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Edition March 2014

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Cape Town www.headquartersmagazine.com Meeting Media Company Meetings Industry Publishers HQ is published 5 times a year: March, May, June, September, November

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Associations & Reputation

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Colophon HQ or Headquarters is a niche publication for European and international associations headquartered in Brussels and all major European cities dealing with the organisation of worldwide congresses. Published 5 times a year. Circulation: 5,000 copies.

Subscriptions 65€ (all incl.) in Belgium, 75€ (all incl.) in the EU, 95€ (all incl.) in the rest of the world. One subscription entails 5 editions of Headquarters a year, including HQ Meeting Trends Special.

To subscribe: www.headquartersmagazine.com Editor in Chief Marcel A.M. Vissers T. +32 (0)3 226 88 81 marcel@headquartersmagazine.com Managing Director Cécile Caiati-Koch T. +32 (0)2 761 70 52 cecile@headquartersmagazine.com Account Manager – International Sales Kelvin Lu T. +32 (0)2 761 70 59 kelvin@headquartersmagazine.com Managing Editor Rémi Dévé T. +32 (0)2 761 70 58 remi@headquartersmagazine.com Editor Katie Lau Design & Print Press Point Poelstraat 167 - 9820 Merelbeke T. +32 (0)9 362 52 50 - www.presspoint.be Supported by ESAE, the European Society of Association Executives, and UIA, the Union of International Associations Address 59 rue René Declercq 1150 Brussels (Belgium) T. +32 (0)2 761 70 50 F. +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.headquartersmagazine.com press@headquartersmagazine.com

Marcel A.M. VISSERS Editor in Chief

The European Meetings Industry Group Inspire, Connect, Empower

The EAS 2013 (the first-ever European Association Summit) was launched with three powerful words from its base in the European capital: Inspire, Connect, Empower. EAS 2014 will take place on 14 and 15 May: VisitBrussels (the organiser) is providing international association executives the opportunity to get together to discuss and conclude attractive business deals.

However, reviewing the draft programme, I seem to be missing one subject that’s dear to me as a committed European. How significant is the meetings industry in Europe, and does it actually exist? What structures are in place to support associations in terms of resources and growth?

What about financial support indeed? Last year, the CEO of a leading European association asked the following crucial question: ‘For the period 2007-2013, the European Union has allocated almost €13 billion to life-long learning and worldwide exchanges. How come almost all of this funding is dedicated to exchange programmes and none of it is going directly to promoting congresses or facilitating the attendance at congresses, even though they are widely recognised as a major platform of adult learning and exchange of best practice?’ (source: http://europa.eu/pol/educ/index_en.htm) In the past, meeting industry professionals have neglected this core question because they have never developed a European vision. I’ll soon be having an interview with Antonio Tajani, European commissioner of Enterprise and Industry. I’ll ask him the question and I’m sure he’ll respond with another question: Who are you? Major funding is available in Brussels to help new industries develop. It’s really inconceivable that the ESAE cannot obtain funding to support their European research and education programmes. And that’s just one example. Isn’t it about time that this key issue is put on the agenda of a (European) Summit? This would be the ideal occasion to start thinking about the development of a European Meetings Industry Group as the official representative body. As a European magazine, I think it’s our duty support this challenge.

» More stories on www.headquartersmagazine.com

Contents Cécile Caiati-Koch

Rémi Dévé

GENERAL Association Portrait 4 ICCA in Shanghai 7 Viparis 8 Kelvin Lu

ESAE Associations and Reputation UIA New Associations

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SPECIAL FEATURE Basel, Switzerland

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DESTINATIONS Thessaloniki, Greece Singapore Eastern France Seoul, Korea Copenhagen, Denmark CTICC, Cape Town, SA

27 28 33 36 39 42

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> Association Portrait

The Ecosystem Distribution Area in Vienna

European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) The views of Annalisa Ponchia Baccara Established in 1982, the European Society for Organ Transplantation (ESOT) is Europe’s main umbrella transplantation body, under which all transplant activities are organised. Annalisa Ponchia Baccara, Executive Officer, tells us more about how the organisation operates.

HQ: Could you briefly present ESOT? Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: ESOT’s mandate is to represent the goals and needs of transplantation surgery, with members including physician, surgeons, scientists and transplant professionals. ESOT works with several organisations to structure and streamline activities, give advice, promote strong educational programs and scientific networking and pursues scientific knowledge and best clinical practices professionals.

A significant shift for the Society, giving birth to a new vision and concept, was the establishment of an internal independent structure (in 2007), with the aim of providing consistent and high-quality meeting services for all ESOT events and for the association management.

HQ: What do you find most challenging to achieve as an association?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: There are different challenges at different levels. Today the Organisation finds itself at a high standing point as it looks to strategically manage this important growth and align the different objectives of various professionals of this multidisciplinary filed to a unique vision, making them feel part of the same 4

organisation, sharing goals and infusing enthusiasm.

Our association has reached a certain visibility, positioning ESOT as a leader in the transplantation world - and we have worked hard to achieve these results! But you always have to keep in mind that there are other competitors out there ready to emerge. There is a constant need to work and perform so you reinforce the reputation of an association for quality and innovation - at ESOT we believe the latter are driving forces of the organisation.

Another challenge is to maintain a steady financial status as you increase persistently your value proposition to attract financial partners and new members.

HQ: What kind of events do you organise?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: ESOT trains and supports its members through a dedicated clinical and basic science programme, planning a range of courses and seminars through the year, with participation from 50 to 500. Furthermore ESOT brings together all the leading players on the European and International transplant scene at its biennial Congress, held in a key European city, which

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara

attracts an average of 3,500 participants.

HQ: What is the association’s decision process concerning the organisation of your events?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: First, ESOT only accepts the demands/wishes/suggestions of a national transplant society and any bid must have the demonstrable support of that community. Then, a technical assessment is carried out by our specialists with regard to a number of established criteria, including, among other things: ability of the venue to deliver a major international congress, accessibility, suitability of the congress hall, attraction of the destination as a whole, networking possibilities, etc.

The technical assessment is then made available to the ESOT Council, which shortlists usually two candidates. Bid details and the technical assessment are finally made available to each ESOT Member, and all potential congress venues are asked to present their

> Association Portrait

assets to a General Assembly. A vote is then carried out, by proportional representation. The final decision is made taking into account the technical assessment and votes at the General Assembly. The whole process is a democratic one, and the decision is later confirmed at a General Assembly.

HQ: What kind of venues do you need and what criteria must they satisfy?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: To start with, the proposed host city - we favour European capitals - should be well connected to major global centres and travel time from the local airport to the venue should not exceed one hour. The distance between hotel facilities and the congress centre should also be minimal.

Associations have understood the importance of a strategic approach to make their meetings grow Any type of support offered by the City, Municipality, or Convention Bureau, to enhance the congress visibility, to facilitate mobility (free public transport) and to make delegates feel welcome, represents an asset.

In the early stages of preparation, we usually inspect the proposed Congress Centre(s) to verify the suitability and fix preliminary dates. Without being too specific, it is clear that the meeting rooms requirement to fit the number of sessions and delegates must be fulfilled. We are flexible and actually often adapt to the different characteristics of the venue, however space matters.

My preference goes for built-in auditoria, possibly equipped with some A/V, high capacity wifi and flexible foyer areas to

allow creativity in providing services to the participants.

It is more and more important to make the attendees feel comfortable: nice lighting, agreeable temperature, high quality A/V, and simple but nicely prepared food are mandatory. There is much more to add of course, but these are the fundamentals.

Last not least, the venue staff should be flexible and dedicated. We tend to involve everyone in the process of the preparation of our event and invite staff from the different departments/suppliers to attend preparatory meetings.

HQ: Tell us about your first paperless meeting that was recently held in Vienna.

How interesting/challenging was that?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: At ESOT 2013 Vienna, creating a level playing field for the 3,412 participating transplantation specialists was a key priority. To achieve this, 47% of participants brought their own tablets and SpotMe provided loaner iPads for the other 53%.

The investment paid off: over four days the participants posted 1,246 session comments, made 2,284 appointments and exchanged 27,735 messages. They also used the mobile event app to document their event journeys, saving 47,133 abstracts, posters and notes to their online briefcases.

Thousands of pdf abstracts and posters replaced the ‘phone book’ distributed to every participant at previous ESOT congresses, saving 4,675 kilograms of paper.

This new ‘ESOT Ecosystem’, a radical move from my view, created the perfect learning and emotional environment: the

connectivity offered by this technologic tool paradoxically proved the networking power of F2F events. All was validated by the comments from the attendees in the various surveys we proposed throughout the event.

HQ: How do you see the future of the association?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: ESOT is looking to build on its success with new technologies, by enhancing its educational offering, through a digital platform. This could help the organisation to diversify and increase its revenue streams but also to attract more members/customers, and expanding the pool out of Europe. Our competitive edge is the ‘survival kit’ for the organisation, but I like more to think that what we do at ESOT will serve as an example for other organisations.

HQ: How would you summarise new trends in the association congress world?

Annalisa Ponchia Baccara: Associations have understood the importance of a strategic approach to make their meetings grow, the critical success factors and the impact of technology on the success of their events.

Communication is also crucial and the use of social media has become mandatory.

More and more organisations hire professionals from the meeting industry or with similar competencies to run their events and to take on the association management.

My personal experience proves that associations are now setting the trend and dare to taste the waters with regards to technology and new formats. There are many education opportunities and the field is evolving and seeing the birth of skilled staff and managers specialised in this sector. www.esot.org

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> ICCA

Shanghai International Convention Center

Shanghai and China after the ICCA Congress When I heard how much the host must pay to be allowed to organise an ICCA congress, I was flabbergasted. Anyone who accepts the ICCA’s terms is really convinced that such an annual world congress represents exceptional added value. I was curious to know what motivated Shanghai, or should I say China, to invest in the 52nd ICCA Congress which was held in November 2013. And what was in it for the ICCA? How did the congress participants experience the event?

Report Marcel A.M. Vissers

Cries of joy When it was announced that the ICCA would organise its 52nd Congress, for its fiftieth anniversary, in China in 2013, there were cries of joy in Shanghai and Beijing. It was an opportunity for China to show how far they had evolved with the Meetings Industry in the leading cities of this vast country.

