MICEtalk

Rs. 100

Cover Story

Convention Spaces in India

Networking at Conferences

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San Diego Convention Center

Publisher

SanJeet

Editor

Deepa Sethi

Desk Editor

Neelam Singh

Correspondent

Neha Oberoi

Design

Alpana Khare Neeraj Aggarwal

Advertising

Gunjan Sabikhi Geetika Pathak Shovan Kanungo Udit Pandey

Production Manager

Anil Kharbanda

Circulation Manager

Ashok Rana

MUMBAI: Advertising

Harshal Ashar

reader’s

page

Dear Reader, With companies striving to stay ahead of their competition and gain a larger slice of the same pie, conferences and meetings are growing bigger and more frequent with attendance increasing every time.

Larger convention spaces in India are in demand. The seriousness is evident with K Chiranjeevi, Tourism Minister, Government of India, raising a demand for ten new conference centres in India, reflecting an appeal from the industry.

At present, the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) and the HITEX Exhibition Centre are raking in the business, proving that business is there for the taking if we can provide the right infrastructure and services to compliment it. We bring you an analysis with comments from industry experts on Return on Investment (ROI) in this segment.

Read about both the convention centres in Hyderabad and the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Center (ADNEC) in Abu Dhabi, along with snapshots and an event report on Gulf Incentives Business Travel & Meetings (GIBTM) Exhibition at ADNEC. We have covered Indonesia as a very viable and beautiful country to hold meetings and conventions of every kind. If however, you’re looking for a cooler destination, then Zurich is your answer. This city knows how to pamper you while being thoroughly professional.

And if you’re the shy sort, we have tips for you on how to network at conferences…

to the editor...

I have been reading the magazine for a while now and enjoy the content.

It isn’t generic but specific to what the MICE Industry is looking for, specially with regard to destinations and venues.

Nihaluddin Vice President MICE & Outbound Travel Trailblazers

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Deepa Sethi Editor

contents

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16 Cover Story

Convention Spaces in India

10 Facts 24 MICE Country Indonesia

32 Let’s Talk

ROI - The mantra ruling MICE

34 MICE City

Zurich, Switzerland

38 MICE Venue

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ADNEC, Abu Dhabi

42 MICE Hotel

JW Marriott Pune

38

46 Sample This Book Review

48 Domestic MICE Hyderabad

50 Event Report

LULU Convention Centre Holiday Inn Kochi

52 Expert Talk

49

How to network at conferences

54 Yours Officially

Myke Lyons Exhibition Director, AIBTM

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56 Technology

5 best tips for developing event apps

58 Snapshot GIBTM 2013

60 Movements 62 Events

42 MICEtalk May 2013

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facts

Cotai Strip Macao launches Meetings App

Rotterdam Congress Kit

facts

Meeting planners and attendees can now take advantage of the Sands Meetings Conference App to plan and coordinate their Cotai Strip Macao meetings and events.

Cotai Strip Macao is the first meeting venue provider to launch this type of conference app in Macao. The app will help meeting planners to communicate event details and features with their attendees. The Sands Conference App can be used on iOS (Apple) and Android systems, and is compatible with most smartphones and tablet PCs. The Sands Conference App is currently available in English.

Rotterdam Marketing has launched the ‘Rotterdam Congress Kit’ especially for international congress organisers holding their events in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The compact, convenient Englishlanguage publication provides all relevant and upto-date information about Rotterdam as a congress city. The new tool allows congress organisers to even more effectively promote the location of their congress among potential attendees.

The Palm partners with Mercedes Benz

Atlantis, The Palm, the leading entertainment destination resort, and Gargash Enterprises, the authorised distributor for Mercedes Benz in Dubai, Sharjah, & Northern Emirates, have entered into a pioneering new partnership by making Atlantis the first resort in the region with an entire fleet of hybrid cars. Sharing a commitment to offer premium service, attention to detail and providing a unique experience to guests, Gargash Enterprises and Atlantis, The Palm are taking luxury comfort to a whole new level by making Atlantis the first resort in the region to offer guests transportation in new economically efficient Mercedes-Benz S 400 HYBRID cars, provided by Sixt Car Rental, Gargash Enterprises.

Malaysia secures largest concierge congress for 2014

Kuala Lumpur will be the destination for the 61st Les Clefs d’Or UICH International Congress 2014, comprising over 400 of the world’s best concierge from more than 43 countries.

The International Board of Directors of the Union Internationale Des Concierges D’Hotels ‘Les Clefs d’Or’, headquartered in Paris, has chosen Kuala Lumpur as the event destination after a competitive bid presentation by the Malaysian team in Toronto, Canada.

Accor makes a smart move for meetings

facts

facts

ASIA International hotel operator Accor has launched a campaign offering meeting planners 20 per cent off rooms, breakfasts, and meeting packages in more than 100 hotels. Named as ‘Smart Meetings’, the campaign is available for inhouse events which include 10 to 80 rooms from April to September1, 2013 in the region and till September 30, 2013 in Greater China.

Members of Le Club Accorhotels rewards programme can also earn double Meeting Planner points to use for their next event or a post-meeting personal break.

Website relaunch for the Stuttgart Convention Bureau (SCB)

The website of the Stuttgart Convention Bureau (SCB) now appears in modern design, with optimised service and increased content. Its contents have also been considerably extended.

Important themes such as local business and science, and also sustainability, have been taken into account.

The core of the Stuttgart Convention Bureau’s Internet pages is the interactive database, which comprises some 250 providers from the region.

Here, event planners can select suitable providers to fit their specific event requirements and send enquiries through the system directly to congress venues, convention hotels and special locations. www.congress-stuttgart.de

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IISRP chooses Kyoto for 2014

The International Institute of Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) has chosen Kyoto as the host city for its 2014 annual general meeting.

The event will take place at the Westin Miyako, Kyoto - the same venue the organisation used when it last held a meeting in the city in 1983. With 17 flexible meeting rooms, including one of the largest ballrooms in Kyoto, The Westin Miyako provides an ideal backdrop for the organisations largest meeting.

Business from the Beach

Bermuda, the island paradise in the Atlantic Ocean boasts Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ two premier properties, The Fairmont Hamilton Princess and The Fairmont Southampton. One of the island’s first purpose-built convention hotels, Fairmont’s properties comprise 25 percent of total hotel rooms in Bermuda. Both hotels offer charitable team building activities and from April 1, 2013 – March 31, 2014, the Bermuda Perfect Fit Offer will provide a 5 percent rebate off of the master account (not including rooms), a complimentary suite upgrade for every 50 paid room nights, a complimentary room for every 40 paid room nights, and complimentary meeting space. Also on offer is a complimentary one-hour ‘Taste of Bermuda’ reception with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.

facts

Expansion of Dubai World Trade Centre

Huge savings for event organisers in Australia

facts

Capable of accommodating over 2,700 delegates, the recent 3,500-sqm expansion at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) has almost doubled its number of meeting rooms from 19 to 37 in total.

