MIM113 - EIBTM Special by Meeting Media Company BVBA

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Interview

GERMAN CONVENTION BUREAU MATTHIAS SCHULTZE Special feature

MEETING HOTELS Destination

TAIWAN

special issue

Global Meetings & Events Exhibition Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

30 November â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2 December 2010 www.eibtm.com

Where The World Meets Best for Business, Education and Networking

general > editorial

EDITORIAL

MARCEL A.M. VISSERS Owner - Editor in chief

WWW.MIMMAGAZINE.EU

Tables & chairs There’s a lot of things you can do with tables and chairs: you can use them for dinner, drinks, to play cards, but also to meet. You can line them up in every kind of variation: squares, rectangles, circles and even in a half moon composition. Chairs and tables can also be placed in all kinds of buildings and constructions: in tidy offices, hip hotels, dusty classrooms and even in dark caves. Did we say everything meaningful about meetings now? Not even close. In the oldest meeting place known to man, The Lions Rock in the ancient city of Sigiriya (Sri Lanka), there aren’t any chairs or tables. It’s just the flat side of a ruptured rock with a long stone bench on it. Everyone sat on a hard surface but in an unbelievably beautiful location. It’s the location that made the meeting. Everyone who participated was practically drawn to the subject. I’m taking my story about meetings one step further to talk about conference hotels. In those venues, it seems like everything is available to have excellent meetings. But I have to say, there aren’t many hotel conference rooms that have made an impression on me. Most of the time they’re just rooms to rent to make a profit with. I’ll make an exception for the Nordic Hotels in Stockholm (now part of Choice Hotels Scandinavia), who were the realization of Ejnar Söder, the inventor of ‘The Art of Great

Hotelkeeping’. When I met him five years ago, he told me: ‘For years now, I have seen people meeting in the same room arrangements and in the same passive manner. This conference routine is still the same today: very little action between the participants. And the meetings schedules are still very rigid. I always wonder: what remains of such a gathering at the end of the day? Not much. That’s the reason why five years ago I created the meeting room of the future: magnificent view, everything in one room, no normal table arrangements and imaginary break out rooms in the same room set up on two walls. In this single room, everything happens in the greatest freedom: eating, meeting, exchanging thoughts, working in groups, and so on. And this atmosphere is maintained for the entire day in order to achieve one single goal: to make meetings more interactive, learning-rich, and interesting for everyone.’ My conclusion: a conference room that doesn’t captivate its users, is just a place like any other.

Read more of Marcel’s stories on his blog: marcelsblog.typepad.com

general > contents

COLOPHON MIM magazine IS THE EUROPEAN MAGAZINE FOR THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY. IT IS PUBLISHED 6 TIMES A YEAR BY MEETING MEDIA COMPANY BVBA/SARL, WITH A CIRCULATION OF 5000 COPIES.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: An annual subscription costs 75 EURO (excl. 6% tax) and comprises 6 magazines. In order to subscribe, go to www.MIMmagazine.eu or send an e-mail to subscribe@MIMmagazine.eu.

CONTENTS INTERVIEW Matthias Schultze, German Convention Bureau

SPECIAL FEATURE Meeting Hotels

SPECIAL DESTINATION Taiwan

In exclusive partnership with

European Management Assistants Association. Editor in Chief: Marcel A.M. Vissers T: +32 (0)3 226 88 81 marcel@mimmagazine.eu Managing Director: Cécile Caiati-Koch T: +32 (0)2 761 70 52 cecile@mimmagazine.eu Editorial Manager: Igor Hendrickx T: +32 (0) 761 70 54 igor@mimmagazine.eu Editors: Jonathan Ramael Steve Engels Address: 59, rue René Declercq B - 1150 Brussels (Belgium) T: +32 (0)2 761 70 50 F: +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.mimmagazine.eu Publisher: Meeting Media Company Marcel A.M. Vissers Mechelseplein 23, bus 1 B - 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium) www.MIMmagazine.eu

Design: UPSILON advertising, Kortrijk T: +32 (0)56 24 94 44 info@upsilonadvertising.be Printing: Cartim - Destelbergen

GENERAL Editorial Transport Sustainability Hospitality EUMA

3 6 7 8 10

DESTINATIONS Canada Sri Lanka The Netherlands – Countryside The Netherlands – City

31 36 39 43

STAY TUNED FOR MIM114 COMING OUT MARCH 2011 !!! + EMIF Special + European Union Special + EUMA Report + Brussels …and as usual we interviewed a European Corporate Event Planner

MIM magazine sets great store by sustainable development and therefore chose environment-friendly FSC certiﬁed paper which comes from a controlled source. More info: www.fsc.be and www.fsc.org ® FSC, A.C. FSC-SECR-0045

Keep up to date with the MIM magazine website: www.mimmagazine.eu

Cover MIM113: Matthias Schultze has been GCB’s new Managing Director for 6 months and talks about Germany as a meeting destination.

general > transport

Air France, KLM & CityJet Improved offer for corporate travellers

travelling on a fully flexible Economy ticket, can get a seat in the Economy Comfort zone free of charge. CityJet has two fare families; CityValue and CityPlus. Both feature complimentary drinks, snacks and luxury leather seats with ample legroom. CityPlus is CityJet’s new premium economy class experience. It is a totally flexible experience with no hidden charges, designed for business travellers who demand the highest standards: fully flexible fares, full refund on cancellation or no-show, free name changes and increased Flying Blue loyalty points. At the airport CityPlus passengers benefit from dedicated check-in desks, priority boarding and disembarkation, fast track security lanes and lounge access where available.

Air France, KLM and CityJet constantly improve their offer to corporate clients by enhancing travelling comfort and services at very competitive fares. The three airlines, part of the world’s leading Air France-KLM group, create new products designed to appeal to frequent business ﬂyers that require value for money, ﬂexibility and priority service.

In September 2010, Air France was elected ‘Airline of the year’ in the category of the ‘2010 Business Travel Gold Awards’ for two innovations: Premium Voyageur on the long-haul flights and Premium Eco on the medium-haul flights. Premium Voyageur is the intermediate class between the Business and Voyageur cabins. Customers there enjoy an upgraded, more comfortable seat, a revamped in-flight meal service and new ground services. On medium-haul flights, the new Premium Eco offers more flexibility and a range of dedicated services, such as priority access through Paris-CDG airport and access to the lounge, at the best prices. KLM recently introduced the Economy Comfort zone, offering 10cm extra legroom and double the recline. The zone is located in the front of the aircraft, so upon arrival you’ll be among the first to be on your way. Travellers can reserve a seat in the Economy Comfort zone from 90 days before departure on most intercontinental flights via ‘Manage my Booking’ online or at a self-service machine at the airport. The price for a seat in the Economy Comfort zone is from Ð80 to 150 per one way, depending on the flight duration. Flying Blue Platinum members or those

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• Air France operates 3 daily flights from Brussels Airport to Lyon. 5 daily TGV trains and 3 daily flights operated by Luxair to Paris CDG, offering easy connections to more than 180 destinations worldwide • KLM operates 5 daily flights from Brussels Airport and 3 daily flights from Luxembourg to Amsterdam, connecting to 125 worldwide destinations. High speed train connections from Brussels and Antwerp are available to Amsterdam. • CityJet operates up to 5 daily flights to London City and up to 2 daily flights to Manchester from Antwerp International Airport; the airline also offers up to 3 daily flights from Luxembourg to London City Airport, where it operates 600 flights a week to 15 major European business centres.

general > sustainability

Meetings Forest

Link up with our Sustainable Project

A ﬂowering and thriving project

Help restore the Caledonian Forest by planting a tree, ﬂowers or by adopting an animal.

The trees in our Meetings Forest, planted by MIM and Headquarters Magazine together with SECC, earlier this year, are slowly but steadily growing. Trees have to grow slow to become strong, that’s the way nature wants it to be. TEXT JONATHAN RAMAEL

Planting trees on every occasion Meetings should be about more than just talking. Not long ago it was very fashionable to talk about thinking green without actually doing anything. Unfortunately, this type of behavior wasn’t helping anyone. A healthy, eco-friendly society is one of the most precious things to achieve. That’s why we decided to move in the right direction. We bought a company grove in the

Caledonian Forest, planted trees on every occasion we thought ﬁt, and encouraged partners to do the same. We will continue to do this, until we’ve planted thousands of trees together with the entire meetings industry. In March, we went to Scotland to ofﬁcially merge our Meetings Forest with that of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre. We personally visited our mutual grove. This beautiful piece of forest already contains more than 70.000 trees, making a great contribution to the total compensation of the negative impact of the meetings industry on the environment.

Life Conservation Holidays You can do even more than just buying new trees. Thanks to the Trees For Life Conservation Holidays, you can now go plant them yourself! The trip consists

1 tree = only 5£ Visit the Meetings Forest on www.mimmagazine.eu

of seven days of inspiring conservation work with likeminded people, in stunning locations at a very affordable rate. It will bring you in close contact with nature again, educating you on Europe’s original environment, learning to work in a team while helping out the planet. Each week, ten volunteers will be introduced to the forest, planting trees, removing fences, restoring wetlands and collecting seeds and berries to make sure the forest keeps expanding.

Comfortably seated on board of Thalys, in Comfort 1, you enjoy a lot of included services: meal served at your seat, WiFi* connection all along the trip, international press, taxi reservation.

WHAT’S THE POINT FLYING ? www.thalys.com

BRUSSELS>PARIS: 1H22 | BRUSSELS>AMSTERDAM: 1H53 | BRUSSELS>COLOGNE: 1H47

* Service subject to availability, depending on technical conditions on the day. Service provided by 21Net and activated by Nokia Siemens Networks and Telenet.

Meeting table

general > hospitality

Hôtel Casino Barrière de Lille Contemporary & sophisticated A hotel is only as good as the destination, but the opposite is also true: a destination isn’t worth visiting if you can’t enjoy your stay. However, that’s absolutely not a problem for The Hotel Casino Barrière Lille: a wonderful hotel and an interesting destination.

Lille, the new destination for your events Flemish, Burgundian and Spanish before becoming French, Lille’s cultural and architectural patrimony is extremely diverse and very interesting. A commercial centre since medieval times, a military citadel of Louis XIV, an industrial region in the 19th century and full of ambition in the 20th, the city today offers you a mix of her past and future looks.

