Event Point International 11 by Event Point International

YE AR VI NUMBER 11 BIANNUAL MAY 2018 > SEP 2018 10 â&#x201A;¬

FORUM BRAGA: A NEW VENUE IN NORTHERN PORTUGAL PORTUGAL: AN INCREASING EVENTS AND CONGRESSES DESTINATION COIMBRA IS HOSTING THE BEA WORLD AWARDS

OWNER Estação Livre . Comunicação info@eventpointinternational.com www.eventpointinternational.com DIRECTOR Rui Ochôa [rui@eventpointinternational.com] EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cláudia Coutinho de Sousa [claudia@eventpointinternational.com] NEWSROOM Cláudia Coutinho de Sousa Maria João Leite [mj@eventpointinternational.com] Alexandra Noronha [alexandra@eventpointinternational.com] DIRECTOR OF SALES Filipe Silva [filipe@eventpointinternational.com] TRANSLATION Diana Reis Marques COOPERATING WITH THIS EDITION Alexandra Ramos Ana Mendes Godinho Gerd de Bruycker GRAPHIC DESIGN Norma Design [info@normadesign.com]

CL ÁUDIA COUTINHO DE SOUSA

RUI OCHÔA

Stand Out! Portugal is standing out in the meetings arena, so we’ve asked our Tourism Secretary of State to share with our readers the official strategy for this industry. If you want to know people who stand out, in this issue we interviewed one of the most promising CEO’s in Portugal: Diogo Assis. He´s the founder of events by tlc, a Portugal based events company with offices in Brazil, Spain and Florida. Companies that are looking to stand out in the events business have a meeting arranged for Coimbra. The city, right in the middle of Portugal, will host this year's Bea World Festival. And you can also read in this edition plenty of other subjects that will help you to stand out, we hope, as a meetings professional. Enjoy.

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Table Of Contents 04 Advertorial: Benfica Events 06 Portugal: An Increasing Events And Congresses Destination, by Ana Mendes Godinho 08 Events: ICCA's Iberian Chapter Annual Meeting 10 The Algarve Is Well Prepared To Host All Kinds Of Events, by Alexandra Ramos 12 The Portuguese Central Region Is Taking Over The Congresses And Events Sector 14 Interview: Diogo Assis 18 Venues: Forum Braga 20 The Impact Of Trends On Events, by Gerd de Bruycker 23 Radar 26 Meet@AlticeArena Discusses The Future Of Events 28 Coimbra Is Hosting The Bea World Awards 30 Incentives 34 Destination: Nazaré 37 Company And Services Index

ADVERTORIAL 4

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Take Your Event To Another League There are many events that take place in the Sport Lisboa e Benfica stadium throughout the year. In addition to the great demand of the Benfica Corporate Club, there are countless customers who, although they are not part of the Corporate, carry out their corporate and leisure events here. In addition to this natural demand, from customers who have gone through our facilities, there is a huge effort to communicate that we are able to receive any type of event, national and international. The multidisciplinary team of Benfica Events can deliver turnkey projects. The experience in organizing large events and great exposure, allows us to achieve an incredible level of excellence and a unique imagination to renew projects. The versatility of the team also allows Benfica Events to work in all kinds of events, from an event for 20 people in a room of the Sport Lisboa e Benfica stadium to an event for thousands and thousands of people in the center of Lisbon. It is natural for a company to consider the stadium of Sport Lisboa e

Benfica to hold a sporting event. The fact is that our stadium is already referred to by many companies as the perfect venue for the organization of large congresses. These congresses have been held annually with around 700 participants, with parallel auditoriums, with speakers presenting simultaneously, with fantastic spaced for exhibition and catering spaces. One must not forget the great parking easiness, for about 2000 cars and the great proximity to Lisbon airport. The Incentives area is a very innovative new area. On our part, we try to ally

The Benfica Events is not only committed to organizing an event, but also to create an experience for all the participants. ourselves with innovative partners that present truly â&#x20AC;&#x153;outside the boxâ&#x20AC;? ideas. Only in this way can we be competitive in a recent business area and as developed as this one. The companies intend to innovate with all their public, internal and external. Exposure on social networks forces us to be constantly innovating. We make a great effort to form a bigger team with creative and competent professionals, capable of rethinking the business at all time and extend the service portfolio to ensure the expected innovation from event to event.

BENFICA EVENTS Lisboa . Portugal +351 217 219 500 benficaeventos@slbenfica.pt www.slbenfica.pt/events

OPINION 6

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“Everybody's work is clearly paying off.”

Portugal: An Increasing Events And Congresses Destination Tourism figures hit all records in 2017: we overcame the 20 million tourists figure for the first time in hotels, revenues exceeded 15 billion euros (with the highest growth rate of the last two decades), we won the Oscar for best destination in the world.

And Tourism created 53 thousand new jobs. Tourism has been growing throughout the year, highlighting the strong growth in the so-called "low season". For these results, the events and congresses market dynamics, which have been a key factor to generate attractiveness throughout the year and the territory, are also two key pillars of the 2027 Tourism Strategy. We have all made a great investment in the positioning of Portugal as a destination for the organisation of congresses and events. And it is a great sign that Portugal has risen for the first time to ICCA's Top 10 [2016 ranking, announced in 2017]. Everybody's work is clearly paying off. The articulation between all players, the convention bureaux, the Turismo de Portugal team and the MICE funding program has been crucial. In order to leverage all this work, in 2017 we launched a new online platform, MeetingsinPortugal.com, to give visibility to the existing structures in Portugal, also providing information to all about the scheduled events and bringing demand closer, and which is increasingly assuming itself as an instrument of promotion. In 2017, as a result of these efforts, the program involved 61 new events, and by 2018 another 65 are already planned. All this dynamics contributed decisively to the results of the tourist activity in Portugal. It is necessary to continue this work, to keep growing in value and expand Tourism more and more to the whole country and all year round. It is necessary to continue this mission of establishing new and diversified

segments, of which the growth of 40% in the Chinese, American and Brazilian markets are motivating examples. Tourism must increasingly assume its role as the driving force behind regional economies. In fact, it was in this context, and following the fires that occurred in the central zone of the country, that we created a special program to encourage meetings and corporate events in those territories, which I hope will be used by Portuguese companies. Also in these difficult moments in which it is necessary to resume the tourist activity in these areas, events and congresses can have a determining role to generate dynamics in the region. Here is the challenge: that in 2018 all companies think about Centro de Portugal as a place to hold their meetings, taking advantage of the mechanism we have created for this purpose, as an encouragement. 2018 will bring more reaping from all the seeds that together we are sowing and I am sure it will be another great year for the events and congresses in Portugal and all thanks to You.

