meetings, incentives, conventions & eventssignature golden circle (gc) recognition and award...

www.odysseymediagroup.com

October 21, 2010Published by Odyssey Media Group

page 1

Follow us on Twitter at:www.twitter.com/OdysseyMG

page 11

page 14

page 12

page 7

page 5

Northern Ireland: A Leading Business DestinationNorthern Ireland has been named as a top business tourism destination by delegates in a recent report. The research, which comes from consultants Tourism Development International found that nine out of ten business visitors would recommend the destination for meetings and events.

Respondents highlighted Northern Irelands’ diversity of venues, professionalism and quality of its conference product ...

Shangri-La’s Golden Circle Opens MembershipShangri-La Hotels and Resorts has unveiled its completely restructured and enhanced signature Golden Circle (GC) recognition and award program. Golden Circle is the only international loyalty program that allows both staying and non-staying guests to earn and redeem Golden Circle Awards Points (GC Awards).

Since its inception in 1997, Golden Circle’s 1.7 million members...

Montego Bay Convention CentreDuring a press conference October 14 at The Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett announced the Montego Bay Convention Centre will be ready to host Caribbean Marketplace 2011. Taking place January 16-18, 2011, it will be the first event held in the new Centre, which is on schedule for completion by the end of this year.

“The Montego Bay Convention Centre is an important addition to Jamaica’s tourism product,” commented Minister Bartlett.

New Managing Director At Congrex TravelClaudia Scherrer is appointed Managing Director of Congrex Travel. Ms. Scherrer succeeds Adriana Spitteler who is setting up the Congrex Vancouver office for the North American market.

Congrex Travel is the in-house IATA licensed travel agency specialised in online airline, transport and accommodation bookings for event participants - both individuals and groups. Based in Basel, Claudia Scherrer has been with Congrex Travel for nine years and has a proven track record...

ICEC At NewcastleGatesheadDelegates will be given an exclusive first look at concepts for the creation of a new International Conference and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) for North East England at Discover NewcastleGateshead.

As well as viewing the proposals, visitors to the showcase event held by NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau on 16th November, can also consult with the Convention Bureau and its sister company 1NG, to share their views on the proposed regeneration plans.

MEETINGS, INCENTIVES, CONVENTIONS & EVENTS

www.odysseymediagroup.com page 2

Publisher & Managing Editor: Colin J. Holden - [email protected] Editor: Brian Menzies - [email protected] Editor: Edward Lambert - [email protected]

Technology Editor: Marten Streifel - [email protected]. Editor: Deborah Ibsen - [email protected]

Vancouver, Canada - San Francisco, USATelephone: (360) 778-3534

INSIDENew Convention Space Marks Mexico’s Growth As MICE Leader page 3Finland CB’s Activities To Transfer To Tourist Board

Dubai Convention Bureau Opens Offices In Beijing and Shanghai page 4Survey: 25% of Venues Rely On Business From Public Sector

Cornell White Paper Highlights Value of Face-to-Face Meetings page 5Northern Ireland: A Leading Business DestinationReport Shows UK Meetings & Events Industry Delivers £36.1 Billion

Israel Ministry of Tourism iPhone/iPad App page 6oneworld Set To Be Number One Alliance At Tokyo HanedaThe Secure Flight Program: Additional Data Required For Travellers To The US

Starwood Launches New Downloadable Meeting Fact Sheets For Asia Pacific page 7Taj Boston Offers Best Internet Bandwidth For MeetingsShangri-La’s Golden Circle Opens Membership To Public

Optimism Returns To The Market At Event UK page 8Jamaica Product Exchange Opens Today In Montego Bay

Israel To Host National Travel Trade Convention page 9India Gears Up For PTM2011 In New DelhiNovember Will Be A Busy Month In The Business Events Calendar For Malaysia

Exhibitors Worldwide Making AIBTM A Priority page 10

San Francisco’s Moscone Center Undergoing $55 Million Upgrade & Renovation page 11SECC’s £1m Renovation Effort CompleteMontego Bay Convention Centre To Host Caribbean Marketplace 2011

Las Vegas Convention Center Joins IACC page 12Delegates Offered Glimpse of ICEC At NewcastleGatesheadEdinburgh International Conference Centre Expansion

PCMA To Co-Locate 2011 International Summit At IMEX America page 13Site Nite North America

Exhibitions & Trade Fairs Adds Two Execs page 14Irette Ferriera Joins Qatar National Convention Centre TeamNew Managing Director At Congrex Travel Aims For Consistent QualityEIBTM CEO Summit Appoints Jeremy Garbett As Chair


NEWS

Finland CB’s Activities To Transfer To Tourist BoardThe activities of Finland Convention Bureau (FCB), the national organisation that promotes Finland as a destination for international congresses and corporate events, will transfer to the Finnish Tourist Board as of 1 January 2011. The decision was taken at a statutory meeting of FCB in Helsinki.

The aim is to clarify FCB’s activities in accordance with the wishes of its members. The new arrangement also complies with the model adopted by most European countries, whose national convention bureaus are backed up by a national organisation similar to the Finnish Tourist Board.

According to the Finnish Tourist Board, activities that support the meetings industry will continue to be an important focus area for promoting Finland. Over the past twenty years Finland has established a position as one of the top 20 congress destinations in the world. Each year international association meetings generate over 100 million euros of tourism income for Finland. One of the first national convention bureaus in Europe, FCB has successfully marketed Finland since 1974.

In line with international practice, Finland Convention Bureau will continue as the marketing name under which meetings industry operations will be concentrated. FCB will also continue to operate as an association whose board will also serve as the meetings industry marketing committee within the Finnish Tourist Board. FCB will administrate the association’s resources and organising activities such as training and networking events.

FCB’s four full-time employees will transfer to the Finnish Tourist Board as long-service employees on 1 January 2011. Further decisions about human resources and key positions within the Finnish Tourist Board will be taken in early 2011.

A dramatic expansion of meeting space together with the hosting of several high profile meetings has propelled Mexico forward this year with considerable growth in the meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) industry.

In Sept. 2010, the Cancun Messe Convention Center was inaugurated, with a new Queretaro convention center opening in Nov. 2010 and another facility planned for Puebla in 2011. In addition to Mexico’s main beach resorts and greater Mexico City metropolitan area, there are several emerging destinations such as Zacatecas, Queretaro, San Luis Potosi, Tampico and Puebla, which have invested in new facilities with state-of-the-art technology and modern architectural solutions. Furthermore, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan and Acapulco have brought their modern sustainable venues to the table, complementing their already famous tourism infrastructure.

The timing couldn’t be better for Cancun is it prepares to play host to the 16th World Summit United Nations Climate Change Conference, which will take place in Cancun from Nov. 29 -- Dec. 10, with an expected attendance of 12,000 participants.

For Mexico, meeting industry activity is a growing industry with large potential to generate significant economic revenue. Overall, Mexico now maintains 12 million sq. ft. of event space, 495,000 hotel rooms for conventions, 71 ideal venues for congresses, conventions and exhibitions, as well as 57 international airports with direct connections to main feeder markets all over the world. Mexico also boasts 56 Conventions and Visitors Bureaus throughout 32 states.

