumper summer 2009 G

reece experienced a bumper 2009 summer with UK holidaymakers flocking to the eastern Mediterranean in their droves.

UK travel companies reported strong sales to Greece this summer flying in the face of claims UK holidaymakers were snubbing the Eurozone believing it to be too expensive.

Youtravel reported Greece as its fastest growing destination for summer 2009 with bookings for Rhodes and Crete up 27% on last year.

Youtravel Sales and Marketing Director Paul Riches said: “Greece is a stalwart of the British travel industry, it’s going to take more than currency fluctuations to stop Brits from

UK travel companies reported strong sales to Greece this summer flying in the face of claims UK holidaymakers were snubbing the Eurozone

traveling to Greece.”

Furthermore, Travel Direct revealed Greece is its leading

Greek Travel and Tourism Industry supports largest ever WTM THE GREEK TRAVEL and tourism industry was out in force at last year’s World Travel Market helping to make it the best attended event ever.

Greek visitors took part in the largest ever WTM, which included almost 100 new exhibitors taking the overall total to 5,615*. The event was so successful a massive 97% of exhibitors said they are likely to return in 2009.

WTM 2008 saw an increase of 11% of

trade visitors, industry buyers and decision makers to 26,446. More than 8,200 appointments were requested by WTM visitors, while 92 seminars, conferences and events were held over the four days attracting 5,659 delegates.

An impressive 95% of visitors said they are likely to return to WTM in 2009. *ABC Audited Figures

Stepping up to the mark AS WE GO TO PRESS, news is out that more and more Just a Drop supporters are putting their bodies and souls on the line to raise vital funds for the charity.

Next year, BBC journalists Stephen Sackur will run the London Marathon. In January 2011, Just a Drop will be represented by a Canadian team in the world famous Dakar Rally endurance race.

Furthermore, Daniela Wagner,

eWaterways’ CEO raised more than £2,000 losing weight, and in August, Ian Taplin of Rex Safaris swam across the Straits of Gibraltar in August.

For more information or to take up your own in aid of Just a Drop visit www.justadrop.org

performer accounting for 18% of overall bookings.

2009 Ministers’ Summit: Roadmap For Recovery – Sustainable Tourism in Challenging Times MORE THAN a hundred tourism ministers and senior government officials are to meet at this year’s World Travel Market to address the most far-reaching and challenging global environment ever experienced by the travel and tourism industry.

The high-level third annual United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Ministers’ Summit is on Tuesday 10 November. Delegates will be able to follow the talks on giant screens in the Central Boulevard.

For more information go to: www.wtmlondon.com/ministers

ExCeL London 9-12 Nov 2009 Register for free entry at www.wtmlondon.com/xenios

Official Supporting Publication

GENERATION Y THE FUTURE OF THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY AT EIBTM

Spacious Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas Opens in Thailand with Sensational Rates

is searching for the ‘future’ of the meetings industry through the annual Forum for Young Professionals.

The two organisations are on the look out for 20 industry professionals, 30 years of age and under, to join them from Saturday 28 to Tuesday 1 December. For information on the programme and how to apply log onto www.eibtm.com <http://www.eibtm.com> or www.iccaworld.com/dbs/fyp <http://www.iccaworld.com/dbs/fyp> or contact jill@icca.nl

Commitment to future talent through Forum for Young Professionals One of the hot issues to be tackled at this year’s EIBTM www.eibtm.com <http://www.eibtm.com> - is the growing importance within the industry of Generation Y. The three-day event in Barcelona, 1-3 December 2009, is dedicating sessions within its Professional Education to look at the needs of this dynamic generation and is also working with ICCA to continue the search for the future of the industry through its Forum For Young Professionals.

Generation Y – those born between 1977 and 1995 - are already seeing organisers look at meetings and events in different ways particularly with regard to technology; making organisers think seriously about what technologies can be used to entice them to attend and engage with their conferences, meetings, incentives and events.

With a commitment to providing best professional education, Rob Davidson, expert on the subject, Senior Lecturer in Business Travel and Tourism, University of Westminster, will be facilitating a seminar entitled “Motivating Generation Y – how you can design meetings and use technology to involve them?” This forms part of EIBTM’s Technology Hour, taking place daily.

A further Technology Hour session, led by Corbin Ball, CMP, Corbin Ball Associates will tackle the subject of ‘Social media for meetings: What are the best choices? Web 2.0, Twitter and social media are key words and products that Generation Y understand and acknowledge as useful marketing tools. This workshop reviews current social trends and helps work through the technology maze.

Forum for Young Professionals Additionally, EIBTM in conjunction with ICCA,

Key benefits for those chosen to join the Forum for Young Professionals include: · A fresh perspective on meetings management and the industry · Familiarisation with the global meetings industry and its potential young professionals · Enhanced professional skills · Connections and networks with peers from around the world · Better appreciation of different viewpoints, approaches and cultures · The experience of working in multi-cultural and buyer-supplier teams · The ability to plan a career in the industry · Knowledge of ICCA, its organisation and membership benefits · Continued motivation and enthusiasm for the industry The four-day event is to be facilitated by one of the industry’s well-known figures, Elizabeth Rich, Chief Executive of the Business Events Council of Australia. She will be joined by Rob Davidson from the University of Westminster.

Corbin Ball will return to present his popular ‘Trends in IT’ session, whilst the programme will also include a conference project, topical debates, educational sessions, networking events and a preview of EIBTM.

PHUKET, September 2009 – Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas in Thailand will open 1 December 2009 with unbeatable value rates commissionable to agents. Until 31 March, 2011 the 229 square metre two-bedroom villa will sell at Thai Baht 6,000* (US$176), the 457 square metre three-bedroom pool villa will start sell at Thai Baht 9,000* (US$265), and the 604 square metre four-bedroom pool villa will be Thai Baht 13,000* (US$382).

The prices include daily continental breakfast delivered to the villa, free WiFi internet, butler service, and complimentary transfers to the private Outrigger beach club on the pristine white sand beach at Bang Tao. The 68-villa property is located in the Laguna Phuket destination resort, which means that Outrigger guests can take advantage of over 30 food and beverage outlets, spa facilities, and the Laguna Phuket Golf Course.

Signing rights at all of these outlets will apply.

Mandy Torrens, EIBTM Exhibition Director adds: “This initiative, together with our other seminars dedicated to Generation Y, is all about the future of the industry which relies on young professionals to make their mark.

With ICCA we are committed long term to help At Outrigger Laguna Phuket educate and develop the obvious talent that Resort and Villas, guests can exists around the world.” walk a few metres to their own all-day international restaurant Selection to the Forum is based on country of and relax at the adjacent freeorigin, current employment and a short indus- form swimming pool. The propertry essay. Applicants must be reasonably flu- ty has its own gym. Plans are in ent in English and either work for an ICCA place to hold picnics, jazz conmember or someone within their organisation certs, barbecues and children's must be registered to attend EIBTM as a activities in the property's two Hosted Buyer. large park areas.

For further information on EIBTM’s professional education programme, Forum for Young Professionals, Technology Hour or for details of how to pre register for the event log onto www.eibtm.com <http://www.eibtm.com>

The special opening rates at Outrigger Laguna Phuket Resort and Villas, which are valid until 31 March 2011, can be booked online at www.outrigger.com.

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IMEX – delighted finalist in prominent UFI Annual ICT Awards

The organising team behind global meetings, incentive travel and events exhibition, IMEX, was delighted to be one of four finalists invited to compete for this year’s Global Association of the Exhibition Industry’s (UFI) "Best Innovative Web-based Applications for Exhibitors" Award by the UFI ICT Committee.

All finalists were invited to Madrid to present their case to the UFI ICT Focus Group meeting on 23rd September. Voting was decided by audience members following live 15-minute presentations. The eventual winners were Feria de Madrid.

Over the past two years IMEX has designed and developed three unique online tools, all intended to enhance communication, improve value and increase the amount of business conducted between buyers and exhibitors on the show floor. In 2009 IMEX proved it could generate measurably more new business by investing in technological development and innovation. As a result buyers and exhibitors exchanged 11,500 pre-appointment messages. Individual one-to-one business appointments rose by 6 per cent compared to the previous year, and 67 per cent of exhibitors surveyed immediately after the show agreed the enhanced IMEX website improved their performance at the exhibition.

Says IMEX Senior Manager - Online Services, Christopher Perrins: "Two years ago we made the decision to concentrate time and development resources on the IMEX online experience, knowing that, if we did it correctly, we could empower exhibitors to achieve more business with buyers. However, we also recognised that we needed to devote resources, both online and through face-to-face education so that exhibitors fully understood the potential of these improvements to impact on their appointment and new business generation at the show.

"We were delighted with the results and the feedback this year.

Our nomination for the UFI Award proves just how far we have come. The way that IMEX operates online is now critical to our success and a clear source of competitive advantage."

Rather than employing a traditional buyer/exhibitor matching service, IMEX’s three tools - the Virtual Exhibition; its Contact the Buyers Guide and the Online Diary and Integrated Messaging Service - provide more sophisticated, transparent and intuitive targeting.

Says Carina Bauer, IMEX Marketing and Operations Manager: "Together these tools combine to deliver exceptional communications and business power that’s significantly different from anything else in our industry."

Commenting on the difference using these new tools made to their ability to generate business at IMEX, one exhibitor said: "Before the training, I had performed some pre-show marketing and we had about 5 appointments. Afterwards, I came back to the office and did everything else.… and we now have 31 appointments which we are absolutely delighted with!"

Other finalists in the UFI "Best Innovative Web-based Applications for Exhibitors" Award were VNU Exhibitions Europe, Evenium and Feria de Madrid.

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IT&CMA and CTW 2009’s a grand feast of opportunities

Asia-Pacific’s premier Doublebill event grows with increased MICE and corporate travel delegates and sold out exhibition floor Singapore, 25 September 2009 – TTG Asia Media, the organiser of the combined IT&CMA (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Asia) and CTW (Corporate Travel World) Asia-Pacific, is pleased to announce that the tradeshow has maintained its foothold as the region’s premier MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, Exhibitions) and Corporate Travel event in the light of a recovering global economy, with steady increase in attendance by MICE and corporate travel delegates and an exhibition space sell-out.

Into its 17th and 12th year respectively, IT&CMA and CTW will be held at the Bangkok Convention Centre (BCC) at CentralWorld, Thailand, from 6 to 8 October 2009. More than 2,000 leading industry professionals from Asia-Pacific and the rest of the world are expected to attend the Doublebill event (two shows in one location), driven by the theme “Feast on Asia!”.

For a start, buyers and exhibitors in key markets have maintained their support and even expanded in several areas.

Darren Ng, Managing Director of TTG Asia Media, commented, “The implementation of strategic marketing and partnerships with industry partners has led to an increase in the number of MICE and corporate travel buyers from Australia, Belgium, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Korea, Mexico and Spain.

The Doublebill event will also be welcoming new buyer delegates from Qatar, Romania and Tunisa. With a strong pool of close to 350 buyers, sellers can be assured of a fruitful time at the event.”

The corporate travel managers/planners’ segment has recorded a 25 per cent increase from last year as hosting privileges are extended to corporate travel professionals outside the AsiaPacific region for the first time. Participants from countries with established business travel markets, such as Germany, Switzerland and the US, will be present.

Apart from achieving a full-house exhibition floor, IT&CMA and

CTW 2009 has garnered strong support not only from our longtime exhibitors, but also the new industry players. Country and state pavilions, namely Thailand, Macau, Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Singapore, The Philippines, India, Taiwan, Sabah, Brunei, Indonesia, Busan, Spain, Busan and Hawaii, have all returned in the 5,500 sqm show floor this year.

Host country, Thailand, leads with the biggest booth space of 300 sqm and brings in 81 co-exhibitors, followed by Macau with 260 sqm. Seoul Tourism Organization, which was under the Korean pavilion in 2008, will enthrall with their own 60 sqm pavilion.

CTW exhibitors will benefit from the value-added services on top of their existing CTW exhibiting package this year, which includes an extra thirty-minute presentation at the CTW Technology Lounge (Booth E19), to engage with delegates. This initiative is in addition to the booth space and table-top in the dedicated one-hour CTW Networking Session with corporate travel managers/planners. The additional presentations will be held over two days, on 7 and 8 October at the Exhibition Hall, Level 22, BCC. The Technology Lounge is open to all delegates, and presenters may also invite their guests and clients.

IT&CMA and CTW will also bring delegates in the association and corporate travel professions improved educational benefits this year, as a result of international partnerships with recognised institutions. IT&CMA delegates will gain from the enhanced conference and educational content with the launch of the “Association Professional Competencies” course leading to the Professional Association Executive (PAE 101 – Part 1) certificate; a joint collaboration between TTG Asia Media, Australian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) and Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE). CTW Asia-Pacific is also pleased to present the “Fundamentals of Business Travel” starter course leading to the Corporate Travel Expert (CTE®) designation for the second year, conducted by National Business Travel Association (NBTA).

The courses will be held between 5 and 6 October 2009. Visit www.itcma.com.sg for more information.

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IMEX Wild Card invites new destinations to join world stage

IMEX 2010.

Emerging destinations in the international meetings and incentives market can now submit applications to become a Wild Card entrant at

Several previous winners have gone on to become exhibitors in their own right and owe much to their start in the global meetings and events market to their first exposure at IMEX. Winners will receive free exhibition space within the Wild Card Pavilion at the world-leading trade show, which takes place at Messe Frankfurt on 25 – 27 May 2010. Winners also benefit from access to discounted airfares, two complimentary hotel rooms for three nights in Frankfurt plus free tickets to the IMEX Gala Dinner. Additionally, IMEX will provide marketing support to assist winners in presenting their destination to the audience of international buyers both at the show and as part of the online exhibition on the IMEX website throughout the year.

Carina Bauer, IMEX marketing and operations director, commented: “The Wild Card scheme offers the chance for new destinations to launch into the international meetings and incentives market with a bang! Exhibiting at IMEX provides one of the best opportunities to showcase all that a destination has to offer and meet with the key decision makers in events planning from all around the globe. For new destinations, this presents an unrivalled chance to begin countless new business relationships that could well lead to a packed events diary for the rest of the year.”

To qualify for a winning place, Wild Card entrants need to justify their potential as a brand new meetings and incentive travel destination. Places are also open to new convention and conference centres, either currently in development or which have been open for less than three years.

None of the entrants are permitted to have exhibited at a major meetings or incentive travel trade fair before. They also have to demonstrate that they have the commitment and capacity to handle new business and that their destination has the infrastructure to support the unique demands of the meetings and incentive travel market.

Carina Bauer added: “IMEX will provide winners of the Wild Card with the support and guidance needed to catch the eye and buying power of some of the thousands of visitors who attend the show. By supporting emerging destinations IMEX continues to invest in the future success of the industry and proof of its value comes from the fact that many past winners have elected to keep coming back to IMEX year after year.”

Winners of the 2009 IMEX Wild Card included the Cook Islands, Novi Sad – Vojvodina, located on the Danube in Serbia, Tianjin Economic – Technological Development Area (TEDA) in China and the Masurian Conference Centre, Zamek Ryn, Poland.

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2nd edition of the Wine Pleasures International Wine Tourism Conference & Workshop 2010 in North America and Asia and by 16% in

UK hoteliers slash room prices Cost of hotel rooms in UK down by 16% The average price of a UK hotel room was 16% lower in the first half of 2009, compared to the same period in 2008, according to the the latest Hotels.com Hotel Price Index. Britons paid on average £83 for a hotel room at home between January and June 2009, down from £99 a year before.

UK prices fell even further for US and European travellers, who had the benefit not only of the price cuts but also the weak Pound. American travellers enjoyed a fall of 28% in the average UK hotel price paying just $165 a night, while travellers from the Eurozone paid €101 for a night in a UK hotel, a drop of 22% year on year.

David Roche, Worldwide, says:

President,

Hotels.com

“These are by far the most significant movements in prices that we have seen since Hotels.com started the Hotel Price Index in 2004. Hotel prices have fallen across the UK, a reflection of just how deep hoteliers have had to dig in their efforts to maintain occupancy.

We were expecting 2009 to be a year of dramatic price cuts, and so far it has been.”

The Hotels.com Hotel Price Index (HPI) tracks the real prices paid per hotel room (rather than advertised rates) for 78,000 hotels across 13,000 locations around the world. The latest HPI looks at prices from January to June 2009, compared to the same period in 2008.

In cities from Aberdeen to York, British hotels have had to lower rates by up to 33% in a bid to maintain occupancy levels and fill rooms.

While hoteliers in London cut prices less than those elsewhere in the country, prices were still down by 12% year-on-year in the capital.

Southampton hoteliers cut prices to the greatest extent (33%), followed closely by hoteliers in Belfast who cut their prices by 29%. In fact there were prices fall in every major British city analysed by Hotels.com, with hoteliers in seven destinations cutting prices by one fifth (20%) or more.

David Roche continues: “Hotel room supply in London is rising fast ahead of the Olympics, with room numbers increasing by 6% in the last 18 months. This growth in supply, together with the economic downturn has meant hoteliers have had to cut their rates even further than they did at the end of last year.”

On average, hotel prices around the world fell by 17% in the first six months of the year compared to the previous year. The Hotel Price Index was down to 101 points in June 2009, almost down to the level of 100 points at which it was started in January 2004.

Hotel prices dropped across every major region, down by 18% in Latin America, by 17%

Europe. With the exception of the Caribbean (where prices fell a more modest 2% year-onyear), each market saw prices fall at their sharpest rate since 2004, when the HPI was started.

Average room prices and changes in the first half of 2009 for major European On February 1st 2010 over 200 country destinations wine tourism professionals from around the world will descend on the little know Catalan village of La Beguda Baixa in the Penedès Aver Countr % a g e y & Cava wine region of Catalonia, Change price Averag Spain for the 2nd edition of the yearp e r e price Wine Pleasures International room p e r on-year p e r r o o m Wine Tourism Conference and night p e r Workshop which will be held over J a n night four days at the Barceló Hotel June J a n 2008 J u n e Montserrat.

2009

Sweden Denmark Norway Italy Finland France Switzerland Netherlands Greece Belgium Germany Austria United Kingdom Spain Portugal Ireland Hungary Poland Czech Republic

£126 £112 £109 £104 £102 £98 £98 £97 £93 £91 £85 £83 £83 £82 £80 £74 £73 £70 £68

£130 £118 £126 £106 £106 £93 £104 £104 £91 £88 £88 £91 £99 £87 £81 £84 £75 £70 £73

-3% -5% -14% -2% -4% 5% -7% -6% -2% 3% -4% -9% -16% -6% -1% -11% -3% -1% -7%

As well as being packed with over 40 talks, workshops, symposia and posters, the event offers a state of the art exhibition of wine tourism related products, as well as a rich “After Conference” social programme with a distinctly Catalan flavour. This includes wine tastings, winery visits, cultural wine related visits and wine and food matching.

For those who want to delve further into Catalan wines, a highlight this year is drop-in Catalan taster sessions run by winemakers. These will provide an informal opportunity to learn about the great variety of wines from Catalunya. By the time they bid farewell, all delegates will have had a chance to taste wines made from local grape varieties such as Xarel.lo, Parellada, Macabeo, Carinyena, Malvasia de Sitges and Montonega.

To date 27 different countries are represented at the event, making it a truly international occasion, with delegates from Australia to USA, Norway to Italy.

This is in line with the aims of the organisation of linking and supporting wine tourism professionals worldwide.

Day 4 of the event is closed to the public and open for International Tour Operators to hold private pre-arranged meetings with wine tourism experience providers from around the world within a Workshop format.

The purpose of the workshop is for both parties to increase consumption of wine tourism in the tourism market place.

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Copenhagen in the Top Ten Danish Radio (DR) New Concerthall

With a total of 104 international congresses held in 2008, Copenhagen is one of the world's most appealing congress cities - ahead of both London and Geneva.

According to the latest report from the Union of International Association (UIA), Copenhagen is the world's 9th most popular destination for international congresses.This is based on figures from 2008, during which the city hosted the European Haematology Association, with 6,700 participants, and the European Society of Anaesthesiologists, with 5,000 participants, among other events. Both took place in Scandinavia's largest convention

Jazz on the Water

centre, the Bella Center.

Meanwhile, 2009 is also shaping up to be a particularly good year during which Copenhagen will host a range of major congresses.

Steen Jakobsen, Congress Director at Wonderful Copenhagen CVB, says: "Fifteen of the many congresses we are hosting in 2009 have between 2,000 and 15,000 participants.

This includes, for example, the IOC's 121st session and 13th congress, and the UN Convention on Climate Change COP15."

Major expansion ahead Copenhagen's success as a congress city is partly explained by the short distances between its hotels and conference facilities, as well as by the fact that Copenhagen Airport is Northern Europe's main air traffic hub.

The city boasts an international reputation for its low crime rate; general efficiency levels; its cultural and entertainment attractions; and its selection of good restaurants. Meanwhile, the Copenhagen region's dynamic research and scientific environment is recognized internationally - the region is particularly strong within the medical and IT fields.

Furthermore, the city's facilities have expanded significantly during the last decade and continue to do so. Next year will see the opening of the Tivoli Congress Center, with space for 4,000 delegates in the heart of Copenhagen. And, before the end of 2011, the city's hotel capacity will have expanded by over 30% to a total of 19,000 rooms.

INTRODUCTION OF A EUROPEAN POLICY ENVIRONMENT WORKSHOP AT THE 2009 DMAI LEADERSHIP FORUM – EUROPE Brussels - Great news for Convention Bureaus and Tourism Boards in Europe: Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) – the world’s largest association for destination marketing organisations, has recently announced the addition of a new European Policy Environment workshop to its 2009 Leadership Forum – Europe programme, one of the most important gatherings for industry professionals in Europe.

This addition enhances the already high-quality education and networking opportunities offered by the programme.