The Hôtel Casino Barrière de Lille As European Capital of Culture in 2004, Lille has become a hotspot of culture: museums, theatres, ballets and concerts – culture is very much alive here! From its history as a merchant city, Lille has kept a commercial tradition that allows people to enjoy shopping in an animated and convivial way, like nowhere else. With its streets lined with historic Flemish houses, the Old City is the quarter of luxury products and creative designers, but also of antique shops and art galleries.

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With not one, but two (!) TGV stations receiving more than 23 million travelers yearly, Euralille is THE business district of the city. The great names of architecture have gathered here to make it the city of tomorrow and this is now especially true with the arrival of The Hôtel Casino Barrière de Lille, designed by Jean Paul Viguier and dedicated to business events.

The opening of the ﬁrst phase of the project in March 2010 has already caused quite a stir: there’s an ultra-modern casino, two restaurants (a contemporary brasserie and a fast food corner), three bars and a theatre seating 1200. Today, the project comes to an end with the opening of the 5-star hotel (142 rooms, including 17 suites), a high quality restaurant, a fourth bar and a wellness and relaxation centre with steam baths, saunas and treatment rooms.

general > hospitality

beamer, screens and free WiFi access. In the theatre, large events have already taken place: already, thousands of spectators have applauded a high quality programme, which includes – most notably and every Friday the dinner-show ‘Ces années-là’.

From behind its tinted glass, guests of the hotel enjoy fabulous views over the city. The rooms are spacious and comfortable and have been decorated by Pierre-Yves Rochon. All enjoy the reﬁnements needed by business travellers and more: workspace, free high speed WiFi Internet access, LCD television, satellite, and PC connections make your stay easier.

Fully adjustable and equipped with the latest advanced technology, the theatre can hold up to 600 pax. in banquet setting, 1000 pax. in cocktail setting and also allows the combination of meeting and banquet in the same space for up to 300 pax. Just like you’d expect from a team well known for their experience and knowledge, the sales team will help you on every step of the way to a successful event. ‘This new Barrière hotel complex offers us the opportunity to get closer to the

A casino and a 5-star hotel with a theatre seating 1200, a plenary hall for 120 and 6 additional meeting rooms On the second ﬂoor of the hotel, the Escal’Business can receive business events of up to 120 people in the plenary hall and in 6 other meeting rooms, each with natural light and equipped with a

Belgian MICE clients who are already often present in our emblematic hotels of Deauville. Lille has become a key destination for conferences and also unveils incredible and unusual incentive

opportunities’, says Nicolas Couton, Regional Sales Manager of Lucien Barrière Hôtel & Casinos. ‘The all-in-one offer is a real beneﬁt for our clients who are looking for the knowhow and quality of the Hôtels Barrière in a modern location and easily accessible, only 38 minutes by TGV and Eurostar from Brussels’, adds Delphine Olivier, Client Manager of Hôtel Casino Barrière de Lille. Line Weber, Commercial Operator of the site, assists clients in the lead up to and on the day of events to ensure an optimal development of their event. ‘It’s particularly appreciated by our customers to have a dedicated contact on site and the capacity of reactivity from all the teams. Contemporary and sophisticated, the Hôtel Casino Barrière de Lille has already established itself as a new standard in the meetings industry.

Contact Nicolas Couton +33 (0)3 28 14 45 46 ncouton@lucienbarriere.com Delphine Olivier +33 (0)3 28 14 45 48 dolivier@lucienbarriere.com Hôtel Casino Barrière de Lille 777, Pont de Flandres 59777 Lille (France) www.meetings-barriere.com

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entrants into our ﬁeld – and it certainly keeps me “young at heart!” I joined EUMA Cyprus in 1990 and became a member of the Newsletter Committee until 1998 then Coordinator of the Newsletter committee until 1999. Between 1999-2003 I served as Assistant National Chairman, then between 2003-2006 I served as National Chairman of EUMA Cyprus. Then between 2006-2009 I was elected as Deputy European Chairman, and since September 2009 I have been European Chairman.

Active participation in the EUMA network, forms an integral part of members’ professional careers

Maria Lazarou European Chairman EUMA

It’s been almost a year since the EUMA and MIM started their exclusive partnership. Time to have a look how EUMA has evolved by interviewing EUMA’s European Chairman. MIM: Could you introduce yourself? Maria Lazarou: I live and work in Nicosia, Cyprus, but my exposure to this profession began further a field. I had always dreamed of visiting the Big Apple, so my first choice was to study in New York area. I went to Essex County College to study Criminal Justice but after the first month, I realized that I couldn’t bear the gorey details! Being interested in people and public relations, Office Administration/Office Careers was an obvious choice. After my first year, I was offered a part-time position as Personal Assistant to the Dean of the Business Department. Then I was asked to

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fill in for an instructor on leave in a course I had passed with distinction. The ground was laid for my future… Currently I am an Office Administration Senior Lecturer / Program Coordinator, Office Administration at Cyprus College / European University Cyprus, a position that I have held since 1987. As Program Coordinator, I am responsible for the Office Administration course and in charge for all full-time and part-time OAD instructors in addition to my own teaching responsibilities. Meeting new students every semester keeps me very much in touch with current issues facing professionals and new

I am committed to the Management Assistant profession, which I believe should be recognized as an integral part of the management team. My experience and knowledge in the ﬁeld has enabled me to reach all my teaching objectives, and my willingness to maintain a positive attitude at work has allowed me to contribute greatly towards the development of the Ofﬁce Administration Program and to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the department, and of the organization. I am often involved in seminar-type training and continuing professional education which also keeps me up-todate with the local market and its needs.

MIM: How has EUMA evolved since you became European Chairman? ML: I have only been the European Chairman for a year, but Deputy European Chairman for three years, I could say that our Association has evolved as our members and their networks strengthen. We have grown and expanded in many new and positive directions, with continuing focus on providing the best beneﬁts for our members. Being a member you

International quality network of management support professionals > www.euma.org

20 years with EUMA + ‘89 Joined EUMA + ‘90 Member Newsletter Committee

+ ‘98 Coordinator Newsletter Committee

+ ’99-’03 Assistant National Chairman

+ ’03-’06 National Chairman + ’06-’09 Deputy European Chairman

+ Sep. ’09 European Chairman

EUMA are given the opportunity to attend the European Training Day as well as the Annual Conference.

through many presentations/activities in places such as Cyprus, Croatia, Estonia and England.

With the cooperation of members we can continue this development and increase the number of our membership and understand that is a privilege to be a EUMA member. National Groups as well as Individual Members can contribute too as they can inﬂuence their members or members to be.

EUMA has given me the opportunity to develop further both professionally as well as personally. I am able to offer my experience in education and the secretarial profession on a European level and yet I always have something to learn from my fellow members.

When members experience the EUMA network their involvement and active participation is an essential element for their career. The profession is evolving with changing market demands and technology advances and EUMA distinguishes itself from other associations with its panEuropean dimension. Members have access to a professional network encompassing a vast range of business cultures, languages and lifestyles, whilst at the same time providing a network where everyone will be on common ground in a safe and learning environment.

Even though my job as Senior Lecturer gives me the opportunity to deliver presentations on a daily basis, I always say that EUMA has given me very important public speaking skills. In addition, travel and around the region has given me a much broader perspective in the ﬁeld.

MIM: How has EUMA helped you professionally?

Being a European Committee member is a challenge but, because of the skills and personal development opportunities, I found it is also rewarding.

ML: I have been a committed and active member of EUMA and have worked to promote the secretarial profession and EUMA

Through my contribution to EUMA Cyprus since 1989 and EUMA Europe I have experienced the true spirit of teamwork, self-development and lifelong learning. Above all, EUMA has given me friendships that I will treasure for a lifetime.

EUropean Management Assistants, EUMA, is the only Europe-wide quality network of top management assistants who focus on their selfdevelopment and professional evolution, and reﬂect on the future of their profession. The association is a non-proﬁt association, has no political aims and does not engage in political or trade union activities. EUMA provides a forum for management assistants, employers and educators to promote an understanding of the training, experience and career opportunities necessary for the development of its members. EUMA promotes an image of the management assistant as an essential element of the management team. EUMA was founded in 1974, and is currently represented by over 1300 members in 26 countries.

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interview > GCB

German Convention Bureau:

Matthias Schultze

Managing Europe’s most populous destination

At IMEX, nearly every other meetings industry magazine was talking about the since 1st May newly appointed managing director of GCB. As ﬁrm believers of ‘seeing is believing’, MIM decided to reserve its opinion until after the ﬁrst six months. Now it is time to see what Matthias Schultze has accomplished so far. INTERVIEW IGOR HENDRICKX

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interview > GCB

MIM: First, could you introduce yourself? Matthias Schultze: Over the years I have gathered experience and know-how in the hotel industry. I took the ﬁrst crucial steps of my career in some of the world’s top luxury hotels: in Brenner’s Parkhotel in Baden-Baden, Le Bristol Paris and the Bayerischer Hof in Munich. I studied hotel management and subsequently took on various roles in national and international congress management – among others for Hilton International. In 2003, I switched from the hotel sector to manage the Conference Center in Bonn, which is built around the former Plenary Chamber of the Federal German Parliament. I was Vice-President of the European Association of Event Centres until mid-April 2010 and a few years ago I became a member of the GCB’s marketing committee. So, I had a good idea of what was expected from the Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau.

MIM: Could you tell a bit about the new strategic realignment of GCB? MS: We are working together with our members and partners on a new strategic realignment. We are not only interested in marketing hotel and convention centre capacities but we are also interested in the joint development and presentation of themes and content and in how to successfully position Germany abroad as a meetings and events destination. It’s

Germany offers imaginative and enjoyable solutions for all kinds of incentive programmes

our job to observe the market, identify themes and create our own trends.

MIM: We know Germany is very good at meetings and conferences, but how is the German incentive market getting along? MS: Germany offers imaginative and enjoyable solutions for all kinds of incentive programmes. It is a land blessed not only with a prodigious pool of energetic partners and superb facilities but also with thousands of fascinating and wonderful storylines versed in local authenticity and emotional depth. You can ﬁnd a wealth of reasons to celebrate and be amazed the whole year round, whether in the domains of art and culture, sport or recreation. For example: the Munich Beer Festival, Formula 1 Racing, the Kiel Sailing Week, the documenta exhibition of modern art in Kassel, the Berlin International Film Festival, the ‘Rhine in Flames’ and the ‘Rock am Ring’ music festival. Our list of unusual locations for events of all descriptions is just as impressive, from a romantic castle to a planetarium, from an art nouveau theatre to an experimental science and technology landscape.

