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HQ > CONTENTS

Colophon

marcel’s comment

HQ or Headquarters is a niche publication for European and international associations headquartered in Brussels and all major European cities dealing with the organization OF worldwide congresses. It is published 5 times a year. Circulation is 5000 copies.

European Business in the meetings industry

Subscriptions Subscription amounts to 65 EUR (all incl.) in Belgium, 75 EUR (all incl.) in the EU and 95 EUR (all incl.) in the rest of the world. The subscription entails 5 editions of HQ per year including the special edition Meeting Trends, as well as an online access to the website. To subscribe: www.headquartersmagazine.com Editor in Chief Marcel A.M.Vissers T: +32 (0)3 226 88 81 marcel@headquartersmagazine.com Managing Director Cécile Caiati-Koch T: +32 (0)2 761 70 52 cecile@headquartersmagazine.com Account Manager - International Sales Kelvin Lu T: +32(0)761 70 59 kelvin@headquartersmagazine.com Managing Editor Rémi Dévé T: +32 (0)2 761 70 58 remi@headquartersmagazine.com Cover Florian Groehn Contributor Rose Kelleher Design WALLRUS, Kortrijk T: +32 (0)56 24 94 44 info@wallrus.be Print Cartim - Destelbergen Supported by ESAE and UIA Address 59, rue René Declercq B - 1150 Brussels (Belgium) T: +32 (0)2 761 70 50 F: +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.headquartersmagazine.com Responsible Publisher Meeting Media Company Marcel A.M. Vissers Mechelseplein 23, bus 1 B - 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium)

I’ve often talked about the debate on the place of the meetings industry in Europe. It is not an easy subject because it confronts everyone with the question: what is Europe? What does the adjective European mean in EFAPCO, ECM or ESAE? Every professional organisation has to answer that question for itself. Often it comes down to shared values. But which values are those? An interesting study on the subject was conducted by the University of Tilburg in collaboration with 46 other European universities (they do this every ten years): its called the ‘Atlas of European values’. The basic values that always emerge in Europe are democracy, tolerance and solidarity. Curiously, there are but a few Europeans who call themselves European spontaneously. Most of us rather always mention a

region or a country. Most Europeans share a combination of individualism and social commitment. Freedom of speech and an environment that promotes satisfaction score high too. There is generally a strong urge for public and individual morality (and a general dislike of fraud and dishonesty). Speaking at least three languages is also considered a great cultural wealth and a form of respect to the other communities. Marcel A.M. Vissers Translate a few of these values into Editor in Chief the meetings industry and we come out strong professionally: communication, transparency, organization and ‘intellectual capital and talent will knowledge sharing are what it’s all become the most important factors in about. In a broader framework, we can the future’. Those are the wise words of say that Europe has a large arsenal of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. niche cities who are becoming more In Europe, we would say: expertise! and more competitive. Many of them That is the great strength of the fight on price and infrastructure, but European meetings industry!

» Read more on www.headquartersmagazine.com

CONTENTS SPECIAL FEATURE

General

Cécile Caiati-Koch

Rémi Dévé

News Association Portrait IMEX MEETOPOLIS MEETING FOREST

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ESAE & UIA

HQ magazine sets great store by sustainable development and therefore chose responsible FSC® certified paper which comes from a controlled source. More info: www.fsc.org ® FSC, A.C. FSC-SECR-0045

European matters

Proposal for a European Foundation Statute

BRISBANE

DESTINATIONS Malaysia Viparis Berlin Basel World Forum, The Hague Taiwan Montreal Holland GREECE

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Organising for European Growth

Patrizia Buongiorno

Location, local presence, local know how. These three words are driven into the mindset of all business leaders when determining where to set up new offices. For many of us in the meetings industry, we

already know to take advantage of locating our offices in the most central place possible - Europe! When determining where and how to organise your expansion, Europe not only matters - it is crucial to international growth and perfect to reach business opportunities both to the east and west. But it isn’t only about location. When strategy is aimed at enlarging the target market, we learn that complexities grow as we cross geographical boundaries. Working in Europe helps us tackle this complexity - we already deal with different languages and customs within a very small geographical distance. To be successful, we learn that the key to organising is to balance the benefits of local autonomy and global structure and procedures. Customise and adapt communication and services to local clientele. Orient the international headquarters to drive the organisational

FOUR CITY SCIENCE ALLIANCE HELPING SOLVE THE SOLUTION With over 60% of global conventions and information exchanges being science related, a four city alliance designed to share information, develop networking opportunities and promote the destinations to the genre has been formalised between the Convention Bureaux of Adelaide (Australia), Daejeon (South Korea), Hyderabad (lndia) and Toulouse (France). lnaugural 'Science Alliance' president Mr Chae from Daejeon said: ‘Global competition is fierce. However each of the four destinations in our alliance has a common synergy with strong connections to science and research institutions and local ambassador programs.’ A business and marketing plan is currently being prepared and will be the focus for 2012 with meetings scheduled for IMEX and ICCA between the partners. lnformation sharing and co-op marketing activities will follow shortly after. Website under construction

culture, strategy, management processes and to share the latest ideas between office locations. AIM Group International, one of the world's leaders in the organisation of congresses, meetings and events, now operates with 400 team members in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain.

Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno Managing Director AIM Group International T: +39 06 33053206 p.buongiorno@aimgroup.eu www.aimgroupinternational.com

on an international level. Through the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) program, individuals who are currently employed in meeting management have the opportunity to pursue continuing education, increase their industry involvement, and gain industry-wide recognition. With a handful of staff members studying to complete the examination, SQUARE-BRUSSELS MEETINGS CENTRE, as a convention and event venue, is at the forefront of setting standards to the industry. www.square-brussels.com

KOTZE-NHLAPO TO HEAD UP SA NATIONAL CONVENTION BUREAU SQUARE - BRUSSELS MEETINGS CENTRE

SQUARE-BRUSSELS MEETINGS CENTRE GETS CERTIFIED With its first-ever staff member having passed the CMP designation, SQUAREBRUSSELS MEETINGS CENTRE embarks on an ambitious journey to become one of the leading convention and event venues with certified meetings professionals, recognized

South Africa Tourism has announced the appointment of Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo to the position of Executive Manager: Conventions Bureau. She joins SA Tourism after her successful tenure as Head: Convention Bureau and Events at Cape Town Routes Unlimited and will be responsible for heading up the newly-established National Convention Bureau (NCB) at SA Tourism. www.southafrica.net

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You had already foreseen it. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as clear as crystal. Jocelyn Guertin, Sales Manager, sees to all your planning needs... whatever they are.

YOUR NEXT EVENT WAS A SUCCESS

> headquarters ne w s

SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES CREATE WORLDS’ 1ST SUSTAINABLE MEETINGS REGION Convention Bureaus, Destination Marketing Organizations, Venues and Agencies from the five Scandinavian member countries of ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association) signed an Accord to create the world’s first sustainable meetings region. The Accord is the first of its kind in the world. It is a document outlining 10 specific actions to which all signatories commit, aims to advance sustainable development within the meetings and events industry. The Accord was signed at the annual meeting of the ICCA Scandinavian Chapter in Tampere, Finland. www.visitdenmark.com

venues has a new member - the Kongress + Kursaal Bern joins the cooperation after a multi-million modernization programme which will be completed by mid-2012. Swiss Convention Centres gathers different partners who have the capacity to hold large events from 500 to 4,000 participants. They all have a net exhibition area of at least 1,000 m2 with sufficient hotel accommodation in the vicinity, plus competitive accessibility. While each of the ten congress centres places great emphasis on individuality and flexibility, they are all committed to quality and share a typical ‘Swissness’. The ten members are located in Basel, Bern, Davos, Geneva, Interlaken, Lausanne, Lucerne, Lugano, Montreux and Zürich. www.myswiterland.com/meetings

significant scientific conference has been won for Melbourne, ‘further establishing the city as the intellectual and business events capital of Australia’. The International Conference on Systems Biology 2014 will bring 750 of the world’s leading experts in the field to Melbourne over five days, and is expected to generate $3.6 million in economic impact for the state of Victoria. www.mcvb.com.au

A new member for the Swiss Convention Centres

Melbourne To Host Global Systems Biology Conference

IMEX America // 9-11 October 2012, Las Vegas // www.imexamerica.com

Swiss Convention Centres, the alliance of Switzerland's largest convention

The Minister for Tourism and Major Events, Louise Asher, announced that another

EIBTM // 27-29 November 2012, Barcelona // www.eibtm.com

2012 Meetings Industry Fairs Worldwide: Make Your Choice! IMEX // 22-24 May 2012, Frankfurt // www.imex-frankfurt.com AIBTM // 19-21 June 2012, Baltimore // www.aibtm.com CIBTM // 12-14 September 2012, Beijing // www.cibtm.com

meet. understand. network. experience. contribute. excite. convene. present. motivate. interact. participate. exhibit. create. inspire. connect. exchange. select. succeed. meet in Vienna.

www.messecongress.at www.vienna.convention.at

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> A ssociation P ortrait

4TH ISPIM Innovation Symposium

Effective networking with the

International Society for Professional Innovation Management Iain Bitran is the Executive Director of ISPIM and has overseen the Society’s growth since 2003. We asked him to tell us about how the organization works and what kinds of challenges it had to face over the years.

Iain Bitran

HQ: Could you briefly present ISPIM?

Iain Bitran: The International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) is a network of researchers, industrialists, consultants and public bodies who share an interest in innovation management. Founded in 1983 by Professor Knut Holt in Norway, ISPIM is the oldest, largest and most active innovation association in Europe. It produces scientific and educational material and events to help people understand and share thinking and experiences on how individuals, organisations and society can be better organised to create and distribute new products, services and processes to make the world a better place.