Taking place from 14 to 16 October 2009 in the vibrant and modern city of Glasgow, Scotland, the Leadership Forum – Europe provides a unique, high-level interactive platform for key players in the destination marketing industry.

This year, DMAI’s Leadership Forum – Europe promises to be extremely relevant with the introduction of a new workshop on the European Policy Environment. During the workshop, destination marketing professionals will learn how EU policies and legislation impact their industry, their business, and the way they operate. Future trends as well as how to take advantage of EU opportunities will also be discussed.

Other hot topics such as “Coping in Recessionary Times,” “Leveraging Limited Marketing Budget,” “Educating Politicians and Talking Heads” will be covered in open forums moderated

by Paul Flackett, IMEX Managing Director.

"With the programme of this year’s Leadership Forum – Europe, DMAI is committed to not only delivering a programme that is high quality in its content, but this forum is truly becoming a platform for the European destination marketing leadership. I especially look forward to the debate about the impact of EU policies and legislation on our industry. I can't afford to miss this event!" Charles-Eric Vilain XIIII, Managing Director of Lille Convention Bureau and Chair of DMAI’s European Advisory Council.

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Union of International Associations International Meeting Statistics for the Year 2008 Singapore

sented in this report for 2008.

It should be noted that UIA criteria for collection and inclusion have not changed; only the presentation has changed.

General picture At the time of producing this edition (May 2009) there were 328,949 meetings in the UIA meetings database of which 316,128 (96%) meet the criteria for inclusion in this report. Of these 316,128 meetings, 297,306 took place in 2007 or earlier, 11,423 took place in 2008, and 7,399 are scheduled for 2009 or later.

The section of the report with figures for 2008 covers 1,664 cities and 193 countries. Other sections (figures for 1850-2913) cover 10,385 cities and 252 countries.

The worldwide breakdown (market share) for meetings in 2008 by continent is:

For the past 60 years, the Union of International Associations has undertaken, for the benefit of its members, statistical studies on the preceding yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s international meetings. As in previous years, the report is also available for sale to the public following a period of three months exclusive use by UIA Associate Members.

The statistics are based on information systematically collected by the UIA Congress Department and selected according to strict criteria maintained over the years, thus enabling meaningful comparison from year to year.

The top ten countries for 2008 are: USA, France, Singapore, Japan, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, UK.

Meetings taken into consideration include those organized and/or sponsored by the international organizations which appear in the Yearbook of International Organizations and in the International Congress Calendar, i.e.: the sittings of their principal organs, congresses, conventions, symposia, regional sessions grouping several countries, as well as some national meetings with international participation organized by national branches of international associations.

Not included are purely national meetings as well as those of an exclusively religious, didactic, political, commercial, or sporting nature, and corporate and incentive meetings, the survey of these specific markets not being within the scope of activities of the UIA. Additions to this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report The presentation of data has been revised for this edition in order to present more details on the current reporting year and to present more fully, and give more prominence to, that data which is the UIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s specialty: the activities of international organizations listed in the Yearbook of International Organizations.

More prominence is also given to presenting data which, due to the passage of time, can be considered to have stabilized. The editors emphasize that the number of meetings for the current reporting year (2008) is expected to be around 87 to 90 percent of that extracted from the database three or four years hence.

Since the previous edition of this report, the UIA meetings database has been enriched by connecting it more closely to its sister database on international organizations, the source of the Yearbook of International Organizations. This enables historical surveys of international organization meeting activity as far back as 1850. It has also affected the rate of change in data, giving an exceptional boost to the numbers pre28

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The top ten cities for 2008 are: Singapore, Paris, Brussels, Vienna, Barcelona, Tokyo, Seoul, Budapest, Copenhagen, London.

TEN PERCENT RISE IN WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS VOTING REGISTRATIONS More travel industry professionals than ever have enrolled to vote for the World Travel Awards which has recorded a phenomenal 10% rise in registrations since April this year.

More than 183,000 registrations to vote have been made online since the 2009 voting got underway five months ago, 16,000 more than 2008.

The record number is conclusive evidence that World Travel Awards – now in its 16th year – has become the ‘Oscars’ of the global industry.

Over the past 18 months, World Travel Awards has made huge strides to improve not only the volume of votes but also the entire judging procedure.

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Manon Han, Executive Vice President, World Travel Awards Mauricio Hamui, , Cancun Center, Cancun, Mexico Mexico & Central America's Leading Conference Centre

“World Travel Awards is a unique benchmark for industry quality and business excellence in every region and sector.” said Graham E. Cooke, founder and President.

“It’s essential that the awards are fair, balanced and transparent.”

“The global industry and the thousands of operators, hotels and destinations nominated for World Travel Awards can be assured that the regional winners and the overall winners of the final are a true and accurate reflection of the wishes of voters.

WTA seems to be excellent to cover votes and awards in all categories.”

Karin Hogben, Managing Director, Wollongong Travel Centre in Australia, explained: “I feel it is important to have industry award schemes as they provide industry recognition. These awards also provide goals for others.

“World Travel Awards enable industry leaders to be recognised on a global level. Without voting, this would not be possible.

“The increase in registered voters, despite a global recession, demonstrates the vital role of performance delivery in a challenging and highly competitive marketplace.”

Lois Howes, President, Sterling Travel, based in the UK and specialising in business travel and event management agreed. He said: “it is very important for travel professionals to recognise industry leaders.

Organisers point to the introduction of regional awards, greater awareness of World Travel Awards and what they stand for and more effective communication with the industry as significant factors in the increase in votes.

“Those of us who vote for our favourites share our knowledge with those who might not know a particular airline, hotel or tourist board and thus give guidance down the line. The consumers gain knowledge from these votes.

World Travel Awards has become the industry’s champion to drive up standards within the industry and to ensure that travel companies consistently exceed expectations.

“The recognition keeps everyone trying harder and lets those who want the best to know where to look.”

This has led to growing numbers of consumers monitoring World Travel Awards winners for additional peace of mind when booking travel or a vacation.

Voters are urged to take into consideration not only their personal dealings with a company or organisation but also underlying issues such as consistent business success, total understanding of visitor needs and high customer satisfaction levels.

John Varkey Kailath, Tours Manager, Omeir Travel Agency, part of the Omeir Bin Youssef Group, the UAE’s largest travel management company, has recently registered to vote. He commented: “This is the best way to show appreciation to industry partners by voting for their efforts to maintain quality and highest standard of service consistently for our clients.

The North American and Central American Ceremony on 21 September is at the new resort of Hacienda Tres Ríos, near Cancun, Mexico. Winners of the European Awards are announced at the Marriott Praia D’El Rey Golf & Beach Resort, near Obidos in Portugal on 17 October. This is followed on 7 November by the presentation of the Caribbean, Asia, Australasia and Indian Ocean Awards at Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott hotel in London.

The final, also at the Grosvenor House on Sunday 8 November and taking place immediately before World Travel Market, will also unveil winners of the Travel Technology sector.

Nominees for the world awards are now on line at www.worldtravelawards.com and registered travel professionals can cast their votes for their preferred organisations.

Orlando Arroyo, CEO of Tres Rios, Hacienda Tres Rios Resort Mexico & Central America's Leading All-inclusive Resort, Mexico & Central America's Leading Green Hotel

World Travel Awards North & Central America winners unveiled Winning companies entered into World nominations Cozumel, Europcar, Anthony Travel, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Mexicana were amongst companies who triumphed during the World Travel Awards North and Central America regional ceremony, which was staged in the luxurious Hacienda Tres Rios in Mexico on 21st September.

The awards, described by the Wall Street Journal as the ‘Oscars’ of the global travel and tourism industry, unveiled who are the ‘best of the best’ in the region.

In the North American categories, American Airlines won the title North America’s Leading Airline. Meanwhile Fairmont Hotels & Resorts bagged four awards including Canada’s Leading Golf Resort, Canada’s Leading Ski Resort, Canada’s Leading Business Hotel and North America’s Leading Golf Resort. The Leading Hotel Brand for North America went to Marriott Hotels & Resorts, and North America’s Leading Destination went to Miami.

In the Central America categories, Mexicana triumphed as Central America’s Leading Airline, while Parador Boutique Resort & Spa picked up Central America’s Leading Hotel award. Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau picked up Central America’s Leading Destination award.

The full list of winners for the World Travel Awards North and Central Americas can be found by logging on to www.worldtravelawards.com/winners More than 500 travel organisations were

nominated in the ceremony, held in partnership with Hacienda Tres Rios, Cancun Convention & Visitors Bureau, Yucatan Holidays, Yucatan.Travel, RCI and Vive Mexico. Senior management and decision makers of America’s travel and tourism industry came together to celebrate their achievements during the ceremony.

Manon Han, Executive Vice President, World Travel Awards Laura Arguelles, Sales Director from Westin Cancún, W Mexico City, Mexico & Central America's Leading Business Hotel

Graham Cooke, President, World Travel Awards commented: “The past 12 months have brought several challenges, namely the economic downturn and the outbreak of swine flu, which has impacted travel and tourism worldwide; today’s winners have remained focused on their long term objectives, and continued to deliver above and beyond the call of duty, setting an industry example.”

Throughout the evening, winners were presented with their prestigious trophies by key industry figures, with live entertainment which included performances from The Village People, as well as KC and the Sunshine Band.

These inspirational organisations will continue to reap profile and commercial benefits over the next year.

Cooke explained: “This year’s winners can display the official World Travel Awards symbol with pride on their sales and marketing literature, offering travellers a cast-iron assurance that what they are buying is a guarantee of travel excellence.”

Each winner has automatically been put forward for the spectacular WTA Grand Final which will take place at the five-star Grosvenor House, a JW Marriott Hotel in London on November 8th immediately before World Travel Market.

Jose Montoya, , Jumeirah Essex House Manon Han, Executive Vice President, World Travel Awards North America's Leading Business Hotel, United States' Leading Business Hotel

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70% of UK Holidaymakers Desperately Seeking sun Getaways Reveals Monarch

LUTON, England, /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the reported growth of the 'staycation', the poor British weather this summer has once again fallen foul of people's expectations and in a desperate attempt to catch some sun, a recent online survey by http://www.monarch.co.uk has revealed that 70% of UK holidaymakers are now planning to book a late holiday deal and travel abroad.

The poll, which ran on http://www.monarch.co.uk, asked visitors to the site if the bad British weather had influenced their holiday plans this year.

47% responded 'yes' and confirmed they would now be booking a late holiday deal, whilst a further 23% answered 'yes' and stated that they were now planning on going away later in the year. Only 30% of all respondents agreed they love the rain and the weather has had no impact on their UK holiday plans.

Commenting on the results of the poll, managing director of Monarch Flights and Holidays, Liz Savage said, "We've experienced strong bookings for both flights and holidays already this summer, with load factors on scheduled flights reaching a staggering 90% in August and late holiday bookings up 32% vs Summer 2008.

The results of the poll clearly indicate, however, that a huge number of holidaymakers who have holidayed in the UK this summer are now planning to travel overseas to take advantage of some fantastic late deals and guarantee themselves some sunshine before the grey winter months set in."

Monarch has a host of fantastic late summer deals still available including flights to Malaga and Majorca from only GBP34.99 one way and seven-night holidays to Menorca from only GBP159 per person and to the Algarve from only GBP215 per person.

Monarch operates scheduled flights to Spain, Gibraltar, Portugal and Cyprus from Birmingham, London Gatwick, London Luton and Manchester airports. In addition to yearround low fares, Monarch also offers a unique range of tasty hot and cold meals onboard, with prices from GBP3.00. To enable customers to select where in the cabin they sit and ensure that families and groups sit together, seats can be pre-booked at GBP7.50 per one-way flight, or from only GBP15, extralegroom seats are available, which offer up to six inches of extra space.

Passengers travelling on scheduled flights can also avoid the queues at the airport and take advantage of online check-in, which is available between seven days and 4.5 hours prior to departure.

Increase in virtual meetings

The inclusion of Virtual Meetings within the conference environment is to be seen as a challenge and an opportunity, says André Vietor, IAPCO’s immediate past President. With the pharmaceutical industry seeing the educational element of the Virtual Meeting as continuing to be a sponsorship opportunity, in what is an ever-decreasing arena, the potential for the PCO is ever beckoning.

“If a meeting attracts an audience of 1000, out of an Association of 10000”, says Vietor “there are 9000 nonattendees potentially looking for the opportunity of participating virtually”.

Whilst there are many places where access and travel are difficult or even out of the question, those locations have more often than not access to internet.

In addition to flights, Monarch also now offers The Virtual Meeting exists, it is a huge range of great value holidays, accomon the horizon as a normal add modation options, car hire and travel insuron – and it is an opportunity ance. from which all will be able to benefit in the future; and For further information or to book Monarch IAPCO members are already flights, Monarch Holidays or Monarch Hotels, embracing that opportunity. please visit http://www.monarch.co.uk.

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DESTINATIONSBERLIN

Berlin: Convention destination with new visitor record Berlin is one Europe‘s most exciting cities, widely acknowledged as an international trend-setting metropolis. The vibrant lifestyle in the German capital embraces art and culture, history, architecture, academia and science, entertainment and a unique club scene.

For growing numbers of event organisers, Berlin is also a key conference hub between western and eastern Europe.

Berlin‘s expertise as a platform for communication and knowledge transfer is increasingly attractive to high-profile international and national congresses and conferences, first and foremost, to topflight medical, economic and trade congresses. Berlin is acknowledged as the largest congress and conference location in Germany and came in second in the global rankings of conference destinations compiled by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA figures 2007).

The city‘s diverse conference landscape offers a wealth of different convention and event venues from, for example, the International Congress Centre – ICC Berlin or Estrel Berlin, Europe‘s largest convention, entertainment and hotel complex, to the Berlin Congress Center (bcc) and the axica Congress and Conference Center at Pariser Platz.

In addition, Berlin offers an exceptional range of premier locations for evening events. Berlin‘s professional service providers also guarantee the customised all-round support you need to ensure the success of your congresses, conferences or incentives.

Berlin‘s hotel landscape is one of the largest and most modern in Europe with a superb choice of hotels in all categories – with nearly all major international hotel chains already at home in the city. At present, Berlin has just over 90,000 hotel beds – and increased capacity is already in planning.

The Berlin Convention Office of Berlin Tourism Marketing GmbH (BMT) is your own dedicated service for expert advice or information.

The close cooperation between the Congress Hotels in the BTM Partnerhotel e.V and the Berlin Preferred Agencies scheme ensures Berlin is optimally marketed as an international congress location. “Berlin makes your heart beat faster!”

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More than 50,000 events with four million participants in the first half of 2009 The German capital continues its successful run in the convention industry: 3.97 million professional visitors came to Berlin between January and June 2009.

They attended 50,850 events. This corresponds to a 3 percent increase in visitors and a 0.3 percent rise in events compared with the same period last year. These are the results of the latest convention statistics published by the Berlin Convention Office (BCO) of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH. According to these statistics the proportion of national meetings and conventions rose by 2 percent to 81 percent. The number of German participants also increased by 2 percent (82 percent).

There was just a slight drop in international events and visitors (-2 percent for each).

Berlin Tourism Marketing announces summer high

12 percent increase in overall July arrivals Showing doubledigit increases in visitor arrivals and overnights, July 2009 was an exceptionally successful month for Berlin Tourism Marketing.

According to the latest statistics, 794,400 guests spent a total of 1.94 million overnights in the German capital, which represents an increase of over 12 percent compared to July 2008.

From the USA, Berlin’s most important overseas market, the numbers were even higher: In Convention guests spend more time in Berlin July, 31,360 U.S. citizens spent There was a clear increase in the number of room 80,028 nights in Berlin’s hotels— nights. In the first half of 2009 this figure climbed an to 2.2 million for the first six months – a plus of increase of more than 20 percent 4.8 percent. The average length of stay also rose compared to the previous year. from 1.6 to 1.7 days.

In July, the overall boost in interHeike Mahmoud, Director Conventions of BCO comnational overnights reached 9.9 ments, “Association congresses in Berlin attracted percent with impressive increasthe most participants from around the globe in es from not only from the USA, 2008. The latest ICCA but also in arrivals from Italy statistics have now been confirmed by the most (+32%), Denmark (+22%) and recent convention statistics on the national level.

France (+28%).

Not only are more professional visitors coming to During the first seven months of Berlin, they are also staying longer. This can be 2009, Berlin’s overall visitor attributed more particularly to the excellent offernumbers rose by 4.2 ings of the German capital as a convention destinapercent to 4.6 million. Events, tion: six convention centres and halls, the such as the year-long celebration most up-to-date hotel landscape in Europe, 1,500 of the 20th anniversary of the fall cultural events every day and excellent value for of the Berlin Wall, have shown to money – this combination has proved to be be visitor magnets. extremely popular with both event organisers and Berlin currently boasts 108,000 participants.” hotel beds. The occupancy rate Further information on the Berlin convention and was as 57.8 percent (2008: 56.6 meeting market is available on the percent). website www.berlin-convention-office.de.

Berlin heads the field of international convention destinations Full House in the Hotels plus Invaluable Advertising Berlin Tourismus Marketing takes stock of a successful World Athletics Championship The 12th IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin came to a successful end. In the words of Burkhard Kieker, Director of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH (BTM), “With an air of enthusiasm in the Olympic Stadium and a fantastic atmosphere throughout the city, Berlin has shown itself an outstanding host. The city was full and hotel reservations were well up. Many visitors had made a snap decision to attend over the past few days”.

From 15th to 23rd of August around 400 000 visitors have come to the Berlin Olympic Stadium to watch the competitions. The weekend street tournaments attracted around

German capital comes first in the world in terms of participant numbers

ments, “Over the last decade Berlin has developed into a convention metropolis that is in demand the world over.

Association Meetings in Berlin attract the most participants in the world. This is confirmed by the latest statistics of the International Congress & Convention Association, ICCA. According to them, more than 100,000 participants came to the German capital last year. This means that the convention metropolis Berlin is well ahead of other cosmopolitan cities like Barcelona (81,933), Paris (73,872) and Bangkok (58,007).

The city offers organisers excellent conditions: the most up-to-date hotel landscape in Europe, excellent value for money, renowned convention centres like the ICC Berlin and unusual locations. 1.3 million spectators. On average, the Berlin hotels were 80% full – and August is not The latest visitor figures in the ICCA sta- a month that is generally acknowledged as tistics confirm the highly positive one of the traditional months for city response to this diversity – a resounding breaks. But it is not only the hotels that have success for the German capital and the benefited from the World Championship Berlin Convention Office.”

– each visitor to a major sporting event spends around 500 Euros during their stay.

Further information on the convention The advertising impact of the World Athletics destination, Berlin, can be accessed on Championship is invaluable as far as the the website www.berlin-convention- German capital is concerned. More than 2 office.com.

500 media representatives have spent a total of nine days reporting on Berlin; the images have been beamed to some 4 thousand million television viewers all round the world. In Germany alone more than 5.5 million people sat down every evening to watch the events on their screens.

Kieker’s verdict: “These images are authentic and their effect will be long term; for us they mean cash. It is these images that will win for us today the Berlin visitors of tomorrow“.

Between 1999 and 2008 517,943 visitors in total travelled to Berlin to attend events.

The German capital now ranks amongst the most important international convention destinations alongside Vienna (636,800), Barcelona (623,313) and Paris (573,564) in the last ten years.

Furthermore, a clear upward trend can be observed for visitor numbers. In 1999 there were 30,850 guests in Berlin but by 2008 this number had increased three-fold to 106,171.

Heike Mahmoud, Director Convention of the Berlin Convention Office (BCO) com-

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DESTINATIONSBERLIN

Germany's number one meeting and convention metropolis impresses with steady growth Berlin: Highlights 2009/2010

Berlin Convention Office The Berlin Convention Office (BCO) of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH offers professional support for the organisation of conventions, meetings and incentives. Customers benefit from its wide network of contacts and the free-of-charge sourcing and booking of hotel allotments.

Furthermore, the committed BCO staff members provide information on Berlin as a convention and event metropolis and on culinary and cultural highlights in the German capital.

Theme of the year: 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall For Berlin the year 2009 is characterized by the 20th anniversary of the day the wall came down. Some highlights of this theme of the year are: the open-air exhibition “Friedliche Revolution” (“The Peaceful Revolution 1989/90”) at Alexanderplatz from the 7th May to the 14th of November, the production of “Schauplätze des Wandels” (“Sites of Change”) consisting of art installations, as well as a large ceremonial act at the Brandenburg Gate on November 9th. In the weeks leading up to the 9th of November, Berlin schoolchildren will design 1.30 m high and 80 cm wide dominos that they will put up along the former border.

On November 9th, the day of the fall of the wall, the chain of dominos will be knocked over from one side. The last domino will fall at the Brandenburg Gate activating enormous fireworks. www.mauerfall09.de

The Berlin Convention Office has access to the latest statistics on the global convention market. This is partly due to its membership of ICCA, a large global network of the meeting industry. Furthermore, at the beginning of the year BCO joined the Union of International Associations (UIA). A renowned research institute, UIA specialises in monitoring the meetings of international associations. Both bodies regularly publish up-to-date statistics and information on the global meeting and convention market.

Anniversary: 300 years of science in the city Berlin In 2010 the Charité is celebrating the 300th anniversary of its founding, the Berlin Brandenburg Academy of Science (BBAW) looks at its first statute and its first scientific publication 300 years ago, and the Humboldt University of Berlin celebrates its 200th birthday. Aside from these large jubilees there are many other scientific institutions that will celebrate the Berlin-wide year of science under the motto ‘Freedom and Responsibility” with congresses, lectures, exhibits and festival events. A main exhibition with the title “WeltWissen. 300 Jahre Wissenschaft in Berlin” (“World Knowledge, 300 years of science in Berlin”) will be held from September 2010 to January 2011 in the Martin-Gropius-Bau. www.hu-berlin.de, http://charite300.charite.de/

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"Meeting Place Berlin" promotes the convention location In 2005 the Berlin Convention Office staged “Meeting Place Berlin”, an event that aims to attract meetings and conventions to the German capital. At "Meeting Place Berlin 2009” (2 - 6 July 2009) the city will once again present itself as an attractive and sought-after destination for meetings, conventions and incentives. On the invitation of the Berlin Convention Office around 100 national and international hosted buyers will have an opportunity to see for themselves the broad range of services and the high standards of the Berlin providers.