Thank you. ANA MENDES GODINHO SECRE TARY OF STATE FOR TOURISM

EVENTS 8

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ICCA's Iberian Chapter

Porto Will Be The Next Destination

The Importance Of Love ICCA's Iberian Chapter annual meeting, which took place in Granada, Spain, from 11th to 13th last April, has had a very clear and perhaps disruptive message since its beginning. After all, this was the conference where we talked about love, family, remembering that good ideas come up when people are together. If there was a speaker capable of arousing affections, it was undoubtedly José Manuel Zapata. The tenor, who is a regular presence in the biggest concert halls associated with music, and opera in particular, has become a magnificent conductor of people, impersonating historical figures as remarkable as Caruso, Callas or Pavarotti, and establishing, always with enormous sense of humor, the relationship between these successful examples in the music scene and the lessons that can be drawn from them to companies and their professionals daily life, regardless of their business. And, in fact, humor is a powerful tool in any communication strategy, as Zapata has shown. He argues that from Bach to Radiohead, music may be very different, but it continues to be divided, essentially, into two categories: good and bad. And if you need an example of this view of things, just have a peek on José Manuel Zapata's version of Iron Maiden's The Trooper, on YouTube. You will certainly enjoy yourself. Almudena de la Mata, who started off by presenting the challenges of working in a business world where an increasing commitment to social values is required, challenged the approximately 70 participants to co-create the answers to those that are the future needs of the Iberian Chapter. How to win new and preferably younger members, how to improve internal and external communication, how to involve ICCA's global leaders in Chapter activities, sharing experiences with other Chapters, generating more and

ICCA'S IBERIAN CHAPTER BOARD MEMBERS

better business for members, etc. The program also included Pier Paolo Mariotti, a specialist in event venue management, and another believer in the power of passion and love as a lever of success in this demanding sector; a round table to exchange potential businesses; and a session devoted entirely to the use of ICCA's database, where numerous event details from around the world are loaded, one of the most powerful tools the international association makes available to its members.

In piononos land Piononos are traditional sweets from Granada, with more than a century of history. They were an inspired tribute to Pope Pius IX, and still work as a gastronomic icon of this Andalusian city. This annual meeting of ICCA's Iberian Chapter also had its epicurean notes, namely dinner at the Alameda Restaurant, and, in the same line of enjoyment, a vibrant show at Isabel la Católica Theatre, "Granada es Flamenco", well demonstrating the qualities that classified this dance as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

See you in Porto The announcement was made last April 13th, in Granada. Porto will be the next destination of International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)'s Iberian Chapter Annual Meeting. Destinations of the Chapter's Annual Meeting rotate between Portugal and Spain.

OPINION 10

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“It is easy to create an out of the box program”

The Algarve Is Well Prepared To Host All Kinds Of Events This region is an attractive destination also for the Meetings Industry It is common to hear that the Algarve is a leisure destination not only from international clients but also from national players, and, as such, is neither prepared nor competitive in the Meetings Industry. Or that it does not have adequate venues to host congresses. Or even that it does not have the accessibility of a capital and, therefore, is not very easy to market. All these preconceived ideas about the destination are easily refuted. If the first and second statements could not be further from reality, the third one is also easily countered if we consider that the distance-time from Humberto Delgado Airport to the Algarve is similar to that necessary from the centre of many capital cities to the airport that serves them. The Algarveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;most famous secret in Europeâ&#x20AC;?'s claim reflects well that this destination has much more to offer than most people know, and that is also true to this segment. The ignorance of the existing supply often plays in our favour. It is easy to create a project that will easily surprise customers with the variety of options and the excellent value for money. That this is a consolidated leisure tourism destination is an obvious finding. Less obvious, but also true, is the fact that this region is well prepared to host all kinds of events in the Meetings Industry. As well as providing a diverse hotel offer with high service standards, located from the coast to the interior, at the better known areas in the region, but also in locations outside the more concentrated tourist sites, there is also a multiple choice of congress centres, meeting rooms and venues. Seasonal leisure demand allows many units to offer exclusivity for a congress or event, an option that is difficult to have in large cities. Simultaneously, many

hotels are flexible in changing both decoration and use given to their rooms. These facts give the Algarve competitive advantages over destinations without seasonal peaks. Besides accommodation and meeting rooms, the Algarve has exceptional weather that provides over 300 days of sunshine per year and it is during the low season that these weather features become more attractive, with characteristically dry winters that allow outdoor activities. With wellpreserved natural areas and an already well-structured nature tourism, the range of activities available has been increasing both in quality and variety. In addition to the traditional tourist facilities, nature, weather and a multitude of DMCs in the region or with adequate knowledge to market, the Algarve's International Racing Track has also made the region extremely competitive in the international automotive sector, offering a wide range of options for team building actions. With the available tourist activities' diversity and quality, in the Algarve it is easy to create an out of the box program. You just need to choose the right ingredients to create the recipe that meets the expectations of each client. There are many options, and sometimes the difficulty is choosing between art and cultural visits. Among driving experiences or marine sports, gastronomy and wine, there are sports activities, nature attractions...

ALEXANDR A R AMOS MEE TINGS INDUSTRY SENIOR PRODUCT MANAGER AT ALGARVE TOURISM BURE AU

RADAR 12

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Centro Region Has The Right Infrastructure For The MI Sector

The Portuguese Central Region Is Taking Over The Congresses And Events Sector The region is actively using the newly launched Turismo de Portugal's support program to attract events and congresses, at a time when the area is still grappling with the effects of last year’s catastrophic fires.