The new space, located on Concourse 1 above Halls 1 to 4, features VIP and buyer lounges, as well as break-out areas for anything from off-site meetings to training spaces for corporates. The new meeting rooms are a significant step towards raising Dubai’s profile as a global business destination, fostering a positive outlook for the region as a whole.

Themed meetings in Bangkok and Pattaya

Amari is home of Dancing with the Stars Thailand and following a successful first season of the TV show, properties in Bangkok and Pattaya are embracing the glitz and glamour by creating special meeting packages.

With options of four-day and three-night packages, for between 100 and 600 delegates, feathers and sequins will be the theme from the moment guests arrive. Upon arrival, guests will be greeted by professional Salsa dancers. All breaks and meals during the conference will follow the theme of a different style of dance with appropriate music and performances to accompany. The gala dinner will provide an opportunity for delegates to truly embrace the theme through dressing up and learning to jive!

CONFERENCE organisers looking to secure a world-class venue for their event can opt for Queensland’s Palmer Coolum Resort. Till the end of June 2013, any conference booked with at least 10 accommodation rooms will receive a whopping 15 per cent discount from their final bill.

Facilities include the spa, a patrolled beach, nine swimming pools, tennis centre, kids club, and an 18-hole championship golf course. Dining choices range from signature restaurant, The Captain’s Table to the relaxed ambience of the Palmer Grill or the Village Square with its variety of food and beverage outlets.

New Terminal at Jordan’s International Airport

A new terminal was opened recently at Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) in Jordan’s capital, Amman. The new 103,000 sqm terminal can handle 12m passengers annually, compared with the old terminal’s 3.5 m passenger capacity.

There are 64 check-in counters at the new building and six conveyor belts in the baggage claim area.

This is a positive development for the Indian outbound traveller. The combination of the ‘Visaon-Arrival’ facility that Indians can avail of if they are in a group of five persons or more, with confirmed return flight tickets and confirmed hotel bookings. The new terminal will also encourage outbound travel from India to Jordan right in time for the holiday season.

Cover cover story

MICE Sector Need for BIG venues in India Neha Oberoi

Convention space in India has been a topic of high debate for the last few years. With MICE being the most coveted segment for generating income for the government and the travel trade, it has been projected time and time again that there is a need for more venues.

Chiranjeevi Factor India is working hard towards building its image as a MICE destination.

K Chiranjeevi, Tourism Minister, Government of India at the 25th Joint Meeting of UNWTO Commissions for South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific in Hyderabad, commented that the endeavour of his Ministry will remain to bring more such international events to India and make the country a leading centre for MICE. Moreover, he has also requested the Central Government for additional allocation of funds to set up 10 convention-cum-exhibition centres of international standards across the country for the promotion of MICE tourism.

Anand Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism MICE is the most important segment to overcome the seasonality aspect and enhance the demand for India as a round-the-year destination. MICE has a bigger role in our annual plan and we are planning to conduct regional level workshops involving the travel trade and other stakeholders in the MICE business. The recently concluded 25th UNWTO Commissions Meet exhibited the ultra-modern meetings and conventions facilities that India has to offer. Even the UNWTO chief, Taleb Rifai mentioned that the meet was an historic one and we had never done a meeting at a table that consisted over hundred and one chairs.

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cover story

Convention Spaces The convention space in India is largely made up of hotels with a few focussed convention centres. However, India lacks the scale and size of convention space to attract a sizeable business from abroad. Importing significant global events to India will impact not just the industry but also the economy with its additional business by boosting the size and scale of events.

Thereby, increasing the visibility of our country as a MICE destination.

Prasant Saha, Managing Director, CIMGlobal, states, “Build it and they will come; Convention centres are a city’s legacy. It is where the Community comes, knowledge is exchanged, trade and business happens. These premises act as a platform for the city government to build their coffers. Bringing in more exhibitions is what we need to look at in the long-term.”

need of the hour In order to drive business for MICE, the primary focus has to be on profiling the city.

Since, the venue is not a standalone, we need infrastructure and an activity system around it such as availability of hotels, entertainment, shopping, etc. as well as garnering the support of the government for basic infrastructure that a city has to offer in terms of affordability, safety, ease of transport, etc.

Cover story

Let us explore some laudable convention spaces in India as mentioned by our esteemed guests:

Convention Centres

The Hyderabad International Convention Centre is India’s answer to an energised focus on global events. The HICC in every aspect, be it infrastructure, services or technology, compares with the best in the world. HICC holds the ‘Best Convention Centre’ National Tourism Award by Incredible India for three years in a row.

HICC features: • P illarless internal hall of net 6,480 sqm that can hold a 5,000-delegate plenary and can be partitioned into 6 smaller halls • A spacious pre-function foyer area of over 6,000 sqm of lobby space • 37 breakout rooms, including specialised meeting rooms, speaker preparatory rooms, boardrooms and VIP lounge • 1 2.5 mt high ceiling, roof catwalks and truss to withhold heavy suspension • S ervice pits every 6 mt with power, water, internet, etc.

• I n-house 5-star banqueting service • C onnected to the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre

Novotel Hyderabad Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, adjacent to HICC, is a 5-star 287 rooms hotel, built to suit the requirements of the discerning business traveller.

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Manpreet Bindra, Director, Leisure & MICE, FCM Travel Solutions, commented on the industry, “MICE is an exciting niche in the travel trade. Despite the number of players in the space, it still holds some respite due to the huge numbers it holds.” Manpreet highly recommends the HICC – “This kind of convention centre should be seen in other parts of India as well. HICC provides ‘Food for thought’ for customers about various options for large events with its infrastructure and connectivity of hotels. Hyderabad also has areas which can be recreated for theme decors/gala evenings.”

cover story

Vikas Abbott, Managing Director, Vasco Travel, talks about the MICE market being directly competitive, “If we work on maintaining the common ground of excellent service and not dither on price there is room for even more to come into this space and business will increase proportionally.”

Hotels As MICE is an essential part of corporate cultures, some important hotel chains also provide excellent conference facilities such as convention spaces, exhibition centres, conference and banquet halls, accommodation, etc. Experiencing hospitality mediated by cutting-edge technology whilst working on business is what drives corporates in droves to established hotels.

He advocates the Kempinski in Delhi as a convention venue, “The Kempinski offers a pillar-less banquet hall with a capacity up to 6000 guests, backed by a host of facilities that use state-of-the-art technology. Its connectivity to all the major highways also makes it an ideal spot to plan large events.”

Cover story cover

India as a MICE Hub As MICE is an essential part of corporate cultures, some important hotel chains also provide excellent conference facilities such as convention spaces, exhibition centres, conference & banquet halls, accommodation, etc. Experiencing hospitality mediated by cutting-edge technology whilst working on business is what drives corporate in droves to established hotels.