New Convention Space Marks Mexico’s Growth As MICE Leader

events. The first, the MPI MeetDifferent 2010 Convention saw 1,200 participants in attendance, while the General Assembly of the Inter-American Development Bank welcomed 1,000 attendees.

From April 15-18, Mexico City played host to the Virtuoso International Symposium, which was well-attended by 500 members of the organization. Mexico City also welcomed the Luxury Markets Symposium on Aug. 24 and 25, seeing 600 attendees taking part.

Mexico is also looking forward to several large conferences and conventions taking place between the remaining months of 2010 and 2016. In addition to the 16th World Summit United Nations Climate Change Conference, AIESEC (the world’s largest global network of university students and recent graduates) will hold its Global Leaders’ Summit in Mexico City in 2011; the 2012 RoboCup Championship will take place in Mexico City in 2012;

the 30th International Congress on Occupational Health will take place in Monterrey from March 18 -- 23, 2012; the International Pig Veterinary Society (IPVS) chose Cancun as the host city of its 2014 Congress; the Pan-American Dairy Congress has chosen Chihuahua for its 2016 event; and the World Ophthalmology Congress will be held in Guadalajara in 2016.

According to the International Congress and Convention Association (ICAA), the world-class service that Mexico provides the international meetings community has helped the country earn a no. 14 ranking worldwide in regards to the number of attendees coming to hosted events in different Mexican destinations.

The ranking comes as no surprise, due to Mexico’s strict attention to detail from the planning phase of an event to its conclusion. The country offers innovative and practical solutions designed to help any company organize

Always a leader in the MICE industry, Mexico has turned its focus onto the industry’s global market and has made several improvements in the support it offers the meetings and conventions community. In 2010 alone, Mexico has hosted or will host a total of 143 congresses and conventions, some among the most important in the world.

In February and March of this year, Cancun hosted two wildly successful


and accomplish client goals.

Few countries can compete with Mexico’s unique blend of technology and infrastructure combined with the added value of the warmth and hospitality it offers to both corporate and association meeting professionals.

As far as the participation of Mexican destinations in the incentive travel market is concerned, the Mexico Tourism Board, in conjunction with the Tourism Ministry and the Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE), has designed the Your Reward is Mexico Program, which would certify destinations that have the necessary capacity to satisfy incentive travel groups. Participating destinations include Veracruz, Guadalajara, Campeche and Oaxaca, while Ixtapa, Queretaro and Cozumel are currently involved in the certification process.

Mexico continues to make it easy and attractive for meeting planners to bring their events to Mexico. One way is through the zero value added tax, which allows meeting planners to save between 11 and 16 percent on the overall cost of their event. Furthermore, the Mexico Tourism Board supports all major international certification programs, such as CMP, for meeting industry suppliers.

Dubai Convention Bureau Opens Offices In Beijing and ShanghaiEffective November 1st, the Dubai Convention Bureau (DCB) will have two representative offices in the largest cities in China -- Beijing and Shanghai. This appointment follows DCB’s strategic plan for MICE expansion to the east. The appointment of the two offices in China as well as the new hire of a Dubai based Congress Development Executive solely focusing on the Asia Pacific region, further enhances DCB’s efforts in the promotion of Dubai to the MICE market in China.

“We are very excited about this market and will strive to bring more short-term, corporate-based business opportunities to the stakeholders” announced Hamad M. Bin Mejren, Executive Director, DubaiConvention Bureau.

“We are pleased for the opportunity to further represent Dubai to the MICE market in China. We appreciate the trust placed in us, and the team will work diligently and enthusiastically to secure many wins for Dubai” said Brenda He. Mrs. He’s team in China currently represents the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

The United Arab Emirates became an Approved Destination Country in 2009, facilitating the free travel of Chinese citizens. Since 2000, Chinese outbound travel has increased by 22%. Leisure travelers and MICE groups currently represent up to 80 % of Chinese outbound tourism travel. The business sectors that are travelling outbound from China for meetings and incentives are in strong alignment with the primary business sectors of Dubai, these include financial services, insurance, communications, medical and automotive. The abundant variety of airlift access from China to Dubai along with Dubai’s appeal to the emerging Chinese young middle-class, Dubai is certainly becoming a popular destination for Chinese travelers.

Survey: 25% of Venues Rely On Business From Public SectorThe Meeting Industry Association’s (MIA) latest survey on public sector spending in the meetings sector shows a further decline in the last quarter with 68.8% of venues surveyed reporting a reduction in public sector business, compared to 58.4% in the previous quarter.

The online survey also shows that just over 25% of venues are now ‘reliant’ on business from the public sector, with a further 48.4% of those surveyed reporting cancellations of events in excess of £50,000, highlighting the scale of the spending cut backs.

With more than 84% of the 423 venues surveyed regularly taking business from the public sector, the MIA believes businesses need to take action now, or risk further declines in revenues; “We have been working closely and proactively with our members in recent months to look at ways in which they can redress the balance

Conferences

Events

Tradeshows

Retreats

fcmgroups.com 1 888 326 9339

Travelling as a Group?

We make it easy!

Corporate Travel Services


Report Shows UK Meetings & Events Industry Delivers £36.1 BillionThe UK business visits and events industry - incorporating meetings, corporate hospitality, incentive travel and trade exhibitions -- is now worth over £36.1 billion according to a reportjust out*. The findings also underline the critical contribution this sector makes to UK plc, and is part of the industries self promotional campaign, Britain for Events.

The 106 page ‘Britain for Events’ report -- the most comprehensive to represent this industry - also underlines the sizeable sector contributions of conferences and meetings (£18.8 billion), exhibitions and trade shows (£9.3 billion) and sporting events (£2.3 billion). The corporate hospitality industry was placed at £1 billion.

Attracting major meetings and events to these shores is a vital economy for UK plc, this report shows that in bound business visitors spend 193% more than in bound leisure visitors, whilst UK based business travellers spend 72% more than those travelling on leisure. This provides vital income for venues, hotel’s, bars and restaurants as well as multiple employment opportunities.

The Business Visits & Events Partnership is the umbrella body for the UK business tourism industry. The Britain for Events 2010 campaign is the industry’s self promotional campaign aimed at raising awareness of the value of face to face meetings and events.

www.britainforevents.co.ukwww.businesstourismpartnership.com

and change their business mix” says MIA Chairman, Peter Darnell. “It is crucial that venues begin to look elsewhere now for business, as our forecast is for the decline in public sector meetings to continue and potentially accelerate as the coalition government spending cuts are fully implemented.”

www.mia-uk.org

Cornell White Paper Highlights Value of Face-to-Face MeetingsEven as virtual meetings become increasingly common, a new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) focuses on the specific strategic advantages of face-to-face meetings for large groups. The analysis of when face-to-face works best, “The Future of Meetings: The Case for Face-to-Face,” was written by Christine Duffy, president and CEO of Maritz Travel Company, and Mary Beth McEuen, vice president and executive director of The Maritz Institute. The study, which is part of the CHR’s Industry Perspectives series, is available at no charge from the CHR website, http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/chr/pubs/perspective/.

