December 2008

• REVIJA INDUSTRIJE SREČANJ JUGOVZHODNE EVROPE • SOUTH EAST EUROPE MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE • LETNIK II , ŠT. 5 • VOLUME II, ISSUE 5 • DECEMBER, DECEMBER 2008 •

Kako močni smo v času recesije?

How Strong Are We in Times of Recession?

Regije in srečanja Regions and Meetings

Intervju / Interview Mag. Janez Krašnja Janez Krašnja, MSc.

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

Gospodarsko razstavišče Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

foto: Luka Zajc

V središču dogajanja In The Midst Of Happening

Zumtobel Highlights event, September 2008, Kupola Hall at GR Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre 2 Kongres - 2008 www.ljubljanafair.com

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Welcome to our home above the clouds, aboard our finely-furnished modern fleet with over 45 years of experience. Excellent service, together with the hospitality of our caring staff will take you safely to more than 25 destinations across Europe. And all the while we’ll make you feel right at home, above the clouds – together.

Dobrodošli v naš dom nad oblaki.

Prestopite prag naše udobno opremljene in sodobne flote z več kot petinštiridesetletnimi izkušnjami.

Pričakala vas bo odlična storitev ter prijazno, gostoljubno osebje, ki vas bo varno popeljalo v več kot 25 destinacij po vsej Evropi. In pri tem poskrbelo, da se boste v našem skupnem domu nad oblaki ves čas počutili kot doma.

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

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Kolofon / Colophon

Napovednik / Content

REVIJA KONGRES - REVIJA INDUSTRIJE SREČANJ JUGOVZHODNE EVROPE / KONGRES - SOUTH EAST EUROPE MEETINGS INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

Intervju: mag. Janez Krašnja - Manjka nam predvsem drznosti / Interview: Janez

Glavni in odgovorni urednik / Editor-in-Chief: Gorazd Čad Izvršna urednica / Executive Editor: Jakica Jesih Pomočnica urednika / Assistant to the Editor-in-Chief: Danaja Besnard Uredniški odbor / Editorial Board: Tony Carey, Gorazd Čad, Petra Čuk, Anuša Gaši, Miha Kovačič, Tina Možina, Srečo Peterlič, Tatjana Radovič, Darja Slivnjak, Mirjana Sušec, Maja Vidergar Oblikovanje / Design: Propagarna d.o.o.

Prevod / Translation: Alkemist d.o.o.

Lektoriranje / Proofreading: Alkemist d.o.o., Jakica Jesih Tisk / Printing: Collegium Graphicum d.o.o., Ljubljana Naklada / Circulation: 5.000 izvodov / 5.000 Copies ISSN Številka / ISSN Number: 1854-9292 Revija izhaja 5x letno / Magazine issued in: Januar; april; julij; oktober; december January; April; July; October; December Izdajatelj, produkcija in trženje / Publisher, Production and Marketing: GO®Mice d.o.o., Štihova 4 SI-1000 Ljubljana T: +386 (0)1 430 51 03 F: +386 (0)1 430 51 04 E: kongres@go-mice.eu Datum izida / Issue date: December 2008 / December 2008 Cena / Price: 6,70 EUR / Slovenia 18,00 EUR / Other Countries Za reproduciranje vsebine je potrebno pisno soglasje uredništva. / For the content reproduction it is required to get the written editorial consigment.

Na podlagi zakona o davku na dodano vrednost se od revije obračunava davek na dodano vrednost po 8,5-odstotni stopnji. Za kvalificirane organizatorje dogodkov je revija brezplačna. / On the basis of the Value Added Tax Act, VAT is levied at a 8.5 per cent rate for the magazine.

The magazine is free-of-charge for qualified event organisers.

Krašnja, MSc. - What We Lack is Boldness

Prav kongresni turizem je kar v največji meri odvisen od dobrih letalskih povezav. Imamo v Sloveniji dovolj dobro razvite produkte za letalske goste in kaj bi lahko naredili še bolje? Za odgovore smo prosili mag. Janez Krašnjo, direktorja komercialnega sektorja pri Aerodromu Ljubljana, d.d.

It is precisely convention tourism that greatly depends on good flight connections. Does Slovenia have well-enough developed products for flight guests and what could we do better? We asked Janez Krašnja, MSc., Sales Director of Aerodrom Ljubljana, d.d. to provide us with the answers.

8 Učinki pričakovane recesije na turizem Nas čaka upadanje povpraševanja? / The

Effects of the Anticipated Recession on Tourism - Are We In for a Setback in demand?

Prihodnje leto bo za globalno turistično industrijo in tudi za kongresni turizem leto velikih preizkušenj. Globalna ekonomska kriza bo prav gotovo prizadela tudi našo dejavnost. Pomembno je, da imamo vsi akterji realna pričakovanja in da se aktivnosti prilagodijo gospodarski realnosti.

O mnenjih in pogledih glede finančne krize smo se pogovarjali z nekaterimi pomembnimi kongresnimi osebnostmi.

For the global industry of tourism and convention tourism, the next year will be a year of trials. The global economic crisis will undoubtedly have a negative effect on our industry. It is important that all market players have realistic expectations, and that activities are adapted to the economic reality. We asked some important convention and incentive personalities for their opinion and views regarding the financial crisis.

40 Slovenija v JV Evropi - Še ena priložnost več / Slovenia in Southeastern Europe - An Additional Opportunity

Povezovanje je trend, ki je prisoten povsod, tudi v industriji srečanj. Neločljivo je povezan s prizadevanji po večjem finančnem učinku. Zato pozdravljamo vpetost Slovenije v geografsko smiselna združenja, še bolj pa v interesne sfere po dejavnosti in usmerjenosti podjetij. Nihče ne more uspeti sam, bolje je, da združimo moči.

Connections are a universal trend, and the meetings industry is no exception. It is inseparably connected with aspirations for greater financial results. It is for this reason that we welcome Slovenia’s integration into geographically sensible associations, and especially into interest spheres according to the activity and orientation of companies. No one can succeed alone. It is much better to join forces.

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Uvodnik / Editorial

Vrednost, ki šteje / Value that Counts

Ko beseda nanese na povezovanje, najprej pomislim na razmerje med moškim in žensko, med družino, prijatelji, kolegi v službi.

Na razmerje med sorodnimi ljudmi, ki se družijo in sestavljajo družbo, z namenom uresničevanja človekove primarne potrebe po druženju.

When it comes to connections, one thinks first about the relationships between men and women, families, friends, and coworkers. About the relationship between kindred spirits, socialising and creating a society with the aim of fulfilling man’s primal need for companionship.

Ko govorimo o povezovanju, namreč govorimo o ljudeh. Ne o povezovanju med kraji, regijami. O povezovanju med ljudmi. S preprostim in zame nepozabnim stavkom nas znani pisatelj Kahlil Gibran v eni od svojih uspešnic opiše: »Ljudje smo kot angeli z enim krilom, da bi poleteli, se moramo objeti.«

When we are talking about connecting, we are talking about people. Not about the connections between towns or regions, but about connections between people. As the famous writer Kahlil Gilbran put it in one of his bestsellers with a simple and for me an unforgettable sentence: »We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can only fly by embracing one another.«

Današnji tempo in hitrost življenja nas silita v individualizem in lažen občutek samozadostnosti. Obremenjeni z nešteto pomembnimi in manj pomembnimi informacijami hitimo s plašnicami na očeh, da čimprej prispemo. A na poti pozabljamo, kaj in kje je naš cilj.

Enako se dogaja s podjetji. Ob vse bolj krutemu zasledovanju dobička in sledenju kapitalizmu se pojavljajo praznine, ki jih lahko uspešno zapolnimo le z medsebojnimi odnosi.

Pogrešam druženje, povezovanje, v prvi vrsti seveda med poslovnimi partnerji v Sloveniji, kjer obremenjeni s preteklo zgodovino in sindromom majhnosti države raje mislimo manj kot več o sebi in kjer se raje zapiramo vase kot odpiramo navzven.

Pogrešam tudi intenzivnejše povezovanje med akterji v regiji.

Izmenjave mnenj, izkušenj in znanj lahko postanejo naše bogastvo, naše priložnosti za razvoj. Naša spodbuda za lastne izboljšave, za dvig nivoja lastne kakovosti. Povezovanje se ne more odraziti drugače kot »win-win princip«. Vsi imamo lahko koristi, zato se moramo prav vsi potruditi. Šteje vsak človek.

Z zanimanjem sem spremljala Obamamanijo, ki je tokrat prvič zajela tudi tretji svet in je samo dokaz več, kako učinkovit, če ne celo ključen je lahko posameznik v procesu medsebojnega povezovanja.

The speed and pace of life today pushes us towards individualism and the false sense of self-sufficiency. We worry about countless important and less important pieces of information, and hurry with blinkers on our eyes in order to arrive as soon as possible. On our way, however, we forget what and where our aim is.

The same is happening with companies. In light of the increasingly cruel pursuit of profits and capitalism, there are voids appearing which can be successfully filled only by interpersonal relationships.

I miss socialising and personal connection, primarily, of course, among business partners in Slovenia. Burdened with our past history and the syndrome of the smallness of Slovenian space, we think, more or less, about ourselves and prefer to close ourselves off rather than open up.

I also miss more intense personal connections among players in the region. The exchange of opinions, experience and knowledge can become our wealth and an opportunity for our development, an incentive for improvement and a higher level of our own quality.

Personal connections cannot be reflected in any other way but in a win-win situation. We can all benefit, so we all need to make an effort. Every person counts.

Želim si, da bi dojemali povezovanje kot priložnost za razvoj, kot prijetno druženje, iz katerega bomo vsi skupaj odšli močnejši in boljši.

I followed Obamamania with interest, seeing it spread to the Third World for the first time, providing yet more proof of how efficient, if not even crucial, an individual is in the process of interpersonal connections.

Tina Možina Direktorica Incoming, Kompas d.d. tina.mozina@kompas.si

I wish we would see connecting as an opportunity for development, as pleasant socialising, which will leave all of us stronger and better off.

Tina Možina Executive Director, Kompas Incoming d.d. tina.mozina@kompas.si

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Intervju: mag. Janez Krašnja

Manjka nam predvsem drznosti Prav kongresni turizem je kar v največji meri odvisen od dobrih letalskih povezav. Imamo v Sloveniji dovolj dobro razvite produkte za letalske goste in kaj bi lahko naredili še bolje? Za odgovore smo prosili mag. Janez Krašnjo, direktorja komercialnega sektorja pri Aerodromu Ljubljana d.d.

Kakšno je vaše mnenje o povezavi letalske dostopnosti s kongresnim turizmom?

Dobre letalske povezave so ključne za razvoj turizma, tudi kongresnega. Gre za zahteven segment potnikov, ki si sliko o destinaciji ustvari skozi potovanja v poslovne namene, zato visoko ceni kvaliteto ponudbe in dostopnost, ki se meri v dosegljivosti z direktnimi leti in frekventnostjo letov.

Ali imamo v Sloveniji razvite produkte za letalske goste? Ali smo za ta produkt dovolj usposobljeni?

Slovenija je relativno majhen trg, ki si postavlja turizem za strateško razvojno panogo. Kljub vedno pestrejši ponudbi letalskega prevoza so letalski potniki zahtevni gostje. Zato je po mojem mnenju potrebno razvijati zahtevnejše produkte. Usposobljenost slovenskega turističnega gospodarstva je zadovoljiva, vendar je prostora za razvoj še veliko, vse preveč je razdrobljenosti, manjka povezanosti, predvsem pa drznosti v smislu doseganja večje prepoznavnosti Slovenije.

Ali imamo po vašem mnenju v Sloveniji razvite kapacitete za nadaljni razvoj letalskega turizma? Česa primanjkuje?

Menim, da v Sloveniji še nismo izkoristili vseh možnosti, s katerimi bi okrepili letalski turizem. Anglija je npr. kot največji emitivni trg letalskega turizma šele na četrtem mestu po številu tujih gostov pri nas. Še zmeraj so pred njo naše sosednje države, od koder pa turisti prihajajo praviloma po cestah. Percepcija Slovenije v tujini se je v zadnjem času po zaslugi predsedovanja Slovenije EU in obiskov visokih tujih državnikov in kraljice sicer izboljšala, vendar nas v tujini še ne poznajo dovolj. Nimamo edinstvenih turističnih produktov, ki bi nas lahko razlikovalno pozicionirali v odnosu do drugih letalskih turističnih trgov.

Kakšna je naša konkurenčna prednost v primerjavi z ostalimi destinacijami v regiji?

Prave konkurenčne prednosti nam še ni uspelo ustvariti. Večino krajev in turističnih atrakcij v Sloveniji je z našega letališča mogoče doseči v največ dobri uri vožnje po cesti. Glede na to, da smo priča trendu krajših in večkratnih počitnic, je prihranek časa pomemben. Boljšo konkurenčnost je mogoče vzpostaviti le s sistemskimi ukrepi, kar pomeni, da moramo povezano delovati vsi členi oz. subjekti, ki lahko vplivamo na sestavo in razvoj letalske destinacije.

Ali je politika, strategija in način promocije letalskim gostom ustrezna?

Za učinkovit nastop na tujih trgih so potrebna ogromna sredstva in čas, da se Slovenija uveljavi kot destinacija. Akterji slovenskega incoming turizma si prizadevamo povečati število tujih turistov v Sloveniji. Obseg promocije je skladen s sredstvi, ki so za to na voljo. V gospodarsko interesnem združenju SPOT spodbujamo domačega in tuje letalske prevoznike k vzpostavitvi destinacij, kjer obstaja turistično povpraševanje za Slovenijo. Pri tem si želimo tudi povečanja števila interkontinentalnih letov z ljubljanskega letališča. V letošnjem letu smo realizirali dva charter leta iz Tokia z letalom Boeing 747. Upamo, da bo v naslednjem letu takšnih letov še več.

Turistično gospodarstvo bi moralo večje vsote denarnih sredstev usmerjati v marketinške aktivnosti, ki dopolnjujejo siceršnje aktivnosti letalskih prevoznikov. Ker je treba pri takšni politiki, ki je sicer uveljavljena v EU, paziti tudi na enakost in transparentnost,

Janez Krašnja

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bi morali v prihodnje izoblikovati natančne kriterije upravičencev do takšnih sredstev. Če želimo narediti radikalnejši preboj pri prihodu večjega števila tujih gostov, moramo novim destinacijam nameniti veliko več sredstev in aktivnosti, kot smo jih namenjali do sedaj, vsekakor je s pomočjo STO treba določiti destinacije, ki so upravičene do teh sredstev.

Kako se da v turizmu po vašem mnenju ustvarjati dodano vrednost?

Bistven je odnos do turizma na vsakem koraku. Po mojem prepričanju ni dovolj, da si v Sloveniji zastavimo turizem kot eno najpomembnejših gospodarskih panog, ampak da gojimo pozitiven odnos do turizma in turistov na vsakem koraku. Dobro izpeljana turistična storitev v smislu kvalitete nastanitve in prevoza več ne zadostuje. Odnos do turistov, njihovo zadovoljstvo in dobro počutje pri nas so dejavniki, zaradi katerih se bodo k nam vračali tudi po tem, ko bodo spoznali večino lepot naše dežele.

Kakšni izzivi in ukrepi nas čakajo v prihodnosti?

Konkurenca na trgu ponudbe turističnih storitev se povečuje. Še naprej bomo morali graditi na večji prepoznavnosti Slovenije v tujini. Izboljšati bomo morali letalske povezave in še bolje skupaj sodelovati pri promociji Slovenije na tujih trgih. Potrebujemo ambicioznost in nekaj drznosti – dogodek, ki bi še povečal interes za potovanje v Slovenijo, kot je to uspelo Valencii z organizacijo dirke za Formulo ena.

Varstvo okolja je kompleksna problematika, s katero se ukvarjajo letališča in letalski prevozniki po vsem svetu. Uvajajo se novi predpisi, ki so vezani na varstvo pred hrupom, na varstvo podtalnice, na količino izpustov; merjenje vpliva na okolje se vgrajuje v dnevne delovne in tehnološke procese na letališčih. Čeprav sodi med manjša letališča, je Aerodrom Ljubljana kot upravljavec ljubljanskega letališča na tem področju zelo aktiven. Okoljski projekt, s katerim se trenutno ukvarjamo, je sistem monitoringa hrupa, s katerim bo mogoče meriti hrup in identificirati kršitelje. Sistem monitoringa hrupa je del celovitega pristopa k urejanju problematike hrupa na območjih ob letališču in bo nediskriminatorno pomagal k izboljšanju kakovosti življenja v vseh okoliških občinah. V pripravi je tudi študija o smotrnosti postavitve protihrupne zaščite.

Kako se lahko z letališko infrastrukturo prilagodimo kongresnim gostom?

Na našem letališču imamo ambiciozne načrte izgradnje t.i. letališkega mesta, kjer bomo ponudili vso potrebno infrastrukturo tudi za tako zahteven segment potnikov kot so kongresni turisti.

Podobno kot ostala letališča vidimo prednost tudi v prihranku časa, ki je sicer potreben za pot od letališča do končne točke, kjer se odvija kongresna dejavnost.

Nekaj kongresnih zmogljivosti imamo na letališču že sedaj, primerne pa so predvsem za dnevna srečanja in manjše sestanke.

Predvsem naša večnamenska konferenčna dvorana, ki lahko sprejme do 120 slušateljev, je čedalje pogosteje v uporabi, za njen namen pa se odločajo tako domači kot tuji naročniki.

Kako se borite proti negativnim ukrepom na okolje? janez.krasnja@lju-airport.si

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Interview: Janez Krašnja, MSc.

What We Lack is Boldness It is precisely convention tourism that greatly depends on good flight connections. Does Slovenia have well-enough developed products for flight guests and what could we do better? We asked Janez Krašnja, MSc., Sales Director of Aerodrom Ljubljana d.d. to provide us with the answers.

What can you say about the relationship between flight accessibility and convention tourism?

Good flight connections are of vital importance for the development of tourism as well as convention tourism. This is a demanding segment of passengers, who form an impression of the destination through business trips and thus highly appreciate the quality of the offer and the accessibility, which is measured in being accessible by direct and frequent flights.

offerings of air transport, air passengers are demanding guests.

This is why I believe that more demanding products should be developed. The qualifications of the Slovenian tourist industry are satisfactory but there is still a lot of room for development. There is too much fragmentation, a lack of cooperation and above all a lack of boldness for achieving a greater recognition of our country.

Do you believe that Slovenia has the needed capacities for further development of flight tourism? What is missing?

I believe that we have still not made use of all the possibilities for strengthening flight tourism. As the biggest consumer of flight tourism, England is still only number four with regard to their number of tourists in Slovenia. It is still behind our neighbouring countries, whose tourists usually travel to Slovenia by road.

Recently, mostly due to Slovenia’s EU Presidency and the visits of high statesmen and the Queen, the perception of Slovenia has gotten better but we are still not known enough abroad. We do not have any unique tourist products to distinguish us from other flight tourism markets.

Does Slovenia have any products which have been developed for flight guests and are we even qualified enough to offer such products?

What is our competitive advantage compared to other destinations in the region?

Slovenia is a relatively small market, which puts tourism as its strategic developmental branch. Despite the increasingly diverse

We have not yet managed to generate an actual competitive advantage. The majority of towns and tourist attractions in Slovenia can be reached from our airport in no more than an hour’s drive on

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Janez Krašnja the motorway. As we are seeing a trend of shorter and multiple holidays, time-saving is of the essence. A better competitiveness may be established only with systematic measures, which means that all links or subjects, who can influence the structure and development of our flight destination, must work together.

Do we have an appropriate policy, strategy and manner of promotion for flight guests?

Enormous means and time are necessary for an efficient presence on foreign markets and for Slovenia to assert itself as a destination.

The players on the market of Slovenian incoming tourism are striving to increase the number of foreign tourists in Slovenia. The extent of the promotion is in accordance with the available funds.

The SPOT Economic Interest Grouping encourages domestic and foreign airlines to set up a destination, as there is a tourist demand for Slovenia. We would also like to increase the number of intercontinental flights from the Ljubljana Airport. This year, we hosted two charter flights from Tokyo with a Boeing 747. We hope that next year there will be even more flights like that.

The tourist industry should allocate more financial resources to marketing activities which complement the other activities of airlines. As with such a policy, which is a standard practice in the EU, equality and transparency are essential, the future should see the generation of exact criteria for those who are eligible for such funds. If we wish to achieve a more radical breakthrough in the number of foreign guests, we need to invest far more means and activities into the new destinations as we have been investing so far. In any case, the destinations, which are entitled to these means, should be determined with the help of the Slovenian Tourist Board.

How do you believe added value to be generated in tourism?

The attitude towards tourism is essential every step of the way.

I do not believe it is enough to determine tourism as one of the most important economic branches in Slovenia, we also must nurture a positive attitude towards tourism and tourists with every step we take. A well-organised tourist service in the sense of quality accommodation and transport no longer suffices. The attitude towards the tourists, their satisfaction and well-being in our country are the factors which will bring them back, along with their experiencing the number of beautiful sites our country has to offer.

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What challenges and measures await us in the future?

The competition among tourist service providers is increasing. We still have to work towards a greater recognition of Slovenia abroad.

We need to improve flight connections and work even more closely on the promotion of Slovenia in foreign markets. We need ambition and boldness – an event which would increase the interest to travel to Slovenia, similar to how Valencia drew tourists by organising Formula 1 races.

How do you cope with the negative effects on the environment?

The protection of the environment is a complex subject matter for airports and airlines all over the world. New regulations are being implemented regarding noise protection, the protection of groundwater and the quantity of emissions. Measurements of environmental impacts are being integrated into the daily routines and technological processes at airports. Even though it is part of a group of smaller airports, Aerodrom Ljubljana, as the manager of Ljubljana airport, is very active in this field. The environmental project that we are currently working on is a system of noise monitoring, which will enable noise measurements to be conducted and offenders identified. The noise monitoring system is part of a comprehensive approach to the regulation of noise pollution in the areas around the airport and will unmistakably help improve the quality of life in all the surrounding municipalities. We are also preparing a study on the expediency of setting up a noise barrier.

How can the airport’s infrastructure be adapted to convention guests?

Our airport has ambitious plans for the construction of a so-called »airport town,« which will provide the entire infrastructure needed for even a demanding segment of passengers such as convention tourists. Similar to other airports, we see another advantage in saving time, which is otherwise needed for the trip from the airport to the final destination of the convention activity.

The airport already offers some convention facilities which are more than sufficient for daily meetings and shorter appointments. Our multipurpose conference hall, which can take in up to 120 guests, is being increasingly used by both domestic and foreign clients. janez.krasnja@lju-airport.si

Kongres - 2008

Kratke novice

Renata Balažic, naj menedžerka v turizmu 2008

Central Hotel H

Direktorat za turizem na Ministrstvu za gospodarstvo in Slovenska

turistična organizacija sta izbirala naj managerje v turizmu v Sloveniji. Na osnovi ocene strokovne komisije in števila prejetih glasov je naziv za Naj menedžerko v turizmu v Sloveniji za leto 2008 prejela Renata Balažic, direktorica prodaje in marketinga v Grand Hotelu Union: »Priznanje, ki sem ga prejela, ni le priznanje meni osebno, ampak priznanje celemu kolektivu Grand Hotela Union.

Priznanje vidim kot nagrado za vse nas, ki se vsak dan trudimo prispevati k uspešnim rezultatom in razvoju podjetja. Tudi zaradi vsega naštetega po desetih letih še vedno z veseljem prihajam v službo.« www.gh-union.si

Odlična predstava na 22. svetovni kulinarični olimpijadi Na 22. svetovni kulinarični olimpijadi - Ika 2008 Erfurt - so se

odlično odrezali tudi kuharski mojstri iz Grand Hotela Union.

Slovenska kuharska reprezentanca, katere vodja je šef kuhinj GH Union Janez Dolšak, je v kuhanju menija osvojila srebrno medaljo.

Kot samostojni razstavljavec v kategoriji kulinarična artistika je prvo – zlato medaljo za Slovenijo na kuharski olimpijadi za ledeno skulpturo »Pegazovo rojstvo« osvojil kuhar v Grand Hotelu Union Miro Rismondo. www.gh-union.si

otel v upravljanju GH Union na Miklošičevi 9 z začasnim imenom Garni hotel, je dobil svoje novo ime – Central hotel****. Njegovi atributi so odlična lokacija v središču mesta, prijazen in oseben pristop do gostov, udobnost ter cenovna dostopnost.

Hotel ima štiri zvezdice, ponuja 74 sob, štiri konferenčne dvorane, savno, varovano garažo, povsod v hotelu je gostom na voljo brezplačen internetni dostop. www.centralhotel.si

50. svetovni kongres turističnih novinarjev in piscev FIJET Slovenija – Društvo turističnih novinarjev Slovenije je od 17. do 23. oktobra 2008 organiziralo 50. Svetovni kongres turističnih novinarjev in piscev s 180 udeleženci iz 22 držav.

FIJET je svetovno združenje turističnih novinarjev in piscev, ki je bilo ustanovljeno leta 1954. Zdaj je vanj včlanjenih več kot 900 novinarjev, piscev, fotografov in svobodnih novinarjev, specializiranih za turizem. V članstvu FIJET so poleg 25 nacionalnih organizacij turističnih novinarjev tudi posamezniki iz tistih držav, v katerih ni nacionalnih združenj. FIJET Slovenija se je v združenje ponovno včlanil leta 2006, sicer pa so slovenski turistični novinarji leta 1985 že organizirali kongres FIJET, njegov osrednji del je takrat potekal v Portorožu.

Zmagovalec razpisa za najboljši turistični plakat Z

magovalni turistični plakat z implementacijo slogana in znaka I FEEL SLOVENIA, ki ga je strokovna žirija izbrala med 167 prispelimi idejnimi rešitvami na skupen razpis Zlatega bobna in Slovenske turistične organizacije, je plakat z naslovom »Follow your heart«.

O zmagovalcu je odločila mednarodna štiričlanska žirija v sestavi Kurt Georg Dieckert, glavni kreativni direktor in član upravnega odbora, TBWA, Nemčija – predsednik; Andrei Cohn, kreativni direktor Cohn & Jansen Ashley & Holmes, Romunija; Marius

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Kasperavičius, kreativni direktor, Barikada & designHOTEL, Litva; Marko Vičič, izvršni kreativni direktor, Futura DDB, Slovenija.

Podelitev nagrad Golden Drum Open, kjer so razglasili tudi zmagovalca natečaja I FEEL SLOVENIA, je potekala 7.10.2008 v dvorani Evropa GH Bernardin v okviru festivala Zlati Boben.

Slovenska turistična organizacije je zmagovalcu podarila denarno nagrado v vrednosti 5000 evrov. www.slovenia.info

Prihodnje leto bo zgrajen letališki hotel N

a Letališču Jožeta Pučnika Ljubljana bo najkasneje konec septembra prihodnje leto stal hotel s štirimi zvezdicami. V njem bodo, poleg najmanj 150 sob, še kongresni center, restavracija ter sodobna fitnes in wellness center. Upravljala ga bo mednarodna hotelska veriga The Residor Group, gradilo pa podjetje Vegrad.

Hotel je nov objekt v nizu razvojnih naložb na letališču. Aerodrom Ljubljana trenutno gradi severno parkirišče, prihodnjo pomlad pa bodo predvidoma začeli z gradnjo novega terminala T2. www.lju-airport.si

Prenova seminarskih dvoran v hotelu Best Western V Best Western hotelu Slon so konec oktobra 2008 pričeli s

prenovo seminarskih dvoran, ki bodo pridobile svežo in modno podobo. Udobno pohištvo, lestenci ter nove barve tekstila bodo ustvarili prijeten ambient, ki ga dopolnjuje postrežba Illy kave med odmori. Najnovejša tehnična oprema bo omogočala kakovostno organizacijo tudi zahtevnejših dogodkov. www.hotelslon.com

Fatalka leta je izbrana S

talnica med najodmevnejšimi medijskimi dogodki v Sloveniji je že pet let zapovrstjo izbor Femme Fatale. Akcija, ki poteka pod

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okriljem revije Eva, išče ženske, ki izstopajo po svojem močnem značaju, ustvarjalnih dosežkih in komunikativnosti. Tudi letos je razglasitev Femme Fatale organizirala agencija TNT events. Odvila se je v eni najlepših ljubljanskih dvoran, Festivalni dvorani. Letošnji dogodek je bil vsebinsko navezan na lanskoletnega, ko so slovenske fatalke postavili v središče nastajanja TV oddaje. V posebej za to priložnost vzpostavljenem radijskem studiu v Festivalni dvorani je nastala posebna radijska oddaja, ki so jo povezovali radijski moderator Sašo Papp ter izvrstna imitatorja Jure Mastnak in Jure Godler. Slednja sta predstavljala posebno strokovno žirijo, ki je nominiranke za naziv Femme Fatale preizkusila v kratkih in duhovitih dialogih. Najzanimivejši izvlečki oddaje, ki je nastajala pred očmi številnih obiskovalcev dogodka, so na radijski postaji Radio Center večkrat predvajali in tako podaljšali odmev tega elitnega dogodka. www.tntevents.net

Novosti iz scenske delavnice TNT events V

scenski delavnici agencije TNT events so nastale že mnoge zahtevne scenografije, med letošnjimi pa posebej izstopata dve: scenografija za Slovensko popevko in osrednjo proslavo ob 80. obletnici radia in 50. obletnici televizije, ki sta potekali v ljubljanskih Križankah ter sejemska postavitev za družbo Akrapovič na enem največjih avtomobilskih sejmov v Evropi, Intermont v Kölnu. Tudi kritiki so si bili edini, da je bila letošnja scenografija za Slovensko popevko, glasbeni festival z najdaljšo tradicijo v Sloveniji, izjemna.

Tako v živo kot na televizijskih ekranih je delovala veličastno, postavitev orkestra in piste za glasbenike, ki so tekmovali, pa je iz vsem dobro znanih Križank ustvarila enkratno in glamurozno prizorišče. Scenografija je nastala v rekordnem času, njena postavitev na oder Križank je zaradi zahtevnosti trajala kar dva dneva. Sejemski nastop družbe Akrapovič pa je letos izstopal zaradi atraktivnega ozadja vrhunskih jeklenih lepotcev, uspešnost nastopa pa je potrdila odločitev, da se z enako scenografsko zasnovo sejemskega prostora družba Akrapovič predstavi tudi na drugih večjih sejmih v letošnjem letu. www.tntevents.net

Trop ima rekordno dolg mobilni šank Podjetje Trop, ki se ukvarja z gostinsko dejavnostjo, je nedavno

bistveno nadgradilo svoje zmogljivosti. Izkušena ekipa barmanov, ki sicer domuje v ljubljanski dvorani Cvetličarna, pogosto gostuje na najrazličnejših dogodkih v Sloveniji in tujini. Tako so poleti zagotovili gostinsko podporo na največjem glasbenem festivalu v Sloveniji, Metalcampu, konec septembra pa skrbeli za VIP goste na koncertu Madonne v Črni Gori. Poleg barskega cateringa in barske šole je njihova največja posebnost in prednost mobilni bar, ki ga pripeljejo in postavijo na kakršnem koli dogodku. Njegovo dolžino prilagodijo prireditvenemu prostoru, željam naročnika in številu gostov.

Dosedanji rekord v postavitvi bara na enem dogodku pa znaša kar 130 metrov. Toliko znaša namreč skupna dolžina barskih pultov, ki so osvetljeni na poseben način in predstavljajo atraktiven poudarek scenografske zasnove prostora, v katerem poteka dogodek. www.tntevents.net

Kongres - 2008

Od modne revije do razstave v Cankarjevem domu

zaokroža celostno ponudbo, ki gostom omogoča prijetno bivanje. www.austria-trend.at

Fleksibilnost je eden ključnih pogojev za organizacijo dogodkov.

Cankarjev dom jo ima. V mesecu oktobru so gostili Festival za tretje življenjsko obdobje, kjer so v treh dneh zabeležili preko 5.000 obiskovalcev, ter mednarodno konferenco Hydro 2008, kjer je kongresu parirala razstava s 104 razstavljavci v vseh treh nivojih kongresnega centra. Tradicijo organizacije modnih revij pa so nadaljevali z revijo Pletenine Draž, ki se je z več kot 500 gosti izkazala za družabni dogodek tretjega vikenda v oktobru. www.cd-cc.si

Gostinci Jamskega dvorca ponovno »zlati« V

podjetju Turizem Kras, d.d. so se tudi letos na 55. Gostinskoturističnem zboru odločili tekmovati v pripravi hladno-toplega bifeja in poslovnega kosila. Izbira teme »Beneški karneval« za tekmovanje v pripravi hladno-toplega bifeja ni naključje, saj v letošnjem letu Jamski dvorec praznuje osemdeseto obletnico, odkar je bil zasnovan pod taktirko znamenitega italijanskega arhitekta Pietra Palumbe. Tekmovali so tudi v pripravi kosila ob otvoritvi novega paviljona v Parku vojaške zgodovine Pivka, ki je poleg Postojnske jame, Predjamskega gradu in Jamskega dvorca ena od najatraktivnejših turističnih destinacij, s katero podjetje upravlja. »Generalsko kosilo« je navdušilo vse zbrane, tudi tiste z najvišjimi čini. Obe ekipi sta posegli po najvišjih priznanjih in še enkrat dokazali, da se v Jamskem dvorcu res dobro je.

Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana – vodilni slovenski SPA hotel A

ustria Trend Hotel Ljubljana je bil v volilni kampaniji, ki je dosegla več kot 167.000 potovalnih strokovnjakov, izbran za vodilni slovenski SPA hotel. »Oskar potovalne industrije« oziroma »Svetovna potovalna nagrada« (»The World Travel Award«) je nedvomno najprestižnejši in najobširnejši nagradni program na področju poslovnih potovanj. Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana, član vodilne avstrijske skupine hotelov Austria Trend Hotels & Resorts in eden vodilnih ljubljanskih kongresno-poslovnih hotelov na stičišču Dunajske ceste in obvoznice, se lahko pohvali z 214 sobami, vključno dvema predsedniškima apartmajema, kongresno-konferenčnim centrom, ki lahko sprejme od 5 do 450 udeležencev in je opremljen z najsodobnejšo tehnologijo, ter dvema restavracijama in barom.

Dodatna ponudba v Austria Trend Hotelu Ljubljana, kot je SPA Sense s savno in masažami ali Casino z zabavnim programom,

Nova vinoteka Vinarte na Bledu V

inski navdušenci se od nedavnega na Bledu lahko veselijo nove Vinoteke Vinarte, ki je odprla svoja vrata v kompleksu hotela Trst nasproti Grand Hotela Toplice. V vinoteki je za prodajo in degustacije na voljo več kot 300 različnih slovenskih in tujih vin. Prostor je primeren tudi za izvedbo degustacij za zaključene skupine, ki jih vodijo vinski svetovalci iz Grand Hotela Toplice. V ta namen so že oblikovali nabor desetih različnih tematskih degustacij, pri katerih je poudarek predvsem na predstavitvi slovenskih vin iz različnih vinorodnih območij. Poleg vina je v vinoteki mogoče kupiti tudi vinske pripomočke in strokovno literaturo o vinu. V prednovoletnem času so pripravili posebno ponudbo priznanih slovenskih in tujih vin v lični embalaži ter darilne sete vinskih pripomočkov, ki so lahko odlično poslovno darilo.

Vinoteka je odprta od torka do sobote od 9.00 do 12.00 in od 15.00 do 19.00 ter ob nedeljah od 9.00 do 12.00. www.vinarte-bled.com

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Kongres - 2008

Slovenije kot sveta, pri čemer je poudarek na destinacijah, kamor lahko potniki potujejo z Adrio Airways. Revija prevzame z visoko kakovostjo fotografije in dobro zgodbo, povezano v prepoznavno vizualno podobo.

Dogodek pa so obeležili tudi s predstavitvijo novih uniform zemeljskega in letalskega osebja. Nova linija oblačil je zasnovana v duhu časa vrhuncev glamuroznosti letalskih potovanj v šestdesetih in sedemdesetih letih. Oblačila imajo tako rahel retro pridih, z vrnitvijo klobučkov in rokavic. Prevladujoča barva je ponovno modra, v svetlejšem in temnejšem odtenku, ki jo dopolnjujeta bela in srebrno siva ter značke in imenske ploščice v srebrni kovini.

Pilotske uniforme pa ostajajo temno modre z zlatimi oznakami. www.adria-airways.com

Sprostitev s pridihom daljnega vzhoda V

hotelu Park na Bledu od poletja deluje nov center tajske masaže Thai, kjer je v šestih v tajskem stilu opremljenih masažnih sobah gostom na voljo več vrst tajske masaže in različnih sprostitvenih programov s pridihom azijske filozofije. V ambientu, ki združuje tajsko tradicijo in razkošje, strokovno usposobljeni terapevti, ki prihajajo s Tajske, skrbijo za razvajanje na vsakem koraku. Tradicionalne masažne tehnike dopolnjuje uporaba skrbno izbranih aromatičnih olj in toplih izvlečkov tajskih zelišč, kar zagotavlja celovito sprostitev in poživitev. Tajska masaža sprošča mišice, izboljšuje prekrvavitev telesa, odpravlja posledice stresa, lajša bolečine v hrbtenici, krepi notranje organe in ohranja vitalnost. www.hotel-park-bled.com

Hotel Kanin že decembra v novi preobleki H

otel Kanin je trenutno veliko gradbišče, že od 20. decembra dalje pa bodo gostje deležni mnogih novosti. Obnovljene bodo vse sobe, imele bodo tudi sef, hladilnik in LCD TV sprejemnik.

Za goste hotela, kot tudi za domačine, pa bo pomembna pridobitev nov center dobrega počutja s turško, finsko, infra rdečo in bio sauno, whirpoolom, solarijem, bazenom za otroke, masažnimi kadmi ter masažnim in kozmetičnim salonom. Skupna površina teh prostorov bo 600m2. Na južni strani hotela bo odprt izhod na teraso in zelenico, kjer bo urejeno otroško igrišče in prostor za sončenje.

20 let revije In-Flight Magazin in nove uniforme osebja Adrie Airways R

evija za potnike, In-Flight Magazin, ki jo izdaja Adria Airways, letos praznuje 20 let. Ob obletnici so v Adrii Airways pripravili tudi razstavo, kjer so predstavili zgodovino revije in njene ustvarjalce.

Udeleženci so se strinjali, da gre za eno najkakovostnejših revij v Sloveniji. In-Flight Magazin izhaja šestkrat letno v angleškem in slovenskem jeziku. Bralcem prinaša pogled v zanimive kotičke tako

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Kongres - 2008

Short News

Renata Balažic, Best Female Tourism Manager 2008

50th FIJET World Congress FIJET

The Directorate for Tourism at the Ministry of the Economy and

the Slovenian Tourist Board chose the best tourism managers in Slovenia. Based on the highest number of votes and the selection committee’s approval, the Best Female Tourism Manager award went to Renata Balažič, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Grand Hotel Union. »This award is not just an award for me personally, but an award for the entire staff of the Grand Hotel Union. I regard this award as a recognition for all of us who spend each day trying to contribute to the successful results and development of the company. Even after ten years, all this means that I love coming to work every day.« www.gh-union.si

Excellent Presentation at the 22nd IKA Culinary Olympics The chefs of the Grand Hotel Union achieved excellent results at

the 22nd IKA Culinary Olympics in Erfurt. The Slovenian team, lead by the chef de cuisine of the Grand Hotel Union, Janez Dolšak, won the silver medal in menu preparation.

As an independent exhibitor, a chef from the Grand Hotel Union, Miro Rismondo, won the first Culinary Olympics gold medal for Slovenia in the category of Culinary Artistry for his ice sculpture The Birth of Pegasus. www.gh-union.si

Slovenia, the Slovenian Travel Journalists Society, organised the 50th FIJET World Congress for travel writers and journalists between 17–23 October, which brought together 180 participants from 22 countries.

FIJET is the World Federation of Journalists and Travel Writers, which was set up in 1954, and whose membership today includes more than 900 journalists, writers, photographers and freelance reporters specialising in tourism. Apart from the 25 national organisations of journalists and travel writers, members of the FIJET are also individuals from countries where no national organisation exists. FIJET Slovenia reactivated its membership in 2006, but Slovenian travel journalists organised the 1985 FIJET Congress, whose main stage was the coastal town of Portorož.

Winner of Best Tourism Poster S

elected from among 167 conceptual designs submitted to the competition, organised jointly by Golden Drum and the Slovenian Tourist Board, the winning poster, incorporating the I FEEL SLOVENIA slogan and logo, is the poster titled Follow your heart.

The winner was selected by an international, four-strong expert committee, made up of: Kurt Georg Dieckert, Chief Creative Director and Management Board member, TBWA, Germany – chair; Andrei Cohn, Creative Director, Cohn & Jansen Ashley & Holmes, Romania; Marius Kasperavičius, Creative Director, Barikada & designHOTEL, Lithuania; Marko Vičič, Executive Creative Director, Futura DDB, Slovenia.

The Golden Drum Open award ceremony, where the winner of the I FEEL SLOVENIA competition was announced, took place on 7 October 2008 in the Evropa Hall of the Grand Hotel Bernardin, in the context of the Golden Drum advertising festival. The Slovenian Tourist Board presented the winner with a € 5,000 cash prize. www.slovenia.info

The Airport Hotel to Be Constructed Next Year N

Central Hotel The hotel, managed by GH Union and located at 9 Miklošičeva with the temporary name Garni Hotel, has been renamed the Central Hotel****. Its attributes are an excellent location in the city centre, a friendly and personal approach to guests, and comfort and affordability.

o later than by the end of September next year, a four star hotel will be constructed at the Jože Pučnik Ljubljana airport. It will accommodate at least 150 rooms, a congress centre, restaurant and modern fitness and wellness centre. The airport hotel at the Jože Pučnik Airport in Ljubljana will be built by Vegrad d.d., and will be operated by the Rezidor Hotel Group. The hotel is the latest in a series of development investments at the airport.

Aerodrom Ljubljana is currently building a north car park, with the construction of the new T2 terminal planned to begin next spring. www.lju-airport.si

The hotel is a 4-star hotel with 74 rooms, four conference halls, a sauna, secured car park and free Internet access for hotel guests everywhere in the hotel www.centralhotel.si

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Kongres - 2008

Refurbishing the Seminar Rooms at the Best Western Hotel

Novelties from the Stage Workshop of TNT Events

At the end of October 2008, the Best Western Premier Hotel Slon

demanding stage designs, two of which especially stand out among this year’s designs. These are the stage design for the Slovenska Popevka annual song contest for Slovenian artists to present new songs and the central celebration of the 80th anniversary of radio and 50th anniversary of television, organised at the Križanke, and the exhibition layout for the Akrapović company, one of the biggest automotive fairs in Europe, at the Intermont Köln. Even the critics agreed that this year's scene design for the Slovenska popevka song contest, the song festival with the longest tradition in Slovenia, was exceptional. It had a glorious appeal, both live and on TV, while the arrangement of the orchestra and stage for the competing musicians turned the well-known Križanke into a unique and glamorous scene. The scene design was created in record time, while due to its sophisticated nature it took as much as two weeks to set it up on the Križanke stage. This year’s fair presence of the Akrapovič company stood out due to the attractive background of first-class steel beauties. The success of the presentation made the company decide to use the same scene layout of exhibition space at other bigger fairs organised this year as well. www.tntevents.net

The stage workshop of TNT Events has given us numerous

began refurbishing its seminar rooms, which will be given a fresh and modern appearance. Comfortable furniture, chandeliers and new colours of textile will create a pleasant ambience, completed by the serving of Illy coffee during the breaks. The state-of-the-art technical equipment will enable a quality organisation of the most demanding events. www.hotelslon.com

Trop with a Record-Long Mobile Bar The Trop company from the hospitality industry recently upgraded

Femme Fatale Chosen For five years in a row, a regular feature among the most noticed

media events in Slovenia has been the Femme Fatale Contest. The contest, run under the auspices of Eva magazine, looks for women who stand out with regard to their strong character, creative achievements and communicativeness. This year's announcement of the winner was again organised by the TNT Events agency. The ceremony was organised in one of Ljubljana’s most beautiful halls, the Festival Hall. In content, this year’s event drew from last year’s, when the Slovenian femme fatales were put in the centre of the production of a TV show. A radio studio was set up in the Festival Hall especially for this occasion, and a special radio show was produced, hosted by the radio anchor Sašo Papp and the excellent impersonators Jure Mastnak and Jure Godler. They represented a special jury that tested the nominees for the Femme Fatale title in short and witty dialogues. The most interesting extracts from the show, which was produced in front of numerous visitors, were played on Radio Center several times, thus prolonging the resonance of this elite event. www.tntevents.net

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its capacities substantially. The experienced team of barmen, who otherwise work at the Cvetličarna hall, often visit various events both in Slovenia and abroad. This summer they catered the biggest music festival in Slovenia, the Metalcamp, and at the end of September took care of VIP guests at Madonna’s concert in Montenegro. In addition to bar catering and the bar school, their most distinctive characteristic and advantage is the mobile bar, which they can set up at any event. Its length is adjusted to the event location, the client’s wishes and the number of guests.

The current record in the bar’s length at one event is 130 metres.

This is the total length of speciallylit bars, providing an attractive emphasis to stage design where the event is organised. www.tntevents.net

Cankarjev Dom, from a Fashion Show to an Exhibition Flexibility is one of the key conditions for organising events.

Cankarjev dom has that flexibility. In October, they hosted the Festival for the Third Life Period, which recorded over 5,000 visitors in three days, and the international hydroenergetics conference Hydro 2008. The conference featured a special exhibition which occupied all three levels of Cankarjev dom and featured 104 exhibitors. The tradition of organising fashion shows continued with the fashion show of the Pletenine Draž company, with over 500 guests proving to be a real social event on the third week of October. www.cd-cc.si

Kongres - 2008

Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana – Slovenia's Leading Spa Resort The Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana was pronounced Slovenia's

Leading Spa Hotel, based on assessments by more than 167,000 travel experts. The World Travel Award, or the »Travel Industry Oscar«, is certainly the most prestigious and comprehensive award scheme in the field of business travel today. Member of Austria's leading Austria Trend Hotels & Resorts chain and one of Ljubljana's top business and convention hotels, situated at the intersection of Dunajska cesta and the Ljubljana bypass, the Austria Trend Hotel Ljubljana boasts 214 rooms including two presidential suites, a well-appointed convention and conference centre, which can seat from 5 to 450 participants and is equipped with state-ofthe art technology, two restaurants and a bar. Complementing the hotel's offer are also SPA Sense with saunas and massages and the Casino for fun and entertainment, forming a well-rounded range of services that will guarantee a pleasant and enjoyable stay. www.austria-trend.at

The wine bar is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 AM until noon and from 3 PM to 7 PM and on Sundays from 9 AM until noon. www.vinarte-bled.com

Relaxation with the Scent of the Far East A

Thai relaxation and massage centre opened its doors at the Park Hotel in Bled this summer. The six massage rooms equipped in the Thai style offer guests several Thai massages and relaxation programmes, along with a touch of Asian philosophy. In the centre’s pleasant ambience that combines luxury with Thai tradition, the highly-trained staff, who come from Thailand, will make you feel reborn. The traditional massage techniques are complemented by the use of carefully selected aromatic oils and warm extracts of Thai herbs guaranteeing relaxation and invigoration. A Thai massage relaxes your muscles, increases blood circulation, relieves stress, alleviates back pain, strengthens the internal organs and increases your vitality. www.hotel-park-bled.com

Gold Again for The Caterers of Jamski dvorec Turizem Kras d.d. participated in this year’s 55th Tourism and

Hospitality Convention contest for preparation of cold and warm buffets and business lunches. The choice of the theme, the Carnival of Venice, for the contest in the preparation of a cold-warm buffet is not a coincidence, as this year, Jamski dvorec is celebrating its 80th anniversary of being designed under the baton of the famous Italian architect Pietro Palumba. The competition also featured a lunch preparation, accompanying the opening of the new pavilion in the Pivka Park of Military History, which is, along with the Postojna Cave, the Predjama Castle and the Jamski dvorec restaurant one of the most attractive tourist locations under the company’s management. »The general’s lunch« enraptured all those present, including those with the highest ranks. Both teams received the highest awards, and have once again proven that the food in the Jamski dvorec restaurant is really excellent.

