HQ46

the EMEA Magazine for Association Executives Supported by ESAE, European Society of Association Executives, and UIA, Union of International Associations, Brussels

HEADQUARTERSE U R O P E , M I D D L E - E A S T, A F R I C A

46Meeting Media CompanyMeetings Industry Publishers (Belgium)Afgiftekantoor 2800 Mechelen 1 Bureau de Dépôt 2800 Malines 1Published 5 times a year: March, April, June, September & NovemberEdition September 2011 - P3A9029

2010meetingtrendsicca & Uia

rAnkIngS

esae & UiaBUIldIng A SUStAInABlE fUtUrE

Association clients work with Congrex because of our expertise in Association structures and governance models. Our hands-on experience in delivering services and projects for international, professional, not-for-profit organisations, provides you with tangible results and benefits tailored for your organisation’s current status and future objectives.

Congrex’s AMCi Accredited Association Management solutions are an investment in quality for your members, a qualified support for your volunteer leadership and a partnership dedicated to delivering your association’s vision and mission.

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Caring about your goalsAssociation management services for organisations aiming to develop and succeed

HQ> C O N T E N T S

COLOPHONHQ or HEADQuArtErS is a niche publication for european and international associa-tions headquartered in brussels and all major european cities dealing with the organization of worldwide congresses. it is published 5 times a year. circulation is 5000 copies.

Subscriptionssubscription amounts to 65 eur (all incl.) in belgium, 75 eur (all incl.) in the eu and 95 eur (all incl.) in the rest of the world.the subscription entails 5 editions of hq per year including the special edition meeting trends, as well as an online access to the website. to subscribe: www.headquartersmagazine.com

Editor in Chiefmarcel a.m.Visserst: +32 (0)3 226 88 [email protected]

Managing Directorcécile caiati-Kocht: +32 (0)2 761 70 [email protected]

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

Managing Editorrémi dévét: +32 (0)2 761 70 58 [email protected]

Design wallrus, Kortrijkt: +32 (0)56 24 94 [email protected]

Printcartim - destelbergen

Supported by ESAE and uIA

Address59, rue rené declercq b - 1150 brussels (belgium)t: +32 (0)2 761 70 50 f: +32 (0)2 761 70 51 www.headquartersmagazine.com

responsible Publishermeeting media company marcel a.m. Vissers mechelseplein 23, bus 1b - 2000 antwerpen (belgium)

hq 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

cécile caiati-Koch rémi dévé

generalnEwS 7

ICCA 9

EUropEAn CItIES MArkEtIng 11

ASSoCIAtIon portrAIt 12

VIpArIS 14

ESAE 18

UIA 24

meeting trendsICCA & UIA SAtIStICS for 2010 15

CONTENTS

A forgottEN CoNtINENtI meet so few African friends at meetings and congresses around the world. That’s truly a shame.

The ones I do meet are always interesting, because they can react so specifically to facts and

events. Our industry knows little about congresses in Africa as well (except for South Africa).

I think it’s the responsibility of a professional magazine to write about this.

The last congress I attended was the AIPC one in San Diego. There were no more than

six African delegates attending on a total of more than a hundred participants. During the

presentation of the 2011 AIPC Member Trends & Outlook Survey, all continents were addressed

proportionally except for Africa. Not a single word about it at all to be precise. Which led an

African delegate to ask if they were irrelevant.

During the annual ICCA congresses there are few African representatives as well. What I miss

the most during professional association congresses are African speakers. It’s not a question of

color, but of point of view. Ideas from Africa can add so much to our view of the world. There was

a time we missed Asian brothers and sisters as well during these events, but that has changed in

the last few years.

And sure, there will be readers saying: it’s our (European) fault we almost never include Africa.