Prrithviraj, Director, Eastbound Group, elucidates on India and its marketable features. He says, “India retains its luster with popular attractions that bring in people from around the world. A number of events related to entertainment, leisure and sports are also determined by the availability in the market of leisure activities, historical attractions, the culture of our cities as well as other exhibition and recreational facilities.” He laments on the lack of organised research and marketing for India as a MICE destination stating that, there is a lot of independent work happening with hotels and event management planners. “We need to come together as a single unit to promote India. There have been a lot of changes in the last two years. We’re no longer expensive as a venue, we have a superior system in place for communication, the infrastructure for surface transport is building at a rapid rate and the airports are glossy. We need to promote the newer, brighter and shiny India as a MICE hub.”

He suggests the Grand Chola in Chennai as an ideal venue. The ITC Grand Chola houses Rajendra, an enormous pillar less area, which can further be divided into 8 separate spaces with its own private pre function area. The banquet area has its own exclusive entrance. It has an expanse of 2465 sqm and can accommodate over 3000 guests. Moreover, it is equipped with soundproof partitions that allow multiple events to be conducted in the same space at one go.

exclusive feature Its smoking zone furnishes cabins designed with the use of glass, wood and stainless steel. Smoke Point stops the spread of nicotine and foul odour and even works in an air conditioned area. The system saves energy cost in re-cooling and is non-polluting.

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cover story

Catering to Luxury MICE

India also proffers an eclectic range of Luxury Hotels, Resorts and Palaces. Radhika Kanijo, Managing Director, Welgrow Travels Pvt. Ltd, mentions, “Luxury MICE is a niche segment that is attracting more and more global travellers. Seamlessly combining work with vacations at Luxury Hotels is fast becoming the norm especially in the upper echelons of management. A Large number of executives look forward to events at Luxury Hotels as it is a concoction of world-class hospitality combining work and leisure.

Business tycoons with large conglomerates often step out of their comfort zones and partake in these working vacations at various hotels. Since we mainly deal with the luxury segment, the luxury groups like the Leela and The Oberoi and equivalent properties are used by us for servicing our clients.”

The Leela Palace, New Delhi offers 10 indoor venues. The hotel with its touch of class convention centre and eight meeting halls is ideal for prestigious clients and high official meetings. It comprises of state-of-the-art technology with tele-conferencing and video conferencing facilities.

Benefitting from the enormous work that has gone in the expansion of the network of airlines, improved tourist surface transport systems including Indian railways, new centres of information technology, as well as the work in progress for new convention hotels and meeting facilities, India is in a better position to market itself aggressively as a MICE destination; leading it to be recognised in the international MICE circuit as a promising MICE hub. This will help India to gain benefits from the ancillary developments that will come along with large scale MICE movement with an even higher profit accrued to the industry’s and the country’s economy.

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MICE country

Indonesia A booming MICE country Ramya J S D’Rozario

Located in Southeast Asia, Indonesia is an archipelago of 17,000 tropical islands spread across the equator. Rich in both cultural and natural diversity, the destination is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities to support your every MICE need. Explore the corporate side to the country with MICEtalk.

connectivity from India Though there are no direct flights to Indonesia from India, however, India and Indonesia are very well connected via Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong. There are 61 international and domestic airports serving all major cities, and the country is well serviced by many air carriers.

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MICE country

T

here are many venues in Indonesia equipped to host large international conventions, exhibitions, and even large entertainment performances. The country offers excellent amenities from transportation, places to stay, meals, cruising, city tours to organise large conferences.

MICEtalk May 2013

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MICE country

Bandung made world history by hosting the first Asian-African Conference in 1955 which brought together for the first time ever, the newly independent nations in Asia and Africa Major Cities of Indonesia with MICE facilities Jakarta The capital city does not only serve as the centre of government but also plays the most vital role in the country’s commerce, business and the entertainment industry. The metropolitan city reflects the diverse dynamic activities of Indonesia, and is a magnet

drawing different peoples, industries, and cultures in a massive interaction through conventions, exhibitions, cultural shows, fashion and music.

Bandung Completely surrounded by mountains, the city has a relatively cool and pleasant climate. In its heydays, the city was known as Paris of Java, where until today its many tropical art-deco buildings attest of its importance.

hotels There are lot of hotels with world-class facilities. These hotels consists of major brands such as Starwood, Hyatt, ACCOR, Marriott, Four Seasons, Kempinski, as well as local hotel brands such as Borobudur Hotel, Sahid Jaya and Sunlake Group Hotel, etc. The average range starts from 20 pax and it can go up to 10,000 pax.

Standalone venues for MICE 1. Jakarta Convention Center (Jakarta) 2. Jakarta International Convention Center (Jakarta) 3. Sentul International Convention Center (Jakarta) 4. Balai Kartini Exhibition & Convention Center (Jakarta) 5. Balai Sidang Jakarta Convention Center (Jakarta) 6. Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center (Bali) 7. Bali International Convention Center(Bali) 8. Gramedia Expo (Surabaya) 9. Jogja Expo Center (Yogyakarta) 10. Clarion Hotel & Convention (Makassar) 11. Manado Convention Center (Manado)

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Bali Bali boasts an impressive range of internationalstandard meeting facilities, award-winning hotels and resorts, exquisite food, and vibrant nightlife.

Yogyakarta Situated in the heart of Javanese civilisation while offering stunning mountain scenery, Yogyakarta is an attractive venue to hold meetings and conventions.

This city has both well-known national and international hotel chains that provide facilities for conferences and meetings.

Batam The island of Batam forms part of the Riau Archipelago located on the east coast of Sumatra. Its proximity to Singapore, has propelled Batam’s development into one of Indonesia’s prominent industrial, trade and commercial zones.

Bali boasts an impressive range of international-standard meeting facilities, award-winning hotels and resorts, exquisite food, and vibrant nightlife

MICE country

Indonesia is loaded with remarkable travel spots, in which one could very easily spend a lot hours enjoying the nightlife which can be found in major cities of Indonesia availability of Indian food Indian food is available in most of the cities in Indonesia. Similar to south Indian cuisine, Indonesian food is also heavily based on coconut paste and rice. Also, vegetarian food is easily available throughout the country. ‘Queens Tandoor’, ‘Jewel of India’ and ‘Sitara India’ are few restaurants that serve Indian fare.

Shopping With high-end labels from around the world, many of Indonesia’s malls can rival Europe and America with their collections. The malls of Jakarta vary from those with high-end designers to the chaotic crowds of local markets where you can pick up a bargain. One can even shop at a traditional market where you can test your bartering skill on local produce, handicrafts or antiques.

team building activities Trekking, rafting, cycling, diving, kayaking, etc., are some of the activities that can be customised as per requirement. Also, there are team training companies which can organise a suitable team building activity according to the specifications of your MICE group.

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For further information visit www.indonesia.travel; www.visitindonesia.co.in

let’s talk

Return on Investment

The Mantra ruling MICE!

Corporates

Neha Oberoi

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Most groups will agree wholeheartedly on the value of incentive trips & conferences. However, ask for measurable proof of the effectiveness of the program and you’ll be at a disadvantage.

The term ROI - Return on Investment, is being flung across in board rooms and executive offices with such speed and voracity that it became imperative for us to try and look into how MICE delivers towards ROI. MICEtalk reaches out to the segments that constitute the MICE industry and analyses how each of them looks into the concept of ROI.