Centro region [Central Portugal], at the heart of Portugal, is no longer only a nature hotbed. In a year of aftermath and recovery from the worst fire in the region (and in the country), investing in events and congresses to boost the national economy has basically become a national undertaking. Pedro Machado, President of Turismo Centro de Portugal (TCP), the entity that manages Tourism in the region, told Event Point that the idea is for the Meetings Industry (MI) to be a starter point for the development of the area. "MI will allow the structuring of new products and the reinforcement of our positioning in the definition of the needs for the region, so that it can take on new promotions and strategies that complement a weakness we have in the territory and that is associated with the landscape," he said. By implementing this strategy, Centro has a way open to a paradigm shift. "With a structuring product we can have a steadier presence, with congresses throughout the year and are able to overcome seasonality," Pedro Machado commented. For now, the region will benefit from an incentive program announced by the Government, with a support line of around 200 thousand euros that will be channelled to attract events and congresses to the areas that suffered the most with last year's fires. This program, which is run by Turismo de Portugal (TP), the central Portuguese Tourism office, allows the setting up of events involving between 15 to 299 overnight stays, “with a financial support that starts at 22€ /overnight", according to a statement from the entity. In addition, in the case of events occurring during the IATA winter period [from October to March], there will be a surcharge, corresponding to a further 25% of the base value of the support to be granted. The regulation that guides this initiative establishes that the support is granted through a contract between TP and the event organiser, with an application process, decision, execution of the funded project and a final report on the event. For Pedro Machado, the "feedback is frankly positive", considering that "it

opens a new window so that municipalities that have some infrastructure can host medium and smaller meetings. And it allows these territories to have an incentive for themselves to enter this championship, something they otherwise wouldn't be able to do. For companies it is also very satisfying to know that if they do it, they have this support from both the Government and the TP," TCP President added. This initiative was launched last November during the APAVT (Portuguese Association of Travel Agencies and Tourism) congress, in Macao, by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Ana Mendes Godinho. "This is an incentive program in which, depending on the number of participants, Turismo de Portugal has a mechanism to support events and congresses, in Centro's fire affected regions," the Government official stated, speaking to journalists, during the event. Pedro Machado gave an account of the progress in this endeavour. "At this moment we are working so that the events can be channelled to TP, in partnership with Turismo do Centro. And with our counterparts, AHRESP (Portuguese Association of Hotels, Catering and Similars) and AHP (Portuguese Association of Hotels). We seek to attract congresses and are in line with the Convention Bureau, taking advantage of the offices that are being opened, for example in the Universities of Coimbra and Aveiro," he explained. He also assured that Centro has the right infrastructure to make a winning bid for the MI sector, with quality venues such as the "cultural and congress centre of São Francisco in Coimbra, which has a capacity for five thousand people simultaneously. Also, we have the cultural centre of congresses in Caldas da Rainha" and the network of Universities and Polytechnics in Centro, where many events and congresses are held. ALEXANDR A NORONHA

INTERVIEW 14

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“Solving The Logistics Of A Particular Event Is Not Enough”

Combining The Best In Tourism With The Top Of Communication At a time when events by tlc is celebrating its 15th anniversary, we talked with its leader Diogo Assis, considered by some Portuguese entities as one of the "40 Business Leaders of the Future". Events by tlc has won national and international awards and is present in Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Florida. We went to find out the secret to this success. How did you start in this events business? What was your career path until you got to what events by tlc is today? I started studying Tourism and Hotel Management, in Lisbon, at Internacional, and I had my first business adventure with a catering project, while I was at school. Then I joined some professional internships, went to London, and at Intercontinental in Hyde Park Corner, I was part of a team of almost 20 people in the commercial department of a hotel that is a profit machine. I learned a lot, I stayed there practically a year, and then I was invited to go back to Portugal and work in Dom Pedro hotels, until I felt it was time to start my own business. I believed, and still believe, in Portugal... in fact I think our agency helped the country get where it is now. I'm not saying that we were the only ones, there were others, but I think we've done a lot for Portugal to be fashionable. And we believed it would one day become a tier-one destination in the international market, something that started to happen very recently. We believed that and 15 years ago we decided to create events by tlc, which at the time was called The Lisbon Consortium. This is what "tlc" stands for. And what did it focus on back then? We specialised in attracting international events for Lisbon. In our first year of operation, in 2003, we started having clients asking us to work Porto and Algarve. And The Lisbon Consortium didn't work anymore and in our second year we rebranded for TLC - Events in Portugal. However, our business model also evolved, always with a dedicated creative team, whitch looked at the briefing in its logistical need, but before that in its communication aspect. We have developed this business model, always with these premises, and we continued growing until we had clients asking us to look at Brazil, especially after the country won events like the World Cup and the Olympics.

And so you did... Over a year I went there ten times to study the market and after that time I believed that we could make a difference and open in Brazil. We had an excellent World Cup with international clients, sponsors and national teams. Then we did the Rio Olympics in 2016, also with great success. Later that year, we made an acquisition in Brazil and merged with Case Imagine. And this was very relevant throughout our path, because it gave substance to what has always been my vision: combining the best in Tourism with the top of Communication. Events by tlc, a specialist in international event logistics, and Case, the Brazilian market leader in brand activation, live marketing, digital. With this step we assume that we are a much more strategic company than a DMC. We can say that we are a local agency with global competences, that acts in the Ibero-American market, and that today has operations in Portugal, Brazil, Spain and Florida. The Sunshine State plays a very important role here because large companies make their decisions in Miami. This places us very close to decision makers and, on the other hand, gives us an ability to operate in what is the largest region for Brazilians. What about Spain? We bought Ole Special Events in 2014, after being in Brazil, and understanding that the Latin American market had an enormous potential for us and for our type of customers. To continue this growth we felt that we needed an Iberian presence, namely in Spain. One day we will have to continue this expansion process in Latin America. It will not happen this year, for now we are consolidating our operation with Case, but in the future.

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What are the main differences between working in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and the United States? And what do you think they can learn from each other? One thing I have been careful not to do is to take for granted that cultures are similar just because we speak the same language. I think this is a very basic error, which happens recurrently, and which typically goes wrong. We must recognise different cultures and modus operandi and be a little more political and understand what is the best we can make of each culture, for the benefit of a whole. That is the challenge, but on the other hand it is also an opportunity. A very basic example: creativity. Brazil wins many creativity awards. It makes sense combining this with the robustness of processes and procedures of an European operation. On the other hand, it is a risk, by assuming that we have a business with a successful model in one country, and replicating it in its essence in another country, does not work. I learned from my own mistakes as well. We did not do well in Brazil at the beginning. We had three very difficult years in which we thought of leaving several times. It was difficult, we lost money, we got very tired, exactly because the starting point was that culture would be similar.