Doesn’t Africa need to prove itself on the international meetings map? Of course they do, but

that shouldn’t prevent us from creating a platform at every congress that African delegates and

potential speakers can use to work on their knowledge of the industry. From UIA statistics we learn

that countries like Nigeria, Senegal, Uganda and Namibia are already organizing a good number of

international congresses. And just look at all the opportunities in North Africa: Tunisia, Morocco,

Egypt are waiting to be discovered. I, for one, am already looking forward to my visit to the ICCA

Africa Chapter workshop in Nairobi.

www.headquartersmagazine.com / marcelsblog.typepad.com

Marcel a.M. VissersEditor in Chief

destinationsdUrBAn 27

BErlIn 28

gEnEVA 31

ZürICh 33

world forUM, thE hAgUE 35

ottAwA 36

MAlAySIA 38

tAIwAn 40

CopEnhAgEn 43

StoCkholM 46

m a r c e l ’ s c o m m e n t

HeadQuarters magazine, The EMEA Magazine for Association Executives

HEADQUARTERS magazine, The Asia-Pacific Magazine for Association Executives

PLANNING HQ EMEA PLANNING HAPPrintIssue # Publication Booking Additional Date deadline Topics Distribution HQ43 March 2011 7 Jan. Practical issues EMIF (insurance, visas, GIBTM customs, exchanges, rates, etc.)HQ44 April 2011 22 March Alternative types IMEX of events venuesHQ45 June 2011 18 April Conference hotels AIBTM Technology ASAE Annual Meeting (social media, design, new software, etc.)HQ46 Sept. 2011 22 June Sustainability CIBTM IMEX America ESAE Annual CongressHQ47 Nov. 2011 3 Oct. Alliances and EIBTM partnerships of

Each issue includes a destinations, venues,

cover interview, a special feature etc.: how it is beneficial and destination reports. to associations

OnlineHQ publishes a Global E-Zine, in which where can choose to promote your activities in one or several of the following sections: meetings professional, events and fairs, destinations, venues, hotels. HQ Global E-Zine is sent out to professional association planners.

PrintIssue # Publication Booking Additional Date deadline Topics Distribution HAP 5 April 2011 25 Febr. Sustainability IMEXHAP 6 July 2011 26 May Alternative types CIBTM of events venuesHAP 7 Oct. 2011 26 Aug. The services of IT&CMA and CTW Convention Bureaus ITB Asia to associations HAP 8 Dec. 2011 28 Oct. Cultural experiences EIBTM for association delegates

Each issue includes a

cover interview, a special feature and destination reports.


RATES HQ EMEA RATES HAPMagazinePublicity Size Publicity Advertorial 2/1 5,500€ 6,250€1/1 3,750€ 4,000€ 1/2 2,500€ 2,750€Covers include a surcharge of 15%

Destination reports 8 pages 12 pages 16 pagesWithin the magazine 12,500€* 16,500€* 20,500€*Loose supplement 14,500€ 18,500€ 22,500€*with cover picture of the destination

OnlineSmall banner 400€ / monthBig banner 600€ / monthPreferred partners 350€ / monthEmailing 3,500€Your logo and URL in HQ E-Zine 650€Special feature in HQ E-Zine 1,600€

MagazinePublicity Size Publicity Advertorial 2/1 4,500€ 5,100€1/1 2,950€ 3,550€ 1/2 1,750€ 1,950€Covers include a surcharge of 15%

Destination reports 4 pages 6 pages 8 pages 12 pages 16 pagesWithin the magazine 7,000€* 8,500€* 10,000€* 13,000€* 16,000€*Loose supplement / / 12,000€ 14,000€ 18,000€ *with cover picture of the destination


D O W N L O A D T H E T W O 2 0 1 1 M E D I A K I T S O N

W W W . H E A D Q U A R T E R S M A G A Z I N E . C O M

PROFILE HQ EMEADistribution

+ HQ Magazine is the EMEA magazine for international associations+ Circulation: 5,000 copies+ Published 5 times a year+ Distribution in Europe, Middle East and Africa

Readership+ International associations

organizing international congresses in EMEA and other continents (94%)

+ Members of ESAE, the European Society of Association Executives (1%)

+ the EMEA meetings industry - PCO’s, AMC’s, members of EFAPCO, IAPCO (5%)

HQ EMEA stands for Headquarters Europe Middle East Africa, the magazine for EMEA-based associations.

HAP stands for Headquarters Asia-Pacifi c, the magazine for Asia-Pacifi c-based associations.

