Kongres november 2012

42 Kongres travelogue:

PCO is the conductor of the symphony orchestra

Ljubljana, Zagreb, Beograd

Davor Bruketa

Daniela Kos

Gorazd Ä?ad

SOUTHEAST EUROPE MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE, VOLUME VI, ISSUE 5, NOVEMBER 2012 www.kongres-magazine.eu OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SLOVENIAN CONVENTION BUREAU www.slovenia.info

ISSN 1 8 5 5 - 8 6 1 5

12 Vincent van Wulfen

Citizens need to believe in a nation brand

9 771855 861009

6 How to brand a nation?

Arabs, Chinese, Indians and Europeans have long appreciated Malaysia’s position as a nexus for trade and meetings. So much so, they’re still here 600 years later.

Our predecessors once braved all manner of hazards to travel to Malaysia. Once here, they thrived amidst the many trade opportunities and warm hospitality of the local Malays. The result is a truly unique melting pot of cultures and customs. This infusion of influences makes Malaysians cosmopolitan and while we are forward-looking, we retain a strong sense of our traditions.

As the centre of Southeast Asia and strategically located between India and China, Malaysia knows how to connect the world with Asia. Malaysia is English-speaking yet multilingual; a vibrant emerging economic and business centre; and a great value-for-money destination. You will see it in our ability to host any meeting, incentive trip, convention and exhibition. Malaysia has all the first-world infrastructure you want in a destination enhanced by a fusion of Asian cultures, food and hospitality.

Malaysia - Asia’s Business Events Hub Scan this code to visit our website

MALAYSIA CONVENTION & EXHIBITION BUREAU (MyCEB) Suite 14.3, Level 14, Menara IMC, No. 8 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: +603 2034 2090 Fax: +603 2034 2091 Email: info@myceb.com.my Web: www.myceb.com.my

Contents

Our selection

5 6 7

Page 6 Column:

A word from the editor Column by Paul Kennedy Column by Davor Bruketa

News: 10 Photo sessions Interview: 12 Vincent van Wulfen

In focus: 16 When worlds collide – how hybrid dialogue can lead to real life connections 20 A future beyond social, mobile and digital tactics 24 How to use new technologies in tourism marketing 26 Short CVB interviews about the present and future Surveys: 28 New media and destinations marketing: the theoretical and practical analysis 30 December 2012 Price Barometer for a Selection of

Cities in SE Europe Gastronomy: 32 Sexy Congress recipes

How to brand a nation?

Citizens need to believe in a nation brandr Davor Bruketa Page 16 In focus:

When worlds collide – how hybrid dialogue can lead to real life connections

Should you feel that keeping online contact is a burden and a waste of time? Find out in this article Ruud Janssen Page 42 Kongres travelogue:

Ljubljana, Zagreb, Beograd

34

Kongres at the Keyhole

Gorazd Čad

42 48 52

Kongres travelogue: Ljubljana Zagreb Beograd

Page 64 Croatia Addendum:

56

Kongres Ljubljana: News from Ljubljana Tourism – Convention Bureau

Examples & advice: 57 Good practise examples 58 Gadgets 59 www.srceslovenije.si 59 Kongres Magazine – Interesting reading

60

Top 10 TOP 10 SEE winter incentive & meetings destinations

64 68 70 72 76 78 79

Croatia Addendum: Croatian convention and incentive bureau Croatian hoteliers and agents on congress year 2012 & 2013 Roko Palmić: Are you “green”?

Ivica Max Krizmanić: Esplanade Zagreb is a brand for itself Why is it important to have a pco certificate?

Enfant Terrible: Leo Urlić Treat yourselves to Advent in Zagreb!

82 86 88

Kongres telescope Malaysia - The crossroads of Asia A Very Warm Welcome Bangkok Revs Up for Business

FIRST SOUTHEAST EUROPE MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief: Gorazd Čad; Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief: Jan Klavora; Editor of Croatia Addendum: Daniela Kos; Editor of Kongres Telescope: Robert Cotter; Associate Editor of Kongres Telescope: Artemis Skordili; Editorial Board: Renata Balažic, Gorazd Čad, Anuša Gaši, Miha Kovačič, Viljam Kvalić, Srečo Peterlič, Tatjana Radovič, Maja Vidergar, Rok Klančnik; Editorial Board of Croatia Addendum: Daniela Kos, Aleksandra Uhernik Đurđek, Roko Palmić; Design: Andreja Martinc; DTP and prepress: Premedia, Andrej Juvan; Translation: Danaja Besnard, Ivan Ćesić; Printing: Almarose d.o.o.; Circulation: 6000 copies; ISSN Number: 1855-8615 KONGRES magazine is media partner of:

3

Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau

Croatia is Mediterrenean, Central European and a Danubian country Daniela Kos Page 72 Croatia Addendum:

Ivica Max Krizmanić:

Esplanade Zagreb is a brand for itself Daniela Kos Page 82 Kongres telescope

Malaysia - The Crossroads of Asia Asia’s Meetings Gateway

The Kongres magazine is entered into the media register under sequence number 1423.

Magazine issued in: January; April; July; October; December Publisher, Production and Marketing: Toleranca Marketing d.o.o., Štihova 4, SI-1000 Ljubljana, T: +386 (0)1 430 51 03 , F: +386 (0)1 430 51 04, E: kongres@go-mice.eu Issue date: November 2012 For the content reproduction it is required to get the written editorial consigment.

www.facebook.com/kongres.magazine

@kongresmagazine

Go smart. Go creative. Go mice.

conGress and

marketinG aGency

www.go-mice.eu

5

A word from the editor

Gorazd ÄŒad

TO PRINT OR NOT TO PRINT Hamlet dilemma about the future of media

ast year's final issue of Kongres wrapped up with the future of media's 'Hamlet' dilemma. We stated that the future in these uncertain times is certainly going to be digital.

Let's see whether we have turned the written theory into practice.

L

After about a year, the statement can be confirmed in practice and with concrete data.

partnerships with the International Meetings Review, Croatia Meetings and through the promotion at international trade fairs. In practice this means:

we can now quickly, efficiently and measurably address your key customers.

Effective reach - dedicated readers (per issue)

The printed magazine continues to have the power of commenting and in-depth discussions and will eventually grow into a luxury product.

Let me conclude with the traditional editorial message at the end of 2012.

300.000 meeting professionals

International Meetings Review Croatia Meetings

5.000 meeting professionals

International Trade Shows

3.500 meeting professionals

Each issue of the magazine is read by some 53,200 readers; of this 66% read the digital version and 34% the printed version. Let's look in more detail:

If we also add to all this the visits on our website and our social networks, we get an interesting direct digital marketing mix without any real competition in the region.

6 YEARS, 53.200 READERS Kongres Magazine has a total unduplicated reach of 41.200 meeting professionals. An average of three persons reads each single hard copy - in other words, one magazine issue has an average of 53.200 readers.

www.kongres-magazine.com mothly statistics Page Views

Visits

Unique Visitors

12.000 to 20.000

7.200 to 11.000

6.000 to 9.000

Social Net Print

18.000 readers

FACEBOOK

E-magazine

34.000 readers

TWITTER

i-Magazine

1.200 readers

In addition, in the last year we have increased our digital reach to an unattainable number for a more traditional media of 308,500 congress decision makers through

4.632 fans 128 followers

Modern media communication requires constant responsiveness and continuous adaptation to changes in communication.

Through the platform, which was announced last year at the same time,

In the editorial board of Kongres Magazine, we will not to wait for the media revolution in the field of congress media, but rather we want to co-create it.

Against the media drought we will fight with internationalisation of the contents, digitalisation and a targeted reach of congress decision makers through the right combination of communication channels. We are going to distinguish exclusive information from the daily information that will be accessible through mobile technologies, web and social networks.

Survivors will anyway be only the best, and those are the ones who know how to take advantage of the entire range of current and future media platforms.

6

Column

South East Europe – A destination for the meetings industry that cannot be reached?

Use the national carriers to drive demand for the destination, invest strategically and effectively in organisations such as the convention bureau Paul Kennedy

As the political awareness of the meetings industry is gaining momentum throughout the world, there can be little debate that strategic investment in infrastructure development remains disjointed in many ways. The opportunity cost because of this lack of joined up thinking at a macro economic level by governments and national airlines can be striking.

I have now been closely associated with South East Europe for a number of years and over the last three more so with my association with Conventa. During this time, a recurring theme among the many high profile internationally recognised business experts in our industry has been all too consistent –

great region but difficult to access comparative to other destinations close by such as Vienna and even Athens.

There is simply no doubt that factors limiting the growth of the meetings industry in the region include a lack of investment by governments in promoting the destinations and the increasing, yes increasing difficulty for congress and event planners in accessing the key meeting and event facilities by air with national airlines seeking a free market solution to managing the airlines despite a relatively small economic/demographic critical mass to depend on.

Put in another way, the airlines are not being regarded or seen as a cost effective use of government investments in order to drive inward investment – in the case of international meetings

and events the per capita economic gain would be far greater than that from leisure tourism.

Every economic impact study carried out so far using the methodology developed through the offices of the UN World Tourism Organisation, which uses the national accounts of the individual countries concerned, proves without question the considerable economic benefit to be derived from the business of meetings and events.

In the run up to Conventa in 2012, the national carrier at short notice simply cancelled routes to major European cities which not only impacted negatively on the event but more importantly in the long run, and projected the clear message that Slovenia was closed for business in the winter months.

This constitutes a major missed opportunity – most of Europe from late October through to the end of November and mid January to the end of March is extremely busy for the meetings industry – indeed, November and March are often the key peak months for many destinations. With some joined up macroeconomic planning at a government level with a private public sector partnership, there is a long term golden opportunity to place the region in the forefront of consideration by congress and event planners when considering which destinations to choose for their BUSINESS and their greater per capita consumption than leisure tourists!

It is globally accepted that ACCESSIBILTY to a destination is always in the top three criteria for selecting a destination – accessibility principally through budget airlines however well they are managed simply means that a destination remains or becomes ever more uncompetitive.

Such positioning brings with it ever greater lost economic benefit, fewer jobs than then might otherwise be and definitely lower taxation revenue might also be collected.

The solution for Slovenia and its neighbours is clear, use the national carriers to drive demand for the destination, invest strategically and effectively in organisations such as the convention bureaux whose job is to drive economic benefit for destinations and do both of these things at the time of the year when the global congress and events markets need it – the results will, over time, be measurable in terms of contribution to GDP, job creation, taxation revenue (and incidentally, the congress business drives additional tourism not the other way round) let alone the great social impact of transfer of knowledge and business know-how.

7

Column

How to brand a nation?

Citizens need to believe in a nation brand

Davor Bruketa

Davor Bruketa is the Creative Director in Bruketa&Žinić OM, a group of agencies that specialize in brand strategy, design, strategic planning and all forms of online and offline communication. The group consists of advertising agencies: Bruketa&Žinić OM Zagreb, Popular Bruketa&Žinić OM - Belgrade, Bruketa&Žinić OM - Baku, Brandoctor brand consultancy, Brlog digital agency and Brigada, retail design studio.

The branding of a nation is nothing more than an image that a nation or a country reflects to the world. However, this image cannot be created through the logo of a country or a series of adverting campaigns for its tourism or industry.

It is the image that is deeply rooted in a historical perception of a nation, its important figures and its people.

What is most important, it is an image its citizens have about themselves, their own country, their own political system, their own competences and flows, first and foremost their own future. Maybe citizens themselves are the most important target group when we talk about national branding. Just like competent and successful companies, whether global or local, cannot be truly recognized as successful and competent if their own employers do not believe they are so, nations cannot strive to brand themselves in the direction their own people do not believe is true. This kind of “forced” branding is bound to flop. That’s why it is important for any nation that strives to develop its branding to first look at its self in the mirror.

In life, it is very useful when as many people as possible recognize you as a person who is good at something, a person with a useful skill or good character.

In order to become well known for something, it is important to focus on one area and to attempt to become the best you can in that area.

Of course, one cannot become an expert overnight, but it is important that you make it clear to others what your focus is, what you are working on, and in what you want to become the best. If this is something that is useful for others and at the same time something that your environment recognizes as a realistic ambition, first you will receive small opportunities from your immediate environment, which, if well used, will open the doors to new and greater opportunities.

The same is true for brands, companies and countries…

For example let’s take a look at Croatia, a central European, and Mediterranean country.

What makes this country recognizable in a global context?

According to recent surveys, Croatia is still poorly recognizable in the global context.

When it is recognized, there are three primary associations: a country with a beautiful sea (nature), a country with relative success in football (sport), and a country ravaged by war in the 1990s.

This is not bad, as the first two are positive associations, and many countries in the world would be happy with that. Due to the fact that many believe Croatia has a beautiful coast, the country 's tourism revenue is solid, and it is visited by a large number of guests who leave

behind a lot of money. This is a solid start.

When many people want to come into contact with you, you then have the opportunity to show and prove things that might further increase your revenue.

However, the fact that someone recognizes Croatia as a country with a beautiful sea does not help its other industries much.

Furthermore, there are many other countries with beautiful seas. Croatia is not irreplaceable.

Germany, on the other hand, is considered to be a country inhabited by hard-working, precise and technically educated people. This perception helps people around the world have an a priori positive attitude towards an entire range of German products and services. Such a perception even helps when the product or service does not meet the expected level of quality as people are then inclined to be less critical.

Croatia too, of course, needs an association that would help its businesses. It is an unknown fact that Croatia produces cutting-edge city trams, probably as good as the German ones.

So let’s take the example of two tram carriages: “This tram was manufactured in a country with hard-working, precise and technically competent people” (Germany) or “This tram was manufactured in a country with a beautiful sea” (Croatia). What are the citizens of, for example, a Polish city, to think? Did the mayor buy the best possible tram if he bought them in Germany, or if he bought them in Croatia? It is in the mayor's best interest that the people think well of him when that same tram gets stuck in a Polish city covered in snow. If the tram was purchased in Germany, the snow will be to blame, and if it is purchased in Croatia, the tram will be blamed.

8

The most significant association tied to Croatia has nothing to do with its citizens and its accomplishments. Namely, the Croatian sea is beautiful, with or without the Croats.

It is important to understand that expanding this group of associations is only possible through the organic expansion of the existing associations, taking into consideration the mind-set, knowledge, historical context, culture and customs of a community. It is necessary to select associations that are natural, and positively build onto the existing state. It is necessary to find something that both the internal and external public will perceive as positive, but realistically founded on the existing principles.

The association “Croatia is a country with a beautiful, pristine sea” could be expanded to say that “Croatia is a country with beautiful, pristine nature”.

How can this association be expanded further? If Croatia is a country with beautiful, pristine nature, does that mean that healthy food could be produced there? There is the spatial potential, knowledge and people who believe that locally grown food is healthy. This association could be a good foundation for building market brands in the area of healthy food, in which Croatia could get involved in the global trend of opposing genetically modified ingredients. This is one of the opportunities of building global Croatian brands.

“Croatia – a beautiful country with pristine nature and an ambition to become a global leader in organic food production”. With such a group of associations Croatia would significantly strengthen the uniqueness of its positioning. However, it could do better still. Today it is perfectly clear that a country without serious industrial production and a

high degree of energy dependence is unlikely to enter the club of the most successful nations. But what kind of industry should a country, known for its natural beauty and an ambition to become a global leader in the production of organic food, have? Isn’t that contradictory?

No. Croatia has a tradition of electrical engineering, shipbuilding and an electric vehicle industry, such as previously mentioned trams and trains. The country's possible ambition to become a leader in production of healthy food could be expanded to all other industries that support sustainable development.

This is a global niche. Why? Developed countries have large and diverse economies.

These are massive ships and changing course is difficult.

Undeveloped countries lack the knowledge and consensus on a development vision.

Croatia is somewhere in between: small enough to be able to change quickly,

undeveloped enough that it hasn’t destroyed its landscape, but developed enough to have the fundamental knowledge upon which to build its further development. In a word, it has an opportunity.

If Croatia were to emphasize an ambition to be the global leader in the development of an ecologically acceptable society, this would help numerous other sectors of its economy.

For example, Croatian tourism could aim to become the global leader in ecological tourism. This would vertically integrate the entire economy. The production of organic food would have a fundamental sales channel in Croatian tourism, which would be a fundamental promotional channel for Croatian organic food brands. Guests would have the opportunity to try Croatian organic brands and see where they are produced, and they would be able to recognize them on the store shelves in Germany. This could be a possible way for Croatia to uniquely reposition itself from “a place where you can see nice nature” to “eco-tourism”. How many countries are positioned like this today? Very few. Certainly much fewer than those who claim “we have beautiful nature”.

10 News

Photo session

Inside2012 - International Conference on DIGITAL AND CREATIVE FUTURE of global meetings industry, 29-30 August, Belgrade , Serbia

www.inside2012.eu

HOT&REST, Trade Show for Hotels and Restaurants, 13-14 November, Bled, slovenia

www.hotrest.si

11

Photo session

SPA-CE – 4th Trade Show of SPA and Wellness tourism in Central Europe, from 25-26 October, Terme Zreče, Slovenia

www.spa-ce.si

Natour Alps – 5th Travel and Trade Show of Active Holidays, 11-13 October, Kobarid, Slovenia

www.natour-alps.eu

News

12 Interview

13

Vincent van Wulfen: PCO is the conductor of the symphony orchestra

Vincent van Wulfen began his career in the Netherlands Convention Bureau in 1980 and later established and led PCO agencies as well as the congress department of the largest Dutch University Hospital AMC. He is the carrier of the MPI certificate for CMM (Certified Meeting Manager) and in his 30-year career he has participated in the organization of more than 600 meetings. Since 1996 to 1998 Vincent was the president of the association IAPCO, and recently became its honourable member. He is the member of many professional associations, a lecturer and founder of the study of conference management and today he deals with consulting activities in his own company M2C2 (www.m2c2.nl).

Who is PCO – Professional Congress Organizer? What is the key factor for the specialization and excellence of these types of companies on the market?

The organization of congresses is a special profession and demands specific knowledge and trained and experience staff. PCO is a company that has an entire series of specialist knowledge and skills necessary for the organization of national and international congresses, conferences and other meetings and support to clients in the organization and implementation of meetings. The project managers in these types of companies need to reign in various areas: creating programs and the coordination of orators and their summaries in cooperation with the client, managing the budget and finances, gathering sponsors, organizing the exhibition part, registering the participants, the organization of accommodation and transport, social events, marketing and public relations and all other areas necessary for a quality event. No other company – marketing or public relations agency, congress office or tourist agency – has such a wide spectra of knowledge. Therefore, PCO will for certain business meetings arrange a tourist agency or a PR agency, but it is the one that conducts the orchestra, a symphony orchestra at that, not a band of four men. PCO has under its control the entire organization and all other suppliers and guarantees a quality performance of the entire meeting. It could be said that it composes the music of the entire event at the request of the client.

Do the Netherlands have a legal regulative that defines the status of PCO companies?

There is no legal regulative connected to the standardization of PCO and DMC companies in the world, and therefore not in the Netherlands. Even in the early 80’s of the last century we came upon a problem: all types of companies were calling themselves PCO or DMC agencies and many tourist agencies wanted to take over exclusive rights to this

Interview

region. But they are only a part of the story in the professional organization of congresses, such as PR agencies, translators or suppliers of audio-visual equipment. Therefore we have decided to gather within the industry and within the professional association VNC Vereniging Nederlandse Congresbelangen we independently set the standards of quality of service providers in the meetings industry. We developed an independent body, an Association for measuring the quality of congress centres and PCOs and established a system of quality under the name Vergaderhamer which we have developing for one year, under the model of IAPCO standards which we adapted to the Dutch market. Today, approximately 90% of leading congress areas and PCO companies are included in this type of evaluation system and they are evaluated with one to five hammers depending on what level of quality services they offer. A PCO agency must have a minimum of two experienced project managers for at least three years; have experience organizing at least 5 international congresses with at least 500 participants and 10 national congresses with at least 200 participants. Companies pay a membership fee or an evaluation independently and often for “secret” consultants who can see at the spot of the suppliers are following the set standards, and as compensation they receive market support from the association. This type of system is well accepted and among clients who arrange suppliers for their events because in this way they are guaranteed quality services and it is easier for them to choose a real partner because they know what they could expect.

Therefore, it is on the members of the industry to organize and bring for themselves the rules of the game because they best know their market and possibilities.

Are Dutch and Belgium clients obligated to arrange PCO companies for their event even if they have experience and knowledge for an independent organization of a meeting?

If you are the organizer of a business event, nobody can force you to arrange a PCO agency.

14 Interview

That is the free will of the company or individual if they want professional help in the organization. Therefore, it is their risk whether they will successfully organize a quality conference or if the conference will fail due to their insufficient experience and knowledge.

Furthermore, they can decide to arrange a PCO company only for part of the work, for example for accommodation or billing the registration fee. Usually the organizer, or the organizational board leaves the most under their own control – creating the program for the conference and arranging a lecturer and control over the budget, and everything else can be outsourced.

open and honest because clients are not stupid. Today, everything thing can be checked on the internet, from the price of rooms and so on. In the Netherlands there are some tourist agencies which have a bad reputation because when they see a larger congress being prepared, they negotiate allotment prices with hotels who then resell them to the clients for double the price. This was maybe possible during the beginning of the 90’s, but not anymore. Do not fool the clients, be transparent. Tell them at the beginning: we do not charge a provision, but we do charge a smaller hourly fee / we charge a larger hourly fee, but we do not take a provision.

Let us be honest, in order to organize a smaller conference, you do not need to be a rocket scientist or in some cases a PCO company is not necessary. On the other hand, you should have in mind that organizing a conference covers many details and an experienced PCO company can help in a way that it organizes things in a shorter period of time and with less costs because it has good relations with other suppliers, they know where they can additionally save money and how to negotiate with hotels and alike. A PCO company that offers the complete service in organizing congresses leans on a series of skills such as management, communication, marketing, finances, logistics and so on. The concept of PCO emerged from the need for professionally led conferences and an event manager includes various skills that are imbued in order to receive a good result. The PCO increases the quality of the event and raises it to a higher level.

Do not sell a destination from the tourist point of view. Start selling it as a centre of knowledge. Find universities, hospitals, research laboratories, scientific institutes which are leading in their sectors. Support their members in order to mutually attract conferences in destinations. Do not only look at your own interests. Cooperate with the congress office in order to mutually promote a destination. Have faith in each other. Embrace new technologies. Answer to the needs of the clients. Give them free internet access if this contributes to the result. Create innovative and more favourable ways to a similar or better result.

Often it happens that the organizer of meetings does not want to arrange a PCO company in order to save money. In what way can PCO companies deal with this and how can they keep their competitiveness?

In order for success, it is necessary to have a good partnership and an honest relation between the client and PCO companies. Be

Daniela Kos

16 In focus

When worlds collide – How hybrid dialogue can lead to real life connections Should you feel that keeping online contact is a burden and a waste of time? Find out in this article

Which of the below have you found to be true if you think of the meetings you’ve recently had in your career as a meetings professional?

A) “Terrific to finally meet you in person!”

B) “I just don’t seem the have the time to get myself connected” C) “How do you manage to be so active in your online contacts? “

Ruud Janssen, CMM is a veteran international conference organiser, marketing coach, award winning e-marketeer, association volunteer leader, vice chair of Project Meeting Architecture, advisory board member for Meeting Support Institute and past Board member on the International Board of Directors of MPI, emerging technologies speaker and entrepreneur at ©TNOC | The New Objective Collective. ©TNOC crafts digital footprints and bespoke new media platforms for congresses and events and enables membership based organisation to stimulate, capture, organise and dissiminate content and dialogue using new media. He can be followed on twitter on @ruudwjanssen, contacted at connect@tnoc. ch or for more resource see his website http:// www.tnoc.ch .

It seems to me that if you are stuck in category B) and wondering what all the fuss is about, this article is meant for you. I will cite my personal experience and share 7 tools I use in my organisation that have transformed the way I work, communicate and function in a connected hybrid playing field. After solid experimentation, I’m now officially and advocate. I’m motivated to convert you; should you feel that keeping online contact is a burden and a waste of time.

