HQ61 by Meeting Media Company BVBA

Supported by ESAE, the European Society of Association Executives, and UIA, the Union of International Associations

EUROPE #

Edition September 2014

Meetings Industry Publishers HQ is published 6 times a year: March, May, June, September, November, December

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e ci p s

ESAE & UIA New association markets

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Maastricht unleashed

Earn CMP/CEU Credits & Make Global Connections at IMEX America 2014 Association Focus & Evening The 4th annual IMEX America is set to open in Las Vegas October 14th - 16th and promises to be an even better experience for all. Once again there will be a separate education offering for association executives as part of ‘Smart Monday- powered by MPI’ on October 13th. The program begins at 1:30pm at The Venetian®|The Palazzo® and is fully integrated into the Smart Monday program thereby allowing association buyers to mix and match their education choices with more ease and flexibility. Within Association Focus itself a strong lineup of interactive learning sessions - divided into three tracks Executive, Professional and Global - will be led by The American Society of Association Executives, ICCA and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA.)

Highlights include: Mariah Burton Nelson, CAE and VP of Innovation& Planning at ASAE leading “Choosing Winners: How to Select the Right Programs, Products and Services for Your Services”;Elizabeth Engel, CAE, CEO & Chief Strategist of Spark Consulting LLCoffering “The Mission-Driven Volunteer” and Larry C. Johnson heading “Taking Your Fundraising out of the Emergency Room and Into the Wellness Clinic”as well as a “Global Challenges” session. In addition, a World Café round table discussion facilitated by Terri Breining CMP, CMM and President of The Breining Group will invite Association Focus attendees to choose and debate their top priority topics. World Cafés, gaining popularity at events around the world, create interactive conversations around tables of four participants. Meaningful topics are explored, ideas

cross-pollinated and diverse perspectives connected resulting in an ultimate presentation to the whole group of the various collective discoveries. Once the learning portion of Association Focus wraps food, music, fun and worldwide networking will take over at the Association Evening located at and sponsored by the MGM Grand. Supporting partners and other sponsors for IMEX America’s Association Focus include: IAPCO, AIPC, IACC, Association Focus, MCI, Destination Marketing and Show Gear productions. Registration is free of charge for Association Focus & Evening. To participate please contact natasha.richards@imexexhibitions.com / +44 1273 224917.

> Contents

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 6 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 Contributor 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

A European Meetings Industry Face for 2015? A CEO of a major European association once asked me the following pertinent question: ‘There are many industries in Europe that receive funds from the European Union for research, Marcel A.M. VISSERS education or other projects. What about your industry?’ This Editor in Chief question still puzzles me. The EU administration and more specifically the Directorate-General for Enterprise and Industry are quite familiar with tourism, a significant European industry which only comes second to the oil industry. However, the meetings industry still remains unknown to both the business world as well as governments. This concern about a total absence of awareness led me to commission a survey which is called ‘An overview of the Meetings Industry and its Potential for the Economy of the EU’. The first results across 28 member states are already known: 1. Meetings are still considered as pure events and not enough as catalyst tools and engines for growth and economic development. 2. Although everyone agrees that the meetings industry is not the same as tourism (business tourism doesn’t exist either), all the European convention bureaus fall under tourism bodies. The aim and the customers are different. But this is not reflected in the real world. 3. More and better integrated research is imperative to form a complete image of the industry. Some figures now: Europe currently has 21 national convention bureaus in 28 member states and 188 subordinate convention bureaus (cities and regions). The figures are impressive but the effort is not focused. There are about 296 PCOs active and 209 incentive bureaus. The figures are impressive but the effort is not focused. Europe has convention centres, DMCs, magazines… but the efforts are not focused! Conclusion: a single European Representative Body doesn’t exist for the European Meetings Industry Group (EMIG). This is the cause of the absence of awareness. And this is why our industry receives no funding. Can ECM (European Cities Marketing) play a major role in this challenging process? » More stories on www.headquartersmagazine.com

Contents GENERAL Hangzhou, China 4 News 5 Association portrait 6 Viparis 9 AIPC Congress 10

Cécile Caiati-Koch

Rémi Dévé

Kelvin Lu

SPECIAL FEATURE Meetings Trends & 2014 Statistics

ESAE & UIA New Association Markets

COVER FEATURE Maastricht, Netherlands

DESTINATIONS Seoul, South Korea 24 Sapporo, Japan 28 Brisbane, Australia 30 Holland 33 New Zealand 34 Thailand 36 Fukuoka, Japan 39 Switzerland 43 SQUARE, Brussels 46 Dubai, UAE 48 Antalya, Turkey 50 Dress to Impress 51

> News

Hangzhou in Brussels A feedback Brussels is the beating heart of many association activities. And it’s not surprising that many international meeting destinations want to experience this beating heart, and don’t mind flying in to present their meeting products to a variety of association executives. With the help of HQ magazine, Shanghai and Hangzhou came to Brussels at the end of May after the IMEX exhibition in Frankfurt… and it all went quite well! Report Marcel A.M. Vissers

Roger Shu presented Hangzhou with lots of humour and a very fluent narrative to a large group of congress organisers, who had flocked to the prestigious SMETS Concept Store, which was decorated with Chinese art for the occasion. Previously briefed about how good it is for meetings in Shanghai, many in the audience had never heard of Hangzhou, often considered as the ‘backyard garden of Shanghai’, which has 8 million inhabitants and is located just a few 40 minutes away by the new bullet train from the huge Chinese metropolis. ‘Don’t underestimate us’ said Roger, with a smile on his face. ‘We are in mainland China which is the third largest meetings destination. We have a direct flight to/from the Netherlands and to many other countries. In other words, most of the world can find us easily.’

Where to meet in Hangzhou? It has been said that Hangzhou has one of the best environments in China, and recently several new hotels opened their doors, making it a total of 30,000 hotel rooms in all categories altogether. Hangzhou is definitely a hotel conference destination. The largest auditorium has a capacity of 2,400. There will also be a new direct route from/to Paris this September. I think that Roger was also able 4

to convince his audience with his story about the exceptional beauty of the city and the province, a landscape of green countryside, lakes and tea plantations. We all went home that afternoon with the feeling that China is much more than Beijing and Shanghai.

Meeting on a lake The HQ magazine team had actually visited Hangzhou for three days late 2013 and made an extraordinary discovery: meeting on a lake is actually very easy. The famous West Lake, the city’s most popular attraction, was our meeting room for an hour. Two boats rowed out to the lake, each with four passengers, with the assignment to find a new name for the Gala Dinner during ICCA congresses. For this reason, Dennis Speet of ICCA was also on board. During the exquisite boat trip, the passengers brainstormed and discussed the subject. At some point we thought we had found the solution and we asked the rowers to bring us closer to each other so we could exchange ideas. I’ve actually never enjoyed a meeting so much. Imagine a hundred boats or four hundred delegates on the water looking for solutions during a relaxing boat trip, or I should say meeting…

Catch up In September 2013, Rémi Dévé, Editorial Manager of HQ magazine, published a 12-page supplement about Hanghzou with the following title: ‘Hanghzou, the Chinese Spirit’. He reveals everything you need to know about Hangzhou in his typical warm style. If you missed that particular edition, you can request a digital copy from remi@headquarters magazine.com www.micehangzhou.com/en

> News

Sydney to host world’s largest financial conference Sydney’s position as a global professional services hub and leading destination for international business events has been confirmed after being announced as host of Sibos in 2018. NSW Premier Mike Baird said: ‘Hosting Sibos will bring 6,000 delegates to Sydney and is worth an estimated $50 million to the NSW economy. Delegates will meet in the new convention facilities at Darling Harbour and be able to explore Sydney’s thriving new financial services district at Barangaroo - both of which are currently under construction. Without the new convention, exhibition and entertainment facilities, Sydney would not have been able to host Sibos.’ The International Convention Centre Sydney will be Australia’s largest convention and exhibition facility and is expected to be completed in late 2016. www.besydney.com.au

The CCD launches new fully responsive website The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) has launched a new fully responsive website. To ensure that all visitors receive the optimal user experience, regardless of whether they are viewing theccd.ie on a desktop, tablet or mobile, the new site automatically adjusts the display based on the screen size of the device it’s viewed on. It also incorporates a host of new features. To help facilitate the event planning process for clients, the site indeed includes a mobile-friendly Google 360 degree tour of the building, as well as downloadable floorplan factsheets for every room. While the inclusion of more images and photo galleries let organisers see how the venue’s ‘blank canvas’ rooms and halls are brought to life to stage world-class events. www.theccd.ie

among others. This annual summit gathers together approximately 2,000 people from almost every country in the world aged 18-30 who are leaders in their respective fields. Delegates discuss pressing world issues with a view to coming up with solutions to the problems faced by their generation. www.oneyoungworld.com

ESHRE conference at Messukeskus Helsinki in 2016 Messukeskus Helsinki, Expo and Convention Centre, will organise the ESHRE conference on reproductive medicine in June 2016. The scientific congress will bring more than 8,000 participants from over a hundred countries to Messukeskus, making it notably significant financially. The international participants of the four-day ESHRE conference will leave behind some 15 million euros in Finland. The European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology was founded in the 1980s by Nobel Prize Winner and in vitro fertilisation pioneer Robert G. Edwards with his French colleague Jean Cohen. The first conference was held in Bonn in 1985. www.messukeskus.com

Calabar International Convention Centre on track for opening in December The first dedicated international convention centre being built in Nigeria is on track for its official opening in December of this year. That was announced by the Governor of the Cross River State, Senator Liyel Imoke during a meeting with local and national stakeholders in April in Calabar.

Messukeskus Helsinki

The Convention Centre Dublin

Construction of the CICC started already in 2012 after an international design competition that was won by the wellknown Danish architects Henning Larsen. The CICC will be able to accommodate national and international congresses and any other type of meetings with delegate numbers for plenary sessions from 10 or 20 up to 2,000. The total capacity of the centre will exceed 5,000 seats in twenty different venues. www.calabarconventioncentre.com

One Young World Summit to be held in Bangkok in 2015 The One Young World committee recently awarded Bangkok as winner to host the One Young World Summit next year in 2015. Thailand will be the first country in Asia to host this event. One Young World is the world’s premier forum for young leaders. Past speakers include Kofi Anan, Sir Richard Branson and Professor Muhammad Yunus

Calabar International Conference Centre

> Association portrait

PARIMA Risk & Insurance Management in Asia-Pacific

The not-for-profit organisation PARIMA stands for ‘Pan-Asian Risk & Insurance Management Association (PARIMA)’. As a regional association with local chapters being created across Asia, it focuses on strengthening and enhancing the culture of risk management across Asia-Pacific. Chairman Franck Baron explains how the organisation operates and what challenges they have to face. them all by coordinating and enhancing awareness and effective use of risk management, insurance and risk financing in Asia-Pacific.

Franck Baron

HQ: What is PARIMA about exactly? Franck Baron: PARIMA creates opportunities for education and dialogue within the professional community of risk and insurance management. Supported by Corporate Associate Members from the industry, the association exists to represent and support 6

The need for risk practitioners to meet and share concerns and best practices is a “mustdo” around the world. The idea to develop a regional group such as PARIMA came as it was felt that it would be very beneficial in the immediate future and in the long-term to create an association of and for risk management and insurance professionals that would extend across national boundaries within the region.

An objective would be to represent and support our members by coordinating and enhancing awareness and effective use of risk management, insurance and risk financing in the Asia region. HQ: What made you decide to set up the organisation in Asia-Pacific? What do you want to achieve? Franck Baron: Basically the absence of a regional professional association for risk and insurance professionals: the goal is hence to get all these professionals together, raise their profile and skills so that this profession can get to the next level.