MIM: How does GCB work with the regional German convention bureaus and with other national CBs? MS: The regional convention bureaus in Germany’s large cities are all members of the GCB. There are about 25 in total and all work closely with the GCB, co-operating in fields such as marketing and lobbying. The regional convention bureaus also stand to benefit from diverse GCB services such as access to market intelligence data, presentation on our website and attractive possibilities for participation in a variety marketing activities, e.g. trade fairs and workshops. We work closely with other national convention bureaus when it comes to activities in our key markets. We hold meetings regularly where we exchange information and experience. We are also planning a number of activities such as joint events and exhibition stands. A good example of this is the Oyster Club, which is a strategic alliance with an annual networking event, where international convention bureaus present themselves to British corporate, agency, and association event planners. And as we have an office in New York, we also use synergies to effectively present Europe in the US market.

MIM: What sustainable efforts are currently being made in the German meetings industry? MS: Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our times. When it comes to ﬁnding effective strategies to address this challenge, Germany keeps setting important accents: as a stimulator

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interview > GCB

Facts & ﬁgures about GCB German Convention Bureau e.V. The German Convention Bureau markets Germany as a destination for conventions, meetings, events and incentives both on a national and at an international level. The GCB is the point of contact for all customers who are planning events in Germany. info@gcb.de, www.germany-meetings.com

MIM’S WORD ASSOCIATION TEST Transportation: Interconnectivity - vital for the meetings industry Meetings: The best way to exchange knowledge, information and opinions Incentives: 200th anniversary of the Munich Oktoberfest - the biggest party in the world! Punctuality: Of course … I am German! Food & drinks: Should be from the local region Culture: Poets and philosophers; creative minds such as Goethe, Schiller and Beethoven have had a positive impact in the past – and creative minds are still doing so in Germany today! Surprise moments: the amazing atmosphere during the FIFA World Cup 2006™ in Germany. I hope we will experience such an atmosphere here once again during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011™ Exclusive visits: The Reichstag (Federal German Parliament) in Berlin with its stunning Sir Norman Forster cupola Hotels: Dedicated and motivated staff Airlines: Deutsche Lufthansa

for political processes but also as a host for meetings and conventions with a world-wide impact. Germany has excellent chances to establish itself as one of the leading locations for sustainable events world-wide. Not only is the German government setting international standards in environmental protection and energy efﬁciency but German convention centres and meeting hotels are also among leading international pioneers in this ﬁeld.

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As part of our responsibility for a greener meetings and conventions industry, I am actively involved in a new International Organization for Standardization (project. The introduction of the new ISO standard 20121 for sustainable event management is to be completed by the time the 2012 Olympic Games kick off in London. The integration of numerous interest groups ensures that the standard will produce an internationally recognized framework for staging green events. ISO Standard 2021 will monitor venue management, supplier selection, communications and transport in order to promote sustainability. It will apply to all types of events, including exhibitions, sports and concerts. As we represent the interests of some 240 members in the German Sustainable Event Management Standards Committee, we attach great importance to this issue. Among our members, there are many companies who are pioneers and who set a good example for ‘green meetings’. Our website, has a separate ‘Green Meetings’ area offering comprehensive advice on sustainable event planning - including a CO2 Calculator. The GCB will organize a Green Meetings & Events Conference in cooperation with the European Association of Event Centres on 1st and 2nd March 2011. The Congress Centrum Mainz has been chosen to host the Green Meetings & Events Conference because of its huge commitment to sustainability.

MIM: Finally, what is your opinion on the state of the meetings industry at large? MS: Buyers and suppliers in the meetings industry are still confronted with an uncertain business climate. The economic crisis has forced more or less all of us to rethink our concepts, strategies, costs and processes. Both today and in the future the situation will be marked by greater sensitivity towards costs, greater pressure to justify our actions and increased demands for ROI monitoring. There has, indeed, been a major paradigm shift in the way we deal with our customers, partners and service providers. This also presents us with a whole host of wonderful new opportunities. I forecast a fairly optimistic future. Many factors already indicate that our branch is already recovering, e.g. Germany’s towns, cities and regions actually achieved record figures in the first half of 2010, with the Federal Statistical Office recording 25.6 million overnight stays by international visitors in German hotels and guesthouses with more than nine beds and at campsites. This represents a year-on-year increase of 9.4%. Moreover, this number was also approximately 2% higher than in the first half of 2008 – a record-breaking year – when there was a total of 25.1 million overnight stays by international visitors to Germany. This pattern of growth is continuing, with overnight stays by international visitors in July 2010 up 11% on July 2009.

special feature > meeting hotels

special feature

+ Meeting Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Meeting Hotels Meet & Stay

All-in-one solution? An overview of the different kinds of meeting hotels, as well as an opinion piece

+ MIMorables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A variety of meeting and conference hotels from all over Europe

+ Switzerland . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Hotels have always been part of the travel industry: their importance has only increased with the longer travel times, longer distances and higher number of travellers. Hotels are also natural meeting places, but only recently some of them have become professional meeting places. TEXT IGOR HENDRICKX With their increased importance, hotels have also expanded their services and accommodations and the number of hotel service classiﬁcations now includes: Full Service Upscale, Full Service , Select Service, Limited Service, Extended Stay and Timeshare. Basically, hotels have become more than just a home away from home. Spas, ﬁtness rooms and other facilities were added to attract more guests and to lengthen the stay-over. Originally, meeting

rooms too were seen as just another way to convince people to stay (longer) in hotels. In short, they were an added value but not part of the general atmosphere. Luckily times have changed. Many hotels have their own MICE manager, offer special meeting or event packages and provide the latest meeting technologies. These hotels have earned the ‘meeting hotel’ title. However, meetings require

Holding design meetings in beautiful surroundings

more than infrastructure. To have a productive meeting, people need to be inspired and for that hotel meeting services should fully incorporate the hotel atmosphere and the atmosphere should enhance the meeting experience. After all, the surroundings are everything. We will take a closer look at meeting and conference hotels as well as a few alternatives for combining accommodations with meetings and/or incentives.

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special feature > meeting hotels

in our industry (most are listed on the stock exchange, which doesn’t allow the publication of exact figures). Their size is their main advantage. It allows them to be present in many destinations and to have a higher capacity for rooms. Most often, they have a specific hotel brand oriented towards the seasoned business traveller, which means they specialize in providing opportunities aplenty for meetings, networking,… This is often augmented by loyalty meeting programs, an international meeting directory, standard meeting packages, and several other procedures that make planning a business event easier. For instance, for a few years now, the Rezidor Hotel Group is partnering with Meeting Professionals International for special Meetings & Events training program created specifically for Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts.

All-in-one solutions? Choosing the right one Selecting the right kind of hotel for a corporate meeting, is an overwhelming chore. Keeping track of variables, such as capacity, availability and accessibility, is exacerbated by new variables, such as meeting atmosphere and packages. This overview hopes to lessen the planner’s burden. TEXT IGOR HENDRICKX

In preparation of this article, we held a survey amongst the many international hotel chains and groups, as well as the numerous independent meeting hotels that were present at IMEX. In other words, these are the hotels that offer genuine meeting services, because we can’t mention it too often: meetings require more than just a room with technical support; real meetings require a pleasant atmosphere and an inspiring environment.

This is only a natural consequence of a large number of respondents. That’s why the following should not be treated as gospel – there are always exceptions to the rule (those we usually reserve for other articles).

However, it should be noted that, like with all surveys, generalisation crops up.

International hotel chains represent the largest percentage of meeting hotels

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International chains Examples: Rezidor Hotel Group, Accor Hospitality, Hilton Worldwide, Dolce Hotels & Resorts…

A standardised procedure has the added value of making it more simple to handle requests in short time. It has also given rise to the ‘everywhere the same’-idea, which isn’t bad for some planners, but not ideal for all.

International organisations Examples: Best Western, Design Hotels, Leading Hotels of the World, Worldhotels... These are international networks or organisation requiring their members to confirm to certain quality controls. The fact that they consist of various independent hotels, does not make them the most prolific of hotel groups, but you’re assured of the same quality combined with a more personal feel and approach. With central sales and marketing offices, come centralised websites serving as information and contact points – offering maximum convenience and efficiency via a single point of contact. Worldhotels mentioned that since the introduction of the meeting tool Worldhotels Events, the group’s MICE revenue has more than tripled. You could compare international organisations to a box of chocolates: they’re all of the same high quality and yet you never know what you’re going to get. The presence of meeting packages and additional meeting services depend on the individual hotels. Often a longer lead time is needed,

special feature > meeting hotels

but then again this too might surprise you. Planners who haven’t yet got a ﬁxed idea about the kind of meeting they want to organise, will be in for a pleasant surprise.

Regional groups Examples: Dom Pedro Hoteles, CS Hotels, Meriton Hotels,... Have you already reached a decision about the destination, but not yet about the accommodation? In that case, it’s a good idea to look for a regional or local group of hotels to stay at. These hotels often incorporate the distinctly local features (gastronomy, style, atmosphere,...) to make your business event much more memorable. They shouldn’t be underestimated, such as Concerto Fine Italian Hotels, where 20 to 30 percent of the revenue is derived

become one of the touristic must-sees themselves. The meeting possibilities of these hotels are often surprisingly great. For example, if you were looking to add an historical mood to a large ﬁnancial conference, you could organise it in the same hotel where the Bretton Woods Accords were signed. It should be said, however, that these independent hotels get fewer and fewer, since the competitive advantages of joining a hotel association are simply too great to ignore. It should be mentioned that in recent years, airport hotels have become more and more interesting for holding meetings. What they lack in beautiful surroundings, they more than have started making up for with services and interior atmosphere. No longer are they only an option for the

Real meetings require a pleasant atmosphere and an inspiring environment from corporate and association meetings – 50 percent of these meetings are from Europe. Specialisation often requires hotels to exclude either leisure or business travellers. Regional hotel groups often offer high quality service to both groups, since they can’t afford to exclude anyone. This is especially interesting for meetings combined with incentive breaks. Additionally, these hotels often are better connected with local incentive providers and other meetings industry professionals. Meeting packages are offered by most of these groups, but they serve more often as an example of what’s possible. Planners looking for a place to organise multi-facetted business events and to fully infuse it with all the local ﬂavours, should look no further. Then, of course, there are the independent, single hotels that aren’t part of any particular chain or international network. This is the most varied group where you can be sure of the most personal service. Hotels belonging to this groups are most often such established values that they’ve

most basic of meetings. Large international conferences can also take place there, like the recent EUMA Conference 2010 in Brussels. Finally, there are alternatives to meeting hotels where it’s also possible to stand and meet. These alternatives multiply if you’re looking specifically for ways to make meetings special, because – once again – the atmosphere and the surroundings are everything. How about floating meetings organised on cruise liners. At the recent European Cruise Council Conference, it was very clear to cruise lines are going far, literally and figuratively, to attract as many passengers as possible: lower prices, shorter trips, extra services. They’ve been quite successful in promoting themselves, for instance: 40% of the turnover of Cruise Connection comes from groups. Another possibility are holiday villages, which offer participants privacy in green isolation, combined with all the modern amenities you could ask for. While not offering meeting packages, these holiday parks often have event spaces available and promotional offers are not the exception, but the rule.