Only recently have I come across recurring instances where people I had never met before, spontaneously seek to meet up with me, when our travels paths crossed. Often at industry meetings and trade shows.

How does that happen?

First I thought to myself, I was learning a new language plus dialogue and I was (finally) getting the message across to my hybrid colleagues. Then consequently the dialogue I started online seemed to resonate and lead to real live encounters with peers, prospects and a whole series on people I had never met before.

Apparently, as I was told, some had read links I had shared with snippets of valuable content.

By writing about what I see; experimenting with form and format. By rethinking and asking questions about how we craft dialogue online and to think about what captures the hybrid audience.

By doing so, and expressing my views and experiences online, it seems I have captured

the interest of an audience I never connected with before in real life. And then, as if meant to be, you suddenly meet the real people behind the avatars on linkedin, facebook, twitter, ning. Not by chance only, because your meeting was prepared by online connections on events, interest groups, tripit travel, Dopplr destination profiles, Foursquare and Gowalla location based tracking and networking systems.

What I never realized until the past year is that the quality and intensity of the trust built up through our online conversations actually allowed for both parties to build up a level of trust.

That trust level then translates as I experienced an in depth discussion from the first real life meeting. In short, you have the time and space to prepare the meetings with people that are of interest to you and that you value dialogue with.

Simply, by personally being open to continuous learning, by reading, researching and writing (micro)blogs, articles, videos and images and teaching students about our meeting industry trade, it occurred to me that we are in the midst of a communication [r] evolution.

We are all learning to read, write and speak a newly developing language; the language of connectivity.

The language we learn, because technology has enabled the developments of this new language. And by our curiosity, we explore, discover and try new options, never available

17 In focus

to us before. These new media allow us to experiment with geolocation, peer to peer chat, write to a global audience and comment on topics that are of interest to us on blog and microblog posts. Hierarchy is no longer relevant; insight and interest is. Traditional communication pyramids are crumpling under the speed and relevance of online dialogue and conversation.

We are getting engaged in a completely new way and it is very exciting to learn this language as I am experiencing right now.

I would like to share some of these experiences in this article by pointing out those developments that I’ve found to be of most use and impact for preparation and post event dialogue for events and membership based organisations.

Let me name, like in my previous articles, 9 randomly selected tools that I use on a daily basis in my organisation ©TNOC | The New Objective Collective to stay in touch effectively and have ample time for real life meetings and the meaningful things in life.

Central Desktop is an online projectmanagement and wiki-like intranet tool that allows you to set up projects with internal collaborators and external customers, and manage all types of communication, file and document sharing.

It’s a great tool for creating online operations, engaging volunteer leaders and retaining knowledge bases for associations or SME companies.

With both public and private workspaces, users work and collaborate in realtime. You can use it as a makeshift event website integrating project management tasks as well as integrated web meetings and syndicate messages and content to Twitter and Facebook .

Dropbox is simply a high powered FTP site, but the interface and work flow is impressive.

Users simply drag files to dropbox desktop folders, which are then uploaded and stored online. You can share folders with anyone.

Upload a file and it shows up on tyour remote coworker’s desktop.

You can even set up public folders so anyone can send large files without clogging mailboxes. Also be on the lookout for the upcoming new cloud service providers such as Apple’s iCloud and the (yet to be launched) Google Drive Posterous - so you know a blog can be beneficial to drive traffic to your organisation.

You’ve written an article from time to time, but just can’t get into the rhythm of writing periodically? That’s just what I felt when I started. As a matter of fact,

Posterous is the first ever free tool I’ve encountered where you do not need to create a user account.

Just send a mail to post@posterous.com and your blog has started. Easily configurable, good-looking and used by the pro’s that do not care to spend lots of time in crafting a Wordpress, Bloger or Typepad stylesheet based blog. Do be careful because Posterous was recently bought up by Twitter and we need to see what they decide to do with it in the near future.

Google Alerts and Google Reader - a place to setup your social filters and let Google reader do the work for you. Type in the tags and word combinations you want to monitor and the information is filtered for you.

BeamME, Gowalla, Foursquare - Let people

know where you are and when you are there.

Make meetings happen and prepare your encounters when you do have the time. Using Apps like Gowalla and Foursquare, (any device will do using a browser or resident Apps on iPhone) you can be found and you can find others. Certainly at large events and tradeshows this can be very useful to meet up with your hybrid dialogue counterparts.

BeamMe is a location based tool that looks for linked in contacts that could match your profile in your direct vicinity based on your geolocation and linkedin profile.

Both Foursquare and Gowalla were successfully launched at an interactive Conference, Music and Film festival in Texas called South by Southwest (SXSW) and are now growing quickly globally. They are more pure location based systems to track and share photos and details, tips of where you currently are. Watch out for these technologies and how your audience uses them. They may just become as popular as Twitter who also premiered there service onsite at events in 2007 at SXSW. A true tipping point for this technology which is now a household name.

Hootsuite - the professional backoffice for any serious new media user. Hootsuite has just revamped their service in HTML 5 and allows you to post status updates, tweets to profiles in just about any social media feed including, Twitter, Facebook (pages, groups and personal pages), Linked in. It also allows you to track specific twitter #hashtags which are used a group discussion topics or to communicate to large groups of followers during an event (for instance #worldcup or #g20) Hootsuite also has a way of tracking links and providing statistics through Google Analytics to backtrack who, where and through what

18 In focus

channel is engaging in discussions with you or amplifying your message through their networks. Hootsuite now also provides ways for teams to service multiple accounts and have a division of tasks and responsibilities to service comments and requests for your organisation.

Ustream, Livestream and Watchitoo - picture a broadcasting studio right in your browser.

This is now commonly available and I advise you to experiment in viewing (and later streaming) your own broadcasts or event stream with the click of a button. Try it, it’s fascinating and very easy.

A number of these solutions allow you to craft bespoke channels for your organisation and even mix signals from past video recording, stills and live streams.

Ideal at events to include your hybrid attendees.

Twubs - Hashtags made useful. Originally developed for church volunteer communities in the United States but now modified and adapted to make hashtags useful for (live) events.

This tool is particularly helpful if you want to combine existing twitter audiences used to the symantics of the Twitter Haiku, and those who do not have a clue how twitter works.

Imagine a twub to be a hub for all the digital dialogue around your event all wrapped into one online place. The multmedia, tweets, photo’s conversations, automatically translated into English and presented in a bespoke browser window. Also you can extract a moderated backchannel from the twub to be presented on a screen in your break area or beside the main staging area. Twubs broadcast screens can be moderated for speed, content and styled to reflect the look and feel of your event branding.

Social Mention - get a sense of the sentiment around your brand, organisation or congress.

What are people saying in their online communication? Is it positive, negative or neutral? How many advocates do you have and where can you find / reach them? Try it on www.socialmention.com it simple and its free. No login required!

Digital Dashboard - After you start seeing the benefits of crafting a strategy for your digital footprint, you are ready to develop messaging and dialogue strategy. Whether you are developing this competency in house by trial and error (big time investment) or by collaborating with a specialised service provider that knows your industry (careful, there are not many out there that have more than 3 to 4 years experience in this field as it is brand new!), make sure you have your measuring stick ready to benchmark where you start and how your footprint grows. TNOC has developed a customised New Media Dash Board which integrates the boundless statistics which can be found into 1 practical overview.

Details can be found on www.tnoc.ch

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Motivational programmes and sports meetings:

• Rogla with its intact nature, sports hall, Petra Majdič Cross-Country Skiing Centre and Fun Park (Bike & Snow Park), • winter team building programmes, • an experienced and professional team that supports the organiser.

Info: +386 3 757 61 63, breda.einfalt@unitur.eu, www.terme-zrece.eu, www.rogla.eu

20 In focus

A future beyond social, mobile and digital tactics The one thing you can predict with absolute certainty is that change happens

According to the Gartner Hype Cycle, a ”technology trigger” such as a new platform, channel or tool, will often cause a period of ”inflated expectations” across any industry.

Perceptions of magic bullets, ultimate answers or holy grails are eagerly shared across industry commentators, whilst acronyms and cool new words are created, making unknown marketers into experts. Companies make big bets on this brave new world, employing their staff to fill roles prefixed with “Head of” or suffixed with “Guru”.

Jonathan MacDonald is a talented businessman and entrepreneur with two decades of experience in assisting over 100 companies globally in the creation and execution of commercial and digital strategies. During his career Jonathan has, among other things, been responsible for creating the world-wide mobile strategy for Ogilvy, played a key role launching Blyk, ad funded mobile network, created the Ministry of Sound’s digital strategy, launched a Sky TV channel, and advised the British Government on how to support the music industry, in addition to having been a Chairman of the British Music Industries Association Jonathan’s vision, experience, contribution to the industry, entrepreneurial spirit and passion makes him a respected thoughtleader and a widely requested speaker at key conferences and corporate events around the world. Jonathan is the author of cited books, whitepapers and articles on communication, social media and mobile, and has 100,000+ monthly readers of his blog, and 55,000+ twitter followers He is the Co-founder of This Fluid World - a strategic think-tank and advisory service for transitioning organisations. You can find out more by following this link: thisfluidworld.com

These bets are often tactical rather than strategic, with hope of a fundamental business upside.

Speakers talk about concepts that may or may not be based on any structured reasoning, whilst the confusion inside audiences is used as justification that yes, indeed, everything has changed – thus fuelling inflated expectations out of panic if nothing else.

The Gartner Hype Cycle then dictates there is a ”trough of disillusionment”: a period where we realise that our expectations were too high, too elaborate, or too far removed from anything tangible.

Gradually there is a ”slope of enlightenment” where things make actual business sense and finally we do business in a ”plateau of productivity”.

So says the Gartner Hype Cycle and over the last 20 years in business, I’d have to agree.

The question is where are we now on the curve, if the technology trigger is a networked society of consumerised IT and empowered people with ability to access, edit, create,

publish and share information, without the need for large technology expenditure?

Even if we assess our position to be one of living with inflated expectations (often linked to some level of confusion), the two most common questions I hear are: 1. From all the trends and changes, what is likely to directly affect my business, either in a positive or negative way?

2. Due to the outcome of the first question, what should we be doing right now to best position ourselves for an uncertain future?

In my opinion these are the right questions to ask.

The starting point for any answers should be from a position of clarity. In other words, to assess what is likely to affect business in a positive or negative way, one needs to clearly understand what it happening that possibly could affect the business. There is so much information out there, it makes sense to either develop or hire a service that can constantly monitor what’s happening and distill it down.

Due to having little time to discover and learn, it’s important that the methodology of doing this is harmonious with our timeframes in day-to-day life and work.

In the context of congresses and events, there are some obvious areas worth monitoring.

Certainly the area of virtualisation, enabling physical interaction to be virtual, is shaping the concept of how a meeting or event takes place.

Taking this further it is worth monitoring developments in ‘Beaming’. Beaming is a scientific project for virtual transportation that

21 In focus

started in 2010 and runs until 2014 (http:// beaming-eu.org/). Despite it seeming farfetched, the reality is that technology and science are progressing so rapidly, there is a strong argument to consider beaming as a signpost of how people may be experiencing interaction in the future. Back in today though, even if you look at the rise in the capability and affordability of Internet powered communication, it is becoming more common to consider congresses and events involving people outside the geographic location. Today we occasionally see speakers broadcasting in (currently done using ad hoc VOIP calls or webcams), or events broadcasting out to non-attending attendees (currently mainly through live-stream video to websites), but if this became even more popular, how would it effect planning and profit?

There are other things too that may be worth monitoring. If any part of your business is involved in the physical production of items, from food to fabrics and everything in between, the developments in 3D printing should be observed carefully. You can read all about it here: http://tinyurl. com/3DValueChain. 3D printers can print out chocolate, car parts, and complex joints for knee operations. You may come across the The Maker Movement, and the more you discover about it, the more you will realise this will likely re-design value chains from start to finish, in all regions, across all industry verticals, including yours.

Perhaps as you monitor the changes outside your specific organisation you may find other topics that are potentially important. For instance, the empowerment of the general public has meant that people have similar capabilities as traditional organisations.

People can now promote as effectively as paid marketers and create, edit, publish and share content at super speed. Most of the population carries micro-journalism devices (a.k.a. phones) and the original hierarchy of corporation on top with customers beneath has now, for better or worse, been rebalanced. More on this subject here: http:// thisfluidworld.com/branddemocratisation/ and also here: http://tinyurl.com/ refuellingatpeacetime.

The structure of identity is morphing due to the capability of technology and the increasing feeling that companies don’t necessarily deserve all of our personal information.

It may be that your organisation doesn’t interface with the public, in which case it’s worth mentioning that the same applies even in a B2B context.. The speed of information and perception sharing is just as prolific in professional fields as it is in public. This means that the advocacy of people can and should be used in the best possible way to maximize value exchanges between what we offer and for whom we provide.

Looking elsewhere, those who have databases of people may be interested in the developments in digital personas.

You can read more about how our networked society is becoming increasingly prolific in multiple personas here if you wish: http:// tinyurl.com/singularpersonas. This subject is related to a central question around who owns what data, especially as the fascination around big data continues to grow: (http:// tinyurl.com/privacydilemma).

Being fortunate enough to assist companies all over the world, I've been able to observe how organisations handle topics like the ones mentioned here. The temptation is to fulfill the prediction of the Gartner Hype Cycle and create inflated expectations fuelled by tactics in lieu of strategy. This is true in the congresses and events industry as in any other.

I have found six overarching assumptions that drive sub-optimal organisational behaviour, and if these six where to be addressed, it wouldn’t take as long to reach the plateau of productivity.

Assumption 1. The future is all about digital to such an extent that companies invest considerable sums into becoming more comfortable with digital, mostly without any consideration of what digital means in terms of actual business practice. For example, how digital affects the entire extended marketing mix rather than seeing digital purely as a campaign consideration. What's actually needed is harmonisation between traditional business logic and new world paradigms, rather than singular inspiration.

Assumption 2. Mobile is a separate discipline It is exceedingly common to find mobile removed from other channels and considered on its own rather than in cohesion with all other channels. This removal dilutes the opportunity to use mobile as a vehicle to make traditional channels work harder - activating a poster campaign, linking a TV ad to sales, or galvanising an army of fans. What's actually needed is a strategically sound understanding of how mobile can add value to other channels and the people at the other end of the value chain.

Assumption 3. Social is a media For one reason or another, where there are many eyeballs there's a media planner salivating. The reality is that social interactions are a different science than the bought or owned media environments of old.

Social interactions run on a syntax of social capital, exchanging social currencies for joint value.

22 In focus

Thus the only media in this space is earned media that is earn-able through positive interactions, transparency, consistency and authenticity. These drive trust which fuels loyalty. Without these, media cannot be earned. In conclusion, the entire media strategy in social media would need to be a trust building strategy – yet commonly it's about how cool a Facebook page can look. It's the expectation of some form of profitable result that I find most interesting.

What's actually needed is a pure purpose that manifests in missions that people can believe in and take action upon, thus building on positivity to result in trustworthy relationships.

Assumption 4. Knowing something is a proxy for doing something This happens often when people listen to something explained and then nod saying "yeah, we're on top of that". When you look deeper you often find that there are many who are aware but few who do something about it. Knowing isn't doing, but it tricks a person into thinking they are doing something by knowing about it.

That's a major issue. What's actually needed is an automatic inclusion of the question "so what are we doing about it?" alongside the thought of "we're on top of that".

Assumption 5. Current speed is fast enough Many organizations feel that the current speed of strategy or activity is fast enough to keep up with the changes outside the organisation. Logically, this would require full understanding of the speed of change outside your company, including all competitors and shifts in customer expectations, but in reality, the understanding of external speed is mainly embryonic.

This results in false comfort that tricks people into thinking the internal speed of strategy or activity is fast enough.

Rather than outline the outcomes, I'll leave you to imagine what that can possibly mean. What's actually needed is constant restlessness that disallows the arrogance in thinking that we're fast or agile enough.

will somehow "cover off the new stuff". The reality? This isn't a channel addition we're living through, nor is the economic downturn a 'recession'. No, this is a paradigm shift of industrial revolution proportions. What's actually needed is fundamental re-evaluation and organisational transition across all functions, from processes to people.

In summary, we need to be challenging our own activity constantly and watching out for the traps caused by assuming that everything is fine as it is today. We need to be aware that there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that the one thing you can predict with absolute certainty is that change happens. If you're of the mindset that change is un-welcome, the bad news is that today is the slowest pace of change we'll ever experience.

Assumption 6. Existing structures will enable success There appears to be a consistent assumption that an enabling structure in this day and age is to "hire a head of social media", and then think that

100 95 75

25 5 0

Oglas Albatros 182 x 56 2012 14. november 2012 12:23:48

24 In focus

How to use new technologies in tourism marketing How to use them for organization events/ congresses and conferences

During recent times, when we are surrounded with the hustle and bustle of city life and constant technological innovations, we are becoming witnesses of the addiction to gadgets which without any doubt start to dictate the way we live. According to newest researches, there are more than six billions mobile phones in the world, thus

nowadays people have constant need to be in touch with each other –

Miloš Milisavljević is a founder and CEO of “Strawberry energy” Company. He is a creator of the Strawberry Tree and Starwberry Mini.

He is final year student at Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade. Miloš intensively works at entrepreneurship promotion between youth, by presenting and holding lectures about this issue throughout the country.

to call, to share content, to send a message, to tell something to someone, to be somewhere just in time, or simply said, people live in digitally connected world where not only our communication, but our whole digital life depends on smartphones and portable communication devices of all sorts.

On the other hand, this communication needs to be powered, and that is why people are dependent on energy sources. Whether we using mobile phones, cameras, mp3 players or any other similar devices, we find ourselves in a problem when confronted with an empty battery. We feel like we are disconnected from the whole world, lost and confused. We are in desperate need for solution, and what if that solution can also be green, sustainable and free?

Once you are at a concert, congress, fair or similar event, this problem seems even greater.

You would like to take a picture of something interesting for you, but your camera battery is empty, what then? Venues like congress and business centers, fairs, tower halls, libraries, arenas, and campuses would benefit a lot if we could find an answer to this problem.

Tourism and technology are progressing in similar direction and are mutually dependent.

Technology is transforming the tourism industry. Devices such as laptops and tablets opened a whole new door for presentation possibilities. The development of Internet and the occurrence of social media also left a visible mark on tourism. Expectations of travellers rose with the prosperity of technology; they want their experience to be perfect in every single aspect. The definition of tourists says that they are people travelling to and staying in places outside their usual environment. Whether we are talking about an individual or group of people, everybody reacts the same in the situation when being in unfamiliar environment and not being able to stay in touch.

They seek for connection, they want to be constantly informed about new travel offers, wish to immediately receive notification about a changed travel schedule, and they think that these expectations are legitimate because of the technology development.

Unfortunately, energy that is used to power all these devices today is mainly derived from “dirty” sources of energy which are in every single way bad for our environment. The only reasonable solution to this problem is to use renewable energy sources such as solar energy.

Strawberry Energy Company has developed solar chargers for mobile devices Strawberry Tree and Strawberry Mini which emerged as the answer to these two needs; the need for staying connected to the world wherever we are, and the need to raise

25 In focus

awareness about the importance of using renewable energy sources.

The Strawberry Mini is a small portable solar charger for mobile devices. Thanks to its smaller size, built-in wheels, the possibility to disassemble and the lack of a need for an external power source, the Strawberry Mini can be set up quickly in almost any location.

Whether you are in the concert hall at some music festival or you are participant in some fair, the lack of a battery charger and available energy source could be resolved, and what is even more important it could be solved by using clean energy.

There is a direct connection between this solar device and tourism industry efforts to become more green and sustainable. There are numerous different tourism markets which can include “Strawberry Mini”. According to the latest trends, there is a need for emerging concepts, so “Strawberry Mini” would be ideal for ski areas and resorts, national, amusement and theme parks and also for cultural activities such as concerts, expositions, festivals and other events where solar energy can be harnessed over a few days.

Bearing in mind that the industry gathers individuals with practically same interests in some field of activities or expertise, it is really important to spread green ideas and encourage its promotion in the communities.

By being greener and more environmentally responsible, event organizers can have great benefit from using Strawberry Mini.

They are also answering the basic instinct of event participants – to stay connected and informed – to recharge and reconnect using solar energy.

Circulating from one stand to another on a particular conference, taking a picture or two, texting a friend where to meet or tweeting an interesting fact you learned during some lecture you are most certain to be confronted with an empty battery. You are starting to panic, and all of a sudden you see an unfamiliar device with a big solar panel on top and a certain number of cables. You are approaching and quickly you realize that you can charge your mobile phone for free, using solar energy. Apart from charging your mobile device on the solar charger, you can find more information about the event agenda, venue, and information about hotels, restaurants or tourist attractions with maps on the embedded touch screen. A similar example could be a situation during a concert when you get separated from your group and your phone battery is empty.

This is one more extra thing that an event organizer can offer to every person visiting or participating in an event, and in that way provide them experience beyond their expectations and gain their trust to come next time. The same thing is with different venues.

New technologies are definitely influencing the tourism industry in so many ways.

Expectations of tourists are higher than ever and they will constantly grow in forthcoming period. Whether we talk about a national attraction, amusement parks or festivals, destination marketing is a blooming direction and like any type of marketing it is focused on satisfying the consumer, in this case the tourist.

The main goal is the economic and cultural development of a location in order to improve overall experience of tourists.

If individuals are faced with practical examples of renewable energy sources in a pleasant

environment, when they are relaxed and on vacation, and in addition they were provided help in an awkward situation – when their battery died, they will carry a clear message about the importance of using these energy sources on a simple way. This should also be one of the key goals of destination marketing – the promotion of green technologies.

Problems concerning ecology and energy inefficiency already became an integral part of our lives.

In years to come, the whole mankind will face more and more serious challenges. The demand for electricity is increasing, the reserves of fossil fuels are running out and environmental pollution is believed to be more intense now than at any other time in history. This trend is going to grow and it will influence all aspects of our presence.

Destination marketing, event management and convention tourism can contribute in raising awareness about the importance of clean energy sources and making one destination popular just because of its investments in renewable energy, especially having constant technological innovations in mind.

26 In focus

Short CVB interviews about the present and future

Nik Račić, Director of Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau of the Croatian National Tourist Board

What are the results in the field of the meeting industry in your destination this year and what are your expectations for 2013?

Croatia is well positioned in the international meetings industry market as a conference and incentives tourism destination. In order to achieve this, an important role is played by an outstanding geographical location in the centre of Europe and the Mediterranean, good conference infrastructure, good transport connections, high quality motorways and international airports, preserved natural environment, national parks and nature parks, quality drinking water, cultural heritage and gastronomy, and most importantly quality human potential that can meet the highest international standards.

Miha Kovačič, Director at Slovenian Convention Bureau

The Congress industry depends on the economic and political situation in the country. Organisers of meetings, both domestic and international, are under these influences and our actions must proactively cope with these challenges. Undoubtedly, the situation has compelled us to find new solutions that will help individual providers as well as the destination and the entire country to be more successful.

Changes are happening both in the domestic as well as in the international congress market. Those who recognise these changes will respond accordingly and stay more competitive.

This is best seen from the data of the Central Bureau of Statistics on the number of meetings and the number of participants, from which excellent results can be seen for the first six months of 2012 in relation to 2011. There has been an increase in the number of meetings and participants by about 20%.

It is very difficult to predict what will happen in 2013, but there will be more indications after the meetings and events trade show EIBTM in Barcelona.

Results this year were above expectations, and if they are replicated in 2013, it will certainly be considered a success.

Croatia meetings undustry statistics

Zlatan Muftic, General manager of Zagreb Convention Bureau

According to Croatian Bureau of Statistics, 1.725 meetings took place in Zagreb in in the period from January-June which represents 49.8% of all meetings in Croatia. We believe that this represents good result and that it shows a positive trend.