> Association portrait

Asia-Pacific is growing at a pace unmatched anywhere else in the world. Part of our challenge is to match or exceed that rate of growth on a personal level, as well as within our risk and insurance community. Part of the role that most of us fulfill entails the purchase of insurance to protect our respective companies. Beyond that, many of us are also expected to enable our companies

between being a member association of IFRIMA in three different continents? Franck Baron: The International Federation of Risk and Insurance Management Associations (IFRIMA) is the international umbrella organisation for risk management associations, representing 23 organisations and over 30 countries around the world. As an ‘association of associations’, IFRIMA’s

Asia-Pacific is growing at a pace unmatched anywhere else in the world. Part of our challenge is to match or exceed that rate of growth on a personal level to prepare for the future, to turn risk into opportunity, and ultimately into value. The overarching goal of PARIMA is to become a vehicle that will help each of us to advance toward that goal of value creation in our professional roles. HQ: What’s is the life of an Association Executive from Europe like in AsiaPacific? How do you deal with cultural differences? Franck Baron: The Asia-Pacific is not one thing like Europe can be through EU. It is a myriad of different countries with different economic development, political systems, culture, language and religion. So the main challenge is to stick to your vision and ambition while taking into account the local specificities and difference in appetite/ maturity to get together as a professional community. HQ: We understand you have worked in Europe and in the US as well. After one year in Singapore, what is the difference

primary objective is to provide a forum for interaction and communications among risk management associations and their members. The main difference is the fact that PARIMA is a creation that triggered a lot challenges in terms of legalities, admin, logistics, financing, etc. This was a real challenge as it is very different from the development of an existing association HQ: How do you see the future of the association? Franck Baron: I certainly look forward to our very first regional conference, to be held 9 December 2014 in Singapore, where we expect 500 attendees including 200 risk and insurance managers (50% of them will come from overseas) and sponsors and exhibitors from the region. We want it to become the profession and industry ‘must-attend’ event: we chose Singapore as our destination, since it’s the

registration domicile of PARIMA and it’s easy logistically speaking to organise our very first conference here, especially given the strong support by the local authorities and the quality of the conference centre and hotels. With no visa restrictions and affordable in terms of airfares and accommodation, Singapore is naturally attractive, and growingly considered as the regional hub for the insurance industry. As to the association itself, we naturally aim for membership growth in all Asian countries and the development of local chapters and local activities (local language and culture based). We will also encourage the development of dialog with local / regional authorities in regards of our profession, while working on structuring educational and certification facilities. HQ: How would you summarize new trends in the association congress world? Franck Baron: Attracting new and retaining current members can be a challenge: the idea is to always sustain the value proposition for the membership and the related products (conference, education, etc.). The resources to be acknowledged as an official stakeholder by various authorities also have constantly to be worked on: as such, we are no different to another organisation, and the trends we come across are those of everyone else, no matter the objectives and the mission. www.parima.org

PARIMA’s recent events Strategic Risk Forum – 10 July 2014 – Four Seasons Hotel, Singapore Conference & Workshop on Global Framework – 30 May 2014 – Suntec Singapore Singapore Risk Management Summit – 19-20 May 2014, The Regent, Singapore Hong Kong Corporate Governance Seminar – 26 June 2014 – Norton Rose Fulbright, PARIMA SiSingapore Executive Breakfast – 23 April 2014

> Venue

EWEA Paris 2015 Gearing up for climate change Viparis, Europe’s leading venue management company, is pleased to welcome the 2015 European Wind Energy Association’s Annual Event, the world’s largest wind energy conference and exhibition, at Paris expo Porte de Versailles. It was exceptionally moved to November in 2015 to take place just two weeks before the United Nations Climate Change conference where world leaders will meet to discuss climate negotiations in the French capital. More than 8,000 key players are expected to come from all over the world: policy-makers, industry leaders, national associations as well as many public and private companies. The entire event will be held in Pavilion 1 of Paris expo Porte de Versailles: one of the largest exhibition halls in Europe, its 45,000 sqm are able to accommodate a major exhibition and conference all in one space. Malgosia BARTOSIK, EWEA Deputy CEO, explains why the association chose Paris for this major event. Why did you choose Paris expo Porte de Versailles for your event? Paris is a great city! It’s a beautiful tourist destination and is well connected… Our CEO loves Paris… However, the main decisive factor is the wind energy market. In

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

an ideal world, the beauty of the city and the quality of the congress centre facilities would be the only two deciding factors. As this is not the case, we are delighted that we managed to combine a top destination with an interesting wind energy market. Paris expo Porte de Versailles is a very central, well-connected venue which will allow us to offer the participants a memorable experience. Our event will take place in Pavillon 1 and will have a very compact conference and exhibition layout. What are the main advantages Paris provides for your organization compared to other cities? Paris is one of the top destinations in Europe and it remains a very attractive city. It offers good accessibility, large hotel capacities close to the venue as well as spectacular venues for social events. In addition, offers such as the “Welcome Pack*” make event participants feel welcomed and help us position our event in the city landscape. The very friendly approach of the Viparis staff is also highly appreciated. What did Viparis do to win your event? Viparis helped us to organise numerous site inspections when we were deliberating which venue would fit best to our event. We had very professional advice and the possibility to visit other events taking place in the two venues we were considering.

Malgosia Bartosik, EWEA Deputy CEO

As we book the venue quite far ahead of time, we need a certain flexibility from the venue to accommodate the floorplan changes, number and set up of conference rooms, etc. We are happy that we will work with an experienced team of dedicated experts and we rely on their advice and working together with them in order to hold a very successful and memorable event.

Contact Viparis T. +33 (0)1 40 68 22 22 marta.gomes@viparis.com www.venuesinparis.com

*The Welcome Pack is a complete program that includes information, guidance and transport service to allow visitors, exhibitors and congresses delegates attending international professional trade shows and congresses to get the best of their business journey in Paris. It is offered by Viparis in partnership with the Comité Regional du Tourisme Paris Ile-de-France and the Comité des Expositions de Paris upon eligibility criteria.

> Congress

AIPC Congress in Berlin “It’s the economy, stupid!” The annual congress of the international association of convention centres (AIPC) held in Berlin at the brand-new CityCube could not have chosen a better destination this year. As one may say that Germany stands for economic growth, a quite positive mood was reflected both in the general views and discussions of the participants but also in the destination itself. As expected, the content of the presentations was high (better than at some congresses I have attended in the past I dare say), so I will do my best to give a glimpse of what a good AIPC Congress can be about. Text Cécile Caiati Koch Geoff Donaghy, AIPC President, started the debates on a positive note, which was a nice change after all these years of sad news about the global financial crisis. He said: ‘The global recovery means new strategies. These strategies will be inspiring and stimulating and an emphasis will be put on academic and entrepreneurial events’.

Globalisation of the meetings industry The keynote speaker of the first day, Dr. Parag Khanna of the National University of Singapore, confirmed this reasoning: ‘People of the world are more and more connected thanks to the fast development of technology and this economic realignment will help shape the globalization of the meetings industry as a whole’. He explained that a plethora of new so-called ‘Smart Cities’ and ‘Master Plans’ are

Dr. Matifadza Nyazema

Avinash Chandarana

being developed, mostly in Asia but also in the Middle East. Knowledge and intellectual capital are being gathered and exchanged between academics and entrepreneurs the world over. In this regard, the meetings industry can play a supportive role and provide

Aloysius Arlando, of Singex, presented the situation in the ASEAN countries, ie the 10 South East Asian countries. He explained there is a real ‘race for MICE dollars’ out there, emphasizing that MICE is considered as part of the economy, not tourism as some still think outdatedly in our part of the world. But challenges also have to be overcome in ASEAN countries: rising costs, pressure on centre operations, demands for non-traditional venues. The core revenue of conference centres does not come only from the renting of space anymore: venues have now to create new added values for their customers, flexibility and diversification are key.

Knowledge and intellectual capital are being gathered and exchanged between academics and entrepreneurs the world over. In this regard, the meetings industry can play a supportive role adequate services and business plans. As an example, Singapore was put forward and how this former colonial ‘Country Club’ transformed itself into an ‘Info-State’. According to Dr. Khanna, Europe could learn from Singapore, as the Old Continent has not only an economic but also a branding problem.

Jim Rooney

Dr. Matifadza Nyazema of Johannesburg’s Sandton Convention Centre also explained that although Sandton is the economical hub of Joburg, the city administration has understood that it will be better to spread the new developments in different areas of the capital for the sake of the whole region.

Food, according to Ben Hainsworth, Richmond Lim and Edgard Hirt

> Congress

What about the exhibition world?

Berlin on the move

‘New developments and strategies in the exhibition sector’, the lecture by Eric Preat from Artexis & easyFairs Group from Brussels, gave an interesting view on how the whole perception of the exhibition and conference world should be changed. Ownership of an industry lies in the event titles, ie the software, whereas congress centres control the hardware. A combined mastering of such a subtle but major shift requires a sustainable industry model which requires ownership of its core content and some control of its main facilities.

2014 AIPC member global survey Every year AIPC carries out a survey among its members about the performance of the previous year and the outlook for the next year. The study, which had a response rate of 57%, i.e. 100 answers, confirmed the positive mood the industry is in. ‘Stabilization and optimism’ were the global findings, with the association market as the base of the industry, whereas corporate meetings are good but can be a challenge according to the state of the economy, and government meetings are really in a free fall. Last but not least the noticeable content explosion thanks to the fast developing technology.

Geoff Donaghy & Dr. Parag Khanna

The economy in Berlin is booming. Everywhere I went during the “Urban Art” cycling trip organised by the Berlin Convention Bureau, I noticed sky-high cranes and building sites. Even the old Berliner Schloss will be completely rebuilt after having been destroyed in the years after WWII. My tour took me to some interesting paintings of (international known) artists right on the walls of private houses, as well as to some remaining parts of the famous Berlin Wall. Wishing to promote Berlin as a green, sustainable city, the convention bureau also had asked the participants of the congress to go to the the CityCube by public transport only. It’s convenient and easy, but just make sure you get off at the right station and you don’t get distracted by colleagues, it happened to me…

A small suggestion for next year’s presentation? Why not benchmark this study with some overall results that a company like Ipsos could produce to get some kind of bigger picture?

Evolution of the meetings industry Another subject that attracted my attention

Heike Mahmoud & Dr. Parag Khanna

James Latham

and that I think will be of most importance in the future was ‘Evolution of Image; where have we come from? Where do we go next?’. James Latham of Meetings Review put it nicely: there was a time when the meetings industry found itself in the backwater of tourism, now it finds itself at the forefront of economic development. Through the transformation of the economy (one study even predicts that 37% of the existing jobs will have disappeared by 2030!), the governments need to create new jobs, and this is where the meetings industry can and should play an important role. The gathering of intellectual capital, the access to talent, more communication and knowledge sharing thanks to meetings and conferences will allow destinations to develop in all kinds of fields, whether academic, scientific or trade. Meetings are becoming an integrated part of the development of the economy: they are not just revenue from tourism anymore. James Rooney of the MCCA in Boston, also reconfirmed this trend: new partnerships should be made by congress centres in order to emphasize the intellectual wealth that surrounds them. Collaborating with local governments could be key in this regard. www.aipc.org

Dr. Parag Khanna

David Rowan

TU EA

Meeting trends

> Meeting trends

E s

ci a pe

ICCA 2013 statistics

International association meeting sector continues strong growth More and more meetings. As the latest ICCA statistics seem to show, there’s only one way when it comes to association meetings: up. The organisation indeed reports another year of continued strength in the international association meetings market.

In 2013, ICCA members and ICCA’s in-house research team identified more than 11,685 association events (that is events which rotate between at least three countries), 535 more than identified last year. We can already guess that, because almost all international associations have a statutory duty to meet on a regular basis, their congress/conference have become a mustattend for critical members over the years.

2013 top 10 countries: Some small changes  The top 10 country ranking is made up of the same countries as last year, but some countries switched places. The USA, Germany and Spain remain respectively

1st, 2nd and 3rd. The gap between U.S.A. and Germany has become significantly smaller though; from a difference of 184 meetings in 2012 to 107 in 2013. France and

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk said: ‘The international association meetings sector is a solid, reliable performer, in good times and bad, and the longer-term trends are the most critically impor-

City rankings might be a little more interesting. After all, when it comes to country rankings, it’s all a matter of perspective and proportions United Kingdom have switched places: France is now 4th and United Kingdom 5th. Italy remains 6th. Japan climbs one place to number 7 and China-P.R. climbs two places to number 8, at the cost of Brazil, dropping from 7th to 9th place, and The Netherlands, dropping one place to number 10.

tant factors when preparing strategic plans and investment decisions. I am convinced that every serious meetings destination, internationally ambitious venue, and forward-thinking meetings management company should include international associations in their marketing and development strategies.’ 13

> Meeting trends

2013 top 10 cities: Paris new number one  But it’s in fact city rankings that might be a little more interesting. After all, when it comes to country rankings, it’s all a matter of perspective and proportions. It’s only normal smaller countries do not fare as good as bigger ones if you only at absolute figures. In the city rankings, Vienna, which has been the number one city in the ICCA rankings each year since 2005, has lost its 1st place to Paris, which was 2nd last year and previously shared 1st place with Vienna in 2008. Madrid, 4th in 2012 is now 2nd and Vienna 3rd. Barcelona climbs one place to 4th and Berlin moves from 3rd to 5th place. Singapore remains 6th and London fell from a shared 6th place to 7th. Istanbul climbs one place to 8th and Lisbon and Seoul, both newcomers in the Top 10 and the biggest stats climbers it seem, share 9th place. The most impressive appearance is that of Dublin with 114 meetings and a 13th place – we guess it has everything to do with its European Presidency from January to June 2013. www.iccaworld.com

ICCA country ranking measured by number of meetings organised in 2013 Rank

Country

ICCA city ranking measured by number of meetings organised in 2013

#Meetings

Rank

City

#Meetings

USA

829

Paris

204

Germany

722

Madrid

186

Spain

562

Vienna

182

France

527

Barcelona

179

United Kingdom

525

Berlin

178

Italy

447

Singapore

175

Japan

342

London

166

China-PR

340

Istanbul

146

Lisbon Seoul

125

Prague

121

Amsterdam

120

Brazil

315

Netherlands

302

Canada

290

Republic of Korea

260

Portugal

249

Austria

244

Sweden

238

Australia

231

Argentina

223

Turkey

221

Belgium

214

Switzerland

205

Dublin

114

Buenos Aires

113

Brussels

111

Copenhagen

109

Budapest

106

Beijing

105

Rome

Bangkok Stockholm Sydney

UIA

International Meetings Statistics for the Year 2013 For the past 65 years, the Union of International Associations (UIA) has undertaken, for the benefit of its members, statistical studies on the preceding year’s international meetings. The statistics are based on information systematically collected by the UIA Congress Department and selected according to strict criteria maintained over the years. At the time of producing these stats (May 2014) there were 408,798 meetings in the UIA meetings database of which 364,929 (89%) meet the criteria for inclusion in this report. Of these 364,929 meetings, 347,165 took place in 2012 or earlier, 11,135 took place in 2013, and 6,629 are scheduled for 2014 or later..