MICEtalk May 2013

“Incentive trips lead to exposure of international destinations and personality development” Shakeel Rizvi

GM, Marketing Communication, Widex India Pvt. Ltd Whilst speaking to Shakeel Rizvi, we drew out how commercial groups look at the concept of returns. Incentive programs can have far-reaching effects on business as a whole.

While it is convenient to focus on immediate sales, the focus on numbers alone can prove to be short sighted. ROI makes you realise the true downstream impact of your incentive program.

Increasingly, corporate meeting planners with an eye on ROI are seeking out solutions to drive more value from their events by capturing conference content and disseminating that information across various platforms. He stated that, “Our annual targets are set goals and what our dealers achieve beyond their goal is our return. The additional business is the ROI for us. What we spend is mediocre compared to what we get. Of course, such a narrow view on incentives isn’t fair.

These trips also lead to exposure of international destinations and personality development. This building of a person’s character helps in establishing communication skills which automatically drifts down the channel to our customers and other dealers. It’s a definite win - win situation.”

Anuj Wadhwa

General Manager, Extra Mile Company

Events

let’s talk

The organiser’s take is refreshing. Event planners are of the belief that the days for justifying these trips solely on location are definitely numbered. There is more and more need to articulate a value since corporates are expecting a number – the ROI. Anuj Wadhwa, talks candidly on the new models for ROI. He claims that, “A challenge in operating in this space is corporates distinguishing between MICE and incentives.

There is a constant struggle for them to see the bigger picture. Instead of incentivising, these events have turned out into a travel activity.”

“To my mind, attending an event and consecutively calculating ROI involves seeing what did I learn (either through sessions or new relationships) that I can implement within the next 12 months with the existing team and budget that will accomplish one or more of the following objectives: reduced cost, increased revenue and greater event participation from clients. This is just the tangible benefit of investing in the ROI methodology. The intangibles overflow: increased customer satisfaction, confidence of employees, teamwork and communication, reduced conflicts, etc. All this amalgamates in building the efficiency of the employees and retention. There is a loyalty amongst the employees and satisfied employees make for better brand ambassadors. The increased brand value is part & parcel of investing in staff morale rather than elaborate marketing gimmicks to build the same”.

The ROI is a definite step that is evolving with every step, especially when it comes showing a contribution of selected programs. With more & more awareness building about aligning business needs with programs, MICE is seeing a surge in just being a trip/holiday and incorporating more integrated approaches to focus on rewards and recognition programs.

MICE city

Z端rich

An Ideal destination for MICE Financial and cultural centre of Switzerland, Z端rich offers a unique concentration of cultural, shopping and nightlife facilities, making it an ideal host region for meetings, conventions and seminars. Outstanding infrastructure available here along with the most central location in Europe, combined with a quality of living unparalleled in the world, Z端rich is an ideal destination for successful meetings and conferences.

MICE city

Z

ürich’s ideal location, reputation for Swiss quality, exclusive event facilities and unique leisure activity opportunities make it the first choice for hosting events. Whether suitable event facilities or excellent overnight accommodations are required, Zürich is prepared to meet any request with its wide offering including classic congress hotels, Switzerland’s largest multifunctional event hall, the Masoala Rainforest and countless river and lake swimming areas. International companies value Zürich as an ideal business location and the right venue to meet the people who matter.

MICE Facilities Aegerihalle The AEGERIHALLE with its impressive stage offers three halls for a wide range of different events.

Capacity: 900 Guests Alpenrock House It is an unconventional location with an Alpine feel at the Zürich Airport. Equipped with state-of-the-art audio and multi-vision technology, the different areas can be used in a variety of ways. Alpine huts, rock cliffs and an open fireplace are the perfect setting for outof-the-ordinary presentations. The club with lounge

connectivity Zürich is connected via direct flights to over 150 cities around the world.

Zürich is a leading location characterised by exceptional accessibility and excellent infrastructure and cocktail bar rounds off the space available for unforgettable events at the AlpenRock House.

Capacity: 600 Guests Aura Recently opened in January 2013, this unique event location stands for tailor-made events, visual highlights and an in-house events catering service.

This multipurpose event hall, measuring 450 m2, sets new standards with its impressive 360° projection capability. In combination with its other facilities, the AURA is a unique event venue for banquets, gala dinners, conferences, seminars, product launches, weddings, birthday parties and much more.

Capacity: 600 Guests Arena Filmcity Room space for 115 to 500 seats allow flexible adaptation to different numbers of participants. The foyer and the inviting restaurant area are an attractive setting for events in a stimulating atmosphere.

Capacity: 500 people

Post-Event activities

Aside from attending meetings, business people visiting Zürich can also discover and enjoy the city’s unique mix of pleasure, entertainment, nature and leisure activities. Numerous lakeside and riverside lidos are located in the center of the city, and the Uetliberg, Zürich’s local mountain, is ideal for hiking.

Shopping and Culinary Delights Zürich has large number of restaurants which include the historic guild houses offering Zürich specialties such as Zürich sliced veal and rösti potatoes, as well as the trendy places housed in former factory halls.

Shopping in Zürich is a pleasure not to be missed.

Whether international fashion designs, jewellry and

convention bureau services Reservation of venues and hotel rooms • Information about supporting programmes, excursions • Advice on choosing service providers, site inspections

large event location Name of the location

capacity up to

Maag Halle

1300

Kongresshaus Zürich

1700

Messe Zürich

2500

Forum Hallenstadion

3300

watches on the Bahnhofstrasse or urbane Zürich labels in the Zürich-West quarter, like the cult label ‘Freitag’, this trend capital has something to suit every taste.

Pulsating Nightlife Zürich offers the most extensive and colorful nightlife scene in Switzerland. Starting at the floating bistro, Pier 7, it continues to the oldest club in Zürich, Mascotte, and on to the Labor-Bar in a former laboratory that also houses a television station, then on to the trendy club Kaufleuten, the Les Halles with its organic market, the alternative culture center, Rote Fabrik, and the list goes on. Even river and lake swimming areas transform into chic bars and lounges at night complete with cultural offerings – the ultimate meeting place on balmy summer nights.

For further information visit www.zuerich.com/meetings

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MICE venue

ADNEC

Excellent MICE facility of Abu Dhabi Neelam Singh

Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC) is located in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s Diplomatic District. One of the world’s most modern and the Arabian Gulf’s largest exhibition facility, ADNEC welcomes more than one million visitors annually.

MICE venue

ADNEC facilities

ADNEC offers exhibitors 133,000 sqm of indoor and outdoor space spread over 12 full-fledged interconnected halls. ADNEC’s indoor venues include the Concourse, Halls A, B, and the Al Maa’red banquet hall. The outdoor facilities include the Marina Waterfront, Central Plaza, and the Grandstand Demonstration Area.

The facility offers event organisers 12 advanced IT integrated, flexible and contemporarily designed halls, as well as 19 Capital Suite meeting rooms that can accommodate 20 - 200 delegates.