Meetings

Participants

2009

2010

2011

2012

2009

2010

2011

2012

Jan - Mar

1.135

1.140

1.153

1.489

91.713

87.343

81.860

104.894

Apr - Jun

1.513

1.447

1.718

1.978

115.100

116.551

128.967

148.256

Jul - Sep

804

805

956

50.894

54.723

64.121

Oct - Dec

1.417

1.428

1.588

126.768

136.278

130.779

TOTAL

4.869

4.820

5.415

384.475

394.895

405.727

3.467

253.150

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Results in 2013 will mostly depend on the economic recovery – a process which will last for some time. According to the agenda, on July 1 next year, Croatia will become a member of the EU. That would also help Zagreb to position itself as a “new” European capital which could result in gaining more visibility, and more meetings and corporate events in the next short term period. New venues, Forum Zagreb and Double Tree by Hilton hotel scheduled for opening by the end of this year will also contribute to the diversity of the overall offer.

Miloš Milovanović, Director at Serbia Convention Bureau

Until the end of this year I do not envisage anything spectacular to happen in the field of MICE industry. We are wrapping up as we are heading towards the end of the year 2012. Speaking from the broader perspective, I believe that it is good that we have started thinking in terms of closer co-operation in the Region. Some steps have already been made towards that end and I believe that in order to attract the business, we need to act on a long-term basis, i.e. through planning in a broader, Regional view. I am extremely happy that Serbia continued to make progress on the ICCA statistics. This year, for example, we have Belgrade among the top 50 meeting destinations in the entire world, and that is something that makes us very happy and also gives us additional energy to strive for more and better. The expanding meeting capacities, better infrastructure, more direct air connections and, in general, a better perception and image of Serbia – these are just some of the reasons for the results achieved so far.

As for the Serbian Convention Bureau, we have been placing a lot of effort into

the digital marketing of our destination.

Technologically speaking, we believe that we have established a good perception of Serbia as a very progressive MICE destination. It should be mentioned that Serbia was the first MICE destination to launch the mobile app for meeting planners, with all important information for planning events in Serbia.

Two Facebook games (Tour de Serbia and Make an Event in Serbia) have been created with the aim of promoting Serbia as an attractive MICE destination in a fun way. In 2013 we continue with introducing innovations in destination marketing, therefore we will be promoting a very innovative concept of sustainability in the congress industry – the Strawberry tree – a solar mobile device charger patented by the Strawberry Energy team that will have its premier at the EIBTM in Barcelona.

Tatjana Radovič, Head of the Business Tourism (MICE) Department at Ljubljana Tourism / Convention Bureau In Ljubljana, the year 2012 can be regarded as a positive one in terms of the overall tourism statistics (arrivals, overnights), however suppliers report a strong pressure on prices and rates, which makes it a challenge to keep their operations profitable. In such a competitive global environment, the positive outcome is the need for a stronger communication and cooperation between the key players in the destination, which has resulted in the set up of the Ljubljana Strategic Bidding team. The Ljubljana and Slovenia convention bureaus have created a partnership with 22 companies / organisations representing the entire meetings industry supply chain who have the same goal: attracting more association congresses with 500+ delegates to Ljubljana

and working as a team along this process.

We anticipate that the true value of this partnership will be more visible in 2013.

The association segment in 2012 has been stable and comparable to the year 2011 in terms of international events with 100+ delegates.

Ljubljana entered the top 50 congress cities in the ICCA statistics in 2011 and the prospects look good for 2012, too.

Our partners however underline a drop in the local corporate market, with fewer business events, lower budgets and much less corporate hospitality events.

The year 2013 will not be outstanding for the association market, with a growth line showing again in 2014 and 2015, according to our current information and the projects being underway. The corpo-incentive market based on foreign clients is promising a good year instead, with new business opportunities developing and new markets showing a concrete interest in Slovenia and Ljubljana.

Something I will definitely remember: being involved in the concept and organisation of the IMEX Challenge Slovenia 2012, an experience that has enriched my life. The beehouse in the Draga Care Centre for disabled children and adults is just a physical result of an incredible joint energy that brought together international and local industry professionals as donors and volunteers. And new ideas are buzzing as much as the happy bees…

28 Surveys

NEW MEDIA AND DESTINATIONS MARKETING: THE THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ANALYSIS Does the meeting industry pay enough attention to the changes in the client-supplier relationship brought upon us by the social web?

It is impossible to ignore how fast the new media is becoming an ever more important element for destination marketing organizations. The change comes not only in form of new designs, gadgets and tools, but it is also re-establishing the communication patterns between the providers and buyers.

Jan Oršič, Project Manager at Ljubljana Tourism Convention Bureau and a PhD student at the Faculty of Tourism Studies Portorož – Turistica.

The shift in communicational behaviour is also observed in the more academic sector. In the last issue of Journal of Vacation Marketing we could find several articles relating to the issue of new media influencing tourism in general as well as more specifically; the congress industry. The article “The Economic and Cultural aspects of the Social Web: Implications for the tourism industry” relates to the evolution of destination marketing with the creation of a social web. “The social web is more than a technological innovation: it is a social innovation – it changes the way people and companies interact and communicate” (Amersdorffer, Bauhubner and Oellrich (2012): 182). The authors present how social media changed the architecture of communication for the general tourism industry. They highlight the implications of the success of pages such as Holidaycheck and Tripadvisor and what impact Google Hotel Finder and Google Flights might have. What Web 2.0 demands is constant innovation and the distribution of innovations beyond regular corporate boundaries. This way tourism innovation, which is easily imitated by others, has the chance to become viral and reach its target audience. Therefore diffusion channels take the key role in global competition.

Amersdorffer, Bauhubner and Oellrich conclude that it is crucial to understand the potential of the ability of the semantic web technologies in recognizing and structuring contents.

Online marketing is only beginning to exploit the fact that computers offer

customised relevant information based on the behavioural history of each individual user.

This will eventually lead to the dissolving of the existing web pages concept, as desired information will be provided directly without the user visiting the entry page.

When looking from this perspective, the semantic web holds also great possibilities for the congress industry and certain events have already been affected by the Web 2.0 phenomenon. More and more event organisers try to build online communities around their events, and in this way they are creating a closer bond with their delegates and prolonging events with pre- and post-event activities. Hede and Kellett have conducted one of the first researches identifying the risk and challenges that events face using Web 2.0.

Their research was focused at Web 2.0 tools and use in Australian events for welcoming, empathising and governing online brand community members and how these were perceived to create, enhance and sustain ties among brand community members.

The sample included: business, hallmark, music, touring sport, sport, local community and a special event of which all had annual frequency.

With the exception of a biannual special event, all were using various social media platforms. One of the events has used social media as a marketing tool in 2003, whereas most started in 2008 or later and they all used Facebook and Twitter. If the web page is used more or less continually, social web platforms are used in different stages: Facebook predominantly for pre-event activities, Twitter during the event and You Tube and Flickr are used to create legacy (Hede and Kellett 2012:244).

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Despite having a small sample, the Australian research is the first of its kind in the world and provides a lot of room for future research. Both of the above motioned articles come to the similar conclusion.

Web 2.0 is changing the way how online marketing should be engaged in tourism in general as well as in the congress industry.

The events that destinations try to attract have been facing similar challenges and expect a similar approach. An event organiser looking for a destination can easily compare destinations and their offer not only by being able to independently research the offer, but can compare the comments of others without ever contacting a professional congress organiser, destination marketing agency or a convention and visitor bureau (CVB). It is also becoming expected that all information is transparently presented on the web page of the destination and their staff.

The importance of social media and its impact on the industry has also been recognized by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA). In spring 2012, the ICCA Sector Destination Marketing Survey 2012 gathered information amongst the member CVB’s and included information about the use of social media.

If over 95 percent have a web page or a subsite and 75percent use Facebook, only 24.6% have a mobile version of the web page.

This shows that destinations have in general started to recognise the importance of providing information through new communication channels. Without doubt there are a lot of opportunities for different destinations to become equal in their use of Web 2.0 tools as they develop. It is a trend dictated by delegates and events; a growing trend that destinations will have to follow in order to stay in the game.

The results on the use of social media applications show that: 24.6% have a mobile version of their website 16.3% have an application for smartphones 13.4% have an application for iPads & tablets

Do you have your own CB website or a dedicated congress industry related sub-site within the leisure website of your destination?

100%

The survey also shows how often different social media platforms are used: 75.6% Facebook 64.1% LinkedIn 64.1% Twitter 59.6% Youtube 35.2% Flickr 13.0% Slideshare Also mentioned: Xing, Plaxo, Googlex, Foursquare

Sources: Amersdorffer David, Florian Bauhubner and Jens Oellrich (2012): The Economic and Cultural aspects of the social Web: Implications for the tourism industry. Journal of Vacation Marketing 18 (3) Hede Anne-Marie and Pamm Kellett (2012): Building online brand communities: Exploring the benefits, challenges and risks in the Australian event sector. Journal of Vacation Marketing 18 (3) Mutschlechner, Christian (2012) ICCA Sector Destination Marketing Survey 2012 (including historical data 1994-2007)

Do you have a RFP (Request for proposal) system on your website?

100%

94.5

The working group, chaired by Christian Mutschlechner of the Vienna Convention Bureau, comprised six other members with a strong professional profile in the industry.

With the participation of 131 convention bureaus (city, regional or national, 65% of which European) out of 281 sector members, the analysed results are definitely relevant.

80%

80%

60%

60%

40%

40%

The results show that some destinations embrace the social media more than others.

0%

20%

20% 4.6

0%

67.2

32.8

30 Surveys

December 2012 Price Barometer for a Selection of Cities in SE Europe Ljubljana the most expensive, Maribor and Bled the cheapest

At the end of the year, the editorial board of Kongres magazine sent inquires to some key Southeast European destinations. The methodology and criteria was the same as in 2010 and 2011; we asked for the price of a corporate event for 50 people in December 2012 and used a standard questionnaire.

Dubrovnik. The editorial Board of Kongres magazine would just like to stress that this information we have are just of informative value.

Ljubljana

2750

The price of the event includes:

Zadar

2250

Destination

Dubrovnik • Hall for 50 people in a 4* hotel; • 2 coffee breaks including coffee, tea, water, juice and pastry; • 1 working lunch break (cold and hot snacks); • Technical equipment for the hall (projector, flipchart...)

From the table below we can find out that Ljubljana is the most expensive for such event in December, followed by Zadar and

Price in EUR

2000

Portorož

1680 – 2080

Zagreb

1500 - 1750

Split Beograd Bled Maribor

1500 1400 - 2050 1390 1350 - 1650

32 Gastronomy

Sexy Congress recipes Crispy duck breast on cranberry chutney, ”kipnik” bread with dark chocolate and cranberries

Crispy duck breast Ingredients for 4 people 4 pieces of duck breast (approx. 60 - 70 dag) Salt and freshly ground pepper Oil for frying Heat the oven to 200 Wash and dry duck breasts with a napkin.

Optional: cut the skin in the form of a mesh.

Add salt and pepper on both sides of the meat.

In a pan on a hot oil fry evenly on both sides –first on the side with the skin to become crisp and golden brown. Put fried duck breast on a baking tray with baking paper and place in hot oven for 10 minutes (depending on how roasted the breast of duck you would like to have). The roasted duck breast should rest for some time.

Cranberry chutney 0.2 kg grated peeled apples (sour variety) 0.04 kg finely chopped shallots 0.2 kg cranberry jam 0.1 kg wholegrain mustard 0.02 dl white balsamic vinegar - Oil - Salt and freshly ground white pepper - Finely chopped fresh ginger - Pimento - Sweet Refosco Wither shallots on medium hot oil. Add apples and white balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook the apples until they are softened but not falling apart. Add cranberry jam, wholegrain mustard and all the spices. Stir and cook on a lively heat quickly. At the end,add a little sweet Refosco. The taste should not be neither sour nor sweet, but rather a harmony of sweet and sour.

www.jezersek.si

“Kipnik” bread with dark chocolate and cranberries Ingredients for 4 people 0.25 kg white bread or white bread rolls 0.02 kg finely chopped shallots 0.02 kg oil 1.5 dl milk 1 – 2 eggs 0.05 kg roughly chopped dark chocolate 0.,02 kg dried cranberries 0.03 flour - Salt and freshly ground white pepper - Freshly grated nutmeg Legir Egg, sweet cream, sour cream, pinch of salt Cut buns cut into cubes. Oven-dry them gently. Fry shallots in medium-hot oil, they should only slightly stain. We add shallots, salt, freshly ground pepper, nutmeg, chocolate and cranberries to bread cubes.

Sprinkle everything with flour and stir gently.

Separately whip an egg or two, add milk and pour on bread. Mix well. Prepare aluminium or silicone moulds. If we want we can coat them with butter or oil and stuff up to threequarters of the prepared bread stuffing. Pour over with legir and in ‘combi’ oven cook for about 20-30 minutes.

If we do not have a ‘combi’ oven, form dumplings from the stuffing; they should be each individually wrapped in oil or butter coated foil and cooked in water or over steam. Dumplings should be wrapped in foil otherwise the chocolate would escape from them.

How to serve the dish On a warm plate first put the cranberry chutney. Cut the roasted and 'rested' duck breast into slices and place them on chutney.

Add the bread “kipnik” with chocolate and decorate with individual cranberry berries or sprinkle with chocolate.

34 Kongres at the Keyhole

GRAND HOTEL BERNARDIN ★★★★

ACCESSIBILITY Among Slovenian tourist municipalities, Piran takes first place. Most tourists come to Portoroz by road. Despite the fact that Portorož has an International Airport, it could hardly be described as a flight destination.

So the accessibility of the town is quite problematic. But the Hotel is perfectly suited to the current convention visitors with ample parking, which boasts of more than enough parking spaces.

PREMIUM

FACT FILE CATEGORY

★★★★

OPEN FROM

1973, renovated in 2004

STANDARD

CONGRESS HOTEL

NUMBER OF ROOMS

242 rooms of which 10 apartments, 22 junior suites, 8 deluxe rooms

ONLINE PRICE ADDRESS

FACILITIES

220 - 550 EUR (September 2012) Hoteli Bernardin d.d.

Obala 2, 6320 Portorož, Slovenia www.h-bernardin.si

Wellness Centre Paradise Spa, Restaurant Pečina, Restaurant Sunset, Grand Café, Cocktail lounge, Covered terrace Grand Garden

FINAL MARK

3.97 – PREMIUM

LUXURY ★★★★★ PREMIUM ★★★★

ECONOMY ★★

BUSINESS ★★★

BUDGET ★

LOCATION The location by the sea on the green cape between Piran and Portorož is one of the main competitive advantages of Hotel Bernardin.

In the central part of the resort is the church of St. Bernardin from the 15th century, after which the resort derives its name. The Resort has a total of 731 rooms in three hotels. Flagship is the five-star Grand Hotel Bernardin, Histrion Hotel has four stars and Villa Park has apartments and rooms of 3 stars category. The diverse offer in one place is, in addition to the location, the second important competitive advantage of the Hotel.

COLD APPETISER – Architecture and aesthetics At its inception, Hotel Bernardin, clamped in the bedrock, was an architectural pride of the former Yugoslavia. Today the Hotel does not awaken euphoria because of architecture, but more because of the functionality it offers.

At the same time it also does not disappoint, because it is a combination of modernism and functionality that makes all rooms have views of the Bay of Piran.

WARM APPETISER – Personnel and culinary offer We have heard and seen better and worse reviews of their cuisine, but we dare to say that staff operates homogeneously and harmoniously because it has many years of congressional experience. This is especially true for the congress catering services. One cannot get rid of the feeling that one is sitting in a giant dining room, despite the friendliness and professionalism of the team. The predominant Mediterranean cuisine, which is based on the Istrian tradition, is of good quality and meticulously prepared, but not without errors. The hotel bar closes precisely on time, despite the long queue of thirsty congress participants. We would also like to see more than what their restaurant offers now, but obviously this is not so relevant to the current structure of the Hotel's guests. In this area it would be necessary to refresh the offer, move forward and think in the direction of more modern trends. For ideas they do not need to look far away.

MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offer The hotel has an interesting story full of ups and downs. Following the recent renovations it has become the largest Convention Hotel in this part of the Adriatic. This was the main Hotel’s trump card for both the low tourist season and the high congress season.

It is also true that the original architectural design brought some shortcomings, which are difficult to pass by. First of all, the rooms

are too small for today's standards and their renovation is much needed. Rooms are very conservative and remind you of another time, and they do not exude the expected quality.

Hotel management will have to seriously consider the urgent renovation of rooms.

Currently, this deficiency is somehow forgiven

by Congress buyers.

A completely different story is the Convention Centre that functions smoothly and is spatially very well balanced. Practically the only one in Slovenia that offers such a ratio between different categories of rooms and the size of the Convention Centre. In total, there are 16 Halls, with the largest hotel Conference Hall in Slovenia, which can accommodate up to 1.100 participants.

DESSERT – Additional offer Very diverse offer with three hotel beaches, a wellness Centre in the Hotel Historion and a marine park Laguna Bernardin. Commercial Street, a water sports centre, tennis courts, a diving centre and a smaller lagoon are just a part of the rich offer of this tourist resort.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES Hotel Rooms at the Grand Hotel Bernardin need renovation, and they could also offer a little more prestige to justify the five-star standard expected by convention guests.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES Still one of the best, technically superior and spacious Convention Centres in the region with a flexible design and good service. Also good is its multimedia equippment.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS AND CREDIBILITY Congress organisers are looking for surplus, quality and an attractive location. All this Hotel Bernardin had, but the old glory accumulated much dust. The Hotel was the first real Convention Centre and following the development, a number of the same Convention Halls at first view ware created.

But cards have shuffled. Competition is active.

In Portorož, Kempinski now sets the standards and the distinguishing advantage remains the size of the main Convention Hall. In the Hotel part, Bermardin is now lagging behind the competition, but remains to have an advantage because of its Congress capacities. The Hotel chic requires a lot of time and money and also for this hotel it is true that it is sometimes better to have a star less and more satisfied guests.

35 Kongres at the Keyhole

RESULTS

MARKS

FINAL MARK

4.72 – LUXURY

1. LOCATION

4.90

LUXURY ★★★★★

2. ACCESSIBILITY

4.00

PREMIUM ★★★★

ECONOMY ★★

3. FIRST IMPRESSION

3.90

BUSINESS ★★★

BUDGET ★

4. LOBBY

3.85

5. EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE

4.15

6. RECEPTION

4.22

7. HOTEL ROOM

3.15

8. HOTEL BED

3.25

9. BATHROOM AND RESTROOM

3.10

10. HOTEL BREAKFAST

4.05

11. BARS AND RESTAURANTS

3.95

12. CONGRESS HALL

4.95

13. ADDITIONAL OFFER

4.20 TOTAL:

3.97

ACCESSIBILITY After the construction of the Istrian “ipsilon” (Y) motorway, Rovinj is now connected to all of the main regional highways. Access to near-by markets is thus simple and also suitable for weekend tourism. Air accessibility is rather inadequate, especially outside of the main season and during the main season it is limited to mostly low-cost and charter flights and a few regular lines. Rail connection has also been neglected. Until air accessibility is improved, Rovinj will be a strong local and regional congress destination, despite its huge potential which it acquired with the construction of a congress centre at Hotel Lone.

HOTEL LONE ★★★★★

LUXURY

FACT FILE CATEGORY OPEN FROM STANDARD NUMBER OF ROOMS

ONLINE PRICE

LOCATION The first Croatian Hotel, which is a member of Design hotels AG chain, is situated in the Mediterranean park ‘Golden Peninsula’, like some sort of a luxury yacht which has found itself in the middle of a pine forest.

The Hotel is located by the bay which it shares with hotels Monte Mulini and Eden, just off the centre of Rovinj and is called Cap Aurea. Rovinj is one of the most photogenic and romantic capitals of Istrian and Croatian tourism with a diverse offer and lately also a solid congress infrastructure.

★★★★★ Opened on 24. 06. 2011 CONGRESS HOTEL 236 rooms 12 suites 137 - 235 EUR, (October 2012 - Trivago)

ADDRESS

HOTEL LONE, Luje Adamoviča 31, HR-52210 Rovinj, Croatia, T +385(0)52 632 000, F +385(0)52 632 001 www.lonehotel.com

FACILITIES A la carte restaurant "L", Restaurant "ON", Sea food Bar "E", Lobby Bar , Vital Bar, Night Club Lone, Wellness & Spa, Space - concept store, Sports offer on the Hotel resort with tennis courts, basketball courts and varied offer of water sports

COLD APPETISER – Architecture and aesthetics The Croatian architectural studio 3LHD is signed under the architecture of the Hotel and numerous Croatian artists and architects co-operated in its interior design. The result is a minimalist, balanced Y-shaped terraced architecture with the centre in the Hotel lobby. The most surprising is the airy central space, which is also in general spaciousness, comfort and minimalism. In the Hotel one gets a feeling of modernity and playfulness, which is highlighted with the selected colours and lighting, recliners and selected pieces of furniture by Croatian designers. In every part of the Hotel one comes across design surprises. Selected pieces of furniture were designed by a group of architects ”Numen/for use” including the awarded Satyr chair, which can be found in every room and numerous other pieces of furniture that reflect Croatian

creativity, and with these creations by known artists, one gets a feeling of walking through a gallery of modern Croatian art.

WARM APPETISER – Personnel and culinary offer The staff uniforms are an integral part of the first impression of a design hotel. These were designed for the Lone Hotel by the design duo I-GLE, and from what we have seen, they are nicely highlighting the first impression of the Hotel. The cuisine is superb and in our opinion one of the best and finest breakfasts in the region. The creators of the hotel also took into account the whole concept of breakfast, so eggs are not simply eggs, but rather a real culinary experience which is continued in the concept of the restaurant L-ON-E. The staff is professional and at a very high level.

MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offer The hotel rooms are in accordance with expectations and they justify the placement of the hotel among design hotels. Especially thrilling are the free-standing lamps by Dekor from Zabok and the superb finishing of furniture made of Slavonian oak. Instead of economical graphics, a graphic on fabric by the renown artist Silvio Vujičić awaits you in the room, and at the same time it is a discrete lighting for the bedroom.

Excellence continues in the bathroom and in the original hotel communication equipment, under which the awarded marketing duo Bruketa & Žinič are signed.

A large multifunctional congress hall for 600 participants is warm and superbly fitted. It is warm because of the oak parquet flooring, which gives it a special charm and functionality. When equipping the halls they were thinking of the modern, permanently connected congress guest. Digital marking system, free Wi-Fi internet that operates without faults and other technological ‘deserts’. There is attention to detail at every step. The timeless David Rowland’s design conference chair provides comfort when listening to the conference . It was created more than 40 years ago but still looks elegant and fresh. There are many external spaces for coffee breaks and receptions. Besides the above, they actually succeeded in creating a functionally sophisticated, complete and consistent hotel-congress whole.

DESSERT – Additional offer Cultural and visual ”deserts” like the art

36 Kongres at the Keyhole

creations by Ivan Franka in the lobby called "Room for running ghosts" and hanging gardens "In the hanging garden no one speaks" by Silvio Vujičić. Graphics by the same author on fabric that can be found in every room and much more can be discovered all over the Hotel.

HOTEL LE MERIDIEN LAV, SPLIT ★★★★★

LUXURY

ACCESSIBILITY The air accessibility of Split is improving from year to year and one can say that Split is becoming a solid air destination. Highway Dalmatina has shortened the way to Split and made it bearable. Once Split’s bypass is resolved, arrival to the city is going to run smoothly and without problems also during peak hours. For the nostalgic, the option to arrive to Split by train or by sea is also available.

The Hotel is connected to the city centre with the Hotel shuttle, which runs every hour, and there is also satisfactory public transport.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES Disorderly parking on the otherwise glamorous driveway spoils the first impression at arrival to the Hotel.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES The concept store ”PROSTOR” (“SPACE”), which with selected design products is a case of good practice and joy for the soul and heart of lovers of design and quality wines. Compulsory viewing is for all hoteliers who have ”junk” at their hotels.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS AND CREDIBILITY We understand design hotels as an experience that includes reflection and very personal contact with culture, nature and the culinary art of the destination. The creators of the first Croatian design Hotel Lone were probably thinking similarly. I like it. Lovers of hotel glamour and kitsch will not like it but we think that luxury is in small details, like a enormous room service menu and the hotel guide in broadsheet newspaper format or in selected fabric for curtains and numerous other details. The hotel is ideal for ”DINKS” and young professionals and a monument of Croatian creativity and the zeitgeist of the new generation.