Meetings taken into consideration include those organised and/or sponsored by the international organisations which appear in the Yearbook of International Organisations and in the International Congress Calendar, i.e.: the sittings of their principal organs, congresses, conventions, symposia, regional sessions grouping several countries, as well as some national meetings 14

with international participation organised by national branches of international associations.

not being within the scope of activities of the UIA.

Not included are purely national meetings as well as those of an exclusively religious, didactic, political, commercial, or sporting nature, and corporate and incentive meetings, the survey of these specific markets

No major changes seem to have taken place in 2013. Singapore remains #1 as a country and a city, and South Korea have moved up again, making the Top 3 this time. At this pace, can we expect them to climb again

What counts

> Meeting trends

next year? South Korea and Japan, with 635 and 588 meetings respectively, are the only other Asian countries in the top 5 collection. As for cities, Brussels is still strongly standing on the 2nd position, but surprisingly with almost 100 less meetings than last year. Busan makes the Top 10 for the first time, while Seoul stays firmly on top with 242 meetings: South Korea, stronger and stronger every year since a decade, boasts two cities in the Top 10, as does Spain, with Barcelona and Madrid. Copenhagen has dropped off the face of the meetings earth, no more ‘EU Presidency’ effect for the them it seems.

Just like last year, what the UIA statistics reveal is the strength of secondary cities when it comes to the hosting of international meetings But, just like last year, what the UIA statistics reveal is the strength of secondary cities. Take Japan for instance: 588 meetings were held in the country in 2012, but only 228 in the capital city Tokyo. That means an outstanding 360 events took place in other Japanese destinations. The same goes for France and Paris, Germany and Berlin (nowhere to be seen in the Top 10): it’s not only the capital cities that helped secure a great number of events and a good position in the rankings, but

obviously other, dare we say emerging towns… Of course Belgium and Brussels are an exception, but we can guess this is mainly due to the relatively small size of the country. One thing is sure: the UIA stats

say a lot about the dynamism of ‘secondary’ destinations and regional convention bureaus… and maybe convention centres!

Top international meeting countries in 2013

Top International Meeting Cities in 2013

www.uia.org

Rank

Country

#Meetings

Rank

City

#Meetings

Singapore

994

Singapore

994

USA

799

Brussels

436

Korea Rep

635

Vienna

318

Japan

588

Seoul

242

Belgium

505

Tokyo

228

Spain

505

Barcelona

195

Germany

428

Paris

180

France

408

Madrid

165

Austria

398

Busan

148

349

London

144

Italy

294

Geneva

126

Australia

283

Sydney

124

Netherlands

282

Amsterdam

114

Switzerland

216

Hong Kong

112

Canada

213

Istanbul

104

China

210

Berlin

Norway

172

Oslo

Finland

164

Helsinki

Turkey

161

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

137

Portugal

136

19 20

Jeju

Montreal

Prague

Different organisation, different criteria For ICCA, the city and country rankings cover meetings organised by international associations which take place on a regular basis and which rotate between a minimum of three countries, with at least 50 participants. For UIA, meetings are divided into 3 categories: meetings of international organisations, 3-day other international meetings and 2-day other international meetings. Meetings of international organisations are organised or sponsored by ‘international organisations’, i.e. international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) and intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) that are

included in the UIA’s Yearbook of International Organisations, with at least 50 participants. Three-day other international meetings are not organised or sponsored by ‘international organisations’ but nonetheless of significant international character, with at least 40% of participants who are from countries other than the host country, with at least 5 different nationalities, lasting at least 3 days, with either a concurrent exhibition or at least 300 participants. Two-day other international meetings have to be attended by at least 40% of participants who are from countries other than the host country, with at least 5 different nationalities, lasting at least 2 days, with either a concurrent exhibition or at least 250 participants. 15

The emergence of new association markets

By fact, associations act similarly to SMEs and can leverage on two drivers to innovate: enlarging the scope of their business model, with new services and products, and becoming (more) international. Traditionally, both directions call to important investments to prepare for implementing the new strategic approaches.

However, the size of such investments starts to become more affordable as many services to increase the size of the scale are now becoming web-based (transactions, banking, customer support…) and products are built around knowledge, which by definition is intangible and can be distributed digitally.

Productizing services and benefits implies research, development and implementation costs. International expansion implies cultural changes and important infrastructures to deliver value consistently to members and customers.

At the same time, the challenges are similar to the ones SMEs were facing 10-15 years ago, at the time of the golden rush to globalization (mixed with the internet bubble). At that time, few companies became giants. Many fell heavily.

Executive Master at Solvay Paul Verdin, professor at Solvay, KUL and INSEAD will be part of the faculty of the Executive Master in International Association Management (www.solvay.edu/specific-industries), taking place in Brussels and starting in January 2015 with registrations opening in September 2014.

Malek AZOUG

Associations are constantly looking at new ways to increase their ability to generate revenue and upgrade the return of valuable services and benefits for their members. Text Alessandro Cortese, President of ESAE and CEO of the European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)

Alessandro Cortese

Global Masters Paul Verdin and Nick Van Heck published in 2001 a book entitled “From Local Champions to Global Masters” (Palgrave). They defined global organisations as groups that “are supposed to sell standardized products, with a global brand, and a standardized advertising campaign at a uniform price.”

The topic of internationalization will be part of the discussions at the Master, providing a blended insight of both academic views and expertise by key association leaders.

How many international (larger or smaller) associations can therefore call themselves ‘global’, according to this definition? I personally cannot cite more than a dozen…

The Master program, organised by Solvay in collaboration with the ESAE, UIA, FAIB and VisitBrussels is a unique educational program dedicated to international association management and designed to enhance the leadership skills of association executives facing management challenges, like internationalization and provide a broad coverage of the main fundamental, strategic and functional areas in management, also highlighting the best practices across the association sector.

According to Verdin and Van Heck, before acting, organisations should question the strategic relevance of internationalizing: “Globalization is strategic because it forces us to question fundamentally the way we go about our own business, what our key sources

of success are and how we will maintain or even grow them in the face of competition from home and abroad.” Associations, given their limited resources, soon understood that it is possible to become (more) international, without necessarily becoming global: “Internationalization is about leveraging what you have, duplicating your world-class experience in different markets, but it is increasingly also a dynamic, interactive process with lots of opportunities to ‘learn’ and ‘share’ and ‘innovate’, and hence become world class”.

•

• •

Is everyone clear on his/her role and level of responsibility? Top commitment: Is all the leadership of the organisation buying into the vision and the rationale to internationalize? Can the process afford to be managed lower down? The required resources, systems and tools: Are the budgets sufficient? Is HR adequate? What about expertise and know-how? A clear view about the type of process or change path engaged: Are all the conditions in place to implement the selected strategic path?

Associations, given their limited resources, soon understood that it is possible to become (more) international, without necessarily becoming global The challenges are complex and require expertise at different level and knowledge of different techniques and cultures. Chances are high to start acting without the proper time of preparation and mismanaging the process: “Overcoming the barriers calls for well-conceived and sustained process management.”

So, what can go wrong? According the Verdin and Van Heck the critical areas are the following ones: • A shared, long-term vision and rationale: What is the vision of the organisation? Is it based on careful analysis? How has this vision been shared? Was it sufficiently communicated to involve all the key actors in the implementation process?

Is it clear and shared what the path is? • Momentum: Is there sufficient buy in to create initial success and keep the process going? What are the ‘quick wins’? How do they serve a long-term strategy? • Follow-through: Are there the monitoring and controlling tools to follow up with a permanent process? Each step can become an opportunity for mismanagement. More information On ESAE: www.esae.org On the Executive Master at Solvay: www.solvay.edu/specific-industries

ESAE’s peer to peer session Designing impactful association event On 9 July 2014, the ESAE organised their last peer-to-peer session of the summer at SQUARE-BRUSSELS MEETING CENTRE. Attended by about 40 association executives, the workshop focused on how to make association events impactful. Catherine Franche, Executive Director of ECSITE!, and Nicholas Brooke, of TEDx Brussels/ The Synergist!, shared their vision on how to create exciting, engaging and meaningful association events. Taking on board their experience, they discussed, together with quite a participating audience, how events can be designed, implemented and integrated in a way that ensures not just one-off value, but real long-term strategic impact for both association stakeholders and the association itself (a longer article on the subject is on its way). The atmosphere was both relaxed and professional. If the two speakers laid the emphasis on how interactivity creates impact, on how conferences should put delegates first by engaging them into the discussions and debates, that is precisely what happened during the session. Pretty much all the attendees participated in one way or another, asking relevant questions or contributing their share of experience, making the event very lively and interesting. The session was organised in collaboration with Meetings and Exhibitions Hong Kong, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office and Invest Hong Kong Brussels. On the occasion of the upcoming Great Ideas Conference in Hong Kong in March 2015, a study mission to Hong Kong for European associations will be organised. Stay put for more information on this soon!

Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management

Entering New Association Markets Despite the global financial crisis that still appears to loom around every corner of our everyday working lives and all too often is used as and excuse not to do something proactive, international business relations are on the rise like never before. We need only to look at the booming SME sector that dares to think big from the start and invests its great ideas into something more than feasible. Young entrepreneurs find it easy - thanks to social media - to get in touch with likeminded people from other regions in the world and set up business ventures that span the globe. Text Christoph Raudonat

Industry permitting, the same goes for more and more associations in the NPO sector. There are several reasons and in this article we will look into three of the main drivers that should entice us to think beyond our own borders.

dictating a stricter strategy, demanding more from association staff than ever before are only the tell-tale signs. The race for relevance is in our blood and we need to be able to respond to our industries’ needs in order to survive.

Industry-driven growth

In particular recent developments for associations have shown expansions towards the BRICS countries. These countries, possessing a wealth of raw materials, skilled labour and financial power are the new sex-symbols of the association world, also because they still require further skills - or so we think - in terms of social development, equal opportunities, education, all factors that are high on our association agendas.

In particular in the trade and industry sectors, we can observe strong shifts with workforce relocations and growth of new regional centres of excellence. Only a few years ago - or so it might seem - we witnessed the move of entire production lines from our countries to the African continent and back again, only to then move out to Asia and, in particular, South East Asia in the late 1980’s and first half of the 1990’s. Greater awareness in the realm of Organisational Social Responsibility (no, we do not call it ‘corporate’ anymore, that is very 2013!) brought our attention back to local production and an emphasis on aspects such as ‘fair pay’ and ‘quality’. However, the price development that we saw in conjunction with production ‘back at home’ and a severe credit crisis in our backyard still favoured industry to operate from countries with less economical and social pressures. Formerly poverty-stricken countries gained a place in the midst of consumer-driven nations thanks to the global efforts of developed economies, which is important for our industries to be able to continue on the marketdriven economical dogma of constant growth. What does all this mean for us as associations? Our industries are shifting and whether we like it or not, we shift with them. Recent new developments of Boards 18

Looking at it from a practical point of view, many IT-related associations found themselves having to bridge European, US-American and Asian standards at the same time.

From a strategic position this has somewhat simplified our approach. We need to ask ourselves what we want and act accordingly, but this may not come as simple as we hoped for. Driven by our industries, we may find ourselves in the interesting position of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Remaining relevant will see us support our industry as much as we can. Ultimately, this is why we exist right? On the other hand, as NPO’s we may adhere to some moral code and wish to keep a neutral position, or at least avoid a political confrontation.

General need for growth Some associations are in the lucky position that they are just too successful and do not know what to do with all their funds and support. Lucky them, right? Well, the need for relevance still applies to them and if they wish to expand globally with a purpose, they will have to undergo a few thinking exercises to prepare them for these steps.

The race for relevance is in our blood and we need to be able to respond to our industries’ needs in order to survive Cultural clashes are to be expected. The devil is in the details and the cultural nuances are to be observed with care, in particular when we notice that also other countries underwent a similar social shift with the global growth of social media and the like. Coca-Colonisation is a thing of the past (that is so 1990’s!) and we cannot look upon social development in such a simplistic manner anymore. What has become important, globally, is a sense of value and a sense of real need. Whether you are European, American or Asian.

Let us assume that an association is particularly successful because of the content it has to share with professionals. Indeed, this paragraph may be of particular interest to professional societies. While the content may be of great interest, we must never forget that, not only when thinking multi-culturally, content will always be appropriated in a certain social context. Again, the notions of McDonaldisation and Coca-Colonisation never actually applied to the fullest extent early radicals wanted

to make the world believe. Social values are - intrinsically - fluid and thus the encoding and decoding of messages, of this beauty, literally lies in the eye of the beholder. Therefore, an association that sees itself successfully selling their content will always have to remain a step ahead in terms of what its constituency really needs and wants to remain relevant. North American content will be interesting to a European professional, but will it really help? The ability to remain socially flexible is a skill that cannot be underestimated in our association business. A certain international association’s strategy, we unfortunately cannot give names here, was to invest in the creation of international chapters to support the headquarters in their overall mission but by adding local flavour. For many associations that are either already doing business abroad, or are planning to, this may be an approach to explore further.

