MIM120

e u r o p e m a g a z i n eMIM Europe Magazine, the meetings and incentives magazine for European corporate planners, in exclusive partnership with EUMA, the European Association of Management Assistants, supported by ECM, European Cities Marketing.

#120

Afgiftekantoor-Bureau de dpt: 2800 Mechelen 1Published 4 times a year: March, May, August, November Edition August 2012

interviewGarry White

ECMs NEw driviNg forCE

incentives special

GaryGrimmergainingedge

creative taiWan

Save the date!Luxembourg in BrusselsThe Luxembourg National Tourist Office is happy to invite you to discover all of the countrys MICE opportunities on the occasion of a lunch-workshop in Brussels.

When: Tuesday 9 October 2012, noon to 3PMWhere: Embassy of Luxembourg, 75, avenue de Cortenbergh, 1000 BrusselsWho: For meeting and incentives planners only Participants include: Luxembourg National Tourist Office, Luxembourg Convention Bureau, Goeres Group Luxembourg, Chteau dUrspelt, Parc Htel & Domaine Thermal, Melia Luxembourg Hotel, Park Inn by Radisson Hotel, Lgre Premium Htel Luxembourg, NH Hotel Luxembourg, New Spirit, Mediation SA.

Register on www.mimmagazine.eu > events Acceptance of attendance will be notified.

www.meetingpoint.lu www.visitluxembourg.lu

general > editorial

MIM 3

CONTENTSGeneraleuma 4KLm 9Brussels airlines 11BCD Travel 13aiBTm 15gary grimmer, gainingedge 16

cOver intervieWgarry White, eCm 6

special featureincentives 18

COLOPHON

MiM Europe Magazine sets great store by sustainable development and therefore chose responsible fsC certified paper which comes from a controlled source. More info: www.fsc.org fsC, A.C. fsC-sECr-0045

Europe, a rich incentive garden its a point i made before. As far as im concerned, Europe boasts the most exciting cities in the world, and is also

the continent with the most niche cities. And i will say more. suppose someone asks you how many cities there

are in Europe, and how many of them are in the Top 20 of the biggest cities. Tough question with many possible

answers.

first and foremost: which Europe are we talking about? within the European Commission, theres a dg regional

Policy with an interesting department that each year publishes the state of the European Cities, and often

refers to the European Atlas. A great source of information which primarily points to the difference between the

geographical area and the EU. Europe as a geographical area comprises 50 countries with more than 300 cities.

This includes the European Union with its 27 Member states (a 28th is coming in 2013: Croatia). That means there

are 27 fascinating capitals to visit (EU), supplemented with over 250 niche and emerging cities (E). All these cities

showcase an infinite sequence of personalities to discover.

if we look at the Europe of the regions, we can easily count 350, all rich regions with a rich cultural past, great

historical values and high living standards. in no other continent theres such a overwhelming variety of sights

to be found. of course, those places are not all prime incentive destinations, but lets say that roughly at least

40 countries in Europe can offer great incentive destinations, all connected by high-tech traffic routes and easily

visitable without too much red tape. Many have not really been discovered yet. Thats why i compare Europe to a

big garden where all the rich European incentive ingredients can be found. As an example, our seasoned reporter

rose Kelleher traveled through East Europe (and more!) to visit seven cities. A trip that was not even expensive.

More stories on www.mimmagazine.eu

Marcel a.M. VIssersOwner - Editor in chief

DestinatiOnsTaiwan 24meetropolis, germany 26oslo, norway 27Sarawak 29riga, Latvia 31Ljubljana, Slovenia 33zagreb, Croatia 35Canada 36efteling, the netherlands 28geneva, Switzerland 40meetopolis, Brussels 42

MIM magazine is ThE EUroPEAN MAgAziNE for ThE MEETiNgs iNdUsTry. iT is PUBlishEd 4 TiMEs A yEAr By MEETiNg MEdiA CoMPANy BvBA/sArl, wiTh A CirCUlATioN of 5000 CoPiEs.

Editor in ChiefMarcel A.M. vissersT: +32 (0)3 226 88 [email protected]

Managing DirectorCcile Caiati-KochT: +32 (0)2 761 70 [email protected]

Account Manager - International SalesKelvin luT : +32 (0)2 761 70 [email protected]

Managing Editorrmi [email protected]. +32 (0)2 761 70 58

Editorrose Kelleher

Address59, rue ren declercq B - 1150 Brussels (Belgium)T: +32 (0)2 761 70 50 f: +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.mimmagazine.eu

PublisherMeeting Media Company Marcel A.M. vissers Mechelseplein 23, bus 1B - 2000 Antwerpen (Belgium)www.MiMmagazine.eu

DesignwAllrUs grafische expedities, KortrijkT: +32 (0)56 24 94 [email protected]

PrintingCartim - destelbergen

e D i T o r i a Lin exclusive partnership with

European Management Assistants Association.

in partnership with

European City Marketing.

MIM 4

Too often when looking for meeting venues for a specific location the customers experi-ence is an uphill struggle and a lot of time elapses between the search for the location, the request for a quote and finally the reservation. The brand-new www.lastminutemeetingroom.com makes it easy for planners to find and book what they need in a blink of an eye or almost as such!

Since the end of May, on lastminute-meetingroom.com, you can obtain online and real-time availability and prices for a wide range of meeting venues in Belgium. Users can contact

suppliers to request additional infor-mation and reserve a location directly via the platform in just a couple of minutes.

The aim of the website is quite easy: to increase the meeting sectors accessibility by communicating to the meeting planner the online avail-ability, for the next sixty days, of all meeting venues in the network. Prices, discounts, exclusive special offers as well as information concerning all the meetings venues relevant infrastruc-ture (Wi-Fi, parking, hotel rooms, etc.) are included. Requests for quotes can be immediately sent to suppliers, which offer a wide range of locations, from meeting and conference centres and hotels, golf clubs, castles, farms to well-hidden gems located throughout the country.

Various meeting venues belonging to large hotel chains such as Starwood Hotels, Radisson Blu, Dolce Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Thon Hotels, Best Western, NH, Prem and Ramada have already joined the network.

Its safe to say this service is unique in Europe, if not globally. The novelty also lies in the fact that reserva-tions are made in real time, so not fear of unavailability or last-minute cancellation. And the website, with such a good start, wont rest on its laurels: its managers are already focusing on growth in the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and England, looking to expand the number of loca-tions in the near future.

EUMA, partners with new platform for booking European venues in real time

MIM 5

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

Thierry Vermeiren, Managing Director of E-Hospitality, says: Up-to-date informa-tion on a performant platform means that it is easier than ever to reserve your ideal meeting venue. Our professional and experienced staff are at hand to provide support to suppliers and their customers by offering a range of training courses, so they can get the most out of the platform, and a call centre that helps customers in three languages (Dutch, French and English) on working days between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.

Especially for EUMABy combining the two platforms, EUMA will be able to present as first on the market the online booking & request tool for meetings, on the website www.euma.org It will allow EUMA members to book and request meet-ings online at special conditions. The

rollout saw the light of day at the end of August 2012 and significantly helped all the EUMA members with precise view on availability of meeting rooms, prices, special discounts and take advantage of the special EUMA conditions.

Only EUMA members and their respective companies can take advantage of the special discounts and need to be registered through the website of www.lastminutemeetingroom.com. More [email protected]

EUMAEUropean Management Assistants, EUMA, is the only Europe-wide quality network of top management assistants who focus on their self-development and professional evolu-tion, 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 man-agement assistants, employers and educators to promote an understand-ing of the training, experience and career opportunities necessary for the development of its members. EUMA promotes an image of the manage-ment 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.

REMINDER

EUMA iN iCElANdThe EUMA Autumn Council and Conference will take place at the Hilton Reykjavik Nordical Hotel 25-29 September 2012.

+ TUESDAy 25Th-26Th SEPTEMbER PrE-CoNfErENCE ToUrs

+ ThURSDAy 27Th SEPTEMbER CoUNCil MEETiNgs for CoUNCil MEMBErs PrE-CoNfErENCE ToUrs wElCoME rECEPTioN

+ FRIDAy 28Th SEPTEMbER EUMA CoNfErENCE CoNfErENCE diNNEr AT ThE lAvA

rEsTAUrANT AT ThE BlUE lAgooN

+ SATURDAy 29Th SEPTEMbER EUMA ANNUAl gENErAl MEETiNg PosT-CoNfErENCE ToUrs

REgISTRATIoN AT www.EUMA.oRg.

Reykjavik

The aim of the website is quite easy: to increase the meeting sectors accessibility by communicating to the meeting planner the online availability, for the next sixty days, of all meeting venues in the network

MIM 6

with the new partnership that MiM Europe has formed with European Cities Marketing, we could not but interview ECMs CEo garry white. here garry tells us what he has up his sleeves for his organization and how it can work hand in hand with the meetings industry.

