October 2007

REVIJA SLOVENSKE INDUSTRIJE SREČANJ • SLOVENIAN MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE • ŠTEVILKA 3, OKTOBER 2007; ISSUE 3, OCTOBER 2007

SREČANJA STROKOVNIH ZDRUŽENJ Associations Market VLOGA PCO AGENCIJ Role of PCO's PREDSTAVITEV SLOVENSKIH KONGRESNIH PRODUKTOV - ALPE Presentation of Slovenian Congress Products - Alps

URADNO GLASILO ZAVODA-KONGRESNOTURISTIČNI URAD URADNO GLASILO ZAVODA-KONGRESNOTURISTIČNI URAD • OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SLOVENIAN CONVENTION BUREAU OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE SLOVENIAN CONVENTION BUREAU

Davčni, finančni in pravni informacijski sistem

Domov

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Iskanje

Portal Tax-Fin-Lex - vsi odgovori na enem mestu Portal Tax-Fin-Lex je osrednje mesto na internetu v Sloveniji, kjer lahko uporabnik dobi konkretne nasvete in ostale informacije z davčnega, računovodsko-finančnega in pravnega področja.

V vsaki številki revije Kongres bomo odslej objavili davčni nasvet v zvezi s kongresnim turizmom.

VPRAŠANJE:

ODGOVOR:

Sponzorji in razstavljavci iz držav EU, ki plačajo za predstavitev na kongresih v Sloveniji, so oproščeni plačila davka po 29. členu DDV. Dogaja pa se, da želijo oprostitev plačila davka tudi pri plačilu kotizacije, hotelske namestitve, opreme za razstavni prostor,...

V zastavljenem vprašanju navajate različne situacije, pri katerih naročniki iz EU želijo uveljavljati oprostitev plačila DDV, zato vam v nadaljevanju podajamo pojasnilo za vsako situacijo posebej ob predpostavki, da so razstavljavci zavezanci za DDV v drugi državi članici EU.

So upravičeni do oprostitve?

Izobraževanje - kotizacija Kraj obdavčitve storitev izobraževanja je opredeljen v a točki 1. odstavka 28. člena Zakona o davku na dodano vrednost - ZDDV-1 (Uradni list RS, št.

117/2006), v katerem je določeno, da je kraj obdavčitve tam, kjer so storitve dejansko opravljene, če gre za storitve s področja izobraževanja. To pomeni, da se storitve s področja izobraževanja vedno obdavčujejo po kraju dejanske izvedbe. Izvajalec dolžan obračunati DDV, če se izobraževanje izvaja v Sloveniji in to ne glede na status kupca (pravna, fizična oseba) in ne glede na to iz katere države prihaja (iz SLO, EU ali izven EU). Tako obračunan DDV lahko tuji davčni zavezanci zahtevajo nazaj, če izpolnjujejo pogoje za vračilo po 74. členu ZDDV-1.

Oprema za razstavni prostor V vprašanju ne navajate kaj dejansko predstavlja plačilo za opremo za razstavni prostor. Glede na to, da ne navajate ali je dajanje v najem trajno instalirane opreme (najem prostora na sejmu, ki je že opremljen) ali dajanje v najem premičnin, vam v nadaljevanju pojasnjujemo obe situaciji.

V skladu z g. točko 1. odstavka 29. člena ZDDV-1 je kraj opravljanja storitev dajanja premičnin v najem (razen vseh vrst prevoznih sredstev), ki se opravijo za naročnika s sedežem zunaj Skupnosti ali za davčnega zavezanca s sedežem v drugi državi članici, kraj, kjer ima naročnik sedež svoje dejavnosti ali ima stalno poslovno enoto, za katero je storitev opravljena, oziroma če takega kraja ni, kraj, kjer ima stalno prebivališče ali običajno prebiva. To pomeni, da je oddajanje opreme v najem oproščeno plačila davka v Sloveniji, če je razstavljavec davčni zavezanec v državi članici EU in če izvajalcu storitve posreduje svojo davčno številko .V kolikor pa se premičnine oddajo v najem davčnemu zavezancu izven EU, pa je, skladno z 29. členom Pravilnika o izvajanju Zakona o davku na dodano vrednost (Uradni list RS, št. 141/2006 in 52/2007), DDV potrebno obračunati, saj se storitev uporabi in uživa v Sloveniji.

V kolikor pa se oddaja v najem opremljen sejemski prostor, se to šteje kot nepremičnina in zato je potrebno obračunati DDV v Sloveniji (kraj obdavčitve je vezan na lego nepremičnine) .

Hotelske namestitve Kraj opravljanja storitev, neposredno povezanih z nepremičninami, je, skladno s 26. členom ZDDV-1 kraj, kjer se nepremičnina nahaja. Navedeno pomeni, da je ponudnik hotelskih zmogljivosti dolžan obračunati DDV, če se nepremičnina (hotelski obrat) nahaja v Sloveniji in to ne glede na status kupca (pravna, fizična oseba) in ne glede na to iz katere države prihaja (iz SLO, EU ali izven EU). Ker naša zakonodaja ne predvideva odbitka vstopnega DDV od hotelskih namestitev, ga tudi tujci ne morejo dobiti povrnjenega po 74. členu ZDDV-1.

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ADRIA AIRWAYS The Airline of Slovenia KuzmiĀeva 7, SI-1000 Ljubljana Phone: + 386 (0)1 36 91 317 E-mail: events@adria.si

Kazalo REVIJA KONGRES – REVIJA SLOVENSKE INDUSTRIJE SREČANJ

Uvodnik: Srečo Peterlič . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Glavni in odgovorni urednik: Gorazd Čad

Kratke novice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Izvršna urednica: Jakica Jesih

Kolumna Gorazd Čad: Kongresno soočenje II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Pomočnica urednika: Danaja Besnard

Kolumna Paul Kennedy: Ponudba za organizatorje srečanj . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Uredniški odbor: Christer Carlsson Tony Carey Gorazd Čad Miha Kovačič Srečo Peterlič Tatjana Radovič Petra Čuk Maja Vidergar Ustanovna podjetja in svet revije: Adria Airways, Auditoria, Avditorij Portorož, Cankarjev dom, Kulturni in kongresni center, City Hotel, Domina Vacanze, GH Union, Globtour d.o.o., Gospodarsko razstavišče, GO.Mice, Hiša Kulinarike Franc Jezeršek, HIT d.d., Hoteli Bernardin d.d., Portorož, Intours, Kompas, Kongresni servis Albatros d.o.o., Liberty Slovenija d.o.o., Lifetrek, Luka Koper pristan d.o.o., M-hotel, d.o.o., Micro Cocktail Software d.o.o., Postojnska jama, turizem d.d., Prevajalska agencija Alkemist, Robotrade, RS Klan Jazbec & Co. d.n.o., Sava Hoteli Bled, Terme Čatež, Terme Laško, Terme Maribor, Terme Olimia, Terme Spa Rogaška, Terme Radenci, TSE d.o.o. Audio video inženiring, Vivo Catering, Zavod-Kongresnoturistični urad Slovenije, Zavod za turizem Ljubljana, Zdravilišče Laško Oblikovanje: Tatjana Zupan, Propagarna d.o.o.

Tehnični urednik: Marko Čopi, Grafika Paradoks d.o.o.

Rok Klančnik: Pismo iz Bruslja: Pa čeprav ni vedno kaviar …* . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Kolumna Tony Carey: Zakaj obveščanje šefa ni dovolj? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Kolumna Miha Kovačič: Kongresi združenj na pohodu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Auditoria d.o.o.: PCO prevzame projekt »na ključ« . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Albatros, Bled: PCO predstavlja logistiko organizacije kongresa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Kompas d.d.: PCO je naročnikova podaljšana roka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Primeri dobre prakse: Albatros d.o.o.: Naročnik je sprejemal samo pohvale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Auditoria d.o.o.: Polni optimizma združeni proti raku . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Kompas d.d.: Kandidatura, mednarodne povezave in lobiranje . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Srečanja strokovnih združenj: Dr. Vladimir Smrkolj: Zgradimo velik kongresni center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Dr. Jernej Dolinšek: Majhnost in lepota Slovenije . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Sobe z razgledom – vendar ne v Toskani ...: Srečanja in motivacijski programi v alpskem svetu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 SWOT analiza: Analiza kongresnega produkta na Bledu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

Prevod: Alkemnist d.o.o., Alasdair Green, Mija Gostinčar

Intervju Tadej Tufek, Adria Airways:

Lektoriranje: Alasdair Green, Jakica Jesih

V pripravi številne novosti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Tisk: Collegium Graphicum d.o.o., Ljubljana

EIBTM 2007: Osrednja svetovna borza za kongresni turizem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

Naklada: 5.000 izvodov

Kolumna Joyce Dogniez: V korak s spremembami! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66

ISSN številka: 1854-9292 Revija izhaja 4x letno: april; junij/julij; oktober; november

Kolumna Kathryn Goldstein: MPI podpisala dogovor o korporativni družbeni odgovornosti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Hiša kulinarike Jezeršek:

Izdajatelj, produkcija in trženje: GO Mice, Štihova 4 SI-1000 Ljubljana T: +386 (0)1 430 51 03 F: +386 (0)1 430 51 04 E: kongres@go-mice.eu

Učili smo sebe in vzgajali naročnike . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Datum izida: Oktober 2007

Letališče Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana:

Cena: 3,50 EUR Za reproduciranje vsebine je potrebno pisno soglasje uredništva.

Kongresni standardi in kakovost storitev: Kako izbrati pravega kongresnega organizatorja? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

Odpiramo prostor poslovnim srečanjem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 HIT Nova Gorica: Prepoznavno igralniško – konferenčno mesto . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 WEB 2.0 pristop : Za učinkovitejšo promocijo kongresne dejavnosti . . . . . . . . . . . 84

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Index Editorial: Srečo Peterlič . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

CONGRESS – SLOVENIAN MEETING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Short News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Editor-in-Chief: Gorazd Čad

Column Gorazd Čad: Congress Confrontation II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Executive Editor: Jakica Jesih

Column Paul Kennedy: “Offer” to Meeting Planners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief: Danaja Besnard

Rok Klančnik: Letter from Brussels : You don't always have Caviar…* . . . . . . . . . . 23 Column Tony Carey, CMP, CMM: Why briefing the Boss is not enough? . . . . . . . . 25 Column Miha Kovačič: The Congress Association on the March . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Auditoria d.o.o.: The PCO takes over the »Turn-Key« Project . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Albatros Bled: The PCO presents the Logistics of Congress Organisation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Kompas d.d.: The PCO is the Client's extended Arm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Good Practice Case Study: Albatros d.o.o.: The Organisers received nothing but Praise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Auditoria d.o.o.: Full of Optimism United Against Cancer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Kompas d.d.: Candidature, International Integration and Lobbying . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Meetings of Expert Associations Dr. Vladimir Smrkolj: Let’s build a large Congress Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Dr. Jernej Dolinšek: Slovenia’s small size and beauty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Editorial Board: Christer Carlsson Tony Carey Gorazd Čad Miha Kovačič Srečo Peterlič Tatjana Radovič Petra Čuk Maja Vidergar Founding Companies and Magazine Board: Adria Airways, Auditoria, Avditorij Portorož, Cankarjev dom, Kulturni in kongresni center, City Hotel, Domina Vacanze, GH Union, Globtour d.o.o., Gospodarsko razstavišče, GO.Mice, Hiša Kulinarike Franc Jezeršek, HIT d.d., Hoteli Bernardin d.d., Portorož, Intours, Kompas, Kongresni servis Albatros d.o.o., Liberty Slovenija d.o.o., Lifetrek, Luka Koper pristan d.o.o., M-hotel, d.o.o., Micro Cocktail Software d.o.o., Postojnska jama, turizem d.d., Prevajalska agencija Alkemist, Robotrade, RS Klan Jazbec & Co. d.n.o., Sava Hoteli Bled, Terme Čatež, Terme Laško, Terme Maribor, Terme Olimia, Terme Spa Rogaška, Terme Radenci, TSE d.o.o. Audio video inženiring, Vivo Catering, Zavod-Kongresnoturistični urad Slovenije, Zavod za turizem Ljubljana, Zdravilišče Laško Design: Tatjana Zupan, Propagarna d.o.o.

Rooms with a View – but not in Tuscany: Meetings and Incentives in the Alpine Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Technical Editor: Marko Čopi, Grafika Paradoks d.o.o.

SWOT Analysis: Analysis of the Bled Congress Product . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Translation: Alkemnist d.o.o., Alasdair Green, Mija Gostinčar

Interview - Tadej Tufek, Adria Airways: Numerous Novelties being prepared . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

Proofreading: Alasdair Green, Jakica Jesih

EIBTM 2007: New Ideas for the Meetings Industry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Printing: Collegium Graphicum d.o.o., Ljubljana

Column Joyce Dogniez: Keep up with the Changes! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Circulation: 5.000 copies

Column Kathryn Goldstein: MPI Signs the UN Compact on CSR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

ISSN Number: 1854-9292

The Jezeršek House of Cuisine :

Quarterly Magazine issued in: April; June/July; October; November

We taught ourselves and educated the clients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Congress Standards and Service Quality : How do you choose the right Congress Organiser? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Airport Jože Pučnik Ljubljana: Opening Space for Business Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Publisher, Production and Marketing: GO Mice, 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: October 2007

HIT Nova Gorica: A distinguished gaming – conference City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Price: EUR 3,50

The WEB 2.0 Approach: For more effective Congress Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

For the content reproduction it is required to get the written editorial consigment.

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Uvodnik

Srečanja strokovnih združenj Organizacija mednarodnih strokovnih kongresov že desetletja močno vpliva na ustvarjanje podobe države gostiteljice. Kongresov se po pravilu udeležujejo vodilni predstavniki stroke. Država ali mesto, ki gosti mednarodni kongres, dobi neponovljivo priložnost za srečanje vodilnih mednarodnih predstavnikov stroke z najnovejšimi nacionalnimi dosežki. Ob neposrednem finančnem učinku na nacionalno gospodarstvo imajo kongresi močan psihološki in tudi politični učinek. Država, ki iz katerih koli razlogov ne gosti pomembnejših mednarodnih kongresov, prej ali slej postane siva lisa na svetovnem zemljevidu. Udeleženci dobro organiziranega kongresa navadno odidejo domov kot prijazni ambasadorji dežele, ki so jo spoznali. S svojim vplivom na domače okolje torej posredno in trajno pomagajo oblikovati vtis o državi ali mestu, ki so ga obiskali.

Predvsem z Ljubljano, Bledom in Portorožem je Slovenija vse bolj opazna na mednarodnem trgu srečanj strokovnih združenj. Dežela s komaj dvema milijonoma prebivalcev ima na voljo izreden znanstveni potencial – nekaj tisoč znanstvenikov in strokovnjakov, ki aktivno delujejo v mednarodnih združenjih svoje stroke. Veliko jih je mednarodno priznanih, lahko pridobijo in strokovno organizirajo najzahtevnejše mednarodne kongrese.

Kongresne in hotelske zmogljivosti so v Sloveniji seveda omejene; kongresov z deset in več tisoči udeležencev seveda ne moremo gostiti. Smo pa odlični organizatorji in gostitelji. To nam priznava velika večina tistih udeležencev, ki so v Sloveniji že bili.

Srečo Peterlič, predsednik sveta Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad Direktor kongresne dejavnosti, Auditoria d.o.o.

Srečo Peterlič (Foto/Photo: B. Zupančič)

Editorial

Association Meetings Organising international congresses has had a strong influence on the image of us as a host country for over a decade. The leading people in any given field usually attend these congresses. The country or city hosting an international congress is thus offered a unique chance to showcase its latest national achievements to the leading international representatives in that field. In addition to a direct financial effect on the national economy, these congresses have a strong psychological and political effect and a country not hosting any important international congresses, for whatever reason, sooner or later becomes a grey spot on the world map. The participants of a well-organised congress usually travel back home as friendly ambassadors for the country they have come to know. Their influence on their home environment therefore directly and continually helps to shape the image of the country or city they’ve visited.

Ljubljana, Bled and Portorož in particular are helping Slovenia become more prominent on the international expert association meetings market. This land, with a population of only two million, has exceptional scientific potential available – a few thousand scientists and experts actively working in international associations in their disciplines. Many are internationally recognised and can acquire and professionally organise the most demanding international congresses.

Congress and hotel capabilities in Slovenia are, of course, limited. Congresses with ten thousand or more participants can’t be hosted here. But we are, nevertheless, excellent organisers and hosts, as a large majority of the participants who have already been to Slovenia acknowledge.

Srečo Peterlič, Chairman of the Slovenian Convention Bureau Council Congress Director, Auditoria, d. o. o

9

Kratke novice

Novice Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad Standardizacija članov Kongresni urad bo letos jeseni opravil standardizicijo svojih članov.

Slovenija s tako obširno standardizacijo spada med pionirje na tem področju. Uveljavitev standardov na področju kongresne dejavnosti bo koristila tako organizatorjem kakor tudi ponudnikom kongresnih storitev, saj bo uvedla boljšo preglednost ponudnikov. Projekt vsebuje tudi izobraževalno komponento in bo pripomogel k dvigu kakovosti naše kongresne dejavnosti.

Jesenske trženjske aktivnosti Kongresnega urada 6. september 2007, London Urad vlade za komuniciranje je v Londonu organiziral srečanje za angleške novinarje, ki pišejo o turizmu. Kongresni urad je sebe in svoje člane predstavil s kongresnim katalogom in revijo Kongres.

28.–30. september 2007 in 12.–14. oktober 2007, Ljubljana Kongresni urad bo v sodelovanju s člani in STO organiziral študijski potovanji in delavnici za angleške oz. nemške organizatorje dogodkov.

Delavnici bosta v Ljubljani, udeleženci pa bodo obiskali tudi Bled in Portorož.

nizozemske organizatorje dogodkov.

To bo premierna predstavitev kongresne ponudbe na nizozemskem tržišču. Poleg osebnega srečanja z organizatorji dogodkov bomo pripravili tudi 15-minutno predstavitev našega proizvoda.

8.–9. november 2007, Rim Kongresni urad se bo v sodelovanju s člani in STO udeležil mednarodne poslovne borze BTC v Rimu. To je največja poslovna borza na italijanskem tržišču. Več o borzi na www.btc.it. Izdati nameravamo tudi različico angleškega kataloga v italijanskem jeziku.

27.–29. november 2007, Barcelona Kongresni urad se bo v sodelovanju s člani in STO udeležil mednarodne poslovne borze EIBTM v Barceloni.

To je druga največja poslovna borza na evropskem tržišču. Več o borzi na www.eibtm.com

Izobraževanje pod okriljem Kongresnega urada 10. oktober 2007, Tony Carey, Terme Olimia Tony Carey bo vodil strokovno usposabljanje z naslovom Catering v kongresni dejavnosti. Dogodek bo povezan in obogaten z obiskom in ogledom Gostinsko turističnega zbora.

16. oktober 2007, Amsterdam Kongresni urad se bo v sodelovanju z ZTL in STO udeležil delavnice za

Kako prepeljati udeležence do kraja vašega dogodka po ugodnih cenah?

Tel.: + 386 1 36 91 317 Fax: + 386 1 23 01 325 kongresi@adria.si events@adria.si www.adria-airways.com

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Rekordna udeležba na ICCA kongresu Letošnjega ICCA kongresa se bo udeležilo rekordno število obiskovalcev. Organizatorji pričakujejo preko 820 kongresnih gostov, kar je enako rekordni udeležbi na kongresu leta 2006 na Rodosu. Letošnji poudarek bo na izobraževalnih vsebinah na področju trženja in prodajnih tehnik. Udeležba na kongresu je hkrati enkratna priložnost za spoznavanje hitro rastočega azijskega tržišča. www.iccaworld.com

Razcvet kongresnega turizma v Glasgowu Zaradi povečanega obsega kongresnega turizma načrtujejo v Glasgowu izgradnjo številnih novih hotelov z več kot 2.400 sobami. Informacijo je posredoval Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. Zaradi velikosti

Kratke novice Zaključen natečaj za novo blagovno znamko Ljubljane

mesta je primer Glasgowa kot primer modela destinacijskega managementa zanimiv tudi za Ljubljano. www.seeglasgow. com/ convention-bureau

Zaključena že 21. poletna šola EFCT v Tallinu 21. poletno šolo EFCT je obiskalo 65 udeležencev, med njimi rekordnih devet slovenskih kongresnih organizatorjev in hotelirjev. Intenzivni tridnevni seminar se je tako vpisal na svetovni zemljevid kongresnih izobraževalnih dogodkov kot vrhunska kombinacija plenarnih zasedanj, praktičnega usposabljanja, oglednih obiskov in priložnosti za druženje s kolegi s celega sveta. Ključno vlogo pri organizaciji in izvedbi je odigrala Tatjana Radovič iz Zavoda za turizem Ljubljana, ki je že vrsto let predavateljica in članica organizacijskega odbora poletne šole. www.efct.com

Zavod za turizem Ljubljana je leta 2005 skupaj s 27 partnerji, glavnimi nosilci turistične ponudbe v Ljubljani, uspešno kandidiral za evropska sredstva za spodbujanje razvoja turističnih destinacij. Februarja 2007 je ZTL razpisal vabljeni natečaj za kreativno (grafično in verbalno) oblikovanje blagovne znamke turistične destinacije Ljubljana. Predmet natečaja je bilo oblikovanje takšne znamke turistične destinacije Ljubljana, s katero se bodo poistovetile tako strokovne javnosti kot tudi sami meščani. Natečaj, katerega rok se je iztekel 1. junija 2007, je imel mednarodni značaj. Sodelovale so štiri domače in dve tuji agenciji. Predlog vabljenih agencij so na podlagi referenc pripravili člani komisije v sestavi: Gorazd Čad, Miro Kline (predsednik), Janez Koželj, Miljenko Licul, Ranko Novak, Vladimir Pezdirc in Barbara Vajda. Komisija je dne 4. junija 2007 opravila izbor in soglasno odločila, da je John Morgan Studio iz Anglije zasnoval zmagovalni projekt.

Primeri grafičnih rešitev: www.ljubljana.si/si/turizem/mediji/ blagovna-znamka/73751/detail.html

Center dobrega počutja v Grand hotelu Bernardin Družba Hoteli Bernardin bo konec leta pričela z nadgradnjo osnovne kongresne dejavnosti Grand hotela Bernardin s Centrom dobrega počutja. Začetek gradnje je predviden v začetku decembra 2007, otvoritev centra pa za Veliko noč konec marca 2008. Center bo zasnovan na višji ravni z interiersko unikatnostjo in z dovršenostjo vsebinske ponudbe v harmoniji zdravja, dobrega počutja, udobja, razvajanja in estetike. V 9. in 10. nadstropju GH

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Bernardin bo novemu centru dobrega počutja namenjena ca. 2.000 m2 velika površina, kjer bodo goste čakali bazen na izjemni lokaciji s pogledom na morje, dežela devetih savn, moderno opremljen fitnes center, masažni in kozmetični del z VIP suito, solarij ter počivališče s sadnim barom. Z obogatitvijo ponudbe s to tržno zanimivo in nujno naložbo na področju sprostitvenega segmenta bodo v Grand hotelu Bernardin zagotovili povečanje zasedenosti hotela tudi izven kongresne in poletne počitniške sezone. www.h-bernardin.si

Družba HIT odprla prenovljeni igralniško – zabaviščni center Park Po letu in pol obnovitvenih del je družba Hit septembra v Novi Gorici slovesno odprla prenovljeni igralniško-zabaviščni center Park. Hitova 25 milijonov evrov vredna investicija Novi Gorici dodaja še en center igre in zabave, ki zdaj sodi med največje in najsodobnejše v Evropi.

Atraktivna arhitekturna podoba prenovljenega centra je delo arhitekturnega biroja Omnia Arhing, d. o. o. iz Ljubljane, gradbena dela je opravilo podjetje Kraški zidar, d. d., iz Sežana, interier pa je delo podjetja Lesnina inženiring iz Ljubljane. V času obnove Park ni bil zaprt niti en dan, pri čemer se je ponudba centra začasno preselila tudi v montažne objekte ob samem gradbišču. Park, Casino’ & Hotel, bo odslej svojim obiskovalcem na skupno 4200 m2 neto površine ponujal celovito zabavo od najmodernejših iger na srečo (789 igralnih avtomatov, 36 igralnih miz, bingo) do atraktivnih koncertov, modnih revij in drugih zabavnih programov v prireditvenem delu centra, vse skupaj pospremljeno z izvrstno kulinariko. www.hit.si

Kratke novice Sodelovanje STO s priznanim japonskim organizatorjem potovanj JTB Business World Tokyo Corp.

21. avgusta 2007 je na sedežu Slovenske turistične organizacije v Ljubljani potekal slavnostni podpis pogodbe med JTB Business World Tokyo Corp., največjim in najbolj priznanim japonskim touroperaterjem, ter Slovensko turistično organizacijo o izvajanju komunikacijskih aktivnosti na japonskem trgu v letu 2008. Osrednji cilj podpisa je povečanje prihodov in prenočitev japonskih gostov ter vzpostavitev direktnih čarterskih poletov med Japonsko in Slovenijo. Podpisu so prisostvovali tudi nj. eksc. Tsuneshige Iiyama, veleposlanik Japonske v Republiki Sloveniji, nj. eksc. Miran Čupkovič Skender, veleposlanik Republike Slovenije na Japonskem ter mag.

Marjan Hribar, generalni direktor Direktorata za turizem na Ministrstvu za gospodarstvo.

S podpisom pogodbe o sodelovanju z JTB Business World Tokyo Corp., največjim in najbolj priznanim japonskim touroperaterjem, je narejen korak k skupnem izvajanju komunikacijskih aktivnosti na japonskem trgu v letu 2008. Cilj Slovenske turistične organizacije je, da s tem sodelovanjem poveča število prihodov in prenočitev japonskih gostov ter vzpostavi direktne čarterske letalske polete med Japonsko in Slovenijo.

Torino, Italija (konferenca bo potekala od 7. do 10. februarja 2009), gostitelj Evropske PEC v letu 2010 pa bo Málaga, Španija (konferenca bo predvidoma potekala od 28. februarja do 2. marca 2010).

Novosti iz Postojnske jame, turizem Porast povpraševanja po motivacijskih dogodkih, ki jih nudi Postojnska jama, turizem d. d., je dokaz, da gre za ponudbo, ki je tržno zanimiva. Pri jamskih in grajskih pustolovščinah ter strokovnih programih team buildinga gre za izvirno kombinacijo jamskega ali grajskega okolja, strokovnega vodenja in vrhunske kulinarike.

V letošnjem letu že tako privlačno ponudbo dopolnili s predstavo magičnega gledališča Serpentes, ki s s svojo izvirno interpretacijo mitologije v Postojnski jami deluje atraktivno in ekskluzivno.

Izposoja opreme za simultano tolmačenje V prevajalski agenciji Alkemist vam od 1. oktobra dalje poleg storitev prevajanja, tolmačenja ter poučevanja tujih jezikov nudijo izposojo najmodernejše opreme za simultano tolmačenje: kabine (TÜV certificirane), slušalke, ozvočenje, digitalen (IR) prenos jezikov, ozvočenje, brezžični konferenčno-diskusijski sistem. Preiskusite novo ponudbo!

Posodobljeni na svetovnem spletu

Tadashi Ichikawa in mag. Dimitrji Piciga

Izbrana gostiteljska mesta za PEC Organizacija Meeting Professionals International (MPI) je 28. julija 2007 objavila imena mest, ki so bila izbrana za gostitelje njihovih konferenc z imenom Professional Education Conference (PEC) v letih 2009 in 2010. Gostitelj Evropske PEC v letu 2009 bo

Organizatorji kongresno-prireditvene dejavnost Cankarjevega doma so med poletnimi meseci posodabljali svoje spletne strani. Domena www.cdcc.si/kongres je kot doslej seveda dvojezična (slovenska in angleška), njena vsebina pa je razširjena in bolj pregledna. Bistvene novosti so trodimenzionalne predstavitve dvoran, interaktivni tloris ter natančna ponudba storitev in tehnične opreme. Obiskovalcem bodo nedvomno koristile tudi povezave na spletne strani s splošnimi informacijami, kot so turistične informacije, vozni redi, devizni tečaji, informacije o vizah in vremenska napoved.

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Kratki programi iz Kompasa Za vse, ki se srečujete z organizacijo kongresov, srečanj ali le z obiski poslovnih partnerjev, bo verjetno dobrodošla novica, da je Kompas d.d. pripravil tedenski program poldnevnih in enodnevnih izletov. Za razliko od običajnih in v naprej naročenih izletov, agencija tukaj celo leto garantira za izvedbo izletniškega programa, ki lahko popestri vaš dogodek. Enostavno in brez glavobola: www.kompas-online.net ali po telefonu. Edini pogoj je, da sta prijavljeni najmanj dve osebi, odhodi pa so iz Ljubljane, Maribora, Bleda in Portoroža.

Auditoria pridobila organizacijo štirih konferenc EUREKE Julija letos je Slovenija prevzela enoletno predsedovanje programu EUREKA. Ministrstvo za visoko šolstvo, znanost in tehnologijo je slovenske PCOje povabilo k oddaji ponudbe za organizacijo štirih konferenc in ministrskega srečanja in kot najugodnejši

Kratke novice ponudnik je bilo izbrano podjetje Auditoria d.o.o.. Konference, ki se jih bo udeležilo približno po 150 delegatov iz vse Evrope, bodo oktobra v Mariboru, januarja na Bledu, aprila v Portorožu in junija v Ljubljani.

Terme Ptuj odprle Grand Hotel Primus Terme Ptuj, d.o.o., ki delujejo v okviru blagovne znamke Panonske terme, so po letu dni od pričetka gradnje odprle vrata novega štirizvezdičnega Grand Hotela Primus, ki bo predstavljal pomemben prispevek k dopolnitvi dosedanje vrzeli na področju pomanjkanja namestitvenih kapacitet in turistične ponudbe v Spodnjem Podravju. Okrog 20 milijonov evrov vreden hotel je letošnja največja naložba v Poslovni skupini Sava in v slovenskem turizmu.

Hotel se razprostira na skupno 13.493 kvadratnih metrih in ima 250 ležišč, od tega so trije luksuzni predsedniški apartmaji, ki imajo na razpolago vsak svoj jacuzzi in savno. S ponudbo kongresnega oz. poslovnega turizma Grand Hotel Primus zapolnjuje vrzel v siceršnji nezadostni ponudbi tovrstnih storitev na širšem območju Ptuja in Spodnjega Podravja. V hotelu je na voljo več dvoran, namenjenih najrazličnejšim poslovnim srečanjem, vsi

prostori pa so opremljeni z najmodernejšo multimedijsko tehnologijo.

Hotelska ponudba je prilagojena tudi golfistom, saj se le 300 metrov od novega hotela razprostira golf igrišče z 18 igralnimi polji, do koder iz hotela vodijo urejene poti.

Kako do nepovratnih sredstev?

ALTEA svetovanje d.o.o. vabi na seminar Kako do nepovratnih sredstev EU v turizmu. Predstavljeni bodo programi in praktični primeri financiranja programov za investicije in aktivnosti, kot so dogodki, razvoj novih produktov, usposabljanje in izobraževanje v turizmu. Seminar bodo 11. oktobra 2007 v GH Union – Business od 9.00 do 15.30 vodili strokovnjaki z bogatimi izkušnjami na področju pridobivanja nepovratnih sredstev EU za financiranje investicij in aktivnosti, poleg tega bodo predstavljeni primeri uspešnih pridobitev sredstev. Več informacij na Kongresnem uradu oziroma direktno pri Altea svetovanje na altea@siol.net.

Imenovanja v MPI Za predsednika MPI-jevega Evropskega sveta je bil julija 2007 imenovan Gerrit Jessen. Evropski svet je regionalno predstavniško telo MPI-jevega

Gerrit Jessen

članstva v Evropi, na Bližnjem vzhodu in v Afriki. Na svojem položaju bo Gerrit Jessen odgovoren za pripravo in izdajo priporočil o priložnostih za razvoj in rast v omenjenih regijah.

V skladu s svojo vizijo globalne širitve je MPI na novi položaj direktorja prodaje in razvoja partnerstev imenoval Antonia Ducceschija, ki bo v svoji novi vlogi odgovoren za razvoj novih partnerstev in poslovnih priložnosti v Evropi in na Srednjem vzhodu s ciljem pospeševanja MPI-jevega globalnega razvoja ter krepitve obstoječih poslovnih odnosov, ki jih ima MPI s ključnimi partnerji v regiji.