RESULTS

FACT FILE CATEGORY

★★★★★

OPEN FROM

2006

STANDARD

Congress Hotel

NUMBER OF ROOMS

381 rooms

ONLINE PRICE

105 - 545 EUR (October 2012)

ADDRESS

LE MERIDIEN LAV, SPLIT Grljevacka 2A, Podstrana 21312 Split, Croatia www.lemeridiensplit.com

FACILITIES

RESTAURANT SPALATUM Mediterranean cuisine CHAMPAGNE BAR - lounge bar ART CAFFE - café/bar PIVNICA - pizza and pasta LAGUNA BAR- spa and health bar SEVEN PALMS - beach bar WELNESS CENTRE TENNIS COURTS BASKETBALL COURTS

MARKS

1. LOCATION

4.99

2. ACCESSIBILITY

3.10

3. FIRST IMPRESSION

4.90

FINAL MARK

4. LOBBY

4.99

LUXURY ★★★★★

5. EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE

4.45

PREMIUM ★★★★

ECONOMY ★★

6. RECEPTION

4.30

BUSINESS ★★★

BUDGET ★

7. HOTEL ROOM

4.95

8. HOTEL BED

4.99

9. BATHROOM AND RESTROOM

4.95

10. HOTEL BREAKFAST

5.00

11. BARS AND RESTAURANTS

4.99

12. CONGRESS HALL

4.90

13. ADDITIONAL OFFER

4.88 TOTAL:

4.72

high-profile convention events such as this year's European presentation of Škoda Rapid.

The hotel has won several awards, including the World Travel Award and is currently the best known high class Hotel in Split. Let's look at what the Hotel can do in practice.

4.62 – LUXURY

LOCATION Hotel Lav Meridien entered the Croatian market in 2006 under the flag of the hotel group Starwood Hotels. Quickly it has become a harbinger of a new repositioning of Split on both the tourist and the congress map. It is located about 8 km from the centre of Split in the town of Podstrana by its own private beach and marina. The hotel gained its status through

COLD APPETISER – Architecture and aesthetics The architecture of the Hotel is magnificent and recognizable by the marina, and is beautifully integrated into the environment.

Otherwise it is a typical modern hotel architecture that does not stand out and would be suitable for a shopping centre or a business centre. The interior design is the work of the Italian architect Lorenzo Bellini, who beautifully linked classic and modern and gave the Hotel an impressive character. The Hotel lobby is very large and airy and it gives a feeling of width and relaxation. The overall impression is extremely correct, complemented by many sophisticated design details which in principle one associates with and expects from a hotel of the Meridien hotel chain.

WARM APPETISER – Personnel and culinary offer Meetings industry needs a personal and superior service and they are very well aware of this at Lav, as evidenced by the above mentioned awards. It begins with kindness and professionalism of the staff. In this area, they manage to maintain the level of a five-star hotel; the situation is bad only at the worst peaks.

This is followed by cleanliness and tidiness which one can feel and smell at every step in the Hotel. Breakfast is one of the best in the region and, because of the selection of dishes and innovation, it deserves recognition. Hotel restaurants do not stand out, but they are still satisfactory, although not at the level of some of sister hotels of the chain. Comparable are only the prices.

37 Kongres at the Keyhole

MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offer We have no comments on rooms, as each luxuriously decorated detail is subordinated to the Hotel guest. Regardless of the category of the room you are staying in, you will feel good. A witness to the spaciousness of the rooms is the average size of 34 m2 per room. It should be noted that these issues are not addressed half heartedly, as witnessed by the value of the investment in the Hotel, which has exceeded 80 million Euros. At the end of the tourist season, consequences of mass use can be noted even in a well-maintained hotel.

The Congress Centre is one of the largest in Dalmatia. On the surface of 2500 m2, the congress guests have 12 convention halls available, with the largest Hall being Grand Dalmatia for 800 participants. The Congress Centre is well-equipped, and the staff is in top shape for the most demanding projects, as evidenced by extensive references. The brand Škoda among other things carried out the premiere of the Fabia in 2007 and this year Škoda had its trade premiere of the new Škoda Rapid, with some 5500 guests from all over Europe.

DESSERT – Additional offer The Hotel marina with 80 moorings is a great added value to the Hotel because you can take advantage of it for your events. Within the marina it is easy to organize a sailing cup or various incentive programmes to the nearby ventral Dalmatian islands.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES Avoid the high season when the Hotel is fully occupied and it gets very crowded at breakfast, at the beach, swimming pools, and also the Wi-Fi does not work smoothly., In addition, the price does not reflect the quality.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES The staff deserves the highest rating, which is confirmed by the award of the mark Q for the total quality products and services. So far Lav Meridein is the only hotel, besides the Valamar Lacroma Hotel, which in addition to the general conditions has gone well through estimates of hidden hotel guests.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS AND CREDIBILITY It is in a class of its own on the current hotel and convention scene in Split. Operators of Starwood have done their homework excellently and are winners in the most sensitive area; friendliness and professionalism of the staff. This has in the past earned them a place among the best in its class. However, there are also some shortcomings, particularly in the

field of catering and hospitality, where one would expect a little more from a top hotel.

However, this is a balanced congress hotel, which is elegant and charming and the perfect choice for the most demanding congress clients.

RADISSON BLU RESORT & SPA, DUBROVNIK SUN GARDENS

RESULTS

★★★★★

MARKS

1. LOCATION

3.90

2. ACCESSIBILITY

3.95

3. FIRST IMPRESSION

4.15

4. LOBBY

4.85

5. EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE

4.90

6. RECEPTION

4.86

7. HOTEL ROOM

4.96

8. HOTEL BED

4.90

9. BATHROOM AND RESTROOM

4.89

10. HOTEL BREAKFAST

4.68

11. BARS AND RESTAURANTS

4.35

12. CONGRESS HALL

4.75

13. ADDITIONAL OFFER

4.90 TOTAL:

4.62

LUXURY

FACT FILE CATEGORY

★★★★★

OPEN FROM STANDARD NUMBER OF ROOMS ONLINE PRICE

2009 CONGRESS HOTE 201 hotel rooms, 207 deluxe residences (apartments) 117 - 750 EUR

ADDRESS ARADISSON BLU RESORT Na Moru 1, 20234 Dubrovnik, Orašac, Croatia www.radissonblu.com/resort-dubrovnik FACILITIES TARTUFO RESTAURANT, ORIGANO RESTAURANT, MARASKA LOUNGE BAR, MARKET PLACE - combination from top class food and beverage outlets: bakery, fish market, butchers grill, La Pasta, The Pub, POOL BARS Lemonia, Sunset, Ginja Lounge, Cilantro Lounge , SPA BY OCCO, PORTS CENTRE

FINAL MARK

4.38 – LUXURY

LUXURY ★★★★★ PREMIUM ★★★★

ECONOMY ★★

BUSINESS ★★★

BUDGET ★

LOCATION The Hotel is located on the site of the former Dubrovnik Sun Gardens in the town of Orašac, about 12 kilometres from the centre of Dubrovnik. The Hotel complex gives the feeling of a small town, because as a resort it was conceived before the thorough renovation. Regarding its size, the information that it

38 Kongres at the Keyhole

extends on some 15 hectares of land says a lot.

The quiet location with beautiful views of the Elaphite islands is very suitable for closed company congresses and incentive programmes, especially since the Hotel is open throughout the year, which is not the practice of all hotels in Dubrovnik.

ACCESSIBILITY Despite the considerable distance from the centre of Dubrovnik, access to the hotel is easy with the hotel's shuttle or boat. It is even easier if you have your own car. For the Hotel, which is 25 km away from the airport, similar as for the other hotels it is true that they are pronounced air destinations. Flight availability is improving from year to year in the low tourist season as well as in the high congress season.

COLD APPETISER – Architecture and aesthetics Minimalist design, lush Mediterranean greenery, elegant villas and rustic details are Radisson’s recipe for success. Therefore the first impression is very good, excellent. When designing the interior, Radisson did not run out of ideas. First of all, the amount of space surprises you. Various combinations of selected natural materials and design pieces are used to improve the well-being of congress guests at the Hotel. Stylish design could also be understood as an elegant ruggedness. Everything is very well and carefully maintained. Thus, as it is fitting for hotels in this chain.

WARM APPETISER – Personnel and culinary offer All Radisson hotels share a similar business philosophy and are adapted to the needs of conference guests. Especially likeable is the congress culinary offer, which was named "Brain food", with only locally grown food and friendly to the health of congress participants.

The breakfast is solid and offers a wide selection, only the space is slightly too small for larger groups. The very rich and diverse choice of summer restaurants and bars in the high season is reduced to the Hotel and convention complex. When the weather permits it, the Hotel has some of the finest locations for entertainment and socializing by pools. The staff mostly tries hard but one can also come across some negative surprises, as the number of employees in full-season increases to 500.

They have to take care for over 1100 guests, which means that some smaller mistakes can also happen. Their business philosophy "Yes I can" is likable, through which employees are

encouraged to meet all desires and wishes of the most demanding guests.

RESULTS 1. LOCATION

3.82

MAIN COURSE – Congress and hotel offer Hotel rooms’ equipment is of high quality and even prestigious in individual details.Spaciousness and luxurious amenities are their main trump cards.

Radisson Blue prides itself in being at the top of this class with a superior quality convention approach, which was recently named "Experience Meetings". In the chef’s jargon it is composed of the key ingredients for a successful congress: congress halls, superb cuisine and technical equipment and the concept of sustainability. Such an approach offers the same level of quality and comfort in all the hotels of the chain. The main component of the offer is the Convention Centre on 1800 m2, which can accommodate up to 900 guests in nine halls. It is commendable that the entrance to the Congress Centre is separate from the Hotel reception, which, together with a spacious and functional lobby, is very useful.

2. ACCESSIBILITY

3.80

3. FIRST IMPRESSION

4.80

4. LOBBY

4.42

5. EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE

4.06

6. RECEPTION

3.99

7. HOTEL ROOM

4.55

8. HOTEL BED

4.61

9. BATHROOM AND RESTROOM

4.70

10. HOTEL BREAKFAST

4.12

11. BARS AND RESTAURANTS

4.57

12. CONGRESS HALL

4.82

13. ADDITIONAL OFFER

4.73

DESSERT – Additional offer Spa Occo is for lovers of minimalism, natural cosmetics and a holistic approach.

FLOP – NEGATIVE SURPRISES Extremely costly restaurants and sometimes unreasonably high prices of local Croatian wines.

TOP – POSITIVE SURPRISES Effort to fully adapt the service to congress guests under the "Experience Meetings" programme, free Wi-Fi included.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS AND CREDIBILITY The Hotel does not have any serious weaknesses and convinces with comfort and quality as it befits hotels in the colours of the Radisson chain. If we used the automotive jargon, it is a premium hotel. If you wonder what we see under the term premium in this hotel, then this would be its rich and luxurious equipment, small details and above all the image of the brand. If you have ever organised a meeting in a hotel belonging to the Radisson Blu chain, then you can expect a similar experience in Dubrovnik. The Hotel is very suitable for incentive events, which seem to be taking place as if they were lined up on the conveyor belt at the Hotel’s Convention Centre.

MARKS

TOTAL:

4.38

39

Hotel Comparison

Kongres at the Keyhole

GRAND HOTEL BERNARDIN / HOTEL DUBROVNIK PALACE ”ageing wrinkles”, so in the field of image, together with Portorož, it seems a little hesitant.

Comprehensive quality of the service In both cases, the quality of service is the most important. Both in practice and through actual experience, the service at Dubrovnik Palace Hotel is better. Staying and feeling in the Hotel is more sophisticated and gives a greater sense of prestige, which is what guests expect from a five star hotel.

GRAND HOTEL BERNARDIN

HOTEL DUBROVNIK PALACE

3,97 PREMIUM

4,41 PREMIUM

GRADE LOCATION

Portorož

Dubrovnik

CATEGORY

5***** Congress Hotel

5***** Congress Hotel

242 rooms

308 rooms

16 halls

8 halls

Europa 1.100 participants

Mare 750 participants

NUMBER OF ROOMS NUMBER OF CONGRESS HALLS LARGEST HALL

How did the two hotels that were built in the same period and with a similar concept fare in our evaluation?

Forty years ago, when both hotels were built, they represented a new definition of tourism and were the pride of former Yugoslavia.

Basically, both hotels have a similar history.

Both had a turbulent history each at its end. Almost at the same time they have seen a thorough renovation and ownership consolidation. In our comparison, Hotel Dubrovnik Palace has won. The renovation was more thorough and specific and gave the Hotel a little more ”wind”. On the other hand, the Grand hotel Bernardin is well located close to the key markets and has much better Congress Halls.

LIKING Temperament Both hotels are of a more subdued, refined nature and an ideal companion of many diplomatic meetings. The final impression is a bit more mature and sophisticated in the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel because of a more accurate and thorough renovation of the Hotel that has intervened in all areas of hotel services.

Comfort The convention Centre of Hotel Bernardin is better, of higher quality and more convenient and friendly to use. At the same time, it is

flexible and offers a more diverse content in one place. Hotel rooms of both hotels suffer the consequences of architectural standards of the seventies, so the rooms are too small.

Image The Dubrovnik Palace Hotel convinced us more with its service and confirmed the reputation of a world-class Congress location.

In doing so, it has the advantage of the visibility and reputation of Dubrovnik. Grand Hotel Bernardin is already being attacked by

The Bottom Line The Dubrovnik Palace Hotel has won an advantage in the field of quality of rooms, comfort and catering services although both hotels lack a little more attention to details.

Being close in character, the differences between both Congress Centres are significant.

Bernardin was the first to develop the concept of a Congress Hotel. We are impatiently awaiting the renovation of the hotel rooms, and a little more precision in the delivery of services is only a matter of will and vision.

The fact remains that both hotels are a great choice, but you have to consider the nature of your event and then decide which destination image you prefer, which fits better to the concept of your event and your guests.

What do you think?

Write to us to: info@kongres.eu

GRAND HOTEL BERNARDIN

HOTEL DUBROVNIK PALACE

MARKS

MARKS

4.90

4.55

RESULTS 1. LOCATION 2. ACCESSIBILITY

4.00

3.95

3. FIRST IMPRESSION

3.90

4.65

4. LOBBY

3.85

4.38

5. EMPLOYEE ATTITUDE

4.15

4.11

6. RECEPTION

4.22

4.49

7. HOTEL ROOM

3.15

4.15

8. HOTEL BED

3.25

4.95

9. BATHROOM AND RESTROOM

3.10

3.98

10. HOTEL BREAKFAST

4.05

4.16

11. BARS AND RESTAURANTS

3.95

4.65

12. CONGRESS HALL

4.95

4.78

13. ADDITIONAL OFFER

4.20

4.59

TOTAL:

3.97

TOTAL:

4.41

Events to perfection - stylish ambience - attentive service - best location - comfortable accommodation - luxurious bed concept - long tradition

Best Western Premier Hotel SLON Ljubljana Slovenska cesta 34, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia Business Meetings & Events T: +386 (0)1 470 11 55, E: sales@hotelslon.com www.hotelslon.com

42 Kongres travelogue

LJUBLJANA

The Most Beautiful City in the World

Ljubljana has congresses written in its genome. Long before the emergence of the meetings industry as we know it today, in 1821 Ljubljana hosted the Congress of the Holy Alliance. The legacy of the event is the Congress Square, surrounded by famous buildings and one of the city's icons, and after the renovation it is now also an attractive venue. At the time of the Congress of the Holy Alliance Ljubljana was chosen because of adequate accommodation facilities and its strategic location.

Because of the passage through the Ljubljana basin, Ljubljana has always had a linking role between South East and Central Europe.

Since then, the rural town Ljubljana developed into a modern city with metropolitan attributes, forming a rounded urban tourist destination. Its centre is still the castle hill, which is a symbolic and geographic focal point of the city.

It seems that Ljubljana is embedded in rural

surroundings, making it a very attractive landscape. Only a stone's throw from the city is a completely different Ljubljana Marshes Nature Park (Barje), the green outskirts of the city can be felt on the walk on the unique PST path (Path of Remembrance and Comradeship), which interconnects various rural and urban parts of the city.

The combining images of Roman Emona, the medieval city centre and Baroque and Art Nouveau elements also contribute to the attractiveness of the city. The city does not have any internationally recognisable landmarks, but is has a series of small “gems” that are sufficiently attractive and appealing for tourist development. The unique marketplace with the Plečnik arcades stands out along with the river Ljubljanica with Triple Bridges, the Dragon Bridge and the Cobblers’ Bridge. The city has a rich cultural and historical heritage and, consequently, is a social attraction. It has the attributes of a big city, while creating the impression of a small and friendly town. Recently the comprehensive urban renewal also contributed to this, with which Ljubljana acquired many new areas that are closed to traffic and are also suitable for congresses or other events.

The renovated Congress Square, Trnovo

harbour, the embankments of the Ljubljanica River are all excellent venues for events. The city also stresses the importance of sustainable development, which is reflected in the new low-emission buses, the introduction of charging points for electric cars and other measures such as the expansion of green areas and revitalization of industrial areas that make the city really green. The city is picturesque, attractive and friendly to congress tourists.

Most congress guests consider the sense of security in the city as very high. The opinion of its residents is that Ljubljana is a pleasant place to live in. Geo-strategically Ljubljana is extremely well positioned and is known as an accessible destination, but it has more and more problems with its transport accessibility.

Currently, the airline connections are poor, as well as the unused railway geostrategic location.

This is a shame, as it is this form of transport that is the most sustainable.

The lack of regular air connections and problems of the national air carrier currently places Ljubljana among the less accessible meetings destinations. Competition in the region is currently much more active and ambitious. The main traffic artery remains the Slovenian motorway network.

Otherwise Ljubljana is among the smaller towns, where most of tourist attractions are within walking distance. Parking problems have recently been eased with the emergence of a new parking garage and a changed traffic regime. Especially commendable is the bicycle rentals and a system of landscaped bike lanes in Ljubljana.

Tourism in Ljubljana is formally and effectively positioned as a key economic activity and a generator of development. An organised destination management through Ljubljana Tourism plays an important role here. Ljubljana thus functions as a developed

43 Kongres travelogue

tourist destination, generating 13.1 percent of arrivals in Slovenia with the majority business motive of the arrival. Among lots of bars and pubs in the city centre some of them are also marked with a symbol of Ljubljana Quality as a guarantee of quality. Much has improved in this area in recent years and only those most tourist restaurants should be avoided. Also, the number of international cuisines that can be found in Ljubljana has increased and Ljubljana is now increasingly comparable with the developed world. Nightlife of the capital is not particularly attractive bit Ljubljana is becoming a true regional shopping Mecca with a huge shopping centre on the outskirts of the city. Especially attractive is the recreational offer with a number of sports facilities and a high recreational culture of inhabitants of Ljubljana. Ljubljana is increasingly recognised as a base for exploring other attractions of Slovenia.

Ljubljana is the most important congress destination in Slovenia, where most of the meetings take place because of the appropriate meeting infrastructure and its accessibility.

Congress market in Ljubljana on the supply side consists of the Convention Bureau at Ljubljana Tourism and other congress and incentive providers. Congress buyers see Ljubljana, as a capital suitable for small to medium-sized meetings, positioned in the South-Eastern of Eastern Europe. Among capitals of the newly accessioned EU countries (EU-10), Ljubljana ranks at the tail of ICCA rankings. Compared to Eastern European destinations, Ljubljana in the time period to 2008 recorded good results, while in the time period from 2008 onwards it has been falling, as opposed to the share of destinations with a larger increase.

According to congress providers in Ljubljana, the congress capital has competitive advantage in factors outside the congress activities

(entertainment, sightseeing, sports activities, professional opportunities), conference facilities and location (climate, environment, infrastructure, hospitality). In assessing individual factors, Ljubljana achieves the best results in terms of the attractiveness of the surroundings, security, the culinary offer of the destination, the hospitality of the local population and opportunities for non-congress activities. Poorer assessment merit factors of service quality, accessibility and image or experience.

The main advantages of Ljubljana are certainly the two top conference centres - Cankarjev dom and the Ljubljana Exhibition and Conference Centre (GR). After numerous renovations both are in excellent condition and suitable for the most demanding conference guests. Even in the area of hotels, Ljubljana does not lag behind, and as the largest hotelier in Ljubljana, the Grand Hotel Union has one of the finest congress halls in the region. In addition, Ljubljana also has 9 hotels with conference facilities, 3 providers of other

44 Kongres travelogue

conference facilities and 10 special venues.

Well developed is also the agency offer with three active PCO agencies, 4 DMC agencies, 8 event organising agencies and 4 catering providers. After the above written, Ljubljana is a mature convention destination that meets most of the requirements to become a truly "Cool Capital for Great Meetings" as stated in the slogan of the congress destination Ljubljana.

important role in choosing the destination and hence its positioning on the international market, they should be given more attention in the future.

Ljubljana has comparative advantages and the experience necessary to occupy a better position in the market of Eastern and South-Eastern Europe in particular.

Analysis of the relevance and effectiveness of competitiveness factors of the convention destination, Ljubljana reveals that the location factor, conference facilities and outside congress activities, are assessed as successful and are at the same time important for the competitiveness of the destination.

Ljubljana less successfully meets the criteria of accessibility, quality of service, information or image, local support, accommodation facilities, which are all rated as very important factors of competitiveness. Given that it is precisely these criteria that play an extremely

5

excellent meetings destination

4

quality meetings destination

3

recommendable meetings destination

2

average meetings destination

1

so-so

Destination grade: 4.44 – QUALITY CONGRESS DESTINATION Grading explanation:

EUROPEAN GREEN CITIES INDEX: 19th place (out of 30 places) 56.39 points out of 100 CO2 emissions per head: 3.41 tonnes Percentage of renewable energy consumed: 0.21 % European Green City Index measures and ranges sustainable operation of 30 main European cities and takes into account 30 individual indicators. More at: http://www.siemens.com/ entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm

Individual grades: Natural and cultural factors

4.4

These are rated highly since Ljubljana is an appealing and attractive tourist destination with a developed infrastructure and cultural offer as well as high experiential value. The focus of this is the Ljubljana castle and the medieval town.

Given the size of the city, it has an exceptional cultural and historical diversity with over 15 museums, 41 galleries, 10 theatres and experientially diverse and varied natural hinterland.

General and transport infrastructure

4.1

Through history the city has expanded organically and, consequently, the overall proportion of infrastructure and transport is solidly regulated. Among the major shortcomings are still the bad airline availability, the unused railway infrastructure and poorly controlled stationary traffic. The city is extremely safe and in the region one of the most sustainably-oriented.

Tourist infrastructure

4.4

In the past the tourist offer developed around business tourists, so in Ljubljana hotels are missing a truly superior luxury hotel and recognisable international hotel chains. In the range from 2 to 4 stars, the offer is wide and attractive enough. The restaurant offer is solid, especially in Ljubljana there are many green spaces that offer plenty of opportunities for sports and recreational activities and incentive programmes.

Congress infrastructure

4.7

Most of investments in the tourism sector in recent years were aimed at improving the congress infrastructure. With two top-level convention centres and a very well developed hotel meetings offer, Ljubljana is the region's leading congress destination. Also positive is the operation of the Ljubljana Convention Bureau. Among weaknesses we could count fluctuations in the quality of service and lack of hotels availability in the largest peak times.

45 Kongres travelogue

Subjective grade

4.4

Mostly Ljubljana makes a good first impression, which is partially due to the consequence of the burden with ‘”apriority” conceptions in the light of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. Instead they find a congress destination which friendly and favourable to the meetings industry while competitive in terms of price and quality at the same time. Among all regional capitals it also has a very good image that has also been strengthened thanks to the Conventa Trade Show.