MIM Europe: whats your background? Garry White: I have worked in destina-tion marketing for 25 years and most of that time on international assign-ments for VisitBritain based in several European cities (London, Manchester, Frankfurt, Berlin, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki!) and also held positions in New York and latterly in Singapore where I managed 10 countries in Asia Pacific Middle East and Africa. I have been a visiting professor to tourism for many years linked to Strathclyde University in Glasgow. My wife is Finnish and I was born in London. Our 9 year old son is not quite sure where he is from due to the international migration above but has settled on

being Finnish! We now live in Lyon, FranceNow you are probably confused: Euro/International probably sums it up!

MIM Europe: why have you accepted the position of CEo of ECM?Garry White: My previous position was Director for Visit Britains global network, strategy and global competi-tiveness based in Singapore. After a period of analyzing markets I had reached a pretty important conclu-sion that national approaches are not always the most effective way to reach todays buyers and consumers especially in BRICS markets. China for example sees Europe more as an idea than a set of countries. And they are interested in cities not countries. European Cities Marketing is therefore the right proposition looking forward. I gave a keynote presentation for ECM in Bilbao in November 2011 on this theme and was instantly impressed by the associa-tion and how they worked together and cooperated. It was a bit of love at first sight and I could see masses of potential. It was a bit of a meeting of minds I suppose and I felt this was an excellent opportunity to work with

some of the most important players in European inbound tourism.

MIM Europe: you only have been appointed quite recently - do you have already established a business plan?Garry White: Yes, I developed a new strategy for ECM in the first three months and it is based on three underlying principles: a) we need to ensure that all of our members are clear about the value proposition from being a member b) that the basic principle that holds ECM together is the city and that this is something totally unique to ECM c) we need to build in strategic competitiveness to ensure that our knowledge exchange is relevant and focused on top priori-ties. Additionally, the association has a key role to play in making the case for urban based tourism through channels like the politicians forum and providing excellent research, insight, forecasting and bench-marking tools. It also needs to deliver on issues that are relevant for the meetings industry which is a critical part of the association.

Garry White eCms new driving force

Garry White

MIM 7MIM 7

MIM Europe: we have noticed that some countries are very well rep-resented among your members, whereas others are less, like UK and germany. Do you know why?Garry White: I would say it is definitely not due to lack of interest! The chal-lenge is to make more cities aware of what we do and what we offer. We need to communicate this a little better than perhaps we have done. The new strategy makes it very clear what the USP of ECM is and I strongly believe that we are going to attract new members - in fact I have some new applications already on my desk. We have a conference in Biarritz in November with the theme integrated city marketing and we will run a special debate on UK Cities which will bring interest from new partners over there. In the case of Germany, Italy, France and other markets we should also consider to communicate more in local languages rather than assuming that everything can be done all the time in English. Our new member-ship prospectus that I am currently developing will be multi-language for example.

MIM Europe: Convention bureaus had before their own association, EFCT. They merged with ECM and we no longer heard from them. Now heike Mahmoud, as vice president of ECM, is putting in a lot of effort to give them the visibility they deserve, and the convention bureaus feel again more recognizedGarry White: Heike is an absolute star and we are blessed to have her as the ECM Vice president on the meetings and conventions side. EFCT was merged to create ECM and we have now successfully built a new platform based on trust and based on the principle that what makes a city successful is a the notion of everyone in the city sells the city and this

includes the critical role of the meet-ings and conventions industry and the leisure industry.

We recognize that these different industries need different tools and resources but we equally recognize that the two industries need each other to make a city successful. There is a real benefit from being aligned in terms of strategies. Part of the way forward however has been to

recognize that the meetings industry also needs its own platform within ECM too, so we created a meetings industry steering group chaired by Heike and the meetings industry members have their own forum and best practice exchange. Our surveys show that the meetings industry partners are extremely satisfied with this new direction

MIM Europe: The ECM summer school has garnered quite some reputation. Do you have any projects for further development of it?Garry White: I am very excited about the ECM summer school which is now heading for its 26th birthday in

Dubrovnik August 25-29th 2012. The faculty is excellent and totally dedicated and I will lend it my full support going forward. This is an excellent product and it contributes a lot to the success of the meet-ings industry generally producing 60 graduates every year many of whom have gone on to become future leaders and this is what it is all about - building future success for the meetings industry. We are currently considering an exciting expansion of the summer school programme and the details should be launched within a few months.China for example sees

europe more as an idea than a set of countries. and they are interested in cities not countries

European Cities Marketing

About ECM

European Cities Marketing improves the competitiveness and performance if leading cities of Europe by providing a platform for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange knowledge, best practice and widen their network to build new business.

European Cities Marketing is promoting and linking the interests of more than 120 members from more than 100 major cities in 32 countries.

More info Flavie [email protected]+33 380 56 02 00

Biarritz, France

the pulse of the meetings industry.

Publication: Headquarters (MIM) Size: 210 x 270mm Job#:773-2129 Run Date: September 2012 Dana Communications 609.466.9187

In just weeks, the largest meetings industry trade show in the U.S. returns to Las Vegas, and thousands of key industry players will be there. Plan to be in the heart of the event that sets the pace for business, networking and educationand come early for Smart Monday, powered by MPI, on October 8. Register NOW at IMEXAMERICA.COM.

DONT MISS THIS POWER-PACKED EVENT register now!

imexamerica.com

best

inter

national launch show

MIM 9

THE BENEFITS OF THE LE SALON PACKAGE:

Conditions of sale:

A PRIVATE SPACE OFFERING A TOTALLY CONFIDENTIAL MEETING PLACE TRAVELLING AT 300KM/H

EXPERIENCE LE SALON

LE SALON

The Salon oers a completely new kind of private space for high-speed working meetings. With four luxurious seats around a set around a full-size meeting table, designer coat racks, electrical sockets for every chair and free WiFi* make the Salon a full-fledged work space.

Priority Checking and services, to optimize your time on-board High reactive on-board sta at your service 4 leather armchairs for enhanced comfort A meeting table allowing you to work in the very best conditions The possibility of taking other trains on the day, free of charge**

On sale up to two days prior to departure Only available in Comfort 1 Full 4-person space to be reserved in its entirety Available on all routes (except for domestic routes and routes of less than 50 minutes duration)

After-sale conditions: Unlimited exchange before departure and up to one hour

afterwards at the Thalys departure station (subject to presentation of all tickets)

100% refundable before departure and up to one hour afterwards at the Thalys departure station and 50% refundable beyond this.

THALYS.COM

* Providing the technical service is available. Service supplied by 21Net and activated by Nokia Siemens Networks.** No guarantee of a seat or services in Comfort 1.

Thalys oers you all the services available at Comfort 1: meals served at your seat, free WiFi, international newspa-pers and the taxi reservation service. Travelling from A to Paris, Amsterdam or Cologne? Meetings on board with Thalys and Le Salon are no problem at all.

C

M

J

CM

MJ

CJ

CMJ

N

THAGAO120827-01_AdLeSalon_A4_02_HD.pdf 1 29/08/12 10:32

www.ot-montpellier.fr

MontpellierTHE place to go for business

Zen

Colorful

Design

Office de

Tou

rism

e de

Mon

tpellie

r @ Ville de

Mon

tpellie

r, Ana

tome, Ccil Mathieu

- Avril 2012

MIM 11

choose more comfort The Economy Comfort Zone offers up to 10 cm of extra legroom and up to double the reclining angle. Whats more, the zone is located in the front of the aircraft, so upon arrival you will be among the first passengers to exit the aircraft. The service in the Economy Comfort zone is the same as in Economy Class.

arrange your seat online, at the airport, or via your travel agentReserve your seat in Economy Comfort as from 90 days and until 48 hours before departure at www.klm.be via the Manage my Booking tool. From 30 hours before departure you can reserve extra comfort-able seats when checking in online and at the self-service machines at the airport. Since November, Travel agencies can also reserve Economy Comfort.

The price for a seat in the Economy Comfort zone ranges between 60 and 150 per one way, depending on the duration of the flight. Flying Blue Platinum member or customers travel-ling on a fully flexible Economy ticket, get a seat in the Economy Comfort

zone free of charge. Flying Blue Gold members and SkyTeam Elite Plus members receive a 50% discount. Flying Blue Silver members pay 25% less.

KlM Meet & seatKLM Meet & Seat is a new KLM service, the first of its kind. With Meet & Seat you can find out who will be seated next to you. KLM Meet & Seat lets you find about interesting people who will be on board your KLM flight such as other passengers attending the same event as you at your destination. How does it work? Simply share your Facebook or LinkedIn profile through Manage my Booking on the KLM site.