PROFILE HAPDistribution

+ HAP is an Asian-Pacific magazine+ Circulation: 2,500 copies+ Published 4 times a year+ 14 Asian-Pacific countries

ReadershipThe readers of HAP consists of 3 important groups:+ the Asian-Pacific associations

organising congresses in the region: 65%

+ the internationanl associations organizing international congresses: 30%

+ the Asian-Pacifc meetings industry, international agencies (PCO’s, AMC’s, members of IAPCO): 5%

5%

5440

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HQ IN 2011

5% 1%

94%

HQ EMEA HEADQUARTERS

HAP HEADQUARTERS

m

65%

30%

Note: Agency commission to be added. Prices do not include VAT.

Need more information? Contact [email protected]

Want to know where to send your press releases? [email protected]

HeadQuarters magazine, The EMEA Magazine for Association Executives

HEADQUARTERS magazine, The Asia-Pacific Magazine for Association Executives

PLANNING HQ EMEA PLANNING HAPPrintIssue # Publication Booking Additional Date deadline Topics Distribution HQ43 March 2011 7 Jan. Practical issues EMIF (insurance, visas, GIBTM customs, exchanges, rates, etc.)HQ44 April 2011 22 March Alternative types IMEX of events venuesHQ45 June 2011 18 April Conference hotels AIBTM Technology ASAE Annual Meeting (social media, design, new software, etc.)HQ46 Sept. 2011 22 June Sustainability CIBTM IMEX America ESAE Annual CongressHQ47 Nov. 2011 3 Oct. Alliances and EIBTM partnerships of

Each issue includes a destinations, venues,

cover interview, a special feature etc.: how it is beneficial and destination reports. to associations


PrintIssue # Publication Booking Additional Date deadline Topics Distribution HAP 5 April 2011 25 Febr. Sustainability IMEXHAP 6 July 2011 26 May Alternative types CIBTM of events venuesHAP 7 Oct. 2011 26 Aug. The services of IT&CMA and CTW Convention Bureaus ITB Asia to associations HAP 8 Dec. 2011 28 Oct. Cultural experiences EIBTM for association delegates

Each issue includes a

cover interview, a special feature and destination reports.


RATES HQ EMEA RATES HAPMagazinePublicity Size Publicity Advertorial 2/1 5,500€ 6,250€1/1 3,750€ 4,000€ 1/2 2,500€ 2,750€Covers include a surcharge of 15%

Destination reports 8 pages 12 pages 16 pagesWithin the magazine 12,500€* 16,500€* 20,500€*Loose supplement 14,500€ 18,500€ 22,500€*with cover picture of the destination


MagazinePublicity Size Publicity Advertorial 2/1 4,500€ 5,100€1/1 2,950€ 3,550€ 1/2 1,750€ 1,950€Covers include a surcharge of 15%

Destination reports 4 pages 6 pages 8 pages 12 pages 16 pagesWithin the magazine 7,000€* 8,500€* 10,000€* 13,000€* 16,000€*Loose supplement / / 12,000€ 14,000€ 18,000€ *with cover picture of the destination


D O W N L O A D T H E T W O 2 0 1 1 M E D I A K I T S O N

W W W . H E A D Q U A R T E R S M A G A Z I N E . C O M

PROFILE HQ EMEADistribution

+ HQ Magazine is the EMEA magazine for international associations+ Circulation: 5,000 copies+ Published 5 times a year+ Distribution in Europe, Middle East and Africa

Readership+ International associations

organizing international congresses in EMEA and other continents (94%)

+ Members of ESAE, the European Society of Association Executives (1%)

+ the EMEA meetings industry - PCO’s, AMC’s, members of EFAPCO, IAPCO (5%)

HQ EMEA stands for Headquarters Europe Middle East Africa, the magazine for EMEA-based associations.

HAP stands for Headquarters Asia-Pacifi c, the magazine for Asia-Pacifi c-based associations.

