Kunoi brochure

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ON SITE. IN THE KNOW.

Meetî‚“gs & Incentives. Tailor-made. In Europe. Featuring Special Destinations issue 01


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Stockholm

1 SPECIAL DESTINATIONS >> page 5

Glasgow

Copenhagen

Hamburg 2 Green denmark >> page 14

London

3 Trends in the Industry >> page 17

Amsterdam

• Berlin

• Cologne Prague • Frankfurt • Paris • Munich • Vienna • Zurich • • Geneva Lyon • • Milan Nice

Barcelona

• Madrid

• • Rome


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•

• Helsinki WE ARE KUONI DESTINATION MANAGEMENT We are destination insiders. We have decades of international experience, inexhaustible local knowledge and the creativity to touch your heart. We benefit from 22 offices around Europe, each represented by carefully handpicked professionals, who know everything about your future destination. Every event benefits from their precise knowledge and exciting ideas that are vibrant with colour and seamless in delivery. Because of this we can offer you a truly perfect, local experience you will never forget!

ON SITE. IN THE KNOW.


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foreword

‘It’s all about people’ Lars Ingelius, Vice President Kuoni Destination Management Europe

'Trust means everything in our industry. On this very aspect the industry values are built. Trust can only be carefully maintained by committed specialists. By dedicated people. This human factor is extremely important for us at Kuoni Destination Management. Everyone who works for us strives for the same goals; to offer you a professional friendship that’s worth everything.

to show you how we do that. We want to show you how our endless local knowledge enables us to create unique experiences that are rich in detail, vibrant with local colour and seamless in delivery. We also want to show you what quality we stand for, what moves us to do this job and what we love about this business. That’s why we created this brochure; as a gift from us to you.

We promise to have profound knowledge of the industry. Even in these changing times we can assure to provide you with the ultimate solutions to fulfill the most demanding needs. We at Kuoni Destination Management guarantee you that, through constant innovation, dedication and professionalism, our offers meet even the most complex needs and requirements. Together we are successful in this business. Together we define the standard for professionalism in this industry. We want

I am proud to share that as a result of our personal dedication and professionalism, Kuoni Destination Management has been awarded with the recognition as Europe’s Leading Destination Management Company 2013. This achievement confirms the importance of our established professional relationships and highlights the role people play in this industry. Because, no matter what, we are people working for people, working with people.'


special destinations

Special Destinations We like to tickle your senses. We like to inspire you with new colours. Therefore we carefully picked some special destinations for you. Be amazed.

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special destinations

Pilsen Czech Republic Picked by: Martin Cerha Kuoni Destination Management Czech Republic In the middle of a country sprinkled with colourful autumn hillsides everywhere you look, blessed with golden flower fields and deep forests, lies one of the most famous breweries in the world. The ‘pilsener’ style beer was developed in Pilsen in the 19th century. The beautiful old brewery defines the city center of Pilsen and does not only produce the best beer; it also makes way for serious business. There are many options for meetings inside the brewery. Be sure to combine a meeting in Pilsen with a visit to Prague. The best of both worlds are only a stone’s throw away from each other. ON SITE. IN THE KNOW. IN PILSEN.


special destinations

Malaga spain Picked by: Lola Mendéz Kuoni Destination Management Spain The spectacular port city of Malaga highlights the famous Costa del Sol with its superb skyline. Malaga is the region’s top notch location for obvious reasons; the city isn’t only blessed with an exceptionally pleasant climate, it also offers nearby shady pine forests and mountains within which magnificent waterfalls find their way down. And of course there’s the endless blue ocean, the best quality restaurants and all the shopping facilities you need. But what really makes Malaga interesting for MICE business is the significant economic boom Malaga is going through. Crisis? Not here! Malaga is developing at high speed; its shiny new port manages to instantly charm you and new congress centers, armed with the newest high tech facilities, arise everywhere. Discover this business magnet. ON SITE. IN THE KNOW. IN MALAGA.