Novice iz Sava Hotelov Bled Strateški forum Bled

33. Carnegie srečanje

Konec avgusta je v Sava Hotelih Bled potekal že drugi Strateški forum Bled v organizaciji Ministrstva za zunanje zadeve in Centra za evropsko prihodnost. Udeležilo se ga je več kot 400 udeležencev iz 50 držav, med njimi predsednik Gruzije, številni predsedniki in podpredsedniki vlad, ministri in drugi ugledni gostje.

Od 15. do 17. junija se je v hotelu Vila Bled odvijalo 33. srečanje ministrov in svetovalcev za znanost držav G8 Carnegie. Srečanje je gostil evropski komisar za znanost in raziskave Janez Potočnik, med drugimi uglednimi gosti pa so se ga udeležili tudi ministri za znanost iz Nemčije, Francije, Italije in Rusije.

Konferenca o razvojni ekonomiji ABCDE V maju je Bled gostil redno letno Konferenco o razvojni ekonomiji ABCDE. Konferenca, ki sta jo organizirala Svetovna banka in Ministrstvo za finance Republike Slovenije,

Evropski komisar za znanost in razvoj Janez Potočnik, minister za finance dr. Andrej Bajuk in podpredsednik Svetovne banke Shigeo Katsu na večerji v Grand Hotelu Toplice.

je gostila blizu 500 udeležencev iz več kot 80 držav. Glavno zasedanje je potekalo v Festivalni dvorani, medtem ko so se spremljevalni dogodki odvijali v novem konferenčnem središču hotela Park.

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Skupinska fotografija udeležencev srečanja Carnegie.

Short News Record Number of Participants at the ICCA Congress A record number of participants will attend this year’s ICCA Congress. The organisers are expecting over 820 congress visitors, which is the same as the record congress participation

at Rhodes in 2006. This year, the stress will be on educational content in the field of marketing and sales techniques. Attendance at the congress is at the same time a unique opportunity for familiarisation with the rapidly expanding Asian market. www.iccaworld.com

News from the Slovenian Convention Bureau Members standardisation The Slovenian Convention Bureau is undertaking the standardisation of its members this autumn. With such a broad standardisation, Slovenia aims to be one of the pioneers in this field.

Implementation of standards in the field of the convention activity will bring benefits to both organisers as well as providers of convention services, as it will enforce better transparency of providers. The mentioned project also includes an educational component that will contribute to the higher quality of convention activity.

Marketing activities of the Slovenian Convention Bureau in autumn 6 September 2007, London The Government Communication Office organised a meeting in London for UK tourism journalists. The Slovenian Convention Bureau presented its activity and participants received a convention catalogue and Kongres magazine.

28 – 30 September 2007 and 12 – 14 October 2007, Ljubljana In cooperation with its members and the Slovenian Tourist Board, the Slovenian Convention Bureau will conduct two study visits and workshops for UK and German event organisers.

The workshops will take place in Ljubljana, while participants will also visit Bled and Portorož.

16 October 2007, Amsterdam In cooperation with the Ljubljana Tourist Board and the Slovenian Tourist Board, the Slovenian Convention Bureau will participate in a workshop

organised for Dutch event organisers.

This will be the first presentation of the Slovenian convention offer on the Dutch market. In addition to a personal meeting with organisers of this event, we will also conduct a 15-minute presentation of our product.

8 – 9 November 2007, Rome In cooperation with members of the Slovenian Tourist Board, the Slovenian Convention Bureau will participate at the BTC International Exhibition in Rome. This is the biggest B2B fair on the Italian market. More about the exhibition is available at www.btc.it.

We also plan to prepare an Italian version of the English catalogue.

27 – 29 November 2007, Barcelona In cooperation with members of the Slovenian Tourist Board, the Slovenian Convention Bureau will participate at the EIBTM Global Meetings and Incentives Exhibition in Barcelona. This is the second biggest B2B fair on the European market.

More about the exhibition is available at www.eibtm.com

Education under the auspices of the Slovenian Convention Bureau 10 October 2007, Tony Carey, spa Terme Olimia Tony Carey will conduct professional training on the subject of Catering in Convention Activity. The event will be connected with and enriched by the visit of the Catering and Tourism Convention.

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Congress Tourism Expands in Glasgow Numerous new hotels with more than 2400 rooms are planned for construction in Glasgow due to an increase in the scope of congress tourism. This information was provided by the Glasgow City Marketing Bureau. Due to the city’s size, the Glasgow example is, as an example of a destination management model, interesting for Ljubljana as well. www.seeglasgow.com/conventionbureau

The 21st EFCT Summer School Concludes at Tallinn The 21st EFCT Summer School was attended by 65 participants, among them nine Slovenian congress organisers and hoteliers, which is a record. The intense three-day seminar thus entered the world map of congress educational events as a first-rate combination of plenary sessions, practical training, viewing visits and opportunities for socialising with colleagues from the entire world.

Tatjana Radovič from the Ljubljana Tourist Board, who has been a lecturer and member of the Summer School Organising Committee for years, again played a key role in the organisation and execution. www.efct.com

Design Competition for the New Ljubljana Brand Name Concluded In 2005, together with 27 partners, main providers of the Ljubljana tourist offer, the Ljubljana Tourist Board was a successful candidate for European funds for encouraging development of tourist destinations. In February 2007, the Ljubljana Tourist Board announced a design competition for a creative (graphic and verbal) design of the Ljubljana tourist destination brand name. The object of the competition was the designing of a brand name for the Ljubljana tourist destination which both experts and citizens could identify with. The competition, whose deadline expired on 1 June 2007, was of an international character. Four local and two foreign agencies applied. The proposal of invited agencies was prepared on the

Short News basis of references by members of the commission comprising Gorazd Čad, Miro Kline (chairman), Janez Koželj, Miljenko Licul, Ranko Novak, Vladimir Pezdirc and Barbara Vajda. The commission performed the selection on 4 June 2007 and unanimously decided that the John Morgan Studio from England designed the project that deserved victory.

Examples of graphic solutions: www.ljubljana.si/si/turizem/mediji/ blagovna-znamka/73751/detail.html

Wellness Centre at the Grand Hotel Bernardin The Hoteli Bernardin company will begin upgrading the basic meeting industry activity of the Grand Hotel Bernardin and its Wellness Centre at the end of the year. Construction is scheduled to start early in December 2007. The Centre will be inaugurated at Easter, at the end of March 2008, and will feature high level design with interior uniqueness and an excellent content offer in a harmony of health, wellness, comfort, indulgence and aesthetics.

An approximately 2000 m2 area will be dedicated to the new wellness centre on the 9th and 10th floors of the Grand Hotel Bernardin; its guests will be able to enjoy a swimming pool, exceptionally situated overlooking the sea, the country of nine saunas, a fitness centre with modern equipment, a massage and cosmetics section with a VIP suite, a solarium and a relaxation area with a fruit bar. By enriching its offer with this urgent and attractive investment from the marketing point of view in

the leisure segment, the Grand Hotel Bernardin will ensure increased capacity utilisation even outside the congress and summer holiday season. www.h-bernardin.si

The HIT Company Opens the Renovated Park Gaming and Entertainment Centre After a year and a half of renovation works, the Hit Company in Nova Gorica inaugurated the renovated Park Gaming and Entertainment Centre. Hit’s 25 million euro investment added an additional centre of gaming and entertainment to Nova Gorica; this centre is now one of the largest and most modern in Europe. The attractive architectural appearance of the renovated centre is the work of Omnia Arhing, d. o. o., an architectural bureau from Ljubljana; construction works were performed by Kraški zidar, d. d., from Sežana; the interior is the work of the Lesnina inženiring company from Ljubljana. The park was not closed for even a single day during renovation, but the centre’s offer was temporarily moved, among others, into prefabricated buildings near the construction site. On a total net surface area of 4200 m2, the Park Casino & Hotel now offers its visitors integrated entertainment ranging from the most modern gaming (789 slot machines, 36 gaming tables, Bingo) to attractive concerts, fashion shows and other entertainment programmes in the event-dedicated part of the centre. All this is accompanied by an excellent culinary offer. www.hit.si

Cooperation established between the STB and the acclaimed Japanese travel company JTB Business World Tokyo Corp The Slovenian Tourist Board on 21 August 2007 signed a contract with the largest and most acclaimed Japanese travel company JTB Business World Tokyo Corp. on performing communication activities on the Japanese market in 2008.

The main aim of the contract is to increase arrivals and overnight stays of Japanese guests and to establish direct charter flights between Japan and Slovenia. The signing ceremony, held at the headquarters of the Slovenian Tourist Board in Ljubljana, was attended by His Excellency Tsuneshige Iiyama, ambassador of Japan to Slovenia, His Excellency Miran Čupkovič Skender, ambassador of Slovenia to Japan and Marjan Hribar, MSc, director general of the Directorate for Tourism at the Ministry of the Economy.

The contract on cooperation with JTB Business World Tokyo Corp signifies a step towards joint performance of communication activities on the Japanese market in 2008. For the Slovenian Tourist Board, the aim of this cooperation is to increase the number of arrivals and overnight stays of Japanese guests and to establish direct charter flights between Japan and Slovenia.

Host cities for PEC selected Meeting Professionals International (MPI) on July 28, 2007 published the names of cities chosen to host their

Kompas Corporate

KONGRESI, POSLOVNA POTOVANJA, LETALSKE VOZOVNICE Kompas Corporate je Kompasova blagovna znamka za vrhunske celostne storitve za vse poslovne uporabnike – podjetja, razli~ne ustanove in vladne institucije iz Slovenije in tujine.

Ne glede na to, kaj želite – letalsko vozovnico ali celotno organizacijo konference kjerkoli na svetu – je Kompas Corporate tu zato, da poskrbi za vse.

telefon: 01 2006 151 • congressesakompas.si • www.kompas.si

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Short News Professional Education Conference, PEC, for 2009 and 2010. The host city for the 2009 PEC-Europe, to be held from 7 – 10 February 2009, is Torino, Italy and the host city for the 2010 PEC-Europe is Málaga, Spain (the event is scheduled for 28 February to 2 March 2010).

Novelties from the Postojna cave, tourism The increase in demand for motivational events being offered by the company Postojnska jama, turizem d.d., is proof that this is an offer that suits the market. With cave and castle adventures as well as expert team building programmes, this is an original combination of a cave or castle environment, expert leadership and top-level culinary delights. This year, the incentive offer has been completed with the magical theatre Serpentes, which with its original interpretation of mythology in the Postojna cave, has an attractive and exclusive effect.

Rental of equipment for simultaneous interpreting From 1 October, the translation agency Alkemist, in addition to translation and interpreting services as well as language courses, is also offering rental of the most modern equipment for simultaneous interpreting: cabins (TÜV certified), headphones, public address system, digital (IR) language transfer, wireless conference and discussion system. Test the best!

Updated on the World Wide Web The congress and event management of the Cankarjev dom facility updated its website during the summer.

The www.cd-cc.si/kongres domain of course remains bilingual (Slovenian and English) but its contents have been expanded and organised more transparently.

Key novelties are three-dimensional presentations of halls, an interactive groundplan and an exact offer of services and technical equipment.

Visitors will definitely benefit from the links to general information sites, such as tourist info, time tables, exchange rates, visas and weather.

Short programmes from Kompas For those of you who deal with organising congresses, meetings or just visits of business partners, you will probably welcome the news that the company Kompas d.d. has prepared a weekly programme of half-day and one day excursions.

Unlike regular and in-advance ordered excursions, the agency guarantees the realisation of an excursion that can enliven your event throughout the year.

Arranging an excursion is simple and headache-free: go to www.kompas-online.net or call by telephone. The only condition is that there be at least two people signed on for an excursion and departures are organised from Ljubljana, Maribor, Bled and Portorož.

Zavod za turizem Ljubljana je vaš profesionalni partner in najboljši vir informacij o turistični in kongresni ponudbi slovenske prestolnice. • The Ljubljana Tourist Board is your professional partner and best source of information on the leisure tourism and convention offer in the Slovenian capital.

www.ljubljana-tourism.si 16

Auditoria to organise four EUREKA conferences Slovenia in July of this year took over the one-year Presidency of the EUREKA Programme. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology invited Slovenian PCOs to submit tenders for organising four conferences and a ministerial meeting. The company Auditoria d.o.o. was chosen as the most advantageous bidder. The conferences, which are each planned to host about 150 delegates from all over Europe, will take place in October in Maribor, in January in Bled, in April in Portorož and in June in Ljubljana.

How to receive non-refundable means?

The company ALTEA svetovanje d.o.o. invites you to a seminar on How to Receive Non-Refundable EU Means in Tourism. The seminar will feature programmes and practical examples of financing programmes for investments and activities, such as new product development, training and education in tourism. The seminar will take place on 11 October 2007 in Grand Hotel Union – Business from 9 AM until 3.30 PM and will be conducted by experts who have wide experience in the field of obtaining non-refundable EU means for financing investments and activities.

Examples of companies who have previously received such non-refundable means will be presented as well.

More information is available at the Slovenian Convention Bureau or directly with the company Altea svetovanje at altea@siol.net.

Short News Terme Ptuj opened Grand Hotel Primus One year after the beginning of construction, the health resort Terme Ptuj, d. o. o., operating within the brand Panonske terme, opened the doors of a new four-star Grand Hotel Primus, which is going to represent a significant contribution to filling the previous gap in the field of lack of accommodation capacities and tourist offer in the Lower Drava Region. The hotel, worth around eur 20 million, represents this year’s largest investment in the Business Group Sava as well as in Slovenian tourism.

In total the hotel spans over 13,493 square metres of land and has 250 beds, three of which are luxurious presidential suites, each with its own Jacuzzi and sauna at disposal. With its offer of congress or business tourism, Grand Hotel Primus is filling the gap in the otherwise insufficient offer of services of this kind in the wider area of Ptuj and Lower Drava Region.

In the hotel, there are several halls, intended for various business

meetings, while all the premises are equipped with state-of-the-art multimedia technology. The hotel offer is also tailored to the golfers, since only 300 metres away from the new hotel, there spans a golf course with 18 holes, with paths leading to it from the hotel.

MPI appointments Gerrit Jessen was appointed in July 2007 as President of MPI’s European Council. The European Council is the regional representative body of MPI’s members in Europe, Middle East and Africa. In his role, Gerrit Jessen will be responsible for providing recommendations on opportunities for development and growth in the mentioned regions.

Reinforcing its commitment to global expansion, MPI has appointed Antonio Ducceschi to a new role within the organisation; Director of Sales and Partnership Development. In this new position, Antonio Ducceschi will be responsible for developing new partnerships and business

Antonio Ducceshi

opportunities in Europe and the Middle East in order to accelerate MPI’s global development, as well as nurture the business relationship that MPI has with key partners in the region.

News from the Sava Hotels Bled Bled Strategic forum At the end of August, Sava Hotels Bled hosted the second Bled Strategic Forum, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for European Perspective.

The event was attended by more than 400 participants from 50 countries, among them the president of the Republic of Georgia, numerous prime ministers and vice prime ministers, ministers and other distinguished guests.

The ABCDE conference on development economics In May, Bled hosted the Annual Bank Conference on Development Economics. The conference, organised by the World Bank and the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Slovenia, brought together almost 500 participants from over 80 countries.

The main sessions were held in the Convention Centre while accompanying events took place at the new conference facility of the Park Hotel.

33rd Carnegie meeting Hotel Vila Bled hosted the 33rd Carnegie Meeting of G8 science Ministers and Advisers from 15 to 17 June. The meeting was hosted by the European Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik and was attended by the Ministers of Science from Germany, France, Italy and Russia, among other distinguished guests.

Foto/Photo: Srdjan Živulovič / Bobo

17

Kolumna: Gorazd Čad

Kongresno soočenje II Slabo leto mineva od jesenskega kongresnega soočenja Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad, na katerem smo govorili o odnosih med profesionalnimi kongresnimi organizatorji in hotelirji. Zastavili smo si dve pomembni vprašanji: zakaj bi hoteli sploh še potrebovali agencije in zakaj hoteli priznavajo direktnim naročnikom višje provizije kot agencijam?

Ugotovili smo, da imajo hotelirji in agencije načeloma skupen interes – povečanje obsega poslovanja. Poleg tega smo ugotovili, da odnosi med ponudbo in povpraševanjem in relacije med igralci na našem trgu ne omogočajo takšnega razvoja, kot ga razmere ob večji konkurenci celo pogojujejo na drugih trgih.

Kakšne so razmere v praksi je težko presoditi, moje aktualne izkušnje pa so, da se na tem področju v enem letu prav veliko ni spremenilo. Ključni problem po mojem mnenju ostaja slabo razvita konkurenca med posameznimi ponudniki, ki jo dodatno vzpodbujajo še visoka pričakovanja hotelirjev in zasedenost kapacitet ob predsedovanju EU. V praksi to pomeni, da se vloga agencij še dodatno zmanjšuje. Država namreč ključne dogodke upravlja centralizirano. Ob tem pa hotelirji vse preveč pozabljajo, da je prav na trgu mednarodnih združenj, ki je vrsto let glavni motor slovenskega kongresnega turizma, prav PCO agencija ključni igralec in vzpodbujevalec novega posla. Strateško vprašanje pa ostaja: kaj je pomembneje, napolniti hotel s čim manj stroški in kratkoročno, ali pripeljati dolgoročne posle, na katerih gradijo svojo pot profesionalni kongresni organizatorji in DMC agencije.

Hotel sicer po direktni poti pride ceneje in hitreje do posla, vendar je ta običajno enkratnega značaja, agencija pa jim posel lahko pripelje večkrat.

Trenutno stroške promocije, lobiranja in investicij v pridobivanje dolgoročnih poslov nosijo večinoma agencije, hotelirji pa so ob realizaciji velikih kongresov združenj najbolj udeleženi pri dobičku. Menim, da bi se ob pridobivanju takšnih dolgoročnih poslov del teh stroškov moral razporediti na hotelirje tudi skozi višje provizije za organizatorje ali agencije. Provizije so marsikje še vedno napačno razumljene. Po vsem svetu jih razumejo predvsem kot plačilo agenciji za opravljeno delo in ne kot nagrado hotela. Kratkovidnost hotelirjev se po mojih izkušnjah maščuje že na kratki rok.

Nenazadnje pa ostaja temeljno vprašanje, kakšno je osnovno poslanstvo hotelirjev in profesionalnih kongresnih organizatorjev. Iz obojestranskih izkušenj menim, da je osnovno poslanstvo hotelirjev zadovoljstvo gostov in odličnost storitev. V praksi se odličnost dosega tudi z malenkostmi, kot je npr. stalni koordinator prireditve na strani hotela, ki se v fazi priprave projekta ne menja in v času izvedbe kongresa ne oddide domov ob 15.00 uri. Če so naša edina stalnica spremembe, to pomeni tudi določeno mero fleksibilnosti. V praksi to pomeni, da naj se hotel ne ukvarja z organizacijo kongresov, teambulidingov in izletov, za katere ni strokovno usposobljen, niti standardiziran, temveč naj se izključno posveča svojemu temeljnemu poslanstvu.

Izjeme prav gotovo potrjujejo pravilo in kar nekaj slovenskih ponudnikov sodelovanje z agencijami dobro razume. Zagotovo pa je že zaradi konkurence v najbližji okolici nastopil čas, da v dobro slovenskega kongresnega turizma agencije in hotelirji bolj tesno sodelujemo in se ne gledamo kot nepotrebno zlo.

Gorazd Čad, Go.Mice

Gorazd Čad

18

Column: Gorazd Čad

Congress Confrontation II Nearly a year has gone by since the autumn meeting of the Slovenian Convention Bureau where we talked about relations between professional congress organisers and hoteliers.

We asked ourselves two very important questions: why would hotels still need agencies and why do hotels give higher commissions to direct clients than to agencies?

We have discovered that hoteliers and agencies basically share a common interest – increasing the scope of business. In addition, we have discovered that relations between the offer and demand and relations between players on our market do not allow a similar development to the one dictated by conditions on other markets where there is stronger competition.

It is difficult to judge the conditions in practice, but my actual experience is that not much has changed in this field over the course of one year. In my opinion, the key problem remains the poorly developed competition between individual providers which is made worse by the hoteliers’ high expectations and the level of occupancy of capacities during the EU Presidency.

This means that the role of agencies is actually decreasing even more because the state uses centralised management for key events. At the same time hoteliers are all too forgetful of the fact that a PCO agency is a key player and promoter of new business on the market of international associations, which has been the driving force behind Slovenian congress tourism for a number of years. The strategic question remains: what is more important, to fill a hotel with the least amount of expenses and for a short term, or to bring long-term business that comes with professional congress organisers and DMC agencies.

It is cheaper and faster for a hotel to secure business, albeit it is usually not repeated if it takes the direct route, whereas agencies can provide business multiple times.

Currently, the expenses for promotion, lobbying and investments into getting long-term business are borne predominantly by agencies while the hoteliers mostly reap the profits after carrying out large congresses of associations.

I believe that a part of these expenses of acquiring such long-term deals should be divided among the hoteliers by giving higher commissions to organisers or agencies. Commissions are in many places still misunderstood.

Around the world they are understood mostly as payment to an agency for the work performed and not as a bonus for the hotel. In my experience, the short-sightedness of hoteliers backfires in the short term.

In the end the fundamental question remains: what is the basic mission of hoteliers and professional congress organisers. Speaking from mutual experience, the basic mission of hoteliers is customer satisfaction and excellence of services. In practice, excellence can be achieved with small things, such as, for example, a permanent event coordinator on the hotel’s side who is not replaced during the project’s preparation phase and does not go home at 3 p.m. during the project’s execution. If our only unchanging facts are changes, this also means a certain level of flexibility. In practice this means that a hotel should exclusively deal with their fundamental mission rather than with organising congresses, teambuilding events and excursions for which it is not professionally qualified or standardised.

Exceptions certainly do make a rule, as quite a few Slovenian providers understand cooperation with agencies well. Without a doubt the time has come for agencies and hoteliers, due to competitors in the immediate vicinity, to cooperate more closely for the good of the Slovenian congress tourism and not view each other as an unnecessary evil.

Gorazd Čad, Go.Mice

19

Kolumna: Paul Kennedy

Ponudba za organizatorje srečanj V zadnjem članku sem izpostavil potrebo po »dodajanju vrednosti« k dobavni verigi pri organizaciji srečanj. V tem članku se osredotočam na vprašanje ponudbe za organizatorje srečanj (kupce).

Paul Kennedy

Nedavno sem se udeležil mednarodne konference AIPC v Gradcu v Avstriji (mimogrede, odlična destinacija), kjer je eden od ključnih govorcev, Simon Anholt, predstavil tematiko identitete blagovne znamke določene destinacije (gradiva v smislu brošur, spletnih strani, logotipa, trženja itd.) in njene podobe – kaj si mislimo oziroma kako dojemamo destinacijo, hotel, prizorišče – to se lahko ujema s tistim, kar o sebi oglašujejo destinacije, hoteli in prizorišča, ali pa tudi ne!

Ko spoznamo, da podoba blagovne znamke igra zelo pomembno vlogo pri odločanju organizatorjev srečanj, se moramo vprašati, kaj o naših destinacijah misli trg oziroma kako jih dojema. Priporočljivo je, da nove ali manj znane destinacije (kar je po mojem mnenju tudi Slovenija) od organizatorjev srečanj zberejo kar največ podatkov o dojemanju njihove destinacije. Spletne raziskave (ali tudi neposredno poizvedovanje pri kongresni borzi EIBTM) so razmeroma poceni in aktualne. Tako pridobljene informacije je mogoče uporabiti za izdelavo ponudbe izdelkov ali tržnega načrta, ki okrepi pozitivne predstave oziroma se uporabi kot protiutež negativnim.

Raziskave so po mojem mnenju ključnega pomena. Mnoge študije kažejo, da organizatorji (kupci) pri izbiri destinacije gledajo predvsem na stroške in kakovost objektov ter storitev. Raziskava industrijskih trendov, ki jo je izvedla EIBTM leta 2006, je pokazala močno stremljenje k novim destinacijam in dokazala, da so te še vedno na vrhu seznama. Sporočilo tega je jasno: izvesti je treba raziskavo, razumeti rezultate in zasnovati tržni načrt, ki bo temeljil na ugotovitvah in bo veljaven za celotno industrijo.

Tržni načrti destinacij ne delujejo na papirju, ampak jih oživijo ljudje, ki produkt predstavljajo. Tisti, ki sodelujejo v promociji in predstavitvah, morajo poznati tako trg kot predstave in mnenja o produktu ter seveda tudi cilj njihovega dogodka. Če so oboroženi s tem znanjem in za predstavitvijo stojita kakovosten izdelek in storitev, je višja stopnja zadovoljstva zagotovljena, podoba blagovne znamke pa s širjenjem priporočil zadovoljnih strank oplemenitena.

Paul Kennedy, direktor grupacije strokovni sejmi v korporaciji Reed Travel Exhibitions' Meetings and Incentive Events

20

Column: Paul Kennedy

“Offer” to Meeting Planners In my last article, I emphasised in particular the need to ‘add value’ to the supply chain of the meetings business. This article focuses on the issue of the ‘offer’ to meeting planners, in other words, the buyers.

I recently attended the AIPC international conference in Graz, Austria – an excellent destination by the way – and one of the key note speakers, Simon Anholt, had a presentation on the subject of a destination’s brand identity (the physical collateral of brochures, website, logo, advertising etc) and brand image – how we think about or perceive a destination, hotel, venue – the latter may or may not coincide with what the destination, hotel or venue is saying about itself!

In essence, by recognising that brand image is a very real factor in meeting planners’ selections, we must ask ourselves whether we know what the market feels or perceives about our destination. For emerging or less well known destinations – including Slovenia, I would argue – it must make good sense to gather as much information as possible from meeting planners about their perceptions of your destination. Online research (or even face to face at EIBTM, for example) is relatively low cost and current. The insights that such research reveals should enable you to create a product offer and marketing plan to enhance positive perceptions or, indeed, counter negative images.

Research is key, in my view. And many studies reveal that planners’ (buyers) destination selections are primarily influenced by cost, facility quality and quality of service. The 2006 EIBTM industry trends research also demonstrated that the novelty factor in choosing destinations remained strong. The message is surely obvious – do the research, understand the results, create a marketing plan geared to the findings, as well as those with industry-wide significance.

Destinations’ marketing plans don’t work in the abstract but are made real by the staff who actually deliver the product. Those involved in promotion and delivery need to display knowledge of the marketplace, what buyers perceive or feel about your product and, of course, their objectives for their event. Being armed with this knowledge and having a quality product and service delivery should lead to higher satisfaction levels and enriched brand image through word-of-mouth recommendation.

Paul Kennedy MBE is Group Exhibition Director of Reed Travel Exhibitions' Meetings and Incentive Events.

• Skupna kapaciteta kongresnega centra: 2.600 sedežev • Kapaciteta največje dvorane: 1.100 sedežev • 758 hotelskih sob v treh hotelih • Sodobna tehnična oprema • Izkušeno tehnično osebje in destinacijski management • Motivacijska srečanja in prireditve

• Total seating capacity: 2.600 • Largest convention hall seating capacity: 1.100 • Total hotel rooms: 758 in 3 hotels • State of the art technical equipment • Experienced technical and destination management Breathtaking event locations • Teambuilding’s and incentives

HOTELI BERNARDIN d.d., St. Bernardin, Adriatic Resort & Convention Centre Obala 2, SI – 6320 Portorož • www.h-bernardin.si

HOTELI BERNARDIN d.d., St. Bernardin, Adriatic Resort & Convention Centre Obala 2, SI – 6320 Portorož • www.h-bernardin.si

21

Rok V. Klančnik: Pismo iz Bruslja

Pa čeprav ni vedno kaviar …* Najprej postavimo stvari na svoje mesto, za kar nam bodo hvaležni zlasti mlajši kolegi(ce).

Kam sodijo (mednarodna) združenja? Torej, na sam Triglav povpraševanja v naši ljubi »industriji srečanj«, poleg korporativnega poslovnega turizma (ki ga vodijo in obvladujejo korporacije) ter na drugi strani trga mednarodnih organizacij. Asociacije, če imate radi tujke – štrlijo ven in so poseben, svoj svet.

Združenja so čisto posebna sorta živali: gre za bolj ali manj vplivne oziroma formalne institucije, v katerih delujejo – poklicno ali pa tudi ne – ljudje, ki zatorej živijo dvojno poslovno življenje. Najprej v podjetjih ali organizacijah, ki jim režejo kruh, nato pa še kot člani(ce) združenj, v katerih dejavnosti pa ni kruha, pač pa kakšen kozarec šampanjca in že malce suh kanape s štiri ure starim kaviarjem. Članstvo v različnih strokovnih, političnih, kulturnih ali drugačnih asociacijah je seksi. Zanj ... smo pripravljeni plačati tudi članarino. In če smo pametni, se nam to lahko krepko obrestuje.

Rok V. Klančnik

Po podatkih belgijske svetovalne družbe ThePlanner v Evropi deluje okrog 9200 asociacij, od tega v Bruslju približno 2500. Kar je enormna cifra in »good news«. Združenjem je skupnega kar nekaj stvari. Po eni strani so si hudo raznorodna. Jaz sem na primer član Mednarodnega združenja poslovnih komunikatorjev (IABC) in na naših srečanjih »komuniciramo predvsem o komuniciranju«, kakor čudno se to že sliši. Toda člani Evropskega združenja zgodovinskih konferenčnih mest (HCCE), se pogovarjajo o povsem drugih stvareh, prav tako člani združenj ginekologov, rudarjev, rejcev malih živali, sommelierjev, člani Ferrari klubov itd. V združenje se vključujejo ljudje s sorodnimi interesi in z željo, da bi kaj malega prispevali k moči svojega ceha. V mnogih združenjih je tikanje norma, pogosto se člani – popolni tujci – kličejo tudi brother, sister, pač v jeziku, ki je lingua franca. Ti ljudje govorijo v svojem žargonu, jeziku. O tehniki čebelarjenja se bo čebelar iz Mokronoga mnogo uspešneje sporazumel (na kongresu Apimondie) s kolegom iz irskega Corka, kot pa z mano, ki se »po bučelah ne vižam«.

Zato skromno predlagam, da bi naši kongresni organizatorji in destinacijski menedžerji kakšno minuto posvetili tudi – kulturi združenj. Medtem, ko so korporacije ponavadi prežete s filozofijo in miselnostjo vodilnih struktur v okolju, od koder izhajajo lastniki (v svetu seveda najpogosteje Američani), so združenja tista, ki s svojim žargonom nekako živijo v nekem svojem, posebnem svetu. Toda hkrati so multinacionalna, zato multikulturna. Skupni interes zagotavlja uspešno preseganje razlik, za katere bi se včasih človek hotel tudi stepsti.

Po IMEX-ovi raziskavi izpred dveh let se mednarodnih srečanj združenj povprečno udeležijo predstavniki petnajstih narodnosti. Kar sicer lahko pomeni – pri večjih asociacijah (npr. Lions Clubs International, LCI) tudi 100, a pri manjših recimo pet držav.

Mednarodnih srečanj asociacij se udeleži med 10 do 1000 udeležencev (ok, LCI jih zbere 20.000, a to je prej izjema kot pravilo), vendar najbolj značilno srečanje pomeni med sto in dvesto udeležencev.

In kakor koli že so združenja mednarodna, strpna, multikulturna, spoštljiva ... nekako ne moremo mimo lastnih izkušenj (kajne?), da vsaka izmed teh struktur vendarle ima neko prevladujoče kulturno ozadje. Tako kot korporacije nadzorujejo predstavniki lastnikov (in njihovo kulturno okolje), v asociacijah prevladujejo kulturni vzorci, ki mu pripada vodstvo oziroma kraj, od koder ti ljudje vlečejo niti. Torej, »povej mi, kam pošiljaš poročila in povem ti, kakšen si«. Združenja, ki jih vodijo Britanci ali Nemci, so tako najbolj usmerjena v rezultate. Ne preseneča, da se Italijani in Španci najbolj posvečajo povezovanju in partnerstvom (relationship building), največ govorijo Italijani in Američani, najmanj Avstrijci in Afričani, na kompromise so najbolj pripravljeni Švicarji in Nemci, najbolj tečni, tisti, ki stalno prekinjajo in skačejo v besedo, so prebivalci Karibov, najbolj spoštujejo predsednika Japonci, Nemci in Portugalci, dnevni red pa seveda Japonci in Nemci. Menda tudi Francozi, v kar pa bi že skoraj malce podvomil.

Na splošno velja, da »multikulturnost« ostaja sveta krava. Združenja vsaj načeloma temeljijo na medsebojnem spoštovanju in slab je tisti predsednik ali meeting organiser, ki bo to pravilo prezrl. Vsekakor pa končajmo z zelo preprosto ugotovitvijo: združenja bodo vedno govorila najprej jezik, ki jim bo odpiral vrata in možnosti za pridobitev sredstev. Money always talks louder than words, pravijo Anglosasi. Nato pride njihov žargon, ki ga je dobro vsaj malo poznati, da bi jim lažje prodali in organizirali kongres ali incentive. Konec koncev pa ... tudi člani in vodstva združenj so samo ljudje.