Suddenly, Shanghai was in the centre of the world meeting-wise.

Three winners Every world congress involves the commitment of three major stakeholders who subsequently have an opinion about the success or failure of the event. The organiser is nearly always positive. These positive signals are usually reinforced or weakened by participant feedback. The third stakeholder - and probably the most important one - is the host country, city or venue. Those who worked hard to develop the event branding receive the ultimate

answer about the efforts they made, at the end of the event. In the case of Shanghai, Patrick Chen, Deputy Director at Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration, was involved with international participants very closely. I asked him two questions.

Why was it so important for Shanghai to host the ICCA congress?

“Shanghai has been a member of ICCA for 12 years and the conditions for organising an international conference in China are easier and more open; the meeting industry has evolved rapidly in China in the past ten years as well. It was the right time for the city and the country to present the meetings industry to global industry members.”

What is your feeling after the ICCA congress?

“I feel very positive. After the ICCA congress, the meetings industry has become more mature and more local partners are now

involved in this industry. In short, China has finally shown its meetings face to the world.”

ICCA and congress participants The two stakeholders, who ultimately are key when it comes to giving points, are the organiser and the participants. Arnaldo Nardone, ICCA’s President, and Martin Sirk, managing director, are convinced that this congress was successful when compared to others. A high number of participants actually registered thanks to the attraction of China and Shanghai in particular. ICCA has also understood that a great deal of attention must be given to cultural differences. And the ICCA not only scored in China, but across the whole of Asia. More members present, at the end of the day, it’s the participants who are king. They have seen Shanghai as it now stands after the World Exhibition. It’s an incredible experience. Everybody was able to experience Shanghai International Convention Center as a true Chinese palace.

They enjoyed the high level of service and the working force that a large group of people can provide. I’m still fascinated by everything I saw on The Bund…

More Info on Shanghai www.meet-in-shanghai.net 7

> Paris

Viparis 10 outstanding venues in Paris Paris Nord Villepinte - Paris expo Porte de Versailles - Paris Le Bourget - Le Palais des Congrès de Paris - Carrousel du Louvre Cnit Paris La Défense - Palais des Congrès de Versailles - Espace Champerret Le Palais des Congrès d’Issy - Espace Grande Arche

A major new convention centre in the heart of Paris Viparis is building a new ultra-modern convention centre, in the heart of Paris, with spectacular views of the Eiffel Tower.

Set to open in 2018, the brandnew venue will be one of the largest conference and exhibition facilities in Europe. It is located in pavilion 7 of Paris expo Porte de Versailles and is part of a major modernization programme of the whole space commissioned to world-famous French architects like Christian de Portzamparc, Valode & Pistre, Dominique Perrault and Jean Nouvel.

Philippe Fournier, President of MCI France, explains in four key words, why this project is great news for international conference organisers:

Location “What is unique about Paris expo Porte de Versailles is its Philippe Fournier location in the centre of Paris.

Generally these large facilities are located outside the city limits, because of their size. This venue is really in the city, and that is indeed exceptional.”

Totally flexible and equipped with the latest new technologies, the convention centre includes a daylight-roof plenary with 5,200 seats and 80 modular conference rooms from 100 to 2,000 seats. It is directly connected to 50,000 square metres of exhibition halls.

Viparis, which manages 10 conference and exhibition centres in Paris, aims to bring new large-scale congresses and conventions to the French capital, and offer them an unforgettable experience.

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Modularity “Whatever the size and number of rooms you need, whatever the size of your exhibition, the venue’s modularity means it can adapt to every conference. We can really talk of ‘haute couture’ instead of ‘prêtà-porter’, which is the French way of saying that this venue will feel like it was made-tomeasure for your event.”

Originality

“The originality of this project lies in the concept of different pavilions, each with its own identity. In most large venues, all the halls look the same. What’s interesting here is that each hall has its own personality, which makes your event stand out and allows endless possibilities of creative signage.”

Innovation “What also strikes me as innovative in this project is the attention given to the venue’s environment. With meeting places like plazas, fountains, cafés, shops and gardens, the overall venue design mirrors the vibrant atmosphere of the city itself.

As a Parisian and a professional in this industry, it’s great to see that Paris is not content to be the world’s top city for conferences and exhibitions, but there is a vision and strong desire to reinvent itself.”

Contact Viparis Sarah Dupons T. +33 (0)1 40 68 22 22 sarah.dupons@viparis.com www.venuesinparis.com

Reputation and Associations A view from the ESAE Reputation Management is long not considered a luxury part of management anymore. In fact, it has, even indirectly, become part and parcel of organizational outreach and marketing.

Text Christoph Raudonat Often confused with branding, reputation goes a little step further. Especially if one considers that for a non-profit association the social aspects of operating are paramount and issues of responsibility potentially carry more weight for associations than for, say, a for-profit trading company, simply for their ‘raisons d’être’. Having said that, social responsibility is important to all if they want to stay in the business. The difference to associations lies first and foremost in the fact that they operate mainly on a social level, which constitutes their main income and reason for existence.

Some academic background A recent MBA study on the ESAE’s reputation in particular set out to explore the relationship between an organisation’s reputation and its sustainable competitive

advantage. The study further tried to find a set of recommended actions to take, in case something needed to be changed. This article would like to share some of the findings as there is something to learn from this experience for everyone.

Following the academic approach of the Resource-based View (RBV), which treats reputation as an intangible asset of an organisation, the study assessed the ESAE’s reputation and its link to competitive advantage from three main viewing angles: - Reputation as Assessment and Core Resource - Reputation as Awareness and Value - Reputation as Asset for Sustainable Competitive Advantage

Expanding on this approach enabled the study to establish a framework in which to place reputation for nonprofit associations. This was particularly important, as there had not been a lot of research undertaken prior to this study in the field of non-profit reputation that the investigation could lean on.

Taking Reputation seriously As the study embarked on its initial steps, the first challenge was to define a concept of reputation in the non-profit sector in general. As mentioned before, reputation is certainly not a brand-new concept anymore in management studies, even though not a lot of resources are being steered towards managing it, and even less so in the non-profit sector, which is strangely so, since most professional societies greatly rely on their reputations in order to remain attractive to membership.

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Reputation as a Core Value and Culture Only once this concept of reputation is clearly understood and internalised can it, in turn, become of real value to an organisation and most definitely to a nonprofit organisation that relies greatly on its outreach programs and the way it is perceived on the outside. Once ‘reputation’ is - in fact - seen as a rare, valuable and not substitutable construct that is difficult to copy by any competitor, the road is open to strengthen the organisation’s competitive advantage by playing on its strengths.

For the more favourable an organisation’s reputation, the greater its value - at least in management theory.

Despite the lack of sufficient academic literature to define the non-profit concept of reputation, investigating further details and background information from the for-profit sector showed still a compelling tendency for reputation to be a key success factor for organisations and businesses. Could it be so different from the non-profit sector?

Defining Reputation The investigation thus set out to find more clues and in a series of interviews with key stakeholders, the ESAE watched as its perceived reputation was deconstructed and analysed in great detail. The challenge for the ESAE was clear: it had not been very active for a long time and therefore had suffered a continuous loss of membership. This should not be very surprising as inactivity and loss of loyalty usually go hand in hand, certainly in the non-profit sector when dealing with voluntary membership. To be conclusive still, the study needed to look into the various motivations behind the seemingly obvious and analysed the perceptions, values and opinions of the various stakeholders, including the views of ESAE leadership.

1. How the organisation wants to be perceived / ‘what value we want to put on our organisation’ (“image”) 2. How the organisation thinks it is perceived / ‘what value we think other put on our organisation’ (“perception”) 10

3. How the organisation is perceived / ‘what value our stakeholders put on the organisation (“value”)

The outcome of the interviews was interesting: not only did they help to look at the concept of reputation from a new position but also clarified what reputation in the nonprofit sector actually meant for the ESAE.

Once ‘reputation’ is - in fact - seen as a rare, valuable and not substitutable construct that is difficult to copy by any competitor, the road is open to strengthen the organisation’s competitive advantage by playing on its strengths Many marketing professionals still confuse the concept of reputation with the ones of branding and image. However, it is important to note at this point that corporate reputation and identity are not about ‘identifying with an organisation’ but rather about ‘the identity of an organisation’. The ESAE thus needed to look at something larger than merely individual factors within their larger corporate reputation capital and disaggregate its corporate reputation.

Corporate Identity

Corporate âImage

From the many findings, two key factors of great influence can be highlighted:

Communication: The ESAE had suffered from inconsistent communication across its membership.

Partially this was explained by not having a physical presence in Brussels, the ESAE’s hometown, but largely because of nondelivery of learning programs and events.

Organisations need to recognise that

Corporate âReputation

Fig.1: Disaggregating corporate reputation

Corporate âReputation Capital

‘keeping in touch’ should not just be empty words but actions to be translated into reality. In today’s world of interconnectedness via Social Media, this is not always easy to do because of the sheer amount of information to be processed, targeted and communicated effectively in order to be of value. But not doing anything is even more destructive. Especially bearing in mind that social media are virtually free of charge.

Regular communication helps to build one’s image and act when it is necessary. We also know that regular communication prevents misunderstandings and helps to collect valuable data to re-orientate a strategic direction that may omit what members really want.

a surprise that leadership need to give the strategic direction and keep a finger on the pulse of the organisation in order to steer the ship in the interest of all as well as the organisation’s own survival. Good governance and creative leadership help an organisation to focus on the essential and steer success.

Secondly, but in no way less important, leadership:

Reputation follows good leadership, the relationships they are able to establish and a level of communicating with stakeholders that is adequate for the organisation’s environment. The ESAE is taking this very seriously and are in the process of turning the society around - with success, one might add. Events are held regularly and membership is on the rise as value for them increases. An initial small investment is starting to pay off in the longer term.