Chains vs independents: the best of two worlds Of course, we don’t expect you to just take our word for it, that’s why we asked a professional for his opinion. Steve Engels has more than 15 years of experience on high level in sales, marketing, e-commerce & revenue management within the hospitality industry. Headed up positions in international hotel chains such as Conrad International and NH Hotels Belgium, The Netherlands and non-chain hotels with for example more than 5 years as Director of Business Development for Hotel Metropole in Brussels. In March 2010, he founded Insight Strategies with Karin Verbruggen, offering specialist consultancy services primarily towards the hospitality industry with a focus on non-chain hotels as well as corporate identities. Here’s what he has to say. Do we want personal attention or technological innovation? Do we choose well known quality norms or the local approach of independent hotel owners? There’s something for everybody on the hotel market. In the search for optimal satisfaction of all your needs and criteria important in your decision process, we expose the typical differences between hotel chains and their independent colleagues. There are many reasons to choose for a hotel from a well-known chain. They are well established global authorities. We all know what to expect from them, or at least have some idea about it. They used to be described as traditionally cosy and accessible for the masses. Established loyalty programs are everywhere in the hotel world. More than ever, during the economic crisis, this was one of the most important trumps to bind guests and meeting planners and to convince them to keep coming to a certain hotel. ‘Added Value’, ‘Soft Dollar Options’ became the hippest terms of the last few months. Free upgrades, complimentary breakfast, free welcome coffee,

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For meetings we suggest

the extraordinary

Thinking big? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our business. Free high-speed Internet access* available to meeting delegates, 100% Guest Satisfaction Guarantee and contemporary surroundings - all you need for a successful meeting. Choose from 200+ hotels in Europe, Middle East and Africa. From A for Austria to Z for Zambia - discover wonderful destinations and hold your next meeting in Paris, Dubrovnik, Zurich, Frankfurt, Moscow, Rome, Vienna or Birmingham ... *For a full list of participating hotels, please visit www.radissonblu.com/freebroadband

radissonblu.com/meetings

special feature > meeting hotels

The Omni Mount Washington Resort, location of the famous Bretton Woods Conference

SWOT analyse: hotel chains • Good location • Quality label • Strong technical innovations • Procedural strength • Loyalty programs • Staff training

Strengths

free after event drinks! They were practically thrown in your face everywhere you booked. Most of the time, chains are also the right pick when it comes to innovation, technology and multimedia. The latest American and Asian gadgets to help you make your event a success are all there. Chains have also evolved though. They saw a growing need for an element of surprise, like a link to fashion, design or lifestyle. Another topic which is typical for hotel chains is the implementation of concepts. Eco-concepts or F&B concepts help to persuade organizers in making their decision. Famous chefs work for the big chains, like Ferran Adrià or Jamie Oliver, to name just two. Very characteristic for independent hotels on the other hand is the unique, natural personality or typical identity of the place. Lots of the times they have a very different atmosphere, which can be traditional as well as hip. Personal attention for their guests and organizers is very important for them, and rightly so. A lot of personal contact and interaction

makes all the difference. They usually have one main contact person for the entire stay or event. People buy people. In other words: they try to go back to the origin of real hospitality. Very remarkable in this process is the exceptional loyalty of the staff. Recognition/acknowledgement of the guests is very important. Being very ﬂexible within the entire operational process is more than typical for independent hotels. Just think about their menu or their terms of sale. A little less procedures gives you the space for a more creative service. In function of the location of this type of hotel, you can at least expect a local touch in your experience or cooperation. In the meantime, most of the independent hotels have joined an afﬁliation like PHG, Worldhotels or Leading, to give the necessary counterweight to the big chains. In doing this they also receive a label of quality. As a conclusion, one might say the best of both worlds would be the ideal choice.

Opportunities

• Little flexibility • Often multiple contacts

Weaknesses Threats

• Too much brand differentiation • Most of the times they do not own the building • Very heavy competition

• Hiring experience or staff from independent hotels • Put the hotel in the picture instead of the brand

SWOT analyse: independent hotels • • • • • • • •

Personal approach Loyal staff Operational flexibility One contact from start to finish Back to real hospitality Personal identity Local touch A long lasting reputation of experience Strengths Opportunities

• A better cooperation with other independents on the same market • Hiring staff from hotel chains • Investing to keep up to date • Join a hotel affiliation

• Minimal procedures • Lack of loyalty programs • Lack of powerful commercial machine • Often they fall behind technologically • Not as much attention for trends Weaknesses Threats

• Few new Independent Hotels appearing on the market • A reputation of not being up to date

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special feature > meeting hotels

meet ’n sleep

mimorables MIMorable places and ideas can be many things: a new congress centre, an undiscovered special venue, a recently renovated classic, creative team building activities or a surprising combination of meeting and incentive. All these places and ideas have at least one thing in common: they are worth your time to visit or to make use of for your meetings and incentives. In short, they are MIMorable… TEXT IGOR HENDRICKX

UNITED KINGDOM

Located in the heart of Berlin, the Maritim Hotel Berlin occupies a prime spot on the city’s Tiergarten park in the tranquil diplomatic quarter, close to the Kurfürstendamm and Potsdam Square. It recaptures the glamorous ﬂair of the Roaring ‘20s and affords guests all of the modern comforts one can expect > from a four star superior hotel.

CROATIA

London Calling

Combine conference and incentives

The flagship Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London, located opposite the Houses of Parliament, opened in March 2010 and is by far the largest Park Plaza hotel in the collection with 1021 guest rooms and suites and 2,700m2 of meeting space. It features 35 meeting rooms including 1200m2 pillar-free Westminster Ballroom. The hotel can accommodate up to 1400 delegates, utilizing flexible meeting space across its impressive ‘layered’ conference floors. The hotel offers wi-fi throughout, a large business centre, stunning executive lounge and a spa with swimming pool and several treatment rooms to relax and unwind after the conference has taken place. It’s easily accessible from Waterloo Station, Westminster Underground Station, and within easy access of the City, the West End and Canary Wharf. www.parkplaza.com/ londonuk_westminsterbridge

Situated across the bay from the historic walls of Dubrovnik, Hotel Croatia is the leading ﬁve-star resort and conference hotel on the Adriatic. Blending seamlessly with its natural surroundings, it offers everything you expect from a luxury ﬁve-star resort, including private beaches both on the open water and a protected bay, indoor and outdoor pools, hiking trails along the coast and through a protected forest, wellness center and numerous dining facilities. The conference center is unparalleled on the Adriatic coast, hosting large, small, domestic and international conferences for over 35 years. Thanks to a grand hall and private meeting rooms, with professional staff and equipment to meet all your needs, Hotel Croatia has earned its reputation as the country’s leading destination for conferences. www.hotelcroatia.hr

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GERMANY

Meet back to the Roaring ‘20s

I TA LY

Fashionable meetings The Hub Milan is a new stunning 4-star hotel in Milan. The hotel is characterized by its strategic position in the heart of the new Milan trade, conference and business area, a few kilometres away from the new trade center of ‘Milan Rho-Pero’ and from the actual trade and conference center of ‘Fiera Milano City’. It offers 162 elegant and brand-new rooms of various types and a remarkable modern congress centre, including 9 meeting rooms, all provided with natural daylight and the latest equipment tools. The capacity of the meeting rooms is from 10 to 200 people for a total capacity of 600 people. Warm and soothing tones, avant-garde and modern materials and high-tech functionalities welcome the guest in an extremely relaxing atmosphere.

www.thehubhotel.com

special feature > meeting hotels

The state of the art appointment combined with the classical

ambience ensures every stay is an experience to remember. Interestingly, the hotel received the ‘Suitable for Allergy Sufferers’ seal of approval from ECARF (European Center for Allergy Research Foundation). Able to host ﬂexible, large scale events for up to 3200 participants, the hotel has a further 48 halls and meeting rooms that are perfectly suited for gatherings - both social and business of all kinds. www.maritim.de

N O R WAY

Viking meeting The oldest part of the Holmenkollen Park Hotel Rica dates back to 1894 and is built in the distinctive dragon style, blended with all the modern facilities of a ﬁrst-class hotel, only 15 minutes from Oslo centre. The atmosphere is such that it automatically puts all meeting participants in a spirited mood. Before your conference begins, people are already exchanging business cards and networking. The conference facilities come in different shapes and sizes: the old saloon that scents of old leather books or the impressive Saga Hall with room for 500 delegates and a panoramic view of Oslo. In between the high walls of this last one, you can almost hear the echo of Harald Hårfagres warcouncil. In addition, it has all the modern technological equipment you need to arrange a successful conference or convention.

www.holmenkollenparkhotel.no

FRANCE

Step out on the Champs-Elysées

Just off the Champs-Elysées and a few steps from the Arc de Triomphe, the Hotel California Paris ChampsElysées is a four star deluxe Parisianstyle hotel that provides an ideal base for exploring shopping, tourism and Paris nightlife. 174 rooms, 16 of which are suites, form the gallery for the hotel’s magniﬁcent collection of paintings, while also offering modern amenities such as wireless LAN. Eight meeting rooms cater to from 10 to 120 people, and are equipped with the latest technology. Lunch at ‘Le Cadre d’Or’ is simply delicious, and can be enjoyed on the quiet and restful patio from spring time onwards. Meet up with colleagues or make new friends in Le Rouge Marine Piano Bar, with its English club style. More a residence than a hotel, the California Paris Champs-Elysées (part of WorldHotels) is famous for being the favourite luxury hotel of the American press and of many Hollywood stars. www.hotel-california-paris.com SPAIN

Convene close to EIBTM

The hotel is located in the centre of Barcelona in what is becoming a thriving business area, near the