Harnessing each culture for the benefit of all Along these 15 years of activity, what were the most striking moments for you? In terms of growth, the merger with Case was a very remarkable moment because it gave muscle to our vision. The first event we did was a very striking moment too. Participating in the MTV Europe Music Awards, where we did a large part of the event. In 2004, in the European Football Championship we had 23 operations. It was unbelievable because there were five of us. The Champions League Final in Portugal. Real Madrid won and offerred a jersey signed by all players, asking me to deliver it to the president of Benfica. That was a special moment too. Being in Brazil, in the World Cup, with a robust operation was also quite remarkable.

But what do you bring from these cultures for your operation in Portugal? We have a very wide exchange of people. The holding company is in Portugal and has shared services, and we now have a development direction, with six people developing technology full-time, and the director here in Portugal is Brazilian. Not long ago we had a big event in Brazil and there were three people there. And we ended up valuing people, because they are relevant in what is the consistency of the group. With the economic crisis, your diversification strategy was vital. Absolutely. We grew strengthening our operation in Portugal, in what its core business was, a DMC, although I do not consider ourselves a DMC. There has to be an evolution of that name, as solving the logistics of a particular event is not enough these days, although it is important to solve it well. We grew expanding to new geographies, Spain, Brazil and Florida. And we grew with the launching of new business areas. Sports, for example, where we already have three proprietary events. And there is a fourth dimension of growth that is disruptive innovation, where we have a team of six people, in technology, designing, and in which we are working on very ambitious projects for the future.

A look over the industry How do you look at the events sector in Portugal? Have budgets gone back to what they were? Are companies already organising more events? Portugal has a size problem. For example, in Brazil, when we do some brand activation or digital strategy for a company we think of 200 million inhabitants, while here we think of 11. And that difference is reflected in budgets. The ability to impact people when we do an Xbox project in SĂŁo Paulo is 20 times greater than here in Portugal. Budgets follow this reality. Portugal has this limitation, but it feels that there is more budget, and more availability for differentiated ideas. Generally speaking, companies have two main concerns. One is to expand their investment online. The physical does not disappear; rather, it is essential, but it has to be expanded online, and we have those skills internally. And the other is to measure the return. But what does this really mean? Will I sell more with this action? How do you see this tourism boom? Do you think it can somehow harm the events business? There is a statistic that is very relevant, speaking of the international market: 95% of the people who visit Portugal say they want to return. And this is the best statistic to say that this is not a trend, that it is sustainable. I think we should recognise the work done by Turismo de Portugal and the Secretary of State for Tourism, realising that in economic terms we would never be able to compete with countries like England, the United States, or Spain, regarding advertising funds. So we were much smarter at doing our job, we realised that we had a very limited budget but that we had an exceptional country and what is better than bringing here those who decide and opinion makers? Nothing. We provide experiences to those who have a view on the industry, and this put the country in the spotlight. We recently won a number of awards. This has helped. Then there are also natural ambassadors here: Madonna, Louboutin, Philippe Starck. They are the ones who admit that this is the best country in the world to live. Do we miss some things? Yes. There is still some courage lacking to assume that we are a niche country, that we have to increase our value, because we can not be a mass destination, we have to be a little more selective, and some international hotel chains are lacking in the country, especially to attract the American and Canadian market, which buy a lot based on brands. I hope this will happen in the next few years, it is a gap that the market still shows. Portugal had relatively low occupations, was what is called a buyers market, but nowadays it is a sellers market, that is, the market is more on the side of the suppliers, because occupations are high and this brings more difficulty in doing business to short term. The last minute is very difficult to achieve.

And how do you look at the other regions in the country? Which destinations do you find most interesting at this time? Porto, where we have been operating for a few years, came very close to Lisbon. Nowadays there are times when Porto is more expensive than Lisbon, for example in hotel capacity. Porto has a very interesting dynamics, and I think the re-elected mayor had a very good vision for the city, that is, not to create a single zone, but to make the whole city grow with more boutique projects, and that was a success. Porto has also been awarded and recognised as a good destination. Last year we brought InVoyage because we wanted to get that message across. We believe that Porto will be a great destination. It still lacks some hotel capacity, despite the growth, it needs some international chains as well. Bringing Porto and Douro together also seems important to me, because there has been a great highlight of the Douro region, it has some growing charm that I think is here to stay. In relation to international incentives, this combination with Lisbon is delicious. Everybody wants to come back. We have been calling attention to the Algarve, although flight connections are still a big gap. The Algarve is perhaps one of the best destinations for incentives during the winter and this is not yet present in the international mindset. The Algarve will grow a lot in the future. All regions have been growing, but I would highlight Lisbon and Porto all year round and the Algarve which is amazing off-season.

CLĂ UDIA COUTINHO DE SOUSA

VENUES 18

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Forum Braga: A New Venue In Northern Portugal About 50 km from Porto, Braga is one of the most important Portuguese cities in terms of religious tourism. It is a part of the Way of Saint James, and the pilgrimages to the city's churches in are made by thousands of nationals and foreigners. But Braga is much more than religion, it is also science, with a university and institutes at the forefront of research; it is culture, industry, sports and the gateway to Peneda-Gerês National Park. And the region intends to be an important hub in the Meetings Industry sector. For this much Forum Braga can certainly contribute.

After extensive remodeling work in the former Parque de Exposições, Forum Braga opened on April 27th. It presents itself to the market as a multifaceted and dynamic multipurpose venue, capable of hosting events as different as congresses, exhibitions, concerts, fairs, sports events or festivals, with capacities between 20 and 20 thousand people. In addition to being the largest auditorium in the North region, with 1,450 seats, and the country's second largest theatre with 12,000 standing places, Forum Braga assumes its Roman heritage to play the role of "the city, the region and the country's core, a people-oriented space, a meeting, business, culture and experiences point," explains Carlos Oliveira, president of InvestBraga, managing entity of the venue. Adapting the Ancient Rome's forum concept to a contemporary paradigm, this is a "modern, interactive and environmentally sustainable Forum".