Organisers and visitors can select from a range of accommodation options across 3, 4, and 5-star facilities, totalling more than 4,000 rooms either onsite or within five minutes’ distance from the venue.

Wi-Fi across the centre

ADNEC provides Wi-Fi access through Open Air, a wireless high-speed Internet connectivity service that allows visitors to access broadband Internet through a WLAN. Visitors have the option to purchase Open Air Access either online or via Open Air Scratch Cards available at ADNEC.

Special sightseeing/activity packages

ADNEC offers shuttle bus and taxi services to visitors.

Furthermore, ADNEC works closely with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA) and the Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau that supports event organisers with a range of options such as social programmes, safari trips, dhow cruises and Big Bus tours.

ADNEC’s International Convention Centre Abu Dhabi features flexible and tiered seating for up to 6,000 delegates. It is an ideal venue for large meetings and conferences

Security

ADNEC offers a range of security services. While monitoring the hall(s) and venue is part of the package, organisers can ask for added security services for a nominal fee, such as: • Badge checking • Ticket tearing • X-ray machines • Handbag search • Onsite police to include subsistence • Visible or low key security presence • Personal security

Past Events

In 2012, ADNEC hosted 17 conferences that attracted over 25,000 visitors. Some of the most prestigious events held at ADNEC include World Future Energy Summit (WFES), IDEX, Abu Dhabi International

focussing on India Focussing on India The India-UAE sector is serviced by several luxury and budget airlines while the flying time is approximately three hours, making it a key region for us to focus on in the coming years. We aim to highlight ADNEC as a leading venue with solid infrastructure to host events that focus on the Indian subcontinent market.

Future Strategy Our strategy for the coming five years will focus on promoting business tourism and MICE industry events to Abu Dhabi by attracting prestigious international events. Hosting international events of large magnitude will also reaffirm ADNEC’s sophisticated infrastructure, advanced facilities and high-level services.

Robin Miller, Director of Sales, Conferences and Events, ADNEC

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MICE venue

ADNEC has an in-house team of highly experienced and qualified event organisers and planners Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (ADIPEC) 2012, World Ophthalmology Congress, Abu Dhabi International Book Fair and the reently held GIBTM 2013. ADNEC was also the official host and hub of the 79th Annual UFI Congress that took place for the first time in the Middle East.

Scope for Events at ADNEC

ADNEC has remained an event destination of choice for domestic and international events in diverse economic sectors that include energy, medicine, defence, finance, sports, trade, education, tourism and employment. The scope for events ranges from hosting high level delegations of politicians and thought leaders to live experiential events for all ages.

food @ ADNEC ADNEC is home to a wide variety of cafés and restaurants - all offer vegetarian cuisine also. Olivia’s is a fully licensed Italian Trattoria that serves traditional Mediterranean favourites, while Delimarché is an international buffet restaurant and café. In addition, the facility has two contemporary cafés serving snacks and refreshing drinks.

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accommodation The four hotels within the centre’s premises including the Hyatt Capital Gate, Aloft Abu Dhabi, Premier Inn and Centro Capital Centre feature a total of 1,253 rooms.

Novotel, Ibis and Holiday Inn are within the radius of the centre.

For further information visit www.adnec.ae

MICE hotel

Redefining luxury JW Marriott Pune Anita Jain

Being the first hotel in Asia Pacific to undergo a transition from a Marriott to JW Marriott Pune, the property is the best value proposition for business and leisure together.

come here for • Its collection of old whisky and cigars at its Scottish styled bar 101 • Shake a leg at Mi-A-Mi - the nightclub which is packed on during weekends • Twist up your evening by spraying add-on flavours (like chilli, green apple, etc.) to alcoholic drinks/cocktails at Paasha (a terrance lounge and bar) on the rooftop.

• Try out a Lunch Buffet at the Italian Restaurant for all kinds of cheese, olives, assorted meat, excellent desserts, and not to forget their wine collection.

• Unwind yourself at Quan Spa which is spread across 15000 sqft area and features 13 treatment rooms offering Ayurvedic treatments, bathing therapies and Thai massages.

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MICE hotel

Rajeev Menon Area Vice President- Indian Sub-Continent, Maldives, & Australia, Marriott International Inc.

“JW Marriott Pune always reflected luxury with world-class amenities and elegance that are significant to a JW Marriott brand. The hotel, which was the 500th Marriott property, was a HALO hotel under the Marriott portfolio. In last two and a half years of its functioning, the hotel has managed to effortlessly seam its way past the MHRS brand guidelines, thus proving to be a befitting choice for a JW conversion. This change will see Marriott International come together to ensure that we surpass the hotels hospitality touch points making it more luxury driven, promising and splendid.”

T

he recently converted JW Marriott International Hotel and Convention Centre Pune has already exceeded the expectations of the management and owners. In a span of two years, the property conducted more than 100

weddings and 60 conferences and conventions.

Post conversion, the property is redefining the word ‘luxury’ which can be enjoyed while conducting business meetings or just enjoying a weekend brunch.

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special features The hotel offers eight F&B outlets including three specialty restaurants and also an excellent spa experience. With almost 40,000 sqft of meeting space, JW Marriott Pune can accommodate up to 2,000 guests.

Jatin Khanna General Manager, JW Marriott Pune.

“JW Marriott Pune celebrates constant innovation and will continue to offer a life of elegance to the city of Pune. The hotel is a wedding, lifestyle and F&B destination and will see the introduction of various luxury touch points over the next one year.

The spa and restaurants will see gradual changes to their overall hospitality and dining experience.�

luxurious rooms The LEED Gold Certified 5-star hotel features 416 contemporary guest rooms loaded with luxury amenities with flawlessly integrated eco-friendly enhancements designed for business and leisure travellers. For instance, the all-purpose charging dockets fitted in every room along with large desks with ergonomic chairs converts a room into a small portable office as and when required.

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sample this

about the book The book Into the heart of Meetings: Basic Principles of Meeting Designs is divided into three parts. Part 1 gives an overview of how meetings work and what makes them unique as a means of communication. Part 2 talks about the meeting owner, instruments related to meeting objectives and meeting content. Part 3 explains the process of designing meeting programmes.

sample this

Meeting Designers A new way of looking at meetings Neelam Singh

Meetings are a means of communication. It involves human beings and the success of meetings depends entirely on how people behave. It has been observed that most meetings, in practice, are flat and boring. Lack of courage, vision and knowledge are mainly responsible for this flatness. Eric de Groot & Mike van der Vijver have come up with an emerging concept of Meeting Designers in their latest book Into the Heart of Meetings: Basic Principles of Meeting Designs. MICEtalk, in an interview with Eric de Groot, finds out more about the concept.

M

eeting Designers are professionals who create the programme of a meeting. They base their designs on the connection between meeting content, the established meeting objectives and the expectations of the meeting organiser and the participants.

Five most important aspects to design a meeting

1. Be specific about the objectives of the meeting, both in terms of business targets and in terms of the desired communication 2. Have pre design interviews with future participants, with direct contact, using phone, Skype or Faceto-Face. This will give you the perspective, which is important because they will be the first consumers of the program.