Skromna bitja s svojimi uspehi, strahovi, veseljem, ponosom, kakšnim okostnjakom v omari, kakšnim skokom čez plot ali kozarcem vina preveč. Vsak od naših poslovnih gostov, kongresnikov in članov asociacij ima ime in priimek. Ne samo kariernega naziva in bančnega računa. * naslov romana avstrijskega pisatelja in kemika Johannesa Maria Simmla Rok V. Klančnik, Slovenski turistični urad, Beneluks

22

Rok V. Klančnik: A Letter from Brussels

You don't always have Caviar…* First, let’s put things in their proper places, for which our younger colleagues will be especially grateful. Where do (international) associations belong? Well, the answer is on the ‘Triglav’ (Slovenia’s highest mountain) of demand in our dear ‘meetings industry’, alongside corporate business tourism (led and owned by corporations) and on the other side of the market to international organisations.

The associations stick out and are a separate world in themselves. Associations are a quite different type of beast: they have greater or lesser influence or formality as institutions where people work, professionally or otherwise. These people therefore lead a double business life first in the companies or organisations where they get paid and then as members of associations where they receive no pay other than a glass of champagne and a little dry canapé and four-hour-old caviar.

Membership of various expert, political, cultural or other associations is sexy.

For that … we are even prepared to pay membership fees. And we can profit greatly from it if we are smart.

According to data from Belgian consulting company ThePlanner, there are about 9200 associations operating in Europe, approximately 2500 of which are in Brussels. This is a huge number, and it’s good news. Associations have a lot in common, but they’re also quite diverse.

For example, I’m a member of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and in our meetings we ‘mostly communicate about communicating’, as odd as that may sound. Then, members of an alliance

called ‘the Historic Conference Centres of Europe’ (HCCE) talk about completely different subjects, as do members of associations of gynaecologists, miners, breeders of small animals, sommeliers, Ferrari club members and so on. Association members are people with similar interests and a desire to contribute a little something to the power of their guild. In many associations, intimate forms of address are the norm; often members – perfect strangers – address each other as ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ in the language that’s the lingua franca. These people speak their own jargon. A beekeeper from Mokronog will have an easier time communicating about beekeeping techniques (at an Apimondia congress) with a colleague from Cork, Ireland, than with me, because I don’t speak a word of the beekeepers’ language.

I therefore humbly suggest that our congress organisers and destination managers dedicate a minute or two to thinking about the culture of associations. While corporations are usually imbued with the philosophy and ideas of the leading structures in the owners’ environment (of course, in this world this usually means Americans), associations live with their jargon in a special world of their own. At the same time, they’re multinational and hence multicultural. A common interest ensures the successful bridging of differences that people might sometimes be prepared to fight over.

According to an IMEX study done two years ago, international association meetings are attended by, on average, people of fifteen nationalities. This can mean up to a hundred for larger associations (such as Lions Clubs International, LCI), or around five countries at smaller meetings. International association meetings usually get between ten and a thousand participants (well, all right, LCI gathers 20,000, but this is an exceptional case) while a typical meeting has between a hundred and two hundred participants.

Although these associations are international, tolerant, multicultural and respectful … somehow we can’t ignore our own experiences (right?) that each structure nevertheless possesses some kind of predominant cultural background. Cultural patterns, of either the management or the places where these people pull the strings from, govern associations, in much the same way that owners’ representatives (and their cultural backgrounds) supervise corporations. In other words, “tell me where you send your reports and I’ll tell you what you’re like”. Associations led by a Briton or a German are chiefly aimed at getting results. It’s not surprising that Italians and the Spanish devote the most attention to integration and partnerships (relationship building). Italians and Americans talk the most while Austrians and Africans talk the least. The Swiss and the Germans are the most eager to make compromises, but the most annoying – those who keep interrupting – are people from the Caribbean. The Japanese, the Germans and the Portuguese respect the chairman the most and the Japanese and the Germans, of course, follow the agenda the most carefully. This supposedly also includes the French, but I have a few doubts about that.

In general, multiculturalism will remain a sacred cow. Associations are based, at least in principle, on mutual respect and only a bad chairman or meeting organiser neglects this rule. Let’s conclude with a very simple finding - associations will always primarily speak the language that opens the most doors and possibilities for acquiring resources. “Money talks louder than words,” as the Anglo-Saxons say. Next comes their jargon, which one must be at least a little familiar with, as this facilitates selling and organising a congress or an incentive. Ultimately, members and association management are all just people; humble creatures with their own successes, fears, joy, pride, skeletons in the closet, affairs or a glass too much wine. Each of our business guests, congress participants and association members has a name and a surname, not just a job title and a bank account. * the title of a novel by Austrian writer and chemical engineer, Johannes Mario Simmel Rok V. Klančnik, Slovenian Tourist Office in Brussels

23

Kolumna: Tony Carey

Zakaj obveščanje šefa ni dovolj?

Ko sem bil pred nekaj leti prvič povabljen v Slovenijo na izvajanje usposabljanja za enega izmed vodilnih ljubljanskih hotelov, sem izvedel, da so bili med udeleženci poleg vodij poslovnih oddelkov tudi glavni kuhar, glavna gospodinja in vodja vzdrževanja.

Zaposleni na teh ključnih delovnih mestih niso bili še nikoli in nikjer povabljeni na moje seminarje, kar je name naredilo močan vtis.

Ena najbolj frustrirajočih stvari, s katero se mora ukvarjati organizator srečanj, je občasen odnos zaposlenih v hotelih, gostilnah in podobnih mestih, da so skupine samo skupine.

Vsaka skupina je edinstvena, s svojimi cilji, zahtevami in celo osebnostjo. Jasno je, da imata gruča ljudi, ki se udeležuje akademskega srečanja, in potovalna skupina »Saga« na dopustu bolj malo skupnega – čeprav se lahko starostni profili ujemajo in bivajo v istem hotelu ob istem koncu tedna. Če bi ju imeli za enaki, bi obema delali krivico. Na srečo se tega zaveda večina glavnih direktorjev v Sloveniji in drugod.

Pa so tako pozorni tudi pri poslovnih potovalnih skupinah? Razlike med petdesetimi vodilnimi uslužbenci farmacevtskega podjetja in petdesetimi člani mednarodnega združenja muzejev bodo manj očitne (čeprav ima večina slednjih brade).

Vseeno pa vse pri teh dveh vrstah srečanj kliče po drugačnem obravnavanju.

Mimogrede, za to ni kriv samo kraj, kjer se srečanje odvija (čeprav te običajno najprej okrivijo). Organizatorji gostitelja vse prevečkrat ne obvestijo dovolj podrobno, oziroma ne preverijo, ali so vodje konferenčnih storitev (Conference Services Manager – CSM) osebju posredovali vse podatke o skupini. Za zagotavljanje sprejema in storitev, ki jih stranka pričakuje, morajo značaj skupine, njeno filozofijo in cilje razumeti vsi sodelujoči pri kongresni kapaciteti, od vodij oddelkov do natakarjev, pomočnikov glavnih kuharjev, sobaric in tehnikov. Samo v tem primeru bo stranka prejela tako združeno storitev, kot si jo zasluži.

Seveda pa je strankina odgovornost kongresnemu organizatorju pomagati to doseči – če je treba, tudi z organizacijo informativnih sestankov za osebje. Za fante in dekleta iz zakulisja je lahko zelo spodbudno, če si strankin vodilni uslužbenec vzame čas in jim pojasni namen srečanja ter potrebe delegatov. Razlike med različnimi vrstami srečanj morajo torej razumeti vsi sodelujoči in na večih ravneh.

Srečanja združenj so običajno manj povezana kot korporativni dogodki, nenazadnje zato, ker vsak plačuje zase. Partnerji so pogosti ob dogodkih združenj in redki ob korporativnih dogodkih. V sektorju združenj je več poudarka na rekreaciji in družabnih dejavnostih; seveda je sprejemanje odločitev velikokrat pravica odborov, ne posameznika z izvršilno oblastjo, zato je to lahko celo nadležno počasno.

Kako torej Slovenija izpolnjuje te posebne zahteve?

Srečanja združenj (zlasti mednarodna) rada iščejo destinacije, ki so lahko dostopne iz mnogih začetnih točk. Nedvomno se bo dostopnost iz Evrope z ukinitvijo meja z evropskimi sosedami v letu 2008 še izboljšala. Združenja hočejo tudi kraje brez kriminala in z zanesljivo infrastrukturo; tukaj ima Slovenija veliko točk.

Je varna država, kjer stvari delujejo, ljudje pa so (razmeroma) točni. Večinoma znajo angleško, kar je nemajhna dodatna točka. Člani združenj si plačujejo sami, zaradi česar je cenovna primernost zunaj kongresnih kapacitet pomembnejša kot pri korporativnih srečanjih. Čeprav cene v Sloveniji rastejo, bodo evri v vaših denarnicah še vedno vredni več kot v mnogih drugih krajih.

Kompaktnost Slovenije je glavna vaba za združenja. Nobena izmed mnogih atrakcij in zanimivosti, ki jih država ponuja, ni oddaljena od Ljubljane več kot dve uri vožnje, obenem pa je ponudba lahko dostopnih kongresnih kapacitet za družabne dogodke obširna. Delegatom so torej na voljo raznovrstne dejavnosti, ne da bi pri tem organizator izgubil nadzor.

S tem ne mislim, da ti dejavniki za korporativne organizatorje niso pomembni, seveda so, toda z drugačnim poudarkom.

Pri končni analizi so člani združenja tisti, ki se odločijo za destinacijo letnega srečanja. Ti se bodo, če je sprejem topel in če v mestu oziroma hotelu razumejo njihove potrebe, vedno znova odločali za ponovni obisk.

Tony Carey, CMP, CMM Tony je pisatelj, govornik in svetovalec na področju mednarodnih konferenc.

Dosegljiv je na elektronskem naslovu tonycarey@psilink.co.je.

Tony Carey

24

Column: Tony Carey, CMP, CMM

Why briefing the Boss is not enough?

Some years ago, when I was first invited to Slovenia to carry out some familiarisation training for a leading Ljubljana hotel, I discovered that my audience included not only the department heads on the operations side, but also the Head Chef, the Head Housekeeper and the Head of Maintenance. Never before had these key positions been invited to one of my seminars, anywhere. I was deeply impressed.

Incidentally, the fault lies not solely with the venue, although it’s usually the venue that gets the blame. All too often, organisers fail to brief the host venue as comprehensively as necessary, or to check if the Conference Services Manager (CSM) has communicated everything about the group to the staff.

To provide the welcome and service expected by the client, not just the heads of department but everyone in a venue - including waiters, house maids, sous chefs and engineers - must understand the character of the group, its philosophy and objectives. Only then can the client receive the sort of joined-up service that he or she deserves.

Of course, the client has a responsibility to help the venue achieve this, if necessary by holding briefings for their staff. For the back-room boys and girls it can be very motivational when a client company’s senior manager takes the trouble to explain the purpose of a conference and their delegates’ needs.

So differences between meeting types must be understood on several levels by everyone involved.

Association meetings are generally less cohesive than corporate events, not least because every participant pays for himself. Partners are common at association events and rare at corporate ones. There’s more emphasis on recreation and social activities in the association sector and, of course, decision-making is often the prerogative of a committee rather than one executive, so can be frustratingly slow.

So how does Slovenia match up to these special requirements?

One of the most frustrating things that a conference organiser has to deal with is an attitude, sometimes displayed by hotels, hostelries and attractions that groups are, well, just groups.

As we all know, every group is unique with its own objectives, demands and even personality. Certainly, there is little commonality between, say, a bunch of people attending an academic conference and a Saga tour group enjoying a holiday - even though the age profile may be similar and they may be staying in the same hotel over the same weekend .

To treat them as similar is to do both a disservice. Fortunately, most general managers are aware of that in Slovenia and elsewhere.

But are they as discerning when it comes to business travel groups?

The differences between 50 senior managers in a drug company and 50 members of the International Museums’ Association will be less obvious. Even if most of the latter have beards.

Yet everything about those two types of meeting demands that they should be treated differently.

Association meetings - especially international ones - tend to seek destinations that are readily accessible from many points of origin and there is no doubt that access from across Europe will continue to improve, helped by the abolition of borders with EU neighbours in 2008.

Associations also want places that are crime-free with reliable infrastructure.

Here Slovenia scores well. It’s a safe country where things work and people are (relatively) punctual. They also mostly speak English, which is a major plus point.

As association attendees pay their own way, value for money outside the venue is more important than for corporate meetings and, although prices are creeping up in Slovenia, the euro in your pocket still goes further than in many places.

A major enticement for associations is the very compactness of Slovenia.

None of the country’s many attractions or places of interest are more than a two-hour drive from Ljubljana and the choice of easily accessible venues for social events is extensive. Delegates can therefore be offered all sorts of activities without the organiser losing control.

I’m not suggesting that these factors are unimportant to corporate organisers.

They are. But the emphasis is different.

In the final analysis, it’s an association’s members that ultimately choose the destination for their annual conference. If there’s a warm welcome and a city or a hotel understands their needs, they’ll choose it and return - time and again.

Tony Carey, CMP, CMM Tony is a writer, presenter and consultant to the international meetings industry. He can be reached at tonycarey@psilink.co.je

25

Kolumna: Miha Kovačič

Kongresi združenj na pohodu Pri pripravi novega logotipa Slovenije, ki ne bo samo zaščitni znak turizma, ampak celotne Slovenije na vseh področjih, je definiranje naše identitete ena od najpomembnejših korakov v tem zahtevnem projektu. Kljub naši relativni majhnosti ugotavljamo, da smo zelo veliko.

Nekaj podobnega se nam dogaja v kongresni dejavnosti. Slovenija se na mednarodnem kongresnem tržišču uvršča med nove destinacije. Kljub vsem mednarodnim integracijam se še vedno borimo z mednarodno prepoznavnostjo.

To velja predvsem za korporacijske dogodke in incentive potovanja.

Ne velja pa to za dogodke znanstveno-strokovnih združenj. Ta se v Sloveniji, še prej v Jugoslaviji, organizirajo že preko štirideset let. Slovenija je bila za izvedbo mednarodnih kongresov znanstveno-strokovnih združenj vedno zanimiva. To potrjuje tudi najbolj uveljavljena statistika od ICCA in UIA. Zavedamo se, da je motor teh dogodkov močna znanstvena sfera in odlična organizacijska podpora ter ustrezna infrastruktura. Slovenija ima relativno veliko število mednarodno uveljavljenih znanstvenikov, odlične profesionalne kongresne organizatorje, le na področju obsega kongresne infrastrukture ne dosegamo mednarodnega povprečja.

Slovenija se, kljub omejenim zmogljivostim za izvedbo kongresov, na mednarodnih statistikah uvršča na zavidljiva mesta.

Predstavnica profesionalne kongresne organizacije s preko tridesetletnimi izkušnjami na področju organizacije kongresov je povedala, da Slovenija ne izkorišča vseh teh priložnosti. Gostiti mednarodni znanstveno-strokovni kongres je za destinacijo velika pridobitev. Pa ne samo finančna, ki je izjemna, ampak tudi promocijska v smislu dvigovanja ugleda države gostiteljice v tujini. Zato bi se morala država bolj načrtno ukvarjati s pridobivanjem takih dogodkov.

Z veseljem ugotavljamo, da smo naredili napredek tudi na tem področju.

Izboljšujejo in povečujejo se zmogljivosti za izvedbo večjih in zahtevnejših kongresov, profilirajo se profesionalni kongresni organizatorji, vsi skupaj se povezujejo z slovenskim kongresnim uradom, ki jih aktivno zastopa tako na domačem kakor tudi na tujih trgih. Kot člani ICCA imamo dostop do baz teh dogodkov, potrebujemo samo še dovolj finančnih in kadrovskih resursov za kontinuirano iskanje in pridobivanje dogodkov za Slovenijo. Prepričan sem, da bodo kmalu vsi »stake holderji« prepoznali smisel vlaganja v ta segment kongresne dejavnosti.

Miha Kovačič

Miha Kovačič, direktor Zavoda – Kongresnoturistični urad

26

Column: Miha Kovačič

The Congress Association on the March Preparing a new logo for Slovenia - a brand name not only for tourism but also for the whole country in every field - is a challenging project and defining our identity is one of the most important steps in it. We find that despite our relatively small size, we are actually quite a lot.

Something similar is happening to us in the area of congresses. Slovenia’s becoming a new destination on the international congress market.

Despite all our international integration, we’re still struggling to raise our international profile and in particular this applies to corporate events and incentive travel.

This though, doesn’t apply to scientific-expert association events. These have been held in Slovenia, and in Yugoslavia before that, for over forty years.

Slovenia’s always been attractive for scientific-expert associations’ international congresses and this is also highlighted by ICCA and UIA benchmark statistics. We’re aware that Slovenia’s influential scientific sphere, excellent organisational support and suitable infrastructure have been driving forces behind these events. Slovenia has a relatively high number of internationally recognised scientists and excellent professional congress organisers, although it doesn’t manage to reach the international average in the size of the congress infrastructure.

Slovenia does well in international statistical league tables, despite having limited congress capacities. How can we do better?

A professional congress organisation insider with over thirty years’ experience in the field told us that Slovenia is not exploiting all its opportunities. Hosting an international scientific-expert congress is a very profitable event for a destination. Not just in a monetary sense, outstanding as it is, but also promotionally and in terms of boosting the host country’s reputation abroad.

Consequently, Slovenia should devote more attention to this and start doing things aimed at attracting such events.

We’re happy to report that progress has been made in this area as well. Our `capability to carry out larger and more complex congresses is improving and increasing, professional congress organisers are forming and they’re all connecting with the Slovenian Convention Bureau, which provides active representation on local and foreign markets. As ICCA members, we have access to event databases.

We just need enough financial and staff resources to be able to do ongoing event search and acquisition for Slovenia. I’m sure that all ‘stakeholders’ will soon recognise the wisdom of investing in this segment of congress activity.

Miha Kovačič, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau

GOSTINSTVO JEZER EK d.o.o.

DVOR JEZERŠEK – BRNIK 1768

GOSTILNA – RESTAVRACIJA – HOTEL T: +386 (0)4 25 29 400 W: www.dvor-jezersek.si M: info@dvor-jezersek.si

HIŠA KULINARIKE JEZERŠEK CATERING T: +386 (0)1 361 94 13 W: www.jezersek.si M: info@jezersek.si

27

Albatros, Bled

PCO predstavlja logistiko organizacije kongresa Katere so prednosti sodelovanja s PCO agencijo za naročnika?

PCO v kongresni ponudbi predstavlja »software« oz. logistiko organizacije kongresa. Za naročnika sodelovanje predstavlja veliko prednost, saj naročniki nemalokrat podcenjujejo kompleksnost tehnične organizacije dogodka, ki ni tako preprosta. Naročnik/organizator ima dovolj dela s pripravo strokovnega dela in je zanj tehnična organizacija čisti »balast«, ki zahteva ogromno časa in energije. To, kar je za PCO vsakodnevni posel, mora naročnik šele na novo odkrivati.

Kakšne storitve lahko PCO opravi v imenu naročnika za razliko od DMC in drugih agencij?

Storitve so bolj celovite. DMC je lahko podizvajalec in kreator določenih delov v programu in kot takšen prevzame skrb za del storitev, ki jih dobro pozna (del logistike, npr. prevoze, lokalna vodenja, ipd.), ne prevzema pa finančne odgovornosti in nima vpogleda v celotno organizacijo posameznega dogodka.

Kako PCO agencije upravljate odnose z dobavitelji in zagotavljate kakovost svojih storitev?

Dobavitelje in vse partnerje, ki sodelujejo pri projektih, najprej skrbno izberemo in jih stalno spremljamo ter preverjamo. Na osnovi stalnih stikov in izmenjav mnenj in informacij zagotavljamo, da so vedno tekoče in zadostno informirani, kaj od njih želimo in pričakujemo; pojasnimo jim zahteve naših naročnikov oz. njihovih gostov. To je proces, ki se odvija od primera do primera, vsak dogodek ima svoje specifičnosti in ne velja enako za vse, torej je tudi pri tem potrebna stalna fleksibilnost.

Ali predstavlja sodelovanje s PCO agencijo za naročnika prihranek ali dodatni strošek? Kako vaša agencija zaračunava svoje storitve?

Prisotno je prepričanje, da je organizacija v lastni režiji cenejša in učinkovitejša, kar pa seveda ni res. Delno sem na to vprašanje odgovorila že zgoraj. Naloga PCO je, da v imenu in na račun prireditelja prevzame celotno tehnično organizacijo dogodka – od svetovanja do vodenja projekta, načrtovanja, koordinacije vseh del, sestankov, ipd. S tem močno razbremeni prireditelja. Lažje se je dogovoriti za vse storitve na enem mestu kot pa hoditi od vrat do vrat, od hotela do hotela, od restavracije do restavracije, od enega prevoznika do drugega, itd.

Tudi cene posameznih storitev so v tem primeru ponavadi višje kot pa če celotno organizacijo prevzame PCO. Storitve zaračunavamo preko t.i. »kongresnega fee-ja«, ki pa ni fiksen. Odvisen je od obsega storitev, zahtevnosti, trajanja in vsebine dela (on-line booking, zbiranje vplačil – kotizacij, vodenje celotnega finančnega poslovanja dogodka ...)

Druga oblika je tudi pavšalni znesek za organizacijo.

Kateri so po vašem mnenju ključni PCO igralci v Sloveniji?

Trenutno jih je zelo malo. Do pravih bomo prišli, ko bodo uvedeni standardi na področju kongresne dejavnosti, oziroma ko bodo ti standardi zaživeli v tej meri, da bodo izpolnjeni zahtevani pogoji. Uvedba standardov, ki je v teku, je nujnost in bo pripomogla k dvigu kakovosti na tem področju.

Majda Zidanski, Albatros Bled www.albatros-bled.com

28

Albatros Bled

The PCO presents the Logistics of Congress Organisation What advantages are there for a client in working with a PCO agency?

A PCO is the ‘software’ or logistics side of congress organisation. Working with a PCO is a great advantage for a client as they often underestimate the complexity of an event’s technical organisation, which, in fact, isn’t very easy.

The client/organiser has enough work getting the professional part done, which means that the technical organisation side is pure ‘ballast’ to them, ballast requiring much time and energy. What’s all in a day’s work for a PCO, the client would have to work out from the very beginning.

What kind of services can a PCO carry out on a client’s behalf compared with a DMC or other agencies? What are the differences?

The services are more integrated and complex. A DMC can be a subcontractor and creator of certain parts of the programme and, as such, take care of the services that it’s well familiar with - parts of the logistics, transport, local guidance, and so on - but it doesn’t assume any financial responsibility and hasn’t got any insight into the overall organisational structure of a particular event.

How do PCO agencies manage their relations with suppliers to ensure quality services?

First of all we carefully select, then constantly monitor and check the suppliers and all the partners working on a project. On the basis of regular contact and the exchange of opinions and information, we guarantee that they’re always sufficiently informed and up-to-date about what’s required and expected of them; we explain our clients’ demands and their guests’ demands to the suppliers. It’s an ever-changing process; every event’s different and has its specifics, which require constant flexibility.

Does working with a PCO agency save money or does it create added costs for the client? How does your agency charge for its services?

The conviction that it’s cheaper and more effective to do things yourself is of course not true here. There’s a partial answer to this question in the first answer I’ve given you. A PCO’s task is to take over, on the client’s behalf and in their name, the whole technical organisation of an event - consultancy services, project management, planning, the co-ordination of work and meetings and so on, which significantly eases the stress on the organiser.

It’s easier to sort out every service in one place rather than to go door to door, hotel to hotel, restaurant to restaurant, carrier to carrier and so on. The prices of individual services are usually higher in this scenario compared with when a PCO takes over the entire organisation.

Our services are charged in line with the so-called ‘congress fee’, which isn’t fixed. It depends on the extent of the services, the level of difficulty, the duration and scope of the work - online booking, collecting participant fees, management of the event’s complete accounts and so on. We can also charge a flat-rate amount for our services.

Who, in your opinion, are the key PCO players in Slovenia?

There aren’t many right now. Genuine players will crop up after standards in congress activity have been implemented - that is, when these standards start making an impact and when the required conditions are met. The ongoing implementation of standards is necessary and will help improve quality in this field.

Majda Zidanski, Albatros Bled, www.albatros-bled.com

29

Auditoria d.o.o.

PCO prevzame projekt »na ključ« Katere so prednosti sodelovanja s PCO agencijo za naročnika?

PCO je profesionalni organizator kongresnih prireditev, torej podjetje, specializirano za organizacijo in izvedbo kompleksnih kongresnih projektov. Če naročnik oziroma strokovni organizator prireditve v svojem podjetju ali organizaciji nima na voljo znanja, osebja, časa in tehničnih pripomočkov za organizacijo prireditve, mora poiskati zunanje sodelavce in partnerje – profesionalno kongresno organizacijo, ki bo povezala in koordinirala naročnike (organizacijski in drugi odbori, mednarodna združenja) in izvajalce posameznih storitev. Naročnik se v takem primeru ukvarja le še z vsebino in strokovnim programom kongresa, za vse ostalo pa poskrbi PCO. PCO prevzame in vodi celoten projekt »na ključ«, koordinira vse izvajalce, zagotavlja, da priprave in izvedba projekta potekajo nemoteno in skrbi za čimbolj racionalno poslovanje z namenom, da se zagotovi strokovni in finančni uspeh kongresnega projekta.

Kakšne storitve lahko PCO opravi v imenu naročnika za razliko od DMC in drugih agencij? V čem se razlikujete?

Različne organizacije in podjetja ponujajo posamezne storitve v zvezi z organizacijo in izvedbo kongresnih projektov, kot npr. turistične agencije, PR podjetja za promocijo, itd. Taka podjetja se razlikujejo od PCO-jev po tem, da organizacija kongresov ni njihova osnovna dejavnost. PCO se v proces priprave kongresa vključi že v fazi načrtovanja, svetuje naročniku in pomaga pri odločitvah na podlagi svojih izkušenj ter znanja, pridobljenega z večletnim strokovnim delom pri organizaciji zahtevnih kongresov. DMC je podjetje, ki predvsem dobro pozna razmere na kongresni destinaciji in deluje kot podizvajalec PCO-jem, predvsem pri dogovarjanju z lokalnimi partnerji ter izvaja pretežno turistični del kongresa.

Kako PCO agencije upravljate odnose z dobavitelji in zagotavljate kakovost svojih storitev?

Podjetje Auditoria ima sestavljeno mrežo dolgoročnih poslovnih partnerjev za vse pomembnejše kongresne storitve, ki seveda zagotavljajo kvalitetno in pravočasno izvajanje zaupanih storitev. Naročnikom svetujemo najboljše rešitve pri izbiri lokacije in ostalih kongresnih storitev in jim zagotavljamo najboljše možne rešitve v skladu z njihovimi potrebami in razpoložljivimi finančnimi sredstvi. V Auditorii skrbimo za redno izobraževanje in strokovno usposabljanje zaposlenih kakor tudi poslovnih partnerjev.

Ali predstavlja sodelovanje s PCO agencijo za naročnika prihranek ali dodatni strošek? Kako vaša agencija zaračunava svoje storitve?

Auditoria svoje storitve seveda zaračuna. Svoje delo zaračunavamo po naslednjih osnovnih sklopih: celotna kongresna organizacija (management fee), registracija udeležencev (registration fee), obdelava referatov in abstraktov (abstract fee) in posamezne tehnične storitve. Naše podjetje naročnikom ne zaračunava nobenim pribitkov na cene posameznih podizvajalcev. Najem PCO-ja pomeni za naročnika v večini primerov prihranek, glede na to, da PCO pri dobaviteljih običajno doseže nižje cene in ugodnejše pogoje. Prepustitev vseh kongresnih nalog PCO-ju predstavlja za naročnika tudi velik prihranek v času in kadrih, s tem, ko se ukvarja samo s stroko, pa mu tak pristop zagotavlja tudi kvalitetnejšo strokovno pripravo in izvedbo kongresa.

Kateri so po vašem mnenju ključni PCO igralci v Sloveniji?

Vprašanje ni enostavno. Kaj so to ključni igralci? Poznam vsaj tri vrste: • PCO-ji, slovenska podjetja, ki jim je organizacija kongresov osnovna dejavnost in s svojo strokovnostjo, dolgoročnim delovanjem, referencami in osebjem zagotavljajo celovito in kvalitetno celovito organizacijo. V Sloveniji so zaenkrat tri podjetja, ki bi si jih upal priporočiti vsakemu naročniku: (po abecednem redu) Albatros, Auditoria in Cankarjev dom, Kongresna dejavnost.

• Razen navedenih ključnih »igralcev« imamo v Sloveniji še veliko podjetij in posameznikov, ki se ponujajo kot PCO-ji, nisem pa prepričan, da to dejansko so, ker se v večini primerov kot taki še niso dokazali. Res pa je, da na različne načine uspejo pridobiti veliko naročnikov in precej kongresov; kako jih izpeljejo, je pa druga zgodba. Vemo pa, da slaba in nepopolna izvedba za neprimerne cene znižuje ugled kongresne dejavnosti kot stroke in poslovne panoge. Mislim, da je ena od pomembnih nalog slovenskega kongresnega urada, da postavi kriterije in standarde naše stroke, zaščiti resnične »igralce«, prepreči ali vsaj zmanjša nelojalno konkurenco in »prodajanje megle« in vsem potencialnim kongresnim naročnikom priporoča le tiste ponudnike storitev, za katere se ve, da svoje delo opravljajo visoko profesionalno.

• Tretja kategorija so tuji, mednarodni PCO-ji, ki se zadnje čase pojavljajo v Sloveniji. Njihova prisotnost je seveda dobrodošla, posebej v smislu konkurenčnosti in dviga kvalitete storitev, vendar pa se vsaj zaenkrat še niso pokazali kot korektni partnerji in konkurenti na tržišču. Na eni strani podcenjujejo slovensko kongresno stroko, skušajo slovenskim podjetjeim prevzemati slovenske naročnike, na drugi strani pa nič ne vlagajo v razvoj in promocijo Slovenije kot kongresne destinacije. In nenazadnje, kolikor je meni znano, niso v Slovenijo pripeljali še niti enega mednarodnega kongresa brez pomoči slovenskih strokovnih organizatorjev.

Srečo Peterlič, Auditoria, www.auditoria.si

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Auditoria d.o.o.

The PCO takes over the »Turn-Key« Project What advantages are there for a client in working with a PCO agency?

A PCO (Professional Congress Organiser) organises congress events. It’s a company specialised in organising and carrying out complex congress projects. If clients or professional event organisers haven’t got enough of the necessary knowledge, staff, time or technical resources to organise an event in their companies or organisations, they must find an external partner - a professional congress organisation to integrate and co-ordinate clients (organisational and other committees, international associations) and individual service contractors. In this case the client’s only remaining tasks concern the content and professional programme of the congress. The PCO takes care of the rest. The PCO takes over and manages the whole project through to its completion, co-ordinates the contractors, makes sure that the preparation and execution of the project gets done flawlessly and also that all project related activities are done in a rational manner, the object being the professional and financial success of the congress project.

What kind of services can a PCO carry out on behalf of a client compared with a DMC or other agencies? What are the differences?

Various organisations and companies offer individual services for organising and carrying out congress projects, including tourist agencies, PR and promotion companies and so on. These companies differ from PCOs in that organising congresses isn’t their main activity. A PCO enters the congress preparation process from the planning stage, advises the client and helps make decisions on the basis of experience and knowledge gained from many years of professional work organising demanding congresses. A DMC is a company that knows the conditions at the congress destination and operates as a subcontractor to a PCO, chiefly in negotiations with local partners. It mainly does the tourism part of the congress.

How do PCO agencies manage their relations with the suppliers and ensure quality services?

Auditoria has a network of long-term business partners who provide all the important congress services, ensuring high-quality and punctual execution of the services agreed upon. When clients are selecting a venue and other congress services, we give advice on the best solutions while guaranteeing the best possible solutions in line with their desires and available financial resources. Here at Auditoria we invest in regular education and professional training for our employees and business partners.

Does working with a PCO save money or does it create added costs for the client? How does your agency charge for its services?

Auditoria’s services are, of course, not free of charge. Our work is charged according to the following basic sets: complete congress organisation (management fee), registration of the participants (registration fee), processing reports and abstracts (abstract fee) and individual technical solutions. Our company doesn’t charge its clients extra for any service fees from individual subcontractors. In most cases, hiring a PCO is cheaper for a client as suppliers usually give PCOs lower prices and more favourable terms. Letting a PCO manage all congress tasks is a large saving in time and staff for the client while the specialisation of a PCO ensures better quality in the professional preparation and execution of a congress.