“We know that face-to-face meetings are integral to driving growth and innovation for business in today’s challenging environment,” said Duffy. “We decided to focus on a science-based approach to identify decision criteria for when face-to- face meetings are the most effective way to drive results. The decision criteria are grounded in studies from the human sciences with a focus on neuroscience.”

“As we wrote in our report, we identified three key reasons for face-to-face meetings: to capture attention, especially for new concepts; to inspire a positive emotional climate; and a related point, to build human networks and relationships,” added McEuen. “Face-to-face meetings possess the unique ability to spur action and drive business results through creating powerful, emotional ties to your business mission and message. The fact remains that there’s no substitute for meeting in person when you want to build emotional support and develop relationships.”

www.chr.cornell.edu

Northern Ireland: A Leading Business DestinationNorthern Ireland has been named as a top business tourism destination by delegates in a recent report. The research, which comes from consultants Tourism Development International found that nine out of ten business visitors would recommend the destination for meetings and events.

Respondents highlighted Northern Irelands’ diversity of venues, professionalism and quality of its conference product as a key reason to conduct business there, as well as the renowned Irish warm welcome.

Value for money compared to other destinations was also listed as a key incentive for business travellers, along with the destination’s world class golf facilities, quality of food and the range of unique activities.

David Boyce, Deputy Director Great Britain at Tourism Ireland commented: “This research underlines the quality of venues and services which Northern Ireland offers delegates. As a destination, Northern Ireland continues to invest in its business tourism product through developments in infrastructure, hotel stock and venues. A series of exciting events spaces are set to open in 2011 including Belfast’s Titanic Quarter (photo page 1), the new Lyric Theatre and the Crumlin Road Gaol. We’re positive this level of investment will continue to keep Northern Ireland at the forefront of buyer’s minds”.

The research recorded the views of more than 300 international business visitors, conference organisers and destination management companies this summer.

www.irelandinspires.com

SUBSCRIBEwww.odysseymediagroup.com


Israel Ministry of Tourism iPhone/iPad AppThe Israel Ministry of Tourism has released the iSrael iPhone and iPad application--providing travelers with detailed information on sites, tours, accommodation and events in Israel. The free iSrael application will feature up-to-date information about travel to Israel, including mapped directions to heritage sites, nature reserves, leisure activities, archeological sites and museums. Users of the application may also build customized tours of Israel complete with photographs and multimedia.

“We are very excited about the release of the new iSrael iPhone application,” says Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America, “which will help travelers tour Israel with the latest and most advanced technology.”

The application will be regularly updated by the Israel Ministry of Tourism, and users can also instantly upload their own photographs and comments to Israel tourism social media forums, including Facebook.

www.goisrael.com

AIRLINES & AIRPORTS

oneworld is set to be the leading airline alliance at Asia’s newest international hub when Tokyo Haneda opens to scheduled international flights at the end of this month.

oneworld’s member airlines there will offer:

• The airport’s most extensive international network, including the only flights between Haneda and - Europe, with services to both London Heathrow and Paris CDG. New York and San Francisco, in the USA.

• More international capacity to and from Tokyo Haneda than any other alliance.

• The biggest domestic schedule at what is also Japan’s biggest domestic hub.

• Minimum international-to-domestic connecting times considerably faster than competition, at just 70 minutes.

• A host of new facilities for passengers, to ensure the smoothest and most comfortable of journeys on the ground whether they are arriving, departing or transitting.

Speaking on behalf of the alliance’s on-line airlines there, Japan Airlines President Masaru Onishi said: “oneworld is not just the world’s premier alliance - but will also be the pre-eminent alliance at Tokyo Haneda. In the spirit of oneworld, Japan Airlines and our partners are determined to extend our sincere hospitality and offer valued customers the best quality services and network at this exciting new international gateway for our

oneworld Set To Be Number One Alliance At Tokyo Haneda

The Secure Flight Program: Additional Data Required For Travellers To The USThe US authorities have introduced new regulations on air passenger data. From November 1, as part of the Secure Flight Program, passengers must include their date of birth and gender in addition to their full name on all bookings no later than 72 hours before their intended departure.

This regulation applies to all international flights to and from the United States as well as to flights within the US, irrespective of when the booking was made. Passengers who fail to provide the necessary Secure Flight Passenger Data may be refused boarding by the US authorities.

Detailed information about the Secure Flight Program can be downloaded from the US Transportation Security Administration’s website at:

www.tsa.gov/secureflight

nation’s capital.”

A More Convenient International Gateway For Downtown Tokyo

Haneda is the most convenient airport serving Tokyo for customers travelling to or from the city centre. From its own station served by the Tokyo Monorail and the Keikyu train line, it takes less than 30 minutes to travel to or from downtown.

As Japan’s main hub for domestic flights, it also provides the widest range of options for connections to and from cities throughout the country.

It is being reopened to international scheduled services after a 32-year break as it inaugurates a fourth runway and third passenger terminal - a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to

international flights.

Haneda’s Widest International Network

The new international passenger facility - or Tokyo International Air Terminal (TIAT), as it will be known - will open in two phases.

Flights to nearest Asian destinations - currently operated from Haneda as “scheduled charters” - will move to TIAT from Thursday (21 October). In oneworld’s case, that means JAL’s twice-daily flights to Seoul Gimpo and once daily flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Shanghai Hongqaio.

Then a week later on Sunday (31 October) JAL will will add a third daily round-trip to Seoul Gimpo - and


HOTELS & RESORTSShangri-La’s Golden Circle Opens Membership To PublicShangri-La Hotels and Resorts has unveiled its completely restructured and enhanced signature Golden Circle (GC) recognition and award program. Golden Circle is the only international loyalty program that allows both staying and non-staying guests to earn and redeem Golden Circle Awards Points (GC Awards).

Since its inception in 1997, Golden Circle’s 1.7 million members have enjoyed special recognition and benefits during their stays at Shangri-La hotels, resorts and Traders hotels. From October 25, 2010, the revamped program enables members to also earn and accumulate points that can be redeemed for complimentary room nights, room upgrades, dining, and spa privileges at CHI, The Spa and airline miles. GC members can earn one GC Award Point for every US$1 or local currency equivalent spent. Rewards are available for as little as 500 GC Awards Points and members can share rewards with family members. Golden Circle regularly invites top members to join exclusive events each year, for example the Eastern & Oriental Express luxury train journey or a Formula 1 Race.

Members earn GC Awards Points by staying at Shangri-La or Traders hotels, dining at participating restaurants or enjoying spa treatments at CHI, The Spa. At the same time, members continue to receive their customary exclusive privileges according to their membership tier.

“From feedback and surveys, we understand that there is a group of our members who appreciate rewards in addition to personalized service and recognition. With the enhanced features we are raising the bar yet again to provide an even higher level of privileges to all Shangri-La guests.” said Ng Wee Kee, director of corporate loyalty and partner marketing. “What makes this program different is that we recognize and reward our members every time in every Shangri-La hotel, resort or Traders hotel no matter whether they are staying in the hotel or not.”