Successful convention destination Berlin The Berlin Convention Office is the initiator of the convention statistics launched as a pilot project in 2001. Since then they have provided robust data on the development of the meeting and convention sector in Berlin. Every six months the data are collected and evaluated, and are important indicators for future planning.

The separate capture of all the Berlin data on the convention and meeting business reveals excellent event and participant numbers for 2008. 104,600 events were staged in the metropolis on the river Spree (2007: 101,200). They attracted 8.15 million visitors to Berlin (2007: 7,970,000), 20 percent of them from abroad.

What is particularly important for the continuing positive development of the numbers of foreign participants is the quality of land and air transport links. The international flight connections from and to Berlin are being extended; the non-stop flights to the USA by Delta Airlines and Continental and to Qatar by Qatar Airways guarantee the shortest possible international business links.

The German capital and its excellent hotel industry The hotels in Berlin can pride themselves on an excellent standard of service, high quality and diverse offerings that are all great value for money. This is particularly appreciated by meeting and convention participants. 4.7 million room nights were recorded in 2008 by this group of visitors to Berlin. This corresponds to an increase of five percent compared to the same period the previous year.

International hotel groups have recognised the potential of the German capital and are investing heavily in Berlin. For instance, the Israeli hotel chain Leonardo Hotels is to open two new establishments in downtown Berlin in the summer. What’s more, Nordic charm will take up residence in Berlin’s “new centre” in February 2010. That’s when the first guests will be able to check into the Scandic Group’s hotel on Potsdamer Platz.

The 161 meeting hotels in the German capital continue to play a very important role. Besides their room capacities, they represent 53 percent of all providers of event space. In 2008 they hosted 87,600 events (+3%) and catered for 4.8 million participants (+2%). A particularly appealing attribute of Berlin is its unusual locations. Whether historic or modern in design, each of the 135 locations is truly one of a kind. With 14,500 events and 2.5 million participants last year, they succeeded in chalking up growth of five percent in events and two percent in participants compared to the same period the previous year.

The ICC is already solidly booked for 2009 Approximately 2,500 events with some 850,000 participants were held in the six convention centres and halls in the German capital. Europe's biggest convention, entertainment and hotel complex, the Estrel Berlin, played its part as did the axica Meeting and Convention Centre and the International Congress Center Berlin (ICC Berlin) of Messe Berlin.

The convention department of Messe Berlin rates 2009 as a successful year for business as the additional conference facilities on the Berlin Exhibition Grounds and in the Palais am Funkturm are increasingly being used for all kinds of meetings, too. Bookings by convention organizers have been made for as far ahead as 2016. Last year a total of 623 meetings and shows with more than 280,000 participants were staged. The convention business of Messe Berlin GmbH doubled its sales revenues in 2008 (EUR 20 million) compared to the previous record year of 2005.

“Meeting happy” physicians New events arena in Berlin In 2008 one of the most high tech arenas in the world for major sports and entertainment events opened in Berlin.

The €150 million project was undertaken jointly by the US Anschutz Entertainment Group and the Munich telecommunications company O2 in the direct vicinity of the railway station, Ostbahnhof.

The O2 World, with a capacity of up to 17,000 visitors, 59 entertainment suites and a total arena area of 60,000 sq.m., is the new venue for diverse sports, music and entertainment events.

Highlights include the MTV Europe Music Awards 2009 on 5 November.

The medical sector has played an important role in securing the leading international position of the convention destination Berlin.

Several reputed organisers have chosen ICC Berlin as their conference venue for the next few years. For instance the Joint Convention Orthopaedics and Accident Surgery is to be held annually up to 2015 in the German capital. Every year it attracts more than 10,000 specialists to the metropolis on the River Spree.

"Medicine + Health", the largest health conference in Europe with approximately 7,500 participants, is to stage its convention every

The German Cancer Society will continue to stage its conference and action day at the ICC in the even years up to 2012. Approximately 15,000 experts attend this event in Berlin.

Selection of international conventions:

The German Surgery Society has committed to holding its meeting in the even years between 2008 and 2016 at the ICC. It brings together up to 6,000 physicians from practice 13 – 16 September 2009 and research every year to its congress that 2nd European Congress of alternates between Berlin and Munich.

Immunology (5,000 participants) The convention industry enjoys not only economic success but also global recognition. For 20 – 24 September 2009 The joint ECCO (European Cancer Organisation) and ESMO (European Society for Medical Oncology) Multidisciplinary Congress (15,000 participants) 7 – 11 October 2009EADV (European Academy of Dermatology and Venerology) Congress (10,000 participants) 5 – 6 June 2010 XXXIInd International Congress of Ophthalmology (6,000 participants)

year up to 2012 at the ICC Berlin.

The German Society of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology (DGPPN) reported that its annual meeting in Berlin, the leading convention location, was a success with steadily growing numbers of visitors.

Hence, they are to hold their annual conventions with approximately 8,000 participants in the German capital up to 2011.

26 June – 1 July 2010 XXXIst International Society of the fifth time in a row the ICC Berlin has been Blood Transfusion Congress presented with the World Travel Award as the "Leading Conference & Convention Centre“. It is deemed to be the “Oscar of the travel industry”. Around 167,000 experts from the travel industry on all continents who work for agencies, hotels, airlines, tourist information offices and other tourist institutions took part in the vote.

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DESTINATIONSBERLIN

Sleeping, meeting and well being in new Berlin hotels The hotel landscape on the Spree metropolis is now even more attractive Whether it's the unique atmosphere of a design hotel or the elegant ambiance of a five-star hotel – the diversity and modernity of the Berlin hotel landscape is unique in Europe. It has tailored its offering not only to tourists but also to the needs of convention and incentive organisers and their guests. In this context the small business meeting is offered as fitting a setting as a conference with more than 1,000 participants. And the offering is constantly growing.

Design, Luxury and A Touch of Spanish Flair – Hotels Opening in 2009 The first guests have been checking into andel´s Hotel Berlin since March 2009. The new and impressive four-star plus building in the vicinity of the Velodrome/ Landsberger Allee boasts 557 rooms spread over ten storeys. At its heart is the ballroom, which covers an area of 570 square metres. An exquisite Wellness Suite and the Skybar at a height of 60 metres put the finishing touches to the services offered by the andel´s Hotel Berlin as an outstanding event location and the fourth largest conference hotel in the city.

Between the Schlossplatz and the Gendarmenmarkt, in the “Quartier am Auswärtigen Amt“, hotel guests have been enjoying representative ambiance since March 2009.

The ARCOTEL JOHN F, a four-star superior as well as apartment hotel, has 190 exclusively appointed rooms and suites. These stand out from the crowd by virtue of their sophisticated design elements and individually-styled furnishings. In addition, modern seminar rooms are available that can accommodate up to 200 persons.

In the middle of March Berlin-Dahlem unveiled a special highlight in the shape of a hotel complete with conference facilities – the Seminaris CampusHotel Berlin – Science & Conference Centre of the Freie Universität (Free University of

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Berlin) is based on designs by the renowned architect, Helmut Jahn. The external impression given by the transparent facade of the building complex, covering 9 000 square metres, is one of a filigree structure suffused with light. On the inside of the conference cube (also known as the Dahlem Cube) there are multi-purpose conference, seminar and meeting rooms extending to an area of approximately 2 800 square metres.

The large congress hall or “Domus Variabilis“ has room for up to 600 visitors. The associated hotel has 186 rooms, a restaurant, a fitness suite as well as an underground garage with space for 140 vehicles.

The Israeli hotel chain, Leonardo Hotels, will be opening two new hotels in Berlin in 2009.

The first hotel to be opened sporting the exclusive brand name of Leonardo Royal is taking shape nearby the Alexanderplatz.

The listed building is being completely renovated and operates since August 14th 2009 as the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin. 346 bedrooms plus function rooms for up to 500 persons are envisaged. Visitors with an interest in architectural features will have a real treat to look forward to in the reception lobby: here the attractive Art Deco style of the building – which was built between 1930 and 1931 – is to be preserved.

The second hotel is currently under construction in the City West district / Wilmersdorfer Straße. From August 2009, the Leonardo Hotel Berlin will be offering visitors the chance to stay in a hotel in the three-star plus category. 274 rooms with luxury furnishings, a bar and a breakfast restaurant are ingredients which ensure the visitor of a pleasant stay in the heart of the German capital.

The Spanish Camper Group is not only renowned for its exquisite shoes. It also has a five-star hotel in Barcelona and is currently investing in another project, close to the Hackescher Markt in Berlin-Mitte. The design hotel Casa Camper will offer 54 elegant rooms and conference facilities.

The first guests will be able to enjoy the luxurious atmosphere from autumn 2009 onwards.

Meet at the “Kran“, Stay at the Boutique Hotel – Hotels Opening in 2010 In Berlin Mitte the "Soho House" concept is being implemented for the first time in Germany. Noble clubhouses of this kind can already be found in London and New York. The investors have selected the former "House of Unity" at the foot of Prenzlauer Berg as the ideal location.

The Soho House Berlin is scheduled to open here in the autumn of 2009. In the listed building the luxurious wellness area, modern conference rooms and hotel with spacious apartments on the third and fourth floor will be open to all visitors.

There will also be an exclusive area for club members only.

Another highlight is planned on the second floor. This is where the office of the former State President of the GDR, Wilhelm Pieck, is being restored to its original condition.

Nordic charm takes up residence in Berlin’s new centre in February 2010. That’s the opening date of the Scandic Group’s new hotel on Potsdamer Platz. It will offer guests 572 rooms, several restaurants and state-of-the-art meeting facilities.

From the central location of the new Scandic Hotel, visitors can reach well-known attractions like the Brandenburg Gate or the Reichstag in just a few minutes on foot.

A new InterCityHotel is scheduled to open at the beginning of 2010 at Berlin-Schönefeld Airport. It will boast more than 200 guest rooms and a wellness centre. Furthermore, six meeting rooms will be available for larger events close to the airport. The mid-range hotel will be operated by InterCityHotel GmbH. Staying at Osthafen – the Spanish NH group fulfils the wishes of numerous visitors to the city. A four-star conference and banquet hotel is under construction on the banks of the river Spree. It will provide approximately 385 guest rooms, meeting rooms and a wellness area. The hotel will also boast an extravagant facade. It will have a “crane structure” consisting of two buildings.

The lower building will support the second construct that will jut out over the Spree. In keeping with the atmosphere of the Osthafen, the NH-Hotel will look just like a gigantic crane.

Guests will be able to cross the threshold of this new hotel in the summer of 2010 for the first time.

Hospitality Alliance AG, the operator of the Ramada Hotels, is also locating its new three-four-star project in a central location. Its new hotel with 336 rooms, including 15 suites, a restaurant and a fitness centre will be right on Alexanderplatz.

Furthermore, the meeting and convention market is an important target group for the new Ramada Hotel. Eight multifunctional conference rooms, which can accommodate up to 500 guests, will be spread over 800 square metres. The opening is planned for May 2010.

Tryp Berlin Mitte is scheduled to welcome its first guests in autumn 2010. Sol Meliá, the Spanish market leader, is currently planning the construction of the threestar hotel on Chausseestraße/Berlin Mitte. The hotel will boast 225 stylish guest rooms and three meeting rooms with state-of-the-art communications technology.

The Leonardo Hotel Group is planning another large-scale project and has already signed a lease agreement for the plot Am Zirkus 1 in Berlin-Mitte. This will add another hotel, the Leonardo Boutique Hotel Berlin in the four-star segment, to the Berlin hotel landscape. It is due for completion in December 2010 and will have 310 guest rooms and 32 suites.

Friedrichstraße has proved to be a profitable hotel location.

Hence, large entrepreneurs like to invest their capital in projects in and around the popular Berlin shopping boulevard. For instance, in the construction of a four-star-plus hotel at number 100. It will offer 221 guest rooms, conference rooms and a large wellness area with pool. The building complex, a project of the Hotusa Hotel Group, is to open its doors in 2010.

From Hotel Barcelona to Waldorf Astoria – Hotels Opening from 2011 onwards Come the spring of 2011, a breath of New York air will be wafting over Berlin. This is when the luxury Waldorf Astoria Group will be opening their first new-build hotel in Europe.

This will be going up directly opposite the Memory Church, which means it will be located in the immediate vicinity of the Kurfürstendamm and the Zoological Garden. The 31-storey Waldorf Astoria Berlin will feature 242 luxurious rooms and suites, a conference area covering more than 1 100 square metres and a lavish spa facility. It is the second hotel in the Hilton family to grace the German capital and is intended to supplement the facilities on offer at the Hilton Berlin, which lies four kilometres away.

Visitors entering the new Hotel Barcelona on the Alexanderplatz as of the summer of 2011 will find their gaze drawn upwards towards the ceiling. 30 metres above them will be the swimming pool of the four-star-house – separated from the foyer by a single sheet of glass. Bathers will be able to enjoy not only a breathtaking view that plumbs the depths of the Hotel Barcelona, but also a wonderful outlook over historic Berlin. With just under 500 rooms and suites, this will be the first hotel in the Spanish Best Hotels chain to be built on German soil. In addition, there are also plans for a small ballroom, meeting rooms, bars and a Spanish restaurant.

Meetings and conferences on the Spree – this dream is set to become a reality in the future in front of the Twin Towers near the Elsenbrücke. This is the point where the construction of a so-called ‘floating hotel’ is envisaged. The two-storey, floating lodge will incorporate 102 double rooms plus a conference room and a restaurant which can seat 100 people at a time.

Details regarding commencement of construction and completion date for the project are not yet known.

Luxury rooms with view of the Berlin city walls – the NDC Management is currently planning the construction of a fourstar hotel in the direct vicinity of the Red Town Hall. The building will have eight storeys and blend harmoniously into the historical block-style architecture on the site next to the Parochial Church. The plans envisage 230 guest rooms and a conference centre. Given its proximity to the Kirchgarten and the town walls dating back to the 17th/18th century, guests are guaranteed breathtaking views.

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DESTINATIONSBERLIN

German capital not only "green" in the spring Tempodrom – an event location that sets an example

environment. Participants frequently travel large distances and use transfers between their accommodation and the venue. This leads to CO2 emissions. Furthermore, vast amounts of paper, water and electricity are consumed by the hotels and the event venue.

Various Berlin providers are aware of these problems and are increasingly offering ecofriendly services. The Berlin Convention Office (BCO) has responded to this trend by creating a unique website.

The importance of environmental protection in the Berlin convention industry is growing / New "Green Meetings" platform now online Berlin is a metropolis of opposites. History meets modernity – business meets leisure.

People in search of relaxation are spoilt for choice with the numerous parks in the city. A total of 2,500 public green areas are the perfect setting for relaxation, sport and entertainment. Spacious parks and exotic gardens with artistic landscaping shape the face of the city as do the 400,000 trees that line Berlin's streets. More than 32% of the city area is covered with green areas or forest.

Numerous hotels and event locations are switching to environmentally friendly alternatives: recycled paper, eco-electricity and energy saving lamps are just a few of the innovations that are currently shaping the Berlin convention and meeting landscape.

Since January 2008 Berlin has also boasted the first climateneutral venue. The Tempodrom, with its central location near Potsdamer Platz, is operated on the basis of a unique overall ecological concept. The guiding principle is energy efficiency – greenhouse and CO2 emissions are to be avoided from the very outset.

Already during the construction of the building, attention focused on the responsible handling of natural resources.

The Tempodrom now has a solar and photovoltaic energy system as well as a geothermal heat exchanger. What’s more, it runs on eco-electricity. Unavoidable emissions are converted and donated to other environmental protection projects. In this way it is possible to stage climate-neutral events at the Tempodrom.

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The green image of the city continues in the field of climate protection. The energy refurbishment of residential buildings and the installation of more than 5,300 solar energy units have led to a drop in carbon dioxide emissions of roughly 2 million tonnes. The greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide CO2, is a contributory factor to global warming. The Berlin Senate has, therefore, set itself the goal of reducing CO2 emissions by 40% by 2020 compared with 1990. An Alliance for Climate Protection signed in October 2008 supports these efforts. Under the terms of the Alliance 13 large Berlin companies have undertaken to implement further concrete climate protection projects.

Following the introduction of a low-emission zone in January last year, only vehicles that meet specific exhaust gas requirements may now drive into downtown Berlin. This reduces the levels of fine dust and nitrogen dioxide.

Support programmes to encourage the use of public transport and the extension of cycle paths serve the same purpose.

"BERLIN – Green Meetings" – An overview of environmentally-friendly providers The growth in environmentally aware practices is a global trend - in the travel industry, too. This positive development also increases demand for environmentally friendly venues and accommodation. Conventions, meetings and incentive trips have an impact on the

Numerous Berlin providers are posted on the "BERLIN – Green Meetings" platform, who have already implemented ecologically sustainable practices and have undertaken to make responsible use of natural resources in order to benefit the environment. With this database the city of Berlin takes the lead on the global stage. Users are not only given a detailed overview of the various service providers but are also furnished with interesting facts about green Berlin.

Further information is available on the new website: www.berlin-green-meetings.com.

Environmental events in the German capital With 1,500 events every day the German capital has the largest cultural offering in Europe.

Many of these events focus on the environment, for instance the Environmental Festival at the Brandenburg Gate. It is staged every year in spring by the GRÜNE LIGA, a network of ecological movements. On Europe's largest ecological theme mile, around 200 exhibitors from across Germany will present the full diversity of environmental protection and nature conservation. The GRÜNE LIGA also stages the annual Christmas Eco-Market on Kollwitzplatz.

For the ADFC Radler-Sternfahrt, sports fans in Berlin switch from their cars to bicycles. This rally is now an established fixture in every year´s capital event calendar. On 18 routes – for instance from Oranienburg, Strausberg and Erkner – the cyclists will head for the Großer Stern in the heart of Berlin.

The Berlin Energy Days are devoted to the subject "energy efficiency". This convention, that is staged once a year in the German capital, attracts around 4,500 participants.

Climate protection and renewable energies are other important topics at this major event.

In Berlin there are more and more fashion labels which manufacture their garments exclusively from ecological materials. Green fashion now has its very own trade fair thekey.to. It will be staged during Fashion Week from 1 to 4 July and will showcase at least 50 "green" fashion brands.

ESPLANADE Grand Hotel Berlin

Relax. You’ve arrived.

Unwind at the Grand Hotel Esplanade Berlin – a modern designhotel in the heart of Berlin surrounded by the capital’s bestknown sights. Feel like at home in one of our 352 rooms or one of our 39 spacious suites and enjoy all the comfort our hotel has to offer. Try some traditional specialties in the Eck Restaurant or enjoy internationally inspired cuisine in the Ellipse Lounge. Meet at the legendary Harry’s New York Bar for the ultimate night-cup. Relax and energize at the Triangle Health & Spa. esplanade rooms Relax in the comfortable armchair in your room or nestle down under the blanket of your cosy king size bed. Enjoy amazing views of the river and Berlin’s impressive skyline through the big picture windows. Modern equipment like premium cable-TV, pay-TV and high-speed internet add even more comfort to your room.

Discover Berlin from the maritime angle Board the MS Esplanade just opposite of the hotel and embark on a fascinating journey through the canals, rivers and lakes of Berlin. Book the MS Esplanade for your parties, celebrations, conferences and meetings for up to 100 people. Enjoy the culinary delights and various cocktails from our cuisine and bar while passing some of Berlin’s most popular sights. The MS Esplanade features a dance fl oor, a bar, a roof that is able to be opened. Let us know about your ideas and wishes and we will implement them.

nice to meet you – im Grand Hotel Esplanade Plan your business meeting or reception for up to 500 people at the Grand Hotel Esplanade Berlin and make it an exceptional and unforgettable experience.

Choose from twelve flexible conference rooms and be sure that we will provide prompt attention to your every request.

Daylight in all rooms, modern equipment and our perfect service will make any assembly successful.

ETON Elegant, wood panelled conference room with a heavy, oval wood table and bookshelves with over 4000 art books. Perfect for board meetings, interviews and smaller press conferences.

EMBASSY I UND II A spacious and lightflooded conference room perfect for large press conferences and seminars with fl exible seatings since it’s possible to divide the room.

ESPERANTO I UND II Elegant conference rooms that are perfect for smaller meetings and dissertations.

Flexible seating possible since the room is able to be divided.

EMPORIO I UND II Our largest conference room with a separated reception area in connection to the winter garden. The room is able to be divided. It is perfect for receptions, exhibitions, conferences or balls.

EVEREST A smaller meeting room for up to 12 people on the sixth floor with a nice view of the city.

EXEDRA The room for up to four people is located on the seventh floor.

EPSILON A spacious and light-flooded room for seminars up to 40 people.

EXPERIENCE I UND II 96 m² flexible conference room which is able to be divided. The room is perfect for smaller festivities and conferences. www.esplanade.de

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Estrel Hotel & Convention Center

The Estrel Berlin is Europe’s largest convention, entertainment and hotel complex. With 1,125 rooms and suites, five restaurants, two bars, a beer garden and the daily live "Stars in Concert" show, the Estrel has plenty to offer every guest.

The Estrel Convention Center The 15,000-sqm fully air-conditioned, multi-functional Estrel Convention Center provides space for every type and size of event: international political and economic summits, trade fairs and exhibitions for companies and associations, media and gala events and concerts. Whatever you are planning, you will find the variability and flexibility of our facilities hard to beat.