Who, in your opinion, are the key PCO players in Slovenia?

That’s not an easy question. What’s a key player? There are at least three kinds: • Those Slovenian PCO companies whose main activity is congress organisation.

What guarantees complete and quality integrated organisation is their expertise, many years of operation, references and staff. Right now there are three companies in Slovenia that I’d dare to recommend to a client.

In alphabetical order, Albatros, Auditoria and the Cankarjev dom Cultural and Congress Centre.

• In addition to these key ‘players’, Slovenia has many companies and individuals calling themselves PCOs but who I’m not sure can really be called that.

In most cases they’ve failed to prove themselves as such. It’s true that they successfully use various methods to get many clients and congresses, but the final realisation is a different story. We know that poor and incomplete execution at inappropriate prices lowers the reputation of all the congress organisers as a field and a branch. I think that one of the more important missions of the Slovenian Convention Bureau is to set criteria and standards for our field and thus protect the true ‘players’ and prevent - or at least decrease - the amount of unfair competition and false promises. It must also only recommend to potential congress clients those providers of services that are known to work with a high degree of professionalism, • The third category is the foreign, international PCOs that have appeared in Slovenia in the last few years. Their presence is, of course, welcome, especially in the sense of competition and raising service quality. However, they haven’t proven themselves fair partners or competition on the market yet. On the one hand, they underestimate the Slovenian congress field and try to seize Slovenian clients from Slovenian companies and, on the other, they invest nothing into the development and promotion of Slovenia as a congress destination. To the best of my knowledge, they haven’t brought a single international congress to Slovenia without the help of professional Slovenian organisers.

Srečo Peterlič, Auditoria, www.auditoria.si

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Kompas d.d.

PCO je naročnikova podaljšana roka Katere so prednosti sodelovanja s PCO agencijo za naročnika?

Zagotovo je nastanek in obstoj profesionalnih kongresnih organizatorjev smiselen, saj je organizacija bodisi kongresov bodisi drugih dogodkov izjemno stresen in naporen posel, njihov obseg in zahtevnost pa to samo potencirata.

Pravi PCO naročniku prihrani čas, denar in delo. PCO opravi vse v imenu naročnika, je njegova podaljšana roka, hkrati pa zanj pomeni tudi enega dobavitelja, eno kontaktno osebo in na koncu eno fakturo.

Katere storitve lahko PCO opravi v imenu naročnika za razliko od DMC in drugih agencij? V čem se razlikujete?

V Kompasu je to kar malo težko vprašanje, saj smo v osnovi turistična agencija (kjer je večina posla DMC), del tega podjetja pa deluje tudi kot PCO. Naloga PCO – ja je v celoti organizirati dogodek in sodelovati pri njegovem razvoju že od samega zametka, pogosto še pred tem, ko je potrebno eminentne predstavnike znanosti ali drugih področij, ki jih imamo v Sloveniji precej, prepričati, da naj kandidirajo in tako vnovčijo svoj vpliv v mednarodnih združenjih, katerih člani so. PCO pripravi kandidaturo, ki je prvi pisni izdelek kongresa, nudi sekretariat, pridobiva sponzorje, pripravlja vse kongresno gradivo in podobo kongresa, komunicira s predavatelji, prevajalci, organizira razstavo in na koncu koncev odgovarja za uspešno izvedbo dogodka tako po kvalitetni kot tudi finančni plati. Zagotovo je prav, da se na destinaciji, kjer kongres poteka, vključi tudi DMC, ki je poznavalec terena in ima sklenjene partnerske pogodbe z najrazličnejšimi dobavitelji. Tako PCO najame DMC, da je potek kongresa še uspešnejši. Gledano s tega zornega kota ima DMC manj obveznosti in nalog, pa tudi kasneje se vključi v proces dogodka.

Kako PCO agencije upravljate odnose z dobavitelji in zagotavljate kakovost svojih storitev?

Nabor partnerjev oz. dobaviteljev je skrbno izbran in revidiran na podlagi letno sklenjenih pogodb. Vsi naši partnerji so preverjeni, zato vemo, kaj ponujamo našim klientom. Z dobavitelji vzpostavljamo partnerski odnos, glede kakovosti pa zagotavljamo izpolnitev vseh dogovorov oz. stremimo k preseganju naročnikovih pričakovanj. Veseli smo odkrite besede, ki nam daje priložnost, da svoje storitve nenehno izboljšujemo.

Ali predstavlja sodelovanje s PCO agencijo za naročnika prihranek ali dodatni strošek? Kako vaša agencija zaračunava svoje storitve?

Verjamem, da PCO pomeni prihranek tako v denarju kot v času, saj naročnika vodimo do cilja po bližnjici in prevzemamo vse morebitne »glavobole«, povezane z organizacijo, vključno s financiranjem pred prilivom kotizacij. PCO pozna razmere na trgu in za naročnika izposluje najugodnejše cene in finančne obveze. Svoje storitve zaračunavamo skladno z dogovorom z naročnikom, kakor je pač ugodneje za naročnika. To pa je skoraj toliko načinov, kolikor je naročnikov ...

Kateri so po vašem mnenju ključni PCO igralci v Sloveniji?

Kompas, Cankarjev dom, Abatros, Auditoria, generalni sekretariati ministrstev in znanstvenih institucij, sodelavci predstojnikov klinik UKC Ljubljana ...

Maja Vidergar, Kompas www.kompas.si

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Kompas d.d.

The PCO is the Client's extended Arm What advantages are there for a client in working with a PCO agency?

Setting up and having professional congress organisers is certainly sensible organising congresses and other events is an extremely stressful, tiring, broadranging business, and problems only serve to intensify the situation. The right PCO serves its client by saving time, money and work. A PCO does everything on behalf of the client; it acts as his extended arm as well as being a supplier and a contact person, which means that only one invoice needs to be issued at the end.

What kind of services can a PCO carry out on behalf of a client compared with a DMC or other agencies? What are the differences?

That’s a difficult question for us here at Kompas as we’re basically a tourist agency, where most of our work is of the DMC type, while a part of the company operates as a PCO. A PCO’s mission is to organise an event in its entirety and co-operate in its development from the very start, or often even before that, as you have to persuade eminent representatives from scientific or other fields (there are many of these in Slovenia) to become candidates and thus capitalise on their influence in the international associations they’re members of. The PCO prepares the candidacy (the first written product for a congress), provides a secretariat, acquires sponsors, prepares all the congress materials and the congress image, communicates with lecturers and translators, organises exhibitions and is responsible for the successful execution of the event regarding quality and finances. The decision to include a DMC in the congress destination is definitely appropriate as they know the conditions and have partnership contracts with a wide range of suppliers. A PCO hires a DMC to facilitate the smooth running of a congress. From this point of view a DMC has fewer obligations and tasks and enters the event process at a later stage.

How do PCO agencies manage their relations with suppliers and ensure quality services?

The range of partners or suppliers is carefully selected and verified on the basis of annually-concluded contracts. All our partners are verified – that’s how we know what we’re offering our clients. We establish partnerships with suppliers and guarantee that all arrangements are fulfilled with regard to quality. We strive to surpass our clients’ expectations. We appreciate honesty, which gives us a chance to continually improve our services.

Does working with a PCO save money or does it create added costs for the client? How does your agency charge for its services?

I think that using PCOs saves both time and money as we guide the client towards their goals using shortcuts and take on board any eventual headaches connected to organisation (including financing) before the participants’ fees are paid. PCOs know market conditions and can arrange the best prices and financial commitments for the client. We charge for our services by agreement with the client, whatever suits the client best.

This means there are almost as many options as there are clients.

Who, in your opinion, are the key PCO players in Slovenia?

Kompas, Cankarjev dom, Albatros, Auditoria, the General Secretariats of Ministries and scientific institutions, those working for the heads of Ljubljana Clinical Centre clinics and so on.

Maja Vidergar, Kompas, www.kompas.si

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Primeri dobre prakse

Naročnik je sprejemal samo pohvale Naslov dogodka: Evropski Kongres polimerne kemije Naročnik: Slovensko kemijsko društvo Izvajalec: Agencija Albatros

Evropski kongres polimerne kemije je bil eden večjih mednarodnih kongresov v Sloveniji v letu 2007 in je vključeval vse elemente: veliko dvorano za plenarno zasedanje, osem dvoran za sekcije, razstavne prostore, izredno veliko spremljevalnih dogodkov – od osnovnih delovnih kosil do banketnih večerij, več sočasnih dnevnih izletov za spremljevalce, tehnično in organizacijsko zahtevne transferje udeležencev iz letališč v Sloveniji, Italiji in Avstriji, veliko različnih tiskanih edicij, nastanitev v Portorožu in širši okolici (različne kategorije hotelov), veliko koordinacije z organizatorji, celotno finančno vodenje (kotizacije, razstavljavci, plačevanje spremljevalnih dogodkov), zahtevno registracijo udeležencev na kraju dogodka; z eno besedo, šlo je za šolski primer organizacije kongresa z vsemi možnimi dodatnimi storitvami.

Po mnenju udeležencev in organizatorjev je bil kongres zelo uspešen in odmeven, saj sprejemajo samo pohvale. Kritičnih točk ni bilo, saj je v čudovitem okolju Kongresnega Centra Bernardin, ki je edini lahko zagotovil vse zahtevane pogoje, vse potekalo nemoteno.

Pri organizaciji tega kongresa smo se naučili toliko kot pri vsakem, saj je vsak kongres izziv zase. Organizacija tega kongresa nam je zelo ustrezala, saj se za takšne kot PCO najbolj zavzemamo in si jih želimo. Pri tem smo preizkusili nov način hitre registracije velikega števila udeležencev v kratkem času (samo eno popoldne), kar nam je odlično uspelo.

Majda Zidanski, Albatros Bled

Polni optimizma združeni proti raku Naslov dogodka: CEE Cancer Patient Summit - »United against Cancer« Naročnik: European Cancer Patient Coalition Izvajalec: Auditoria d.o.o.

Organizacija kongresov je lahko na prvi pogled precej klišejski posel. Naročnik navadno ne zahteva drugega, kot da je kongres brezhibno izpeljan v skladu z mednarodnimi standardi, da so v zborniku objavljeni vsi povzetki, da vsem udeležencem zagotovimo transfer in namestitev v izbranem ho-

telu, da so tehnične storitve brezhibne, da ne zmanjka hrane na sprejemu, da se udeleženci dobro počutijo, lokalni organizatorji pa ostanejo v spominu kot odlični gostitelji. Mi pa želimo vsakemu kongresu dati nekaj posebnega, nekaj, po čemer se bodo udeleženci spomnili Slovenije in se morda še vrnili. V tem smislu je bil edinstven kongres »United against cancer« (Združeni proti raku), ki ga je na pobudo gospoda Lojzeta Peterleta v Ljubljani organiziralo združenje ECPC (European Cancer Patient Coalition). November ni najbolj idealen mesec za organizacijo kongresa v Ljubljani, predvsem, če ga naročniki želijo zaključiti z javnim shodom oz. družabnim dogodkom sredi Ljubljane. Vremenski faktor smo takoj dali na stranski tir in se začeli ukvarjati z vsebino. Kot glavnega partnerja smo k sodelovanju povabili Društvo onkoloških bolnikov Slovenije. In več kot smo spoznali ljudi, ozdravljenih bolnikov, polnih optimizma in volje, da pomagajo tudi drugim, bolj nas je vleklo v projekt in na koncu je v nedeljo, 4. novembra 2006, na Kongresnem trgu dežurala cela ekipa Auditorie. Oglaševanje v dnevnih časopisih in plakati po celem mestu so kljub temu, da je bil dogodek v nedeljo, in kljub mrazu, na trg privabilo Ljubljančane, ki jih je čakal topel čaj in vroč kostanj, pridružili so se udeleženci kongresa, ki smo jih pripeljali iz hotela Mons, glasbeniki na velikem odru, ki so se vsi po vrsti odrekli honorarju in ozdravljeni bolniki, ki so z odra pogumno povedali svoje življenjske zgodbe. In posijalo je sonce! Na stojnice, kjer so se predstavila društva onkoloških bolnikov, na udeležence, ki so se sprehajali po trgu z rdečimi balončki v obliki src. In mi smo pozabili na debel fascikel z dovoljenji za izvedbo javne prireditve, elaborat o meritvi hrupa, ... in se veselili skupaj z naročniki, da je dogodek uspel.

Natalija Bah Čad, vodja projektov, Auditoria d.o.o., www.unitedagainstcancer.eu

34

Kandidatura, mednarodne povezave in lobiranje Naslov dogodka: Podelitev nagrade Fundacije CIVIS Media – projekt je v pripravi NaroÄ?nik: CIVIS Media Foundation Izvajalec: Kompas d.d.

Dolgoletnemu partnerstvu z RTV Slovenija in vrsti uspeĹĄno izpeljanih dogodkov, med katerimi omenjam skupĹĄÄ?ino EBU ter IPI, nam je pripeljalo priloĹžnost, da se izkaĹžemo pri novem projektu in ga v letu 2008 pripeljemo v Slovenijo. Civis Media Fundation je po dvajseti podelitvi nagrade iskala novo lokacijo.

Dogodek je specifiÄ?en iz treh vidikov: - gre za medijski dogodek, ki je izjemno teĹžaven zaradi postavitve (doloÄ?ena scena, zahtevana viĹĄina prostora za podelitev in veliko ĹĄtevilo spremljevalnih prostorov za garderobe in ekipe,

dostopnost za velike snemalne tovornjake, saj gre najprej za neposreden prenos podelitve, nato pa za predvajanje po odkupljenih pravicah po televizijskih hiĹĄah), - gre za edini dogodek, ki bo na dan 8. maja v Sloveniji in EU (predveÄ?er dneva Evrope), zato si nadejamo obisk eminentnih gostov iz sveta evropske in domaÄ?e politike, - prizoriĹĄÄ?e ne sme biti konvencionalno in mora odraĹžati specifiko drĹžave oz. mesta, kjer podelitev poteka.

Do danaĹĄnjega dne smo definirali prizoriĹĄÄ?e podelitve nagrade in Âťafter rewards party-jaÂŤ ter hotele. Vsi, ki se ukvarjamo s celovitimi organizacijami dogodkov, vemo, da so to le temelji in da nas v prihodnjih mesecih Ä?aka ĹĄe ogromno trdega dela.

Zakaj navajam dogodek, ki se ĹĄe ni zgodil, kot primer dobre prakse? Zopet iz dveh razlogov: - prvi je gotovo lobiranje; niÄ? novega, boste rekli, to je potrebno za vsak dogodek. V tem primeru je bilo kar zahtevno in brez kljuÄ?nih povezav in podpore politike ne bi ĹĄlo – kljub naĹĄim referencah, da smo kot organizatorji sposobni izpeljati prireditev, kar je bilo v tem primeru kljuÄ?no in odloÄ?ilno.

- drugi razlog pa je v tem obdobju krepko zasedena Ljubljana. Vlada je zakupila vsako razpoloĹžljivo posteljo in nas, organizatorje dogodkov ter turistiÄ?ne agencije, prepustila na milost in nemilost hotelirjem. Ni odveÄ? povedati, da se ob tem sreÄ?ujemo vsaj z razumevanjem naĹĄih partnerjev, ki z naklonjenostjo gledajo na naĹĄo majhnost. Duh velike Evrope se je le dotaknil njihovih src ...

)ZBIRATE LAHKO MED RESTAVRACIJO ZAPRTEGA TIPA 6)0 SALONOM KONFER ENžNO SOBO V POTNI‘KEM TERMINALU KI SPREJME DO OSEB IN UžILNICO :A VEžJA SREžANJA JE PRIMERNA KONFERENžNA DVORANA V POSLOVNI STAVBI !ERODROMA ,JUBLJANA KI SPREJME PRIBLI�NO UDELE�ENCEV IN JE SODO BNO OPREMLJENA 0RED KONFERENžNO DVORANO JE TUDI VEžNAMENSKA AVLA

PRIMERNA TAKO ZA KONFERENžNA KOT DRU�ABNA SREžANJA

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35

2EZERVACIJE IN INFORMACIJE LAHKO DOBITE NA TELEFONSKI ‘TEVILKI

Good Practice Case Study

The Organisers received nothing but Praise Event Tittle: The European Polymer Congress 2007 Customer: The Slovenian Chemical Society Contractor: Agencija Albatros This was one of 2007’s larger international congresses in Slovenia and included a wide range of elements: a large hall for the plenary session, 8 halls for the sections, exhi-

bition spaces, a large number of accompanying events from basic working lunches to banquet dinners, multiple simultaneous day trips for the participants, technically and logistically demanding participant transfers from Slovenian, Italian and Austrian airports, many different printed materials, accommodation in Portorož and the surrounding area in hotels of varying categories, a large amount of co-ordination with the organisers, the complete financial organisation (participation fees, exhibitors, payment for accompanying events), the challenging registration of participants at the scene of the event.

In short, this was a text book example of how to organise a congress with all possible additional services.

According to participants and the organisers, who have received nothing but praise, the congress was very successful and prominent. There were no critical issues as everything ran smoothly in the beautiful environment of the Bernardin Convention Centre, which was only venue able to meet every requirement.

Organising this congress taught us as much as previous ones, as each congress is a different challenge. We were very glad to have the chance to organise this congress, as it’s the kind of congress that we, as a PCO, strive for and want to see more of. We tested a new method of registering a large number of participants in a short time - only one afternoon - which was a complete success.

Majda Zidanski, Albatros Bled

Full of Optimism United Against Cancer Event Title: CEE Cancer Patient Summit – ‘United against Cancer’ Customer: European Cancer Patient Coalition Contractor: Auditoria, d.o.o.

At first glance, conference organisation might seem to be a clichéd business.

The client doesn’t usually ask for anything other than that the congress is carried out in line with international standards, that all summaries are published in the collection of papers, that all participants are provided with transfers to and accommodation at the chosen hotel, that techni-

cal services are flawless, that the food doesn’t run out at the reception, that the participants feel good and that the local organisers are remembered as excellent hosts.

We’d like to make each congress something special, something that participants will remember Slovenia for and so might come back again. The ‘United against Cancer’ conference organised in Ljubljana by the European Cancer Patient Coalition (ECPC) at the incentive of Lojze Peterle was unique in this sense. November is not an ideal month for organising a conference in Ljubljana, especially if the clients would like to round off the event with a public gathering, in this case a social event, in the centre of Ljubljana. We immediately disregarded the weather factor and started dealing with the contents. The Slovenia Association of Oncology Patients was chosen as the main partner. And the more people we got to know, including cured patients full of optimism and willpower to help others, the more we were drawn to the project, until finally, on 4 November 2006, the entire Auditoria team was present at Congress Square. Advertisements in daily newspapers and billboards all over town drew various Ljubljana residents to the square despite it being a Sunday and despite the cold.

Warm tea and hot chestnuts were awaiting them, and they were joined by conference participants, who we brought from the Mons Hotel, musicians on a big stage, who all waived their fees, and cured patients, who bravely told their stories from the stage.

And the sun came out. It shone upon the stands, where oncology patients’ associations showcased themselves and upon the participants, who walked around the square with red heart-shaped balloons. And we forgot about the thick file holding permits for the organization of a public gathering, reports on noise measurements and so on, and were pleased, together with the clients, that the event was a success.

Natalija Bah Čad, Project Manager, Auditoria, d.o.o., www.unitedagainstcancer.eu

36

Candidature, International Integration and Lobbying Event Title: Candidature, International Integration and Lobbying – a Project under Preparation Customer: CIVIS Media Foundation Contractor: Kompas, d.d.

Our long-term partnership with state broadcaster Radio Television Slovenia and the number of events successfully carried-out, including the EBU and IPI meetings, have given us a chance to prove ourselves in a new project and bring it to Slovenia in 2008 - following the twentieth Awards show, the CIVIS Media Foundation is looking for a new location.

The event is specific in three ways: - it’s a media event that’s extremely hard to set up, with a set scene and huge award space, a large number of accompanying spaces for crews and dressing rooms. Large filming

lorries must have access to the show venue as there’ll be live coverage, with broadcasting rights being sold later to individual broadcasters, - it’s the only event on 8 May 2008 in Slovenia and the EU - on the eve of Europe Day - and so we expect to see prominent guests from the European and local political worlds, - the venue cannot be conventional and must reflect the specifics of the country or city where the Awards show takes place.

So far, the locations for the Awards Show and the ‘after Awards party’ have been selected, as have the hotels. However, everyone in the field of integrated event organisation knows that these are only the foundations and that there’s still a lot of hard work to be done in the months to come. Why do I nominate this event, which has not even happened yet, as a case study? For two reasons: - the first certainly being the lobbying, which you’ll say is nothing new and is necessary for every event. In this case it was quite challenging and wouldn’t have been successful without key connections and political support, despite our references showing that we as organisers are capable of executing the event. In this case, lobbying was the key element and the deciding factor.

- the second reason was a heavily-booked Ljubljana. The government has booked every available bed and left us organisers and tourist agencies at the mercy of hotel owners. Fortunately we have met plenty of understanding from our partners with a favourable attitude towards our small size. The spirit of the great Europe has at last touched their hearts…

37

Srečanja strokovnih združenj

Zgradimo velik kongresni center Za mnenje o izkušnjah s profesionalnimi slovenskimi kongresnimi organizatorji smo povprašali nekaj uglednih predstavnikov organizatorjev tovrstnih dogodkov.

Prvi odgovarja dr. Vladimir Smrkolj, predsednik organizacijskega odbora Evropskega travmatološkega kongresa Eurotrauma, 2006.

profesionalni organizator imel utečene in zanesljive poti do medijske promocije v Sloveniji. Dobro bi bilo pripeljati na enega od slavnostnih dogodkov neko izjemno osebo ali skupino ali kakšno izjemno predstavitev. Če je to evropski kongres, bi morala biti oseba ali predstavitev poznana v Evropi, če je svetovni kongres, potem svetovno poznana oseba, dogodek. V Hanovru so nam prikazali nastop članov društva Mensa, kar je ostalo vsem v trdnejšem spominu kot večina referatov. Na nekem drugem kongresu so napravili prvič za publiko lasersko projekcijo v zadimljeni sobi, ki je dajala vtis trodimenzionalnosti in so se projecirani ljudje, predmeti, gibali med nami. Na svetovnem ortopedskem kongresu so prvič demonstrirali slišanje gluhega otroka preko računalnika in draženja možganske skorje. Profesionalni organizator bi si moral omisliti katalog domačih in tujih tovrstnih ponudb, skupaj s cenami, seveda.

Kako ste zadovoljni s ponudbo in opremljenostjo kongresnih lokacij v Sloveniji?

Za velik kongres sta CD in Bernardin premajhna. Predvsem so premajhni prostori za razstave, kadar je kongres privlačen za razstavljavce.

Kako poteka financiranje mednarodnih kongresnih prireditev?

S kakšnimi težavami se soočate?

V moji stroki se srečujemo z razstavljavci, kotizacijo in sponzorji. Potencialne sponzorje in razstavljavce bi morali sproti obveščati o napredovanju organizacije kongresa, o številu prijav, itd. Morebiti je za finančni uspeh kongresa potrebna še vsaj tolikšna skrb za sponzorje in razstavljavce kot jo posvečamo udeležencem z obvestili. Morda bi bila potrebna tudi za razstavljavce in sponzorje prva, druga, tretja in dokončna obvestila.

Kaj je po vašem mnenju glavna konkurenčna prednost Slovenije z vidika organizacije mednarodnih kongresov?

Varnost v smislu dosedanje odsotnosti terorističnih dogodkov in groženj, butičnost ob majhnosti, nekakšna politična nevtralnost.

Kako ocenjujete pomen poslovnega in kongresnega turizma kot enega od slovenskih turističnih produktov in ali je po vašem mnenju konkurenčen na globalnem trgu?

Ne poznam podrobneje razmer v tej panogi, organiziral sem le en evropski kongres, več izkušenj imam le s slovenskimi kongresi in simpoziji. Zdi pa se mi, da je najbrž tovrstni turistični produkt konkurenčen, v primerjavi z drugimi, z manj truda. Več kot polovico dela je, po mojem mnenju, opravljenega že, ko kongres pridobiš, obisk je s tem zagotovljen in tveganja skoraj ni.

Kakšne so vaše izkušnje s profesionalnimi kongresnimi organizatorji?

Dobre.

Kaj najbolj pogrešate pri organizaciji velikih mednarodnih kongresov?

Sam bi v lastni režiji v bodoče izpeljal izdajo dnevnih obvestil v obliki vsakodnevnega časopisa. Želel bi si, da bi

Kaj bi po vašem mnenju morali v Sloveniji izboljšati na področju ponudbe kongresnega in poslovnega turizma?

Zgraditi velik kongresni center. Sistematično razvijati obkongresno ponudbo, ki ne bi bila omejena s Slovenijo.

Ali v prihodnosti načrtujete organizacijo kakšne večje mednarodne konference ali kongresa?

Odpira se možnost nekega evropskega medicinskega kongresa, ker pa kongresa še nismo dokončno pridobili, ne bi rad izdal podrobnosti.

Gorazd Čad

38

•

Za poslovne dogodke širših dimenzij ... ... na Mokricah

Konferenčna dvorana Barbara v Depandansi hotela Golf Grad Mokrice s sončno teraso in pogledom na prečudoviti angleški park

• dve poslovni dvorani v gradu Mokrice **** s skupno kapaciteto do 100 udeležencev • 2 poslovno opremljena apartmaja • 25 stilsko opremljenih sob & 2 suiti • grajska restavracija z vrhunsko kulinarično ponudbo • masažni salon • vinska klet z možnostjo degustacije

Golf igrišče Mokrice

Več kot 11.000 m2 notranjih in zunanjih vodnih površin

... v Catežu • 4 poslovne dvorane v hotelu Terme **** • večnamenska dvorana hotela Toplice**** • SAVNA PARK z 8 tematsko raznolikimi savnami • TERMALNA RIVIERA

vec kot samo srecanje TERME ČATEŽ TEL: 07/ 49 36 700, 49 36 759 FAKS: 07/ 49 35 005 mokrice@terme-catez.si; www.mokrice.si; www.mokrice.com; info@terme-catez.si; www.terme-catez.si

• wellness centri • zdravstvene storitve • športno- rekreacijski center • animacijski program

Projekt obnove Hotela Čatež, Spa & Wellness centra in kompleksa Hotel Golf Grad Mokrice je delno financiran s sredstvi EU

Meetings of Expert Associations

Let’s build a large Congress Centre We asked several respected representatives of meeting organisers about their experience with Slovenian professional congress organisers. Dr. Vladimir Smrkolj, Organising Board Chairman for the European Congress of Trauma – Eurotrauma (2006), answers first.

the person or event must be known across the world. In Hannover, members of the Mensa Society gave a performance and that left a stronger impression than most of the presented papers. At another congress, they produced a laser projection in a dimmed room for the first time, which created a threedimensional illusion allowing the projected people and objects to move among the audience. At the World Orthopaedic Congress, the hearing of a deaf child was demonstrated for the first time, using a computer and stimulating the cerebral cortex. A professional organiser should have a catalogue of local and foreign events of this kind – including prices, of course.

How are you satisfied with the offer and equipment at congress locations in Slovenia?

Cankarjev dom and Bernardin are too small for large congresses and this applies especially to their exhibition spaces when a congress is attractive for exhibitors.

What about financing international congress events? What kinds of problems do you face?

In my field, we face exhibitors, participant fees and sponsors. Potential sponsors and exhibitors should be kept continuously informed of the progress of the congress organisation, the number of applications, etc. The financial success of a congress perhaps requires giving at least the same amount of attention to the sponsors and exhibitors as to the participants with notices.

The exhibitors and sponsors would perhaps require first, second, third and final notices as well.

What, in your opinion, is Slovenia’s main advantage over its competition from the viewpoint of organising international congresses?

Safety, in that there has not yet been any terrorist attacks or threats, and exclusivity in smallness – a sort of political neutrality.

What are your experiences with professional congress organisers?

Good.

What do you miss the most when organising of large international congresses?

I would issue daily notices in the form of a daily newspaper. I would want the professional organiser to have tested and reliable media promotion channels in Slovenia. It would be good to bring a person of exceptional importance to one of the high level events – or a group or perhaps some exceptional presentation. If it is a European congress, this person or presentation must be known in Europe and if it is a world congress,

How do you estimate the significance of business and congress tourism as one of Slovenia’s tourism products and, in your opinion, is it competitive in the global market?

I am not familiar with the detailed conditions in this field as I have only organised one European congress. I am more familiar with Slovenian congresses and symposiums. However, I feel that a tourism product of this kind might be competitive in comparison with others and with less effort. More than half of the work, in my opinion, is already done when the congress is acquired, attendance is thus ensured and there is almost no risk involved.

In your opinion, what should Slovenia improve in the field of congress and business tourism?

Build a large congress centre. Systematically develop accompanying offers that will not be limited to Slovenia.

Are you planning on organising any larger international conferences or congresses in the future?

There is the possibility of a European medical congress, but since we have not yet entirely acquired that I do not want to reveal any details.

Gorazd Čad

40

•

For events of bigger dimensions ...

Congress Hall Barbara in the castle hotel annexe with a sunny terrace and a beautiful view of the English park

... at Mokrice

• 2 business halls in the castle Mokrice**** with the capacity for up to 100 participants • 2 business apartments • 25 stylish equipped rooms & 2 suites • wine cellar with possibility of wine tasting

Golf course Mokrice

More than 11.000 m2 of indoor and outdoor water surfaces

... in Catež • multifunctional congress hall in Hotel Toplice**** • 4 congress halls in Hotel Terme**** • SAUNA PARK with 8 different saunas • WELLNESS CENTRES • HEALTH PROGRAMMES

• SPORTS-& RECREATION CENTRE • ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAMME

Much more than just a busin ess mee ting .. .

TERME ČATEŽ TEL:+ 386 7-49-36-759, + 386 7-49-36-700 FAX: + 386 7-49-35-005 mokrice@terme-catez.si; www.mokrice.si; www.mokrice.com; info@terme-catez.si; www.terme-catez.si

The reconstruction of the Mokrice Castle Golf Hotel, Hotel Čatež and Spa & Wellness Centre has partially been co-financed by the European Union.

Srečanja strokovnih združenj

Majhnost in lepota Slovenije Dr. Jernej Dolinšek, Slovensko društvo za celiakijo, Splošna bolnišnica Maribor, predsednik organizacijskega odbora mednarodnega kongresa o celiakiji, septembra 2007.

Kakšne so vaše izkušnje s profesionalnimi kongresnimi organizatorji?

Dosedanje izkušnje so bolj pozitivne kot negativne. Kongresne agencije so sorazmerno dobro podkrepljene s strokovnim znanjem, včasih manjka komunikacija, predvsem kadar je lokacija izven mesta, kjer se nahaja sedež kongresnega organizatorja, zato bi bilo smiselno, da imajo te organizacije v večjih kongresnih centrih svojo pisarno oz. svojega stalnega sodelavca. Pokazalo se je tudi, da lahko tonus sodelovanja oz. dela upade z leti. Kadar smo na kongresu v tujini, kongresna agencija pa je iz tretje države in je za delo najela lokalne sodelavce (običajno mlade), se pogosto pokaže nepoznavanje domačega terena in takrat lahko nastopijo zapleti, ki jih opazi tudi zunanji opazovalec.

Kaj najbolj pogrešate pri organizaciji velikih mednarodnih kongresov?

Fleksibilnost, izkušnje.

Kako ste zadovoljni s ponudbo in opremljenostjo kongresnih lokacij v Sloveniji?

Glede na vse večje število pomembnih dogodkov, nam lokacij primanjkuje.

Opremljenost je zelo individualna in predvsem odvisna od upravitelja posamezne lokacije in zato včasih zelo pomanjkljiva ali pa samo enostransko ustrezna.

Kako poteka financiranje mednarodnih kongresnih prireditev? S kakšnimi težavami se soočate?

Financiranje s strani sponzorjev, udeležencev, javnih agencij, lokalnih skupnosti. Težave v smislu premalega interesa domačih podjetij za dogodke in preslabo poznavanje Slovenije s strani pomembnih mednarodnih sponzorjev.

Kaj je po vašem mnenju glavna konkurenčna prednost Slovenije z vidika organizacije mednarodnih kongresov?

Položaj v centru Evrope, ki omogoča dostop z vseh delov sveta; majhnost in lepota države, ki omogoča zelo zanimive spremljevalne programe.