To signify the change, Golden Circle has adopted a new tier system of GOLD, JADE and DIAMOND levels. Transition to the next level is based on qualifying nights or stays per year. Membership to Golden Circle is free and open to anyone over the age of 18.

Starwood Launches New Downloadable Meeting Fact Sheets For Asia PacificStarwood Hotels & Resorts has announced that Starwood hotels and resorts in Asia Pacific will now offer meeting and event fact sheets using an innovative application that converts web content into easily downloadable PDFs. A number of Starwood’s Westin and Sheraton properties already have this functionality live on their websites, with many more Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Asia Pacific soon to follow.

Introduced based on feedback from customers, this new functionality is far superior to the standard static fact sheet, due to constant changes of either the website content or the actual fact sheet content. This way, meeting planners are assured to get the most up to date and accurate information. The downloadable fact sheets feature property overviews, guest room details, features and activities, and most important to meeting and event planners, detailed floor plans and capacity charts. The fact sheets will be available in multiple languages and because they’re based on web content can be updated 24/7 by each hotel.

Like electronic meeting proposals and eMenus, which Starwood also utilizes, downloadable fact sheets drastically cut down on the use of paper during the meeting planning process. These are all part of Starwood’s multi-pronged Sustainable Meeting Practices initiative.

“We are thrilled with the launch of this new tool for meeting planners to get the most accurate and up to date information from our hotels, and it further illustrates the importance we place on making it easy for our customers to do business with us” said Alison Taylor, vice president of sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Asia Pacific. “Planning for a successful meeting or event at one of Starwood’s properties has never been easier.”

The current Starwood hotels in Asia that will be offering the new downloadable fact sheets by mid-October are: The Westin Sydney, The Westin Beijing Beijing Financial Street, The Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa, Fiji, The Westin Langkawi Resort & Spa, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali, The Westin Beijing, Chaoyang, The Westin Guangzhou, The Westin Tokyo, The Westin Bund Center Shanghai, Sheraton Fiji Resort, Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Imperial Kuala Lumpur Hotel, Sheraton Sheraton On The Park, Sheraton Perth Hotel, Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers, Sheraton Sanya Resort, and Sheraton Shanghai Hotel & Residences, Pudong. Many more Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Asia Pacific are expected to offer this functionality in the coming months.

www.starwoodmeetings.com

Taj Boston Offers Best Internet Bandwidth For MeetingsWhat does Taj Boston, the landmark hotel at Arlington and Newbury streets overlooking the Public Garden, offer that tops nearly every meeting planner’s list: fast, convenient Internet connections.

With a wired and wireless Internet bandwidth of 20 megabits per second - at least twice the typical capacity of other area hotels, Taj Boston enables the city’s fastest online browsing, downloads and uploads for corporate groups and executive board meetings.

Taj Boston is also the first U.S. hotel to feature state-of-the-art TelePresence high definition video conferencing. Introduced in October 2008, the network includes Taj hotels in London, Mumbai and Bangalore, India, as well as Tata Communications and Cisco public room locations in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and Australia. A Taj Boston TelePresence conference includes all meeting scheduling, management and support. The superior audio, video and environmental qualities,


such as the hotel’s attentive business services and 24-hour catering options, ensure best use of busy executives’ valuable time.

Taj Boston can accommodate meetings for 20 - 500 people. In addition to its high tech advantages and enviable location just steps from the financial and theater districts and fashionable

shops and galleries in Boston’s Back Bay, Taj Boston offers meeting planners a significantly higher number of suites (45) and more meeting space (18,000-square-feet, including two ballrooms and 15 meeting rooms) than is typically found at a 273-room hotel.

Every meeting at Taj Boston is custom designed. Meeting services and

amenities include a dedicated meeting and special events manager for all meetings, 24-hour Business Center for all attendees, in-meeting room high-speed Internet access and assistance with audio-visual equipment electrical services, entertainment, security, and shipping and receiving.

www.tajhotels.com/boston

EVENTSEvent UK facilitated real business opportunities between its exhibitors and a host of high quality buyers. Its visitors not only demonstrated a healthy growth on 2009 but also included representatives from large organisations such as GÜ, Siemens, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Guinness World Records and Shell. A number of event and venue finding agencies were also at the show including RPM, BSI, Pharma Meetings and Trinity Conferences providing exhibitors with a perfect opportunity to gain access to these high profile companies.

Event UK was once again co-located with complementary events allowing visitors to explore a wider range of products and services of interest to them. 3, 818 visitors attended Event UK and the co-located events, Incentive & Promotional Marketing Live! and Print for Business Live!, demonstrating a 27% increase on 2009.

Director of Event UK, Alison Willis commented; “There was a real vibe about the show and obvious positivity from our exhibitors. Business was being done on the show floor shortly after the doors opened thanks to the high calibre of visitors and senior decision makers in attendance. One of our exhibitors even told us that they had taken their first qualified enquiry before 10.30am on day one of the show.”

One such exhibitor was Howard Wilkinson, Managing Director of Lusty Glaze Activity Centre in Newquay who by 11am on the first day of the show had taken 12 enquiries, of which four were for events in excess of 100 people. “We wanted to up our profile and secure more sizeable events, which is why we chose to exhibit at Event UK and it’s helped us to reach our target.”

Setting an encouraging landscape for International Confex 2011, Event UK demonstrated a real sense of optimism returning to the market as many exhibitors reported seeing visitors with

Optimism Returns To The Market At Event UKJamaica Product Exchange Opens Today In Montego BayJamaica’s Minister of Tourism Hon. Edmund Bartlett, M.P., and Jamaica’s Director of Tourism John Lynch officially opened the second annual Jamaica Product Exchange II (JAPEX II) earlier today at Secrets Resorts in Montego Bay. The event, which runs through October 24, has attracted 30 buyer delegates from Latin America and 25 buyer delegates from Europe.

Director Lynch opened JAPEX II by welcoming the participating buyers, together with more than 20 journalists from Latin America and Europe. He then turned the floor over to Minister Bartlett, who expressed confidence that, despite the challenges currently facing the tourism industry, Jamaica will end the year with a modest growth of approximately four percent.

“A key strategy as we seek to grow Jamaica’s tourism includes a focus on new markets,” said Minister Bartlett. “Market diversification is important for us and to that end, our ministry is working closely with the Foreign Ministry to review existing visa requirement legislation, which will make it easier to facilitate freedom of movement between persons from Latin America and Europe.”

Minister Bartlett pointed out that many of Jamaica’s important source markets in Europe have been showing signs of recovery, including Italy, Portugal and Germany. The JTB’s tireless work with travel agents and tour operators, and with consumer and trade media, will continue in these markets.