Comparison with the region: According to its conference and accommodation infrastructure, Ljubljana belongs to the group of capitals suitable for medium-sized and smaller meetings (up to 2.500 participants). It is positioned side by side with the new EU member states and geographically in the region of the Western Balkans. Thus, according to congress stakeholders in Ljubljana the most competitive destinations are Zagreb, Belgrade, Prague and Budapest. Compared to the newer EU capitals and countries of South East Europe, Ljubljana is ranked in the second half. It is preceded by Budapest and Vilnius, and we should also highlight the rapid growth of Belgrade. While most countries and cities in Europe, including New York, recorded a minimal decrease in the number of congresses, the cities in our immediate vicinity, mainly from South East Europe, recorded a fall on a smaller scale or record growth. At the end of last year in order to give Ljubljana a new sales and promotional momentum, a partnership called Ljubljana Strategic Bidding Team (LSBT), was established; it is composed of interested partners from both the private and public area.

Cool meetings: "Pražen krompir" on oil and onions are world famous and a very popular potato supplement with us, without which no Sunday lunch in Ljubljana and suburban restaurants passes.

With a little luck and knowledge you will eat the best one in the world. The number of versions is similarly endless as with risotto and is depending on the imagination.

BEST LJUBLJANA’S MEETING HALLS for over 250 participants in plenary set up according to the editorship of Kongres Magazine are: 1. GRAND UNION HALL, Grand Hotel Union 800 seats, one of the most beautiful and elegant congress halls in the region in the Art Nouveau style from1905 2. GALLUS HALL, Cankarjev dom 1545 seats, largest hall of Cankarjev dom is technically best equipped and suitable for the most demanding events.

3. PALACIJ HALL, Ljubljana Castle 270 seats, medieval structure, converted into a modern hall for receptions and various types of Banquet 4. 'MARMORNA' HALL, Gospodarsko razstavišče 1400 seats, Modernist Hall of exceptional spaciousness and flexibility suitable for a variety of events 5. 'KATEDRALA' HALL, Kino Šiška 450 seats, most rock hall with excellent acoustics and the most technically advanced equipment

6. 'PLEČNIK' HALL, Hotel Mons 600 seats, minimalist flexible conference hall with natural light and easy access 7. 'KAVARNA' HALL, Hotel Slon Best Western 250 seats, elegant hall in the very centre of the city 8. FESTIVAL HALL, Pionirski dom 510 seats, legendary hall, suitable for social events 9. SLOVENIAN PHILHARMONIC HALL, Slovenian Phillharmony 489 seats, elite location at the Congress Square in the oldest Philharmonic building 10. UBIQUITUS HALL, Austria Trend Hotel 400 seats, modern and technically well-equipped conference hall

SLOVENIA MEETINGS Feel the people.

Taste fresh ideas.

www.slovenia.info

www.slovenia-convention.com

Curious?

48 Kongres travelogue

ZAGREB

White Zagreb Town

I often come to the capital city of Croatia Zagreb, and the first thing I have noticed in recent years are many new buildings and new modern trams. Trams have accompanied me since my childhood as a sign that I am in a truly big city. Zagreb today has about 800,000 inhabitants and together with the surrounding conurbation, the population is just a little over one million.

Zagreb is a fascinating place to me; it reminds me of the proverbially well dressed women of Zagreb, who have always been known as harbingers of fashion trends in the region.

I feel that life in Zagreb is running slower, people still take the time to sit in cafés and for socializing, and in this respect the character of the city is Mediterranean, which gives the city a very specific character that more and more tourists are getting to know from year to year.

Year 2012 was, according to number of tourist visits, a record year and it seems that Zagreb

will soon reach its goal of a million tourist arrivals per year.

The city was built at the crossroads of important transport routes and today it is the administrative and economic centre of Croatia.

For a foreigner, the first impression is certainly Central European. The architecture of many buildings is marked by Austro-Hungarian times. The suburban ‘sleeping’ New Zagreb appears more Balkan-like; which from my childhood has not changed much and seems gray and tired. On the other hand, there is no shortage of green spaces and parks in the city. Urban Maksimir Park is the largest urban park in Croatia; Medvednica is a ski resort, a nature park and a tourist destination for the people of Zagreb. As a whole, the city appears to have a diverse landscape with the dominant medieval castle ”Gornji Grad” (Upper Town) and a cathedral. The medieval old town is considered one of the best-preserved city centres with high experiential value.

Zagreb is a great small place in terms of accessibility and transport.

A lot of it is because of its traffic location, as it connects Central Europe with the Mediterranean, at the same time it is at an important road corridor on the main routes to South-Eastern Europe. And a little also because of simple city logistics and relatively well-ordered public transport.

As elsewhere in the region, the airport is problematic, and appears as one of the most tired of the whole region ;the number and frequency of air connections is problematic as well, although there is year-to-year improvement. The most encouraging news is that the renovation of the passenger terminal at Zagreb airport will begin. Like everywhere in the region, the railway infrastructure, which is outdated and unattractive, is unused. Zagreb is giving to congress guests a feeling of a safe city, with the major infrastructure projects, such as in the airport and investments in green solutions, it will significantly strengthen its current congress market position.

Zagreb has over 45 hotels, including three hotels of the highest category and with the regional flag bearer Hotel Esplanade. In total, Zagreb hotels offer 1,561 rooms in 5-star hotels and 2.143 beds in 4 stars hotels. The offer is versatile and suitable for different target groups. Especially popular and fast-growing is the segment of the city break tourists. In Zagreb one eats well in many restaurants, and some are also exceptionally gourmet and different such as the top bistro ”Prasac” (Pig).

In the centre there is a popular marketplace, similar to Ljubljana’s in character. Memory goes back to the teenage years, when a visit to the gallery Mimara was mandatory for all high school students of former Yugoslavia.

It is a concentration of culture that often attracts me to Zagreb. The city has over 20 museums, numerous art galleries and theatres including the latest acquisition, the Museum of Modern Art Zagreb, which is also an excellent conference and event venue. Zagreb

49 Kongres travelogue

is becoming the cultural capital of the region and is regarded as the most developed capital of newly established countries of the former Yugoslavia in terms of tourist infrastructure.

Zagreb is not only the cultural and political centre of Croatia. As the metropolis, it is also in terms of meetings industry among the best developed parts of Croatia.

In Zagreb is the largest concentration of international hotel chains with congress facilities in the region.

A congress can be held at Hotel Sheraton, Westin, Arcotel, Four Points by Sheraton or in one of the best hotels in the region Regent Esplanade. This year, branded hotel chains were joined by the Double Tree by Hilton. In addition to these hotels, there are also some excellent local congress hotels available, such as the congress hotel Antunović. Zagreb could also host major international congresses, if the hotel offer would be followed by an offer of convention centres. Partially, the modern Hypo centre fills the offer with a hall for 1.600 participants, the concert hall Vatroslav Lisinski can take 1.800 guests, and the Zagreb Fair also offers conference facilities. Most museums are suitable for organising receptions and conferences. All museums are located in the city centre and are easily accessible and attractive for organising events.

Despite plans, Zagreb still lacks a modern multifunctional convention centre.

This is, in my opinion, at the moment the biggest development flaw for a faster growth of meetings industry in Zagreb and serious positioning on the congress map.

Zagreb generally makes a good impression on the visitor. The impression is sometimes interrupted by ragged facades and sporadic

50 Kongres travelogue

traffic chaos, which is the result of the size of the city. Generally, the city is safe, clean, comfortable and friendly to congress participants. The good ratio between price and quality is especially attractive; this has a positive impact on the competitiveness of the destination. It is not surprising that in the last year Zagreb has become a true hit on the Croatian tourist scene and no longer just a transit stop on the way to the Adriatic.

With proper marketing and the development of network of partners, Zagreb will continue to position itself as the leading Croatian and regional convention destination. As its main advantage, I would highlight the compactness and high quality of hotel accommodation, which combined with cultural and historical heritage, is the formula for success. Everything is seasoned with the right dose of metropolitan character and friendliness of the locals.

Destination grade: 4.22 – QUALITY CONGRESS DESTINATION Grading explanation: 5

excellent meetings destination

4

quality meetings destination

3

recommendable meetings destination

2

average meetings destination

1

so-so

EUROPEAN GREEN CITIES INDEX: 26th place (out of 30 places) 42.36 points out of 100 CO2 emissions per head: 6.68 tonnes Percentage of renewable energy consumed: 10.13 % European Green City Index measures and ranges sustainable operation of 30 main European cities and takes into account 30 individual indicators. More at: http://www.siemens.com/ entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm

Individual grades: Natural and cultural factors

4.3

Its rich natural and cultural heritage and the position of the Croatian capital have enabled Zagreb intensive development in tourism.

Recently, Zagreb has profited as a destination of culture with individual museums that have the potential to become world attractions, such as the unique Museum of Failed Relationships.

General and transport infrastructure

4.0

In the last ten years Croatia has radically improved road infrastructure and thus its accessibility. Significantly improved is also air accessibility via Zagreb Airport, which accepts over 40% of all air traffic in Croatia. We would, however, like to see an early construction of the new airport building as the existing one is strongly outdated. Currently, Zagreb is lagging behind in rail infrastructure the most. According to municipal infrastructure, local transport and sense of security, Zagreb can be classified into a golden class among competing European cities.

51 Kongres travelogue

Tourist infrastructure

4.5

The hotel infrastructure with new acquisitions fully satisfies modern congress guests and is perhaps at this moment the best among regional capitals. The fact that the tourist infrastructure is good and that the marketing of the destination also works well is also confirmed by the good results, which show a 5% growth despite the global recession.

Meetings infrastructure

4.1

In Croatia, Zagreb has a dominant image of a business as well as a major congress destination.

This has also been adapted by the offer of hotels with excellent congress facilities. A somewhat worse score than competitive cities of the region is due to the fact that Zagreb is without a convention centre, construction of which has been heralded since the public tender, which was completed in 2007.

Subjective grade

4.2

In the region, Zagreb managed to best maintain the Central European culture that is reminiscent of Vienna and creates a special atmosphere. In addition, it is a ‘pocket-friendly destination’ that offers a lot for reasonable money. It is the ideal combination of a metropolis with charm and a small town atmosphere.

Comparison with the region: I predict a great congress future for Zagreb.

I estimate that in the international congress market it is well established and in addition to Ljubljana and Belgrade it represents the future backbone of the continental meetings industry of the region. All three cities are progressing steadily on the charts of developed meetings destinations; the final breakthrough of the entire region is intertwined and dependent on the marketing of major regional congress cities in the international market.

Cool meetings: ‘Paprenjak’ is a traditional biscuit, which you'll find only in Zagreb, slightly spicy and goes excellently with the morning coffee, but it can also be a unique souvenir of the visit or a Congress in Zagreb.

BEST ZAGREB’S MEETING HALLS for over 250 participants in plenary set up according to the editorship of Kongres Magazine are: 1. EMERALD HALL, Esplanade Hotel 280 seats, probably one of the finest and most exclusive congress halls throughout the region, which stands out for its design and special experience 2. MAIN READING ROOM, Croatian Archive 700 seats, it is considered as the most distinctive larger historical hall in Zagreb suitable for receptions and gala events 3. CRYSTAL BALLROOM, Westin Hotel 800 seats, multifunctional hotel congress hall with the possibility of division into several parts is a true representative of the congress philosophy of its hotel chain 4. GALLERY HALL, the Art Pavilion 300 seats, oldest gallery facility in the region in the middle of beautiful parks and with superb artwork represents an excellent hall for receptions and protocol events 5. GRAND BALLROOM, Sheraton Hotel 600 seats, multifunction charming hotel congress hall with high functionality and full hotel offer is a comfortable and practical choice

6. TOMISLAV HALL, Antunović Hotel 900 seats, multifunctional hotel congress hall with high functionality and modern design, which with its easy access, parking garage and other facilities stepped into the world of the big and the successful 7. CONCERT HALL VATROSLAV LISINSKI, Vatroslav Lisinski 1851 seats, the most eminent concert hall in Zagreb, also suitable for congress events, is currently the largest congress hall in the city with fixed seats 8. KORNATI HALL, Hypo Expo 1100 seats, multi-purpose hall for various types of conferences with a modern design, spaciousness and practicality 9. MIMOSA HALL, Double Tree by Hilton 250 seats, the latest congress acquisition of Zagreb is a modern and practical multifunctional congress hall 10. CONGRESS HALL FORUM, 375 seats, modern multi-purpose hall within the Green Gold business centre

52 Kongres travelogue

BELGRADE

A City that Never Sleeps

In recent years I have visited Belgrade several times, mostly for congress purposes. At first glance, my association to Belgrade is related to a rich nightlife and general chaos. On the list of ten world cities with the best nightlife and cosmopolitan nature, it was included even by the famous Lonely Planet.

As one of the oldest cities in Europe, Belgrade does not lack tourist attractions, as it has a rich cultural and historical heritage, which is concentrated around the Kalemegdan fortress.

In addition, Belgrade has many experientially rich points such as Square of the Republic, Skadarlija, Dedinje, Ada Ciganlija and especially the area along the river Sava and the Danube.

Both rivers give the city a special character and mostly contribute to the landscape diversity of the otherwise rather boring

Pannonian Plain, which stretches to the north of the city.

The second important experiential elements are the many green areas, forming a beautiful and interesting contrast to the urban parts of the city. After penetrating through the chaotic traffic on bridges across the Sava, in a completely different light, and one that I personally much prefer, the old part of Belgrade shows. Here, some of the friendliest congress hotels and locations for events, as well as the true soul of Belgrade, can be found.

I usually come to the capital down the highway of �brotherhood and unity�, which is in a rather sad state following the crossing of the Croatian-Serbian border.

Most of the congress guests arrive to Belgrade

via the SurÄ?in Airport, which is satisfactorily connected to major air hubs, but to seriously boost meetings industry, a few more low-cost connections will be needed.

A Direct link with the city, which a city and an airport of this size would necessarily need, is also bad. A special issue is the city traffic, which despite everything somehow functions, city authorities are trying to renovate and improve the system. When planning and organising congresses, this element has to be carefully considered. There is also no point in wasting words on the residential area of New Belgrade. The destruction at the end of 1990s largely influenced the chaotic urbanisation.

The violation of norms and rules is a national sport. Apartment block buildings and isolated

53 Kongres travelogue

architectural colossi are a reflection of socialist architectural philosophy. All this affects the sense of quality of life, which is not the best.

Current urban aesthetics of the city is not on the level of spiritual, cultural and intellectual potential of the city.

Belgrade is the leading Serbian tourist destination with over 30 % of all tourists.

Belgrade has some 2.000 solid hotel rooms, suitable for congress guests in hotels of 4 and 5 star categories. Considering the city’s potential, it is significantly malnourished in this area. Fortunately the situation will soon fundamentally change with the opening of new hotels, like the 5 star Falkensteiner.

With well planned work, the destination’s image has improved over the past few years, to which numerous positive media coverage also contributed. According to the number of tourist attractions, the city is not far behind the leading cities in Europe, and it also has the advantage of the status of a new and hot tourist destination.

Meetings industry is positioned highest on a scale of Belgrade’s tourist products.

To this the Belgrade Convention Bureau, which continuously positions the city on the international market, contributed a lot.

In the environment of the socialist New Belgrade, which is supplemented by ultra modern shopping centres, the former pride of meetings industry of Yugoslavia Sava Centre is located. Functionality of the Centre, which dedicated a part of its facilities to trade, never seizes to surprise me positively. As well as the relatively well maintained interior which is retro and has not changed from when it was built. The centre is anything but easy to manage and is in need of a thorough renovation, but it is still the largest in the region and gives Belgrade a chance to bid for very large international congresses. If hotels around it will be renovated as well, especially the Continental, who has lost a part of its name somewhere on the road (Inter) and the

54 Kongres travelogue

new Kempinski Hotel will be built, that will definitely be a new impetus for Belgrade’s congress events. In the same area you will also find a few newly built hotels with conference facilities, but they see congresses as a supplementary business (Holiday Inn and Hotel In).

On the Sava Island the Belgrade Fair is located, which is from the time of the former common state oversized, but it is very proactive and it has numerous interesting fair events and a leading position in the city.

More than with hotels, Belgrade impresses with numerous location for receptions and other events. Finally it had been for many years the capital of the common state, which is also shown in numerous representative buildings. Here Belgrade discovers its soul and offers to congress participants many ways to spend free time at Kalamegdan and Belgrade fortress and in one of many parks. Here is should be noted that this is a big city and thus time for such activities should be carefully planned.

What impresses me again and again in Belgrade is the friendliness of the hosts. The city is such because of its inhabitants who are open and hospitable. In my opinion, this is the greatest competitive advantage of Belgrade.

Event organisers will find professional and accurate information on the meetings industry, fast and friendly at the Belgrade Convention Bureau (www.tob.co.rs). It offers comprehensive overview of congress products as meetings planners understand them. With a little luck, you will find right partners for your event in Belgrade also in the field of agencies, who will leave you breathless with their courage, commitment and innovative proposals for the organisation of your congress.

Belgrade is an authentic, open and hospitable congress destination with soul.

The gap between current infrastructure and the actual potential of the city, which it has because of its historical and cultural position in the region, is the biggest challenge for Belgrade’s congress scene.

In short, the zeitgeist of Belgrade is best summed up by writer Momo Kapor with the words: “Belgrade is a low-budget New York”.

Destination grade: 3.88 – QUALITY CONGRESS DESTINATION Grading explanation: 5

excellent meetings destination

4

quality meetings destination

3

recommendable meetings destination

2

average meetings destination

1

so-so

EUROPEAN GREEN CITIES INDEX: 27th place (out of 30 places) 40.03 points out of 100 CO2 emissions per head: 3.85 tonnes Percentage of renewable energy consumed: 8 % European Green City Index measures and ranges sustainable operation of 30 main European cities and takes into account 30 individual indicators. More at: http://www.siemens.com/ entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm

Individual grades: Natural and cultural factors

4.0

The city at the crossroads of routes and historic conflict is full of history and forms an authentic social and cultural whole interesting to tourists.

Unfortunately, some cultural monuments are in a pretty bad shape and that is why the grade is slightly lower compared to the other parts of the region.

55 Kongres travelogue

General and transport infrastructure

3.5

All roads lead to Belgrade. The geostrategic position of Belgrade is extremely favourable and allows for easy access at any time of the year. Unfortunately, the traffic and especially its quality is the weakest part of the congress infrastructure. Years of wars, sanctions and isolation have claimed its toll on the transport and general infrastructure, which is slowly returning to normal.

Tourist infrastructure

4.3

Belgrade is currently dominated by medium 3 and 4 star category hotels, in short this will be improved with new openings, which will improve the offer in the first hotel league.

Otherwise, it is a city with remarkable cuisine, world-class nightlife, world events and positive vibrations, which makes it a very dynamic and attractive tourist destination.

Meetings infrastructure

3.7

Belgrade has a good basis for the development of meetings industry with a large convention centre, the Belgrade Fair, numerous convention hotels, the long tradition and very reasonable prices. With the establishment of the Serbian Convention Bureau in 2007, co-operation and promotion has thoroughly improved and now Belgrade has in terms of management a unique opportunity to take advantage of its benefits, provided that the complete infrastructure will be thoroughly renewed.

Subjective grade

3.9

Looking at Belgrade in terms of conference infrastructure, investments are necessary for it to be able to compete in the premier league of European cities. Most convention facilities need renovation to get rid of a dominant retro style from the beginning of 1970s. The city has enormous potential, which is still significantly untapped. The gap between expectations of international congress planners and the reality is simply too great.

Comparison with the region: Belgrade bases its congress story on the rich culture at the crossroads of East and West, the central position in the South-East Europe and a lively social life. Belgrade is a city on the rise and a rough congress diamond, which has enormous development potential and can be placed geo-strategically side by side with world congress capitals, if it improves its infrastructure and handles the entire meetings sales chain. Promises of a new era are new hotels like Falkensteiner, which will open in November, the renovation of the Continental Hotel has also started and which will operate as Crown Plaza from 2013.

Cool meetings: Despite the remarkable culinary diversity, it is hard to avoid ”ROŠTILJ” (grill) and different forms of mixed grilled meat. Belgrade is the world capital of čevapčiči’ (meat rolls), patties, ”uštipci”, ”ražnjiči”, spicy sausages, ”vešalica”, .....

BEST BELGRADE’S MEETING HALLS for over 250 participants in plenary set up according to editorship of Kongres Magazine are: 1. BLUE HALL, Sava Centre 3.627 seats, the biggest congress hall in Balkans with a special patina is still extremely functional but comes from another time and is in need of renovation.

2. WHITE COURT (‘BELI DVOR’), Royal Court Dedinje 250 seats, Ceremonial Hall is the most representative hall for receptions in the beautiful Dedinje complex, which is the official residence of the Karađorđević royal family.

2. LARGE HALL, Foundation Kolarac 880 seats, superior hall with one of the best acoustics in Balkans, which is also suitable for organisation of congresses 3. CRYSTAL BALLROOM, Hyat Regency 600 seats, classic hotel congress multifunctional hall built in accordance with Hyatt hotel chain standards 4. UŠČE TOWER HALL, Ušče Tower 250 seats, hall that found itself on the scale because of the most beautiful view of the city 5. GRAND BALLROOM, Hotel Metropol Palace 600 seats, renovated superior congress hall with a terrace and superior equipment. The advantage will be ensured with the entry in the hotel chain Starwood

6. BALLROOM, Hotel Falkensteiner 370 seats, a newcomer on Belgrade’s congress scene, who brings a lot of aesthetic pleasure, for which author of the architecture, the famous Boris Podrecca, is a guarantee 7. BELLEXPO CENTRE HALL, Bellexpocentar 3.000 seats, large totally flexible hall without columns and with modern equipment in immediate vicinity of the Holiday Inn Hotel 8. LARGE HALL, Opera Madlenianum 504 seats, hall also suitable for congresses in the first private opera on Balkans, the construction of which was financed by the Zepter family 9. CONGRESS HALL, Hotel President Kovilovo 330 seats, multifunctional congress hall of the classic hotel type 10. AVALA HALL, Best Western M 600 seats, useful hall of the older type

56 Kongres Ljubljana

News from Ljubljana Tourism – Convention Bureau

www.visitljubljana.si/meetings

The Visit Ljubljana Website Optimized for Mobile Devices

The Ljubljana Tourist Card achieved an excellent third place.

Visit Ljubljana, the official website of Ljubljana and the Central Slovenia region, has been fully optimized for mobile devices. Visitors to Ljubljana can now explore the city and its region using a smart phone or tablet computer.

The Ljubljana Tourist Card placed third behind Vienna's Wien Card and Oslo's Oslo Pass, which is a great affirmation for the city's tourist board, Ljubljana Tourism, which manages the card.

The optimized website at www.visitljubljana.com allows visitors to locate their current position and nearby points of interest, use an interactive map of Ljubljana and Central Slovenia, put together a schedule for their stay in the region using the MyVisit tool, access the schedule from anywhere, get ideas on what to see and do, find places to stay, shop and eat, and check the calendar of events.

The Visit Ljubljana website, optimized for mobile devices in October 2012, was revamped in accordance with the principles of responsive web design, which supports all screen sizes, regardless of which web browser is used.

The project for the upgrading of the Visit Ljubljana website, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, practically coincides with the completion of the first phase of work on Ljubljana's citywide free wireless internet network, which is due in the coming months and will initially cover the very central city area. www.visitljubljana.com

Ljubljana Tourist Card Rated Third-Best in Europe In September 2012, the EuroTest consortium of European automobile clubs published the results of a comparison test of European city cards. The test involved 16 cards in 14 different European cities.

The Card's excellent ranking is particularly due to its covering all the city's top attractions and its great average discount of 100 percent on all offers. Another major advantage that decisively contributed to the card's ranking is its highly favourable price. A three-day city card, for example, costs €35.00 (€31.50 if purchased online), and a one-day card as little as €20.70 if purchased online, while savings can amount to over €110.00.

The card also scored well because of its inclusion of free travel on public transport, easy accessibility of information about the card and its offers, and the card's availability at important sales outlets and on the internet (via the Visit Ljubljana website at www.visitljubljana.com).

More information about the comparison test is available at the Euro Test website at www. eurotestmobility.com.

Hotel Openings in Ljubljana in Summer 2012 The Ljubljana hotel portfolio has been enriched by several new properties of a different character in the summer of 2012, each of them adding an individual value to the destination’s accommodation product.