Kako ocenjujete pomen poslovnega in kongresnega turizma kot enega od slovenskih turističnih produktov in ali je po vašem mnenju konkurenčen na globalnem trgu?

Gre za zelo pomembno in zaenkrat še dokaj podcenjeno gospodarsko panogo, ki pa lahko ima velik vpliv. Na globalnem trgu še nismo dovolj konkurenčni.

Kaj bi po vašem mnenju morali v Sloveniji izboljšati na področju ponudbe kongresnega in poslovnega turizma?

Prepoznavnost Slovenije se bo s predsedovanjem EU in vstopom v Schengen še povečala. Ta moment je potrebno izkoristiti. Kongresni centri se morajo opremiti do najvišjih standardov. Potrebno bo urediti tudi mednarodne letalske povezave. Trenutno edino večje mednarodno letališče v Sloveniji ne omogoča hitrega transferja do vseh slovenskih mest, ki so lahko zelo zanimiva za kongresno dejavnost, razen Ljubljane.

Ali v prihodnosti načrtujete organizacijo kakšne večje mednarodne konference ali kongresa?

Da.

Gorazd Čad

42

Terme Dobrna ~ popoln kraj za ...

Terme Dobrna ~ a perfect place for ... ...Team building ...

ýudovit kraj za motivacijo sodelavcev. Sprehod po parku ali raziskovanje narave s kolesom napolnita še tako prazne baterije. Vroþa savna in zdravilna termalna voda preþistita telo in misli. Še kanþek naših programov sprošþanja in revitalizacije in sanjsko moštvo je pripravljeno za nove izzive. A wonderful place to motivate your coworkers. A walk in our energetic park or a ride on a bike in an intact nature re¿ll even the most empty batteries. A steaming hot sauna and a healing thermal water cleans your body and clears your thoughts. Add a touch of our relaxation and revitalization programs and a Dream Team is ready to meet new challenges.

Polpenzion že od 39,50 € dalje (pri dveh prenoþitvah) – pokliþite 03 78 08 135. Halfboard starting at 39,50 € (two stays) – call 00386 (0)3 78 08 135.

... popolno novolet no zabavo / a perfect New Year’s part y ...

Pride þas, ko pogledamo, kaj smo v letu, ki odhaja, zares dobro naredili. Zastavimo si cilje, da bomo naslednje leto še boljši, vmes pa si zaslužimo zares dobro zabavo z našimi najbližjimi. Je kje boljši kraj za to od Term Dobrna? The time comes, when we take a look at what we had really done great in the passing year. We set the goals to become even better next year. In the meantime we deserve a great party with our closest ones. Is there a better place for that than Terme Dobrna?

Decembrski koncerti za izbrano družbo z Darjo Švajger – rezervirajte na 03 78 08 134. December concerts with Darja Švajger – for reservations call 00386 (0)3 78 08 134.

... vecerjo s pridihom drugacnost i/ a dinner wit hat ouch of difference ...

Ni boljšega okusa, kot je okus uspeha. Povabite svoje poslovne partnerje ali družino na veþerjo. Povabite jih na nepozabno veþerjo, tako, kot so si jo pripravili stari Rimljani, da bi proslavili svoje uspehe. There is no better taste than the taste of success. Invite your business partners or your family to a dinner. Invite them to an unforgettable dinner.

To a kind of dinner, that the ancient Romans prepaired to celebrate their success.

Nepozabno kulinariþno in družabno doživetje 25 € na osebo – pokliþite 03 78 08 168. Unforgettable culinary experience 25 € per person – call 00386 (0)3 78 08 168.

T: +386 (0)3 78 08 000, E: info@terme-dobrna.si, W: www.terme-dobrna.si

Meetings of Expert Associations

Slovenia’s small size and beauty Jernej Dolinšek, MD, Slovene Celiac Disease Society, Maribor General Hospital, President of the Organising Committee of the International Celiac Disease Meeting, September 2007.

representative in the larger congress centres. It has also become evident that the flexibility of cooperation and work is diminished over the years. When we attend congresses abroad and the congress agency is from a third country and hires local associates (usually young people) to implement it, the lack of knowledge of the local environment becomes evident, and it is then that complications can arise that can be discerned even by an outside observer.

What do you miss the most in the organisation of large international congresses?

Flexibility, experience.

How satisfied are you with the offer and equipment at congress locations in Slovenia?

Considering the increasingly greater number of important events, we are lacking locations. The equipment is rather individual and mostly dependent on the manager of an individual location, so it is sometimes deficient or only suitable for some.

How does the financing of international congress events proceed? What kind of problems are you faced with?

Financing is provided by the sponsors, attendees, public agencies, and local communities. We are facing problems in the sense of a lacking interest of domestic companies for events and the insufficient knowledge about Slovenia by important international sponsors.

What is, in your opinion, the main competitive advantage of Slovenia from the point of view of international congress organisation?

Its location in the centre of Europe facilitating access from all parts of the world; the country’s small size and beauty enabling interesting accompanying programmes.

How would you assess the importance of the business and congress tourism as one of Slovenia’s tourist products and is it, in your opinion, competitive on the global market?

It is a very important and, for now, a rather underrated industry that can, however, have an important influence. We are not competitive enough on the global market.

What is your experience with professional congress organisers?

My experience so far is more positive than negative. Congress agencies are relatively well-equipped in terms of expert knowledge, however, there is sometimes a lack of communication, primarily when the venue is situated outside the location of the congress organiser’s seat, so it would be sensible for these organisations to have offices or their own permanent

What should we, in your opinion, improve in Slovenia in the area of congress and business tourism offer?

The recognisability of Slovenia will increase with its EU Presidency and joining the Schengen area. This momentum should be taken advantage of.

The congress centres must be equipped to the highest standards. International flights will also have to be arranged. Currently, the largest international airport in Slovenia does not enable a fast transfer to all Slovenian cities that can, save for Ljubljana, prove very interesting for the congress activity.

Are you planning to organise any large international conference or congress in the future?

Yes.

Gorazd Čad

44

KOMPAS DESIGN, foto: FOTO SPRING

ŽIVAHNE RAZPRAVE / LIVELY DEBATE MAKES PRINAŠAJO NOV POLET / NEW IDEAS TAKE FLIGHT Pohorski gozdovi so neizËrpen vir miru, navdiha in sprostitve. Še posebej, ker je tik ob njih na razliËnih lokacijah tudi vse drugo, kar potrebujete…

The Pohorje forests are an inexhaustible source of peace, inspiration and relaxation.

Especially when everything else you need is available in various locations close at hand…

hoteli HABAKUK, novi BELLEVUE in PIRAMIDA The HABAKUK, new BELLEVUE and PIRAMIDA hotels

veË klimatiziranih in tehniËno opremljenih kongresnih dvoran ter klubski prostori

air-conditioned and fully-equipped conference rooms and club rooms

zunanji in notranji bazeni, whirlpooli s termalno vodo, savne, solariji, dvorane za fitnes, lepotilni centri

indoor and outdoor swimming pools, thermal whirlpools, saunas, solariums, fitness centres, beauty centres

organizacija posebnih dogodkov, družabnih sreËanj in dogodivšËin na prostem

special events, social gatherings and outdoor adventures

Terme Maribor. Naravno okolje za poslovna sreËanja.

The natural environment for business meetings.

www.termemb.si

Hotel Habakuk Pohorska ulica 59 2000 Maribor Tel.: +386 02 30 08 100 habakuk@termemb.si

novi Hotel Bellevue Na Slemenu 35 2208 Pohorje Tel.: +386 02 60 75 100 bellevue@termemb.si

Hotel Piramida Ulica heroja Šlandra 10 2000 Maribor Tel.: +386 02 23 44 400 piramida@termemb.si

Sobe z razgledom – vendar ne v Toskani ...

Srečanja in motivacijski programi v alpskem svetu Alpski prostor je zagotovo ena od determinant turistične podobe Slovenije, prav tako pa je pomembno sooblikoval del njene nacionalne identitete – začenši z najvišjim gorskim vrhom, Triglavom, ki je upodobljen na državnem grbu ter opevan v neštetih stihih in melodijah. Ta leži v osrčju Triglavskega narodnega parka – edinega v Sloveniji – ki se razteza na skoraj 84.000 hektarjih površine.

Praktično vse občine na območju Julijskih Alp, kjer turizem predstavlja eno od pomembnih gospodarskih dejavnosti, prostorsko segajo v robni del tega zaščitenega ozemlja.

Tatjana Radovič

Prva slika, ki si jo prikličem pred oči, je za naše (insajderske) pojme že skoraj stereotipna, ko je govora o lepotah naše dežele ... saj veste, Bled. Skoraj ni tujega obiskovalca, ki bi odšel iz Slovenije, ne da bi videl ta kraj in prevzeto vzdihnil ob pogledu nanj, posebej z dramatične višine srednjeveškega gradu. Blejsko jezero je bilo in ostaja ena od nosilnih podob ali simbolov našega turizma, sam kraj, ki se kot letovišče razvija že preko 150 let (da mnogo starejših, romarskih časov in starodavnih obiskovalcev termalnih vrelcev niti ne omenjam) pa stalno nadgrajuje svojo turistično ponudbo in kakovost produktov. V obdobju do 2. svetovne vojne je Bled že slovel kot svetovljanski zdraviliški in turistični kraj, najprej cesarske Avstrije in kasneje Kraljevine Jugoslavije. V zadnjih desetletjih se ta tradicija le nadaljuje.

Od predvojnega jet-seta do mednarodnih znanstvenikov Bled se nesporno uvršča med vodilne destinacije v Sloveniji za kongrese in poslovna srečanja srednje velikosti, kakor tudi za medvladne in diplomatsko-protokolarne dogodke. Naravne danosti in bližnja okolica s slikovitimi gorskimi kraji ter rekami pa ponujajo široko paleto možnosti za aktivna doživetja na prostem, različnih težavnostnih stopenj v praktično vseh letnih časih. Domiselnih idej za teambuilding ali incentive programe je na pretek, ampak o tem malo kasneje. Najprej en kratek pregled v preteklost in v »hardware«. Bled ni novo ime na kongresnem zemljevidu, saj je Festivalna dvorana s 500 sedeži eden od prvih prireditveno-kongresnih objektov v Sloveniji, naša najstarejša zasebna kongresna agencija, Albatros Bled, pa je bila ustanovljena leta 1986.

Novejše obdobje je prineslo na sceno nove igralce, saj so številni hoteli sprejeli strateške usmeritve, ki so narekovale vlaganja tudi v sodobno kongresno infrastrukturo in razvoj s tem povezanih produktov. Najmočnejša hotelska družba – Sava Hoteli Bled – v svojih šestih hotelih v razponu od treh do petih zvezdic ponuja največje hotelske konferenčne zmogljivosti v kraju, hkrati pa upravlja slikovito blejsko igrišče za golf z 18 + 9 igralnimi polji. V hotelih, dveh penzionih in apartmajski hiši razpolaga s preko 630 sobami in 1.000 ležišči. Nedavno prenovljen Hotel Golf, kjer največja dvorana sprejme 350 oseb v kino postavitvi, ima skupne zmogljivosti za do 900 udeležencev srečanj. Ta objekt se odlikuje tudi po večjem centru za dobro počutje z obsežnimi bazenskimi površinami. Tako Grand Hotel Toplice kot Hotel Park razpolagata z lastnimi sodobnimi dvoranami za izvedbo srečanj; v prvem, največja nudi prostor za max. 270 udeležencev, v drugem pa do 120, dopolnjujejo pa ju številne manjše enote. Manjša srečanja je možno izvesti tudi v od vrveža odmaknjenem hotelu Vila Bled (nekdaj letna rezidenca jugoslovanske kraljeve družine, nato pa predsedniška rezidenca Josipa Broza – Tita), ki je včlanjen v prestižno verigo Relais & Chateau. In tu pridem do asociacije na film »Soba z razgledom«, saj se iz večine naštetih prostorov odpira prelepa veduta na jezero in otok (edini v Sloveniji!) ter pečino, vrh katere kraljuje Blejski grad. Slednji je enkratno prizorišče za sprejeme in pogostitve, posebej v toplejših mesecih, ko je za dogodke možno uporabiti zunanje terase. Srednjeveški čas prikličejo graščak s spremstvom, ki pozdravi goste, vinska klet, nad katero bdi menih in stara grajska tiskarna z repliko Gutenbergove lesene tiskarske stiskalnice, kjer mojster Janez ustvarja odtise starih grafik. Možno je tudi gastronomsko doživetje teh davnih časov, saj se obisk gradu lahko zaključi s srednjeveško pojedino. Številni drugi hoteli v kraju, kot npr. oba Best Western hotela – Kompas in Lovec (štiri zvezdice, slednji popolnoma obnovljen), ter Jelovica in Astoria, med drugim ponujajo konferenčne prostore različnih dimenzij, z največjo zmogljivo-

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stjo 150 sedežev. Vse hotelske hiše brez izjeme si zelo prizadevajo za dovršeno kulinariko in visoko raven storitev, kar znajo ceniti tako počitniški kot poslovni gostje.

Kaj pa »software«? Aktivno nadgradnjo konference ali element incentive programa se lahko izvede na samem Bledu, možnosti pa se pomnožijo v radiju največ 40 kilometrov oddaljenosti. Vožnja s tradicionalno pletno do otoka ali raje tekmovanje v čolnih na delu trase veslaškega centra, kjer potekajo tudi prvenstva na svetovni ravni? Vožnje s kočijo okoli jezera ali jahalni treking po okolici? Organizacija golf turnirja? »Dine-around« – večerja s postanki na različnih točkah ob jezeru in spust plavajočih svečk, z voskom napolnjenih jajčnih lupin, ki čarobno osvetlijo gladino jezera?

Uprizoritev legende o potopljenem zvonu? Spoznavanje čebelarske in lectarske tradicije, ali tradicionalnih gostiln, vključno s tisto, kjer so doma svetovno znane legende alpskih poskočnic – Avseniki. V zimskem času akcija »vse na ledu« – od hitrega tečaja hokeja do iger na ledu ali celo disco programa ...? Pa sankanje z lokalnega smučišča Straža, kjer se je možno spustiti po adrenalinski trasi tudi poleti. Nedaleč stran, skok do Bohinjskega jezera, morda čez Pokljuško planoto, ki je raj za tekaško smučanje. Tam čakajo plezalne stene, adrenalinski park, gondola na Vogel (pozimi idealen kraj za igre na snegu ali smučarsko tekmovanje), od koder se odpre krasna panorama na Bohinjsko jezero in Julijce. Sledi planšarski golaž in obisk tradicionalne sirarne. Rafting na Savi, soteskanje v številnih rečnih pritokih v regiji, panoramski leti ali tandemski skoki s padalom, da planinskih in kolesarskih poti niti ne omenim, so niz vsega, kar je v teh krajih mogoče početi ali doživeti.

Bled je biser, Soča je smaragd ...

Bohinjski konec ima zelo dobro razvito hotelsko infrastrukturo, vendar je bolj usmerjen v počitniški turizem, zato največje seminarske zmogljivosti lahko sprejmejo do 100 gostov. Je pa, samo 35 km stran od Bleda, pravi raj

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za teambuilding programe. Le malo dlje, vendar v drugo smer, je Kranjska Gora, naš najbolj znan gorski turistični kraj in pomembno zimsko-športno središče, ki se je opredelila za razvoj konferenčnih storitev kot dopolnitve svoje druge pestre ponudbe.

Vodilno hotelsko podjetje v kraju, HIT Alpinea, upravlja pet hotelov s skupno 600 sobami pod blagovno znamko HIT Holidays Kranjska Gora. Konferenčne zmogljivosti – največje so v hotelih Kompas in Larix, so primerne za srečanja z do 360 udeleženci, kar je zmogljivost največje med 20 dvoranami.

Casinoja Relax in Larix, večnamenska športna in prireditvena dvorana Vitranc, center za dobro počutje Aqua Larix, ponujajo dodatne alternative za prijetno bivanje gostov. Lepe konferenčne zmogljivosti ima tudi hotel Lek, ki leži malo odmaknjen iz vaškega jedra proti jezeru Jasna, ob cesti, ki pelje na prelaz Vršič. Sama Kranjska Gora z okolico ponuja neštete možnosti za športne aktivnosti, rekreacijo in team building, tako v toplejši kot tudi v zimski sezoni. Kaj pravite na tečaj plezanja po ledenih slapovih? Izziv za manj in bolj adrenalinske tipe – poletno sankališče ali mountain bike park? Pa nočno sankanje ali z baklami osvetljen nočni sprehod s krpljami?

Vožnja s sanmi na pasjo vprego ali takimi na motorni pogon? Za manj drzne je morda dovolj miselni polet ob pogledu na planiške skakalnice v dolini Ponc ali foto-lov – slikanje živali v njihovem naravnem ambientu, v spremstvu izkušenega vodnika ...

In hop čez Vršič, na bovško stran, ob smaragdno Sočo, ki je v Sloveniji »zakon« za vodne adrenalinske športe. Do Posočja se da priti z Bleda tudi z muzejskim vlakom, ki pelje po slikoviti poti in je idealen izlet za skupine (za velike je možen tudi ekskluzivni zakup), prav tako slikovita pa je cesta, ki sem jo omenila. Bovec ravno zaradi Soče privablja množico navdušencev vodnih športov, z lego ob vznožju Kanina pa se v zimskih me-

secih spremeni v izhodišče za smučanje na najvišji legi v naši državi. V samem Bovcu sta dva hotela, ki razpolagata s konferenčnimi dvoranami za največ dvesto oseb, malo izven kraja pa je trdnjava Kluže, ki je res atraktivna lokacija za družabne ali kulturne dogodke. Posebna je tudi Pristava Lepena, idealen kompleks hišic v tradicionalnem slogu za manjše seminarje – v stiku z naravo in morda v sedlu, saj je pristava znana po jahalni ponudbi. V bližini Bovca je še mnogo slikovitih krajev, element motivacijskega potovanja pa je lahko tudi vožnja s starodobniki po stari, panoramski mangartski cesti ...

Pa še spust po dolini Soče do Kobarida, ki slovi po Muzeju 1. svetovne vojne in (skoraj neverjetno) nekaterih od najboljših restavracij v Sloveniji, do Tolmina, odkoder Soča bolj umirjeno vijuga proti nižje ležečim krajem. In manj kot uro vožnje stran (čudež male Slovenije) se odpre popolnoma drugačen svet vinorodnih Goriških Brd ...

Pogled proti severovzhodu države pa se zaustavi še v Logarski dolini (Kamniško Savinjske Alpe), ki je, takoj za Bledom, ena najbolj fotogeničnih in najpogosteje ovekovečenih alpskih vedut. V družinsko vodenem Hotelu Plesnik so lepe konferenčne zmogljivosti za manjša srečanja (do 80 sedežev v kino postavitvi), najnovejša pridobitev pa je dvorana za največ 150 udeležencev. Tako kot Bled je tudi Logarska dolina znana kot posebno prizorišče za poroke, saj je slikovitost narave in krajev nadvse lepa kulisa za slavnostne dogodke. Morda komu ta namig še kdaj pride prav.

Alpski prostor v Sloveniji je sinteza številnih vidikov našega življenjskega sloga: tam ohranjamo kulturno dediščino v starih mestnih jedrih in tradicionalnih vaseh, izročila starih obrti in običajev, predvsem pa spoštujemo, dihamo in se gibljemo z naravo. Predstavljajte si torej konferenco ali delovno srečanje s pogledom na hribe kot sredino slike, okoli katere lahko sestavite mozaik res različnih doživetij, kjer umetne kisikove kure prav gotovo niso potrebne ...

Tatjana Radovič, vodja kongresne dejavnosti, Zavod za turizem Ljubljana

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Rooms with a View – but not in Tuscany

Meetings and Incentives in the Alpine Region The Alpine region is certainly a defining characteristic of Slovenia’s tourist image and it’s also been an important factor in shaping its national identity – starting with its highest mountain peak, Triglav, which is prominent on the state coat of arms and celebrated in countless verses and melodies. It lies in the heart of the Triglav National Park – the only one of its kind in Slovenia – which covers nearly 84,000 hectares. Just about every municipality in the Julian Alps, where tourism is one of the most significant economic activities, extends to the edge of this protected area.

This tradition has continued in the past few decades, and Bled constantly strives to update its tourist offer and product quality.

From pre-war jet-setters to international scientists Bled is without doubt among the leading Slovenian destination for mediumsize congresses, corporate meetings as well as intergovernmental and diplomatic-protocol events. Its natural assets and surroundings, with picturesque mountains and rivers, offer a wide range of options for outdoor activities of various difficulty levels just about all year round. There are creative ideas for teambuilding or incentive programmes in abundance but they will be discussed later. First, a brief overview of the past and the ‘hardware’. Bled isn’t a new name on the congress map as the 500-seat Festival Hall was one of the first congress and event venues in Slovenia, and our oldest private congress agency, Albatros Bled, was set up in 1986.

The more recent period has brought new players onto the scene as several hotels have adopted strategic policies that push investment into modern congress infrastructure and the development of related products. The strongest hotel company – Sava Hoteli Bled – with their six hotels in the three to five-star range, has the biggest hotel conference capacities in Bled and also manages the picturesque Bled golf course with twin 18 + 9 holes. The hotels, two guest houses and an apartment building altogether have over 630 rooms and 1000 beds. The recently renovated Hotel Golf, where the largest hall accommodates 350 delegates theatre style, has a total meeting room capacity of 900 seats. This building boasts a large wellness centre and plentiful pool space. The Grand Hotel Toplice and the Hotel Park both have modern meeting facilities. The former has space for a maximum of 270 delegates and the latter up to 120. Both are complemented by numerous smaller function rooms. Smaller meetings can be held at the peaceful Vila Bled hotel, which used to be the residence of the Yugoslav royal family and later was a presidential residence of Josip Broz Tito. It’s now a member of the

The first image that comes to mind when people talk about the beauty of our country is an almost stereotypical one from our (insider’s) point of view … you know, Bled. Hardly any foreign visitors leave Slovenia without going there and sighing with admiration, especially when they catch the view of the lake from the dramatically towering medieval castle. Lake Bled is a fundamental image or symbol of our tourism, as is the town itself, which has been developing as a resort for over 150 years, not mentioning the earliest tourists - medieval pilgrims and, some centuries later, visitors to the thermal spas. Bled was a cosmopolitan health and tourist resort as early as before World War II, first in imperial Austrian times and then in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

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^ prestigious Relais & Chateau group.

And here we come to the association with the movie ‘A Room with a View’ as most places mentioned offer beautiful views of the landscape, the lake, the island - the only one in Slovenia - and the cliff, on top of which reigns Bled Castle. The castle is also an excellent venue for social functions, especially in the warmer months when its outside terraces can be used. The medieval era is conjured up by the lord of the castle and his retinue who greet guests, a wine cellar guarded by a monk and the castle’s old printing house with a replica of Gutenberg’s wooden printing press, where master Janez creates impressions of old graphics. These medieval days can also be relived gastronomically with a medieval feast at the end of the castle visit.

Other hotels in the locality, such as both Best Western hotels - the Kompas and Lovec (four star, the latter completely restored) - as well as the Jelovica and the Astoria offer, among other amenities, conference rooms of varying sizes for a maximum capacity of 150 delegates. All the hotels put great emphasis on exquisite culinary offers and a high service level, which are appreciated by both leisure and business guests.

What about the ‘software’? Bled allows conference add-ons such as active elements or an incentive programme, and the possibilities are even greater within a 40-kilometre radius. What can you choose? How about a ride to the island on a traditional ‘pletna boat’ or a boating competition on the part of the lake where the world rowing championships take place. Perhaps rides around the lake in a horse-drawn carriage or a riding trek around the area? What about a golf tournament?

‘Dine-around’ – dinner with stops at various places by the lake where you can release floating candles (eggshells filled with wax), which light up the lake surface wonderfully? Or a re-enactment of ‘the legend of the

sunken bell’? How about getting to know the beekeeping and gingerbread-making traditions or the traditional inns, including the one that’s home to the Avseniki, famous legends of Alpine folk dancing songs. In winter there’s the ‘everyone on ice’ special activity offer – everything from quick ice hockey courses to games and even a disco programme on the ice. Otherwise, you might like to try sledding on the local Straža ski slope, an adrenaline-rush inducing course you can even use in summer. The surrounding area offers a hike to the Bohinj Lake area or perhaps over the Pokljuka plateau, which is a cross-country skiing paradise. In Bohinj, you will find climbing walls, an adrenaline park and a cable car to Mount Vogel (an ideal place for snow games or skiing competitions in winter) where a magnificent panorama of Lake Bohinj and the Julian Alps unfolds. Rafting on the Sava, canyoning in the numerous streams in the region, panoramic flights or tandem parachuting – not to mention mountaineering and cycling paths - these activities are just a few more on the list of the things you can do and experience here.

Bled is a pearl, the Soča River is an emerald The Bohinj area has very well developed hotel infrastructure but it’s aimed more towards leisure tourism, which is why the largest seminar facilities only cater for up to 100 guests. However, there’s a paradise here for teambuilding programmes just 35 kilometres from Bled. Just a little further than that, but in another direction, is Kranjska Gora, our most famous mountain resort and an important winter sports centre, which has been developing conference services in addition to its existing rich offer.

The leading hotel company there is HIT Alpinea, which has five hotels with a total of 600 rooms under the HIT Holidays Kranjska Gora trademark. As for conference facilities belonging to this group (20 function rooms altogether), the biggest are in the Kompas and Larix hotels, where the seating capacity allows meetings of up to 360 delegates. The Relax and Larix casinos, the Vitranc multipurpose sports and event hall and the Aqua Larix wellness centre offer additional ways to enjoy a pleasant stay. The Lek hotel, just a short distance from the village towards Jasna Lake on the road up to the Vršič pass also has good meeting facilities. Kranjska Gora and its surroundings offer limitless options for sporting activities, recreation and teambuilding all year round. Why not try a beginner’s ice climbing course on frozen waterfalls.

How about a challenge with more or less adrenaline – a mountain bike park or a summer sledding slope? Perhaps night-time sledding is another option for you, or a torch-lit evening snow shoe walk? Riding a dog-sledge or a snowmobile? The less adventurous might be happy with an imaginary jump on the Planica ski jumps in the Ponce valley or photo-hunting with an experienced guide, photographing wildlife in its natural environment.

After a climb over the Vršič pass to the Bovec side we get to the emerald Soča River, which is Slovenia’s queen of adrenaline sports. You can also get to the Posočje area by taking a vintage train along a picturesque mountain route.

It’s an ideal excursion for groups, and for larger ones, the train can be hired exclusively. The road over Vršič is very picturesque. Bovec attracts a lot of water sports fans because of the Soča River. In winter, as it’s at the foot of Mt. Kanin, it’s a starting point for skiing the highest slopes in our country.

There are two hotels with meeting facilities in Bovec, with maximum seating for 200 guests. The nearby Kluže fortress is an original historic venue for social or cultural events. There’s also the special Pristava Lepena holiday village, a complex of traditional houses that are also suitable for smaller seminars in

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touch with nature and perhaps with the saddle, as Pristava Lepena is also known for its riding offer. The area round Bovec features many other scenic places and driving vintage cars along the old, panoramic Mangart road could be part of a breathtaking incentive programme.

Let’s now follow the stream of the SoÄ?a River valley towards Kobarid, famous for its World War I museum and, perhaps surprisingly, some of Slovenia’s best restaurants, and further on towards Tolmin, where the SoÄ?a starts to meander more calmly towards the sea. Less than an hour’s drive away - a miracle of Slovenia’s small size - is the completely different world of the GoriĹĄka Brda wine-growing region.

The Logarska valley in the KamniťkoSavinjske Alps is in the centre-north of the country. After Bled it’s one of the most photogenic and often-depicted Alpine landscapes in Slovenia. At the family-run Hotel Plesnik there are functional conference facilities for smaller meetings (up to 80 seats theatre style) and their latest addition is a hall for up to 150 delegates. Like Bled, the Logarska valley is also a special wedding venue as the stunning landscape makes an extraordinarily beautiful background for special occasions. Perhaps someone will find this tip useful in the future.

Slovenia’s Alpine regions are a synthesis of many aspects of our lifestyle. It’s where we keep our cultural heritage alive, in the traditions of old trades and customs in the old towns and traditional villages. But most of all, we respect, breathe and move with nature. Picture yourself a conference or a business meeting with mountain views in the centre of the scene, around which you can build a mosaic of vastly different experiences and where an oxygen bar is truly unnecessary‌

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SWOT analiza

Analiza kongresnega produkta na Bledu Poglavitne prednosti Bleda so na področju srečanj zagotovo njegove edinstvene naravne danosti, lahka dostopnost in prenovljene hotelske ter konferenčne zmogljivosti. Na Bledu ponujamo zaokrožen produkt, ki poleg izbire med nastanitvijo kategorije treh, štirih ali petih zvezdic in sodobnih dvoran vključuje celovito tehnično in strokovno podporo, raznoliko gostinsko ponudbo, sprostitvene programe, igranje golfa in številne možnosti za organizacijo motivacijskih srečanj v vseh letnih časih.

Nenazadnje se ponašamo z dolgoletnimi izkušnjami, saj Bled slovi po odlični organizaciji srečanj na najvišji ravni in je zato pogosto prizorišče pomembnih protokolarnih dogodkov.

Slabosti Bleda so zasedenost najbolj želenih terminov za poslovne dogodke, dotrajanost Festivalne dvorane in nezmožnost organizacije srečanj, večjih od 500 udeležencev. Soočamo se s prometnimi težavami, preobremenjeno regionalno cesto in pomanjkanjem parkirnih mest. Kot slabost vidimo tudi relativno neprepoznavnost Slovenije in vedno ostrejšo konkurenco drugih držav na področju poslovnih dogodkov.

Ena najpomembnejših priložnosti je zatorej dvig prepoznavnosti Slovenije. Pričakujemo, da bo k temu pripomoglo bližajoče se predsedovanje Slovenije Evropski uniji, kakor tudi prizadevanja Kongresnega urada in Slovenske turistične organizacije ter nadaljnje povezovanje ponudnikov. Priložnost za Bled je tudi prestavitev terminov srečanj v izvensezonske mesece, čemur smo vedno pogosteje priča v zadnjem letu. Omeniti velja še dokončanje avtoceste, izgradnjo blejske obvoznice, vzpostavitev novih letalskih linij in povezovanje s kongresnim centrom Brdo, ki ne razpolaga z lastnimi nastanitvenimi zmogljivostmi. Če smo pri slabostih omenili dotrajanost Festivalne dvorane, potem bi med priložnosti vsekakor vključili tudi obnovljeno Festivalno dvorano. Dejstvo je, da so načrti obnove in posodobitve v izdelavi (novi stoli, odrska tehnika, povečanje srednje dvorane za bankete in kabine za simultano prevajanje). Festivalna dvorana Bled bo že v letu 2008 obnovljena in bo še naprej ostala edina dvorana s 500 sedeži na Gorenjskem.

Poglavitno nevarnost vidimo v prodornejšem trženju drugih destinacij, ki so na zemljevidu poslovnih srečanj sorazmerno nove. Nenazadnje se bo marsikateri organizator srečanj pri izbiri destinacije odločal v prid cenejše, kar pa Bled v primerjavi z vzhodno Evropo zagotovo ni. Med nevarnostmi vidimo tudi bistveno boljše avio povezave destinacij v Evropi, ki uspešno tržijo kongresni produkt.

Petra Čuk in Alenka Bešter, Sava Hoteli Bled, www.hotelibled.com Eva Štravs Podlogar, Turizem Bled, www.bled.si

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SWOT Analysis

Analysis of the Bled Congress Product In the meetings field, Bled’s main advantages lie in its unique natural location, easy accessibility and renovated hotel and conference capabilities. Bled is a wellrounded product offering, in addition to its range of three-, four- or five-star accommodation and modern halls, integrated technical and professional support, diverse catering services, relaxation programmes, golf and numerous possibilities for organising motivational meetings in all seasons.

We have, after all, years of experience as Bled is famous for its excellent organisation of meetings at the highest level, which is why it’s often chosen as a venue for important protocol events.

Bled’s disadvantages are its (un)availability during the most desired times for business events, the poor condition of the Festival Hall and the inability to host meetings with more than 500 participants. There are also traffic problems, congestion on the regional road and a lack of places to park. Additional disadvantages are that Slovenia is still relatively unknown and we face ever-tougher competition from other countries in the field of business meeting organisation.

For this reason, one of the most important opportunities lies in raising the awareness of Slovenia. We expect this to improve due to Slovenia’s EU presidency as well as the efforts of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, the Slovenian Tourist Board and, lastly, the continuing integration of service providers.