New Vinarte Wine Bar in Bled Lovers of good wine will be able to enjoy the recently opened

Vinarte wine bar in Bled, which opened its doors below the Trst Hotel, opposite the Grand Hotel Toplice. Visitors are able to buy and taste over 300 labels of Slovenian and foreign wines.

Groups have a chance to sample it at wine tastings led by expert sommeliers from the Grand Hotel Toplice. A selection of ten different topical wine tastings has already been prepared, with the stress being primarily on the presentation of Slovenian wines from different wine-growing regions. In addition to the wine, the wine bar also sells wine accessories and expert literature on wine. At the time before the New Year, they have prepared a special offer of renowned Slovenian and foreign wines in attractive packaging and gift packages of wine accessories, which can be an excellent business present.

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20 years of Adria In-Flight Magazine and New Personnel Uniforms In-Flight Magazine, which is published for its passengers by Adria

Airways, celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. Adria Airways set up an exhibition presenting the magazine’s history and its authors. The participants agreed that it is one of the magazines of the highest quality in Slovenia. In-Flight Magazine is published six times a year in English and Slovenian. The magazine offers its readers a glimpse of fascinating places, both in Slovenia and around the world, where the emphasis is on destinations passengers can travel to with Adria Airways. The reader is captivated by the high quality of the photographs and excellent stories, all linked into the familiar visual image.

The event also featured the presentation of new uniforms of both fight crew and ground staff. The new line of clothing is inspired by the the high-glamour days of airline travel during the sixties and seventies. The outfits have a slightly retro feel, with the revival of hats and gloves. The predominant colour is once again blue, in

Kongres - 2008

lighter and darker shades, and this is complemented by white and pearl-grey, with badges and name tags in silver metal. The pilot uniforms remain dark blue with gold insignia. www.adria-airways.com

S I N C E

1 9 5 1

Kompas Corporate

The Renovated Kanin Hotel, Starting this December Currently, the Kanin Hotel is an extensive construction site, but starting on 20 December, guests will be offered numerous novelties. All rooms will be refurbished and equipped with a safe, refrigerator and LCD TV.

The hotel guests and locals will benefit from the new wellness centre, featuring Turkish and Finnish baths, infrared and bio saunas, whirlpool, solarium, a swimming pool for children, massage tubs and a massage and beauty parlour. All these facilities, together, will cover more than 600m2. The south side of the hotel will provide an opening onto the terrace, and a green space with playground and a sunbathing area.

BUSINESS TRAVEL, CONGRESSES AND MEETINGS & INCENTIVES

PCO & DMC POSLOVNA POTOVANJA IN SRE^ANJA, KONGRESI IN MOTIVACIJSKI DOGODKI +386 1 2006 400 congressesakompas.si www.kompas-online.net, www.kompas.si

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Kongres - 2008 OGLAS revija kongres 77,5x258 ma1 1

10.3.2008 11:18:29

Mednarodne novice

Z novo pisarno v Tokiu HelmsBriscoe nadaljuje globalno širjenje

ICCA: za leto 2009 ni pričakovati zniževanja stroškov trženja ali odpuščanj

HelmsBriscoe, vodilna svetovna agencija za iskanje prizorišč

in storitve RFP za rastoči sektor industrije srečanj, je napovedala odprtje prve pisarne na Japonskem v Tokiu, v uspešnem predelu Roppongi Hills. Nova pisarna pomeni pomemben korak ter zavezo k širjenju mednarodnega razvoja in distribucije. Najava je prišla ob vrhuncu najuspešnejše letne poslovne konference podjetja, ki je nedavno potekala v Orlandu v zvezni državi Florida. To leto je bilo najuspešnejše v 16-letni zgodovini podjetja, saj so v letu 2007 zabeležili kar 620 milijonov dolarjev prihodkov iz prodaje sob, kar predstavlja celotno porabo za srečanja v presežku ene milijarde dolarjev. V prvi polovici leta 2008 se je zagon nadaljeval z 20-odstotno rastjo v primerjavi z letom 2007. Kljub povprečnim rezultatom, o katerih so poročali drugod, je ta uspeh družbo zasidral kot vodilno v industriji srečanj.

Ustanovitev pisarne HelmsBriscoe na Japonskem v uglednem predelu Tokia, Roppongi Hills, je kazalnik, da se povpraševanje za specializirano iskanje prizorišč povečuje. »Trg je pripravljen sprejeti nepremagljive storitve iskanja in izbora prizorišč, ki jih HelmsBriscoe prinaša na Japonsko. Verjamemo, da bo japonski trg pripravljen sprejeti prednosti, ki jih prinaša HelmsBriscoe na področju srečanj in konferenc,« je dejala Kayoko Inoue, nova regionalna predstavnica podjetja HelmsBriscoe na Japonskem. »Japonski trg je tradicionalen.

Tu se zanimajo le za ponudnike, ki jim gre zaupati, ki so učinkoviti in s katerimi je preprosto poslovati. Nadaljevali bomo z agresivnim izpolnjevanjem mednarodnega distribucijskega načrta in izbrali prave ljudi na pravih mestih,« je dejal Bob Gilbert, podpredsednik mednarodnega oddelka HelmsBriscoe.

Reed Travel Exhibition bo izvedel ameriško poslovno borzo v Baltimoru leta 2010 AIBTM je nov dogodek v industriji srečanj, ki ga bo organizirala

ekipa, ki je ustvarila EIBTM, vodilno poslovno borzo industrije srečanj.

Poslovna borza AIBTM bo tri dni pod eno streho združevala dobavitelje in kupce motivacijskih srečanj, poslovnih potovanj in srečanj ter jim omogočila poslovne priložnosti brez primere. Cilji so preprosti: spodbujati najboljšo poslovno borzo B2B z najboljšimi možnostmi mreženja in poslovnega izobraževanja, podprto z enkratnim globalnim programom vabljenih kupcev. Program vabljenih kupcev bo na poslovno borzo AIBTM pripeljal 400 VIP kupcev z vsega sveta, jim zagotovil polet in nočitve v času trajanja dogodka, ti kupci pa bodo izvajali osebne, vnaprej dogovorjene sestanke z razstavljavci.

Na poslovni borzi AIBTM pričakujejo 250 različnih razstavnih mest, ki bodo predstavljala na tisoče izdelkov in zaradi katerih se bodo borze udeležili vabljeni kupci iz Združenih držav Amerike in drugih delov sveta. Dogodka se bo udeležilo tudi več tisoč načrtovalcev srečanj iz ZDA in Kanade, ki organizirajo tako domača kot tudi meddržavna in mednarodna srečanja. Poslovna borza AIBTM, ki bo potekala v mestu Baltimore v zvezni državi Maryland, bo enako uspešen dogodek, kot je njena sestrska prireditev EIBTM v Barceloni v Španiji. EIBTM poteka že dvajset let in je eden od vodilnih dogodkov na svetu na področju industrije srečanj. www.reedexpo.com

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M

ednarodno združenje ICCA je med svojimi članicami izvedlo raziskavo o najnovejši stopnji zaupanja v industrijo srečanj spričo trenutne globalne finančne krize. Ta raziskava je sledila podobni raziskavi, ki jo je združenje ICCA izvedlo aprila. Njene rezultate so predstavili na kongresu združenja ICCA, ki je potekal od 1. do 5. novembra v mestu Victoria v Kanadi.

Odgovore je posredovalo skoraj 30 odstotkov od 850 podjetij in organizatorjev, ki so člani združenja ICCA, in tako pomagalo oblikovati najnovejši pregled nad tem, kako se na finančno krizo odziva industrija srečanj in kako vodilni igralci na tem tržišču vidijo njeno prihodnost.

V primerjavi s 6 % aprila je v oktobrski raziskavi 8,5 % anketirancev odgovorilo, da so zaradi vplivov gospodarskega okolja utrpeli bistven upad posla. 44 % jih ni opazilo nikakršnega vpliva, v aprilski raziskavi je tako odgovorilo 60 % anketirancev. Odstotek članic združenja ICCA, ki so poročale o manjšem vplivu gospodarskega okolja na poslovanje, pa se je povečal s 35 % na 48 %.

Kljub temu jih presenetljivih več kot 39 % pričakuje, da bodo poslovni rezultati njihovega podjetja v letu 2008 boljši kot v letu 2007, v letu, za katerega so prejšnje raziskave združenja ICCA ugotovile, da je bilo rekordno v vseh delih sveta. Ta odstotek predstavlja padec za manj kot 2 % v primerjavi z raziskavo, izvedeno aprila. Enako kot v aprilski raziskavi za to leto pričakuje slabše rezultate kot v letu 2007 manj kot tretjina anketirancev.

Skoraj 80 % anketirancev pričakuje negativen vpliv na poslovanje v letu 2009 (20 % jih napoveduje pomemben vpliv in 58 % rahel vpliv). Kljub temu je skoraj 70 % članic združenja ICCA odgovorilo, da v letu 2009 ne načrtujejo manjših proračunov za trženje kot v letu 2008 in skoraj 78 % jih ne pričakuje, da bodo leta 2009 morali odpuščati svoje zaposlene. To je odlična novica za revije in organizatorje poslovnih borz povsod po svetu ter je v očitnem nasprotju z velikim zmanjševanjem, ki smo mu bili priča v minulih nazadovanjih gospodarstva.

Kljub temu pa je zadnje vprašanje te raziskave postreglo z odgovori, zaradi katerih lahko nekoliko dvomimo o tem optimizmu. Več kot 60 % članic združenja ICCA namreč pričakuje bistven globalen negativen vpliv na mednarodno industrijo srečanj. Nekaj več kot polovica anketirancev je menila, da se bodo pojavili bistveni kratkoročni negativni globalni vplivi, ki bodo trajali največ leto in pol (tega mnenja je bilo aprila samo 35 % anketirancev), medtem ko jih 11 % pričakuje bistvene negativne globalne vplive, ki bodo trajali več kot 18 mesecev. Ta odstotek je bil aprila samo malo višji kot 7 %.

Skoraj 36 % jih napoveduje samo nekaj negativnega regionalnega vpliva, medtem ko 3 % ne pričakujejo nikakršnega vpliva.

Generalni direktor združenja ICCA Martin Sirk je ob tem dejal: »Še najbolj preseneča, kako malo neposrednega vpliva je bilo čutiti do zdaj. Napovedi za leto 2008 so še vedno, da bo – v celoti gledano – za večino članic združenja ICCA v vseh delih sveta uspešno. Zagotovo smo vsi v skrbeh glede gospodarskih napovedi Kongres - 2008

za leto 2009 in za prihodnja leta, vendar je majhno število teh, ki načrtujejo odpuščanja ali nižje stroške trženja, ohrabrujoče.

Neformalni pogovori z našimi članicami prav tako nakazujejo, da je področje mednarodnih srečanj najbolj odporen del industrije srečanj, medtem ko se največji negativen vpliv pričakuje v sektorju korporativnih srečanj. Glede na to, da je združenje ICCA vodilno na področju zagotavljanja raziskovalnih orodij in možnosti trženja, to zagotavlja odlične možnosti podjetjem in organizacijam, ki so članice združenja ICCA, pomagati premagati težave, ki nas čakajo.« www.iccaworld.com

Priznanje za MeetingMatrix na poslovni borzi EIBTM P

odjetje MeetingMatrix International, Inc., je na poslovni borzi EIBTM 2008 na tekmovanju Worldwide Technology Watch dobilo priznanje za svoji aplikaciji PlanView.NET in MeetingMatrix.NET. PlanView.NET obiskovalcem omogoča, da si ogledajo vsako najmanjšo podrobnost objekta ali prizorišča dogodka s satelitskim pogledom z vektorsko izravnavo perspektive in približanjem slike objekta. PlanView.NET uporabniku omogoča pogled v globino od načrta zemljišča do načrtov vseh nadstropij, preko posameznega nadstropja do določene konferenčne dvorane. Na ta način je natančno prikazana lokacija, kot tudi vse značilnosti objekta, vključno s seznamom zmogljivosti, kvadraturo, digitalnimi fotografijami in trženjskim besedilom, tako da si uporabniki lahko predstavljajo, kaj jim prizorišče ponuja. Aplikacija je preprosta za uporabo in jo je možno v celoti prikrojiti tako, da jo prizorišča lahko vključijo v trženje svoje blagovne znamke. Uporablja se lahko v povezavi z aplikacijo ActiveMatrix.NET, ki omogoča, da uporabniki neposredno z aplikacijo PlanView.NET izdelujejo namestitvene diagrame. www.eibtm.com

V Milanu kmalu največji kongresni center v Evropi Leto 2011 bo Milanu prineslo otvoritev Milan Convention Centre – največjega kongresnega centra v Evropi, ki bo ponudil 18,000 sedežev, 73 dvoran za 20 do 2000 udeležencev in 54.000m2 razstavnega prostora. »Nov kongresni center je prvi v vrsti objektov, namenjenih razstavi Expo, ki jo bo Milano gostil v letu 2015,« je povedal Luighi Roth, predsednik Fondazione Fiera Milano. www.micmilano.it

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Kongres - 2008

International News

The New Tokyo HelmsBriscoe Office HelmsBriscoe, the global leader of independent site selection and

RFP services for the expanding meetings business, announced the opening of its firstever Japanese office in Tokyo’s thriving downtown Roppongi district. This new office signifies the company’s continued commitment to international development and distribution.

The announcement comes on the heels of the company’s most successful annual business conference, recently held in Orlando, Florida, and a record breaking year in its 16 year history, having booked $620 million in room revenues for 2007, which represents total meeting spending in excess of $1 billion. For the first half of 2008, the momentum has continued, with a 20% increase over 2007, despite generally mediocre results being reported elsewhere, thus firmly cementing the company’s position as the industry leader in meetings procurement.

The establishment of HelmsBriscoe’s first Japanese foothold in Tokyo’s popular Roppongi Hills is an indication of the growing global demand for specialized venue selection services. »This market is ready to accept the unbeatable site selection services that HelmsBriscoe brings to Japan. We believe that Japanese businesses will readily accept the significant advantages that HelmsBriscoe brings to sourcing meetings and conferences.« said Kayoko Inoue, HelmsBriscoe’s new Regional Manager for Japan. »Japan is a traditional market where planners prefer suppliers that are trusted, efficient and easy to do business with. We will continue to aggressively pursue our international distribution plan by selecting the right people in the right locations,« added Bob Gilbert, Senior Vice President of HelmsBriscoe’s International Division.

Reed Travel Exhibitions to Launch American Tradeshow in Baltimore in 2010 AIBTM is a brand new event for the meetings and events industry,

organised by the team who made EIBTM the leading global event for the industry.

IBTM will bring together suppliers and buyers of incentives, business travel and meetings under one roof for three days of unrivalled business opportunity. Our goal is simple...to promote the best business-to-business exhibition floor, supported by the best networking and best professional education, underpinned by our unique global Hosted Buyer Programme.® The AIBTM Hosted Buyer Programme will bring over 400 global VIP Buyers to the show. AIBTM will provide their flights and accommodation to the event, and in return the Buyers will carry out one-on-one pre-scheduled appointments with exhibitors.

AIBTM will attract over 250 different booths featuring thousands of products, and will bring in Hosted Buyers from both the US and internationally. In addition, thousands more meeting planners from all over the US and Canada, carrying out domestic, regional and international meetings. will attend the event.

Held in Baltimore, Maryland AIBTM will replicate the same successful event as its sister show, EIBTM, did in Barcelona, Spain.

EIBTM has been running for twenty years, and is one of the worlds leading events for the meetings industry. www.reedexpo.com

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ICCA: Few Marketing or Staff Cuts are Planned for 2009 I

CCA conducted a survey of its global membership, to obtain an updated overview of industry confidence in the light of the current global financial crisis. This survey was a follow-up to a similar survey which was conducted by ICCA in April. The survey results were presented at the ICCA Congress, which is currently taking place from 1 – 5 November in Victoria, Canada.

Almost 30% of ICCA’s 850 member companies and organisations responded, providing the most current overview of how the meetings industry is coping, and how industry leaders predict they will be affected in the future.

In the October survey, 8.5% of respondents reported suffering a significant downturn as a result of the economic environment, compared to 6% in April, whilst 44% reported no impact whatsoever, compared to 60% in April. The number of ICCA members reporting a slight impact on the economic environment on their business rose from 35% to 48%.

However, a surprisingly large figure of more than 39% are expecting their company’s 2008 performance to be better than 2007, a year which previous ICCA surveys had indicated as a recordbreaker in all regions of the world. This is a drop of less than 2% compared to the survey conducted in April. As in April, less than one third think this year will be weaker than 2007. Almost 80% expect a negative impact on their business in 2009 (20% reported a “significant impact” and 58% a »slight impact«). However, almost 70% of ICCA members answered »no« when asked if they are planning to make cuts in their 2009 marketing budgets compared to 2008, and almost 78% do not expect having to make any staff cuts in 2009. This is good news for magazines and trade show organisers everywhere, and is in marked contrast to the big cuts which were seen in previous economic downturns.

However, the final question of the survey delivered results which call this optimism into question. More than 60% of ICCA members expect a significant, negative global impact on the international meetings industry; just over half of the respondents said there will be a significant short-term negative global impact for up to 18 months, while only 35% felt this way in April, and 11% expected a significant, negative global impact for more than 18 months. This percentage was just over 7% in April.

Almost 36% predict some regional negative impact only, while only 3% expected no impact at all.

Martin Sirk quote: »What is perhaps most surprising is how little immediate impact has been felt so far, with 2008 still projected to be a good business year overall for most ICCA members in all regions of the world. Clearly there is a great deal of concern for economic prospects in 2009 and beyond, but it is heartening to see the confidence implied by the very small numbers planning marketing or staff cuts. What is also clear from anecdotal discussions with our members is that international association meetings are expected to be the most resilient meetings industry sector, whilst corporate meetings are expected to be worst affected. With ICCA being the leading provider of research tools and marketing opportunities to reach international association decision-makers, this puts our association in an excellent position to help ICCA member companies and organisations weather the challenges heading towards us all.« www.iccaworld.com Kongres - 2008

MeetingMatrix Earns Recognition at EIBTM

YOUR SMILE IS OUR JOB.

MeetingMatrix International Inc. has been recognized at the

2008 EIBTM Worldwide Technology Watch for its PlanView.NET and MeetingMatrix.NET. PlanView.NET allows visitors to view every detail of a facility and event space, starting with a satellite view with vector overlays and the ability to zoom in on the property. PlanView.

NET provides the capability to zoom in from a campus map all the way to stacked floor plans, individual floors and, finally, specific meeting rooms. This allows the exact locations and features of a property to be depicted accurately, including capacity charts, square footage, digital images and marketing copy, so users can envision what the venue has to offer. It is an easytouse application that is fully customizable, so properties can integrate their branding. It can also be interfaced with ActiveMatrix.NET, so that users can create Setup Diagrams directly from PlanView.NET. www.eibtm.com

Milan, Home to the Largest Convention Centre in Europe 18

,000 seats, one 1,500 seat auditorium, one 4,500 seat plenary hall, 73 modular halls, each accommodating between 20 and 2,000 seats, and 54,000m2 of supporting exhibition space. These figures define the plans of the new Milan Convention Centre, unveiled this morning at Fiera Milano City, which will give Italy the largest convention centre in Europe in 2011. The design by architect, Mario Bellini, includes a plan to redevelop Halls 5 and 6 of his Portello, while incorporating the present-day and adjacent MIC, which is already the largest convention centre in the country. The new Convention Centre is the first new infrastructure planned to host Expo events well in advance of 2015. In addition, it bolsters and completes the important services of the Fiera Milano Group. It is a major step toward full redevelopment of Portello in the framework of the functions consistent with our mission, stated Luigi Roth. Our city, a capital of trade, industry and exhibition business and a lynchpin and pillar of Italian SMEs, has now become a European reference point for congress tourism and incentives. This is an ambitious and important project that will allow us to host more than 200 events each year. According to a recent study conducted by Bain&co, with over 100,000 events hosted in 2006, Italy is ranked 8th in Europe, with 6 % of the market. Taking advantage of these business opportunities, the new MIC will elevate Fiera Milano Congressi to first place in Europe in terms of size - hosting more than 3,000 international congresses every year – and acquiring a leadership position, especially within the large events segment. In recent years, Fiera Milano Congressi has grown significantly,notes Maurizio Lupi, Managing Director of the Fiera Milano Group company, which will run the new convention centre. Expansion of the Milan Convention Centre will put us into the top position in Europe and will allow us to work even more efficiently in this business segment, which represents the top market segment.

The segment is dynamic and generates economic repercussions that are particularly important to the region. Furthermore, we will also be able to host several events concurrently.ÂŤ www.micmilano.it

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$UNAJSKA CESTA ,JUBLJANA 3LOVENIJA 4EL &AX RESERVATIONS LJUBLJANA AUSTRIA TREND AT

www.austria-trend.at/lju

h_INS_LJU_Kongres_77,5x258 1 Kongres - 2008

03.03.2008 18:08:46 Uhr

Kratke novice

Novice ZavodaKongresnoturistični urad

Miha Kovačič predaval na EIAT 2008, Novi Sad (26.-27. september 2008)

V Novem Sadu se je 26. in 27. septembra odvijala mednarodna

V Bukarešti o kongresnih povezavah JV Evrope (17.-19. september 2008)

Direktor Kongresnega urada Miha Kovačič je sredi septembra

obiskal Bukarešto, kjer se je najprej srečal z direktorjem Romunskega kongresnega urada Paulom Marasoiu na temo povezovanja na področju kongresne dejavnosti JV Evrope, potem pa še z direktorjem in vodjo marketinga SAS Radisson Hotela v Bukarešti na temo skupnih projektov na področju kongresne dejavnosti JV Evrope. Sogovorniki so se strinjali, da bi bilo smiselno povezati države JV Evrope na področju kongresnega turizma in tako skupno nastopiti na trgih Evrope, še bolj pa na trgih izven nje. Jugovzhodna Evropa je na področju kongresnega turizma še razmeroma neprepoznavna in s skupnimi močmi bomo dosegli večje učinke. To regijo sestavlja deset držav in ponudba kongresnega turizma je zelo raznolika. To je dodaten razlog, zaradi katerega bi bilo povezovanje smiselno – mednarodnemu kongresnemu tržišču pa bi tako ponudili nov produkt – Jugovzhodno Evropo.

konferenca EIAT 2008 (Education and Industry Advancing Together).

S prezentacijo na temo Kako zadržati najboljši kader v kongresnem turizmu je nastopil tudi direktor slovenskega Kongresnega urada Miha Kovačič, ki se je v okviru konference srečal tudi s predstavniki srbskega kongresnega gospodarstva. Pogovarjali so se o možnostih povezovanja na področju kongresne dejavnosti JV Evrope.

Več na: www.eiat-conference.org/speakers.html

Izobraževanje informatorjev STO (17. oktober 2008)

Kongresni urad je sodeloval pri izobraževanju informatorjev, ki

ga organizira Slovenska turistična organizacija v sodelovanju s Turistico. Informatorje bo Slovenska turistična organizacija v letu 2008/09 angažirala za nastope na svojih sejmih in borzah. Kongresni urad je pripravil predstavitev mednarodnega kongresnega tržišča, vloge in aktivnosti Kongresnega urada in predstavitev Slovenije kot kongresne in incentive destinacije. Informatorji, ki bodo na tujih trgih predstavljali Slovenijo, bodo po tem predavanju znali tujim interesentom predstaviti Slovenijo kot kongresno in incentive destinacijo, obenem pa so dobili tudi osnovne informacije o tej za Slovenijo pomembni turistični dejavnosti.

Okrogla miza Potencial Maribora kot Kongresno-prireditvene destinacije (23. oktober 2008)

DMAI »Sales Academy I« (23-24. september 2008)

P

redstavnica Kongresnega urada Azra Botonjič se je 23. in 24. septembra v Bruslju udeležila izobraževanja »Sales Academy I« mednarodnaega združenja DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International).

Tematika akademije, namenjene predstavnikom Kongresnih uradov, je bila, kako učinkovito predstaviti in prodajati destinacijo, tehnike in novi načini prodaje, kako se spopasti z zavrnitvami, kaj klienti pričakujejo od kongresnih uradov in kako povečati učinkovitost na poslovnih borzah in sestankih. Predstavniki mestnih in nacionalnih kongresnih uradov so poleg vzpostavitve kontaktov imeli možnost spoznati problematiko in izzive, s katerimi se srečujejo posamezni uradi evropskih mest, destinacij in držav ter pridobiti informacije o pričakovanjih in zahtevah organizatorjev dogodkov na praktičnem primeru. Združenje DMAI ima v Evropi 81 članov iz 15 držav.

Več na: www.destinationmarketing.org

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oktobra je na pobudo Term Maribor v hotelu Habakuk potekala okrogla miza o potencialih Maribora kot kongresno – prireditvene destinacije. Okroglo mizo je pripravila družba Terme Maribor d.d. v sodelovanju s Kongresnim uradom. Mizo je vodil Srečko Klapš, urednik gospodarske rubrike na Večeru.

Sogovorniki na okrogli mizi so bili Jasna Radić (Direktorat za turizem pri Ministrstvu za gospodarstvo), Andrej Verlič (podžupan Maribora), Majda Slokan (pomočnica direktorja in vodja razvoja Zavoda za turizem Maribor), Srečo Peterlič (Auditoria d.o.o. in podpredsednik Sveta Zavoda–Kongresnoturistični urad), Gorazd Čad (glavni urednik revije Kongres), Alenka Iskra (predsednica uprave družbe Terme Maribor d.d.) in Miha Kovačič (direktor Kongresnega urada).

V Mariboru so generator kongresnega turizma Terme Maribor, ki vsako leto povečujejo število dogodkov za 20 – 30 odstotkov. Po besedah predsednice uprave Term Maribor Alenke Iskra so imeli v letu 2007 v omenjenih hotelih 600 dogodkov, kar predstavlja okoli sedem odstotkov vseh dogodkov v Sloveniji, njihov cilj pa je, da se v prihodnosti v Habakuku približajo desetim odstotkom.

Na okrogli mizi so govorniki izpostavili kongresni turizem kot primaren in pomemben produkt slovenskega turizma, kateremu bi morali posvetiti večjo pozornost. Udeleženci okrogle mize so izpostavili razvojne možnosti Maribora z okolico na tem področju ter ugotovili, da je sodelovanje vseh akterjev ključnega pomena za še večji uspeh.

Okrogle mize so se udeležili tudi mediji in objavili prispevke v Delu, na Radiu Maribor ter na TV Slovenija.

24

Kongres - 2008

Mednarodna poslovna borza BTC Rim, Italija (6.-7. november 2008)

V Bolgariji o kongresnih povezavah na področju JV Evrope (28. oktober 2008)

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28. oktobra je bila v Sofiji organizirana slovensko – bolgarska

udi v letošnjem letu se je Kongresni urad v sodelovanju s Slovensko turistično organizacijo ter devetimi člani Kongresnega urada predstavil na mednarodni poslovni borzi BTC v Rimu, ki je potekala med 6. in 7. novembrom 2008.

Borza je drugič zaporedoma potekala na Fiera di Roma v Rimu, medtem ko je bila v preteklosti v Firencah. Prednost letošnje borze je bila možnost sklepanja sestankov pred samim dogodkom.

Slovensko stojnico je obiskalo preko 60 različnih organizatorjev dogodkov iz celotne Evrope, ki so imeli posamezne sestanke s predstavniki turističnega gospodarstva. Največji interes je bil poleg ključnih destinacij Ljubljane, Bleda, Portoroža in Maribora izkazan tudi za posamezna zdravilišča s konferenčnimi kapacitetami ter za incentive ponudbo Slovenije.

poslovna konferenca »Slovenija, vaš prihodnji poslovni partner«. V sklopu tega sta Slovenska turistična organizacija in Adria Airways v Sofiji organizirali predstavitev Slovenije in predstavitev nove letalske povezave med Sofijo in Ljubljano, ki bo vzpostavljena spomladi prihodnje leto. Istega dne je Kongresni urad v sodelovanju s Kongresnim uradom Sofije organiziral srečanje z njihovim kongresnim gospodarstvom. Dogodka se je udeležilo preko 30 predstavnikov, katerim je Miha Kovačič, direktor Kongresnega urada, predstavil projekt Jugovzhodna Evropa kot kongresna destinacija. Sogovorniki so bili mnenja, da je povezovanje držav jugovzhodne Evrope na področju kongresnega turizma smiselno in koristno za vse. Skupni nastopi bi nas naredili še bolj prepoznavne, obenem pa bi nam to omogočilo povečati in razširiti trženjske aktivnosti tudi na izvenevropske trge, katerih ne obdelujemo.

Mednarodna poslovna borza EIBTM Barcelona, Španija (2.-4. december)

Kongresni urad se bo v sodelovanju s Slovensko turistično

organizacijo in štirinajstimi člani Kongresnega urada v sklopu nove stojnice tudi letos predstavil na eni najpomembnejših mednarodnih poslovnih borz na svetu, borzi EIBTM, ki bo potekala od 2. do 4. decembra 2008 v Barceloni.

47. kongres mednarodnega združenja ICCA (1.-5. november 2008)

V mestu Victoria v Kanadi je med 1. in 5. novembrom potekal 47. letni kongres in generalna skupščina združenja ICCA (The International Congress and Convention Association), katere član je Kongresni urad.

Iz Slovenije sta se kongresa udeležila Breda Pečovnik (direktorica kongresne dejavnosti v Cankarjevem domu) in Miha Kovačič (direktor Kongresnega urada). Bogat izobraževalni program, ki je bil sestavljen iz predavanj, workshopov, forumov, izmenjave informacij o možnih dogodkih, je izpostavil ključne tematike današnje kongresne industrije, kot so: zeleni dogodki, komunikacija med kriznim obdobjem, dogodki 21. stoletja, ipd. Med kongresom je bila udeležencem na voljo izmenjava komercialnih informacij, kot tudi tiha avkcija, ki jo je organizirala ICCA, z dobrodelnim namenom.

Bedouk Meetings & Events Media je sponzoriral marketinško nagrado (Best Marketing Award), ki jo je tokrat prejel Sarawak Convention Bureau, ki je bil pred Liverpool Areno in kongresnim centrom in Salt Lake City kongresnim uradom. Članom so na intranetu na voljo prezentacije, ki so bile predstavljene v sklopu kongresa.

Več na www.iccaworld.com

25

Kongresna Slovenija se bo tokrat prvič predstavila tudi v sklopu stojnice Jugovzhodne Evrope, z namenom pritegniti mednarodno pozornost na ponudbo JV Evrope kot nove atraktivne kongresnoincentive destinacije, ki bo povečala konkurenčnost vseh vključenih destinacij na evropskem kot tudi mednarodnem prostoru.

Več na: www.eibtm.com

11. Slovenski turistični forum (11.-12. december 2008)

M

ed 11. in 12. decembrom 2008 bo v Grand Hotelu Bernardin potekal 11. Slovenski turistični forum, ki ga organizira Slovenska turistična organizacija. Tema letošnjega foruma je poslovni in kongresni turizem, Kongresni urad pa sodeluje pri pripravi strokovnega programa. Na forumu bodo predavali uveljavljeni mednarodni strokovnjaki s področja kongresnega turizma.

Forum bo obenem tudi strokovni svet Kongresnega urada, ki ga organiziramo vsako leto.

Več informacij in program na: www.slovenia.info/forum

Nov član Kongresnega urada

V

postopku sprejemanja v članstvo Kongresnega urada je naslednji ponudnik:

1.

Sportina turizem d.o.o., www.hotel-ribno.si Vrsta članstva: hotel s konferenčnimi zmogljivostmi

Kongres - 2008

Short News

Slovenian Convention Bureau News

Among the lecturers was also the Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Miha Kovačič, with the Concept for Future Growth of Business Tourism in Slovenia by Retaining Top Talent presentation, who also met with the representatives of the Serbian meetings economy. They discussed the possibilities of connections in the field of the meetings industry of Southeast Europe.

More at www.eiat-conference.org/speakers.html

In Bucharest, on the Connections in the Meetings Industry of Southeast Europe (17 – 19 September 2008)

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he Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Miha Kovačič, visited Bucharest in mid-September, meeting with the Director of the Romanian Convention Bureau Paul Marasoiu and discussing connections in the meetings industry of Southeast Europe. Mr. Kovačič also met with the Director and Head of Marketing of the SAS Radisson Hotel in Bucharest, discussing joint projects in the field of the meetings industry in Southeast Europe. All agreed that it would be sensible to connect the countries of Southeast Europe in the field of the meetings industry, thus taking a common stand on the European markets and even more so on other world markets. In the field of the meetings industry, Southeast Europe is still relatively unrecognisable and joint efforts will bring about greater effects. This region is comprised of ten countries and the offer of the meetings industry is very diverse. This is yet another reason why such a connection would be sensible, while we could offer the meetings market a new product – Southeast Europe.

DMAI Sales Academy I (23 – 24 September 2008)

As

a representative of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Ms. Azra Botonjič participated at the Sales Academy I training programme, organised by DMAI (Destination Marketing Association International) on 23 and 24 September.

The subject matter of the Academy, designed for representatives of convention bureaus, was how to efficiently present and sell a destination, the techniques and new sales methods, how to cope with rejection, what do the clients expect from convention bureaus, and how to increase the efficiency of presence at exhibitions and meetings.

In addition to establishing contacts, the representatives of town and national convention bureaus had the possibility to learn about the problems and challenges of individual convention bureaus of European towns, destinations and countries and to gain information on the expectations and requirements of events organisers, following a practical example. In Europe, the DMAI has 81 members from 15 countries. More at www.destinationmarketing.org

Miha Kovačič, Lecturer at the EIAT 2008 in Novi Sad (26 – 27 September 2008)

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n 26 and 27 September, Novi Sad hosted the international EIAT 2008 conference (Education and Industry Advancing Together).

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Education of STB Informants (17 October 2008)

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he Slovenian Convention Bureau participated in the education of the informants, organised by the Slovenian Tourist Board in cooperation with the Turistica College of Tourism. The Slovenian Tourist Board will engage the informants in the years 2008/09 for presentations at its fairs and exhibitions. The Slovenian Convention Bureau prepared a presentation of the international meetings market, the role and activity of the Convention Bureau and a presentation of Slovenia as a meetings and incentives destination. These lectures will provide the informants, who will represent Slovenia on foreign markets, the needed knowledge on how to present Slovenia as a meetings and incentive destination to interested clients, while they at the same time obtaining basic information regarding this important segment of tourism.

Roundtable: Maribor’s Potential as a Business Tourism Destination (23 October 2008)

At the initiative of Terme Maribor, the Habakuk Hotel on 23

October hosted the Roundtable on Maribor’s Potential as a Business Tourism Destination. The roundtable was prepared by the Terme Maribor d.d. company, in cooperation with the Slovenian Convention Bureau. The roundtable was moderated by Mr. Srečko Klapš (editor of the economic section of the Večer newspaper).

The speakers at the roundtable were Jasna Radić (Directorate of Tourism at the Ministry of the Economy), Andrej Verlič (Deputy Mayor of Maribor), Majda Slokan (Assistant Director and Head of Development of the Maribor Tourist Board), Srečo Peterlič (Auditoria d.o.o and Vice President of the Board of the Slovenian Convention Bureau), Gorazd Čad (Editor-in-Chief of the Kongres Magazine), Alenka Iskra (Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Terme Maribor d.d.) and Miha Kovačič (Director of the Convention Bureau).

Terme Maribor is the generator of Maribor’s convention tourism, annually increasing the number of events by 20 to 30 percent. As it was pointed out by Ms. Iskra, the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Terme Maribor, in 2007 their hotels hosted 600 events, which represent about seven percent of all events organised in Slovenia. Their plans for the future are to bring the Habakuk Hotel to ten percent of all events.

The speakers of the roundtable stressed convention tourism as the primary and important product of Slovenian tourism, which should receive more attention. The participants of the roundtable exposed the developmental possibilities of Maribor and its surroundings, establishing that for an even bigger success, the cooperation of all involved parties is essential.

The roundtable was also attended by the media, who published articles and segments in Delo, Radio Maribor and TV Slovenia.

Kongres - 2008

BTC International, Rome, Italy (6 – 7 November 2008)

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his year, the Slovenian Convention Bureau, in collaboration with the Slovenian Tourist Board and nine members of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, presented itself at the largest Italian international exhibition, the BTC trade show, organised from the 6 to 7 November 2008 in Rome.

The exhibition was organised in Rome at the Nouva Fiera di Roma exhibition centre for the second consecutive year, after being organised in Florence in the past. The advantage of this year’s exhibition was the possibility of scheduling appointments prior to the event itself.

The Slovenian stand was visited by more than 60 different event organisers from all over Europe who held individual meetings with representatives of the tourist economy. In addition to the key destinations of Ljubljana, Bled, Portorož and Maribor, individual health resorts with conference facilities and Slovenia’s incentive offer received the greatest attention.

The 47th ICCA Congress and Exhibition (1 – 5 November 2008)

Victoria, Canada hosted the 47th Annual ICCA Congress and Exhibition Incorporating the General Assembly. Among the members of the International Congress and Convention Association is also the Slovenian Convention Bureau.

The Slovenian participants at the congress were Breda Pečovnik (Congress and Commercial Programme Director, Cankarjev dom) and Miha Kovačič (Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau). The rich educational programme, consisting of lectures, workshops, forums and the exchange of information on possible events, stressed the key subject matters of today’s meeting’s industry, such as green meetings, communication at the time of the crisis, events of the 21st century and so on. During the congress, the participants were able to exchange commercial information and participate in a silent auction, organised by ICCA for a charitable cause. The winner of this year’s Best Marketing Award, sponsored by Bedouk Meetings & Events Media, is the Sarawak Convention Bureau, coming in first before the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool and the Salt Lake City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Members can download the presentations from the congress from the internet.

More at: www.iccaworld.com

Ljubljana, which is to be set up next spring. On the same day, the Slovenian Convention Bureau, in cooperation with the Sofia Convention Bureau, organised a meeting with representatives of their meetings economy. The Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Miha Kovačič, presented the »Southeastern Europe as a Meetings Destination« project to the more than 30 representatives who attended the event. All agreed that connections between the countries of Southeast Europe in the field of the meetings industry are sensible and beneficial to all. A joint presence would attribute to our recognition, while at the same time enabling us to increase and expand marketing activities to non-European markets, which we are currently not covering.

EIBTM, the Global Meetings and Incentive Exhibition in Barcelona, Spain (2 – 4 December)

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n cooperation with the Slovenian Tourist Board and fourteen of its members, the Slovenian Convention Bureau will again present itself in the context of a new stand at one of the most important international exhibitions in the world, the EIBTM, organised from 2 to 4 December 2008 in Barcelona.

Slovenia's meetings industry will present itself for the first time also within the framework of the Southeastern Europe stand with the intent of drawing international attention to the potential of Southeastern Europe as a new and attractive meetings and incentive destination. This will have a positive influence on the competitiveness of all included destinations in the European and international areas.

More at www.eibtm.com

11. The Slovenian Tourist Forum (11 – 12 December 2008)

O

n 11 and 12 December 2008, the Grand Hotel Bernardin will host the 11th Slovenian Tourist Forum, organised by the Slovenian Tourist Board. The topic of this year’s Forum is business and convention tourism, and the Slovenian Convention Bureau is cooperating in the preparation of the expert programme. The Forum will feature lectures from renowned international experts from the meetings industry. At the same time, the Forum will also be the annual Expert Council of the Slovenian Convention Bureau.

More information and the programme can be found at: www. slovenia.info/forum

New Member of the Slovenian Convention Bureau

In Bulgaria, on the Connections in the Meetings Industry of Southeast Europe (28 October 2008)

he following provider is in the process of being confirmed as a member of the Slovenian Convention Bureau:

On

1.

28 October, Sofia hosted the Slovenian – Bulgarian »Slovenia, Your Future Business Partner« business conference.

In this context, the Slovenian Tourist Board and Adria Airways organised a presentation of Slovenia in Sofia, along with the presentation of the new flight connection between Sofia and

27

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Sportina turizem d.o.o., www.hotel-ribno.si Membership type: hotel with conference facilities

Kongres - 2008

Kolumna: Tony Carey

Izkušnja dveh držav Načrtovalci srečanj od različnih krajev zahtevajo različne stvari, nekatere potrebe in pričakovanja pa so skupne vsem, ne glede na to, ali gre za načrtovalce korporacijskih srečanj, srečanj združenj ali pa za neodvisne načrtovalce. Eno od njih rad imenujem »skupno gostoljubje«.

Pred časom sem že pisal o tem, kako pomembno je, da so kongresni uradi v odličnih odnosih s hoteli, kongresnimi centri in ponudniki storitev prevoza. Pomembno je, da imajo avtobusni prevozniki dobre stike z lokalno policijo, da lokalni dobavitelji med seboj sodelujejo in da želi načrtovalcu srečanja vsak pomagati pri tem, da je končni rezultat dober.

Ko se srečanja odvijajo v pristojnosti dveh različnih sodnih oblasti, pa so lahko težave s stiki večje. To načrtovalce srečanj pogosto odvrne od izbire lokacij, kjer bi se dejavnosti lahko odvijale na obeh straneh meje.

Do leta 2007 je bil eno od takšnih prizorišč slovenski Kras ob meji z Italijo, severno od Trsta. A če na to področje gledamo kot na eno destinacijo, lahko organizatorja konference ali motivacijskih srečanj zanima več kot samo vsota obeh delov pokrajine.

Danes, ko sta tako Italija in Slovenija podpisnici Schengenskega sporazuma, ki omogoča prosto gibanje med obema državama, meja obstaja samo še na papirju. Vsakdo jo lahko neovirano prestopi na številnih mejnih prehodih. Potnega lista vam ni treba pokazati.

Nedavno je predsednik Vlade Republike Slovenije v odhodu, gospod Janez Janša, izjavil, da se verjetno sploh še ne zavedamo vseh možnosti, ki jih padec evropskih mej prinaša Slovencem.

To še najbolj velja za mejo z Italijo. Ta regija je zrela, da v njej novo svobodo prehoda na obeh straneh meje raziščejo podjetni načrtovalci dogodkov in strokovne kongresne turistične agencije (DMC-ji).

lipicancev. V spomladanskem času gore in gozdnate doline vabijo, da jih raziščete, jeseni pa se vsa pokrajina kopa v svitu barv, rdeče strehe vasic na kopastih vrhovih pa se bleščijo v soncu. Priljubljene dejavnosti so kolesarjenje po kolesarskih poteh, pokušine vina, jamarstvo ali preprosto pokušanje lokalne kulinarike v številnih kmečkih gostilnah. Vendar tukaj ni mest in le nekaj hotelov je primernih za organizacijo konferenc, tako po svoji velikosti kot standardu, ki ga nudijo. Čez mejo je Italija samo tanek obalni pas ob Jadranskem morju.

Tukaj sta njeni najprivlačnejši točki morje in mesto Trst. To privlačno mesto ponuja številne čare, ki jih v zaledju na vzhodu ne najdete: elegantne restavracije, nakupovanje v butikih, nočne klube in obilico hotelov.

Kaj pa težave z jezikom? Izjemno zanimiva preteklost te regije (ki je še dodaten razlog za obisk) je številnim domačinom zapustila dediščino večjezičnosti. Angleščina je nekaj vsakdanjega. Čeprav je skrita nekje pod pazduho Jadrana, pa je dostop neverjetno preprost. Letališče v Trstu se nahaja samo lučaj od meje s Slovenijo. Ryanair v Trst leti vsak dan iz Londona, vsak dan pa so na urniku tudi poleti iz Nemčije, Pariza in večjih italijanskih mest.

Benečija (Treviso) je oddaljena samo eno uro, do Benetk (Marco Polo) pa je manj kot dve uri vožnje z avtomobilom ali vlakom. Od Ljubljane na Kras se pripeljete po približno 50 minutah vožnje po odlični avtocesti.

Potovalne agencije so šele pričele promovirati izkušnje dveh držav.

Morda bo trajalo nekoliko dlje, da to destinacijo odkrijejo tudi načrtovalci dogodkov, a če bodo italijanski in slovenski DMC-ji ter turistične oblasti medsebojno sodelovali v »skupnem gostoljubju« ter organizirali nekaj spoznavnih obiskov, lahko ta očarljiv skrit kotiček Evrope postane izjemno priljubljena destinacija za konference.

Tony Carey, CMP, CMM. Tony je samostojen pisec ter svetovalec v mednarodni industriji srečanj.

Je lastnik hiše na slovenskem Krasu. www.tonycarey.info

Čari obeh držav se neverjetno dopolnjujejo. Slovenski del Krasa je znan po svojih vinih (še posebej po zemeljskem teranu) in osupljivih jamah, kot je na primer Postojnska jama, ki je turistična znamenitost že več kot sto let. Prav tako je dom znamenitih

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Kongres - 2008

Column: Tony Carey

A Two - Country Experience Meeting planners demand different things from different places, but some needs and expectations are common to all, whether on is a corporate, association or independent planner. One of these is something I call ‘Joined up hosting’.

I have written before in these pages about how important it is that a CVB have excellent relations with hotels, congress centres and transport providers, and that the coach companies have good connections with the local police. That local suppliers cooperate with each other and everyone wants to help the planner achieve a successful outcome are also of central importance.

But when meetings involve two jurisdictions, the problems of liaison can be compounded, so planners are often deterred from choosing locations that may entail cross-border activities.

Until 2007, one such locality was the Karst region of Slovenia, where it borders Italy, to the north of Trieste. Yet, if you look at the area as one destination, there is more to interest the conference or incentive organiser than the sum of its two parts.

Today, as both Italy and Slovenia are signatories to the Schengen agreement which allows free movement between them, the border only exists on paper. Anyone may pass, unhindered, over the many crossing points between the two countries. Passports are not shown.

The attractions of the two countries are remarkably complementary.

Slovenia’s Karst region is famous for its wines (especially the earthy teran) and breath-taking caves, such as Postojna, which has been a tourist attraction for over 100 years. It is also the home of the famous Lippizaner horses. In spring, the mountains and wooded valleys invite exploration, while in autumn the countryside is a blaze of colour and the red-roofed, hill top villages glow in the sunshine. Popular activities are trail cycling, wine tasting, caving or simply sampling the local cuisine in the many rustic ‘gostilna’. But there are no cities and few hotels that would qualify as conference venues, by size or standard.

Across the border, Italy is only a thin coastal strip overlooking the Adriatic. Its main attraction here is the sea – and the city of Trieste.

This handsome town offers many of the amenities not found in the hinterland further east: smart restaurants, boutique shopping, night clubs and a plethora of hotels.