More strategic direction and commitment, so said the interview results, could have helped the ESAE to avoid a period of stagnation and thus steered clear from a loss of credibility. It certainly does not come as

In today’s association management, reputation is everything: from the way you process members, how you communicate both in public as well as internally, what you offer in

terms of programs, even how you manage your staff. This will have to go hand-in-hand with the business model of the organisation and a revision of exactly that is often what causes insecurity and fear. Leaving the path of the tried and trusted is not easy but necessary for an organisation’s renewal and longevity. Reputation today is built into the fabric of an organisation and just like ‘quality’ once was declared not to be a separate feature of management anymore, but a culture, so is reputation and responsibility.

To learn more about Reputation within the context of non-profit management, feel free to contact the ESAE for more information.

ESAE – European Society of Association Executives President: Alessandro Cortese Av. d’Auderghem 63 1040 Brussels office@esae.org www.esae.org

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What is Reputation and why is it Important?

There is an old proverb that says character is the story you write about yourself, reputation is the story others write about you - let us hope “reputation” is a reflection of that “character” written.

A corporate/company/association identity is constructed by how internal and external perceptions are evaluated in relation to each other, a sort of simultaneous mirroring process. An organisation considers and promotes itself as a certain type, stakeholders monitor this self-classification and if it matches their expectations it generates a positive reputation.

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For any organisation, the achievement of its objectives is the main reason for its existence and, with a good reputation among its stakeholders, achieving those objectives will be easily done. Clients will prefer to deal with you instead of others and they in turn can influence other potential customers.

Suppliers will be more inclined to trust your organisation if you have a reputation for fair dealing. A potential employee will be more likely to prefer your organisation if you have

a good reputation for the treatment of staff compared with other employers. Although reputation may be an intangible concept, a good one will demonstrably increase worth and provide sustained competitive advantages.

Building a good reputation So it seems logical to work actively not only to build a good reputation but also to assess any existing or potential threats to that reputation and to take actions to avoid or mitigate them. Whether or not we are prepared to manage these reputational risks is another question.

You cannot control external perceptions but you can make sure you deliver what you promise. If you do not deliver on a promise a credibility gap is created and your reputation will suffer. Reputation risk management is about recognizing the size of the gap.

Make sure your behaviour and performance is either consistent or exceeds expectations and that all stakeholders (suppliers, PCOs,

Building a strong brand A good reputation helps to build up a strong brand. A strong brand identifies how much your association is different from other associations and organisations. Great branding is about being exceptional; select areas where you want to excel and work on creating the reputation of delivering unique excellence.

For any organisation, the achievement of its objectives is the main reason for its existence and, with a good reputation among its stakeholders, achieving those objectives will be easily done

partners) are well aware of it. Be sure you clearly communicate your business vision, values, strategy and set the right ethical approach. Support policies and codes of conduct that guide your stakeholders ‘ behaviour and decision-making so that your goals are achieved in accordance with business values. Extend these values and relevant policies to key partners in the supply chain and when organising a conference, be sure you hire PCOs that support your values. Be aware that external beliefs and expectations change. You need to track change perceptions, requirements and expectations of major stakeholders continuously and work on closing the gap between what was good before and what is better now.

• Do your members think this association really and truly knows and cares about me?

• Is your association seen as the place where your members find expert and practical advice?

• Is your association seen as a strong, reliable advocate, partner and helper?

• Does your association leave a legacy and inspire people to achieve in an extraordinary way?

Professor Charles Fombrun, Professor Emeritus of Management at the Stern School of Business, New York University, and a leading international authority on corporate reputation believes that ‘to achieve prestige requires a long-term outlook

toward building competitive advantage.

Companies develop winning reputations by both creating and projecting a set of skills that their constituents recognize as unique.

A reputation develops from a company’s uniqueness and from identity-shaping practices - maintained over time - that lead constituents to perceive the company as credible, reliable, trustworthy, and responsible.’

Therefore continuously scanning your external environment and opinions to ensure you are on a track will secure the continuing support, trust and confidence of your stakeholders and partners. In that way, you are consistently delivering on the promises to your stakeholders.

This article was provided by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers, author Patrizia Semprebene Buongiorno, Past President and Council Member of IAPCO, and Vice President of AIM Group International, Rome, Italy.

IAPCO represents today 120 professional organisers, meeting planners and managers of international and national congresses, conventions and special events from 40 countries. info@iacpo.org / www.iapco.org

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Union of International Associations (UIA)

Introducing new associations What’s the Union of International Associations (UIA)?

The Union of International Associations is a non-profit, independent, apolitical, and non-governmental institution in the service of international associations.

Since its foundation in 1907, the UIA is a leading provider of information about international non-profit organisations and a premium networking platform between international organisations and the meeting industry worldwide.

International Alliance for the Control of Scabies (IACS) The international Alliance for the Control of Scabies (IACS) is a global network of researchers, clinicians and public health experts dedicated to improving the control of scabies, with over 70 members form more than 15 countries.

Scabies is a parasitic skin infection that affects people in every country of the world. Mothers, young children and the elderly are particularly vulnerable groups. Secondary infections are common and may lead to severe complications, such as sepsis, renal damage and possibly rheumatic heart disease.

The 2nd annual meeting of the International Alliance for the Control of Scabies took place at George Washington University, Washington DC, in November 2013. The meeting looked back at the activities and achievements of the Alliance in the past year, which included the launch of the IACS website. Several IACS members presented updates on their latest research activities relevant to the control of scabies, covering topics such as epidemiology, treatment and strategies for community-based control. www.controlscabies.org

netFWD The Global Network of Foundations Working for Development (netFWD) is composed of self-selected foundations committed to optimising the impact of philanthropy for development through the sharing of experiences, lesson learning, policy influencing and the development of innovative partnerships. netFWD conveys and disseminates foundations’ key messages to policy makers through policy dialogue and outreach efforts in high-level fora, such as the post-2015 debate

and the Global Partnership for Effective Development Co-operation (GPEDC).

For more information, please contact uia@uia.org

Society for Cultural and Scientific Progress in Central and Eastern Europe The Society for Cultural and Scientific Progress in Central and Eastern Europe is an international non-profit organisation.

Its goals? Promoting and facilitating cooperation among scientists - especially among the young scientists whose career is only at the beginning of its development, and encouraging and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the progress and development in the region.

netFWD organises meetings all around Europe: workshops in the Paris headquarters, webinars in Istanbul to name a few. The association also co-hosted larger gatherings like the Development Cooperation Forum (DCF) Special Policy Dialogue in New York or the Effective Venture Philantropy Working Group meeting in London.

The Society is also about enhancing and supporting scientific activities among students, primarily in fields related to natural sciences, sharpening the student’s talents for scientific research and creativity, while strengthening the ties between the students and researchers and improving scientific collaboration between scientists of the region.

www.oecd.org/site/netfwd

http://scaspee.com 15

© Basel Tourismus - Andreas Zimmermann

Introduction

Basel

Where meeting is an art Because I lived a few years in Strasbourg before moving to Brussels, I had actually been to Basel before. But, for my very first professional trip to the city, I discovered a destination that is playing among the big shots in the industry. If Basel is known for its art and the two world-famous fairs that attract visitors from around the world, it’s also a town that knows its business when it comes to association meetings.

Report Rémi Dévé In spite of its relatively small size (it has ‘only’ about 190,000 inhabitants) between Vosges, the Black Forest and the Jura Mountains, Basel is a city of many superlatives, of many firsts: with, maybe, the oldest hotel in Europe, it also takes pride in having the first-ever public art museum… and the largest convention and exhibition centre in Switzerland, a fact definitely of interest to association planners. With a striking new hall complex inaugurated in spring 2013, designed by internationally acclaimed architects Herzog & de Meuron, Basel is, for that matter, more than ever ready to host the world (more on this page 5 to 8).

Internationally famous fairs Basel’s internationally famous events include BASELWORLD, the world’s biggest and most 16

important show for the watch and jewellery industry, and Art|Basel, acknowledged as the world’s premier international art show for modern and contemporary works. It’s no secret that Basel is the art city par excellence, with museums and galleries around every corner it seems - in fact ‘Culture Unlimited’ has been the tagline of the city’s tourism organisation for a few years now. Basel is also a city where festivals have pride of place: I could personally experience the Vogel Gryff, a kind of procession celebrating three societies from Kleinbasel, but I was told the carnival and the Fasnacht, which draw an incredible party atmosphere and colorful spectacle, were outstanding too.

In economic terms, the city of Basel is a major player in the life sciences. Two of the

world’s five largest pharmaceutical companies - Novartis and Roche - were founded in Basel and still have their headquarters here.

Furthermore, the city is home to numerous biotech companies. Service companies from the financial industry and from the commerce and logistics sectors in and around Basel are also undergoing constant expansion. Basel offers a unique concentration of innovative companies, an open-minded culture, an international environment and Switzerland’s oldest university - for associations looking for links with a destination, you can hardly ask for more!

At a crossroads Conveniently located at the Three Countries’ Corner of Switzerland, Germany and France (you actually see the three countries from the highest point of the city, right outside the cathedral), Basel is at a crossroads, which may explain why so many people meet there, and why the environment can be considered as truly international.

Getting to Basel is rather easy, with top-class

Introduction

© 2014 F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Town Hall

Hoffmann-La Roche

Basel in numbers

Art Basel

international transport connections either by air or rail – there are direct ICE connections from Germany (a German train station can even be found in the middle of the city!), TGV connections from France, and even direct trains to Italy.

if you do have a bit of time on your hands, the Skyview Lounge with its panoramic view and great service, is a must-do.

EuroAirport also boasts a dedicated Business Center for mobile work and com-

Conveniently located at the Three Countries’ Corner of Switzerland, Germany and France Basel is at a crossroads, which may explain why so many people meet there In addition to the nearby Zurich Airport with over 200 intercontinental destinations, I was lucky enough to take a small tour of EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg - my very first airport site visit since I started in this industry as a journalist. Situated just 15 minutes from the city by car (there is a shuttle going downtown every 7 - 10 minutes), it is a hub from which you can easily fly in and out.

