Kenes Group is pleased to announce that it is certified
as EACCME® Trusted Provider as well as MedTech Europe Trusted Partner.
Kenes Group becomes Trusted Provider of the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME®). The Kenes Education team has a successful track record with different accrediting bodies. The EACCME® certification further demonstrates the company’s understanding and expertise in medical education and ensures a faster CME/CPD accreditation process for the involved stakeholders.
At an exclusive gala evening, visit.brussels awarded the title of ambassador to 12 partners who greatly contributed to publicising Brussels in 2017 and confirming its status as an international MICE destination.
The 12 new ambassadors received their awards before an audience of academics,
doctors, European Commissioners, rectors, chairpersons and directors of international associations headquartered in Brussels, scientists, hospital directors and other partners.
The Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) conducted the first ever Penang Sales Mission to India with the objective of promoting Penang as the preferred and ideal
destination for corporate and association meetings, incentives and leisure travel.
The mission kicked off in Kolkata on 17 Jan, moving on to New Delhi on 19 Jan, Mumbai on 22 Jan and Bengaluru on 24 Jan. Led by Ashwin Gunasekeran, Chief Executive Officer of PCEB, the mission was supported by a Penang delegation of 17 partners.
The Bridge to Prague year-long campaign was launched by the Prague Convention Bureau and ICCA (the International Congress and Convention Association) in November 2016 aiming to introduce Congress Prague to the meetings industry experts who were considering attending the 56th ICCA Congress. It was held in Prague from 12 to 15 November 2017.
The central theme of the campaign, which included both online and print media communication and social media, were bridges. These, in the same way as congresses and conferences, perform the functions of connecting and strengthening interactions. Furthermore, in 2017, the year when the ICCA Congress was held, the icon of Prague - Charles Bridge - celebrated the 660th anniversary of its
foundation stone laying.
Follow its most successful year to date, the Barbican Business Events team has announced extra dates in the Barbican Hall, which has a capacity of 2,000. It is ideal for large
scale corporate and association conferences and AGMs.
“We have smashed our sales targets this year,” comments Oliver Hargreaves, Head of Sales at the Barbican, “and with our renewed focus on the association market following the appointment of Jamie Ades as Head of Associations, it was vital we continue to develop our offering. A fundamental part of the support and strategy we are putting behind that role is the release of more dates for large event bookings.""
The Collaborative Economy and Scottish Tourism Report, commissioned by Scottish Enterprise,
the Scottish Tourism Alliance and the Scottish Government, is released this morning at the annual ETAG (Edinburgh Tourism Action Group) conference at the McEwan Hall, Edinburgh. Peter Jordan, of international research and insight agency Toposophy will share findings with senior representatives from Edinburgh’s tourism industry as they meet to explore the key issues and opportunities arising from Edinburgh’s ongoing success as a visitor destination.
At this morning’s ETAG conference, tourism leaders will consider the opportunities presented by the collaborative economy to support the ongoing ambitions of the Edinburgh 2020 Tourism Strategy, and explore how use of innovative technology platforms, and closer collaboration with the sector can help to turn Scotland’s tourism assets into authentic experiences
which cannot be easily replicated by its competitors.
We are pleased to announce that the Westminster Venue Collection Chair, Diane Waldron, is now the acting-chair of ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) UK and Ireland Board.
Diane, who also holds the position of sales & marketing director at London’s leading conference venue – the QEII Centre, is a well-connected and respected industry figure with vast amounts of experience within the sector. Diane will initially manage the chapter’s annual debate in Belfast, on 8 and 9 March.
Creative event and incentive agency Penguins have seen substantial growth in recent months. This growth has created three new roles; Serena Panchal joining as a project co-ordinator,
Aidan McSorely as a production co-ordinator and Gemma Price joining as incentives project manager.
As a project co-ordinator, Serena’s main responsibilities will be to support the senior project managers throughout all stages of projects, from pre-event research to delegate travel management, through to onsite for events. Prior to joining Penguins, Serena completed a degree in Hospitality and Event Management at the University of Surrey. She went on to work as an event Co-ordinator at Copland Events.
Somerset House is predicting a busy year ahead, after revealing a record increase in event bookings and revenue over the last 12 months.
The historic central London venue and centre for contemporary culture has seen a 32% increase in revenue and 49% increase in number of bookings. This is the Corporate Events Team’s biggest achievement to date, and its successful year is attributed to the launch and promotion of a range of new event spaces and new packages.
The DMC Network is delighted to announce the celebration of 40 years in business in 2018. Founded in 1978, the DMC Network has grown from a handful of local offices into the meeting and event industry’s only fully member-owned community of award-winning destination management companies
operating in over 75 destinations across the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America. Speaking of the celebrations, Managing Director Dan Tavrytzky said ‘’The DMC Network is very proud to have reached such a significant company milestone and we want to make this anniversary meaningful by creating a year-long commitment to corporate social responsibility through each of our amazing partners. Over the course of 2018 we will be working with each of our destinations to give back to their local community in a way that is iconic to that specific destination to mark this celebration. Our partners are really eager to get involved and we’re excited to share with you what we are doing to give back to the destinations that have helped us achieve our success.’’ ‘’Our commitment to CSR in 2018 stems from our company motto ‘We’re there for you’’ said Aoife Delaney, Director of Marketing & Sales. ‘’The intention behind our commitment is simple – to have a consistent focus on the local destination’s needs through our actions in 2018. This is our goal - to be relevant in a tangible way within the communities in which our DMCs are active.’’ Follow the DMC Network’s celebrations and local commitment this year across social media using the hashtag #DMCNdoesGood
Encore Event Technologies, a leading provider of in-house event technology and production services, announced that it is expanding its global presence
with the rebranding ofETG Staging Connectionsto the Encore Event Technologies brand.