But what about language problems? The fascinating history of the region (another reason to visit) has endowed many of the locals with a heritage of multilingualism. English is commonplace.

Although tucked away at the tip of the Adriatic, access is surprisingly easy. Trieste airport is located only a stone’s throw away from the Slovenian border. Ryanair flies there daily from London, and there are flights as well from Germany, Paris and the major Italian cities.

Venice (Treviso) is only an hour away and Venice (Marco Polo) under two hours by road or train. From Ljubljana to the Karst region takes about 50 minutes on an excellent motorway.

Today, tour operators are just beginning to promote this ‘two country experience’. Meeting planners may take a little longer to discover it, but if the local Italian and Slovenian DMCs and tourist authorities can collaborate in ‘joined up hosting’, and run some familiarisation visits, this delightful, hidden corner of Europe could become a hugely popular destination for conferences.

Tony Carey, CMP, CMM Tony is a freelance writer and consultant to the international meetings industry.

He owns a home in the Karst region of Slovenia. www.tonycarey.info

Recently, Slovenia’s outgoing Prime Minister, Janez Janša, stated: “We are probably not even aware yet of all the opportunities that the fall of borders in Europe brings to the Slovenian people.”

Nowhere is this more true than where the country borders Italy.

The region is ripe for enterprising meeting planners (and DMCs) on either side of the border to exploit this new freedom of passage.

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Kongres - 2008

9/26/08 12:18:43 PM

Kolumna: Bob Gilbert, HelmsBriscoe

Težki časi ne vztrajajo.

Vztrajajo vztrajni ljudje! »Bili so najboljši časi, bili so najslabši časi, bil je čas modrosti, bil je čas norosti, bila je doba verovanja, bila je doba nezaupljivosti, bilo je obdobje luči, bilo je obdobje teme, bila je pomlad upanja, bila je zima obupa, pred nami je bilo vse, pred nami ni bilo ničesar, vsi smo bili namenjeni neposredno v raj, vsi smo bili namenjeni na drugo stran.« To je znameniti prvi odstavek iz romana Charlesa Dickensa Povest o dveh mestih. Prav neverjetno je, kako lahko ta roman še danes uporabimo za razmere v gospodarstvu, ki jih poskušamo razumeti in z njimi upravljati. »Bili so najboljši časi, bili so najslabši časi«, proračuni se manjšajo in udeležba na srečanjih je slabša. To zagotovo spada v kategorijo »najslabših časov«. Spet drugi ob pogledu na industrijo srečanj rečejo »najboljši časi«, saj se njihov posel širi s tem, ko podjetjem pomagajo iz njihovega proračuna iztisniti kar največ in kar najbolje upravljati z načrtovanjem srečanj ter izboljšati donosnost svoje naložbe.

Kaj morate torej kot načrtovalec v teh nemirnih časih narediti za dobro upravljanje svojega posla?

1.

Pripravite načrt B. Vedno imejte načrt B. Težave se pojavijo, ko jih najmanj pričakujete. Kakšen je vaš rezervni načrt v primeru težav?

2.

Komunikacija. Z vsemi interesnimi skupinami v svojem podjetju imejte vzpostavljene jasne komunikacijske kanale.

Prepričajte se, da vsi natančno razumejo nove cilje in namene podjetja. Postavljajte vprašanja. Iščite jasnost.

3.

Zmanjšanje proračuna. Vaš proračun do konca leta se je zmanjšal za 15 %. Kaj boste naredili? Zapomnite si, da lahko hotelske stroške nadzorujete. Pri podjetju HelmsBriscoe podjetjem redno prihranimo denar, saj imamo potreben vpliv.

Prihranki v višini 35 do 50 odstotkov niso nič nenavadnega in lahko pomagajo raztegniti zmanjšan proračun.

4.

Vzdržujte odnose s svojimi stalnimi dobavitelji. Vztrajajte s svojimi dolgoročnimi dobavitelji. Odkrili boste, da vam bo vaš medsebojni odnos omogočil več prilagodljivosti in posebno pozornost.

5.

Bodite prilagodljivi. Premislite o hotelu s petimi zvezdicami v drugem večjem mestu namesto hotela s petimi zvezdicami v glavnem mestu. Morda pa se boste s hotelom s petimi zvezdicami lahko dogovorili za ceno štirih zvezdic. Ali pa izberite hotel s štirimi zvezdicami v glavnem mestu. Ostanite odprti in preglejte svoje možnosti. Vedno potrebujete možnosti. Oblikujte jih v skladu s svojim načrtovanjem.

6.

Spremenite se. Zdaj je pravi čas, da se znebite slabih navad.

S tem, ko se v težkih razmerah osredotočite na svoje ključne naloge, stvari začnete početi drugače. Ko se bodo časi ponovno vrnili v normalno stanje, boste videli, da boste vztrajali pri teh »novih« in učinkovitejših postopkih.

30

7.

Primeri dobre prakse. Veliko ljudi ima veliko za povedati.

Začnite voditi evidenco primerov dobre prakse. Zbirajte članke, ki so ustrezni in primerni za vašo vrsto posla. Najboljši članki so tisti, ki so uresničljivi. Ali ustrezajo kulturi vašega podjetja in ali so v skladu z vašimi cilji?

8.

Intelektualni kapital. Ali pozorno spremljate svoje podatke?

Morda ste pozorni na oddelke, kot sta prodaja in promocija, vendar pa oddelki, ki so odgovorni za usposabljanje, človeške vire, stike z javnostmi ter raziskave in razvoj, skupaj prav tako ustvarjajo omembe vredne stroške. Srednje velika in velika podjetja, ko vse to seštejemo, se lahko pogajajo z enakim dobaviteljem, vendar ni nikakršnega pregleda, nadzora in nič uporabljanja vpliva.

9.

Bistvo je v podrobnostih. V težkih časih so podrobnosti bistvenega pomena. Usmerjenost k podrobnostim predstavlja bistveno prednost. Vsi, ki smo v tem poslu, občudujemo tiste, ki so pozorni na podrobnosti. Izdelajte dnevni in tedenski kontrolni seznam. Vsak dan (in teden) pričnite in končajte s pregledom kontrolnega seznama. Najboljši načrtovalci srečanj, ki ste jih spoznali, so »obsedeni« s kontrolnimi seznami. Z njimi dobite nadzor, s katerim lahko uspete tudi v kaosu.

10. Odnos. Pravijo, da težki časi ne vztrajajo. Vztrajajo vztrajni ljudje. Polovica dobljene bitke za uspešen nadzor v teh nemirnih časih je odnos, je stanje duha. Druga polovica bitke je praktična stran našega vsakodnevnega poslovanja in kako ga izvedemo.

Tako kot je napisal Charles Dickens: bili so najboljši časi, bili so najslabši časi – v bistvu je vse odvisno od tega, kako se soočimo z izzivi, ki nam jih prinaša življenje. Ko se drugi pritožujejo, nergajo in godrnjajo zaradi težkih časov in ko za vse svoje neuspehe krivijo te težke čase, se jim enostavno ne pridružite. Prevzemite nadzor in sami načrtujte svojo usodo.

Bob Gilbert Podpredsednik HelmsBriscoe – International bgilbert@helmsbriscoe.com

Kongres - 2008

Column: Bob Gilbert, HelmsBriscoe

Tough Times Don’t Last: Tough People Do! »It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness; it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair; we had everything before us, we had nothing before us; we were all going directly to Heaven, we were all going the other way.« This is the famous first paragraph from Charles Dickens’ classic novel, »A Tale of Two Cities«. It is amazing how this can be read today and applied to the economic situation which we are all trying to understand and manage. »It was the best of times, it was the worst of times«; budgets are being cut and meeting attendance is down. Clearly that fits in the »worst of times« category. Others look at the industry and say that it’s the »best of times,« as they grow their business by assisting companies in stretching budgets and better managing their meetings planning and improving ROI.

file on Best Practices. Make sure that the articles you collect are all relevant to your business. The best articles are those which are able to be put into action. Do they fit into the culture of your company and do they align with your objectives?

8.

Intellectual Capital. Do you have a firm hand on your data?

Maybe you keep track of a few departments like sales and promotions, but aggregated training, HR, PR, finance, and R&D can also account for noteworthy expenditures. Medium and larger-sized companies, when added up, can all negotiate with the same suppliers, but with no oversight or control and with zero leveraging.

9.

The devil is in the details. In tough times, it is imperative to keep a close eye on the details. Becoming detail-oriented is a significant advantage for you. Peers admire those among us who pay attention to detail. Create a daily and weekly checklist.

Start and end each day (and week) by reviewing your checklist.

The best meeting planners I have met are »checklist crazy«. It puts you in control and allows you to manage among chaos.

10. Attitude. It is said that tough times never last; tough people do. Half the battle of successful management in turbulent times is attitude; it is a state of mind. The other half of the battle is the practical side of our day to day business and its execution.

So, just as Charles Dickens wrote »It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,« it is ultimately about how one approaches life’s challenges. When others complain, whine and grumble about the tough times and blame all their failures on those tough times, simply refuse to join in. Take control and plan your own destiny.

Bob Gilbert Senior Vice President HelmsBriscoe – International bgilbert@helmsbriscoe.com

So, what should you be doing to manage your business in these turbulent times if you are a planner?

1.

Plan for Plan B. Always have a Plan B. Emergencies appear when you least expect them. What is your backup in the event of a crisis?

2.

Communication. Have clear communication channels with all stakeholders in your company. Ensure that there are no misunderstandings as to new goals and objectives. Ask questions. Seek clarity.

3.

Budget Cuts. Your budget has been cut by 15% until the end of the year. What do you do? Remember, hotel costs are controllable. We at HelmsBriscoe consistently save companies money, as we have the leverage. Savings in the range of 35 to 50% are not unusual, and can stretch a cut budget.

Maintain relationships with your regular suppliers. Stay the course with your long-term suppliers. You will find out that your relationship will allow you to gain more flexibility and special considerations.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Be flexible. Consider a 5 star hotel in a secondary capital city instead of a 5 star hotel in a capital city. Or a 5 star hotel, negotiated at a 4 star rate. Or choose a 4 star property in that capital city. Be open-minded and review your options.

You always need options. Make sure you build them into your planning.

Embrace change. Now is a good time to get rid of bad habits.

Focusing on your key functions under tough conditions makes you do things differently. You will find that when times get back to normal you will stay with your »newfound« and more efficient practices.

Best practices. Many people have many things to say. Start a

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Kongres - 2008

Kolumna / Column: Paul Kennedy

Kakšna »dodana vrednost za isto ceno«? / What »Price Added Value«?

Medtem, ko se gospodarski obeti za veliko zahodnih držav še naprej slabšajo, je le malo dvomov, da se bo to negativno odrazilo na proračunih za konference in dogodke v nekaterih gospodarskih panogah, kar bo mogoče trajalo tudi 18 mesecev. Eden pozitivnih učinkov, pa čeprav le začasnega upada v povpraševanju, bi moral biti premik k trgu kupca in ne k dominantnem trgu prodajalca, ki je precej časa prevladoval.

Dobavitelje v panogi moramo vzpodbuditi, da nadaljujejo z dodajanjem vrednosti. Ključna vroča tema, ki hitro prihaja na dan in povzroča skrbi vsem vpletenim v naši panogi, je naraščajoči primanjkljaj kvalificirane in izkušene delovne sile, ki ne pričakuje noro visokih plač.

Veliko se piše o odpiranju novih prostorov, namenjenih kongresni dejavnosti, s premalo zagotovljenega osebja – le zato, ker posameznik lahko diha, hodi in govori, še ne pomeni, da je učinkovit član osebja ali strokovnjak za kongresno dejavnost.

Mi, kot panoga znana pod imenom »kongresna« dejavnost«, si moramo prizadevati uveljaviti naše delo kot uspešen, pravi in cenjen poklic. Hitro je treba razviti vse večje število tečajev za vodenje dogodkov. Eden glavnih razlogov za to v smislu domačega gospodarstva je, da delegat na kongresu zapravi 4 do 10-krat toliko kot pa tranzitni popotnik, poleg tega pa je za delegata verjetno, da se bo na destinacijo tudi vrnil kot turist. Naša panoga ne potrebuje samo pametnih poslovnežev z značilnimi prenosljivimi sposobnostmi, ampak tudi strokovnjake za logistiko. Potrebujemo informatike, potovalne agente in tiste, ki lahko konferenčnemu programu dodajo vsebino. Mogoče bi morali osebe, ki sestavljajo programe, videti tudi kot izobraževalne delavce: konec koncev je bistvo konferenčnih programov podajanje znanja, učenje in izmenjava znanj.

Bistvo tega stališča je seznaniti akterje s tem, da je interakcija med verigami povpraševanja in ponudbe kompleksna, da je pomemben generator bogastva v gospodarstvih, naraščajoč vir zaposlitev in davčnih prihodkov ter da si zasluži večjo prepoznavnost v politiki in gospodarstvu. Ko bo to postalo pravilo in ne izjema, bosta kongresna dejavnost in poklic končno dosegla svoj cilj. Čas bo pokazal svoje.

As the economic outlook continues to worsen for many Western economies, there is little doubt that conference and events budgets in some corporate sectors will be adversely affected, perhaps for as long as 18 months.

One of the positive effects of even a temporary decline in demand should be some movement towards a buyers market, rather than the dominant seller’s market which has prevailed for some considerable time.

We must challenge industry suppliers to continue to add value. The key hot topic, fast emerging and worrying all sides of our industry, is the growing shortage of qualified and experienced staff who do not expect stupidly high salaries.

There is much coverage about new properties opening with inadequate staffing levels - just because individuals can breathe, walk and talk does not make them an effective member of staff or meeting professional.

We, as an industry known as the »meetings« industry, need to strive to establish our work as a viable, real and valued profession.

The growing number of event management courses should be developed quickly. One major reason for this is that, in terms of the domestic economy, a meetings delegate will spend between 4 to 10 times that of a leisure traveller, and then may well revisit as a tourist. Our industry needs not only sound business practitioners with the usual transferable skills, but also logistics experts.

We need IT specialists, travel managers and those who can add content to a conference programme. Perhaps, as well, we should recognise those who put programmes together as educationalists: after all, conference programmes often have education, learning and knowledge sharing at their heart.

The focus of this position is to get the message across that the interaction of demand and supply chains is complex, a major wealth provider within economies, a growing source of employment and tax revenue, and demands greater political and economic recognition.

When this is the norm, not the exception, the meetings industry and profession will finally have arrived. Only time will tell.

Paul Kennedy Group Exhibition Director, Meetings & Incentive Events, Reed Travel Exhibitions Paul.Kennedy@reedexpo.co.uk

Paul Kennedy MBE, direktor srečanj in dogodkov, Reed Travel Exhibitions Paul.Kennedy@reedexpo.co.uk

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Kongres - 2008

The South East Europe

Meeting Guide M

arks a comprehensive data-base of MICE offer in SouthEast Europe. It represents the first schematic classification of MICE organizers and suppliers.

E

xpresses the cooperation and support of respective national convention bureaus and international partners. It is instituted under the auspices of HelmsBriscoe International, the highest volume purchaser in the MICE industry.

E

ndeavours to accelerate the sale of regional MICE products and services through the long-term involvement in promoting the region and annual publishing of the meeting guide. Furthermore, it aims to raise the recognisability of the destination of South-East Europe by providing expert knowledge of key decision-makers of the industry.

T

akes partnership with the leading exhibitions for meetings, events and incentive travel, namely IMEX, EIBTM, EMIF, BTC and European Meetings & Events Conference. Moreover, it is presented at MICE markets outside Europe though cooperation with the Reed International.

Meet in SEE - The first all-inclusive directory of MICE offer of South-East Europe.

33

Kongres - 2008

Kolumna: Srečo Peterlič

Regija Jugovzhodna Evropa – dvajset let pozneje Nekoč v prejšnjem stoletju je obstajal in zelo učinkovito deloval Jugokongres, eden prvih nacionalnih kongresnih uradov v Evropi. Bili smo si etnično, religiozno, kulturno, zgodovinsko in gospodarsko različni, pa vendar nas je nekaj držalo skupaj – kongresna dejavnost regije je bila prepoznavna in vsi smo imeli nekaj od tega. Potem smo se razšli in nič nismo bili za to krivi. Zmagala je politika, borba za prestiž, nerazsodnost, emocije ... Posledice so znane.

Petnajst let smo spremljali, Slovenci k sreči le od strani, »golgoto Balkana« in se, bivši kolegi in prijatelji, grdo gledali. Medtem je svetovni kapital vsem nam prodajal krompir, pšenico, orožje, počitnice; začeli so nas učiti osnov ekonomije in trženja. Mi pa smo se še vedno grdo gledali, kar naenkrat smo pozabili, da smo to nekoč že vse znali in mi učili druge. Zakaj se je to zgodilo? Ne vem!

V teh letih sem prepotoval skoraj cel svet, ponujal našo kongresno ponudbo, pomagal ponovno postaviti Slovenijo kot pomembno kongresno destinacijo na svetovni kongresni zemljevid in se kar naprej soočal z neprepoznavnostjo in nepoznavanjem Slovenije in širše regije.

Lani sem silvestrovo preživel v Črni Gori. Tja me je povabil direktor za PR in kongrese Evropske banke za razvoj. Šved, ki je naredil kariero v kongresni »industriji«, zaposlen v Londonu, ki je šel na dopust v Črno Goro in ga zanima kongresna prepoznavnost naše regije, še posebej Slovenije. In me je vprašal: zakaj ste se razšli?

Ne vem!

Letos poleti sva šla z mojo Andrejo na počitnice na Lastovo. Za tiste, ki ne veste: Lastovo je največji od južnih jadranskih otokov in tudi najlepši; arhipelag 46 otokov, 46 cerkva, 46 vrhov in 46 polj.

V času Dubrovniške republike pred dvesto leti je tam živelo več kot 10.000 ljudi; danes jih je še približno 600. Po več kot 25 letih sem se vrnil na »mesto zločina«, takrat sem tam preživel leto dni kot vojak in kurir komande jugoslovanske vojske. Za to, da bi v »izgubljenem letu vojaščine« naredil nekaj koristnega zase, sem preučeval zgodovino otoka in njegovih prebivalcev. In letos sem srečal stare znance, ki so mi rekli: Ti Slovenec, zakaj pa smo se razšli? Ne vem!

Vem in verjamem! V regijo, od Milana do Cluja, od Salzburga do Istanbula, od Dunaja do Podgorice in seveda tudi širše ...

Verjamem in tudi zaupam mlajši generaciji kolegic in kolegov, ki bodo, neobremenjeni z zgodovino, poskrbeli za to, da se naša, verjetno najbolj zanimiva regija, ponovno postavi na svetovni kongresni zemljevid. Za to pa bodo morali poskrbeti snovalci Slovenskega kongresnega urada, Revije Kongres in organizatorji Convente. Čakam.

Srečo Peterlič Direktor Kongresne dejavnosti, Auditoria in podpredsednik Sveta Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad sreco.peterlic@auditoria.si

Šele pred dvema letoma sem bil na povabilo mladih kolegov s Slovenskega kongresnega urada prvič po letu 1990 v Beogradu. In so me vprašali: zakaj smo se razšli? Ne vem!

usp eš

en tim

dobr a komun

r e m s a ikacija prav

kongresi, poslovni dogodki, teambuilding, banketi Kongresni ured: tel. 051 710304, 710323 • kongresi@liburnia.hr • www.liburnia.hr

34

Kongres - 2008

Column: Srečo Peterlič

Southeastern Europe – Twenty Years Later Once upon a time, in the previous century, there was a very efficient Jugokongres, one of the first national convention bureaus in Europe. We differed with regard to ethnic origin, religion, culture, history and economy, but something nevertheless held us together – the meetings activity of the region was recognisable and we all profited from that. Then we separated, without it even being our fault. Politics won, along with the struggle for prestige, imprudence, emotions…

The consequences are well known.

For fifteen years, we witnessed (Slovenians, luckily, from afar) the Calvary of the Balkans, and looked askance at former colleagues and friends. In the meantime, the capitalistic world sold us potatoes, wheat, weapons, and holidays, and began teaching us the basics of economics and marketing. And we still continued to look askance at each other, forgetting that once upon a time we already knew all that, and had been teaching it to others. Why did this happen? I don’t know!

In these years, I have travelled around almost the entire globe, presenting our meetings industry offers and helping put Slovenia back on the map as an important meetings destination. I was constantly confronted with the lack of recognition and familiarity with Slovenia and the surrounding region.

since 1990, following the invitation of my young colleagues from the Slovenian Convention Bureau. And they asked me why we separated. I don’t know!

I spent last New Year’s Eve in Montenegro. I was invited to Montenegro by the Director of Communications and Meetings of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development – a Swede, who built his career in the meetings industry working in London, who went on holiday to Montenegro and who is interested in the recognition of our region, especially Slovenia, in the meetings industry. He also asked me why we separated. Again, I said, »I don’t know!« This summer, Andreja and I spent our holidays in Lastovo. For those of you who don’t know it, Lastovo is the biggest and also the most beautiful of the southern Adriatic islands – an archipelago of 46 islands, 46 churches, 46 mountaintops and 46 fields. At the time of the Republic of Dubrovnik (or Republic of Ragusa) two hundred years ago, there were 10,000 people living there. Today, there are about 600. After 25 years, I returned to the »scene of the crime,« where I spent a year as a serviceman and orderly at the Yugoslavian Army headquarters. In order to do something useful for myself, I studied the island and its inhabitants’ history during this »lost year of military service«. This year, I ran into some old acquaintances who asked me »Hey, you, Slovenian, why did we separate?« I don’t know!

But I know, and believe in, the region from Milan to Cluj, from Salzburg to Istanbul, from Vienna to Podgorica, and, of course, even further afield.

I believe in and trust the younger generation of colleagues who will, unburdened by history, make sure that ours, a region which is possibly the most interesting in the world, again finds itself on the world map of the meetings industry. The authors of the Slovenian Convention Bureau and Kongres Magazine, as well as the organisers of Conventa will have to see to that. I am waiting.

Srečo Peterlič, Director of the Convention Activity, Auditoria and Vice President of the Board of the Slovenian Convention Bureau sreco.peterlic@auditoria.si

It was just two years ago that I visited Belgrade for the first time

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10.3.2008 10:45:12 Kongres - 2008

Pismo iz Bruslja

From: Subject: Date: To:

Rok V. KlanËnik »isto drugaËen ≈puzzle« Evrope 25. november 2008 Kongres

Prav smešno je že, da se v 21. stoletju v Evropi še vedno pogovarjamo o nacionalnih državah. Vsake toliko časa nastane kakšna nova. Ko smo mislili, da je z razpadom socialističnih federacij v začetku 90-ih let prejšnjega desetletja nov zemljevid Evrope za vedno narisan, vsake toliko še vedno dobimo kakšno novorojenko. Zadnji sta bili Kosovo in Črna gora, bo sledila še kakšna?

Hkrati pa v Bruslju rišejo popolnoma nov zemljevid stare celine, na katerem se nacionalnih držav skorajda ne prepozna. Odbor regij Evropske unije in generalni direktorat za regionalno politiko Evropske komisije sta pred kratkim izdala katalog regij in mest, ki so zastopana v Bruslju in ki po svojih močeh sodelujejo v enem ali celo več od 22-ih združenj oziroma tako imenovanih konglomeratov. Ta novi zemljevid je še najbolj podoben sestavljankam ali priljubljenim »puzzlom«. Toda nápak bi bilo soditi, da gre za drobljenje Evrope in pot v razmere, ki so obstajale v času srednjeveških mestnih državic, grofij in malih kneževin.

Ravno nasprotno. Odbor regij EU z oblikovanjem različnih interesnih programov, v katere zajema tako evropske regije, kot tudi mesta, gradi profitne centre na različnih gospodarskih področjih in nova središča znanja za razvoj, ki bodo v prihodnje vlekla Evropo iz težav. Tako so se regije povezale v Zvezo za trajnostni razvoj, Pobudo za inovacije v zdravstvu, Sodelovanje za inovacije in sodelovanje, Zelene motorje za rast, pa za trajnostno energijo in podobno. Mesta se bodo lažje prepoznala v združenjih kulturnih prestolnic, pa atraktivnih mest, mest, ki povezujejo univerze in industrijo, svoje mesto so našle celo keltske regije (Škotska, Wales, Bretonska, Asturias, Galicija …).

Vseh združenj je torej dvaindvajset, vendar je zelo možno, da bodo spričo gospodarskih, kulturnih, klimatskih in drugih sprememb, pa tudi vse večje regionalizacije Evrope, ustanovili še kakšno.

Vseh članic teh konglomeratov, torej regij in mest, je 220. Skoraj vsaka regija, vsako mesto, ki sodeluje v teh evropskih programih, ima v Bruslju svojo pisarno, v njej pa od enega, preko devetih do petnajstih (španske regije in mesta) do 24 (Baden Württemberg) in celo do kar 55 zaposlenih (mala Malta). Med mesti v tej sestavljanki tako vidimo mnoge prestolnice, na primer Madrid, pa vse do Prage, sekundarne centre moči, na primer Barcelono, pa manjša mesta, ki si močno prizadevajo pristaviti svoj lonček k evropski Božičkovi vreči. Med regijami so tako ogromne, kot na

36

primer (danska) Grenlandija, Severna periferija (sever Švedske, Norveške in Finske), pa vse do najbolj revnih južnih italijanskih pokrajin. Še več: članstvo v Odboru regij sploh ni pogojevano s članstvom v Evropski uniji. Tako da v tem networku sodelujejo tudi Sarajevski kanton, hrvaške regije, pa severna Islandija in Švica ter Istanbulska metropolitanska regija.

Kje pa je tu Slovenija? Če ne bi bilo dr. Borisa Cizlja, ki že skoraj deset let vodi Slovensko gospodarsko in raziskovalno združenje (SBRA) v Bruslju, je verjetno na tem zemljevidu sploh ne bi bilo. Čeprav SBRA predstavlja več slovenskih krajev, regij in gospodarskih subjektov ter šol, je vloga Maribora v njihovih dejavnostih vseeno izpostavljena. Je pa vendarle škoda, da je na regionalni sestavljanki z isto barvo pobarvana cela Slovenija in ne nekaj manjših regij. Razdrobljenost Evrope je namreč v tem sistemu – prednost in ne težava. Zlasti, ko gre za pridobivanje sredstev ...

Kaj pa ima z vsem tem (slovenski) kongresni turizem? Veliko, odvisno, kako na daleč si upate gledati. Treba se je namreč zavedati, da se bo globalna finančna kriza še nekaj časa nadaljevala in da bo usekala tudi po možnostih in načrtih za organizacijo motivacijskih potovanj. Mnoge od naših korporativnih strank se otepajo z bolečimi izgubami vrednosti svojih delnic, mnoge velike banke z nujnostjo dokapitalizacije, mnoge zavarovalnice bodo morale začeti iz nič ali pa sploh zapreti vrata. Z belgijsko bančnozavarovalniško korporacijo Fortis, ki je pred pol leta prevzela nizozemski ABN-AMRO, smo se v Bruslju (preko prijateljskih zvez) že skoraj dogovorili za veliko srečanje in incentive v Sloveniji leta 2010. A zadeva je padla v vodo: Fortis je zabredel v finančni »živi pesek«, iz katerega ga je 75-odstotno rešil pariški Banque BNP Paribas. Nizozemski del Fortisa je nacionalizirala nizozemska vlada, preostanek petih odstotkov, katerega lastnica je bila kitajska zavarovalnica Ping An, pa je propadel. Kitajci so izgubili 1,7 milijarde evrov.

Skratka – evropske regije in mesta, kot njihova povezovanja vidimo v Bruslju, bi bila lahko čudovita tržna niša za slovenski turizem srečanj. Če ne bomo dovolj hitri, bo to priložnost pač pograbil nekdo drug ... verjetno naši kolegi v Estoniji, na Češkem ali kje drugje. Ne pozabimo: prihajamo v čas, kjer bosta obstajali le dve kategoriji kongresnih turizmov: hitri in propadli.

Rok V. Klančnik Slovenski turistični urad, Benelux rok.klancnik@slovenia.info

Kongres - 2008

Letter from Brussels

From: Subject: Date: To:

Rok V. Klancnik A Completely Different European Jigsaw Puzzle November 25, 2008 Kongres

It is actually quite funny that in the 21st century we are still talking about nation states in Europe.

Every now and then, a new one is formed. As with the dissolution of the socialist federations in the beginning of the 1990s, we believed the new map of Europe to be drawn once and for all, only to see new states emerge. The last two were Kosovo and Montenegro. Will another one follow?

At the same time, Brussels is drawing up a completely new map of the Old Continent in which nation states are almost unrecognisable. The Committee of the Regions of the European Union and the Directorate General for Regional Policy recently issued a catalogue of regions and towns represented in Brussels, which take advantage of its best endeavours by participating in one or more of the 22 associations or the so-called conglomerates.

This new map looks much like a jigsaw puzzle. It would, however, be wrong to consider it a fragmentation of Europe and the path back to the conditions of medieval city-states, counties and small principalities. Quite to the contrary. By determining different programmes of interest, which include both European regions and towns, the Committee of the Regions of the European Union constructs profit centres in various economic fields and new knowledge development centres which will, in the future, solve Europe’s problems. The regions have thus far joined the following organisations: the Sustainable Alliance, Bringing Innovative Regions Together for Health, Co-operation for Innovation and Innovation in Co-operation, Green Motors for Growth, Sustainable Energy Regions and similar conglomerates. The cities will be able to identify themselves with the European Capitals of Culture, and with the Attractive Cities: Strategies to Succeed, cities which combine universities and the industry with the University - Industry: A Key Link towards Regional Growth and even Celtic regions (Scotland, Wales, Brittany, Asturias, Galicia, etc.) have found their place in the Celtic Connections.

There are twenty-two conglomerates, but it is very likely that in light of the economic, cultural, climatic and other changes, and in addition to the growing regionalisation of Europe, other conglomerates will be set up. There are 220 regions and towns which are members of these conglomerates. Almost every region and town which participates in these European programmes have an office in Brussels employing from one to nine or fifteen, (for Spanish regions and towns) as many as 24, (in Baden Württemberg) or even 25 (in tiny Malta) people. The towns of the jigsaw include

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many capitals, from Madrid to Prague, along with secondary power centres, such as Barcelona and smaller towns, which are striving to get something from Santa’s bag. The regions are as big as, for example, (Denmark) Greenland and the Northern Periphery, (North Sweden, Norway and Finland) and also include the poorest southern Italian regions. And there is more. The membership in the Committee of the Regions is not even conditional upon membership in the European Union. Members of this network also include the Sarajevo Canton, the Croatian regions, Northern Iceland, Switzerland and the Istanbul Metropolitan Area.

And where does Slovenia fit in? If it were not for Boris Cizelj, PhD., who has been managing the Slovenian Business and Research Association (SBRA) in Brussels for almost a decade, Slovenia would probably not have found itself on this map. Even though SBRA represents numerous Slovenian towns, regions and economic subjects and schools, the role of Maribor in their activity nevertheless stands out. It is, however, a shame that this regional jigsaw uses the same colour for all of Slovenia, rather than smaller regions. In this system, the fragmentation of Europe is an advantage and not a problem, especially with regard to acquiring funds.

So how does this relate to (Slovenian) convention tourism? A whole lot, depending on how far you dare to look. We need to be aware that the global financial crisis will continue for some time, and that it will also affect plans for the organisation of incentive trips. Many of our corporate clients are struggling with painful losses in share values, many big banks with the urgency of recapitalisation, and many insurance companies will either have to start again from scratch or even maybe close their doors. Using the connections of our friends in Brussels, we had just about completed arranging a great convention and incentive in Slovenia in 2010 with the Belgian banking and insurance corporation Fortis, which took over the Dutch ABN-AMRO six months ago. But things fell through. Fortis found itself in financial quicksand, from which it was only saved by a 75 percent buyout by the Parisian Banque BNP Paribas. The Dutch part of Fortis was nationalised by the Dutch government, while the remaining five percent ownership by the Chinese insurance company Ping An collapsed. The Chinese lost 1.7 billion euros.

In a word, the European regions and towns, in view of their connections in Brussels, might be a wonderful niche market for the Slovenian meetings industry. If we do not move fast enough, these opportunities will be seized by somebody else, probably our colleagues in Estonia, the Czech Republic or elsewhere. Let us not forget that we are entering a time of only two sorts of convention tourism: the quick and the dead.

Rok V. Klančnik Slovenian Tourist office in Brussels rok.klancnik@slovenia.info

Kongres - 2008

Pismo iz Beograda

From: Subject: Date: To:

Miloš MilovanoviÊ Povabilo na 47. kongres IH & RA v Beogradu 20. november 2008 Kongres

Na kongresu v mestu Monterey v Mehiki so potrdili, da bo oktobra prihodnje leto Beograd gostil 47. kongres Mednarodnega združenja hotelov in restavracij (IH & RA).

Ena od glavnih tem na letošnjem kongresu je bila finančna kriza, ki je zadnjih nekaj mesecev glavna tema vseh pomembnih srečanj. V primerjavi z minulim letom (kongres v Amanu), ko so pogovori tekli v glavnem o razvoju industrije, novih destinacijah in možnostih vlaganj, se je letos veliko govorilo o poslovanju z ozirom na trenutno finančno krizo. Vprašanja, na katera niso našli odgovorov, se nanašajo na to, v kolikšni meri se bo podjetjem zmanjšal proračun, kako bo to vplivalo na povpraševanje po storitvah v hotelski industriji in ali se bodo potovanja na oddaljene destinacije količinsko zmanjšala, v nekaterih regijah pa povečala.

V končni fazi bodo vse destinacije na nek način čutile posledice in ostaja vprašanje, kaj lahko storimo in koliko lahko omilimo pričakovane težave. Najpogosteje omenjeni odgovor je bil, da sta v teh okoliščinah tesnejše sodelovanje in več komunikacije v našem sektorju bistvenega pomena.

Področje Balkana je bilo predstavljeno kot dober primer sodelovanja med regijami, še posebej dejstvo, da je bil Beograd predlagan kot naslednja destinacija za organizacijo kongresa v imenu Balkanske zveze hotelskih združenj (BAHA), to pomeni v imenu celotne regije. Balkansko zvezo hotelskih združenj so ustanovila hotelska združenja Bolgarije, Makedonije, Albanije, Bosne in Hercegovine, Črne gore in Srbije, ki se s to obliko organizacije na poseben način umeščajo v okviru mednarodnega združenja. Dejstvo, da je celotna regija predlagala Beograd kot primerno destinacijo, je predstavljalo močan argument za njegovo kandidaturo, program, ki vključuje potovanje po državah v regiji, pa je vzbudil veliko zanimanja, saj bo udeležencem omogočil, da obiščejo in si pridobijo več podatkov o večjem številu destinacij v relativno kratkem času.

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Balkanska regija se je dalj časa otepala z negativnim prizvokom, vtisi, ki smo jih pridobili na tem kongresu, pa vendarle nakazujejo, da se je ta slika močno spremenila. Izkazalo se je namreč, da večina udeležencev Balkan vidi kot regijo stare evropske civilizacije z bogato kulturno in zgodovinsko dediščino in kot regijo, ki je po daljšem času postala nova in eksotična destinacija. V pozitivnem smislu Balkan vidijo kot rastoče tržišče in kot destinacijo, ki nudi pozitivne investicijske možnosti, saj gospodarstva teh držav beležijo hitro rast. Ker se ta regija nahaja v Evropi in ker ima dobre povezave z Bližnjim vzhodom in Rusijo, jo to postavlja kot smiselno destinacijo za srečanja s praviloma nižjimi potovalnimi stroški, ki udeležencem z vsega sveta omogoča prijetno bivanje in možnost spoznati destinacije s svojstveno kulturo in tradicijo. Obenem pa ta regija ponuja tudi rastoče poslovne priložnosti.

Argumenti za kandidaturo Balkana in Beograda za organizacijo naslednjega kongresa Mednarodnega združenja hotelov in restavracij še posebej poudarjajo potrebo po tovrstnem sodelovanju med regijami za krepitev moči in nadaljnjo rast.

Hotelska in kongresna industrija, še posebej v razburkanem okolju in na tekmovalnem tržišču, to vidita kot možnost doseganja boljših poslovnih rezultatov, za destinacije pa je to možnost, da se v mednarodnem smislu bolje umestijo.

Tako bi želel hotelsko industrijo v Sloveniji in vse bralce, ki jih zanimajo teme in izzivi, s katerimi se soočata hotelska industrija in industrija gostinstva, povabiti, da oktobra prihodnje leto sodelujejo na 47. kongresu Mednarodnega združenja hotelov in restavracij (IH & RA) v Beogradu. Čez eno leto bo poslovno okolje zagotovo drugačno kot je danes: nekatere težave bodo rešene, pojavile pa se bodo nove in edina gotovost je, da nam bodo v primeru, če nam uspeta dobra komunikacija in dobro sodelovanje, uspeli tudi dobri rezultati na tem dinamičnem mednarodnem trgu.

Miloš Milovanović Kongresni urad Srbije mmilovanovic@serbia.travel

Kongres - 2008

Letter from Belgrade

From: Subject: Date: To:

Miloš MilovanoviÊ Invitation to the 47th IH&RA Congress in Belgrade November 20, 2008 Kongres

Belgrade will be hosting, in October of next year, the 47th Congress of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association – IH&RA), which was confirmed at the Congress just held at Monterey in Mexico.

The financial crisis, which has been for months already the main topic of all more significant meetings, was also a key subject for discussions and questions raised at the Congress this year.

In comparison to the last year (Congress held at Amman) when mostly development of industry, new destinations and investment possibilities had been discussed, this year much of the discussion was devoted to business operations with regards to the current financial crisis. Questions, which have remained unanswered, are to what extent will budgets of companies be decreased, what effect will this have on the demand for services in the hotel industry, and will, in terms of proportion, the number of journeys to faraway destinations decrease, while increasing within certain regions. Finally, each destination will be affected in a certain way and the question is what can be done and to what extent expected problems can be minimized. The answer, which was mentioned the most, was that in these circumstances, stronger cooperation and communication within the industry has become a necessity.

The Balkans were presented as a good example of regional cooperation, especially the fact that Belgrade had been promoted as the next destination for the organization of the Congress on behalf of the Balkan Alliance of Hotel Associations (BAHA), i.e. on behalf of the whole region. The Balkan Alliance of Hotel Associations was established by national hotel associations of Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia, using this organizational form to position themselves in a special way within an international association. The fact that the whole region suggested Belgrade as a destination was a strong argument for its candidature, and the program involving traveling through countries in the region aroused significant attention, because the participants will have a chance to visit and get more information about a larger number of destinations in a relatively short period.

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The Balkans, as a region, had for a long time had a negative connotation, but impressions from this Congress suggest that this image has changed quite a lot. As it turned out, most of the participants see the Balkans as a region of old European civilizations, rich with cultural and historical heritage, and a region which, after a long period, became a new and exotic destination. In a positive sense, the Balkans are being determined as a growing market and a destination with profitable investment possibilities, given the rapid growth of their economies. Due to the fact that this region is in Europe and has good connections with the Middle East and Russia, it is positioned as a logical place for meetings, with lower average traveling costs enabling participants from all over the world to have a pleasant stay and chance to visit a destination with a unique culture and tradition, as well as growing business opportunities.

Arguments supporting the candidature of the Balkans and the city of Belgrade for the organization of the next IH&RA Congress emphasize the significance and need for this type of regional cooperation to strengthen and grow. The Hotel and congress industry, especially in this turbulent environment and competitive market, sees this as a chance and possibility for achieving better business results; for the Balkans themselves, this is an opportunity for better international positioning.

Therefore, I wish to invite members of the hotel industry in Slovenia and all readers interested in topics and challenges that the hotel and hospitality industry is facing to participate in the 47th Congress of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association in Belgrade next October. One year from now, the business environment will certainly have changed in a big way, some crises will have been resolved, new ones will have emerged; the only thing certain for us is that if we succeed in developing good communication and cooperation, we will be able to achieve good results in this dynamic international market.

Miloš Milovanović Convention Bureau of Serbia mmilovanovic@serbia.travel

Kongres - 2008

Učinki pričakovane recesije na turizem

Potovalni trg temelji na zaupanju Poslovno zaupanje je najprej padlo na finančnih trgih, nato tudi v realnem sektorju. Posledice so vidne v potrošnji, trenutno najbolj na trgu avtomobilov in nepremičnin.

Ekonomisti pričakujejo vsesplošno zmanjšanje potrošnje tako na strani tistih, ki jih bo kriza realno najbolj prizadela, kot tudi večjo nakupno previdnost pri bogatejših slojih, katerih kupna moč še ni toliko prizadeta. V zniževanje potrošnje lahko usmerjeno obnašanje pričakujemo tudi pri podjetjih, najbolj bodo zaradi dražjih finančnih sredstev prizadeta mala in srednje velika podjetja.

Na splošno se v neugodnih gospodarskih razmerah zmanjšuje potrošnja, vključno z izdatki za prevoze in prosti čas. Turistični promet je zelo občutljiv na gospodarska gibanja. V razmerah pričakovane recesije potrošniki najprej zmanjšajo izdatke za potovanja, tako da zamenjajo bolj oddaljene destinacije za bližje in cenejše, znižajo turistično potrošnjo na račun cenejših alternativ in zadrževanja pri nakupih, ki bi si jih sicer privoščili. V drugi fazi krajšajo počitnice, zmanjšajo število potovanj in izletov, v skrajni fazi se počitnicam in potovanjem za določen čas tudi odpovedo.

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Obenem pa je turizem tudi zelo trdoživ. Potovanja so postala del življenjskega stila večine prebivalstva razvitega sveta in potrošniki se najprej odpovedo nekaterim drugim vrstam nenujne potrošnje, turistična ima v tej kategoriji visoko stopnjo nujnosti.

Tudi v primeru, ko se potrošniki turistični potrošnji v določenem trenutku odpovedo, gre v resnici za odlaganje na kasnejši datum, ko se stopnja nujnosti potrebe po zapustitvi kraja stalnega bivanja tako poveča, da lahko, neugodnim gospodarskim pričakovanjem navkljub, pride do ponovnih nakupov. Želja nadoknaditi izgubljeno pa se pogosto transformira v eksplozivno rast potovanj, ki sledi obdobju zadržanega turističnega povpraševanja.

Turistični sektor je zato manj občutljiv v primerjavi z drugimi gospodarskimi sektorji, vendar na krizo ni neobčutljiv. Pravzaprav je potovalni trg podoben finančnim trgom – prav tako temelji na zaupanju, ki je ekonomsko pogojeno. Indeksi zaupanja so zato merilo za napovedovanje prihodnjega obnašanja potrošnikov, tudi potrošnikov potovanj.

Najnovejše ocene potrošniških indeksov zaupanja kažejo, da se potrošniški pesimizem povečuje. Ameriški potrošniški indeks zaupanja je v oktobru letos dosegel najnižjo točko po letu 1967, ko so ga začeli ocenjevati. Tudi britanski potrošniški indeks zaupanja je zdrsnil na najnižjo raven po letu 1974, ko so ga začeli izračunavati.

Precejšen padec zaupanja v kratkoročne poslovne priložnosti in rezultate v turizmu je pokazal tudi turistični indeks zaupanja, ki ga od leta 2003 objavlja Svetovna turistična organizacija. Optimizem v vrstah mednarodnega panela turističnih strokovnjakov je dosegel najnižjo raven že v maju 2008, v septembru pa je prešel v pesimizem.

Napovedi za mednarodno turistično rast za zadnje štirimesečje 2008 so pesimistične, vrednost na lestvici od 0 do 200 znaša 90, kar v jeziku naših šolskih ocen od 1 do 5 pomeni oceno zadostno (2).

Napovedi evropskega panela turističnih strokovnjakov za Evropo so še slabše, indeks je 76.

Ocena slovenskih strokovnjakov za zadnje štirimesečje pa je značilno višja kot napovedi za svet in za Evropo. Slovenski turistični gospodarstveniki so isti indeks za razdobje avgust-december ocenili z vrednostjo 106, s čemer so izrazili rahlo nadpovprečna pričakovanja. Ocena pa je značilno nižja v primerjavi s pričakovanji, ki so jih lani imeli za poslovno leto 2008, ko so pričakovali, da bo turizem v letu 2008 posloval približno tako kot v letu 2007 in pričakovanja ocenili z vrednostjo 139. Zdaj je že jasno, da osem odstotne rasti turističnega prometa iz leta 2007 ne bomo dosegli, rast v prvem devetmesečju v letu 2008 je le tri odstotna, slovenska turistična podjetja so očitno stanje ocenjevala preveč optimistično.

90 60 30 0 Svet

Evropa

Zagotovo je zaupanje na turističnem trgu na nizki ravni kot še nikoli doslej in to se bo odrazilo tudi na slovenskem turističnem trgu. Vendar pričakujemo, da se bo turistična dejavnost še enkrat prilagodila, kot se je to že zgodilo po prvi zalivski vojni in po 11. septembru, po azijski finančni krizi in po SARS-u. Neprilagodljivi se bodo poslovili, prilagodljivi in inovativni bodo ostali. Ti bodo tisti, ki bodo naše, evropsko in svetovno gospodarstvo spet potegnili na pot gospodarske rasti, dvignili zaupanje in omogočili še bolj eksplozivno rast turistične dejavnosti.

Slovenija

Januarska napoved za leto 2008 Majska napoved za maj - avgust 2008 Septemberska napoved za september - december 2008

Vir: ITEF, 2008; UN WTO, 2008.

Dr. Tanja Mihalič Ekonomska fakulteta v Ljubljani Tanja.Mihalič@ef.uni-lj.si

INDEKSI TURISTIČNEGA ZAUPANJA - NAPOVEDI ZA LETO 2008 Kako ocenjujete bodoče turistično poslovanje v primerjavi s tem, kar bi normalno pričakovali za ta čas leta? (0 - mnogo slabše, 50 slabše, 100 – enako, 150 – boljše, 200 - mnogo boljše)

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Kongres - 2008

The Effects of the Anticipated Recession on Tourism

The Travel Sector is Based upon Trust Business trust failed first in the financial markets and then also in the housing sector. The consequences are evident in expenditure, currently, above all, in the automotive and real estate markets. Economists expect a general reduction in expenditure by those who will be most affected by the crisis, along with a greater purchasing caution of the richer classes, whose purchasing powers have still not been that affected. Cost reduction strategies can also be expected from companies, with small and mediumsized companies being the most affected by the more expensive financial means.

Unfavourable economic circumstances, in general, result in a reduction in expenditure, including transport and leisure time costs. Tourist traffic is very sensitive to economic movements. In the circumstances of an anticipated recession, the consumers first reduce travel costs by exchanging more distant locations for closer and cheaper ones, reduce tourist expenditure by choosing cheaper alternatives and by holding back on shopping sprees, which they could have otherwise afforded. In the next phase, they cut their holidays short, reduce the number of journeys and trips, and in the very last phase even temporarily give up holidays and travelling.

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At the same time, tourism is also very resilient. Journeys have become part of the lifestyle of the majority of the developed world and consumers first give up other types of expenditures, while in this category, tourism holds a high level of necessity. Even when at a certain moment consumers give up tourist expenditure, this is more a postponement to a later date when the level of necessity for leaving the permanent place of residence becomes so high that, despite unfavourable economic expectations, repurchasing occurs. The desire to make up for the lost often transforms into an explosive growth in journeys, which follows the period of a setback in tourist demand. The tourist industry is therefore less susceptible compared to other economic sectors, but it is not insensitive to crisis. The travel market is actually a lot like the financial markets – it is also based on trust which is conditioned by the economy.