On the major events radar Forum Braga will enable the city to be in the national and international radar of major events, of business tourism, also taking advantage from the proximity with Galicia. "We believe that Braga is a city with many advantages and with the potential to attract the organisation of big events. We have excellent accessibility - we are 30 minutes from Porto Airport and 60 minutes from Vigo Airport -; we have a large hotel capacity - with about 3,250 beds available in the city and more than 6 thousand beds available within a 25 km radius; we have a young and dynamic city and a county that is considered as the third best in the country to do business. We believe, therefore, that we have the necessary requirements to make both Braga and Forum Braga a national reference in the organisation of events," Carlos Oliveira concludes.

Networking Forum Braga is investing in networking with the various agents in the region, City Hall, associations, local companies, hotels, University of Minho, INL Laboratório Internacional de Nanotecnologia (International Nanotechnology Laboratory), among others, seeing it as a competitive advantage. Likewise, it chose not to be exclusive in such fundamental services as catering and audiovisual, allowing organisers to choose their partners in these areas. Forum Braga has modern, comfortable, technologically advanced facilities, that are prepared for all guests, digital signage network, audiovisual systems and wi-fi coverage. All this supported by a team with wide experience in organising events.

Areas and capacities The main infrastructure and respective capacities of Forum Braga comprise a pavilion with 7,800sqm, spread over two floors; a large auditorium with capacity for 1,340 people; a small auditorium with capacity for 250 people; a modular room with a capacity of 400 theatre seats; six meeting rooms; a 360sqm exhibition room; an outdoor area with 26,000sqm, capacity for 300 stands and capable of hosting up to 20,000 people in concert; parking for 600 seats; a contemporary art gallery; restaurant, self-service, cafeteria, bars and shops.

OPINION 20

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“All Your Event Data Is Food For Analytics And Insights”

The Impact Of Trends On Events I am summarising 5 trends in events for 2018. Or rather the impact of MACRO and MARKETING trends on Corporate Events. 1. Digitisation

IMPACT DURING THE ACTUAL EVENT

This is the “topic” of the moment. Every company needs to jump on the digitisation train or is doomed to disappear as they say. This is a macro trend. Technology is impacting our lives immensely. Think about a live without Internet. Today according to a latest Deloitte Study (2017, “State of the Smart”) in Belgium a person on average checks his smartphone 34 times a day. That is about 2 times per hour (sleep accounted for). In my case this is an understatement. I am not even talking about virtual assistants, IoT etc.

Technology is enhancing attendees onsite experience in many aspects. Today there aren´t many events (of a decent size) without an event app. These apps serve mainly 3 objectives: - Event information, practical info sharing - Facilitating networking opportunities onsite and post event - Content sharing via social media in order to broaden the reach of the event Social media is obvious these days. Key is not just to broadcast and allow delegates to share content; key is to listen, react and interact with what is happening. Though it will go much further than purely event apps and social media if you think about already existing tools and what technology will enable: - Apps like Kahoot, Evenium, etc are facilitating interaction for events and meetings where digital and human is coming together - Facial recognition (like Face ID from Apple) will enable an new registration experience. Think about the possibilities of personalisation etc. - Personalisation will become big in events, all enabled by technology in order for each participant to get the most of the event based on their personal objectives. - How will Augmented Reality enhance our experience? What are the limits of immersive Virtual Reality experiences? Another area where technology can help transfer the messages are keynotes. Not by simply sharing powerpoints, but by using audiovisual technology to deliver an experience that complements the words of the speaker (3D mapping, multiple screens, video, moving pictures synchronised with what the speaker is saying etc).

IMPACT OF DIGITISATION BEFORE AN EVENT TAKES PL ACE Technology allows us to collaborate in totally new ways. I am managing a team of 10 event marketing professionals and we are all spread across Europe; from Tel Aviv to Moscow, from Copenhagen to Barcelona, London and Amsterdam. We hardly ever meet (except at events) and still feel as we are working very closely and know each other thanks to video meetings, new collaboration and sharing tools (like Spark). What I further realise is that people work more and more project and scrum based within and across companies. Certainly in events: corporate event marketing specialists collaborate internally with other subject matter experts and externally with agencies, suppliers and freelancers. Teams are composed of subject matter experts based anywhere in the world and collaborate to set up the best event experience. They just have the same common goal but are paid by different employers. Next to new ways of collaboration (tools), technology can be found in many other instances related to events: f.e. we will see chatbots becoming mainstream.

IMPACT / OPPORTUNITIES POST EVENT An event should not stop when the doors are closed. It continues to live online. How are you integrating your event into your overall marketing touchpoint strategy (or customer journey)? How are you sharing your content online?

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How are you facilitating follow up interactions? Etc. All your event data is food for analytics and insights to prove the ROI of your event, follow up with potential customers and adapt further experiences. 2. Attendees are participants in experiences Attending is passive, participating is active. If your event is purely a one-way information sharing session, you should do it online and call it a Webinar. People want to be “participating” in experiences. That is why we see the huge success of very specific physical experiences that an online experience can never match (Tomorrowland, The Ark, large IT events, conferences). People want to belong to a community, want to be a part of something. People want to be part of “Waw” experiences, not only in the B2C but also in the B2B space. People that are participating are much more engaged and open for conversations.

can find the right information when and where they want at all times. Marketing campaigns are dead!? Long live always-on approaches that can be dialed up based on priorities and needs. Events should no longer be silo-ed or standalone activities. They must be part of the overall marketing mix and strategy and go hand in hand with your content and digital marketing strategy. That is where the biggest return on investment sits. Events should be an integral part of your overall customer journey or touchpoint strategy. Events can have their own customer journey and next to that events should link your customer back to your overall touchpoint strategy where marketing automation can pick them up. Everything connected. Always on. Events are a tactic of your overall marketing mix. An important one, more than ever! Physical and digital are the winning combination. 5. Return on investment