Next, check other passengers profile details and where theyll be sitting. Meet & Seat is available until 48 hours before departure, for passengers on all intercontinental KLM flights to and from Amsterdam and for Business Class passengers on KLM flights within Europe.

www.klm.be

KlM offers the Economy Comfort zone on intercontinental routes. when traveling in the EconomyComfort zone, you enjoy a seat located in the front of the Economy Class cabin offering up to 89 cmlegroom and double recline.

More comfort with KLMs Economy Comfort

general > KlM

KLm meet & Seat is a new KLm service, the first of its kind. With meet & Seat you can find out who will be seated next to you

experience and moreBrussels Airlines has more than 80 years of interna-tional aviation experience. Furthermore, the airline has been partly-owned by Lufthansa since June 2009, and has been a member of Star Alliance, a leading global airline alliance, since December of the same year. In a world where cross-border meetings are commonplace

and where travel has become easy but can be complicated all the same, Brussels airlines Official carrier programme is the perfect solu-tion for when a meeting or convention will take place either in Brussels or in one of the airlines African destinations.

Participants can book their tickets via our website, call centre or a dedi-cated travel agency. Discount levels vary according to different factors: number of participants, class and period of travel, etc. Needless to say the organiser will be entitled to a few benefits!

Meetings with a plusWhen it comes to international busi-ness meetings, as a member of Star Alliance, Brussels Airlines offers several

advantages. Star Alliance Meetings Plus is designed to meet the needs of all companies, meeting planners and incentive agencies that need to organise gatherings with participants from different countries.

Organisers will gain access to the entire Star Alliance network and discounted fares through just one point of contact for all their travel needs. In addition, all participants will be entitled to a 10%-20% discount on economy and business class fares, and will book their tickets via a dedicated travel agency.

Meetings Plus can be used for meetings of 50 or more people, from at least 3 countries, with a minimum lead time of 60 days.

A similar Star Alliance package exists for conventions. To qualify for a Star Alliance Conventions Plus agreement, the event must have at least 500 delegates, from at least 3 countries and 2 continents, with a minimum lead time of 6 months and maximum 3 years.

Your contactanju Bye HUrreeKey account Manager MIce+32 2 723 87 [email protected]/conventions

Brussels Airlines in new York Brussels Airlines flies daily between Brussels and New York. On board the New York flights, as well as enjoying the airlines Belgian hospitality and gastronomy, youll get to experience their new state of the art in-flight product. Business Class offers full-flat seats voted as one of the top in the world by Global Traveller, while all passengers will enjoy the latest individual entertainment technology with over 100 hours of entertainment and individual touchscreen monitors. All long-haul flights, including to Africa, will gradually boast this new premium experience.

getting to know brussels Airlines and its offersBrussels Airlines, the Belgian flag carrier, offers a wide choice of flights to and from its base in Brussels Airport, connecting the capital of Europe to more than 60 major European, African and American airports.

general > airline

general > BCd Travel

BCD Travel is active in more than just the business travel industry. We organize thousands of meetings and incentives every year for our customers. When it comes to MICE, were one of the market leaders. In the Benelux alone more than 60 BCD-employees are organizing MICE.

A few of our strengths are our global network consisting of our own offices in over 90 countries combined with the assistance of the best management companies with which we have been working for years, says Diederik Banken.

As specialists, BCD Travel can see trend changes. Over the past few years, we have noticed a shift in attention from companies. After companies have well arranged their travel management, they are now looking for ways to generate savings on meeting management. Our

research shows that huge savings can be achieved in this area. And that is what our clients ask us to do.

Helpful in that area is the concept Low Cost Meetings, introduced by BCD Travel. It allows companies to organize in a fast, easy and affordable way meetings at external locations. Thanks to our well-developed network we have preselected meeting rooms in a number of cities, says Diederik Banken. With this new program clients can book a meeting very fast and for a very low price.

Companies keep on looking for ways to save money. And thats bringing the worlds of meetings and busi-ness travel closer together, says Diederik Banken, VP Commercial in The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg for BCD Travel.

bCD TravelWhen business travel and organizing meetings meet

Diederik Banken

F R A N C E

ANGERS LOIRE VALLEY CONVENTION BUREAU

MIM 15

General > fairs

On the one handFor the second time, Baltimore hosted the AIBTM show in June this year. The first day of the event had a lot of success as usual: educational days are clearly in demand by the corporate and association planners. As for the matter, this explains why AIBTM had increased the number of partnerships with top industry associations such as PCMA, ICCA, ACTE, MPI. The sessions were attended in large numbers and got positive feedback from the participants. Baltimore also hosted a very nice welcome evening party.

On the otherLike last year, the fair itself had a great deal of US exhibitors, but we noticed the brass top of them had preferred to send their representa-tives based in New York and did not attend the show themselves. Also, in comparison to last year, the European delegations were not as visible. This clearly benefited some exhibitors,

who welcomed the visitors with open arms as competition was not as tough.

conclusion: Moving on to chicago and OrlandoIs this the reason why AIBTM has decided to leave Baltimore from 2013 on? Not according to Craig Moyes, Portfolio Director of the IBTM Global Events Portfolio for Reed Travel Exhibitions, who says: Following the lead of many associations in the US that move their events to a different place each year, we will now have the flexibility to maximize the enormous potential delivered to AIBTM by both Chicago and Orlando. He expects that Chicago will attract huge numbers of business visitors the city boasts more than 35,000 hotel rooms in the downtown central business district, as well as world-class cultural attractions, and is served by two international airports.

Orlando is also one of the countrys leading meetings destinations, with the award-winning facility of Orange County Convention Center (OCCC). Some 116,000 hotel rooms are avail-able in Orlando, home to countless entertainment attractions for visitors,and its international airport.

www.aibtm.com

AIbTM 2012: A Review

At this very moment meeting architecture is being combined with Viennese creativity. When will you design your meeting here?

Messe Wien

Chicago

MIM 16

general > interview

gary grimmer Meetings with many views!

MIM Europe: Can you let us know how you started your company and how it has evolved in recent years?Gary Grimmer: I ran convention bureaus for 23 years, first in the US and finally in Melbourne. Eight years ago I decided to start a consultancy, originally thinking that it would just be me and maybe a couple of associates. Weve got 12 team members now and Im in the process of forming partnerships in certain parts of the world. So, yes, it has changed some from the original idea. I also originally thought that it would be only consulting. However, as we learned more about what the industry needed, we have evolved a broader range of services. We do a lot of education and training now and also are moving into sales support, helping clients to bid for conventions.

MIM Europe: you work on all conti-nents - can you describe what, according to you, their specificities, their weaknesses and their growth possibilities are?Gary Grimmer: asia - should be the big growth story in the next two decades. China and India are the two biggest growth economies and the associa-tion world is seeking to engage in both places. Both are embryonic in terms of their meetings industries. Other parts of Asia are developing quickly. Malaysia has a new national convention bureau as an example which in my view is becoming a new model bureau for Asia. Thats important, because most of Asias bureaus are new, or have limited resources and sophistication. What Asia needs most are governments that understand the industry. Most of

their governments express support and then either do nothing or do the wrong things. However, when Asian govern-ments grow to understand the impor-tance of the industry the way Singapore does and become more focused and strategic, Asia will become a major player in the global market. south america - Enormous growth potential, but, they are new at the industry and need to develop stronger convention bureaus and more mature supplier communities. Brazil will be the obvious leader, provided that its govern-ments get their minds around why they need the meetings industry to prosper there.

The meetings industry needs people like gary grimmer. At the head of gainingEdge, a specialist firm focused on the international events industry, hes been helping setting up convention bureaus, offering consultant services on bids, organizing education sessions and way more. in fact, no matter where you go, its hard not to see the extent of garys contribution to the industry. here he tells us more about his company, the way the world has changed and where to look for growth. Gary Grimmer

MIM 17

africa - A real draw card for associations with social agendas. If Africa becomes the worlds next big outsourcing centre its economy will grow and it will draw more corporate and association meet-ings. Like South America, Africa needs convention bureaus, modern convention centres and more experienced supplier communities. It also needs stronger association communities for both social and economic reasons. In my view, South Africa will lead the charge and the rest will follow. australia - Australia has a strong economy, a strong resource base, lots of innovation and strong representation within the leadership of international associations. Those strengths have allowed it to do well despite its long haul disadvantage. Asias rise will give Australia a new challenge to overcome if it wants to remain a strong player. North america - Traditionally North America has been domestic market focused. However, as the world goes global so ultimately will North American associations. This outward focus alone wouldnt likely have a big impact on the market, but, add that to the fact that associations headquartered in Europe are rotating to other parts of the world more frequently and what you will have is fewer international association meetings happening in the US. While corporate meetings are down, the global financial crisis and its aftermath cant last forever, and one would expect a resurgence of corporate meetings in North America, despite the US govern-ments misguided negativity towards them. I would anticipate a lot of growth there overall, especially if the US leads the revival of Western economies. europe - Traditionally the most mature and international meetings market. Its clear that there have been a lot of meet-ings there recently about saving the Euro and the EU. Im an optimist about the prospects of all that, and Europe will recover as well. Again, it starts off a high base and globalization means that it will have to compete for meetings that used to be captive audiences. As Europe expands, so do the meeting options, so,

destinations in the East will begin to give traditional Western European destina-tions a run for their money. MIM Europe: we understand you just opened an office is Latin America. besides the interest of international assocations do you also foresee a growth in the meetings and incentive market on this continent?Gary Grimmer: We recently hired our first team member in Brazil. We wanted to establish ourselves in Latin America because we see it as another big growth area for the meetings industry. Brazil is booming, but, all of Latin America should see a lot of economic growth in the future. With that will come more corporate and incentive meetings as well as conventions.