The JTB has also made strides in growing the Latin American market. Earlier this year the Director of Tourism and a JTB sales team visited Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Sao Paulo, Brazil. The JTB has additionally sought to bolster its efforts through promotions in Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil and Argentina. Jamaica is well positioned to service the Latin American market, with its Spanish-owned hotels especially attractive to Spanish-speaking visitors. Spanish developers in Jamaica include: RIU, Fiesta Hotel Group, Grupo Pinero, Grupo Iberostar, AM Resorts and Royal DeCameron.

Another key to Jamaica’s success is its appeal as an investment location, clearly demonstrated by the numerous hotel developments in recent years. More than 700 rooms have been added in Montego Bay this year, boosting the total room count in the Negril to Ocho Rios corridor to 20,654. Additionally, with the Montego Bay Convention Centre set to open in January 2011, Jamaica now has the infrastructure necessary to host large-scale events and claim a valuable share of the estimated US$280 billion worldwide conventions and exhibitions market.

live projects and budget to spend.

Mikala Turner, Sales and Marketing Manager for Ricoh Arena said; “We found our experience positive as the quality of the buyers is here. We’re currently building on the new stream

of enquiries that we are receiving as a result of being named a preferred Olympic Venue.”

Whilst Lindsey Poole, Marketing Manager at Brockholes also had a productive event; “We’ve had a really


good response at Event UK. We’ve made some good contacts and provisional bookings and it has helped to build up our mailing list, which is vital as a new venue.”

Alan Franklin, Managing Director CLS Displays Ltd said; “Event UK was excellent. It’s been our best show yet, with nearly 100 good leads for our FlexeStand display solution.”

For many visitors to Event UK the highlight of the show was Confex Knowledge keynote speaker Lord Digby Jones, who many visitors felt delivered inspiration and insight. Whilst talent competition the Next Big Thing saw swing star Mickey Fordola pip magician and comedian Kockov with his Russian Roulette routine to the title and £1,000 prize money and contract with Sternberg Clarke.

November Will Be A Busy Month In The Business Events Calendar For MalaysiaThe month of November will be a busy month in the business events calendar for Malaysia. The international association meetings across various fields including medical sciences, finance, and education are expected to attract over 10,000 conference delegates to Malaysia in November.

As a high-yield tourism sector, international conventions are known to bring tremendous economic benefits to the host country. The nine conventions listed (below) are estimated to inject in excess of RM 62 million (USD 20 million, EUR 14 million, AUD 20 million) in terms of international visitor expenditure to Malaysia, thereby benefitting the local hotels, food and beverage outlets, shopping centres, tourist attractions and more.

These events include:

The 8th GLOBELICS International Conference (1 -- 3 Nov) - 350 delegatesWater Safety Conference 2010 (2 -- 4 Nov) - 400 delegates 6th IMT-GT International Conferences on Mathematics, Statistics and Their Applications (ICMSA) (3 -- 4 Nov) - 200 delegates 18th World Congress of Accountants (8 -- 10 Nov) -- 6,000 delegates3rd Asia-Pacific Gastroesophageal Cancer Congress (10 -- 12 Nov) - 250 delegates8th Asian Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2010 (22 -- 24 Nov) - 2,000 delegates3rd Asia Pacific Educational Research Association Conference (APERA) (23 -- 26 Nov) - 500 delegates9th Asian Congress on Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (25 -- 28 Nov) - 500 delegates18th International Conference on Computers in Education (29 Nov -- 3 Dec) - 250 delegates

A first for Malaysia and the largest association meeting to be held in the country this year, the 18th World Congress of Accountants will see 6,000 finance professionals from 124 countries converging at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, between 8 to 11 November 2010.

“The choice of Malaysia as the host for WCOA 2010 by the International Federation of Accountants is indicative of the trust and confidence of the global financial and business community in the high professional standing of the Malaysia accountancy profession,” said Mr Abdul Rahim Abdul Hamid, President, Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA).

Commenting on Malaysia’s growing appeal for association meetings, Mr Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) said, “Malaysia is ideally located between the two booming economies of China and India, and right in the heart of Asia. With national carrier, Malaysia Airlines flying to some 100 destinations across 6 continents daily, world leaders and delegates can easily access Malaysia and gather here for these conventions.

“The completion of the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) 2 as the largest low-cost carrier hub in Asia come 2012 will further boost delegates’ connectivity to Malaysia,” Mr Zulkefli continued.

Israel To Host National Travel Trade ConventionThe Israel Ministry of Tourism, in coordination with senior representatives of the international tourism community and El Al Airlines, will host “Where Else: Israel”--a countrywide national convention for tour operators and leading decision-makers in the international travel industry, December 2-9.

Participants may choose between two itineraries in the north and south of Israel--the Dead Sea and Eilat, or Tiberias, Nazareth, Akko and Haifa--each of which will be prepared by the respective regional Israel tourism associations. All attendees are invited to the opening ceremony in Jerusalem, December 2, and the closing event in Tel Aviv, December 5.

“We are very much looking forward to the upcoming tourism convention, as it will bring yet more new visitors to Israel in a year that is already shaping up to be the best year ever for travel to Israel,” says Haim Gutin, Israel Commissioner for Tourism, North and South America.

www.goisrael.com

India Gears Up For PTM2011 In New DelhiThe final day of the three-day PATA Travel Mart 2010 (PTM 2010), September 14-17, saw international buyers, sellers and media delegates gather at the dinner reception hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. Rajen Habib Khwaja, Secretary of Tourism, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, welcomed

delegates to PATA Travel Mart 2011, New Delhi, India.

Said Hiran Cooray, PATA Chairman: “The PATA Travel Mart 2011 in New Delhi, India is one of the most exciting events and activities planned to roll

out next year. We have a very special relationship with India, which is a rapidly emerging market, and we are delighted they are hosts for the PTM2011.”

Said Arjun Sharma, managing director, Le Passage to India: “The travel


fraternity in India is excited that PATA has chosen New Delhi as the venue for PTM2011. With the explosive outbound numbers emanating from our country it is not uncommon for increased and newer destinations to woo the Indian traveller. The Mart returning to India after a gap of only three years is appropriately positioned and bears testimony to the growth of Indian tourism. The capital city is presently gearing up to host the Commonwealth Games next month. With the increased capacities and greatly modernised tourism infrastructure, we wish to assure you that New Delhi will be a bigger, better and more satisfying venue for the best trade show of the year. We look forward to welcoming all delegates to ‘Incredible India.’”

Said Ashok Kapur, CEO, Khiri DMC: “India is a fantastic choice as it is a rapidly emerging destination and market. With its incredible diversity and population, India deserves much more business, both as an inbound and outbound entity. As a travel specialist focussing on Thailand and Indochina, Khiri Travel will continue to invest strongly in the Indian outbound market. We see huge potential there for sectors such as leisure, MICE, honeymoon and top-end incentive trips. India’s rapidly increasing urban middle class as also more direct flights from the primary and secondary cities to Southeast Asia are both very encouraging trends.”

Said Nicoline Dolman, director of sales and marketing, Bali Dynasty Resort: “We will definitely participate in PTM in India. The Indian family market has a huge potential for the travel-and-tourism of Bali. Balinese cultures and religion are the main attractions for the Indian market.”