The Estrel Berlin is celebrating the 10th Birthday of its Covention Center More than 12,800 conventions, conferences and events, more than 4.5 million guests and a diversity of events without compare: The Estrel Convention Center is celebrating its 10th birthday this year! The Estrel can look back to a decade full of event highlights – from the first large event by the Berliner Bankgesellschaft with 7,500 guests ten days after the convention hall was finished to innumerable additional top-class conventions and conferences for companies renowned worldwide to glamorous media events, political conventions and world boxing championships.

The opening of the convention center ten years ago was the perfect complement to the Estrel Hotel, which will be 15 years old this year, and the Estrel Festival Center, which will celebrate its 12th birthday this. Using the successful combination of the three pillars “Meetings, Living and Entertainment”, in the year 2000 the Estrel became the first in German hotel history to break the one hundred million deutschmark turnover barrier and has remained unchallenged as the hotel with the highest turnover in Germany ever since.

Estrel CC - offering the ultimate in conventions and events Congress or conference, trade fair or exhibition, concert, ball or show: in our fully air-conditioned Convention Hall, every event is an experience. Whether you use the full 4,800 square metres of floor space available or a separate area of it: the Convention Hall, which can be partitioned as required and also 42

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features four galleries, a VIP area and prestigious foyer, is the ideal place to stage a perfect event in all respects.

The Convention Hall, with a capacity for up to 6.000 guests, together with the Estrel Saal (1,050 sqm) and a range of further conference rooms, foyers and passages, offer a total of 15,000 square metres of event space.

Particular Ambience Every event has its own specific requirements. The Estrel CC offers modular state-of-the-art communications, hall and stage technology, as well as the latest media technology – meeting your individual wishes. Sophisticated sound and lighting control systems can create the particular ambience you desire. Our team of highly qualified event professionals, who have experience in all areas of the event business, will be on hand to look after you.

Estreltainment - perfect program for your event Besides the “Stars in Concert” productions, which have achieved near cult status, we are offering you an extended portfolio of shows, from cabaret and close-up magic to aerial acrobatics. Be inspired by the variety of entertainment we offer. You can book whole shows, individual acts or solo artists for your event.

In order to accompany your event with fine quality entertainment, we only engage first-class artists, musicians, actors and dancers.

Berlin Champions 2009 Who are the Berliners’ 2009 favourites in the categories "Best Sports Personality", "Best Team" and "Best Coach/Manager"?

On 5 December, at the latest, we’ll know the answers. This is when Berlin’s most outstanding sports stars will be awarded at the big "Champions 2009" gala hosted at the Estrel Convention Center. This time, as in the past years, a large number of sports enthusiasts can once again attend the event live and look forward to an exciting night with Berlin’s sports stars. A host of sports and media celebrities and of course top-class entertainment add up to one of most eventful evenings of 2009 in the Berlin sports calendar. www.estrel.de

Grand Hyatt Berlin

Designed by Spanish architect José Rafael Moneo and Swiss interior designer Hannes Wettstein, Grand Hyatt Berlin is a contemporary grand hotel, located in Potsdamer Platz, that features powerful architecture and an innovative design. The hallmark of this five-star hotel is its clean-cut lines, first-class natural materials, and modern art. All 342 luxurious rooms and suites feature interactive TVs, high-speed Internet access and spacious, intelligently designed bathrooms. Located on the top floor, Club Olympus Spa & Fitness, with picture-perfect views of Berlin, offers facials and massages using high-quality REN and Aveda products, a gym with sophisticated cardio and weightlifting equipment, an indoor swimming pool with a sun terrace, sauna, a whirlpool bath and a steam bath.

The Rooms Swiss designer Hannes Wettstein developed an interior design concept that defines luxury for our times. Here, this luxury is epitomised by high-quality materials and precise manufacturing, and clean lines and classic natural materials determine the design of the 326 guestrooms and suites. In the very spacious bathrooms, showers, an overflow bath tub, a flat-screen TV and a wardrobe combine to create an ample area. The bathroom can be entered from both the room’s entrance and via the living area through wide sliding doors made of cherry wood.

Grand Club® The Grand Club is Hyatt’s “executive” floor, providing guests with the additional benefits of privacy and personalised service.

The private Grand Club Lounge offers a daily complimentary continental breakfast buffet, tea and biscuits in the afternoon, and cocktails and canapés in the evening. Soft drinks, tea and coffee are also served throughout the day.

Vox Restaurant und Bar In the largest open show kitchen in Berlin, Chef Josef Eder and his team prepare seasonal dishes with an international influence and authentic sushi. In the summer, the restaurant’s beautiful

terrace is the ideal location for an al fresco business lunch or an extended Sunday breakfast. From 10:00pm onwards from Mondays to Saturdays, live jazz and soul performers bring a breath of the big city to the adjacent Vox Bar that, with more than 240 types of whiskey on offer, is a must for aficionados of this most noble of spirits.

Tizian A chic modern design lends Tizian Restaurant and Lounge an ambience of relaxed sophistication in which it serves a menu of interntional “Grand Classics”. Situated in the ground floor lobby, Tizian is the ideal meeting place, where guests can enjoy the “lounge buzz” of the hotel’s international clientele or warm themselves around the modern fireplace. Located directly opposite the Philharmonic Hall, Tizian is the ideal place for dinner before or after a concert.

Conferences and Events Grand Hyatt Berlin in Potsdamer Platz is the perfect place for events and festivities. The hotel’s professional team provides expert advice and comprehensive services for any kind of event, whether a private function, an anniversary, a conference, a product presentation, a launch seminar or a gala dinner.

Art Concept According to Hannes Wettstein, art is not merely decoration, but an integral part of the concept of a room. At Grand Hyatt Berlin, each room is decorated with seven black-and-white photographs taken from the Berlin Bauhaus Archives. Among the 60 different images are shots by famous Bauhaus artists, such as MoholyNagy, Gropius and Marianne Brandt. Art prints along the corridors and in the business suites are by Matisse, Picasso, Klee, Kandinsky, Kippenberger, Förg, Polke and Rainer, to mention just a few, focusing on the centres of art development in the 20th century. In the corner suites, executive suites and president suites, original contemporary pieces of art can be found. www.berlin.grand.hyatt.com Xenios

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Hotel Adlon Kempinski

Located in the very heart of Berlin, right by the Brandenburg Gate and in the immediate vicinity of the Reichstag, which houses the German Parliament, one of the world’s most illustrious five-star deluxe hotels in all its majestic splendor cordially welcomes its guests: not only is the Hotel Adlon a legend in its own time, it was - just like the famous Pariser Platz on which it is built - a witness of Germany’s eventful and turbulent history of the 20th century.

When the Adlon was opened for the first time in 1907, the builder and visionary Lorenz Adlon gladly fulfilled the wish of Wilhelm II, who was the German emperor at that time and had urgently wanted a stately hotel in his town of residence. Due to the Hotel’s unparalleled luxuries and its unique equipment of the highest standards of technology, political leaders and celebrities soon made the Hotel Adlon their hotel of choice in Germany. Luckily, the Hotel survived the Second World War without any major damage. In 1945, however, a devastating fire raged and almost entirely destroyed the magnificent building. In accordance with a resolution made by the GDR’s National Council of Defense, the surviving wing of the building was demolished in 1984.

After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the reunification of Germany, the people in the reunified city of Berlin soon refused to be without their legendary hotel, and a few years later, in 1997, Roman Herzog, who was then the president of the Federal Republic of Germany, reopened the new Hotel Adlon in a splendid ceremony. Since that day the truly “finest hotel in town” has remained true to its past and present splendor and fame. Immediately upon entering the Hotel, the guest feels enveloped by the Adlon’s distinctive atmosphere created by its eventful past, perfect interiors and first-class service perfectly tailored to meet each guest’s individual wishes. Its unsurpassable aura of tradition and modernity, its prominent location on Berlin’s splendid boulevard “Unter den Linden” together with 44

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the perfection and interiors of a five-star deluxe hotel render the Hotel Adlon Kempinski unique and justify its reputation as one of the “Leading Hotels of the World”.

Apart from 304 elegant guest rooms and 78 luxurious suites you have the choice between a variety of conference and convention rooms which meet even the most sophisticated demands for an exclusive ambience and the very latest in conference equipment and technology. Besides, the exquisite and diverse culinary delights offered at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski satisfy even the most exacting tastes. The Gourmet Restaurant “Lorenz Adlon”, which has held a prestigious Michelin-star for years, the Restaurant Quarré and the Lobby Bar & Lounge, the MA-restaurants and their innovative Asian cuisine which stand for superb flamboyance, the elegant Italian restaurant “Gabriele” or the Club Restaurant “Felix” and its exciting night life have no equal and promise their guests a feast for all senses.

Meetings & Banquets Whether you are planning a ball or a gala banquet, a conference or a convention - the Adlon combines the very latest technology and immaculate service with the elegant flair and traditions of a magnificent five star deluxe hotel.

Due to its unique location right in the heart of Berlin and its impeccably high standards, the Adlon is an ideal venue for conferences, receptions, balls and banquets.

Two elegant ballrooms, two wintergarden, wood-paneled conference rooms and six individually designed salons anticipate the wishes of the even most discerning guest.

All rooms are characterized by both their exclusive ambience and the very latest in conference technology. www.hotel-adlon.de

Radisson Blu Berlin

The Radisson Blu Hotel features the worldwide largest cylindrical aquarium and has an excellent location in Berlin-Mitte. Just a stroll away are restaurants, bars, boutiques, galleries and famous sights. The hotel is located directly on the bank of the river Spree, opposite to the Berlin Cathedral and Museum Island. Public transport and Berlin airports are within easy reach. All 427 rooms and suites offer fantastic views of Berlin or the tropical underwater world of the AquaDom. The fully equipped and contemporary designed rooms, including free wireless LAN and high-speed Internet access, reflecting urban trends and guarantee a pleasant...

Attractions in walking distance: Alexanderplatz with TV Tower, World time clock and Alexa Shopping Center Red Town Hall Nikolai quarter Museum Island – UNESCO world heritage Boulevard “Unter den Linden” with state opera and Brandenburg gate “Friedrichstrasse” for exclusive shopping Hackescher Markt with the famous “Hackesche Höfe” and countless restaurants, bars, galleries and boutiques

Meetings & Events, Ground Floor Spanning 1,340 sq.m the 10 conference rooms on the ground floor are designed with high-quality wood and fresh tones, all providing for a pleasant atmosphere.

Each room comes with individual climate control as well as state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. In the middle lies the conference foyer which is spread over 530 m² and is flooded with warm, natural light. The foyer is graced with a futuristic glass roof, which allows the outside to come in and invigorate delegates and guests with a burst of natural light.

Dom Lounge - Event Location, Top Floor Located on the top 2 floors of the hotel, the DomLounge is the perfect setting for meetings and events that are setting new standards in excellence. All rooms contain panoramic windows, which provide guests with stunning vistas of the TV tower at Alexanderplatz, the Berlin Cathedral, Museum Island and other top attractions along Berlin’s buzzing skyline.

The DomLounge spans 1,400 sq.m and features 5 function rooms and 4 foyers. Rooms are ideal for meetings and events that need to impress. www.radissonblu.com

Meetings & Events The Radisson Blu Hotel in Berlin offers some of the finest meeting facilities and event venues in the city with a total space of 2,740 sq.m. Choose from 2 different and unique areas, either our spacious and modern ground floor area or our event location on the top 2 floors known as the DomLounge. A programme highlight for every event is a thrilling ride through the world’s largest cylindrical aquarium.

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ATHENSTHE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM The Acropolis Museum is an archaeological museum focused on the findings of the archaeological site of the Acropolis of Athens. The museum was built to house every artifact found on the rock and on its feet, from the Greek Bronze Age to Roman and Byzantine Greece. It also lies on the archaeological site of Makrygianni and the ruins of a part of Roman and early Byzantine Athens.

The museum was founded in 2003 while the Organisation of the Museum was established in 2008. It opened to the public on June 21, 2009. Nearly 4,000 objects are exhibited over an area of 14,000 square metres.The Organisation for the Construction of the new museum is chaired by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Professor Emeritus of Archaeology, Dimitrios Pandermalis.

The entrance fee to the museum will be €1 for the first year and €5 thereafter.

The excavation below ground level continues. The site and process are visible through the ground level glass flooring. The site will be available for visitation once the excavation is complete.

The Acropolis Museum recently was selected as the motif for a commemorative Euro coin edition: the €10 Greek Acropolis Museum commemorative coin, minted in 2008 to mark the relocation of the museum. On the obverse is a panoramic view of the Acropolis and the new museum lies at the base.

In the first two months since the museum opened, it was visited by 523,540 people (an average of 9,200 a day).

Of these, 60 percent were foreign visitors. During the same two-month period, 409,000 hits by unique visitors from 180 countries were recorded by the museum’s website.

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The Acropolis Slopes The first gallery of the Museum houses finds from the slopes of the Acropolis. The gallery’s glass floor affords views to the excavation, while its upward slope alludes t? the ascent to the Acropolis. In antiquity, the slopes of the Sacred Rock constituted the transition zone between the city and its most famous sanctuary. This was the area where official and popular cults, as

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

well as large and small sanctuaries existed alongside private houses.

The Hekatompedon (the earliest Parthenon).

Two lionesses tear up Taurus (Exhibit Number 3). The Triton (Exhibit Number 36) and the Triple-Bodied Monster (Exhibit Number 35) are depicted on the left and right corners of the pediment respectively. 570 BC The earliest building known on the Acropolis was the Hekatompedon or Hekatompedos neos – meaning 100 feet long, and comes from an inscription referring to the layout of the sanctuary. It is thought that the building was built on the site, later occupied by the Classical Parthenon. The fragments of poros architectural members and sculptures uncovered to the south and east of the Parthenon, reveal that the Hekatompedon was a Doric peripteral temple.

The lioness pediment is distinguished by its high-relief carving and Photo By Nikos Daniilidis its striking size. It depicts a lioness with an unusually bushy mane, rearing on its hind legs and tearing apart a calf. It is believed to have adorned the east pediment of the temple. Two compositions belong to the west pediment. The one to the left depicts Herakles on his right knee, wrestling with the Triton, a creature with a body of a man ending in the scaly tail of a sea monster. The group to the right is the Triple-Bodied Monster, a composite creature consisting of three male figures conjoined at the waist. Each figure holds an object in its left hand: the first has water, the second fire, and the third a bird (symbolizing air).

The pediment of the Gigantomachy.

The Gigantomachy pediment belongs to the decoration of the Old Temple of Athena. It has been argued that the Temple had an earlier building phase (570 BC), involving the poros sculptures that are now assigned to the Hekatompedon, while the marble sculptures were associated with a renovation by the sons of Peisistratos. It is possible, however, that the Temple was built and given its marble sculpted decoration in the last quarter of the 6th century BC. The compositions of the pediments consist of larger than life-size statues, carved in Parian marble, which are attributed to the workshop of an important Athenian sculptor, either Antenor or Endoios.

The Parthenon Gallery

The metopes South Metope 30. Scene from the Centauromachy. The real

metope is today located in the British Museum.

The 92 metopes were the first of the sculptural decoration to be made for the Temple. They were carved on the ground by different teams of sculptors and stonecutters, who undertook the work in separate teams. Among them were also metics, (resident aliens), who had come to Athens mainly from the Aegean islands.

This explains the slight differences of style in the metopes.

On the metopes of the Parthenon there are four main themes, known from the sculptures of many other Greek temples, as well as from various other works of art. The themes are connected with The Contest, the struggle between two adversaries, whoever they may be.

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

This expression of The Contest is unsurpassed and stands as a symbol of the eternal fight between the opposing and counterpoised forces in nature, in human society and in the human soul.

Architects Iktinos and Kallikrates designed the Parthenon, while for the carving of the sculptures, Pheidias collaborated with his pupils Agorakritos, Alkamenes and other great sculptors.

Pheidias himself created the gold and ivory statue of the armed Goddess that adorned the cella interior.

The Parthenon architectural sculptures, namely the metopes, frieze and pediments, were made of Pentelic marble and were embellished with the addition of metal attachments and paint.

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ATHENSTHE ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Frieze of the Parthenon

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

In contrast to the mythological subjects of the metopes and pediments, on the Parthenon frieze, Pheidias chose to depict the Great Panathenaia, the greatest festival of the city in honor of the Goddess Athena.

The frieze consisted of 115 blocks. It had a total length of 160 meters and was 1.02 meters high. Some 378 human figures and deities and more than 200 animals, mainly horses, are presented in the process. Groups of horses and chariots occupy most of the space on the frieze. The sacrificial procession follows next, with animals and groups of men and women carrying ceremonial vessels and offerings. The procession concludes with the giving of the peplos, the gift of the Athenian people to the cult statue of the goddess, a xoanon (ancient wooden statue). Left and right of the peplos scene sit the twelve gods of Mount Olympos.

From the entire frieze that survives today, 50 meters are in the Acropolis Museum, 80 meters in the British Museum, one block in the Louvre, and several fragments are scattered in the museums of Palermo, the Vatican, W端rzburg, Vienna and Munich.

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

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Other Monuments of the Classical Acropolis Other Collections

The Propylaia

In the Propylaia stood works of art made by great sculptors, like the statue of the Hermes Propylaios by Alkamenes.

Head of a young barbaric leader. Found inside the The building consisted of a central section Theatre of Dionysus. ca. 2nd flanked by two wings. The main building fea- c. AD tured five openings.

The central opening was the widest to accommodate the passing of the Panathenaic procession and sacrificial animals.

The north wing had an anteroom and a spacious hall known as the Pinakotheke.

This was probably a recreation area with paintings on the walls and couches with tables, where visitors could rest. The south wing had to be reduced due to the Temple of Athena Nike.

The Caryatids from the South Porch of the Erechtheion.

The area around the Erechtheion was considered the most sacred of the Acropolis. The Erechtheion was a complex marble building in the Ionic order, an exceptional artwork. The east-

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

Throughout the Roman period, the Acropolis retained the appearance it had in its heyday.

It also preserved most of its dedications, unlike other Greek cities and sanctuaries, whose artistic treasures were plundered and transferred to Italy, mostly in order to adorn public buildings.

At the same time, a series of new dedications were added to the earlier ones. These were portraits of emperors, generals and other officials, portraits of philosophers, orators and priests, as well as images of individuals who benefited the city or distinguished themselves in athletic and other contests.

ern part of the Temple was dedicated to Athena, whilst the western part was dedicated to local hero Boutes, Hephaistos and other gods and heroes. Thus, the Erechtheion was a temple with multiple functions, housing older and newer cults, and the site of the ‘Sacred Tokens’, the marks made by Poseidon’s trident and the olive tree of Athena.

A building inscription of the Erechtheion refers to the Caryatids simply as Korai (maidens), while the name Caryatids was assigned at a later time. The second Korai from the western section was removed by Lord Elgin in 1801 and is today located in the British Museum. www.theacropolismuseum.gr Xenios

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DESTINATIONSATHENS

5th European Conference on Management Leadership and Governance

World Forum on Energy Regulation aims to bring together more than 1,000 top-level energy stakeholders from across the globe.

The three day programme will feature heads of regulatory agencies, government officials, presidents and CEOs from utilities, transmission system operators and financial, consumer rights and other international institutions as well as other key decision-makers and energy sector stakeholders from across the world.

Hellenic American University, Athens, Greece World Forum on Energy Regulation IV to be 5 - 6 November 2009 held in Athens from 18 to 21 October 2009 Conference Chair: Marios hosted by the Regulatory Authority for Katsioloudes, Hellenic American Energy of Greece (RAE) and organised by RAE in coordination with the Council of University, Athens, Greece Programme Chair: John European Energy Regulators (CEER) under Politis, Higher Colleges of the guidance of the WFER IV Steering Technology, Dubai, United Arab Committee formed by chairpersons of the world’s major regional regulators’ associaEmirates tions, AFUR, ARIAE, CAMPUT, CEER, EAPIRF, Keynote speakers: -Stelios Stavridis, CEO Piscines ERRA, MEDREG, NARUC, OOCUR, SAFIR. Ideales, Greece, “Aim high, feel The WFER IV is a unique opportunity to great.”

- gather members of the 'energy world' to dis-Professor Nancy Papalexandris, cuss issues of global relevance sharing expeAthens University of Economics rience and knowledge on a wide range of and Business, Greece, “CSR & energy-related matters.

Ethics in the workplace. The key The WFER IV builds upon the themes and key findings of the past three Fora (Montreal, to high performance.”

2000, Rome, 2003 and Washington, 2006) The European Conference on addressing new trends in energy regulation, Management Governance and recent developments in the energy industry Leadership (ECMLG 2009) invites and a range of regional and global issues. It researchers, academics, practitioners and others from all areas to come together to hear, present and discuss research.

Networking Opportunities In addition to the ambitious and thought provoking three day programme, the WFER IV will offer delegates ample networking opportunities through its Welcome and Farewell Receptions, lunches, Social Event and Official Dinner An exclusive cultural event held at the Athens Concert Hall followed by a Cocktail reception has been planned on Monday evening, October 19.

Since it opened its doors to the public in 1991, the Athens Concert Hall has been regarded as one of the most comprehensive culture centres in Europe. Its superb acoustics has been acclaimed both by the public and by renowned performers of the music and art world. The Athens Concert Hall has welcomed thousands of people enjoying exclusive performances.

The WFER IV Official Dinner will be served at a spectacular seaside location near Athens on Tuesday October 20. www.worldforumiv.info

1st Greek International Conference on Brain Injury Rehabilitation

You can again expect to interact, both formally and informally, with colleagues from diverse backgrounds in a rich mixture of views; ground breaking concepts and controversial thinking.

Supervisors are especially encouraged to bring their students, as in past years feedback has been strongly positive.