Another opportunity for Bled is to move meeting dates to the off-season months, which has been happening more and more in the past year. Other opportunities are the completion of the highway, building the Bled bypass, the establishment of new air routes and integration with Brdo Congress Centre, which has no accommodation capacities of its own. If under the weaknesses we mentioned the dilapidation of the Festival Hall, then we can definitely include the renovated Festival Hall under opportunities. It is a fact that the renovation and updating plans are under production (new chairs, stage technology, enlargement of the medium hall for banquets and simultaneous translation booths). The Bled Festival Hall will be renovated already in 2008 and will remain the only hall in the Gorenjska region with seating for 500 visitors.

The main danger that we see is other destinations that are comparatively new on the business meeting map improving their marketing. Additionally, Bled is certainly not cheap, in comparison with Eastern Europe, and many meeting organisers may choose a cheaper destination based purely on price. We see the threats also in the significantly improved flights to European destinations that are successfully marketing congress tourism.

Petra Čuk in Alenka Bešter, Sava Hoteli Bled, www.hotelibled.com Eva Štravs Podlogar, Turizem Bled, www.bled.si

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Adria Airways

V pripravi številne novosti Predsednik uprave Adrie Airways Tadej Tufek, 32-letni magister znanosti s področja ekonomije in poslovnih ved, je v dobrem letu in pol vodenja nacionalnega letalskega prevoznika uspešno saniral podjetje. V tem času se je družba dokapitalizirala in s tem omogočila širjenje in optimiziranje flote za redni in čarterski promet. S predsednikom uprave smo se pogovarjali o poslovnih načrtih in novostih, ki jih pripravljajo na področju kongresnega turizma.

Kako ste zadovoljni s poslovnimi rezultati v prvi polovici leta 2007?

Dosedanji poslovni rezultati so dobri in so posledica trdega dela vseh zaposlenih in sledenju ciljem, ki smo si jih zastavili. Verjamem, da bo tako tudi ob koncu leta, saj je večina rezultatov v skladu s planiranimi ali jih celo presegajo. Po uspešni sanaciji in reorganizaciji podjetja smo letos uspeli pridobiti zaupanje lastnikov in v družbo pripeljati svež kapital. Odločili smo se za strategijo razvoja in rasti potniškega prometa, tako poslovnega segmenta kot čarterskega ter v sistematičnost delovanja na področju tehnične podpore in vzdrževanja letal.

Floto letal smo v maju dopolnili z dvema novima, tehnološko sodobnima, okolju prijaznejšima, udobnima in ekonomičnima letaloma kanadskega proizvajalca Bombardier Aerospace, CRJ 900, ki sta odlično zapolnila vrzel med večjimi Airbusi in malimi CRJ 200. Tako smo izboljšali odstotek zasedenosti potniške kabine, s čimer smo povečali učinkovitost, kar se kaže tudi na rezultatih poslovanja.

V prvi polovici leta smo prepeljali več kot pol milijona potnikov, dvignili zasedenost potniške kabine na povprečno mesečno raven 70 odstotkov, odprli nove destinacije in ponudili nove produkte. Vzpostavili smo nov pristop v trženju in oglaševanju naših letal in povečali ugled blagovne znamke Adria. Na večih področjih smo še poglobili sodelovanje z združenjem letalskih prevoznikov Star Alliance, tudi pri vzpostavitvi ponudbe za kongresni turizem »Conventions Plus« in uspešno vpeljali elektronsko vozovnico. Postopoma bomo uvedli možnost prijave na let preko interneta »Web check in«, ki bo olajšal prijavo predvsem poslovnim uporabnikom, saj bo skrajšal postopke prijave na letaliških okencih.

Zelo pomembna novost bo tudi SMS-obvestilo, s katero bo potnik lahko obveščen o morebitnih zamudah letov. Proučujemo že možnost uvedbe nakupa letalske vozovnice preko mobilnega telefona. Ponudili bomo torej več novosti, s ka-

Tadej Tufek (Foto/Photo: Dean Dubokovič)

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terimi se želimo še bolj približati potnikom.

Kako ocenjujete letalsko dostopnost Slovenije v primerjavi z ostalimi kongresnimi destinacijami v okolici Slovenije (Avstrija, severna Italija, Hrvaška)?

Republika Slovenija je z direktnimi letalskimi povezavami, ki jih ponujamo v Adrii Airways z Letališča Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana, z vključenostjo Adrie Airways v združenje letalskih prevoznikov Star Alliance in tudi z drugimi partnerji slovenskega letalskega prevoznika, povezana s celim svetom. Samo naš prevoznik leti na preko dvajset rednih destinacij, na nekatere tudi večkrat dnevno. Poleg rednega prevoza ponujamo številne čarterske lete in nudimo storitev zakupa letala za različne potrebe, ki postaja tudi v slovenskem prostoru vedno bolj aktualna.

Počasi se odpira tudi mariborsko letališče, kar Slovenijo še bolj zbližuje in povezuje z ostalimi kraji v Evropi.

Ali v prihodnjem letu načrtujejte nove redne letalske povezave in širitev vaše flote?

V luči predsedovanja Republike Slovenije Evropski uniji, porastu letalskega prometa in tudi konstantni rasti poslovno kongresnega turizma seveda načrtujejemo nove letalske povezave. V letošnjem letu smo odprli dodatne linije znotraj poslovnih središč Evropske unije. Za naslednje leto že potekajo dogovori v smeri boljše povezave Slovenije s skandinavskimi državami, za odprtje nove redne letalske povezave s Španijo in Grčijo in še kaj. V načrtu imamo povečati našo floto letal še za najmanj eno letalo CRJ-900.

Ali na nivoju družbe spremljate delež poslovnih in kongresnih gostov, ki potujejo z vašo letalsko družbo? Kakšen je bil ta delež po vaši oceni v preteklem letu?

V Adrii Airways predstavljajo poslovni leti levji delež v poslovanju. Število poslovnih potnikov pa konstantno narašča. Tudi po naših analizah prodanih vozovnic poslovnega razreda.

V Adrii posvečamo veliko skrb poslovnemu potniku. Letimo v glavna poslovna središča Evrope, v Frankfurt, Zuerich, Muenchen in drugam, na primarna letališča, večinoma tudi večkrat dnevno. Trudimo se, da frekvence naših letov časovno ustrezajo sodobnemu poslovnežu. Za poslovne in pogoste potnike uporabljamo Star Alliance priority in nagrajujemo zvestobo naših potnikov v programu zbiranja milj Miles & More. Redno spremljamo kvaliteto obroka na letalu in smernice ponudbe kvalitetne storitve, ki so v uporabi pri letalskih prevoznikih.

Po izvedenih anketah, ki jih opravljamo dvakrat letno, je tipičen Adriin potnik moški poslovnež srednjih let.

Mag. Marjan Ravnikar, podpredsednik uprave in mag. Tadej Tufek, predsednik uprave Adria Airways. • Marjan Ravnikar, M.Sc., Vice President of the Board of Adria Airways, and Tadej Tufek, M.Sc., Presedient of the Board of Adria Airways. (Foto/Photo: Dean Dubokovič)

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Ali Adria Airways načrtuje posebne produkte za kongresne in poslovne goste?

V Adrii se zavedamo, da je področje dogodkov tisti del turističnega gospodarstva, ki je v nenehnem vzponu, kar Slovenija vidno dokazuje z večanjem razpoložljivih kapacitet. Adria je članica Zavoda Kongresnoturistični urad in aktivno sodeluje v slovenskem poslovnem turizmu. Redno se udeležuje promocijskih aktivnosti v organizaciji Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad ter STO, kar vključuje udeležbo na slovenski kongresni borzi SIMEX, na svetovnih borzah ter sejmih s področja poslovnega turizma (IMEX v Frankfurtu, EIBTM v Barceloni ter EMIF v Bruslju), ter na različnih workshop-ih. Sodelovanje smo na področju kongresnega turizma nadgradili še s programom združenja Star Alliance »Conventions Plus«, kjer Star Alliance enotno nastopa kot uradni letalski prevoznik (v letu 2008 med drugim za WCET).

Na kakšen način lahko Adria Airways pomaga in sodeluje z organizatorji večjih mednarodnih kongresov?

Kot slovenski nacionalni letalski prevoznik lahko ponudimo storitev prevoza udeležencev preko naših rednih linij ali tudi kot zakupljen let. Ponudimo lahko poslovno sodelovanje na področju nudenja vseh letalskih prevoznih storitev na progah Adrie Airways za udeležence vašega dogodka, in sicer kot uradni letalski prevoznik. Podrobnosti sodelovanja se določijo s podpisom dogovora.

Udeležencem kongresov v sklopu dogovora z organizatorjem zagotavljamo določen popust na naših direktnih linijah ter ostale izpolnitve obveznosti iz dogovora. Če ugotovimo, da dogodek ustreza kriterijem združenja Star Alliance, kar je odvisno od velikosti kongresa, števila držav ter kontinentov, iz katerih udeleženci prihajajo, lahko dogovor razširimo na vse članice združenja, ki bodo privolile v sodelovanje in tako ponudimo vse prednosti produkta »Conventions Plus«.

Kako ocenjujete pomen poslovnega in kongresnega turizma kot enega od slovenskih turističnih produktov in ali je po vašem mnenju konkurenčen na globalnem trgu?

V zadnjih letih je opazen porast slovenskega poslovnega in kongresnega turizma. Z rastjo ponudbe se izboljšuje tudi kvaliteta. Lahko bi rekli, da je že primerljiva in konkurenčna na globalnem trgu. Za preboj v sam vrh prepoznavnosti bo potrebno storiti še kaj v trženju produktov, povezanosti vseh udeležencev pri ponudbi celovitega produkta in programov obkongresnih dejavnosti. Je pa področje dogodkov tisti del turističnega gospodarstva, ki je v nenehni porasti, kar se dokazuje tudi z večjo ponudbo in razpoložljivostjo kapacitet v Sloveniji, tako prenočitev in kongresnih prostorov.

Kaj bi po vašem mnenju morali v Sloveniji izboljšati na področju ponudbe kongresnega in poslovnega turizma?

Vsi akterji v nekem produktu bi morali nastopati bolj povezano in enovito, se povezati med seboj in ponuditi enovit produkt z vsemi predpostavkami. Ravno v tej smeri delujemo tudi v Adrii Airways. Adria Airways, regionalna članica združenja Star Alliance je tudi članica Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad ter hkrati aktivni akter v slovenskem poslovnem turizmu. V letošnjem letu smo se pridružili prestižnemu združenju ponudnikov kongresnegqa turizma MPI – Meetings Professionals International, na kar smo še posebej ponosni.

Kaj menite o pomenu nizkocenovnih prevoznikov za poslovni in kongresni turizem?

Menim, da je za poslovni in kongresni turizem struktura in vsebina ponudbe rednih letalskih prevoznikov bolj prilagojena njihovim potrebam. Gre za zahtevnejše goste in letalske potnike, ki pričakujejo kakovostno in kvalitetno storitev, od rezervacije vozovnice naprej. Redni letalski prevoznik ponuja možnost večje izbire destinacij in prihoda na dejansko željeno destinacijo. Adria Airways kot regionalna članica združenja Star Alliance nudi svojim potnikom povezavo z ostalimi članicami združenja na preko 850 destinacij po celem svetu. Ravno tako v sklopu Star Allianca nudimo našim potnikom vse prednosti produkta »Convention Plus«, ki smo ga v Adrii tudi podprli, z namenom, da našim potnikom ponudimo kvalitetno in cenovno primerno ponudbo. Nizkocenovni prevozniki izvajajo drugačen pristop k letalskemu prometu in se po kvaliteti storitve prevoza potnikov ne morejo primerjati z rednimi letalskimi prevozniki.

Kako ocenjujete pomen predsedovanja Slovenije EU za razvoj turizma in kakšna bo vloga Adrie Airways?

Predsedovanje Republike Slovenije EU v prvi polovici leta 2008 je za celotno slovensko gospodarstvo izrednega pomena. Še posebej se bo povečala prepoznavnost naše dežele, tako v Evropski uniji kot v svetu in posledično tudi Adrie Airways. To je odlična priložnost za razvoj turizma, ki je nikakor ne smemo prepustiti naključju. Adria Airways se na predsedovanje že pripravlja. V septembru smo povečali število letov v Bruselj. Dodali smo dve novi frekvenci, tako da v Bruselj letimo 18 krat tedensko; od ponedeljka do petka kar trikrat dnevno. Povečali smo tudi število letov med drugimim evropskimi prestolnicami, med njimi Frankfurt, Zuerich in Muenchen in dodali nov let v Amsterdam. V času predsedovanja računamo na porast potnikov poslovnežev in tukaj ima kongresna turistična dejavnost svojo priložnost, da predstavi programe in poveča kongresno in turistično privlačnost Slovenije v svetu.

Gorazd Čad

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Adria Airways

Numerous Novelties being prepared Tadej Tufek, the President of the Board of Adria Airways, the 32-year old Master of Sciences in Economy and Business Sciences, has successfully rehabilitated the company in a good year and a half of managing the national airline. During this period, the company has performed a capital increase, thus providing for the expansion and optimization of the fleet for the regular and charter transport. We have been talking with the President of the Board about the business plans and novelties that the company is preparing in the field of congress tourism.

How pleased are you with the business results for the first half of 2007?

The present business results are good and a consequence of hard work of all the employees and the result of following set goals. I believe that the situation will be the same at the end of the year, since most of the results are in accordance with the planned ones or even surpass them. After the successful rehabilitation and reorganisation of the company, we managed to gain the trust of owners this year and brought fresh capital to the company.

We decided for the strategy of development and growth of passenger transport both in the business and the charter segment and for the systematic operation in the field of technical support and aircraft maintenance. In May, our aircraft fleet was complemented with two new, technologically more capable, environment friendlier, more comfortable and more economic aircrafts of the Canadian manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace, CRJ 900, which excellently filled the gap between the bigger Airbuses and the smaller CRJ 200s. In this manner, we managed to increase the percentage of occupancy of the passenger cabin, thus also increasing efficiency, which is evident also in our business results. In the first half year, we transported over half a million passengers, increased the occupancy of the passenger cabin to an average monthly level of 70 percent, opened new destinations and offered new products. We generated a new approach in marketing and advertising of our aircrafts and increased the Adria brand image. In several fields, we even deepened our cooperation with Star Alliance, including establishing our “Convention Plus” offer of conference tourism and successfully introduced the e-ticket. We will gradually introduce the possibility of checking in over the internet, “Web check in”, which will facilitate checking ins, especially for business users, as it will cut short procedures of checking in at airport counters. A very important novelty will also be the SMS notifications by means of which the passenger will have the opportunity of being notified of flight delays. We are also already looking into the option of introducing purchasing of flight tickets with the help of mobile phones. We are, therefore, going to offer several novelties, which are aimed at reaching the users even more.

How would you estimate the plane accessibility of Slovenia compared to other congress destinations in its vicinity (Austria, northern Italy, Croatia)?

With its direct air connections offered by Adria Airways from the Jože Pučnik Airport, with the inclusion of Adria Airways in Star Alliance and with other partners of the Slovenian national air carrier, Slovenia is connected with the entire world. Our carrier itself flies to over twenty regular destinations, to some even several times a day. In addition to scheduled passenger service, we also offer several charter flights and the service of leasing an aircraft for various needs, which is becoming increasingly interesting in Slovenia. The Maribor airport is slowly opening as well, which additionally brings Slovenia closer to and connects it with other European destinations.

Tadej Tufek (Foto/Photo: Dean Dubokovič)

Are you planning any new scheduled air connections and expansions of your fleet for the next year?

In the light of Slovenia’s Presidency of the European Union, the increase of air traffic and the constant growth of the business and congress tourism, we are of course planning new air connections. This year, we have already opened additional lines within business centres of the European Union. For the next year, we are already conducting talks aimed at offering better connection of Slovenia with the Scandinavian countries, at opening a new scheduled air connection with

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Spain and Greece and more. We plan to increase our aircraft fleet by at least one more CRJ-900 aircraft.

At the level of the company, do you follow the share of business and congress guests travelling with your airline? In your estimate, what was the share of such passengers in the previous year?

With Adria Airways, business flights take up the lion’s share of operation and the number of business passengers is constantly rising, which is also evident from our analysis of the number of sold business class tickets.

We at Adria pay special attention to the business passenger. We fly to the main European business centres, to Frankfurt, Zurich, Munich and elsewhere, to their primary airports, mostly several times a day. We strive to prepare the frequency of our flights so as to comply with the modern businessperson. For our business and frequent passengers, we use the Star Alliance priority and award the loyalty of our passengers as part of our Miles & More programme. We regularly follow the quality of meals served aboard the airplane and the guidelines concerning offer of a quality service as used by air carriers. Judging from the conducted surveys carried out twice a year, Adria’s typical passenger is a middle-aged businessman.

Does Adria Airways plan any special products for congress and business guests?

We at Adria are aware that the area of events is that part of the tourist economy, which is constantly rising, which Slovenia evidently proves by increasing available capacities. Adria is a member of the Slovenian Convention Bureau and actively partakes in Slovenian business tourism. It regularly participates in promotional activities of the Slovenian Convention Bureau and the Slovenian Tourist Board, including also the

participation at the Slovenian Exhibition for Incentive Travel, Meetings and Events (SIMEX), at worldwide exhibitions and fairs from the area of business tourism (IMEX in Frankfurt, EIBTM in Barcelona and EMIF in Brussles) as well as at various workshops. We even additionally upgraded our partaking in the area of congress tourism with the Star Alliance “Conventions Plus” programme, where Star Alliance is uniformly present as the official air carrier (in 2008 also for WCET).

In what way can Adria Airways help and cooperate with organizers of bigger international congresses?

As the Slovenian national air carrier, we can offer the service of the transport of participants through our scheduled flights as well as through a leased flight.

As the official air carrier, we can provide business cooperation in the area of offering all air transport services on Adria Airways’ lines for the participants of the event. Details of the cooperation are settled by means of a signed agreement.

As part of the agreement with the organiser, we ensure participants of the congress a certain discount on our direct lines and fulfilment of other obligations stated in the agreement. If it is ascertained that the event corresponds to the criteria set by Star Alliance, which depends on the size of the congress and the number of participating countries and continents, the agreement can be expanded to all members of the Alliance which would consent to cooperation, thus offering all advantages of the “Convention Plus” product.

How do you estimate the importance of the business and congress tourism as one of Slovenian tourist products and do you see such tourism to be competitive on the global market?

In the last few years, an increase in the Slovenian congress and business tourism is evident. With the growth of the offer, the quality is increasing as well.

We might say that it is already comparable to and competitive on the global market. For the breakthrough to the top of recognition, much needs to be done in marketing of the products, connection of all participants in offering an overall product and programme of accompanying congress activities. The area of events is that part of the tourist economy, which is constantly rising, which is evident from a bigger offer and availability of capacities in Slovenia, both in overnight stays and congress facilities.

In your opinion, what should be improved in Slovenia in the area of congress and business tourism offer?

All players of a product should be more connected and uniform, link up and offer a more uniform product with all assumptions. This is exactly the direction in which we at Adria Airways are operating. Adria Airways, a regional member of Star Alliance, is also a member of the Slovenian Convention Bureau and at the same time an active player in Slovenian business tourism. This year, we joined the prestigious association of providers of congress tourism, MPI – Meetings Professionals International, of which we are especially proud.

What do you think about the significance of low-fare airlines for business and congress tourism?

It is my opinion that for the business and congress tourism, the structure and contents of regular air carriers’ offer is more adapted to their needs. These are more demanding guests and air passengers who expect a quality service from the reservation of the ticket onwards. A regular air carrier provides the possibility of a bigger choice in destination and the arrival to the actual desired

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destination. Adria Airways, as a regional Star Alliance member, offers its passengers connections with other alliance members to over 850 destinations thorough the world.

As part of Star Alliance, we also offer our passengers all advantages of the “Convention Plus” product, supported

by Adria with the intent to offer our passengers a quality and value for money offer. Low-fare airlines have a different approach to air traffic and in quality of passenger transport services cannot be compared to regular air carriers.

How would you estimate the importance of Slovenia’s EU Presidency for the development of tourism and what will the role of Adria Airways be?

Slovenia’s Presidency of the European Union in the first half of 2008 is of utmost importance for the entire Slovenian economy. It will especially increase our country’s recognition both in the European Union and the world, and consequently also the recognition of Adria Airways. This is an excellent opportunity for the development of tourism, which we must not leave to chance.

Adria Airways is already preparing itself for the Presidency. In September, we increased the number of flights to Brussels. We added two new frequencies, so that we fly to Brussels 18 times a week, from Monday to Friday as much as three times a day.

We also increased the number of flights between other European capitals, among them Frankfurt, Zurich and Munich and we added a new flight to Amsterdam. During the Presidency, we expect an increase in the number of business passengers and it is here that the congress tourist activity has its chance to present its programmes thus enhancing the congress and tourist appeal of Slovenia in the world.

Gorazd Čad

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EIBTM 2007

Osrednja svetovna borza za kongresni turizem Borza EIBTM se je v zadnjih štirih letih uveljavila kot osrednja svetovna borza za kongresni turizem. Letošnja borza bo potekala med 27. in 29. novembrom v Barceloni, na njej pa se bo predstavila tudi Slovenska turistična organizacija v sodelovanju z Zavodom-Kongresnoturistični urad. O borzi EIBTM 2007, ki jo organizira podjetje Reed Travel Exhibitions, smo se pogovarjali z Mandy Torrens, direktorico sejma EIBTM in Paulom Kennedyjem, direktorjem grupacije strokovni sejmi v korporaciji Reed Travel Exhibitions. Zaupala sta nam, kakšna so pričakovanja organizatorjev za EIBTM 2007, kakšne so novosti v primerjavi s preteklimi leti, kakšen bo spremljevalni in izobraževalni program ter kakšni so načrti za prihodnost.

Kakšna so pričakovanja organizatorjev glede sodelovanja razstavljavcev in gostujočih kupcev na EIBTM 2007?

EIBTM 2007, ki bo potekal med 27. in 29. novembrom, bo na eni izmed vodilnih in najpopularnejših lokacij, v Barceloni, povezal strokovnjake za srečanja in tako omogočil poslovne priložnosti brez primere, izjemne priložnosti za mreženje in vrhunsko strokovno izobraževanje. EIBTM 2007 bo pod eno streho v treh dneh omogočal srečanja več kot 2800 vabljenih kupcev z vsega sveta. Na letošnjem dogodku bo po pričakovanjih zastopanih več kot 95 držav in več kot 6000 gostujočih kupcev, obiskovalcev sejma ter novinarjev z vsega sveta.

Novi razstavljavci, ki so letošnjo udeležbo že potrdili, so med drugimi Chile Tourism, Prestige Hotels of the World, Vietnam, Korea, Nepal, Fairmont/Raffles in Vincci Hotels, medtem ko številni razstavljavci letos povečujejo svoj razstavni prostor, med njimi razstavljavci iz Argentine, s Švedske, iz Hrvaške, iz Dominikanske republike, Hongkonga, Romunije, z Norveške, Islandije, iz Avstrije, Egipta in s Slovaške ter Turismo Andaluz in Maison de la France.

EIBTM kupcem pomaga poiskati nove destinacije in storitve, medtem ko omogoča dogodke za mreženje in navezovanje stikov, kot tudi sledenje trenutnim trendom. Resnično univerzalno občestvo obiskovalcev vključuje podjetja, združenja, agencije, profesionalne konferenčne organizacije in strokovne medije.

Kako bo regionalizacija dogodkov EIBTM vplivala na glavni dogodek; bo imel EIBTM zaradi tega manj obiskovalcev?

Regionalizacije dogodkov EIBTM ni. Kot spremljevalne dogodke EIBTM-ja in AIME-ja v Melbournu smo izvedli nekaj precej različnih dogodkov, kot sta

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GIBTM (Abu Dhabi) in CIBTM (Peking); to je, s precejšnjim povečanjem števila novih razstavljavcev in gostujočih kupcev, odlično učinkovalo na EIBTM. Katere so novosti EIBTM 2007?

EIBTM 2007 je poln novih idej za kongresno industrijo. Rekordna je udeležba novih razstavljavcev, med katerimi so Kitajska nacionalna turistična organizacija (China National Tourist Office (prvič), Nepal, Sun International, Ekvador, Vietnam, Prestige Hotels of the World; in do zdaj najštevilčnejši udeleženci iz vzhodno- in srednjeevropskih držav, vštevši Hrvaško, Madžarsko, Romunijo, Poljsko in Srbijo. Prvič se samostojno predstavljata dve večji evropski mesti – München in Birmingham, mnogi drugi razstavljavci pa se po nekajkratni odsotnosti vračajo na prizorišče EIBTM, med njimi Visit Florida, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, Nova Zelandija, Koreja in Zacchera Hotels. Poleg tega je več kot štirideset glavnih razstavljavcev povečalo svoje razstavne prostore.

Nove pobude za 2007 vključujejo: • Novo, ločeno področje Mediteran in večjo zastopanost Španije kot cilja potovanja, ki je v poročilu Industry Trends and Market Share 2006 zavzela prvo mesto kot »najbolj zaželena država za konferenčno in spodbujevalno poslovanje«.

• Tehnološko uro, ki bo v razpravah in interaktivnih delavnicah postregla z različnimi temami s področja tehnologije. Dobrodošel je vsakdo, ki želi od vodilnih strokovnjakov pridobiti informacije o najnovejših tehnoloških trendih in o tem, kako jih kar najbolje izkoristiti.

• MPI Technology Village @ EIBTM, ki je razprodan (23 razstavljavcev) in vključuje številne novince, kot so Celcom, Spotme, Sherpa Solutions, Global Executive in a2z Inc., ki se pridružujejo stalnim razstavljavcem MICEpoint, Meeting Matrix Interna-

tional, Vivian Virtual Event Designer in Parrimark Technology, če jih naštejemo le nekaj.

• Razširjeni Event Services Village z 21 razstavljavci – z več kot 30-odstotnim povečanjem od leta 2006.

• Večje število Post Event Tours, ki vključujejo osem novih destinacij, kot so Alicante, Oviedo, San Sebastian, Salamanca, Toledo, Madrid, Valencia in Benetke. Letos lahko gostujoči kupci s ponovno potrditvijo sodelovanja izbirajo

Kompas Corporate KONGRESI, POSLOVNA POTOVANJA, LETALSKE VOZOVNICE

Kompas Corporate je Kompasova blagovna znamka za vrhunske celostne storitve za vse poslovne uporabnike – podjetja, razli~ne ustanove in vladne institucije iz Slovenije in tujine.

Ne glede na to, kaj želite – letalsko vozovnico ali celotno organizacijo konference kjerkoli na svetu – je Kompas Corporate tu zato, da poskrbi za vse.

telefon: 01 2006 151 • congressesakompas.si • www.kompas.si 61

med skupno 13 destinacijami (z Amsterdamom, Londonom, Bilbaom, Costa Daurado in Sitgesom).

• Novi, tretji Hosted Buyer Lounge ter več dogodkov za mreženje in izobraževanje.

Kdo so ključni partnerji dogodka leta 2007?

Naši ključni partnerji ostajajo Barcelona Convention Bureau, Gremi d’Hoteles (the Barcelona Hotels Association), Turespana, Ultramar Express Event Management (naš DMC) in BCD (turistične agencije). Seveda nas neposredno podpirajo vodilna združenja panoge in več kot 60 svetovnih medijskih partnerjev.

Kako je zagotovljena kakovost programa gostujočih kupcev?

Program gostujočih kupcev EIBTM je odprt za posameznike, ki organizirajo, imajo vpliv ali proračunsko odločajo o mednarodnih srečanjih, konferencah, zborovanjih, poslovnih potovanjih in lansiranju izdelkov. Vsak gostujoči kupec mora izpolnjevati stroga kvalifikacijska merila, vključno z letnim proračunom, s številom izvedb mednarodnih dogodkov in z ravnjo odgovornosti, preden je sprejet v program. Ko je kupec registriran v programu, izbere razstavljavca, s katerim se želi srečati med obiskom prireditve, zanje pa je prirejen tudi predrazpored dogovorjenih srečanj. Prednosti udeležbe v programu Hosted Buyer so številne in vključujejo: - program za kupčev osebni predrazpored dogovorjenih srečanj z mednarodnimi razstavljavci;

- osebni spletni dnevnik s poudarjenimi predrazporedi dogovorjenih srečanj, ki omogoča povpraševanje po dodatnih srečanjih z več razstavljavci; - dovolj časa za raziskovanje in doživetje EIBTM zunaj predrazporejenih dogovorjenih srečanj; - dostop do profesionalnega izobraževalnega programa s specifičnimi programi za agencije, združenja in družbe; - neprecenljive priložnosti mreženja in dostop do ekskluzivnih dnevnih prostorov za mreženje Hosted Buyer; - brezplačno potovanje in nastanitev; - lokalne prevoze med letališčem, hotelom in Fira Gran Via; - priložnost za udeležbo na enem izmed mnogih porazstavnih potovanj, ki se organizirajo za gostujoče kupce.

Obiskovalci, ki niso kvalificirani kot gostujoči kupci, se lahko dogodka udeležijo kot obiskovalci sejma, EIBTM pa ponuja popust za lete z letalsko družbo Iberia in znižane cene bivanja v uradnih hotelih EIBTM. Kakšen je letošnji program spremljevalnih dogodkov?

EIBTM se v celoti posveča dvigovanju standardov panoge, saj spodbuja izobraževanje in razvoj skozi njegov hitro razširjajoč se in inovativen izobraževalni program v Barceloni. Letošnji Agency Programme bo poskrbel za vrhunske izobraževalne seminarje, ki bodo pokrivali ključne teme in težave, s katerimi se danes sooča naša panoga. Program obsega dopoldansko, strukturirano izobraževanje in bo izpolnjeval specifične zahteve mednarodnih agentov. Program Corporate Programme bo zagotovil visoko usmerjeno profesionalno izobraževanje in je edinstven zato, ker je edini mednarodni program, namenjen izključno srečevanju načrtovalcev iz korporacijskih organizacij. Program obsega dve različni izobraževalni uri in večer mreženja. Program EIBTM Association Programme je prilagojen zahtevam zaposlenih načrtovalcev kongresov in srečanj. V šestem letu nov programski okvir kupcem ponuja tridnevno demonstracijo. Izobraževanje bo v torek popoldne in v sredo dopoldne, mreženje v sredo zvečer, v četrtek pa bo na voljo več časa za obisk EIBTM in srečanja z razstavljavci.

EIBTM je več kot le razstava; omogoča številne priložnosti za sprostitev in utrjevanje poslovnih vezi ob številnih prireditvah, ki bodo potekale ves čas trajanja dogodka. Gostje so vabljeni k mreženju na eni izmed številnih prireditev, ki bodo potekale v treh dneh trajanja EIBTM – od zabave z dobrodošlico in nagrad EIBTM do porazstavnih potovanj; EIBTM vsakomur ponuja priložnost za srečanje s starimi in novimi prijatelji, medtem ko okuša radosti Barcelone.

Ali načrtujete širitev EIBTM v nove regije?

Da, lansirali bomo nove dogodke, načrte pa bomo objavili v naslednjih mesecih.

Kako bo letos predstavljena alpsko-jadranska regija?

EIBTM je doživel pomemben porast pri letošnji udeležbi novih razstavljavcev, veliko razstavljavcev pa se vrača in ti povečujejo svoj razstavni prostor.

Večja evropska mesta, kot sta München in Birmingham, imajo že potrjene samostojne predstavitve, prvič pa pozdravljamo Adventure Myanmar – DMC iz Burme in China National Tourist Office, kar je odlična novica za bližajoče se olimpijske igre.

Slovenija letos na EIBTM sodeluje na novi lokaciji, na razstavni površini skupaj z drugimi destinacijami iz regije, vključno s Hrvaško, ki je letos svoj razstavni prostor povečala za 33 odstotkov, z Romunijo, ki ga je povečala za 64 odstotkov, s Slovaško, katere razstavni prostor je večji za tretjino, in z Madžarsko. Ukrajina se letos predstavlja na dveh razstavnih prostorih – National Tourist Organisation of Ukraine in Olymp Travel. Tudi Italija bo na predstavitvi z dvonadstropnim razstavnim prostorom, nameščenim v novem delu, kjer bodo razstavne površine razstavljavcev iz južnih sredozemskih držav, naredila velik vtis.

Gorazd Čad

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EIBTM 2007

New Ideas for the Meetings Industry The EIBTM exhibition has established itself in the last four years as the central global exhibition for congress tourism. This year's exhibition will take place between 27 and 29 November in Barcelona. The Slovenian Tourist Board will also be presenting itself in cooperation with the Slovenian Convention Bureau.