3. Combination of offline and online In the early days (10-15 years ago) we thought that free content sharing of sessions would have a negative effect on actual event attendance. History taught us the opposite: as long as the value proposition and the differentiation between the face 2 face event and the online aspects of the event is clear. The “experience” should be different and as varied as possible. An event is no longer purely offline. The online and offline world are merging. Both worlds are enhancing and embracing each other. - Event apps are facilitating networking or allowing people to ask questions digitally. - Chat rooms per session allow people to interact and continue the conversation online. - Social media is everywhere. - Content (video, slides, snippets) is shared online in many different formats to reach people that are interested but not able to attend or maybe come next year. This is the area where I think the most innovation can happen. What should your online experience be in combination with your physical event? - What is the experience for attendees and for non-attendees? - Which content is shared? On what platform? What is streamed and not? - Behind the scene videos? - TV studio material? - Etc 4. Events are part of the marketing mix In a digital world - where content marketing rules to deliver on the promise of a customer first approach - the days of traditional marketing campaigns are over. Up to “Always On” strategies. Making sure that customers and prospects

The ROI model of the ROI Institute (Ilka Dzeik and Elling Hamso) is the best available model for events. Though ROI is in many cases still the Achilles Heel for marketing including events. At the same time digitisation, data and analytics are opening doors for proper measurement. I am not talking about reach or impressions. That is not ROI. How should I measure the brand awareness impact of an event? Overall the difficulty is that a single activity or interaction (including attending an event) is hardly ever the only action where you can attribute a lead to. An opportunity, a sale is the consequence of many interactions (digital and physical) where I would call the digital touchpoints “micro-moments” because you only have a few seconds to attract people to your content. A combination of “micro-moments” within a certain time period can instigate a lead. Data and analytics should not only be used for post event measurement. Today event marketing professionals need to use data, analytics and insights to decide what type of event they should organise and when. Conclusion Technology is impacting our daily life immensely and provides us with endless possibilities while the physical and digital world are further converging. The events industry will benefit and follow in certain areas and lead in others. Physical and digital together are a winning combination.

GERD DE BRUYCKER MARKE TING DIRECTOR NORTHERN EUROPE - CISCO

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It Is Now Easier To Travel To Angola Citizens from 61 countries now have visa applications for Angola made easier. Since 30th March, citizens from 61 countries, including in the European Union, are able to obtain a visa upon their arrival in Angola. For this they must present proof of accommodation, means of subsistence, updated international vaccination card, return trip and passport valid for more than six months. This process of simplifying the granting of this type of visa covers countries such as Portugal, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, Brazil and Timor-Leste; the European Union; and also in Europe, Norway, United Kingdom, Iceland, Monaco, Russian Federation, Switzerland and the Vatican. In Africa, nations like Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco,

Swaziland, Algeria and Zambia are included; in the Americas: Argentina, Uruguay, Canada, Chile, Cuba, the United States of America and Venezuela; in Asia: South Korea, United Arab Emirates, China, India, Indonesia, Israel and Japan; and also Australia and New Zealand. Citizens can thus apply for visas online through the official Migration and Foreigners Service website, and then receive a “pre-authorised entrance”, which must "be presented at the border post", which in most cases is at Luanda airport. The visa costs 120 dollars. This measure intends to boost the tourism sector.

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São Paulo Wins Declaration Of Love New tourist attraction at São Paulo Expo, in a joint initiative with Visite São Paulo. São Paulo has received a declaration of love in the shape of a symbolic sculpture. Set to become the metropole's newest icon, in the manner of the world-famous “Love”, of New York and “I YAmsterdam”, “São Paulo é tudo de bom” (Everything’s about São Paulo is good) is 10 meters long and 1.6 meters high and is installed at the São Paulo Expo, that stages the region's most important congresses, trade shows, cultural, social and sporting activities and entertainment. The result of a partnership between multinational company GL events, which manages the São Paulo Expo, and Visite São Paulo, the entity working to increase tourism by raising funding for events, the city's newest tourist attraction comes with a small staircase, in addition to special lighting that facilitates things for those interested in photographing it. As with others like

it around the world, the work of art is likely to become the theme of thousands of creative images on the social networks. "It gives us enormous satisfaction to house this beautiful homage to São Paulo, and we will welcome all visitors who come here to see it", says Daniel Galante, Operations Director of the São Paulo Expo. "We are creating a welcoming movement involving the city's landmarks that receive hundreds of thousands of visitors and "paulistanos" (the city's inhabitants) every year. 'São Paulo é tudo de bom' is a campaign by Visite São Paulo that has already traversed several other phases, including a samba theme, celebrity commercials, a musical competition and other actions. The time has come to embrace the city even more and encourage this movement to multiply", points out Toni Sando, Executive President of Visite São Paulo.

Macao Launches Ambassador Programme In line with the Macao SAR Government’s policy of giving “Priority to Conventions”, so as to attract a greater number of regional and international conventions to Macao, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) has launched the “Conference Ambassador” programme and has invited six people from Mainland China and abroad, to be Macaós “Conference Ambassadors”, to jointly promote the development of the local MICE industry. The experts are Orlando Monteiro da Silva (dental specialist and former president of FDI World Dental Federation), Zhu Lilan (strategy scientist and chemist, former Minister of Science and Technology of the People´s Republic of China), He Jingtang (architect), Li Ning (entrepreneur and athlete), Tsui Lap-Chee (molecular genetics specialist), and Liu Chung Laung (IT expert). The Macao SAR Government will co-operate with the “Ambassadors” in various ways, by combining efforts to attract a greater number of national and international conventions to Macao. Irene Va Kuan Lau, Executive Director of IPIM, said “we are grateful to have the support of a growing network of high profile Ambassadors who are committed

to working with us to promote Macao as a premier meeting hub. We know that congress is a showcase to potential inward investors and as a platform to demonstrate local academic acumen to attract future business. Leveraging these points to secure future congress business and create economic growth for Macao is vital.” Among the major conferences won by Macao are the 15th Meeting of the Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry 2018, the 28th International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2019, and the IEEE International Conference on Nanotechnology -IEEE-NANO 2019.