3. Use a venue that supports your objectives rather than only offer a roof. (A Brainstorm works better in an arty place.)

4. Use technology only when really needed.

5. See that there are more possibilities in using speakers (content providers) than giving them the role of teacher in a classroom.

Impact of Cultural Differences

Eric believes that every culture has its own archetypical meetings, some of which you would never have heard of. Like the Finnish Business Sauna meeting.

Or the Dutch Kraambezoek. “In the international arena, we use only a fraction of all these possibilities because we do only exhibitions, conferences and negotiations. (Within these meetings we seldom use more than formats that are not directly related to the classroom model.) When doing those, however, the national culture of every single participant shows in the behavior for example, the different levels of trust that people find normal, the way they cope with hierarchical relations and differences between a more

‘People meet people’ is what a meeting is all about, not ‘devices meet devices individual or more collective approach of the social network around people. This makes the international meeting industry such a vibrant place!

Keep participants involved in a meeting

Eric opines that by challenging the participants to be a part of the meeting, one can keep them engaged. He suggests some ways to do that: • By giving them things to do rather than only listening to the speaker • By offering a lot of movement in the program • By being totally clear about who is the owner of the result of the meeting, and thus build in a possible feedback loop. (When a participant knows who takes the result to a next level, he can follow that and see what happens. That is very involving in itself.)

about eric de groot Educated as a Drama teacher & theatre director (@AVEK 1979-1984), Eric started as an actor who got invited to do acts during conferences and openings. That seemed fun to him and after a while he started suggesting improvement in conferences and meetings. After a few years that grew into a business. His company MindMeeting has developed several techniques in the field of Meeting Architecture.

Eric won the Golden Giraffe for the best Business Event in 1992, and The FRESH Award for best session Format in 2013.

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domestic MICE

MICE Industry in Hyderabad

Hyderabad has become the hub for international conferences and exhibitions in the country. 2012-13 was very promising for the MICE industry in Hyderabad, having hosted some large and international events like the Convention on Biological Diversity by the United Nations, The Asia Pacific Ophthalmology Congress, World Allergy Congress, The Poultry Show, Pack Plus South, Million Dollar Round Table, UBM Gem & Jewellery Show, India Lab Expo, the recently held UNWTO Conference on Sustainable Development, and many more such events are lined up for 2013-14.

E

vent organisers believe that high quality venues with professional services at low budget have helped Hyderabad emerge as a favourite destination. Organisers of various meetings and conventions held in the city recently, said that the cost of holding such events in Hyderabad was around three times lower than in Mumbai or New Delhi.

Augmenting the Growth

HITEX Exhibition Centre and the Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) are the key exhibition and conference venues that hosted majority of these events. Located in the same campus, both venues have world class facilities that complement each other well. Also a lot of star hotels have opened in Hyderabad especially in the areas surrounding the HITEX-HICC campus that have supported the MICE industry in the city as well. Hyderabad offers more than 11000 rooms, at very affordable rates, that too without compromising on quality.

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connectivity Hyderabad has a world-class airport that is well connected to most parts of the city by expressways and elevated roads. It takes only 25 minutes to reach HITEX-HICC complex from the airport.

Unique Hyderabad

Hyderabad is culturally active with many heritage and leisure sites. Apart from being a food paradise, Hyderabad provides several opportunities for event organisers to indulge their visitors into heritage walks and evening get-aways, making their visit more memorable and unique. This opportunity also makes Hyderabad a repeat destination for a lot of first time visitors.

well attended, some members of the industry flying into Hyderabad from Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore to mark their presence.

Noted ghazal maestro Talat Aziz enthralled the gathering with his mesmerising singing at the event.

HITEX, with its energy, positive outlook and industry friendly attitude is steadily moving up the growth path and retain its position as the ideal events venue in the southern

HITEX Exhibition Centre - An Excellent Year 2012-13

With the growth of the MICE industry in Hyderabad, HITEX Exhibition had a good year (2012-13) with business growing by over 30% compared to the previous financial year 2012-13. HITEX is gearing up to meet the expectation of the organisers and is developing new event venues in its sprawling 53 acres campus. In March 2013, HITEX organised a gettogether for the Indian MICE industry, which was

Not just for large-scale events, the city has also become popular with small-budget organisers MICEtalk May 2013

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event report

LuLu Carnival 2013 An explosion of colours

Generally, MICE venues are host to exhibitions and expos but LuLu ICC and Garden Hotels Thrissur has definitely started a new trend for MICE venues with their own infrastructure and facilities to showcase their venue through in house exhibitions and expos. It is among the very first of MICE venues to organise an in-house exhibition with the LuLu Carnival 2012. The grand success of the Carnival 2012 and the demand from people led to the creation of the Carnival as an annual affair.

The Event

LuLu Carnival 2013 was held from February 29 to March 7, 2013. The function was inaugurated by the Hon. Mayor of Thrissur I.P. Paul and playback singer Franko did the honours of lighting the lamp. The theme of the carnival was ‘From Sahara to the Antarctica’, and entry was with a scene from the Sahara with camels and sand dunes. The event was attended by more than 1.5 lakh people from all over Kerala. The carnival featured nearly 200 stalls in a totally air-conditioned venue. The crowd was treated to the best of all the worlds with

electronics, household equipment, builders, textiles, handlooms, furniture and interiors, toys, and much more‌

Major Attractions

The Fish Spa Therapy was exhibited for the first time in an exhibition venue in Kerala. This was a favourite among the young and old, gents and ladies alike.

The Helicopter ride was another attraction that was thoroughly enjoyed by people, as they were introduced to a new perspective of the city – from the air. In the

a new trend Jose Sebastian, GM, LuLu Thrissur, opined that the feedback from most of the guests was that this carnival has already gained popularity with the Thrissur junta, and can easily be identified as a trend for other MICE venues as a major avenue for branding especially during the off season.

evenings, the Hot Air Balloon ride was the major crowd-puller as people witnessed it for the very first time in Thrissur.

In the amusement area, the kids had a treat of a lifetime with their favourite rides. The best treat was the Ice and Snow World featuring snow-capped mountains, snowfall, and even a polar bear!

The food court featured the best cuisines from India, South India, China, Continental and Seafood specialties, Juice and Shakes, Pastries, and even Cotton Candy, Pop Corn and a Chocolate fountain!

Daily cultural shows included musical evenings with orchestra and cinematic dance performances along with a painting contest in which more than 20,000 kids from Class 1 to Class 10 participated. The paintings too were kept on display each day of the carnival.

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expert talk

How to Network at Conferences Professional networking events present opportunities to interact with others on a personal level and develop profitable relationships. According to the Harvard University survey, the #1 skill for success in the 21st century is the ability to talk to other people.

Shital Kakkar Mehra, talks about some frequent roadblocks and how to overcome them.

What are the frequent roadblocks we face? “I was not introduced to anyone in this room�

It is easier to start a conversation after formal introductions but if we keep waiting, we may end up spending a lot of quality time with ourselves!