ETG Staging Connections is China’s leading provider of in-house event technology and staging services. Adding the company to the Encore umbrella creates a global audio visual (AV) and event services company, that not only provides broader staging and event production service offerings with improved business performance for customers, but also bolsters the brand’s competitive advantage in servicing premium hotels worldwide.
HQ Magazine took a break from the spectacular castle – a venue of choice for previous years – by hosting the 4th edition of Grand Ball this year at Atomium, one of Brussels’ iconic landmarks that also serve as an avant-garde meeting venue with fantastic views of the city.
The exclusive event, which took place on January 18, gathered about 30 senior executives from Brussels-based associations and convention bureau representatives from Monaco, Finland, Helsinki, Vienna and Salzburg for an intimate evening of mingling and networking over a delicious buffet dinner with lovely live music by a talented duo.
Seventeen winners of the inaugural ASEAN Sustainable Tourism Awards (ASTA) received recognition at a dedicated awards event at the end of the ASEAN Tourism Forum, 26 January in Chiang Mai,
northern Thailand.
The new awards will now take place every two years as partial fulfilment of the ASEAN Tourism Strategic Plan 2016-2025, much of which seeks to advance sustainable tourism objectives.
The nine winners in the Rural Sustainable Products category were Sothy’s Pepper Farm in Cambodia, Desa Wisata Nglanggeran in Indonesia, Tree Top Explorer in Lao PDR, KOPEL Kinabatangan Wildlife Corridor in Malaysia, the Pindaya Region in Myanmar, Walk on the Wild Side in the Philippines, Kranji Countryside in Singapore, the Kao Yao Noi Community Based Ecotourism Club in Thailand, and the Stay with Tay Ethnic Village in Viet Nam.
The eight winners in the Urban Sustainable Products category were Wat Phnom Historical and Cultural Site in Cambodia, the Nusa Dua in Indonesia, Phousi Mountain in Lao PDR, the KL Forest Eco Park by KL Tower in Malaysia, the Kayin State’s Natural Limestone Caves in Myanmar, the Palina Greenbelt River Cruise Experience in the Philippines, the Marina Bay Precinct in Singapore, and the Phuket Natural Experience in Thailand.
“I congratulate all 17 ASTA recipients,” said Mr. Sounh Manivong, the Director General of Tourism Marketing in the Lao PDR Government. “I encourage tourists to experience these products first hand. They are all shining examples of sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia.”
Entries to the awards were assessed by the National Tourism Organization in each ASEAN member state. Judging criteria and scoring was standardised throughout the nine ASEAN countries that participated. Auditors took inspection visits to all short-listed sites.
MedTech Europe, the European trade association representing the medical technology industry, certified AIM Group International as an Ethical MedTech Trusted
Partner. Upon completion of a demanding three-step process, the Ethical Charter provided AIM Group a Trusted Partner logo valid for renewable periods of two years.
The Ethical Charter is a voluntary certification initiative for organisers of third-party educational events, proving the commitment of PCOs to the ethical standards and new rules included in the MedTech Europe Code of Ethical Business Practice. It also aims to facilitate the industry's
support for independent medical education to organisations that are certified and who commit to comply with the Code when organising their events.
The Royal Suite, launched this week at the Copenhagen
Marriott Hotel, comes with a new layout that shuns away from the classic first class lounge style towards a more bleisure-oriented clientele in search of multi-functionality, in 5-star settings. Thus, when guests start checking into the newly refurbished room #1114 on the top floor of the Copenhagen Marriott, the hotel has gone that extra mile to cater for all needs.
Offering not only the Danish capital's best sea views, but also the best of both Danish and international design and interior in truly multifunctional settings, the new 170 m2 suite is expected to attract a host of guests - new and old ones - from near and far.
International Confex has agreed a partnership with EVCOM ahead of the show’s 35th outing, taking place 28th February – 1st March, Olympia, London. The agreement will see the show work closely with the association across its conference and networking content, whilst providing specific benefits to EVCOM members at
the show.
As part of the partnership, members of EVCOM attending the show will receive a complimentary upgrade on their tickets, allowing them access to VIP hospitality at the exhibition. EVCOM will also be inputting into the Confex conference programme, which remains the biggest in the UK events industry, as well as other networking opportunities throughout the event.
Central Hall Westminster today announces the launch of a new carbon calculator with Green Tourism, designed to help organisers easily estimate the environmental impact of their event.
Central London’s largest conferencing and events centre is the first UK venue to partner with Green Tourism for
the ground-breaking initiative.
Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) has teamed up with SoolNua Marketing and Dana Communications, two of the world’s leading communications agencies in the MICE sector, to lead its marketing on a global level. Pádraic Gilligan, Managing Partner at SoolNua, will serve as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for both SITE and the SITE
Foundation.
SoolNua Marketing, the award winning specialist agency owned by incentive industry veterans Gilligan and Patrick Delaney, provides strategy, marketing and training for destinations, hotels and venues. Previously Gilligan and Delaney were incentive industry practitioners and created the Ovation Global DMC brand with offices at over 100 destinations around the world. Both also served as global presidents for SITE
The Estonian Convention Bureau celebrated the success of its first decade of operation on Wednesday with a festive gathering of members and partners.
Held at the Tallinn Creative Hub, the January 24 event served to highlight the accomplishments achieved by the group since its founding in 2008, chief among them propelling
Estonia into the ranks of Europe's best-known conference destinations.