Clustering and cooperation A third strategy to grow and/or to remain relevant may be a rather straight-forward approach: If you cannot beat them, join them! You may notice that your association doesn’t really quite have the edge anymore it used to have. Funds and members alike are on the decline for various reasons. Maybe it is time to really examine those (potential) partners and competitors of yours. What are their strengths and where could you add value? Maybe ‘cooperation’ might not be so far off an idea after all. In fact, another association saw itself exactly in this position not too long ago. Their approach did not work anymore, they had become somewhat

irrelevant, even though they kept appearing here and there at strategic meetings with fellow colleagues. Looking at what was missing and what was really needed, they launched a series of inquiries towards their membership, their competitors and (potential) partnership organisations to find out what the real need ‘out there’ was. The result was a focused communication strategy combined with a ‘pay it forward’ approach. Making money was important but there were other priorities as well and they all needed to be put in line. Serving thus their constituency first, getting themselves into the limelight and doing ‘the right thing’ (rather than focusing too much on doing things right…) resulted in greater visibility and becoming a serious partner to organisations that were willing to support the efforts. In this particular case, the emphasis was put on collaboration and ‘partnerships’. Developing a platform that serves everyone that contributes. In a certain way, we can call this a clustering of services and skills and in this particular case, it was clearly the right thing to do. The association is now at the brink to move beyond its geographical borders (and not only those!) and it will do so thanks to the assistance of strategic partners in other regions. This approach, however, requires good knowledge of one’s own organisation and

a clear sense of where the organisation is supposed to head. Open communication channels are a must at all times but it is ultimately an easier (and more fun!) undertaking than what one might expect.

New markets at your doorstep After reading this article, you may ask yourself whether or not your decision to expand to new horizons really was so great. Rest assured, it does not need to take a great geographical expansion to remain relevant and discover new association markets. It is scary indeed - and surprising to say the least - how many modern associations still do not ask for feedback regularly. In times of surveymonkey.com and other easy to manage research tools, we do not have any excuse anymore not to ask our members what they would like to see from our associations in return for their fees. In some cases, all it takes is a well thoughtthrough survey of one’s constituency to find out what they really want and to recognise that all these years we have been looking into a completely different direction. More on ESAE: ESAE – European Society of Association Executives Av. d’Auderghem 63 1040 Brussels office@esae.org www.esae.org

New Association Frontiers From IMEA to N-11 Since 2001, emerging markets have become the world’s economic engine. As companies fiercely compete for market share, professional and trade associations are also seeking to penetrate these rapidly growing economies, with many looking to build and grow chapters by defining locally relevant member value. India, the Middle East & Africa (IMEA), a region where hyper-growth and huge local investments exist alongside well-documented social and political challenges, is currently leap-frogging ahead in terms of business and innovation, particularly in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Although IMEA has a relatively short history in terms of the association industry, continued economic investment and expanding education is creating a growing desire for professional learning and development. As governments realise the full potential of associations to support the flourishing business environment, political will teamed with sheer population scale is providing the perfect environment for associations to thrive. Let’s put this into context: • With some 78 countries counted in the region, IMEA has the highest number of emerging nations in any region as well as the world’s fastest economic growth rate of between 7% and 20% annually. • IMEA has a population of 2.7 billion (around 37% of the world live here) and a total GDP of 8 trillion dollars. • IMEA is a region of extremes, boasting the second largest populated country in the world (India), the richest country in the world by GDP PP (Qatar), and the poorest country (South Sudan). • The region enjoys foreign direct investments (FDIs) to the tune of over $50 billion annually. • The region is collectively the world’s largest producer of oil and gas (40%). • The region also boasts the world’s biggest fleet of A380s and Dreamliners alongside the world’s largest airport and tallest towers. • IMEA has one of the world’s highest mobile technology and social media penetrations and pioneered ‘Mobile-Money’ for the rest of the world. • With an average median age of 25 20

(younger than China), the population is young, dynamic, and very ambitious.

Key Country Focus Turkey, the world’s 15th largest economy, a bridge between Europe and Asia and the driving force of the Levant region (including Turkey, Iran and Northern Iraq), is making huge investments in infrastructure. With larger airports and sparkling new convention centres on the horizon, including a new airport in Istanbul with a capacity of 150 million passengers and plans to transform the current airport into a convention centre, the association meetings industry here looks set to flourish. The African market is an interesting mix of European business fundamentals with the drive and ambition of Asia. South Africa is leading the growth of the association meetings business on the continent, but there are also over 300 associations based out of Kenya, with its own dynamics and opportunities. Business people in the region don’t talk countries, they talk Africa, so associations have to build this nuance into their business model and ensure a more continent-centric strategy than in other regions. In terms of the Middle East, the traditional association hubs of North Africa and some Levant countries, such as Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Lebanon, are going through major political and economic meltdown. GCC countries are capitalising on this, with the United Arab Emirates and its population of only 5.8 million leading the charge and reinforcing its growing reputation as the Hong Kong of the Middle East. These countries are also focusing on investment in mega projects such as Expo 2020, the Sumaira Isaacs

Olympics and FIFA World Cup in Qatar, with the UAE’s foreign trade expected to touch Dh4 trillion by hosting Expo 2020. A 100% tax free environment, re-export hub, developed free zones and strategic location are without a doubt the UAE’s main economic strengths, however, like most GCC countries, international associations cannot be set up as legal entities in the region. For this purpose, a free zone like model was incorporated under the banner of Dubai Association Centre in 2013, enabling international associations to base themselves here and operate independently. This initiative has opened the door for association expansion in the Gulf region and looks set to turn Dubai into a key global association hub. With a population of 30 million people, Saudi Arabia is the largest country in the GCC and is working hard to diversify its economy by moving away from its primary reliance on oil. Boasting one of the strongest institutional structures in the region, with several independent professional bodies driving industry standards and classifications, Saudi Arabia is also home to some of the region’s largest universities, catering to a burgeoning Saudi youth population. The majority of regional pharmaceutical budgets sit in this country, and some of the largest medical meetings of the region take place in Saudi, for a majority Saudi audience with some regional and international attendees. The Saudi associations behind these organisations typically reach out to their regional and international counterparts in terms of content development as well as best practices, but there is clear potential for more structured partnerships and strategic growth.

More needs to be done to relax entry visa permits for foreign companies to enter, while social segregation and women’s limited role in society remain problematic for various international associations looking to develop in the country. India is its own market, with a unique ecosystem and strong institutional structure. With a quarter of India’s 1.2 billion people currently defined as a strong emerging middle class - in absolute numbers this is about as big as the entire US population - India is a dream market in terms of both growing consumer numbers and a growing demand for higher education and professional development. Thanks to this ever-expanding middle class, India is where many international associations out of the US and Europe are looking to expand their membership bases, as well products such as training programmes and international meetings. Successfully tapping into the Indian market is not easy, however. A long-term view and

perseverance are vital, and international associations need to invest in strong local expertise and knowledge, ensuring that 90% of strategic decisions are made in the country and 10% come from the HQ, balancing local responsiveness and global standardisation.

BEYOND IMEA: NEXT 11. In 2007, Goldman Sachs identified the Next 11 (N-11); 11 countries that could potentially rival the G7 over time, even if they lack the scale to become the next BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.)

have existing strong institutional and association frameworks despite their ‘motley crew’ backgrounds, the opportunities for associations are clear. From an IMEA perspective, it’s important to note that six of the N-11 countries fall well within its territories. While today’s association growth drive in IMEA is focused on the GCC countries, it will be increasingly important for forward-thinking associations to keep up with developments in Egypt, Iran, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Turkey. This article was provided by the International

Made up of Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, South Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Turkey and Vietnam, the N-11 is a very eclectic mix identified in the context of similar BRICS themes; energy, infrastructure, urbanisation, human capital and technology. Despite their differences, there are many examples of these countries working together economically and, as most already

Association of Professional Congress Organisers, author SUMAIRA ISAACS COO - IMEA (India, Middle East, Africa), MCI Group. IAPCO represents today 116 professional organisers, meeting planners and managers of international and national congresses, conventions and special events from 40 countries. info@iapco.org / www.iapco.org

“New” association markets

Issues and ideas With its focus on international associations and organizations, the Yearbook of International Organizations adds between 900 and 1,200 new entries during each annual cycle. The demise of some associations each year is harder to track due to the manner in which some cease activities and how this is (or is not) communicated to the wider world. Even without an analysis of the organizational mortality rate, there is a net gain in the population of organizations listed in the Yearbook as time passes. Text Joel Fischer, Head, Congress Dept, UIA

International associational life continues apace Are there such things as “new association markets”? To help answer this question I offer the following unscientific assessment of how transnational associations develop, generally and in “new” regions.

THREE MODELS OF TRANSNATIONAL ASSOCIATION DEVELOPMENT 1 - Transfer of business framework The case of trade associations in manufacturing and industry is a clear example. “The centre of the global economy is shifting towards Asia. This presents both new opportunities and new challenges for established high-income countries and for emerging economies” - Manufacturing at risk from global shift to Asia, Martin Wolf, Financial Times 20 May 2011 As multinational corporations relocate operations and offices, so too do the conjoined associations of trade professionals, managers and so on. The fundamental component of association life, a viable member population of individuals or companies, will bring leverage of one kind or another on the establishment of new 22

members and the creation of regional offices or relocation of headquarters. Further, some industries can bring with them secondary and tertiary supplier industries which themselves have associational lives. The supply chain for the automobile industry is a good example of this. For these reasons, some national and local governments actively engage in creating incentives for industry / business to relocate - incentives above and beyond the local conditions (raw materials, cost of labour, etc.) which may already exist. 2 - Organic development - the rise of new technologies or industries and through autonomous conference series This point covers most traditional international associations whether scholarly societies or trade and professional associations. As new technologies or disciplines develop the companies and individuals concerned with them begin the basic activities of networking and communication based on shared interests. These activities are seen with great commonality in how an association describes its aims or raison d’être: to advance the field; to share information and ideas; to provide a community; to protect and advance market positions; to develop and implement professional credentials and education; to

Joel Fischer

contribute to standards setting at national and international levels and so on. One of the earliest ways these nascent networking activities can be seen is when a conference is organized around a topic without an association already existing in the field. Over time, if the event repeats and builds in size and importance it can lead to the creation of a formal association. In other cases the conference series can continue often across many decades - independent of a formal association structure (though often with international steering committees of one kind or another). Examples include the hard sciences, manufacturers of new computer / internet technology, and new medical sub-specialties. 3 - Hothouse flowers / Incubation Some locations have actively chosen to attract international associations to domicile / relocate in their city. Examples include: - Belgium (Brussels) with a long history of according specific recognition to international scientific nonprofit associations (AISBL / IVZW status) and new initiatives

> UIA

from the city and regional governments. - Montreal International: an office which used the existence of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a magnet to attract other associations and the city-IGO relations as a platform to build incentives for other international organizations / associations. - Singapore: has been working for 6+ years on a concerted effort amongst government departments to be a central location for regional corporate offices and association headquarters. - Dubai / UAE: local partners with the cooperation of MCI worked to change the legal framework for international associations to operate from Dubai. This was quickly followed by the creation of the Dubai Association Center (DAC) under the aegis of the Chamber of Commerce and other partners. In this we see how international associations, their headquarters and their meetings activity are themselves seen as an “industry” to be enticed to a location.

What can we see that illuminates these points? News, business and academic reports cover changes and challenges to the world economy, the implications of the BRICS countries and so on. UIA’s statistics also show us the geographical distribution of international association headquarters, secondary offices and member countries. The UIA’s annual international meetings statistics report shows us where associations choose to hold their significant events, few of which occur in

locations which are not somehow tied to the association or its membership. Both of these data sets offer the possibility to examine changes over time. Activities which support associational life are now occurring in “new” regions. These include various educational and training events for association managers / leaders and tradeshows in the meetings industry (e.g. the seven IBTMs organized by Reed exhibitions). Outside of the realm of traditional associations, the internet continues to play a significant role in connecting communities of people with common interests – from shared concerns (emergency relief, rights campaigns) to the most frivolous (and serious) of cultural interests and diversions. Recent years saw a number of initiatives which transcended traditional structures to accomplish relief and development projects without the superstructure usually associated with NGOs in these sectors and

without any commitment to membership. It should also be said that there were critiques of these new forms of activities as well, notably in relation to accountability and duplication or misdirection of effort. www.uia.org References: Boeing’s Eastward Migration Suggests How US Manufacturing Can Remain Relevant, Dave Blanchard, IndustryWeek 13 Apr 2013 Manufacturing at risk from global shift to Asia, Martin Wolf, Financial Times 20 May 2011 Yearbook of International Organizations vol 5: Statistics, Visualizations and Patterns, available from UIA

> South Korea

POSTCARDS FROM SEOUL

Floating Island Complex

Unique Venues Full of Seoul When it comes to deciding on an exciting new venue for congress attendees, international meeting planners are spoiled for options in Seoul, as the city has been actively expanding its meetings infrastructure and services in response to rapidlygrowing demand from the international community. Ranking 4th for the number of congresses hosted by the Union of International Associations (UIA) and 9th by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) this year, the signs are clear that more people from around the world are discovering why Seoul is truly “Your Complete Convention City”.