Confidence indices are thus a measure for forecasting future behaviour of consumers, including travel consumers.

The newest estimates of confidence indices indicate that consumer pessimism is increasing. The American consumer confidence index, which has been in use since 1967, fell to its lowest value ever in October of this year. The same applies to the British consumer confidence index, which dropped to its lowest level since 1974 when it first began to be calculated. The tourism confidence index, which the World Tourism Organisation has been publishing since 2003, also indicated a substantial decline in confidence in short-term business opportunities and tourism revenue. The optimism in all spheres of the international panel of tourism experts reached its lowest value already in May 2008, while in September it turned into outright pessimism. The prospects for international tourism growth for the last quarter of 2008 are pessimistic. The value achieved on a 0 to 200 scale is no more than 90, which in terms of our school grades (from 1 to 5) would represent the grade of sufficient (2). The forecasts of the European panel of tourism experts for Europe are even worse, achieving an index of no more than 76.

The Slovenian panel of tourism experts’ projection for the last quarter is, however, distinctively higher than projections for the world and Europe. The Slovenian tourism economists evaluated the same index for the period from August until December at 106, which expresses slightly above average expectations. The estimate is, however, distinctively lower that the expectations which they expressed last year for the business year 2008, when it was expected that in 2008, tourism would operate similarly as in 2007, giving it a confidence index of 139. It has already become evident that the eight percent growth of tourism turnover from 2007 will not be achieved.

In the first nine months of 2008, this growth stands only at three percent and it seems that the Slovenian tourism companies were too optimistic in their estimation of the prospects.

90 60 30 0 World

Europe

Slovenia

The confidence in the tourist industry is undoubtedly at the lowest level ever and this will also be reflected on the Slovenian tourist industry. We do, however, anticipate tourism to again adjust itself, the same as it did after the First Gulf War and after 9/11, the Asian financial crisis, and SARS. The inadaptable will perish and the innovative will persist. They will be the ones to help bring the European, world, and our own economy back on track with economic growth, increased confidence, and an even more explosive growth of tourism.

January prospect for 2008 May prospect for May - August 2008 September prospect for September - December 2008

Source ITEF, 2008; UN WTO, 2008.

TOURISM CONFIDENCE INDICES – PREDICTIONS FOR 2008 What are the future tourism prospects compared to what could normally be expected for this time of year? (0 – much worse, 50 – worse, 100 – equal, 150 – better, 200 – much better)

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Tanja Mihalič, PhD. Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana Tanja.Mihalič@ef.uni-lj.si

Kongres - 2008

Učinki pričakovane recesije na turizem

Bomo prodornejši ali raje počakali, da kriza mine?

Ameriška finančna kriza, ki je prišla tudi v Evropo in že prehaja v realni sektor, se odslikava na vsa gospodarska področja. Žal tudi na kongresno dejavnost. Na srečo pa kongresna dejavnost ne bo tako močno prizadeta kot turistična dejavnost.

To je še en dokaz, da kongresna dejavnost ni zgolj turistična dejavnost, ampak veliko več.

Turistična dejavnost je zgolj posledica kongresne dejavnosti, saj udeleženci kongresov morajo potovati do kraja dogodka, prav tako potrebujejo namestitev, zanje se organizira izlete in druge storitve.

Mogoče je ravno v času krize pravi trenutek, da ugotovimo razlike med udeleženci kongresov in klasičnimi turisti. Mnogi prevozniki, hoteli in kraji, regije in celo države še ne ločujejo med temi vrstami gostov.

Kongresna dejavnost, ki v slovenskem prostoru še nima ustreznega mesta, lahko ravno v hudih časih pokaže svoj pravi obraz. Je zelo razpršena dejavnost in prav zaradi tega negotova gospodarska situacija nima tako neposrednega vpliva nanjo.

Poglejmo samo nekaj primerov.

Znanstveno-strokovni kongresi, ki jih je bilo v letu 2006 v Sloveniji dobra tretjina in imajo v večini primerov najštevilčnejšo udeležbo, vključujejo veliko število subjektov, ki so vključeni za uspešno izvedbo dogodkov. Gospodarska recesija ima na take dogodke v primerjavi z drugimi vrstami dogodkov najmanjši vpliv.

Taka srečanja se vedno pripravljajo več let vnaprej in trenutno gospodarsko okolje lahko kvečjemu vpliva na slabšo udeležbo, nikakor pa ne na odpoved dogodkov. Redna srečanja znanstvenostrokovnih združenj so ključnega pomena za njihov strokovni napredek in širjenje poslanstva. Tukaj so tudi finančni učinki, saj kongresi predstavljajo zelo pomemben vir prihodkov teh združenj.

pogojih, bodo kratkoročno omejila svoje aktivnosti oz. jih preložila v bližnjo prihodnost. Toda obenem se moramo tudi zavedati, da se ravno v težkih časih največ vlaga v trženje in da se bodo podjetja trudila svoje zaposlene še bolj motivirati in kupce še bolj vezati na svoje produkte in storitve. V letu 2006 je bilo incentivov oz. motivacijskih potovanj in dogodkov 11 %. Dvomim, da se bo število bistveno zmanjšalo. Prepričan sem, da se bodo trgu ponudili novi produkti, ki bodo prilagojeni novim potrebam.

Kot tretji steber naj omenim dogodke mednarodnih in političnih organizacij, katerih je bilo v letu 2006 zgolj 15 %. Gospodarska nestabilnost nima vpliva na obseg teh dogodkov. Menim, da se bo z vedno večjo vključenostjo Slovenije v mednarodno okolje število teh dogodkov v prihodnje še povečalo.

Po statistiki, izvedeni s strani Kongresnega urada za leto 2006, je bilo v Sloveniji izvedenih 77 % slovenskih dogodkov, 13 % slovenskih dogodkov z mednarodno udeležbo in 10 % mednarodnih dogodkov.

Ti podatki nakazujejo, da Slovenija ne bo tako močno prizadeta z morebitnim izpadom mednarodnih dogodkov. Menim, da ima Slovenija tudi v času gospodarske krize možnosti povečati število mednarodnih dogodkov.

Zavedamo se, da ima Slovenija konkurenčne prednosti v mednarodnem kongresnem okolju in da z ustrezno geografsko lego s kratkimi razdaljami do ključnih trgov, kvalitetno in cenovno ugodno ponudbo, ki je nadgrajena s pristnim človeškim odnosom, lahko privabi povsem nove dogodke.

Vse je odvisno od nas, ponudnikov kongresnih storitev. Ali bomo težko obdobje prepoznali kot nov izziv in se s skupnimi močmi odločili za prodornejši nastop na trgu ali pa preprosto čakali, da kriza mine? Regijsko trženjsko povezovanje v sklop Jugovzhodne Evrope nam tudi v kriznih časih lahko samo pomaga. Obstoječe trge bomo nagovorili z novimi orodji, kot regija pa se bomo lahko predstavili tudi na izvenevropskih tržiščih.

Drugače je pri korporacijskih oz. dogodkih gospodarskopodjetniškega značaja, ki jih je bilo po statistiki Kongresnega urada v letu 2006 izvedenih štiri desetine. Tukaj so naročniki in plačniki v večini primerov podjetja. Določene gospodarske branže izstopajo, kot na primer avtomobilska in farmacevtska industrija. Zelo močna sta tudi IT in finančni sektor. Ti dogodki so del internega komuniciranja podjetij in del trženjskega spleta posameznega gospodarskega subjekta. Podjetja, ki se bodo znašla v težkih

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Miha Kovačič Direktor Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad miha.kovacic@slovenia-convention.com

Kongres - 2008

The Effects of the Anticipated Recession on Tourism

Are We Going to be More Pervasive or Should We Rather Wait for the Crisis to Go away?

The American financial crisis, which has already come to Europe and is moving into the housing sector, is being reflected in all economic fields, unfortunately also in the meetings industry.

Luckily, the meetings industry will not be as strongly affected as the tourist industry. This is yet another proof that the meetings industry is not just a branch of the tourist industry, but much more.

the financial sector. These events represent part of the company’s corporate communication and part of the marketing network of an individual economic subject. The companies, which will find themselves in a difficult situation, will temporarily limit their activities or postpone them for the near future. At the same time, we however need to be aware that in tough times, companies invest the most in marketing and that they will try to additionally motivate their employees and attach the buyers to their products and services even more. The incentives segment represented 11% of all trips and events in 2006. I doubt this number will seriously decrease. I am actually convinced that new products will appear on the market, products, which will be well-adapted to the new needs.

The tourist industry is merely an offshoot of the meetings industry, as congress participants have to travel to an event and need accommodation and trips and other services organised for them.

Maybe the time of the crisis is actually the right moment to look at the difference between congress participants and conventional tourists. Many transport companies, hotels and towns, regions and even countries still do not differentiate between these types of guests.

Allow me to mention the events of international and political organisations as the third pillar. In 2006, this segment represented merely 15% of all meetings events. The economic instability has no effect on the extent of these events. I believe that Slovenia’s increasing inclusion in the international environment will result in a future increase of these events.

The meetings industry, which has still not found its proper place in Slovenia, has the possibility to show its true face, especially in these bad times. It is a very diverse industry and this is precisely why it is not so directly affected by the uncertain economic situation.

Let us look at some examples.

The scientific and expert congresses, which represent more than a third of all the congresses organised in Slovenia in 2006, usually have the highest attendance and include a large number of things involved in their successful implementation.. Compared to other events, these are the ones that are the least influenced by the economic recession. Such meetings are always prepared years in advance, and the current economic situation may only result in a lower attendance but not in a cancellation of the event.

Regular meetings of scientific and expert associations are of key importance for their expert growth and the propagation of their mission. The financial effects need to be considered as well, since for these associations such congresses represent a very important source of financing.

The statistics of the Slovenian Convention Bureau indicate that in 2006, Slovenia hosted 77% of domestic events, 13% of domestic events with international participation and 10% of international events. This information shows that Slovenia will not be strongly affected by an eventual deficit of international events. I believe that, even at the time of the economic crisis, Slovenia has an opportunity to increase the number of international events.

We are aware that Slovenia has certain competitive advantages in the international meetings industry. Its appropriate geographical location, with short distances to key markets, along with its quality and affordability, upgraded by genuine personal relationships, provide it the possibility to attract completely new events.

It is all up to us, the providers of congress services. We can either recognise the difficult times as a new challenge and together decide on a more pervasive market approach, or we can simply wait for the crisis to go away. Regional marketing networking in the area of South-eastern Europe can only be of great help in the crisis times. The existing markets will be addressed with new tools, and as a region, we will be able to present ourselves on the markets outside Europe as well.

According to the statistics of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, corporate events or events of an economic and entrepreneurial character represent four tenths of the events implemented in 2008. Here, the situation is different. In this segment, the organisers and the payers are mostly companies. There are certain economic branches that stand out, such as the automotive and pharmaceutical industries. IT is also very strong, along with

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Miha Kovačič Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau miha.kovacic@slovenia-convention.com

Kongres - 2008

Učinki pričakovane recesije na turizem

Nas čaka upadanje povpraševanja?

Prihodnje leto bo za globalno turistično industrijo in tudi za kongresni turizem leto velikih preizkušenj. Globalna ekonomska kriza bo prav gotovo prizadela tudi našo dejavnost. Pomembno je, da imamo vsi akterji realna pričakovanja in da se aktivnosti prilagodijo gospodarski realnosti. O mnenjih in pogledih glede finančne krize smo se

pogovarjali z nekaterimi pomembnimi kongresnimi osebnostmi. Vse smo prosili za odgovore na ista tri vprašanja:

Špela Terpin, direktorica trženja, Gospodarsko razstavišče

Matjaž Žnidaršič, član uprave za trženje, Hoteli Bernardin

1.

Na Gospodarskem razstavišču zaenkrat ne čutimo manjšega povpraševanja, prej obratno. Nadaljujemo pa z intenzivnimi tržnimi aktivnostmi.

1.

2.

Na Gospodarskem razstavišču smo večinoma optimisti, tako da ne pričakujemo upadanja povpraševanja v naslednjem letu. Seveda pa so to pričakovanja.

V Hotelih Bernardin zaenkrat nismo zaznali posebnih dogodkov, ki bi jih lahko kategorizirali kot posledico finančne oz. gospodarske krize. Kljub temu si ne domišljamo, da lahko globalna kriza obide prav kongresni turizem in Hotele Bernardin, zato budno spremljamo dogajanja in naprej iščemo priložnosti na trgu. Tudi kriza je lahko tema, zaradi katere se je še kako smiselno srečevati.

3.

Na Gospodarskem razstavišču smo zaokrožili našo ponudbo z dodatnimi dvoranami Povodni mož, kar pomeni, da imamo v isti zgradbi veliko Marmorno dvorano s Preddverjem ter dvakrat po štiri dvorane, ki jih lahko poljubno združujemo. Tako smo izboljšali – nadgradili našo infrastrukturo, intenzivneje tudi nadgrajujemo ponudbo v smeri, da je ta čim bolj kompleksna ter da omogoča strankam široko izbiro. Veliko vlagamo v izobraževanje zaposlenih, kajti ključ do uspeha, tudi v morebitni recesiji, so ljudje.

2.

Glede na trenutno dinamiko prejemanja povpraševanj (RFP) ocenjujemo, da v letu 2009 ne bomo beležili upada.

3.

Kriza nekako časovno sovpada s projektom pripojitve treh hotelskih družb Hotelom Bernardin: Hoteli Metropol iz Portoroža, Hoteli Piran in hotelov HTP Simonov Zaliv iz Izole.

Seveda je projekt že tako zasnovan na učinkih prihrankov in sinergij, saj podvajamo sobne kapacitete (skupaj 1700 hotelskih sob). Nedvomno pa se bomo z recesijo spopadli z aktivno in še agresivnejšo prodajo doma in na tujih trgih, saj nas kljub vsem dosedanjim naporom in tudi zavidljivim uspehom tu čaka še veliko dela. Osebno verjamem, da lahko s primerno koncentracijo marketinških resursov slovenski kongresni turizem tudi v teh oteženih pogojih doseže tržno rast.

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V kakšni meri je finančna in posledično gospodarska kriza že prizadela kongresni turizem?

Ali pričakujete upadanje povpraševanja v prihodnjem letu?

Kakšne ukrepe pripravljate za obdobje recesije?

Kongres - 2008

1. V kakšni meri je finančna in posledično gospodarska kriza že prizadela kongresni turizem?

2. Ali pričakujete upadanje povpraševanja v prihodnjem letu?

3. Kakšne ukrepe pripravljate za obdobje recesije?

Matija Koren, direktor, Koren Sports – Humanfish Holidays 1.

Kar zadeva finančno oziroma gospodarsko krizo je trenutno v našem podjetju še ne občutimo, saj beležimo enak oziroma povečan promet pri nekaterih naših storitvah, vsekakor pa pazljivo spremljamo dogajanje in menimo, da bomo posledice krize občutili v roku šestih mesecev do enega leta.

2.

Da. Zaradi omenjenega predvidevanja pa bomo naše storitve razširili tudi na druga področja delovanja v sklopu ponudbe turističnih storitev.

3.

Ukrepi, ki naj bi omilili posledice omenjene krize so usmerjeni predvsem na razširitev ponudbe za individualne goste in družine.

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Roko Palmić, direktor prodaje in marketinga hotela The Regend Esplanade Zagreb 1.

Upadanje v industriji srečanj je zagotovo posledica današnje recesije in finančne krize na svetovnih trgih. V teh časih so vsa podjetja prisiljena v varčevanje in zmanjševanje stroškov.

Eno od prvih področij, kjer je najlažje prihraniti, je žal področje poslovnih potovanj in potovanj na splošno.

2.

Da, vsekakor.

3.

Varčevanje in usmeritev na tržišča, ki niso občutljiva na vrednost evra in dolarja. Kljub temu želimo s prodajnimi in tržnimi dejavnostmi ostati prisotni v vseh panogah potovanj.

Kongres - 2008

Učinki pričakovane recesije na turizem Vpliv gospodarstva na vaš posel

Ali je vaša dejavnost do sedaj v letu 2008 utrpela kakšne negativne vplive kot posledico gospodarskega okolja?

Ali pričakujete prihodnje negativne vplive na vašo dejavnost v letu 2009?

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Ali ste mnenja, da bo vaša dejavnost v skupnem zabeležila višjo ali nižjo uspešnost v letu 2008 glede na leto 2007?

Kakšen vpliv bo imela po vašem mnenju trenutna ekonomska finančna kriza na kongresno dejavnost nasploh?

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Vir: 47. ICCA kongres

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Kongres - 2008

The Effects of the Anticipated Recession on Tourism

Are We In for a Setback in Demand?

For the global industry of tourism and convention tourism, the next year will be a year of trials. The global economic crisis will undoubtedly have a negative effect on our industry. It is important that all market players have realistic expectations, and that activities are adapted to the economic reality. We asked some important convention and

incentive personalities for their opinion and views regarding the financial crisis. They were all asked the same three questions:

Špela Terpin, Marketing Director, Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre

Matjaž Žnidaršič, Marketing Board Member, St. Bernardin Hotels

1.

So far, we have not felt any setbacks in demand at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Quite the opposite... We are, however, continuing with our intensive marketing activities.

1.

2.

All of us at the Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre are mostly optimists by nature and so we do not expect a setback in demand for the next year. These are, of course, only our expectations.

The St. Bernardin Hotels have, so far, not experienced any particular situation which we could characterise as a consequence of the financial or economic crisis. We are, however, not falsely supposing that the meetings industry and St. Bernardin Hotels will be able to avoid the global crisis This is why we are closely monitoring the situation, while continuing to search for market opportunities. The subject of the crisis itself is a matter which makes meetings even more important.

3.

The Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre has completed its excellent offer by constructing an additional hall, Povodni mož, which means that we not only have the big Marble (Marmorna) Hall, along with the lobby, but two times four halls which we can combine at will, all in the same building.

In this way, we improved and upgraded our infrastructure, and are also intensively upgrading our offer so as to make it more complex, providing the clients a wider choice. We are also intensively investing in the education of our staff, as the key to success, even at the time of an eventual recession, is people.

2.

Judging from the current dynamics of requests for proposals, we estimate that we will not record a decrease in 2009.

3.

The crisis coincides with the project of merging three hotel companies into one, through the purchase of St. Bernardin Hotels, the Metropol Hotels Portorož, the Piran Hotels and the HTP Simonov Zaliv Hotels, from Izola. The project has already been designed so as to generate cost-effective savings and synergies, as we are doubling our accommodation capacities (a total of 1,700 rooms). The recession will undoubtedly result in active and even more aggressive sales, both at home and in foreign markets, as we are still facing a lot of work, regardless of all the efforts which have been invested so far and the enviable success rate.

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To what extent has the financial and, consequently, economic crisis already affected convention tourism?

Do you expect a setback in demand for the next year?

What measures are you preparing for the time of recession?

Kongres - 2008

1. To what extent has the financial and, consequently, economic crisis already affected convention tourism?

2. Do you expect a setback in demand for the next year?

3. What measures are you preparing for the time of recession?

Matija Koren, Director of Koren Sports – Humanfish Holidays

Roko Palmić, Director of Sales & Marketing, The Regent Esplanade Zagreb

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1.

Our company still does not feel the effects of the financial or economic crisis, as some of our services are generating equal or even somewhat increased turnover. We are attentively following the situation, and believe that the effects of the crisis will make themselves evident within six months to a year.

2.

Yes. The mentioned expectations mean that we will expand our services to other fields of operation as well, within the scope of tourism services.

3.

The measures, which are to mitigate the effects of the mentioned crisis, are aimed, above all, at expanding our offer for individual guests and families.

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The slowdown in the Meeting & Events business is definitely a consequence of today's recession and financial world crisis.

Every company, in times like these, is forced to implement costsaving and costreducing strategies.

One of the first and easiest segments on which to save costs is, unfortunately, »business travel,« as well as travel in general.

2.

Yes – definitely.

3.

Savings and a focus on non Euro- and US Dollar- sensitive markets, but still being present on the market through Sales & Marketing activities in all travel branches.

Kongres - 2008

The Effects of the Anticipated Recession on Tourism Impact of Economy on Your Business

Has your business suffered any negative impact so far in 2008 as a result of the economic environment?

Do you anticipate future negative impacts on your business for the year 2009?

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Source: 47th ICCA Congress & Exhibition

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Kongres - 2008

Hotel Astoria Bled, Bled Castle Restaurant a place to learn and relax culinary travel through castle corners (castle museum, cellar, apothecary, printing office , restaurant) slovene culinary teambuilding slovene culinary workshop café Tlačan - after party medieval castle show meeting rooms

Hotel Astoria, Prešernova 44, 4260 Bled, Slovenia, www.hotelastoria-bled.com Booking: (00386 – 4 -) 579 – 44 – 00; events@vgs-bled.si oglasMICE2.indd 4

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19.11.2008 19:48:35 Kongres - 2008

Nova blagovna znamka Ljubljane

Kjer se srečuje vsa Evropa Znotraj globalne vasi je konkurenca med mesti in državami čedalje bolj prefinjena. Nova grafična podoba je močno orodje, ki ga morajo voditi trgovski razlogi – za vsakim kreativnim ali grafičnim predlogom mora stati prava infrastruktura. Strategija razvoja blagovne znamke Ljubljane je bila že sestavljena in je jasno poudarila, da »Ljubljana nima oblikovane jasne in močne krovne blagovne znamke niti kot glavno mesto Slovenije niti kot turistična destinacija«. Ta strateški dokument je tlakoval pot ustvarjalnim napotkom in agencija John Morgan Studio je bila izbrana za oblikovanje strategije celostne grafične podobe, ki bo podprla preučevanje znamke.

Izbira oblikovalcev zunaj državnih meja je zagotovo drzna in napredna poteza Ljubljane, obenem pa so izbrali tudi »butično« delovanje v malem merilu, ki ga vodi oblika. Vse pogosteje je oblikovanje grafične podobe takšnega obsega zaupano velikim korporacijam in podoba je oškodovana, ko očesu vladajo ciljne skupine in odbori. V končni fazi mora grafična podoba predstavljati to, kar ste, in ne tega, kar govorite, da ste. Imeli smo prednost »pogleda od zunaj« in bili smo veseli, ko smo odkrili vabljivo, mlado, svetovljansko, od življenja utripajoče mesto z bogatim kulturnim ozadjem.

Logotip, ki smo ga razvili, izpolnjuje dve nalogi. Po eni strani deluje kot tradicionalen, preprost in krepak simbol z visoko stopnjo zapomljivosti, po drugi strani pa kot prožen del gramatike obsežnega vizualnega govora. V najboljšem primeru mora logotip pojasnjevati ali napeljevati na mesto, ki ga predstavlja. Za glavno mesto, ki je tako raznoliko kot Ljubljana, se tak logotip ne more omejiti samo na en njegov vidik, kot je bilo to s simbolom zmaja, ki ni odražal celotnega značaja te destinacije. V tem primeru mora logotip poudariti ime.

Oznako lahko preberemo kot za 45 stopinj zasukano črko L z odrezanim spodnjim robom, ki dopušča posrečeno interakcijo z robom strani in črki L omogoča, da sedi na vrhu slogana in kaže nanj kot puščica, ki nakazuje samo destinacijo. Odrezana oblika spominja na ostrivec ali krativec. V slovenščini se imenuje strešica. Črke č, š in ž so glavna razlika med slovensko in angleško abecedo. Slogan »Kjer se srečuje vsa Evropa« podpira definicijo znamke Ljubljane kot odličnega shajališča in mosta, ki povezuje zahodno in vzhodno Evropo, kar je bilo še posebej primerno v času pričakovanja slovenskega predsedovanja Evropski uniji.

Prav mnogostranskost logotipa je ena od njegovih najpomembnejših lastnosti. Lahko deluje kot držalo ali okvir za fotografije, slike in besedila ali za združevanje drugih logotipov in simbolov občine Ljubljana. Simbol se lahko uporabi kot vzorec na blagu, zastavicah, vrečkah in ovojnem papirju.

Posebej za blagovno znamko Ljubljane smo razvili grafično pisavo Ljubljana Bold vrste sans-serif (nabor brez zavihkov). Nosi

picture yourself here www.ljubljana-tourism.si

Logotip ljubljane

Tiskani oglas

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Kongres - 2008

sporočilo in deluje kot glas Ljubljane. Vrsta črk izvira iz sodobnih klasičnih pisav sans-serif, kot sta Helvetica in VAG rounded, vendar je v svojem celotnem videzu in podrobnostih veliko bolj izrazita.

Barvno paleto smo oblikovali z namenom doseganja različnih oblikovnih funkcij, odvisno od konteksta, barvnega označevanja, državnih praznovanj, sezonske tematike ali simbolične asociacije.

Jedrne barve so mešanica barv mesta Ljubljana (zelene, rdeče, bele) in slovenskih narodnih barv (rdeče, modre, bele).

Smernice za izdelavo celostne grafične podobe so del celostnega trženja blagovne znamke in programa, ki je bil razvit z namenom oblikovanja močne in prepoznavne znamke mesta Ljubljana.

Učinkovitost vsake grafične podobe pa je odvisna od tega, kako dobro se jo uporablja in kako pozorni smo na podrobnosti. V prihodnosti mora to novo podobo podpreti še popolnoma integriran komunikacijski sistem z izrazitim fotografskim stilom. Čeprav se je naše delo s pripravo smernic, ki jih izvajajo lokalne skupine oblikovalcev, končalo, upamo, da bomo v prihodnosti našli izgovor za obisk Ljubljane, in veselimo se že prvih rezultatov uporabljene podobe.

John Morgan john@morganstudio.co.uk

Logotip kot strešica

The New Ljubljana Brand

Where all of Europe Meets Within the global village, the competition between cities and nations is getting more sophisticated.

Rebranding is a powerful tool that must be driven by commercial imperatives – infrastructure needs to be behind any creative or visual proposition.

The Ljubljana Brand Development strategy was already in place and made it clear that, ‘Ljubljana, both as the capital of a state and a tourist destination, lacks a clearly defined and strong consumer-orientated umbrella brand’.

This strategic work paved the way for a creative brief, with the John Morgan studio appointed to develop a visual identity strategy to support the brand research.

The logotype we developed fulfilled two functions: on the one hand, it could work as a traditional simple, robust, memorable symbol; on the other, as a flexible part of an extensive visual grammar.

Ideally, a logo should explain or suggest the place it symbolizes.

For a capital city as diverse as Ljubljana, the device should not restrict itself to one aspect of the city – just as the dragon symbol did not reflect the full character of the destination. The device in this case should reinforce the name.

It was a bold and progressive move for Ljubljana to appoint designers from outside their own country and to work with a small scale, design-led »boutique« practice. Increasingly, graphic identity work on this scale goes to large corporations and in turn the visual suffers when focus groups and committees rule the eye.

Ultimately, a visual identity should be about what you are, not what you say you are. With the advantage of ‘looking in from the outside’ we were happy to find a welcoming, young, cosmopolitan, vibrant city with a rich cultural background.

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The Ljubljana logotype and slogan Kongres - 2008

The mark can be read as a Letter »L«, slanted at 45 degrees. The cut corner enables a happy interaction with the page edge and allows the »L« to sit on top of a slogan, pointing towards it like an arrow – suggesting a destination. The cut shape resembles an accent or »caron«. In Slovenian this is called a »strešica« or »little roof«. The three characters »č«, »š«, »ž« are the main distinguishable differences between the Slovenian and English alphabets. The slogan ‘Where all of Europe meets’ supports the brand definition of Ljubljana as the perfect rendezvous and bridge, linking Western and Eastern Europe – a good fit, coinciding with Slovenia's assuming the EU presidency in 2008.

The versatility of the logo is one of its more important qualities. It can act as a holding device, a frame for photographs, illustrations and text, as well as for integrating other logos and symbols of the municipality of Ljubljana. The symbol can be used as an overall pattern on fabrics, banners, bags and wrapping paper.

Ljubljana Bold is a contemporary »sans serif«, developed specifically for the Ljubljana brand identity. It carries the message and acts as the voice of Ljubljana. The typeface has its origin in modernist classic sans-serif typefaces, such as Helvetica and VAG rounded, but is more distinct in its overall look and detail.

The logotype as a holding device

w

w

w .lj

ub

lja

na

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m

.s i

The colour palette was created to achieve different design functions, depending on the context; colour coding, national celebrations, seasonal themes or symbolic associations. The core colours come from a mix of both Ljubljana (green, red, white) and Slovenian national colours (red, blue, white).

The visual identity guidelines are one part of a comprehensive branding and marketing programme being developed to create a strong and recognisable brand for the city of Ljubljana. The effectiveness of any visual identity is dependent on how well it is used and on its attention to detail. Looking forwards, a fully integrated communication system with a distinctive photographic style needs to support this new identity. Although our involvement has been limited to the production of guidelines, as implementation is being made by local design groups, we hope to have an excuse for visiting Ljubljana again and look forward to seeing the first results of the applied identity.

Lj

ub

lja

na

A cool capital for great meetings

Prijetna prestolnica za odlična srečanja

where all of europe meets kjer se srečuje vsa evropa

Press advert (Kongres)

Bag

John Morgan john@morganstudio.co.uk Umbrella

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Kongres - 2008

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Kongres - 2008

Tuji organizatorji dogodkov o Sloveniji

»Presenetljiva Slovenija« Kongresni urad je v sodelovanju z angleško marketinško agencijo Moulden Marketing, Zavodom za turizem Ljubljana in Slovensko turistično organizacijo v septembru organiziral študijski obisk za trideset angleških organizatorjev dogodkov. Ob koncu potovanja od Bleda, preko Ljubljane in Postojne do Portoroža, smo za revijo Kongres zbrali mnenja organizatorjev o slovenski kongresni ponudbi.

Pred obiskom večina predstavnikov angleških agencij ni vedela, kam na zemljevidu postaviti Slovenijo. Predstavljali so si, da leži nekje na vzhodu ter jo povezovali z Jugoslavijo in vojnami na Balkanu. Po prihodu v Slovenijo se je njihovo dojemanje v celoti spremenilo – Slovenija jih je prevzela. Prav »presenečenje« je bila najbolj pogosto uporabljena beseda pri opisovanju svojih občutij o Sloveniji. Kot je dejala Frances Baskerville iz CIRM: »Slovenija je še bolj čudovita kot izgleda v brošurah.« Tako je Flore Breton iz JHA Group predlagala bodočemu obiskovalcu Slovenije, naj pozabi vse klišeje, ne pričakuje ničesar in le doživi raznolikost dežele.

Jeff Garrington iz Morris Conferencing bi svoji stranki predstavil Slovenijo kot čisto alpsko državo z enkratno kulinarično tradicijo in dobro organizacijo. Je lahko dostopna, vse je blizu skupaj, zato so potovalne razdalje kratke. Predstavnice Financial News, Corporate Venue Solutions in Morris Conferencing so izpostavile raznolikost države, ki je pozimi zasnežena, medtem ko se poleti kopa v mediteranskem soncu. Raznovrstnost in številne možnosti za aktivnosti so ključnega pomena predvsem za incentive programe.

Louise Page iz BJ Events je opisala Slovenijo kot zeleno in varno državo, tudi za ženske, medtem ko je Neil Grew iz Gullivers Travel Associates izpostavil, da je Slovenija mirna, spokojna in sproščena. Poleg tega je bila poudarjena gostoljubnost Slovencev, ki so odprti, poznajo svojo kulturno dediščino in jo z veseljem delijo z obiskovalci.

Na temo slovenske kongresne ponudbe so se predstavniki angleških agencij strinjali, da predstavlja odlično razmerje med ceno in kvaliteto. Vsekakor se Slovenija zelo ugodno primerja z drugimi kongresnimi destinacijami in je predvsem primerna za manjše skupine.

Angleški organizatorji niso bili otoško zadržani pri hvaljenju prostornih konferenčnih dvoran, hotelov ter restavracij. Poleg tega je Theresa Hart iz Highlife Conference & Incentive pohvalila dobro znanje angleščine in uslužnost Slovencev. Predstavnica DF Venues Vicky Wookey pa je opazila, da večino osebja predstavljajo Slovenci, kar ni več praksa v drugih konferenčnih destinacijah.

Medtem, ko so angleški organizatorji pohvalili kvaliteto storitev, je Michael Packford iz Eventworld, temelječ na predpostavki, da so izboljšave vedno mogoče, ocenil kakovost storitve s 4. Predlagal je pospešitev postopka prijave s tem, da se povabi goste k mizi, kjer se jim preda ključe ter ponudi pijačo dobrodošlice.

Robin Blanchflower iz RBA Events je izpostavil, da je kongresna

56

destinacija Slovenija zelo podobna drugim kongresnim destinacijam, pri čemer so mnoge bolje poznane, imajo več znamenitosti in hkrati ležijo v neposredni bližini Slovenije. Zato naj bi Slovenija našla unikaten prodajni argument in okoli njega sestavila promocijsko zgodbo. PR zgodba, ki bi zbujala velik interes, naj bi vključevala vse slovenske kongresne prednosti, kulturno dediščino ter izpostavila slovenske protagoniste, kot sta Prešeren in Plečnik.

Kaj bi lahko naredili bolje?

Kongres je izzval angleške predstavnike, da stopijo v čevlje odločevalcev in sprejmejo ukrepe, ki bi izpopolnili slovensko kongresno ponudbo. Sprejeli so izziv. Packford se je odločil, da zagotovi vrhunskost storitev in cenovno konkurenčnost. Louise Harding iz Event Corner bi medtem povečala število direktnih letalskih povezav in izboljšala nivo storitev med poletom. Skladno sta bili predlagani obnovitev letališča Jožeta Pučnika ter izgradnja hitre povezave med letališčem in prestolnico.

Garrington bi izboljšal predstavitev produktov, saj v času študijskega obiska jedi in vina pogosto niso bila predstavljena. Tako so se gostje spraševali, ali so bile jedi tipično slovenske, značilne za regijo ali le skupek različnih kuhinj. Številni gostje so pogrešali lokalno kuhinjo ter lokalne vsebine, ki bi ustvarile osebni profil države.

Več angleških organizatorjev je predlagalo ustanovitev novih luksuznih hotelov, izboljšanje velikosti in dekorja starejših hotelskih sob ter privabljanje mednarodnih hotelskih verig v Slovenijo.

Adrian Penfold iz Pink Echidna je dodal, da trenutna izbira hotelov ni zadostna, zlasti za večje skupine.

Za največjo oviro pri razvoju kongresne dejavnosti se je izkazalo širše nepoznavanje Slovenije. Angleški gostje so se strinjali, da je potrebna dodatna promocija Slovenije. Ostalo je le vprašanje, do katere mere. Nepremišljena in neusmerjena promocija bi lahko spremenila Ljubljano v novo Prago, preplavljeno s turisti. Angleži so soglašali, da je Slovenija ekskluzivna destinacija, namenjena predvsem izbranim gostom in ne množicam. Tako je Packford poudaril, naj bo promocija dobro premišljena, da bo v Slovenijo pritegnila predvsem premožnejše kongresne goste, ki prepoznajo kakovostno ponudbo. Vprašanje je le, kako to doseči. Na eni strani so organizatorji predlagali objavo člankov ter oglaševanje v tujih kongresnih revijah, organizacijo študijskih obiskov za organizatorje dogodkov, marketinške agencije in poslovneže ter predstavljanje na kongresnih borzah. Po drugi strani so predlagali osebna priporočila, saj naj bi vznesena priporočila kongresnih strokovnjakov prepričala stranke.

Ostali predlagani ukrepi se nanašajo na povečanje fleksibilnosti nakupovalnih ur v centru prestolnice in nadaljnji razvoj infrastrukture.

Angleški predstavniki so izbrali glavne prednosti slovenske kongresne ponudbe, ki bi jih lahko uporabili kot prodajne argumente: • • • • •

odlično razmerje med kvaliteto in ceno, neodkrita in drugačna destinacija s pridihom eksotike in skrivnostnosti, prijaznost in odprtost Slovencev, zelena narava, čar in unikatna identiteta Slovenije.

Kongres - 2008

57

Kongres - 2008

Penfold je predlagal konkretno prodajno nišo, in sicer najstarejšo vinsko trto na svetu, ki raste v Mariboru. Drugi predlog se je nanašal na filmsko industrijo. Temelječ na učinkih snemanja filma Lord of the Rings na promocijo Nove Zelandije je bilo predlagano oglaševanje zanimivosti, da so film Zgodbe iz Narnije: Princ Kaspijan snemali v Bovcu.

Parker iz Springwood Events & Incentives, medtem ko »Paleto raznolikosti« Penfold. Wookeyjeva je še izpostavila, da ima vsako slovensko mesto svoje »oh! faktorje«. Študijski obisk se je res izkazal za odlično promocijsko orodje, ki lahko v Slovenijo pripelje nove kongresne goste.

Na koncu so se angleški organizatorji poigrali s slogani, primernimi za promocijo slovenske kongresne ponudbe. Tako je Garrington predlagal »Od Alp do Mediterana v eni uri«, medtem ko je Bretonova priporočila slogan »Skriti dragulj vzhodne Evrope«.

Besedno zvezo »Presenetljiva Slovenija« je skoval Stephen

Maruša Rosulnik Uredništvo revije Kongres Marusa.Rosulnik@go-mice.eu

Foreign Event Organizers in Slovenia

»Surprising Slovenia« In cooperation with the marketing company Moulden Marketing, the Ljubljana and Slovenian Tourist Boards, the Slovenian Conventions Bureau organized a study tour for 30 meeting organizers.

At the end of their tour of Bled, Ljubljana, Postojna, Piran and Portorož, the Kongres Magazine gathered their impressions on the Slovenian MICE offer.

The majority of English meeting organizers did not previously know where Slovenia was, only that it was located somewhere in the East.

The predominant association was with Yugoslavia and the Balkan wars. Upon arrival in Slovenia, their perception changed - Slovenia took them aback. Indeed, surprise was the most commonly used word used to express their opinion about Slovenia. As Frances Baskerville of CIRM said, »Slovenia is even nicer than presented in brochures«. Thus, Flore Breton of JHA Group suggested that the first-time-visitor to Slovenia should forget all of the clichés, not expect anything, and just experience the diversity of the country.

Jeff Garrington of Morris Conferencing described Slovenia as a clean, Alpine country with a superb culinary tradition and excellent organization. It is easily accessible, everything is close together, and thus travel distances are short. Representatives of Financial News, Corporate Venue Solutions and Morris Conferencing drew attention to the diversity of the country, covered with snow in winter and drenched in the Mediterranean sun in the summer.

This diversity and plentiful possibilities for activities are especially important for incentive programs.

Louise Page of BJ Events saw Slovenia as a green and safe country (also for women), While Neil Grew of Gullivers Travel Associates added that Slovenia is tranquil, relaxed and peaceful.

The hospitality of Slovenians, who are open, acquainted with their cultural heritage, and willing to share it, was also highlighted.

On the topic of Slovenian company MICE’s offer, the representatives of English agencies agreed that it is good value for money. Indeed,

58

it compares very favourably to other conference destinations and is particularly suitable for smaller groups.

The UK buyers were not at all modest in praising spacious conference halls, hotels and restaurants. Theresa Hart, of Highlife Conference & Incentive, praised the overall, wide knowledge of English and helpfulness of Slovenians. The representative of DF Venues, Vicky Wookey, also noted that employees were mostly Slovenians, no longer the practice in other conference destinations.

While the English buyers generally commended the quality of service, Michael Packford of Eventworld assessed the service with a mark of B, on the premise that further improvement is still possible. He suggested accelerating the check-in process, by inviting guests to a table where they could receive keys and a welcome drink.

Robin Blanchflower of RBA Events described Slovenia, as a conference destination, as very similar to other conference destinations, of many of which are better known, offer more attractions and more convenient locations. Thus, Slovenia needs to find its unique selling point and write its promotional story. The PR story, which would whet people’s appetite should incorporate all of our conference assets and cultural heritage as well as highlight some Slovenian protagonists such as Prešeren or Plečnik.

What could be done better?

Further on, Kongres challenged the English buyers to step in the shoes of decision-makers and take measures so as to bring the Slovenian MICE offer to perfection. Taking the challenge, Packford decided to ensure that service is at its best and guarantee a competitive edge on the price. Louise Harding, of Event Corner, would increase the number of direct flight connections and improve the service on board. Accordingly, renovation of the Jože Pučnik Airport and construction of a quick connection between the airport and the capital were suggested.

Garrington would work on presentation of products, as he observed that during the study tour dishes and wines were often not presented at all. Thus, the guests often wondered whether their meals were typical of Slovenia, the region, or just a melange Kongres - 2008

of different cuisines. Many English buyers thus missed out on the local cuisine, theme which would have created a more personal profile of a country.

Several buyers recommended establishing new luxury hotels, improving the size and décor of older hotel rooms, and bringing international hotel chains to Slovenia. Adrian Penfold of Pink Echidna added that the current choice of hotels is not sufficient, especially for bigger groups.

Lack of familiarity with Slovenia was identified as the greatest obstacle to the development of the Slovenian MICE offer. The English buyers agreed that Slovenia needs to be promoted to a greater extent, though the question was raised to which degree.

Imprudent and untargeted promotion could transform Ljubljana into another Prague, over-flooded with tourists. The English agreed that Slovenia is an exclusive destination, earmarked predominantly for selected guests and not the masses. Hence, Packford stressed that promotion should be well considered, so as to attract to Slovenia mostly affluent conference guests who could appreciate the offer. The question is only how to achieve this. On one hand, the buyers suggested publishing articles and advertising in foreign MICE magazines and organising study trips for buyers, advertising companies and business people and exhibiting at trade shows. On the other, word of mouth was proposed, seeing that enthusiastic recommendations by specialists in the MICE industry ought to be able to convince a client.

• • • • •

good value for money, an undiscovered and different destination, with a taste of exotica or mystery, the friendliness and openness of Slovenians, its abundant, beautiful nature, Slovenia’s charm and unique identity.

Penfold suggested a concrete selling point, such as having the oldest vine in the world, which grows in the second largest city of Maribor. Another proposal was a movie selling point. In line with the effect that the filming of Lord of the Rings had on the promotion of New Zealand, the fact that the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian was filmed in Bovec was proposed.

At last, the English buyers coined slogans for the promotion of the Slovenian MICE offer. Garrington proposed »From the Alps to the Mediterranean in an hour«, while Breton suggested »The hidden jewel of Eastern Europe«. »Surprising Slovenia« was a term coined

by Stephen Parker of Springwood Events & Incentives and »Palette of diversity« by Penfold. Grew, meanwhile, proposed »Slovenia is the EU’s best kept secret«. At the end, Wookey added that every Slovenian city has its »wow factors«.

Indeed, the study tour proved to be an excellent promotional tool, which can in turn bring new conference guests to Slovenia.

Maruša Rosulnik Editorial Board of the Kongres Magazine Marusa.Rosulnik@go-mice.eu

Other proposed measures included increasing flexibility of shopping hours in the capital and further development of the infrastructure.

Next, the English organizers selected the main Slovenian assets, which could be used as its selling points:

7JOP

e-mail:info@gast.si

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Kongres - 2008

Management v turizmu

S pravim vodenjem do ambasadorjev blagovne znamke v turizmu Najučinkovitejša promocija je navdušenje lastnih zaposlenih. To so ugotovili v raziskavi Mori v Veliki Britaniji (K. Thomas, L. A, Hecker, 2000), kjer je sodelovali 925 ljudi, ki so jih zaprosili, naj najprej pomislijo na izbrano podjetje, potem pa naj se spomnijo na situacijo, ko so produkt tega podjetja kupili ali nameravali kupiti in so pri tem prišli v stik z osebjem podjetja. Stališča in vedenje zaposlenih imajo zelo pomemben vpliv na lojalnost kupcev, veliko bolj kot klasična marketniška orodja.

Trije glavni faktorji, ki določajo, ali bo kupec ponovil nakup ali priporočal podjetje še komu drugemu, so kakovost, cena in osebni odnos (prodajnega) osebja do njih. Kar 41 % vprašanih bi se za ponovni nakup odločilo na temelju odnosa, ki ga je imelo osebje do njih, ne glede na to, koliko je podjetje vložilo v promocijo in marketing posameznega izdelka in ne glede na to, kakšen ugled uživa v javnosti. Toda zaskrbljujoče je, da je večina kupcev izrazila razočaranje nad tem odnosom, osebje ni pripravljeno na nove izzive, ki so pred njimi in s kupci ne znajo sklepati dolgoročnih odnosov. Predvsem mlajši kupci (generacija X in Y) je razočarana nad ravnanjem osebja. Da bi dobili še boljši vpogled v te slabe izkušnje kupcev, so jih v raziskavi prosili, naj ocenijo učinkovitost dvanajstih elementov prodajnega vedenja ali tako imenovanih »ambasadorjev blagovne znamke«, ki zelo nazorno kažejo, kako zaposleni predstavljajo svoje podjetje in blagovno znamko v komunikaciji s kupci. Rezultati raziskave bo bili precej porazni:

• • • •

Več kot polovica osebja po mnenju kupcev pokaže premalo interesa, da bi kupcu pomagala pri nakupni odločitvi; Samo eden od petih pokaže spoštovanje do nakupne odločitve kupca; Manj kot tretjina se je izrekla v prid temu, da daje osebje vse od sebe; In le eden od desetih prodajalcev je ponosen na produkt, ki ga prodaja.

Po teh podatkih zlahka predvidimo, kaj se zgodi, če hkrati deluje več »ambasadorjev« blagovne znamke hkrati. Če zaposleni hkrati obvladuje več elementov prodajnega vedenja, se želja kupcev po ponovnem nakupu znatno povečuje. Rezultati iste raziskave govorijo, da 22 odstotkov kupcev nikoli ne doživi pozitivnega prodajnega vedenja in le 21 odstotkov doživlja in prepoznava štiri elemente pozitivnega prodajnega vedenja. Pa vendar je znano, da lahko podjetje poveča svoj dobiček za sto odstotkov, če pridobi le 5 % več prihodkov od svojih starih kupcev.

Po vseh teh raziskavah sodeč in po mnenju številnih gurujev managementa (Kevin Thomas) ter mojih osebnih izkušnjah s številnimi managerji v turizmu menim, da je interni marketing tudi odgovor na izboljšanje odnosov s kupci, oziroma, drugače povedano, da si koncepta CRM (Costumer Relationship Management) ne moremo zamisliti, še manj pa ga uresničevati, v odsotnosti procesov razvitega prodajnega vedenja. Razmislimo, koliko truda pravzaprav vložimo v to, da si pridobimo naklonjenost in pozornost zunanjih strank. Naredimo vse, da bi zadovoljili njihove potrebe in da bi nam ostali lojalni. Ko bi le tretjino tega naredili tudi za notranje kupce, torej naše zaposlene, uresničevali njihove potrebe, potem bi se tudi učinkovitost izboljšala. Zadovoljevanje potreb zaposlenih ni modna muha, temveč potreba in naloga managementa, mimo katere preprosto ne moremo več. Skorajda polovico časa ali pa še več preživimo na delovnem mestu in če je včasih veljajo, da bomo svoje osebne potrebe zadovoljevali doma, za to preprosto ni več časa. Zadovoljiti pa jih moramo, sicer postanemo nezadovoljni, raztreseni, nesrečni in neučinkoviti.