Zona Forum area, the International Convention Centre and the show grounds. This urban hotel with 368 bedrooms is equipped with all the facilities and conveniences that AC Hotels are renowned for. Hotel AC Barcelona offers its guests a wide range of facilities such as the ﬁtness centre, spa, swimming pool, sauna and 16 spacious rooms designed and equipped for holding all kinds of seminars, conferences and any other events requiring the services of one of Barcelona’s best hotels. If you require the rooms to include speciﬁc equipment such as a video projector, large TV screens, sound systems, microphones, translation equipment, video camera, laptop, wireless Internet access, just ask at the hotel. www.ac-hotels.com BELGIUM

Innovative meeting techniques

Dolce La Hulpe Brussels is specialized in delivering a superior meetings experience. Its ultra-modern 4500m2 conference centre gathers all the comfort, professionalism and tranquility which are necessary to create a perfect venue for productive meetings, conferences and seminars. The business minded environment, the unique location of this ‘green campus’ guaranteeing inspiration, concentration (and oxygenation!) of the attendees, the state of the art technologies and equipments, the innovative catering concepts dedicated to the success of the meetings (Food for Brain concept, the E-Coffee and the CMP

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or convert them to airlines miles Accor welcomes you in Belgium and Luxemburg with more than 11 Novotel and 11 Mercure, 2 700 bedrooms ranging from 5 to 2 stars. A choice of more than 120 meeting rooms.

special feature > meeting hotels

> restaurant), the innovative team building experiences such as The Cube are just some of the reasons why this is Dolce’s ﬂagship property in the heart of the Sonian Forest close to the heart of Europe. www.dolce-la-hulpe-brusselshotel.com

PORTUGAL

Business events under the Algarve sun The CS São Rafael Atlantic Hotel has a spectacular location overlooking the beach of São Rafael, only a short drive to Albufeira centre. The interiors have contemporary design features with space and light throughout. The rooms are modern and have large balconies with views over the sea and gardens. This hotel boasts one of the most contemporary congress centres in Portugal, equipped with cuttingedge technology, an auditorium with capacity for 484 people and 16 multifunctional rooms. The ample stage of the Auditorium can easily hold a vehicle exhibition, an orchestra or an eloquent speaker. The Mediterranean gardens, with over 1000 mature palm trees and olive trees, along with the lakes and the pools, provide the ideal backdrop for outdoor exhibitions, incentive functions or other type of event that would beneﬁt from this striking, scenic ambience.

www.cshotelsandresorts.com

shopping areas, theatres and the wide range of restaurants. The hotel has 465 modern and tastefully decorated guestrooms, including 157 classic rooms, 280 standard rooms, 12 standard triple rooms, 13 junior suites, 2 suites with sauna and a Grand suite with sauna and jacuzzi. The Meriton Grand Conference & Spa Hotel offers an exhaustive banquet and meeting as well extensive food and beverage services. There are 14 ﬂexible conference rooms furnished with excellent technical equipment. The biggest room accommodates up to 380 persons. The hotel, like everything in wireless Estonia, is covered with free WiFi connection. www.meritonhotels.com/ conferenceandspa_conference

ESTONIA

Stay in the land of the wireless meeting

Meriton Grand Conference & Spa Hotel Tallinn is an elegant and modern hotel, situated in the very heart of the Estonian capital, close to the Tallinn Old Town and the Parliament of Estonia. The hotel offers easy access to the main

Are you MIMorable? Contact press@mimmagazine.eu

Switzerland: design meeting hotels By now everyone knows that meetings can be stylish. Switzerland’s convention bureau has made holding design meetings that much easier by providing a list of all Swiss design hotels. What makes the design and lifestyle hotels in Switzerland so special? The answer is simple: a meeting beneﬁts only from beautiful surroundings if the surroundings themselves are in a beautiful environment. After all, one has to leave the hotel sometime… At the Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Arosa, guests will enjoy going by the hotel’s private train to the skiing and hiking areas just outside. Weather not permitting, one can always stay in the 5000m2 Tschuggen Bergoase wellness centre. The Carlton Hotel, also part of the Tschuggen Hotel Group, offers marvelous views over the

Tschuggen

lake and mountains of St. Moritz. Its classic façade hides the town’s ﬁrst Boutique hotel, where a company event in the ballroom will be unforgettable. In Art Deco Hotel Montana, Lucerne, seminar rooms are available with views over the lake. Here the lifestyle of the 30’s is combined with all the comfort of the 21st century. Incentive activities in this festival city are provided. Finally Sorell Hotel Zurichberg is perched high above

Sorell

Zurich. It is remote yet accessible, historic yet modernist and beautiful views can be enjoyed from its event-size patio or from bright conference and banqueting rooms. And this is just the tip of the Swiss designer iceberg. Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau T +41 44 288 12 71 scib@switzerland.com www.myswitzerland.com/meetings

special destination > Taiwan

special destination

+ MEET TAIWAN . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Taiwan ‘Made in Taiwan’ has in recent times become a quality label synonymous with 70% of the world’s consumer electronics. In the same way ‘Meet (in) Taiwan’ is fast becoming a trademark for a variety of professional meetings and incentives on Ilha Formosa (Beautiful Island). REPORT IGOR HENDRICKX

Taipei

Keelung

Taoyuan Yilan

Taichung

Hualien Chiayi

Tainan Taitung Kaohsiung

Pingtung

Seaport Hengchun

International Airport Domestic Airport High Speed Rail

Professional meeting support with a smile

An all-in island experience

+ Venues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Special and dedicated venues in small and large volumes

+ Hotels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 My visit to Taiwan was also my first visit outside of Europe and, consequently, also my first to Asia. Naturally I was a bit afraid of the culture shock. However, I didn’t need to worry about that. The people from Taiwan are extremely friendly and welcomed me with a big smile and a great willingness to please. This hospitable spirit is one of many reasons to chose Taiwan for business events. Of course, hospitality isn’t worth much in our industry without quality infrastructure to back it up. Luckily Taiwan offers an array of modern convention and exhibition venues, top-flight facilities and resources, accommodation of every type and size as well as world class transportation and communication infrastructures. Finally, in addition to the wonderful people and the marvellous infrastructure, Taiwan also has a lot of to attract people and business in itself. It’s always much more interesting for companies to visit a country with highly integrated industries. Taiwan is at the forefront of research and development in every industry, ranging from information and communication to biotechnology and power sports products. The belief of the Taiwanese in excelling through knowledge, has made the country one of the foremost economies in the Asian-Pacific region. This entrepreneurial spirit is grounded in

All the comforts from home far away from home

+ Incentives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Choices aplenty and all within easy travel distance

age-old wisdom derived from a rich and diverse culture steeped in natural beauty. Taiwan has all the characteristics of a popular subtropic paradise: lush subtropical eco-systems, alpine forests, deep winding gorges, tropical beaches and marine biology. Taiwan, really is the ‘Ilha Formosa’, well suited for incentive travel. Taiwan has a colourful history marked by Dutch, Spanish, Japanese and Chinese inﬂuences. Add to this mix the aboriginal cultures of the original islanders and you get a diverse mix of traditions. Taiwan’s cutting-edge convention venues are surrounded by cultural treasures and majestic peaks and often within minutes of enchanting markets with great food. To summarise, my visit to Taiwan’s meeting industry was a real eye-opener. This island has everything any corporate planner needs to organise a fabulous conference or incentive trip: hospitable people, Europeanstandard accommodations, world-class venues, interesting culture, beautiful nature and wonderful food.

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special destination > Taiwan

MEET TAIWAN: Beneﬁcial know-how and experience Globalisation and virtual communication have made the planning and organisation of events on the other side of the world. However, local professionals are still very much required to take care of all the details and other things you didn’t think of because you don’t have the local experience or connections. In January 2009, the Bureau of Foreign Trade, under the Ministry of Economic Affairs of R.O.C., launched the Taiwan MICE Advancement Program. Where other countries are happy with just a national convention bureau, in Taiwan they are much more proactive with a special task force, branded globally under the name of MEET TAIWAN, responsible for promoting Taiwan’s unique business events industry. When planning a business event in Taiwan, an integrated network of assistance is ready and waiting for you. The MEET TAIWAN portal (www.meettaiwan.com) gives you quick access to information on your chosen city with details of local professional conference organizers, venues, hotels, services, and services covering production, interpreting, catering, lightning and sound, and booth design and construction. To encourage international participation in MICE activities in Taiwan, the government offers various support systems and incentive programs for congress and event organizers. • Financial support to business events that are to be held in Taiwan • Sponsorship for hospitality, receptions and banquets related to MICE events in Taiwan • Sponsorship for admission to tourist attractions • Support for the development of MICE related inbound investments or expansion plans • Bidding and promotional assistance for convention organizers Two things about the Taiwanese meetings industry really strike your attention: lots of young people and great attention to training talent. More than 1100 people have already participated in the professional courses of Taiwan MICE Training and Certiﬁcation Project.

Taipei

Wide open spaces: conference & event venues Taiwan’s venues, whether dedicated or special, all have wide open spaces in common. For a relatively small country, Taiwan certainly has a lot event space. Here’s an overview of the most important ones and of several special venues I’ve visited during my trip. Dedicated

Apart from MEET TAIWAN, there are plenty of meetings industry professionals willing to share their know-how. Here are just a few I met during my trip. • Mrs. Kitty Wong, K&A International Co. Ltd. www.knaintl.com.tw • Mr. Jason Yeh, taiwanlook Destination & Event Management, www.taiwanlook.com.tw • Mr. Richard Ko, Round Table PCO, www.come2meet.com

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Built in 1986, the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC) was one of the first purpose-built meeting venues in Asia. This four-in-one complex has got it all: an exhibition hall, an international convention centre, an international trade building, a hotel and an additional modern expansion in the Nangang district. TWTC’s Exhibition Hall has 7 floors, with nearly 160.000m² of floor space dedicated to the promotion of world trade and industry through the hosting of short

special destination > Taiwan TWTC Nangang Exhibition Hall

National Stadium Kaohsiung

Tapei World Trade Center Complex

Flora Expo - Performing Center at Fine Arts Park Traditional Arts Center

and long term exhibitions that meet every need (post ofﬁce, bank, restaurant, conference rooms, bounded warehousing, courier services, travel service, booth decoration service, copying/faxing service, trade library, trade book store, emergency medical clinic and forwarding service). www.twtc.org.tw Taipei International Convention Center (TICC) has more than 60.000m2 of meeting space. Its column-free, multi-purpose plenary hall can seat up to 3100 people, while 21 meeting rooms of various sizes and shapes (concentric table, fan-shaped, video conference, …) and a 1000 seat banquet hall offer lots of possibilities for seminars, board meetings, lectures, etc. The center combines old and new by having a very experienced staff and up-todate equipment. www.ticc.com.tw In and around these two venues, you can ﬁnd TAIPEI 101, the Grand Hyatt Hotel, the Warner Village shopping and cinema plaza and, of course, the many attractions of Taipei’s up-and-coming Hsin-Yi District.