Making Waves: Floating Island Opening on April 25th, the striking Floating Island complex is located directly on the Hangang, the massive river which divides Seoul between its northern and southern halves, where it is anchored near the southern district - more famously known as Gangnam. Flower-like in shape when seen from above, Floating Island is the latest of many developments to restore and enhance the city’s waterways for the benefit of locals and visitors alike. In the past five months alone, it has quickly become a much-praised

addition to Seoul’s already-impressive catalogue of meeting venues. In terms of layout, the complex spans a total area of 9,995m² and contains three linked islets, each designed for a different purpose, alongside a shore-based media gallery/stage for live events. Facilities include a 762m² convention hall, restaurants, a

Operating between April and October, the fountain is guaranteed to add a splash of color to any event when all 380 of its regularly-scheduled water jets eject luminous spray into the night sky.

Prime Waterfront Property East of Floating Island is Fradia, a popular

The signs are clear that more people from around the world are discovering why Seoul is truly “Your Complete Convention City” rooftop garden, and yacht club. Taken together, these allow for a wide range of event options such as conferences, receptions, and parties, all set against a glittering waterfront backdrop framed by the Seoul skyline. The media gallery alone has already become a popular concert venue, while the conference hall and dining facilities most recently set the scene for a knowledge sharing “Seoul MICE Session” between Seoul’s leading convention hoteliers and tourism policymakers. Further adding to Floating Island’s allure, the adjacent Banpo Bridge, with its dazzling Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, is one of the city’s major warm-weather landmarks.

three-story cultural space also offering stunning waterfront views on the Hangang’s southern shore. Often used for banquets, fashion shows, and launching parties, Fradia has three event halls, the largest of which can seat up to 300 persons. The neighboring Yeouido district – home to Seoul’s International Finance Center – also offers prime riverfront options. One of these is the prominently-placed Seoul Marina Club & Yacht, located just across from the National Assembly Building, and which lives up to its name by offering yacht rentals for up to 28 persons at a time in three different classes of speedboat. Its distinctively-angular clubhouse also provides three convention halls on three levels, with the main hall able 25

> South Korea

Moonlight Rainbow Fountain

Seoul Marina

to seat up to 250 in theater mode. For an altogether different Hangang experience, the 63 Convention Center puts events in high places in Yeouido’s tall 63 Building skyscraper. The center offers 13 differently-sized meeting halls, including a grand ballroom for up to 2,000 persons, and boasting staggering panoramic city views. Meanwhile north of the river and close by Seoul’s World Cup Park, the 700 Yacht Club also caters for river cruises and functions, while its clubhouse, providing capacity for up to 250 persons, is great for barbecues, concerts, and stylish business meetings.

Out of This World: Dongdaemun Design Plaza Making waves of a different kind in both the international press and in its curve-like design, the long-awaited Dongdaemun Design Plaza has forever changed the face of central Seoul. Frequently described as “spaceship-like” in appearance, the entirely asymmetrical and futuristic DDP is the very definition of a “unique” venue. This is perhaps fitting, since the new meeting space, located 26

in the heart of the Korean design industry, is intended to be a key venue for designrelated conferences, exhibitions, and shows. Events it has already hosted have been as diverse as Seoul Fashion Week, a Transformers retrospective, and Culture Chanel’s The Sense of Places exhibition. However, the DDP’s facilities are also open to a wide range of business events beyond design. Congress attendees from the inaugural Meeting of Aeronautical Communication Services Implementation Coordination Group (ACSICG1), for example, were given the opportunity to explore the DDP as part of a Seoul-sponsored city tour. Designed by Pritzker award-winning architect Zaha Hadid, the DDP’s meeting facilities include two exhibition halls (Art Hall 1 and Art Hall 2) and an international conference hall with a total floor space of 4,953.48m2. The venue takes its name from Dongdaemun, the still surviving “Great East Gate” of Seoul that also lent the district its name. So too does the nearby and also newly-opened JW Marriott Dongdaemun Square Seoul, which offers 170 convenient guest rooms to those attending DDP functions.

Dongdaemun Design Plaza

Colorful Cultural Attractions for Large Events Modernity and art join forces at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA). Showcasing the work of both local and international artists, the MMCA runs a variety of educational and cultural programs in its effort to connect the public with the works displayed. The MMCA opened in November 2013, with a reference center, project gallery, theater, and multipurpose hall available for seminars, exhibitions, symposiums, and workshops. Elsewhere, Seoul’s versatile Lotte World theme park has recently been setting the trend for combining fun with business events. Just ask Airports Council International, which in May selected the ice rink in the AsiaPacific’s largest indoor theme park as one of the main event venues for its ASQ (Airport Service Quality) Awards held during ACI Asia-Pacific /World Annual General Assembly, attended by 965 industry professionals. Lotte World’s entertainment and shopping attractions draw over 5 million visitors a year, when not being used by business visitors for on-site meetings, the theme park often serves as a post-event destination and, more recently, a popular incentive travel choice.

> South Korea

Unique Seoul, Unique Services Seoul’s meetings industry enjoys a strong working relationship with local government, which recognizes business events as one of the city’s main economic drivers. Association event planners interested in the meeting venues mentioned above or one of Seoul’s other high-quality event facilities can therefore count on a wide range of support from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, including financial, promotional, operational, and much more.

Financial Financial support is available to association events that meet certain criteria in terms of the number of participants and duration, and can include the services outlined below. Please contact the Seoul Convention Bureau for more information on eligibility and the types of support packages offered.

Bidding & Site Inspections Meeting planners, association leaders, and other event organizers looking to host their event in Seoul can receive expert assistance from the Seoul Convention Bureau Bidding Clinic, which helps with the preparation of proposals, one-on-one presentation workshops, and consultation on bidding strategies. The SCB will also provide accommodation and transportation services to board members visiting Seoul for event feasibility studies. This includes venue recommendations, city tours, and site inspections of business events infrastructure and local attractions. In addition, the SCB can provide a letter and video message of support for proposed events from the mayor of Seoul and the CEO of the Seoul Tourism Organization.

Event Promotion For events hosted in Seoul, the Seoul Convention Bureau provides a range of promotional materials, including the Meeting Planners Guide, a leaflet outlining 10 Reasons to Choose Seoul, and a USB stick of digital promotional content. Event attendees can also receive the

Seoul Welcome Kit, comprising a Business Travelers Guide, postcards, and a coupon book – all packaged in a colorful and traditional “lucky” Korean pouch. The SCB can even arrange for event “welcome messages” to be promoted on Incheon International Airport’s digital displays at the baggage carousels – a complimentary service that has proved especially popular with event planners. Currently being processed at two major association events this year – the 2014 International Congress of Mathematicians and the 32nd World Congress of Internal Medicine - is the Seoul MICE Card, a rechargeable smart card offering discounts on transport and other purchases, and which bears the name of the attendee and the event’s logo.

Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA)

Operations For events, the SCB offers the Seoul Convention Supporters, a highly-trained and dedicated pool of multilingual personnel chosen from convention-related departments of universities able to provide operational assistance for international congresses or other events upon request. Half of the daily rate for use of the Supporters at events is covered by the SCB.

The Seoul MICE Alliance The Seoul MICE Alliance (SMA) is a partnership between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and 143 meetings industryand-related stakeholders in nine different categories. All of the businesses mentioned in these pages, with the exception of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, are active SMA members. Event planners who utilize SMA member companies receive additional benefits if they obtain public assistance in attracting, holding and promoting events.

Lotte World

Contact For more information on any of the topics discussed in this feature, as well as the latest news about Seoul’s meetings industry, please contact the Seoul Convention Bureau: www.miceseoul.com mice@seoulwelcome.com +82-2-3788-0873 Seoul MICE Alliance

> Japan

Sapporo

A visitor and delegate’s favorite Sapporo City View Summer

Located on the northern island of Hokkaido, Sapporo is not just at the top of Japan geographically, it’s also a meeting destination in full sail. Named TripAdvisor 2013 Travelers’ Choice, it ranked 7th among the world’s top 10 destinations on the rise, while Hokkaido Prefecture itself was ranked as the most popular destination among tourists from Asia-Pacific. As the former host of 1972 Winter Olympics, 2002 FIFA World Cup, and other high-profile conventions such as United Nations, APEC, and G8 Summit meetings, Sapporo has definitely been flexing its meeting muscles, with more than 40 years’ experience hosting major events. Text Rémi Dévé

Compact & Convenient With a population of 1.9 million, Sapporo is the fifth largest city in Japan and covers about the same area as Honk Kong does. But thanks to its urban set up, Sapporo is both compact and easy to navigate: all major convention facilities and hotels, as well as leisure districts and businesses, are conveniently located right in the city centre, many within walking distance to each other. Sapporo also boasts a very efficient public transport system including subway, providing easy access in and around the city. Sapporo is easily accessible for convention participants from overseas: several international and domestic air routes are directly connected to Sapporo New Chitose Airport, including the busiest air route in the world, Tokyo Haneda - Sapporo New Chitose, with over 50 flights per day. Whether for business or leisure, it is only an hour and a half flight between Tokyo and Sapporo. 28

International direct flights to Sapporo include routes from major capitals in Asia such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul, and Bangkok. And once at New Chitose Airport, it will take only 35 minutes to get to the city centre via Airport Express.

Experienced Located right in the city centre just north of Sapporo Station, Hokkaido University, abundant with extensive bachelor, master, doctor and postdoctoral programs, is one of Japan’s top national institutions specifically advanced in the fields of Geophysics, Biotechnology and Chemistry - it has been the home to 2010 Nobel Prize Laureate for Chemistry, Dr. Akira Suzuki. Sapporo is also an advanced centre for medical science, with Hokkaido University and Sapporo Medical University taking an active role in the development of the field. Worth noting is that Hokkaido has been the centre

SAPPORO IS A CENTRE OF EXTENSIVE STUDIES, ADVANCED IN THE FIELDS OF GEOPHYSICS, BIOTECHNOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, MEDICINE, VETERINARY SCIENCES AND AGRICULTURE Reasonable One of the major concerns for MICE organisers is reasonable rates, and here again Sapporo doesn’t disappoint! When it comes to accommodation in Japan’s most walkable city, the prices and the selection are unbeatable, with various high-quality, internationally or domestically renowned brand hotels. There are over 20,000 rooms in the city centre of Sapporo.

of Veterinary Sciences and Agriculture for quite a while as well, making Japan an expert in this area. No wonder then Sapporo has hosted various prestigious conferences such as the 23rd General Assembly of the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG 2003, 4,500 participants from 99 countries/ regions at Royton Sapporo Hotel),

> Japan

Sapporo Convention Center

Niseko

Furano

Sapporo City View Fall

the 16th International Microscopy Congress 2006 (IMC 2006, 2,300 participants from 55 countries at Sapporo Convention Center), or the International Union of Microbiological Societies 2011 Congress (IUMS 2011, 4,800 participants from 66 countries/regions at Sapporo Convention Center). This year, Sapporo is the proud host of the 26th International Conference on Organometallic Chemistry (ICOMC 2014), the 11th International Congress of Neoroethology (ICN 2014), and the 11th Annual Meeting of Asia Oceania Geosciences Society 2014 (AOGS 2014), with the society expecting a record-breaking attendance of 3,000 participants. Not to forget sports events, kicking it off big with 1972 Winter Olympics. As the world’s only destination for its famous powder snow, Sapporo has been the host of various high profile winter sports events such as FIS Nordic World Ski Championship 2007, as well as 2002 FIFA World Cup and Iron Man Hokkaido Japan triathlon in the summer. In 2017, Sapporo will host the Asian Winter Games, which will be another achievement for the city.

Naturally ABUNDANT For those of you weather-conscious, you should know that Sapporo stays pleasant

and dry all year round. With green covering over 60% of the total area of the city, the coexistence with nature is what makes Sapporo so unique, giving countless opportunities - whether you like sea, woodlands or mountains - for visitors to get out and explore the picturesque countryside abound with natural activities and delicious food, which includes the world-famous Sapporo Beer and Nikka Whiskey. In terms of pre- or post-conference activities, Sapporo might well be a dream come true! In fact, Sapporo/Hokkaido is one of the rarest and most exciting areas geoscientifically speaking, complete with volcanos, hot springs, deep lakes and mountains. Jyozankei Hot Springs for instance is located just 50 minutes drive away from the city centre. Noboribetsu Hot Springs, another well-known destination for relaxation, just a two-hour drive from Sapporo, is famous for its Hell Valley - a smoking thermally active spring with many outlets and bubbling streams. The site of G8 Hokkaido Toyako Summit 2008, a huge volcanic-caldera Lake Toya, including Toya Caldera and Usu Volcano Global Geopark, is another popular destination. Just three hours away downtown Sapporo, the area is an unmissable spot for hiking, trekking, camping, kayaking, and other sporting activities.