MIM Europe: Do you think that sustainability will have a big impact on the future for international events?Gary Grimmer: Yes, a growing global consciousness about sustainability will affect international events just as it will every other social and economic activity. I dont think that sustainability factors will be a differentiator in terms of service providers and destinations, I think they will gradually become mandatories. In the current economic environment I think sustainability issues are more the boxes people tick after making their decisions. But, in the future I think they will begin wanting to tick the boxes before they shortlist destinations and suppliers.

MIM Europe: you mention in your corporate goal that you will spend $1 million per year in pro bono work for the industry and in the developing world. Can you give some examples?Gary Grimmer: That is part of our CSR program and we hope to be at that level within the next 4 years. We recently teamed up with IMEX to provide support to their wild card exhibitors, destinations that are usually from the developing world and have limited resources. This year they were Sendai, Japan which is still recovering from the 2011 tsunami, and El Salvador. We also provide volunteer or deeply discounted advisory and educational support to bureaus in developing countries. Were currently working on a plan to identify third world cities and countries where we can adopt bureaus and help them to do things that they otherwise could never afford to do. MIM Europe: we have published articles on emerging destinations. Serbia seems to lead the way in this area. Can you let us know how you worked them and what your advice has been?Gary Grimmer: We wrote the plan for establishing the Serbia Convention Bureau and then worked with them for three years to build it. This was all done with financial support from USAID. We helped them set up their systems, trained their staff and conducted educa-tion programs for their local industry. Serbia has come a long way and the key to their success has been their work in bringing the industry together and developing a more pro-active market approach. Theyve got some really bright young people there who are absolutely committed to the cause because they see it as socially and economically transformative for their nation.

www.gainingedge.com

general > interview

a growing global consciousness about sustainability will affect international events just as it will every other social and economic activity

special feature > subject

MIM 18

special feature > incentives

Choosing travel as a reward for an incentive campaign not only pleases participants by giving them what they desire and letting them know how much their boss appreciates them, it also creates the opportunity for the top brass to get to know the top achievers. A travel incentive reward that is implemented properly and professionally is remembered for a lifetime. heres a guide to setting goals for maximum effect of your incentive programme.

Narrow it downFirst and foremost, an incentive travel programme is a means to an end, a strategy employed by a company to achieve business goals and a motiva-tional tool. But motivation as a goal is

not terribly specific. Sure, the goal is to motivate staff... but motivate them to do what, exactly? There are a number of essential elements that form the building blocks of a successful travel programme.

Apart from solid communication, build up of anticipation and programme design, one of the most important features of a successful incentive travel programme is that the selection criteria for the reward is clearly tied to busi-ness objectives. So the most important consideration when sitting down to plan an incentive trip is what you want the incentive programme to accomplish. It might seem obvious, but unless goals are clearly defined, the programme is in danger of missing the point.The current market must also be analysed to identify how its going to affect the decisions taken at the plan-ning stage. Consider the overall business environment, world events, economic factors, the companys strengths and

weaknesses, and those of the competi-tion. Then get to work. careful consid-eration is going to have to be given to the organisations specific needs and goals. If the corporate strategic goal is to increase employee morale, combining, for example, enhancing safety efforts, improving customer service, increasing market share or any other customer-related or dealer incentive goals, its important to keep in mind that one incentive program is unlikely to address all these challenges. Instead, the list of objectives must be narrowed to your most urgent needs.

The objectivesof incentivesA guide to setting goals

CoNTENTS The objectivesof incentives . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Europes best incentive ideas on a budget . . . . 20

Game on, The Gamification of Incentives . . . . . . . . . . 22

Get gaming . . . . . . . . . . . 23

aLL TexTS By roSe KeLLeher

MIM 19


Prioritise this list and focus on the exact characteristics of the one or two most pressing needs. If, for instance, the problem is poor morale, examine why. Is it because of low salaries? Or poor communication between staff and management? By hashing out these details, a better targeted incentive programme will emerge.

The importance of being realisticIts vital to keep your objectives simple and specific so that employees can easily direct their efforts. If several goals are necessary, make sure that they are directly related and that participants understand the relationship between them. Its good to be ambitious goals, but unless those goals are achiev-able, they will only lead to disappoint-ment. Bearing in mind current market conditions and your company culture, consider the difficult questions that will help strike a balance between easy and unattainable goals. Can they be met? How hard will participants have to work

to meet them? What will happen if many participants cant meet the goals?

And last but not least, successful programmes need to be measur-able - and the activities related to their achievement must be measurable, too. Nearly everything is, so the real question here is: Which measurements are too costly or time consuming to be worthwhile?

Once your goals are focused, achieve-ment-oriented, measurable, and well timed, do a final check to ensure that they are also in line with corporate goals and company policy. Gathering observations and feedback from colleagues might help protect you from goals that are made unattainable by the realities of the workplace. Determining how long an incentive travel program will run depends on the needs of your organization. For example, if sales are sluggish, maybe a quick, quarterly incentive might prove valuable. Or if a particular new product needs dealer buy-in, then a year-long program that includes education, product promo-tion, and contests might be the most strategic approach. Seasonal, short-term programs are common in the world of consumer promotions. Establishing the optimal time frame requires analysis of an incentives objectives, bearing in mind that external market conditions will also impact a programs duration.

executives and key managers must act as hosts to reinforce the companys commitment to the reward programme. Additionally, to maximise the benefit of an incentive travel programme, the event should include: recognition of earners networking opportunities for top performers so that they can build relationships with other top performers, as well as key management collaboration between top performers and management.

NexT sTep Choosing a destination

Does the destination you choose tie in nicely with the rewards strategic goals? Experience is everything, and theres no standard solution or approach to choosing a destination. Best results are achieved when planners understand that there are ultimately two ultimate objectives: to make sure participants have a great time and that management is a seen in a good light by everyone involved.

Here are some questions to ask at the destination choosing stage:

1. Who makes up the participants? Its important to analyse the ages of the participants, and also to note whether they are couples or singles, as well as the average income of the group. You might also want to take into account their special interests and any other factors that might distinguish them.

2. What salary level are they? Entry level workers earning a modest income will probably not be motivated for an incentive trip to a 5-star golf resort and conversely, senior salespeople earning six figure incomes will probably find a 3-night budget cruise less than inspiring.

3. What do decision makers want? Your programme has to appeal to the people paying the bill, while taking into account the needs of the group. Sometimes the bosses are a totally different demographic from their participant base and might not be experts on what will work best for them.

4. Which destinations, venues and activities match the interests of the majority? Or the most important participants? Or a combination of the two? There is no perfect experience for everyone, so go for the biggest number of people and/or those who are most important to the decision makers. You can offer optional activities to meet the needs of the others.

5. Has there been a previous incentive travel programme that you should know about? Find out what works and what doesnt for this group, in as much detail as possible. Talking to participants and attendees in anonymity can yield some very valuable information to help shape planners recommendations.

6. Is there a perfect solution? Perhaps not, and you have to remind the decision makers of that. If you love historical and cultural destinations, being at an isolated beach resort wouldnt be your choice, regardless of how nice it is. If your dream incentive is playing golf, getting some outdoor sunshine and just relaxing, youll be less than satisfied with a 5-star resort in the centre of the city.

Feature

INCENTIVES

MIM 20


Europes best incentive ideas....on a budget

In this slow-growing economic environ-ment, creating extraordinary European motivational experience programmes requires imaginative planners. Its no surprise that budgets for incentives are less generous than they were, but the appetite for trips that recognise and reward is as strong as ever. Some desti-nations in Europe are more attractive than others in terms of value for money, and some of the cheapest produce exciting and affordable experiences for incentives.