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

In March 2008, the Taipei World Trade Center Nangang Exhibition Hall was opened. This venue is dedicated to tradeshows (45.360m2 of exhibition space), but also offers a variety of convention rooms, as well as an outdoor event space of over 1000m2. There are also two large restaurants (1 Western and 1 Chinese) and several fast food outlets, bistros, shops, galleries and parking facilities. www.twtcnangang.com.tw

Special TAIPEI 101 (509m) is one of the tallest buildings in the world and contains the world’s fastest lift. It houses stylish fashion boutiques, ﬁne restaurants and chic corporate ofﬁces, all under one roof. Other amenities include a contemporary health centre and an executive club. In its ShihYeh 101 Ambiance restaurant, dinners can be organised with a spectacular view.

of artistic creation yourself or take a boat and visit the Dongshan River Water Park. www.ncsfta.gov.tw The Taipei International Flora Expo Site includes 14 exhibition halls, each with its own unique style, spread across an area of 91,8ha, all dedicated to showcasing notable achievements in horticulture, science, and environmental protection technology. After the expo, the site will also be available for sustainable business events. www.2010taipeiexpo.tw However, you should always remember that with the help of MEET TAIWAN, almost anything is possible, even events in national landmarks, like the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall and the National Palace Museum.

The National Center for Traditional Arts is a new 24ha riverside facility in Yilan County. In addition to organized displays and performances of culture and art, it can also provide a stage for business events. You can even participate in the process

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special destination > Taiwan

Hotels: whatever you wish Most if not all of Taiwan’s conference hotels adhere to the golden trinity of high standards, top service and attractive prices. That in itself is attractive, but what struck me most was the sheer variety of choice: classic hotels, modern hotels, wellness hotels, design hotels,…

Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel

Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei, a welcoming retreat in the heart of Taiwan’s metropolis, soars 43 stories above Taipei’s premier business and shopping districts, with sweeping views of Taipei 101 and the city skyline. This luxury Taipei hotel is just 15 minutes away from the TWTC. The hotel comprises 420 exquisitely appointed luxury guest rooms, including 53 suites. The décor throughout the premises exudes a perfect blend of the East and West. www.shangri-la.com The Leader Village Taroko is run by the Taroko tribe, surrounded by a quiet environment and abundant natural beauty of Taroko National Park. 36 quality wood cabins with old-time porches surround a main building where in the evening aboriginal dances are performed by the tribe’s people. By day you can enjoy the many wonderful sights and sounds of the Marble Gorge – one of Taiwan’s most visited attractions. Exploring the park by bike or on a wild-water raft will enhance the experience that much more. www.leaderhotel.com

Leader village Taroko

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Silks Place Yilan

Evergreen Resort Hotel (Jiaosi)

Silks Place Yilan is the only international 5-star hotel in the county. And combines modern lifestyle with ancient Chinese touches. For example, dinner is announced by an enormous gong in the lobby. High ceilings and wide halls create a light atmosphere. One large international ballroom and four multifunctional conference rooms suitable for events (500 pax.), border on a large roof terrace which can be used for coffee breaks and cocktails. The large wellness centre is state-of-theart and is also located on the roof. www.silksplace-yilan.com.tw

The 5-star Evergreen Resort Hotel in Jiaosi offers a harmonious blend of pleasing aesthetics and personal charm are encountered without a hint of ostentation. The hotel is conveniently located just 40 minutes from Taipei city. The hotel has 8 cool and light event rooms, the largest of which can hold up to 800 people. The rooftop can also be used for business events. Johnson & Johnson organised a 3 day conference here, augmented by the gastronomic cuisine (French, Taiwanese, Japanese,…) and wellness possibilities. www.evergreen-hotels.com

Opened in 2005, the Hotel Royal Chiao-Hsi offers travelers the opportunity to enjoy a Japanese incentive experience at nonJapanese prices. Travelers are attracted by the many hot spring opportunities, breathtaking scenery and tranquil environment. The restaurant has two levels, the second of which can be used for special events – even a Japanese opera can be arranged. In addition, there are 4 function rooms (largest room capacity 500 pax). www.hrjhotel.com.tw

The majestic Grand Hotel is one of Taipei’s landmarks. Situated on a forested mountain overlooking the city and the river, this secluded paradise is within striking distance of downtown Taipei. Because of its palace-like appearance and 20 function rooms, it could be called a special venue in itself. The theater shaped conference hall can cater as many as 800 participants and offers sophisticated facilities. www.grand-hotel.org

Hotel Royal Chiao Hsi

Grand Hotel

special destination > Taiwan

Incentives: treating mind and body By now it should be clear that there are incentive possibilities aplenty in Taiwan. We can thank the country’s vibrant culture, alluring nature and pleasant climate for this diversity. Making a selection of incentive ideas pained me, because of the wonderful ones that were left out. Taiwan’s ecological diversity offers lots of opportunity for ecotourism development. With its high mountains, located where the subtropical and tropical regions meet, Taiwan has good reason to boast of its richness in flora and fauna. The island’s relatively small size makes this astoundingly high bio-diversity that more impressive and that more easy to visit. Nearly 400 of the world’s 17.000 butterfly species can be found here. One of the best places to see them in this ‘Kingdom of the Butterflies’ is Sun Moon Lake. 29 Species of dolphins and whales can be found around Taiwan, making it a hot spot for whale watching from boats in Yilan or from the Qingshui Cliffs in Hualien. Recreational farming has become an important part of this eco-tourism and many of these picturesque farms are equipped with conference venues and sleeping accommodations In all honesty, I can say I’ve never eaten so well as in Taiwan. Not only can you sample all types of Chinese and Asian cuisine, but Taiwan’s own style of cooking – a delicious fusion of Chinese and Japanese cuisine and techniques – is extremely tasty and very healthy. For me, it couldn’t be more healthy or more tasteful than at the Shangri-La Leisure Farm in Yilan. This

was augmented by aromatic Taiwanese teas – which to Taiwanese are like wine to the French. Your taste buds won’t be disappointed. Taiwan offers the perfect solution for anyone wanting to relax and recharge their mind and body- naturally. There are many geothermal hot springs throughout Taiwan. The warm waters of these springs, heated and charged by the earth’s own energy, are believed to soothe, revitalize and reinvigorate the body. Taiwan is second only to Japan in number of hot springs, but is more reasonably-priced. As a cultural melting pot, Taiwanese culture is different from all other Chinese societies. The great variety of artistic and cultural events offers an excellent choice for incentive travellers. Performances of Taiwanese opera, aboriginal dances, temple festivals, ... are easily incorporated into any schedule or combined with dinners, cocktail parties or other events.

years. Additionally, we got to experience there a full tea tasting, wonderful food included, at the SanXi Tang tea house.

Worthy of a visit are a number of excellent museums, not least of which is the National palace Museum, home to the world’s largest collection of Chinese art and artefacts spanning many thousands of

Finally, add to this the more adventurous incentives, like rafting, biking, windsurﬁng, hiking, etcetera, and you have an excellent all-in-one incentive destination, where everything is within easy travel distance.

Sun Moon Lake

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destinations > Canada Halifax Harbour

Canada’s East Coast Nova Scotia, Newfoundland & Labrador

The Atlantic Ocean deﬁnes Canada’s easternmost provinces. Thus, participants of any conference, meeting or other event in these two provinces will surely be inspired by the spray of the sea, the fresh air and the cry of the free seabirds. IF that won’t do it, the excellent facilities certainly will. TEXT IGOR HENDRICKX Nova Scotia is a province located on Canada’s southeastern coast. Its capital, Halifax, is the major economic centre of Atlantic Canada. The province of Newfoundland and Labrador actually comprises two parts: mainland Labrador and the island of Newfoundland.

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia has long been a centre for artistic and cultural excellence. Halifax has emerged as the leading cultural centre in the Atlantic region, as well as a multicultural municipality, ready to welcome international delegates.

The heart of Halifax has more than 3,500 hotel rooms. Almost 1/3 of these are conveniently connected by an enclosed pedway system to our premier meeting facility, the World Trade & Convention Centre. Halifax has the feel of a small town and the amenities of a big city, so getting around is easy and hassle-free. Whether serving 10 people or 1,000 people, the service, and food and beverage offerings are ﬁrst class. Being centrally located in downtown Halifax also gives delegates a chance to step outside during a break and enjoy the city’s delights.

Halifax is home to many performance venues, namely Halifax Metro Centre (a 10.000 seat entertainment facility), the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, the Neptune Theatre, and The Music Room. Major cultural attractions include the Symphony Nova Scotia, the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and Neptune Theatre. Unique venues include the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, where delegates can participate in the ‘Soldier for a Day’ incentive programme alongside kilted 78th Highlanders. Take a cruise around the Halifax Harbour aboard a fully-catered Tall Ship or have a cocktail reception at The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, located on the Halifax waterfront, where guests can mingle amongst traditional Nova Scotian wooden vessels. Nightly live music, renowned restaurants and special events ensure that delegates are entertained after hours. A wide variety of festivals celebrate the local music, history, culture, arts, food and wine of the region. The Atlantic Film Festival, The Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, The Multicultural Festival, periodic Tall Ship events, the

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destinations > Canada

Peggy’s Cove, Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia Fall Wine Festival and Shakespeare by the Sea are just a few of the highlights of a packed events calendar year-round. From glorious green springs to the vibrant colours of fall and the warmest winters in Canada, Halifax and Nova Scotia offer numerous things to do, see and experience

WTCC, Halifax

The Rooms, St.Johns, Newfoundland

The province’s capital, St. John’s, has the look and feel of a larger city, but with its colourful houses, history and warm friendly people it leaves delegates with a unique sense of place that they can’t experience anywhere else. Corporates are attracted by the ever growing Oil and Gas industry and oil related conferences and meetings follow. This lucrative industry

Nova Scotia is a province located on Canada’s southeastern coast. Its capital, Halifax, is the major economic centre of Atlantic Canada year-round. Whether it is a round of golf, the one-of-a-kind scenery at Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse (one of the most photographed and well known lighthouses in the world), wine tasting in Grand Pré or a coastal drive to Lunenburg, you’re never far away from the ocean in Nova Scotia. With US pre-clearance, Halifax Stanﬁeld International Airport has direct air access to 9 primary US cities, with direct air access to Frankfurt, London, Heathrow and Gatwick, Reykjavik and France, Iceland and the Caribbean, and of course, across Canada. The Halifax harbour is the second largest deepest natural harbour in the world and welcomes more than 250,000 passengers annually from 20 cruise lines.

has improved the economy of the region and thus also the infrastructure. More hotels have been built and existing hotels are increasing in size and are constantly making improvements to their facilities to meet market demands. St. John’s is a meeting planners delight. Groups feel like they ‘own’ or ‘take over’ the city when they are there. With over 25000m2 of meeting space and over 1,000 hotel rooms in the downtown core, groups of up to 2,000 can experience a city that not only extends a welcome sign in their store windows to groups, but they know who you are and why you’re here. It’s a growing city with the feel of small town hospitality that invites you to relax and experience all it has to offer.