Lake Toya

And let’s not forget skiing as mentioned above! One of the world’s top destinations for best powder skiing is located just three hours away, in a town called Niseko. When it comes to high quality, it is not just about its powder snow, but the services available at Niseko, with facilities such as Hilton Niseko Village, which in 2013 received World Ski Award as Japan’s Best Ski Resort. Situated only 45 minutes by train from Sapporo, Otaru will surprise you with a delicious sushi straight from the ocean, while in Furano, a town three hours away from Sapporo, one can spend hours walking around extensive flowers fields and forests. Located in the northeast of Hokkaido, Shiretoko National Park, literally meaning “end of the Earth”, is one of the richest integrated ecosystems in the world and UNESCO World Heritage site.

Contact Dima Azarov MICE Sales & Services Sapporo Convention Bureau convention@plaza-sapporo.or.jp +81 11 211 3675 www.conventionsapporo.jp/ www.welcome.city.sapporo.jp/?lang=en

> Australia

Brisbane

Becoming a global city thanks to G20

Eagle Street Pier

You must have seen billboards about it where you live. In fact, Brisbane Marketing made sure the event is promoted around the world. It’s indeed not that often a city can be placed on the international map because it hosts a G20 summit. Brisbane will bring together some of the world’s most influential thinkers and, up until then, will brand itself as the ‘capital of the world’ as it’s getting ready to host the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit in November. Report Rémi Dévé It was actually my second time in Brisbane. If I remembered a quite laidback, friendly city, it seems a lot of things have changed, especially in terms of infrastructure. The closest city on the eastern seaboard to Asia, set to become an economic powerhouse in the Asia Pacific region, Brisbane is a major hub for large resource and energy companies, as well as a significant centre for research and innovative. With the eyes of the whole world looking at Brisbane in November, the city has set a course to show its strengths, what they’re good at and what legacy can be built up after the Summit. Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Councillor Graham Quirk, puts it like this: ‘Brisbane is a city with a lifestyle obsession, global ambitions, a contagious energy and entrepreneurial spirit that lubricates the business environment. It’s been 30

a few years we have pursued a research and development agenda and injected funds in the sector to stay on top of the game and attract prime talent. Our three major universities work in diverse areas such as climate change, cancer research, nanotechnology, renewable energy, agriculture and many more… Combine those varied strengths and the hosting of G20, and Brisbane’s identity as a newworld, global city has never been so clear.’

to showcase its abilities as a large conference host, whether at the BCEC, Brisbane Conference and Exhibition Centre (see sidebar), in hotels or in terms of leisure attractions. According to Brisbane Marketing’s Convention Bureau Director Annabel Sullivan, the 2014 G20 Leaders Summit is just one of many recent successes for Brisbane, demonstrating the city’s emergence as an energised global city and a leading destination for conferences: ‘Over the last decade, Brisbane has witnessed unprecedented growth, and our ability to accommodate events of the calibre of the G20 reflects this. Our aim is to build up Brisbane’s reputation as one of the friendliest cities in the

With the eyes of the whole world looking at Brisbane in November, the city has set a course to show its strengths, what they’re good at and what legacy can be built up after the Summit The Summit will bring an estimated 7,000 people to Brisbane - both delegates and media. It’s easy to understand why it represents a great opportunity for the city

world through a series of initiatives designed to help visitors find their way around including a city-wide welcoming strategy and a new integrated Wi-Fi system. The initiatives put in

> Australia

BCEC on Grey Street

BCEB on the ready South Bank

Arts precinct

place to support G20 will create an enduring legacy that will benefit all future conferences held in Brisbane.’ One of the many initiatives that was thoroughly discussed while I was there was the so-called Brisbane Global Café. Both a physical and a digital place, the Café will consist of a two-day event featuring speakers, workshops and media conferences in the week of the G20, as well as a series of events between July and November and an online information and discussion forum. Exploring important issues around improving human life, developing cities that match future needs, powering the future economy and workforce needs, and exploring the emerging frontiers of tourism, it has been thought out as a new concept set to become a tradition in every G20 host cities in the future. Investments have been made on the accommodation front. Some of the latest additions include the 246-room Four Points by Sheraton, an ideally located,

Stakes are high for the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre. It’s not that often indeed you get to be chosen to host the world’s premier economic forum and some of the most powerful leaders of the world. But given the venue’s record history and expertise, things will go as smoothly as ever. General Manager Bob O’Keeffe says the Centre is well advanced in its preparation and planning for the Summit, having hosted more than 80 site inspections from participating countries: ‘The G20 Summit presents us with a once in a generation opportunity to show our credentials to the world and demonstrate our appeal as an international events venue.’

comfortable facility where I was lucky enough to stay. At this stage, it is estimated Brisbane needs an additional 216 to 330 rooms per year to 2022, and fundings have been made in that sense: the development of more four and fivestar hotels is a priority.

He also insists that the centre won’t rest on its laurels afterwards. The legacy of the Summit, and the buildup after it, will be of the utmost importance: ‘An enduring legacy of the Summit will be world-wide recognition and reputational acknowledgement and a flow on of international events for both Brisbane and BCEC.’

New meetings venues include the Waterfront Pavilion at Tangalooma on Moreton Island and MV Epicure, a luxury motor vessel catering for up to 350 guests on the Brisbane River. And don’t forget the South Bank precinct, Brisbane’s cultural and lifestyle hub, which wasn’t there the first time I was around: complete with city beaches, restaurants, cafés and a theatre, it might well be the epitome of what Brisbane is about.

The Centre has a busy lead-up to the G20 with more than 100 events on the convention calendar including 21 international meetings. Horticulturists, medical scientists, environmentalists, liver specialists, urologists, audiologists, speech therapists, physicians and technology, energy, finance and water experts will be among some 60,000 delegates who will visit Brisbane this year.

Contact Annabel Sullivan Director, Brisbane Convention Bureau T +61 7 3006 6267 asullivan@brisbanemarketing.com.au www.brisbanemarketing.com.au www.meetinbrisbane.com.au

And if you’re in for fast facts, BCEC is Australia’s most awarded convention centre and with the addition of its recent boutique expansion, BCEC on Grey Street, it is established as one of Australia’s most flexible venue with 52% increase in convention space, 44 meeting rooms and three stand-alone tiered auditoria. With a total combined floor area of 172,000 m2 and 20,000 m2 of dedicated exhibition space, BCEC is capable of hosting meetings and events of every size from 8 to 8,000 people. 31

> Holland

A head start for your convention in Holland Dutch cities are very popular convention destinations. The rich Dutch history, the country’s solid knowledge economy, and its famous consensus culture provide all basic facilities that make conventions a success. Moreover, you may rely on spontaneous help.

‘Holland has organised its knowledge industry very smartly and efficiently. International guests will notice this when they organise or attend a convention in our country,’ says Eric Bakermans of the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC). ‘Our convention facilities are excellent, as are our infrastructure and the numerous entertainment and relaxation options. Moreover, organisers who aim for a valid convention programme, may count on sound expert advice. This makes Holland stand out.’

ways to enhance what they do, through joint initiatives. They explore, for instance, how they can contribute to the solution of global issues. Examples are clean energy, sustainably produced food, affordable healthcare, clean drinking water, and safe deltas.

The Dutch consensus culture is a great basis for international conventions. ‘Those who wish to share knowledge that is of interest to these top industries, may look forward to

“If you organise a convention in Holland, you may look forward to an event with an authoritative programme” Nine distinguishing industries Holland is one of the world’s leading knowledge economies. In order to continuously improve its knowledge and economy, nine top industries were defined in 2004.The Dutch companies and knowledge institutes stand out because of their first-class expertise and technology. Holland decided to aim for excellence in Agriculture & Food, Chemistry, Creative Industry, Energy, High Tech, Logistics, Life Sciences & Health, Horticulture, and Water. These top industries have a high organisation level, are supported by the government, and all have an internationalisation agenda. Government bodies, researchers and companies conduct an ongoing dialogue about

Eric Bakermans

Conventions benefit

an event with an authoritative programme’, Bakermans assures. Convention cities, such as Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam and Maastricht, combine knowledge flows from the top industries. They ensure that conventions are noticed within these flows, which benefits convention organisers. Not surprisingly, therefore, we see an increase in the number of conventions per niche. NBTC is the logical first point of contact for organisers who wish to organise an international convention in Holland, as NBTC offers them free advice and tools. This is helpful, as not many people have the necessary experience to organise a convention, with the exception of the large associations, says Bakermans. NBTC offers its services free of

charge, as the board receives grants-in-aid from the government, is independent and has the required expertise.

Convention venues and plane tickets NBTC offers, among other things, help in exploring the various convention possibilities and in drawing up a budget. NBTC also boasts an extensive network of professionals who can look after the organisational aspects of a convention, ranging from scouting convention venues to affordable plane tickets. In addition, NBTC has a great programme that reduces the uncertainties related to the actual number of delegates and to the pre-financing of a convention, the Pre-financing and Guarantee Fund. Are you considering to have your international convention in Holland? Do contact Eric Bakermans, NBTC’s Meetings, Conventions & Events Marketing Manager, to informally discuss your ideas and thoughts. Contact details: T. +31 70 3705 340 / M. +31 6 5534 2430 / ebakermans@holland.com 33

> New Zealand

New Zealand Conferences Beyond Convention Auckland CBD from Mt Eden

New Zealand’s unforgettable mix of breath taking natural landscapes, world-class venues and unique visitor experiences makes it the perfect location for international association events. Boasting world-class facilities, spectacular landscapes, friendly people, and a diverse range of activities within easy reach, New Zealand will take your next event from ordinary to extraordinary. There are a wide variety of exhilarating activities and inspiring experiences right on the doorstep of some of New Zealand’s most impressive event venues. Spend your morning at a conference and be jet boating through a sweeping river valley by lunch. The country’s towering mountains, dense forests and golden beaches make it a haven for outdoor activities, while its multicultural population has created the perfect melting pot for one of a kind cultural and culinary experiences.

Exciting choices There are plenty of exciting places to hold business events around New Zealand. Surrounded by two sparkling harbours, the vibrant and multicultural city of Auckland provides an ideal stage for world-class business events and conferences. The country’s largest city offers world-class accommodation, sights and attractions, and a huge range of memorable venues for events of all shapes and sizes. Wellington is New Zealand’s political and cultural capital and is a sophisticated and convenient destination to hold a memorable business event. The city is full of creative energy and has gained a reputation for hosting dynamic international events. Also

in New Zealand’s North Island, Rotorua’s Māori heritage, geothermal landscape and exhilarating adventure activities make it one of the most memorable conference and event locations anywhere in the world. Visitors will love the inspiring scenery, skiing and fine lakeside dining on offer in the four season resort town of Queenstown, while the historic city of Dunedin, famed for its Victorian and Edwardian architecture provide the perfect backdrop for your business event. Other event destinations include the garden city of Christchurch in the South Island, while the riverside city of Hamilton is the Waikato region’s main metropolitan hub and a centre for business excellence and innovation.

Conference venues New Zealand’s diverse range of conference venues allows you to choose a location that perfectly fits the vision you have for your event. Create an elegant atmosphere by hosting your conference in one of New Zealand’s grand heritage buildings or go ultra-modern at one of the country’s newer venues. Larger venue options range from ASB Theatre in Auckland’s Aotea Centre to

Rotorua Energy Events Centre

the huge Claudelands Conference & Exhibition Centre in Hamilton, the lakeside Rotorua Energy Events Centre and spectacular Skyline Queenstown, offering panoramic views of Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkables mountain range. Other unique venues include the iconic Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, Christchurch’s Air Force Museum, and The Dunedin Centre - an elegant historically classified building in the South Island city of Dunedin. The range of venues on offer in New Zealand is set to increase in coming years, thanks to recent proposals to build a stateof-the art International Convention Centre in Auckland and new convention centres in Wellington, Christchurch and Queenstown.

Contact Leonie Ashford leonie.ashford@tnz.govt.nz www.businessevents.newzealand.com 35

> Thailand

Thailand Secures Major International Events, Signalling Renewed Confidence in MICE Sector The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has proudly secured major international MICE events during the second half of 2014 and 2015, including the 74th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Unicity Global Convention 2014. The 74th FIP World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2014 was confirmed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), a global federation representing three million pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists worldwide, of which more than 2,000 members will be joining the congress in Bangkok. Unicity International, the international multi-level marketing company, recently also endorsed the organising of the Unicity Global Convention - its annual meeting and incentive travel programme - in Thailand in October 2014. The event is expected to welcome more than 50,000 business travellers to the Kingdom. All events further signal growing international confidence in the Thai MICE sector, as operations return to normal following the country’s political transition. Stability is key As stability is a key consideration for MICE travellers, the confidence shown by international organisers is proof-positive that Thailand is again ready to host MICE events of any size and scale. The National Council for Peace and Order

(NCPO) confirmed full support for FIP 2014, at a meeting hosted by Colonel Weerachon Sukondhapatipak, Deputy Spokesman, with Ms Carola van der Hoeff, FIP COO & Congress Director, who noted that most European delegates showed no reluctance about coming to Thailand. Seen as a premier, high quality industry event, the 2014 FIP Congress invites pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists from all over the world to delve into the globally pressing issue of access to medicines. Attracting events of this calibre is in line with TCEB’s strategy of targeting high quality MICE travellers for key growth sectors. Further demonstrating the strong position of the industry, TCEB also shared the diverse line-up of confirmed major upcoming MICE activities in Thailand, including meetings and incentives fairs such as IT&CMA Asia and CTW Asia Pacific Corporate Travel World 2014, international conventions such as the 10th International Mycological Congress (IMC), or international exhibitions and trade shows such as Food & Hotel Thailand 2014, INTERMACH 2015, and ProPak Asia 2015.