Everything has been done in there so the flux of passengers is fluid and smooth: if you don’t have a bag to check in, you can spend as little as 10 minutes inside the airport actually. And

munication between people and companies and, in our case, associations. The first of its kind, at least to my knowledge, it provides 250 m2 of usable meeting space flooded with light, right in the middle of the airport: available are 10 fully equipped, high quality rooms with modular equipment providing a capacity for up to 90 people. The rooms can be rented on an hourly, half-daily, daily or weekly basis, a very flexible solution should you want to arrange a quick meeting on your way to or out of Basel.

• Maximum capacity at Congress Center Basel: 5,000 • 1,000 hotel rooms in different categories in the direct vicinity of Congress Center Basel • 5,800 hotel rooms within a 15-minute transfer of the city centre • EuroAirport 15 minutes from the city centre • Scheduled direct flights with more than 90 destinations • International railway connections with direct ICE connections from Germany and TGC connections from France • Dense public transport network: free Mobility Ticket for the use of the citys’ trams and buses when staying at any hotel in Basel • Home to BASELWORLD, Art|Basel, FC Basel, Swiss Indoors Basel, the famous Carnival, Basel Tattoo Festival and many other top events.

Contact Astrid Dietschi & Stefan Bonsels Sales Manager Basel Tourism & Convention Bureau +41 (0)61 268 68 10 convention@basel.com www.basel.com

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Introduction

4 questions to Christoph Bosshardt “Basel is a pocket-size metropolis” Christoph Bosshardt is Associate Director, Head of Marketing at Basel Tourism and his enthusiasm for the city he grew up in and works for is quite infectious.

© 2013, Museum Tinguely - Andres Pardey

Baselworld

Museum Tinguely

HQ: What is the added value of Basel when it comes to association meetings?

Christoph Bosshardt: The compactness of Basel is definitely its main asset. No matter where you stay and where you want to go, it won’t take you more than a few minutes, either on foot or by public transport. I know some international associations are fed up with big metropolises where it takes hours to commute. Here the congress centre is located in the middle of the city, and everything is close by. In addition, as a convention bureau, we make sure we cater to every need an association might have: from online booking to room allotment to bidding assistance, the range of services we provide is quite broad.

HQ: In what way is the city ready to support associations coming to Basel?

Christoph Bosshardt: Since we serve as a gobetween for the local government and the association planner, we make sure we defend the interest of Basel as a convention destination. The authorities clearly understand the economic impact a big congress can have on the city and want to strengthen Basel’s profile on the international meeting scene.

They actually just released some new funds to attract new congresses or so we can produce new events ourselves. The plan is valid for the upcoming four years, all the way until 2017, and the amount of money they can offer depends on certain criteria: it has to reflect the policies developed by the city (in its sustainable commitment for instance) or be connected to certain fields of endeavour Basel is known for (like medical technology, life sciences, etc.)

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Interviewing Christoph Bosshardt (left)

HQ: What’s new in Basel in terms of infrastructure?

Christoph Bosshardt: Basel is never at a standstill. In addition to the new exhibition hall that significantly increases Basel’s capacities, there will be major developments in hotels. The city will get an additional 700 guest rooms, in all categories, that will nicely complement the 5,800 we already have within a 15-minute transfer time of the city centre: the Mercure hotel will be replaced by a Pullman, the Hilton by a Mövenpick and we’ll boast our very first Ibis Budget as well. In terms of venues, St. Jakobshalle will undergo a complete refurbishment and be able to accommodate mega conventions of several thousand people, while Kunstmuseum Basel will also be expanded. A positive side effect is that this high-class museum will offer more space for social events.

HQ: Tell us about your personal favorite in Basel.

Christoph Bosshardt: I grew up in Basel - I just love it! It is small like a village, everybody knows each other, but it has all the advantages of a big centre at the same time, combining a great quality of life, various cultural and sports offerings, good connections and great gastronomy. We’ve always said Basel is a ‘pocket-size metropolis’ and that’s never been more true.

Congress Centre

San Francisco Room

Congress Center Basel Facts and figures

Congress Center Basel The knowledge and innovation venue First an impression. In terms of look, feel and location, the Congress Center Basel and the brand-new exhibition hall right next door can be hardly beaten. Then the team working there is both professional and friendly, and they know how to sell the venue, based on Basel’s strengths and knowledge in various fields. In short, Congress Center Basel cannot but enthrall you: as an association facility, it is definitely a big player.

I had no idea Congress Center Basel was Switzerland’s biggest convention centre - after all Basel is not that big! But I was surprised to discover a venue that is both easy to navigate and nice to look at. In fact, the now-famous cone of light that separates the two exhibition halls is definitely a mustsee… and the cover of this supplement.

Congress Center Basel belongs to the MCH

Group, which operates three Exhibition Centers in Basel, Zurich and Lausanne. In addition, it owns leading international companies specialised in event management, event technology and stand construction.

New complex by Herzog & de Meuron

The Congress Center Basel is linked directly via a footbridge to the trade-fair grounds, which cover an area of 14.1 hectares. Few other locations in Europe can meet the growing demand for congress facilities directly linked to trade-fair grounds, which constitutes the ideal setting for combined events: congresses accompanied by trade exhibitions, and trade fairs accompanied by congresses and seminars.

• Congress Center Basel 25 congress and conference rooms, largest Hall: seats up to 5,000 people • Musical Theater Basel 1,500 seats • Messe Basel 5 halls with a gross area of 141,000 m2 1,200 parking spaces in the venue’s own multi-storey car park

visit in my career of journalist, the Congress Center Basel is situated right in the heart of the city, directly alongside Basel Exhibition Center and a short walk away from many of the city’s hotels (there’s about 1,000 hotel rooms at walking distance, for all kinds of budget, and 5,000 others are within 20 minutes distance by public transport). The old town can be reached in 15 minutes on foot or 5 minutes by tram. The centre’s location is in fact ideal, literally a stone’s throw from the main train stations and also close to the EuroAirport.

Unlike many similar venues that I could 19

Congress Centre

A striking new hall complex, designed by internationally acclaimed architects Herzog & de Meuron, was inaugurated in spring 2013, after two years of intense day-andnight construction work. The new facility is linked directly to the Congress Center Basel and combines optimum functionality with an outstanding architectural style… and a big hole, branded as the ‘cone of light’ in the middle! With a kind of aluminum seethrough shell that covers the whole length of the building, it really stands out, almost like a monument of some sort, and has become a bit of an icon in its short life.

The potential of Congress Center Basel as a meeting venue has been considerably enhanced by the multifunctional Event Hall. With a pillar-free surface area of some 3,300 m2, plus 1,500 m2 in the foyer, the Event Hall can accommodate events for up to 3,000 participants, with banquets possible for up to 2,000. In addition, 11 modular rooms were opened in August 2013, which can be used both individually and in combination

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CCB Smartphone app With the Congress Center Basel smart phone app, you can explore the Congress Center using a highly intuitive 3D navigation system. The app’s interactive map allows you to navigate the floors and rooms of the Congress Center. General information about the rooms, events, travel information and facts and figures about Basel are other, very useful features of the app.

Download it at http://apps.insideguidance.com/ccb/

with each other to accommodate events for between 10 and 1,000 people. The new rooms, which have brought the total room count at the Congress Center Basel to 25, are located on the ground floor where they are directly accessible from the Congress Center Basel’s main entrance. They offer an amazing range of options: a plenary event

with over 5,000 participants plus sufficient space for concurrent breakout sessions in the immediate vicinity can now be organised without any problems at the Congress Center Basel.

Not only has Exhibition Square undergone a major revamp, the Congress Center Basel is also constantly investing in its own facilities: the Montreal Auditorium has recently been fully renovated and equipped with the very latest technology. The biggest room to date - the San Francisco room - has also undergone modernization and had a new highgrade audio and lighting system installed.

Letizia Elia, who’s taking care of sales and marketing at the centre, explains: ‘In addition to its ideal location in the city centre and very good looks, Congress Center Basel can now accommodate larger association conferences than before. That’s in fact the whole idea of the expansion and renovation: we can work on conferences we could not host before, thanks to our now very multifunctional space, exhibition

Congress Centre

areas and breakout rooms. With the additional space we enter in the world of large events (3,000 plus). Furthermore, we became more flexible due to separate entrance areas; we are now able for example to host two large events at the same time.’

Innovative knowledge Knowledge and Innovation are the two key words Congress Center Basel uses to brand what they can do, to show that they are committed to excellence. Letizia, again, puts it like this: ‘Day-in day-out, we make sure for our customers that this is not just a string of positive-sounding words, since we are engaged in considerably more than just renting out rooms and also provide support for our clients in the planning and development of their events.’

This support can start as early as with the submission of a proposal. For initiators wishing to hold an international conference in Basel, the staff working at the centre makes it easy: they assist in the production of a dossier to present the project and the venue and in the corresponding presentation to an association or committee. Site visits or the finding of local partners can also be arranged.

This proactive approach can have other forms too. The new Congress app, which was developed in cooperation with the organisers of the 2012 ECCB Conference September 2012, is another example of this. For the very first time, more than 1,000 participants were able to get information on the conference via their smartphones and tablet PCs and engage in discussions with each other, using a very simple, free app that they could download whenever they felt like it. The abstracts of the papers being presented and the “Add to calendar” function proved particularly popular, allowing participants to put together their own personal conference programme in both a rapid and straightforward manner (see box page 6).

First Ecochem Conference & Exhibition The centre’s positive attitude is also reflected in the kind of events they host. From 19 to 21 November 2013 the first edition of the Ecochem Conference & Exhibition on Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering took place at Congress Center Basel. The main

Under the cone of light

focus was on innovation in the chemicals industry with an eye to sustainability. The three-day conference focused on current research and also on projects and concepts for the chemicals industry of tomorrow, with the aim of reconciling business and sustainability. An event like this acts as a door-opener for partnerships and cooperation between the key players from the global economy who are taking part: it helps raise Basel’s profile on the international scene (see next page) and that’s definitely what a venue of this caliber should aim at.

Contact Letizia Elia Marketing & Business Development Congress Center Basel +41 58 206 28 54 sales@congress.ch www.congress.ch

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Congress Centre

surface area and its multifunctional halls and rooms allowed us an exceptionally high level of flexibility in accommodating our simultaneous eight-stream conference programme.