Dr. Daniela Brečko Planet GV daniela.brecko@planetgv.si

Prisotnost elementov prodajnega vedenja - ambasadorji blagovne znamke

Vir: K. Thomas, L. A, Hecker, 2000

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Management in Tourism

With the Right Management for the Ambassadors of a Brand Name in Tourism The most efficient promotion is the enthusiasm of your own employees. This was the finding of the Mori survey in Great Britain (K. Thomas, L. A, Hecker, 2000). 925 people participated in the survey and were asked to think about a particular company and then remember a situation that they bought or wanted to buy a product of that company, coming into contact with the company’s staff as they did so. Views and behaviour of employees have a very important impact on buyer loyalty, much more than classic marketing tools.

Three main factors which determine whether a buyer repeats their purchase or recommends the company to anyone else are quality, price and personal relations of (sales) staff with them. As much as 41 % of those surveyed would decide to repeat their purchase on the basis of the relations of the staff with them, irrespective of how much a company had invested in the promotion and marketing of individual products, and irrespective of what reputation this product enjoys in public. It causes concern, though, that the majority of buyers had expressed disappointment over these relations-staff are not ready for new challenges facing them and do not know how to establish long-term relations with buyers. Especially younger buyers (generations X and Y) are disappointed over how staff are treating them. To get an even closer look into bad experiences of buyers, they were asked to access the efficacy of twelve elements of sales behaviour of the so called »ambassadors of a brand name,«which are very demonstrative of how the employees represent their company and brand name in communication with buyers. The results of the survey were quite crushing:

• • • •

according to buyers’ opinions, more than half of the staff show too little interest in helping a buyer with their purchase decisionmaking; only one in five shows respect for the purchase decisions of a buyer; less than a third said that the staff are doing their best; and only one in ten salespersons is proud of the product he or she is selling.

According to these data, we can predict easily what happens if several »ambassadors« of a brand name act at the same time.

If an employee masters more elements of sales behaviour at the same time, the buyers’ desire for a repeated purchase increases considerably. The results of the same survey show that 22 per cent of buyers never experience positive sales behaviour and that only 21 per cent experience and recognize four elements of positive sales behaviour. Nevertheless, it is known that a company can increase its profits by one hundred per cent, if it raises only 5 % more revenues from its old buyers.

According to all these surveys and opinions of numerous management gurus (Kevin Thomas), and my personal experiences with numerous managers in tourism, I think that intern marketing is the answer to improving relations with buyers or, to say it differently, we cannot imagine the CRM concept (Costumer Relationship Management) in any other way or bring it into effect without the development of improved sales behaviour. We should think about how much effort we actually devote to win the affection and attention of external customers. Do we do everything possible to satisfy their needs and keep them loyal? If we did only a third of this also for our internal buyers, thus our employees, and met their needs, then efficiency would improve as well. Satisfying the needs of employees is not a caprice, but the need and task of management which we simply cannot ignore anymore. We spend almost half of our time or more at the workplace, and if in the past it used to be true that our personal needs were satisfied at home, we simply do not have time anymore to do that. Nevertheless, they need to be satisfied or else we become unsatisfied, absent-minded, miserable and ineffective.

The Presence of the sales behaviour elements the ambasadors of a brand name

Daniela Brečko, PhD Planet GV daniela.brecko@planetgv.si

Source: K. Thomas, L. A, Hecker, 2000

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Kongres - 2008

Kongresna osebnost - Alenka Kregar, Cankarjev dom

Svet je samo še velika vas V reviji Kongres nadaljujemo s predstavitvijo uglednih kongresnih osebnosti, ki s svojim uspešnim delom zaznamujejo slovensko kongresno industrijo. Tokrat predstavljamo dve dami, Alenko Kregar iz Cankarjevega doma in Petro Čuk iz Sava Hotelov Bled.

Kako ste se znašli v kongresni industriji?

Imela sem srečo, da sem bila kot pripravnica sprejeta v kolektiv Cankarjevega doma, ki je vse od svojega nastanka nudil odlične možnosti za organizacijo kongresnih prireditev, tudi tistih največjih, mednarodnih in svetovnih. Obenem je bila sreča tudi v tem, da je bila takrat v Cankarjevem domu kongresna direktorica Božena Zakrajšek – poleg Majde Zidanski (Albatros) ena od začetnic kongresne dejavnosti v Sloveniji. Pod njenim izjemnim vodenjem sem spoznavala, kaj konkretno in tudi v splošnem smislu pomeni organizirati kongrese. Večina ljudi, ki se v Sloveniji danes ukvarja s to dejavnostjo, je pridobila znanje prav v Cankarjevem domu.

Na prvem mestu je seveda Cankarjev dom z vsemi svojimi kapacitetami, tehničnimi zmožnostmi in profesionalno ekipo. Tako lahko zagotovimo nemoteno organizacijo tudi največjih kongresov.

Zelo atraktivne lokacije za organizacijo kongresov so Grand Hotel St. Bernardin v Portorožu, Hotel Golf na Bledu, v Ljubljani pa hotela Union in Mons.

Kaj bi v karieri naredili drugače?

Verjetno bi se še enkrat odločila za delo, ki ga opravljam. Pisano mi je na kožo in prišlo mi je v kri. Moraš ga imeti rad, da si v njem lahko uspešen, saj to pomeni biti vztrajen, prožen, zanesljiv in pripravljen vložiti veliko truda v to, da pridobiš (in obdržiš) naročnika, mu znaš prisluhniti in uresničiti vsa njegova pričakovanja. Brez dobre volje in osebne angažiranosti to ne gre.

Kaj vas profesionalno najbolj moti in jezi?

Moti me predvsem nesodelovanje, netransparentnost, površnost, nefleksibilnost in majhnost slovenskega prostora. Potrebno se je zavedati, da mora vsak člen v vsej verigi procesov dobro delovati. V nasprotnem primeru je večletni trud zaman.

Kaj vas v življenju in osebni karieri najbolj navdušuje?

Kakšni so vaši načrti za prihodnost?

Tako v zasebnem kot poklicnem življenju imam rada dogajanje, razgibanost, stike z ljudmi, ustvarjalno razmišljanje ... Delo pri organizaciji kongresov ni nikoli dolgočasno in rutinsko. Niti dve prireditvi nista popolnoma enaki. Poleg tega imam veliko možnosti za izobraževanje, saj je Cankarjev dom edini slovenski član Mednarodnega združenja profesionalnih organizatorjev IAPCO; tako teoretično znanje pridobivamo na seminarjih, ki se jih udeležijo profesionalni kongresni organizatorji iz vsega sveta.

Izmenjava izkušenj na takih srečanjih seveda tudi ni zanemarljiva.

Pri mojem delu je ogromno novih poznanstev, ki te bogatijo tako na profesionalni ravni kot osebno. Edino, kar bi si želela, je malo več prostega časa, saj si zaradi same narave dela že nekaj let nisem privoščila pravega dopusta.

Sebe si ne predstavljam stati kje ob strani, v kotu. V poslu, ki ga opravljam, sem rada polno aktivna, zato si v prihodnje želim še veliko mednarodnih kongresov, ki so izrednega pomena ne samo za kongresnega organizatorja, temveč za vso državo.

Takšni dogodki utrjujejo položaj in prepoznavnost Slovenije kot kongresne destinacije. Pri pridobivanju velikih, svetovnih dogodkov je odločilnega pomena tudi to, da se vedno znova izkažemo, da uspešno in dobro izpeljemo vse, ki so nam že zaupani. Dober glas seže v deveto vas. Svet pa je danes, kot pravijo, samo še velika vas.

Kakšno prihodnost napovedujete kongresni industriji?

Menim, da je kongresna dejavnost vse bolj paradni konj turizma.

Gre za infrastrukturo, ki jo gradimo, ta pa za seboj potegne kvantitativno rast in višjo kvaliteto namestitev in ostalih storitev.

Kongresni gost ob obisku destinacije porabi do trikrat več denarja kot običajen turist. Je pa tudi bolj zahteven in njegovim zahtevam je treba ustrezno ugoditi. Če pogledamo Bližnji vzhod, ki je danes največje turistično gradbišče, so namigi jasni. Le čemu bi investirali v širitev kapacitet (tudi visoke in najvišje kategorije), če v tem ne bi bilo prihodnosti.

Vsi, ki v Sloveniji delamo v kongresni industriji, si želimo še več posluha za našo dejavnost. Potrebujemo angažiranje politike na državni in lokalni ravni, pa naj gre za ureditev posebnega prometnega režima (logistika parkiranja) ali finančno podporo pri kandidaturah. V svetu postaja ustaljena praksa, da destinacije povrnejo del sredstev tujim organizatorjem, ki v mesto pripeljejo večji dogodek. Tak primer najdemo že čisto blizu – v Grazu. Menim, da bi bilo za razvoj kongresne dejavnosti v Sloveniji potrebnega več konstruktivnega dialoga z vsemi, ki delujemo na tem področju.

Vaše najljubše kongresne lokacije v regiji?

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Congress Personality – Alenka Kregar, Cankarjev dom

The World is Nothing More than a Big Village Kongres Magazine continues with its presentation of renowned meetings and incentive personalities whose successful work marks the Slovenian meetings industry. This time, we are introducing two ladies, Alenka Kregar from Cankarjev dom and Petra Čuk from Sava Hotels Bled.

How did you find yourself in the MICE industry?

I was fortunate to have been accepted as a trainee at Cankarjev dom, which has always offered excellent opportunities for the organisation of conference events, including the biggest international events on a worldwide scale. I was also fortunate that the congress director of Cankarjev dom at the time was Ms. Božena Zakrajšek, who is, alongside Ms. Majda Zidanski, (Albatros) one of the pioneers of the Slovenian meetings industry. Under her exceptional guidance, I learned what it takes, both through concrete examples and more generally, to organise a congress.

The majority of people working in the meetings industry today gained their knowledge in Cankarjev dom.

What is it that makes you the most enthusiastic in life and in your career?

I like activity and action, both privately and professionally, I like meeting people and I like creative thinking. Working on the organisation of congresses is never a dull or routine manner.

No two events are exactly the same. In addition, I have a lot of opportunities for education, as Cankarjev dom is the only Slovenian member of the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers (IAPCO). We gain our theoretical knowledge at seminars attended by professional congress organisers from all over the world. The exchange of experience at such meetings can by no means be neglected.

In my line of work, I meet a lot of people, who enrich my life both professionally and privately. The only thing I wish for is more free time, as the nature of my work has prevented me from having a real vacation for the last few years.

In your opinion, what does the future hold for the MICE industry?

found very close to home – in Graz. I believe that Slovenia needs more constructive dialogue among all those operating in this field, if we wish for the meetings industry to develop further.

What are your favourite congress venues in the region?

The first is, of course, Cankarjev dom with all of its facilities, technical capacities and professional team. In this way, we can guarantee an undisturbed organisation of the biggest congresses.

Very attractive locations for the organisation of congresses are also the Grand Hotel St. Bernardin in Portorož, the Golf Hotel Bled and the hotels Union and Mons in Ljubljana.

What would you have done differently in your career?

I would probably still have decided to do what I am doing now. It suits me to a T and is in my blood now. You have to love it in order to be good at it, as this job requires you to be persistent, flexible, reliable and prepared to invest a lot of effort into getting (and keeping) a client, as well as knowing how to listen to him and meet all of his expectations. You cannot do this without a spirit of goodwill and a lot of dedication.

In your professional life, what is it that bothers and angers you the most?

I am mostly bothered by a lack of cooperation, non-transparency, sloppiness, inflexibility and the limited nature of Slovenian space.

One needs to be aware that all links in the process chain need to function well, or otherwise years of efforts are in vain.

What are your plans for the future?

I do not see myself standing somewhere in the corner. I like to be fully active in the work I do, so in the future, I would like to see more international congresses, which are of the utmost importance not only for their organiser but also for the entire country. Such events strengthen the position and recognition of Slovenia as a meetings destination. In order to attract great events on a worldwide scale, we constantly need to prove ourselves and to successfully and properly implement the events already entrusted to us. They say that bad news travels fast, but good news travels even faster. And the world today is, after all, nothing more than a village.

I believe that conventions are becoming the flagship of tourism.

The infrastructure that we construct results in quantitative growth and higher quality of accommodation and other services. When visiting a certain destination, the convention guest spends up to three times more than a regular tourist. He is, however, also more demanding and so, accordingly, we need to comply with his wishes. If we look at the biggest tourism construction site today, the Middle East, the hints are evident. Why invest in an expansion of facilities (also of the first and luxury class) if there is no future in it?

All of us working in the Slovenian meetings industry wish that more attention were paid to our activity. We need committed politicians at both the national and local levels, regardless of whether we are dealing with a special traffic issue (parking logistics) or financial support. It has become an established worldwide practice that destinations refund part of the costs to foreign organisers who bring a bigger event to town. Such an example can already be

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Kongresna osebnost - Petra Čuk, Sava Hoteli Bled

Na srečo ni moje delo nikoli rutinsko Petra Čuk je diplomirana anglistka in profesorica španščine. Svojo prvo zaposlitev je našla v hotelu Lev Inter Continental Ljubljana, najprej kot koordinatorka in kasneje kot vodja prodaje. Pot jo je vodila na mesto vodje odnosov z javnostmi v Zavodu za turizem Ljubljana. Od septembra 2002 se je v hotelih Bernardin kot 'sales manager' ukvarjala predvsem s kongresnim marketingom in aktivnostmi pred otvoritvijo nove kongresne dvorane, od septembra 2003 pa je v Sava Hotelih Bled zaposlena kot direktorica marketinga in prodaje.

Vaše najljubše kongresne lokacije v regiji?

Kako ste se znašli v kongresni industriji?

Prav ničesar. Prepričana sem, da so mi bile izkušnje, ki sem jih doživela, namenjene. Najslabše so bile dobra šola, tiste boljše pa poleg učenja še zadovoljstvo. No – če bi šlo vse tako, kot sem sanjala kot deklica, potem bi bila seveda sedaj lastnica tistega čudovitega (kongresnega) hotela z najbolj zadovoljnimi zaposlenimi in gosti na svetu …

S kongresnim turizmom sem se prvič srečala v svoji prvi službi v ljubljanskem Hotelu Lev, kjer me je pod svoje okrilje vzela turistični ter še posebej kongresni industriji dobro znana Elizabeta Lovšin, dolgoletna sodelavka Cankarjevega doma in Kompasa in nekdanja direktorica Hotela Austrotel. Pomagala mi je s svojimi bogatimi izkušnjami v turizmu in v meni zanetila ljubezen do hotelirstva.

V Levu sem se izredno veliko naučila tudi od svoje neposredno nadrejene Bettine Häberle, ki je prišla iz verige Inter Continental.

Moja poslovna pot se je nadaljevala na Zavodu za turizem Ljubljana, kjer sem se navdušenja nad kongresno industrijo navzela od (nikogar drugega kot) Tatjane Radovič. Odkrito priznam, da je prav ona izvor večine mojega znanja s tega področja, poleg tega pa je 'krivec' za mojo posebno afiniteto do kongresnega turizma, saj je njena vnema dobesedno nalezljiva.

Kaj vas v življenju in pri vašem delu najbolj navdušuje?

Rada imam nove stvari, to velja tako za osebno kot tudi za poslovno plat življenja. V poslovnem svetu to pomeni, da se dobro počutim v službi, ki je dinamična, kjer se stalno nekaj dogaja in spreminja, temu pa se je potrebno prilagoditi. Zasebno obožujem potovanja, vedno imam kaj v načrtu, vsaj v glavi. Med načrtovanjem in samimi potovanji imam še priložnost spoznati druge hotele in destinacije ter jih primerjati z nami, pa še kakšna dobra ideja se lahko utrne – lepo lahko torej združim prijetno s koristnim. Poleg tega imam rada dobro družbo, kar ponovno velja za obe sferi, in ljudje, ki delajo na področju turizma, so po mojem mnenju bolj odprti in komunikativni, zato je delo v našem sektorju še toliko bolj zanimivo.

Na prvem mestu je seveda Slovenija, ne samo, da njene prednosti stalno poudarjamo, kadar našo deželo predstavljamo tujim organizatorjem konferenc, ampak sem tudi resnično prepričana, da je skriti zaklad Evrope. Znotraj Slovenije sta mi najbolj pri srcu Bled s svojo čudovito naravo, ki me še vedno vsak dan ob prihodu v službo prevzame, in pa Ljubljana, kjer živim. Če pa bi bila v situaciji, ko bi morala izbirati lokacijo za poslovno srečanje v tujini, bi najverjetneje iskala destinacijo na toplem, kongresni hotel bi moral biti ali tradicionalen in prežet z zgodovino, ali pa minimalističen in dizajnerski, za spremljevalni program pa bi si želela dvoje – del, vezan na kulturno dediščino in drugi del, osredotočen na (adrenalinsko) zabavo. Vse to ob spremljavi odlične kulinarike, kakopak.

Kaj bi v karieri naredili drugače?

Kaj vas profesionalno najbolj moti in jezi?

Ker rada stvari opravim hitro, me najbolj moti (in jezi), če naletim na ovire, ki mi to preprečujejo. To so lahko nasprotna mnenja, ki se jih z leti sicer (bolj ali manj uspešno) učim sprejemati, ali pa birokratske ovire. Prav tako mi ne bi bilo všeč, če ne bi imela nobenih možnosti za odločanje. Zagotovo pa bi bila najbolj nesrečna, če bi bilo moje delo rutinsko, kar na srečo nikoli ni.

Kakšni so vaši načrti za prihodnost?

Mislite, glede na to, da mi tistega čudovitega hotela ne bo nihče podaril? V svoji službi sem zadovoljna, kot že rečeno, je zadovoljena moja potreba po dinamiki in komunikaciji, večinoma niti nimam časa za to, da bi razmišljala o prihodnosti. Svojo kariero zagotovo še naprej vidim v okviru Poslovne skupine Sava, ki svojim zaposlenim nudi mnogotere možnosti za nadaljnji profesionalni razvoj. Vmes pa – kakšno dobro potovanje, naslednjih dvajset je že načrtovanih …

Kakšno prihodnost napovedujete kongresni industriji?

Spomnim se, da je pred leti obstajala bojazen, da bo kongresnoturistična industrija zaradi pojava novih tehnologij nekako zamrla, da se bodo ljudje manj srečevali, saj bodo lahko komunicirali na daljavo. Druga struja je zagovarjala nasprotno plat – češ, da smo ljudje družabna bitja, ki potrebujemo stik in neposredno komunikacijo drug z drugim, tega pa nove tehnologije ne morejo nadomestiti. Zgodilo se je drugo, in takšno prihodnost še vnaprej napovedujem kongresnoturistični industriji. Ljudje bomo tudi v bodoče zagotovo iskali priložnosti za izmenjavo strokovnih mnenj, navezovanje poslovnih stikov in vzpostavljanje ali ohranjevanje vezi – za to pa je srečanje najboljša rešitev.

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Congress Personality – Petra Čuk, Sava Hotels Bled

Luckily, My Work is never a Rutine Matter Petra Čuk is the holder of a university degree in English Studies and a professor of Spanish.

She found her first employment at the Lev Inter-Continental Ljubljana Hotel, initially as a coordinator and later as head of sales. The future took her to the position of head of public relations with the Ljubljana Tourist Board. Since September 2002, her position as sales manager of the St. Bernardin Hotels means she has dealt, above all, with convention marketing and activities prior to the opening of the new congress hall, while since September 2003, she has been working for Sava Hotels Bled as marketing and sales director.

How did you find yourself in the MICE industry?

I first became acquainted with convention tourism in my first job at the Ljubljana Hotel Lev, where I was taken under the wing of Ms. Elizabeta Lovšin, who is well-known to the tourist and especially the meetings industry, a long-time co-worker of Cankarjev dom and Kompas and the former director of the Austrotel Hotel. She helped me with her rich experience in tourism and awakened my love for the hotel industry. At the Lev Hotel, I learned a lot from my direct supervisor, Ms. Bettina Häberle, who came from the Inter-Continental chain. My professional journey continued at the Ljubljana Tourist Board, where my enthusiasm for the meetings industry was stirred by no other than Tatjana Radović. I openly admit that she is the source of most of my knowledge in this field and the “culprit” for my special affinity for convention tourism, as her zeal is literally contagious.

What is it that makes you most enthusiastic in your career?

I like new things, both privately and in the business world. In the business world, this means that I enjoy dynamic jobs, where things are constantly happening and changing and, consequently, these changes then require adjusting. Privately, I love travelling and am always planning something, at least in my head. When planning, and also during the trip itself, I have the opportunity to get to know other hotels and destinations,comparing them with ours and getting a good idea in the process. This is a nice way of mixing business and pleasure. Furthermore, I love a good company, which again applies to both areas of business and pleasure. I have found the people working in tourism to be more open and communicative, which makes the work in our branch even more interesting.

In your opinion, what does the future hold for the MICE industry?

beings who need contact and direct communication, which new technologies cannot replace. The latter turned out to be the case, and this is the future that I see for the meetings industry. In the future, people will continue to search for opportunities to exchange expert opinions, establish business contacts and establish or maintain relations. For all these things, meetings are still the best solution.

What are your favourite congress venues in the region?

The first is, of course, Slovenia. It is not only that we constantly stress its advantages when presenting our country to foreign convention organisers, but I truly believe it to be the hidden treasure of Europe.

My favourite places in the country are Bled, with its wonderful nature which still overwhelms me every day when I come to work, and Ljubljana, where I live. If I were in a situation where I had to choose a venue for a business meeting abroad, I would probably choose a sunny destination, with either a traditional congress hotel steeped in history or a minimalistic designer hotel. As far as the accompanying programme is concerned, I would like only two things - a part which would be related to the cultural heritage and another part focused on adrenalin-filled entertainment. All of this would, however, have to be accompanied as well by an excellent culinary offering.

What would you have done differently in your career?

Nothing. I am firmly convinced that the things I have experienced were meant for me. The worst times taught me a lot and the better ones provided satisfaction, along with a learning experience. Well, if everything had gone according to the dreams I had as a girl, I would now own that wonderful (congress) hotel with the most satisfied employees and guests in the world.

In your professional life, what is it that bothers and angers you the most?

As I like to do things quickly, I am mostly bothered (and annoyed) by obstacles preventing me from doing that. These might be the adverse opinions of others, which I am, as years go by, (more or less successfully) learning to accept, or bureaucratic obstacles.

I would also not like it if I did not have any opportunity to make choices. And I would definitively be very unhappy if my job was just a boring routine, which it fortunately never is.

What are your plans for the future?

Do you mean about that wonderful hotel which no one is going to give me? I am pleased with my job. As I said before, my need for dynamics and communication is fulfilled, and mostly I do not have enough time to think about the future. I still see my career within the Sava Business Group, which offers its employees numerous possibilities for further professional development. But, in between, maybe a good trip or two. The next twenty are already planned…

I remember that, years ago, there were some fears of the meetings industry coming to a slight standstill, due to the emergence of new technologies and the fact that people would be meeting less, as they will be able to communicate with each other from a distance.

Other groups spoke to the contrary, saying that people are sociable

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Kongresna agencija se predstavi

Albatros Bled Kategorizacija po standardih ZavodaKongresnoturistični urad: Profesionalni kongresni organizator (PCO) in DMC agencija.

Kratka zgodovina agencije Albatros Bled sta leta 1986 ustanovila Majda Zidanski in Andrej Ristič kot prvo zasebno turistično agencijo v tedanji državi. Pri registraciji dejavnosti na občini Radovljica so agencijo registrirali z definicijo »organizacijske storitve s področja turizma«, ker takratni zakon zasebnih turističnih agencij še ni dovoljeval.

Bogate izkušnje na področju organizacije kongresov sta oba imela že iz prejšnih podjetij, kjer sta delala (Magistrat Ljubljana, Generalturist, HTP Bled), s svojim zasebnim podjetjem pa sta tej dejavnosti dodala novo vrednost. Začetki so bili seveda zelo težki in potrebno je bilo premagati veliko lokalnih in drugih ovir, da je dejavnost v okviru novoustanovljenega podjetja normalno stekla in se z leti razvijala in širila. Majda Zidanski pove, da izbor imena Albatros ni bil naključen: »To je kraljevska ptica, ki dolgo nabira moči za svoj prvi polet, za katerega ve, da je lahko usoden. Če pa ji uspe ostati na nebu, še dolga leta leti daleč, na zemlji pa samo gnezdi.« Blagovna znamka Albatros Bled (Albatros – Kongresno-turistični servis) združuje dve podjetji: Kongresno turistična Agencija Majda Zidanski s.p. in Kongresni servis d.o.o.

Storitve, ki jih ponuja naša agencija Albatros Bled je eden od vodilnih profesionalnih kongresnih organizatorjev v Sloveniji (PCO), ki nudi popolne organizacijske, finančne, konferenčne in tehnične storitve pri organizaciji mednarodnih kongresov, konferenc in poslovnih srečanj. Deluje tudi kot DMC agencija.

Albatros Bled ponuja popolne storitve, ki vključujejo popolno zasnovo in ponudbo za načrtovani dogodek, sodelovanje s kompetentnimi lokalnimi partnerji, dolgoročno sodelovanje z vrhunskimi izvajalci, storitve, ki jih sami izvajamo znotraj agencije z izkušenimi sodelavci, ki pokrivajo posamezna področja (hotelske rezervacije in registracije, marketing, operativno pokrivanje dogodkov), iskanje in izbiro primerne lokacije, oblikovanje in produkcijo tiskanih gradiv, izbiro hotelov in zakup hotelskih kapacitet, registracijo udeležencev in on-line prijave, tehnične in prevajalske storitve, logistiko, posredovanje, uvajanje (briefing) in nadzor osebja z različnih področij, gostinske storitve/catering, pripravo koncepta razstav, načrtovanje, organiziranje in izvedbo vseh vrst programov za spremljajoče osebe in ostale turistične storitve.

Lastniška struktura agencije Agencija je v stoodstotni zasebni lasti partnerjev Majde Zidanski in Andreja Rističa.

Ključne prednosti sodelovanja z agencijo za naročnika Naša agencija kot PCO prevzame v imenu in na račun organizatorja/ naročnika celotno tehnično organizacijo dogodka in odgovornost

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za izvedbo. To seveda vključuje tudi svetovanje, ki je zelo pomemben element, popolno vodenje projekta, načrtovanje ter vse koordinacije in komunikacije med našimi naročniki in izvajalci. S tem »razbremenimo« organizatorja, da se lahko v celoti posveti vsebini in strokovnemu delu kongresa, konference ali srečanja, kar je tudi osnovni namen. S cenovnega vidika je za naročnika prednost tudi v tem, da kot profesionalni kongresni organizator sodelujemo z večino hotelov in drugimi vpletenimi v tem procesu in zaradi dologoročno sklenjenih sporazumov o poslovnem sodelovanju dosežemo tudi ugodnejše cene. Poznamo tudi razmere v dejavnosti in lahko kompetentno svetujemo glede izbire najbolj primerne destinacije oz. lokacije.

Posebej moramo izpostaviti tudi naš oddelek za konferenčno tehniko, ki poleg zagotavljanja vse potrebne tehnične opreme za dogodke, ki jih organizira naša agencija, v celoti v ogromnem obsegu deluje po celotni Sloveniji in tudi izven nje s tehnično podporo na različnih področjih, predvsem pri zagotavljanju simultanih tolmačenj. Poleg sodobne opreme, ki jo stalno dopolnjujemo, je najpomembnejši del teh storitev oziroma njegova vrednost v naših kongresnih tehnikih, ki so visoko strokovno usposobljeni, fleksibilni, natančni in učinkoviti.

V čem se naša agencija razlikuje od drugih Težko je navajati razlike med nami in drugimi, tega niti ne želimo, ker drugih ne poznamo dovolj, da bi o tem lahko objektivno sodili.

Naša poslovna filozofija na kratko pa je: kakovost, kontinuiteta, poslovna kultura in profesionalnost.

Ključni naročniki Izbor nekaterih naših naročnikov (po abecednem vrstnem redu): Council of Europe, Strassbourg European Comission, Bruxells Inštitut Jozef Stefan, Ljubljana Kemijski inštitut Ljubljana Klinični center, Ljubljana Slovenski center PEN, Ljubljana Slovensko zdravniško društvo Slovensko združenje za gastroenterologijo in hepatologijo, Rogaška Slatina Svetovna banka (WB), Washington Svetovna zdravstvena organizacija, Washington, Ljubljana Univerza v Ljubljani – večina fakultet Kako agencija vzdržuje odnose z dobavitelji in zagotavlja kakovost storitev Vsi naši dobavitelji/podizvajalci so preverjeni lokalni partnerji, ki sodelujejo z nami že dlje časa. Razumejo našo filozofijo in temu primerno je tudi njihovo delovanje. V primeru, da ugotovimo, da kdo od njih temu ne sledi, žal sodelovanje prekinemo. Vedno poskrbimo, da imamo s partnerji pristen in obenem profesionalen odnos, pravočasno, redno in podrobno jih obveščamo o vseh fazah pri organizaciji in o njihovi vlogi pri tem in posledično zaradi takšnega načina dela ne prihaja do napak oziroma se lahko še pravočasno odpravijo med posameznimi procesi.

Kako naša agencija zaračunava storitve

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Zaračunavanje storitev temelji na politiki diferenciranja cen, odvisno od obsega storitev in naročnikov. Običajno svoje storitve zaračunamo skozi t.i. »handling fee«, višina pa je, kot prej omenjeno, v odvisnosti od dogovorjenega obsega storitev, dosedanjega in pričakovanega sodelovanja z naročniki in še mnogih drugih faktorjev, ki vplivajo na to. Vedno pa so storitve vnaprej zelo transparentno ovrednotene in že na samem začetku naročnik ve, kakšen bo ta strošek. Na tem mestu bi veljalo ponovno poudariti, da je naš interes zadovoljstvo naročnika in dobro ter profesionalno opravljen posel ter nadaljnje sodelovanje.

Vse je v najlepšem redu, nobene nervoze se ne opazi, kar seveda vpliva na dobro počutje vseh sodelujočih.« Načrti naše agencije za prihodnost Želimo še naprej ostati ključni akterji na področju kongresnega turizma (predvsem na področju strokovnih srečanj), se stalno izpopolnjevati in ohranjati naše storitve na doseženi strokovni ravni in optimalnem obsegu poslovanja. www.albatros-bled.com

Kaj najbolj vpliva na izbor agencije med naročniki Delo z ljudmi je vedno najtežje in verjetno je za uspešno in produktivno sodelovanje najbolj pomembno zaupanje, profesionalnost in izpolnjevanje dogovorov. Morda bi na gornje vprašnje lahko našli odgovor v pismu doc. dr. Martine Ribič-Pucelj, naslovljenemu naši agenciji: »Vsakič, ko se odločimo pripraviti strokovno srečanje na Bledu, sploh ne pomišljamo na organizacijo v lastni režiji, ker smo spoznali, da ste visoko profesionalni. To nam pomeni, da ste fleksibilni, da znate odvozlati vsak najdrobnejši vozel, ki se seveda pojavi, in da pri vas problemov tako rekoč ni.

Del našega tima (od leve proti desni): Nina Bernard in Jerneja Dolar Danilović – kongresni organizatorki; Boris Ljubič – PCO manager in direktor Kongresnega servisa, Ksenija Blažič – samostojna kongresna organizatorka. * manjkajo: Majda Praprotnik – kongresna organizatorka, Nejc Pretnar – glavni kongresni tehnik, Damjan Golja – kongresni tehnik. Brez zunanjih sodelavcev in lastnikov celotna ekipa šteje sedem oseb.

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A PCO Introducing Itself

Albatros Bled Categorisation according to the standards of the Slovenian Convention Bureau: Professional congress organiser (PCO) and a destinations management company (DMC).

Brief History Albatros Bled was set up in 1986 by Majda Zidanski and Andrej Ristič as the first private tourist agency in what was then Yugoslavia. The agency’s activity was registered at the Radovljica municipality as providing »organisational services in the field of tourism«, as the existing legislation did not yet allow private tourist agencies to be established.

Ms. Zidanski and Mr. Ristič both had extensive experience in the field of congress organisation gained at their previous jobs (Ljubljana Town Hall, Generalturist, HTP Bled) and their private enterprise added a new value to this industry. The beginnings were, of course, very difficult and many local and other obstacles had to be overcome for the activity of the newly founded company to run smoothly and develop and expand as years went by. Majda Zidanski says the choice of the name Albatros was no coincidence. »It is a royal bird, which takes time to gather the strength for its first flight, as it knows that it can be fatal. If it manages to stay in the sky, it covers great distances in the years to come and merely nests on the earth.« Albatros Bled is a brand name for two companies: Kongresno turistična Agencija Majda Zidanski s.p.(Congress and Tourist Agency) and Kongresni servis d.o.o. (Congress Service).

Services Provided by our Agency

The Client’s Key Advantages in Choosing our PCO In the name and on behalf of the client, as a PCO, our agency takes on the entire technical organisation of an event, as well as the responsibility for its implementation. This, of course, also includes consulting services, which are a very important element, complete project management, planning and all aspects of coordination and communication between our clients and the contractors. This »takes the load off« the organiser, who can fully concentrate on the content and professional part of the congress, conference or meeting, which is its primary purpose. From the economic aspect, another advantage is that, as a PCO we work with the majority of hotels and all other participants in the process, and due to long-term contracts on business cooperation are able to obtain more favourable prices. We are also familiar with the conditions of the industry and can provide the clients competent advice on choosing the best destination or venue.

We need to especially emphasise our department for congress technical services which, in addition to providing all the technical equipment for the events organised by our agency, also extensively travels across Slovenia and across its borders, providing technical support in various fields, especially simultaneous interpreting services. In addition to the state-of-the art equipment which is constantly being upgraded, the most important part or the special value of these services are our highly professional, flexible, competent and efficient congress technicians.

What Distinguishes us from Other Agencies It is difficult to list the differences between the others and us, and is something we do not like doing, as we do not know the others well enough to be an objective judge. Our business philosophy is quality, continuity, business culture and professionalism.

Key Clients

Albatros Bled is one of the leading Slovenian Professional Congress Organisers (PCO), which provides a complete organisational, financial, conference and technical service for the organisation of international congresses, conferences and business events. It also operates as a DMC. Albatros Bled provides a complete concept and offer for planned events, cooperation with competent local partners, long-term cooperation with top quality contractors, in-house service with experts covering individual fields (hotel reservations and registrations, marketing, operative coverage of events), presentation and selection of event locations, design and production of print materials, purchase and reservation of hotel accommodations, registration of the participants including online registration, technical and interpreting services, logistics, provision, briefing and supervision of personnel from all sectors, catering, exhibition concept, planning, organisation and implementation of all kinds of accompanying activities for companions and other tourist services.

Ownership Structure The agency is wholly privately owned by the partners Majda Zidanski and Andrej Ristič.

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Some of our clients featured in alphabetical order: The Council of Europe, Strasbourg The European Commission, Brussels The Jožef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana The National Institute of Chemistry of Slovenia, Ljubljana The University Medical Centre Ljubljana The Slovenian PEN Centre, Ljubljana The Slovenian Medical Association The Slovenian Association for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Rogaška Slatina The World Bank, Washington The World Health Organisation, Washington, Ljubljana The University of Ljubljana – the majority of the Faculties How Does the Agency Maintain its Contacts with Suppliers and Ensure its Quality of Service All our suppliers and subcontractors are established local partners, who have been working with us for a long period of time. They understand our philosophy and act accordingly. If it becomes apparent that they do not, we unfortunately have to terminate our cooperation. We always make sure to have a genuine, yet professional relationship with our partners. We inform them about all the organisational phases, and their role

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Majda Zidanski

Andrej Ristič

on time, and in detail, so no mistakes happen due to this way of working. If any mistakes do occur, we can always deal with them on time, during individual processes.

you are a highly professional agency. For us, this means that you are flexible and able to untie the tiniest knot which is bound to appear and that there are practically no problems. Everything runs smoothly and there is no tension felt, which in turn exerts a positive influence on the well-being of all participants.«

How Does our Agency Bill its Services The charging of services is based on the policy of price differentiation, depending on the scope of service and the client.

We usually charge our services by using the so-called handling fee, while the actual amount, as mentioned before, depends on the arranged scope of the services, previous and anticipated cooperation with the clients, and many other influential factors.

These services are very transparently assessed beforehand, and the client knows from the beginning what the costs will be. I would, again, like to emphasise that it is in our interest to satisfy the client and to do our job well and professionally, to be able to continue our cooperation.

Our Agency’s Plans for the Future We wish to remain key players in the field of the meetings industry (especially with regard to expert meetings), continually improve ourselves and maintain our services on the achieved expert level, along with an optimal level of operations. www.albatros-bled.com

Which is the Greatest Factor Influencing the Clients’ Choice for an Individual Agency Working with people is always very difficult, and for a successful and productive cooperation, trust, professionalism and the fulfilment of all arrangements are of the utmost importance.

Perhaps the answer to this question can be found in the letter of Martina Ribič-Pucelj, PhD., which was sent to our agency: »Every time we decide to prepare an expert meeting in Bled, we do not even consider organising it ourselves, as we have learned that

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Standardizacija

Odzivi na standardizacijo v kongresni dejavnosti Pol leta je minilo, odkar je ZavodKongresnoturistični urad za svoje člane – ponudnike kongresnih storitev – uvedel obvezno standardizacijo. Z njo je naročniku proces iskanja prizorišča oziroma organizatorja dogodka močno olajšan. Za prve vtise po uvedbi standardizacije smo prosili Renato Balažic iz Hotela Union in Matjaža Žnidaršiča iz Hotelov Bernardin.

Konec marca 2008 so bili podeljeni standardi članom Kongresnega urada Slovenije. Zavedamo se, da bodo učinki standardizacije srednjeročni. Kakšni bodo po vašem mnenju pozitivni učinki?

R. Balažic: Pozitivni učinki standardizacije so gotovo v prvi vrsti preglednost in primerljivost med ponudbo posameznih ponudnikov kongresno konferenčnih kapacitet, hkrati bo standardizacija kupcem olajšala postopek izbire ustreznega ponudnika in dvignila kakovost storitev v kongresno prireditveni industriji v Sloveniji.

M. Žnidaršič: Kratkoročni: specializacija slovenskih ponudnikov in s tem višja kakovost storitev; srednjeročni: minimiziranje odmikov med pričakovanji naročnikov in kakovostjo ponudbe.

Bo standardizacija pripomogla k dvigu kakovosti storitev?

R. Balažic: Ocenjevanje ponudnikov je potekalo na osnovi presoje tehničnih kriterijev, ki jih je za določen standard moral izpolnjevati ponudnik. Že takrat je kar precej ponudnikov dopolnilo svoje storitve, jih izboljšalo in s tem dvignilo kakovost, če so želeli ustrezati zahtevanim standardom določene (željene) kategorije. To pa je gotovo dodaten pozitiven učinek standardizacije.

M. Žnidaršič: Verjamem, da se vsi ponudniki zelo trudimo za stalno rast kakovosti naših storitev. Standardi so orodje, ki nam lahko zelo olajša pot pri doseganju tega cilja. Ne morejo pa sami po sebi zagotavljati izboljšanja kakovosti.

Kakšne prednosti lahko pričakuje naročnik, ki se odloči, da bo sodeloval s ponudnikom, ki je zavezan standardom Kongresnega urada?

R. Balažic: Gotovo je prva prednost ta, da na enem mestu dobi pregledno in primerljivo ponudbo vseh ponudnikov. Kongresni urad, ki ima vlogo centralne informacijske točke za kongresno ponudbo Slovenije, s kategoriziranimi objekti oz. ponudniki, kupcem posreduje profesionalno in objektivno informacijo o destinaciji oz. ponudniku. Največjo prednost uvedbe standardov vidim ravno v primerljivosti oz. ustreznemu pozicioniranju ponudnikov na področju kongresne dejavnosti na domačem in mednarodnem trgu.

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M. Žnidaršič: Če govorimo o kongresnem hotelu, lahko takoj izpostavimo primer infrastrukture. Standardi predpisujejo, katera infrastruktura je nujna za kongresni hotel in s tem ne more priti do neljubih presenečenj. Manj ko je improvizacij, manj je tudi odvečnih stroškov.

Kako lahko po vašem mnenju ponudniki izkoristijo standardizacijo kot konkurenčno prednost?

R. Balažic: Določena kategorija znotraj standardov pomeni, da član izpolnjuje kriterije za to kategorijo. V času standardizacije ponudnikov smo se ponudniki storitev zelo dobro spoznali, kar je zelo pomembno, saj je Slovenija majhna destinacija. Naša izkušnja je, da sedaj na trgu nastopamo bolj suvereno, dobro poznamo konkurenco in hkrati znamo boljše ponuditi tudi »dopolnilne produkte oz. dejavnosti« pri nekem potencialnem dogodku. Pri obsežnejših dogodkih že v fazi prvega povpraševanja potencialnim klientom opišemo tudi dopolnilno ponudbo izven naših kapacitet, kar tudi vidim kot veliko prednost. Kongresni urad ima pri podajanju informacij nevtralno vlogo, kar je za kliente ob velikem številu ponudnikov še toliko bolj pomembno.

M. Žnidaršič: Upam si trditi, da je v večini standardiziranih kategorij ponudba še v začetku razvoja. Zato so za vse, ki vstopajo na ta trg, izjemno dragocene izkušnje, ki so pravzaprav zbrane v standardih.

Vsak ponudnik, ki namerava resno vstopiti na trg kongresov (poslovnih srečanj) je v prednosti, če je upošteval oz. uspel svojo ponudbo podrediti standardom. V prvi fazi bodo standardi služili predvsem kot vodilo za razvoj kakovosti posameznih ponudnikov.

Na srednji rok pa verjamem, da bomo uspešni tudi pri informiranju nabavnega trga o obstoju standardov in smiselnosti povezovanja s ponudniki, ki so kongresno standardizirani. To je skupna naloga pod okriljem slovenskega kongresnega urada.

So se prednosti standardizacije v pol leta po podelitvi standardov že pokazale v vašem podjetju?

R. Balažic: Pri standardizaciji smo člani Kongresnega urada aktivno sodelovali, saj smo sodelovali pri postavljanju standardov, sama sem bila tudi članica ocenjevalne komisije, ki je preverjala točnost podatkov in izpolnjevanje posamičnih pogojev. Tudi s tega vidika je standardizacija pripomogla k večji osveščenosti o pomenu kakovosti storitev, saj so mnogi ponudniki, zaradi želje biti kategoriziran v določeni kategoriji, morali dvigniti nivo ponujenih storitev. Prav tako pa smo že dobili povratne informacije s strani klientov, da so standardizirani ponudniki in nevtralna prva informacija o ponudnikih s strani Kongresnega urada odlično in profesionalno orodje, ki jim je v veliko pomoč.

M. Žnidaršič: V resnici so se pokazale že v fazi pridobivanja.

Postopek standardizacije je obsežen in zahteven, vendar tudi odlična priložnost za preverjanje marsikatere podrobnosti v produktu. Ugotovljene so bile tudi manj očitne pomanjkljivosti in seveda tudi odpravljene.

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Renata Bala탑ic

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Standardisation

Reactions to Standardisation in the Meetings Industry It has been six months since the Slovenian Convention Bureau introduced mandatory standardisation for its members, who are meeting service providers. The standardisation of providers makes the client’s process of searching for a venue or an event organiser much easier.

We asked Renata Balažič from Hotel Union and Matjaž Žnidarščič from St. Bernardin Hotels to share their first impressions with us.

The Slovenian Convention Bureau awarded the standards to its members in March 2008. We are aware of the medium-term nature of the standardisation. Which positive effects do you foresee?

R. Balažic: First and foremost, the positive effects of standardisation are transparency and comparability of offers from individual providers of meeting venues. At the same time, standardisation will facilitate the client’s choice of an appropriate provider and increase the quality of services in the meetings industry in Slovenia.

M. Žnidaršič: The short-term effects will be the specialisation of Slovenian providers and the related higher quality of services, while the medium-term effects will be the minimisation of discrepancies between expectations of the clients and the quality of the offer.

Will the standardisation contribute to a higher quality of services?

R. Balažic: The appraisals of providers were conducted on the basis of technical criteria, which the provider had to meet in order to be awarded a specific standard. At the time of these appraisals, many providers had already completed their services and improved them, thus raising quality, in order to meet the requirements of the (desired) standard category. This is, undoubtedly, an additional positive effect of the standardisation.

M. Žnidaršič: I believe that all providers do their best for the constant growth in the quality of our services. The standards are a tool facilitating our way to achieve that goal. They can not, however, themselves be a guarantee for quality improvements.

What advantages can a client, who decides to work with a provider bound by the Convention Bureau’s standards, expect?

R. Balažic: The first advantage is undoubtedly a transparent and comparable offer of all providers in one place. The categorised venues and providers enable the Slovenian Convention Bureau, which functions as a central point of information for the offers of the Slovenian meetings industry, to provide the client professional and unbiased information about a destination or provider. I see the greatest advantage of the implementation of standards to be the comparability and appropriate positioning of providers in the field of the meetings industry, both at home and on the international market.

foresee which infrastructure is necessary for a congress hotel, and no unpleasant surprises are possible. The less you improvise, the lower are unnecessary expenses.

How can the providers make use of the standardisation for a competitive advantage?

R. Balažic: A certain category within the standards means that the member meets the criteria which are required for that category.

During the time of standardisation, service providers got well acquainted with each other, which is essential as Slovenia is a very small destination. Our experience is that we are now much more confident on the market, as we know our competition well and also know how to better offer »accompanying products or activities« with a potential event. With more extensive events, we are able to describe the accompanying offer outside our capacities already in the initial phase of talks with the clients, which I personally see as a great advantage. In providing information, the Slovenian Convention Bureau has a neutral role, which is all the more important to the clients, given the great number of providers they are faced with.

M. Žnidaršič: I daresay that, in the majority of the standardised categories, the offer is still in its initial phase of development. For this reason, the experiences, which are actually gathered in the standards, are exceptionally valuable for those entering this market.

Each provider, who intends to enter the market of the meetings industry, has an advantage, if he considered or managed to prepare his offer according to the standards. Initially, the standards will serve, above all, as guidance toward the development of quality for individual providers. In the medium-term, I believe us to be successful, as well, in informing consumers about the existence of these standards and the practicality of working with providers which have been standardised by the Convention Bureau. This is a joint task under the auspices of the Slovenian Convention Bureau.

Have the advantages of standardisation, in the six months after the standards had been awarded, already made themselves evident in your company?

R. Balažic: Members of the Slovenian Convention Bureau had an active role in the standardisation process, as we participated in the formulation of standards and, personally, I was also a member of the panel committee which verified the provided information and the compliance with individual requirements. This is another aspect of standardisation, that is, contributing to a greater awareness of the importance of the quality of services. Many providers wishing to be placed into a certain category had to raise their level of service.

We have also already received the first feedback from clients, saying that standardised providers and neutral first information regarding the providers, which they receive from the Slovenian Convention Bureau, are an excellent, professional tool which has been of great assistance.

M. Žnidaršič: They have actually already made themselves evident in the phase of acquisition. The standardisation process is an extensive and demanding one, but at the same time also an excellent opportunity to verify several details of your product. Even the least evident deficiencies were discovered and, of course, also eliminated.