We spoke with Mandy Torrens, EIBTM Exhibition Director, and Paul Kennedy, Reed Travel Exhibitions Group Exhibition Director, about the EIBTM 2007 exhibition organised by Reed Travel Exhibitions. They told us about the expectations of the organisers of EIBTM 2007, what the novelties are in comparison with previous years, what the accompanying and educational programme will be, and what their plans for the future are.

What are the organisers' expectations for exhibitor and hosted buyer participation at EIBTM 2007?

EIBTM 2007, taking place from 27-29th November, will connect meeting professionals in Barcelona, one of the world's leading and most popular destinations, creating unrivalled business opportunities, exceptional networking opportunities and cutting-edge professional education.

EIBTM 2007 offers a chance to meet over 2,800 global suppliers under one roof over a three-day period. Over 95 countries are represented, with 6,000+ Hosted Buyers, Trade Visitors and Press from around the world expected to be at this year’s event.

New exhibitors confirmed as participants this year include, amongst others, Chile Tourism, Prestige Hotels of the World, Vietnam, Korea, Nepal, Fairmont / Raffles and Vincci Hotels. The many exhibitors increasing their stand space this year include Argentina, Sweden, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, Hong Kong, Romania, Norway, Iceland, Austria, Egypt, Slovakia, Turismo Andaluz and Maison de la France.

EIBTM allows buyers to source new destinations and services while giving opportunities to network and build relationships, as well as keep up with current trends. The truly global audience of visitors includes corporations, associations, agencies, professional conference organisations and industry media.

How will regionalisation of EIBTM events affect the main event? Will EIBTM have fewer visitors because of this?

There’s no regionalisation of EIBTM events. We’ve launched quite separate events – GIBTM (Abu Dhabi) and CIBTM (Beijing) – to sit alongside EIBTM and AIME in Melbourne. The impact on EIBTM has been excellent with substantial increases in new exhibitors to EIBTM and the number of Hosted Buyers to EIBTM. What are the new features of EIBTM 2007?

EIBTM 2007 is packed with new ideas for the meetings industry. A record line-up of new exhibitors includes the China National Tourist Office (for the first time),

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Nepal, Sun International, Ecuador, Vietnam, Prestige Hotels of the World, plus the biggest ever presence of Eastern and Central European participants, including Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Serbia.

Two major European cities, Munich and Birmingham, will exhibit independently for the first time, and many other exhibitors are returning to EIBTM after a period of absence, including Visit Florida, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, New Zealand, Korea and Zacchera Hotels.

In addition, over 40 other main exhibitor stands have increased their space.

New initiatives for 2007 include: • A new separate Mediterranean area and increased representation from Spain – a destination that topped the 2006 Industry Trends and Market Share report for ‘the most preferred destination for conference and incentive business’.

• A Technology Hour, which will take place daily with different technology-related topics in interactive sessions and debate. Everyone is encouraged to attend in order to hear from leading industry experts about the latest technology trends and how to maximise their use.

• The MPI Technology Village at EIBTM is sold out – 23 exhibitors – and includes a number of newcomers such as Celcom, Spotme, Sherpa Solutions, Global Executive and a2z Inc. They join returning exhibitors MICEpoint, Meeting Matrix International, Vivian Virtual Event Designer and Parrimark Technology to name just a few.

• An expanded Event Services’ Village with 21 exhibitors – up more than 30% on 2006.

• An increased number of Post-Event Tours including 8 new destinations – Alicante, Oviedo, San Sebastian, Salamanca, Toledo, Madrid, Valencia and Venice. This year the Hosted Buyers can choose from a total of 13 destinations with Amsterdam, London, Bilbao, Costa Daurada and

Sitges confirming their participation once again.

• A new third Hosted Buyer Lounge and increased networking and education.

Who are key partners of the 2007 event?

Our key partners remain the Barcelona Convention Bureau, Gremi d’Hoteles (the Barcelona Hotels Association), Turespana, Ultramar Express Event Management (our DMC) and BCD (our travel management company). We are, of course, directly supported by the leading industry associations and over 60 global media partners.

How do you ensure the quality of hosted buyers?

The EIBTM Hosted Buyer programme is open to individuals that organize, influence or make budgetary decisions for international meetings, conferences, conventions, business travel and product launches. Every Hosted Buyer must meet strict qualifying criteria including their annual budget, the number of events held internationally and the level of responsibility before being accepted onto the programme. Once registered onto the programme, buyers then select exhibitors that they’d like to meet during their visit and a programme of pre-scheduled appointments is set up for them.

The benefits of attending as part of the Hosted Buyer Programme are numerous and include: - A personal buyer-driven pre-scheduled appointment programme with international exhibitors.

- A personal online diary highlighting pre-scheduled appointments and allowing the option to request extra appointments with additional exhibitors.

- Significant time to explore and experience EIBTM outside pre-scheduled appointments.

- Access to the Professional Education Programme with a sector-specific programme for agencies, associations and corporates.

- Valuable networking opportunities and access to the exclusive Hosted Buyer networking lounges.

- Complimentary travel and accommodation.

- Local transfers between the airport, hotels and Fira Gran Via. - Opportunities to attend one of the many post show tours on offer to Hosted Buyers.

Visitors who may not qualify as Hosted Buyers can attend the event as trade visitors and EIBTM offers flight discounts with Iberia and reduced rates in the EIBTM official hotels.

What’s this year’s accompanying events programme like?

EIBTM is totally dedicated to raising industry standards, encouraging learning and development through its fast expanding and innovative education programme in Barcelona. This year an Agency Programme will provide cutting edge educational seminars covering key topics and issues facing our industry today. The programme is a morning of structured education specifically tailored to meet international agents’ needs. The Corporate Programme will provide highly targeted industry professional education and is unique in being the only international programme designed specifically for meeting planners from corporate organisations. The programme has two different education sessions and an evening networking event.

The EIBTM Association Programme has evolved to meet the needs of the busy Association meeting planner. Now in its 6th year, the new programme format offers buyers three days at the show. Education sessions will be on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning, the networking event on Wednesday evening, and Thursday

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will provide more time to experience EIBTM including appointments with exhibitors.

More than just an exhibition, EIBTM offers plenty of opportunities to relax and strengthen business relationships at the many networking functions held throughout the event. All guests are invited to network at one of the many functions held through the three days of EIBTM. From the welcome party and EIBTM Awards to post-show tours, EIBTM provides everyone with opportunities to meet and greet old and new friends alike, while sampling the delights of Barcelona.

Kraljestvo zabave Skrivnostni svet Afrike, kraljestvo udobja in zabave ter gastronomski raj!

HOTEL KONGO **** Udobje štirih zvezdic v sodobno opremljenih sobah Dnevni počitek Sobna strežba Prijazna recepcijska služba

Do you plan further expansion of EIBTM events into new regions?

Yes. We’ll be launching new events and we’re going to announce our plans in the next few months.

IGRALNI SALON

How is the Alps-Adria region going to be represented this year?

EIBTM has seen a significant rise in new exhibitors attending this year’s event as well as many returning exhibitors increasing their stand space.

Major European cities such as Munich and Birmingham have confirmed standalone representation. For the first time we welcome Adventure Myanmar, a DMC based in Burma and the China National Tourist Office which is great news ahead of next year’s Olympic Games.

Slovenia participates at this year’s EIBTM in a new location on the floor plan surrounded by other destinations from the region. These include Croatia that’s expanded its stand by 33%, Romania that’s increased by 64%, Slovakia that’s expanded by a third and Hungary. Ukraine will be represented on two stands this year – the National Tourist Organisation of Ukraine and Olymp Travel. Italy’s going to make a big impact at the show with a double-decker stand in the new Southern Mediterranean area of the floor plan.

RESTAVRACIJI

165 igralnih avtomatov 4 elektronske rulete Brezplačna brezalk. pijača Brezplačne pogostitve Vznemerljive nagradne igre Bogat zabavni program

Jedi za kraljevi užitek Po domače in tudi drugače: slovenske, mednarodne in ribje jedi Izbrana ponudba iz Afriške kuhinje

Mpapatuki Vrhunska a la carte restavracija Oaza ljubiteljev vrhunskih pijač Malice in kosila

Balkango Edinstveno gurmansko doživetje, kjer popoln obrok zacvrči pred vašimi očmi

LIMO SERVIS Osem in pol metrski linconovi limuzini Za prestižni dogodek Poslovno ali zasebno BREZPLAČNA PONUDBA LIMUZINE: LIMO SPECIAL!

Telefon: 080 13 19 www.kongo-hc.com

Gorazd Čad

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Kolumna: Joyce Dogniez

V korak s spremembami!

Evropska kongresna industrija se spreminja. Prihod novih tržišč je spremenil dinamiko poslovanja in odvzel prednost poznavanja konkurence. Ne le, da smo priča združevanju evropskih držav, ampak moramo upoštevati tudi druge države sveta.

Z novimi vrstami tehnologije, kot so RFID, socialna omrežja in mobilne naprave, sta se popolnoma spremenila tudi zasnova in način izvedbe srečanj. Prav tako so se pojavili številni novi načini srečevanja in sodelovanja pri izmenjavi znanja, ki našo industrijo sili k delitvi novih izkušenj vsem vpletenim. Resnično je že čas, da gremo v korak s spremembami!

Da bi sledili tem hitrim spremembam in se posvetili naraščajočim potrebam po znanju in izmenjavi informacij, želi MPI razviti bogato, globalno kongresno in prireditveno skupnost, ki bo, ko bo omogočala definirati njihovo pove-

Joyce Dogniez

zavo z MPI skozi fleksibilno družbeno strukturo, vključno s soustvarjanjem visoko kakovostnih članskih proizvodov in uslug, koristna za vse člane.

Gonilna sila te vizije je globalna strategija, namenjena zagotavljanju uspešnejšega povezovanja strokovnjakov tako, da jih neposredno poveže s kritičnim znanjem panoge, koristnimi povezavami in širšim ter bolj dinamičnim tržiščem.

Medtem ko je MPI v svetu prisoten od ustanovitve prve mednarodne sekcije v Torontu leta 1978, nam nova globalna strategija omogoča doseči naraščajoče število profesionalnih organizatorjev kongresov in dogodkov po vsem svetu ter jih povezati z obsežno množico znanja, mrežami in s tržišči, ki jih lahko najdemo le v največji globalni skupnosti panoge. MPI je nenehno razvijajoča se skupnost, ki trenutno vključuje skoraj 23.000 članov v 65 državah ter 68 sekcij in klubov.

Pravzaprav MPI v Evropi pravkar doživlja rast, kakršne še ni bilo; njegovo evropsko članstvo je naraslo na skoraj 2000 članov, vštevši sekcijo v Španiji, kar je pripeljalo do skupaj enajstih sekcij v Evropi. Evropske sekcije so najhitreje rastoči segment MPI-jevega članstva, ki je v letnem porastu za 20 odstotkov.

Prav tako smo osredotočeni na porast naše prisotnosti v Aziji in na Bližnjem vzhodu. Odprtje singapurske pisarne bo 25. oktobra. Kot smo že naznanili v marcu, bomo aprila 2008 v Dubaju organizirali strokovno izobraževalno konferenco – Bližnji vzhod, ki ji bo jeseni 2008 sledil PEC-Azija. Evropsko pisarno smo poleg tega preimenovali v pisarno Evropa / Bližnji vzhod / Afrika (EMEA), da bi se lažje približali članom iz teh regij.

Izobraževanje moramo prilagoditi, da bi lahko izpolnili zahteve teh regij in držav. Medtem ko sta tehnologija in turizem svet spremenila v intimnejšo skupnost in so padle številne kulturne, geografske in tržne ovire, pa je vodenje mednarodnih konferenc vse prej kot standardni delovni postopek. V panogi, kjer je usmerjanje pozornosti k podrobnostim večjega pomena kot drugje, mednarodna pozornost le še povečuje število podrobnosti, ki se jim morajo posvetiti načrtovalci in dobavitelji.

Kulturne razlike med regijami so lahko ogromne, zato morajo biti posebnosti, od prehranskih potreb, pravil oblačenja do verskih obredov in družbene hierarhije, upoštevana. Za lažje nadzorovanje takih razlik uvajamo inovativne tehnike, kot je CultureActive© Tool, ki članom omogoča izpopolniti sposobnost razumevanja in komuniciranja s kulturami sveta, izboljšati kulturne kompetence in pridobiti strokovno znanje.

To so osnovni razlogi, zaradi katerih smo svojo vizijo osredotočili na izgradnjo globalne konferenčne in prireditvene skupnosti. Z usposobitvijo globalne skupnosti lahko gradimo znanje in tržne platforme, ki zadovoljujejo spreminjajoče in razvijajoče se potrebe članov. Svojo kulturo gradimo kot kulturo soustvarjanja z aktiviranjem sposobnosti sodelovanja.

Torej smo pravkar priča veliki plimi sprememb na bolje. Prva generacija posebej izobraženih in usposobljenih strokovnjakov za organizacijo konferenc bo kmalu začela delati. Nedvomno bo to za vse nas pomenilo dvig delovnih standardov, in čeprav za koga morda zveni preteče, je to izvrstna novica, obenem pa pomeni, da se morajo profesionalni organizatorji konferenc dejavno obvezati k vseživljenjskemu izobraževanju, posodobiti strokovno znanje, deliti izkušnje, biti del strokovnih mrež in se udeleževati tečajev ali izobraževalnih konferenc, sicer bodo ostali zadaj!

Joyce Dogniez, CMM, Meeting Professionals International, poslovna direktorica, EMEA, www.mpiweb.org

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Column: Joyce Dogniez

Keep up with the Changes!

The European meetings industry is changing. New markets have appeared, have changed the dynamics of how to do business and have taken away the comfort of knowing who your competitors are. Not only are we seeing emerging European countries, but we also have to consider the rest of the world.

The way we design and execute meetings has profoundly changed through new technologies like RFID, social networks and mobile devices.

Many other ways of meeting and sharing knowledge have also emerged, pushing our industry to deliver new experiences for all those involved.

Indeed, it’s time to keep up with change.

To keep up with these rapid changes and to address the increasing needs for knowledge and exchange

of information, MPI’s new vision is to build a rich worldwide meetings and events community that delivers value to all its members by letting them define their engagement with MPI through a flexible community structure, including ‘co-creating’ high-value member products and services.

A key driver of the vision is our global strategy created to make meeting professionals more successful by directly connecting them to critical industry knowledge, profitable connections and a broader and more dynamic marketplace.

While MPI has enjoyed a global presence since its first international chapter opened in Toronto in 1978, our new global strategy lets us reach out further to the growing number of meetings and events professionals worldwide and connect them to the vast array of knowledge, networks and marketplaces that can only be found in the industry’s largest global community. MPI is an ever-evolving community that now has nearly 23,000 members in 68 chapters and clubs in 65 countries.

In fact, MPI is seeing unprecedented growth in Europe. MPI’s European membership has grown to nearly 2,000 and we’ve added a chapter in Spain, bringing the total number of chapters in Europe to 11. The European chapters are the fastest-growing segment of MPI’s membership, increasing by more than 20% in only a year.

We’re also focused on growing our presence in Asia and the Middle East.

A Singapore office opens on 25 October 2007. As announced in March, we’re launching a Professional Education Conference-Middle East in Dubai in April 2008 followed by one for PEC-Asia in autumn 2008. Additionally, we’ve renamed our European office to the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) office to help us get closer to members in those regions.

We have to customise education to meet the needs of those regions and countries. While technology and travel are making the world a more intimate community and many cultural, geographic and marketplace barriers have disappeared, the business of running an international meeting is anything but standard operating procedure. In an industry where attention to detail is more critical than most, international considerations only increase the amount of detail that needs attending to, by planners and suppliers alike.

Cultural differences can be vast from one region to the next, and specifics ranging from dietary needs to dress codes to religious observances and social hierarchy must be taken into account. To manage these differences, we use innovative techniques like the CultureActive© Tool. This offers members a chance to improve their ability to understand and communicate with global cultures, improving cultural competence and acquisition of skills.

These are the main reasons we focus our vision on building a global meeting and event industry community. By setting up a global community, we’re able to build knowledge and marketplace platforms that satisfy our members’ changing and evolving needs. We’re adapting our culture to one of co-creation by activating the power of collaboration.

So what we’re seeing right now is a huge groundswell of change for the better.

The first generation of specifically educated and trained meeting professionals will soon enter the workforce. There’s no doubt that this will raise the bar for us all and it’s great news, as threatening as it might sound to some. But it also means that current meeting professionals need to actively engage in lifelong learning, update their skills, share practices, belong to peer-to-peer networks and attend courses or educational conferences. Otherwise they’ll be left behind.

By Joyce Dogniez, CMM, Meeting Professionals International, Director of Operations, EMEA, www.mpiweb.org

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Kolumna: Kathryn Goldstein

MPI podpisala dogovor o korporativni družbeni odgovornosti Organizacija Meeting Professionals International (MPI) si zelo prizadeva za trajnostno poslovanje pri srečanjih in dogodkih ter družbeno odgovornih prebivalcih sveta. Zato je bila odločitev te svetovne organizacije, da postane podpisnica dogovora Združenih narodov o CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility – korporativna družbena odgovornost), povsem »naravna«.

CSR je koncept, ki organizacije spodbuja k upoštevanju interesov družbe s prevzemanjem odgovornosti za vpliv dejavnosti te organizacije na stranke, uslužbence, delničarje, skupnosti in okolje v vseh vidikih njihovega delovanja.

MPI ima edinstven položaj za uresničitev občutnih sprememb, saj je vodilna organizacija panoge in hkrati dom skoraj 23.000 strokovnjakov za srečanja in dogodke. Organizacija MPI je julija na srečanju World Education Congress a la Montréal naznanila, da bo podpisala globalni dogovor Združenih narodov o CSR, kar je drzna vodstvena poteza. Pozneje je upravni odbor MPI-ja podal svojo soglasno odobritev.

Kathryn Goldstein

Globalni dogovor Združenih narodov o CSR je največja pobuda korporativne odgovornosti na svetu, saj ima več kot 3700 udeležencev in deležnikov iz več kot stotih držav.

Za udeležene organizacije je mogočna platforma za povečevanje njihove predanosti trajnostnemu poslovanju in svetovnemu državljanstvu. Sestavlja jo več kot petdeset državnih mrež v razvitih in rastočih gospodarstvih in podpisnicam ponuja priložnost za podpiranje njihovih ciljev v zvezi s CSR. Globalni dogovor Združenih narodov vsebuje deset načel na področjih človekovih pravic, dela, trajnostnega ravnanja z okoljem in protikorupcije. Dogovor od podjetij znotraj njihovega vplivnega področja zahteva podpiranje in uveljavljanje teh načel kot temeljnih vrednot.

Organizacija MPI je obdržala podjetje Wallace and Partners za pomoč pri razvoju nastajajočih izobraževalnih in tržnih priložnosti v zvezi s CSR za MPI-jevo svetovno skupnost. Dobilo je tudi nalogo pospeševanja MPI-jeve predanosti trajnostnemu ravnanju z okoljem pri izvedbi dogodkov.

Na srečanju World Education Congress a la Montréal smo, da bi bili odgovorni partnerji skupnosti Montréala, naredili naslednje: Manj papirnatih odpadkov Uvodni in zaključni sprejem: Brez uporabe papirnatih izdelkov.

Digitalne oznake: Metrske table pred sejnimi sobami so bile zamenjane z digitalnimi oznakami.

Tehnologija za odzive občinstva: Papirnati obrazci za ocenjevanje sej so bili zamenjani z elektronskimi različicami.

CD-ji z gradivi: Sejna gradiva so bila na voljo na CD-jih, zato papirnata gradiva niso bila potrebna. Gradiva so bila pred in med konferenco ter po njej na voljo tudi preko našega spletnega orodja Itinerary Planner (načrtovalec potovanj).

Reciklirani papir: Vsa kongresna gradiva so bila natisnjena na recikliranem papirju.

Pomagali smo izboljšati kakovost zraka.

Avtobusne vozovnice: Vsi udeleženci so dobili avtobusne vozovnice, s čimer smo spodbujali uporabo javnega prevoza in pomagali zniževati emisije. Črnilo na rastlinski osnovi: Vsa kongresna gradiva so bila natisnjena s črnili na rastlinski osnovi, kar zmanjšuje izpust hlapnih organskih spojin v ozračje zaradi črnil.

Recikliranje in varčevanje vode v Palais des congres de Montréal.

Steklenice za vodo, primerne za ponovno uporabo: Po vsem prireditvenem centru so bili na voljo hladilniki vode za ponovno polnjenje steklenic z vodo.

Reciklažne postaje: Postavljene so bile po kongresnih prostorih, razstavnih hodnikih in področjih s hrano, in sicer za predmete iz papirja, plastike ali aluminija.

Recikliranje gradiv: Čistilno osebje Palaisa je pobralo vsa preostala natisnjena gradiva v sejnih sobah in jih odložilo pri reciklažnih postajah.

Načini postrežbe s hrano: Konferenčni center je za zmanjšanje odpadkov pri postrežbi s hrano med prireditvami in sejami uporabljal porcelanaste krožnike; mleko, smetana, sladkor itd. so bili postreženi brez embalaže, namesto v posameznih paketih; ostanki hrane so bili darovani v dobrodelne namene; smeti so bile porabljene za kompost.

MPI ve, da so pobude CSR sijajne priložnosti za strokovnjake za srečanja in dogodke, da pustijo velik vpliv na okolju in sprejmejo tri odločilne dejavnike, imenovane ljudje, planet in dobiček. Naša globalna skupnost bo nadaljevala vpeljevanje izobraževalnih in izvedbenih vidikov dogovora CSR v MPI-jeve pobude v zvezi z znanjem in dogodki in tako zmanjšala ogljikov odtis na okolju, ki jih puščajo pisarne in konference. Naša spletna stran za CSR na www.MPIWeb.org vsebuje podrobnosti in informacije o sredstvih ter je redno osvežena. Obiskujte jo redno in delite z nami svoje poglede in ideje za izboljšanje sveta.

Kathryn Goldstein, direktorica komunikacij, MPI, www.mpiweb.org

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Column: Kathryn Goldstein

MPI Signs the UN Compact on CSR Meeting Professionals International (MPI) is passionate about being sustainable in our meetings and events and socially responsible citizens of the world. So it was a “natural” move for the global meetings and events community to become a signatory to the United Nations Compact on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

CSR is a concept that encourages organizations to consider society’s interests by taking responsibility for their activities’ impact on customers, employees, shareholders, communities and the environment in all aspects of their operations.

As home to nearly 23,000 meetings and events professionals and an industry leader, MPI is uniquely positioned to influence substantive change. In a bold leadership statement in July, MPI announced at the World Education Congress a la Montréal its plans to sign the UN Global Compact on CSR. Subsequently, the MPI board of directors gave their unanimous approval.

The UN Global Compact on CSR is the world’s largest corporate responsibility initiative with 3,700-plus participants and stakeholders from more than 100 countries. It provides

a powerful platform to participating organizations seeking to advance their commitments to sustainability and global citizenship. It comprises more than 50 national networks in developed and emerging economies and provides a chance for signatories to further their CSR objectives.

There are ten principles in the UN Global Compact in the areas of human rights, labour, environmental sustainability and anti-corruption. The Compact asks companies to support and enact these principles as core values within their spheres of influence.

MPI has retained Wallace and Partners to assist them in developing emerging educational and marketplace opportunities related to CSR for MPI’s global community. They also have been tasked with accelerating MPI’s commitment to environmental sustainability at its events.

Here’s what we did at the a la Montréal World Education Congress to be responsible partners of the Montréal community: Reduced waste paper Opening and Closing Reception: No paper products used Digital Signage: Meter boards outside session rooms replaced with digital signage Audience Response Technology: Paper session evaluation forms replaced with electronic evaluations CD of Session Handouts: Session materials available on CD, eliminating printed handouts. Handouts also available through our online Itinerary Planner tool before, during and after the conference Recycled Paper: All congress materials were printed on recycled paper Helped improve air quality Bus Passes: All attendees received bus passes to encourage mass transit and help reduce pollutant emissions Vegetable-Based Ink: All congress materials were printed with vegetable-based inks, minimizing atmospheric release of Volatile Organic Compounds from inks Recycling and conservation at Palais des congres de Montréal Reusable Water Bottles: Water coolers were available throughout the convention centre for filling reusable water bottles Recycling Stations: Recycling stations throughout conference level, exhibition aisles and food areas for paper, plastic and aluminium items Handout Recycling: Palais cleaning personnel collected any printed handouts left in session rooms for transfer to Recycling Stations Food Service Methods: To reduce waste in food service methods, the conference centre uses porcelain dishes during functions and in its concessions; serves milk, creamer, sugar, etc. in bulk instead of individual packets; gives leftover food to local food banks; and composts garbage MPI understands that CSR initiatives are tremendous opportunities for meetings and events professionals to make a profound impact on the environment and embraces the triple bottom line of ‘people, planet and profit’.

Our global community will continue to introduce CSR’s educational and executional aspects into MPI knowledge and events initiatives and reduce our carbon footprint both at our offices and conferences. Our designated CSR pages at www.MPIWeb.org provide more details with regular updates and resource information. Visit often and share your insights and ideas to improve our world.

Kathryn Goldstein, Director of Communications, MPI, www.mpiweb.org

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Hiša kulinarike Jezeršek

Učili smo sebe in vzgajali naročnike Ideja za catering je prišla spontano. Pred skoraj tridesetimi leti so pripravljali tople obroke in jih vozili v tovarne.

Bilo je obdobje socializma, podjetja so organizirala velika srečanja za zaposlene in potrebovala so pomoč. Leta ‘83 so Jezerškovi pripravili srečanje za Iskro kot eno največjih podjetij tistega časa, skuhali 13.500 golažev – in začel se je »catering«. »Zgodba se je hitro razvijala, kmalu so se nam odprla vrata Cankarjevega doma, kjer smo naredili prvi sprejem za Slovenijavino – in s tem se je na nek način odprlo. To je bilo pred osamosvojitvijo Slovenije, v letih, ki so bila bogata s kongresi. Za naše razmere smo bili kar inovativni, pripravljati smo začeli že hladno – tople bifeje, »cocktail partyje«, »coffee breake« in podobno. Zanimivo je, da smo to tržno nišo sami odpirali in jo hkrati tudi sami zapolnjevali.

Tudi naši naročniki so takrat catering šele spoznavali kot zanimivo novost, ki se je zelo hitro prijela. Učili smo sebe, vzgajali goste in tudi naročnike. Šlo je res za pionirsko delo na področju cateringa, tako v Sloveniji kot tudi v celi takratni Jugoslaviji. Po osamosvojitvi smo opustili pripravo toplih obrokov in se v celoti preusmerili v catering. Že leta ‘94 smo ugotovili, da potrebujemo urejene prostorske pogoje in zgradili svojo hišo kulinarike. Tedaj smo lahko začeli govoriti o pravem cateringu,« pripoveduje Franc Jezeršek, duša in motor Hiše kulinarike Jezeršek.

prostorih catering podjetja, postrežba pa na lokaciji naročnika. Catering se sicer lahko odvija tudi na bolj nenavadnih lokacijah, na ladji, vlaku, na letalu, (od koder ta pojem pravzaprav izvira). Jaz osebno si želim besedo posloveniti, pa je to kljub velikim in ne samo mojim naporom zaenkrat kot kaže nemogoče. Lahko jo prevedemo samo opisno: priprava in dostava hrane za postrežbo na lokaciji izven poslovnih prostorov catering podjetja.

Kakšne so zakonitosti dobrega cateringa?

Dobra hrana in odlična postrežba sta šele vstopnici, od tu naprej se dela dogodek. Naročniku moramo pomagati doseči cilj, kakršen koli to je. Zadnje čase žal opažam, da ponudniki catering storitev delajo nestrokovno, da poneumljajo stroko, kar je seveda slabo.

V kakšnem smislu nestrokovno?

Jedi servirajo na nestrokoven način, nestrokovna so poimenovanja jedi, iz sebe delajo »klovne« pri postrežbi. Gre sicer bolj za izjeme kot pravilo, pa vendar.

Pravila stroke morajo biti »zakon«, še posebej v cateringu, kjer so oblike postrežbe in ambienti tako različni. Naši najbolj nepozabni dogodki so se odvijali na najbolj nenavadnih lokacijah – v Železničarskem muzeju, v tovarni Tomos sredi orodjarne, na ladjah ... že izbrana lokacija da dogodku poudarek, rdečo nit, zato sem prepričan, da mora biti storitev cateringa zato, da se lahko vključi v katerikoli ambient, popolnoma korektna.

Catering je relativno nov način postrežbe, ali slovenska catering podjetja dosegajo svetovne standarde?

Udeležil sem se kar nekaj kongresov ICCA in moja ugotovitev je, da je naše delo dobro in v skladu z uveljavljenimi svetovnimi merili, da nas ni treba biti sram.

Moram pa opozoriti, da obstajajo različne oblike cateringa, ki zahtevajo različni

G. Jezeršek, začniva z definicijo cateringa.

Moja definicija bi bila: catering je priprava gostinskega dela dogodka v

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nivo storitev. Zaradi majhnosti trga smo vsi včasih primorani sprejeti kakšno naročilo, ki nam ni ravno v izziv.

Brez malih poslov pa ni velikih. In vedno je seveda treba biti pozoren, v katero smer gredo svetovni trendi.

In kam gredo trendi?

Zdrava prehrana, več zelenjave in sadja, manj težkih jedi za povabljence, ki večinoma ne delajo težkega fizičnega dela. Pomembo je, da vemo, za koga pripravljamo hrano – ali bo med povabljenimi več moških ali žensk, ali bodo gostje domači ali tujci ... Lahko gre za skupino ljudi na izletu po Sloveniji, ki jim bo naša pogostitev prva in edina hrana tisti dan; povsem drugačna bo naša ponudba na diplomatskem sprejemu, kamor se ljudje zagotovo ne pridejo najest. Tukaj bo bolj kot količina pomemben izbor, ponudba. Za nas je zelo pomembno, da nam naročnik pove, komu je namenjena pogostitev.

Kakšni so slovenski naročniki?

Zelo osveščeni, zahtevni, zelo dobro vedo, kaj želijo, sledijo trendom. Če je bila nekoč pomenbna količina, zdaj ni več tako, pomemben je izbor, izgled, jedi morajo biti sveže pripravljene.

Ker nas poznajo, je komunikacija precej lažja, medtem ko nas mnogi tujci še vedno obravnavajo kot sestavni del Balkana in potrebnega je več dokazovanja, več prepričevanja, včasih jih predhodno celo povabimo na kosilo ali večerjo, da nas preizkusijo in nam verjamejo.

Pogosto delate za tuje naročnike?

Zelo pogosto. Delamo za veleposlaništva, skoraj vsa so naši naročniki; veliko smo delali v tujini – na Dunaju, v Parizu, Davosu, v Bruslju, v Albertvillu; tuji naročniki stopijo z nami v kontakt preko Kongresnega urada ali preko ljubljanskega TIC-a, pa tudi preko agencij. Letno naredimo približno tisoč prireditev, to je po tri dnevno in med njimi so različni naročniki, tako domači kot tuji.

Ali tujim naročnikom ponudite kaj več slovenske kulinarike, domačih vin?

Absolutno, še posebej v tujini in na mednarodnih dogodkih je pomembno, da ponudimo čimveč nacionalne kulinarike. Ob teh priložnostih ponavadi pripravimo »tržnico« slovenske hrane, na eni »stojnici« imamo različne vrste mesa, na drugi kruhe, potem sire, štruklje ...

Ste kdaj delali z združenji?

Delali smo za Gospodarsko zbornico Slovenije, za Obrtno zbornico, Zdravniško, Odvetniško zbornico ... skorajda ni večjega druženja, za katerega še ne bi pripravljali cateringa.

Omenili ste, da se na vas poleg končnih naročnikov obračajo tudi agencije?

Tudi. Nam je seveda lažje, če delamo s končnimi naročniki, čeprav je ta pojem zelo relativen. Najslabše je, kadar je vmes več posrednikov in do nas ne pride prava informacija glede želja naročnikov. Seveda pa teh težav z agencijami, s katerimi že dlje sodelujemo, nimamo.

Bi lahko izpostavili kakšen aktualen problem?

Ja, vedno bolj problematični so časi od naročila do izvedbe, ki so vse krajši.

Včasih se je za dogodek vedelo nekaj tednov ali celo mesecev v naprej, zdaj pa mora biti naš odzivni čas izredno kratek; v zadnjem hipu prihaja do velikih sprememb tudi glede števila gostov, odzivamo se na vremenske razmere ... od nas se zahteva vedno večjo fleksibilnost in to ni vedno lahko.

Ste družinsko podjetje, kdo pri vas kreira nove jedi?

Gre za timsko delo, čeprav imamo sodelavko, ki dela prav na razvoju novih jedi.