HQ: What kind of challenges has the Society overcome in recent years? Iain Bitran: Our network includes practitioners as well as academics. There are a number of corporate innovation events that already exist where delegates that we spoke to said that the series of events was not really evolving in terms of content or numbers and the lack of social networking events and high-end pricing (GBP 2,450 in 2012) was causing increasing dissatisfaction. These comments were the inspiration for ISPIM to put on a new event for innovation thought leaders that we are calling “Innovation for Business”. This event will last for 1.5 days and will run alongside our

conference and will include around 18 high level speakers from companies such as IBM, Yahoo!, Kodak, Phillips, Nokia, P&G, ABN AMRO, Alcatel-Lucent, Tata, Unilever, etc. By including the event in our conference, delegates from industry will be able to freely mix with academics, consultants and policy makers also interested in innovation management as we will have many joint sessions such as the plenary (our headline keynote is Henry Chesbrough), roundtable discussion sessions and our famous social networking events.

HQ: What kind of events do you organize? Iain Bitran: We run several international events per year including our annual flagship Conference, held in Europe each June, and our innovation symposium, held outside Europe each December. The ISPIM audience reflects ISPIM’s diversity. Delegates will be predominantly a mixture of European and local/regional, although about 60 countries will be represented at our conference.

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> A ssociation P ortrait

ISPIM’s events 2012 5TH ISPIM Innovation Symposium Seoul, Korea XXIII ISPIM Conference Barcelona, Spain

2011 4TH ISPIM Innovation Symposium Wellington, New Zealand XXII ISPIM Conference Hamburg, Germany

2010 3 ISPIM Innovation Symposium Quebec City, Canada XXI ISPIM Conference Bilbao Spain RD

2009 2 ISPIM Innovation Symposium New York City, USA XX ISPIM Conference Vienna, Austria ND

Delegates include researchers, practitioners, independent and well-known consultants, regional and national policy-makers as well as science parks, innovation agencies etc. Profiles range from CEOs and VPs to mid-executives, from full professors to PhD researchers, and from independent researchers and consultants to global companies. 2012 is set to be a growth year for ISPIM. We have just received submissions from 550 authors from 53 countries for the XXIII ISPIM Conference in Barcelona, which takes place in June, just 6 months before the Seoul Symposium in December.

The trend is definitely towards more relevant events where effective networking can take place HQ: What is the association's decision process concerning the organization of your annual meeting? Iain Bitran: The Board of ISPIM decides where to hold our events. Criterion include attractiveness of the host city, availability of local support and identification of a local host. As a not-for-profit association we rely heavily on a local host to be able to provide a local venue for our event at no cost to out association.

HQ: What kind of venues do you need and what criteria must they satisfy? Iain Bitran: We are looking for the following: + Event Venue: A centrally located venue with a plenary room for up to 500

delegates (200 for the symposium) plus 7 breakout rooms for up to 50 delegates (3 rooms for the symposium). All rooms should have AV facilities and an onsite technician. + Social Event Venues for the following 3 evenings: Welcome Reception (for a 1.5 hour cocktail and canapé reception); Gala Dinner (for a 2.5 hour seated/ served dinner in a venue with some historical significance); Social Evening (for an informal 3.5 hour buffet dinner and drinks in a fun venue) + Hotels: A 4 star property near to our event venue. We will only offer one event hotel and expect to receive a special rate for our delegates that includes free WiFi. In addition we expect to receive 1 free room for every 30 room nights booked by our delegates. + Airline partners + Technology providers

HQ: How would you summarize new trends in the association congress world? Iain Bitran: The trend is definitely towards more relevant events where effective networking can take place. We believe by having a mixture of academics and practitioners we offer a unique environment in the innovation management field.

HQ: Any memorable destination for one of your events? If yes, why? Iain Bitran: Definitely Barcelona. It’s a vibrant city with a great deal of culture yet very innovative at the same time. www.ispim.org

In Bilbao, for the XXI ISPIM Conference

XVIII ISPIM Conference - Warsaw, Poland (2007)

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XXII ISPIM Conference

Roomigami ! Plan your event as you want it to be and not as how the circumstances might make it possible. You are looking for variable and combinable space for your meeting or convention â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with charisma and an excellent infrastructure. Congress Frankfurt provides just that, a tailor-made offer of rooms on the premises of Messe Frankfurt, 80 congress and conference

rooms with a capacity for 22,000 people and generous exhibition space are at your disposal, in addition furnishing, technology, personnel and catering services. Everything is individually and professionally tuned to your wishes. When may we host your event? www.congressfrankfurt.de

pre-register now imex-frankfurt.com

READY FOR BUSINESS

WITH EVERYONE IN THE MEETINGS WORLD

To talk business with thousands of like-minded meetings and events professionals, IMEX in Frankfurt is the world’s largest exhibition for meetings, incentive travel and events and it is here where you’ll find all the important contacts you need. With the bespoke IMEX Online Diary system to make appointments in advance, you’ll be able to plan your schedule super-efficiently and meet the people you really want to do business with.

You can maximise your time and prepare thoroughly for highly productive meetings. At IMEX ’11, 57,000 appointments were made before the event – leading to at least $508 million worth of business happening right there on the show floor. With IMEX 2012 marking 10 years of bringing people together face-to-face, it’s one of the best opportunities to get serious business done.

MAKE BUSINESS WORK FOR YOU. MAKE SURE YOU’RE IN FRANKFURT IN MAY FOR IMEX 2012.

CALL:

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HQ > IMEX

IMEX 2011 Association Day

Revamping IMEX Association Day Held one day prior to the show, Association Day is one of the IMEX’s main highlights, the event that puts the word ‘serious’ into perspective. For its 10th Anniversary year, IMEX organizers have decided to rethink the programme entirely and to energise and engage association executives even more. Carina Bauer, IMEX CEO, Carina Bauer

explains why.

HQ: Why did you decide to revamp Association Day completely? Carina Bauer: We have been running the programme for 10 years and whilst it has been well received for many years, we felt that this was the right time to re-evaluate the programme and update it. With such a diverse audience attending - in terms of level of experience, geographical location and type of association, we realised we needed to be more ambitious and to address some of the wider management issues faced by all association executives. This is why we’ve introduced three new ‘tracks’ for meetings, operations and executive staff. In addition, we wanted to create a higher level of educational programming,

with sessions delivered by association executives themselves and in a variety of interesting formats.

HQ: What's the added value compared to all the other trade shows? Carina Bauer: With Association Day and Evening taking place on the day prior to the show, it gives association executives a unique opportunity to enjoy a tailored and dedicated conference programme before getting into the business of the show - delivered free of charge and as a part of their hosted buyer programme. This, together with the fact that no suppliers are present within the educational sessions, is an important distinction for us. The level of educational programming and the choice of

sessions is also very unique. Above all, the variety of association executives attending and the format of the event, makes Association Day a good opportunity for executives to meet and discuss.

HQ: Why are there mostly American speakers? Will it be of interest to European associations? Carina Bauer: Whilst we are still confirming our final panellists, we expect to have up to 25 speakers taking part in the programme, of which only 9 are from the US. Those speakers from the US, as for all of the speakers, have been chosen for their expertise and excellent delivery in the subject matter. For example, Kristin Mirabel of the Optical Society will be presenting a case study on organising an event in China - she has enormous experience in this market. Meanwhile, two of our American speakers will be beamed in from the US in order to provide a practical demonstration of a hybrid event. Amongst the outstanding European speakers will be Michel Ballieu, CEO of ECCO, Jane Whelan from ILAE/IBE and Benita Lipps from the European Science Foundation. www.imex-frankfurt.com

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HQ NOT LEARNING

AS USUAL!

> event

Meetopolis Peer-to-Peer

16 Octob SQUARE- er 2012, BRUSSELS MEETING CENTRE

Meeting & Event planners Education & Inspiration Forum Meetopolis, the cross-industry training and inspiration platform for association meeting & event planners, will approach all the needs and issues that you meet in your day-to-day tasks… Organised according to an original and innovating approach, without any direct selling, Meetopolis has been designed to be the meeting, education and inspiration place where you will be able to exchange and share information, ideas, knowledge and experiences with your peers.

Why?

Pre-programme 2012 Opening Session

Ice-Breaking session: “Open your mind to a new way of organizing meetings and events”

Topics

1. Toolbox for meeting & event design or how to better perform on the field and generate more ROI (2 x 1h30) 2. E-learning, Hybrid & Webinars meetings & events: What, How, Why and When (2 x 1h30) 3. Social media & community management for meetings & events: implications, methods and processes (2 x 1h30) 4. How to energize your meetings & events by healthy food (1h30) 5. Green events & sustainability (1h30): how to implement them at meetings & events (practical guide) 6. Maximizing networking & interactivity of participants at Meetings & Events: future formats & creating learning at conferences (1h30): implication & application

Closing Session

Inventing your future Meetings & Events: Best practices from the field

HEADQUARTERS 14

Association planners often work in isolation in their sector and rarely have the opportunity to share experiences with their peers (from other sectors). With Meetopolis, delegates will learn about the latest trends in conference management and how to leverage educational content; get engaged in high level strategic discussions; and participate in roundtable discussions on key topics answering to their needs, issues and questions.

The Meetopolis concepts engage participants actively and have a new creative approach to a far more flexible use of conference facilities

their associations’ overall objectives and strategies. This is not a how-to session. Instead you will engage in an interactive discussion on the application of the topics/ themes and what it means for your day-to-day work.

Who attends? Meetopolis is open exclusively to Senior as well as Junior association meeting & event planners… and all the pleople involved in conferences, conventions, seminars, training sessions, events, business travels and meetings of every variety in Belgium and further afield. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn and network with your peers from the association world. Register now!