Said Ashwani Gupta, managing director, Dove Travels, India, and a first-time attendant at PTM: “I am very excited about my attendance. PATA Travel Mart is world famous for its travel trade networking opportunities and also for its high level of organisation. It is a truly international event, very well organised, with meetings with your existing business partners spread into perfect time slots, and meetings with new exhibitors made accessible so as to improve our way of working and business.”

Exhibitors Worldwide Making AIBTM A PriorityUS destinations, Convention Bureaux and Hoteliers are making AIBTM (21 -- 23 June 2011, Baltimore MD, USA) a priority, marking it in their 2011 event calendars as the industry show at which to exhibit. With over nine months to go until AIBTM opens its doors, 50% of the show floor has already been sold. With over 60 main stand holders contracted for booths up to 2,500 square feet (230 square metres), sales are gathering momentum.

This early in the sales cycle, we have signed contracts from Convention Bureaux Telluride, St. Louis, Seattle, Visit Florida, Denver, Chicago, Fort Worth, Houston, Boston, Miami, Las Vegas, New York City, Phoenix, Denver, Atlantic City and Orlando/Orange County.

According to Steve Knight, AIBTM’s Project Manager: “The response from exhibitors has been phenomenal. In addition to American exhibitors, we have strong international representation with companies from Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and South America. Exhibitors recognise the massive business potential that exists in talking directly to over 2,000 global Hosted Buyers coming from all sectors of the industry including corporate, agency, incentive and association backgrounds, plus an additional 1,000 event and meeting planners will be joining us from all over the US.”

Over and above the US bookings, booth space has also been contracted for international hotel groups, cruise lines and a multitude of European destinations. Global hotel chains such as Fairmont-Raffles-Swisshotel and Resorts, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Carlson Hotel Group are joining Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises, Sol Melia and Sofitel Luxury Hotels. International destinations include Austria, Ireland, Hong Kong, Meet Taiwan, Argentina, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Panama, Austria, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Belgium.

Jorge Franz, VP of International Group Sales, Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau comments: “Houston has been actively targeting international MICE in Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America. AIBTM will definitely be a good addition to our global portfolio to capitalise on unique opportunities that are emerging from the new business cycle.”

Steve Knight continues: “The feedback that we are receiving has highlighted the need for a US-centric meetings event that puts business and education at its core. With Reed Travel Exhibitions’ reputation of organising the industry’s leading international events, EIBTM in Barcelona, as well as CIBTM in Beijing and GIBTM in Abu Dhabi, exhibitors are guaranteed to meet buyers and planners that are eager to do business.”

“The [EIBTM] hosted buyer program is invaluable... With scheduled appointments, networking and educational components that truly define the purpose of our profession, the importance of hosting and organising face-to-face conferences. Expanding the program into the US will increase participation and upgrade the professionalism of the industry by increasing the perspective of a much broader and diverse audience”, comments Thomas Morano, Vice President, Meetings & Conferences, American Financial Services Association.

Mike Fegley, Vice President of InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) said: “The EIBTM show in Europe has held an excellent reputation for many years and we are confident that AIBTM in the US will be a stellar industry event, as well.”

www.aibtm.com

Follow ODYSSEY MEDIA GROUPon TWITTER at:

www.twitter/odysseyMG


VENUES

The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau (SFCVB), the City and County of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Tourism Improvement District (SFTID) have begun work on a two-year, $55 million upgrade and renovation of The Moscone Center, with an expected completion date of July 2012.

The project is the most extensive of its kind on the 1.2 million-square-foot facility since Moscone South opened in 1981, the Esplanade Ballroom complex was added in 1991, and Moscone North opened in 1992. (Moscone West, which opened in 2003, is not part of the renovation project).

“Moscone Center has served San Francisco and our meeting customers well for nearly 30 years and we are very excited to give this venerable facility a fairly extensive make-over,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the SFCVB. “I’m confident these changes will help us not only maintain our current market share but attract new convention business as well.”

The upgrade and renovation work ranges from basic aesthetic improvements to significant infrastructure projects, including:

• New carpet, paint, lighting and ceilings• Restroom renovations with new fixtures, tile, paint and partitions• Upgraded lobbies• Upgraded kitchen• Digital displays and telecom/data cabling upgrades• Elevator and escalator improvements• Variable-speed control and other HVAC upgrades• Meeting new ADA requirements• Pursuing LEED Silver Certification

But more than anything else, meeting planners and attendees will take notice of architectural and design changes showcasing the destination through color, images and way-finding.

“In its current state, Moscone Center gives meeting attendees very little sense that they are in San Francisco,” said Dan Kelleher, chairman of the SFTID. “A major part of this renovation is incorporating recognizable colors like the Golden Gate Bridge’s ‘international orange’ and integrating the city’s iconic

San Francisco’s Moscone Center Undergoing $55 Million Upgrade & Renovation

Montego Bay Convention Centre To Host Caribbean Marketplace 2011During a press conference October 14 at The Hilton Rose Hall in Montego Bay, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett announced the Montego Bay Convention Centre will be ready to host Caribbean Marketplace 2011. Taking place January 16-18, 2011, it will be the first event held in the new Centre, which is on schedule for completion by the end of this year.

“The Montego Bay Convention Centre is an important addition to Jamaica’s tourism product,” commented Minister Bartlett. “Caribbean Marketplace is the premier tourism marketing event of the Caribbean region, showcasing the best of the Caribbean. It’s an ideal time to preview the largest convention center

SECC’s £1m Renovation Effort CompleteThe Scottish Exhibition + Conference Centre (SECC) has undergone a significant refurbishment programme this summer, investing around £1m on improvements to ensure that 25 years on, the venue is as pristine as the day it first opened its doors. Over the past 5 years over £11m has been spent on venue upgrades and enhancements.

The recent upgrades demonstrate the venue’s ongoing commitment to providing world class facilities as it marks its 25th anniversary year. Refurbishments have taken place throughout the venue including Hall 5, the Concourse, Armadillo and the Loch Suite with improvements such as renovated toilet facilities, freshly painted interiors and a new energy efficient boiler plant. Furthermore major improvements have been made to the internet physical infrastructure and connectivity.

Ben Goedegebuure, Director of Sales at the SECC said: “We have a yearly programme of investments and improvements and this year has been no different. Our continued investment in to upgrading the SECC’s facilities has been vital to its success over the last 25 years. Since opening in 1985 the SECC has welcomed over 28 million visitors and we are proud that each one of them has experienced facilities of such a high standard.”

Further refurbishment projects are due to take place at the SECC over the coming months which include a new air conditioning system in the Seminar Suite and new LED lighting in the Lomond Room.

www.secc.co.uk

images into the buildings’ public spaces and meeting rooms.”

John Noguchi, director of convention facilities for the City of San Francisco, added that the renovation work has been carefully scheduled to have minimal, if any, impact on existing groups contracted to meet in Moscone Center during the project’s time frame.