PROFILE HAPDistribution

+ HAP is an Asian-Pacific magazine+ Circulation: 2,500 copies+ Published 4 times a year+ 14 Asian-Pacific countries

ReadershipThe readers of HAP consists of 3 important groups:+ the Asian-Pacific associations

organising congresses in the region: 65%

+ the internationanl associations organizing international congresses: 30%

+ the Asian-Pacifc meetings industry, international agencies (PCO’s, AMC’s, members of IAPCO): 5%

5%

5440

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HQ IN 2011

5% 1%

94%

HQ EMEA HEADQUARTERS

HAP HEADQUARTERS

m

65%

30%

Note: Agency commission to be added. Prices do not include VAT.

Need more information? Contact [email protected]

Want to know where to send your press releases? [email protected]

More and more global organisations and associations are making the decision to Meet in Ireland, where working hard and an easy-going nature go hand in hand.

Where else can you find state-of-the-art conference facilities and cutting edge professionalism amongst a young and vibrant population?

Welcome to Ireland – the perfect place to meet.Where 100,000 welcomes and our enviable passion for life always ensure an enjoyable experience for both event organisers and delegates alike.

Visit www.meetinireland.be and plan your next conference with us.

HARD-WORKING

WH

ER

E

EASY-GOING

IT-belgie adv Meets easy going 210x270.indd 1 27-06-11 10:24

HEADQUARTERS 7

HQ> H E A D Q U A R T E R S N E W S

More and more global organisations and associations are making the decision to Meet in Ireland, where working hard and an easy-going nature go hand in hand.

Where else can you find state-of-the-art conference facilities and cutting edge professionalism amongst a young and vibrant population?

Welcome to Ireland – the perfect place to meet.Where 100,000 welcomes and our enviable passion for life always ensure an enjoyable experience for both event organisers and delegates alike.

Visit www.meetinireland.be and plan your next conference with us.

HARD-WORKING

WH

ER

E

EASY-GOING

IT-belgie adv Meets easy going 210x270.indd 1 27-06-11 10:24

2011 meetings industry Fairs WorldWide: make your choice!

ciBtm // 31 august - 1 september 2011, Beijing // www.cibtm.com

it&cma // 4-6 october 2011, Bangkok // www.itcma.com.sg

imeX america // 11-13 october 2011, las Vegas // www.imexamerica.com

itB asia // 19-21 october 2011, singapore // sme-itb-asia.com

eiBtm // 29 november-1 december //www.eibtm.com

BUSy MonthS AhEAd At hAwAII ConVEntIon CEntErHawaii Convention Center will host the

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC

meetings taking place November 6 - 13, 2011,

and the Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Summit

and Expo from September 12 - 15, 2011. The

2011 Asia-Pacific Clean Energy Summit and

Expo will provide a forum for international

leaders and energy experts to network, while

keeping current with the global clean energy

movement. Approximately 1,500 people from

14 countries are expected to attend this year.

www.hawaiiconvention.com

more neWs on WWW.headquartersmagazine.com

EUr CongrESSI roMA In BAltIMorEAfter participating to the main European in-

dustry exhibitions and to the Shanghai World

Expo 2010, EUR Congress Roma was back on

the international scene, participating, in

collaboration with the Convention Bureau

Italia and ENIT (Italian National Tourist

Board), to AIBTM in Baltimore. The EUR

Congressi Roma facilities, with their prestig-

ious architecture, are characterized by multi-

functionality, elegance and high standards.

They all stand in EUR, a monumental district,

near to the historic center, well served by

buses and metro and directly connected to

airports, railway hubs and motorways.

www.romaeur.it

SUntEC SIngAporE wInS AIpC InnoVAtIon AwArdAfter more than 10 months of development

and testing of Suntec Singapore’s interac-

tive information and way-finding system

called ‘TouchPoint’, the venue won the

AIPC (International Association of Congress

Centres) Innovation Members Choice Award

at the organisation’s global conference in

San Diego, California. The system is a mobile

interactive display way finding tool that

gives the user instantaneous access to the

convention centre’s facilities, ongoing events

and on-demand information such as news

feed, location of services, world time and its

primary function as a location aware way

finding system - all with a touch of a finger.

www.suntecsingapore.com

2011 JMIC UnIty AwArd goES to lUC MAEnEJoint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC)

President Leigh Harry announced the winner

of the 2011 JMIC Unity Award as Luc Maene,

Director General, International Fertilizer In-

dustry Association and President, European

Society of Association Executives. The Unity

Award is made annually to an individual who

represents the best qualities of Meetings

Industry Leadership and who has devoted

major efforts to creating stronger relation-

ships and a greater cohesion for the industry.