What about? The Meetopolis concepts engage participants actively and have a new creative approach to a far more flexible use of conference facilities. The concepts will help planners to transform the traditional one-way communication standards into a creative forum, in which the participants are actively involved in obtaining the tools and knowledge they need to strengthen

Pre-Program REGISTRATION FORM & INFO www.meetopolis.eu

Swiss Convention Centres

"your quality partners"

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Cross Cultural Encounters in the meetings industry Multi-cultural considerations have always had a prominent place in this industry. With globalisation on the march and boardrooms besieged by financial crises, the need to concentrate on building better relationships across borders is as high up on the MICE agenda as ever. We talk to multicultural expert Michael Gates of Richard Lewis Communications about maintaining that competitive edge in a shrinking world, cultural stereotypes, and what, exactly, makes a ‘European’. Text Rose Kelleher

As part of one of the fastest growing segments of hospitality and tourism, the people who work in the meetings industry today, along with their global client base, are increasingly culturally diverse. Richard Lewis Communications is a management training consultancy specialising in language, communication and crosscultural skills. Managing director Michael Gates speaks regularly on the subject. ‘MICE is all about making alliances and partners across cultures, and I would say that, in general, people in the meetings industry are pretty good at that, I think it's part of the job description. We add value by giving them a more analytical approach. I try to give them a message about culture that they can pass onto their clients.’ But Michael says that it's important not to view these ‘people skills’ as bonus extras: ‘People in the MICE industry have got to get their clients to understand that behaving in these relationship-oriented ways is not just a soft skill, something that is nice to know.

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It’s actually good for the bottom line. Obviously with the crisis and more limitations on face to face meetings, one of the key threats is that companies start cutting down on the number of live meetings. I say to those in MICE that they should say to their clients that having live meetings is actually more important now to be competitive.’

What’s becoming more important is relationships, particularly with people from a huge spectrum of cultures and backgrounds A bit like Google Earth Michael’s work involves enabling individuals and organisations to communicate successfully across cultures in order to achieve sustainable improvements in performance. ‘When you talk about culture and stereotypes, the further away you are from a culture, the easier it is to generalise about it. Like we tend

to talk in terms of “Asians” ’ he says, adding that it’s a bit like Google Earth. Cultures tend to get broken down the closer you get. ‘From a distance you see more of a similarity, and then you get down to street level and there are a lot of differences. The Nordic countries are perfect examples. It’s easy to come up with some basic common Nordic qualities, like hard working and industrious, serious, calm cool, not so talkative... but when you zoom in, you see there are many differences.’ He says that indeed, stereotypes can be very useful, as long as you’re careful. He analyses stereotypes about cultures, and tries to pick out elements of truth, to make them useful. ‘What we’re trying to do is get more deeply inside the stereotypes. For example, in Europe, northern cultures tend to say that Latin cultures are lazy, because perhaps they don't stick to deadlines. But for them, they operate on a different time system. For them it’s more about people time rather than clock time and there is a lot of sense in that.’ Michael says that, indeed, it might be worth investing more time in a particular relationship than being too worried about the clock. ‘If you’re from Andalusia, and they are notorious for what we would call laxity in time, they would find it hilarious that we are so dictated to by our calendar and our timetable.’

The French also come in for some negative profiling. ‘One example would be the perception that the French are arrogant, but I would say that it’s not arrogance, it’s more because the French education is based on Cartesian logic, and if you are extremely logical, you will tend at a meeting to keep repeating the same thing in different ways because you believe that the others will agree with you once they’ve understood the logic in your argument, and either they’re too stupid to understand, or you haven’t explained it well enough. Others might be thinking “Can’t we compromise” but for the French, compromise is actually a very negative thing, whereas Swedes for example, are built on compromise. The French in some ways are right. Sometimes with compromise you end up with something everyone all agreeing to something which none of them really agree with.”

The ideal European From behind our desks in Brussels, where the ambitious European project is advancing, we look around and wonder about the ‘European’ cultural identity. Michael is not

sure there is one. ‘One American president once said “Who do I call if I want to call Europe?” and that’s the essential thing with Europe. It is very hard to classify, even though there are obviously certain things that you could say are typically European. If you look at it from an American perspective, they will say there’s the history and traditions, that Europeans have a sophisticated culture, that they are more interested in the quality of life than making money. But I personally doubt that there will come a time when Yeats and Beethoven are considered “European” artists, even though any really great artist transcends the culture they’re from, they still are distinctively from that culture.’ But just for laughs, Michael asks us to use our imagination and envision the ideal European. They would be ‘diplomatic as a Brit, thorough as a German, logical as a Frenchman, humanistic as a Spaniard, communicative as an Italian, negotiating like a Portuguese…’ But for Michael, the biggest divide among Europeans is a philosophical one. ‘Both the Germans

and the French are theoretical idealists, whereas Anglos are pragmatic. We don’t believe that there is some sort of perfect Utopia that you should strive towards. It’s sort of platonic idealism, and British thought is essentially non-platonic. That's the big fault line at a very deep level.’ Organisations always grow out of a culture, says Michael ‘but at a certain point, of they can’t transcend that, what could be there biggest strength then becomes a weakness. What has made businesses successful over the past 50 years has been being good at technical things, logistics, research, and other task related things.’ But what’s becoming more important is relationships, particularly with people from a huge spectrum of cultures and backgrounds. The message seems to be: adapt or die. ‘If you don’t meet face to face regularly, you're not going to succeed. The amount of competitive edge you can get from being good at tasks is reducing. You have to build powerful relationships with clients and teams. It’s a pretty good argument to have meetings.’

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The Euro crisis and new dynamics in EU decision-making - What does it mean for trade associations? ‘A plague on the EU and all its houses!’ is an understandable reaction from the boardrooms of international business observing the mis-management of the Euro crisis by European governments and officialdom. The crisis has led to speculation on the exit of Greece and possibly of other Southern European countries from the Eurozone and its resulting collapse. Text Bob Lewis, Chairman, Interel, Benno van der Laan, Director, Interel, and Kieran O’Keeffe, Associate Director, Interel

More pessimistic voices have even dared to question the viability of the European Union as a political entity. Although the situation remains difficult and uncertain, the most recent agreements with Greece, the improvement of the bond markets and the EU’s Fiscal Pact all would appear to suggest that this speculation was premature. Amidst all this uncertainty, it is certainly legitimate for trade associations to consider what the impact of the economic and financial turmoil might be on their public affairs strategies in Brussels and around the EU. Will it be business as usual or are we going to face a period of increasing political complexity, new dynamics in decision-making or different priorities?

Many-headed beast First of all we must remember that the shorthand term ‘the EU’ represents a manyheaded beast and its use can cause confusion. The management of the Eurozone has no direct relation to the EU’s power to develop new policies and enact legislation in almost all areas of economic activity. Even during the height of the most recent financial crisis, the EU institutions continued to prepare, discuss and adopt new pieces of legislation. Apart from officials and politicians simply carrying on with their day-to-day responsibilities, there is a more widespread and profound realisation that no matter what the outcome of this crisis,

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European countries need the EU in order to remain competitive. In order to support this role, and to give the EU a stronger voice beyond its borders, the Lisbon Treaty created a Permanent President of the Council, a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the new European Economic Action Service (joint Commission/Member States diplomatic missions throughout the world). Whilst the Eurozone may shrink, the EU as a geographic concept is not diminishing. There is no shortage of applicants for membership: the Croatian people have now voted to join and official enlargement

priorities and therefore the shape of new policies and legislation. Some decisions in the Council of Environment Ministers already show that ambitious environmental objectives are not being adopted as easily as in the past. Recent examples include the failure of a Council Committee to endorse the Commission’s proposal to identify Canadian oil sands as causing more greenhouse gas emissions, and Poland’s refusal to adopt the Commission’s suggestion for the EU to aim for more ambitious CO2 targets. Several sources in Member States’ permanent representations in Brussels have indicated that their environmental

To remain effective in this new post-crisis, post-Lisbon environment trade associations will need to develop a new agility candidates include Iceland, Macedonia, Montenegro, Turkey and Serbia, while Bosnia and Albania aspire to be members. EU membership continues to offer irresistible advantages. But in economic terms, there is no doubt that as a result of the Euro crisis there will be intense pressure on most European economies, inside and outside the Eurozone, to restructure and cut spending for years to come. This will affect political

departments are under much greater scrutiny from their finance ministries. As the European Commission and the European Parliament are less (or feel less) directly accountable for the financial consequences of their positions, we can expect a further sharpening of conflicts in this and other policy areas with the Council - possibly a development that trade associations might be able to exploit by leveraging their presence in the EU’s Member States.

Whereas the Brussels-based federations can continue to work with the European Commission and the European Parliament, the national member associations should be encouraged to use their political clout and their technical know-how to influence the local government departments that are involved in the Council’s working groups on specific legislative proposals.