The Moscone renovation project is being funded by a public-private partnership between the City of San Francisco and the SFTID, a business development district funded by San Francisco’s hotel community to promote conventions and tourism and improve the Moscone Center. The City is providing $35 million and the SFTID is contributing the remaining balance of $20 million.

HOK has been selected for the architectural and design work, Webcor Builders as the general contractor, and Jones Lang LaSalle and the City of San Francisco’s Department of Public

Works as the project managers.


of the English speaking Caribbean region.”

Also in attendance to express their confidence in Jamaica’s preparedness to host Marketplace 2011 were John Lynch, Jamaica’s Director of Tourism; Alec Sanguinetti, Director General and CEO of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA); Wayne Cummings, President of the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) and Josef Forstmayr, President of the CHTA.

Director Lynch advised there has been outstanding team effort among the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), CHTA and JHTA to prepare for Marketplace 2011, and he looks forward to outstanding results for Jamaica and the region. Sanguinetti noted that Jamaica’s hosting of Marketplace in 2005 remains one of the best stagings of the event to date, and is confident that 2011 will be the best ever.

The opening of the Montego Bay Convention Centre will provide in excess of 50,000 square feet of exhibition space, over 20,000 square feet of banquet facility and more than 11,000 square feet of meeting space. With the addition of 700 rooms in Montego Bay this year alone, the room stock in the Negril to Ocho Rios corridor is now 20,654 rooms, providing the infrastructure necessary to host large-scale events. Jamaica is now poised to claim a piece of the estimated US$280 billion worldwide conventions and exhibitions market.

www.visitjamaica.com

Delegates Offered Glimpse of ICEC At NewcastleGatesheadDelegates will be given an exclusive first look at concepts for the creation of a new International Conference and Exhibition Centre (ICEC) for North East England at Discover NewcastleGateshead.

As well as viewing the proposals, visitors to the showcase event held by NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau on 16th November, can also consult with the Convention Bureau and its sister company 1NG, to share their views on the proposed regeneration plans.

The bi-annual event will feature over 25 of the destination’s best and most unique conference and event venues and service providers including; The Sage Gateshead, Hotel du Vin Newcastle, Rockliffe Hall, Langley Castle and Benchmark Communications, one of the UK’s fastest growing event management companies. Newcastle International Airport and East Coast rail will also be on hand to provide advice and guidance on transport to the city.

Jessica Roberts, Head of Business Tourism at NewcastleGateshead Convention Bureau, explained; “Discover NewcastleGateshead is designed to bring a taste of North East England to event organisers in the South, giving them the opportunity to meet with representatives of the best hotels and most unique conference and event venues on offer in one of the UK’s most surprising conference destinations.” She continued; “This year, we wanted to extend this further by bringing delegates a taste of our vision of the future for the destination and a chance to share their views on these plans. NewcastleGateshead has seen massive development in recent years and the plans for an ICEC for the region underline the ambitious vision we have for the future.”

www.DiscoverNewcastleGateshead.com

Edinburgh International Conference Centre ExpansionEdinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC) celebrated its fifteenth birthday this past month with the announcement of plans to build an £85 ($134.3) million Expansion Space and separate Grade AOffices that will be ready for use in 2013. The planned development -- in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, Scottish Enterprise and Edinburgh International Conference Centre Limited -- adds a 2,000 sq. meter (22,000 sq. ft) Multi-Purpose Hall to EICC as well as 20,000 square feet of hi-tech office space in the city center.

“Edinburgh is one of the world’s most resilient business tourism destinations, attracting the most innovative companies and largest international associations,” says Council Leader Jenny Dawes, “and with the new Expansion Space added, the future is bright for the events industry in Scotland’s capital.”

Since its inception in 1995, EICC has hosted 907,100 delegates -- who have consumed 1.8 million cups of coffee or tea, 1.2 million pieces of shortbread, 250,000 dinners and 950,000 lunches -- and has generated £280 ($442.3) million in economic benefits to Edinburgh. And with the one millionth EICC delegate forecast for the final quarter of 2012, the center is keeping up this impressive momentum.

Jeremy Hawkings, Chief Executive of EICC’s commercial partner Connoisseurs Scotland, also sees a bright future for the center. “The Edinburgh International Conference Centre has a long standing reputation for impeccably presented occasions and celebrations,” says Hawkings, “and this news of expansion is very good for Edinburgh and Scotland as a whole.”

Connoisseurs Scotland’s 25 members encompass four of the world’s finest golf resorts, including Gleneagles, Turnberry and Old Course; Inverlochy Castle, voted the best hotel in Europe several times over; seven outstanding city centre properties including Prestonfield, Edinburgh’s only 5 Red Star hotel; a 19th-century castle health spa; a collection of intimate country house hotels; the Royal Scotsman luxury train; an exclusive use property; and three properties set in scenic coastal locations. Five properties boast Michelin-starred restaurants.

Las Vegas Convention Center Joins IACCThe Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) has joined the International Association of Convention Centres (IACC).

“As a leading center both domestically and around the world, we feel it is our responsibility to be a strong proponent for the convention and exhibition industry and play a lead role,” said Terry Jicinsky, senior vice president for operations for the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, which owns and operates the LVCC. “Participating with the AIPC and its members will put the Las Vegas Convention Center on the world stage in promoting and developing our industry.”

The association, also known as the AIPC under its French name, is the premier international association for convention centers around the world. Its membership represents more than 166 centers from 53 different


ASSOCIATIONS

countries with the active involvement of more than 700 facility management professionals. The LVCC is only the ninth member from the United States to be accepted into membership.

The AIPC has been a leader in developing industry research, publishing technical documents, providing training and professional development, and

PCMA To Co-Locate 2011 International Summit At IMEX AmericaThe Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has announced further details of its Industry Partnership with IMEX America. The powerful new partnership will mean that PCMA’s 2011 International Summit will be co-located alongside IMEX America when it takes place in October 2011 in Las Vegas.

PCMA will aim to attract 150 top association and corporate meeting planners to next year’s International Summit, October 13-14, all of whom will attend IMEX America, October 11-13, as part of the trade show’s unique hosted buyer program. As the majority are directors or higher in their organizations, their participation is likely to be a strong attraction for exhibitors. Approximately 50 PCMA supplier members are also expected to attend. PCMA will provide its signature education, allowing attendees to take part in sessions that address issues relating to conducting business in a global marketplace and have the chance to share best practice, fresh ideas and to learn from their peers and colleagues.

The power of the IMEX hosted buyer program is evident through research conducted amongst buyers following IMEX’s show in Frankfurt in May of this year. The research showed that hosted buyers placed orders worth $450 million USD with exhibitors during the exhibition and expected to place over $2.2 billion USD of business with IMEX exhibitors in the following 12 months.

The IMEX America hosted buyer program will follow exactly the same model as Frankfurt, with a focus on attracting only the best buyers in the industry. The model will give buyers the freedom to make their own appointments with exhibitors of their own choosing on their booths. Each buyer will take full control of the timing and content of their appointments and have exclusive access to personal diaries and planning tools using the IMEX online diary and appointment system.