This 5th year of the conference will be co-hosted by the Hellenic American University and the Atexcelixi Conference Centre on the outskirts of Athens. As one of the worlds oldest cities and an ancient centre for philosophy and learning, it is fitting that a conference on Leadership and Governance is held here.

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The Conference is organized by the Hellenic Society for Disabled Children ELEPAP, in collaboration with the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Medical School, USA, and will be held in Athens on 13th to 15th November 2009.

This Conference aims to enhance the collaboration between professionals to raise the awareness of the consequences of Brain Injury, and to promote successful interventions extending from the intensive care units to the rehabilitation and reintegration programs.

The faculty of the Conference includes 10 invited speakers from the United States and Europe, who are acknowledged world wide, for their expertise in the theoretical, research and remedial aspects of medical, neurologic and cognitive rehabilitation after a Brain Injury. Each speaker will deliver a plenary lecture and a 3-hour state-of-the-art review workshop session on various medical and neuropsychological therapeutic rehabilitation interventions.

The outcome of a Brain Injury greatly depends on interdisciplinary collaboration of professionals as well as on comprehensive and systematic neuropsychological rehabilitation programs.

A main objective of the Conference is to bring together professionals from different disciplines, who are or will be involved in the rehabilitation process of Brain Injury patients from the intensive care to rehabilitation and reintegration. The professionals includes Intensivists, Traumatologists, Neurosurgeons, Neurologists, Neuroscientists, Doctors in Physical Rehabilitation, Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Neuropsychologists, Speech therapists and Vocational Rehabilitation Counsellors and others.

EPIDEMICS² : Second International Conference on Infectious Diseases Dynamics

Selection of International Conventions & Meetings 6th International Conference on Instrumental Methods of Analysis Modern Trends and Applications (IMA 2009) 4 October - 8 October, Hotel Titania 8th World Endodontic Congress 6 October - 9 October, Athens Hilton Hotel The 2nd Symposium of WENR: Cultural factors influencing patient safety 8 October - 10 October, Hotel Royal Olympic The 2009 International AMD and Retina Congress 9 October - 10 October, Megaron Athens International Conference Centre

Following the highly successful inaugural Epidemics Conference in Asilomar, USA in 2008, the organizers are pleased to announce a second conference in the series to be held in Athens, Greece in December 2009.

Attendance at this second EPIDEMICS conference will enable you to: * Identify new research and developments in the field of infectious disease dynamics * Hear from leading experts at the only dedicated conference in the field * Present your latest findings as an oral or poster presentation * Network with an interdisciplinary group – including academics and researchers from both a modelling and field based background and representatives from public health and governmental agencies Conference sessions will focus on the following main topics: -Dynamics of infectious diseases of humans -Dynamics of infectious diseases of livestock -Dynamics of infectious diseases of plants -Dynamics of infectious diseases of wildlife -Within host dynamics -Ecology and evolution of infectious diseases -Global and public health aspects of control and prevention -Global change in infectious diseases -Policy, economics and decision making -Populations genetics and molecular epidemiology of infectious agents Topics related to the dynamics of infection, with or without a modelling component, but not directly covered in the above list will also be considered for presentation at the conference. www.epidemics.elsevier.com

AICT 2009 - Athens Interventional Cardiovascular Therapeutics X 9 October- 10 October, Divani Caravel Hotel IT Directors Forum 2009 15 October, Ktima Pentelikon Golden Helix Symposia 15 October - 17 October, Divani Apollon Palace and Spa Euroscience Mediterranean Event 2009 (ESME 2009) 15 October - 19 October, Technopolis - Athens Gazi Industrial Archaeological Park 3rd International City-Break Conference 16 October - 19 October, St George Lycabettus 4th Trends in Medical Mycology (TIMM) 18 October - 21 October, Athens Hilton Hotel World Forum on Energy Regulation IV 18 October - 21 October, Athenaeum InterContinental Hotel 8th SETE Conference “Tourism & Development” 19 October - 20 October, Divani Caravel Hotel 7th Conference of Hellenic Language and Terminology 22 October - 24 October, Conference Center of the Eugenides Foundation (EORTC CLTF 2009) Cutaneous Lymphomas: New Insights in Diagnosis and Treatment – From Bench to Bedside 23 October - 25 October, Divani Caravel Hotel Global Forum on Migration and Development - GFMD 2 November - 5 November, Megaron Athens International Conference Centre 5th European Conference on Management Leadership Governance 5 November - 6 November, Atexcelixi Conference Centre

and

7th Marketing Directors Forum on Marketing Accountability 12 November, Ktima Pentelikon The 1st International Brain Injury Conference 13 November - 15 November, Metropolitan Hotel The 2nd European Cardiovascular Conference on the Elderly Patient (ECCEP) 27 November - 29 November, Divani Caravel Hotel Epidemics²: Second International Conference on Infectious Diseases Dynamics 3 December - 5 December, Ledra Marriott Hote

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DESTINATIONSATHENS Gagosian to open new space in Athens

More than half a million visit new Acropolis Museum during its first two months

Visitors to the new Acropolis Museum numbered more than half a million during the first two The world-renowned Gagosian months since its opening. Specifically, 523,540 people, of whom 60% were from abroad, visitGallery announced the inaugura- ed the museum between the date of the grand opening and August 26. tion of a new venue in Athens.

Opened in 1979 in New York by Larry Gagosian, Gagosian Gallery is one of the world's foremost modern and contemporary art galleries. It is also one of the few that can lay claim to a truly global reach. With the addition of the Athens space, there are now nine locations worldwide, including New York, Beverly Hills, London, Rome and Hong Kong.

Over the last three decades, Gagosian Gallery has presented countless memorable exhibitions of leading international artists including Georg Baselitz, Cecily Brown, Walter De Maria, Douglas Gordon, Richard Hamilton, Damien Hirst, Howard Hodgkin, Mike Kelley, Anselm Kiefer, Jeff Koons, Yayoi Kusama, Richard Prince, Ed Ruscha, Jenny Saville, Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, Philip Taaffe, Cy Twombly, Piotr Uklanski, Franz West, Rachel Whiteread and Christopher Wool.

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

During the same period, 409,000 individual Internet users from 180 countries visited the museum's website, www.theacropolismuseum.gr.

An exhibition with the theme "Pericles Xanthippus" will take place at the end of autumn as part of the museum's special exhibits featuring as its centrepiece the bust of Pericles from the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. The goal of the exhibit is to present Pericles' construction plans Parallel to this dynamic and for the Acropolis and its induction into the public life of classical Athens. diverse contemporary programme, Gagosian Gallery has At the same time, the museum's exhibit will be enhanced by new models of the Acropolis to mounted ambitious, museum- improve services for visitors. quality exhibitions of the work of such modern masters as Francis Finally, it should be noted that the museum already has a physician available for staff and visBacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, itors. In addition to the physician's surgery, a baby and child care room is soon expected to Joseph Beuys, Willem de open on the first floor of the museum.

Kooning, Alberto Giacometti, Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, As Greek Minister of Culture Antonis Samaras said: "With the Acropolis Museum as an examDavid Smith and Andy Warhol. ple, we are working intensively to increase visits to all the museums and archaeological sites The recent, highly acclaimed of the country. Our goal is to preserve and promote our cultural heritage, but mainly to link it Picasso exhibition, Mosqueteros, to education and young people. I would like to once again congratulate everyone who worked in New York, drew almost and continues to work toward the flawless operation of the museum and the ongoing promo100,000 visitors in 10 weeks. tion of our country and our cultural heritage throughout the world."

The Athens location, designed by Michelle Ballard, occupies 90 square meters of ground floor space in the very centre of the city, just steps away from Syntagma Square and the Greek Parliament. It will be a showcase for artists represented by Gagosian Gallery, as well as a platform of information for exhibitions on view in Gagosian Gallery's other locations around the world.

The inaugural exhibition, Cy Twombly: Leaving Paphos Ringed with Waves, is open to the public on September 25.

Photo By Nikos Daniilidis

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Sports and culture come together in Athens

The International Children's Games are one of the most important international athletic events, not only because the athletes of tomorrow take part in them, but because of the philosophy behind them.

By hosting them in 2009, Athens became the centre of global athletic interest yet again. After the recent hosting of the Olympic Games in 2004, the Champions League final and the Euroleague Final Four in 2007, and in advance of the Special Olympics World Games in 2011 and the Mediterranean Games which will take place in Volos in 2013, Athens can now be defined as one of the main sports destinations worldwide.

An international celebration of children's sports, the International Children's Games invite children and teenagers from all over the world to meet each other and become friends in the context of a sports event held exclusively for them.

The event puts emphasis on sporting ideas, respect, difference and understanding different cultures and ways of thinking.

The aim of the Games is not to win but to create strong bonds of friendship and solidarity between young athletes from all over the world.

In its 40-year history, the International Children's Games have welcomed more than 30,000 children from all the continents of the planet, introducing them to different places and helping them to understand different cultures.

Nowadays they take place under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee, and are held in a different city each year in the form of a Children's Olympics.

In 2009, apart from the summer games which Athens hosted, winter International Children's Games were held in two towns in Switzerland (Vevey and Montreux 19-22 February). The 44th Games will take place in 2010 in Manama, Bahrain, and the 45th in Lanarkshire, Scotland.

The International Children's Games in Athens, with the motto "Together - All friends," promoted the concept of solidarity.

Every participant became an ambassador of great values, as they represented not just themselves, but also their city and country. The educational nature of the Games focused on spreading the idea of healthy competition and the joy of the game, with an understanding and respect for the rules and for their opponents.

The unique experience of hosting the olympic Games in 2004, the trained volunteers, the highly proficient organising committee staff, the pledges of the Greek Parliament and the City of Athens for financial and organisational support of the preparations and hosting of the games, and the special love of Athenians for sports and youth were some of the best guarantees for Athens hosting the 2009 ICGs. The reception that visitors received was also of particular importance for the success of the games, as it included: • modern transport networks in the city (airport, road networks, suburban railway, new metro lines); • comprehensive hotel network; • up-to-date security plans for large international events; • the chance for visitors to visit a wide range of archaeological sites in the city; • the New Acropolis Museum; • the contribution of the Greek mass media, in particular the state television channels and international promotion of the Games; • educational programs for the athletes; • specially selected and informational programs about doping, racism and violence in sports grounds; • free use of all means of public transport for all accredited persons; • the use of new technologies for those taking part in the Games.

Euroscience Mediterranean Event 2009 (ESME 2009)

15 – 19 October, Technopolis Athens Gazi Industrial Archaeological Park ESME 2009 is being staged by the Euroscience Greek Regional Section, under the auspices of Euroscience, the European Association for the Promotion of Science and Technology. It is the first in a series of biennial events dedicated to scientific research and innovation. ESME provides a platform for dialogue on science and technology, society and policy, following the pattern of the Euroscience Open Forum, while focusing on the specific characteristics and needs of the Mediterranean region. The Euroscience Mediterranean Event 2009 aims at bringing together scientists and young researchers, senior government officials, policy makers, NGOs, academics and science communicators from all fields of science, thus providing a unique networking opportunity for all interested parties.

Through keynote lectures, selected workshops, papers and exhibition sessions, ESME 2009 intends to assess the challenges facing the Mediterranean area's scientific development and to focus on the future opportunities while featuring the best practices.

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DESTINATIONSATHENS

THE ASTIR PALACE COMPLEX THE ARION SPA

Its charismatic location, with its view of the blue waters of the Saronic Gulf, the new ultra modern spa at the Hotel Arion Resort & Spa, the Luxury Collection in the Astir Palace Complex is the perfect hideaway, designed to calm the senses.

The Arion Spa offers a full proposition for reviving holidays to its guests who wish to experience the ultimate relaxation and beauty, as well as a lifestyle that combines the harmony of body and soul. The guests of the Spa will have the opportunity to enjoy the provided therapies and services while gazing at the endless blue sea.

The Spa is 1.000 square meters and is situated on two levels, with focus point the heated pool which is equipped with therapeutic massage, a hydro massage wall for the feet, a bubble seat for three, as well as a swimming track and a hydro therapy Jacuzzi. Next to the pool are located the aromatic sauna, aromatic hamam, footbath - knipe, 5 therapy rooms, relaxation room and the famous "Cleopatra's bath".

Signature therapies for well being, beauty and revival are also available, all using pure natural products. The treatments at the Arion Spa are catered not only to the face and body, but to the soul and spirit. The facial therapies are done in association with the Valmont and Anne Semonin Companies, while the body therapies in association with the Algoane and Anne Semonin Companies.

In collaboration with the above companies, the Arion Spa Team provides exclusively the specialized body treatment (signature treatment) "Mediterranean Greek Orange Fruit - Deep Hydration Envelopment" The therapy begins with a body scrub using Caribbean brown sugar and continues with a full body relaxation massage with orange oil, lavender and laminaria seaweed. The therapy lasts one hour and 15 minutes and is completed with a technique called shiatsu pressure.

The Spa's guests have the opportunity to try unique therapies designed to offer unforgettable carefree moments and relaxation while gazing the endless blue sea.

"Within the last few years Spas have become a necessity and is a prime service offered by luxury hotels. Hotels that collaborate with well known spa brand names have the advantage" states the General Manager of the Arion Astir Beach, Mr. Edmond Pinczowski and adds: "we anticipate that the spa in combination with other services rendered by the Hotel Arion Resort & Spa, will be a great advantage to our Hotel complex.

For further information on the Hotel Arion Resort & Spa, please visit: www.Luxurycollection.com/arion

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Athenaeum Intercontinental Athens

The Athenaeum InterContinental Athens continues its commitment to consistently exceeding the needs of its most discerning guests, having initiated a multi-million guestroom renovation program due for completion in 2010.

The first stage of the program, which is already completed, entails major fundamental improvements to the functionality and design of the 102 rooms on the 6th & 7th floor of the hotel.

The hotel has commissioned the Paris based design firm 3bis Architecture Decoration, whose portfolio includes some of the finest international city hotels and resorts.

The hallways of the new Deluxe floors have been awakened with vivid colours; orange, red and yellow and are complimented by lively wool carpeting.

Polished stone, wood and stainless steel lift foyers promote a seamless continuation and fresh welcoming already reflected in the public areas of the Athenaeum InterContinental Athens.

Showcasing the highest standards of quality and aesthetics,

the renovated Deluxe rooms & suites, the most spacious in Athens, provide a variety of exclusive conveniences appreciated by the modern day traveller.

The design conceptually simple yet grand, alternating horizontal lines and geometric shapes with the soft colors of cream, praline, nougat and dark blue, results in a clever material contrast with wool, leather, suede and velvet.

The guestroom's interior features stylish furnishings and specially commissioned works of Modern Greek Art adorning the leather clad walls.

Fitted with all the modern conveniences such as an ergonomic work area, 32'' HD flat screen TV with digital entertainment system and high speed Internet access (wired & wireless), the renovated guestrooms promise to turn even the shortest stay into a most memorable one.

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DESTINATIONSATHENS

Royal Olympic: A Unique Ingredient Beneath the shadow of Acropolis and just in front of one of the greatest masterpieces of Classical Athens the famous Temple of Zeus, the Royal Olympic Hotel is right next to picturesque "Plaka" (the Old Town), the Royal Gardens and the Ancient Stadium.

This superbly located Hotel is a truly chic and gracefully decorated establishment.

The total renovation that took place in 2005, transformed the Hotel and turned the Athenian Panorama rooms into the finest rooms in Town!

Seven elegant, unique Conference Halls & eight Breakout Rooms, bathed in natural light, render the Royal Olympic the ideal venue for any event of 10 to 2000 participants in total.

After its impressive renovation, the Royal Olympic can satisfy all the technological demands of any event.

Understanding the importance of details, we aim to ensure perfection as well as innovation in order to make our events worthy only of positive comments and praises.

A state of the art Fitness Center, flooded in natural daylight along with a very atmospheric SPA will be at your disposal early 2007.

At the Royal Olympic Hotel, the view of Classic Athens is in complete harmony with the discreet ultramodern equipment such as the Wi Fi that is available throughout the hotel.

The Hotels incomparable privilege though is that it is surrounded by all major Archeological Sights of Athens, forming a stunning view for you to admire as they turn our windows to live works of Art. In Autumn, the superb view as well as the creative cuisine of our Gourmet Restaurant will leave sensational impressions and create lasting relations with all visitors.

Meetings & Events The Royal Olympic is the excellent choice for Meetings, Congresses as well as any other social event.

The experienced personnel will be more than pleased to provide their excellent services to any Conference, Meeting, Presentation, Exhibition or even a simple get together.

Seven elegant, unique Conference Halls & eight Breakout Rooms, bathed in natural light, render the Royal Olympic the ideal venue for any event of 10 to 2000 participants in total.

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After its impressive renovation, the Royal Olympic can satisfy all the technological demands of any event. WiFi is available throughout the Hotel.

Also, the alternatives during leisure time are numerous and interesting, as our unique location ensures that all important Archeological and Cultural Sights, the Old Town (Plaka) and the Shopping Center are at a distance of no more than a 5 min walk.

Understanding the importance of details, we aim to ensure perfection as well as innovation in order to make our events worthy only of positive comments and praises.

OLYMPIA, the largest Conference Hall of the Royal Olympic. An impressive Hall, designed for demanding events as it is accessible from a private entrance on the main street as well as from the interior of the Hotel, dividable into two rooms, with natural light, full ultramodern audiovisual equipment, as well as a spacious, elegant foyer.

The multifunctional Olympia is the ideal choice for Conferences, Congresses, Exhibitions, Presentations, Receptions, Weddings and any Professional or Social Event.

WiFi is available throughout the Hotel.

Eden Beach Resort OFFICIAL MEMBER OF THE HOSPITALITY NETWORK ATHENS 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES Location: The hotel is located in the 47km of Athens Sounion coastal road.

Description: Eden Beach Hotel Club comprises of 250 rooms in two buildings. It is amphitheatrically build in an area of

· Wind surfring · Professional water ski and wakeboarding school · Mini golf · Basket ball · Archery - shooting range facility · Large swimming pool: 320 s.q. · Parasols and sunbeds by the pool and by the beach · Beach volley · Pedaloes · 2 tennis courts · Basketball court · Petanque · Archery and shooting range facility Eating & Drinking: The hotel provides fine cuisine for its guests. Our freshly prepared meals combine Greek, Mediterranean and international flavours.

The beach The beach has been consecutively awarded with the "blue flag". The award reflects the cleanliness of the waters and the numerous facilities for the swimmers and the visitors of the beach. Services include Snack bar · Parasols and sun beds (on charge) · Canoes and Pedalos · Lifeguard watch and first aid · Changing cabins - outdoors showers facility Conference Halls Hercules Boardroom Artemis I Artemis II Theatre Layout School Layout U Shape

200 140 60

30 15 20

30 15 20

30 15 20

Large outdoor exhibition area of 1.500 s.q.m.

50.000 m2 rich in pine trees and gardens. The hotel offers direct access to the beach. Last major renovation was in year 2002.

· Windsurfers · Water ski school - wakeboard, banana ride, rings ride, flying fish · Beach volley

Distances · 20 km ancient Shrine of Poseidon · 25 k from Athens international airport · 47 km from Athens center · 30 km from Lavrion Harbor · 20 km away from the newly constructed Attica ring road (attiki odos), which enables easy access to the north and the south (peloponissos) of the country.

Services · Mini club: Service for children between 4 and 11 years of age. Special entertainers supervise children and organize games, activities and surprises. · Children's seat (restaurant) · Beach towel service (on charge) · Excursions and sightseeing tours (on charge) · Public Transportation service · Car rental · Taxi service (on request) · ISO 9001 -HACCP study implementation

Sport and leisure A group of professional entertainers provide a rich daily program that includes aerobics, contests and tournaments, lots of sports, dancing classes, folkloric night (1 per week)

Conference facilities The conference center of the hotel was renovated in 2004. It features all the essential equipment and services to satisfy corporate meeting, conferences and product presentations.

Equipment - installations Microphone installation Podium Microphone installation (cordless) High Speed Internet Connection Overhead projector T. V. laser LCD projector (beamer) Secretarial support Slide projector Poster boards VCR Organizers help desk DVD player Phone booth next to hercules room Laser pointers Different light scenarios Flip charts Natural light Wall screen A/C

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DESTINATIONSBARCELONA

BARCELONA PAYS HOMAGE TO L’EIXAMPLE The Catalan capital is organizing l’Any Cerdà to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the plan to reform and extend the city During 2009, Barcelona will pay homage to the Catalan engineer Ildefons Cerdà in the celebration of the 150 years of the acceptance of his famous reformation plan for the city, which created the present day district of l’Eixample. This is one of the areas with most tourist attractions in Barcelona, with a large architectonic heritage, such as many buildings designed by Gaudí and other outstanding Modernist architects. The so-called Any Cerdà includes several activities, such as exhibitions, debates, educational programmes, festivals and publications.

The plan designed by Cerdà was a response to the collapse that Barcelona was suffering from as a consequence of the industrial revolution and the resulting demographic expansion. The aim was to improve living conditions for the Barcelona inhabitants as well as fluidity of movement around the city. The result was a grid of wide streets and housing with views onto the front and back façades, in order for the sun to be seen from all directions. Cerdà promoted the presence of nature, with gardens in the courtyards of each island of houses and, especially, with the creation of a large park between the Besòs river and the city.

The inauguration event for the Any Cerdà took place on 11th June, the date of the approval of the Royal Decree through which the Ministry of Development approved the project Reforma i Eixample de Barcelona, in the Saló de Cent in the City Hall.

Involvement of cultural institutions Several exhibitions are due to be held in the city to illustrate the works and the legacy of the Pla Cerdà. Between 2009 and 2010, several cultural institutions 58

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will hold exhibitions to provide more information on the urban development in Barcelona, as well as on the figure of Ildefons Cerdà himself.