Three times The Maastricht Treaty of 1992 improved democracy by giving Co-Decision (3 reading) powers to the European Parliament and putting it on an equal legislative footing with the Council. The Lisbon Treaty extended this procedure to additional policy areas. These enhanced powers have led to a perhaps surprising new dynamic: Parliamentary agreements with Council after only the first reading are becoming more common.

using their national economic and political footprint around the EU, but understandably did not want to go on record to detail their experiences. To remain effective in this new post-crisis, post-Lisbon environment trade associations will need to develop a new agility demonstrating sharp and efficient internal decision-making as well as the ability to act quickly and decisively, not only in Brussels but also in the Member States (officials in the Council working groups from the relevant ministerial departments). It will require a more ‘campaign-style’ approach to issues, that will have to include the use of modern communications strategies (including timely grassroots mobilisation and social media). Despite the recent financial turmoil, and the

impact it will have on political priorities, the phenomenon of Brussels as the international policy think-tank will continue to grow. The EU’s ethos as a moral standard bearer was recently summed up by Internal Market Commissioner Michel Barnier’s justification for the Transparency Directive, in face of opposition from many quarters: ‘The EU must take the lead in this effort to build corporate social and environmental responsibility.’ For trade associations, there may never have been a better time to demonstrate their value! This text was provided by Interel, an independent international consulting group specialising in public affairs, strategic communications and association management, headquartered in Brussels. wwww.interelgroup.com / www.interelamc.com

Both institutions are looking for ways to speed up the decision-making process and want to avoid long and drawn-out negotiations in third reading. Increasingly deals are being made behind closed doors between a select group of MEPs and the Presidency in a process that third parties have less chance of influencing as there are far fewer opportunities to intervene and promote amendments. Knowledge of the arcane procedures and political dynamics in these ‘trialogue’ (the European Commission participates as important broker) discussions, and good relationships with European Commission officials, Parliamentary rapporteurs, secretariats and political groups, and with Member States Permanent Representations and responsible ministerial departments in the 27 capitals will become ever more important. Some trade associations have not yet fully appreciated this development even if, with their Brussels presence and membership organization in all 27 Member States, they would be very well placed to take advantage of this dynamic. Informal soundings with a range of Brusselsbased federations suggest that many are aware that they could be more effective in

Euro

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Compli... Complimentary... Compliance... Complicated! We live in a strange world where government's policies get rated by private agencies and where private industry actors organise their own self assessment in order to regulate their environment due to the lack of governing laws. Everybody gets ‘rated’ those days either by a triple A or by green or orange lights! And it is no different in our meetings industry, and probably even more so in this regulated environment of the healthcare sector.

When working with healthcare meetings, we have to take into account the local laws. Historically however, when it came to dealing with sponsors and exhibitors, we used to negotiate with the marketing departments, as they were heavily focused on achieving easy contact with their prescribers. Then, with the financial evolvement of the industry we were led to deal with purchasing departments, which we thought, was the nightmare of all! And then, a few years ago, the R&D departments came progressively into the loop as habits and various studies showed the real need of who the prescribers companies wanted to contact. Today, now, we have to deal with the compliance people in the Pharmaceutical (pharma) or Medical Devices companies (MD).

MD companies offering, for example, complimentary skiing holidays to physicians or because of effective scandals or even because of the economic burden due to the bad state of many healthcare systems worldwide. In fact, compliance has always existed... it was or simply is…. a normal fact of life… a matter of normality! But it is now positioned in the centre of the ‘game’ because people want transparency; people want ethics; people want to be able to keep track on how things, processes and services are being provided.

HOW AND WHY DID WE COME TO THAT?

And when it comes to touch the life and health of humans, then transparency has a new face: ‘Where does the drug I was prescribed, come from?’; ‘Why did the doctor prescribe that one?’, ‘How did the

Some people will say it’s because of the various excessive attitudes of healthcare professionals (HCPs) and/or pharma and/or

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When working with healthcare meetings, we have to take into account the local laws

pharma or MD company produce the drug or the device?’ ; ‘Why is the cost so high?’ etc. Things that were once in the hands of an elite minority are now in the hands of everyone!

RULES, REGULATIONS AND LAWS The rules are the ones edicted by the companies themselves; they can be pharma or device companies. They have their own rules. For instance, for some of them, no invitations anymore to HCPs to meetings and events - this has to be respected to the letter. Then there are regulations; those that are edicted by the professional unions or associations of pharma or device companies. For some of them, they are only recommendations (although many understand them to be compulsory); for others, they are in any event compulsory and non-compliance of members to those regulations will inevitably lead to a ban. Regulations are also edicted by the European Union.

As Europe is not a country in its own right, we cannot call them ‘laws’ but, in practice as well as in theory, they should be followed by all country members. Regulations are usually very strict: they impose restrictions in order to be as ethical as possible. For example: ‘no use of a "resort" city or venue for a congress’, but the understanding of this is not really clear as this kind of wording easily leads to misinterpretation. Too often the word ‘reasonable’ is a key word in many articles, the reason being; of course, that these are recommendations and thus cannot lead to any discrimination. Furthermore, there is indeed a website which gives ‘green or orange lights’ to meetings the basis of which is sometimes obscure to calculate. Finally, and probably more importantly, there are the laws, which by their very interpretation say that there is no other way than to follow them. Whilst in the USA, the law may apply to the whole country, in Europe, comprising a number of countries, it is seen differently: the laws per country apply and may be different, stronger and more complicated than European regulations or other company rules.

The sunshine act in the USA has been held as an ‘example’ for many other countries, especially in Europe; as a start, the UK has the Anti-Bribery Law and France recently voted the ‘Loi sur le Médicament’ (‘medicine law’).

This is how our world, at least in the healthcare sector of the meetings industry, it is now. Do not expect to have it changed: count compliance as, in your everyday life, you have to count ethics, good behaviour and honesty.

The laws are very strict and geared by a main keyword in the mind of all legislators: ‘transparency’. If HCPs are receiving grants, invitations, gifts, etc., these need to be officially declared via various means: an official website being the most common solution by governmental bodies, like the ‘agency’ in France or a subsidiary of the FDA in the USA. It is however not always clear who has to complete the declaration (also called ‘Conflict of Interest’) which changes according to the country: in the USA, it is by the HCPs themselves; in France, it should be by the inviting companies. The law in the USA for instance is very strict and some Pharma companies have been subject to huge penalties even exceeding 600 million dollars!

However, we must not forget one thing: congresses are, if not the best, one of the best possibilities offered to HCPs for Continuing Medical Education and if compliance leads to ban or destroy this educational tool, who and how will governments pay for this indispensable training?... Not only would this impoverish the entire healthcare sector but also the whole meetings industry will be in trouble!

HERE, NOW AND FOREVER

This article was provided by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, author Philippe Fournier, President MCI France and Immediate Past President of IAPCO. IAPCO represents today more than 115 professional organisers, meeting planners and managers of international and national congresses, conventions and special events from 41 countries. info@iacpo.org / www.iapco.org

So, compliance is not a joke, it is not even a passade; those who think it is just a bad moment to go through are wrong.

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UIA ı Union of International Associations

The Proposal for a European Foundation Statute In February, the European Commission released a proposal for a Council Regulation on the Statute for a European Foundation. This has been the result of a long process of preparation which started in February 2009. The proposal will now be considered by the Council of Ministers representing the governments of the 27 Member States, and by the European Parliament, before its final adoption.

Text Ghislain JOSEPH, Member

of the Board of UIA, Professor of Taxation at Hogeschool-Universiteit Brussel (HUB), and member of the Brussels Bar

The proposed Statute envisages to create the European Foundation as a new European legal instrument that is optional and complementary to the existing national legislations of the EU Member States. It will mainly be governed by European law and will only apply to foundations pursuing a public benefit purpose. It is stated that qualifying foundations should serve the public interest at large. Therefore, the proposed Statute provides an exhaustive list of such permissible public benefit purposes which include, inter alia, arts, culture, environmental protection, civil or human rights, elimination of illicit discrimination, education and consumer protection. Yet, the proposed Statute permits foundations to perform trading or economic activities which are unrelated

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to their public benefit purpose, if not disallowed by their statutes and provided that any profit is exclusively used in pursuance of their public benefit purpose. However, these unrelated activities may not exceed a threshold of 10% of the annual net turnover, while the results from these unrelated activities will have to be presented separately in the accounts. The legal form of the European Foundation will under the Statute be designated by its Latin name of ‘Fundatio Europaea’, or ‘FE’. The FE will have legal personality and full legal capacity in all EU Member States. It will be able to transfer its registered office from one EU Member State to another, without having to wind up or to create a new legal entity and without

affecting any right or obligation which existed before the transfer. The FE can be set up by one or more persons (individuals or legal entities) or public bodies. In terms of available methods, the FE can be set up by will, by authentic deed or written declaration, by merger of existing public benefit purpose entities from one or more EU Member States, or by conversion of a national public benefit purpose entity into an FE. The proposed Statute refers to ‘public benefit purpose entities’. This term refers to public benefit purpose foundations as well as to other entities which also follow public benefit purposes and have similar characteristics to foundations.

This formulation was chosen to encompass entities in EU Member States where the specific legal form of a foundation does not exist. In addition to the public benefit purpose, there are still a number of other requirements to be met by the FE in order to benefit from the Statute. In particular, the FE should carry out activities in at least two Member States or have the intention, stated in its statutes, of doing so. Moreover, the FE should have assets equivalent to at least EUR 25.000,00. On the other hand, the liability of the FE will be limited to its assets.

istrative requirements which may apply in different EU Member States. Furthermore, the EU Commission claims that there is insufficient legal certainty as to whether a foundation recognized by one EU Member State will be allowed to act as a public benefit purpose foundation in another EU Member State. Foundations are also uncertain about the tax treatment they will be subject to abroad. All these difficulties can limit the scope of the foundations' work and diminish the amount of funds available for their public benefit purpose activities.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Union of International Associations (UIA)? The Union of International Associations - UIA - is a non-profit, independent, apolitical, and non-governmental institution in the service of international associations. Since its foundation in 1907, the UIA is a leading provider of information about international nonprofit organizations and a premium networking platform between international organizations and the meeting industry worldwide.

Main activities:

The proposed Statute envisages to create the European Foundation as a new European legal instrument that is optional and complementary to the existing national legislations of the EU Member States

+ Yearbook of International Organizations - contains information on over 64,000 international organizations active in all fields of human endeavour, in all corners of the world, and over centuries of history. Available online and in book form. + International Congress Calendar - with information on over 350,000 international meetings. Available online, in pdf, and on paper.