M. Žnidaršič: If we are talking about a congress hotel, we can immediately provide the example of infrastructure. The standards

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Matjaž Žnidaršič

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Primeri dobre prakse

Turistični novinarji na obisku v Postojni Naslov dogodka: Otvoritvena slovesnost kongresa FIJET Naročnik: Društvo turističnih novinarjev FIJET Izvajalec: Turizem Kras Ko v goste pridejo ljudje z vsega sveta, je to poseben dogodek. Če pa so ti gostje turistični novinarji, ki so pregovorno najbolj zahtevni gostje, saj so poznavalci turizma, ki znajo ločiti zrnje od plev, je to dogodek, ki zahteva ekipe, ki so svojemu delu povsem predane in jih to tudi neskončno veseli.

Ravno, ko se nad Notranjsko prične spuščati mrak, gostje prispejo v Postojno in se napotijo v jamo, kjer dobijo priložnost ogleda vsi, tudi tisti, ki sicer preverjajo dostopnost za invalide.

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Za enkratno doživetje jame poskrbijo člani zbora, ki se kot nevidni glasniki pomikajo po jami in goste vedno pričakajo tam, kjer jih najmanj pričakujejo – in zato je čudovito presenečenje toliko večje.

Mehurčki, postreženi v Koncertni dvorani, pomagajo odpreti čute in čutila. »Novo in še ne videno« je drugo ime za vse tisto, kar goste pričaka v Jamskem dvorcu. Napol eterična beneška dekoracija, ki je bila nagrajena z zlatom na zadnjem GTZ-ju in njeno popolno nasprotje: povsem zemeljski užitki – hrana izbranih okusov in vina, ki dopolnjujejo in plemenitijo okuse.

Najbolj se vtisne v spomin izjava glavnega organizatorja, g. Draga Bulca: »Danes sem spet ponosen, da sem Slovenec!« www.turizem-kras.si

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Good Practice Case Studies

Journalists and Travel Writers Visiting Postojna Name of the event: Opening Ceremony of the FIJET Congress Client: World Federation of Journalists and Travel writers (FIJET) Contractor: Turizem Kras When you entertain people from all over the world, it is undoubtedly a special occasion. If these guests happen to be travel writers, who are commonly considered as the most demanding of guests, as they are tourism connoisseurs who know how to sift the wheat from the chaff, this is an event which requires fully dedicated teams who have an enormous joy for the work they do.

The guests arrived at Postojna, just as dusk was slowly falling upon the Notranjska region, and made their way into the cave.

All were able to visit it, including those who otherwise require disabled access.

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The chorus singers move along the cave as invisible messengers, always meeting the guests where they least expect them, making the wonderful surprise even bigger and helping to make the cave experience even more unique. The bubbly served in the Concert Hall helps open the senses and perceptions. »New and yet unseen« is another name for what awaits the guests at the Jamski dvorec. The almost ethereal Venetian decoration, which was awarded the gold medal at the last Tourism and Hospitality Convention, makes for a sharp contrast with the completely earthly pleasures of selected food and wines, complementing and ennobling tastes.

The most memorable of all is, undoubtedly, the statement made by the main organiser, Mr. Drago Bulc: »Today, I am again proud to be a Slovenian!« www.turizem-kras.si

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Primeri dobre prakse

Postavili smo standarde, ki jih bo težko preseči Naslov dogodka: Slovensko predsedovanje EUREKI Naročnik: EUREKA Bruxelles; Ministrstvo za visoko šolstvo, znanost in tehnologijo RS Izvajalec: Auditoria d.o.o.

Maribor, oktober; napoved: prijetno toplo jesensko vreme; dejansko: sneg.

Bled, januar; napoved: idilična bela zima z zaledenelim jezerom; dejansko: čudovito spomladansko sonce.

Portorož, april; napoved: topla, sončna pomlad na slovenski obali; dejansko: dež, veter, nevihte.

Ljubljana, junij; napoved: prijetno, zgodnjepoletno vreme v prestolnici; dejansko: vse, od dežja do malo sonca, samo toplo ni bilo.

Na koncu, ko je predsedovanje prevzela Portugalska, so bili njihovi predstavniki zelo zaskrbljeni, ker smo Slovenci postavili standarde, ki jih bodo zelo težko dosegli. Z vremenom si ne bodo mogli kaj dosti pomagati. www.auditoria.si

Foto: Jaka Vinšek

Enoletno slovensko predsedovanje EUREKI se je končalo uspešno, tako strokovno kot tudi organizacijsko. V okviru predsedovanja smo organizirali štiri konference, ki se jih je udeležilo okoli 140 delegatov iz več kot 40 držav, z zaključkom v Ljubljani, kjer se je Ministrske konference udeležilo približno 250 delegatov in gostov.

Organizatorji smo se soočili z velikim izzivom: kako udeležencem predstaviti Slovenijo, njene regije in posebnosti. Seveda z družabnimi in kulturnimi dogodki, kulinariko, predstavitvijo vinskih regij ter lokalnimi zanimivostmi. Celoten projekt je bil izveden tehnično in organizacijsko brezhibno. Piko na i k splošnemu zadovoljstvu sta postavila nepredvidljivo slovensko vreme, ki je bilo na vseh lokacijah popolnoma drugačno, kot smo ga napovedali

delegatom in posledično seveda iznajdljivost organizatorjev.

Izgledalo je takole:

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Kongres - 2008

Good Practice Case Studies

We Have Set Standards that Will be Difficult to Outmatch Name of the event: The Slovenian Chairmanship of EUREKA Client: EUREKA Brussels; the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia Contractor: Auditoria d. o. o.

Maribor, October, forecast: pleasant and warm autumn weather; actually: snow.

Bled, January; forecast: idyllic white winter with a frozen lake, actually: wonderful springtime sun.

Portorož, April; forecast: warm and sunny spring on the Slovenian coast; actually: rain, wind, storms.

Ljubljana, June; forecast: pleasant, early summer weather in the capital; actually: everything from rain to some sun, just no warmth.

Finally, when the Chairmanship was taken over by Portugal, their representatives were rather worried, as the Slovenians had set standards which will be very difficult to meet. They sure won’t be able to use the weather to their advantage, as the Slovenians did. www.auditoria.si

Photo: Jaka Vinšek

Slovenia’s one year Chairmanship of EUREKA has successfully come to an end, in terms of both professional solutions and the organisation. Four conferences, attended by 140 delegates from more than 40 countries, were organised within the framework of the Chairmanship. The final conference was organised in Ljubljana, where the Ministerial Conference was attended by about 250 delegates and guests. The organisers were faced with a difficult challenge: how to present Slovenia, its regions and characteristics to the participants. The answer was, of course, to showcase its social and cultural events, culinary delights, presentation of wine-growing regions and local characteristics. The entire project was implemented perfectly, both with regard to technical

and organisational levels. The icing on the cake of the overall satisfaction was, of course, the unpredictable Slovenian weather, which was everywhere completely different from the forecast we gave to the delegates, and consequently also the resourcefulness of the organisers. This is how it all looked like:

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Primeri dobre prakse

Dober in prepričljiv prevod Naslov dogodka: Zdravstveno varstvo otrok Naročnik: Varuh človekovih pravic Republike Slovenije Izvajalec: Prevajalska agencija Alkemist Na Brdu pri Kranju so se zbrali eminentni gostje, udeleženci mednarodne konference z naslovom Zdravstveno varstvo otrok.

Uvodni nagovor dr. Zdenke Čebašek – Travnik, varuhinje človekovih pravic Republike Slovenije. Nasmešek na obrazih slušateljev. Vsi se razumejo.

Kako je to mogoče? Naročnik je zagotovil simultani prevod dogodka v tri jezike. Simultano tolmačenje poteka v kabinah, prevod pa slušatelji poslušajo s pomočjo slušalk in prenosnih sprejemnikov. Za tolmačenje posamezne jezikovne kombinacije sta vedno potrebna dva tolmača, ki se po prevajalskih standardih izmenjujeta vsakih 15 do 20 minut. Tehnično osebje Prevajalske agencije Alkemist je dvorano ozvočilo in opremilo z najsodobnejšo

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tehnično opremo za simultano tolmačenje. Evropska skupnost na tem področju postavlja visoke standarde in zahteve. Zvočno nepropustne kabine za prevajalce proizvajalca Audipack so izdelane v skladu s standardom ISO 4043. Poskrbele so za to, da so slušatelji slišali Alkemistove prevajalce iz treh prevajalskih kabin izključno le preko slušalk.

Prostor, v katerem je potekalo tolmačenje, smo opremili z ozvočenjem in mikrofoni, tehnično osebje pa je ves čas srečanja skrbelo za nemoten potek tolmačenja. V kabinah je bilo prisotnih šest tolmačev za slovensko–angleško, angleško–hrvaško in slovensko–hrvaško jezikovno različico. Po dveh dnevih tolmačenja so se tolmači in udeleženci poslavljali z nasmeškom na obrazih.

Besede govorcev so torej našle pravi pomen v prevodu tolmačev in kar je najpomembneje, v razumevanju slušateljev.

Znova se je izkazalo, da govorci zvenijo tako dobro in tako prepričljivo, kot so dobri in prepričljivi tolmači v kabinah. www.alkemist.si

Kongres - 2008

Good Practice Case Studies

Good and Convincing Interpreting Name of the event: Children’s Healthcare Client: Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia Contractor: Alkemist Translation Agency

hall with a public address system and state-of-the-art technical equipment for simultaneous interpreting. In this field, the European Community sets very high standards and requirements.

Audipack’s soundproof interpreter booths have been manufactured in accordance with the ISO 4034 Standard and were a guarantee that the audience would be able to hear Alkemist’s interpreters from three such booths, using only their earphones.

Brdo pri Kranju again hosted eminent guests, participants of the international Children’s Healthcare conference. The introductory speech was given by Zdenka Čebašek – Travnik, PhD., Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia. A smile was seen on the faces of the audience, everyone understands each other.

The room in which the interpreting was conducted was equipped with a public address system and microphones, while the technical staff saw to the unhindered process of interpretation throughout the event. There were six interpreters for Slovenian-English, EnglishCroatian and Slovenian-Croatian language combinations. After two days of interpreting, both interpreters and participants said goodbye with smiles on their faces. The words of the speakers thus found their true meaning in the interpretation of the interpreters and, most importantly, in the comprehension of the audience.

How is this possible? The client ensured simultaneous interpreting of the event into three languages. Simultaneous interpreting was conducted in booths, while audience members listened to the interpretations via earphones and portable receivers. It always takes two interpreters to interpret an individual language combination. In accordance with interpreting standards, they take turns interpreting, usually at 15 to 20-minute intervals. The technical staff of the Alkemist Translation Agency equipped the

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It has once again been proven that speakers are only as good and convincing as the interpreters in the booths. www.alkemist.si

Kongres - 2008

Primeri dobre prakse

Simpozij ob 50. obletnici slovenske srčne kirurgije Naslov dogodka: Simpozij in slavnostna prireditev ob 50. obletnici slovenske srčne kirurgije Naročnik: Društvo slovenskih kardiokirurgov Izvajalec: Kongresno-prireditvena dejavnost Cankarjevega doma Kongresno – prireditvena dejavnost Cankarjevega doma se je na pobudo Kliničnega oddeleka za kirurgijo srca in ožilja Univerzitetnega kliničnega centra Ljubljana spoprijela z organizacijo simpozija ob 50. obletnici slovenske srčne kirurgije.

Prireditev, ki naj bi bila sprva le obeležitev delovanja tega izjemnega oddelka, je prerasla v tridnevni dogodek, ki je zahteval ogromno fleksibilnosti. Nehote smo upoštevali šolsko pravilo kongresne dejavnosti in vse stike s predavatelji izvedli na osebni ravni in neposredno. Prireditev je obsegala cel niz dogajanj, ki

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so se odvijali na različnih lokacijah – tako v Cankarjevem domu, Grand Hotelu Union in na Bledu.

Za začetek smo v Modrem salonu Grand Hotela Union pripravili sprejem za vse udeležence. Družabno okolje smo naslednji dan zamenjali za Cankarjev dom, kjer je v Linhartovi dvorani potekal celodnevni simpozij, ki so ga vodili priznani strokovnjaki z vsega sveta – če naštejemo le nekaj bolj eksotičnih in oddaljenih lokacij: Brazilija, Japonska, Portugalska, Grčija in ZDA. Krona dneva je bila slavnostna prireditev, ki je bila praktično dogodek v malem, saj so lahko udeleženci prisluhnili koncertu opernih arij v izvedbi orkestra in zbora SNG Opera in balet Ljubljana – tako smo imeli priložnost slišati tudi Branka Robinšaka. Sprejem po koncertu smo izvedli v Klubu CD, ki pa je imel svoje nadaljevanje na Bledu, kjer so se gostje iz tujine preizkusili v odpiranju steklenic z mečem in veščinah starodobnih tiskarjev. Lahko rečemo, da je tokrat šlo za simpozij, kjer sta bila protokol in etiketa na visoki ravni, prav tako kot obiskovalci, in veseli smo, da je dogodek uspel – tako za Cankarjev dom kot za Slovenijo. www.cd-cc.si

Kongres - 2008

Good Practice Case Studies

Symposium on 50 Years of Cardiac Surgery in Slovenia Name of the event: Symposium and Festive Celebration of 50 Years of Cardiac Surgery in Slovenia Client: The Slovenian Association of Cardiac Surgeons Contractor: Cankarjev dom, Congress and Event Managment At the initiative of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, the Congress and Events Management Department of Cankarjev dom took on the task of organizing the Symposium on 50 Years of Cardiac Surgery in Slovenia. The event, which was initially planned only as a celebration of this exceptional department, grew into a three-day event requiring a lot of flexibility. We impulsively followed the first rule of the meetings industry and contacted all lecturers directly and personally. The event encompassed a series of activities, which took place at different locations – in Cankarjev dom, Grand

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Hotel Union and in Bled.

The reception for the participants was prepared at the Blue Room of the Grand Hotel Union. The next day, we exchanged the social environment for Cankarjev dom, where the Linhart hall hosted a daylong symposium led by renowned experts from all over the world. Allow us to mention only a few of the most exotic and distant locations: Brazil, Japan, Portugal, Greece and the United States.

The crowning moment of the day was the festive celebration, which was an independent event in itself, as the participants listened to arias performed by the choir and orchestra of the Slovene National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, which also provided us the possibility of listening to Branko Robinšak. The reception after the concert was organised at the CD Club, and continued in Bled, where foreign guests tried their skill in opening bottles with sabres, as well as attempting the job of an Old-fashioned printer. We can say that the protocol and etiquette at this symposium were at a very high level, just like the guests themselves, and we are pleased to report that the event was a success – both for Cankarjev dom and for Slovenia. www.cd-cc.si

Kongres - 2008

Primeri dobre prakse

Predstavitev novega produkta v Postojnski jami Naslov dogodka: Gajino kraljestvo v Postojnski jami Naročnik: Liberty Incentives&Congresses, Turizem Kras, Magično gledališče Serpentes Izvajalec: Liberty Incentives&Congresses, Turizem Kras, Magično gledališče Serpentes Postojnska jama je 12.11.1008 znova oživela. Spektakularna multimedijska predstava, kjer so imaginarne žive slike s skrbno dodelano dramaturgijo poskrbele za pravo razvajanje človeških čutov, je postregla tudi z občutkom, da je celoten jamski sistem znova oživel.

Izreden jamski ambient je bil nadgrajen s svetlobnimi inštalacijami, umetniškim videom, projiciranim na jamski strop in z avtorsko glasbo, ki je obiskovalce popeljala v sugestivno multimedijsko

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doživetje. Povabljence, med katerimi so se našla mnoga znana imena iz slovenskega javnega življenja, je navdušila že prva posamična točka, ko jih je v eni največjih jamskih dvoran na Veliki gori z ambicioznim vokalnim spevom sprejela Muza liričnega navdiha. Popotovanje v globine jamskega sveta se je nadaljevalo skozi t.i. Lepe jame, kjer postane prostor mnogo bolj intimen, preplet naravne lepote in do zadnjega detajla dodelana kostumografija igranih likov pa sta tako skupaj prišli do nove izrazne vrednosti. Zmajevka, Zlatoroginja, Pernata Kača, Adalin so bili le nekateri karakterni liki, ki so s svojo arhetipsko govorico obiskovalce popeljali v podzemni svet ustvarjalne domišljije, ki je bil tokrat smiselno poimenovan Gajino kraljestvo. Gaja, ki simbolizira Zemljo, je bila tokrat tudi osrednji lik premierno uprizorjene predstave, ki ima namen, da se klasični obiski Postojnske jame nadgradijo v novo doživetje tega slovenskega naravnega bisera.

Produkt bo prvotno namenjen le znanim naročnikom in zaprtim skupinam obiskovalcev, saj gre za zares unikaten in ekskluziven dogodek, za katerega pa verjamemo, da ga bodo znala v svoje korporativne in turistične potenciale vključiti tudi druga slovenska ali tuja podjetja. www.liberty-incentive.net

Kongres - 2008

Good Practice Case Studies

The Presentation of a New Product in the Postojna Cave Name of the event: Gaia’s Kingdom in the Postojna Cave Client: Liberty Incentives & Congresses, Kras Tourism, Magic Theatre Serpente Contractor: Liberty Incentives & Congresses, Kras Tourism, Magic Theatre Serpentes The Postojna cave was revived on 12 November 2008. A spectacular multimedia performance, where imaginative live pictures with carefully polished dramaturgy provided a genuine indulgence of the human senses, also gave the feeling that the entire cave system had, again, been brought back to life.

The extraordinary ambience of the cave was upgraded with lightning installations, an artistic video projected on the cave ceiling, and authentic music which took the visitors into a suggestive multimedia experience. The invitees, among whom

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were several well-known names from the Slovenian public, were enraptured with the first individual act, in which the muse of lyrical inspiration welcomed them to one of the biggest cave halls, on the Great Mountain, by singing an ambitious vocal canto. The journey into the depths of cave world continued through the so called »Beautiful caves,« where the ambience becomes a lot more intimate and the intertwinement of natural beauty and costumes of the characters, perfected to the last detail, thus came together into their own. Zmajevka, Zlatoroginja, Pernata Kača, and Adalin were just a few of the characters who, with their archetype dialect, took the visitors into the underworld of creative imagination, this time logically called Gaia’s Kingdom. Gaia, who symbolizes the Earth, was also the central character of the first performance this time, intended to upgrade classic visits to the Postojna cave into a new experience of this Slovenian natural jewel.

The product will primarily be intended only for previous customers and closed groups of visitors, because it is really a unique and exclusive event. We do believe, though, that other Slovenian or foreign companies will easily be able to incorporate it into their corporate and tourist opportunities. www.liberty-incentive.net

Kongres - 2008

Primeri dobre prakse

Najboljše za kraljico Naslov dogodka: Obisk kraljice Elizabete II. Naročnik: Britanska ambasada Izvajalec: Vivo catering, Fužinski grad Ekipi Vivo cateringa je bila zaupana slavnostna pogostitev ob obisku britanske kraljice Elizabete II. v Sloveniji. Ob osupljivi slavnostni postavitvi omizij s čarobnimi pogrinjki s cvetlično dekoracijo v rožnatih odtenkih je bila kraljica z 72 povabljenimi gosti navdušena.

Za popolno pripravo in postrežbo okusnih in izvirnih jedi, za katere je skrbela 53-članska ekipa Vivo cateringa, je bilo usklajeno vse do zadnje potankosti s kraljičinimi odposlanci iz Londona že pred obiskom kraljevega para.

Kristalne kozarce, srebrnino in krožnike s podkrožniki iz prefinjenega porcelana linije Rosenthal so v Vivo cateringu dali

izdelati pred prihodom kraljevega para. Kuharska ekipa in prefinjena protokolarna postrežba Vivo cateringa je povabljene goste očarala z marinirano postrvjo, primaknjeno k jesenski zelenjavni blazinici kot predjed, ki se je prepletala z izbranim vinom Sivi pinot vinske hiše Constantini. Velik vtis so na goste napravili divjačinski medaljoni z brusnicami v kostanjevi omaki, postreženi s kruhovimi rezinami in marinirano zelenjavo. Okusni glavni jedi je k zaokroženemu in polnemu okusu pripomoglo tudi vino Sara kraškega vinarja Lisjaka iz steklenice, ki jo je oblikoval Oskar Kogoj.

Po zdravici se je kraljevi par osebno zahvalil direktorici Vivo cateringa Jerneji Kamnikar in vodji kulinarične ekipe Vivo cateringa Jerneji Marinšek, ki je na pobudo kraljevega para z navdušenjem predstavila skrivnosti dobrega okusa glavnega krožnika. www.vivo.si

Vivov kraljevi pogrinjek.

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Good Practice Case Studies

Only the Best for the Queen Event Title: The Visit of Queen Elizabeth II Client: British Embassy Contractor: Vivo catering, Fužine Castle The Vivo catering team was entrusted with the solemn banquet at the visit of the British Queen Elizabeth II in Slovenia.

The Queen and 72 invited guests were enraptured with the astounding solemn formation of tables with magical table arrangements and flower decorations in rose-coloured shades.

Everything was arranged to the last detail by the Queen’s staff, who came from London before the royal couple’s visit, as well as the 53 people of the Vivo catering team, who were in charge of the perfect preparation and catering of delicious and original dishes.

Vivo catering had crystal glasses, silverware and plates, made

from refined china of the Rosental line, prepared before the royal couple’s arrival. The culinary team and exquisite protocol service of Vivo catering fascinated the invited guests with a marinated trout, served along with an autumn vegetable medley as an appetizer, which was intertwined with the selected wine of Pinot Grigio, from the Constantini wine producers. Then, venison medallions with cranberries in a chestnut sauce, together with slices of bread and marinated vegetables, made a great impression on the guests. The flavour of this delicious main course was completed and enriched by the Sara wine, produced by the Karst wine maker Lisjak, and poured from the bottle designed by Oskar Kogoj.

After the toast, the royal couple personally thanked the director of Vivo catering, Jerneja Kamnikar, and the head of Vivo catering’s culinary team, Jerneja Marinšek, who was glad to reveal the secrets of good taste on the main plate, when asked by the royal couple. www.vivo.si

The director of Vivo catering, Jerneja Kamnikar, with the personal waiters of the royal table.

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Kongresni centri po svetu

Naj zmaga najboljši!

Vsi, ki delamo v industriji srečanj, z veliko pozornostjo spremljamo gradnje kongresnih centrov po svetu. In gradi se precej. Spremljamo svojo konkurenco in se borimo za posel. Najnovejše kongresne centre gradijo danes zunaj prestolnic. Že če pogledamo Slovenijo, lahko potrdimo, da je tako. Vlada je v času predsedovanja zgradila Brdo. V Nemčiji so odprli popolnoma nov kongresni center v Stuttgartu, v Španiji v Zaragozi in še bi lahko naštevali. Gledano globalno, so žarišča mega gradenj na Bližnjem vzhodu v Dubaju, Abu Dabiju, Bahrainu, Indiji, samo na Kitajskem načrtujejo okoli 80 novih kongresnih centrov. Zakaj je tako? Gre za vlaganje v infrastrukturo, ki je zaradi večje porabe kongresnega gosta bolj donosna in bo, kot v primeru Emiratov, zagotavljala razvoj regiji še dolgo po presahnitvi črnega zlata? Morda. Etablirani centri investirajo in se modernizirajo od svojega začetka, tu pa do sedaj ni bilo prav ničesar. Kongresni posel nastaja praktično iz nič.

Evropske investicije težko primerjamo s tistimi na Vzhodu ali Severni Ameriki in Avstraliji, saj so v primerjavi s slednjimi manjše in celo skromne. Povsod pa gre za prostor – več prostora, saj to zahtevajo naročniki. Centri ga potrebujejo zato, da lahko tekmujejo za večje in odmevnejše kongrese, kjer je vse več sekcij, skupin, razstav in za druženje. Mreženje je najpomembnejše.

Nekaj trendov, ki sem jih zbrala ob prebiranju člankov in objav na internetu: •

Kongresni centri so funkcijsko zasnovani, načrtovani po načelih trajnostnega razvoja ter imajo prepoznavno identiteto; gre za živeče objekte, ki sooblikujejo družbeno pokrajino.

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Centri so večnamenski – prostore lahko uporabljajo načrtovalci kongresov ali pa organizatorji družabnih in športnih dogodkov.

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Dvorane omogočajo fleksibilne postavitve po meri naročnika.

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Stare centre nadgrajujejo – kombinacija starega in modernega, večanje kapacitet.

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Markantna arhitektura z veliko steklenimi površinami.

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Funkcijski prostor zunaj in znotraj centrov.

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Centri imajo pod svojo streho eno ali več restavracij.

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Nove kongresne kapacitete nastajajo v sozvočju z novimi namestitvenimi zmogljivostmi – ob odprtju novega centra se dogradijo tudi hoteli.

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Varčevanje z energijo, uporaba alternativnih virov energije (solarna).

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Varčevanje z vodo, uporaba deževnice.

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Program »nič odpadkov« oz. »zero waste«: kongresna industrija postaja vse bolj zelena. Tu igrajo kongresni centri pomembno vlogo, saj lahko uporabljajo materiale, ki so primerni za recikliranje in kompostiranje. V Metro Toronto

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Convention Centre so razvili sistem za recikliranje odpadkov – primer štiridnevnega kongresa s 1.000 udeleženci nam pove, da predelajo kar pet ton odpadnega materiala (organski odpadki, plastika, papir, kovina, steklo, les ipd.) – kar lahko prihrani 19 dreves, 25.000 l vode, 13.100 kWh energije, 5.400 l olja, 26 kg onesnaževalcev zraka in 28 m2 prostora na odpadni deponiji. Pred uvedbo sistema recikliranja so reciklirali manj kot en odstotek vseh odpadkov (povzeto po članku v reviji CIM, oktober 2007, št. 5).

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Moderna – vrhunska tehnična in scenska oprema v lasti centra.

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Dostop do interneta ni več tržna niša, ampak je danes pogoj.

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Sobe za relaksacijo in odpravo stresa udeležencev.

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»Wow« efekt – udeležencem organizatorji ponujajo nekaj posebnega – kongresni center v St. Peterburgu ima ledeno ploščo za drsanje ter stalno zaposlen animacijski team.

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Oseben pristop in gostoljubnost zaposlenih.

Kdor je že stopil v kongresni center, lahko potrdi, da so si resni kongresni centri v načelu precej podobni. Zato torej brez strahu vsi tisti, ki ste na trgu že nekaj časa. Začetno navdušenje se zmanjša, izkušnje, nabrane s kilometrino uspešno izvedenih projektov so tiste, ki štejejo. Prav tako sta za uspešno izveden kongres ali drug dogodek pomembna lokacija (mesto in njegov šarm) ter splošna infrastruktura. Naj zmaga najboljši!

Maja Vidergar maja.vidergar@cd-cc.si

CC Bayside with Fountain Kongres - 2008

Excel London

Sidney Convention & Exhibition Centre

The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel

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Kongres - 2008

Congress and Convention Centres around the World

May the Best One Win! All of us working in the meetings industry closely follow the construction of congress and convention centres all over the world. And there are a lot being constructed. We monitor our competition and struggle for our business. Today, the newest meeting centres are not being constructed in capitals.

This becomes evident already by looking at the example of Slovenia.

During the time of the Presidency, the government constructed Brdo; in Germany, a new trade fair centre was opened in Stuttgart; in Spain, in Saragossa, and the list goes on and on. From a global point of view, the centre of construction lies in the Middle East; in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and India. There are 80 new meeting centres planned to be constructed in China alone. Why is this so? Is this a case of investing in infrastructure which is more profitable due to the higher average expenditure of the convention guest and which will, as in the case of the Emirates, guarantee the development of the region, long after the black gold has dried up? Perhaps. The established centres have been investing in and modernising themselves from the very beginning, while so far, there was nothing in this region. The business of the meetings industry is practically being created from scratch.

It is difficult to compare European investments with investments in the East or in North America and Australia, as the first are much lower and even quite modest in comparison. A common denominator for all is, however, space – more space as a requirement of the clients. The centres need it so as to be able to compete for bigger and more visible congresses, where there are a growing number of sections, groups, exhibitions and socialising. The most important of all is networking.

Here are some trends which I collected from articles and publications on the internet: •

Meeting centres are functionally designed and planned, according to the principles of sustainable development. They have a recognisable identity, being living objects helping to shape the social landscape.

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The multipurpose centres can be used by meeting planners or organisers of social and sporting events.

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The halls enable flexible formation which is tailor-made for the client.

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Old centres are being upgraded, creating a combination of old and new, while increasing capacities.

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Distinctive architecture with numerous glass surfaces.

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Functional facilities inside and outside of the centres.

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The centres all have one or more restaurants.

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The new convention facilities are being constructed in harmony with new accommodation facilities – when a new centre opens, hotels are constructed.

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Energy saving and use of alternative energy sources (such as solar energy).

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Water saving by using rainwater.

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The zero waste programme. The meetings industry is getting greener. In this aspect, the meeting centres have an important role, as they can use recyclable and compostable materials. The Metro Toronto Convention Centre developed a special waste recycling system. A four day convention with 1,000 participants means that they recycle five tons of waste material, (organic waste, plastics, paper, metal, glass, wood and other materials) saving 19 trees, 25,000 litres of water, 13,100 kWh of energy, 5,400 litres of oil, 26 kg of air pollutants and 28 cubic metres of landfill space. Before the system was implemented, they recycled less than one percent of all waste (taken from an article published in the CIM Magazine, October 2007, issue 5).

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Modern and state-of-the-art technical and stage equipment owned by the centre.

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Internet access is no longer a market niche but a precondition.

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Relaxation and participants.

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The wow effect – organisers offer the participants something special. The convention centre in St. Petersburg has an ice rink and a full-time animation team.

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The personal approach and hospitality of the employees.

stress-relief

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convention

All who have entered a congress or convention centre will agree that they are all more or less the same . So for all of you, who have been present on the market for some time, there is no need to worry. The initial enthusiasm diminishes, and it is the experience gathered with the experience of the implemented project that counts. For a successful convention or other event, the location, (the town and its charm) along with the general infrastructure are equally important. May the Best One Win! Maja Vidergar maja.vidergar@cd-cc.si

Centro Banamex Mexico City Convention & Exhibition Center Kongres - 2008

Metro Toronto Convention Centre

Hawai`i Convention Center

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Primerjamo

Zagreb versus Ljubljana Zagreb (960.000 prebivalcev) je prestolnica sosednje države Republike Hrvaške in je od Ljubljane oddaljen slabih 150 km. V svetovnem merilu to ne pomeni nič, razdalja med Zagrebom in Ljubljano pa se zdi velika. Skupna politična preteklost je osnova za simpatije in naklonjenost, ki jih imamo do Zagreba, sicer pa sta mesti rivala v industriji srečanj.

Poglejmo nekaj dejstev: Zagreb je srednjeevropsko mesto, ki je z bližnjimi prestolnicami povezan s cestnimi, železniškimi in letalskimi povezavami. Od Dunaja do Zagreba je 390 km, od Züricha 806 km, od Münchna 576 km, od Budimpešte 380 km, od Benetk 420 km in Milana 672 km. Kar malo daleč po cesti, zato pa bližje z letalom – letališče je od mesta oddaljeno 17 km. Hrvaška je čedalje bolj priljubljena kongresna destinacija. To dokazuje tudi večanje števila poslovnih gostov. Kot kongresna mesta štejemo Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, Cavtat, Zadar in Opatijo. Če se opremo na statistiko in merila UIA, organizira Hrvaška 46 mednarodnih srečanj (Slovenija 53), od tega Zagreb 8, Dubrovnik 14, Cavtat 3, Opatija 4 in Zadar 4. Za Split, UIA statistika ne navaja podatkov posebej, zagotovo pa se uvršča med mesti na obali takoj za Dubrovnikom.

Leta 2009 naj bi Hrvaška postala pridružena članica EU. Brez članarine za kongresni urad Hrvaško industrijo srečanj pokriva nacionalna organizacija Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau (CCIB), ki jo vodi Nik Račič in deluje v okviru nacionalne turistične organizacije (HTZ).

Zagreb ima mestni kongresni urad (Zagreb Convention Bureau), kjer je direktor Dražen Hochecker. Kongresni urad je del mestnega turističnega zavoda, ki šteje danes okoli 16.000 članov. Vanj so včlanjeni vsi, ki kakorkoli živijo od turizma – trgovine, hoteli in druge organizacije. Ti s članarino in turistično takso (kjer gre za nočitve) financirajo delovanje turistične organizacije na lokalni ravni, ta pa del prihodkov namenja nacionalni turistični organizaciji, ki dobi del denarja za svoje delovanje tudi s strani države oz. proračuna.

Zanimivo je, da članarine za Zagrebški kongresni urad ni. Urad svojim članom pomaga v glavnem pri promociji – organizaciji in izvedbi obiskov potencialnih kupcev ali poslovnih partnerjev, izdaji publikacij in drugega gradiva, obisku mednarodnih borz. Po besedah Zlatana Muftića (vodje pri mestnem kongresnem uradu) so v prejšnjih letih od HTZ, ki je za Hrvaško zakupila razstavni prostor

na mednarodnih borzah, odkupili določen prostor zase in ga na osnovi »first come first serve« ponudili lokalnemu gospodarstvu.

Udeleženci so krili le stroške svoje udeležbe. Ker pa tak način ne omogoča vpisa v katalog razstavljavcev na posamezni borzi in ne uporabe sistema za dogovorjene sestanke (on – line diary), so se za leto 2009 odločili za nov model sodelovanja. Podjetje, ki se bo želelo udeležiti posamezne borze, bo svoj prostor (najmanj 4 m2) zakupilo neposredno pri HTZ, Zagrebški kongresni urad pa bo subvencioniral zakup 3 m2 – gospodarstvo bo tako vložilo manjši del sredstev, vseeno pa dobilo precej ugodnosti, ki jih ta način prinaša.

Trg za združenja ali za korporativne dogodke?

Ali je Zagreb trg za združenja ali korporativne dogodke, težko ocenjuje tudi Muftić. Na urad se seveda bolj obračajo razna združenja, ki potrebujejo začetne informacije in kontaktne podatke.

Podjetja in korporacije se navadno obrnejo neposredno na hotele in organizatorje dogodkov. Uradne statistike (še) ni, zato je težko operirati s številkami. Ker pa mesto postaja regionalno središče za multinacionalke, pričakujejo, da se bo korporacijski segment v prihodnje še okrepil. Tako bodo v prestolnici ostala poslovna srečanja, letne konference podjetij, motivacijski dogodki pa bodo zagotovo prednjačili na obali. In še dva dogodka, na katera so v Zagrebu še posebej ponosni: International Conference of Aviation and Space Medicine (500 do 700 udeležencev, september 2009) ter World Congress of Wine and Wine Making (500 udeležencev, konec junija 2009).

Kongresne kapacitete Če na kratko pregledamo obstoječe kapacitete, ugotovimo, da je Zagreb zanimiv fenomen na kongresnem trgu – gostijo dogodke, vendar nimajo pravega kongresnega centra, vsaj ne s prepoznavnim poimenovanjem. Ta je namreč v izgradnji, njegova največja kapaciteta naj bi bila 2.000 sedežev. Lokacija: središče mesta, takoj za hotelom Westin.

Sicer kongresi potekajo v glasbeni palači Vatroslav Lisinski (zgrajena leta 1973), ki v gledališki postavitvi v veliki koncertni dvorani sprejme do 1.851 obiskovalcev. Center ima še manjšo dvorano, ki lahko gosti do 304 delegate. Zaradi bogate koncertne dejavnosti je tu kongresov vse manj. Najstarejši center v mestu je Zagrebški velesejem, zgrajen leta 1965 in obnovljen leta 1987, s kapaciteto do 1.200 obiskovalcev. V poslovnem delu Zagreba pa je zrasel večnamenski center Hypo Expo XXI (glavni investitor je bila banka Hypo Group Alpe Adria, zato tudi takšno ime), ki lahko gosti konference v več dvoranah, največja lahko v gledališki postavitvi sprejme do 1.000 delegatov. Prednost centra je podzemna garaža ter sodobna tehnična oprema, slabost pa oddaljenost od centra in hotelske namestitve. Hypo Expo XXI je del grupacije Expomedia Grupe EXPO XXI International, ki upravlja s podobnimi centri v Varšavi, Kölnu, New Delhiju in Beogradu. Zagreb torej ima mednarodno vodeni center.

Dvorane, pomembne za kongresno industrijo Zagreba, se nahajajo tudi v okviru konferenčnih hotelov, kjer naj omenim Hotel Westin Zagreb z največjo dvorano za 800 ter Sheraton Zagreb z največjo dvorano za 700 udeležencev v gledališki postavitvi. Za manjše dogodke z do 280 gosti pa je primeren Regent Esplenade hotel s Smaragdno dvorano. Že imena govorijo zase in povedo, da je v Zagrebu prisotnih kar nekaj mednarodnih hotelskih verig, dodam naj še Arcotel, Golden Tulip Holiday, Best Westrn, idr., kar Ljubljana danes še pogreša. Pregled po številu postelj (6.218 skupaj) v posameznih kategorijah nam pove, da so v mestu ustrezno strukturirane tudi kapacitete:

Gliptoteka vrt

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• 5 zvezdic: 1.561 postelj • 4 zvezdice: 2.143 postelj • 3 zvezdice: 1.753 postelj • 2 zvezdici: 761 postelj Za kongrese se najprej napolnijo hoteli s petimi zvezdicami – Regent Esplanade hotel, Westin, Sheraton, sicer pa ima v mestu daleč najboljšo zasedenost hotel Dubrovnik.

Poleg tega pa na spletnih straneh kongresnega urada navajajo še podatek o kapaciteti študentskih domov: 7.900 postelj.

Teoretično gledano bi torej Zagreb lahko gostil kongres s 14.000 obiskovalci. Današnja slika pa so manjše in srednje veliki kongresi (do 600 udeležencev). Pa temu ni in ne bo tako. Ljubljani za večji kongres primanjkuje hotelskih kapacitet, Zagreb pa nima večjega kongresnega centra. Čeprav so arhitekte na natečaju že izbrali, so načrti v tem trenutku še v predalu. Datum izgradnje, niti končna kapaciteta centra (velikost bo odvisna od sprejetega modela financiranja) še nista znana. Po ustnih informacijah akterjev na trgu projekt ni zastavljen dovolj ambiciozno. Namreč, kljub dejstvu, da številke nenehno rastejo, po podatkih kongresnega urada kar za 20 %, (tako število dogodkov kot tudi njihov obseg – v mednarodnih kongresnih publikacijah beremo, da so bili podobni trendi vzrok za širitev obstoječih kapacitet in gradnjo novih), Zagreb ne izkorišča danih možnosti in ne izgradi centra s kapaciteto, ki bi bila zavidljiva v celotni regiji.

Zagreb versus Ljubljana Zagotovo pa Zagreb Ljubljano prekaša po številnih lokacijah, na katerih se lahko odvijajo družabni in svečani dogodki. Številni muzeji, paviljoni ali dvorci s svojim srednjeevroskim šarmom avstrogrske monarhije kar kličejo k temu namenu. Med najbolj priljubljenimi lokacijami so po besedah Muftića tiste, ki izstopajo od drugih po svetu – npr. Muzej Mimara, Muzej za umetnost in obrt, Arhiv, Narodna knjižnica idr. Družabni del popestri tudi obkongresni program in program za spremljevalce, kjer gostitelji priporočajo ogled mesta z balonom, starim tramvajem, v družbi kostumiranih likov preteklih obdobij, vse to pa ob spremljavi glasbe in penečega vina. Še en korak v preteklost lahko obiskovalci naredijo s prižiganjem plinskih svetilk v znamenitem Gornjem gradu. Seveda pa naj udeleženci kongresa ne bi izpustili Plitvičkih jezer (dve uri vožnje), obiska Hrvatskega Zagorja s petdesetimi dvorci in številnimi sakralnimi objekti iz 12. do 19. stoletja, kjer še

Arhiva Zagreb posebej stavijo na kulinariko. Za konec pa vabijo na kavo v Split ali Dubrovnik in za vse tiste, ki bi svoj obisk podaljšali, priporočajo krajši oddih v katerem od biserov Jadranske obale.

In kaj je še novega? Zagotovo znamenita Arena Zagreb, ki bo svoj debu doživela v času svetovnega rokometnega prvenstva v prihodnjem letu (kapaciteta: 15.000 sedežev) in bo po končanem prvenstvu služila tudi v druge namene (v bližini se nahaja tudi igrišče za golf z 18 luknjami) ter posodobitev letališča, ki ne skriva svojih ambicij, da bi z novim potniškim terminalom rado postalo regionalno letališče – rok izvedbe je leto 2011.

Zagrebški kongresni urad je član ICCA in ECM (European Cities Marketing). Pa še to – Zavod za turizem je v jeseni 2007 dobil za film o Zagrebu in promocijo MICE kapacitet nagrado Meetings Industry Marketing Award (MIMA) za drugo mesto v kategoriji CD – Rom / DVD, ki jo vsako leto podeljuje Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazin (CAT publications). Tudi to je nekaj, kar bo Ljubljana še morala postoriti.

Maja Vidergar maja.vidergar@cd-cc.si

Mestrovicev paviljon

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In Comparison

Zagreb versus Ljubljana Zagreb (population 960,000) is the capital of our neighbour, the Republic of Croatia, and is less than 150 kilometres away from Ljubljana.

On a worldwide scale, this is nothing, but still the distance between Ljubljana and Zagreb seems immense. The common political past is the basis for the sympathy and affection for Zagreb, but apart from that, the cities are rivals in the meetings industry.

Let us look at some facts. Zagreb is a central European city, connected with nearby capitals by road, rail and flight connections.

There are 390 kilometres from Vienna to Zagreb, 806 from Zürich, 576 from Munich, 380 from Budapest, 420 from Venice and 672 from Milan. This is quite a distance to cover by car and it is much more convenient to fly there – the airport is 17 kilometres outside of town.

Croatia is becoming an increasingly popular meetings destination, which is attested also by the increase in the number of business guests. The biggest meetings destinations are Zagreb, Dubrovnik, Split, Cavtat, Zadar and Opatija. If we draw from the statistics and standards provided by UIA, Croatia organises 46 international meetings (Slovenia 53), of that number, Zagreb has 8, Dubrovnik 14, Cavtat 3, Opatija 4 and Zadar 4. UIA does no give any information about Split, but it is undoubtedly among the coastal towns falling only behind Dubrovnik. Croatia is to become an associate member of the European Union in 2009.

No Membership Fee for the Convention Bureau The Croatian meetings industry is covered by the national Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau, (CCIB) managed by Nik Račić and operating within the framework of the Croatian National Tourist Board. Zagreb has its own convention bureau, the Zagreb Convention Bureau managed by Dražen Hochecker. The Convention Bureau is part of the Zagreb Tourist Board, currently counting some 16,000 members. Its members are all those who make their living from tourism – shops, hotels and other organisations. Their membership fee and visitor’s tax (where overnight stay is involved) finance the operation of the local Tourist Board, while the Board allocates part of its revenues to the National Tourist Board, which also receives part of its funding also from the state. Interestingly enough, there is no membership fee for the Zagreb Convention Bureau. The Bureau mainly helps its members with promotion – organisation and implementation of visits from potential buyers or business partners, the editing of publications and other material, and participation at international exhibits. According to Zlatan Muftić (product manager with the Zagreb Convention Bureau), in the past part of the exhibition space was purchased from the Croatian National Tourist Board, which the latter leased for international exhibitions and offered to the local economy on a first come, first served basis. The participants merely had to cover the costs of their own participation. As such a system, however, does not enable the participants to be recorded in the catalogue of an individual exhibition nor use the on-line diary for pre-scheduled appointments, they decided on a new model of cooperation for 2009. The company wishing to participate in an individual exhibition will have to lease its space (at least 4m2) directly from the National

Mimara Museum

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Tourist Board and the Zagreb Convention Bureau will subsidise the lease of another 3m2. In this way, the economy will be able to make a smaller, less risky investment but still partake in the numerous advantages which such a system provides.

Associations or Corporate Events Market?

Whether Zagreb is a market for associations or corporate events is hard to say, even for Mr. Muftić. It is more the associations which contact the Bureau in need of initial and contact information.

Companies and corporations usually turn directly to the hotels and event organisers. There are no official statistics (yet), so it is difficult to talk about actual numbers. As the city is, however, evolving into the region’s centre for multinational corporations, they expect the corporate segment to grow in the future. The capital will thus keep the business meetings, while annual conferences of companies and other incentive events will undoubtedly take place at the coast. There are two events that Zagreb is especially proud of: the International Conference of Aviation and Space Medicine (500 to 700 participants, September 2009) and the World Congress of Wine and Wine Making (500 participants, end of June 2009).

Convention Facilities If we take a brief look at the existing facilities, we see that Zagreb is an interesting phenomenon on the congress market – they host events, but have no true congress centre, at least not one with a recognisable name. Such a centre is currently still under construction, with its capacity supposedly being 2,000 . It will be located in the city centre, just behind the Westin Hotel.

The congresses are organised at the Vatroslav Lisinski Concert and Congress Hall (constructed in 1973), which can seat up to 1,851 visitors in its Large Concert Hall auditorium. The centre’s Small Hall can host up to 304 delegates. Due to the flourishing concert activity, the number of congresses organised at this facility is decreasing. The oldest centre is the Zagreb Fair Congress Centre, built in 1965 and refurbished in 1987, with a capacity of up to 1,200 participants. The multifunctional business centre Hypo Expo XXI (the main investor was the Hypo Group Alpe Adria Bank, hence the name) is located in the business part of town and can host conferences at several halls, with the biggest hall seating up to 1,000 delegates in its auditorium. The great advantage of the centre is its underground car park and modern technical equipment, while the distance to the city centre and hotel accommodations is a definite weakness. Hypo Expo XXI is part of the Expomedia Grupe EXPO XXI International group, which manages similar Centres in Warsaw, Köln, New Delhi and Belgrade. Zagreb does, therefore, have an internationally managed centre.

The halls which are important for Zagreb’s meetings industry are located also within the framework of conference hotels, such as the Westin Zagreb with its Crystal Ballroom for up to 800 guests, and the Sheraton Zagreb with its Grand Ballroom for 700 guests in its auditorium . Smaller events, with up to 280 guests, can be organised at the Emerald Ballroom of the Regent Esplanade hotel. The names of these hotels speak for themselves, showing that there are a number of international hotel chains present in

Zagreb. In addition to the previously mentioned ones, there are also Arcotel, Golden Tulip Holiday, and Best Western, among others.

This is something which Ljubljana still lacks today. Reviewing the number of beds (a total of 6,218) in an individual category clearly shows that the town’s capacities are appropriately structured: • 5 star hotels: 1,561 beds • 4 star hotels: 2,143 beds • 3 star hotels: 1,753 beds • 2 star hotels: 761 beds.

The five star hotels Regent Esplanade, Westin and Sheraton, are the first to be booked, while the highest occupancy rate in town is held by the Hotel Dubrovnik.

In addition, the Convention Bureau’s website also gives information on the number of beds in student dormitories: 7,900 . Theoretically, Zagreb could therefore host a congress with as many as 14,000 visitors. Today’s reality involves smaller and medium-sized congresses (up to 600 participants). This will not, however, be the case for long. Ljubljana may be lacking the hotel capacities for a bigger congress, but Zagreb does not have an appropriate congress centre. Even though the architects were already chosen, the plans are still in the drawer. The construction date and centre’s final capacity (the size will depend on the adopted model of financing) are still unknown. Judging from what some of the players on the market are saying, the project is not ambitious enough. Even though the numbers are constantly on the rise – according to the information provided by the Convention Bureau, by as much as 20% (both with regard to the number of events and their extent – international publications are saying that similar trends caused the expansion of existing capacities and the construction of new ones) – Zagreb is not utilising its given possibilities, by not constructing a centre with a capacity which could be the envy of the region.