European cities are made for weekend getaways, which work wonders for smaller budgets if a week in the Carribean is out of the question. Spain, Italy, England and France are the big four incentive destinations in Europe, and while these most famous

destinations tend to be pricey, you can create a stellar motivational experience that includes more or less the same set of activities in cities like Zagreb and Warsaw and spend about 20% less. The important thing to remember is experi-ence is everything. Clients want a wow factor - and these cities will do the trick.

Zagreb, croatiaCroatias capital is a focal point of culture, science, commerce and industry - and blessed with enough up-to-date amenities to make it a natural choice for incentives. This one should appeal to quite a few, partly due to Croatias reasonable climate that lasts most of the year. Zagreb is another former-East capital that didnt have much in the way of tourist infrastructure as of two decades ago, but things are moving fast, and today Zagreb is well-developed, with everything required for business events and incentive tours. The passenger port of Dubrovnik is one of the most modern in Europe, and is situated inside the city, making it ideal for shore excursions for cruise passengers.

Budget incentive idea Zagreb: Picnic at the Plitvice Lakes in the National Park with its majestic waterfalls.

prague, czech republicPrague is legendary on the budget travel scene, even though prices have crept up in the past few years. Consistently listed as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, Prague is unforgettably elegant, adding that special feel to your event. Though perhaps not the bargain it once was, its still good value for visitors. Theres infrastructure, accommodation and gastronomic facilities to cater to all kinds of motivational events, and an almost inexhaustible amount of interesting places for meetings and unforgettable dinners. Prague is a source of endless inspiration for those particularly intrigued by architecture and history.

Budget incentive idea Prague: Participants hop on a one hour boat ride and take in all the fascinating views of the city during the day or under the glittering allure of a Bohemian nighttime.

Warsaw, polandPoland is another country that is rapidly updating and improving after decades of being cut off from most travelers. Warsaw is booming as a result. This city has plenty to see and do, with a big selection of historic oases that have been meticulously reconstructed, set to a backdrop of an ultra-modern urban landscape. A lively metropolis with a green city centre, Warsaw offers a vast array of restaurants, entertainment and cultural pickings, and is also home to the largest domestic and interna-tional companies and banks operating in Poland, and an ideal spot for team building events and incentives.

Budget incentive idea Warsaw: Ask The Go Game to help you set up your own flashmob in the centre of Warsaw! Pure and simple (and low-cost) fun for everyone.

Europe is not known as a budget destination. But even if you cant go five star all the way, participants can be brought somewhere out-of-the-ordinary enough to be inspiring, motivating and memorable.

Prague

MIM 21


Budapest, HungaryBudapest is a diverse city with stun-ning architecture and over a thousand years of history lining the banks of the river Danube. It also has a number of stunning historic buildings, castles and palaces available for rent. Budapest seems to be picking up where Prague left off ten years ago in terms of value for money, and it might be wise to organise your incentives here before prices begin to reflect its real value. At the moment, the city remains very good value, and great deals can be found on everything from hotels, restaurants, museums and attractions, to unique local tours and thermal baths.

Budget incentive idea Budapest: Spend an hour or three in one of Budapests amazing thermal spas, theyre cheap as chips!

Bucharest, romaniaBucharest is quite cheap because Romania is not the most advanced European country when it comes to developing infrastructure to suit the pampered tastes of Western visitors and expats. The city is big enough to feature a variety of options, but still not the favourite city of too many people (yet). Known for its wide, tree-lined boulevards, glorious Belle poque buildings and a reputation for the high life, Bucharest is a bustling metropolis. Famous for its medieval towns, monasteries and the spa resorts of the Carpathian Mountains and Black Sea, Romania is taking its place as a major European meeting and incentives destination.

Budget incentive idea Bucharest: Organise a scavenger hunt or volleyball game on one of Romanias fabulous Black Sea beaches.

Krakow, polandThe second-largest city in Poland and its most beautiful, Polands best tourist city is even cheaper than Warsaw, so dont wait too long to plan an incentive trip. The tourist district around the main square is filled with good and cheap hotels and restaurants, so competition is as high as quality Kracow is a treasure trove, and it can largely be explored by foot - there is no need to plunge yourself into a world of underground trains or buses, if your participants dont want. There is a wide range of resources for meetings and incentives, with heaps of smaller hotels located in historical buildings with intimate spaces for groups.

Budget incentive idea Krakow: A pub crawl around Krakows legendary and inexpensive pub trail.

sofia, BulgariaBulgaria stands at the edge of the former East and is becoming popular with tourists. Its also the cheapest country on the list. Still building its tourist infrastructure, Sofia is a good gateway to other parts of Bulgaria, and a rapidly emerging destination for incentive and meeting planners who are just discovering this still little known European secret. Sofia is thought to be one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded thousands of years ago, and today it tells stories of ancient times whose remnants can still be seen today.

Budget incentive idea Sofia: Follow the free, two-hour walking tour led by a local tourism volunteer NGO that sets off twice daily from in front of the Palace of Justice.

some tips for cheaper trips + Set up a low-budget scavenger hunt, lucky partici-pants can duck behind rocks, trees, and shrubbery, or sports games in nice spots;

+ get involved in projects that benefit a community (and benefit CSr);

+ ask hotels and venues what they can throw in for no cost. youd be surprised what they will come up with;

+ Candlelight with meals makes any event special, a special effect that doesnt cost much;

+ a signature drink at the bar creates an elegant feel for no extra cash;

+ Some wineries will donate wine for exposure and may lend their services to a wine tasting during the cocktail reception - a good icebreaker, too;

+ get your participants to familiarise themselves with the citys public transportation system, and make using it part of the experience.

cheapest 5-star hotels in europeIf youre not ready for a hostel or B&B, the

following have been listed as Europes cheapest

cities for 5-star hotels (number of hotels in

parenthesis - updated May 2012)

+ Budapest, Hungary (23)

+ Istanbul, Turkey (78)

+ Sofia, Bulgaria (9)

+ Krakow, Poland (10)

+ Athens, Greece (35)

+ Riga, Latvia (9)

+ Bucharest, Romania (13)

+ Barcelona, Spain (33)

+ Warsaw, Poland (12)

+ Berlin, Germany (29)

Alexandr Nevski Cathedral, Sofia Bucharest Krakow Warsaw

MIM 22


game onThe gamification of incentives

One of the popular trends in rewards and incentives has been to make it a game. Its known as gamification, and its turning out to be an effective way to turn a flagging programme into one that

employees participate in eagerly and talk about all year long. The term gami-fication is used to describe the adoption of game-play elements from online social games like FarmVille or the online virtual world Second Life for business applications, and is expected to be the new big trend in the design of incentive travel and loyalty programmes.

But gamification isnt really anything new. It has been around for a long time in the form of leaderboards and frequent flyer points and the like, and all it means is taking elements of game-like experiences and applying them to a business setting. Its now being applied to meetings and incentives, weaving the mechanics and science of computer games into employee engagement in

order to drive participation, attention, and social interaction.

Games tend to have a fixed set of objectives, participants, timeframes, and outcomes, and its something that lies deep at the heart of the science of what drives behaviour. Adding gaming elements to an incentive programme incorporates more interest, fun, and reward, and can be a way to get people engaged and energised, to build processes that give people more motiva-tion. It also encourages networking and encourages people to pay attention attention during educational sessions.

looking at past incentive travel programmes, planners might ask themselves how successful they were. did employees talk about it for the rest of the year? if the answer to this question is no, it might be time to re-evaluate, because incentive programmes that employees are not excited about are programmes that are not effective.

MIM 23


get gamingIn real terms, gamifying a meeting could mean including, for example, a smartphone-based scavenger hunt as an icebreaker or a trivia game as a learning tool. Concepts such as earning points and reaching certain levels, which are part of many programmes, can be expanded to guide employees relation-ships with their companies. Virtual badges or other symbols allow them to share their achievements socially, and leader boards tap into their drive for competition. Its important to ensure that the connection to the overall business strategy is maintained. As with all employee engagement efforts, a strategy using gamification must be well thought out and meaningful in order to succeed. Another key to success is to always make the programme specific to a companys values and the activi-ties that drive individual and company success. It should also relate to how employees interact with each other on- and offline.

Meetings technology watchdog Corbin Ball points to how gaming is increasingly going to come into play in the meetings and incentives environment. People spend more than three billion hours a week globally playing online games, he says, adding how gaming can make a better world by deeply engaging people and by encouraging collaboration and cooperation. To facilitate group interac-tion, Corbin recommends using a MUVE (multi-user virtual environment space) such as Second Life www.secondlife.com so that attendees take the form of avatars can interact and learn from each other. Creating a programme that works and gets participants excited and working hard to win is a bonus for the company and the employees.