The largest exhibition will be held in the Drassanes Reials de Barcelona, from 4th November 2009 to 7th February 2010.

Entitled L’Eixample Cerdà, 150 Anys de Modernitat, the exhibition aims to highlight the importance of many of the proposals that Cerdà conceived in the middle of the nineteenth century. The exhibition will cover 1,700 square metres and will be organized by FUTIC (Fundació Urbs i Territori Ildefons Cerdà).

In the Museu d’Història de la Ciutat the exhibition Cerdà i Barcelona, la Primera Metròpoli, 1853-1897, which will show the urban evolution of the city during this period, will be held from December 2009 to March 2010.

Between February and March of this year, the Diputació de Barcelona will house the exhibition La Política Pràctica.

El Pas d’Ildefons Cerdà per la Diputació de Barcelona (1871-1874).

During the month of November, the Fundació Urbs i Territori Ildefons Cerdà (FUTIC) will hold the international congress Cerdà i el Fet Urbà al Segle XXI. Another event to analyse the legacy of the engineer will be the international symposium Cerdà Postmetròpolies – El Govern de les Regions Metropolitanes el Segle XXI, organized by CCCB. Some academic centres plan to organize debates after the month of June.

The Educational Programme aims to disseminate the works of Cerdà around schools. Based on the elaboration of pedagogical tools, it includes urban itineraries designed for a wide range of publics, from families to professionals.

The activities of l’Any Cerdà also include the publication of a book commemorating the 150th anniversary of the approval of the urban plan, published by the Institut Cerdà and coordinated by Joan Fuster i Sobrepere.

Even the Mercè Festival will participate in the celebrations, taking the stretch of l’Eixample as one of its most important venues. Other celebrations will also include events and projects relating to l'Any Cerdà in their programmes. To conclude the commemorations, a popular festival will be held which will be open to the general public in the spring of 2010. It will be a Nit Blanca of artistic and cultural activities in the streets of l’Eixample.

THE CITY OF CULTURE Museum of Catalonia-MNAC), with its unique collection of Romanesque art; the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona–MACBA (Barcelona Museum of Contemporary ArtMACBA); CaixaForum, housed in an old artnouveau factory; or the Fundació Antoni Tàpies are must-see landmarks which trace culture throughout the ages.

Music in Barcelona is a fiesta. All the musical genres can be enjoyed in the city, from classical to contemporary music, from ethnic music to jazz. Modern concert venues -which are also landmark buildings- such as l’Auditori, the Palau de la Música and the Gran Teatre del Liceu offer prestigious performances throughout the year. Theatre-going is another activity that enlivens the cultural life of Barcelona, which features prestigious internationallyknown theatres. The opening of the Teatre 10 Nacional de Catalunya consolidates the range of entertainment on offer in Barcelona.

Barcelona is a cultural hotspot. Every year, the city’s museums and cultural centres are a melting pot of people. Last year, Barcelona’s main museums attracted some 14,000,000 visitors, a figure which increases yearly at the same rate as hotel overnights. The Sagrada Família is the most popular cultural attraction and over two million people visited it last year.

La Pedrera, also designed by Gaudí, and the new CaixaForum also proved popular with 1,500,000 visitors.

Barcelona has always been a city with strong cultural and festive traditions. Its more than 50 museums and many art galleries stage permanent and temporary exhibitions that are part of a stimulating, year-round, calendar of events. The recently extended Museu Picasso; the Fundació Joan Miró; the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya-MNAC (National Art

EUROPE’S LEADING CRUISE HARBOUR Barcelona has one of the most popular ports for cruise ships as well as for shipping companies.

According to Lloyd’s Cruise International, Barcelona is the most important port for cruise ships in both Europe and the Mediterranean.

Barcelona harbour enjoys a prime location in the western Mediterranean, and meets all the requisites of the cruise companies who use it as their home port: a prestigious tourist city, a quality hotel infrastructure, an airport with international air connections and harbour facilities devoted exclusively to cruise ships.

Barcelona is also the centre of a Euroregion with a great number of potential cruise passengers.

Barcelona harbour has nine cruise terminals which are perfectly equipped to cater to the great number of passengers who use them every year.

The terminals are located in the heart of the city, and are well-served by public transport –buses and taxis-, which make it easy to reach any part of the city.

MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE: PURE ATTRACTION

The city lives up to its Mediterranean setting with its Catalan cuisine, one of the most auspicious expressions of the Mediterranean diet. The interest in gastronomy in Barcelona is reflected in a long and varied list of restaurants, some of them awarded Michelin stars, that suit the most varied tastes: local Catalan cuisine, international cuisine, exotic food, not to mention tapas and appetisers -the quintessence of Spanish cuisine-, or the world-famous cava. All the local know-how and flavours, all the benefits of the Mediterranean diet, come together in this culinary speciality, which also includes prestigious wines. We invite you to try it: the table is laid.

In the Catalan capital there is an extensive gastronomic offer. At present, there are over 10,000 establishments with restaurant licences. Among the many highly prestigious restaurants in Barcelona, a total of 17 Michelin stars have been awarded.

The city’s cuisine is one of the strategic lines of Turisme de Barcelona. The consortium promotes the gastronomic offer of the city through the Barcelona Gastronomia programme, involving a total of 155 restaurants in the city.

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DESTINATIONSBARCELONA

MEETINGS: EFFICIENCY AND CREATIVITY Barcelona is one of Europe’s favourite destinations for all kinds of scientific and business meetings: congresses, conventions, product presentations and incentive trips.

Barcelona has excellent infrastructures for hosting such events: a trade-fair site with 200,000 m2 of indoor floor space, including the Barcelona Conference Centre; another, recently built, conference centre which can host 3,000 people; the Palau Sant Jordi, the And to complete this range of facilities, since November 2004 the city has had a new Games, which is equally Convention Centre (the suitable for launching a car CCIB), which can host major or hosting a large banquet, congresses for up to 15,000 people in a modern building as a fashion show or an equipped with the latest indoor windsurfing competi- technology.

Barcelona’s excellent range tion. of hotels, which offer 54,000 beds, and particularly its larger establishments, are perfectly suited to the requirements of business conventions and incentive trips. The countless historic and unique venues for receptions, gala dinners and parties are an added attraction for this sector. They include Catalan Gothic, rustic-style or ultramodern buildings as well as modernista landmarks, some designed by Gaudí.

jewel of the 1992 Olympic

Barcelona is also famous for design and creativity. This quality of many of the city’s professionals brings that special touch to social events and programmes which often bring together the history, culture and natural environment of the region.

Turisme de Barcelona has a specific programme to promote and assist this sector: the Barcelona Convention Bureau. It was founded in 1983, and has long-standing experience in advising meeting organisers.

ECONOMIC SOLIDITY With a history dating back 2,000 years, Barcelona has become a dynamic, creative and imaginative city. The capital of Catalonia is a key economic point of reference on the European map. With a GDP of some 55,000 million euros, Barcelona ranks as the fourth best European city for setting up a business, and the city on the continent which offers the best standard of living for professionals (1).

It also ranks as the second European city to attract international investment (2), and is located in Catalonia, the European region with the sixth biggest active population (3).

(1) According to the report European Cities Monitor by Cushman & Wakefield -- Healey & Baker (2) According to European Investment Monitor by Ernst & Young (2002)

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(3) According to Statistics in Focus by Eurostat Port

The port of Barcelona brings together the greatest number of logistic facilities on the Iberian Peninsula and in the south of Europe. The integration of all means of transport (port, airport, motorways, and railways) within a five-kilometre radius, and its location in a setting which offers the best services to the transport and logistic sectors, make the port one of the Mediterranean’s hubs for commerce, transport and distribution. It has an annual traffic of some 32 million tonnes, 1,425,000 container ships, 615,000 new vehicles and more than two million passengers. Info: www.apb.es Airport Barcelona’s airport, El Prat, is one of the main European air hubs. It is perfectly connected to the main European markets, and has yearly passenger figures of 30 million. Info: www.aena.es Fira de Barcelona Fira de Barcelona has become the most important organizer of professional and industrial trade fairs in Spain, and one of the first five in Europe in number of conventions. Of the total number of trade fairs which are held in Barcelona, 15 are a point of reference in Europe as they figure among the first five in their speciality. Info: www.firabcn.es A CITY ON TOP FORM Besides these outstanding events, the city’s annual sporting calendar includes many competitions of international scope.

This factor, together with Barcelona’s renown as a tourism magnet, has led to the creation of the Barcelona Sports programme, geared to increasing the number of fans who attend major sporting competitions held in the city. This programme focuses particularly on international sporting events held in Barcelona, which make up the sporting calendar. For more information and see the calendar: www.barcelonaturisme.cat

Mobile World Congress

The 2010 Mobile World Congress will be held 15-18 February, in Barcelona Spain.

For four days, this beautiful Mediterranean city will become the place for mobile leaders to gather, collaborate, conduct business and experience VISION IN ACTION. This year's Mobile World Congress will include: A world-class thought leadership conference featuring visionary keynotes and action-provoking panel discussions An exhibition with more than 1,300 companies displaying the cutting-edge products and technology that will define the mobile future An Awards ceremony and industry seminars that highlight the most innovative mobile solutions and initiatives from around the world And most importantly, the planet's best venue for mobile industry networking, finding business opportunities, and making deals In 2009, Mobile World Congress hosted approximately 47,000 mobile professionals from 182 countries. More than 50% of these were C-Level executives, and 9,000 of them represented mobile network operators from around the world. In addition, more than 2,400 members of the press reported from the event, representing more than 1,500 media groups from 76 countries.

If your company wants to be a serious player in the mobile ecosystem, you can't afford to miss the 2010 GSMA Mobile World Congress. Join us in Barcelona and see VISION IN ACTION! As always, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conference will provide an exclusive and thought-provoking look into mobileâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. Industry leaders large and small will discuss and debate strategic business and technology issues, as well as breaking trends, high-growth opportunities and state-of-the-art developments.

audience that contains a majority of C-level executives.

In 2010, the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s must-attend event will be bigger, bolder and better, with a conference powered by the biggest names in the industry and shaped by the topics that will support its growth. Topics will include: Business Strategy: Capitalising on new opportunities in the mobile ecosystem Mobile Broadband: Driving advances in network strategy and devices Mobile Lifestyle & Entertainment: Creating a new world of applications, services and content for work and play Mobile Planet: Making a positive impact on society through mobile Mobile Advertising: Building new business models through advertising Mobile World Congress Attendance by the Numbers*: More than 47,000 people from 182 countries attended Mobile World Congress in 2009 50% of attendees were C-Level / Board / Vice Presidents / Directors 2,800 Chief Executive Officers attended Mobile World Congress 2009 9,000 mobile network operator representatives attended 2,400 Press/Media attended the Mobile World Congress, representing more than 1,500 media groups from 76 countries 1,300 exhibiting companies occupied more than 130,000 square metres of exhibition and hospitality space Figures based on the official 2009 Mobile World Congress attendance report.

Over four days, the conference will present insightful keynote sessions and focused track sessions with an emphasis on interactivity and valuable content. Moreover, the MWC will generate unsurpassed business through networking sessions with an Xenios

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DESTINATIONSBARCELONA

Majestic Hotel & Spa

The Majestic Hotel & Spa is located in the very center of Barcelona, on Paseo de Gracia, home of the best in shopping, Gaudí monuments and walking distance to the Ramblas.

The neoclassical façade invites since 1918 to discover luxurious accommodations and excellence in service.

The 30 suites, with views of the Paseo de Gracia, invite you to discover a World of design, luxury, comfort, art, and exclusive service.

The 300 m2 (3230 sqft) Penthouse, with its two private terraces and 24-hour personalized service, provides the most exclusive and luxury way to enjoy Barcelona.

Majestic Spa Close your eyes. Forget about your daily worries and the fast paced rhythm of your life.

Focus on yourself, on your body and your mind.

If you want to feel pampered, or even spoiled, give yourself a treat and come to MajesticSpa, the best place to start your day or to relax after work, shopping or sightseeing.

With 303 luxurious rooms and suites with a classic For any additional information please contact us at spa@hotelmajestic.es and comfortable style, without leaving out a sin- If you would like to receive our "Spa gle detail, in order to sat- Promotions" please click here.

Brand new Spa in the Heart of isfy the needs of the most • Barcelona demanding travelers.

• A Spa for the mind and body • Personalised attention Many celebrities have • Products of the highest quality brand, chosen the warmth of the Natura Bissè Majestic’s rooms for their visit to Barcelona; Jean Groups & Events Paul Belmondo, Catherine Deneuve, Milos Forman, Meetings Vargas Llosa or even the The Salón Mediterráneo, a mix of technology and comfort with space for up to 500 people, Dalai Lama. entirely divisible by panels and renovated in

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September 2004, offers you multiple possibilities and combinations to facilitate the organization of your event.

The Passeig de Gràcia, Tibidabo and Montjuic Halls, with their fantastic views of the Passeig de Gràcia, are the perfect places to hold smaller meetings and events.

All of our event rooms are equipped with highspeed, wireless (Wi-Fi) internet connection in order to provide you the best convenience and possibilities of working in a private network between the rooms.

To make the reservations easier, the Hotel Majestic provides you with a single, multilingual contact person from the initial budget proposal till the conclusion of your event.

Incentives Why is Barcelona one of the most popular destination for incentive trips? Because it has a very easy access through its international airport and garantees nice weather all year round. It also offers great architecture, culture, gastronomy, good shopping and is facing the sea. It is also one of the most important european cruise harbor allowing to do pre/post programs. Additionally, Barcelona has fantastic venues able to host small to large groups.

The Hotel Majestic Barcelona is a 5 star deluxe property of 303 luxurious rooms and suites built in 1918 with a neoclassical architecture.

It is located on the most prestigious avenue in the heart of the city, within walking distance to most of Barcelona's highlights and the finest boutiques.

Luxury in the center of Barcelona since 1918 Let your staff, sales team, executives or clients enjoy the vibrant city.

Banqueting & Coctail Imagine a “Welcome Cocktail” for your guests at one of our terraces, enjoying the amazing panoramic views of the city and being able to gaze at buildings as emblematic as the Sagrada Familia, Casa Batlló, and the Palacio Real de Montjuic, among others.

Surprise your gests with an unforgettable “Gala Dinner” in our exclusive ballroom. We can offer you all types of shows and thematic menus that will surpass your guests’ expectations.

The Hotel Majestic has several restaurants and bars: The “Condal Restaurant” offers you a daily menu based on the best recipes and products of the Mediterranean cuisine. The buffet concept will allow you to have a quick, light lunch to get on with your work session. In the evening, a selection of the best tapas and paellas are available.

The Restaurante Drolma, awarded one star in the Michelin Guide, is an obligatory stop for Barcelona’s most exacting gourmands, with excellent recipes prepared by its Chef, Fermi Puig, and with a menu that changes seasonally.

If you would just like a snack, you can opt for the Bar del Majestic, livened up by our pianist, or the Pool Bar, where you can contemplate spectacular views of the city.

Business Groups Exhibitions, tastings, training courses, workshops…

Our convention center can hold your event. The professionalism and experience of our team will make possible any event that your company is organizing.

If you need more than 15 rooms for any type of activity in Barcelona and do not require our meeting facilities (Factory visits, visit to your offices, attend training sessions) you will have a single contact person who will take care of everything, from the first quotation to the group’s departure, thus ensuring your comfort.

Majestic Hotel & Spa P. de Gracia, 68 · 08007 · Barcelona, Spain · T +34 93 488 17 17 info@hotelmajestic.es · www.hotelmajestic.es

DESTINATIONSBARCELONA

Rey Juan Carlos I BARCELONA’S ONLY URBAN RESORT HOTEL

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I opened its doors just days before the Olympic Games of Barcelona '92. Since that exciting time in our city’s history, we have expanded and improved our Barcelona resort hotel.

High-speed WiFi internet Direct-dial telephones

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I benefits from the addition of the Royal Club Fitness & Spa, the catering service of Prats Fatjó and the state-of-the-art Palau de Congressos de Catalunya. Outstanding restaurants and pools perfect for relaxation are located in our spectacular gardens.

Free internet International newspapers Business centre services Executive Lounge Four meals per day Express check-in and check-out Luxury amenities Turndown service

A member of the exclusive “The Leading Hotels of the World”, Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I can proudly call itself one of the best city resorts in the world.

Located on the Diagonal, the city’s main avenue, our Barcelona hotel is just a walking distance from the shopping, cultural and financial centres.

The comfortable and spacious accommodation features the latest facilities and outstanding views over Barcelona. Our 19th century Mediterranean gardens and outdoor pools create a tranquil resort in the city centre.

With 433 luxury rooms and professional conference facilities, Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I is the ideal location for a business or leisure visit to Barcelona. Relax and unwind with our spa and fitness centre.

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I presents a superb range of luxury Barcelona accommodation in the heart of the city. Our 433 deluxe rooms offer: Individually-controlled air conditioning Color TV with 24 Hour News Channel Pay TV movies and radio Mini-bar In-room safe 64

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EXECUTIVE FLOOR

EXPERIENCE OUR RESTAURANTS & BARS Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I presents dining experiences guaranteed to cater to all tastes.

The Garden Restaurant & Lounge offers creative Mediterranean cuisine and is surrounded by tranquil gardens. Enjoy alfresco dining on our terrace overlooking our pool.

The Polo Restaurant international cuisine kitchen. Enjoy our Restaurant prepared

offers a wide daily buffet of national and and "à la carte" menus from our showAmbigu Brunch on Sundays in the Polo with the freshest ingredients only.

Enjoy a relaxed poolside lunch at the Pool Bar or healthy options at the Fitness Bar. Both bars are open during the warmer months.

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I offers guests a variety of bars to unwind and relax with a drink. The cosy wood panelled Aris Scotch Bar is our smoking area and offers a wide selection of beverages and is the perfect place to watch sporting events on TV. The glamourous Lobby bar is located in our 16-storey atrium lobby

and offers live piano music every evening. selection of delicious sandwiches.

Both bars offer a

Meeting Facilities Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I meeting facilities provide the ideal venue for a successful meeting in Barcelona.

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I offers outstanding meeting facilties on the prestigious Avenida Diagonal of Barcelona, the most important financial and business centre of the city.

The Palau de Congressos de Catalunya has 35 halls and rooms of varying sizes. The grandiose Auditorium can hold a maximum of 2,027 delegates. The maximum exhibition space is over 4,000m² with a capacity for banquets catering for up to 3,000 diners.

Event in Barcelona Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I event facilities offer the ideal venue for a successful event in Barcelona.

Our Barcelona event hotel can accommodate a group of guests in up to 350 rooms. Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I presents 14 versatile meeting rooms. Our Fresh Bar is also available for private hire.

for a gala dinner, business lunch or banquet.

THE ROYAL CLUB FITNESS & SPA OUR LUXURY BARCELONA SPA The Royal Club Fitness & Spa is located in the lush gardens of the Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I. Experience the ultimate in relaxation and tranquillity surrounded by our gardens and swimming pools.

Our fitness club offers over 5000 sq m of modern facilities. Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I fitness room has the latest in fitness technology and exercise equipment. Maintain your fitness levels while you are away from home with our supervised activities.

Relax in our Spa’s thermal area* as well as our two heated swimming pools (indoor and outdoor), which are open all year round. We offer personalised treatments with cosmetic products from the prestigious Natura Bissé brand.

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I Av. Diagonal 661 - 671 - 08028 - Barcelona Tel +34 933 644 040 - hotel@hrjuancarlos.com www.hrjuancarlos.com

Two fixed marquees are located in our expansive hotel gardens.

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DESTINATIONSMALLORCA

Hilton San Torre Mallorca

The Hilton San Torre Mallorca has 90 rooms, including fifteen Luxury Suites, ten Hilton Suites, five Hilton One Bedroom Suites, nine Juniors Suites, twenty-three Hilton Deluxe rooms and forty-three Hilton Rooms, spread out over a number of different buildings.

Hilton Room All the rooms have been appointed with state-of-theart conveniences to ensure that our guests enjoy the utmost in comfort: air-conditioning, mini-bar, spacious work table, dual ISDN telephone line, high-speed Internet, 32-inch satellite and payper-view TV, Hilton alarm clock, tea and coffee makers and safety deposit box..

Hilton Suite The hotel staff are fluent in a number of languages and offer visitors a wide array of services that include concierge service, free press, private airport shuttle service, car-hire and safety deposit boxes at the reception desk, daily laundry service and 24-hour room service.

The Hilton Sa Torre Mallorca features a spa, gymnasium, two tennis courts, two outdoor swimming pools - one of which is heated - with a solarium and a children’s swimming pool The Hilton Sa Torre Mallorca’s broad range of facilities and services makes it the ideal spot for holiday retreats as well as for hosting congresses and corporate incentive trips.

The Sa Torre Conference Centre, one of the resort’s signature offerings, encompasses ten meeting rooms, two board rooms and two banquet halls set in two adjacent buildings that offer services worthy of the Hilton 66

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Meetings brand. High speed Wifi internet access is available to guests everywhere in the hotel.

With two restaurants and a bar, cuisine plays a stellar role at the resort. The Arxiduc and Santacília restaurants provide a blend of international and Mediterranean cuisines with a touch of regional inspiration.

The wide selection of teas and coffees served with traditional island sweets at Sa Clastra bar provides a refreshing sample of the finest in Mallorcan cuisine.

This extensive range of possibilities is complemented by the hotel’s privileged setting, with golf (4 minutes away) and water sports (15 minutes away) at guests’ fingertips.

The beaches in southern Mallorca 10 minute away) and shops in Palma (only 20 minutes away) are other appealing features of the zone.

The octagonal neo-Gothic church dedicated to the Virgin del Pilar on the grounds boasts a hexagonal apse and is larger than many village churches on the island.