Newfoundland & Labrador Where else in North America could you see ten thousand year old icebergs cross paths with migratory humpback whales? Newfoundland and Labrador of course!

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There is no such thing as an accidental tourist in Newfoundland. One would have to choose to come here to experience all the island has to offer. There is an increase

of about 15% in delegate attendance for conferences that hold their event in Newfoundland and Labrador in summer as it gives delegates an opportunity to visit a place they have never been before but a place they have always heard about and wanted to experience. Through conference surveys, delegates attending a conference in St. John’s come early or stay late to visit the rural areas and maximize the opportunity to explore the region. Some delegates bring families and make it a family vacation. Why choose to attend a meeting in St. John’s… why not? Attending a meeting or conference here allows you to taste, feel and experience a destination that leaves you with a sense of longing for more. This explains why we see so many delegates returning to vacation with families in future years. The air access is also a bonus! Direct air access from Europe through Heathrow Airport via Air Canada. St. John’s is only a 5 hour ﬂight from the UK and the ﬂight schedule offers excellent connection times from European gateways. Contact In North America: Susan Frei, Director International Meetings and Incentives T. +1 703 825 1134 Frei.Susan@ctc-cct.ca www.meetings.canada.travel In Europe: Roger Bradley Axis Travel Marketing Ltd T. +44 208 686 2300 roger@axistravelmarketing.com

We have our meetings up close and personal

www.meetings.canada.travel

GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER FOR A MEETING CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS SUCCEED. MEETINGS PLUS ADDS VALUE TO YOUR PLANNING, AND WE MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER BY MAKING YOUR MEETING OUR PRIORITY.

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7 The important thing is for you to focus on your meeting, not on how to get people there. That’s where we can help. Quite simply, we have the advantage of a worldwide airline network which makes it easier for you to plan your international meeting across the globe. And we can do it through one point of contact, efficiently and at a great price. So the world opens up to you and everyone attending your meeting through the network of 28 member airlines. Your people gain a lot too. They’ll get cheaper fares, coordinated flights and access to over 990 airport lounges worldwide. They can also get frequent flyer benefits at every step of the way – from priority check-in and priority boarding, as well as all the advantages of priority baggage handling and additional allowances. And by simply downloading a widget you get the opportunity to check flight status anytime.

Just visit www.staralliance.com/meetingsplus.

www.staralliance.com

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Information correct as at 09/2010

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destinations > Sri Lanka

Sigirya

Sri Lanka Reborn Incentive Gem Anyone who travels a lot has to make difﬁcult choices. Sometimes I ask myself, what’s the most beautiful country in the world to me? If by country you mean island, I think I discovered a reborn gem in the Indian Ocean: Sri Lanka, the country with many names. TEXT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS

Mostly because of its exceptional beauty, the island has had the following names: Tenerism or ‘Isle of delight’ in Arabic, Pa-Outchow or ‘Isle of Gems’ in Chinese, Salabha or ‘Rich Island’ in Indian, Ceylon in English and Sri Lanka or ‘Resplendent Land’ in Sanskrit.

Sri Lanka revisited Last year, the New York Times identified Sri Lanka as the top destination to visit in 2010 out of 31 others, hailing the island nation’s ‘pristine coastline’ and ‘tropical zoo’ – as attractions. I think that’s the right definition. When I visited Sri Lanka for the first time in 2008, I wouldn’t have

MIM 36

dared to write this. After three decades of fighting against terrorism, the island won back its peace and safety. It’s a magnificent travel location again. Even before the conflict ended the new brand of Sri Lanka was launched: Sri Lanka Small Miracle. Companies are interested in this little wonder again. Earlier this year, I was very pleased when I heard a big Belgian Insurance Company was planning an incentive tour of Sri Lanka with three groups of eighty participants. ‘A newly rediscovered destination’, the organizer told me.

Sri Lanka is booming The ﬁrst thing I read in the local papers

after peace was made, was: ‘A construction boom is expected in the hospitality industry with over 23.000 new star class hotel rooms expected to be built in the next ﬁve years’. And a second message was: ‘After the defeat of terrorism, people can travel freely in their motherland again. Pasikudah and Trincomalee have been added to the list of must see resorts (Hotel Club Oceanic for example received a new name after its – new retro chic – restoration, ‘Chaaya Blu Trincomalee’). Kokilai Lagoon in the east (the country’s new tourist destination) and many locations in the North have been added too, as part of the Uthuru Vasantthaya – the development

destinations > Sri Lanka

South Sri Lanka is safe again

The oldest meeting room in the world

area in the North. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful beaches of Uppuveli and Nilaveli again, some of the best diving and snorkelling spots in the country and a pristine location for yachting, angling and whale watching.

Touring is the best incentive-formula A trip to Sri Lanka should start in Colombo, the capital city. During the first few days of your stay you can organise and attend meetings and seminars in one of the many beautiful beach resorts like the Taj Samudra Hotel, the Galle Face Hotel and the magnificent five star Beach Hotel Negombo. Organising an incentive in Sri Lanka means organising a tour of the island. The flora, fauna, people and Buddhism need no brushing up and the relative small size of the island makes it easy to visit many spots in a short time. Sri Lanka has a total of six Cultural World Heritage Sites and one Natural, all within close distance of each other. An incentive tour of the island almost always include these. On the road from Matale to Kandy one should take the time to stop and visit one of the spice gardens. Since the earliest of times, Sri Lanka has been an important exporter of cloves, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, Mace, ginger and cinnamon. The first stop on the road will be the sacred city of Kandy. This holy Buddhist site was the last capital of the Sinhala kings before the British occupation in 1815. It’s also the site of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, which is a famous pilgrimage site. One should certainly attend an evening at the local culture centre to

watch a typical dance. You can stay a bit longer in the region around Dambulla. The Golden Temple of Dambulla has been a sacred pilgrimage site for 22 centuries. From Dumballa, one can easily visit the ancient city of Sigiriya, an icon of Sri Lanka Tourism. This city was built on the slopes and the summit of the Lion’s Rock – a granite peak, which dominates the jungle from all sides. Sri Lanka is an important exporter of tea, so a visit to a tea plantation should form an integral part of the trip. We recommend the Tea Factory hotel located in the dreamscape of Nuwara Eliya. Animal lovers will love the Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage. The orphanage is a sanctuary for rescued, injured or abused elephants. Acting as a home for around 70 animals, it is one of the largest centres of its kind in the world.

Colombo

Ayurveda in Sri Lanka: an individual reward for incentive organizers Is it true that the best Ayurveda Resorts aren’t found in India but in Sri Lanka? I think that, after a few personal experiences, my answer would be ‘yes’. The family-run Barberyn Ayurvedic Resorts led by Manik Rodrigo are such an example. The Rodrigo family was even rewarded as award-winning pioneers of the Ayurvedic concept. What happened to me there? A new way of celebrating a holiday: nourishment for the spirit and slimming the body. And the energy I gained there kept working for two more months after I returned home. I could use another Ayurveda treatment right now. It’s the best individual incentive I can think off.

One can truly experience nature as it was meant to be in Yala National Park. It’s the largest national park in Sri Lanka and contains 32 species of mammals, 125 species of birds and many other animals in a very diverse landscape.

www.barberyn.com

The tour of the island ends in the old town of Galle and its fortiﬁcations. It is the best example of a fortiﬁed city built by Europeans in South and South-East Asia, showing the interaction between European architectural styles and South Asian traditions.

Dressed in their elegant sari with peacock feather motif, the female crew welcomes clients with ‘Ayubowan’. Sri Lankan Airlines ﬂies to 43 destinations in 29 countries, six of them in India and nine in the Middle East. In Europe there are ﬂights to Sri Lanka from Paris, Rome, Milan, London and Frankfurt.

Contact Sri Lanka Convention Bureau T. + 94 11 4865050/1 2440002 F. + 94 11 2472985 slcb@sltnet.lk www.visitsrilanka.net

SriLankan Airlines (update 2010)

www.srilankan.aero

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KINEPOLIS Kinepolis combines business and entertainment! The 11 Belgian Kinepolis movie theatres, situated throughout the country, are one by one top venues for all your business events. Kinepolis offers you everything you expect from a business center. Combine your event with a movie and/or catering and it will be a guaranteed success! Invite your employees, clients and/or customers on a unique and unforgettable experience: let them enjoy a live opera of world-class!

Kinepolis, where business meets pleasure

Visit our new website: kinepolisbusiness.com More information: Katelijne Lindner â&#x20AC;&#x201C; business@kinepolis.com â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 09 241 01 61

B2B_MIMMAG_OKT.indd 1

30/09/2010 11:38:16

destinations > The Netherlands Groot Warnsborn

The Netherlands Discovering Arnhem, Nijmegen & De Veluwe In September, we were invited by the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) to travel to Gelderland: the biggest, greenest province of the Netherlands. We would visit trendy Arnhem and historic Nijmegen, Holland’s oldest city. Also on the menu was the Hoge Veluwe National Park. What a trip it would prove to be! REPORT JONATHAN RAMAEL Gelderland is home to historic cities, national parks, country estates and even its own vineyards. There is more space, more nature and more peace and quiet to be found. The people are friendly, calm and take life a bit easier. There are a lot of incentive opportunities available too, which we were soon to ﬁnd out.