As the goal is to meet people, the best option is to walk up to a stranger, shake hands, introduce yourself and start a conversation.

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Shital Kakkar Mehra Practitioner of Corporate Etiquette and International Protocol in India

expert talk

“I don’t speak to strangers”

As children, we were taught not to speak to ‘strangers’ but in the corporate arena, a ‘stranger’ is a person you have never met before but today is your date with him/her! To counter this reluctance, set a goal and define how many new contacts you wish to make at the event. The next step is to come up with conversation starters, e.g.: • C urrent Events: “This event is a huge success”, “That was a reasonable performance by the men in blue!”

• B usiness Card: “You are in a very interesting industry”, “That is a very unique logo”, “Shital, you spell your name with an i instead of double e”!

We think that we will be seen as pushy/job seekers if we make the first move.

Being open and friendly is a definite plus in the corporate arena. Make a conscious effort to seek out the ‘approachable’ people - ones who are chatting in groups or a single person who makes eye contact/smiles at you.

Always remember, two people talking to each other are best left uninterrupted.

Pics courtesy: Simran Kaur

“I don’t want to be seen as pushy”

Meetings industry

is thriving in Asia 2013 is considered as a strong year for the exhibition industry.

Research carried out by Reed Travel Exhibitions found that 91% of global buyers anticipated that their volume of events would either increase or stay the same in 2013.

Additionally, 86% of global buyers expected that their budget for events would increase or stay the same over the same period.

These figures confirm that confidence is high within the industry globally.

Mike Lyons, Exhibition Director, AIBTM, talks about the increased demand for outbound business from the US into Asia.

What is your vision for 2013 from the AIBTM perspective for the global exhibition industry?

This year we have seen an increase in the demand for Asian exhibitors from US buyers, which is due to buyers recognising the huge business potential in the region. A recent report from the American Express Meetings and Events, 2013 Meetings Forecast has predicted that meetings in the Asia Pacific region will increase by an average of 5 per cent. The report also found that two thirds of Asia-based respondents predict that their budgets will increase in 2013 to meet the demand for more, larger and longer meetings in the region.

These figures are really positive and show that the meetings industry in Asia is thriving. American Buyers who have seen this growth have expressed interest in finding out more information about future business opportunities in this region. For this purpose, AIBTM serves as a gateway for exhibitors and buyers to come together from across the world.

What are your growth expectations from AIBTM this year?

Since the shows launch in 2011, AIBTM has grown to become a premier global exhibition for the US incentive, business travel, meetings and events industry. The show brings together the world’s

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yours officially

professional industry buyers and suppliers for three days of focussed business and dedicated CEU accredited educational sessions.

AIBTM was launched in Baltimore in 2011, and this year, will be hosted in Chicago for the first time.

From this year onwards, AIBTM will rotate between the cities of Chicago, Illinois and Orlando, Florida.

This rotation will offer all stakeholders access to new business opportunities in two key gateway cities that are themselves major hubs for the meetings industry.

Do you think Indian marketplace presents a unique opportunity for global players to discover fresh dimensions for exhibitions?

Yes, India definitely presents a unique opportunity for events organisers. Reed Travel Exhibitions have recently launched IBTM India which will be hosted in Mumbai from September 12 – 14, 2013. India is currently the world’s third largest economy and has a projected GDP growth of 8 per cent in the next five years, making it a strong player in the MICE industry.

In addition to this, India is showing an increase in outbound business, estimated in 2010 to be worth some US$600 million, it is projected to increase by 13 per cent in coming years.

IBTM India will provide an integrated platform for the MICE and Business Travel sectors to come together and transact business, share knowledge and network in the business and financial hub of Mumbai.

What are the challenges faced by the exhibition industry in recent years?

The main challenge currently faced by the industry is the global economic climate. However, we are continually seeing that businesses value the power of face-to-face meetings even more so now. In our experience we have seen that organisations are much more aware of the value of gaining exposure to their stakeholders, clients,

India is currently the world’s third largest economy and has a projected GDP growth of 8 per cent in the next five years, making it a strong player in the MICE industry and new markets, and so, are willing to go to exhibitions and events in order to do this.

The current economic climate also results in travel costs being more of an issue, making event attendees more cautious about long haul travel. This is also true of the availability of direct flights, which can be an issue when travelling between continents. However, for Asian exhibitors looking to travel to AIBTM, there are currently direct flights available between Chicago and Beijing, Delhi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo, making business between the two regions more accessible.

What are your growth expectations from AIBTM this year?

The show brings together the world’s professional industry buyers and suppliers for three days of focused business and dedicated CEU accredited educational sessions.

AIBTM launched in Baltimore in 2011, and this year, will be hosted in Chicago for the first time.

From this year onwards AIBTM will rotate between the cities of Chicago, Illinois and Orlando, Florida.

This rotation will offer all stakeholders access to new business opportunities in two key gateway cities that are themselves major hubs for the meetings industry.

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technology

5 best tips for developing Event Apps®

1

Features and Platforms

Determine what must-have features you require and what features your attendees expect from your Event App. Some of the available features include: • Event branding opportunities • Sponsorship recognition • Recognition and advertising banners • Event documents & links to external urls • Interactive floor plan for venue and exhibition • Exhibitor profiles with handouts and logos • List of attendees at event • Speakers’ biographies • Complex Session Ratings • Ability to take notes for each session and email them post-event • Meeting requests • Live polling and surveys • Exhibitor leads tracking • Presentations and handouts can be downloaded and emailed • Abstracts, Full Papers, Session Presentations and Digital Posters right in the app.

• Multi Device Sync • Push technology for alerts to iPhone and Android • Social Integration with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn • Locate me with tracker • Videos • Photo Sharing and Flickr Integration • Standalone QR Code Scanner • Featured Products lists • Ability to monetise apps through advertising and sponsorship sales • Detailed post show reports • Live analytics • Admin managed alerts feature

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Apps are a wonderful tool to truly engage your audience and deliver a powerful live event experience. Creating an event application for mobiles help organisers to connect with attendees, keep them informed about changes, and help them share information.

Darren Edwards suggests five best tips on what to consider when designing event apps.

2

Turn on Airplane Mode

Download a Native app and a web based html5 app and have a play with both. Put your device in airplane mode to see the worst case scenario. To run a Mobile Web-based app (which is essentially a mobile website), the user commonly has to access the Internet via WiFi or cellular connection. Native Event Apps®, on the other hand, reside on the device itself; they don’t require an Internet connection to work. This is crucial because in a hotel or a convention centre you may have hundreds or thousands of attendees trying to access Wi-Fi or cellular network simultaneously to use their Event Apps®, email, social networks etc. Native apps do require updates periodically but those updates usually take less than 10 seconds.

technology

Through an event app, you can communicate directly with attendees via the app using real-time alerts in order to promote event activities before, during and after the event

3

Make sure your Developer ‘Speaks Your Language’

The app developer should understand the event to provide support services. They need to speak your language. As part of the development process you will need to design graphics, prepare documents, capture and manage data, create marketing collateral, etc. This will make the development process easier and will produce a powerful event experience for attendees.