HQ: How helpful was Basel as a city/convention bureau in organising the event?

What about Congress Center Basel?

Nick Hawker: Basel as a city was extremely supportive in both the organisation and promotion of the first Ecochem and we are happy to have announced that it will again take place at MCH Congress Center Basel from 11-13 November 2014. The staff and management could not have been more helpful in organising our event and their professionalism and high quality service provision were especially noted by our customers and partners.

Ecochem 2013

Case Study

Ecochem in Basel

Nick Hawker is Managing Director of Ecochem, the first conference on Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering. He shares here his experience and explains why Basel was the ideal destination for such an event.

HQ: Could you briefly present Echochem?

Nick Hawker: Last November, the first Ecochem Exhibition and Conference on Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering brought together leaders from the world’s elite brands and chemical companies including Dow, BASF, Clariant, Evonik, DuPont, INEOS, Nestle, Nike, Volkswagen, P&G, Coca-Cola, Novartis and L’Oréal as well as heads of government, academics, financiers, scientists, innovators and young future leaders. The meeting had the aim to accelerate innovation, research, commercialisation and market uptake in the design, production and use of efficient, effective, safe and more environmentally benign chemical products and processes.

Ecochem included 3 days of 8 streams, 200+speakers, over 50 exhibitors and nearly 1,000 delegates. The focus of the

22

event was on collaborative approaches and new solutions designed to inspire and equip the leaders of tomorrow with the critical strategic and technical knowledge, contacts and skills needed to reinvent businesses and economies.

HQ: Why did you select Basel as the conference destination?

Nick Hawker: As Switzerland’s most dynamic economic regions and one of the most productive and innovative worldwide, Basel is a key location for the chemical and life sciences industry. Basel has one of the highest density of successful Chemical and Life Sciences companies worldwide. It is home to some of the world’s leading chemical and pharma companies including Syngenta, Lonza, Clariant, Huntsman, Roche and Novartis as well as many smaller companies and a continually growing number of successful start-ups. Basel is also part of the tri-national Bio Valley stretching from Basel to Strasbourg in France and its location at the heart of Europe with excellent worldwide transport connections make it an excellent location for an international chemical and life-sciences event such as Ecochem.

The Congress Center Basel is Switzerland’s largest conference centre in terms of

HQ: Any highlights that were particularly memorable?

Nick Hawker: They were actually plenty.

I can think of Dr Hubert Mandery’s opening plenary presentation - he’s Director General of the European Chemical Industry Council and he outlined the European Chemical Industry’s vision for a sustainable future.

Iris Welten, CEO, Basel Area followed Dr Mandery’s talk with a presentation on the unique advantages of the Basel economic region. SusChem Switzerland National Platform was also launched at Ecochem including a full day conference session from SusChem. SusChem is the European Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry.

There was also the INEOS Innogrant Award which gave CHF 100,000 to two young innovators from the university spin-off company Imperix. And of course there was this very informative panel of leading experts from Nike, The Coca-Cola Company, DuPont, Ecover, Avantium and Elevance Renewable Sciences who discussed what Sustainable Chemistry can do for brands, consumers and the world.

More information www.ecochemex.com

Hotels

Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois

A wide range of accommodation For a relatively small city, Basel boasts a good variety of hotels, for all kinds of budgets, many of which are in the direct vicinity of Congress Center Basel. Below is a selection of six definitely worth considering, from the good value-for-money one to the actual palace.

Pullman Basel Europe

A mere five minute-walk from the congress centre, Hotel Dorint An der Messe Basel is your typical, straight-to-the point conference hotel, with no blabla and no blingbling.

In addition to 171 guest rooms in total, it offers five function rooms, all with natural daylight, for gatherings of up to 80 people over an area of 215 m2. Hotel Dorint’s main restaurant has also been recently refurbished, and the interior designer did a good job creating a cosy atmosphere where you feel immediately at ease. The hotel also boasts the only hotel bar in Basel which is open 24 hours a day!

Nested in the tallest habitable building in Basel, the Ramada Plaza has many assets meeting planners usually look for in a hotel: good service, flexible infrastructure, culinary delights… and maybe the best view in the city! All 224 rooms are bright and spacious, with floor-to-ceiling windows and illuminated

bathrooms floors. Accommodating up to 430 people, the nine flexible conference rooms, totalling 1,000 m2, are pretty much in the same style, with a uniquely crafted atmosphere. And you can even hold small seminars with up to 10 people in the SkyView meeting room on the 30th floor!

In the heart of the city, a stone’s throw from the market square, the Radisson Blu Hotel has recently been renovated from top to bottom. There Scandinavian, contemporary design has pride of place, from the clear lines of the 197 rooms and 9 suites to the retro-futuristic pool (the largest hotel pool in Basel) and the comfortable Italian Filini restaurant. Eight multi-purpose conference rooms provide enough space for seminars of 4 people and large banquets of up to 400 guests, complete with the now-famous Experience Meetings concept, should you wish to go for it.

Hotel Dorint An der Messe Basel

Skylounge, Ramada Plaza 23

Hotels

A hotel redefining itself: that’s what I experienced when I visited the Mercure Hotel Europe Basel being transformed into the Pullman Basel Europe. Due to open in March 2014, the first Pullman hotel in Switzerland has a certain je ne sais quoi, with its terrace garden, modern look and 141 generously sized rooms, that sets it apart. Is it the constant pleasant interior climate? Is it its central location next door to the congress centre? Anyway, you can organise meetings there too: six spacious function rooms all with natural daylight and a roof garden for a break accommodate up to 200 people.

Schloss Bottmingen

The largest hotel in Basel with its comfortable and spacious 238 rooms and suites, Swissôtel Le Plaza Basel is where I was lucky enough to stay. Directly connected to the trade fair and Congress Center Basel, it offers ten meeting rooms for up to 200 people, perfect for parallel sessions of a, say, very large congress taking place at the convention centre: they all meet the requirements of the Pharmaceutical Codex, which is definitely an added value. The service at Swissôtel Le Plaza Basel is both friendly and top notch: I personally experienced it all through my way too short stay there.

Impressive with its palace-like looks and unique view of the Rhine, Grand Hotel Les Trois Rois, located right in the middle of the Old Town, may well be the oldest hotel in Europe. A state-of-the art renovation a few years ago restored its original glory: the owner did not make it the cheap way and made sure the hotel now looks just the way it did in the 19th century, from the door knobs to the fireplaces. Les Trois Rois boasts 83 rooms, 18 suites (including a presidential one which you have to see to believe), a 2-star Michelin restaurant and meeting space for up to 260 participants.

Restaurant Safran Zunft

Very Special Venues A bit of everything A city of culture, history and prestige, Basel has a few, very different venues where you can organise meetings or very special cocktails or dinners. From a church right in the centre to a castle a bit on the outskirts, here are five of them.

Swissôtel Le Plaza Basel

Radisson Blu Basel 24

The largest first: on the south-east edge of the city, in the middle of a uniquely designed park and recreation area that is easily accessible by tram, bus or S-Bahn, lies St. Jakobshalle Basel. If at first I was a bit taken aback by its concrete, very 70’s and bit old look, I was immediately reassured when I found out it will undergo a complete refurbishment in the near future - the complete new halle is due to open in 2017, after extensive works not only in terms of design but also in terms of carbon emissions and safety.

With a total of twelve halls, St. Jakobshalle hosts events of pretty much every format and size. Known internationally as the home of the Swiss Indoors Basel, the famous tennis tournament, it will see its capacities increase with the renovation: the foyer area will be expanded, as the seating capacity of the Great Hall, which will seat 13,000. The halle benefits from the expertise of a highly motivated team who knows the building inside out and all the combination possibilities of the various halls. You can easily imagine the smooth running of a big convention there: the enthusiasm of the people I met was almost tangible!

Special venues

St. Jakobshalle

Fancy a dinner in a church, maybe with some musicians performing a little concert just for you while you eat? The Offene Kirche Elisabethen is the place. I had actually never heard of a sacred place usable for this kind of things, and was amazed at the possibility, as the neo-Gothic church, which lies in the centre of Basel, provides a very unique atmosphere for banquets, concerts and lectures. Theatre style the Offene Kirche Elisabethen accommodates up to 500 people, while dinners can be organised for 250. The area around the church can be rented out additionally.

A stone’s throw from the Musiksaal hides Restaurant Safran Zunft, in the centre of the old town. The first thing to catch your attention when you enter the premises actually catches your nose: it indeed smells of nice spices all over the place as soon as you get in. The history of the place stretches back to the medieval spice traders’ guild, and spices still play a major role in the fresh, regional cuisine served at the restaurant. As to events, the historic, turnof-the-century Zunftsaal serves as the perfect venue for receptions of all kinds for up to 500 people.

At the Musiksaal of Basel’s Stadt-Casino, Theodor Herzl convened the very first Zionist Congress in 1897. Nowadays, the venue might well be the city’s best-known concert hall, and can also be used for other events as well. Its central location downtown Basel, the elegance of its many different historic rooms are sure to impress.

There are three different usable halls (all with a stage), the biggest of which accommodates 1,508 people. Various foyers can also be hired out for cocktails or exhibitions. And there are even plans of expansion - in short, you can hardly ask for more.

Located just outside Basel, but still accessible by tram (it takes a good 10 minutes from the city centre), Schloss Bottmingen is your typical 14th century castle, surroun­ ded by water and a romantic park.

Tastefully renovated in recent years, it offers various luxurious meeting rooms for up to 250 people cocktail style. Worth noting is that the garden terrace as well as the castle park can be used for event, weather permitting of course. All in all, Schloss Bottmingen invites you to travel back in time, but with all the modern amenities you can expect in a contemporary setting.

Musiksaal, Stadt-Casino

Offene Kirche Elisabethen

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> Greece

Thessaloniki European Youth Capital 2014 Thessaloniki is a youthful Greek metropolis with an intriguing multi-ethnic history and an arty counterculture. It is a lively modern place, bustling with energy and verve - and a great place to meet!