The EU Commission has proposed the creation of the FE based on evidence gathered during the above-mentioned consultation process. It appears that many foundations encounter numerous obstacles when they want to operate outside national borders. The differences and obstacles of national laws seem to make the conduct of cross-border activities unduly costly and cumbersome. The findings of the EU Commission indicate that foundations have to bear extra costs to meet the different legal and administrative requirements when they operate in multiple EU Member States. As a matter of fact, foundations often have to spend a part of their resources on legal advice and on fulfilling legal and admin-

It is clear that the proposed Statute for a European Foundation will offer more uniform conditions regarding recognition as a public benefit purpose foundation in the respective EU Member States and will boost legal certainty. As a result, this may cut the legal and compliance costs resulting from the above-mentioned difficulties and obstacles created by the lack of convergence between the national civil laws of the EU Member States. The European label of the new vehicle might have a positive impact on cross-border donations and might encourage more foundations to develop activities on EUwide issues. Indeed, as mentioned earlier, cross-border activities are a requirement under the proposed Statute.

+ Annual Associations Round Table - features both open-space / networking and discussion oriented sessions as well as practical skills training sessions for associations. See www.uia.be/roundtable

Who can use the UIAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s research and networking platform? Everyone with an interest in international associations and cooperation: international associations, the businesses which provide services to them, media and press, research centres, universities, libraries, government offices. Associate Members have quick access to first quality material to benefit their business. To join, see www.uia.be/associate-members. For more information uia@uia.org

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HQ > B risbane

Brisbane in the evening

Brisbane from the air

Tangalooma wrecks

Bright Brisbane Australia’s New World City

Last year we visited Brisbane right after the flooding and realized that, in a very short time, all the people of Brisbane had come together as a community to rebuild the city, to make it beautiful again. This year we went back and saw the city has emerged stronger than ever - Brisbane has stepped forward to become an even bolder city. Life is sparkling and Australia’s new world city is open for business like never before. Report Cécile Caiati-Koch

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Brisbane’s South Bank is the harbor of cultural life, where music, art and entertainment venues are to be found next to each other. International exclusive art exhibitions (as the Matisse one when I was there), major theatrical productions, sporting events... all is happening there. New hotels have also been built, such as the conveniently located Mantra South Bank.

Annabel Sullivan, Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau Director, puts it like this: ‘Brisbane is fresh, friendly and forward thinking with a self-assured energy that any growing global city exudes. What’s unique about Brisbane is the feeling of unity across all corners of the business events community, which we call Team Brisbane.’

Brisbane has branded itself ‘the New World City’: it indeed has experienced its development rather recently and is on its way to level with Melbourne or Sydney... But it’s still a city where you can go around easily, especially when you take the citycat on the river which is a great experience to go sightseeing, or when you use the extensive bikeways if you are a bit more sporty. Brisbane could also be called the city of the good life as a lot of emphasis has obviously been laid on a good balance between work and play.

And if you think that Australia is all about bbq, you’re wrong! In Brisbane some fantastic chefs work in fancy restaurants: they deal wiih local products and of course a lot of fresh seafood. Iconic venues such as Bretts Wharf and the Jelly Fish deliver outstanding meals and their master chefs not only cook heavenly, but they are outstanding storytellers as well! Investments have been made in order to develop the city’s (and the state’s) economy.

> B risbane

BCEC on Grey Street

View from the Sky Room BCEC

Botanic Gardens

The goal? To enhance Brisbane’s international reputation as a diverse, energized and vibrant global city.

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, the boutique expansion In the South Bank area also, the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre inaugurated its new extension, a kind of boutique meeting centre, rightly called BCEC on Grey Street. ‘Dramatic’, ‘stunning’ are the right words to describe the facade of the new building cleverly designed by Brisbane based architects, Cox Rayner: 85% of it made of glass, which reveals a vista of open spaces and natural light. The river, the city and the South Bank are, in a way, pulled into the building and come together as if to make one. The impression is one-of-a-kind! With this expansion, BCEC has now three stand alone tiered auditoria to accommodate from 200 to 8,000 people, 44 meeting rooms and some beautiful function spaces. All in all, there are also three Speakers’ presentation facilities (I don’t think this exists anywhere else), completely soundproof and fully networked (the existing ones had such success that they simply HAD to build a new one). In total the building has seen a 52% increase of its meeting spaces.

The new extension is really boutique style, from the design of the carpets to that of the lights in the function rooms (it’s very arty I would even dare say). A lot of terraces surround the meeting and function rooms: given the subtropical climate, this will be much appreciated, I’m sure. One terrace deserves a special compliment: the one next to the Sky Room with unobstructed river and city views. Anything happening there will be unforgettable, especially with exquisite delights from the chef’s cuisine! BCEC has been thought out to accommodate different type of clients, therefore a diversity of spaces has been incorporated. As Bob O’Keeffe, CEO of BCEC, explained: ‘The scientific sectors tend to have smaller and medium-sized conferences but they have a higher priority for technical and AV skills to be provided, the latest equipment and the most up-to-date technology.’

Clever city and advocates partnership Not only is Brisbane doing well on an economic level, but it is also now clearly positioned as Australia’s powerhouse city with a growing international profile. It is keen to develop itself as a clever city and centre of excellence. The state has been injecting a lot of funds in order to stimulate research in different fields of expertise. The medical community has, for instance, benefited from substantial subsidiaries. BCEC has developed its Advocates Partnership in order to put science forward. The importance and merit of harnessing academia, research and business events for the economic and intellectual advancement of Brisbane is the idea lying beneath.

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GO PLACES EXPAND YOUR VIEW. ENGAGE YOUR MIND.

IN A WORLD-CLASS CONVENTION DESTINATION Our river flows through the city centre exposing Australia’s largest Gallery of Modern Art, a plethora of internationally recognised restaurants, over 50 inner-city hotels and the multi-award winning Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. When it comes to business, we were recently recognised by McKinsey & Co. as a ‘Hot spring of innovation’ - breaking boundaries in life sciences, energy & resources and digital industries. Add to the package one of the world’s most laid-back yet vibrant lifestyles and we welcome you to Australia’s new world city.

Brisbane – the destination for people who want to go places.

goplacesbrisbane.com

> B risbane

A FEW fast facts ABOUT Brisbane

Plaza Auditorium

BCEC strongly believes that through this Partnership Brisbane can showcase itself as a hub of science to the international community and promote its potential as a destination for international conferences and events. BCEC has created a cell within its organization that is totally dedicated to nurture the intellectual community. Alison Gardiner manages it - she has an academic background and therefore feels like a fish in the water among intellectual fellows! The Convention Advocates Partnership recognizes the talents and achievements of this particular group of professionals and draws on their knowledge and international leadership to develop future opportunities in the evolvement of Brisbane as a popular location for scientific and research sector communities. I had the opportunity to meet two internationally renowned professors and talk with them about Brisbane’s future. Professor Frank Gannon, director and CEO of QUMR (Queensland Institute of Medical Research), came to Brisbane recently. He’s an Irishman who not only worked at the University of Galway in Ireland, but also lived in a few European countries. He told us that his decision to come to Brisbane was based on three major elements: Queensland rightly calls itself the ‘smart state’; it has three universities and research institutes and a large group of international students; it

Plaza Auditorium Foyer and Atrium, BCEC

has invested a lot in the wellbeing of the society. Prof. Gannon strongly believes that, as a researcher, you cannot work in isolation and medical conventions are the way to go. He told us how the Partnership also incubates various ideas about meetings as such: to him, the future may lie in specialized meetings (the elite scientific meetings) rather than the super large congresses. And ‘speed-dating meetings’ are to him also an option as delegates who come will actually get the chance to meet and learn. Professor Rajiv Khanna, director of the Australian Centre for Vaccine Development, also agrees that smaller meetings with 10 to 15 key speakers will bring quality experience for the attendees. BCEC could even start thinking of organizing ‘The Brisbane Series’ such as the famous ‘Nijmegen Institute’ or ‘Keystone Symposia’… For Prof. Khanna the reasons to participate in the Advocates Partnership are twofold: it will give way to new international research programs and, as science has grown exponentially in the last ten years, it will bring synergy and provide mechanism to establish collaborative links between scientists.

More information

+ an average of 7.9 daily hours of sunshine across the year + unique pre and post touring opportunities, such as the marine sanctuary of Moreton Bay and its idyllic islands, or the rustic country charms of Brisbane’s Scenic Rim + Brisbane Marketing Convention Bureau, a free one-stop-shop of support services from bid preparation to pre-and-post leisure touring partner programs + Brisbane Airport (acclaimed as Australia’s best airport for quality of service) conveniently located just 20 minutes away, in peak hour traffic + Brisbane’s compact city centre easily accessible for delegates on foot, bike or by its fully integrated public transport system + exceptional accommodation options with 37,000 beds and 13,000 guest rooms, from boutique 5 star hotels to budget and backpacker lodges + vibrant schedule of special events from fashion and sports to performing arts

ABOUT BCEC + The five level, 25,000 m2 expansion is designed specifically for small and medium sized conferences + The addition of 20 meeting rooms and event spaces including two tiered auditoria for 400 and 600 in BCEC on Grey Street provides the Centre with the capacity to host a minimum of 300 extra events per year + With a total of 44 meeting rooms including three stand alone tiered auditoria, BCEC is Australia’s most flexible meetings and events venue capable of hosting events of all sizes from 8 to 8,000 people + Total combined floor area will be 171,000 m2 + 20,000 m2 of dedicated exhibition space + 27 hotels within two kilometres of the Centre including two directly adjacent to the Centre + Home of Australia’s first dedicated Tasting Room in a convention centre

www.bcec.com.au www.brisbanemarketing.com.au

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HQ > M ala y sia

Launch of Kesatria Malaysia

Malaysia’s added value to associations Malaysia has a small number of associations actively engaged in the international arena and a much larger number of new and emerging associations that have an interest in expanding their sphere of influence. With the rightly-called ‘Association Development Programme’ to be launched by Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB), in the second half of 2012, the country aims to become a not-to-be-missed association destination. The goals of the programme are clear: it seeks to support the growth and development of Malaysia’s national associations, to strengthen the engagement of Malaysia’s national associations with their international counterparts and to encourage and support national associations to bid for and host international conventions.