It is thought to have been erected between 1841 and 1878. One of the main façade’s most breathtaking features is a statue of the Virgin Mary with two angels in attendance. The nave has remained in a perfectly preserved state over the years.

DESTINATIONSRHODES

Rhodes: A Cultural & Congress Destination Who to contact: Rodos Tourism Promotion Organization www.rodosisland.gr e-mail: protour@rodosisland.gr

Rhodes is the third in size island of Greece and one of the most developed Mediterranean islands.

Rhodes was one of the first Greek areas which develop infrastructure for the tourism and meetings industry.

The medieval city of Rhodes, a place characterized by UNESCO as a monument for the worlds cultural heritage, is the largest medieval city in Europe inhabited today. Other places to visit is the Grand Master's Palace, the Archeological Museum, the Decorative Museum, the National Gallery, the Acropolis of Rhodes. The island of Rhodes has an ideal winter climate and holds the European sunshine record, with an average of 330 sunny days per year.

The island's International airport 'Diagoras' is located 15 km from the city centre.

Meetings & Incentives in Rhodes The same attributes that made Rhodes a particularly popular cosmopolitan tourist destination for over 30 year are still today those that make the island very attractive to the organizers of conferences and incentives seeking for novice qualitative ideas. It comes as no surprise when an organizer returns with a group that has been on the island for an unforgettable holiday trip for a conference or an incentive this time and vice versa. Rhodes enchants each year more and more holidaymakers from the thousands of conventioneers it receives each year.

The island provides to a meeting planner all the necessary contemporary facilities of a complete destination complemented with an identity rich in heritage and culture and an array of picturesque locations.

Rodos features include: -Excellent conference and incentive facilities, Rodos has more than 16,000 conference seats

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-Many large, modem hotels of world-class standards. Only in Ixia, within 5 minutes distance, more than 10,000 luxury beds can be found.

-Rhodes has a developed tourism infrastructure. Many incoming, Rodos-based travel agents operating conference and incentive brands.

-Easy air and sea access to the surrounding islands, Athens, Turkey and elsewhere -Rhodes sporting infrastructure includes a 18hole golf court, horse riding, tennis, mini-golf, water-parks, scubadiving and sailing.

-The Sound and Light performance takes place at the Palace of the Grand Masters.

-Exquisite endertainment possibilities include the new Casino in Rhodes town and a numerous restaurants, bars and night clubs with local and international origin.

Symi island

Conference Venues in Rhodes Rodos Palace Few venues can lay claim to having forged the image of a privileged conference and holiday destination.

With more than 2500 conferences, incentives and exhibitions held in its premises, the Rodos Palace has braced an international reputation as a top meeting venue, that lends its legacy of success to grant you the assurance that the hotel you select is capable of handling every aspect of your meeting with the confidence borne of 30 years of experience.

-9000 sq.m. meetings, pre-function & exhibition space -4800 delegates total seating capacity -2500 conferences, events, incentives & exhibitions Lindian Village In Lindian Village, a modern equipped Conference Hall for special meeting or summits accommodating up to 350 persons equipped with individually controlled air conditioning and state-of-the-art technological equipment.

Lindian Village is the latest arrival in the Mediterranean hospitality business, owned and managed by Sviriades S.A., a succesful presence in the Greek Hoteling since the early 60's.

Located on the idyllic beach on the South-eastern tip of the island of Rodos, compining the Aegean island style architecture with modern cutting edge aesthetics, this deluxe resort offers high level facilities and impeccable personalized service, satisfying the needs of today's discerning traveler.

Rodos Park Suites Hotel Looking across the soft green swathes and the medieval city, Rodos Park Suites & Spa is one of the most desirable places to stay.

Luxurious and stylish, yet cosy and inviting, all 59 renovated rooms and suites reflect a distinctive design with exclusive materials.

Whether for 10 or 320 people, a dedicated team ensures that even the last detail of your event will be just perfect, combining perfection and imagination to ensure that every function is well remarked and happily remembered.

"Symi has the most beautiful harbour in Greece. On either side of a steep-sided fjord rise tier upon tier of houses, some white, some pastel yellow, but virtually all with Neo-Classical pediments - a reminder that 100 years ago this was one of Greece's most prosperous islands. There has been virtually no modern concrete construction here and now these fine old houses are being resurrected for visitors. The spirit of the island remains intact."

ABOUT SYMI Symi is located in the Southern Dodecanese, north of Rhodes and close to the coast of south-west Turkey.

Symi is just over 13 km north/south and about 8 km east/west with an area of some 68 square km.

SYMI FESTIVAL Symi Festival is organised every Symi Festival is organised every summer for the last thirteen years. The idea is based in the disenterested participation of artists and organisers. There is neither ticket in the cultural events nor payment for the artists. The Town Hall covers the expenses of going and stay of the participants. Symis Festival has to do with several cultural activities like classical and modern music concerts, dance, thetre, cinema, literature evenings, conferences. All these manifestations take place in buildings with traditional architecture of 17th, 18th, 19th century like the famous manor house of Chatziagapitos, the courtyard of Saint John and the monastery of Panormitis.

Symis Festival popularity has attracted famous artists to participate like NANA MOUSCHOURI, LEONIDAS KAVAKOS, LAVREDIS MACHAIRITSAS, STAVROS XARHAKOS, THANOS MIKROUTSIKOS, DIMITRA GALANI, MARIA FARADOURI, STEFANOS KORKOLIS, ORCHESTRE OF MOSCOW Symi has also put up with important conferences such as EMIGRANT HELLENISM, NEOCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE, LITTERATURE OF EMIGRANT HELLENISM, HEALTH NURSING IN SMALL ISLANDS OF SOUTH AEGEAN www.symi.gr Xenios

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The Luxury Garden & Pool VIP Suites sets a New Era of

Fine Hospitality for Rodos Palace!

The total renovation of the Luxury Garden & Pool VIP Suites, the new Suites collection of Rodos Palace, adds a new chapter in the fascinating history of this historical luxury resort hotel located on the cosmopolitan island of Rhodes. Hence, despite the global financial crisis it continues to redefine and enhance the concept of the refined accommodation offering superb value-formoney for those who desire to experienceâ&#x20AC;Ś.the true essence of resort life!

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The total renovation of the Luxury Garden & Pool VIP Suites, the new Suites collection of Rodos Palace, adds a new chapter in the fascinating history of this historical luxury resort hotel located on the cosmopolitan island of Rhodes. Hence, despite the global financial crisis it continues to redefine and enhance the concept of the refined accommodation offering superb value-for-money for those who desire to experienceâ&#x20AC;Ś.the true essence of resort life!

The 200 Luxury Garden & Pool VIP Suites were created within an autonomous area of the resort, nestled around the hotel's extensive Zen gardens, and only five minutes from the Medieval City of Rhodes. They are characterized by their modern minimal design and exceptional technological equipment is expected to become the center of attraction for demanding guests seeking an idyllic heaven of ultimate luxury and privacy.

Their Interiorâ&#x20AC;Ś Their interior space of minimum 65 sq.m. feature two main areas incorporating richly appointed living rooms and bedrooms , in a variety of prestigious layouts.

Their superb decor blends luxury, with minimal touches of natural materials and soft color schemes creating an atmosphere of elegance and relaxation.

They are ideal for couples and families who seek a series of upgraded and exclusive in room facilities and services.

A world of Meeting Hospitality Rodos Palace! A meeting place that combines the efficiency of an internationally acclaimed Convention Center with a capacity of 4800 delegates in 20 distinct meeting rooms and 100 adjustable break-out rooms and the pleasure inherent to a deluxe Resort Hotel of 785 rooms and suites together with a dedicated Executive VIP Wing and the new 200 Luxury & Garden VIP Pool Suites to create synergies.

Bracing this combination, the experience borne of more than 2500 conferences, incentives and exhibitions held in Rodos Palace grants you the assurance that the venue chosen is capable of delivering what it promised.

After allâ&#x20AC;Ś these have been the main keys of success of a World of Meeting Hospitality just waiting to welcome you.

The International Convention Center A pioneer since its inception, an ever anticipator of changing needs, the Rodos Palace has followed its mission at the forefront of international meeting venues and evolved into its current status as Greece's Leading Convention Resort, with a legacy of more than 2500 conferences, incentives, exhibitions and events held in its premises over 35 years of experience.

The extremely flexible nature of the Convention Center is legendary among meeting planners, as it offers 9000 sq. m. of meetings, pre-function and exhibition space, within which the halls, lounges and rooms can be used individually or combined, in terms of total combined capacity, the Center accommodates 4800 delegates, but versatility gains equal importance, since, whatever size of event you are planning, there is the just perfect venue for it among 20 purpose-built meeting rooms, ranging in capacity from 20-1350 persons.

Additionally, the venue offers 100 hospitality suites and adjustable break-out rooms. Besides sophisticated AV Equipment, the venue now offers in all areas Wireless Internet Access with Wi-Fi.

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DESTINATIONSRHODES

Rodos Park Suites & Spa Appeal to your Senses

Looking across the soft green swathes and the medieval city, Rodos Park Suites & Spa is one of the most desirable places to stay. Synonymous with providing the right blend of luxury, warm service and quiet efficiency, our "boutique" hotel welcomes you in a place, where everything is designed to combine business and leisure.

Luxurious and stylish, yet cosy and inviting, all 59 renovated rooms and suites reflect a distinctive design with exclusive materials.

Refined residential elegance is well appointed in each guest room, fully equipped with every comfort, decorated with unprecedented fabrics and fine aesthetics for the ultimate experience.

All suites feature comfortable seating, kingsized bed or two twin beds with mattresses made of cocoon and multiple pillows for every individual preference, while consoles by each bed, control different lighting This elegant hotel, member of patents. The magnificent marble bathrooms the small luxury hotels of the are equipped with well-proportioned baths, world and awarded as the best Jacuzzi and powerful showers. Even the city hotel of Greece in 2006 was bathrobes and toiletries reflect the attention recently renovated. The hotel which has been paid to every detail, altoembodies the highest of tradigether resulting in a comfortable and inviting tional values, with spacious ambiance. rooms and suites of great A microcosm of endless choices offering the charm, glorious dining and most discerning guests the choice of six difentertaining, and a spa of exqui- ferent unique products. site indulgence.

For over ten years the hotel has Indulge into Events with Elegance...!

The Rodos Park Suites & Spa, Banqueting remained a pinnacle of luxury Department is the place to meet and celeand comfort for people who recbrate. Every event assumes a special distincognize quality and demand tion, from a grand banqueting or less formal excellence. dinner to a business meeting, conference,

private reception party, or wedding. Whether for 10 or 320 people, a dedicated team ensures that even the last detail of your event will be just perfect, combining perfection and imagination to ensure that every function is well remarked and happily remembered.

Wellness Spa The Rodos Park Wellness Spa was created out of our passion to embrace the total Well Being. A mixture of ultra modern design, the traditional Greek welcome and the Asian spa philosophy are blended to ensure that Rodos Park Wellness Spa is byword for quality relaxation and rejuvenation.

Rodos Park Wellness Spa provides a tranquil and truly unforgettable experience of pure pampering and relaxation in exquisitely peaceful surroundings, using holistic therapies and massages, especially designed to ensure total relaxation and rejuvenation for the body and mind. All different treatments combine the latest of technology, cosmetology, aromatherapy and the ancient Chinese Therapeutic Philosophy.

Wellness Spa recipes features the finest natural ingredients, often local to the hotel, where we stay committed to remaining true of respect for the environment.

Dinning Rodos Park Suites & Spa is a place of fabulous dining opportunities. Spectacular, luxurious and adventurous are the keywords for describing the culinary excellence of our dining outlets. With a dedication to outstanding service you are assured of a truly memorable occasion at any of our restaurants and bars.

The dress code at Rodos Park Suites & Spa is smart casual during dinner. www.rodospark.gr E-mail: info@rodospark.gr

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Elysium: A Paradise ... for the chosen few in Rhodes!

Elysium Resort & Spa, the newest 5 star hotel on the island of Rhodes, commenced its formal operation yesterday. The hotel, with a total capacity of 330 rooms, enjoys a premier beach-front location on the east side of the island, at Kallithea, just beside the famous monument of Kallithea Springs, and only 9 km from the city of Rhodes.

Elysium is the third, and newest member of Harmony Resorts Group, along with the Rodos Palladium, the most awarded luxury hotel on the island, and Sun Beach Resort, one of the best hotels for families on Rhodes.

Among the highlights of Elysium Resort & Spa one can distinguish the breathtaking sea views, both from the public areas and the rooms (98% of rooms with sea view), the panoramic rooftop gourmet restaurant "Nobles" on the 8th floor, where multi awarded executive chef George Troumouchis has created a "vibrant European cuisine" menu offering unique culinary experiences, the Crystal Bar that appears to be hovering on the air offering unique views of Faliraki bay, the panoramic elevators in the atrium, and the Elite Club: Two floors with 64 rooms exclusively dedicated to those who demand attention to fine details, with its own reception area and lounge, breakfast in Senses Cafe on the 8th floor with panoramic views, accommodation with upgraded aesthetics and a range of exclusive services.

The hotel hosts 3 restaurants, 4 bars, a unique pool of 1600 sq.m., a heated pool with aqua gym, and a beach with sand and small pebbles that extends to 400 meters.

The Elysium can accommodate meetings up to 500 delegates in 3 fully equipped conference rooms with a capacity of 280, 110 and 110 delegates respectively.

Elysium Resort & Spa required a total investment of 50 million euros and is owned by N.H.KA. SA. The hotel's General Manager is Mr. Michael Vastardis, with a successful career in the general management position in Hilton Athens, Hilton Corfu, Hilton Kenya and Hilton Bahrain, a choice depicting clearly the intention of the owning company for providing high quality services and experiences.

The Serenity Spa (800 sq.m) completes the overall experience with a reception, waiting and relaxation, and 6 treatment rooms. Within the next few weeks the hotel will announce the cooperation with an internationally recognized spa company.

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DESTINATIONSKOS

Meetings and Incentives in Kos Island The island of Hippocrates, the founder of medicine

Origin of Hippocrates, Kos is the 3rd largest island of the Dodecanese and a particularly popular destination of leisure travelers in Greece. The Hippocratic Birthplace is naturally a most interesting conference

Origin of Hippocrates, Kos is the 3rd largest island of the Dodecanese and a particularly popular destination of leisure travelers in Greece. The Hippocratic Birthplace is naturally a most interesting conference location for the Medical and Pharmaceutical sciences.

Medical associations and the pharmaceutical industry give their conventioneers and members the opportunity to visit the place where Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was born and bread (460-377 BC).

Descendant of a whole family of renowned doctors, Hippocrates traveled around the world researching Pharmaceutical sciences. Medical and collecting medicinal information only to return to associations and the pharmaceuti- the island of Kos where he founded and taught at his Medical School. His scientific writings, still studied cal industry give their convention- today, are known as the ''Hippocratic Collection. eers and members the opportuni- Since 1996 Kos has been incorporated in the European Federation of Conference Towns (EFCT).

location for the Medical and

ty to visit the place where

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, was born and bread (460377 BC). Descendant of a whole family of renowned doctors, Hippocrates traveled around the world researching and collecting medicinal information only to return to the island of Kos where he founded and taught at his Medical School. His scientific writings, still studied today, are known as the ''Hippocratic Collection. Since 1996 Kos has been incorporated in the European Federation of Conference Towns (EFCT).

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With the privilege of having bred the father of science, on that same year the island organized and held the 1st International Medicinal Olympiad that

took place jointly with the 35th Conference of the History of Medicine at the International Hippocratic Institute of Kos. The Institute is located near the Asclepeion and is equipped with a conference center, the Hippocratic Library and a Medical Museum. Kos Marina came under the management of KOS Ependitiki SA (a company owned by the Municipality of KOS town) in 1999. Since then 8 million Euros was invested, applying the ambitious program of building the best Marina in Greece! Three years later Kos Marina is ready to offer an extensive range of services to yachts from 7 to 50 meters.

Kos Marina KOS Marina is located one mile SE from Kos old harbor (Entrance: 36o 53' N 27o 18' E) and offers today: 250 berths with Mooring lines, water supply, Electricity supply 220 & 380 V from 16 to 125 Amps, Telephone connection, Satellite TV. Security/Safety Kos Marina premises are patrolled 24 hours by guards. Cameras cover the whole area of Kos Marina. Fire Precaution. All piers are equipped with fire stations with fire extinguishers; alarm system; fire hoses with both fresh and seawater circuit. All piers are equipped with emergency stations comprising lifebuoys, lifelines, emergency tele-phones and rescue ladders.

Facilities & Services: Pilot speedboat, WC-showers, Trolleys, Parking Lot, Bilge pump out, Sewerage pump out, Waste oil disposal, Refuse containers, Fuel station.

Administration Building with Reception, Authorities, Info center, Meeting room, Clinic & Guests' Suites. Weather report, Internet, telephone and facsimile services are offered in the Marina's Info Center, where meetings and events can be organized. Bank ATM, Baggage storage and Postal services are available. Shopping center with Cafeteria-bistro, Mini Market, Laundry, Yachts Chandlers Shops, Souvenirs shops, Boutique, Rent a car, Yacht Brokers, Yachting & Travel Agencies.

Boat Yard Dry storage area adequate for 150 yachts: available in October 2001, 100 Tone Travelift Technical Services An extensive range of technical services (yacht paint & antifouling, mechanical-Electrical-Electronic repairs, yacht cleaning services, sail maker, etc.) is available upon request. Only approved technical service contractors are allowed to operate in KOS Marina.

HOTSPOT - WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS Fast wireless INTERNET access in Kos Marina: your communication needs onboard and online without cords or additional installations KOS PORT MANDRAKI Since June 2004 KOS EP SA operates the Kos Mandraki Port, part of Kos historical harbour along the castle, with 40 berths, straight in the heart of the town.

Kos Municipality Akti Koundourioti 7, 85300 Kos Greece Tel.: +30 22420 24460 E-mail: kosinfo@kos.gr www.kos.gr

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DESTINATIONSKOS

Kos International Convention Centre

It's of Kipriotis Hotels' great pleasure to present you an impressive proposition for conferences that really want to make a difference!

On the beautiful island of Kos, birthplace of Hippocrates - father of Medicine - next to Kipriotis Hotels (5 luxury properties - 1,450 rooms total capacity) and along the azure Aegean coastline stands Kos International Convention Centre (KICC)

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With 40 meeting rooms of 7,000 people total capacity (5,500 KICC and 1,500 Iberostar Kipriotis Panorama Hotel), main auditorium 2,300 seats and 3,000m2 of exhibition space, Kos International Convention Centre is the largest autonomous, purpose-built, multi-functional Convention Centre in Greece.

The globally known Kos International Convention Centre is an impressive 3 level modern building, situated directly adjacent to Kipriotis Village Resort - the biggest hotel of the group- and only a breath away from the remaining 4 Kipriotis Hotels. KICC is one of the most luxurious Convention Centres offering the latest in meeting technology. High standard materials, modern ideas and excellent space design were adopted and applied in order to achieve maximum comfort, prestige and splendour that will make your meeting, conference or convention special!

With excellent infrastructure, designed and built with the conference market needs in mind, Kos International Convention Centre (KICC) offers state of the art conference facilities and is justi-

fiably placed on the top of the list as one of the best Convention Centres in the Mediterranean.

More specifically Kos International Convention Centre (KICC): -Is the only Convention Centre that can host in the same building and operate at the same time - in parallel - 25 meeting rooms -Is the only Convention Centre with completely autonomous catering facilities that can cater for more than 1,000 people -Is the only Convention Centre supported by accommodation facilities of 1,450 guestrooms next to it.

As one of the most important Convention Centres in Greece and Abroad, with state of the art infrastructure and a number of years of experience in the organization and execution of multiple, highly important Meetings and Conferences, Kos International Convention Centre doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t only promise but guarantee the success of any event that really wants to make a difference!

Neptune Hotels Resort, Convention Centre & Spa

Along one of the most beautiful sandy beaches of the island, near to the graphic village of Mastichari you will find "Neptune Hotels Resort, Convention Centre & Spa"; a luxurious hotel complex that it is built in the unique style of the traditional Greek Island architecture.

It consists of 570 twin rooms, suites and apartments featuring deluxe facilities and equipped with all the modern comforts. In its elegant reception areas, decorated with fine arts, you will find four restaurants, where you will enjoy exceptional creations from the international and Greek cuisine, eight bars, for moments of sheer pleasure and perfection, leaving you with long lasting memories and wonderful impressions.

There are four exterior swimming-pools, from which 1 is heated, 1 internal, 4 tennis courts, mini soccer field, basket ball court, beach volley, squash, badminton, Chip & Putt golf, mountain bike centre, sailing & surfing station and varied other athletic activities are available to give the holidays a more attractive dimension. In the hotel's premises you will also find: doctor's office, mini market, hairdresser's saloon, jewellery shop, boutique and souvenirs shop.

Neptune Hotels makes up a very special conference destination in Greece. At the Neptune Convention Centre, with its 23 meeting rooms and exhibition facilities for up to 1500 delegates, you will experience an environment fully designed for both business and pleasure that effortlessly blends the two with close attention to the smallest detail.

A visit to the Neptune Spa is a definite must, an opportunity to enjoy the lovely body treatments and facials that will surely rejuvenate your body and soul. Escape from the daily stress into our relaxing world for soul and spirit, face and body. Visit the Neptune Spa; ideal for revitalization, relaxation and for recovering your inner beauty.

Whether you have a group of 6 or 650, one of Neptune's conference rooms will suit your needs perfectly. Each one sets a standard in comfort and communication technology while attention is paid to every detail. And should your meeting turn into a late-night brainstorming session, smaller breakout rooms are available around the clock.

The "Neptune Hotels Resort, Convention Centre & Spa" is one of the loveliest choices on the island of Asklepios. We will make sure that you have experienced the true essence of the art of hospitality.