Confirmed Strategy These confirmed events complement the 15 bids recently won by Thailand to host upcoming global conventions, which are expected to attract nearly 10,000 international visitors. To achieve its full year goals, TCEB is now working in tandem with key public and private sector partners to promote and reinvigorate the country’s positive image, reinforcing stakeholders’ understanding of Thailand’s key MICE industry strengths: diverse destinations right at the heart of the fast growing AEC region, unrivalled business opportunities, and high quality MICE professionals and standards. Ongoing initiatives such as the Thailand CONNECT campaign reinforce these unique assets, while offering generous incentives and seamless support to international organisers. TCEB recently estimated the growth of Thailand’s MICE industry, believing that Thailand will be able to generate MICE revenue of THB 87,210 million and welcome 888,210 MICE travellers to the Land of Smiles in 2014. Connect Thailand Asia’s capital for business events connection www.businesseventsthailand.com

>Japan

Ohori Park & Momochi Waterfront

Hakata Gion Yamakasa

Fukuoka continues to grow With a new name, Meeting Place Fukuoka (MPF), a continuing development strategy and new staff in the sales, executive, marketing and research teams, Fukuoka Convention Bureau enters a new era. Not only will MPF exhibit at major international trade shows such as IMEX America and EIBTM in 2014, but they will also be involved in ICCA activities and join the 2014 Asia-Pacific Clients/Suppliers Business Workshop, not to forget the bidding for the 2015 one. In short Fukuoka is in full sail! Text Rémi Dévé

Hospitable par excellence A truly cosmopolitan city, Fukuoka has been playing an important role in Japanese history as a gateway to Asian countries for 2000 years. In the 9th century, the first official guest house - called “Korokan” - was even built for the purpose of welcoming Chinese and Korean missions. This “Omotenashi spirit”, which brings hospitality forward, says it all about Fukuoka being open to international trade and exchange. Today Fukuoka is known as the second international convention destination in Japan, right after Tokyo. There are 50 universities and colleges, as well as three science research parks in the prefecture, covering comprehensive academic research fields. The national Kyushu University, considered as a “Knowledge Centre”, is at the forefront of sciences. Fukuoka always attracts large numbers of international delegates from Asian

countries, even for meetings organised by national Japanese associations! In addition, the geographic location of Fukuoka is an add-on, with 20 major cities located no more than 2 hours away, such as Seoul (1h), Osaka (1h), Shanghai (1.5h), Tokyo (1.5h), Beijing (2h) and Taipei (2h). It takes just 10 minutes with the subway to go from Fukuoka Airport to the city centre.

Excellent value for money Fukuoka is cheap, maybe the cheapest city in Japan, especially when it comes to meetings in a congress centre or booking rooms in a conference hotel. Furthermore, its ‘compact’ character means that most facilities are located within a 2.5km radius - making it very easy for organisers and delegates alike to commute and get around.

list. With an ideal balance between nature and culture, good quality food from the sea and the nearby countryside, and friendly people you can meet up at the typical Yatai (the famous street stalls), Fukuoka is Japanese like no other. As to pre- and post-conference activities, Fukuoka has plenty up its sleeves. Whether it be a short trip to the beautiful Kyushu Island, the famous Hakata Gion Yamakasa festival, the nearby volcanoes of Aso or the fascinating city of Nagasaki, home of Puccini’s “Madam Butterfly”, you will be dizzy with the choice you have!

Contact Ryoji Maeshima Senior Deputy Director, MICE / Business Events Meeting Place Fukuoka (Fukuoka Convention & Visitors Bureau) +81 92 733 0101 maeshima@welcome-fukuoka.or.jp www.meetingplace-fukuoka.jp

Fukuoka is also well-known for its great quality of life. The British magazine Monocle even ranked it ten in its ‘Most Livable Cities’ 39

> Netherlands

Maastricht The knowledge hub MECC Maastricht - Auditorium

Life and Science are at the core of Maastrichtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s knowledge development. With prestigious institutions such as Maastricht University, Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC), Maastricht Health Campus, Chemelot Campus, Province of Limburg, the Municipality of Maastricht, the Maastricht Exhibition and Congress Centre (MECC) and of course Maastricht Convention Bureau working hand in hand, the Dutch city has become a knowledge hub for anyone interested in the cardiovascular field or in biomaterials. Holding a conference related to either of these subjects makes all the more sense in Maastricht. Attracting conferences to a destination requires a unified effort from all parties involved. As one of the top three Dutch conference cities centrally located in Europe and the Euregion Meuse-Rhine, maybe the only one with a truly European dimension, Maastricht may well have understood like no other that cooperation between the government, education, knowledge institutes and NGOs is of paramount importance. After all, a few hundreds or thousands delegates coming to a city will benefit everybody, whether it be financially, socially or economically.

Maastricht Health Campus Both an academic institution and regional hospital - the only facility of that sort in the Netherlands - Maastricht UMC+ has been formed by the University Hospital Maastricht (AZM) and the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Maastricht University (UM). With 7,000 employees and 4,000 students, every year, in the Faculty of 40

Health, Medicine and Life Science, it is one of the largest employers in the region. Renowned for its research on mental health and brain, cardiovascular diseases, chronic diseases and cancer, public health and primary care, the Maastricht Health Campus provides many opportunities for the city as a destination for scientific meetings - Maastricht University and the Maastricht Academic Hospital indeed appear to be key decision factors for planners of medical events. Worth noting is that the CEO of the Maastricht Health Campus is also on the Board of the Maastricht Convention Bureau. And when one realises that MECC Maastricht is part of the campus, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to understand why cooperation between the three entities is only natural. Oh and did we mention the fibre-optic connection between the Maastricht University Medical Centre and MECC Maastricht which makes live streaming - and live operations! - possible? That only can make a difference.

MECC is also active in a field populated by top players in sectors such as high-tech systems and materials, chemistry (including lifetec), food and the creative industry. In Maastricht and the region, organisations are sure to find solutions to problems which are applicable throughout the world.

Chemelot Campus The Chemelot Campus is an initiative of Maastricht University/the Maastricht UMC+, DSM and the Province of Limburg. It is considered by the Ministry of Economic Affairs as one of six open innovation campuses of national importance. Open innovation means that students, researchers and entrepreneurs work together in a community, forming the optimal climate for knowledge exchange and valorisation. Gradually becoming the Euregional hub for businesses as well as education and research institutes in the field of new materials, it focuses on technologically advanced, high-performance materials for the automobile industry and telephony, but also new products from biobased materials, sustainable energy, clean technologies and the life sciences. Companies that already have the Campus as a home base include the chemicals group DSM, the Basic Pharma Group, the Saudi Arabian petrochemical specialist

Design Ector Hoogstad Architecten l Impression Wax Architectural Visualizations

Mosa Vitae Maastricht Health Campus, opening in 2017

Center Court Chemelot Campus in Geleen, opening in 2016

Sabic and Sekisui S-Lec, a division of Sekisui Chemical Co.

second place when it comes to large, multiday, international congresses.

No wonder Maastricht has been flexing its muscles and attracting more and more international medical and chemical conferences. Examples include the European Vascular Course, World Institute of Pain and the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain. Conferences relating to cooperation with the Chemelot Campus include International Mass Spectrometry and European Society of Biomaterials.

The MECC consists of three flexible, multifunctional floors, all of which are interconnected. There are two auditoriums (1,650 seats) - which may be used separately or connected to one another - available for the plenary sessions, with direct access to the Expo Foyer (2,500 m2). If an event offers several parallel sessions, the MECC has many large and small rooms to accommodate them.

Maastricht may well have understood like no other that cooperation between the government, education, knowledge institutes and NGOs is of paramount importance Venues and more With no less than eight airports closeby you can get to Brussels in less than 1 hour, Amsterdam in 2, Paris and Frankfurt in 3, and London in 3,5 - MECC and the city of Maastricht rank in the top 100 international non-corporate conferences worldwide (source: ICCA International Congress and Convention Association). Maastricht is the third city in the Netherlands to make this list, and is currently targeting to rise to the

> Netherlands

In total there are, in Maastricht and its surroundings, more than 4,000 hotel rooms available. The variety in the supply and types of hotels is quite striking. In addition to internationally known brand hotels, there are hotels housed in a former cinema, castles and monasteries, abbeys and churches and in an old museum. Who could ask for more? Maastricht Convention Bureau provides services to planners of all kinds. They offer professional, independent and

European Vascular Course

objective information, advice and mediation regarding any aspect of organising meetings: congress centres, hotels, venues for your party or dinner, transportation, organisational support, catering, social and partner programmes. And all this free of charge of course! The professionals at MECC Maastricht are specialised in making every aspect of an event easier for their clients. Thanks to the strength of the organisation, MECC offers speed and flexibility in satisfying its clients’ needs, 24/7. The combination of its staff with the compact nature of its organisation, building and environment enable them to offer personal attention and a highly solutionoriented approach. MECC professionals are, as they like to say, ‘Dedicated to your success’.

Contact Maastricht Convention Bureau T. +31 (0)43 32 80 838 info@maastrichtconventionbureau.com www.maastrichtconventionbureau.com MECC Maastricht T. +31 (0)43 38 38 383 info@mecc.nl www.mecc.nl

>Switzerland

Monte Rosa Hut SAC

Zürich

Switzerland: a natural leader Year after year, little Switzerland achieves big scores in international country rankings. Time and again, the land at the heart of Europe secures top position. These rankings help international executives, investment strategists and other business leaders to make informed choices. For conference organisers, the same indices also offer useful insights into the relative quality and value of different destinations. Switzerland’s list of firsts is impressive. In the Global Innovation Index, for example, prepared by Cornell University, the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization and the INSEAD business school, Switzerland has topped the list of nearly 150 countries three years in a row. The Global Competitiveness Report, published annually by the World Economic Forum, has placed Switzerland first every year since 2009. Or take the environment. The Environmental Performance Index, developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, has ranked Switzerland first for the past two years in a row. Switzerland also leads the Energy Sustainability Index, published by the World Energy Council. Switzerland’s cities, too, are world-class. The Cities in Motion Index by the IESE business school lists three Swiss cities in the top ten, making Switzerland the highestranking country. The Quality of Living

report by the consulting group Mercer analyses more than 350 cities worldwide; three Swiss cities - Zürich, Geneva and Bern - have featured among the top ten in the past three surveys.

What does this add up to for event organisers? Switzerland’s emphasis on innovation, for example, means that Swiss meeting professionals are used to devising innovative solutions to organisers’ needs. Meeting participants, meanwhile, find an atmosphere that is conducive to developing new ideas. The country’s centres of innovation - including research and educational establishments that also score highly in world rankings - can provide experts to share their skills and knowhow at events. Organisers can also arrange visits to such venues - and to the many international organisations based in Switzerland. Switzerland’s proven competitiveness ensures that event organisers can look forward to working with partners they can rely on: multilingual professionals who perform at the highest level worldwide. It means outstanding infrastructure, and state-of-theart facilities that are both world-class and excellent value.

The quality of the environment promises a refreshing setting for encounter and encourages clear thinking. Pristine natural landscapes provide inspiration and stimulate creativity. The high quality of life that researchers encounter in Switzerland includes factors such as an efficient and reliable transport system - which saves organisers and participants time and money. One ranking sums all this up: the Country Brand Index, which measures and compares global perceptions of the world’s nations. In the latest edition, dated 2012-2013, Switzerland ranks first out of 118 countries. Pioneering and innovative, eco-friendly, clean and safe, Switzerland has earned its reputation for perfectionism and professionalism through proven success. Event organisers who opt for this small country also benefit from the great power of the brand. For more information on Switzerland for association meetings: Myriam Winnepenninckx Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau + 32 (0)2 345 83 57 scib.belux@switzerland.com www.myswitzerland.com/meetings

> Switzerland

SwissTech Convention Center

The Grätzel solar cells

SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne A Cathedral of Modern Times SwissTech. They could not have found a more appropriate name for the new Swiss centre, as it is not only a purpose-built congress venue constructed on the initiative of the widely known University of Lausanne, EPFL, but it was also built with very high standards of technology and sustainability. Report Cécile Caiati Koch What makes the SwissTech centre such an outstanding building? Well, first, there is the structure of the facility itself. The whole western side of it is made of Grätzel solar cells. They are dye-sensitised photo-electrochemical cells that directly convert solar energy into electrical energy. So it is not only highly technological but sustainable as well. If you do not care for this aspect, I am sure you will love the look of it: the cells create a huge colored façade, like a cathedral of modern times. In addition, the energy produced by the cells is used for the heating and cooling of the building. In short, the whole thing is like a powerhouse of green technology. Secondly, EPFL needed a platform, both for reaffirming the heart of scientific research and education and hosting international congresses. A very flexible infrastructure was in demand and therefore they used 44

another extraordinary technic, that of the Spiralift of Gala Systems. This Canadian patented system can automatically configure a convention hall into many different layouts to meet the specific needs of each audience and every event. The auditorium of 3,000 seats can be divided in 3 different areas with a different set up in just a matter of minutes

Lausanne: A recipe for a magnificent stay EPFL is Europe’s most cosmopolitan technical university, attracting more than 120 different nationalities as students and professors. This definitely gives Lausanne a very young and dynamic vibe. Add to this a charming historical (and shopping) city centre, a beautiful lakeside and nearby wine estates and you get the perfect recipe for a magnificent stay.