www.themeetingsindustry.org

dISCoVEr CroAtIAMEEtIngS.CoMCroatiaMeetings.com is the first specialized

online guide promoting Croatian congress

and MICE capacities. Being a sort of in-

formative ‘one stop shop’ with complete and

detailed overview over the offer of congress

capacities, specialized agencies and related

services, CroatiaMeetings was recognized

and is being supported by leading Croatian

specialized institutions (Croatian Ministry of

Tourism, Croatian Tourist Board and Zagreb

Tourist Board).

www.CroatiaMeetings.com

EIBtM And SUStAInABIlItyEIBTM works closely with industry

professionals and governing bodies to

excel standards in sustainability. The

transparency of these actions are seen

through involvement with BS8901,

the British Standard for Sustainable

Event Management. EIBTM 2010 also

introduced the ‘Sustainable Stand’

award encouraging exhibitors to adopt

an environmentally conscious attitude.

This same award will feature in the

2011 show and EIBTM are working hard

with the show venue Fira Gran Via, to

continue the sustainable actions put in

motion last year.

For EIBTM 2011, among many other

things, the team plans to:

+ With continuing guidance from

Sustainable Events Ltd introduce

five new sustainability initiatives

to educate and involve attendees

and suppliers.

+ In the longer term switch to

ISO:20121 accreditation and roll

out CSR initiatives across the

IBTM Portfolio.

+ Develop the Green Room education

programme and update the sessions

to represent changes in the

industries approach to sustainability.

+ Increase exhibitor participation in

the 20 Sustainable Actions initiative.

+ Provide a stronger organiser

presence at the exhibition through

the Sustainable Events Corner.

www.eibtm.com

Hawaii Convention Center

The Global Meetings & Events Exhibition29 November – 1 December 2011 Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

organised byEIBTM is part of the Reed Travel Exhibitions Meetings and Events Portfolio

Five star business opportunities for the meetings and events industry

Find out more at www.eibtm.com/MIM

• International exhibition of over 3000 companies

• Discover new destinations, products and services

• Build and develop business contacts through a variety of networking events

• Keep up-to-date with industry trends

• Make purchasing decisions

• Develop professional knowledge

• Connect with the global Meetings & Events community

If you only go to one show a year this is an annual must attend event without a doubt.Tim Procter – Air Charter Ltd. “

“

HQ

gAlA dInnEr At thE glASS hAllSponsored by the Free State of Saxony

The Gala dinner will take place in the Glass

Hall, a breathtaking barrel vault-shaped

steel-and-glass construction, the landmark

of the new Leipziger Messe Exhibition and

Convention Centre. Look forward to an even-

ing with culinary delights, cultural highlights

in a prestigious venue also dressed up to the

nine for the occasion.

drESS to IMprESS 2011: 1920’S CABArEt StylE!Sponsored by Headquarters Magazine

This year’s Gala evening dress code follows

a ‘retro’ theme - smart and chic, glamorous

and sleek, elegant-yet-fun, silk scarves and

feather boas, spiced up with a little late-night

decadence perhaps. Once more we invite

ICCA delegates to show off their creative side

by inventing their own interpretation of our

theme. Josephine Baker’s bananas, gangster-

style suits, Great Gatsby-type daywear, and

some of the oriental themes that were very

fashionable back then… anything’s possible!

> I C C A

The 5Th Dress To Impress AwArDsAS THE MEETINGS INDUSTRy AS A WHOLE IS PREPARING FOR THE ICCA CONGRESS 22-26

OCTOBER IN LEIPZIG, LET’S HAVE A LOOk AT WHAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS IN STORE FOR US.

ICCA’s President Arnaldo Nardone said it himself: ‘This will almost certainly be ICCA’s largest-

ever congress with representatives from more countries than ever before. But in itself, big is

not automatically best! We are therefore working overtime to ensure that the large anticipated

numbers don’t prevent us from delivering a highly personalised, friendly experience - that

means more investment in networking tools to make it easy to meet the right delegates, more

educational content so that session attendances don’t get too big for interaction, and more

online appointments and business exchanges...’ Here we can definitely add: ‘… and a great

dress to impress night to bring people together in an impressive way!’