Day one: Wining, dining and World War II My colleagues and I were welcomed at the Wijnfort (Wine Fortress), an events venue located in an old fortress, just next to Nijmegen. Although its exterior looks quite robust (it had to survive WWII,

how could it not be), the interior is very modern and classy. It’s a popular location for congresses, presentations and staff parties and its cellars hold a collection of 850 different wines. Some friendly war veterans picked us up in their authentic combat jeeps. The path we followed was part of the ‘Liberation Route’ the allied forces took to liberate Holland. Down this road, 22 listening stones were placed, where voices from the past tell you their stories from the war, making sure we will never forget. (www.excitinghistory.com)

Coughing and pufﬁng, the sturdy vehicles brought us to the Papendal Hotel & Congress Centre. This big venue is located on 160 hectares of greenery and sport facilities that belong to the National Olympic Committee. We played an entertaining round of golf during our visit. After swinging our clubs it was time to shoot some hoops – while in a wheelchair though. Before we could try for ourselves, we received some pointers from the Dutch Paralympic basketball team. Surprisingly hard and even more fun! Next stop, the fabulous, brand new Van Der Valk Duiven Hotel in Arnhem, where we were received with a classy reception. The building is decorated in a very fashionable, daring colorful style. The

MIM 39

11:38:16

destinations > The Netherlands

Kröller-Müller

rooms are spacious and luxurious. But we couldn’t go to bed before we had a decent dinner. That’s why we set sail for Landgoed Groot Warnsborn, a stunning country house with an orangery and well maintained gardens. It serves as a restaurant and a hotel, as well as an events and party venue. During our entire stay in Gelderland, I didn’t have one course that was anything less than absolutely delicious.

Holland’s fastest growing destination with a surprising variety of hotels and venues in a peaceful and naturally beautiful location Day Two: picnics, bikes and burling deer Our ﬁrst stop of the day, was the brand new Omnisport complex in Apeldoorn, an enormous hall designed for track cycling, athletics and other indoor sports. It’s also used for big fairs and concerts, for audiences of well over 10.000 people. Business meetings can be combined with watching the games. While in Apeldoorn, we couldn’t resist making a royal visit. The Palace ‘Het Loo’ is more than 300 years old and was the residence of many of Holland’s rulers. It’s now a museum in the midst of magniﬁcent

Wijnfort

gardens. We visited the grand ballroom and then took a guided tour through the palace itself. It’s an outstanding example of Dutch Baroque, and every room is luxuriously and colorfully decorated. Queen Beatrix has her private residence in the park. The National Park De Hoge Veluwe is part of a 1100 km2 forest-rich set of hills, home to wild boars and multiple species of deer. The ﬁrst thing we noticed were the white bikes everywhere. They are free to use, which makes for very comfortable biking. Here we pulled out blankets for a picnic, provided by the Sterrenberg Boutique Hotel. Afterwards, we toured the St. Hubertus Hunting Lodge, where Helene and Anton Kröller-Müller (the creators of the park) used to stay. We also visited the famous museum bearing their name, where a vast collection of Van Goghs, Gaugins, Seurats and Ensors are on display. When we arrived back at Hotel Oranjeoord, a very cosy place, in addition to offering lots of meeting possibilities, we were headed for another comfortable night.

Day three: Sightseeing, wellness and lots of birds Sunday is the day of the Lord. Which means it’s time to relax and treat yourself right. After a short sightseeing stroll through the historic center of Nijmegen, we headed for the Scandic Sanadome. A hotel, wellness centre and health spa all in one. It has its own fresh and salt water

springs. It proudly bears the European Eco Label. Relaxed and refreshed we took off for our last destination: the estate Landgoed Jachtslot de Mookerheide. We were welcomed by a falconer and his birds. Having a European eagle owl as well as a hawk on the arm, is an impressive experience. The falconer also performs with hounds and is an interesting addition to any incentive trip. The hotel itself is a magniﬁcent old building, but its interior is designed in various styles. It’s located on a 144 hectares domain and offers a lot of possibilities for walking trips, sports and riding horses. It also offers everything needed for business events in the various buildings on the property. Gelderland is a beautiful, peaceful area full of natural beauty, friendly people and gastronomic sensations. The old and the new, history and future blend together everywhere in this region. Considering the variety of locations and venues we visited during our stay, it’s also the perfect place for meetings, incentives and congresses. Convention Bureau Regio Arnhem Nijmegen Marie Louise Buckens T. +31 (0)481 366 260 ml.buckens@conventionbureau.nl www.conventionbureau.nl Veluws Bureau voor Toerisme Dagmar Kroezen T. +31 (0)55 5260 355 d.kroezen@develuwe.nl www.develuwe.nl NBTC Pauline van Kooten pvankooten@holland.com

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destinations > The Hague

Prinsjesdag, The Hague

The Hague A princely welcome For the eighth time in as many years, The Hague played host to 125 professional, corporate and association planners from the Netherlands & Belgium. The ‘Prince for a Day’ event, showed them once again the surprisingly varied meeting and incentive possibilities of the International City of Peace and Justice. Traditionally, on ‘Prince’s Day’, the queen of the Netherlands is driven by a golden chariot through the streets of The Hague on the third Tuesday of September. It’s a national political event that always gathers a lot of media attention. However, the successful ‘Prince for a Day’ programme that takes place one day before certainly deserves just as much attention. For the past seven years, planners have been introduced to meeting venues, incentive activities, hotel accommodations and meeting services. This year, Belgian planners were already invited on Sunday for a pre-programme and below are a few of their highlights.

On Sunday the main focus of the program was to highlight the variety of the ‘city by the sea’ and various venues were visited in Scheveningen. Stylish Paviljoen de Witte and beach clubs ‘Wij’ and ‘Doen’ offer high class as well as trendy facilities and are just minutes from The Hague city centre. After these visits, the participants enjoyed a ‘refreshing’ power boat ride on the open sea. Leaving the harbour at a deceivingly calm pace, adrenaline surged when the boats suddenly kicked off at high speed. It was an exhilarating ride and afterwards oysters and wine were enjoyed at restaurant ‘The Harbour Club’.

On Monday, the ofﬁcial ‘Prince for a day’ program was launched at the Bel Air hotel and the program continued with interactive visits in the ﬁve star ‘Hotels Des Indes’ and ‘Steigenberger Kurhaus hotel’. Het ‘Spaansche Hof’ in the city centre played host to an interactive brainstorm to further enhance The Hague’s MICE service in the future. This exclusive town palace offers several secluded, historic salons. With ornamental ceilings and panelling, golden elements and elegant chandeliers, it’s a

The Hague 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

49 Unique Venues 29 Convention Centres & Hotels 20 Events & Incentives 16 Services Easily accessible by train and by plane (Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Rotterdam Airport)

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destinations > The Hague

beautiful location with an exclusive, warm atmosphere that boasts a secluded town garden with a stately landing. At 1500m2, it’s the city centre’s largest privately owned garden. Participants stayed at the newly opened Hilton The Hague (2010). The Hilton’s 195 rooms are among the most spacious in the city (32 m2 minimum), all equipped with high speed wireless internet access, bath and separate shower. The Executive Floor rooms have access to their own Executive Lounge. Located in the city centre, it’s easily accessible by car and public transport and features its own parking garage. Of course, The Hague has a lot more to offer. No surprise, it is after all a cultural and historic city, close to the beach and with an international appeal. Here are some other examples of incentive possibilities. Kite buggies & buggy sailing - Wind, waves, sand and sea make-up the location for kite buggies and buggy sailing. Kiting is a phenomenon which has kept young and old busy, almost everybody has at some stage had a kite in their hands – but not in this way. Kite Buggying is a spectacular aspect of the kiting sport, in which immense speeds can be attained. A kite or sail buggy is a lowered three-wheeler which is pushed forward by a giant kite or sail. You get to learn this high impact sport on the beaches of The Hague.

Programme Day 1 • Arrival by train at Den Haag Holland Spoor • Welcome and visit of Paviljoen De Witte • Tour of Beachclubs Doen/Wij • Powerboating • Tour and drink at The Harbour Club • Visit of Hilton Hotel The Hague • Diner Restaurant Maxime

Day 2 • Opening Bel Air Hotel • Workshop Bla Bla at Steigenberger Kurhaus Hotel • Interactive brainstorm at Spaansche Hof • Lunch at R.A.C. Hallen • Visit of Des Indes, Luxury Collection Hotel • Departure by train from Den Haag Holland Spoor

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Kurhaus Hotel, Scheveningen

Ice carving – Madurodam Events organizes seminars Ice Carving for groups of at least 25. These seminars can be planned as an interactive interlude between meetings and events. Ice sculptures are made in team, assisted by professional carvers for an extremely ‘cool’ experience. Champagne tasting – Who says you have to go to France to sample champagne? The only champagne boutique of The Netherlands is located in The Hague! Situated between palaces and embassies at the Lange Voorhout, more than thirty different champagnes await you in the boutique. Enjoy the sparkling vintage bubbly and let the skilled sommelier guide you through the world of luxury wines. Painting Delft porcelain – Delft, neighbouring The Hague, is well known for its blue painted china. Minimum 10 people can start learning this ancient artisanal skill. The original blue paint is used and of course you’re allowed to take your artwork home with you. Crazy pianos – To entertain your participants, nothing more is needed than two ﬁre engine red pianos, a saxophone and a drummer. Their venue, under the terrace of one of the Netherlands’ oldest and most prestigious hotels, can be rented for business events. Gold Carriage – If you want to feel like a real prince in the Hague, this’ll be the incentive for you. While you’re driven around in a golden carriage, the coachman will take you on a historical or modern tour of The Hague, showing you the many other

possibilities of the city from a royal point of view. Wild Water Rafting – It’s not something you automatically associate with the calm Dutch rivers and canals, but in The Hague it’s possible. Dutch Water Dreams (DWD) stands for action, excitement and fun! The wildwater course is based on the Olympic course of Beijing. Rafting, freestyle kayaking, canoeing, hydrospeed or hotdog (a fun raft) on the white-water course or bodyboarding, flowboarding, on the FlowRiders® course are just a brief overview of the fun possibilities. It should be obvious that The Hague delivers more than expected. The city’s conference facilities are excellent and uniquely diverse: from renowned international conference venues, historic palaces, characteristic theatres and ultra modern halls down to intimate, creative locations full of local flavour. The Hague has it all. The fine hotels on offer in a range of all categories and rates are staffed by driven hospitality professionals whose ultimate challenge is the quality and comfort of your stay. Intrigued by the possibilities of The Hague? Want to experience it for yourself? Contact us below to be part of a famtrip on November 19-20. Marianne Hoogeveen The Hague Convention & Visitors Bureau Square Vergote 14, B-1200 Brussels marianne@contourconsult.be www.thehaguecongress.com

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