The most recent opened just a few weeks ago.

Apart from the modern 4-star Plaza Hotel Ljubljana (237 rooms and suites), which is defined by the subtle aesthetics of its interior decor and environmental sustainability, four smaller boutique properties, whose common denominator is design and personal flair, have

entered the market. Two of them, the Vander Urban Resort and Adora hotels, boast a prime Old Town location, while G Design Hotel at the city outskirts reflects a stronger bond to nature.

The last newcomer on the list is a 3-star urban hotel in downtown Ljubljana, named Meksiko, set in the direct vicinity of the ER and the Polyclinic of the Ljubljana University Medical Centre. It is ideal for users of health services and their relatives, as well as business and leisure travellers.

The property features 50 well appointed rooms with free internet access. Its name has been inspired from a nearby building dating from the late 1920’s, called Meksika. This is where many decades earlier volunteers setting off to fight in the Mexican war gathered. Meksika is otherwise known as the first example of collective housing in Ljubljana and is now protected as an architectural monument of local importance. The city centre and the Old Town are just at 10 to 15 minutes’ walk away, and an itinerary leads along the picturesque riverbanks. The railway station is conveniently close, too. www.hotel-meksiko.si

57

Good practise examples

9th Central European Orthopaedic Congress or what to do when the trend is negative?

9th Central European Orthopaedic Congress 3rd Slovenian Orthopaedic Congress 21st Jun.—23rd Jun. 2012 Organiser: Society for the Development of Orthopaedics Location: Congress Centre St. Bernardin, Portorož PCO: Cankarjev dom, Ljubljana, www.ceoc2012.si Being the organiser, have you ever had an example where at an early stage you prepared a complete plan of the congress in accordance with the information provided by the Association, where you evaluated everything based on the expected number of participants, who in the end were not coming at all? If your answer is positive, then welcome to the reality of the recession period, where participation at congresses is falling for known reasons. Always ready for anything, we confront the reality, change rooms, reduce costs and re-calculate everything. Yes, our goal is that everything works out in the end. The biggest challenge for the congress organiser is to get the execution of an expert congress, whose international members, on the basis of experience of the past few congresses, attribute it to be short-lived: "This Congress will probably be the last one, because participation has been steadily decreasing and has reached a critical point.” CEOC congresses were being held since 1986 (Bratislava) and have established themselves as a unique gathering of experts from Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Austria. When the CEOC returned to Slovenia after nine years, to Portoroz, we can say that they miscalculated. Prim. Ladislav Šimnic, Dr. Med. the President of the Congress, along with other members of the Slovenian Society for the Development of Orthopaedics, demonstrated that with personal contacts and hard work, the situation may be changed. The problem with the turnout, which was also shown at the beginning of the ninth CEOC Congress, was eliminated by activating the representatives of the national associations which were actively

involved in getting the participants. In the end, 270 eminent experts in the field of orthopaedics gathered in Portorož. In addition, the European Congress was also joined by the 3rd Slovenian orthopaedic Congress. Cankarjev dom, as the official PCO, has been entrusted with the whole implementation - from registration, adoption of papers and abstracts, editing and printing of publications, the preparation and presentation of the accompanying exhibition and sponsors (as many as 22 exhibitors is not a small number for a congress of this size), to accommodation arrangements and the implementation of the social programme. For the conference dinner, we used a piece of the coastline this time - there are not many Central European countries which can boast of the sea, right? www.cd-cc.si

Greening of jobs a the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre Date: August, September 2012 Number of participants: 29 Location: Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre (GR) Contractor: Institute for Sustainable Development, Slovenia

The GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre on a Green Road GR encourages the development of green jobs in Slovenia. Last year at one of their fairs, the Nature-Health Fairt hosted a conference on

green jobs; it has become a test case for setting criteria of how green Slovenian companies are.

Green jobs are decent and environmentally friendly, and as such, they tend to sustainable development and contribute to reducing the environmental impact of enterprises and economic sectors.

The survey, conducted at the GR by the Institute for Sustainable Coexistence is comprised of different areas and all stages of the work process, such as power consumption and the use of electronic devices, paper storage, and printing, water consumption, waste management, cleaning and social component.

According to the data collected and the analysis of the green questionnaire, the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre endeavours to follow all national and European environmental regulations and sustainable business practice. As the service, the exhibition and the congress activities are key areas of business from year to year and are mainly developed from previous knowledge, experience and a layout that is recycled every year, upgraded and re-used, we can say that the service industry at the GR is very green, states the report. The company is sustainable, and at the same time it is focused on green efforts in the field of social components, where it raises awareness about the importance of the wellbeing of employees at work and in the work process. www.gr-sejem.si

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Gadgets

Tripreader – your travel companion App that you must have on your next trip The amazing app for every true traveller. Organise, manage, capture and share your journey in a completely new way with a true travel companion.

As every traveler knows, a journey begins long before we leave our homes and lasts long after we have already returned. That is why Minoa designed this magnificent app to accompany you throughout your whole journey.

From the moment you pick your destination, to the day you make it back home. And all the time in between. It was designed by travelers for travelers, for a complete travel story.

It is designed in a way, internet is almost never needed, so you can use it all the time. Well, except when you'll want to share the highlights of your new experiences with your friends.

The fantastic retro-vintage design was added, so you'll have as much fun watching it as using it. So, choose a destination, pick up your TripRider and go, explore new places, meet new people and have fun.

More on www.triprider.com

Kongres Magazine – Interesting reading 50 DIGITAL TEAM-BUILDING GAMES Fast, Fun, Meeting Openers, Group Activities and Adventures using Social Media, Smart Phones, GPS, Tablets, and More John Chen

Ideas for every occasion: from short 5 minute introductory games to many hours of GPS adventures. The games are simple, described in detail and they do not require some special technical skills. The basic idea of the book is important, that technologies are merely tools whit which it is easier to build a real team.

Publisher: John Willey & Sons, 2012 Length: 191 pages

PARTY PEOPLE - How we make millions from having fun David Jamily & Tammy Cohen Tammy Cohen presents an interesting autobiographical story of a brother and sister David and Kim Jamilly, who left school at 15 and set up one of the most successful British event agencies Theme Traders. A tribute to creativity and a series of practical tips gained from practice and from their own mistakes.

Publisher: Pen Press, 2011 Length: 190 pages

THE END OF MEMBERSHIP AS WE KNOW IT Sarah L. Sladek The period of self sufficiency of expert associations is long gone. In the book you will find a number of tips on how to safely bring your association into a new era and satisfy increasingly demanding members. The author draws attention to the many cliffs and challenges based on actual research.

Compulsory reading for managers of professional associations, who wish to develop and remain successful.

Publisher: ASAE, 2011 Length: 128 pages

BRANDWASHED Martin Lindstrom Marketing visionary Martin Lindstrom totally reveals tricks and manipulations as well as research and psychological patterns that are used by marketing industry for increasing sales. Many surprising insights and useful tips also for destination marketing professionals and for a more ethical marketing in the future.

Publisher: Crown Publishing Group, 2012 Length: 266 pages

59

1448 km of paths in the new cycling guide to the Heart of Slovenia www.srceslovenije.si

Fans of cycling can, in the Heart of Slovenia, in an area in the heart of the country, choose between 32 new bicycle paths, which in the cycling guide is titled "With bicycles to the Heart of Slovenia" issued by the Centre for Development Litija. Bike paths are also connected with paths towards Dolenjska and Ljubljana.

The brand “The Heart of SloveniaÂŤ is developed by the Centre for Development Litija, which is connecting tourist, business and environmental potentials rounded in the area of the Heart of Slovenia. It encourages entrepreneurial breakthrough of the countryside, safeguarding of the natural environment and local self-sufficiency and fosters an active role of the population.

Paths of different difficulty levels are held in the area between the Kamnik Alps and Dolenjska hills and are connecting areas of municipalities of the Heart of Slovenia. There is 1448 kilometers of the total path length for as much as 91 hours of cycling. The guide on trekking, family, road and mountain biking trails also offers over 100 tips for sightseeing natural beauties and other attractions. There is also a detailed map with mapped cycle routes and sites that are worth visiting on the way.

The cycling guide is available on a new tourism portal of the area www. srce-slovenije.si/turizem. Visitors can also see the area with a motorhome (camper) as the Heart of Slovenia is the first caravanning destination in Slovenia. Great emphasis is also placed on locally produced food that is available to guests on the farms, which are included in the network of stations for campers.

100 95 75

25 5 0

60 Kongres travelogue

TOP 10 SEE WINTER INCENTIVE & MEETINGS DESTINATIONS

To keep boredom at bay during the winter season, we recommend that you organise your events in one of the region’s many ski resorts and winter centres. The editorial board of Kongres Magazine has analysed where in the region participants at your events, seminars and conferences will best be taken care of. The solid skiing offer makes the region a magnet, but more so with its excellent cuisine and the authentic experiences to be had.

HOTELI HIT ALPINEA, 4**** Kranjska gora, Slovenia The most famous and traditional ski resort of the region retains its popularity, and in the area of meetings industry it has focused on 'bio' meetings industry and middle sized business events.

Congress Halls: 10 congress halls, the largest for 380 participants Ski Resort: 20 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 20 devices (6 chair lifts, 14 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Vitranc, altitude 810 - 1570m.

Best for: Business meetings, seminars, team building

BOHINJ EKO PARK HOTEL, 5***** Bohinjska Bistrica, Slovenia

MK MOUNTAIN RESORT, 4**** Kopaonik, Serbia

The only ecologically and sustainably oriented resort in the region is out of the category because of complex offer and construction of the first eco ski resort in the region with the longest trails, which will complement the already excellent offer of the resort.

This hotel complex with conference centre in the Hotel Angella impresses with its innovative incentive offer. It is located in the middle of the largest and the most modern ski resort in Serbia, which boasts more than 200 days of sunshine, excellent snow conditions and well maintained ski trails.

Congress Halls: 8 conference halls, the largest for 150 participants Ski Resort: 22 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 8 devices (1 gondola, 4 chair lifts, 3 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Vogel, altitude 569 - 1800m A new ski resort, called 2864, will open in 2013, which will have 25 km of trails and 3 gondolas.

Best for: Conferences, business meetings, team building, themed and incentive events

Congress Halls: 5 conference halls, the largest for 500 participants Ski Resort: 55 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 21 devices (chair lifts and ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Pančičev vrh, altitude 1056 - 2017m.

Best for: Incentive events, seminars, team building, business parties

HOTEL HABAKUK, 5***** Ski resort Mariborsko Pohorje, Slovenia

PLANJA HOTEL - UNITOUR , 4**** Rogla, Slovenia

The Hotel Habakuk is a staple first category of Maribor, which together with Hotel Bellevue offers the best combination of winter pleasures and an excellent congress product on a premium FIS ski resort.

A renovated conference facility is on offer at this award-winning and, for a number of years, in relation to the diversity of the offer, the best Slovenian ski resort with its extremely friendly staff, which altogether ensures a successful winter event.

Congress Halls: 8 conference halls, the largest for 250 participants Ski Resort: 12 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 13 devices (2 chair lifts, 11 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Pohorje, altitude 1050 - 1517m.

Best for: Conferences, Business Parties, team building

Congress Halls: 6 congress halls, the largest for 500 participants Ski Resort: 1.5 km of maintained ski slopes for alpine skiing, 22 devices (1 gondola, 5 chair lifts, 16 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Pohorje, altitude 325 – 1327m.

Best for: Congresses, conferences, incentive programmes

61 Kongres travelogue

HOTEL MONA, 4****, Zlatibor, Serbia A traditional hotel set in the centre of town thrills with its excellent cuisine and an experienced conference team. Zlatibor ski resort is going to be even richer with a new gondola that will connect the top (Tornika) with the centre of Zlatibor.

Congress Halls: 6 congress halls, the largest for 220 participants Ski Resort: 7 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 3 chair lifts and ski lifts (gondola in construction) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Tornik, altitude 1100 - 1495m.

Best for: Business meetings, meetings, incentive programmes, themed events

HOTEL TERMAG, 5***** Jahorina, Bosnia and Hercegovina Probably the most prestigious hotel in Jahorina, it pampers with its excellent spa and exquisite cuisine in Koliba, an authentic Bosnian ethnorestaurant. Suitable for smaller business or protocol groups.

Congress Halls: Smaller conference hall for 10 to 70 participants Ski Resort: 25 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 8 devices (5 chair lifts , 3 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Vrh Jahorine, altitude 1300 - 1916m.

Best for: Seminars, conferences, team building, business Parties

HOTEL GOLTE, 4**** Savinja Alps, Slovenia

HOTEL STARA PLANINA - FALKENSTEINER, 4***** Stara Planina, Serbia

This environmentally friendly hotel directly on the slopes and in beautiful mountain plateau surroundings, right in the middle of the Savinja Alps, is suitable for smaller conference groups who wish to withdraw from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The highest profile ski resort in Serbia with its first gondola to complement the recently opened Falkensteiner hotel, it is suitable for meetings industry and is managed with all the traditions of the hotel chain in mind.

Congress Halls: 2 conference halls, the largest for 100 participants Ski Resort: 12 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 6 devices (1 gondola, 3 chair lifts, 2 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Smrekovec, altitude 1150 - 1569m.

Best for: Team building and business meetings

HOTEL BIANCA RESORT & SPA Kolašin, Montenegro One of the most prestigious hotels, it is suitable for smaller, closed incentive groups. It stands out with its authentic architecture and genuine hotel services.

Congress Halls: Smaller conference hall for 10 to 50 participants Ski Resort: 30 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 6 devices (2 chair lifts and 4 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Bjelasica, altitude 1450 - 1950m.

Best for: Business meetings, team building and protocol meetings

Congress Halls: 4 congress halls, the largest for 300 participants Ski Resort: 13 km of maintained ski trails for alpine skiing, 5 devices (gondola, 2 chair lifts and 2 ski lifts) Altitude of the Ski Resort: Babin Zub, altitude 1475 - 2169m.

Best for: Seminars, conferences, team building

.com

Croatia Meetings Special addendum for Croatian meetings industry

Nikola Račić

Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau

CROATIAN HOTELIERS AND AGENTS ON CONGRESS YEAR 2012 & 2013 Roko Palmić

Are you “GREEN”?

Ivica Max Krizmanić:

Esplanade Zagreb is a brand for itself

Nikica Žunić

Why is it important to have a PCO certificate?

ENFANT TERRIBLE

Leo Urlić

Treat yourselves to Advent in Zagreb!

Editorial Board: Daniela Kos, Aleksandra Uhernik Đurđek, Roko Palmić

No4 11/2012

63 Croatia Addendum

64 Croatia Addendum

65 Croatia Addendum

Nikola Račić, Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau Croatia is Mediterrenean, Central European and a Danubian country

After graduating from the Faculty of Economics in Zagreb and gaining a Master’s Degree in undergraduate studies of tourism, I became the owner of a private restaurant. In the early 90s, I became the general secretary of the Yugoslav convention bureau - Jugokongres.

In 1990, I became an adviser to the Minister of Tourism in the first Croatian government and two years later, I was appointed a deputy director of the Croatian National Tourist Board. Subsequently, in 2001, I became the director of Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau of the Croatian National Tourist Board.

In 2005, I was elected as the director of Skål International, with particular responsibility for the development of business activities within Skål International, the world’s most important organization for tourism managers. Two years later, in 2007, I becoming the vice president of Skål International and in 2009 during, the 70th Skål World Congress in Budapest, I was elected for the President of Skål International.

I was voted the European Manager of the Year for Conventions and Incentive in 1999 at the meetings and events trade show - EIBTM in Geneva and then again in 2010, at the IMEX Fair in Frankfurt.

In 2011, at the meetings and events trade show CONVENTA in Ljubljana, I won a prize for contribution to the promotion of Croatian congress and incentives offer.

What do you think of the regional cooperation – should Croatia perform as a part of South-Eastern Europe? Do you believe that regional cooperation is possible and on what level?

In the Strategic Marketing Plan of Croatian Tourism 2010 – 2014, Croatia is positioned as the Mediterranean, Central European and Danubian country. It is our strategic marketing commitment. It is crucial that the image of Croatia be: a new destination, an old brand – the Mediterranean. However, the participants of the Croatian meetings industry, individuals or businesses, may, if they have an interest and profit, present themselves in whatever association they want, be it in Southeast Europe, the Alps-Adria or something else.

Croatia is in the UNWTO and other major international tourism organizations positioned as a Mediterranean and central European country. For that we have fought since the establishment of the Croatian Tourist Bord in 1994. Croatia has strategic documents where we are clearly positioned in the international market, as a Mediterranean country on the most important international congress fairs (IMEX Europe, IMEX America, etc.) and at tourism fairs such as ITB Berlin and WTM London.

We are missing a larger number of direct airline routes with main European and international countries in the pre and post tourist season, while on the other hand, airline companies do not want to add additional lines which would not be profitable. How can we solve this problem?

This is a big problem and a complex issue.

However, the meetings industry is basically helpless in this matter. We have witnessed the crisis in the airline industry and the reduction of many flights. When it comes to further deregulation of transport, the primary thing will be the evaluation of the commercial airline and how much the localcommunity – county and city can subsidize certain airlines

and moreflights. It may happen, based on the excellent results of Croatian meetings activities, that some companies decided on certain flights because they see a profit in it.

British Airways, which is returning to Zagreb, is the best indicator. We as an industry can give a positive input to the flight industry, information on business opportunities from the development of meetings and events for the whole destination, we can lobby, but we cannot do more than that. The local community often has no money or no interest to bring airlines outside the summer season.

But I am sure that with joining the EU, the Croatian situation will improve because there will be more interest from new airlines to profitably engage on the Croatian market.

When will Croatia establish the Ambassador Program? Do you have information on how many international biddings Croatia participates in on an annual basis? What is the role of the Congress Office in this process?

The name of the Ambassador Program is used by many in the wrong context. Large associations such as Skål or ICCA have their Ambassador Program: If you area prominent member, then the association nominates you as their ambassador to promote in the world. Also, organizers of major international conferences can appoint ambassadors of congresses in certain countries, in order to gather more participants. Therefore, the Ambassador program has many aspects.

What you call the Ambassador Program is actually supporting the candidature for large international meetings or incentives in Croatia.

We initiated such a program in Croatia 12 years ago, and we have the complete list of meetings where we help in 2011 and 2012. We help professional organizers with logistics, we suggest partners for them in DMC/PCO and congress hotels, we help them financially with their departure to candidatures or the arrival of international representatives of

66 Croatia Addendum

the association to site inspections. This has been called “Supporting candidatures of international associations and corporations for meetings in Croatia” in the marketing plan of CCIB for ten years already.

We have a complete database of organizers, and we gather the information from several systems – the memberships in international organizations (ICCA, UIA, MPI, SITE, Skål), the fair and business workshops, and that list is strictly confidential. Currently we have 47 meetings planning in various dynamics, but work on some of them has started in 2003. There is a large number, but I cannot speak on an annual level because there are approximately 4-5 led a year. For large international meetings, not one candidature goes without our support. As the newest example, I would like to emphasize the largest congress in 2014 in Croatia – IADR, the international congress for Dentistry which will be in Dubrovnik and will gather 900 participants. We have been leading it in cooperation with the vice-dean of the Faculty for Dentistry in Zagreb for the last four years.

Conditions of a PCO licence–experience in the organization of international meetings The work version of the new Strategy of Development in Tourism for the Republic of Croatia was presented. In what measure is the importance of the development of business tourism placed in it?

Business tourism in the new strategy received a significant position because prolonging the tourist season has greater expenses from classic tourist, and that is an important strategic goal. This also can be seen in the Operative Marketing Plan for 2013 where many present activities have been terminated, but CCIB has kept the funds and is expanding its activities. CCIB in the Strategic Marketing Plan of Croatian Tourism by 2014 is positioned in quality, and we will also receive additional stimulation for an active approach on the

market – for supporting domestic organizers, the stocktaking of the Croatian congress and incentive offer and together with the Ministry of Tourism we will bring a certification for PCO which will be coordinated with international standards. According to that certification, we will acknowledge along with the already established companies the experience of individuals in the organization of international meetings in previous companies and on the basis of their experience and knowledge they will be able to receive a PCO licence. Furthermore, large companies that have congress departments in their system will be able to receive a licence. But it is in the interest of the entire industry that those who are qualified and have references do these activities. It is our goal to crystallize all that are on the meetings market of Croatia who are real PCO or DMC, and who are qualified for this with their previous work in that area.

Will the appearance of the CCIB stand on congress and incentive fairs abroad ever change? Will it adapt to the new visual solution of the exhibition area of the Croatian Tourism Board?

The concept of the functioning of the stand of the Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau

does not have anything with the appearance of stands on general tourist fairs.

When appearing on a congress fair, the most important thing is to have a good position in the pavilion. During IMEX and other fairs we were positioned in the centre, and our neighbours were Great Britain, London, Spain – strong players on the international meetings and incentive market. Furthermore, it is exceptionally important to have a good and visible sign with the name of the country.

We have a large sign of Croatia and the slogan ‘Meeting friends in friendly Croatia’. You have to know that this is not ITB Berlin or WTM London. The customers do not care about the appearance of the stand, they do not look at the colour, but they are more interested in what the Croatian exhibitor will present to them in a 30-minute direct contact. That is why the stands of Croatia, Turkey or Italy in Berlin are different than on congress fairs.

The customers already informed us on the first EIBTM that they want to receive quick information and have a quick flow through the stand. They are not interested in noise and music, and we are not there for tourism, but rather business.

Daniela Kos

67 Croatia Addendum

68 Croatia Addendum

CROATIAN HOTELIERS AND AGENTS ON CONGRESS YEAR 2012 & 2013

1. How successful was meetings & events segment in 2012 compared to 2011 in your company?

2. What are your expectations for the next year? Do you already have confirmed some important meetings and events?

Vlatka Folo, MICE manager Maistra

promotion of yet another major MICE location, Adris Convention and Business Center (former tobacco factory), which each year attracts an increasing number of events, this year so far we held over 110 different types of events which resulted in increased revenues of 10% compared to a year before.

2: Contracting for 2013 has started last year in February and is still going on. Besides the already contracted conferences for 2013 in the field of medicine, media and telecommunications we are very proud to have confirmed events for 2014 and 2015 as well.

Keeping in mind our business strategy gives a great importance to meetings industry we are investing huge efforts through our specialized MICE department and our international sales network to reach further revenue growth in the MICE segment in 2013 especially from the foreign markets.

Giorgio Cadum, Member of the Board for Sales & Marketing Liburnia Riviera Hotels

1: In 2011 Maistra presented the new Hotel Lone to the market and we are very proud and satisified how the new product performed in its first business year. Lone represents the flagship of Maistra’s congress offer and it’s the first Croatian hotel included in the international collection of the world-renowned brand Design Hotels AG. Together with three other hotels (hotel Monte Mulini - part of the Leading Hotels of the World, hotel Eden and hotel Park), combining their rich and modern conference facilities, it builds the Cap Aureo Conference Centre, one of the leading congress centres in the region. Beside choosing between different hotel types and categories, event organizers can be sure their delegates will enjoy every minute of their stay thanks to the abundant selection of hotel facilities in Cap Aureo. Of course one of the most important USPs is its location in one of the most attractive destinations on the Mediterranean, the town of Rovinj. Furthermore thanks to continuous

1: The MICE segment of sales, in comparison with other channels of sales, primarily direct sales and in comparison with the year 2001, did not make a significant step forward. The basic reason for this is that here is still a crisis in the congress industry, or in looking for favourable arrangements and shortening the number of days of holding seminars, meetings and congresses by the organizers.

However, when comparing the offer of other congress destinations which this year marked a significant growth – and this is primarily Dubrovnik, Rovinj and Umag – I would have to say that Opatija, as a congress destination, has definitely lost the race against other

destinations and it is illusory to expect a growth in the MICE segment over a short period of time.

2: In LRH for the year 2013 there is an expected growth of income in the MICE segment of sales through a larger number of smaller or shorter meetings dispersed and mainly distributed before and after the tourist season. For now we have confirmed the already traditional meetings, however, their realization will depend primarily on the financial situation of each individual participant, or company, which will be ready to continue to invest in its employees by ensuring them their participation on congresses, seminars and meetings.