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Technology Is The Main Trend

Meet@AlticeArena Discusses The Future Of Events In a television talk-show style, the third edition of Meet, an Altice Arena and Event Point organisation, discussed the future of events with several guests. The future looks bright for Portugal with regard to tourism and the events segment. That was the Secretary of State for Tourism, Ana Mendes Godinho, statement at the opening of the event, which took place on March 20th, explaining exactly that tourism is breaking all records in Portugal, "and also thanks to the MICE sector, which allows us to have tourist activity during most of the year". The Secretary of State believes that the dynamics this year will be great and the aim is to take it to every corner in the country. Ana Mendes Godinho recalled that the MeetingsinPortugal.com platform brings together venues and services offer in this segment and is yet another way for international clients to become aware of this destination potential. And both brands and associations have been looking very closely to Portugal. For Leanne Cleary, Shell's International Head of Global Events, issues such as accessibility, especially in terms of airline connections, hotel quality, and transportation are essential in choosing an event destination. In choosing an incentive destination, available experiences are vital in the logic of providing the journey of a lifetime. Nowadays, Leanne Cleary is also very attentive to agencies that operate in the digital area, always looking for new ideas and talent. Because of Shell's scale and large mix of events, Cleary admits that it is already working 2020. Technology, digital, social media, delegate experience, greater return on investment in events, are trends that she envisions for the coming years. Cisco's Artur Pereira remembered the importance of the events for the company - just have Cisco Live in mind -, and says that they also begin to prepare them well in advance. The main trend he sees in the sector has to do with technology and its applications in engaging the audience, in the delegates experience.

Waleed Jahangi, Muslim Lifestyle Show and Halal Food Festival organiser, both London events, highlights the potential of niche events. And the extraordinary capacity events have to change perceptions, mentalities, and generate change. To organise a niche event it is very important to know the market, the audience and all micro-influencers very well. In his opinion, social media is the most decisive aspect as regards the future of this sector. The debate was moderated by Kevin Jackson, CEO of The Experience is The Marketing.

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New Categories In Competition © Luis Núñez

Coimbra Is Hosting The Bea World Awards This city at the Central Region of Portugal will host the events world awards in November 2018. The second edition of the Bea World Festival on Portuguese soil - the first was in Porto - will travel to Coimbra. The dates have already been announced: 21st to 24 th November. Those interested in competing for the awards can do so at: www.beaworldfestival.com/event-call-entries. This year there are new categories in competition, with a highlight for the best event location. There is also a new president of the jury: Gerd De Bruycker, marketing director for Cisco Systems. He will lead a team of marketing managers from several multinational companies and representatives of event agencies associations from all over the world. The choice of the new president was announced during the meeting of the

BEA World Advisory Board, held from 3rd to 6th March in the Azores. "I am honoured to have been chosen for the second time in three years as president of the jury of the Best Event Awards," said Gerd De Bruycker, adding, "I accepted this role following my passion for the event and communication industry, my passion to learn and be inspired by fantastic projects." The new president of the jury, who had already chaired the same panel in 2016, specialises in event marketing as part of the team responsible for Cisco's top events in the region, such as Cisco Live. Before joining the company seven years ago, he worked for nearly a decade at Microsoft in the event marketing area. Remember that since last year, Bea have become world awards in the field of events. The organisation is by the ADC Group, in partnership with APECATE, the Portuguese events association, and Turismo de Portugal.

Coimbra: the city of knowledge The medieval featured houses stand overlooking Mondego river, in a kind of stone cascade. Known for having received the first Portuguese university, and one of the oldest in Europe, dating from the thirteenth century, Coimbra maintains its reputation as a city of knowledge and academic vocation. Its University, Cathedral and the Santa Clara Monastery are mandatory stops. But Coimbra is also a city associated with love. It was in Quinta das Lágrimas that the tragic love of Pedro and Inês (monarchs of Portugal) was forever immortalised. A few kilometres from Coimbra, there are many options: the beaches of Figueira da Foz, Aldeias do Xisto (shale villages), Serra da Lousã or the Roman city of Conimbriga, the best-preserved testimony of the Roman passage through the country.

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A New Wave Of Tourism Â© Robert Schaub

The “Other” Algarve: An Off The Beaten Track Menu Of Eco-Activities You already know the Algarve is packed with sun, sea, good food and great hotels. But if you take some time to get to know the luminous South, you will find hidden gems in the unlikeliest of places. Why not come to the Algarve and visit a cork factory on your way to the beach? Or perhaps go on a tour, after a busy work day, to find natural pigments and learn how they are used to produce paint. What about a visit to an organic herbs plantation and other out of the box Eco-activities? The locals are harnessing the potential of their history, culture and traditions to offer sustainable tourism ideas and tours to those willing to know a little more about the region’s people and their way of life. And the companies doing so are part of a new wave of tourism, that aims to showcase the “other” Algarve, never losing sight of the region’s sun drenched identity.

Barroca Produtos Culturais e Turísticos Algarve is a coloured land, of ancient tales and crafts, and “Barroca produtos culturais e turísticos”, a local company, would like to take you on a journey to meet this region’s history and culture’s idiosyncrasies. Check out a tour to find pigments in nature and see how they are turned into vibrant paints, or come on an astronomical trip in an unexpected location. The idea here is to develop cultural and touristic products, with Algarve’s history and culture in mind. And to showcase themed cultural courses that will take you to different spots in this region, in parallel with original tourism experiences, that never lose sight of values such as identity and sustainability. 8100-602 Querença Loulé Tel. (+351) 964 782 463 geral@barroca-culturaeturismo.pt www.barroca-culturaeturismo.pt

Dias de Aromas The taste of herbs is a permanent fixture of Portuguese cuisine and Dias de Aromas wants to showcase the best of Algarve’s agriculture to curious tourists. A recently open organic herbs plantation, off the region’s coast line, this sustainable company grows teas and herbs in a chemical-free fashion. Visit the estate as you learn about the plants and their medicinal uses and take in the fresh and spicy aromas while you do it. Cerro do Monteiro - Murta Caminho Agrícola dos Poços 8005-506 Estoi Faro Tel. (+351) 919 623 080 info@diasdearomas.pt www.diasdearomas.pt/pt

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Novacortiça

Proactivetur

Cork products are an increasing fashion trend all over the world. Have you ever wondered how they come to be? Take the Novacortiça Cork Factory Tour, in the Algarve’s São Brás de Alportel and find out. And while you are there discover why cork is ranked among the best materials provided by nature. The company excels by using technological innovation and by providing the discs that feature in the stoppers of the best sparkling wines in the world. The factory hosts individual visitors and groups. Rest a little from your sun-drenching tour programs and go for a tour at Novacortiça. It’s an unforgettable experience. And don't just take their word for it, check Tripadvisor reviews as well.