Sicer vsak opravi svoj del, skupaj pa ustvarimo vse novosti. A vsaka novost izjemno hitro zastari. V Ljubljani, na primer, hodi redno na sprejeme okoli tisoč ljudi, od katerih jih kakšnih tristo srečam prav na vsakem. Tako se zgodi, da se z istimi gosti v istem dnevu srečamo večkrat na različnih lokacijah. Zato je kakršno koli »štancanje« idej povsem neprimerno.

Kateri dogodki so vam ostali najbolj v spominu?

Dogodkov je bilo ogromno ... Nekateri med njimi so bili zelo veliki, drugi izredno pomembni. Letos smo delali doslej največjo prireditev po številu udeležencev – Mercatorijado v obliki piknika za 25.000 gostov. Veliki dogodki so bili prednovoletni sprejemi na Gospodarskem razstavišču – za do 10.000 gostov.

Med zahtevnejše uvrščam mednarodne kongrese, med njimi kongres endokrinologov v Cankarjevem domu in v Tivolskem gradu, ki je bil za tiste čase res velik projekt, potem predlansko pogostitev za udeležnce srečanja OVSE, in mnoge druge. Čeprav je na prvi pogled pogostitev obrobnega pomena, pa je za naročnika, ki želi tudi skozi kulinariko zaokrožiti svoj dogodek, zelo pomembna.

Kakšen je vaš sanjski catering? (smeh) Moj sanjski caterig bi se zagotovo odvijal v zares lepem ambientu, ki jih je v Sloveniji premalo, z ustrezno ureditvijo prostora, tudi s cvetjem, glasbo ... pripravljali bi izbrane jedi za ne preveliko število gostov, ki bi v vsem tem uživali. Če imaš naročnika, ki zna takšno zaokroženo ponudbo ceniti in če ima on goste, ki jo zanjo ceniti, potem je to že sanjsko, kajne.

Jakica Jesih

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The Jezeršek House of Cuisine

We taught ourselves and educated the clients The catering idea was born spontaneously. Almost thirty years ago, companies prepared warm meals and delivered them to factories.

That was during the time of socialism, when state companies organised big meetings for their employees and they needed help.

In 1983, the Jezeršek family prepared a meeting for the Iskra company, which was at that time one of the biggest companies in Slovenia. They cooked 13,500 goulashes and, thus, catering was born.

“The story developed quickly and soon the doors to the Cankarjev dom facility were opened. We prepared the first reception for the company Slovenijavino there, which, in a way, opened the doors. This was before Slovenia’s independence, during years that were full of congresses. We were rather innovative for our circumstances, we started preparing cold and warm buffets, cocktail parties, coffee breaks and similar events. It is interesting that we were the ones opening this market niche and, at the same time, closing it.

Our clients were just starting to get to know the catering business as an interesting novelty, and it quickly stuck with them. We taught ourselves and educated our guests and clients. This was true pioneer work in the field of catering both in Slovenia as well as in the then-Yugoslavia. After independence, stopped preparing warm meals and fully directed our activity to catering. Already in 1994, we realised that we needed a well-regulated facility and we built our house of cuisine. It was then that we were able to start talking about actual catering,” says Franc Jezeršek, the soul and engine of the Jezeršek House of Cuisine.

Mr Jezeršek, let us start with the definition of catering.

My definition would be: catering is the preparation of the catering part of an event, at the location of the catering company, with service at the location of the client. Catering can of course take place on rather unusual locations; on ships, trains or planes (where this term actually originates from). Personally, I have been trying to find a nice Slovenian word for this term but despite great efforts, and not only mine, that currently seems to be impossible. It can be translated only in a descriptive manner: preparation and delivery of food to be served outside the business premises of the catering company.

What are the rules of good catering?

Good food and excellent service are merely the ticket; from there on, the event is prepared. We have to help our client achieve his goal, whatever it might be.

Lately, I’ve been noticing that providers of catering services have been doing their job in an unprofessional manner, stultifying the trade, which is of course bad.

What have you noticed is “unprofessional”?

The dishes are served unprofessionally, the names of the dishes are unprofessional, they make themselves into “clowns” while serving. These are more exceptions than the rule, but still. The rules of the trade need to be “the law”, especially in catering, where forms of service and the surroundings are so different. Our most memorable events took place at the most unusual locations – at the Railway Museum, at the Tomos factory in the midst of the tolls division, on ships… The chosen location already gives the event a certain stress, a central theme, and this is why I am convinced that the catering service, in order to be able to fit into any kind of surroundings, needs to be completely correct.

Catering is a relatively new way of service. Do Slovenian catering companies achieve world standards?

I have participated at quite a few ICCA congresses and have asserted that our work is good and in accordance with enforced world standards, and that we don’t have to be ashamed. But I have to warn that there are various catering forms that demand a different level of service. Due to the small size of the market, we are occasionally forced to accept an order which is not really a

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challenge. But without the small businesses, the big ones don’t come either. And of course, you always have to be attentive to which direction world trends are going.

Do you offer foreign clients a lot of Slovenian cuisine and domestic wines?

Absolutely. Especially abroad and at international events, it is important to offer as much as possible of the national cuisine. At such occasions, we usually prepare a “market” of Slovenian food. On one “stand” are various meats, on the other breads, cheese, dumplings…

And where are the trends going?

Healthy food, more vegetables and fruit, less heavy food for guests, who usually aren’t involved in heavy physical work. It is important to know for whom you are preparing the food – will there be more men or women among the guests, will the guests be foreigners or local people… They might be a group of people travelling through Slovenia and our service and food will be the first and only real food for that day. The offer at a diplomatic reception, on the other hand, will certainly be completely different, as people definitely don’t attend such events in order to eat their fill. Here, more than the quantity, the origin and offer are important. It is very important to us that the client lets us know for whom the service is intended.

Have you ever worked with Associations?

We have worked for the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, the Chamber of Crafts of Slovenia, the Medical Chamber of Slovenia, the Bar Association of Slovenia… There is almost no large association for which we have not prepared catering.

What are Slovenian consumers like?

Very informed, they know exactly what they want and they follow trends. If quantity used to be important, this is now no longer the case. The choice and appearance of the dishes matter and they have to be freshly prepared.

Since they know us, communication is much easier, while numerous foreigners still see us as part of the Balkans and much more demonstration is needed, more persuasion. Sometimes we even invite them to lunch or dinner beforehand, in order for them to test and believe us.

Do you often work for foreign clients?

Very often. We work for embassies, almost all of them are our clients; we have worked abroad a lot – in Vienna, Paris, Davos, Brussels and Alberville.

Foreign clients contact us through the Slovenian Convention Bureau or through the Ljubljana Tourist Information Centre and also through agencies. Annually, we prepare about one thousand events, that is three a day, and these events include various clients, both domestic and foreign.

You mentioned that in addition to final clients, agencies come to you as well.

Yes. It is of course easier for us to work with final clients even though this is a very relative term. The worst thing is, if there are several intermediaries and we do not receive the right information concerning the client’s expectations.

These problems, however, do not appear with the agencies with whom we work.

Could you expose a current problem?

Yes, the time from receiving an order to the actual implementation is getting shorter all the time, thus causing a few problems. In the past, you used to know about the event weeks and months in advance, and now our reaction time has to be really fast. At the last moment, there are changes concerning the number of guests, we have to react to weather conditions… An increasingly greater flexibility is asked of us and this isn’t always easy.

You are a family business. Who creates the new dishes?

This is teamwork even though we do have an associate who works primarily at the development of new dishes. We all do our share of the work and create all the novelties together. But each novelty grows old very quickly. In Ljubljana, for example, about a thousand people regularly attend receptions, and I meet about 300 at each of them, so it might happen that I meet the same guests a few times a day at various locations. For this reason, any kind of “serial production idea” is completely inappropriate.

Which events have proven to be the most memorable?

There were numerous events… Some of them were very big, others extremely important… This year, we worked for the biggest number of participants so far.

That was the Mercatorijada carried out as a picnic for 25,000 guests. Other large events included receptions before the New Year, for up to 10,000 guests, organised at the Ljubljana Fairgrounds. Among the most demanding ones, I would mention international congresses, among them the congress of endocrinologists at the Cankarjev dom facility and the Tivoli castle, which was a really extensive project. There is also the service organised for participants of the OVSE meeting two years ago and many more. Even though at first glance the treat is of no big importance, for the client wishing to round up his event through cuisine, it is very important.

What would your dream catering look like? (laughter) My dream catering would definitely take place in a really beautiful surrounding, of which there are not enough in Slovenia, with appropriate room arrangement, including flowers, music… Chosen dishes for a limited number of guests, who would also come to enjoy the atmosphere, would be prepared. If you have a client, who can appreciate such a round-up offer and if he has guests who can appreciate it, then that is already dreamy, isn’t it?

Jakica Jesih

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Kongresni standardi in kakovost storitev

Kako izbrati pravega kongresnega organizatorja?

Kdaj in kako se pričnejo priprave na organizacijo zahtevne kongresne prireditve? Z izbiro lokacije, opredelitvijo oblike srečanja in njegove vsebine? Ali morda z izborom profesionalnega kongresnega organizatorja?

In kaj je profesionalni kongresni organizator?

Kdaj potrebujete profesionalnega kongresnega organizatorja?

Profesionalni kongresni organizator se v proces priprave prireditve lahko vključi v različnih fazah priprave in z različnimi storitvami. Smiselno je, da ga naročnik najame čimprej, saj njegove izkušnje in strokovno znanje lahko pomagajo pri pravilnem planiranju prireditve. Pravilna »nastavitev« priprav, priprava projekta, vključno s stroškovnikom prireditve ter terminski načrt priprav so ključni za uspeh prireditve.

V prvi fazi načrtovanja bo profesionalni kongresni organizator svetoval, pomagal ter ponujal znanje pri iskanju in določanju primerne lokacije ter izvajalcev posameznih storitev, potrebnih za uspešno izvedbo prireditve, pripravil preliminarni stroškovnik in časovno razpredelnico posameznih aktivnosti, potrebnih pri načrtovanju in organizaciji prireditve. PCO-ji ponujajo tudi svetovanje, sodelovanje in pomoč pri pripravi kandidatur za (predvsem) mednarodne kongrese.

Ponudba PCO svoje storitve seveda zaračuna. Načini obračunavanja storitev se med posameznimi PCO-ji razlikujejo. Osnovni segmenti, na katere bi morala biti razdeljena vsaka ponudba, so: • Splošna organizacija in izvedba prireditve • Organizacija in izvedba razstave • Organizacija in pridobivanje sponzorjev • Koordinacija in administracija strokovnega programa • Postopki prijav in registracija udeležencev • Organizacija hotelskih namestitev • Organizacija družabnih, kulturnih in drugih spremljajočih dogodkov.

Predstavitev ponudbe Ponudnik naj pripravi kratko predstavitev podjetja in ponujenih storitev v pogovoru z naročniki. Na splošno 10-20 minut zadostuje za predstavitev, 30-45 minut pa je na voljo za vprašanja in odgovore.

Podjetje, specializirano za organizacijo in izvedbo (management) kongresnih prireditev, ki svetuje naročniku in mu pomaga pri odločitvah na podlagi svojih izkušenj ter znanja, pridobljenega z večletnim strokovnim delom pri organizaciji zahtevnih kongresov in sorodnih prireditev.

Mednarodno združenje profesionalnih kongresnih organizatorjev (IAPCO) je pripravilo odlična priporočila strokovnim kongresnim organizatorjem – naročnikom za izbiro primernega PCOja. V tokratnem prispevku navajam povzetke, celoten tekst pa je dosegljiv na www.iapco.org.

Nekaj osnovnih vprašanj, ki jih je ob pogovoru potrebno postaviti kandidatu: • Ali ima ponudnik izkušnje in reference pri organizaciji podobnih prireditev in na podobnih lokacijah?

• Je podjetje finančno stabilno in ali ima dovolj posla, ki potrjuje, da bo še naprej stabilno?

• Je podjetje vpleteno v kakšne pravne zaplete ali finančne spore s prejšnjimi strankami?

• Kaj je glavna dejavnost podjetja? Veliko podjetij ponuja organizacijo kongresnih storitev, čeprav to ni njihova glavna dejavnost. Ali je pri takšnih podjetjih obseg kongresnih storitev dovolj velik in pogost, da zagotavlja primerne izkušnje in kvaliteto ponujenih storitev?

• Ali je podjetje tehnološko dovolj usposobljeno, da bo lahko organiziralo zahtevno prireditev?

• Ali ima podjetje dovolj izkušenih sodelavcev za organizacijo zahtevne prireditve?

• Kdo v podjetju je zadolžen za finančno plat prireditve in kdo nadzoruje računovodstvo? Potrebno je zagotoviti, da so vsi prihodki in stroški prireditve na ločenem (pod) računu, da je vsak trenutek možen vpogled v finančno stanje prireditve, ter da ima naročnik pravico odločanja o finančnih zadevah.

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• Kako je podjetje pripravljeno na nepričakovane okoliščine/zaplete, ki se lahko pripetijo osebju, zadolženemu za organizacijo prireditve (bolezen, nesreča, odpoved delovnega razmerja ...)

• Ali ima podjetje izkušnje pri pridobivanju udeležencev, razstavljalcev in sponzorjev?

• Katere ponujene storitve podjetje opravlja samostojno in za katere najema podizvajalce?

• Ali je podjetje član strokovnih združenj, ki skrbijo za strokovnost in kvaliteto storitev? Ali je podjetje aktivno v teh združenjih? Katera so ta združenja in kakšen je njihov ugled?

• Ali podjetje skrbi za strokovno izobraževanje in usposabljanje zaposlenih, kakšne so reference zaposlenih na tem področju?

• Na kakšne načine in s kakšnimi dokazili lahko podjetje zagovarja svojo kvaliteto?

• Kako podjetje skrbi za motivacijo, izpopolnjevanje in socialno varnost svojih sodelavcev?

Dogovor o sodelovanju med naročnikom in profesionalnim kongresnim organizatorjem Sodelovanje ekip in posameznikov pri snovanju, pripravah in organizaciji kongresne prireditve je običajno dolgotrajno (včasih tudi več let), zato je pravilna sestava »teama« in medsebojno zaupanje bistveno, ne glede na to, kdo je naročnik in kdo izvajalec.

Priporočljivo je, da ekipa naročnikov, še pred podpisom pogodbe, obišče delovne prostore ponudnika in se seznani z ekipo in posamezniki, zadolženimi za organizacijo prireditve.

Povzeto po: How to Choose the Right PCO, International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (www.iapco.org) Srečo Peterlič, Auditoria; predsednik sveta Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad

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Congress Standards and Service Quality

How to choose the right Congress Organiser?

When and in what way do preparations for organising a demanding congress event start? After you’ve chosen a location and defined the type of meeting and its content? Or perhaps after you’ve selected a professional congress organiser?

And what’s a professional congress organiser anyway?

It’s a company specialised in the organisation and execution - management of congress events. It advises the client and helps it make decisions based on their experience and knowledge acquired over the course of many years of professional work organising demanding congresses and similar events.

IAPCO, the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers has prepared excellent recommendations for professional congress organisers and clients in the selection of a suitable PCO. These are some excerpts from the text, which is available at www.iapco.org.

When do you need a Professional Congress Organiser?

A PCO can join the preparation process with various services at various stages.

It makes sense that the client should hire them as early as possible, as their experience and expert knowledge can help in the proper planning of the event.

What’s vital for the event’s success is proper ‘configuration’ of preparations, as well as project preparation, including the event’s costs and the preparation time schedule.

In the first phase of planning, the PCO advises, helps and offers knowledge in the search for and determination of a suitable location, as well as the individual service contractors required for successful event execution. They’ll also prepare a preliminary bill of costs and a time schedule of the individual activities required in planning and organising the event. PCOs also offer consulting services, co-operation and help in preparing candidacies for (mostly) international congresses.

The Offer A PCO charges for its services, of course. Methods of charging differ between the various PCOs. The basic segments that each offer should be divided into are: • General organisation and execution of the event • Organisation and execution of the exhibition • The organisation and obtaining of sponsors • Co-ordination and administration of the expert programme • Application procedures and participant registration • Organisation of hotel accommodation • Organisation of social, cultural and other accompanying events

Presentation of the Offer The service provider should prepare a short presentation of their company and the services offered in an interview with the client(s). In general terms, 10-20 minutes is enough for the presentation, with 30-45 minutes after the presentation for them to answer any questions.

Some basic questions that should be asked during an interview include: • Does the company have a proven track record in organising similar events in similar locations?

• Is the company financially sound and do they have a sufficient amount of forward business to suggest that they will continue to be so?

• Is the company involved in any legal issues or financial disputes with past clients?

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• What’s the company’s main activity?

Many companies offer congress organising services even though it’s not their main activity. Is the scope of their congress services large and frequent enough so that the company has suitable experience and quality in the services it offers?

• Is the company sufficiently advanced technologically to handle the requirements of the event?

• Does the company have enough experienced staff to be able to handle the organisation of a demanding event?

• Who in the company is responsible for the finances of the event and who controls the accounting?

It’s important to ensure that all congress income and expenses are on a separate (sub)account, so it’s possible to access the financial status at any time and so the client has the right to decide any financial matters.

• How is the company prepared for unforeseen circumstances/ complications that could affect the staff involved in the organising of

the event (sickness, accident, termination of employment and so on)?

• Does the company have experience in attracting participants, exhibitors and sponsors?

• Which of the services on offer does the company perform by itself and which are performed by subcontractors?

• Does the company belong to any expert associations that maintain the level of professionalism and service quality? Is the company active in these associations?

What are the names of these associations and what’s their reputation?

• Does the company provide professional education and training for its employees and what are the references of those employed in this field?

• In what ways and with which supporting documents can the company guarantee its quality?

• How does the company handle the motivation, improvement and social security of its workers?

The Co-operation Agreement between the Client and the Professional Congress Organiser The co-operation of teams and individuals in the design, preparation and organising of a congress event is usually long-term - sometimes even over several years - which is why a suitable team and mutual trust are essential, regardless of who the client and the contractor are. It’s recommended that the client’s team visits the service provider’s offices and meets the team and individuals assigned to the event’s organisation before signing the contract.

Taken from: How to choose the right PCO, International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (www.iapco.org) Srečo Peterlič, Auditoria; President of the Board of Slovenian Convention Bureau

Vivo catering navduševal s kulinaričnimi mojstrovinami Vivo Catering Impress with Their Culinary Masterpieces Vivo catering je na štiridnevnem mednarodnem konjeniškem turnirju v preskakovanju ovir za svetovni pokal, ki je potekal na Posestvu Ugar v Ribnici, zopet navduševal in razvajal goste iz Slovenije in tujine s svojimi kulinaričnimi mojstrovinami. Strokovno osebje podjetja Vivo catering je v sončni Ribnici poskrbelo za odlično organizacijo, pripravo in postrežbo jedi ter pripomoglo k navdušenemu in sproščenemu vzdušju med ogledi tekem. Tako se je zopet izkazalo, da so kreativnost, strokovnost, prilagodljivost, osebni pristop in odlično pripravljena hrana moto osebja Vivo catering iz gradu Fužine v Ljubljani, ki zmore poskrbeti za še tako zahtevno prireditev.

Vivo catering have again impressed and treated guests from Slovenia and abroad with their culinary masterpieces at the four-day international equestrian World Cup competition in show jumping, which took place at the Posestvo Ugar in Ribnica. The expert staff of the Vivo catering company provided excellent organisation, preparation and serving of meals at the sunny Ribnica in addition to contributing to an enthusiastic and relaxed atmosphere during breaks between shows. The Vivo catering company staff from the Fužine Castle have again demonstrated that their motto is creativity, professionalism, adaptability, a personal approach, and excellently prepared food. They have also proved that they can handle even the most demanding of events.

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Letališče Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana

Odpiramo prostor poslovnim srečanjem Na Letališču Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana lahko organizirate različna poslovna srečanja, krajše seminarje in predstavitve izdelkov.

Obenem bo letališče med predsedovanjem Slovenije Evropski uniji glavna vstopna točka v našo državo. Ker že sedaj večino letalskih potnikov predstavljajo poslovneži, bi jim z organizacijo poslovnega sestanka pri nas lahko prihranili mnogo dragocenega časa. Poslovne in druge dogodke lahko pripravite v treh dvoranah, ki jih lahko še dodatno prilagodimo vašim željam.

V poslovni stavbi podjetja Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d., ki upravlja z letališčem, je moderna konferenčna dvorana, ki sprejme do 100 ljudi. V njej so vsa potrebna računalniška oprema za predstavitve, krmilni in video konferenčni sistem ter oprema za simultano prevajanje. Pred njo je tudi prostor za družabna srečanja ali ločene pogovore v ožjem krogu.

V manjši dvorani v medetaži potniškega terminala imamo prostora za 22 udeležencev konferenc ali poslovnih sestankov. Tudi njim je na voljo vsa potrebna tehnična oprema.

Salon Edvarda Rusjana pa se nahaja v pritličju terminala, poleg restavracije.

Primeren je za zasebna poslovna kosila, manjše predstavitve in sprejeme.

Več informacij o organizaciji poslovnih in drugih srečanj na letališču lahko dobite na telefonski številki 04 206 14 64. www.lju-airport.si Promocijsko sporočilo

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Airport Jože Pučnik Ljubljana

Opening Space for Business Meetings You may now organise various business meetings, short seminars and product presentations at Ljubljana Jože Pučnik airport.

During Slovenia's EU Presidency, the airport is going to be the main entry point to this country. As most air travellers are business people, organising business meetings at our facilities means you’ll save them a great deal of valuable time.

Meetings and other events can be held in any of our three meeting rooms, which can be further adapted to suit your requirements.

In the Aerodrom Ljubljana building, which houses the airport's administration, there’s a modern conference hall which can take up to 100 people. The hall is equipped with all the necessary computer equipment for presentations, a control and video conferencing system as well as equipment for simultaneous translation. There is also an adjacent room which can be used for socialising or more private conversations.

In a smaller hall in the passenger terminal, there is space for up to 22 people to attend conferences or business meetings. This space is also furnished with all the necessary technical equipment.

The Edvard Rusjan reception room is on the ground floor of the terminal, next to the restaurant. It is suitable for private business lunches, smaller presentations and receptions.

More information regarding the organisation of business and other meetings at the airport can be obtained by calling +386 (4) 206 14 64. www.lju-airport.si, Advertising feature

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HIT Nova Gorica

Prepoznavno igralniško – konferenčno mesto Družba Hit, d. d., je že dve desetletji največje in poslovno najbolj uspešno slovensko igralniško-turistično podjetje, ki zna zadovoljiti najzahtevnejšega gosta in mu izpolniti skoraj vse želje in pričakovanja. Že doslej se je Hit v spomin mnogih zapisal kot odličen organizator sestankov, konferenc, dogodkov in incentive programov, odslej pa bo še učinkovitejši gostitelj poslovnih gostov, ki si želijo v sproščenem vzdušju nabirati nova znanja, sklepati poslovne vezi, predstavljati projekte, izdelke in storitve ter se prijateljsko družiti v privlačnem okolju igralniško-zabaviščnega centra Perla.

Kot biser v ogrlici vrhunskih Hitovih storitev pa z letošnjim letom Perla ponuja še več: s tehnično najsodobneje opremljeno novo konferenčno dvorano Pinta je njihova storitev širša in še bolj kakovostna.

Nova prostorna dvorana Pinta v konferenčni postavitvi sprejme 280 udeležencev, z možnostjo pregraditve v tri samostojne dvorane. Dopolnjuje jo manjša sejna soba v neposredni bližini, z večjim svetlim predprostorom za sprejeme in pogostitve. Center igre in zabave sicer ponuja tudi 250 udobnih sob (od tega 24 apartmajev, med njimi so 4 luksuzni). Drugi del konferenčnih prostorov se zaokrožuje v bližini prireditvene dvorane Arena s 320 sedeži in diskoteke s 100 sedeži, kjer so tudi štiri manjše sejne sobe. Vse so opremljene z najsodobnejšo tehniko. Hitove konferenčne in sejne dvorane ponujajo široko paleto možnih postavitev, ki omogočajo kakovostno delo v prijaznem in gostoljubnem okolju, vabljivem za organiziranje vseh vrst poslovnih srečanj.

Z letošnjim letom je Nova Gorica bogatejša tudi za obnovljen in povečan igralniško-zabaviščni center Park, ki skupaj s Perlo in hoteloma Lipo (Šempeter pri Gorici) in Sabotinom (Solkan) ter Hitovimi restavracijami predstavljajo srce turistične destinacije Goriške. Nova Gorica slovi po spektakularnih zabavnih programih v Parku in Perli, po široki paleti iger na srečo, po turističnih znamenitostih in odmevnih kulturnih prireditvah. Zgodovinsko in kulturno bogata preteklost, izjemno kulinarično izročilo in neposredna bližina treh svetovno znanih vinorodnih okolišev so dobro izhodišče za številne izlete in doživetja. Nova Gorica, mesto vrtnic, je mlado mesto z blagim podnebjem, dostopno gostom z vsega sveta. Leži na križišču prometnih in železniških poti, v bližini letališč in marin, le streljaj od morja in Alp. Na stičišču slikovitega Posočja, Vipavske doline, Krasa in Brd se na zanimiv način prepletajo vplivi slovanske, romanske in germanske kulture. Goriška torej vabi v široko naročje zabave, iger, eno-gastronomskih posebnosti ter športno-rekreativnih prireditev. Poslovno-konferenčni turizem, ki ga z novo vizijo načrtuje družba Hit, je zaradi vsega naštetega toliko bolj naravna in logična dopolnitev njihove znane vrhunske ponudbe. www.hit.si Promocijsko sporočilo

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HIT Nova Gorica

A distinguished gaming – conference City Hit is a company that’s been the biggest and, business wise, the most successful gaming- tourism company in Slovenia for the past two decades, able to please the most demanding guests and making just about all their wishes and expectations come true. To date, Hit has etched itself in the minds of many as an excellent organiser of meetings, conferences, events and incentive programmes.

In the future, it will also be known as a still better host to business guests who’d like to acquire new knowledge, make business contacts, present projects, products and services, as well as socialise in a relaxed atmosphere in the appealing surroundings of the Perla gaming-entertainment centre.

The new spacious Pinta auditorium can accommodate up to 280 participants conference style, and it’s possible to partition the space into three separate auditoriums. This is supplemented by a smaller meeting room close by with a large, bright room for receptions and entertainment. The gaming- entertainment centre also offers 250 comfortable rooms (including 24 apartments, four of which are luxury). The conference facilities are rounded off by the nearby Arena events auditorium with seating for 320 and a 100-seat discotheque, where a further four smaller meeting rooms are also available. All are furnished with the most up-to-date technical equipment. Hit's conference and meeting facilities offer a broad palette of possible set-ups, enabling quality work in a friendly and hospitable environment, enticing for the organisation of all kinds of business meetings.

As of this year, Nova Gorica is also enriched by the renovation and enlargement of the Park gaming-entertainment centre. This and the Perla, the Lipa Hotel (in Šempeter pri Gorici) the Sabotin Hotel (in Solkan) and Hit's restaurants are the heart of Gorica as a tourist destination. Nova Gorica is famous for the spectacular entertainment programmes at the Park and Perla, the broad palette of games of chance, its tourist attractions and its notable cultural performances.

With a historical and culturally rich past, excellent culinary tradition and proximity to three world renowned winegrowing regions, it’s a good starting point for a variety of trips and experiences. Nova Gorica, the city of roses, is a young city with a mild climate and is accessible to guests from all over the world. It’s at a road and rail crossroads, near airports and marinas, and just a stone's throw away from the sea and the Alps, where the picturesque Posočje, Vipava Valley, Kras and Brda come together, where there’s an interesting interweaving of Slavic, Romanic and Germanic cultures. Gorica beckons you to enjoy its wide variety of entertainment, gambling, unique culinary specialties and sporting and recreational events. Given all of the above, business-conference tourism as planned in Hit’s new vision is an even more natural and logical addition to what’s already recognised as a superior offer. www.hit.si Advertising feature

As the jewel in the crown of Hit's services, this year Perla is to offer even more. The new Pinta conference auditorium, equipped with state-ofthe-art technical equipment, makes their services yet wider ranging and higher quality.

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WEB 2.0 pristop

Za učinkovitejšo promocijo kongresne dejavnosti Hitrejši način življenja, zahteve po stalnem izobraževanju in prenasičenost z informacijami vzbujajo slehernemu udeležencu, pa tudi organizatorju kongresne dejavnosti vprašanje, kako ostati v stiku z znanjem, ki ga pridobi na konferenci.

Srž tega, kar sleherni posameznik išče, so prečiščene, preverjene, hitre in edukativne informacije ob pravem času. Internet in multimedijske vsebine, npr. streaming video, omogočajo posamezniku, da sam izbere čas in prostor za dodatno izobraževanje, ki poteka bodisi preko interneta v realnem času (živi prenos), na zahtevo (iz arhiva) ali preko klasičnih medijev (dvd). Za ponudnika kongresnih dejavnosti uvedba takega pristopa ne zahteva nikakršnih dodatnih obremenitev. Na drugi strani uporabnik potrebuje le osebni računalnik, dostop do interneta ali dvd predvajalnik ter prostodostopen brskalnik. Uporaba tega pristopa omogoča prenašanje seminarjev, predavanj, konferenc, poslovnih srečanj, sejemskih dogodkov, šolanje zaposlenih na daljavo, izdelavo izobraževalnih dvd-jev ...

WEB 2.0 pristop omogoča integracijo avdio/video vsebin s prezentacijami, referenčnimi povezavami in dodatnimi gradivi. To poveča že obstoječim tehnologijam uporabnost in doseg ter pomeni s praktično enakimi stroški večjo dodano vrednost in hkrati vzpodbudi proces nastanka dolgoročno zainteresirane ciljne publike, ki se tako iz lokalnega nivoja razširi na svetovni spletni nivo. Vsebine postanejo v trenutku oddaljene le za en klik.

Naše dolgoletne izkušnje obsegajo izdelavo celotne vertikale kongresne dejavnosti, od organizacije malih do največjih konferenc, celostne grafične podobe, informacijskega sistema, spletne podpore, avdio/videa in graditve socialnih omrežij (social community).

Omenjeni pristop se je izkazal kot win-win kombinacija tako na slovenski ravni kot tudi v evropskem in svetovnem merilu. Med drugim je koncept potrjen tudi na večih projektih pod okriljem EU. Na enem izmed teh projektov sodeluje več kot 40 evropskih institucij v obdobju do leta 2011.

Z največjim veseljem vam predstavimo prednosti novega, še učinkovitejšega pristopa na primeru vaše prakse. Za kakršna koli vprašanja smo vam vedno na voljo: ES3M ART d.o.o. - es3mart@gmail.com Promocijsko sporočilo

Primer postavitve videopredavanj na portalu.

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The WEB 2.0 Approach

For more effective Congress Promotion Each participant and congress organiser wonders how to stay in touch with the knowledge gained at a conference due to our faster pace of life, demands for constant education and information overload.

We are all essentially searching for filtered, verified, quick and educational information at the right time. The internet and multimedia content such as streaming video allow individuals to themselves choose the time and space for additional education provided over the internet in real-time (live transmission), on demand (from an archive) or on classic media (DVD). Implementing this approach places no additional workload whatsoever on the congress provider. On the other side, the users only need a personal computer, access to the internet or a DVD player and a freely accessible browser. The following things are possible with this approach transmission of seminars, lectures, conferences, business meetings and fair events; distance learning by employees, authoring of educational DVDs and so on.

The WEB 2.0 approach allows audio/video content integration with presentations, reference links and additional materials. This increases the usability and range of existing technology and amounts to added value at practically the same cost.

At the same time, this stimulates the formation of a target audience with long-term interest, thus expanding the process from a local level to a global internet level. The content is instantly only a mouse-click away.

Our many years of experience encompass the planning of congress activities in their entirety, from the organisation of any conference up to the very largest, as well as designing integrated graphic images, information systems, providing web support and audio/video content and the building of social communities.

This approach has shown itself to be a win-win combination in Slovenia as well as in Europe and globally. Among others, the concept has also been verified in multiple projects under EU auspices. One of these projects includes more than 40 European institutions and will last until 2011.

We will be glad to showcase the advantages of this new and even more effective approach on the basis of your individual case. Should you have any additional questions you can always reach us at es3mart@gmail.com, ES3M ART Advertising feature

Slika prikazuje videopredavanje, kjer je film sinhroniziran z ustrezno prezentacijo. • Video Conference with the videofilm, sinchronised with the presentation.

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NajboljĹĄi posli NajboljĹĄe izobraĹževanje NajboljĹĄi networking

Globalna borza sreÄ?anj in incentivov

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Iz tega razloga lahko borz

S.R.L. lni direktor Planet Services G. Antonio Minetti, komercia

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