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special destinations

Apulia italy Picked by: Paola Ursino Kuoni Destination Management Italy The Southern tip of Italy, the ‘heel of the boot’, is dotted with national parks, marine reserves and protected areas; the one even more beautiful than the other. Apulia, with its eighthundred kilometres of perfect white beaches, is the ideal destination for a moment of relaxation outside the hectic city culture. It allows you to take a deep breath of fresh air and gives you a healthy new perspective on business. But although you’re surrounded by endless rows of olive trees, you’re not in the middle of nowhere. In fact: the Southern Italian cities such as Bari and Brindisi are very well connected to the rest of Europe and offer plenty of room for unique activities in the magic surroundings and blazing sun of Apulia. From this charming and unspoiled land you’ll return brand new. ON SITE. IN THE KNOW. IN APULIA.


special destinations

Burgundy france Picked by: Catherine Derain Kuoni Destination Management Lyon If there is one area in Europe where growing grapes has shaped the land, the people, the life, it’s Burgundy. You can discover this beautiful French region by browsing through its picturesque villages and by tasting the fruits responsible for the most famous wines in the world. Not only wine tasting makes the experience here; prepare yourself for some eye candy too as beautiful vineyards stretch from the North to the South of this sacred land. Burgundy offers high end exceptional places, is easy to reach from Lyon, and facilitates about six congress centers. And no concerns about your gala dinner; there are some fifty scenic venues to be found in the region. Oh and they’re not just venues, but Renaissance and Middle Age castles. ON SITE. IN THE KNOW. IN BURGUNDY.

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10 interview

‘Our DNA is meetings and events’ Interview with Onno Muller, Head of Sales and Marketing Kuoni Destination Management Europe

We are not into tourism. Kuoni Destination Management Europe has a completely different DNA than other business units within Kuoni Global Travel Services and it’s important to distinguish ourselves as Kuoni Destination Management. Why? Onno Muller tells us all about it. Onno, why is it important to make the difference between MICE and leisure within Kuoni? ‘We’re very proud to be part of Kuoni Global Travel Services and proud to carry Kuoni’s name. Unfortunately this causes confusion sometimes. We are often associated with Kuoni Travel or Kuoni FIT. Being connected with Kuoni does not hurt us, but it affects our competency and image as MICE specialists. We are not doing Destination Management on the side; in fact we have twenty offices with dedicated specialists all over Europe and more in the rest of the world. These colleagues know everything about our clients and about their destination.’

What is the big difference for you personally between MICE and leisure? ‘That is difficult to explain, but I will illustrate it with an example. When I go on holiday I am more than happy to eat a pizza on a terrace somewhere at the beach. That is my own choice. But if I would be served pizza on a terrace after a business meeting, I would be disappointed. Of course this is not about eating pizza, but about the experience. As MICE specialists we’re always looking for the wow-factor. The meetings and events we organize are special; they have that wow-factor. Clients are looking for exactly that and are prepared to pay a bit more for a fantastic experience.’ What is needed to change this image of Destination Management? ‘Only people can change this. We need to keep telling the industry who we are and what our added value is. Our clients know who we are and what we can deliver, but we’re ready to be discovered by the rest of the world too. Everybody within Kuoni Destination


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Management delivers this message, but in the end we can only prove ourselves by referring to previous successes. We visit clients regularly to keep them informed on our developments and to let them know we are there when they need us.’ How does Kuoni’s MICE sales team in Europe work? ‘In January 2013 we created a dedicated sales team for our main source markets. We have five specialists now, covering Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Brazil and Mexico. These people represent our wholly owned company in Europe and create a one stop shop for their markets. All of them have a very strong background in operating projects; they literally speak the same language as their clients and therefore align well with their business.’ Do you already see the difference compared to a few years ago? ‘Yes, very clearly. We used to refer rfp’s to our destinations. Now we literally bring them