So, how do you gamify your rewards programme? New technologies like smart-phones and tablets are making it easy, by providing a new channel of communication for participants to share and get involved in the programme. Learning how to use social gaming apps like FourSquare and SCVNGR to integrate simple gaming concepts into mobile app or website can enhance the overall experience. But there are specialists out there who can help you if technology isnt your thing. Find a game developer, tell them what you want, and let them take care of the rest. Otherwise, have a look at these popular game based platforms that can be easily incorporated into your incentive strategy:

ISW, a partner of IBM, has introduced Kudos Badges and specifically Kudos Thanks, a peer to peer and team recognition tool for IBM Connections, which includes leader-boards, badges, experience points and achievement levels. Kudos Badges enables organisations to implement rewards and recognition that are tied to their organisa-tions and individuals performance objec-tives. Kudos Thanks allows management to provide real time feedback and to publicly acknowledge great work quickly and easily. The recognition is visible on the persons profile so that peers and colleagues can see and recognise the value that is placed on a persons work.

Xerox are also using game mechanics in a variety of ways, including training. With their stepping Up application, the user must apply learned skills in on-the-job activities called Quests, which can be conducted with other gamers, driving social interaction. samsung Nation, powered by Badgeville, is a loyalty program offered on Samsung.com that includes gamification features such as leaderboards and missions, a gaming feature useful in business environments, and

is used to guide users through multiple activities to complete specific actions. With SessionM, users can unlock achieve-ments tied to activities and engagement milestones. Users also can also unlock achievements by choosing to engage with immersive video and rich media ads, collecting points for their achievements.

The eprize social loyalty platform on Facebook enables management to reward employees on Facebook for things theyre already doing, creating ongoing engage-ment and longer-term loyalty, while Gigya provides websites with end-to-end social infrastructure. On the front end, Gigyas Social Plugins and Social Gamification products create a Facebook-like social experience to drive engagement, while on the back end, Gigyas Social Identity Management Platform allows businesses to access and manage social data. Users can accrue points and badges and earn rankings.

As Adam Brown of IBM says of Kudos Badges: The important thing about gamifi-cation to remember is that it isnt about the game but rather the business outcome that you are aiming to achieve. These things are all powerful motivators but at the end of the day they are simply tools or mechanics that we use to help our users get to the outcome the busi-ness wants.one of the popular

trends in rewards and incentives has been to make it a game

destination > subject

MIM 24MIM 24

special destination > Taiwan

A few years ago, Taiwan developed a daring MICE advancement program, under the impulse of the Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT). A lot was accomplished in attracting associa-tion congresses but the numbers of incentives participants didnt grow at the same pace. This has definitely changed. In April this year, for the first time, a creative indoor and outdoor teambuilding program was presented to the international press. Taipei City, New Taipei City and Yilan County were finally in the incentive spotlight!

Taipeis creativity of incentive travel events You can learn a lot in Taipei in five days, especially when the programme is organised by MEET TAIWAN. What drew the most compliments from myself and my colleagues was the tour package jointly launched by Volando Urai Spring SPA Resort and Milingan Musical Theater. Other

interesting activities included a martial arts course designed by the XueXue Institute and a culinary workshop I sincerely recommend. Outside of Taipei, Yilan County got all our attention. Many intriguing events and experiences, such as tea picking and a visit to the National Centre for Traditional Arts, were introduced. And the Taiwanese cuisine is abso-lutely mouth-watering. Each and every dinner was superb!

So, that was about it for the appe-tiser. But what else did MEET TAIWAN have up their sleeves?

songshan culture and creative parkThose who visit Taipei for the first time cant take their eyes off of the worlds second tallest building: Taipei 101. Wherever you go or stand, you can see the tower showing off like a slender bamboo stem.

But the best way to compare the old and the new Taipei is a visit to the Songshan Culture and Creative Park in the Xinyi District. It is an old tobacco factory dating from the time of the Japanese occupation, which has now been almost completely restored. Here, you can find Japanese secession office buildings, factories with bright and wide corridors, warehouses with platforms and conveyor belts and boiler rooms with tall chimneys. Besides all these historic monuments, you can also find pleasing, luxurious gardens creating a step-back-in-time atmosphere. A tall grand multi-showcase hall (formerly the basketball court) provides a site with a unique atmosphere suitable for proms, balls or exhibitions. The exotic baroque gardens are perfect for cock-tail parties and press conferences.

Taiwan in the running for incentivessome people say there are no new incentive destinations and that everything has already been dis-covered. sure, theres a little truth in it. But remember: the world is a big place, especially Asia Pacific. Taipei City, New Taipei City and yilan County waited for years to showcase themselves as attractive incentive destinations. Now they are ready.REPORT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS

Eating in the forestBaroque Garden, Songshan Culture and Creative Park

MIM 25

special destination > Taiwan

Volando Urai spring spa resortA popular hit for Taipei is without a doubt the teambuilding programme in the woods of Wulai. The starting point is the idyllically located spa-hotel Volanda Urai. In the morning, guests can experience the traditional Atayal hunting ceremony and learn some bush survival skills. The group can also learn more about how the aboriginal people use plants of the mountain forests to create living utensils and how different tribe members cooperate in gathering firewood, starting fires, and cooking meals. In the evening, the guests usually leave the mountains to enjoy a performance by Milingan Musical Theater at the hotel. Its a particularly beautiful show combining music, dance and singing in a remarkable venue.

specialty Venues and 5-star Hotels to receive MIce GroupsIncentive organizers always inquire about special venues in Taipei City and five-star hotels.

As for the five-star hotels, there are The Grand Formosa Regent, the W Hotel, The Grand Hotel and Palais de Chine Hotel, each with its own unique characteristics. Since Taipei is also renowned as a gourmet capital, culinary reviewer Hu Tien-lan can be invited to teach a class on Taiwanese spring rolls and dumplings to a group. A very special dinner can also be arranged at the popular no menu restaurant Formosa Pearl. Incentive guests will be impressed by the culinary concepts of from place of origin to the dining table and dining on seasonal ingredients.

A venue capturing the attention of all visitors is also the Xue Xue Institute. Its a 10-storey private building owned by a Taiwanese couple. There are 27 classrooms and cosy areas full of surprising architecture, art, fashion and cuisine (it also holds a fully equipped kitchen for cooking lessons).

contactMeeT [email protected]

City of YilanLife outside Taipei is unusually surprising: lush

green landscapes, winding rivers and colourful

homes, its more than worth a visit. The town

of Yilan is exceptional, with mountains on three

sides. Yilan is nicknamed the green county

of Taiwan. Being the birthplace of Taiwanese

opera and all kinds of traditional arts, Yilan is

considered the best off-site destination for a

post-event tour. One of the main activities is a

Tea appreciation at a local tea farmer and visit

to the Centre for Traditional Arts.

Milingan Musical Theater, Volando Urai Spring Spa Resort Yilans rice field

Hsu Tse-hui

CustoMICEd Conventions

KLNDSSELDORF For custoMICEd conventions on the Rhine. Perfect access thanks to two international airports and an outstanding meeting infrastructure combined with a cheerful Rhineland welcome thats what makes KLNDSSELDORF such a special venue for your event. Well be happy to assist you with your wishes and ideas.

Come and meet our Meetropolis team at the IMEX America at Booth 424-35. We custoMICE your meeting.

www.meetropolis.de

Five good reAsons For The MeeTropolis

+ The central location with an outstanding infrastructure guarantees maximum accessibility and mobility for journey and stay.

+ concentrated experience of conventions, know-how, a wide variety of venues plus quality of service establish the basis for stress-free success.

+ Various synergies offering excellent scientific and research skills in the region provide an extra edge, interested parties and speakers for your topic.

+ The proximity to German and international business ensures inspiration, insight, audiences and valuable multipliers.

+ The rhineland embodies a piece of Germany's traditional and modern culture, and its people with their cordial mentality turn it into a unique experience.

destination > Meetropolis

KLNDSSELDoRFThe Meetropolis:we custoMiCE your meeting

Two metropolises, one experience, The Meetropolis: discover this unique destination for your successful convention.

With their concept KLNDSSELDORF - The Meetropolis, the Rhine River metropolises have been awarded project support from the European Union and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia designed to further strengthen MICE business. The two diverse metropolises on the Rhine have bundled their attractive offers and will market themselves even more strongly on the international market as a congress destination region: Come and visit us at the IMEX America in Las

Vegas on October 9-11, 2012.The Meetropolis offers the best conditions for your successful MICE activities!