Zagreb versus Ljubljana Zagreb undoubtedly outmatches Ljubljana with regard to its number of venues for organising social and festive events. Its numerous museums, pavilions and mansions, with their medieval charm reminiscent of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, are more than inviting. According to Mr. Muftić, the most popular venues are the ones which differ from other venues in the world, such as the Mimara Museum, the Museum of Arts and Craft, the Archives, the National Library and other such attractions. The social aspect is enriched by the accompanying programme and programme for companions, for which the hosts suggest seeing the city from a hot air balloon, riding in the old city tram accompanied by people dressed in historic costumes, all whilst enjoying music and a glass of champagne. The visitors can take another step into the past by lighting the gas lamps in the famous Upper Town. The congress participants should, of course, not miss out on the opportunity to visit the Plitvice Lakes (a two-hour drive) and the region of Hrvatsko Zagorje with its 50 castles and numerous churches, built from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and where the culinary tradition is especially appreciated. Finally, they invite their guests for a cup of coffee in Split or Dubrovnik, and suggest a shorter break in either of these pearls of the Adriatic Coast for all who wish to make their stay a little longer.

What else is new? Undoubtedly the famous Zagreb Arena, which will make its debut next year during the Men’s Handball World Championship (capacity 15,000 guests) and which will, once the Championship is over, be used for other purposes, (there is an 18 hole golf course nearby) as well as the new, modernised airport, which does not hide its ambition to become a regional airport once the new passenger terminal is open – the time of completion slated for the year 2011.

The Zagreb Convention Bureau is a member of ICCA and ECM (European Cities Marketing). Moreover, in 2007, the Zagreb Tourist Board won second place at the Meetings Industry Marketing Awards (MIMA) for its film on Zagreb as well as its promotion of the MICE industry in the category of CD-ROM/DVD, awarded each year by the Meetings & Incentive Travel Magazine (CAT publications). This is also something which Ljubljana s has yet to accomplish.

Maja Vidergar maja.vidergar@cd-cc.si

Masterpiece of the evening.

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Slovenija v JV Evropi

Slovenia in Southeastern Europe

Še ena priložnost več

An Additional Opportunity

Povezovanje je trend, ki je prisoten povsod, tudi v industriji srečanj. Neločljivo je povezan s prizadevanji po večjem finančnem učinku. Zato pozdravljam vpetost Slovenije v geografsko smiselna združenja, še bolj pa v interesne sfere po dejavnosti in usmerjenosti podjetij. Nihče ne more uspeti sam, bolje je, da združimo moči.

Connections are a universal trend, and the meetings industry is no exception. It is inseparably connected with aspirations for greater financial results. It is for this reason that I welcome Slovenia’s integration into geographically sensible associations, and especially into interest spheres according to the activity and orientation of companies. No one can succeed alone. It is much better to join forces.

V zadnjem času se je na pobudo nekaterih posameznikov in podjetja Helms Briscoe pojavila ideja o združevanju akterjev, ki delujejo na področju organizacije in izvedbe kongresov in dogodkov na področju nekdanjega Balkana, Bolgarije in Romunije. To je nedvomno zelo raznolika regija – različna po naravnih danostih, prebivalcih (karakterju), stopnji razvitosti, stopnji infrastrukture, ki je potrebna za našo industrijo. Čisto logično se mi je porodilo vprašanje, ali lahko uspešno tržimo to področje in ga uspešno ponudimo organizatorjem, ki prihajajo s celega sveta. Po daljšem razmisleku sem spoznala, da lahko in da je trženje destinacije ali pa regije tista aktivnost, ki je za vse nas, ki smo na tem območju, ključnega pomena. Vsi vemo, da so predstavitve v publikacijah ali na borzah v tujini izjemno drage in če si stroške delimo, lahko delamo bolje in več. Prednost skupne regije vidimo v vzpostavitvi različnih promocijskih dogodkov in borz, kot je npr. Conventa, za mednarodne kongrese pa to ne pride v poštev v takšni meri, saj ti raje rotirajo med regijami kot v regiji sami. Verjamete v učinkovito, nepristransko izmenjavo kontaktov med potencialnimi partnerji?

Jaz namreč že nekaj časa ne.

Z umestitvijo v JV Evropo je zagotovo naredila velik premik tudi Slovenija. Končno smo premagali naše vzgibe po centralni Evropi in se pridružili tistemu delu, kamor nas je že nekdaj umestila politična zgodovina. Ali to prinaša kaj slabega? Zagotovo ne, odpiramo si raje ena vrata več kot ena premalo. Centralnoevropski smo še zmeraj lahko, kot smo tudi nekoč bili, v času Habsburške monarhije in Avstroogrskega imperija. Torej – kdo smo in kaj bomo, lahko vedno izberemo sami. Imamo pa še eno priložnost več, da pridobimo mednarodni kongres. To pa je tisto, za kar v resnici gre, kajne?

Breda Pečovnik Direktorica kongresno – komercialne dejavnosti Cankarjevega doma breda.pecovnik@cd-cc.si

At the recent initiative of some individuals and Helms Briscoe, the idea of combining players operating in the field of organising congresses and events in the area of the former Balkan, Bulgaria and Romania occurred. This is, undoubtedly, a very diverse region.

It differs with regard to natural resources, its inhabitants (their character), the level of development and level of the infrastructure needed for our industry. The question whether we can successfully market this region and offer it to organisers from all over the world comes naturally. After quite some deliberation, it became clear to me that we can, and that marketing a destination or region is of key importance for all of us working in this region. We all know that presentations in publications and exhibits abroad are exceptionally expensive and if we share the costs, we can do do it much better. I see the advantage of the joint region in organising various promotional events and exhibitions, such as Conventa, while this cannot apply to international congresses to a greater extent, as these prefer to rotate between regions, and not within a region itself. Do you believe in an efficient and unbiased exchange of contacts between potential partners? I don’t and haven’t for quite some time.

By positioning itself in Southeastern Europe, Slovenia has undoubtedly made a great move forward. We have finally overcome our Central European leanings and joined the area where political history positioned us years ago. Is there anything wrong with that?

Certainly not! We are opening a door, rather than closing it. We can still be Central European, as we once were at the time of the Habsburg Monarchy and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Who we are and who we will be is always up to us to decide. This is an additional opportunity to win an international congress. And this is what it is really all about, isn’t it?

Breda Pečovnik Congress and Commercial Programme Director Cankarjev dom breda.pecovnik@cd-cc.si

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Breda PeÄ?ovnik

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Mednarodno združenje MPI (Meeting Professionals International)

V Jugovzhodni Evropi gradimo bogate skupnosti Devetdeseta leta minulega stoletja v Jugovzhodni Evropi industriji srečanj niso bila naklonjena.

Zdelo se je, da bodo vojne in notranja nestabilnost uničile uspešno regijo za organizacijo srečanj, dogodkov in konferenc. Mesta, kot so Ljubljana, Bled, Portorož, Beograd, Zagreb in Dubrovnik, so namreč gostila nekatere od največjih regionalnih evropskih, pa tudi svetovnih konferenc.

Pri sestavljanju tega pregleda smo se pri združenju MPI pogovarjali s številnimi glavnimi igralci v regiji, med drugim z Miho Kovačičem iz Zavoda-Kongresnoturistični urad, Milanom Čulićem, direktorjem kongresne dejavnosti pri EduCons v Srbiji ter Ulfom Pauschardtom iz hotela Kempinski Hotel Adriatic. Vsi ti možje imajo glede razvoja industrije v regiji izkušnje iz prve roke.

Regija, ki se je v tem času stabilizirala, se je otresla negativne podobe in se ponovno pojavila kot živahna regija kongresnega turizma v razvoju. Čeprav se sooča z močno konkurenco številnih bolj uveljavljenih evropskih prizorišč, pa postaja vse bolj konkurenčna. Države, kot so Slovenija, Hrvaška in Bolgarija, se redno uvrščajo med 50 najboljših konferenčnih prizorišč, države, kot sta Romunija in Srbija, pa med najboljših sto.

Pravzaprav je manjša prepoznavnost prizorišča celo prednost, kadar organizatorji iščejo nekaj drugačnega, in še posebej, kadar se zavedajo, da je v Evropi še vedno veliko neraziskanih kotičkov, ki čakajo na odkritje.

Dve veliki prednosti, ki ju regija ponuja organizatorjem, sta dobro razmerje med ceno in kakovostjo ter številna nova ali preurejena prizorišča in zmogljivosti za različna srečanja, konference in borze.

Dodatno prednost regije predstavlja tudi dejstvo, da številni organizatorji iščejo države in prizorišča, ki so dokaj blizu, kar pomeni, da njihovi predstavniki ne bodo predolgo odsotni. To Jugovzhodni Evropi omogoča, da se umesti kot trajen in močan igralec na svetovnem trgu industrije srečanj.

Dovolj je, da si pogledamo samo uspeh MPI-ja »sosednje« Poljske.

Trenutno naše združenje sodeluje s Poljsko pri dokončanju njihove vloge za listino podružnice. Usmerjevalni odbor članom združenja MPI in strokovnjakom industrije srečanj z organizacijo četrtletnih izobraževalnih srečanj zagotavlja lokalne prednosti. Letošnjo jesen je MPI združil sto poljskih strokovnjakov za organizacijo dogodkov, za leto 2009 pa so načrtovana še štiri srečanja.

Združenje MPI se prav tako zaveda, da bodo gonilna sila njegovega prihodnjega razvoja mladi strokovnjaki s tega področja in tako je usmerjevalni odbor organiziral tudi Forum mladih vodij, posebej usmerjen k študentom.

Potencial Jugovzhodne Evrope prav tako nakazuje uspeh nedavnega srečanja združenja MPI, Foruma evropskih vodij podružnic, minuli september v Pragi, kjer se je zbralo več kot šestdeset strokovnjakov iz Velike Britanije, Belgije, Španije, Italije, Norveške, Poljske, Danske in Nizozemske. Velik plus so udeleženci videli v prizorišču, ki je iz vseh evropskih mest dostopno z neposredno letalsko povezavo, posebej pa so poudarili tudi pozornost, ki je bila namenjena podrobnostim, in visoko stopnjo strokovnosti vseh partnerjev združenja MPI, ki so sodelovali pri pripravi in organizaciji tega tridnevnega srečanja. Skoraj 90 odstotkov jih je menilo, da je Praga odlično prizorišče za srečanja in kar 79 % bi jih o Pragi resno razmislilo kot o možnem prizorišču za organizacijo prihodnjih dogodkov.

Združenje MPI je zavezano strategiji globalizacije, saj se zavedamo, da bosta kar dve tretjini celotne svetovne rasti prišli s tržišč, ki jih zdaj imenujemo hitro rastoča gospodarstva. Pri združenju MPI smo odločeni, da bomo s svojim modelom skupnosti aktivirali energijo številnih kultur, enakovrednih skupin, načinov življenja, veroizpovedi in zbirov veščin, ki so sestavine za inovativnost in priložnost globalne organizacije, srečanja ali dogodka.

Ko pogledamo naprej v leto 2009, pri združenju MPI vidimo svetlo prihodnost Jugovzhodne Evrope. Države razvijajo svoje ponudbe za srečanja in na mednarodni ravni dejavno promovirajo svojo ponudbo. Med vsem tem pa MPI še naprej gradi bogate skupnosti v hitro rastočih gospodarstvih z namenom združevanja industrije srečanj za skupno učenje, mreženje in poslovno rast.

Joyce Dogniez Poslovna direktorica MPI, EMEA jdogniez@mpiweb.org

Ko se »hitro rastoče« države trudijo povečati število srečanj in dogodkov, se združenje MPI trudi razviti svojo mednarodno skupnost z ustanavljanjem lokalnih podružnic. Nikakršnega dvoma ni, da bo Jugovzhodna Evropa predstavljala bogat vir novih članic in podružnic.

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Pozdravljeni v Srcu Slovenije!

Welcome to the Heart of Slovenia!

V Srcu Slovenije vzhodno od Ljubljane lahko spoznamo preplet med sodobnim življenjem ter tradicionalnim utripom podeželja. Dolga in zanimiva zgodovina je tukaj pustila sledi, še zlasti na križiščih poti in ob rekah. Najdišča na vsakih nekaj kilometrov kažejo na zgodnje poseljevanje. Kraji so bili zaradi ugodne lege privlačni tudi za tiste, ki so si hoteli na silo prilastiti to ozemlje. Zato je tukaj veliko protiturških taborskih cerkva, ohranjenih legend o rokovnjačih ter krajev, kjer so se odvijale različne bitke.

Neokrnjena narava ter lepo ohranjena kulturna dediščina vsaka zase vabita na obisk. Domačini nas bodo sprejeli nasmejanih obrazov in odprtih rok. Možnosti za raziskovanje je veliko.

Poiščimo vasice z dolgo tradicijo in bogato zgodovino, arheološka najdišča, številne cerkvice in mogočne gradove, stare hiše in kašče ter muzejske zbirke. Vse to priča o življenju na planini, ob reki, v rudnikih, v jami, v gradu, v mestu … Doživeli bomo zapuščino naših dedkov in babic, si ogledali še ohranjene domačije, muzeje na prostem, značilne kozolce in zidanice. Vse to lahko odkrijemo na sprehodu, s kolesom, z vlakom pa tudi z avtomobilom.

V Srcu Slovenije lahko tudi prespimo – v hotelih, termah, domačih gostilnah s tradicijo ali na manj običajen način, na primer na seniku na turistični kmetiji. Podeželje bomo zares začutili šele, če se bomo nekaj dni zapored družili z domačini. Srce nam bo zaigralo v ritmu srčnosti ljudi, ki tukaj prebivajo in ustvarjajo. Poskusimo okusno domačo hrano, domača vina, sokove ali žganje ter si vzemimo čas za pogovor z gostoljubnimi domačini. Udeležimo se tradicionalne prireditve.

In the east of Ljubljana in the Heart of Slovenia, you can see how modern life and traditional life go together hand in hand. Traces of a long and interesting history mark the landscape here, especially along the rivers and at important crossroads. Archaeological sites, which are scattered about the area within no more than a few kilometres of each other, offer testimony to this region’s early settlements. The area’s favourable location attracted many who would try to seize the land. Thus, many fort churches and battlefields can be found here, and legends about bandits are preserved.

Unspoiled nature and beautifully preserved cultural heritage are both waiting for you. The locals will welcome you with big smiles and open arms. There is so much for you to explore: archaeological sites, numerous churches, magnificent castles, old houses, granaries, museum collections, and villages with long traditions and rich histories, all of which are a testament to life in the mountains, along the rivers, in the coal mines, in caves, in castles as well as in the city. Discover the heritage of the Slovene people – visit the still preserved homesteads, open-air museums as well as the typical kozolec and mason houses, all of which can be reached by foot, by bike, by train or by car.

In the Heart of Slovenia you can also stay overnight – in hotels, thermal spas, local guest houses with tradition or in more unusual places such as for example in a hay barn on a tourist farm. You will really get a feel for the countryside once you spend a couple of days with the locals.

Your heart will beat in the rhythm of the hearty people who live and work here. Taste delicious local food, wine, juice or brandy, take your time to talk with the hospitable locals, and attend one of the traditional events.

w w w.srce -slovenije.si w w w.hear tofslovenia.com

OBČINA DOL PRI L JUBL JANI V Srcu Slovenije

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MPI – Meeting Professionals International

Building Rich Communities in South-Eastern Europe The 1990s were not a kind time for meetings and industry in South Eastern Europe. Wars and regional instability seemed set on destroying what was a thriving region for meetings, events and conferences; the likes of Ljubljana, Bled, Portorož, Belgrade, Zagreb and Dubrovnik having hosted some of the largest regional, European and even global conferences.

One has only to look at the success of MPI in ‘neighbouring’ Poland.

Currently, the organisation is working with Poland to finalise its application for a Chapter Charter. The steering committee has been active in delivering local benefits for MPI members and industry professionals by organising quarterly educational meetings. In autumn of this year, MPI connected one hundred Polish and event professionals, with a further four meetings scheduled for 2009.

In putting this overview together, MPI has talked to a number of major players in the region, including Miha Kovačič, of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, Milan Čulić, Congress and Convention Director for EduCons Centre in Serbia, and Ulf Pauschardt of Kempinski Hotel Adriatic – all of whom have had first-hand experience in the development of the industry.

The potential of South East Europe is also illustrated by the success of MPI’s recent European Chapter Leader Forum, held in Prague in September, which attracted over sixty meeting professionals from the UK, France, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Norway, Poland, Denmark and the Netherlands. With direct flight access from all the European cities a real plus for attendees, the attention to detail and professionalism showed by all of MPI’s partners involved in the setting up and the organisation of the three day was highlighted by all attendees. Nearly 90 per cent felt that Prague was an excellent location for meetings and 79% would definitely consider the city as a destination for future events.

The region, now stabilised, has shed its negative image and emerged as a vibrant, developing region for the meetings industry.

Although facing stiff competition from other, more established European destinations, the region is becoming increasingly competitive. Slovenia, Croatia and Bulgaria now regularly rank among the top 50 conference destinations, with Romania and Serbia featuring in the top 100.

In fact, there is an advantage of being a lesser-known destination for those organisers looking for something a little different, especially bearing in mind that there are not many undiscovered parts of Europe left.

Two of the great benefits of the region for organisers are its good value for the money and that its many new and renovated venues and facilities can accommodate and serve a variety of meetings, conferences and exhibitions.

Additionally, recognising that it is young professionals within the industry who will drive the development of MPI in the future, the steering committed has organised a “Future Leaders Forum”, specifically targeted at students.

MPI is committed to a strategy of globalisation, recognising that two thirds of world growth will come from the so-called ‘emerging economies’. MPI is determined to push ahead with its community model to activate the energy of many cultures, peer groups, lifestyles, religions and skill sets – all ingredients needed for innovation and opportunity in a global organisation, meeting or event.

As MPI looks ahead to 2009, the future of the meetings industry in South East Europe looks bright. Countries are developing their meetings proposition and actively promoting what they have to offer internationally, whilst MPI continues to build rich communities in emerging markets, committed to bringing the meetings industry together to learn, network and grow business.

Also in favour of the region is the fact that many organisers are looking for countries and venues relatively close to home, so that delegates are not away from their offices for too long. This enables South-eastern Europe to position itself as a permanent and strong player in the worldwide meetings industry.

Joyce Dogniez MPI Director Operations, EMEA jdogniez@mpiweb.org

From a Meeting Professionals International perspective, as ‘emerging’ countries look to increase the numbers of meetings and events they hold, MPI aims to develop its international community by setting up local chapters. There is no doubt that South-eastern Europe will become a rich source for new members and chapters.

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Kongres - 2008

Maistra, d.d.

Kongresni turizem – vrh Maistrine ponudbe Maistra, d.d. je ena od vodilnih hotelirskih družb na Hrvaškem in je del koncerna Adris Grupa.

Njeni turistični objekti se nahajajo na prestižnih lokacijah v Rovinju in Vrsarju, dveh čudovitih istrskih turističnih središčih, ki ju krasijo izjemne naravne in kulturno-zgodovinske znamenitosti.

Maistra, d.d. si je zastavila ambiciozne načrte glede razvoja turističnega portfelja ter oblikovanja in graditve lastnih znamk turističnega produkta, ki ga odlikujejo najkakovostnejše vsebine in storitve.

V skladu z zastavljenimi načrti želi Maistra, d.d. postati sinonim za kakovosten turizem na Hrvaškem ter mednarodno uveljavljena gostinska znamka. Pogovarjali smo se z Ninoslavom Vidovićem, direktorjem prodaje in trženja.

Kakšna je bila letošnja turistična sezona in kakšni so trendi za prihodnje leto?

Maistra je v tej turistični sezoni s svojimi intenzivnimi trženjskimi in prodajnimi aktivnostmi dosegla močan napredek na področju prepoznavnosti Rovinja in Vrsarja kot najprivlačnejših turističnih destinacij na Jadranu ter same Maistre kot visokokakovostne turistične družbe. Rezultati poslovanja so izpolnili naša pričakovanja tako pri fizičnih kot finančnih kazalnikih (dvomestna rast prihodkov glede na enako obdobje lani). Samo v segmentu MICE smo dosegli 60-odstotno rast prihodkov glede na minulo leto, kar je v prvi vrsti rezultat razvoja in izgradnje vrhunskih hotelov ter dopolnilnih vsebin in storitev, ki predstavljajo osrednji del usmeritve Maistrinega petletnega strateškega investicijskega cikla.

bo zagotovila pogoje za brezhibno organizacijo kongresov in konferenc, tudi tistih najzahtevnejših.

Glede na to, da je cona Monte Mulini osrednji turistični produkt Maistre, je jasno, da bosta ekskluzivnost in kakovost dodatnih vsebin ravno pri tem produktu najvidnejši. Splet storitev v coni Monte Mulini bo v predsezoni in posezoni ponujal pestro paleto motivov za prihod, kar nam bo omogočilo, da produkt tržimo skupinam potrošnikov z zelo različnimi specialističnimi interesi ter zagotovimo bivanje, povezano s kongresi in seminarji, športom in rekreacijo, gastronomijo, zdravjem in wellnessom ter naravo in kulturo.

Kakšna bo pot družbe Maistra v smeri modernega turizma, ki ga označujejo čustva, nepozabne zgodbe in luksuzni turizem?

Kakšno bo vaše strateško umeščanje in kakšne blagovne znamke boste razvijali?

Sodoben koncept turizma vključuje vse kompleksnejšo zgradbo turističnega produkta. Turizem vedno bolj postaja panoga, ki svojo oporo išče v doživetjih in občutjih. Načelo ‘vrednost za denar’ (value for money) ni več edino – dopolnjujeta ga ‘izkušnje za denar’ (experience for money) in ‘občutenje za denar’ (emotion for money).

Hoteli in letovišča postajajo vsebinsko vse bogatejši, programi vse pestrejši, zahteve turistov pa vedno bolj prefinjene. Koncept naše celotne ponudbe, od nastanitvenih enot in storitev do vseh spremljajočih vsebin, postavlja v ospredje gosta in njegovo doživetje, kar je bistvo vseh naših zamisli in strategij. Maistra se pri razvoju

Prihajajočo sezono pričakujemo z velikim optimizmom, zlasti, če govorimo o segmentu MICE. Z zaključkom investicijskega cikla, ki bo zagotovil možnosti za nadaljnji in intenzivnejši razvoj omenjenega segmenta turistične ponudbe, bomo dosegli raven kakovosti, ki bo zagotovo prinesla tudi želene poslovne rezultate.

S kakšno ponudbo nameravate v prihodnosti v Istro privabljati nove kongresne goste?

Kongresni turizem predstavlja sam vrh Maistrine ponudbe. Hoteli Eden, Istra, Park in Pineta imajo skupaj 4 velike in 10 manjših konferenčnih dvoran, katerih celotna kongresna zmogljivost znaša približno 1.200 mest. Kljub temu bo za razvoj Maistrine ponudbe v segmentu MICE ključen zaključek naložb v coni Monte Mulini.

Kongresni center Monte Mulini, kot osrednji Maistrin produkt v segmentu MICE ter najboljši in najbolje opremljen kongresni center v regiji, bo vključeval štiri hotele – Lone, Monte Mulini, Eden in Park. Hotel Monte Mulini bomo predvidoma odprli konec leta 2008, naslednje leto pa bomo začeli graditi poslovni hotel Lone, ki bo hkrati tudi osrednji hotel kongresnega centra. Celoten kongresni center bo obsegal 30 dvoran, med katerimi bo lahko največja sprejela 700 udeležencev, v dvoranah pa bo na voljo skoraj 2.000 mest. Široka ponudba raznovrstnih dvoran različnih velikosti, povezana z vrhunsko storitvijo in najsodobnejšo opremo,

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Ninoslav Vidović Kongres - 2008

Hotel Lone celotnega turističnega potenciala močno opira na destinacijske znamke ter zagotavljanje avtentičnega istrskega, hrvaškega in mediteranskega vzdušja, ki vključuje tudi visoko personalizirano in gostoljubno storitev ter razvijanje sodobnih in konkurenčnih vsebin. Vse skupaj bo omogočilo oblikovanje resničnih doživetij z namenom zadovoljiti tudi potrebe najzahtevnejših gostov.

Kot primer lahko vzamemo naš novi ekskluzivni butični hotel Monte Mulini, ki je v mnogočem enkraten. Hotel je bil zgrajen po najvišjih mednarodnih standardih gostinskega sektorja. Po standardu opreme in osebja bo pripravljen na uvrstitev v ponudbo združenja Leading Hotels of the World, kar je novost na Hrvaškem.

Trgu bomo ponudili nekaj povsem novega, od spektakularnega preddverja in sob, ki imajo vse prekrasen pogled na morje, do vrhunske eno-gastronomske ponudbe, ki jo bodo oblikovali vodilni hrvaški strokovnjaki z omenjenega področja.

Kako pomembni so za novodobne turiste dizajn, eleganca in funkcionalnost? Kako temu sledite v vaši družbi?

V splošnem velja, da moderni kongresni turisti pričakujejo in iščejo maksimalno udobje, ki vključuje estetske in funkcionalne komponente celotne turistične ponudbe. Moderni gosti ne iščejo univerzalnosti, temveč sodoben ambient in enkratnost, ravno to pa zagotavljamo v Maistri. To dokazuje tudi nedavna uvrstitev našega hotela Lone v prestižno mednarodno kolekcijo Design Hotels AG. Hotel Lone je s tem postal prvi hrvaški hotel znotraj te svetovno znane znamke. Organizacija Design Hotels zahteva specifičen in izviren produkt, ki mora zagotoviti visoko raven storitve, vendar ni podvržen splošni standardizaciji, kot jo izvajajo znane svetovne hotelske verige.

Pri gradnji novih hotelov ter prenovi obstoječih se zavzemamo za ohranjanje enkratnosti, napredno arhitekturo in dizajn ter ubranost z lokacijo oziroma obstoječo dediščino.

Brezhiben dizajn in eleganca hotelov vsekakor puščata izjemen vtis pri gostih, enako pomembna pa je tudi sodobna tehnologija, ki mora ustrezno dopolnjevati vse vsebine znotraj kongresne ponudbe. Tako smo v Maistrinih objektih vlagali tudi v najsodobnejšo komunikacijsko tehnologijo, ki omogoča neoviran potek konferenc.

Poleg tega je Maistrino osebje posebej usposobljeno za kongresni

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segment poslovanja, tako da je udeležencem kongresov v vsakem trenutku zagotovljena brezhibna organizacija tudi najmanjših podrobnosti.

Kakšne prodajne kanale uporabljate? Ali ste vključeni v mednarodne prodajne sisteme?

Letos smo bistveno povečali celovite trženjske aktivnosti in se intenzivneje posvetili spletni prodaji ter promociji in načrtovanemu prodoru na nove trge. Ob tem smo nadaljevali izgradnjo kontinuiranega odnosa z obstoječimi in potencialnimi strankami, kar prispeva k vse večjemu zanimanju za Rovinj in Vrsar kot destinaciji.

Poleg tega se Maistra udeležuje vseh najpomembnejših kongresnih sejmov in delavnic – JATA, EIBTM, CONFEX, IMEX, Bedouk, Ediman – ter sodeluje z mednarodnimi konzorciji in organizacijami (Naseba, GHOTW) ipd. Ob tem naj poudarim, da je Maistra z letošnjim avgustom postala članica ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association), pomembnega svetovnega združenja na globalnem trgu MICE, ki šteje več kot 800 članic v 80 državah, deluje pa z namenom maksimizacije poslovnih možnosti ter dviga standardov na področju organizacije poslovnih sestankov in dogodkov.

Opazno je, da za trženje zelo učinkovito uporabljate internet. Ali v današnjem turizmu po vašem mnenju sploh še obstaja kakšna ciljna skupina, ki jo lahko na spletu spregledamo?

Internet je danes povsod navzoč pojav ter najhitreje rastoč trženjski in prodajni kanal. Noben drug medij, tako v svetu kot na Hrvaškem, ni imel tako dinamičnega razvoja kot internet. Po podatkih družbe Phocus Wright je evropski spletni potovalni trg v zadnjih letih vreden približno 40 milijard evrov. Čez pet do šest let lahko pričakujemo, da bodo potovanja, rezervirana prek medmrežja, obsegala 50 % celotnega prometa, čeprav so vedno možne nepričakovane spremembe, saj je turizem nepredvidljiva in občutljiva panoga.

Spletna promocija in prodaja sta v Maistri izjemno pomembni, saj dajeta zagon naši celotni razvojni strategiji. Čeprav v današnjem modernem času še vedno obstajajo ciljne skupine, ki interneta ne uporabljajo aktivno, ob tem imam v mislih starejšo populacijo Kongres - 2008

oziroma skupine z nižjimi prihodki, pa to za Maistro ni ovira, saj te ciljne skupine dosegamo prek klasičnih trženjskih kanalov.

Kako ocenjujete pomen t. i. spletnih družbenih mrež za trženje v turizmu? Kam lahko Facebook ali MySpace sežeta v prihodnosti?

Facebook je kot eden največjih fenomenov na medmrežju v zadnjem času in trenutno najhitreje rastoča medmrežna skupnost vsekakor pomemben dejavnik v sociološkem smislu, kot to v splošnem velja tudi za vse ostale spletne družbene mreže. Vedno priljubljenejše storitve, ki omogočajo druženje na medmrežju, vsak dan privabljajo vse večje število uporabnikov in so s tega vidika zagotovo zanimive tudi kot dodatno promocijsko orodje. Glede na to, da gre za svetovni trend, ki omogoča odlično povezovanje s poslovnimi strankami, menim, da je zelo uporabno orodje, saj omogoča tako družbeno mreženje kot sklepanje poslov. Maistra na področju tovrstne promocije oziroma vzpostavljanja stikov še ni povsem dejavna. Razen aplikacij, ki jih zagotavlja Facebook in prek katerih poskušamo uporabnikom medmrežja na čim zabavnejši način približati svoje produkte, ter ustanovljene skupine Maistra, na njem še nismo intenzivneje navzoči, vendar pa, upoštevajoč spletne družbene mreže kot operativne sisteme prihodnosti, ta možnost ni izključena.

Kako je s kadrom? Ali je kadra za potrebe širitve dovolj in katerih kadrov najbolj primanjkuje?

Zaposleni v turističnih objektih so stalno „na odru“, tj. v središču pozornosti gostov, ne glede na to, v katerem oddelku delajo, in imajo ključno vlogo pri ohranjanju zadovoljstva gostov. Ravno zaposleni dajejo tisti prvi in najpogosteje dokončni vtis o objektu, destinaciji ... Maistra je že zelo zgodaj prepoznala problem pomanjkanja kakovostnega kadra na trgu, zaradi česar smo začeli razvijati lasten kadrovski tim. Tako nenehoma vlagamo v snovanje in izvajanje lastnega sistema izobraževanja, ki je v celoti prilagojen našim potrebam.

Kako se pripravljate na prihajajočo krizo, ki bo zagotovo vplivala tudi na turizem? Ali razvijate kakšno od oblik kriznega trženja?

Intenzivne trženjske aktivnosti, ki jih Maistra izvaja vse leto, so začrtane v razvojni strategiji in temeljnih strateških ciljih, to pa je zlasti preoblikovanje Rovinja in Vrsarja v vrhunski luksuzni turistični destinaciji, ki bosta prevzeli vodilno vlogo na področju razvoja celotnega hrvaškega turizma. Naše trženjske aktivnosti vključujejo vse klasične trženjske kanale, spletno trženje in odnose z javnostmi. Trženjska infrastruktura Maistre je zelo prožna in je prilagojena trenutnemu stanju na trgu. Če na trgu pride do kakšnih sprememb, smo se na njih pripravljeni odzvati hitro in celovito.

Dostopnost je eden od ključnih pogojev za razvoj kongresnega turizma. Kako ta problem rešujete v Rovinju in kakšne spremembe se obetajo?

Danes je za vsakega resnega organizatorja kongresov izjemno pomembno, da poleg kakovostnih kongresnih zmogljivosti in vsebin zagotovi tudi dostopnost same destinacije. Tisto, kar je značilno za Maistro ter ji ob kakovostnih turističnih objektih in storitvah daje veliko prednost, je zemljepisni položaj Rovinja kot ene najbližjih sredozemskih kongresnih destinacij za države srednje in zahodne Evrope. Kakovostne cestne povezave ter bližina petih mednarodnih letališč so prednosti, ki jih cenijo vsi organizatorji in udeleženci kongresov. Naj ob tem omenim, da je Pulj z nekaterimi velikimi evropskimi središči že vzpostavil neposredne letalske povezave, katerih število se bo v prihodnosti še povečalo.

Kako osebno vidite razvojne priložnosti Rovinja? Kaj bi za razvoj turizma morala narediti občina?

Rovinj je destinacija z izjemnim turističnim potencialom, ki se kaže zlasti v bogastvu, raznovrstnosti in vrednosti kulturno-zgodovinske dediščine, izredno privlačnem naravnem okolju ter vrhunski ponudbi turističnih vsebin. Tisto, na čemer je treba še naprej intenzivno delati, da bi se v največji možni meri izkoristil potencial, ki ga to mesto ima, sta razvoj in plemenitenje turistične ponudbe, kar obenem vključuje njeno diverzifikacijo za določene tržne niše, s čimer bi zagotovili čim večji zemljepisni in segmentalni tržni doseg ter posledično celoletno turistično življenje destinacije. www.maistra.com

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eibtm

速

Where The World Meets

The Global Meetings & Incentives Exhibition Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

1st - 3rd December 2009

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www.eibtm.com

Maistra, d. d.

Congress Tourism – The Best of Maistra’s Offers Maistra d. d., is one of the leading hotel companies in Croatia and a part of the Adris Grupa business concern. Its tourist facilities can be found in prestigious locations such as Rovinj and Vrsar, two marvellous Istrian tourist towns adorned by extraordinary natural and culturally historical sights. Maistra d. d. has drawn up ambitious plans concerning the development of its tourist portfolio as well as the design and establishment of its own brands of tourist products, distinguished by the highest- quality contents and services. In accordance with set goals, Maistra d. d. wants to become a byword for quality tourism in Croatia and an internationally known brand name. We have been talking to Ninoslav Vidović, the sales and marketing director.

What has this year’s tourist season been like and what are the trends for the next year?

In this tourist season, Maistra has, with its intensive marketing and sales activities, made great progress in the field of Rovinj’s and Vrsar’s visibility as the most attractive tourist destinations in Adriatic, and of Maistra itself as a high-quality tourist company.

Business results have fulfilled our expectations with the physical as well as financial indicators (double-figure growth in comparison with the same period last year). In comparison with the last year, we have achieved growth of 60-per-cent just in the MICE segment, which is primarily a result of the development and construction of top-level hotels and additional contents and services, representing the central part of the direction of Maistra’s five-year strategic investment cycle.

We are awaiting the coming season with great optimism, especially if we speak of the MICE segment. By concluding the investment cycle, which will provide possibilities for further and more active development of the mentioned segment of the tourist offer, we will achieve a level of quality which will surely produce the desired business results.

With what offer do you intend to attract new congress guests to Istria in the future?

Congress tourism represents the best of Maistra’s offers. The Eden, Istra, Park and Pineta hotels have 4 big and 10 smaller conference halls altogether, with a total congress capacity of 1,200 seats. Nevertheless, the key to the development of Maistra’s offer in the MICE segment will be the winding up of the investments in the Monte Mulini zone. Being the main Maistra product in the MICE segment, as well as the best and best equipped congress centre in the region, the Monte Mulini congress centre will include 4 hotels – Lone, Monte Mulini, Eden and Park. The Monte Mulini hotel is expected to be opened at the end of 2008, and next year, we will start construction on the Lone business hotel, which will be the central hotel of the congress centre. The entire congress centre will encompass 30 halls, among which the largest will accommodate

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700 participants, and there will be almost 2,000 seats available in the halls. A wide range of halls of various sizes, together with the premium service and state-of-the-art equipment, will definitely provide conditions for an impeccable organization of congresses and conferences, including the most demanding.

Considering that the Monte Mulini zone is Maistra’s main tourist product, it is clear that exclusivity as well as the quality of additional contents of this product will be its most prominent features. In the pre-season and after-season, the service network in the Monte Mulini zone will offer a various range of reasons for a visit, which will enable us to market the product to groups of consumers with very different interests, and provide accommodation in connection with congresses and seminars, sports and recreation, gastronomy, health and wellness, nature and culture.

Which direction will the company Maistra take, in the area of modern tourism, which is marked by feelings, memorable stories and luxury? What will your strategic incorporation be like and what brand names will you develop?

A contemporary tourist concept includes, more and more, a complex structure of a tourist product. Tourism is becoming a line of business which seeks its support in experiences and perceptions. The principle »value for money« is not the only one anymore; it is complemented by »experience for money« and »emotion for money«. Hotels and resorts are becoming richer in content, programmes more varied, and the demands of tourists more and more refined. The concept of our entire offer, from the accommodation capacities and services to all accompanying content, puts in the foreground our guests and their experience, which is the essence of all our ideas and strategies. At the development of the whole tourist potential, Maistra relies on destination brands, providing an authentic Istrian, Croatian and Mediterranean, which also includes highly individualized and hospitable service and the development of modern and competitive contents. All of these, taken together, will enable guests to enjoy a genuine experience, and thus will fulfill the needs of even the most demanding guests.

We can take Monte Mulini, our new exclusive boutique hotel and unique in many ways, as an example. The hotel was built with regard to the highest standards of the catering sector. As far as the equipment and staff standards, it will be suitable for placement into the offers of the »Leading Hotels of the World« association, which is new in Croatia. We will offer something new on the market; from a spectacular lobby and rooms with a beautiful view of the sea to exquisite gastronomic offerings designed by leading Croatian culinary experts.

How important are design, elegance and functionality for modern tourists? How do you keep track of that in your company?

In general, it is true that modern congress tourists expect and look for maximum comfort, which includes aesthetic and functional components of the whole tourist offer. Modern guests do not look for universality, but rather modern ambience and uniqueness, and this is exactly what we provide in Maistra. The latest classification of our Lone hotel into the prestigious international Design Hotels AG collection is proof of that. The Lone hotel has, in this way, become the first Croatian hotel within the world-famous brand name.

The Design Hotels organization requires a specific and original product, which must provide a high level of service, nevertheless, it is not subject to the general standardization brought about by

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Hotel Monte Mulini

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well-known international hotel chains.

In building new hotels and renovating already-existing ones, we strive to preserve the uniqueness, advanced architecture, design, and harmony of a given location or existing heritage.

The impeccable design and elegance of the hotels certainly make an impression on guests. Equally important is the state-of-theart technology, which has to supplement all contents within the congress offer in a suitable way. Therefore, we have also invested in the best state-of-the-art communication technology in Maistra’s facilities, for conferences to run smoothly. Besides this, Maistra’s staff is specially trained for the congress business, providing an impeccable organization of even the most minor details for congress participants at all times.

What sales channels do you use? Are you a part of international sales systems?

This year, we have substantially increased integral marketing activities and more actively devoted ourselves to web sale and promotion and have planned our entry into new markets. We have also continued to build a continuous relationship with existing and potential customers, thus contributing to growing interest in Rovinj and Vrsar as destinations.

In addition, Maistra also attends all most important congress fairs and workshops, i.e. JATA, EIBTM, CONFEX, IMEX, Bedouk, Ediman, and works together with international consortiums and organizations (Naseba, GHOTW, etc.). Let me stress that this August, Maistra became a member of ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association), an important worldwide association on the global MICE market. This association has more than 800 members from 80 countries, and operates with the goal of maximizing business possibilities and raising standards in the field of business meetings and events organization.

It is noticeable that you are successful at using the Internet as a marketing tool. In your opinion, is there any target audience in today’s tourism which can be overlooked in the World Wide Web? The Internet is today a phenomenon present everywhere, and the fastest growing marketing and sales channel. No other medium in the world, including Croatia, has developed in such a dynamic way as the Internet. According to the data of the Phocus Wright company, the European web tourism market is worth around 40 billion Euros, as of the last several years. In five or six years, we expect that travel booked on the web will comprise 50 % of total turnover, although unexpected changes may always turn up, because tourism is an unpredictable and touchy line of business.

Website promotion and sales are very important in Maistra, because they provide impetus for our entire development strategy.

Even though there are still target audiences in these modern times which do not actively use the Internet, especially the older generation or groups with lower incomes, this does not represent a hindrance for Maistra because we reach these target audiences through classic marketing channels.

How do you assess the importance of the so called “web company networks” for tourism marketing? How far can Facebook or MySpace reach in the future?

Being one of the biggest phenomena on the Internet lately, and momentarily the fastest- growing Internet community, Facebook is by all means an important factor in a sociological sense. In general, the same goes for all other web company networks.

These services, which are getting more and more popular all the time, enable socializing on the Internet and attract an increasing number of users every day, and are in this view, certainly interesting as an additional promotional tool . Considering that it is a worldwide trend, enabling an easy connection with potential business clients , I think that it is a very useful tool because it gives opportunities for company networking as well as doing business.

Maistra is not yet completely active in the field of such promotion or making contacts. Except the applications provided by Facebook,

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through which we are trying to introduce our products to Internet users in as fun a way as possible, and the Maistra group which we founded, we are not yet actively present on the world wide web.

However, the consideration of web company networks as future operative systems has not been eliminated as a possibility.

How is the situation with staff? Are there enough staff for the needs of development and which staff, if any, is there a lack of?

Employees in tourism are constantly »on stage«, i.e. in the centre of guests’ attention, irrespective of in which department they work.

They play the key role in keeping the guests satisfied. Employees provide the first and, most often, final impression of a building, destination, etc. Maistra recognized the problem of lack of quality staff on the market at an early stage, and thus started training its own staff team. We therefore constantly invest in the planning and execution of our own training system, which is entirely adjusted to our needs.

How are you preparing for the upcoming crisis, which will undoubtedly influence tourism as well? Are you working on any form of crisis marketing?

Active marketing activities, carried out by Maistra all year long, are outlined in the development strategy and fundamental strategic goals; these include, in particular, redesigning Rovinj and Vrsar as top-notch luxurious tourist destinations, which will take over a leading role in the development of all tourism in Croatia. Our marketing activities include all the classic marketing channels, Internet marketing and public relations. Maistra’s marketing infrastructure is very flexible and is adjusted to the momentary state of the market. If there are changes on the market, we are ready to react quickly and holistically to them.

Accessibility is one of the key conditions for the development of congress tourism. How do you deal with this problem in Rovinj and what changes are being expected?

Nowadays, it is extremely important for each serious congress organizer to assure the accessibility of the destination itself, in addition to quality congress accommodation and content.

What is typical of Maistra, and what makes it more competitive among quality tourist facilities and services, is the geographical position of Rovinj as one of the closest Mediterranean congress destinations for the countries of Central and Western Europe. Good road connections and the proximity of five international airports are advantages appreciated by all the organizers and participants of congresses. Let me just mention here that Pula has already established direct airline connections with some major European cities, the number of which will only increase in the future.

How do you, personally, see the development opportunities of Rovinj? What should the municipality do for the development of tourism?

Rovinj is a destination with extraordinary tourist potential, expressed particularly in the wealth, diversity and value of its cultural andhistorical heritage, extremely attractive natural environment and top-notch offers for tourists. In order to use the potential this town has as much as possible, further development and enrichment of tourist attractions are fields that need to be actively pursued. At the same time, this means its diversification for certain market niches, for which we would provide an even broader geographical and segment marketing range, and consequently whole-year-round tourist season for the destination. www.maistra.com

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9/26/08 12:07:47 PM

Novice iz Jugovzhodne Evrope

Vojna za nadarjene

Srečanje SEE Culture Corridors se začenja v Srbiji

E

C

ultural Corridors (Kulturni hodniki) so novo orodje za politiko regionalnega razvoja, ki ga je kot pilotni projekt izdelal Svet Evrope, da bi dosegel vrsto med seboj povezanih ciljev: dobičke v gospodarstvu za posameznike in skupnosti, ki sodelujejo pri ustvarjalni izmenjavi, trajnostni razvoj, medkulturni dialog in kulturo sodelovanja, pa tudi napredek glede kulturnih pravic vseh udeleženih delničarjev. Tri dni je Beograd gostil strokovnjake s področij turizma, vinogradništva in kulture iz jugovzhodne in srednje Evrope. »Udeleženci srečanja so lahko okusili nepozabno beograjsko gostoljubnost. Mnogi so nam sporočili in potrdili, da so se čutili privilegirane, da so lahko tako bogato doživeli Beograd,« pravi Madelena Grossmann z oddelka za regionalno sodelovanje Cultural Corridors in kulturno izmenjavo pri Svetu Evrope.

Prva konferenca zdravstvenega turizma v regiji S

rbija je gostila konferenco, namenjeno zdravstvenemu turizmu.

Namen te konference je bil ustvariti in okrepiti blagovno znamko Srbije kot priljubljene destinacije zdravstvenega turizma. Eno od izhodišč konference je bila medpodjetniška izmenjava (B2B), da bi se s kupci dogovorili, naj usmerijo dotok bolnikov v Srbijo.

Vsi udeleženci so se poučili o najnovejših trendih v zdravstvenem turizmu. V teh osmih dneh so imeli mednarodni strokovnjaki in kupci, ki so bili gostje na konferenci, priložnost odkrivati Srbijo in njen potencial za zdravstveni turizem, še zlasti zasebne klinike in zdravilišča v Srbiji. Ta konferenca je rezultat skupnih prizadevanj pravkar ustanovljenega Srbskega združenja za zdravstveni turizem in Kongresnega urada Srbije.

Srbija, srce Donave Od 3. do 5. decembra bodo potekali trije dogodki – 37. generalna skupščina združenja Serbia Danube Tourist Commission ter dve konferenci: 12. konferenca o ladijskem prometu po Donavi (Danube Shipping Conference) in 2. konferenca o kolesarjenju v Podonavju (Danube Bicycle Conference). Pričakujejo, da se bo dogodkov udeležilo 200 uglednih strokovnjakov s področij morskega prevoza in turizma, pa tudi predstavniki mednarodnih organizatorjev potovanj in križarjenj ter predstavniki vlad iz podonavske regije.

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IAT (Education and Industry Advancing Together – Izobraževanje in gospodarska panoga napredujeta skupaj) je prireditev, kjer se srečajo profesorji, najboljši študenti in zainteresirane strani v tej gospodarski panogi na enem kraju, in je edino takšno srečanje v Srbiji in v balkanski regiji. Glavni cilj konference EIAT je postaviti temelje za vzgojo najboljših mladih vodij v industriji, ki bodo usposobljeni za iskanje rešitev za najzahtevnejše izzive glede razvoja destinacij in poslovnega turizma. Prva konferenca EIAT je bila septembra v Novem Sadu v Srbiji, kjer so si študentje iz te regije, mednarodni profesorji in svetovno priznani strokovnjaki izmenjali mnenja in pričakovanja ter postavili temelje za usposabljanje najboljših mladih vodij v tej panogi na Balkanu in v svetovnem merilu.

Uspešna kongresna sezona v Hotelu Croatia V nenehnem prizadevanju za dvig kakovosti hotelskih storitev je

Hotel Croatia v celoti prenovil namestitvene zmogljivosti za sezono 2008, tako da so po ponovnem odprtju hotela v maju goste pričakale na novo urejene sobe sodobnega dizajna.