there ourselves. Kuoni Destination Management stands for personal attention, so every sales person focusses on his own market and everything we deliver to our clients is tailor made and perfect. How do we do that? No client is the same. We want to be part of the client’s company so we can understand and define their needs better. This way we can adjust our approach to the client’s business and cultural background.’ What is the reaction of the client? ‘They experience our approach as added value. They know we are more than willing to invest our time to give them the highest quality of service and they really appreciate that.’ Are there any changes planned for 2014? ‘This company is all about people and the people we work with. In a continuously changing industry like the meeting and events industry you have to change with your client. Today’s ‘wow’ will be tomorrow’s ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt- experience. We will continue with our personal approach,

hopefully with an expanded team of specialists.’ What was your 2013 highlight? ‘I’m happy to say we have had many highlights this year and there will be more to come. As we represent the whole continent of Europe here, there is never just one highlight. However this year winning Europe’s Leading Destination Management Company 2013 Award during the Travel Awards, stands out. This only underlines that we’re on the right track and that is a huge compliment for everybody within Kuoni Destination Management.’


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‘Paris will be forever fascinating’ ‘We love the beautiful lookouts of Prague’

‘Visit the port of Hamburg; Germany’s gateway to the world’

‘Let yourself be dragged trough magnificent Lapland by sledge-dogs’


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‘The smell and colours of the Dutch flower fields will overwhelm you’

‘Taste the superb Viennese wines, amongst the classics of the world’

‘Be surprised by Sweden’s breathtaking mosaic of different landscapes’

‘We promise you a unique UK experience’


14 green denmark

Green Denmark

Interview with Mads Salling, Head of Kuoni Destination Management Congress and North-Central Europe With more windmills and solar panels than you’ve ever seen, more bikes and electric cars than you can count, high tech hotels and even a ‘windmill university’, Denmark holds the exclusive title of ‘greenest country in the world’. Copenhagen even aims to become the first carbon neutral capital city by 2025. Mads Salling says being green is essential for the events industry as more and more companies want to contribute to a better world.


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Mads, how does this green image influence business in Denmark? ‘Green means everything here. Not only companies ‘go green’; it is a personal lifestyle choice. From people who cycle to work, to restaurants, hotels and suppliers we work with; everyone is engaged here in Denmark to cut down CO2 emissions, with no exception.’ So no company has a choice but to go green. What about Kuoni Destination Management? ‘It is very easy: our government has made a promise to the world. Whether left wing or right wing, the goal is the same: to be completely free of fossil fuels by 2050. The government wants this more than anything, so it filters down to all levels of society. If you don’t go green, you pay more tax. You pay less when you implement ‘green measures’. So yes, Kuoni Destination Management Scandinavia is green. All hotels and suppliers we work with have CO2 emission reductions in mind otherwise we don’t do business with them.’ Can you give some examples of green companies you work with in Denmark? ‘If you consider the fact that air travel is three times more pollutant than ground travel, it’s good to know Scandinavian Airlines is the first airline in the world to have purchased green

engines. So I advise clients to travel green, which is to be continued once you land, because most buses drive on bio fuels and we mainly use bikes for transport in the cities. We work with suppliers and restaurants that offer mainly organic food. From wine to fruit, from cheese to bread, everything is produced organically. And then we have our high tech new hotels, for example the Crowne Plaza, where you can cycle in the gym for half an hour to generate your own energy and earn a free organic meal. That’s good for the environment, good for people’s health and it gives the hotel’s business an interactive perspective. On the side a lot of hotels donate their used sheets and furniture to charity.’ Copenhagen is the ‘Capital of Sustainable Meetings’. What type of client is interested in meetings and incentives here? ‘The UN Climate Change Conference was held here a few years ago. But we get all sorts of companies interested. Green is trendy; a lot of people and companies are engaged in sustainability topics. And it’s also something completely different, a green incentive.’ What kind of green programs do you offer? ‘Fly in with Scandinavian Airlines, then cycle yourself towards an organic meal in the Crowne Plaza. Go around town by bike; a healthy trans-