“Many stories, one heart” An array of cultures and traditions, aromas and flavors from the East and the West: it’s like everything blends in the streets and alleys of Thessaloniki. Christians, Muslims and Jews used to live there together only a century ago. The signs of this multicultural gift are visible today, wherever you look, in the monuments of course but also in the art and gastronomy of the destination.

But Thessaloniki is also called, for good reasons, the city of startups and young entrepreneurs who invest in innovative projects, sharing their ideas with partners in the universities and business incubators. The city has three universities - the Aristotle University is even the largest one in Greece.

this very city that the people have taken matters in their own hands, for instance, by distributing goods without middlemen.

Thessaloniki paving its way to congresses In Thessaloniki, the annual tourism fair, Philoxenia, has undergone an impressive upgrade. In collaboration with Artion Conference & Events, a system of hosted buyers was set up this year and about 100 buyers from big tourism markets such as Russia, India and China were invited - they all had pre-scheduled business meetings arranged. The fair is held in the TIF-HELEXPO, one of Greece’s largest exhibition centres, with the adjacent Vellidis Convention Centre, right in the heart of the city. Being close to the Aristotle University

A strong student community and legions of young creative minds keep the spirit of the city fresh: no wonder Thessaloniki has been selected the European Youth Capital 2014 A strong student community and legions of young creative minds keep the spirit of the city fresh: no wonder Thessaloniki has been selected the European Youth Capital 2014. New ideas are visible all around. The Thessaloniki International Film Festival, celebrating this year its 52nd anniversary, has grown steadily into an international renowned festival, proving the city is kicking and alive!

“How Greece is showing Europe the way” It may sound contradictory but it was also in this city and surroundings that a new way of doing business has been developed, even though the Greeks have been hit hard by the crisis. According to Tomas Sedlacek, the well-known Czech economist, it is in

and the University of Macedonia allows for opportunities for important collaborations and co-hosted events. (www.artion.com.gr / www.helexpo.gr) Thanks to this creative approach, numerous international congresses have been held in Thessaloniki, such as the 40th SEFI annual conference (European Society for Engineering Education). The road to more congresses in Thessaloniki is wide open!

More info www.thessaloniki2014.gr

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© STB Dennis Lim

> Singapore

Dynamic Singapore Marina Bay

It is easy to do business in Singapore - and easy to host conferences. Whether it’s the dynamism, the “can do” attitude or availability of experienced players, it’s a place where things can get done. And a place to mix business with leisure. From the hotels and restaurants to shopping and nightlife, it is a fascinating, safe destination that business travellers love to visit.

With its vibrant knowledge economy and as the home of thought leadership, Singapore is the ideal partner when seeking innovative solutions. Here are some other compelling reasons for hosting your next event in Singapore: • Bustling and popular tourism and business hub • One of Asia’s main air, sea and telecommunications hubs with market access to some 3.3 billion people within a seven-hour flight radius • Easily accessible with more than 6,300 weekly flights on 100 international airlines • Home to more than 7,000 multinational companies and 130 international non-profit organisations • Extensive global trade and communications networks • Excels in the knowledge-driven industries of banking and finance, biomedical

• •

•

•

sciences, energy, ICT and media, energy and environment, transport and security Renowned for its integrity, quality, reliability and productivity Home to a large number of conventional and unconventional event spaces and over 50,000 hotel rooms with more hotels scheduled to open in 2014.

A healthy MICE eco system with a wide range of experienced Professional Convention Organisers (PCO’s), Professional Exhibition Organisers (PEO’s), Associations, suppliers (booth constructors), venue operators and the Singapore Association of Convention & Exhibition Organisers (local MICE industry association) Prides itself on its efficiency and the professional services that the local industry provides to business and association events

Rankings & accolades Singapore has consistently earned accolades for being a dynamic meetings and events destination. MICE organisers can expect Singapore to deliver one of the highest service standards in Asia. The country’s infrastructure and communications networks are designed to meet business needs. This is reflected in some of the recent awards won by Singapore: • Asia’s Top Convention City for the 11th consecutive year (ICCA Global Rankings 2012) • Top International Meeting City for the 6th consecutive year and Top International Meeting Country for the second consecutive year (Union of International Associations Global Rankings 2012) • Asia’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination (World Travel Awards, 2013) • Best Business City in South East Asia 2013 (Business Travellers Asia Pacific Travel Awards 2013)

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> Singapore

Your partner The Singapore Exhibition & Convention BureauTM (SECB) provides comprehensive and accurate information on Singapore’s meeting, conference and exhibition facilities, venues for social programmes and recommended industry partners. It is a member of the BestCities Global Alliance - the world’s first global alliance of convention bureaux with 10 partners in five continents. The SECB offers customised support under the Business Event in Singapore (BEiS) scheme to business event organisers, corporations and associations to stage, anchor or expand their business events in Singapore.

With a proven track record of successfully securing inaugural events to the country, the SECB has been equally successful in bidding for returning events like the Swift International Banking Operations Seminar (Sibos) 2015.

SMAP - doing more for event organisers A new initiative recently launched by the SECB, Changi Airport Group and Singapore Airlines could see organisers who book events in Singapore reap a host of advantages. Known as the Singapore MICE Advantage Programme (SMAP), it has been designed to enhance the overall experience for overseas MICE visitors and provide a seamless Singapore event experience.

The level of support and scope of assistance will vary, but could include: • Preferential delegate airfares • Additional baggage • Discounts on Singapore Stopover Holiday or Singapore Stopover Business Packages • Changi Shopping Vouchers • Marketing assistance from SECB • Discounts on advertising space within Changi Airport • Complimentary advertising space in SIA’s publications and/or KrisWorld channels

Upcoming key conventions in Singapore 2014

© STB Lina Wee

• World’s Easiest Place to do Business for the 8th time (Doing Business 2014 Report, World Bank) • Most Innovative City in Asia Pacific (Ranking by corporate advisory group Solidiance, www.asiainnovativecities. com/winners.html)

• XXII International Pigment Cell Conference • 16th International Symposium on Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (ISPNO) • 15th Annual Conference of the International Speech Communication Association • 22nd IAHR International Symposium on Ice

2015 • Swift International Banking Operations Seminar (SIBOS) • 10th World Congress of Cosmetic Dermatology (WCOCD)

2016 • 24th International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM) Annual Meeting & Exhibition

2017 • IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation

2018 • 55th International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) World Congress

Helix Bridge & Marina Bay Sands

• Preferential rates for airfare and accommodation for site inspections • Assistance in securing exclusive event venues • Complimentary arrival welcome desks at the airport • Preferential rates with SIA Cargo One event that is benefiting from the SMAP programme is the 2017 Pacific Rim International Conference on Lasers and Electro-optics (CLEO). The organisers are expecting more than 1,000 delegates for the 2017 event, which will also mark CLEO’s first time in South-East Asia. The conference steering committee was won over by the SMAP offerings, which addressed some of the issues commonly faced by meeting attendees. For more information, please e-mail secb@stb.gov.sg.

Chinatown

Contact Singapore Tourism Board c/o Singapore Centre Karin Thönes Bleichstraße 45, D-60313 Frankfurt T. +49-(0)-69-920 770-0 Karin_Thoenes@stb.gov.sg Little India

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> Singapore

Venues for every purpose Sunset at Gardens by the Bay

Singapore offers an excellent range of stateof-the-art convention centres, exhibition halls and meeting venues that suit a variety of needs and budgets. These venues also offer the convenience of a wide range of accommodation, food, shopping, entertainment, and other lifestyle options in close proximity.

The Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre, Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre and the Singapore Expo with its MAX Atria wing are suitable for large-scale international exhibitions and conferences.

To meet the growing trend of clients and delegates being increasingly more concerned about sustainability, more venues in Singapore are incorporating sustainable practices into their facilities.

For example, Marina Bay Sands received the honour of being the first event venue outside America to receive Level One certification by ASTM International that signifies its standing as a sustainable venue. MAX Atria, designed to bring nature ‘inside’ and meetings ‘outside’, was the first convention venue to obtain the prestigious Building and Construction Authority (BCA)’s Green Mark Platinum Award.

Together with the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Conference Centre, Raffles City Convention Centre, and Resorts World Sentosa, these venues offer world-class conference and meeting

facilities, as well as nearby accommodation and dining. You can rent out smaller venues for more intimate gatherings, while unconventional spaces including theatres, gardens and even the ‘fountain of wealth’ at Suntec, can be utilized.

Non-traditional meeting venues and experiences are also available. These include the S.E.A. Aquarium, River Safari, Gardens by the Bay, ArtScience Museum, Universal Studios Singapore and Goodman Arts Centre to name a few. They make for interesting backdrops for team building activities or learning journeys that may be incorporated within the meeting programmes, allowing organisers to come up with creative programmes that result in a differentiated delegate experience.

Cavenagh Bridge Popularly called the Grand Old Lady of the Singapore River, the Cavanagh Bridge, built in 1869, is one of the oldest bridges in Singapore. It can transform itself to suit your purpose, as the entire place can be booked for evening events. www.sla.gov.sg

Gardens by the Bay These 54-hectare gardens offer event planners a number of unique spaces. Nestled within the Flower Dome with magnificent waterfront views is the 1,200-square-metre Jubilee Hall, perfect for a 700-guest banquet. For outdoor enthusiasts, consider

having an evening cocktail party for 500 guests at the Silver Leaf. www.gardensbythebay.com.sg

Sands SkyPark at Marina Bay Sands Perfect for cocktail parties, the South Garden and North Garden can take 200 and 250 guests respectively. The 500-guest capacity Observation Deck, the restaurants namely Sky on 57 and KU DE TA as well as the SkyBar are popular choices with event organisers. www.marinabaysands.com

The Star Performing Arts Centre The Star Theatre with The Star Performing Arts Centre is the first and only 5,000 seat performing arts venue in Singapore. Within the complex are flexible event spaces like The Star Gallery that holds 770 seats in a theatre style set up or 490 on rounds for banqueting events. The Star Gallery breaks into five sizable breakout rooms. www.thestar.sg

Universal Studios Singapore Transport your guests onto Sentosa Island and into the creative world of the movies. Surprise your conference delegates with a New York Street undercovered dinner party within the 1500-banquet capacity zone of New York whilst mingling amongst the Universal Studios Singapore cast of characters. www.rwsentosa.com 31

> France

Centre Prouvé, Nancy

the future Strasbourg Convention Centre & Exhibition Park

Foyer, Centre Prouvé, Nancy

Reims-Metz-Nancy-Strasbourg Meetings in Eastern France France abounds in destinations worth discovering. They all have something different to offer. When it comes to meetings and new infrastructures, the Eastern part of France stands out, with a renewal of services and facilities at hand for associations. Four cities, naturally, architecturally and culturally rich, will in fact enchant you. After Reims and Metz, two cities combining the roman, medieval, classical and contemporary, head for Nancy, the capital of Art Nouveau, and finish in Strasbourg.