At the NEPTUNE CONVENTION CENTRE a delegate will experience an environment designed for both business and pleasure that effortlessly blends the two with close attention to the smallest detail.

From the beautifully appointed guestrooms and amenities to the ergonomically designed meeting rooms and dedicated staff, it all comes together providing a stay that is both productive and relaxing.

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DESTINATIONSCRETE

Crete: The Warm Welcome of Europe Crete is Greece’s largest island and fifth in the Mediterranean. Crete is the southernmost region in the EU and is a natural border between the Aegean and Libyan Sea marking the boundary between Europe and Africa.

As legend has it, it was here With its marvellous climate – the sea is warm

long living.

until November - unique natural beauty and

Crete Golf

where Zeus (the Father of all enough for swimming from the middle of April

Gods) was born and Curettes vast conference infrastructure; Crete is an

ideal destination for every kind of congress, summit, business meeting and product danced their pyrrhic dance launch.

Crete is commutes directly by air with most to muffle his cries. Crete was European cities from March to November and via Athens all year. On the island there are 2 airports: one in the city of Heraclion and the other in the city his burial ground as well. of Chania.

Crete encapsulates the beauty and calm of the Aegean with the mysticism of the East combined with a diverse landscape. Its scenery enraptures visitors due to its strong contrasts from snow-capped mountains to palm fringed beaches. It is estimated that the island has 155 kilometres of sandy beaches making it an ideal destination for water sports, leisure activities or simply swimming.

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Crete’s conference and incentive infrastructure includes: Nine purpose built facilities in all four prefectures with capacities ranging from 110 to 2000 delegates 53 hotels ranging from five to three star hotels all with in-house facilities with capacities from 16 to 5,000 delegates Cretan Diet During all historic times, Crete has been the sunray of the Mediterranean, the one that has always been shining connecting civilization and the population of three continents. The outcome of this union, has been the Minoan Civilization, that was born in Heraklion and the monuments that it left behind (Knossos, Festos, etc). Its soul remains unchanged, its character has not been altered and the essence of life stable. “The miracle still works”.

The tasty fruits of Cretan earth and the gourmet secrets of the locals will make its visitors forget their homelands, just as it's happened with Ulysses in the island of Calypso, Gavdos, a few millenniums ago. Leaving Crete, the visitor will only make one wish to come back soon so as to continue his journey in the beautiful island, that even after a civilization of 4.000 years, still remains undiscovered.

The traditional Cretan nutrition has been scientifically proved to be the healthiest in the world.

Traditional restaurants serve exclusively traditional Cretan cuisine to the visitors whilst providing information on its secrets and attributes. It is not without good reason that Cretans hold the record of

The Crete Golf Club offers the best of golf. 18 holes in a desert course design. Each hole individually sculptured, seamlessly blending into the existing landscape. Designed by PGA Design Consulting of Great Britain, this course offers dramatic views and truly tests every aspect of the golfer's repertoire.

Continually breezy conditions allow play in summer, the mildest Mediterranean climate invites you to each season. Enjoy life in the opulent clubhouse catering to your every need and meet the friendly team, all ready to serve you.

The Crete Golf club lies approximately 24 km east of the 'Nikos Kazantzakis' International Airport of Heraklion and 7 km south of the town of Hersonissos, favourite with tourists.

Heraklio of Crete aims to hold more meetings and incentives all year round as well as sports-teams' training and golf tourism .

Civilization Crete, and Heraklion in particular, has one of the oldest histories in the world, since this is the place, where the first European civilization developed, and one of the most important of all times. The Minoan Civilization, that reached its peak 3000 years ago in Heraklion and left us significant archaeological sites, such these of Knossos, Festos, Mallia, Tilisa, Archanes and many others. The well known archaeological sites and Heraklion's museums, attract every year millions of tourists from all over the world.

The Cretan land, nevertheless, is full of remnants of many different civilizations that passed from there, developed and left precious cultural traces. So, except for the Minoan monuments, one can find Hellenistic and Roman monuments, Byzantine churches and monasteries, Venetian castles and forts. Later on, Crete became famous for its Hagiographic School, and its famous children, the painter El Greco and the author Nikos Kazantzakis.

The Cretan culture and tradition, is strongly connected to the renowned Cretan hospitality that

finds multiple ways to express itself, through daily life. As far as, the Cretan civilization is concerned, it still lives and continuous to thrive, through literature, theater, music dance, local festivals and other cultural activities that one can see in Crete, all year long in all traditional areas, cities and provinces.

International Conference on Biomedical Data & Knowledge Mining: Towards Biomarker Discovery

Nutrition

Data mining and Knowledge discovery are areas of research that provide engineers and applied scientists with tools for dealing with problems that involve processing and analysis of massive data sets. Many of these problems can be found in the areas of biomedicine. The ultimate goal of combining data mining with biomedicine is to discover effective Biomarkers.

The Cretan nutrition is strongly connected to the Cretan tradition and cuisine, based mainly on olive oil. Legumes, wild vegetables, honey and wine that has a tradition of over 3.500 years. The Cretan nutrition and oil, constantly acquire scientific acceptance, for its characterization as extremely healthy, since it contributes to longevity and of course, the praises of all gourmets. The modern life style has not affected the nutrition of the locals and the old recipes reach our days. A glass of local wine or 'tsikoudia', will be holy communion to that sacred mystery with the secrets of local tradition.

In Crete, there are 1.700 kinds of self-growing plants, 200 of which can be eaten and 130 are pharmaceutical. The opportunities for an escape, offered by the various and wild Cretan landscape, are unique, throughout the year and for all kinds of holiday makers, who wish to combine the high quality of services offered with the discovery of a different experience.

A walk through the countryside, the exciting sports, the sightseeing in the archaeological sites and the contact with the locals and their daily life, as well as, the Cretan cuisine, are only few of the experience that the visitors can have. Often, the only things required are a basic gear and the necessary excitement.

In this conference we aim to bring together researchers with mathematical and biomedical background in the beautiful island of Crete to share their expertise on data/knowledge mining and biomarker discovery.

Venue: Orthodox Academy of Crete ( www.oac.gr ) The conference will take place at the modern facilities of the Orthodox Academy of Crete (OAC) which is locates in Kolimpari Chania. OAC is just 34 minutes driving distance from the city of Chania and approximately 15 minutes from the tourist resorts of Platanias and Agia Marina. Every years many international scientific conferences are organized in OAC. We have also got a very competitive rate especially for conference participants that will stay in the rooms of Orthodox Academy of Crete. The package cost 115 euros/day and includes room and meals (traditional cretan cuisine) Conference participants who want to take advantage of this special rate should contact the academy and mention that participate in our conference.

In Order to reserve a room please contact Orthodox Academy of Crete (+302824022060) or by e-mail: oac@otenet.gr

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DESTINATIONSCRETE

Minoa Palace Resort, Conference Center & SPA The hotel offers 254 stylish decorated rooms, bungalows & suites, including the unique, water front Imperial Suite of 300m2, which all combine the discreet luxury and total comfort with the attention to the detail in an idyllic location.

All rooms & bungalows, feature individually controlled air conditioning / heating, direct dial phone, electronic safe, high speed ADSL Internet connection, satellite TV, hairdryer and mini bar, marble bathrooms & sitting-room. There is also availability of connecting family rooms.

All suites have extra separate bedroom, sitting-room 2 wc, fax, DVD player, Mini Hi-Fi, TV LCD 26''/32''.

All units are composed of elegant furnished balconies or terraces offering majestic views of its surrounding countryside and of the shimmering sapphire blue Aegean beyond.

MINOA PALACE RESORT & SPA is a luxury 5* sea-side hotel, built within 35.000m2 of maintained gardens. It is situated at the cosmopolitan area of Platanias, 12km west of the picturesque town of Chania and only 24 km from Chania International Airport. With the extension of the hotel in 2008, guests have immediate access to the sandy beach over the newly built aerial bridge, connecting the two hotel's sections The beautiful view combines the White Mountains, the unique natural environment and the blue sea with its endless sandy beach.

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FACILITIES: 5 restaurants & 4 bars of sumptuous cuisine and stunning sea views, 24hrs room service, 4 outdoor swimming pools (2000 m2), 2 open air Jacuzzi, 2 children's swimming pools, water sports, tennis & football court (floodlit), tabletennis, open-air amphitheater, high speed internet room, wireless internet in all public areas, VIP lounge, play room, TV room, children's outdoors playground, mini club for 4-10 years old, jeweler's, mini market, baby sitting, doctor on call, taxi-limousine service, car rental desk, laundry & dry cleaning service.

SPA & WELLNESS CENTER: Escape to a haven of relaxation and rejuvenation: Indoor heated swimming pool with separate shallow space for children, fully equipped fitness center, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi, personal sauna & spa-jet treatment, face & body treatments, cosmetics, aromatherapy, relaxing or healing massage, shiatsu, hairdresser's saloon.

CONFERENCE & BANQUETING FACILITIES: State of the art facilities, the latest audiovisual equipment, comfort, high class decoration and cutting edge design are only few words to describe the new, as well as unique in Western Crete, Imperial Congress Hall. Covering an area of 1400sqm & maximum height 5,50m, rectangular, without columns, has a capacity of over 1500 delegates. The hall, also offers the potential of partition into 5 smaller rooms, from 50-650 delegates, by movable soundproof panels (up to 53db). In combination with the exhibition areas of 1350sqm the new congress hall offers flexibility and functionality for meetings, conferences and events, requiring an impressive backdrop.

Athina Conference Hall provides an additional conference area of 720sqm, maximum height 3,50m, total capacity of 750 persons and exhibition areas of 200sqm. It offers as well, the possibility of division into 5 smaller rooms by movable soundproof panels (up to 45db). In addition to the 2 extra breakout rooms, 50sqm each, Athina Conference is also ideal for simultaneous meetings, lectures, shows, presentations, workshops & exhibitions & receptions in combination with gala dinners, receptions, banquets & cocktails.

ATHENS

ACE TRAVEL 168, Filolaou Street - 11632 Athens Greece Tel.: +30 210 7520643 7563650 -1 -2, Fax: +30 210 7515049, E-mail: ace@acetravel.gr www.acetravel.gr AFEA Travel Consultants & Congress Services Lykavittou 39-41 Str., 10672 Athens, GREECE Tel: +302103668800, Fax: +302103643511 Email: info@afea.gr www.afea.gr ALVIA DMC 16, Poseidonos Av., 17455 Alimos Tel: +30 210 9889200 Fax: +30 210 9889201 www.alvia.gr e-mail: alvia@alvia.gr Cosmorama 4, Lycavittou str., 10671 Athens Tel.: +30 2103642707 Fax: +30 2103648252 www.cosmorama.gr info@cosmorama.gr Event Makers 14, K. Palaiologou str 17121 Nea Smirni Athens, Greece Tel:+30 2109370205-7 Fax:+30 2109370208 Email: info@eventmakers.gr www.eventmakers.gr HELLENIC TOURS SA 4, Priinis str., 171 22 Nea Smirni Tel: +30 2109477000 Fax: +30 2109401120 www.hellenictours.gr E-mail: inbox@hellenictours.gr GNOMON PERFORMANCE SA 446B Irakliou Ave-14122 N.Iraklio Athens-Greece T: +30 2102845982 F: +30 2102845983 E-mail: sales@gnomon.eu www.gnomon.eu INTERMED TRAVEL CONSULTANS 2, Frinis str., 17676 Kalithea Tel: +30 210 9578441 fax: +30 210 9578490 www.intermed.gr E-mail: intermed@intermed.gr

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PREMIER DESTINATIONS CONFERENCE & EVENT MANAGEMENT 82, Vas. Pavlou str., 16673 Voula Tel: +30 210 8995400 Fax: +30 210 8991009 www.pdi-group.net E-mail: sales@pdi-group.net SYNODOS AMPHITRION 7, Syngroy Av., 117 43 Athens Tel: +30210 9240772 Fax: +30210 9241624 www.synodos.com.gr email: synodos@amphitrion.gr Travel Plan 3, Chr. Lada str., 10561 Athens, Greece Tel. +30 2103333300 Fax:+30 2103333391 congress@travelplan.gr www.travelplan.gr TUI HELLAS 330, Thisseos Av., 176 75 Kallithea Tel: +30 2109495200 Fax: +30 2109495205 e-mail: info@tui-corp.gr www.tui-corp.gr Aegeon Hotel 68th Km Athens - Sounio Ave. Sounio Attica, 19500 Greece. tel: +30 22920 39200 fax: +30 22920 39234 email: info@aegeonhotel.com www.aegeonhotel.com ASTIR PALACE COMPLEX 40, Apollonos str., 166 71 Vouliagmeni Tel: +30 210 8902000 Fax: +30 210 8962582 www.astir.gr e-mail: sales@astir.gr ATHENAEUM INTER-CONTINENTAL 89-93, Syngrou Ave., 117 45 Athens. Tel: +30 210 9206000 Fax: +30 210 9206509 www.intercontinental.com email: athens@interconti.com DEMOKRITOS - NATIONAL CENTRE FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH Patriarchou Grigoriou & Neapoleos Strs, 153 10 Ag. Paraskevi Tel: +30 210 6545498 Fax: +30 210 6532649. http://www.demokritos.gr

Eden Beach Resort hotel Athens - Sounion av. 47th km 190 13 Anavyssos Attica Greece tel: +30 2291 0 60031 e-mail info@eden.gr www.eden.gr HELEXPO PALACE ATTICA EXHIBITION & CONFERENCE CENTRE 39, Kifissias Ave. 151 23 Maroussi Tel: +30 210 6168888 Fax: +30 210 6168800 http://www.helexpo.gr E-mail: eska@helexpo.gr MEGARON INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTER VAS. SOFIAS & KOKALI STR. 11521 Athens Tel.:+30 210-7282156 Fax: +30 210-7290174 E-mail: camsel@megaron.gr www.megaron.gr

Royal Olympic Hotel 28-34 Ath. Diakou str. 117 43 Athens tel.: +30 210 92.88.400 fax.: +30 210 92.33.317 e-mail: info@royalolympic.com www.royalolympic.com

BARCELONA ABOUT EVENTS World Trade Center Muelle de Barcelona Edificio Sur 2ª Planta 08039 Barcelona - Spain Tel. +34 933 443 334 E-mail: info@about-events.com www.about-events.com Hotel Fira Palace Avda Rius I Taulet, 1-3.

Barcelona 08004. Spain.

Tel: +34 934 262 223 - Fax: +34 934 248 679 reception@fira-palace.com www.fira-palace.com MAJESTIC HOTEL & SPA P. de Gracia, 68 · 08007 · Barcelona, Spain · T +34 93 488 17 17 info@hotelmajestic.es · www.hotelmajestic.es Hotel Casa Fuster Passeig de Gràcia 132, 08008 Barcelona, Spain Tel: (+34-93) 255-3000 Fax: (+34-93) 255-3002 info@hotelcasafuster.com www.hotelcasafuster.com Hotel Palace, Barcelona Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes 668, 08010 Barcelona, Spain Tel: (+34-93) 510-11-30 Fax: (+34-93) 318-01-48 helpdesk@hotelpalacebarcelona.com www.hotelpalacebarcelona.com

Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I Avenida Diagonal 661-671, Barcelona 08028, Spain Tel: (+34-93) 364-4040 Fax: (+34-93) 364-4264 hotel@hrjuancarlos.com www.hrjuancarlos.com

MALLORCA Hilton Sa Torre Mallorca Cami de Sa Torre 8,7 07609 Llucmajor. Baleares.

Espana Tel. +34 871963700 info.satorremallorca@hilton.c om www.satorremallorca.hilton.com

CYCLADES ISLANDS MYKONOS GRAND HOTEL & RESORT Ag. Yiannis, 846 00 Mykonos Tel: +30 22890 25555 Fax: +30 22890 25111 www.mykonosgrand.gr info@mykonosgrand.gr SANTORINI NINE MUSES HOTEL 847 00 Perivolos Emboriou Tel: +30 22860 81781 Fax: +30 22860 81790 www.santorini9muses.gr email: reservations@santorini9muses.gr AEGIALIS HOTEL & SPA Aegiali, Amorgos 84008, Cyclades, Greece Tel: +30 22850 73393/107 Fax: +30 22850 73395 e-mail info@amorgosaegialis.com www.amorgos-aegialis.com

MEDITERRANEAN AGRONOMIC INSTITUTE OF CHANIA Alsyllion Agrokepion P.O. Box 85, 731 00 Chania, Crete Tel: +30 28210 35000 Fax: +30 28210 35001 http://www.maich.gr E-mail: confer@maich.gr MINOA PALACE RESORT & SPA HOTEL 73014 Platanias Chania Crete Tel: +30-28210-36500 Fax: +30-28210-36555 http://www.minoapalace.gr E-mail: meetings@minoapalace.gr Thalassa Beach Resort Agia Marina, GR-73014 Chania, Crete Tel.: +30 28210 60660 - Fax: +30 28210 60601 info@thalassaresort.gr www.thalassaresort.gr

KOS Dodecanese Travel Service Kos 4th km National Road (Fokalia Area) 85 300 KosGreece. tel: +30 22420 22181, 21931-3, fax: +30 22420 28737 www.dodecanesetravel.gr e-mail: info@dodecansetravel.gr IBEROSTAR KIPRIOTIS PANORAMA HOTEL 853 00 Psalidi, Kos Tel: +30 22420 57000 Fax: +30 22420 29974 http://www.kipriotis.gr, http://www.iberostar.com Email: kipriotis.panorama@iberostar .com.gr KIPRIOTIS VILLAGE RESORT - KOS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER 853 00 Psalidi, Kos Tel: +30 22420 27640 Fax: +30 22420 23590 http://www.kipriotis.gr E-mail: info@kipriotis.gr NEPTUNE HOTELS RESORT & CONVENTION CENTRE 853 00 Mastichari, Kos Tel: +30 22420 41480 Fax: +30 22420 41574 http://www.neptune.gr E-mail: neptunehotels@neptune.gr

CRETE MEGA TRAVEL SERVICES 19 MITSOTAKI Str. GR. 71202 - HERAKLION CRETE. TEL: +30 2810 288123 FAX: +302810 222166 http://www.mts.gr email: superv@mts.gr HERSONISSOS MARIS HOTEL P.O. Box 38, Limin Hersonissos, 700 14 Heraklion, Crete Tel: +30 28970 22400, 23601 Fax: +30 28970 22874 http://www.hersotels.gr E-mail: maris@hersotels.gr HERSONISSOS PALACE HOTEL P.O. Box 2, Limin Hersonissos, 700 14 Heraklion, Crete Tel: +30 28970 23603 Fax: +30 28970 23604 http://www.hersotels.gr E-mail: palace@hersotels.gr

RHODES LINDIAN VILLAGE 85109 Lardos-Rhodes Tel. +30 22440 35900 Fax +30 22440 47360 info@lindian.gr http://www.lindianvillage.gr Hellenic Island Services Rhodes Papalouka 31, Rhodes, 85 100 TEL: +30 22410 73690, 73691 www.hellenictours.gr E-mail: info@rhodes.his.gr RHODOS TOURS SA 29, Ammochostou str. 85 100 Rodos Tel: +30 22410 21010-3 Fax: +30 22410 22110 www.rhodos-tours.com e-mail:info@rhodostours.com RODOS PALACE RESORT HOTELCONVENTION CENTER P.O. Box 121, 851 00 Ialyssos, Rhodes Tel: +30 22410 25222 Fax: +30 22410 25350 http://www.rodos-palace.gr E-mail: info@rodos-palace.gr

RODOS PALLADIUM 851 00 Faliraki, Rhodes Tel: +30 22410 86004 Fax: +30 22410 86424 http://www.rodospalladium.gr E-mail: info@rodospalladium.gr

ALEXANDROUPOLIS THRAKI PALACE HOTEL & CONGRESS CENTER 4th km AlexandroupoliThessaloniki Rd, 681 00 Alexandroupolis Tel: +30 25510 89100 Fax: +30 25510 89119 http://www.thrakipalace.gr thraki@thrakipalace.gr

Rodos Park Suites & Spa 12, Riga Fereou str. 85100 Rhodes Tel./Fax: +30 22410 89700, +30 22410 24613 Email: info@rodospark.gr www.rodospark.gr TRAVEL EXCHANGE 6th klm Rhodes-Lindos Av., 851 00 Rodos Tel: +30 22410 60330 Fax: +30 22410 69435 www.travelexchange.gr e-mail:sales@travelexchange.gr TRITON HOLIDAYS S.A. 9 Plastira Street (P.O. Box 84), Rhodes 85100, Greece Tel. +30-22410-21690 Fax. +30-22410-31625 www.tritondmc.gr Email: info@tritondmc.gr Xenios

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C O N T E N T S

MAYOR OF LONDON TO OPEN 30TH 11 WORLD TRAVEL MARKET

Industry Leaders and Financial Experts Focus on 2010 at WTM Vision

The Oscars of the Travel Industry

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GENERATION Y THE FUTURE OF THE 15 MEETINGS INDUSTRY AT EIBTM

IMEX â&#x20AC;&#x201C; delighted finalist in promi- 17 nent UFI Annual ICT Awards

IMEX Wild Card invites new desti-

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nations to join world stage

TEN PERCENT RISE IN WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS VOTING REGISTRATIONS

Destinations

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( Barcelona, Berlin, Crete, 34-84

Kos, Mallorca, Rhodes)

www.xeniosworld.com X E N I O S T O U R I S M & B U S I N E S S T R A V E L EURO 8 No 4, Vol.13 August - September2009 @ Copyright Xenios Publications 1997-2009 All rights reserved. No part of Xenios may be reprinted or reprodused by any means without the prior written permission from the publisher. The name, logo, various titles and headings herein are registered trademarks of Xenios Tourism & Business Travel Magazine.

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