port option and you’ll see more of the city. A typical green tour would be a farm tour, where you can see how organic food grows and where you learn how to prepare it. The wind turbine tour is also popular; you’ll be told all about the advantages of renewable energy, but also about the challenges we face. Then of course you’ll end the day drinking an organic beer.’ Do you think Kuoni is green enough? ‘Clients who deal with us don’t have to ask for green venues or organic food. It’s part of the deal here in Scandinavia. Kuoni Destination Management in general is on the right path, but there’s more to achieve. We need someone to decide on a strategy for the future, because we’re a major player in this industry and people have all the rights to expect us to be as environmentally aware as possible.’ What can we do to become greener in the future? ‘In the future, let’s say in the next five years, everyone will be demanding green venues and business. We simply can’t ignore it anymore. We need to embed this in all the offers we make. We need to actively approach suppliers who offer locally produced food for example and make sure clients don’t have to ask for it anymore.’


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Kuoni received a very good Corporate Responsibility Rating Oekom Research, one of the world's leading rating agencies in the field of sustainable investments, has awarded the Kuoni Group the rating C+. This puts Kuoni in the ‘Prime’ category; a status awarded to companies which meet sector-specific sustainability management requirements. This means that the market-traded shares of Kuoni Travel Holding Ltd qualify as an investment from an ecological and social point of view. Kuoni has particularly performed well in the areas of ‘Corporate Governance and Business Ethics’, ‘Staff and Suppliers’ and ‘Society and

Product Responsibility’. CEO of the Kuoni Group Peter Meier says: ‘Sustainability along the entire value chain is a key pillar of Kuoni's corporate strategy. The Oekom rating confirms that the Kuoni Group, through its commitment to human rights and with the implementation of its Code of Conduct for suppliers among others, is on the right track and is also becoming increasingly attractive for investors focused on sustainability.’ To further underline this commitment Kuoni this year joined the UN's Global Compact Initiative. In so doing, Kuoni undertakes to

integrate the Initiative's goals in its corporate strategy and daily business and to promote them further through suitable partnerships.

And we won Europe’s Leading Destination Management Company Award 2013

Europe's Leading Destination Management Company

Kuoni Destination Management has been awarded Europe’s Leading Destination Management Company at the World Travel Awards. Voted by travel professionals worldwide, the accolade recognises the company’s longstanding commitment to excellence for its customers. Lars Ingelius, Vice President for Kuoni’s Destination Management Companies in Europe, says: ‘Given the

current increasingly competitive business environment, we are very proud to receive this award. It proves to staff throughout our entire organisation that their daily dedication and professionalism to deliver a premium, client-focused DMC service is winning them enormous regard in the industry. Without their passion and engagement this continued recognition would not be possible.’


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Trends in the industry Interview Kieran Dennis, manager Kuoni Destination Management UK&Ireland

International happenings like the financial crisis and developments in media and IT created some new trends in the MICE industry. Kuoni Destination Management specialists feel these changes. How do we adapt? We have picked a few of the most prominent trends and asked Kieran Dennis to comment. The ‘IMEX Power of 10 Research Study’ states that ‘the biggest challenge for the events industry will be to prove we are a vital contributor to economic development and the knowledge economy and not just a branch of tourism’. What do you think? ‘I definitely agree. We, the events industry, play a big role in the way companies communicate. Big or small, incentives and meetings are massively important for a company’s communication structure. Communication is the key to success, so indirect, or maybe even direct, we play a role in the company’s success. We need to get rid of the undeserved image of ‘organizing nice dinners and meet ups’. We create a valuable experience. We are at the very heart of the way companies communicate both internally and externally.’