Ivan Rudolf Gajić, Director of Sales & Marketing Sheraton Zagreb Hotel

1: Overall, I would have to say that it was a good year for us, we managed to convert a lot of potential accounts and business into actualized one, which resulted in a number of business events for the Sheraton Zagreb.

It was a challenging year, indeed, but for the entire industry and even further - for the entire economy. The unpopular term "recession" really made an impact on the entire global economy, and I am proud to say, that now, at the end of this challenging year, we see some positive trends for 2013. In short, it was not easy - but we made it.

2: We expect, according to fore coming business, that is already confirmed, an even better 2013.

We have already several confirmed important events and I can say, looking at 2013, we will see more business compared to, for example,

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2011. There is a trend as well in a number of city-wide large events which will convert Zagreb into an important landmark on the MICE map of SEE region.

MICE segment is a very challenging one, companies tend to cut costs in this area firstly, especially in the Incentive and Events part.

So I wasn't surprised when I saw a relevant report that stated that the segment of city break (leisure) trips in the region is growing. Because of that fact and just in spite that, I am proud to say that my team at Sheraton Zagreb Hotel managed to beat the odds, and managed to increase number of MICE events for our hotel for 2013, compared to previous years.

Perica Andrić, Director Of Sales & Revenue Radisson BLU Resort & Spa Dubrovnik Sun Gardens

2: Dubrovnik continues to be one of Europe's fastest growing tourism destinations and has benefitted from better than forecasted growth in 2012. Such exposure and popularity is also contributing to the awareness for Dubrovnik as a MICE destination especially with resorts such as Dubrovnik Sun Gardens which are able to accommodate small, medium and large events all set within a "destination resort" on the Adriatic. Industry experts forecast a continued pace of growth in 2013 and with demand exceeding supply particularly for MICE venues in the region, this bodes well for hoteliers able to offer a flexible and dynamic offering.

Enquiries and confirmations are already building well for 2013 and we are confident that we shall continue to see continued growth from this segment for 2013 and beyond.

Daniel Marušić, Director DT Croatia, DMC

1: This year we have experienced our strongest year to date within the MICE sector with growth of 25% up on 2011. We have hosted over 90 different meetings, conferences and events of all sizes and from a variety of different industries. Furthermore, the diverse nature of international conferences in 2012 has contributed to our ever growing nationality mix in the resort with guests from over 145 different countries. Our extensive range of resort amenities and multifunctional and flexible meeting space has contributed to our continued growth in this segment and is quickly positioning Dubrovnik Sun Gardens as one of Europe's leading MICE venues and destinations. The continued growth in popularity of Croatia and specifically Dubrovnik as a new and exciting destination which is also easily accessible from most gateways in Europe is also a major contributor to our success this year.

located where and when needed; will be crucial for event planners who want their event to be excellent from the start till the end. Many have recognized DT as their DMC partner in Croatia so we are very satisfied with the confirmed business at this stage.

Daria Papo, Director 361°, PCO

1: 1. Both years have been good in comparison.

In 2011 we had more meetings however in 2012 we organized the EACMFS Congress which gathered 1400 participants and took up most of our time. In our business however large international congresses are agreed upon from 1 to 6 years in advance as was the case with the EACMFS Congress

2: 1: 1. DT Croatia had a very good average year, what we think is a good base for continuing our plans and keeping our position as the real DMC leader in Croatia for international events.

This year we received some great national business awards, and we opened our third croatian office - in Zagreb! We also have made investments in our internal system and in more education for our teams.

2: 2013 will be a challenging but also a very exciting year, new trends and new players coming. Buyers will be demanding higher value at a reasonable price. Croatia enters EU and more business will be focusing to happen here. The role of a local DMC, such as we are, DT Croatia, stable, professional, experienced,

Today, the competition in our business is much larger than before so it is crucial to maintain the level of services keeping in mind the importance of technology development.

Clients often come at the last minute so we expect more requests for smaller meetings.

For the year 2013 we have several confirmed congresses, smaller meetings and some public events that we have been developing.

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Column

Are you “GREEN”?

What means GREEN in the meetings industry and how does it influence to keep our planet livable?

Roko Palmić

Roko Palmić is hotel industry professional, specialized for overall sales and marketing strategic planning and execution of plans. He held positions, among others, as Director of Sales and Marketing for Hotel Sacher Vienna & Salzburg and The Regent Esplanade Zagreb.

Currently he is a Managing director/owner at JumpUp Hospitality & Tourism Consulting.

In my previous articles you could read about the importance of an excellent service for business guests, about good lodging opportunities, capable and experienced staff that is handling the entire event and one crucial thing - destination accessibility.

But, did I miss one upcoming thing? A color which is “GREEN”!?

• What is a GREEN Meeting or Event?

• Why to GREEN a Meeting or Event?

• How to make a Meeting or Event GREEN? • What are the Benefits of a GREEN Meeting or Event?

Every year over 80 million people around the world attend a meeting or conference and even more attend trade shows or exhibitions.

Can you imagine how much emissions and waste they produce and how much natural resource they consume? Are these participants aware of that? Is the staff of service providers and the local community aware of that?

I personally see that GREEN Meeting or Event planning is now an established trend within the global tourism and convention industry.

Several cities in the United States and Europe now sport GREEN convention centers designed using green building principles and practices.

Parts of the tourism and convention industry now promote GREEN meetings, conferences, and convention planning as demand for sustainability measures increases. Industry associations have produced standards and guides for GREEN meetings. Government

agencies and non-profit organizations also promote these practices with research, recommendations, grants and technical support. Some private consultants in the meeting planning industry specialize in mounting GREEN events, and industry groups and governments now sponsor awards to recognize achievements.

GREEN conventions, meetings, conferencing and events are part of an international movement to achieve a sustainable world economy and livable planet.

What is a GREEN Meeting or Event?

A green meeting or event incorporates environmental considerations to minimize its negative impact on the environment. Green or environmental considerations are one aspect of sustainability. Sustainability takes a "triple bottom line" approach that seeks to balance the social, environmental, and economic concerns against business needs.

Green conventions or green meetings are conventions, which are conducted in ways, which minimize the environmental burdens imposed by such activities. Green event planners apply environmentally preferred practices to waste management, resource and energy use, travel and local transportation, facilities selection, siting and construction, food provision and disposal, hotels and accommodations, and management and purchasing decisions. The practice is knows as "event greening" or "sustainable event management".

Why to GREEN your meeting?

Greening your meeting will reduce the direct environmental impact of it, but should also leave a positive and lasting legacy to the local community. A number of opportunities and benefits can be identified, for the organizers, the participants, the service providers and for the host/local region.

• Costs savings - conserving energy, reducing waste, purchasing local products and simply consuming less can save money. Even though some green products might be more expensive than normal ones (at least at the initial purchase), applying greening principles will often and in the long-term reduce costs (e.g. less printed material, less waste to be collected...).

• Positive reputation - a green meeting is a very visible demonstration of your organization’s commitment to the sustainability principles.

A targeted communication/PR strategy will raise the profile of the meeting and attract participants, as well as serve as an awarenessraising tool.

• Environmental innovation - greening efforts promote innovative technologies and techniques which help to use resources more efficiently.

• Awareness raising - each meeting is a unique opportunity to raise awareness among participants, staff, service providers and the local community about the benefits of greener products, buildings, services etc. and hence foster sustainable behavior and encourage people to make responsible decisions.

• Social benefits - if planned and implemented carefully, the meeting can benefit the local region, through providing jobs, benefiting regional suppliers, promoting better working conditions, and act as a catalyst for encouraging environmental best practice across the region.

• Influencing decision-making - by sharing standards and introducing new ways of behavior, other actors and organizations can be motivated to introduce environmental and social improvements in their own meeting organization.

• Spreading best practice within the organization - many of the measures and

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management practices which should be introduced in greening meetings can also be relevant in the day-to-day operations of the organization, and can be a good “piloting” opportunity, such as serving Fair Trade drinks, or off-setting the CO-emissions of your staff’s travel.

Greening actions can be important in raising awareness and bringing about wider organizational change. Regardless of size, it should be standard practice for every meeting to be a green meeting.

How to make your Event/Meeting GREEN? I’ll show you 10 easy tips you can apply to any meeting to make it GREEN & environmentally responsible: 1. Put it in writing - establish an environmental statement or policy for the meeting, and get buy in for it from the meeting host organization's management.

Share the policy with suppliers, delegates and speakers. You'll be amazed at how far they'll go to help you make your event sustainable.

2. Use paperless technology - use new media and electronic technology to cut down your paper use. Create a conference web site; offer electronic registration and confirmation; and advertise using the web and/or email.

3. Meet close - reduce distances traveled by speakers and delegates. Choose a host city that's close to as many delegates as possible, and within the city choose a venue and hotel that are close to the airport and within walking distance of each other.

4. Practice the 3Rs - ask your hotel and meeting venue to provide visible and accessible Reduction, Reuse and Recycling services for paper, metal, plastic and glass.

5. Bulk up - have your food & beverage service provider use bulk dispensers for sugar, salt, pepper, cream and other condiments.

6. Lighten your Stay - choose a hotel that offers a linen reuse program and bulk

dispensers for shampoos and soaps in guest suites.

7. Eat green - include vegetarian meals, and have meals planned using local, seasonal produce.

8. Close the recycling loop - have all printed materials published on recycled paper, using vegetable-based inks, and on both sides of the page.

9. Save energy - coordinate with the meeting venue to ensure that energy lights and air conditioning will be turned off when rooms are not in use.

10. Spread the word - tell delegates, speakers and the media about your success. You'll be surprised sustainable efforts are contagious.

What are the Benefits of GREEN Meetings & Events?

The Economic Bottom Line - planning and executing environmentally sustainable events isn’t just about being environmentally responsible, they can have economic benefits for the event organizer.

In fact, many environmental activities can actually save money.

Example: collecting name badge holders for reuse at an event of 1,300 attendees can save approximately $975 for the event organizer.

The Environmental Bottom Line – using recycled materials, recycling materials used, reusing items and reducing materials used can significantly lessen the environmental impact an event has. Example: if a five-day event serves 2,200 people breaks, breakfasts, lunches and receptions using china instead of plastic disposables, it prevents 1,890 lbs. of plastic from going into a landfill. Example two: Not pre-filling water glasses at banquet tables during three days of served lunches for 2,200 attendees will conserve 520 gallons of water.

I would also like to add three simple examples – which are showing how easy it is to keep you Meeting/Event GREEN. 1. In concern of water consumption - the more luxurious a hotel is, the higher the consumption of water. On average, hotel consumption of water per guest is 220 liters; this goes up to 520 liters in 4 and 5 stars hotels - the main consumption of water is due to wellness centers, swimming pools and laundry services.

2. In concern of vegetarian food - raising food animals requires more energy, water and other inputs than growing grains or vegetables. Therefore it is important to try to provide vegetarian menus.

3. In concern of choosing your Meeting/ Event destinations – choosing Vienna as your Meeting/Event destination, UNOV/ CMS (United Nations Office at Vienna/ Conference Management Service) distributes to participants a brochure about Vienna’s greenings initiative and environment-friendly restaurants and cafes. In addition, when travelling staff receive a ticket confirmation that includes information on the emissions related to their trip.

Sometimes you may not have much choice to be GREEN when selecting a hotel/venue or destination. In this situation, you can provide the hotel/venue or destination with recommendations and try to get their commitment to comply with them.

Here are some resources to open a dialogue with them or simply to inform them: • The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria: www.sustainabletourismcriteria.org • An Environmental and Sustainability Teaching Pack for the Hospitality Industry; www.unep.fr/sowingtheseeds Stay “GREEN”!

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73

Ivica Max Krizmanić:

Croatia Addendum

Esplanade Zagreb is a brand for itself

Ivica Max Krizmanić started his career in Esplanade over 20 years ago working as a doorman. During the years he continuously moved forward while gaining valuable experience in various hotel divisions: from reception and reservations to housekeeping, revenue management and banquet sales.

His tremendous experience and great results took him eventually to GM assistant position, and this year hotel owner fully recognized his potential naming him GM of prestigious Esplanade hotel.

The legendary Zagreb Hotel Esplanade is again doing business independently. After eight years, the hotel has left the international chain Regent. The director of the hotel, Ivica Max Krizmanić speaks of the new era as well as the future plans.

Hotel Esplanade has been doing business independently on the market since October.

What influenced the decision to terminate the cooperation with Regent Hotels&Resorts?

The decision on terminating the cooperation was brought by the owner of the hotel, the Austrian WSF Group. What determined this was that Regent as a brand was not recognized enough in Europe; namely, it was left with only five hotels of which two were in Europe.

The cooperation did not manage to fulfil the expectations of the owner since Regent did not manage to outgrow Esplanade. We learned a lot from Rezidor, who recently took over again the job of managing Regent’s hotels, but the cooperation did not mark a larger number of guests for the hotel. Personally I consider it desirable that several strong brands come to Zagreb because that influences the attractiveness of the destination, but on the other hand, I would like that Esplanade stay a brand for itself, such as Hotel Plaza in New York. The citizens of Zagreb have great respect toward this hotel; therefore the number of messages congratulating us for going independent was not so surprising. New people have started arriving to the hotel and we are registering an increase of guests in the restaurant and on the terrace. We adapted to the prices of the market and the time we live in so you can have a cup of coffee for 2.5 Euros. My desire is that more citizens arrive here and enjoy themselves in this special ambient.

In the marketing sense we will need to be more active, and sales will also start to be more active on the terrain. We have a good combination of new people who are coming and older people who went through the old Esplanade school which is special and passes on from generation to generation. The hotel in that way cares for its tradition. By leaving Regent, we are less burdened with reporting and this will give us more time to dedicate ourselves to the quality of services. Regarding the number of overnight stays, we expect that the rising trend will stay on the current level.

In the next two years the owner will invest additional funds in refreshing the hotel, which includes purchasing new television sets which we haven’t changed since 2004, or during the last large renovation of the hotel.

Will the number and structure of guests change without an international background? How will Hotel Esplanade do business on the international market?

Other than the name change, what else will change in the hotel?

I do not expect that there will be larger changes in sales or a decrease in the number of foreign guests. After the beginning of the recession in 2008, we have been registering an increase each year. This year we plan to finish with 6% more income from overnight stays than last year. More than 90% of our guests are foreigners. We have long-time contacts and most of our guests and the agencies we work with are satisfied with our services. Regardless of the name, people want to go where they will receive quality accommodation and services. The Internet has become a significant channel for sales, and it is very useful because you can see the comments of the guests immediately. On portals such as TripAdvisor and Booking.com the comments are mostly positive, and we learn from the not so positive ones. The comments of guests will force us and other hotels to be better since everything is transparent and public.

We are always changing something and introducing innovations on the market.

Even though you have 20 years of experience in working in this hotel, how

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demanding was it to take over the most responsible function in the hotel?

I have always felt a great responsibility regardless of the job I was doing. I was the vice director for two years and I led the hotel together with the previous director. Therefore, the nomination as general director was not such a big change for me. Before being the assistant director I was the director of the front desk and the revenue manager. I was in charge of the department of the household, reservations, M&E and security. I started working in the hotel by chance, as a doorman twenty years ago. Therefore nothing in the hotel is foreign to me and with this promotion on only received 10 percent more work and responsibilities then before. My background is technical, which has proven to be very useful and I have to admit that it is very helpful in decisions. I know the price of work, how some things can be done better and how much time is necessary for it.

I have never had ambitions to become the general director; it simply happened. However, I do have a very good team. The director is like a conductor of an orchestra: he defines the tempo, helps keep the desired balance and creates changes. I am lucky enough to conduct a very good orchestra where each individual is important as well as the whole. When employing new workers, we try to employ people who show a great desire and love for the work, who have a quality upbringing and this is much more important to us than experience.

Since you have passed all the steps towards the leading position in Esplanade, what would your message to people who are starting their career in the hotel industry?

A job in tourism, especially in the hotel industry, is very beautiful but it demands a lot of work, self-sacrifice, understanding and dedication which pays off at the end when you have a satisfied guest in front of you. That

is an indescribable satisfaction which fulfils you more than a salary or some financial reward. This hotel has practically become a second home to me and my colleagues, and the desire to offer top-quality services, to exceed the expectations of the guest with a special gesture, is larger than ordinary work.

I have never tried to prove myself because of others, I simple wanted to know everything and be a step ahead of others. Dedication and persistence is important as well as the attempt to give it your best. In every segment I want to know everything; from IT, hotel maintenance and even the preparation of food. Because the more a person knows, the easier it is to work and that is usually more favourable for the

hotel. This hotel has a special soul and energy and I have always felt very proud for working here. The compliments from the guests, the conversations with the taxi drivers, professors, doctors, presidents of countries and Nobel award winners gives great motivation. A few months ago we had a visit from a highpositioned statesman who come to me a few times and said that he travels a lot and stays in various hotels, but Esplanade is the best hotel in which he ever stayed. When you get a compliment from people like that, it means a lot. Luckily, this happens often and that is more important than the awards the hotel receives.

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Why is it important to have a PCO certificate?

Other than a certificate as the final goal, PCO receives something much more valuable, and that is a better quality of work and the process of constant learning and training

The certifying of PCO agencies is recently becoming a very actual and interesting subject. Namely, on the markets of South Eastern Europe we have a very diverse and actually relative undefined state. The existing regulations which concern the profession are implemented very little and very few follow them. A large number of organizers are not even acquainted with the brought regulations.

I would refer to the initiative of the Croatian Meeting Professionals Association that informs profession regarding brought legal measures by previously asking for interpretation from the Croatian Ministry of Tourism and in that way it acts preventively and helps organizers in doing business in accordance with the law.

Nikica Žunić was born and raised in Zagreb.

After finishing high school he opened a startup company together with his school mate, which successfully runs today in the hostels business.

During his study he worked on several IT projects and startups. After college Nikica started to work full time in Penta PCO, now working as a project manager, organising many congresses and events.

Over the past ten years we have had a significant increase of the number of held meetings and an even more significant increase of agencies that offer PCO services. A large number of agencies offer PCO services by the way along with their primary tourist activity, which has certain touching points with PCO activities.

They approach that very complex job easily so they cannot follow it financially, with the appropriate staff of with knowledge, which results as unsatisfied clients and sometimes financial loss for the organizer.

As PCO we often see a situation where a congress was led unprofessionally and the organizer asks for help from us when it is unfortunately too late. Furthermore, we have scientific organizers that go themselves in organizing a meeting with the goal of saving money, and as a result they are in a financial loss because of the lack of experience, the

lack of time or wrong evaluations. Therefore the planned financial savings quickly melt away and become an unplanned expense, or loss. Inadequate experience in organizing also leads to incorrect negotiating decisions; when it is necessary to guarantee an ordered service, the conditions cannot be fulfilled an there is a loss for the organizer as well as for the service provider.

The reasons for this condition lays in a relatively small market, not knowing the profession, a lack of knowledge, and mostly in the lack of regulative and defining criteria on who can perform PCO activities and it is then offered on the market, or when it starts and when the PCO service stops. This is primarily one of the more important reasons of forming the SEEPCO association, or joining PCO companies of south-eastern Europe. At the first meeting which gathered PCO agencies from Serbia, Slovenia, Montenegro and Croatia, various problems were presented and among them was the problems of the inexistence of PCO certifying.

From the above stated countries, Slovenia or the Slovenian Convention Bureau made the most progress by implementing rigorous but very clear and precise criteria for PCO certifications.

Their well elaborated criteria clearly distinguish PCO agencies from DMC agencies and define the area of work for one and the other. In order for an agency to be certified as a PCO agency, it needs to satisfy certain criteria, for example a sufficient number of processed congresses and alike. Out of the foreign associations, very high and clear criteria were set by the association IAPCO. From potential members it demands a list of organised congresses which had delegates from more than five countries with at least 40%

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of foreign participants, five congresses with at least 400 delegates and another 5 congresses with at least 100 delegates. IAPCO also defines the standard services of PCO with association meetings: abstract handling, speaker/ programme management, marketing & promotion, budgeting, financial management, exhibition, sponsorship, registration, onsite management, congress materials and print, venue selection, hotel reservation/ accommodation, social programme, tours and transport, general management, corporate social responsibility, congress technology. As it is visible from the above stated, it regards a truly wide palette of PCO domains which are far more extensive than organizing pension tours through Zagorje or skiing arrangements in Obertauern.

The legislation, even though it is slow, should regulate the market and define the PCO services.

In that way they would protect the interests of the end client from an amateur approach to the job and sometimes from himself as well. The state should, when bringing laws, recognize the suggestions which arrive from professional associations, and definitely from the convention bureaus which should be the regulator of the same and to implement them as well. In that area it is not necessary to invent warm water; it is necessary to learn and adapt the criteria that foreign associations have, or the regulations that are already brought outside of the borders of the Republic of Croatia, for example the combination of criteria of the Slovenian model and the model of IAPCO. Furthermore, a clear regulative can protect the service provider from trivial clients that are not able to secure and follow all preconditions for a successful holding and realization of a congress. Therefore the service providers in the MICE sector have it in their interest to direct the client to a certified PCO because in that way they will first of all

protect themselves, as well as the client. In order to receive a certificate, PCO has to have a sufficient number of congresses behind it and a certain financial stability. In that way, the service provider decreases the risk of business and cooperation with that PCO saves money and resources.

The client unfortunately very rarely asks a PCO for a certificate from a professional association or convention office. Basically this is because they do not have the general information that something like that exists and often enough it is not even a decisive factor in choosing the service provider. A PCO certificate can only be an additional benefit in choosing, however it is still not, nor will it be, a key factor. However, to us, PCO certifications offer much more than just stated the certificate in the “about us� section.

Even though as a Croatian agency we cannot be a member of the Slovenian convention bureau, we have internally moved into the process of certifying or satisfying the stated conditions.

Namely in order to satisfy the criteria for a certificate, it is necessary to invest time and effort, to advance the process and the quality of work, to raise the level of offering services, to learn on a daily basis and constantly invest in the employees and equipment. Other than a certificate as the final goal, PCO receives something much more valuable, and that is a better quality of work and the process of constant learning and training. Unlike a certificate, a client will always recognized the quality of PCO, and so will the PCO on its balance sheet. That is why we are advocating that other then the primary regulation of the market, that the certificate also be a motivator for holding professionalism of the industry and daily advancements in the quality of its work.

78 Kongres personalities

ENFANT TERRIBLE

Leo Urlić

Born in a small town Drašnice on Makarska Riviera in 1976. After third year of high school enrolled a student exchange program. During nine years in the States earned two Masters degrees; worked in St. Louis, Missouri and in Orange County, California. In 2003 returned to Croatia. Got married, has two sons ages 3 and 5. Living in Zagreb and working for Valamar as Deputy Director of MICE sales.

Read anything and everything you can get your hands on - knowledge is power. Recently I am into children’s books so Gruffalo & Kako živi Antuntun rock my world, our boys are 5 and 3 years old. It used to be professional literature (management gurus Porter, Mintzberg, Drucker).

Could you introduce yourself in two sentences – one describing you as a private and other as a public person?

Family man. Manager.

What was the last movie you saw?

Boys and I watched the Avengers. I can relate to Dr. Banner a.k.a. Hulk whose secret is that he is angry all the time as my sales team is chasing an intergalactic increase in revenues.

What are your favourite magazines from the area of tourism?

Kongres magazine, of course, wait, there are others?

Which was the last book you read and which book would you recommend to our readers?

What was the last event you attended?

A wedding last weekend.

How many foreign languages do you speak?

Not counting English and Croatian (I forget which one of the two is foreign to me), Ich spreche Deutsch y je parlais Francais (but with age both are becoming increasingly foreign to me) plus I can get by in basic Espanol (?donde esta la sala de reuniones - I did live in Orange County).

Who were your idols growing up and who are they today?

Growing up – fire fighters. Today – parents worldwide.

What were your first and your current jobs?

When I was seventeen it was a very good year…and for my first summer job working in a caffe bar (feels like a century ago).