COLOGNE & DSSELDORF. THE MEETROPOLIS IS WAITING FOR YOU.

contactVerena [email protected]

destination > oslo

OSLOA city fOr ALL SeASOnS And ALL OccASiOnS

VisitOSLO Convention Bureau - [email protected] - www.visitoslo.com/meetings

Nanc

y Bu

ndt

Vige

land

-mus

eet/B

ONO-

Chris

toph

er H

agel

und,

Skr

ik, E

dvar

d M

unch

191

0

Mun

ch-m

usee

t/Mun

ch-E

lling

sen

Grup

pen/

BONO

201

1

The M&I Forum Europe Spring 2012 in osloThe M&i forum Europe spring 2012 was recently organised in oslo, Norway. A total of 450 delegates - buyers and suppliers - met in the Norwegian capital during 5 intense days.

The workshop itself took place in the Oslo Congress Centre, located right in middle of the city. Its prime location allowed the participants to walk to and from their hotels and they left green footprints all over town. In addition to the workshop, the programme was filled with fun activities and gala dinners, including a Come as your favourite Star- party at the Norway Convention Centre.

An event like this takes a lot of work says Ann Schumacher, from VisitOSLO, the bureau responsible for the event. But when the result is good, we are all happy. And when also the organisers,

WorldWide Events were pleased, we cannot ask for more she concludes.

This was a great branding opportunity for Oslo, says convention Director Anne Rdven. Only around 5% of the partici-pants had come to Oslo before. And she continues And above all, this was a great team building exercise for the citys meetings industry. All the involved part-ners did their upmost to make this the success it turned out to be.

Will you do it again? Yes, definitely - but maybe not just yet conclude convention bureaus Ann and Anne, both of them with a smile. M&I Forum Europe Spring 2012

MIM 29

special destination > sarawak

Three incentive ideas in Sarawak The largest of 13 states in Malaysia, sarawak covers stretches over 750km of the northeast Borneo. definitley unique thanks to significant differences in culture, administration and lifestyle from those in Peninsular Malaysia, its also renowned for its abundance in natural resources and outstanding scenery. No wonder exceptional incentives have pride of place there. here are three examples.

rhythms of the rainforestFrom humble beginnings over 10 years ago, the Rainforest World Music Festival has earned international acclaim and recognition for blending the best of world music with a gig in the jungles of Borneo. For two days and three nights, world-class musicians from four continents play to their hearts content to an international audience at the Sarawak Culturally Village (SCV). There you can sway to the rhythm in the midst of a floodlit rainforest setting during the concerts at night. Fancy a private concert? Arrangements can be made for the visiting musicians to perform for your group, or conduct a special workshop just for your guests. Groups can stay in any of three international beach resorts in the area.

amazing race: Kuih gone wild!Set in the rustic surroundings of the Sarawak Cultural Village (SCV) - Sarawaks living museum, delegates are divided into teams where each will be given a clue that will lead them to a set of tasks at hand. Just as the name suggests, teams will be required to visit 4-5 tradi-tional houses within the Cultural Village to recreate the traditional biscuits and cakes, also known as kuih. The SCV staff will first show the teams how to make the kuih, and after that, will take over and proceed to try their hand at making these traditional delicacies to the staffs approval. Once theyve finished visiting the 4-5 traditional houses, the teams will assemble in the general event hall to decorate their tray of kuih. Winners will be judged on their creativity, the taste and presentation of their kuih and the time it took them to complete the race.

The survivor- sarawak styleCome join the tribe in this Survivor themed dinner by the beach. Guests are welcomed with garlands by torch-bearers dressed in native costumes. To ensure guests are dressed according to theme, organisers will be provided with sarongs and native headgear suitable to survive the night. The evening kicks off with a procession to the bonfire where the tribal chief will conduct a welcoming ceremony before the BBQ feast begins. After dinner, let the games begin! Traditional games are played to foster camaraderie amongst guests while local entertainers provide an ambient atmosphere of traditional music and dance. You can even join in the performers in a traditional dance sequence. So, what are you waiting for?

contactsarawak convention Bureau+6 082 242 [email protected]

The SurvivorAmazing Race - Kuih gone wild

MIM 31

There are many ways to discover and rediscover the Latvian capital. If youre into culture, history or even ballet, Riga has plenty to offer.

Opera Backstage TourA unique opportunity to see the operas beautiful stage decorations up close and watch the singers and ballet dancers rehearse on stage. End the tour with a champagne reception and private recital in the opera houses White Hall.

Take a peek into rigas pastTaking a peek into the historical lifestyle of wealthy 17th century Rigans is much easier than you think. You just need to make a quick call to the Mencendorf House and you will be guided on a tour of this historical building. At the end, you will enjoy a feast of pancakes cooked with an original 17th century recipe.

Underground Medieval Feast in the Old cityExperience a medieval celebration and enjoy the pleasures of a sumptuous feast. You can taste specialties from the kitchens of various medieval castles, such as the deer ragout prepared exclusively for Queen Blanche of Navarre, or the rabbit meat stew borrowed from the menu of her majesty Isabella of Bavaria.

spy GamesUp until only recently, the streets of Riga were filled with secret service and KGB agents. They searched the city for spies, whom they locked up in the basement of the notorious Corner House in central Riga. Become on of them and challenge your colleagues!

But Riga is not the only place where you can organize fun incentives. Just outside of the city, there are also a few options worth considering.

Fly like a Bird at the aerodium (in sigulda)The Aerodium is a vertical wind tunnel where visitors are suspended on a gust of air blowing upwards at a speed of 180-200 km/h. You can fly like a bird, held up in midair by the wind blowing from below.

amber Hunting (on the seashore)The coast is full of million-year-old treas-ures - amber stones that were once as valuable as gold. Enter a competition with your co-workers and see who can find the most amber; then turn your discoveries into a beautiful necklace. End your day of amber hunting with a fishermens picnic on the seashore, sampling freshly smoked fish and beer from local breweries.

cut Off from the World (ligatne)You will be surprised at how easily you can be cut off from the world and go

totally offline! Take the unique oppor-tunity to visit a well-preserved, secret nuclear war bunker nine meters below-ground. You can also experience a Soviet-style meal at an authentic cafeteria.

prison Break (liepaja)Test your nerves by visiting a real histor-ical prison, where the first inmates served their sentences in the 19th century. You can challenge yourself even further by staying overnight at one of the prison chambers. But keep in mind: prisoners meals are not served regularly, and food is given only to those who behave.

More infoMeeT [email protected]+ 371 2633 1190www.Meetriga.com

Incentives in Riga and LatviaThe perfect fit!we shouted it before: riga, the latvian capital, is the perfect fit for your next meeting. The city has indeed just the right size whether for a small, exclusive board meeting or a large corporate confer-ence with thousands of participants. But riga and its surrounding region have even more up their sleeves: when it comes to incentives, possibilities are just countless. here are some interesting ones.

special destination > latvia

Medieval feast

Riga Opera House

Aerodium

Live Riga/Meet Riga

Gun

ars Janaitis

Janis Pesiks

ztl kongresni oglas 210x270 0812.indd 1 29.8.12 15:50

MIM 33

destination > ljubljana

The citys image features a harmonic blend of Baroque, Art Nouveau and newer styles, complemented by a medieval hilltop castle and a river crossing the Old Town. A rich agenda of cultural events, a lively caf society and an active youth scene fuelled by 60,000 university students contribute to Ljubljanas dynamic flair. An enticing food and wine experience based on fresh local ingredients, ranging from simple and genuine tradi-tional cuisine to fine dining, round off the picture.

Elements contributing to the feel good vibe of Ljubljana are its human scale and compact size, which makes it a great walking and cycling city, as well as vast traffic-free areas downtown. Several hotels, from modern, historic to small boutique and design ones, can be found over there.

Ljubljana also represents an ideal departure point to reach many of Slovenias nearby attractions, among which are also attractive settings for creative incentive and outdoor programmes. The diversity of experi-ences close to the capital, even at only a half an hours drive, can definitely enhance and bring added value to a meeting, conference or incentive.

Green Slovenia, proud of its well-preserved nature, is a EU member and is in the Eurozone. Well accessible, with a maximum of two hours flight to the major European hubs, Ljubljana has two daily connections to Brussels and one daily to Amsterdam, operated by the national carrier - Adria Airways.

The Ljubljana Convention Bureau has recently issued Tips for Incentives in both printed and digital format. The publication is an informative

destination toolkit for incentive and meeting planners, with a territorial emphasis on Ljubljana and Central Slovenia. However, some attractive programmes in the Alps or along the Adriatic coast are also featured.

Over eighty tips provide a selection of programmes subdivided by themes: from outdoor adventures and team-building to ethno heritage, crafts, history, nature and eno-gastronomy. All brief descriptions state the season-ality and minimum / maximum number of participants and duration. Contacts of the agencies operating them are provided, yet, to create a well-balanced programme with multiple activities and experiences in different settings, it is highly recommended to refer to the stated DMC contacts.