Proactivetur isn’t just a traditional travel agency. This young company, based in Loulé, also provides consultancy services in local development projects, promoting crafts, rural environment and entrepreneurship. Even with all this community work, the company still finds the time to organise walking tours, bird watching and creative experiences with a focus on local culture and social activities with villages. Proactivetur also supports several environmental, cultural and social causes and is an active partner in various projects, regionally and nationally, with award-wining initiatives.

Parque Industrial, Sítio da Barracha, Apartado 39 Cx.Postal nº610-A 8150-017 S. Brás de Alportel Tel. (+351) 289 840 150 Fax (+351) 289 840 159 turismo@novacortica.pt www.novacortica.pt

Rua Rainha D. Leonor, 72 R/C 8100-617 Loulé Loulé Tel.(+351) 966 132 662 Fax (+351) 289 422 607 mail@proactivetur.pt www.proactivetur.pt

ÂŠ Rota Vincentina

Turismo De Portugal Launches A Website For Cycling And Walking Turismo de Portugal (TP) is launching a website dedicated to the domestic supply of "Cycling" and "Walking" (bicycle and hiking) to position the country as an international destination of excellence in this kind of tourist experiences. The platform, www.portuguesetrails.com, kicked off with the Algarve region, including "more than 140 bike paths and walking tours, 111 companies designated bike & walk friendly and about 60 programs aimed at national and international tourists", according to TP on its website. In 2018 the remaining regions of the country will also be present on the platform, which features

five languages and is "one of the actions of the Portuguese Trails project that Turismo de Portugal is developing in partnership with the seven tourist regions of the country and with the intermunicipal communities, associations and tourism companies, in a concerted action between public and private entities," TP commented.

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The World's Biggest Wave Attracts Events To Nazaré International projection came at high tide, with the giant waves spreading throughout the world the name of the city and country. A land of fishermen, Nazaré has the anchor of its daily life in the sea, be it in fishing and drying the fish, in the beach that stretches for miles or in the surf and bodyboard, which now attract national and international surfers.

An inviting destination all year round The 2011 wave surfed by the American extreme waterman Garrett McNamara spread what had, so far, remained almost a secret: the 'Cannon' of Nazaré. It is a submarine gorge, of tectonic origin, that produces big waves, that defy the most daring ones, and that has caused the tourism sector to increase in the municipality. The giant waves attract people from all over, and in 2017 Brazilian Rodrigo Koxa set the record for the longest wave ever surfed: 24.38 metres high, 61 centimetres higher than the previous maximum, of 23.77 metres, also surfed in Nazaré, which belonged to McNamara. "Nazaré has been positioning itself as a privileged stage of national and world events, which has given it a great international media exposure and caused changes in the economic level. From an almost exclusively fishing village, Nazaré started to grow in tourism, business and investment in several areas of activity, namely by both multinational and national companies from various sectors," Walter Chicharro, president of Nazaré City Hall, said to Event Point. For the mayor, "the direct impact of the giant waves in Nazaré's economy appears in the years 2014 and 2015 with proposals to approve hotel projects and new businesses." The municipality takes advantage of the waves of opportunities and registers the upward trend in demand for what Nazaré has to offer. The figures indicate that the influx of visitors to São Miguel Arcanjo Fort, with a view to the cannon, went from 80 thousand visitors in 2015 to 174 thousand in 2017 and that in the local elevator the turnout increased from 630 thousand passengers in 2013 to almost 950 thousand in 2017. "It is the most sought after cable transportation in Portugal, surpassing the Santa Justa lift in Lisbon, for example," Walter Chicharro adds.

Legend has it that the name of the town is due to an image of the Virgin from Nazareth, in Palestine, which a Greek monk took to the Monastery of Kauliniana in the fourth century and was later taken to Nazaré by Friar Romano, who hid it in a cave. The image, which remained there for four centuries, was later discovered by shepherds, who then came to venerate it, such as D. Fuas Roupinho, chief parson of the Castle of Porto de Mós, who is at the beginning of another story. The legend says that D. Fuas Roupinho had a habit of hunting in the region and that one day he also discovered the image and worshipped it. Then, on a misty morning in 1182, he pursued a deer, which disappeared on the cliff. Frightened, he asked Our Lady for help, and his horse stopped in time, leaving its mark on the rock. In gratitude, D. Fuas Roupinho ordered the construction of Ermida da Memória (Memory Chapel) and the Virgin named the place, Sítio de Nossa Senhora de Nazareth, place of its devotees pilgrimage. And because there are traditions that still remain, it still happens. If the giant waves attract visitors throughout the winter, this Site, the viewpoint and its beach call them through the summer, making Nazaré an attractive year-round destination. "Before, with an economic activity based on three months a year (summer, plus the peaks by Easter season and New Year's Eve), Nazaré today has between 10 to 11 months per year of activity, which translates in economic benefits for the county," commented Walter Chicharro, adding that "occupancy rates in hotels also became very significant in winter months." Growth has been significant in several areas. "Our growth is also noticeable in urban planning licenses (the City Hall charged licenses in the order of 150 thousand euros), licenses for hotel projects (a new five-star unit is expected

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to start its construction in 2018) and the number of private residences (especially for foreigners). The increase of the municipal tax and the billing of 300 thousand euros by the municipal company Nazaré Qualifica (2017: Fort tickets and merchandising of the brand) are other indicators that confirm this growth", explained the mayor.

A destination with great value From the business tourism perspective, Nazaré has a sea of potential: its natural and landscape qualities, its positioning in the centre of the country and accessibility, its resources (human and equipment) efficiency, "to give answer to what we consider to be economic enablers: events", are some of the great advantages of Nazaré to stand out in the events and incentives sectors.

"We believe that the future will still include sea and beach sports events (such as European and world bodyboard tournaments, surfing / big wave championships, football and beach handball, whose return has been quite significant), but also for cultural and artistic events, not forgetting to win over industry for the AAE [Área de Acolhimento Empresarial - Business Reception Area] of Valado dos Frades", which already has 70% of the business area sold, an "achievement met over the last three years", Walter Chicharro told us. In addition, the municipality continues to qualify public areas and its accessibility to make the destination increasingly attractive at various levels. Nazaré intends to stay afloat in the country's tourist and business scenario, surfing all the opportunity waves.

MARIA JOÃO LEITE

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