Native Event Apps® reside on the device itself; they don’t require an Internet connection to work

4

What Costs?

Cost is an important factor when selecting a mobile Event App developer. Cover your costs through: Sponsorship Opportunities, Banner Advertising, Enhanced Exhibitor Profiles, Exhibitor Leads Generation, Revenue sharing with your developer, etc.

If you will choose an app as a revenue generating tool, it will never add any cost to your event.

5

Marketing and Engagement

After developing an Event App, you need to get people to use it and engage with it. Your app developer should be able to arm you with the tools to do this such as press releases, download language, QR codes, access links, website language, marketing graphics etc. If you have deployed a native app then finding your app, it will be a whole lot easier as attendees can simply access via their app stores rather than trying to find your unique download url.

Marketing your app forms the single most important part of the development process. If you do not allow adequate time or resources to market your app to staff, committees, sponsors, exhibitors or attendees, there is really no benefit in developing an app to begin with. Marketing can be done via traditional methods using your social networks, youtube, email campaigns, sms, advertising, web banners etc. or by any other means that you commonly utilise to connect to your audience.

about the author Darren Edwards is the founder of Invisage Creative Services in Australia. With more than 20 years’ experience and knowledge in the meetings and events industry, Darren continues to drive creativity in events and the way they are run.

Contact: info@invisage.net

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event snapshots

GIBTM Abu Dhabi 2013 Abu Dhabi hosted the seventh Gulf Incentive Business Travel Meetings Exhibition (GIBTM) 2013, a key annual event dedicated to the development of the MICE industry in the Gulf and Middle East region.

The show welcomed international delegates, decision makers and key executives from the global meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) industry.

For the very first time, GIBTM has invited Event Camp Middle East 2013 to Abu Dhabi for visitors and buyers to gain insight into experiences and case studies on strategies for leveraging social media and new technologies in the events landscape. The Event Camp included a forum on ‘what’s coming next’.

event snapshots

The total number of hosted buyers was evenly split between the Middle East, Europe and Asia Pacific, with first-timers attending from key growth markets for the Middle East including Australia, South Africa and Azerbaijan.

s& elation ublic R bi, P a r h to D c Dire l, Abu 3 Albert, nnium Hote M 201 T IB le Nevine G il t ns for M vTalk stall a o ti a ic un Tra Comm visited

Movements

MCB

welcomes new Regional Sales Directors in Asia

NHCC and HICC

appoint Director, Sales & Marketing

Two new Regional Sales Directors have been appointed to the Melbourne Convention Bureau’s offices in Asia.

Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC) and Hyderabad International Convention Centre (HICC) appointed Rasika Singh as Director- Sales & Marketing for the Property.

In her current role, she will be responsible to lead and grow the Convention, Corporate, MICE and Social business for the complex. She will also work towards promoting and sustaining the position HICC enjoys as the best MICE destination in the country. She will also oversee Sales & Marketing activities and initiatives to ensure the brand positioning of the complex in the market.

Edward Kwek

will be heading up the Singapore office as Regional Sales Director – South Asia, and Jessica Chang will take on the position of Regional Sales Director – North Asia in Shanghai.

Crowne Plaza appoints new GM

Sanjay Kaushik is the new General Manager of Crowne Plaza Kochi. He will be a part of the South West Asia region of IHG. Sanjay started his career as professional Judo player with CISF. Having 17 years of experience in the hotel industry, he worked with renowned hotel brands like ITC Hotels, Intercontinental, Country Inns and Suites, Crowne Plaza and Radisson Blu as his past assignments.

Kwek joins MCB from the Institute of Technical Education where he was Section Head, Leisure & Travel Operations, and brings with him a wealth of experience in the hospitality and tourism industries. Chang has previously held the role of Director, MICE Project Office at the Bureau of Foreign Trade in Taiwan and has also held various positions in destination marketing and travel companies throughout Asia and Europe.

CWT Meetings & Events unit appoints new team Patrick Lukan has joined Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s (CWT) Meetings & Events unit as Senior Director of Global Operations. With two decades of travel industry experience, Lukan has worked with companies including American Airlines, Sabre and Travelport prior to joining CWT.

SWISS

names new General Manager for India Swiss International Air Lines has appointed Markus Altenbach as their new General Manager, India. Since 1999, Altenbach has been based in Brazil as the Regional Director of Swiss International Air Lines for Latin America. In his new assignment as General Manager for India, Altenbach will be responsible for overseeing Swiss International Air Lines’ account co-operations, direct sales and maintaining relationship with top clients and sales partners, among other operational functions.

Messe Berlin

appoints new COO The Supervisory Board of Messe Berlin appoints Ingrid Maaß, as the new COO of Messe Berlin. She will take up her post on 1 August. Maaß possesses outstanding financial and business management expertise. She studied Business Management, and was a board member of CNC Communications & Network Consulting AG in Munich.

Pauline Houston has been named as Director of Global Supplier Management for Hotels and Meetings & Events, with CWT Meetings & Events. She has been with CWT since 2009 and previously headed CWT Meetings & Events for the United Kingdom Ireland.

events

EVENT

events calendar VENUE

CITY/COUNTRY

DATE

International Tourism & Trade Expo (ITTE)

Skydome, SM North Edsa

Quezon City, Philippines

Jul 19-21, 2013

Cebu International Travel Expo (CITE)

Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino

Lahug, Cebu

Jul 25 - 27, 2013

Philippine Travel Mart

SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia

Pasay City

Aug 10-12, 2013

China Incentive Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM 2013)

China National Convention Centre

Beijing, China

Sep 2-4, 2013

16th Busan International Travel Fair (BITF)

BEXCO

Busan, South Korea Sep 6 - 9, 2013

International Travel Expo - Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC)

Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Sep 12 - 14, 2013

JATA Tabihaku Travel Showcase 2013Â

Tokyo Big Sight

Tokyo, Japan

Sep 12-15, 2013

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart

Chengdu

Sichuan Province, China

Sep 15-17, 2013

Otdykh Leisure Moscow Fair (International Trade Fair for Tourism)

IEC Crocus Expo

Moscow, Russia

Sep 17 - 20, 2013

IFTM TOPRESA Travel Trade Fair (International French Travel Market)

Paris Expo Porte de Versailles

Paris, France

Sep 24 - 27, 2013

IT&CMA and CTW (Incentive Travel & Conventions, Meetings Bangkok Convention Center Asia-Pacific and Corporate Travel World)

Bangkok, Thailand

Oct 1-3, 2013

TTG Incontri

Rimini Expo Centre

Italy

Oct 17-19, 2013

ITB Asia

Suntec singapore

Singapore

Oct 23-25, 2013

International Tourism and Travel Show

Montreal

Canada

Oct 25 - 27, 2013

Postal Registration No.:DL(ND)/6150/2011-12-13 WPP No.:U(C)-305/2011-13 for Posting on 29th-30th of Advance Month at New Delhi P.S.O. Date of Publication: 22/4/2013, RNI No.:DELENG/2010/34144