Kesatria Malaysia To do so, MyCEB will set up educational forums that assist with the development and sustainability of national associations i.e. development of sound business models for NGOs, membership management and development,

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governance, marketing and sponsorship management, conference management, association management. They will also engage in international activities to encourage national associations to join and become active members of their international association. Supporting associations that represent Malaysia’s core economic growth sectors and providing convention planning tools to assist with the successful promotion and hosting of international business events are also part of the plan. The driving force behind this is undoubtedly Kesatria Malaysia, an ambitious ambassador programme designed as an incubator to identify and support potential local hosts for international conventions. As of January 2012 MyCEB appointed 17 Kesatrias (or knights) consisting of prominent industry leaders that have previously hosted or have successfully bid for and secured

upcoming international conventions. Their role is to share the experience and benefits of hosting international conventions to their industry peers and related industries. MyCEB’s target is to have Kesatria Malaysia representatives for each of Malaysia’s key economic growth sectors including oil & gas, medical science and health, and financial services.

Meetings reviewed MyCEB is consistently reviewing and developing its product offering for the international business events market. In this ever-competitive world, they need to make sure they stay proactive to meet the demands of association planners. Some initiatives include, for instance, offsite venue audits and assessments, industry certification programme, or the above mentioned Kesatria Malaysia and Association Development Programme. MyCEB is facilitating educational programmes to encourage international certification of Malaysia’s business events industry.

> M ala y sia

A selection of unique venues in Malaysia Suffolk House Penang Suffolk House served as the residence of Francis Light, the founder of the British settlement on the Penang Island. A stunning example of an Anglo-Indian garden house, it is one of the most important UNESCO heritage in Malaysia. With its stylish interiors and picturesque lawn, Suffolk House is an elegant alternative for social events. Kuala Lumpur

For example in March 2012 MyCEB facilitated the IAPCO Regional Seminar on conference management for PCOs, association meeting planners and event organisers. The programme was fully subscribed with over 70 participants.

The driving force behind this is Kesatria Malaysia, an ambitious ambassador programme designed as an incubator to support potential local hosts for international conventions

The IAPCO seminar provided 10 hours of continuing education that can be applied towards the Convention Industry Council’s Certified Meeting Professional application. MyCEB is also looking to create an inventory of unique venues for offsite events associated with international meetings. They are conducting venue sites and assessments to determine

Thean Hou Temple

their suitability and capacity for business events. In the same line of thoughts, new agreements with offsite venues that can cater for groups of 500 to 3,000 delegates have been signed.

Malaysia Business Tourism Green Programme  In line with the Prime Minister’s commitment to offset 40% carbon emissions by year 2020, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) has launched the Let's Meet and Green programme in November 2010. It is designed to encourage and facilitate business event participants to contribute towards greening the nation through tree planting activities. As part of an event registration process, participants have an opportunity to consider contributing a minimum of USD10 towards the Green Programme through all business events in Malaysia. The contributions will then be channelled to tree planting activities facilitated by MyCEB and at areas maintained by the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM). In 2011 there were 1,000 trees planted with the two main contributions coming from the 2011 World Congress of Accountants and the 2011 Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) International Conference.

Central Market Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the original 1936 Central Market was converted into a ‘festive hall’ and in 1996, reopened as the country’s foremost cultural shopping centre showcasing the finest local crafts. It has since been classified as a heritage site and is now a landmark for Malaysian culture. It is a versatile off-site event venue which sits 650 people. Thean Hou Temple Dedicated to Thean Hou (Queen of Heaven), the Hou Temple is one of the largest Chinese temples in South-East Asia. It is a perfect place to relax and enjoy the panoramic view of the Lumpur skyline. Revelling in its cultural offerings, it is available to hold a ceremonial banquet or a regaling gala dinner in the front hallway. Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) Located 16km northwest of the city of Kuala Lumpur, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is one of the leading institutions in tropical forestry research, both within the country and abroad. It has become increasingly popular as venue for outdoor events and informal gala parties.

CONTACT Ho Yoke Ping General Manager, Sales & Marketing Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau T. +603 2034 2090 pingho@myceb.com.my www.myceb.com.my

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HQ New centre for international congresses in Paris

Do you know the new CNIT Paris La Défense?

> V iparis

Cnit Paris La Défense

CNIT Paris La Défense has recently finished a full renovation program including a complete transformation of the convention centre, the public areas, offices and shopping area and the metro access. Cnit Paris La Défense venue offers a perfect solution for medium sized congresses, from 1,000 to 3,000 delegates. Modern multipurpose areas, two auditoria of 750 and 1,200 seats and many breakout rooms make it adaptable to all congress formats. With more than 4,300 hotel rooms within 10 minutes walking distance, delegates can find accommodation for every taste and budget.

Some international congresses coming to Cnit Paris La Défense in the next few years:

With its spectacular vault, the Cnit is an international emblem of La Défense, which is not only Europe’s leading business district but also a new residential area. Eight million tourists visit La Défense every year, and major attractions include the Grande Arche and the modern art sculptures and installations in the outside areas which make the neighbourhood a real open-air museum. Cultural events include the La Défense Jazz Festival, the Festival Chorus and an

+ European Sleep Research Society Congress 2012 - 1,500 delegates + Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes Conference 2013 - 1,000 delegates + International Conference on Image Processing 2014 - 1,200 delegates + OARSI World Congress on Osteoarthritis 2014 - 1,000 delegates + European Microwave Week 2015 2,000 delegates + Congress of the European Society for Gastrointestinal and Abdominal Radiology 2015 - 1,000 delegates

enormous Christmas market held every winter in the main square with over 350 stalls. The Cnit Paris La Défense hosts around 30 congresses every year, most of them medical.

New Cities Summit 2012 The Cnit Paris La Défense will host the inaugural summit conference of the New Cities Foundation, which will bring together 800 global thought leaders in technology, infrastructure, architecture, energy, transport, national and local government, the media, academia as well as the non-profit sector, to discuss how we will live, work and play in the cities of tomorrow. Workshop topics will include: mobility, the creative and connected city, the just city, water, greener buildings, infrastructure finance, and regional sessions. The summit will also highlight the modern urban utopias and experimental cities that are a rich urban laboratory for future cities. www.newcitiessummit2012.org

CONTACT Viparis 2, place de la Porte Maillot 75017 Paris Tél : +33 (0)1 40 68 22 22 E-mail:Sarah.dupons@viparis.com www.venuesinparis.com

HEADQUARTERS 31

Meeting planners are the real stars in Berlin. We know all there is to know about arranging meetings.

convention.visitBerlin.com

Visit us at IMEX, Booth F-100â&#x20AC;&#x201C;44/45

Do you need to arrange a meeting, convention or any other type of event at short notice? If so, the Berlin Convention Office is on hand 24/7 to give you all the support you need. We work closely with local partners across the city and can quickly provide you with relevant advice, help and information. With the Berlin Convention Office, you can rest assured that your event is in good hands. convention.visitBerlin.com

> BERLIN

Berlin

One of the first IMEX exhibitors

On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the trade exhibition, the German capital presents itself with 21 partners. Ten Years of IMEX - this also means: ten years of Berlin at IMEX. This is an opportunity for the Berlin Convention Office of visitBerlin to take stock at the most important trade exhibition for meetings and incentives. On the Germany stand the focus will, therefore, be on the following questions from 24 to 26 May 2012: How has the convention business of the German capital developed over the past years? What topics have gained in importance and what does the future of Berlin as a convention location look like?

How has the convention business of the German capital developed over the past years? Answers are provided by visitBerlin and ghh consult GmbH at a joint press conference on 23 May. They will inform about the ‘Meeting market Germany and hotspot Berlin: Key facts and success factors’. Some facts in advance: 115,700 events took place in Berlin in 2011 (+2%). They were attended by 9.7 million participants; this corresponds to a 7% increase versus 2010. The number of room nights rose to 6.05 million (+ 9%).

Berlin in future with a new airport and a new congress hall The growing success results, more particularly, from the broad network of partners, which promote the German capital together. At IMEX, 21 Berlin exhibitors are represented in addition to BCO. On the Germany stand in Hall 8 the team of ICC Berlin 2.0 presents, for instance, the ‘CityCube Berlin’. The new congress and exhibition hall will probably open in 2014. It will replace on a temporary basis the international congress and convention centre ICC Berlin, which will be closed and completely refurbished from 2014 onwards. At the

‘CityCube Berlin’ events with up to 10,000 participants will be possible in future. The new convention capacities increase Berlin’s attractiveness as a venue for international events. This development will also be supported by the opening of the new capital airport BER. From 3 June onwards it will provide a major gateway to Central Europe for the German capital. In this connection the offering of long-haul flights will continue to increase, too. Visitors to the Germany stand will not only be provided with topical information about Berlin. They can also celebrate the jubilee ‘Ten Years of IMEX’. A big party with all German exhibitors will take place on 23 May at 5PM. Further information on the trade fair presence of the German capital on stand F-100-44/45 is offered on the website imex.visitBerlin.de

the new capital airport BER

HEADQUARTERS 33

Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau presents

Basel The congress city of short distances!