Kljub skrajšanemu obdobju obratovanja je Hotel Croatia v letošnji kongresni sezoni gostil več pomembnih mednarodnih srečanj, med njimi 10. konferenco Design, konferenco o celičnih signalih in molekularni medicini EMBO, kongres podjetja Volvo, 4. mednarodno konferenco From Solid State to Biophysics, Generalno skupščino Evropskega združenja proizvajalcev detergentov (AISE), sestanek pediatrov Mediterana, mednarodni kongres EEMS o mutagenezi v življenjskem okolju, 5. mednarodno konferenco o odpadnih vodah in zaščiti obale ter tradicionalno, letos jubilejno 30. konferenco ITI o informacijski tehnologiji. Pred koncem letošnje kongresne sezone je Hotel Croatia gostil tudi 5. zbor hrvaških gradbenikov na temo Hrvaško gradbeništvo pred izzivi evropskih integracij, 8. simpozij o organizaciji vodenja elektroenergetskih sistemov v organizaciji HRO Cigre in Generalno skupščino Svetovne radioamaterske federacije (IARU), z več kot 250 sodelujočimi z vsega sveta.

Leto, v katerem praznuje 35. obletnico obratovanja, je Hotel Croatia pričakal tudi s certifikatom upravljanja kakovosti ISO 9001, pred kratkim pa mu je bil dodeljen tudi mednarodni certifikat ISO 22000 za vodenje varnosti živil.

Hotel Croatia bo zaprt od 23. novembra do začetka marca prihodnjega leta, ko se bo začela nova kongresna sezona. Pričakovati je, da se bo pozitivni trend povišanja v segmentu kongresnega poslovanja nadaljeval, ker trenutno stanje rezervacij napoveduje številne ugledne mednarodne kongrese vse do leta 2012, za leto 2009 pa se že zdaj kaže rast za 15 odstotkov v segmentu kongresnih rezervacij. www.hoteli-croatia.hr

Kongres - 2008

George Weinländer odhaja s funkcije generalnega direktorja Hotela Croatia, d.d.

George Weinländer je bil generalni direktor Hotela Croatia zadnji

dve leti, na tem mestu je zamenjal dolgoletnega predsednika uprave, mag. Frana Tomšića. Funkcijo generalnega direktorja je gospod Weinländer uradno prenehal opravljati 12. oktobra 2008, novi direktor Hotela Croatia pa je od tega datuma Željko Rešetar, dosedanji direktor Hotela Odisej na Mljetu. Željko Rešetar si je svoje bogate izkušnje v hotelirstvu pridobival na Hrvaškem in v Združenih državah Amerike, kjer se je šolal in pridobil diplome iz poslovnega upravljanja in hotelirstva. Med 12-letnim bivanjem v ZDA je gospod Rešetar opravljal vodilne funkcije v hotelu Torrance Plaza in v hotelski verigi Forte Hotels v Kaliforniji, leta 1993 pa je postal vodja projekta za usposabljanje osebja in upraviteljev hotelov v skupini Holiday Inn World Wide ter za prilagajanje za uporabo standardiziranih informacijskih sistemov za hotelsko verigo Holiday Inn.

moram priznati, da so mnogi o tem podvomili. V družbi svetovne hotelske elite smo nocoj v Popradu s to nagrado potrdili, da je hotel Le Meridien Lav ne le prišel v izbrano družbo desetih najboljših, temveč je, po mnenju stroke – najboljši evropski konferenčni hotel.« Prizadevanja je potrdil tudi Slavko Bošnjak, prav tako solastnik hotela Le Meridien Lav: »Priznanje World Travel Award tako meni kot tudi hotelu pomeni veliko. Zagotovo nam bo v pomoč, ko si prizadevamo predstaviti Hrvaško kot destinacijo, ki jo svetovni trgi šele morajo odkriti, zlasti v segmentu kongresnega turizma.

V hotelu zelo dobro vemo, da ima Split dobro ponudbo, ko gre za konference in motivacijske programe, zato nam bo ta nagrada pomagala v prizadevanjih, da organizatorje konferenc spodbudimo, da se vsaj seznanijo z možnostmi, ki jim jih ponujata Hrvaška in hotel Le Meridien Lav Split. Skupaj z vodstvom hotela smo si zastavili cilj doseči visoke standarde 'najboljše prakse' v vseh vidikih poslovanja, konkurenca pa naj jih poskuša spremljati.«

V petih letih dela za hotelsko verigo Holiday Inn je gospod Rešetar napredoval do položaja direktorja hotela Holiday Inn v Lancaster Countyju v Pennsylvaniji, kjer je tudi pridobil certifikat General Manager s strani Holiday Inn Hospitality Corporation.

Potem, ko se je l. 1998 vrnil na Hrvaško, je Željko Rešetar opravljal dolžnost direktorja Hotela Odisej na Mljetu, dva semestra pa je bil predavatelj na American College of Management and Technology v Dubrovniku.

Velik uspeh hotela Le Meridien Lav na letošnji podelitvi svetovnih turističnih oskarjev Na podelitvi prestižnih turističnih nagrad World Travel Awards,

ki je bila sredi oktobra v slovaškem Poprad Aquacity Resortu, je hotel Le Meridien Lav prejel kar tri priznanja, in sicer v kategorijah vodilnega evropskega konferenčnega hotela, vodilnega hrvaškega hotela in vodilnega hrvaškega spa hotela. Le Meridien Lav je tako prejel nagrade v vseh kategorijah, v katerih je bil nominiran, in je uspešno turistično sezono zaključil na najboljši možni način.

Pomembnost tega priznanja je tem večja, če se spomnimo, da so bili poleg hotela Le Meridien Lav za najboljši evropski konferenčni hotel nominirani tudi ugledni hoteli Conrad Istanbul, grški Divani Apollon Palace & Spa, Dubrovnik Palace, Conference Centre and Spa Grand Hotel Stockholm, Hotel Gothia Towers iz Švedske, Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Renaissance Zürich Hotel, Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Sheraton Hotel & Convention Centre Ankara in Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Center.

Ob podelitvi priznanj je Ivica Kurtović, eden od solastnikov hotela Le Meridien Lav, v kratkem orisal obdobje izgradnje hotela: »Ko sem šel v projekt nakupa in obnove hotela Lav, sem večkrat izjavil, da bomo zgradili enega od desetih najboljših hotelov v Evropi, in

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Travel Awards je ena najbolj prestižnih svetovnih turističnih organizacij, ki že 15 let odkriva, ocenjuje in nagrajuje vrhunske dosežke v vseh segmentih svetovne turistične industrije.

Njihovo priznanje slovi kot eno najboljših priporočil katerega koli turističnega proizvoda, ocenjevanje pa je razdeljeno na osem zemljepisnih področij: Evropa, Azija/Pacifik, Karibi, Srednja in Latinska Amerika, Afrika, Bližnji vzhod ter Severna in Južna Amerika, da bi kar se da nepristransko pokrili vse segmente najhitreje rastoče svetovne industrije.

Izčrpne informacije, galerijo fotografij in tudi celotno listo zmagovalcev lahko najdete na www.worldtravelawards.com.

Odprt Premier Halls v nekdanjem Hotelu Jugoslavija O

dprt je novi banketni/konferenčni prostor Premier Halls v nekdanjem Hotelu Jugoslavija. Dvorane lahko sprejmejo od 10 do 2000 ljudi, pohvalijo pa se lahko z najlepšim razgledom na Donavo, najboljšo lokacijo v mestu, parkirnim prostorom za sodelujoče v dogajanjih, avtopralnico, kakor tudi z vrhunsko hrano, pijačo in postrežbo, tudi v nekaj vrhunskih restavracijah, ki delujejo po sistemu storitev »à la carte«. V novembru in decembru ponujajo posebej oblikovane promocijske cene. Več na: www.restoranada. co.rs.

Kongres - 2008

News from South-Eastern Europe

SEE Culture Corridor Starts in Serbia Cultural Corridors are a new policy tool for regional development,

created by the Council of Europe as a pilot project, with the aim of achieving a set of interconnected objectives: economic gains for individuals and communities, involved in a creative exchange; Sustainable development, Intercultural dialogue and a culture of cooperation, as well as the Advancement of the cultural rights of all concerned stakeholders. For 3 days, Belgrade has hosted SEE and CE experts from the fields of tourism, vine and culture. »The participants of the meeting were given an unforgettable taste of Belgrade hospitality. We have received many messages from them, attesting to the fact that they felt very privileged by their fruitful experience in Belgrade.« says Ms Madelena Grossmann, Cultural Corridors and Cultural Exchange Regional Co-operation Division, Council of Europe.

1st Medical Tourism Conference in Region S

erbia has hosted a conference, specialized in Medical Tourism.

The aim of the conference was to establish and reinforce Serbia’s brand name as a preferred medical travel destination. One of the aspects of the Conference was the B2B exchange, whose purpose was to arrange buyers to direct an inflow of patients to Serbia.

All the participants updated themselves on the latest Medical Travel trends. During the 8 days of the conference, international experts and guest buyers had the chance to discover Serbia and its potential for Medical Tourism, especially with private clinics and spas around the country. This conference was the result of joint activities of the recently-t established Serbian Association of Medical Tourism and the Serbian Convention Bureau.

Serbia, the Heart of the Danube From the 3rd to the 5th of December, the 37th Serbia Danube Tourist Commission General Assembly – including the 12th Danube Shipping Conference and 2nd Danube Bicycle Conference- will be taking place. The participation of 200 prominent experts in the fields of shipping and tourism, as well as representatives of international tour operators, cruising companies, and government representatives from the Danube region is expected.

challenges of destination and tourism product development. The 1st EIAT Conference was in Novi Sad, Serbia in September, and students from the region, as well as international professors and world renowned professionals, shared expertise and expectations with each other and together they created a platform of the best young leaders in their industry in the Balkans and around the world.

A Successful Season of Meetings at the Croatia Hotel Constantly endeavouring towards greater quality in their hotel

services, the Croatia Hotel fully refurbished its accommodation capacities for the 2008 season, so that the May opening of the hotel witnessed guests enjoying their new rooms, redesigned according to modern designs.

Despite the shorter period of operation, this season the Croatia Hotel hosted numerous important meetings, including the 10th Design Conference, the EMBO Conference on Cell Signalling and Molecular Medicine, Congress of the Volvo company, the 4th International From Solid State to Biophysics Conference, the General Assembly of the International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products (AISE), the Meeting of the Paediatricians of the Mediterranean, the International Congress of EEMS on Environmental Mutagenesis, the 5th International Conference on Marine Waste Water Discharges and Coastal Environment and the 30th International Conference on Information Technology Interfaces.

Just before this year’s season came to an end, the Croatia Hotel also hosted the 5th Annual Conference of the Croatian Association of Civil Engineers on Croatian Civil Engineering Facing the Challenges of European Integrations and the 8th Symposium on Power System Management organised by HRO Cigre and the General Assembly of the International Amateur Radio Union, bringing together more than 250 participants from all over the world.

In its 35th year of operation, the Croatia Hotel also implemented the ISO 9001 quality management standard and was also recently awarded the international ISO 22000 standard for food safety management systems.

The Croatia Hotel will close its doors on 23 November and remain closed until next March, when the new season of congresses and conventions is to open. It is to be expected that the positive trend of increases in the segment of operations in the meetings industry will continue, as current bookings indicate numerous renowned international congresses until the year 2012, while the year 2009 already indicates a 15 percent growth in the segment of bookings related to the meetings industry. www.hoteli-croatia.hr

War for Talent EIAT-Education and Industry Advancing Together- is an event

that gathers professors, top students and industry stakeholders in one place and is the only one of its kind in Serbia and, indeed, all of the Balkans. The main objective of EIAT is to create a platform of the best young leaders in the industry, that will be educated to give answers on the most demanding

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George Weinländer Left the Position of the Hotel Manager of the Croatia Hotel G

eorge Weinländer performed the function of the hotel manager of the Croatia Hotel d.d. company for the last two years, having taken the position from the company’s long-term Chairman of the Board, Frane Tomšić, MSc. Mr. Weinländer officially held the position of hotel manager until 12 October 2008, when it was taken over by Željko Rešetar, previously hotel manager of the Odisej Hotelj on the Island of Mljet. Željko Rešetar gained his rich experience in the hotel industry in Croatia and the United States, where he studied obtaining degrees inboth business and hotel management. During his 12 years of living in the United States, Mr. Rešetar held management functions at the Torrance Plaza and Forte Hotels in California, while in 1993 he was appointed head of staff and hotel managers training project of Holiday Inn World Wide hotels, as well as overseeing adjustments for the use of standardised information systems at the Holiday Inn hotel chain.

In his five years of working for the Holiday Inn chain, Mr. Rešetar was promoted to hotel manager of the Holiday Inn in Lancaster County in Pennsylvania, where he obtained the General Manager certificate from the Holiday Inn Hospitality Corporation.

After returning to Croatia in 1998, Mr. Rešetar worked as hotel manager of the Odisej Hotel on the Island of Mljet and lectured for two semesters at the College of Management and Technology in Dubrovnik.

Big Success for the Le Meridien Lav Hotel at this Year’s Travel Oscars

this award confirms that the Le Meridien Lav is not only among the 10 best, but according to the experts event, the best European conference hotel.« These endeavours were also corroborated by Slavko Bošnjak, also a co-owner of the Le Meridien Lav Hotel, saying »The World Travel Award means a lot to both me and the hotel. It will undoubtedly assist us in our endeavours to present Croatia as a destination, which is still to be discovered by the world markets, especially in the meetings industry. We at our hotel are well aware that Split has a good offer, both with regard to conferences as well as incentives, so this award will help us stimulate conference organisers to at least acquaint themselves with the possibilities that Croatia and the Le Meridien Lav Split have to offer. Together with the hotel’s management, we have set it as our aim to achieve high standards in all aspects of operation, which will be the envy of the competition.«

World Travel Awards The World Travel Awards is one of the most prestigious world

tourist organisations, which has for the past 15 years been discovering, appraising and awarding top achievements in all segments of world tourism.

Their award is recognised as one of the best references of any tourist product, while the awards are divided among eight geographical areas: Europe, Asia/Pacific, the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, Middle East and North and South America, so as to cover all segments of the world’s fastest growing industry in an unbiased manner.

Extensive information, a photo gallery and the entire list of the winners can be found at www.worldtravelawards.com.

A

t the prestigious World Travel Awards, organised on 14 October 2008 at the Slovakian Aquacity Resort, the Le Meridien Lav Hotel was given awards in three categories – Europe’s Leading Conference Hotel, Croatia’s Leading Hotel, and Croatia’s Leading Spa Resort. Le Meridien Lav thus received awards in all of the three categories in which it was nominated, concluding the tourist season in the best possible way.

The importance of this recognition is even bigger, if we consider the renowned hotels which were nominated next to the Le Meridien Lav in the category of Europe’s Leading Conference Hotel: Conrad Istanbul, the Greek Divani Apollon Palace & Spa, Dubrovnik Palace, Conference Centre and Spa of the Grand Hotel Stockholm, Hotel Gothia Towers in Sweden, Hotel Okura Amsterdam, Renaissance Zürich Hotel, Ritz-Carlton Berlin, Sheraton Hotel & Convention Centre Ankara and the Sheraton Roma Hotel & Conference Center.

Premier Halls Opens at the Former Yugoslavia Hotel A

new banquet hall/conference facility, the Premier Halls, opens at the former Yugoslavia Hotel. The halls can accommodate from 10 to as many as 2,000 guests, while they also boast the most beautiful view of the Danube, the best location in town, parking places for all event participants, a carwash and also top quality food, drinks and service in our top quality a la carte restaurants. In November and December, they offer special promotional prices. www.restoranada.co.rs.

Here is how one of the co-owners of the Le Meridien Lav Hotel, Ivica Kurtović, briefly outlined the period of the hotel’s construction: »When I began with the project of the purchase and refurbishing of the Lav Hotel, I said many times that we will construct one of the 10 best hotels in Europe and I must say that many doubted my words. Tonight, here in Poprad, in the company of the world elite,

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Ljubljanski cukrčki

Ljubljana Candies

Poletno gledališče Križanke

Križanke Summer Theatre

Poletno gledališče Križanke, nekdaj najstarejši samostan v Ljubljani, ki ga je sredi 13. stoletja ustanovil Križniški red in v petdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja obsežno prenovil arhitekt Jože Plečnik, sodi med najlepša in najbolj akustična prizorišča na prostem v Sloveniji. Z velikim odrom, orkestrskim prostorom in zmogljivostjo 1.270 sedežev je ta poseben ambient namenjen predvsem scensko glasbenim uprizoritvam, simfoničnim koncertom, gledališkim produkcijam, kakor tudi pop / rock, etno in jazz koncertom. Ob nekaterih večjih prireditvah (kongresi, dogodki protokolarne ali politične narave, itd.) pa se občasno spremeni v posebno prizorišče za dogodke. V gledališču je tudi velika premična streha, ki omogoča potek prireditev tudi ob slabšem vremenu.

Najbolj značilen in opazen element v preddverju Križank (do 600 sedežev in do 800 gostov za stoječe pogostitve), kjer si je Plečnik sprva zamislil gledališče na prostem, so zidovi, obdelani s plastično izstopajočimi figurami, ki izhajajo iz češke srednjeveške umetnosti (sgraffitna dekoracija). Posebno pozornost pa je Plečnik namenil oblikovanju talnih plošč osrednjega atrija v enovitem rastru, ki združuje različnost arhitekture v prostoru. Uporabnost preddverja je zelo raznolika, saj je ta prostor ustrezen tako za umetniške predstave vseh zvrsti, kakor tudi za večje sprejeme in pogostitve.

Najbolj slikovito prizorišče v kompleksu Križank je Peklensko dvorišče, ki ga je Plečnik prvotno preoblikoval za komorne prireditve. Vanj je vzidal mrežo luči, ki ustvarja iluzijo zvezdnega neba. Ta prostor je v toplejših mesecih s svojo čarobnostjo nadvse primeren za družabne dogodke, predvsem sprejeme, z zmogljivostjo do 150 gostov. Še en prireditveni prostor v kompleksu Križank je Viteška dvorana, ki je urejena v nekdanjem samostanskem refektoriju.

The Križanke Open Air Theatre, formerly the oldest monastery in the city and belonging to the Teutonic Knights since the mid13th century, was renovated according to the plans of architect Jože Plečnik in the 1950s, and is now considered as one of the most beautiful and acoustic open-air venues in Slovenia. The big stage, with an orchestra pit, is suitable for various theatre and music stagings, symphonic concerts, theatre productions as well as pop/rock, ethno and jazz concerts. The auditorium, with a total capacity of 1,270, is also occasionally used as a special venue for larger gatherings and receptions, such as congresses, protocols or governmental events. The theatre is equipped with a large, sliding roof, which makes performances and other events possible even in bad weather.

A distinctive feature of the open-air Entrance Hall is the graffiti on its walls, which were adorned with bas-relief figurines inspired

by Czech medieval art. Special attention was also dedicated to a uniform pavement pattern, that functions as a link between the various architectural elements of the Entrance Hall. This beautiful space can be used for concerts or other performances (up to 600 guests), but on top of this, it is a popular function venue for receptions in the warmer months, allowing for a maximum of 800 guests.

The Devil’s Courtyard, possibly the most picturesque setting in the Križanke complex, was originally designed by Plečnik to serve as a venue for small chamber performances. It is characterised by a net of lights built into the walls, which lend the impression of a starry sky. The Devil's Courtyard is a charming setting for receptions with up to 150 guests. Another function space within Križanke is the Knights' Hall, once the monastery's refectory.

The Križanke complex boasts an excellent downtown location and can be reached on foot from several hotels. It’s the first neighbour to the City Museum, another exquisite function venue in Ljubljana.

www.ljubljanafestival.si www.ljubljanafestival.si

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Ljubljanski cukrčki

Ljubljana Candies

Slovenska filharmonija

The Slovenian Philharmonic

Sedež Slovenske filharmonije je v stavbi, nekoč imenovani Tonhalle, ki je bila l. 1891 zgrajena na pogorišču nekdanjega Stanovskega gledališča. Sama lokacija je reprezentativna, saj se s čelne strani stavbe pogled odpira na Kongresni trg, zadnja fasada pa gleda proti nabrežju Ljubljanice in Grajskemu hribu.

Slovenska filharmonija je danes visoko cenjena glasbena ustanova, ki jo odlikuje več kot 300-letna tradicija, na katero so ponosni vsi ljubitelji glasbe. Orkester SF uspešno nadgrajuje dediščino predhodnic in si je s svojim glasbenim poustvarjanjem ustvaril ugled ob nastopih tako na domačih koncertnih odrih, kot tudi na številnih nastopih v tujini.

V stavbi Slovenske filharmonije, ki je bila nazadnje temeljito prenovljena l. 2001, sta dve dvorani. Velika, imenovana po skladatelju Marjanu Kozini (1907-1966) je predvsem koncertna, medtem ko je mala dvorana, imenovana po skladatelju Slavku Ostercu (1895-1941), občasno v rabi tudi za družabne dogodke, sprejeme in stoječe pogostitve. Dvorana Marjana Kozine ima 507 fiksnih sedežev, od tega 345 v parterju, poseben pečat pa ji dajejo impozantne orgle. Dvorana Slavka Osterca sprejme do 100 sedežev ali do 150 gostov za stoječo pogostitev. Ob odprtih oknih pogled seže do Uršulinske cerkve, proti levi pa do sedeža Univerze v Ljubljani, kjer sta nekoč delovala uprava in deželni zbor Kranjske, ki domuje v mogočni stavbi s preloma 20. stoletja.

The Slovenian Philharmonic resides in an edifice, formerly called Tonhalle, built in 1891 on the site of the former State Theatre, which had previously burned down. It has a prime downtown location, overlooking the Congress Square on one side and the Ljubljanica riverbank and Old Town on the other. This highly respected musical institution is proud of its tradition, now more than 300 years old.

The Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra successfully continues the legacy of its predecessors and has gained wide acclaim on concert stages both in Slovenia and abroad.

The Slovenian Philharmonic building, which was fully renovated in 2001, features two halls, the smaller of which is often used for receptions. The larger concert hall, named after the Slovenian composer Marjan Kozina, (1907-1966) has 507 fixed seats, of which 345 are in the parterre. A special feature there is an imposing pipe organ. The smaller hall, named after composer Slavko Osterc (1895-1941), has space for 100 seats and can welcome up to 150 people for standing receptions. With its open windows, guests can catch a view of the baroque Ursuline Church at the top of the square, as well as the adjacent main building of Ljubljana University, a neohistoric building from the turn of the 20th century. www.filharmonija.si

www.filharmonija.si

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Ocena spletnih predstavitev

Hoteli s konferenčnimi zmogljivostmi – SV Slovenija Kako Slovenijo in njeno spletno turistično ponudbo vidijo tuji, pa tudi domači potencialni gosti, ki želijo organizirati manjši poslovni dogodek? Pri izbiri regije imajo velik vpliv specifične želje in drugi dejavniki, pri izbiri konkretnega hotela pa je zaradi velike konkurence izbira težja. In prav tu svojo vlogo odigra spletna predstavitev, na kateri večina poišče podrobnejše informacije o ponudbi.

V prejšnji številki revije Kongres so bili predstavljeni hoteli s konferenčnimi zmogljivostmi s področja SZ Slovenije, tokrat pa predstavljamo drug konec – SV Slovenijo. Skupne ocene vseh hotelov bodo po koncu ocenjevanja na voljo na spletni strani revije Kongres (www.kongres-magazine.eu).

SV Slovenija ponuja predvsem terme, zato so primerjave med predstavitvami precej lažje. Spletne predstavitve so si po obsegu, vsebini in kvaliteti zelo podobe, na splošno pa bi jih lahko označil za sive – povprečne v vseh pogledih. Seveda je nekaj izjem, ki svoje pozitivno ali negativno izstopanje iz povprečja kažejo v rezultatih ocenjevanja (glej razpredelnico z ocenami).

Glavna slabost je predvsem odsotnost kvalitetnega

načrtovanja spletnih predstavitev, zato so posledično spletna mesta prenatrpana in pogosto težko uporabna. Prej omenjena povprečnost se kaže v sterilnem odnosu do potencialnih strank, saj strani namesto konkretnih ciljnih skupin obiskovalcev nagovarjajo le »splošno javnost«, ne omogočajo povratnih mnenj in se skrivajo pred sodobnimi stičišči uporabnikov, kot so YouTube, Facebook in druga spletna mesta.

Pozitivna stran predstavitev so vsebine, očitno je, da so se avtorji le-teh zelo potrudili. Te so zelo obsežne, obsegajo precej slikovnega in video gradiva ter dobro predstavijo ponudbo. Očitno vse hotele zanimajo tudi tuji obiskovalci, saj ima povprečna predstavitev kar pet jezikovnih različic (najmanj tri in največ sedem).

Spletne predstavitve so torej solidne z veliko možnostmi za izboljšave, za kar bo potrebno predvsem dobro poznavanje sodobnih možnosti komuniciranja in nekaj drznosti s strani odgovornih oseb.

V nadaljevanju si lahko ogledate tabelo z ocenami spletnih predstavitev. Ker ponudba hotelov ni omejena samo na kupce kongresnih zmogljivosti, je bilo to upoštevano pri oceni.

Ocenjene so lastnosti, ki so za lastnika spletne predstavitve najpomembnejše – prodaja kapacitet hotela.

Andrej Šolinc, RS Klan andrej.solinc@rsklan.com

Komentarji k spletnim predstavitvam Hotel Paka (www.hotelpaka.com) Solidna predstavitev, ki pa bi potrebovala osvežitev, predvsem vsebinsko in oblikovno.

Vsebine so predstavljene berljivo in pregledno, vendar niso ažurne (npr. stran z novicami je prazna). Osnovna optimizacija za iskalnike je narejena.

Hotel Sava Rogaška (www.rogaska.si) Dobra predstavitev z veliko vsebinami, zanimivo je postavljen predvsem obrazec za povpraševanje. Ponudba je dobro predstavljena, edini večji očitek predstavitvi je prenatrpanost vsebin.

Terme Čatež (www.terme-catez.si) Zelo obsežna predstavitev (sedem jezikovnih različic), pri kateri pa najbolj zmoti kaotična vstopna stran. Sicer pa je predstavitev oblikovno prijazna, ima razumljivo navigacijo in veliko zanimivih vsebin – predvsem odlične video predstavitve. Dobra optimizacija za iskalnike.

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Komentarji k spletnim predstavitvam Terme Krka (www.terme-krka.si) Spletno mesto, ki je bilo očitno zasnovano za drugo vlogo. Navigacija je skoraj neuporabna in vsebine je zelo težko najti, poleg tega pa so tudi neažurne. Sicer pa lično oblikovana predstavitev, ki pa za dober vtis potrebuje še precej dela.

Terme Maribor (www.termemb.si) Vsebinsko zelo bogata spletna predstavitev, pomanjkljivosti pa kaže na oblikovnem področju, saj ni zasnovana za takšno količino vsebine in tako zahtevno navigacijo. Zelo dobro je narejeno povpraševanje preko spleta.

Terme Olimia (www.terme-olimia.com) Odlično zasnovana in sodobno oblikovana spletna predstavitev, ki, v primerjavi z ostalimi, vidno izstopa. Deluje pregledno in sodobno, vsebine so ažurne. Pohvalil bi še informativne izračune, grajal pa pomanjkljivo optimizacijo za iskalnike, ki bi strani omogočila še boljšo najdenost v iskalnikih.

Terme Ptuj (www.terme-ptuj.si) Dobra predstavitev z izvirno video dobrodošlico in veliko količino vsebin, vendar pa veliko pomanjkljivostjo – prenatrpanostjo vsebin. Spletno mesto ni primerno oblikovano glede na nalogo, ki jo nosi, zato zahteva nekaj privajanja za uporabo..

Terme Radenci (www.terme-radenci.si) Sestrska predstavitev Term Ptuj – z istimi prednostmi in istimi slabostmi. Glede na to, da je količina vsebin manjša od tiste pri Termah Ptuj, bi lastnikom predlagal drugačno zasnovo spletne predstavitve.

Terme Rogaška (www.terme-rogaska.si) Končno spletno mesto, ki izpostavlja mnenja uporabnikov. Žal že nekaj let ni bilo novega mnenja, isto velja za vsebine. Nedelujoče povezave, kaotična navigacija in odsotnost optimizacije za iskalnike kar kličejo po nujni čimprejšnji prenovi.

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Ocene spletnih predstavitev Hotel s konferenčnimi zmogljivostmi

Spletni naslov

Zasnova

Vsebina Iskalniki Oblika Povprečna ocena

Hotel Paka

www.hotelpaka.com

6

4

5

6

5,2

Hotel Sava Rogaška

www.rogaska.si

7

8

6

7

7,1

Terme Čatež

www.terme-catez.si

6

9

7

7

7,3

Terme Krka

www.terme-krka.si

5

5

5

5

5

Terme Maribor

www.termemb.si

5

8

7

6

6,5

Terme Olimia

www.terme-olimia.com

8

7

6

9

7,5

Terme Ptuj

www.terme-ptuj.si

6

7

6

7

6,5

Terme Radenci

Terme Rogaška

www.terme-radenci.si

6

6

6

7

6,2

www.terme-rogaska.si

4

6

4

5

4,8

Merila za ocenjevanje spletnih predstavitev

Merilo Komentar

Prispevek h končni oceni v %

1 Zasnova

Navigacija po spletni strani, primernost zasnove glede na obseg vsebine in ciljne obiskovalce.

30 %

2

Obseg, ažurnost in primernost vsebin za ciljne obiskovalce.

30 %

3 Iskalniki

Prisotnost tehničnih in vsebinskih delov, ki najbolj vplivajo na dobro najdenost v iskalnikih.

20 %

4 Oblika

Ocenjevana ni bila subjektivna všečnost, temveč upoštevanje oblikovalskih standardov za spletne strani, ki zagotavljajo dobro berljivost, preglednost in uporabnost spletne predstavitve.

20 %

Vsebina

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Assessment of Web Presentations

Hotels with Conference Facilities – NE Slovenia How do potential foreign and domestic guests who wish to organise a smaller business event see Slovenia and its tourism website? Specific demands and other factors have a major influence on the choice of region, while choosing the hotel is more difficult, due to heavy competition.. This is precisely where the website presentation plays an important role, because this is where most people search for detailed information about the offer.

In the previous issue of Kongres magazine, we presented hotels with conference facilities located in northwest Slovenia, while in this issue we are presenting northeast Slovenia. A joint assessment of all hotels will be available at the magazine’s homepage (www.kongres-magazine.eu) after the assessments have finished.

Northeast Slovenia mostly offers thermal spas, so the comparison of website presentations is much easier. In extent, content and quality, the websites are rather similar, while in general, they may be assessed as grey to average in all aspects.

There are, of course, some exceptions which stand out as positive or negative in the assessment results (see the table of assessments).

these websites address only the general public, and not specific focus groups of visitors. They do not provide the possibility for feedback, and hide from modern meeting points of users, such as YouTube, Facebook and other websites.

A positive aspect is the contents, which clearly show that their authors put a lot of effort into them. They are very extensive, with a lot of graphic and video material presenting the offer well.

Obviously, all the hotels are interested in foreign guests, as an average presentation has five language versions (at least three and seven at the most).

The web presentations are thus well-designed, with a lot of room for improvement, which in turn will require good knowledge of modern communication means and some boldness on the part of those responsible.

Below, you can examine the table with assessments of web presentations. Since the offer of the hotels is not confined to clients from the meetings industry, this has been taken into account in the assessments. The features that are the most important for the owner of a web presentation were assessed and these are the sales of the hotel’s facilities.

Andrej Šolinc, RS Klan andrej.solinc@rsklan.com

The main weakness is, above all, the absence of quality planning of online presentations, and so the websites are overcrowded and often difficult to use. The previously mentioned problem is also evident from the sterile attitude to potential clients, as

Web presentation grades Hotel with conference capacities

Web address

Concept

Content Browsers Design

Grade

Hotel Paka

www.hotelpaka.com

6

4

5

6

5.2

Hotel Sava Rogaška

www.rogaska.si

7

8

6

7

7.1

Terme Čatež

www.terme-catez.si

6

9

7

7

7.3

Terme Krka

www.terme-krka.si

5

5

5

5

5

Terme Maribor

www.termemb.si

5

8

7

6

6.5

Terme Olimia

www.terme-olimia.com

8

7

6

9

7.5

Terme Ptuj

www.terme-ptuj.si

6

7

6

7

6.5

Terme Radenci

Terme Rogaška

www.terme-radenci.si

6

6

6

7

6.2

www.terme-rogaska.si

4

6

4

5

4.8

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Comments to the Web presentations Hotel Paka (www.hotelpaka.com) A sound presentation which does, however, need to be refreshed, especially in terms of content and design. The contents are easily and clearly readable, though out-of-date (e.g. the news page which is empty).

The basic optimisation for web browsers is present.

Hotel Sava RogaĹĄka (www.rogaska.si) A good presentation, with a lot of content and an interestingly positioned inquiry form. A well-presented offer with the only major flaw being the over-abundance of content.

Terme Ä&#x152;ateĹž (www.terme-catez.si) A very extensive presentation, (seven language versions) with the most disturbing factor being the chaotic entry page. Otherwise, the presentation has a good overall concept and understandable navigation with a lot of interesting content, especially the video presentations. Good web browser optimisation.

Terme Krka (www.terme-krka.si) This website was obviously designed for a different purpose. The navigation is almost useless and, in addition to being out-of-date, the content is difficult to find. Otherwise it has an elegantly designed presentation, which however still requires a lot of work to leave a good impression.

Terme Maribor (www.termemb.si) A very rich web presentation in terms of content, but lacking in design, as it has not been designed for such a large amount of content and such demanding navigation. The online inquiries page is implemented very well.

Terme Olimia (www.terme-olimia.com) An excellently planned web presentation with modern design, which clearly stands out among the other websites. It gives a modern appearance, providing a clear overview with up-to-date content. I need to commend the informative price guide and reprimand the deficient web browser optimisation, which should guarantee the page a better discovery rate.

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Comments to the Web presentations

Terme Ptuj (www.terme-ptuj.si) A good presentation with an original video welcome and a lot of content.

There is, however, a major flaw â&#x20AC;&#x201C; overcrowded content. The website has not been designed in accordance with its function and thus requires some time to get used to.

Terme Radenci (www.terme-radenci.si) A sisterly presentation to Terme Ptuj, having the same advantages and the same weaknesses. As there is less content than with Terme Ptuj, I would suggest the owner to prepare a different website concept.

Terme RogaĹĄka (www.terme-rogaska.si) Finally, a website which stresses the opinion of users. Unfortunately, the menu and content have not changed in several years. Broken links, chaotic navigation and the lack of browser optimisation call for an immediate redesigning.

Criteria for the assessment of Web presentations

Criterion Comment

Contribution to the final grade in %

1 Design

Navigation through the Web presentation, the suitability of the design with respect to the scope of the content and the target group of visitors

30 %

2

The scope, topicality and suitability of content for the target group of visitors

30 %

3 Search engine

The presence of technical and substantive parts that most affect the page rank in search engines

20 %

4 Form

The subjective appeal was not assessed, but the observance of design standards for Websites that ensure readability, transparency and the usability of the Web presentation

20 %

Content

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Prvi slovenski hotel v verigi Design Hotels

The First Slovenian Hotel in the Design Hotels Chain

Sončna hiša

The Sun House

Sončna hiša stoji v osrčju Prlekije, v Banovcih in je prvi butični hotel pri nas. Arhitekturno dovršeno zunanjo podobo in premišljeno notranjo opremo sta njena lastnika, zakonca Kegelj, zasnovala v sodelovanju z nekaterimi uveljavljenimi slovenskimi arhitekti in oblikovalci. Hiša združuje napredne arhitekturne rešitve, izstopa pa tudi po vrhunskih storitvah. Hkrati lahko sprejme le 18 gostov, vsak izmed njih pa je deležen osebne in individualne obravnave.

The Sun House, located in the heart of the Prlekija region in Banovci, is the first boutique hotel in Slovenia. The architecturally accomplished exterior and well-proportioned interior decoration have been designed by its owners Nataša and Aleš Kegelj, in cooperation with renowned Slovenian architects and designers. The house combines different advanced architectural solutions and stands out as well for its top quality services. It accommodates only up to 18 guests at a time, all receiving much personal and individual attention.

Gostom so na voljo namestitve v petih tematsko opremljenih sobah in številne možnosti različnih doživetij. Poleg razvajanja v wellness in spa programu je v hiši na voljo tudi vinska klet za kulinarična doživetja v prijetnem ambientu, neokrnjena narava Prlekije pa ponuja številne možnosti rekreacije in izletov. Ta butični hotel je poleg počitnikovanja več kot primeren tudi za poslovna srečanja. Intimno okolje, zasebnost in ustrezna tehnična podpora z brezžičnim dostopom do interneta so idealni pogoji za sklepanje uspešnih poslov in graditev dobrih poslovnih odnosov.

Hiša nedvomno ponuja izvirno zamisel o drugačnem načinu preživljanja časa, predvsem za tiste z bolj izbranim okusom, ki so za tovrstne užitke pripravljeni globlje seči v žep. Zaradi domiselnega načina združitve čudovitega naravnega okolja z vrhunskimi storitvami in najsodobnejšimi oblikovalskimi in arhitekturnimi podvigi si je Sončna hiša pred kratkim prislužila članstvo v prestižnem svetovnem združenju Design Hotels, vključena pa je tudi v verigo Small Elegant Hotels. To pa sta še dodatna razloga za obisk hiše in osebno doživetje sončne zgodbe. www.soncna-hisa.si

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The guests can be accommodated in any of the five differently furnished suites, while also being offered numerous experience possibilities. In addition to indulging them with the wellness and spa programme, the house also offers a wine cellar for culinary experiences in a pleasant atmosphere, while the unspoiled nature of Prlekija provides numerous possibilities for recreation and excursions. In addition to spending your holidays there, this boutique hotel is more than appropriate for business meetings.

The intimate atmosphere, privacy and appropriate technical support with wireless Internet access are ideal conditions for concluding successful business deals and establishing good business relations.

The house undoubtedly provides an original idea about a very different spending of time, especially for those with a more refined taste, who are prepared to pay that little bit extra for such pleasures. Due to its innovative way of combining the wonderful natural environment with topquality services, and the modern design and architectural solutions, the Sun House recently earned membership with the prestigious Design Hotels, while it is also part of the Small Elegant Hotels chain. These are two more reasons to visit the Sun House, and to experience, for yourself, their »sunny story«. www.soncna-hisa.si

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Uredniški koledar 2009 OSREDNJE TEME Številka 1

PRODUKTNE NOVOSTI

PRILOGE

ROK ZA PRIPRAVO 20. december 2008

CONVENTA - katalog razstavljavcev - Trendi in napoved za leto 2009 (Outlook 2009)

Posebna

- Intervjuji s ključnimi partnerji v regiji

izdaja – CONVENTA januar 2009 Številka 2 POMLAD marec 2009

KONGRESNA ORGANIZACIJA IN USPEŠNO VODENJE PROJEKTOV

DRUŽABNI

DESTINACIJSKA

- Načrtovanje uspešnih kongresnih dogodkov

DOGODKI

PRILOGA:

- Ekologija

Regionalno: Hrvaška

- Mrežne organizacije

Mednarodno: Finska

28. februar 2009

- Logistika dogodkov in srečanj - Socialne mreže

VSEBINSKA

- Branding dogodka (celostna podoba, PR)

PRILOGA:

- Prostovoljci pri organizaciji kongresov

kulinarika

- Feminizacija poklica V ŽARIŠČU: Kongresni centri in njihova vloga KOMENTAR KUPCEV: Izbrani organizator strokovnega znanstvenega kongresa Številka 3 POLETJE junij 2009

KONGRESNA INDUSTRIJA V OBDOBJU RECESIJE

INCENTIVE

DESTINACIJSKA

- Obvladovanje stroškov v zaostrenih gospodarskih razmerah

DOGODKI

PRILOGA:

- Zavarovanje projektov

Regionalno: Črna

- Davčni vidiki poslovanja

Gora

- Nabavni management

Mednarodno:

- Nasveti, kako pripraviti dober »budget« dogodka ali kongresa

Norveška

31. maj 2009

- Kongresne davčne oaze kot alternativa klasičnim destinacijam VSEBINSKA V ŽARIŠČU: Razlike med PCO & DMC in vloga »venue finding«

PRILOGA:

agencij

Vinarji in vinogradniki

KOMENTAR KUPCEV: Izbrani organizator korporativnega dogodka Številka 4 JESEN

KONGRESNO TRŽENJE IN KOMUNIKACIJA

TEAMBUILDING

DESTINACIJSKA

- Incentive programi kot oblika trženja

IN

PRILOGA:

- Programi hotelskih hiš kot oblika trženjskih strategij destinacij

ADRENALINSKI

Regionalno: Srbija

- Vloga iskalcev lokacij (»venue finders«)

DOGODKI

Mednarodno:

september

- Branding dogodkov

2009

- Kako doseči »wov« učinke na vaših dogodkih

31. avgust 2009

Singapur

- Kreativnost vs. tradicionalnost

VSEBINSKA

- Gverilski marketing v kongresnem turizmu

PRILOGA: Regionalni sejmi

V ŽARIŠČU: Borze & sejmi – katere izbrati KOMENTAR KUPCEV: Izbrani organizator promocijskega dogodka Številka 5 ZIMA

KONGRESNO ZNANJE IN TEHNOLOGIJA

PREDSTAVITEV

DESTINACIJSKA

- HR in šole za kongresni turizem

NOVIH

PRILOGA:

- F&B ideje za dogodke

PRODUKTOV

Regionalno: Bosna in

- Standardizacija & certificiranje organizatorjev

Hercegovina

november

- Merjenje rezultatov in učinkov srečanj

Mednarodno: Avstrija

2009

- Strateška orodja in nove tehnologije - Virtualna srečanja

VSEBINSKA

- WEB 2.0

PRILOGA: Mesta - Ljubljana

V ŽARIŠČU: Praznovanja & zabave – trendi & ideje KOMENTAR KUPCEV: Izbrani organizator vladnega srečanja

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31. oktober 2009

Editorial Calendar 2009 ISSUE DATES

LEADING THEMES

Issue 1

CONVENTA EXHIBITORS DIRECTORY

PRODUCT NEWS

SUPPLEMENTS

PREPARATION DEADLINE 20 December 2008

(more info on www.conventa.info) Special

- Outlook 2009

Edition –

- Interviews with key partners in the region

CONVENTA January 2009 Issue 2 SPRING March 2009

Social Events

CONGRESS ORGANISATION & SUCCESSFUL PROJECT

DESTINATION

MANAGEMENT

SUPPLEMENTS:

- Planning Successful Conferences & Congresses

Regional – Croatia

- Ecology

International – Finland

28 February 2009

- Social Networks - Event Branding

THEME SUPPLEMENT

- Role of volunteers

Cuisine & Culinary Art

- Congress Centres and their role BUYERS’ COMMENT – Selected Scientific Congress Organiser Issue 3 SUMMER June 2009

Incentives

MEETINGS INDUSTRY AND RECESSION

DESTINATION

- Minimising the costs in hard economic times

SUPPLEMENTS:

- Project Insurance

Regional – Montenegro

- Tax aspect

International - Norway

31 May 2009

- Purchasing management -The difference between PCO and DMC and role of »Venue Finding«

THEME SUPPLEMENT

Agencies

Winemakers

BUYERS’ COMMENT – Selected Corporate Event Organiser Issue 4 AUTUMN

CONFERENCE MARKETING & COMMUNICATION

Teambuilding

DESTINATION

- Incentive Programmes as a marketing means

& Adrenaline

SUPPLEMENTS:

- Hotel programmes as a means of marketing strategy of

Events

Regional – Serbia International – Singapore

destinations September

- Role of »Venue Finders«

2009

- Event branding

31 August 2009

- How to achieve »wow« effect at your events

THEME SUPPLEMENT

- Creativity vs. traditionalism

Regional Fairs & Trade

- Guerrilla Marketing in Meetings Industry

Shows

- Exhibitions & Fairs – Which Ones to Choose BUYERS’ COMMENT – Selected Promotional Event Organiser Issue 5

New Products

CONGRESS KNOWLEDGE & TECHNOLOGY

DESTINATION

- HR & Meetings Industry Schools

SUPPLEMENTS:

- F&B Event ideas

Regional – Bosnia &

- Certification of Organisers

Herzegovina

November

- Measuring Results & Effects of Events

International – Austria

2009

- Standardisation

WINTER

- Strategic Tools & New Technologies - Virtual Meetings

THEME SUPPLEMENT

- Web 2.0

Towns - Ljubljana

- Special Celebrations & Parties – Trends & Ideas BUYERS’ COMMENT – Selected Governmental Event Organiser

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31 October 2009

Zlata nit je medijsko-raziskovalni projekt časnika Dnevnik, katerega cilj je s promocijo podjetniške inovativnosti, kakovosti delovnih mest in primerov dobrih praks na področju zaposlovanja njihove nosilce uveljaviti kot zgled in navdih v slovenskem poslovnem okolju.

z l at i p ok rov itelj

p ar t ner ji proj ekt a

Sodelujte v nacionalnem izboru najboljših zaposlovalcev! č ast ni p ok rov itelj

http://zaposlitev.dnevnik.si/zlata-nit

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� CONTACTS Tel +44 (0)1273 227311 | Fax +44 (0)1273 227312 | info@imex-frankfurt.com | www.imex-frankfurt.com

09

26-28 May/Frankfurt PRE-REGISTER NOW www.imex-frankfurt.com

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Also on the agenda: unique industry insight and career guidance through the clever IMEX New Vision programme. As one visitor put it, “IMEX is genuinely a hot spot for new experiences”.

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Prevajanje v 80 jezikov

Translation services in 80 languages

Sodni tolmači

Court interpreters

Konferenčni tolmači

Conference interpreters

Simultano in konsekutivno tolmačenje vseh vrst dogodkov Simultaneous and consecutive interpretation for all types of events.

Profesionalna oprema za simultano tolmačenje (kabine, slušalke, ozvočenje…)

Professional equipment for simultaneous interpretation (booths, headphones, receivers, sound system…)

VSE JEZIKOVNE STORITVE NA ENEM MESTU ALL LANGUAGE SERVICES IN ONE PLACE

250 prevajalcev in tolmačev

250 translators and interpreters

80 jezikovnih kombinacij 80 language combinations

080 777 777

/ / / Alkemist je odgovor na naše zahteve: zanesljiva, hitra in kakovostna storitev, konkurenčna cena in profesionalen odnos do strank.

Vedno znova ugotovaljamo, da nudijo dobro in kvalitetno storitev za ugodno ceno.

Medvešek Pušnik

Družba za upravljanje d.d.

Z storitvami agencije Alkemist smo zadovoljni, odzivni čas je hiter, osebje prijazno.

... profesionalno izvedene storitve v preteklem obdobju. Simultani prevajalci s katerimi smo sodelovali ob večjih dogodkih so se izkazali kot popolni profesionalci.

Za vsak prevod kontaktiramo le njih. Odlikujeta jih profesionalnost, natančnost, 129 kvaliteta in zanesljivost.

Kongres - 2008

Deležni smo bili dobre in kakovostne storitve. Pri Alkemistu pozdravljamo predvsem dopolnjevanje prevodov z lektoriranjem besedil.

130

Kongres - 2008

meeting tings srecan ecanja Prijetna prestolnica za odlična srečanja

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