Champagne in Reims Famous for its champagne, its architectural heritage and gastronomy, Reims cultivates the art of good living and is an ideal location for your events, with Paris close by.

Rich in traditions and centuries-old knowhow, it has also become a modern and lively regional capital, at the crossroad of several European routes, with a booming economy and first-rate research centres.

Three sites listed as UNESCO World Heritage, the refined atmosphere of the Champagne Houses, a town centre which offers you both the elegance of its Art Deco facades and its

relaxed atmosphere... it’s actually quite easy to feel at ease in Reims!

There are two complementary venues which accommodate congresses from 200 to 5,000 persons: the Centre des congrès and the Parc des expositions. With its highly modern design, the former matches functionality with elegance. Set in the heart of the city, open onto a natural park, it enables its guests to walk in a few minutes to the TGV station, the main hotels, the pedestrian precinct, shops, restaurants and bars.

Art Nouveau in Nancy Best known for the famous Place Stanislas, the symbol of the city considered by many to be the most beautiful square in Europe, Nancy is the French capital of Art Nouveau.

Its 18th-century city centre of Nancy centre has been awarded UNESCO status: Ducal Palace, Place d’Alliance and Place de la Carrière, the old town... the strolling through the districts of the historic capital of Lorraine is a journey in time, the occasion for Nancy to reveal itself.

Did you know for instance that the large Parc de la Pépinière was created 250 years ago? If you’d like a bit of greenery, that’s the place to be.

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> France

Innovation, creation and knowledge are the keywords in Nancy. A network made of national research centres, numerous research laboratories attached to the ‘Université de Lorraine’, an internationally renowned scientific data centre and leading companies has developed in the area of the ‘Grand Nancy’. Thierry Bottard, Sales & Marketing Director at Grand Nancy Congrès & Evènements, explains: ‘This has made it a convenient location for holding events of all formats. Grand Nancy, with its centres of excellence, its three competitiveness clusters, its infrastructure and its cultural, architectural and environmental assets, is an appealing location. The fact that we have now a new conference and event centre, the Centre Prouvé, makes it even easier for us to attract associations.’

Located in the city centre right next to the high speed train station, with 20,000 m2 of usable space, the Centre Prouvé boasts all the amenities you can expect in a new facility It is a place where everything has

been designed to encourage interaction.

The two auditoriums with a capacity of 850 and 300 seats are both prolonged by reception areas with daylight, which makes them ideal for socializing during coffee breaks or cocktails or for setting up a poster session.

Thirteen breakout rooms can accommodate meetings and parallel sessions. And there are almost 1,500 hotel rooms and the main touristic sites within a 10 minutes’ walk from the centre!

Stained-glass Metz Divided by the Moselle and the Seille, Metz is a 3,000-year-old city. As night falls you can admire its illuminated monuments, its squares from the Middle Ages and the 18th century and its famed imperial district.

The splendid Saint-Etienne cathedral with 6,500 m2 of stained glass windows is a must-see: no wonder Metz is nicknamed the “stained-glass city”. The imperial district is also worth a détour: a model of urbanism, it was built at the end of the 19th century under Emperor Wilhelm II.

Lately Metz’s fame and profile on the international scene has risen thanks to the opening of Centre Pompidou Metz, an art centre designed to present modern and contemporary art in all its forms. It is a branch of Pompidou Arts Centre in Paris, and features semi-permanent and temporary exhibitions from the large collection of the French National Museum of Modern Art. The museum is the largest temporary exhibition space outside Paris in France with 5,000 m2 divided between 3 galleries, a theatre, and an auditorium.

When it comes to meetings, Metz Convention Centre has nothing to blush about: with 12 conference rooms and 600seat auditorium, just next to the exhibition centre of Metz and its 1,800 m2 of usable space, it can hold events of all formats. The additional 23,000 m2 in the exhibition park are also quite handy.

the famous Cathédrale de Reims

Centre Pompidou Metz

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> France

Europe in Strasbourg Strasbourg is all half-timber houses and narrow lanes, set against a backdrop of ultra-modern EU institutions. Situated on the Franco-German border, it has its own opera, France’s only national theatre outside Paris, and three international music festivals.

The Grande Ile, the ancient heart of the city and a listed UNESCO World Heritage site, lies in the middle of the River Ill and houses Strasbourg’s biggest landmark, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame and the stunningly picturesque Petite France.

The Route des Vins is a popular excursion from the city. Food from the region is synonymous with conviviality, and substantial dishes include baeckeoffe, flammekueche, choucroute, and fleischnacka. Strasbourg has been attracting visitors to its famous Christmas market since 1570, a huge draw for the city.

But Strasbourg is also refreshingly upto-date. Facing off with the European

Parliament building, Strasbourg Convention Centre & Exhibition Park is easy to get to.

It’s the ideal setting for events of all sizes: multipurpose reception spaces managed by experts, technical equipment and integrated services. From 2013, the city of Strasbourg is investing in the modernisation and extension of the Convention Centre and the creation of a new-generation Exhibition Park. Close to the European institutions, the two structures will form a unique multipurpose complex, placing Strasbourg in the Top 10 MICE destinations. In 2017 and 2018, the existing 3 auditoriums, for up to 1,800 people, and the 25 committee rooms, accommodating up to 500 participants, will be complemented by 10,000 m² (currently 9,000 m²) of adaptable space for exhibitions, catering and conferences and 4 exhibition spaces with a total area of 30,000m², directly connected to the convention centre.

Claude Feurer, Managing Director of Strasbourg Events, explains: ‘Our extremely strong European image marks us out from other cities. In 2017 we will have a highly flexible 90,000m² centre, a new concept with integrated and high-tech spaces which will place us among the greatest meeting centres in Europe: we hope it will allow us to attract a broader international clientele. With the opportunities that this new tool will bring, we are refocusing our strategy around three axes: our role as an international reception complex, our expertise in events and our leading position in the economic meetings market.’

More info + On Reims www.reims-evenements.fr + On Metz www.metz-congres.com + On Nancy www.grandnancy-congresetevenements.com + On Strasbourg www.strasbourg-events.com

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> Korea

Jogyesa Temple

Seoul ‘From good to great’ Last year Seoul Convention Bureau organised a press trip in the context of the SIBAC conference so I was curious to find out how the city is performing today and what impact the future plans will have on the capital.

Report Cécile Caiati-Koch The title of this report is quite a statement, you might say. It was stated by the mayor of Seoul, Mr Park Won-soon, at the 12th edition of SIBAC, Seoul International Business Advisory Council.

This yearly convention gathers big shots like Christopher Forbes from Forbes Publishing and Dominic Barton from McKinsey & Company - among others - to give their views on the development of Seoul’s tourism.

Last year at SIBAC, Seoul’s Master Plan was officially announced by the mayor. He wants to triple Seoul’s MICE capacity by 2020 and 36

make the destination enter the Top 3 of convention cities by 2018. The plan has 3 phases: one is already underway, with the setting up of the ‘Seoul Central MICE District’, complete with the recently opened contemporary art building Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) (see below). It will be Seoul’s core meeting venue until the opening of a new convention centre near Seoul Station in 2018. Phase 2 covers the expansion of the Coex region, while Phase 3 will make way for a complete new convention district near Gimpo International Airport, southwest of the city.

How is all this possible within this short timeframe, you may wonder. Well, like the saying goes: ‘One year in Korea, seven years in the West’. Rapid transformation seems to be a piece of cake for the Koreans.

Classic chic vs. ‘wired city’ Seoul, as a city, struck me on three levels: the traditional, historical places inspire classic a sense of elegance and calmness, and beneath that surface there must be a myriad of tales to tell about the history of the 622-year-old kingdom that took place within the old city wall of 18.6 km.

Intriguing! At the same time Seoul is a modern, high-tech city with an abundant number of multinational companies at the forefront of technology and design.

> Korea

It is also a city of fine art with numerous galleries, museums and innovative people, enjoying a busy nightlife. Just looking at the young people walking in the streets will give you an idea how creative the Koreans can be. Who said in Asia they are just good at copying? Western people look boring, if you ask me, compared to some Koreans.

Seoul is the most ‘wired city’ I know now.

Where to meet?

The existing convention and exhibition centre COEX has been operational for more than 20 years but still looks new. It was built with tourism in mind, therefore it combines a huge shopping mall, major 5-star hotels, culture and entertainment (with a casino).

At the moment, it is undergoing redevelopment: the mall will be expanded and, from 2014 on, will offer additional space, a new ‘COEX MICE Cluster’, as they call it. Very handy for the conference participants, it also offers services just like at the airport as well as easy access to the airport by nonstop bus lines. Led lighting, water recycling, green spaces: COEX is sustainable too. And with free wifi for up to 2000 pax, would it have it all? Close to COEX will rise the new Jamsil Sports complex and facilities, part of phase 2 of the Seoul’s master plan I mentioned above.

DDP, modernity at its best DDP, the Dongdaemun Design Plaza of the famous architect Zaha Hadid, is the brand-new art and convention centre in the middle of shopping heart of Seoul. As most of her buildings the DDP boasts a cuttingedge design with vaulting ceilings and curved walls, generous ramps and staircases creating an atmosphere of depth of space.

A true landmark! It has two convention halls and more than 20 meeting rooms, right next to numerous design-related facilities.

Where to stay Over the years, Korea has gained a lot of experience in hosting major world events like the ’88 Seoul Olympic Games, the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the G20 Summit in 2010. Korea is also set to host the Winter Olympics in 2018. So of course, Seoul has numerous 5- and 4 star hotels and some deserve a few words.