> S w itzerland

Basel Cathedral and River Rhine

Congress Center Basel

in Switzerland with 190,000

Every year Basel is host city of Baselworld, the international watch and jewellery show, and Art Basel, the world’s largest art show. Besides this, the Congress Center Basel hosts around 300 conventions and events for up to 4,000 delegates in its 16 plenary halls and breakout rooms every year. To strengthen its position the Basel Exhibition & Congress Center Basel is currently experiencing a striking modernization. Recently the Auditorium Montreal underwent a complete revamp: its capacity was increased to 525 seats and state-of-the audio and video systems were installed, including permanent voting and interpreting facilities. By 2013 once the new buildings for Basel Exhibition have been completed, a new multifunctional Event Hall will considerably expand the facilities, where 2,500 persons over 4,500 m2 can be accommodated. The project will also include additional breakout rooms.

inhabitants and situated in the very northwest of the country, next to the French and German border. The city, located on the Rhine, offers its visitors a unique mix of modern and historical architecture. The beautiful historic centre with buildings from the 13th and 14th century is perfectly contrasted by contemporary buildings by world-renowed architects such as Herzog & de Meuron, Mario Botta and Renzo Piano. A visit to Basel is not complete without seeing at least one of the almost forty museums, among which Fondation Beyeler, Tinguely Museum and Kunstmuseum Basel make excellent venues for conference dinners and welcome receptions alike.

Short distances and free mobility ticket Basel is a compact congress city. The Congress Center Basel itself is located in the city centre , directly alongside Messe Basel, and can be reached on foot from many hotels. A walk from the congress center to the Old Town takes only 15 minutes (or 5 minutes by tram). When staying at any hotel in Basel, guests will be given a free Mobility Ticket to use on public transport in and around the city during the entire stay.

Basel is the third largest city

Basel, the hard facts + EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg only 15 minutes from downtown Basel + Basel is served by the high speed trains ICE and TGV + Zurich Airport about 1h15min from Basel + 1,000 rooms at walking distance to the Congress Center Basel + 3,800 rooms in 5-15 min. transfer time to the Congress Center Basel by public transport

CONTACT + FOR BASEL Stefan Bonsels Sales Convention Bureau - Associations Basel Tourismus & Convention Bureau T +41 61 268 68 20 stefan.bonsels@basel.com

+ FOR SWITZERLAND Myriam Winnepenninckx Swizerland Convention & Incentive Bureau T + 32 (0)2 345 83 57 myriam.winnepenninckx@switzerland.com www.myswitzerland.com/meetings

Entry new Event Hall

HEADQUARTERS 35

Enjoy MonTpElliEr, your congrEss parTnEr!

ENJOY Montpellier is the trademark for the meeting industry in one of the most vibrant cities in the South of France. It represents a clear statement about the positioning of Montpellier which hosts more than 40 international association events every year.

- Mars 2012

The venues operated by ENJOY Montpellier - Le Corum, Congress Centre/ Berlioz Opera House, Park&Suites Arena / Exhibition Centre and Le ZĂŠnith Sud - offer a full range of modular solutions for all types of events for up to 7500 delegates. Our dynamic and highly experienced team supports you from the bid process through to the organization of your congress.

E // C N A OF FR H MONTPELLIER T U aun SO uct l R E Prod I / / L s t in g TPEL s mee N O s in e s u M B / / / ns v e n t io NCE / A // con R s e F s gres // con TH OF U fa ir s O e d S r at a // tr ER I 00 tpellie L n nces e L o r e E M f and D2 oy m j o n // con nce st c ra s . E F e r t ONTP h u s at Ato ellie launc

g e e t in ess m

od s // Pr

uct

tp om y-mon ontpellier.c o j n e . > wwwes@enjoy-m 66 32 sal 67 61

33 4 Tel. +

Come

it u

and vis

nche

> T he H ague

The Hague and World Forum make you think In The Netherlands, right on the North Sea coast, lies a unique city. The residence of the nation’s royal head of state and its government, of embassies and courts of justice. But also of Vermeer and Mondriaan. 'It's a city of distinguished serenity and breaking world news in one. A city where decisions of global consequence are made. Where deliberation is as natural as the fresh westerly wind. A city that always makes you think and so is the ideal place to make your conference successful. That city’s name is The Hague. The world’s city of justice and peace, close to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (50 km), Rotterdam / The Hague Airport (20 km)  and Brussels (157 km). Your reliable and objective partner in the city is The Hague Visitors & Convention Bureau. The ideal partner when it comes to advice free of charge, a high level of service and thoroughness while organizing your event or convention!

WORLD FORUM   In The Hague, the World Forum is the perfect location for any association meeting due to its compact layout. The venue creates an intimate atmosphere, due its 25 break-out rooms being situated directly around the main impressive plenary room - the 2160 person-seating ‘World Forum Theatre’. As the World Forum is a ‘middle-sized’ convention centre, the building can be offered exclusively to clients. This allows clients to completely transform the look and feel of any congress. The World Forum now offers a new meeting room, the smaller World Forum Theatre, which accommodates 770 persons - the ideal size for most association meetings.

The Hague

Associations choose the World Forum due the personal attention that they receive and due to the exceeded service levels that the delegates experience whilst at the World Forum.

CONTACT The Hague Visitors & Convention Bureau  +31 (0)70 361 88 02 E-mail: conventionbureau@denhaag.com www.thehaguecongress.com

World Forum +31 (0)70 306 62 28 E-mail: info@worldforum.nl www.worldforum.nl

Agenda onf s // c

+ VICTIMOLOGY CONGRESS, World Forum, 21-24 May 2012 + INTERNATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION CONGRESS (IBA),  Bell Air Hotel, 30 May-2 June 2012 + INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR COURT ADMINISTRATION CONGRESS (IACA), Vredespaleis, 13-15 June 2012 + EUROJURIS CONGRESS, Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel, 18-20 October 2012 + EUROPEAN CONGRESS OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING (ECCE), World Forum, 22-24 april 2013 + INSOL, World Forum, 19-22 May 2013 + ECSITE ANNUAL CONGRESS, World Forum, 20-25 May 2014

Scheveningen

The World Forum Lobby First Floor

HEADQUARTERS 37

HQ > TAIWAN

Secutech 2012

Taiwan’s Mobile Applications Platform Seminars FOR GREENER MEETINGS Last year, the Taiwanese Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) successfully developed the Taiwan Meetings and Exhibitions Mobile Applications Platform, integrating smart phone apps developed to meet industry needs through government agencies. Beginning this year, all of these apps can be fully promoted to PCOs and international meeting and exhibition organizers to realize the essential spirit of green conferencing and to boost the core IT capabilities of domestic vendors. To ensure that the application platform can be widely adopted in various international conventions and exhibitions, ‘Taiwan Meetings and Exhibitions Mobile Applications Platform Seminars’ were held on January 19, March 8, and April 12. The seminar introduced in detail how to use the platform as well as the platform’s user interface. The resources and services provided by the meettaiwan.com website were also introduced on this occasion.

Enhancing Taiwan’s Competitiveness The ‘MEET Taiwan Program’ has made long-term efforts to participate in international meetings and exhibitions in order to absorb the most recent information on the MICE industry and to maintain a firm grasp on the requirements for mobile smart phone exhibition apps. It wants to ensure

that any app it introduces will become an essential tool for international meetings organizers and event attendees. The Bureau of Foreign Trade has invested significant resources in the planning and R&D for this mobile application platform. Whereas most exhibition host countries leave it up to exhibition organizers to develop their own apps for one-time use, Taiwan’s Bureau of Foreign Trade has provided this mobile platform for free to all meetings professionals, and significantly increased the efficiency of conferences held in Taiwan.

Green meetings In addition to this free mobile application, and as a response to the Green Meeting Industry Council calling for achieving the goal of ‘zero environmental pollution’,

‘comprehensive recycling responsibility analysis on the global MICE industry’, and ‘establishing acceptable standards and guidelines for implementation’ of the Global Green Meeting in 2020, Taiwan has enhanced its capacities to hold green meetings. Venues such as the Nangang Exhibition Hall, Kaohsiung World Trade Center, Kaohsiung World Games Stadium, etc., are taking part through practical actions. The Kaohsiung World Trade Center, whose complete construction and opening is expected in 2013, has just obtained a Green Building certificate. The Nangang Exhibition Hall’s hardware facilities were diagnosed and analyzed for energy conservation in accordance with ISO 14064 protocol so as to gradually achieve the greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. In addition, the Kaohsiung World Games Stadium completed in 2009 possesses an architectural body that abides by energy conservation, waste reduction, ecological, and health-oriented design concepts. It has also received gold grade Green Building certification.

CONTACT marcom@meettaiwan.com

HEADQUARTERS 39

Experience the joie de vivre of Montréal, the only city in the world to embrace North American efficiency and a laid-back European mindset. In Montréal, we’ve got all the nuts and bolts to help you plan a successful event—like our ultramodern convention centre, the Palais des congrès (with more than 50,000 m2 of meeting space), over 26,500 downtown hotel rooms and Team Montréal, always on hand to make sure your event runs flawlessly. We’ll bring artfully creative, customized solutions to craft that extra touch of magic your attendees will never forget. tourisme-montreal.org/meet

THERE’S

SOMETHING

different

ABOUT

MONTRÉAL.