Returning from California in 2004 I started my current Valamar career - leading Croatian hotel management Company. From entry level positions in Human Resources and Marketing I advanced to a Sales manager. I moonlighted as a Marketing director for two fun years. Last three I have been a Deputy Director of mice sales team that tripled sales revenues in three years. Bravo team.

What is the first thing you do when you come to work?

Start working.

What influenced your life the most? Was it a person or an event?

Too early to tell.

Could you highlight your best and worst life experience?

Best: That's easy: getting married & having kids.

Worst: That’s tough. There's much more. I am working on a book, can't fit it all in this answer.

What are you most proud of?

Making the best out of every day of my life.

What success story from the area of tourism would you mention?

Vienna Convention Bureau for meetings & conferences. Međugorje for Religious Tourism.

Which marketing idea sticks out the most in the area of tourism?

The one that works?

What do you miss most in Croatian and SE Europe’s meeting industry?

I miss a better connection to the rest of the World. Imagine Croatian tourism with a Frankfurt frequency of flights, fast Japanese trains and all on a Swiss time schedule?

SE Europe needs a better image and a development strategy.

Would you share your favourite places to visit in spring, summer, fall and winter?

As a Valamar sales guy: springs and falls in Istria, summers and winters in Dubrovnik (have I mentioned that Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik is open year round?). Privately, I would choose California in spring, anywhere on the Croatian coast in summer, fall in Missouri and winter in Argentina.

What do you do in your free time?

I am either excelling at sports (includes time spent watching TV and thinking about sport) or thinking of a master plan: how to retire as soon as possible.

Your life’s motto?

Never stop learning.

79

Treat yourselves to Advent in Zagreb!

www.adventzagreb.com

Over the last few years, the concept of Advent in Zagreb has surpassed the holiday season, making entire winters in the Croatian capital livelier and warmer than ever before, with entertainment found on every corner of most streets and squares across the city centre. So if you find yourlself in Zagreb for business or tourism reason,don't miss special Yuletide programs in December.

The numerous events organized every day will certainly contribute to the unique, Christmas fairy-tale like atmosphere on the city streets.

Advent in Zagreb begins on 1st December, with the traditional lighting of the first Advent candle in the central city square of Ban Josip JelaÄ?ić. As of that date, numerous Christmas events will take place throughout the city and its main squares, culminating with the big New Year's party.

The streets around the main city square will feature a traditional Advent Fair, where you will find Christmas presents galore, licitar and ginger bread cookies, colourful trinkets, Christmas decorations and souvenirs. All of the items on offer will be traditional Croatian products manufactured by the tradesmen of Zagreb.

Other locations across town will also be very interesting, with fairs and flea markets, like Vintage second hand, ski equipment and ski resort promotions, spectacles fair, Croatian designers, book fairs, rakija festivals, wine presentations...

Apart from numerous concerts, there will also be an open air library, a cinema in the snow, performances by children's choirs...

The Christmas atmosphere will be complemented by a museum and theatre programme, as well as concerts in Zagreb's churches, the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert Hall, as well as entertainment programmes at Arena Zagreb. The upcoming Advent in Zagreb guarantees an abundance of happenings, so do something for yourself this December and treat yourself to Advent in Zagreb!

More information can be found at www.adventzagreb.com

PR

TRANSLATIONS

LANGUAGE EDITING

EDITOR PLUS – language editing and translating centre gathers top experts in the Croatian and foreign languages and performs services of editing, proof reading, translating, graphic elaboration of texts (page layout) and design of cover pages. Centre EDITOR PLUS cherishes a highly professional approach to clients; accordingly, all of its services are provided with top quality, while respecting deadlines, abiding by security requirements and protecting the privacy of clients and confidientiality of their data.

GRAPHIC DESIGN

Translation of texts from foreign and into foreign languages is made by top experts, professors of languages from which and/or to which the translation is being made. Centre EDITOR PLUS offers translation services from (and to) 45 world languages.

In addition to standard text translation, Centre EDITOR PLUS also offers simultaneous and consecutive translations, as well as translations certified by court interpreters.

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81 Croatia Addendum

100 95 75

25 5 0

82 Kongres telescope

MALAYSIA - THE CROSSROADS OF ASIA Asia’s Meetings Gateway

With its strategic location at the centre of Southeast Asia and blessed with upscale modern infrastructure, Malaysia may prove to be the perfect destination four your next international event.

Need to be convinced? Here’s an excerpt from the Introduction to the Malay Annals by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, dating as far back as 1821: “When we consider the extent of this unparalleled Archipelago; the infinity of its resources; its contiguity to China and Japan, the most populous regions of the earth; and the extraordinary facilities it affords to commerce, from the smoothness of its seas, the number and excellence of its harbours, and the regularity of its monsoons, it would be vain to assign limits, or to say how far and wide the tide of commerce might not have flowed or how great the progress of civilisation might not have been....”

WHY MALAYSIA? If you need more reasons than those above, there are many more why Malaysia is heralded across the world as the crossroads of Asia. Its strategic location at the centre of Southeast Asia, between the booming economies of India, China and the Middle East; its multiracial and multi-ethnic identity; rich natural resources’ and a wealth of upscale world-class modern infrastructure shoulder to shoulder with inner-city heritage communities are just some of the traits that makes this country unique and exciting.

Malaysia has been a magnet for adventurers and commerce for centuries.

Celebrated explorers from Admiral Zheng He and Douglas Fairbanks through to Herman Hesse, Alfred Russel Wallace, Jacque Cousteau, Somerset Maugham, Alawiyeen Families and Ferdinand Magellan were all drawn here by the need to trade and engage with Asia, develop ideas and, later on, perform deeds that had a huge impact on the world.

This is the inspiration behind Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau’s (MyCEB) new branding direction, which positions Malaysia as the nexus that has brought the world together for business and trade for over 600 years.

As reflected in the newly coined business events tagline, ‘Malaysia – Asia’s Business Events Hub’, it communicates Malaysia’s proposition as a gateway to Asia for meetings.

Owing to its stature as an Asian microcosm, Malaysia is increasingly becoming a first port of call for international meetings and associations wanting to engage with Asia – the world’s largest and fastest growing economic region. The new branding is part of MyCEB’s progressive approach towards achieving its mission to be in Asia Pacific’s top five meeting destinations by the year 2020 and is designed to support Tourism Malaysia’s world-renowned tagline, ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND Over 50 airlines, including low-cost carriers, provide direct access from Malaysia to over 100 destinations worldwide. International airport hubs in Malaysia include Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Malaysia is also well-served by 16 domestic airports. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is the main gateway. Transport from the KLIA to Kuala Lumpur takes only 28 minutes on the KLIA Ekspres, a high-speed rail service.

83 Kongres telescope

National carrier Malaysia Airlines has a global network that spans more than 100 destinations across six continents.

In addition to an extensive domestic network, there is direct mid to long-haul access to Australia/New Zealand, the Middle East, the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia.

Low-cost carriers Air Asia and Air Asia X provide high-frequency and point-to-point networks to the long-haul destinations, including Australia, China, India, Middle East and Europe

WHERE TO STAY - UNIQUE VENUES AND INCENTIVE TIPS Malaysia offers a wide variety of exotic and exciting experiences set in spectacular locations, such as the bustling capital city of Kuala Lumpur, 130 million-year-old lush tropical rainforests, wildlife sanctuaries, UNESCO World Heritage cities (Penang and Malacca), and some of the world's best resorts and idyllic beaches.

The finest Malaysia hotels and resorts range from luxurious, business oriented hotels in prime city locations to boutique resorts on remote islands.

The latest international chain hotel, The Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, has recently opened to great acclaim with more than 35,530 square feet of exclusive meetings and events space.

Ideally located in the city centre adjacent to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, it is surrounded by the lush gardens of KLCC Park and within walking distance of the Bukit Bintang shopping precinct.

The Minister of Tourism Malaysia, Dato’ Sri Dr Ng Yen Yen, has recently announced that the Central Market and Thean Hou Temple have been identified as two of the many

possible off-site unique venues or shell sites for international meetings, incentives and conventions in an effort to attract more business travellers to the country.

CENTRAL MARKET Located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the original Central Market was converted into a

“festive hall” and reopened as the country’s foremost cultural shopping centre. It has since been classified as a heritage site by the Malaysian Heritage Society and it is now a landmark for Malaysian culture and heritage.

Strategically located for public transport facilities, Central Market is also a versatile offsite event venue that can easily sit 650 people.

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THEAN HOU TEMPLE Dedicated to Thean Hou (Queen of Heaven), the Thean Hou Temple is one of the largest Chinese temples in South-East Asia. Revelling in its cultural offering, it is also available to hold a ceremonial banquet or a regaling gala dinner as the venue accommodating 1000 people at one sitting. Incentive programmes such as lantern and mooncake making classes could also be organised close by, allowing guests to fully soak in the grandeur of Thean Hou Temple.

PUTRAJAYA MARITIME CENTRE The Putrajaya Maritime Centre, located in Precinct 5 of Putrajaya, Malaysia’s iconic federal administrative centre, not only caters to boating enthusiasts, but to everyone who wants to enjoy leisure activities by the Putrajaya lake. It offers meeting rooms, a banquet hall, function area, lounges for members and VIPs and ample space for a fine dining restaurant. The Maritime centre and Pullman Putrajaya Lakeside Hotel were built as an integrated complex, separated by a short walk between the two buildings. The Maritime Centre can hold 1,000 people at a time.

FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE MALYSIA (FRIM) Located 16km northwest of the city of Kuala Lumpur, the FRIM is one of the leading tropical forestry research institutions. Surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, FRIM offers a back-to-nature experience whilst enjoying the flora, fauna and landscapes, as well as the remains of an old Orang Asli, or Malay indigenous people settlement. FRIM is increasingly popular as a venue for outdoor events, corporate family day outings and informal gala parties.

SUFFOLK HOUSE, PENANG Suffolk House – Penang’s first “Great House”, served as the residence of Francis Light, the founder of the British settlement on Penang Island. It is one of the most important UNESCO heritage landmarks that with its stylish interiors and picturesque lawn offers a unique and elegant alternative for social and corporate functions and events. Incentive programmes, such as cooking classes, can be specially organised at its sprawling green lawn, where clove and nutmeg trees are substituted for oaks, elms and ashes.

MANUKAN ISLAND, SABAH Situated between three and eight kilometres off Kota Kinabalu, Sabah the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park comprises of a cluster of islands. Manukan is the most popular of the five islands and features the most developed tourist facilities, which include 20 chalets, a clubhouse, restaurants and a diving centre.

SARAWAK CULTURAL VILLAGE The award-winning "Sarawak Cultural Village" is located 35 km from Kuching, Sarawak. This fascinating interactive museum, set amidst 14 acres of tropical vegetation, depicts the heritage of the major racial groups of Sarawak and conveniently offers ethnic diversity at a glance. The cultural village is perfect for occasions and events accommodating between 90 to 2000 people.

FAST FACTS AND FIGURES Population:

The country has a population of 27.56 million. The largest ethnic groups are the Malays, Chinese and Indians. In the East Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak there are a myriad of indigenous ethnic groups, each with its own unique culture and heritage.

Language:

Most Malaysians can speak at least two languages, including Bahasa Malaysia (national language), English, Mandarin and Tamil. With a multi-lingual population and English being widely spoken, meeting planners and delegates will be able to communicate with ease

Time:

Standard time zone: UTC/GMT +8 hours

Climate:

Malaysia has tropical weather year-round, with temperatures ranging from 21°C to 32°C. Higher elevations are cooler, with temperatures between 15°C to 25°C.

Currency:

Malaysian Ringgit (MYR)

Visa requirements:

Visitors to Malaysia must hold a valid passport or travel document with a minimum validity of six months beyond the intended visiting period. Most nationalities do not require visas for social or business visits. For further information, please contact the nearest Malaysian diplomatic mission or Tourism Malaysia office – www.tourism.gov.my

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BOOSTING MICE INDUSTRY According to the ICCA rankings, Malaysia has made significant improvements over the last 12 years.

In 1999 Malaysia counted 37 international congresses, growing to 126 by 2011. In 2011 Malaysia reached on 29th place in the rankings, which was its second best position to date, with it reaching 28th place in 2010.

In the table below you can find just a few of the many international congresses that have already taken place or are scheduled for the next few years.

INTERESTED IN MALAYSIA? Contact the Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau (MyCEB) for further information MyCEB was established in 2009 by the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia, to further strengthen Malaysia’s business events brand and position for the international meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE) market. A not-for-profit company, MyCEB serves as a one-stop shop to assist meeting and incentive planners to bid for and stage regional and international business events in Malaysia and act as a conduit for national product development.

Contact: Ms. Ho Yoke Ping General Manager, Sales & Marketing MALAYSIA CONVENTION & EXHIBITION BUREAU Suite 14.3,Level 14, Menara IMC, 8 Jalan Sultan Ismail Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Telephone: +603 2034 2090 E-mail: pingho@myceb.com.my Web: www.myceb.com.my

Malaysia 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Year

Event Name

2012

25th World Gas Conference 2012

5299

81st Annual Scientific Congress of Royal Australasian College of Surgeons 2012

2500

43rd Union World Conference on Lung Health 2012

2800

8th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition 2012

1000

9th World Congress of Chinese Medicine 2012

1000

7th IAS Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention

6000

International Dragon Award (IDA) Annual Conference

5000

Women Deliver Conference 2013

4500

Wounds International Conference 2013

1000

World Marketing Summit 2013

3000

XXV International Federation of Surveyors Congress

3000

12th International Congress on Obesity 2014

3000

International Convention of Toastmasters International

2000

Annual Meeting of the Asia Pacific Association of Cataract and Retractive Surgeons (APACRS)

1500

44th International Federation of Training and Development Organizations World Conference 2015 (IFTDO)

1500

Human Genome Meeting

1000

The Asia Pacific Congress of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology

1500

IEEE International Conference on Communications 2016 (ICC)

1500

2013

2014

2015

2016

(Expected) Delegates

86 Kongres telescope

A Very Warm Welcome Philoxenia means – ‘a welcome for the stranger’ Robert Cotter, Editor of Kongres Telescope

The seemingly endless euro zone economic crisis has cast a blanket of grey cloud over all of Europe with its economic uncertainty, austerity measures being meted out and the political instabilities that have been fomented.

This has been felt much more in the periphery than the core EU countries, and nowhere more so than in Greece.

including a series of conferences on ‘cultural and religious tourism’, beginning to tap the tourism potential of the country’s network of breathtaking monasteries. This focus on the ‘old’ of Greek tourism is nicely balanced with a nod to the new, the programme also offering sessions on new technologies and e-marketing in the tourism industry, designed to give delegates know-how in getting their products and services out to the widest possible audience and in the most effective way possible.

Fortunately, the sun has been breaking through these grey clouds over Thessaloniki, as Philoxenia, And to cap off this focus on new markets and organised by HELEXPO in partnership with new directions with the Artion Conferences & Events, warms up the conference programme, the city from the 22-25 November with its 28th outing, once again showcasing the very event has also managed to best sides of Greece, as well as the Balkans attract some high-profile and South East Europe, to the international exhibitors to its 2012 community. showing, Nearing its thirtieth birthday on the circuit, this year’s event has seen Philoxenia turn its gaze towards new markets that, with the numbers of economically mobile citizens rapidly increasing as they continue to develop, will undoubtedly be curious to know more about the diverse cultural and leisure offer that has made Greece the world famous tourist destination that it is today. Alongside the staples of Germany, Britain and France, this year there are a number of buyers and press in attendance from these emerging – and potentially vast – markets of Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa.

In what have been seen in the media as testing times for the country, such interest in the event is a clear signal that Greece continues to be a prime target for international tourism.

There have also been some new conference programme highlights for this year’s show,

including TUI Travel, Aurora Travel-Tours and, in what is quite a coup, European football’s governing body UEFA! All of which makes this year’s event something to look forward to within the

South East Europe region, especially for the 20,000 visitors it is anticipated will cross the threshold of the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre over its four days. The show will particularly benefit from the partnership of Artion Conferences & Events, who have made a recent habit of scoring major successes. Having scooped two major events for Athens - the 37th World Association of Chefs Societies Congress for 2016 and the 16th European Congress of Neurosurgery, also for 2016 - and making the four finalists for ICCA’s Best Marketing Award 2012, they continue to elevate Philoxenia by bringing their wealth of high-end PCO experience.

Whilst uncertainty in matters economic and political may be the prevalent mood across the euro zone, Philoxenia continues to showcase the certainties of the tourism industry that have made Greece and the South East Europe region such a desirable destination. And it is worth remembering just what Philoxenia means – ‘a welcome for the stranger’. The word has existed for millennia in Greek. With Philoxenia looking forwards and upwards, it will certainly exist for a long time yet.

Robert Cotter

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Bangkok Revs Up for Business The number of exhibitors and hosted buyers still increasing

Bangkok is certainly a city with the wow factor and the ideal location for celebrating the twin anniversaries of double-bill partners Incentive Travel and Conventions Meetings Asia (IT&CMA) (20th anniversary) and Corporate Travel World (CTW) (15th anniversary).

Prior to the Thai Airways-sponsored event, which took place between 2nd – 4th October 2012, international buyers, corporate travel managers and world media were treated to pre-show city tours organized by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) and Thailand Incentive and Convention Association (TICA). With trips down the canals of old Bangkok (Thonburi) and the Chao Phya River, Thai cooking classes and tours of the Royal Palace Grounds with the spectacular Emerald Buddha among the offerings,

reminder of Bangkok’s heady mix of new-city dazzle and old-town wonder.

If increasing participation is the measure of success for the world’s only doublebill event, then the visitor numbers for the 2012 showcase are proof of its strength: the 2,579 delegates from 57 countries exceeded last year’s total;

the organizers ensured that delegates had plenty of stories to swap as the event got into full swing.

the number and range of exhibitors was also up on last year (800) with 850 exhibitors from more than 325 exhibiting companies across 36 countries – 16 more than the previous year and proof of that crucial ingredient for growth: widening appeal. In addition, there were 497 buyers and corporate travel managers from 52 countries; 159 conference delegates from 18 countries; and 132 international and local media from 32 countries.

Sticking with the same recipe that made last year’s event so successful, the chosen venue, the first-rate Bangkok Convention Centre (BCC) at CentralWorld, proved the wisdom in the old ‘if ain’t broke…’ adage. With views over the city from its 22nd floor vantage point, BCC visitors were served a constant

Having published a limited edition book charting the rise of IT&CMA over the last 20 years to mark this anniversary event, there were also a number of new practical initiatives at the show: a Global Networking Zone in the exhibition hall; a new networking session for travel managers and exhibitors

in the foyer of the BCC World Ballroom; an IT&CMA and CTW smartphone application and; a complimentary King Power Corporate Card for all international delegates which granted cardholders discounts at selected merchants.

Storm clouds may have been gathering - and the host city holding its collective breath that it would be spared flooding on the scale that it had seen the previous year – but nothing could dampen the celebrations, particularly as days earlier the city received a significant boon with the news that international Formula One (F1) chairman, Bernie Ecclestone, had agreed in principle to a race in Bangkok in 2014.

If Bangkok does actually manage to secure a Grand Prix, then its stature as an International MICE destination will be enhanced immeasurably.

If Bangkok is a city of contrast then judging by the success of this year’s event it must have the perfect blend.

Paul Broderick, attending IT&CMA 2012 in Bangkok for Kongres, is a novelist and freelance journalist based in London

CELEBRATING

The Global Meetings & Events Exhibition 27 – 29 November, 2012 Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

Five star business opportunities for the Global Meetings, Events & Business Travel industry.

Enter a world of unique business opportunities and join over 15,200 industry professionals at EIBTM 2012.

www.eibtm.com/gomice

Scan the QR code to watch the EIBTM show video and be inspired. Or view via this link www.eibtm.com/eibtmvideo

Find us on: EIBTM is part of Reed Travel Exhibitions’ Global IBTM Portfolio: Organised By

92

Meeting services spot

CVB (National, Regional or Local CVB (CVB - Convention and Visitors Bureau) Zagreb Convention Bureau Kaptol 5, Zagreb Croatia +385 (0)14 898 555 info@zagreb-convention.hr www.zagreb-convention.hr

Kongresno-turistični servis Albatros Ribenska cesta 2 4260 Bled Slovenia +386 (0)45 780 350 Info@albatros-bled.com www.albatros-bled.com

DMC (Destination management company

Ljubljana Tourism / Convention Bureau Krekov trg 10, Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 306 45 73 convention@visitljubljana.si www.visitljubljana.si

DUBROVNIK TRAVEL Obala S. Radica 25 20 000 Dubrovnik Croatia +385 (0)20 313 555 croatia@dubrovniktravel.com www.dubrovniktravel.com

Slovenian Convention Bureau Dunajska 156 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 569 1260 info@slovenia-convention.com www.slovenia-convention.com

KOMPAS DMC Pražakova 4 1514 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 200 64 09 mice@kompas.si www.kompasmice.com

PCO (Professional Congress Organiser)

®

LIBERTY INCENTIVES & CONGRESSES SLOVENIA Robbova 2, 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 232 11 71 info@liberty-slovenia.com www.slovenia-dmc.com www.liberty-incentive.net

Congress & Exhitbition Centre

GO®MICE d.o.o. Štihova ulica 4 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 430 51 03 info@go-mice.eu www.go-mice.eu Cankarjev dom, Cultural and Congress Centre Ljubljana Presernova cesta 10 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 2417 122 congress@cd-cc.si www.cd-cc.si/congress

Cankarjev dom, Cultural and Congress Centre Ljubljana Presernova cesta 10 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 2417 122 congress@cd-cc.si www.cd-cc.si/congress

93 Legend

CVB (National, Regional or Local CVB (CVB - Convention and Visitors Bureau)

Congress & Exhitbition Centre

PCO (Professional Congress Organiser)

Congress Hotel

DMC (Destination management company

Hotel with conference facilities

Event agency

Other Congress Services

GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre Dunajska cesta 18 1001 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1300 26 00 info@gr-sejem.si www.ljubljanafair.com

Congress Hotel

GRAND HOTEL UNION Miklošičeva 1 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 308 12 70 hotel.union@gh-union.si www.gh-union.si

Terme Maribor d.d.

Ulica heroja Šlandra 10 2000 Maribor Slovenia +386 (0)2 234 43 20 marketing@termemb.si www.termemb.si/EN

Hotel Lev Vošnjakova ulica 1 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia +386 (0)1 231 77 97 Info@hotel-lev.si www.hotel-lev.si

Hotel Lone, Rovinj Luje Adamovića 31 HR - 52210 Rovinj Hrvaška +385 (0)52 632 000 lone@maistra.hr www.lonehotel.com Sava Hoteli Bled, d.d.

Cakarjeva 6 4260 Bled Slovenia +386 (0)4 579 16 07 info@hotelibled.com www.hotelibled.com

Other Congress Services

Thermana d.d., Hotels and Resorts Zdraviliška c. 6 3270 Laško Slovenia +386 (0)3 423 20 00 info@thermana.si www.thermana.si

Hotel with conference facilities

Falkensteiner Club Funimation Borik Ulica Majstora Radovana 7 23000 Zadar Croatia +385 (0)23 206 630 ana.belamaric@falkensteiner.com www.borik.falkensteiner.com

Adria Airways Zgornji Brnik 130h 4210 Brnik Slovenia +386 (0)4 259 4555 events@adria.si www.adria-airways.com

CATERING Jezeršek Jezeršek gostinstvo d.o.o.

Sora 1a 1215 Medvode Slovenia +386 (0)1 361 94 21 www.jezersek.com info@jezersek.si Croatia Airlines d.d.

Bani 75 b Buzin 10 010 Zagreb Croatia +385 (0)1 6676 555 contact@croatiaairlines.hr www.croatiaairlines.com

2013 www.slovenia.info/siw

PORTOROŽ hOsT Of sIW 18th - 20th April 2013

Reflection of diversity for meetings & events with character SAVA HOTELI BLED

& ness lity Busitainabi sus

TERME PTUJ

ss & Businte spor

TERME 3000 - MORAVSKE TOPLICE

Busines & gastronosm y

mice@sava.si • www.sava-hotels-resorts.com