Safety in Seoul Some people asked me about safety in Korea. Is it really an issue? I dare to say, no, definitely not! In any place in the world something may happen, you never know. But would an American lady choose to lead Seoul’s convention bureau if she knew it could be dangerous? Never, so I truly believe that you can rely on Maureen O’Crowley decision!

The Shilla Seoul is literally at the top of the city, with stunning views of Mt Namsan in the heart of the capital. Refurbished completely ten months ago, it is a truly renowned luxurious hotel with state-ofthe-art facilities. Both the beautiful outside terrace and the breakfast rooms are actually outstanding.

Shilla Seoul

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

The Conrad Seoul opened in November 2012 and has already won numerous awards, among which the Conde Nast Traveler’s ‘2013 Hot List of New Hotels & Resorts’. It’s classy and sophisticated, close to the international financial centre, with easy access to Seoul’s subway system.

Conrad Seoul boasts 434 super spacious rooms and some banqueting facilities.

Another breathtaking panoramic view of the city and located in natural scenery is the Sheraton Grande Walkerhill business hotel and resort. It truly has enormous convention facilities and delivers a flawless service.

One last word about Korea’s feeling for fine art: I really loved the Samcheongdong area, with its tree-lined streets, cosy cafes and galleries. Many artists live there, you can feel it!

Stay put for some reporting on some great Korean food and tradition in the next issue of Headquarters!

Sheraton Walkerhill

More info www.miceseoul.com www.coex.co.kr www.ddp.seoul.go.kr www.shilla.net www.conradseoul.com

the Samcheongdong area

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> Denmark

Copenhagen

through my Asian Eyes Denmark might be a small country, but its MICE industry dares to dream big about what makes an inspiring meeting. As I found out on a recent trip to Copenhagen, the Danes had what it took to walk the talk. From how events are conceived and brought alive using unorthodox techniques to the philosophy behind their food to the impressive design of eco-friendly facilities, Denmark has shown us a brand new way of doing meetings in the most creative and innovative way imaginable.

Report Katie Lau Ann Hansen, a meeting development consultant for more than nine years, told me why meeting design comes naturally for the Danes: ‘Denmark has no nice weather or natural resources, so we need to make something stand out. Our culture of equality is conducive to the creation of meeting design concepts.’

I got to know some of these concepts during a two-day Meetovation training course last December, the first-ever held for an international group. As the only Asian participant, I was slightly in awe of my company - most of whom were very experienced in MICE. However, it didn’t take long for me to warm up to their incredible enthusiasm and original

ideas under the guidance of our lively and humorous teachers, Ann and Bo Krüger, who’s also a writer and an improvised comedy actor besides being a meeting designer.

Expect the unexpected Coming from an Asian work culture where individual expression and encouragement is often limited, I was impressed by Meetovation’s organic and democratic process of gathering opinions. Instead of focusing on what didn’t work in a meeting (as is the case in most post-event evaluations), we’re asked to do ‘appreciative inquiry’, which means we looked at what worked.

After several brainstorming sessions,

we’d come to realise that using the physical set-up in creative ways, for example, ‘with inspiring interior and playful light and aromas’, can be very effective in motivating participants. I witnessed its impact during the subsequent MINDevent, the three-day annual meetings and incentive networking conference. In a special demonstration, the staff from Bella Sky Comwell’s spa transformed one auditorium at Bella Center into a sanctuary of calm and relaxation by dimming the lights, handing out eucalyptusscented towels and playing meditative music, among other things. Spa lovers among the audience, including myself, were amazed by the venue’s flexibility and the staff’s resourcefulness.

Communicate with flair Most Asian meetings revolve around dining, giving speeches, or sometimes engage participants in clichéd games and singing contests to lighten the atmosphere.

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> Denmark

Meetovation showed us one-way communication and routines are obsolete by teaching numerous methods (‘icebreakers’ or ‘energisers’) to create energy among participants.

These games with funny names helped me overcome my shyness and regain my concentration (sitting down too much can induce drowsiness). We also learned other methods, such as the ‘dilemma line’, to acknowledge participants’ opinions, motivate and cultivate their loyalty. ‘If you create something yourself, you’d like it more,’ Krüger said. ‘Memory is like a piece of Velcro, the more hooks it has, the better it sticks,’ Hansen added.

Better food can also improve participants’ performance. Brain Food, developed by Radisson Blu’s hotel chefs in collaboration with nutritionists, is healthy, tasty, easily presentable and thoughtfully designed to keep up clients’ energy and their minds sharp.

Getting personal Having worked in Hong Kong for many years, I know what it’s like to feel insignificant in a company where everyone is too busy. Thus, it’d be great if an association can use meetings to make members feel more valued and motivated. I was charmed by a little game called ‘Secret friend’, where a participant was asked to befriend a random participant without making himself/herself known until the end of the training course.

I was surprised by my secret friend who had requested a pair of much-needed hotel room slippers for me. A heart-warming gesture like this goes a long way in showing that caring for your colleagues isn’t as hard as you think.

I was delighted to see the Meetovation techniques applied by some 56MINDevent participants from countries as diverse as Germany, Russia, and China, who showcased their amazing creativity during a session at Scandic Copenhagen, where they constructed their ideal physical setup using things such as Lego bricks and play dough.

Are Asians ready for Meetovation?

Later I learned from a lecture by Dennis Nørmark that the concepts of Meetovation embody some of the quintessential values of the Danish culture, such as their love of 40

informality, equality, and forthrightness.

However, such a mentality seems seriously at odds with the Asian culture that puts a lot of emphasis on hierarchy, obedience and respect for authority. Are Asians ready to step out of their comfort zone? “We only tried it with Indians so far and their responses are pretty good. Participant involvement is very new to them because they’ve been used to one-way communication all their life. I’d suggest to start with light exercises first to test the waters,” Krüger said.

I also asked a Chinese group from Shanghai about what they thought about the innovative techniques. While they didn’t disapprove, they seemed more interested in the ‘hardware’, such as accommodation, conference facilities, and tourist attractions like Tivoli Gardens or Hans Christian Andersen’s house.

Launched in 2012, Chinavia, a Scandinavian cooperation pilot project targeting the world’s largest outbound travel market, China, showed that destinations such as Copenhagen are keen to do more business with the Chinese. Perhaps it takes some time to study the cultural differences to see how Meetovation should be adapted to the Chinese or other Asian markets.

Contact Steen Møller Head of business tourism VisitDenmark sm@visitdenmark.com T. +45 32 88 99 00 www.visitdenmark.com/meetings Follow VisitDenmark on Twitter: @MeetDenmark Follow Wonderful Copenhagen CVB on Twitter: @meetincph

Copenhagen’s large meeting facilities Bella Center Up to 15,000 guests at once 4 auditoriums, 63 flexible meeting rooms (from 2 to 400 pax) Rooftop is home to one million bees that produce 300kg of honey each year Congress hall that can be divided into three individual sections (up to 4,200 pax) Tivoli Hotel & Congress Center Up to 4,000 guests at once Congress Hall with over 1,500 m2 with a capacity of 2,500 attendees

Chinese participants inspecting brain food at Radisson Blu

Radisson Blu A total of 914 m2 in 10 flexible meeting rooms Conference capacity: up to 2,150 persons Innovative Brain Food concept Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers consumes 65% less energy than comparbale hotels 3,500 m2 space for meetings, conferences, parties, receptions and events 12 meeting rooms; 800 m2 ballroom Scandic Copenhagen 1,500 m2 with capacity for up to 1,100 people 16 flexible rooms with moveable walls Banquet capacity: 840 Meetovators designing a meeting during training

> Cape Town

Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) For a unique event experience

For those looking to host a typical meeting or old-fashioned conference, any venue will probably suffice. However, memorable events are never achieved by means of the plain and ordinary. To achieve the results you desire from your meeting, conference or convention, and generate the return on investment you deserve, you need to transform it from an event into a truly unforgettable experience. And the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) is the place to do just that.

Situated at the foot of one of the world’s most iconic mountains, in the heart of South Africa’s vibrant and welcoming Mother City, the CTICC’s undeniable charm is exceeded only by its professionalism and versatility.

Great experiences Offering highly flexible venues, world-class facilities, and fully-trained, professional staff, CTICC is designed with great experiences in mind. From its bright and airy double volume public gathering spaces and highly advanced technology to its uniquely scrumptious Afro-global cuisine and legendary attention to service excellence, every detail is meticulously attended to.

Business-building moments Small wonder it was the first convention centre in Africa to gain three internationally recognised management system certifications simultaneously, and the first in the world to align its reporting to the sustainability requirements of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) - all of which represent your guarantee of our total commitment to the highest levels of quality, care, safety, and sustainability.

So, if you’re ready to transform your meetings into business-building moments, convert your conferences into conversation pieces, or host conventions that are

Offering highly flexible venues, world-class facilities, and fully-trained, professional staff, CTICC is designed with great experiences in mind On-site five-star accommodation completes this appealing picture of absolute convenience and extraordinary service.

What’s more, with easy access to some of Africa’s most popular and beautiful visitor attractions - Table Mountain, Robben Island and the Cape Winelands - CTICC is far more than an event venue, it’s an exceptional destination.

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anything but conventional, make CTICC your convention centre of choice.

For more information on transforming your meeting or conference into an unforgettable experience for your guests or delegates, visit www.cticc.co.za or contact CTICC on +27 21 410 5000.

Experience Extraordinary There is a place where conferences are transformed from ordinary gatherings into extraordinary experiences. A destination, at the tip of the mighty African continent, where two oceans meet in the shadow of one of earth’s seven natural wonders. Here, creativity comes to life, today’s ideas and visions become tomorrow’s reality, and impressions and bonds are created that last forever.

This place is Cape Town International Convention Centre. And to experience it is to experience extraordinary.

To transform your special event into an extraordinary experience contact CTICC: +27 21 410 5000 sales@cticc.co.za www.cticc.co.za

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save the date !

Brussels, 14th & 15th May 2014 www.easummit.eu SIZED FOR ASSOCIATIONS