HQ > MONTRéAL

Montréal

Palais des congrès de Montréal

Montréal Opens Up a World of Possibilities Bold. Forward-thinking. Unconventional. Montréal is truly a one-of-a-kind destination that opens up a world of possibilities for international meetings and conventions. A veritable gateway to North America, Montréal’s cosmopolitan character can be seen in its multicultural, multilingual population and in its multidisciplinary work force; it is a hotbed of innovation and creativity, attracting some of the brightest minds from around the globe. Montréal is currently undergoing a remarkable renaissance, with a wave of urban renewal plans, cultural initiatives and business ventures. Flagship projects include the avant-garde design of the Quartier des spectacles (the new Entertainment District) and the inaugural C2MTL (Creativity + Commerce) conference in May, a major international gathering to explore ideas on fostering creativity to drive business success. And, in the lead-up to Montréal’s 375th anniversary celebrations in 2017, many exciting new projects are on the table to mark the occasion in signature Montréal style. This same enterprising spirit is reflected in the dynamic approach of the Sales and Convention Services team at Tourisme Montréal. And the team just

got stronger: Tourisme Montréal was delighted to announce the recent nomination of Mr. Michel Bourdon to the position of Vice President, Sales and Convention Services. Mr. Bourdon’s extensive experience in business and leisure travel markets, his inspiring leadership style and his passion for Montréal make him an invaluable asset to the organization.

There’s never been a better time to discover everything Montréal has to offer Working closely with its partners at the Palais des congrès (Convention Centre) and in the hotel and meeting industries,

Tourisme Montréal boasts a stellar track record in working with international associations. With an office in Paris and a long list of personalized services, Tourisme Montréal facilitates the planning process every step of the way for clients based in Europe. Given the ongoing economic uncertainty in world markets, Tourisme Montréal is constantly exploring new avenues of opportunity to build bridges between local academic, research and business communities and international associations. In the fall of 2011, the CVB launched an innovative program to provide professional and financial support to local researchers and research teams who wish to bring international conferences to Montréal. By minimizing risks and maximizing returns, the program removes barriers and sets the stage for success. There’s never been a better time to discover everything Montréal has to offer. Tourisme Montréal is ready to help you plan your most successful event ever. Find out more at tourisme-montreal.org/meet

HEADQUARTERS 41

SIZED FOR SCIENTIFIC CONGRESSES

W W W. V I S I T B R U S S E L S . B E / F U N D

HQ > HOLLAND

Holland Congress Alliance Launched

The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) has recently initiated the Holland Congress Alliance, a new form of cooperation between a number of Dutch congress cities, major conventions centres and hotel chains. Eric Bakermans, Manager Marketing Meetings & Conventions at the NBTC, explains what it’s all about.

HQ: Where does the idea of this newly-formed alliance come from? Eric Bakermans: Although Holland has been approaching (inter)national associations actively for the last decades, the NBTC felt that the exchange of information between the Dutch partners was ready for a new impulse. Besides that, the Dutch government retreated their funding to in such a way that an even closer working relationship with all involved partners was very much needed.

HQ : What’s the added value of the Holland Congress Alliance towards associations? Eric Bakermans: It is there for national associations wishing to bring their European or international events to the Netherlands, and provides advice, best practices, free consultancy and support. After all, associations act in the interest of its members, not for destinations. Keeping that in mind, we also establish sustainable contact with European and International associations, but only if we feel there’s an added value in establishing that contact from a mutual point of perspective. We understand the changing role of congresses

within an association. We understand the growing professionalism within our industry and fortunately we have been able to remain up to speed and to learn from our competitors at the same time.

HQ: Can you tell us about the Dutch ‘Top Sectors’? Eric Bakermans: Holland has a lot of expertise in agri-food, horticulture, propagation materials, high technology, energy, logistics, chemicals and water. Its creative industry and life sciences are also quite strong. These are the sectors in which the Netherlands excels globally - they are a government priority. The top sector approach is geared towards providing a solid exchange between businesses,

knowledge institutes and the government (the 'golden triangle'). The government does not make its own proposals for the sectors, but invites businesses and scientists to draw up action plans. The potential value towards international congresses in the Netherlands in relation to the Dutch Top Sectors is enormous. The Holland Congress Alliance is specifically focused in drawing these congresses towards the Netherlands, involving associations with a direct link to one or more of these Top Sectors.

HQ: Who’s in the Alliance? Eric Bakermans: The Holland Congress Alliance is formed by: + The Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions + Amsterdam RAI + Amsterdam Marketing + Maastricht Exhibition & Congress Centre MECC/Maastricht Convention Bureau + The Hague Marketing/World Forum Convention Centre + Rotterdam Marketing and convention partners + NH Hoteles The Netherlands + KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

MORE INFO www.holland.com www.nbtc.nl

HEADQUARTERS 43

come explor e with us.

Your Professional Congress Organiser Any size of congresses, anywhere Kuoni Destination Management offers a wide portfolio of services, from concept to organisation and on-site management. Our aim is your success and to do so we listen to you carefully and are pro-active, creative and innovative. Leave it up to us!

Benefit from our offices’ loca l k now ledge in: Amsterdam – Barcelona – Berlin – Cologne – Copenhagen – Frankfurt – Geneva – Hamburg – Helsinki – Innsbruck – London – Lyon – Madrid – Milan – Munich – Nice – Paris – Prague – Rome – Stockholm – Vienna – Zurich

contact: steeve.girod@ch.kuoni.com or sophie.gorrias@es.kuoni.com – www.kuoni-dmc.com

> GREECE

Caryatids Erechtheion

Acropolis of Athens

What’s the deal in Greece? Let’s be honest. Right now Greece doesn’t really seem the ideal place to organize a conference or even a small meeting. Yet, it appears the media have blown up the situation out of proportion. We asked Eleni Skarveli, Director of Greek National Tourism Organisation, Belgium-Luxembourg, and Lydia Mastronikolis, Executive Director of the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers (HAPCO), for their points of view.

Greece is well known and broadly recognized as a major holiday destination attracting millions of tourists every year. Currently, and in spite of the difficult state the country finds itself in, Greece aims to strengthen its market share in global conference events, to a level between 2.5-5% during the next five years. Eleni Skarveli explains: ‘The Greek National Tourism Organisation is trying to reinforce Greece’s position on the global conference map, as the country offers an attractive proposal for international associations and enterprises to organise events and congresses. Greece is the perfect place for business and pleasure, with capacity to host meetings of up to 7,000 participants.’

Eleni even argues Greece is one of the safest countries in Europe and offers an appropriate setting for every occasion, from a congress to a convention, and ‘a number of public and private entities, such as Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB), are operation in both Athens and Thessaloniki, willing to provide all necessary information. Greece is uniquely advantaged to combine infrastructure as well as beautiful landscapes and gastronomy.’ As a matter of fact, it seems the Greek meetings industry sees the difficult times it’s going through more like an opportunity, a challenge to face with courage. Lydia Mastronikolis puts it like this: ‘All the

Greek meetings professionals belonging to the HAPCO family consider that they are going through a period which is just right for clearing up the market, thus allowing for new facts and basically reestablishment of the Greek conference product. Winners of this trial will be the companies that will not only survive the crisis but also the ones that will succeed in keeping up their high quality services, reinforcing in this way the Greek image and reliability within the international market.’ Having the reinforcement of the Greek meetings industry as its main objective, the Hellenic Association of Professional Congress Organizers is making every possible effort towards this direction. And we trust in a few months’ time, all that we have seen on TV or read about in the papers will only be a distant memory.

More information www.visitgreece.gr www.hapco.gr

HEADQUARTERS 45

> MEETING FOREST

A tree costs just £5

and you can buy / donate it on www.headquartersmagazine.com

Our Meetings Forest

New trees planted in 2012

How to donate/ buy a tree? Headquarters and MIM Europe magazine own a grove in the Scottish Caledonian forest; a forest the organization Trees for Life helps to restore. The idea of the Meetings Forest is simple: we plant a meetings tree on every occasion we think fit: associations, industry partners, friends, etc., with outstanding or original initiatives to make the world better. Our clients and partners can also donate trees on behalf of other people.

The first trees of our Meetings Forest were planted about 3 years

The role of ICCA

ago. They’re still small and it will take another 25 years for them to

Last year, ICCA took a praiseworthy initiative. Mieke Loenen, event manager, explains: ‘Last year we offered everyone who registered to the congress in Leipzig (it was included in the registration process) the opportunity to donate trees. Our suggestion was: 1 tree for a short-haul flight and 3 for a long-haul. We were able to collect € 1,200 and because one tree costs £5, we were able to donate 240 trees in the name of ICCA.’ This example should encourage other professional associations in the meetings industry to organize similar initiatives.

grow to their full size. Nature takes its time, but people don’t always think like that. Sometime in the very near future we’ll plant another bunch of more than 250 trees in our part of the Caledonian Forest in Scotland’s Highlands.

Text Marcel A.M. Vissers

Brand-new MIM Europe and Headquarters Magazines Europe offered about 50 new trees to be planted in 2012, in honour of some of our readers and good clients. All winners of the Dress To Impress Awards at the last ICCA Congress in Leipzig also received a tree and a certification that read: ‘This is to certify that a tree will be planted in the HQ and MIM magazine MEETINGS FOREST on behalf of ‘name of the winner’, as part of Trees for Life’s work to restore the Caledonian Forest in the Highlands of Scotland.’

HEADQUARTERS 46

The winners were: + Abdul Hamid Ahmad Maulana, of JCORP HOTELS and Resorts, Malaysia + Alina Boboc and Rosa Deza, of Madrid Convention Bureau + Indra Sukirno of Jakarta Convention Bureau + Monique Amey of Nice Convention Bureau + the whole Taiwanesedelegation at ICCA gala dinner

More info www.headquartersmagazine.com > meeting forest

WHERE

HARD-WORKING

EASY-GOING

More and more global organisations and associations are making the decision to Meet in Ireland, where working hard and an easy-going nature go hand in hand. Where else can you find state-of-the-art conference facilities and cutting edge professionalism amongst a young and vibrant population? Welcome to Ireland â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the perfect place to meet. Where 100,000 welcomes and our enviable passion for life always ensure an enjoyable experience for both event organisers and delegates alike. Visit www.meetinireland.be and plan your next conference with us.