To get the cosmopolitan feel of the city, I would suggest to take the metro from the heart of the town to the EPFL and you will hear and see all kind of nationalities, chattering and laughing or reading books religiously. As to the historical centre, it is perfectly compact and walkable but you will need some good shoes as it is rather hilly. Small alleyways with cafés and boutiques shape the streetscape in the car-free medieval heart of Lausanne. The pretty lake side is a posh and beautiful sub-city (also connected by the metro) with chic hotels like the famous Beau Rivage. Next to it lies the Olympic Museum, which has just undergone a massive renovation and offers some nice meeting spaces. Lake Geneva is surrounded by vineyard-covered slopes and from the opposing French lakeshore rising impressively are the Savoy Alps. Peddling on the water, you can go on a cruise and relax after a day of congressing. Or if you rather like the soft side of enjoying life, you can go for a wine tasting in one of Lausanne’s beautiful vineyards. www.lcvb.ch www.myswitzerland.com

> China

CTBUH 2012

Jinmao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center

Shanghai Architecture Attracts International Architecture Conferences As we embark on the 21st century, Shanghai, the economic engine of China, is posed to challenge the established global economic order with its newfound supremacy. The remarkably compelling story of this illustrious commercial city is etched into the extraordinary architectural landscape and manifested through a fascinating architectural ensemble in terms of its variety and the interweaving of international styles and design movements. Being the landmark of Shanghai, the Bund is to Shanghai what the World Architecture Exhibition is to the Bund. It boasts the glory of the “World Architecture Exhibition” as many architectural masterpieces lie in a row along the 1.5km Bund, witnessing the onehundred-year history of the site and legends of Shanghai. No matter how many grand buildings have been built since then, the architectural gems on the Bund have been a permanent landmark of the city. Walking along the Bund area, the Nanjing Road area at the People’s Square and the former French concession area in the city, it is hard to escape the pervasive influence of László Hudec’s iconic work in Shanghai. Hudec was a Hungarian-Slovak architect who lived in Shanghai from 1918 to 1945 and who was responsible for some of the city’s most notable buildings, such as the Park Hotel, the Grand Theatre or Normandie Building just to name a few. Art Deco was introduced to Shanghai when “the West met the East” at the beginning of the 20th century and was soon fused with Chinese elements by Chinese and western architects. While foreign architects originally

dominated the field of architecture in Shanghai, this began to change as increasing numbers of Chinese students returned with architecture degrees from abroad, joined foreign architecture firms and eventually opened their own companies. It was primarily these architects, themselves East-West blends, who developed “Chinese Deco”: Art Deco’s geometric lines and design elements, often in the form of tall buildings, with modernized Chinese elements. Shanghai is regarded as the second largest city in the world with Art Deco architecture, only next to New York in the US. The rich architectural charms of Shanghai attract many international architecture conferences to the city. In September 2012, the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat) Shanghai World Congress was held in the significant Chinese pagoda-shaped building Jinmao Tower. With the success of CTBUH meeting in 2012, CTBUH comes back to Shanghai again in September this year for discussions on the Future Cities Towards Sustainable Vertical Urbanism. Several other international meetings on world architecture

Fairmont Peace Hotel

will also come to the city in the next couple of years. They include the World Architecture Day 2014 - the Global Summit for Architecture on November 12-14 by Built Environment Media, the 11th Design & Health World Congress & Exhibition in 2015 by International Academy for Design and Health, and the 13th World Congress on Art Deco in 2015 by the International Coalition of Art Deco Societies (ICADS). It is estimated that these international architecture meetings and conferences will bring over a total of 4,000 participants to Shanghai.

Contact Patrick Chen Deputy Director International Tourism Promotion Department Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration woya@meet-in-shanghai.net www.meet-in-shanghai.net 45

> Belgium

years with a

SQUARE-Brussels bang Meeting Centre SQUARE-Brussels Meeting Centre is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Five years ago, on September 9, 2009, Brussels’ only purpose-built convention venue re-opened after a top-to-bottom refurbishment accompanied by a dazzling array of fireworks. Ariane Deguelle, CEO of GL events Benelux, the company behind SQUARE, looks back on those five intense years and also towards the future. Interview Rémi Dévé HQ: What have you achieved over the past five years? Ariane Deguelle: Brussels did not have a congress centre for six years before we re-opened, so there was definitely a need for a state-of-the-art, technologically advanced, architecturally elegant venue in the heart of the European capital. SQUARE’s opening five years ago was part of the rebirth of a whole district in the Mont des Arts, a stone’s throw away from the famous Grand Place. Our opening took place smoothly, thanks to the expertise of our collaborators and the excellence of GL events group’s know-how in venue management: in five years, SQUARE as a successful exporter has been recognised. HQ: Any memories you’re particularly fond of? Ariane Deguelle: Thanks to SQUARE’s many partners, from local ambassadors and hotels to institutions and suppliers - who I warmly thank for their collaboration - those past years have been quite a success. If I picked a few memorable events, I would name ISICEM, the International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine with 6,600 delegates, EACS, the European Aids Clinical Society, the Summit of the

European Association of Communication Directors, the 50th Anniversary of the EORTC, the World Congress on Osteoarthritis (OARSI) and also when Mozilla came to Belgium for the first time… I like to think that we, at SQUARE, provide a platform for the sharing of knowledge and the exchange of information. If Brussels as a destination is also an attraction – though, as an air hub, it could do better - then the package is complete. HQ: What do you have in store for the coming five years? Ariane Deguelle: Along with our partners, the idea is to better understand - and even foresee - the needs and expectations of our clients, work on meeting design, room layouts, overall atmosphere of the venue as to make it the epitome of knowledge transfer, whether it be in the field of science, politics or society. We will also try to stimulate various economic partnerships and share our expertise with suppliers from the corporate, academic and institutional world. We certainly won’t rest on our laurels either. We want to make SQUARE a leading

venue in Ariane Deguelle sustainability - we have just been granted the first star of the ‘Eco-dynamic Company’ label which recognised our good environmental practices, with a view to obtain the ISO 14001 certification. We have also updated our built-in in-house technology. In five years, we have doubled our capacity of data transfer, while we invested in HD projectors for presentations. That’s one of the reasons why the Congress of the European Society for Organ Transplantation chose us. Add to this the overall venue and destination experience and we have become very competitive in the ever-competitive world of the meetings industry.

Contact Antony Jean-Mertens Director of Business Development T. +32 (0)2 515 13 21 antony.jean-mertens@square-brussels.com Marie Tuteleers Sales Manager T. +32 (0)2 515 13 12 Marie.tuteleers@square-brussels.com www.square-brussels.com / www.gl-events.com 47

> UAE

Burj Khalifa

Dubai

A remarkable city for business Dubai has established a strong international reputation as a vibrant and diverse destination with a quality hospitality offering, first-class infrastructure and a range of headline grabbing attractions. While the city is well known for luxury, it also offers great value to business and leisure tourists alike. The emirate’s infrastructure is such that doing business in, and from the city is easy. Transport is expedited by Dubai International Airport (DXB), one of the busiest in the world in terms of international traffic that is served by over 145 airlines flying to 260 destinations across six continents. In addition, Dubai’s second international airport, Al Maktoum International at Dubai World Central (DWC), opened in October 2013 and is set to increase the emirate’s global accessibility even further. Within the city itself, transport options abound. These include the Gulf region’s firstever metro system, as well as well-priced taxis, water taxis, buses, chauffeured cars and the soon to be launched tram network.

Accommodation & cie In terms of accommodation, there are currently 85,000 hotel rooms in stock ranging from seven-star luxury to pocket-friendly mid-ranged options. Estimates show that 20,000-30,000 hotel rooms will be added to the market by 2016, many of which will aim to provide good value to visitors.

For business travellers, Dubai’s many hotels also offer a plethora of flexible business facilities - whether that’s simply a meeting room for 10 people or a convention for tens of thousands. And of course, this is all supported with the expansive facilities offered at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) - the host for over 50% of all exhibitions in the Middle East region. Backed up by a professional service and a ‘can do’ attitude, business travellers appreciate the opportunities on offer in the city, which goes some way to explaining why Dubai has been named among the top three most vibrant cities in the world in the latest City Momentum Index released by the realtor, Jones Lang LaSalle in January 2014.

Most vibrant city Describing the yardsticks for the index, LaSalle reported that highly dynamic cities are characterized by their speed of innovation and creation of cutting-edge businesses. The index also clubs Dubai and its hosting of Expo 2020 with Tokyo, that will

stage the Olympics the same year, calling them resurgent cities gearing up for their respective events with renewed vigour. Of course, Dubai is far more than just all about business. It’s one of the world’s safest and fastest growing tourist destinations. For incentive delegates it offers an array of truly memorable experiences, with itineraries that can capture the essence of Arabia with desert safaris, dune bashing, falconry and camel riding; while adrenaline junkies can go sky-diving over Palm Jumeirah, dive with sharks at the Dubai Aquarium or go skiing at the world’s largest indoor snow park. VIP groups, on the other hand, can take a seaplane or helicopter ride over the city and indulge in afternoon tea at the Burj Al Arab. The possibilities in Dubai are endless – where else can you wrap up your meetings and spend time at the beach, snow skiing or testing your limits in a 4x4 while dune bashing in the desert?

Contact Karina Lance Head of Sales & Convention Service T. +971 4 282 1111 askdceb@dubaitourism.ae www.dceb.gov.ae 49

>Turkey

Antalya ready to host the global meetings industry Antalya is getting ready to host the 53rd ICCA Congress from 1 to 5 November this year. As Turkey has been identifying international association meetings as a strategic key and priority, it will be a great opportunity to showcase what the city and the country as a whole are capable of. Antalya is not only a sun, sea and sand destination, but it’s also one of the most attractive meetings venues in Turkey with more than 275 five-star hotels, 600,000 beds and an altogether 175,000 seating capacity for congresses and conventions. Antalya is able to host up to 3,000 delegates in the hotels’ convention centres.

Headquarters

Strategic location

Taking place from 1st November to the 5th November 2014, the ICCA Congress will be headquartered at the SuSesi Resort Hotel & Cornelia Diamond Resort. All are five-star deluxe hotels situated in the Belek region which is well known for its natural beauty and golf courses.

Situated in the Mediterranean basin, Antalya and its surrounding area have been one of the most important and strategic regions for the development of civilizations for more than a millennium and Antalya is on the way to become a top quality congress and meeting destination where people from all over the world come together.

The ICCA Congress will be headquartered at the SuSesi Resort Hotel & Cornelia Diamond Resort The Turkish city’s record is impressive. In 2012, Antalya hosted more than 100,000 national delegates and 10,000 international participants who attended a total of 69 international congress and meetings. In 2013, Antalya hosted nearly 17,000 international delegates and 54 international congresses and meetings. Through the efforts, over the last 15 years, of the Antalya Convention Bureau, a non-profit organisation, Antalya has now begun to reap the benefits of its investments. 50

The 53rd ICCA Congress will help make Antalya and Turkey as a whole better known in the international meetings and tourism industry. If the service industry is already well developed in the country, the congress will be the opportunity for the local industry to showcase its excellence and abilities. After all, Turkey has set an ambitious goal for itself, as it wants to become a leading international meetings destination in the world.

ICCA’s President Arnaldo Nardone believes that ICCA and its delegates will receive a warm welcome in Antalya, as a record attendance is expected. Antalya is a city full of sunshine and opportunity, a place where work and leisure go hand in hand. As well as being the main holiday destination on the Turkish Riviera, it is easy to see why it is also a sought-after congress centre. We “allinantalya convention bureau” will do all your dreams come true. “allinantalya” has much to offer you. www.antalyaconvention.org

HEADQUARTERS/ICCA

Dress to Impress

Awards in Antalya Get Ready!

Every year at the ICCA dinner, HEADQUARTERS and ICCA join forces to create a memorable theme night, when guests have to dress up to the nine. The idea is to be innovative or, why not, very daring so the demanding jury will notice you. Awards will be handed out to the most creative guests.

THIS YEAR’S THEME:

turkish delight modern fashion with the vibrant colours of Antalya: Orange and Turquoise!

Typical, formal or overthe-top: you choose, as long as you dress up! So let your imagination loose and celebrate your inner sense of style!