To learn more in no time you are welcome to download Tips for Incentives from www.visitljubljana.com/meetings while, to receive a paper or digital copy or any further helpful information, please contact the Ljubljana CVb team via [email protected].

* The dragon is a symbol of Ljubljana and is depicted in its coats-of-arms; it is connected to legends, bridges and found in details around the city, some-times even in a live version, as a mascotte!

incentives Under the dragons wing*Ljubljana, the capital of Sloveniawith its 280,000 residents, ljubljana ranks among the smaller European capitals; nonetheless, it surprises visitors for its wealth of history, tradition, style, arts and culture, and an atmosphere that is both Central European and Mediterranean. Those who know it better would add safe, green, multilingual and hospitable.

Ljubljana Dragon Bridge

B. Jakse & S. Jersic

P.Hieng

Slovenian Tou

rist Board

D.Wedam

A concert in Postojna Cave Ljubljana

Rafting on the Soca River

Ljubljana Old Town

MIM 34

destination > zagreb

Zagreb A good choice for incentives

In this very edition, our seasoned writer Rose Kelleher wrote that Zagreb is a more than interesting destination for corporates looking for nature and culture. But the best way to discover a city is to be part of a conference and experience it for yourself. I spent 5 days in Zagreb during the ECM (European Cities Marketing) BRIC Conference last June, a conference where I learned that European cities are up and looking east. REPORT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS

A new member countryIn 2013 the EU will welcome its 28th member state: Croatia. Its a country that suffered relatively little from the war in the early nineties, a country that preserved its own character, having somewhat of a 19th century atmosphere. Its Central European in character, but has a more Mediterranean feeling because of its elegant and picturesque location on the Adriatic sea. Zagreb is Croatias capital, a city that, according to specialists, is going to be very popular with Europeans in the future, because its still fairly unknown. For a large part, Zagreb has to thank the influence of Vienna, Budapest and Venice, also known as the cultural triangle, for its

cultural wealth. My first impression of Zagreb was one of amazement. Its a stately, renovated, neat and very green city. One resident told me that its a blue city as well, as there are modern blue trams running everywhere. He also immediately added and safe, very safe. Anyone exploring the city on foot will soon notice that they have to be somewhat fit. Zagreb consists of two parts, an upper and a lower one. Those of you who love culture will have to climb, because its in the higher area youll find the most interesting museums and historical buildings.

New Culture for EuropeAs a future member of the EU,

Croatia is definitely on the map of a lot of European conference and incentive organizers. It can be a bit of a puzzle to put together the right programme, but the main ingredients are there. Tourists can be delighted to discover the history of the cravat and why Zagreb is the home of the first mechanical pen in the world. But usually an incentive traveler wants more. As we mentioned in the beginning of the text, Zagreb has a wealth of cultural amenities: 20 theatres, 3 concert halls and more than 60 museums and galleries. And dont forget the city palaces. Outside Zagreb, nature is abundant and all sorts of sporting activities can be organized.

Zagreb Square, Trg Ban J. Jelacic

MIM 35

destination > zagreb

In the town itself there are a few highlights to mention. You can enjoy the famous Zagreb saturday prom-enade concerts in the most beautiful Zrinjevac City Park. Another must-see is the change of the guard ceremony in front of the Croatian Parliament. During the ECM conference, we got a taste of how an incentive or confer-ence group would be welcomed in Croatia. The cocktail reception took place at Dverce Palace, an elegant neo-renaissance city palace in the upper part of town. Impressive, trendy balls and social functions were organ-ized in the stylish ballroom on the first floor, in Central European style. A seated welcome dinner was served at the Mimara Museum. The size of the building itself and its splendid interior make it a perfect choice for organizing large and small exclusive meetings, especially the beautiful space in front of the building. And there are a lot of other museums and city palaces where such unique social activities can be organized.

Conferences in a new European cityNovelty attracts, but it can also be the beginning of new connections for companies and organizations, especially in the European context. Conferences are often the perfect occasion to discover new opportuni-ties. Personally I think Zagreb is

strong in organizing hotel conferences. The ECM Conference took place in the 5-starWestin Hotel, perfectly located in the centre and adjacent to the Miramara Museum and the world-famous National Theatre and Opera House. The 4-star Palace Hotel, formerly known as Schlessinger Palace, is the most historic hotel in the city - it opened in 1907. Dubrovnik Hotel is a good option for incentive and conference guests as well, and is especially well located on the main Zagreb Square called Trg Ban J. Jelacic.

It would be a shame not to talk about the cultural riches of the city. The fare-well dinner of the ECM conference was organized in the Okrugljak restaurant. Its probably one of the most authentic of Zagrebs restaurants and certainly one the most traditional establish-ments in the north of Croatia. Highly recommended for groups looking for a bit more than the standard stuff!

contactZlatan Muftic convention Bureau Director Zagreb Tourist Board & convention Bureau +385 1 4898 555 [email protected] www.zagreb-touristinfo.hr www.zagreb-convention.hr

zagreb is Croatias capital, a city that, according to specialists, is going to be very popular with europeans in the future, because its still fairly unknown

Mimara Museum Museum of Contemporary Art

In the upper town

Kaptol Easter

MIM 36

destination > Canada

when it comes to meeting and incentive destinations, they dont get much more unique than Canada. And dotted across this diverse and magnificent country are some of the worlds most extraordi-nary and unique venues. Easily accessible via direct flights from Europe, you can find yourself on Canadas Atlantic Coast in just five hours from london. spread amongst Canadas vibrant cities and white tipped mountain ranges you will find an array of phenomenal venues. here is our selection.

halifax Citadel National historic Site Hosting a meeting or convention in Halifax often means taking a break from the boardroom scene and being immersed in the citys history. Unique venues such as the Halifax Citadel National Historic Site provide just such a setting. Constructed between 1828 and 1856, centrally located, its a star-shaped fortress sitting atop a hill in the heart of downtown Halifax. A living museum, it provides a unique backdrop for a wide range of gatherings. Facility spaces with capacities ranging from 10 to 3,000 include the North Magazine, The Soldiers Library, The North Front Casemates, The Garrison Grounds, and The Parade Square.

Ice hotel, Quebec City Located 10 minutes from downtown Quebec City, the Ice Hotel is pretty much self-explanatory. It accommo-dates up to 400 people for a cocktail reception and 90 people for an overnight stay in its 36 rooms, allowing guests to live a unique Nordic adven-ture in an ephemeral environment. For people looking for an exclusive experience, the Htel de Glace will be the perfect place for a one-night stay, far away from the bustle of the outside world.

PhI-Centre, Montreal Opened last June, the PHI-Centre boasts discreet yet powerful

technology and flexible spaces. Listed as one of the venues of Montreals very first C2-MTL (Commerce + Creativity Conference), the PHI-Centre is a LEED certified classic building right in the old town converted into a versatile space. It is the ideal fit for a cocktail or concert and can be considered an interactive experience in itself, with the word technology written all over it.

Canadian Museum of Civilization, ottawa For the public, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the most popular and most-visited museum in the country, is most renowned for its permanent galleries featuring Canadas 20,000 years of human history and for its architecture and stunning riverside setting. The Museum also presents an ever-changing program of special exhibitions that expand on Canadian themes and explore other cultures. Its Grand Hall is quite rightly named. Housing the worlds largest indoor collection of totem poles, the venue offers a stunning backdrop for events of all kinds for up to 800 people seated and 1,500 standing.

CN Tower, Toronto Completed in 1976, the CN Tower, a communications and observation tower situated in Downtown Toronto, proudly stands at 553m - at the time it was the worlds tallest free-standing structure

and tallest tower. This Wonder of the Modern World offers spectacular views, a spell-binding Glass Floor, a motion theatre ride and fantastic shopping. New and thrilling is EdgeWalk, where, at an elevation of 356m, visitors tethered to an overhead rail system can walk on the roof of the main pod! EdgeWalk was presented with the Guinness World Record for the Highest External Walk on a Building. The CN Tower is also one of the citys sought-after corporate venues. With meeting rooms featuring the latest in high-tech communications, a private in-house theatre and inspired hospitality services, its a good choice for any event from 2 to 2,000 people.

Calgary Stampede Park, Calgary Calgary Stampede, the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth and the worlds largest rodeo, celebrated 100 years in July and boasts a great variety of activ-ities, including parades, stage shows, country music superstars, First Nations performances, rollercoaster rides, BBQs & pancake breakfasts and Canadas longest zip line over Stampede Park. With over 500,000 square feet of space, Stampede Park has the ability to host any event imaginable, with elegant meeting rooms, flexible exhibition halls, a comfortable and intimate theatre, the Grandstand, Stampede Corral arena, numerous outdoor venues and even a rustic l

MIM120

Documents

Transcript of MIM120