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trends in the industry

Trends in the industry The IMEX study also points out the term ‘value for money’ has increasingly become synonymous with ‘lower cost’. ‘It’s twofold; clients cut us out because they don’t see the added value of booking through us. But we have the destination know how which a global sales team does not have. At the same time clients are pushing prices and budgets and expecting more and more. But somewhere this has to stop before quality suffers. We have reached that point. What we as Kuoni Destination Management need to do, is highlight our specific added value and highlight all the things we do the client never sees.’ Also the much-discussed environmental awareness; ‘going green’ is popular. Do you get a lot of requests for green venues? ‘Actually, no. It’s something clients don’t ask for very often and something they shouldn’t have to ask for. Clients assume they’ll get the greenest choice possible. No one would on purpose go for the most environment polluting event they can think of. So Kuoni

Destination Management is expected to deal with this behind the scenes, in all requests. But on the other hand most clients are not always willing to pay extra for organic food which is obviously more expensive.’ Do you think Kuoni Destination Management should more proactively take a lead in being green? ‘The venues we offer are more and more equipped with technical solutions to cut down their emissions. The suppliers we work with make use of locally produced food as much as they can. So in that case we’re automatically getting there. But yes, Kuoni Destination Management should structure this more so it’s always part of the package we offer. Being green should be something that we take as a given, the rule rather than the exception.’ Last but not least there are lots of developments in the technical world. How does it affect Kuoni Destination Management? ‘In ways we benefit from improved technology.

We don’t reply to a request with a five page handwritten letter, of course we just send an email, like any other company. But it’s not so simple, because where on the one hand we embrace new technology because it helps us respond quicker and better, on the other hand we face the challenge to, now more than ever, to underline the importance of the face to face meeting. Our whole company is built on just that: the live interface between people. We as Kuoni Destination Management have to understand that we need to stand for what we’re selling.’ And how should we do that? ‘First of all we need to embrace the benefits and pick the useful technologies out. We can’t ignore the importance of meeting technologies, for example, to virtually include people in a meeting. And incentives like rallies are much more interesting with a GPS system involved. We acknowledge this; clients can count on all these technologies, of course. But take for example social media. I don’t think we should use it for communicating


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with our clients for really important messages, even though they all have Facebook and Twitter. I mean, would you seal a one million euro deal over Twitter? No, no one would. At the end of the day, it is our business to promote the power and strength of the face to face meeting, but also to embrace new communication technologies.’ What will be the future role of technology for Kuoni Destination Management ? ‘Technology is always going to improve and we will always adapt to meet the needs of all clients. But no single new technology is ever going to be more powerful than the face-toface meeting. I am one hundred percent sure about that.’


contact Kuoni Destination Management Europe MICE www.kuoni-dmceurope.com dmc.globalsales@ch.kuoni.com

Austria > Vienna dmc.vie@at.kuoni.com Benelux > Amsterdam dmc.ams@nl.kuoni.com Czech Republic > Prague dmc.prg@cz.kuoni.com Denmark > Copenhagen dmc.cph@dk.kuoni.com Finland > Helsinki dmc.hel@fi.kuoni.com

France > Paris dmc.par@fr.kuoni.com > Nice dmc.nce@fr.kuoni.com > Lyon dmc.lys@fr.kuoni.com Germany > Berlin berlin@dmcgermany.de > Cologne cologne@dmcgermany.de > Frankfurt frankfurt@dmcgermany.de > Hamburg hamburg@dmcgermany.de > Munich munich@dmcgermany.de

Italy > Milan dmc.mil@it.kuoni.com > Rome dmc.rom@it.kuoni.com

UK > London dmc.lon@uk.kuoni.com

Photo credits

Spain > Barcelona dmc.bcn@es.kuoni.com > Madrid dmc.mad@es.kuoni.com Sweden > Stockholm dmc.sto@se.kuoni.com

> Special Destinations: iStock > Pilsen: Tomas Raboch > Malaga: Malaga Convention Bureau > Apulia: Grotta Palazzese Photo album: > Paris: iStock > Prague: Czech Tourism > Lapland: Visit Finland Mediabank > Holland: NBTC Mediabank > Sweden: Imagebank Sweden > Vienna: www.wien-bild.at

Switzerland > Zurich dmc.zrh@ch.kuoni.com > Geneva congress.gva@ch.kuoni.com

> UK: VisitBritain Images > Cover: iStockphoto > Green Denmark: iStock > Trends in the Industry: iStock > News: iStock / Kuoni Logo

www.kuoni-dmceurope.com


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