As Ray Bloom, Chairman of the IMEX Group, explains: “The profile of the PCMA International Summit delegates fits precisely with the type of buyers we are committed to hosting to IMEX America. These PCMA members all plan and organise meetings and conventions internationally and so are influential buyers of products and services both inside and outside the US. IMEX America will deliver the largest hosted buyer program in North America, with 80 per cent of buyers from the US planning both US and international meetings, and 20 per cent from other world markets. Being so closely involved with such a dynamic association as PCMA will give us a big advantage in fulfilling this promise.”

PCMA President and CEO, Deborah Sexton said, “PCMA members play an important and influential role in the international marketplace and the co-location of PCMA’s International Summit with IMEX America will provide attendees with new and cutting-edge solutions to the challenges they face in conducting business globally, while offering a unique opportunity to network, make appointments, and conduct business with exhibitors and attendees from around the globe. The co-location of the PCMA International Summit and IMEX America creates one of the most powerful hosted-buyer events in North America.”

www.pcma.org

maintaining performance standards for the convention center industry since its founding in 1958.

The Las Vegas Convention Center is among the largest and busiest convention centers in North America. The center hosts many of the premier trade shows in several industries such as the International Consumer

Electronics Show, the Conexpo/Con-Agg construction industry show, the National Association of Broadcasters show, CTIA the Wireless Association show, and more.

The center hosted 63 conventions in 2009 that attracted 1.1 million visitors and provided a $1.1 billion impact to the local economy.

Site Nite North AmericaA distinguished group of 650 Site members and friends from 29 countries gathered at the W Chicago -- City Center for an evening of connections, congregation and celebration. The 3rd annual Site Nite North America, held October 12, was the perfect way to engage the motivational events community prior to the Motivation Show while also raising awareness and funds to support the Site International Foundation research efforts.

Fay Beauchine, CITE, Site International Foundation President and President Engagement & Events at Carlson Marketing stated, “Site Nite North America is an exciting opportunity for all industry professionals to come together under the same goal: to create motivational experiences that drive business results. The overwhelming success of this year’s event will play a vital part of the future work of the Site International Foundation. Due to the support of our 58 sponsors and donors, we can continue to provide the valuable information and research results that strengthen our community as a whole.”


PEOPLEExhibitions & Trade Fairs Adds Two ExecsJodie Richmond has joined Exhibitions & Trade Fairs (ETF) as General Manager & CEO. Jodie brings over fifteen years experience in the events industry with specialist experience in events management and exhibitions.

For the past ten years Jodie has held

New Managing Director At Congrex Travel Aims For Consistent QualityClaudia Scherrer is appointed Managing Director of Congrex Travel. Ms. Scherrer succeeds Adriana Spitteler who is setting up the Congrex Vancouver office for the North American market.

Congrex Travel is the in-house IATA licensed travel agency specialised in online airline, transport and accommodation bookings for event participants - both individuals and groups. Based in Basel, Claudia Scherrer has been with Congrex Travel for nine years and has a proven track record in the Flight and Travel industry, where as part of her responsibilities she last held the position of Operations Director. Ms. Kristina Hultgren, who has been with Congrex Travel for over three years, with a strong background in the international Hotel industry, now takes over this position.

The new Management team has declared that it plans to strengthen the objectives and core values of the Congrex Group which, include its values of Caring, Imaginative, Reliable and Efficient. When commenting on Congrex Travel, Claudia Scherrer had this to say: “I am very much looking forward to continuing to help evolve

EIBTM CEO Summit Appoints Jeremy Garbett As ChairCreated in 2005 to bring together C level industry leaders, the EIBTM CEO Summit will now become a global meetings industry thought leadership group, with an independent Chair following the appointment of industry professional Jeremy Garbett -- who has participated in the CEO Summit independently since 2008.

Garbett brings an extensive and deep understanding of the power of compelling, and highly creative communications. He spent 18 years with Jack Morton Worldwide (JMW) from 1989 to 2005 as a Board member, then as joint Managing Director from 2005 to 2007 and more recently as Founding Director of a new live independent communications agency Deeper Blue - deeperblueltd.com.

Designed to discuss major issues and challenges affecting the industry at a strategic level, the CEO Summit will now raise the bar significantly with the creation of a high value platform that will include debate as well as the opportunity to hear international speakers engaged to provide the participants with a global view of a specific topic or subject. The appointment of a Chair is part of a re-engineering of the CEO Summit which will look to widen its global membership and provide a valuable resource for not only the RTE portfolio of events, but also to harness issues and debate within the industry on a year round basis, and around the world.

Starting with this year’s EIBTM and then subsequently creating similar groups at GIBTM in the Gulf, CIBTM in China, AIME in Australia and alongside the launch of AIBTM in the USA in June 2011, this significant development will see an evolving forum of connection and integration of senior industry leaders from across the industry.

Irette Ferriera Joins Qatar National Convention Centre TeamSouth African Irette has joined the team of Qatar’s iconic convention centre, which is due to open mid next year, from the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) where her main focus was to secure international association conferences for Cape Town.

In addition, Irette held the position of Western Cape Secretariat for the Exhibition and Event Association of Southern Africa (EXSA) for two years during which time she was responsible for organising the association’s fourth annual conference. Subsequently she was asked to join the Western Cape committee for the South African Conference Industry (SAACI) with a focus on education.

In her new role at QNCC, Irette’s main responsibilities will be to promote QNCC and its world class facilities to the international meetings market whilst at the same time increasing global awareness of Qatar as an exciting new destination for business events. Irette will be reporting directly in QNCC Director of Sales, Sue Hocking.

Commenting on the recent addition to her department, Sue Hocking said: “We are so pleased to be welcoming Irette to our team. She brings with her a wealth of relevant experience and expertise, not to mention enthusiasm, which will be invaluable in supporting our efforts to endorse QNCC as an unparalleled venue both in the region and worldwide. It is a very exciting time for Irette to join us given that the QNCC is on schedule to open in just under one year.”

senior management positions with Jack Morton Worldwide (JMW); most recently as Business Director and member of the Executive team. During her career at JMW, Jodie worked with a number of the company’s blue chip clients gaining a strong reputation for the delivery of outstanding experiential and event management, marketing and branding solutions. Prior to joining JMW Jodie was a Senior Event Producer at OnLine Events in Brisbane.

Michael Begg will be joining ETF in early November in the newly created role of National Sales Manager and head of the ETF Melbourne business.

Michael brings a wealth of experience in the conference, exhibition and business events industries to his new role at ETF. He was most recently employed as Commercial Sales Manager at Moonee Valley Racing Club and prior to that he enjoyed a successful career spanning over eight and a half years at Moreton Hire, most recently as National Sales Manager. Prior to that Michael worked at Expohire for five years as a Senior Project Manager.

our business -- despite some of the challenges given the rapidly changing conditions in our industry. At Congrex we care about our clients and projects -- we seek the best solutions with consistent quality, and it is this standard that we have full intention to continue and always improve.”

meetings, incentives, conventions & eventssignature golden circle (gc) recognition and award...

Documents