5th anniversary of the dress to impress awards

the dress to impress awards started very

spontaneously in Pattaya, thailand in 2007,

when a few brave delegates decorated

themselves with shiny golden accessories

and headquarters, together with some

enthusiasts, scanned the crowd to see who

stood out. Prizes were then awarded to the

best dressed people in the form of Belgian

chocolates. it’s continued in a informal

manner since then. last year in hyderabad

it was such a dress up party that special

clothing is now mandatory during gala

dinners. the dress to impress awards have

evolved into a valuable sponsoring formula

over a five year period.

drESS to IMprESS’ thEMES throUgh thE yEArS:

2007 in Pattaya, thailand: a touch of gold

2008 in Victoria, canada: canada Fresh

2009 in Florence, italy: designer catwalk

2010 in hyderabad, india: indian memories

2011 IN LEIPzIg, gErMANy: 1920’S CABArEt StyLE

what will be going on tUesday 25 october

HEADQUARTERS 9

ICCA’s 50th Congress in Leipzig

Leipziger Messe, Glashalle

Arnaldo Nardone

WANTED

Have you ever dreamed of building your own exhibition? Are you always keen to follow the hottest trend? Lyon Tourism and Conventions bureau and its partners can help turn your dreams into your very own business. Let us make your exhibition a success story.

Development Support| Partner ResearchFinancial Support | Event VenueFor more information visit www.expobooster.org

TOURISM AND CONVENTIONS

LOONEY, VISIONARY PROJECT BUILDERS OBSESSED WITH WILD DREAMS OF BUILDING AN EXHIBITION

HEADQUARTERS 11

HQ> E C M

food AS A toUrISt AttrACtIonThis year, European Cities Marketing’s (ECM)

Annual Conference was held in Lyon in early

June. Its theme was food as a tourist attrac-

tion and the extent to which it can act as a

competitive advantage in the marketing of a

city. The event brought together 160 partici-

pants (with a small number of delegates from

the meetings industry).

Food (and wine) can be an important factor

to attract visitors. But for the meetings

industry, things are different. A congress

organizer isn’t going to book a venue in Graz

or Brussels because these cities are good at

marketing food and wine festivals. But still,

both are important during a congress and

for event catering. Especially healthy food

is viewed very positively by organizers. And

maybe it was precisely this link that the con-

ference missed, as healthy food as such was

not specifically dealt with at the conference.

gAStronoMy AS MArkEtIng StrAtEgyIt is well known that cities recognized as

gastronomic gems tend to attract a lot

of visitors. That’s why one of the confer-

ence’s first speakers scored big points. Peter

kreiner, of the reknown noma, gave the

delegates a fascinating insider’s perspective

on the development of the award-winning

restaurant in Copenhagen. The idea of local

Danish food and traditional recipes presented

in a simple and modern way had initially

been greeted with cynicism by many, but it

went on to confound the critics. Peter Rømer

Hansen, Senior Director of Business Develop-

ment at Wonderful Copenhagen, outlined the

significance of noma to the city as a whole,

showing how it formed an integral part of

city marketing strategies and initiatives.

Speakers went on to give their differing

perspectives on how to attract tourists to a

particular city through its culinary heritage.

Others exemplified the role TV programmes

play in promoting cities as sought-after

gastronomic destinations. A great part of the

seminar illustrated best-practice examples of

how four ECM member cities were promoting

cuisine to good effect - Graz, Brussels, Dijon

and Valencia.

hEAlthy food, hEAlthy lIVIngBut during the conference, there was little

talk about healthy food - especially about

the new trends in congress food. Maybe the

scientific study carried out by the School of

Public Health (University of Minnesota) could

have been of help here. They developed a set

of guidelines for healthy food for conferences

and event catering. Perhaps we’ll broach this

subject next time.

ECM (European Cities Marketing) is the leading European association of city tourism offices and convention bureaus, representing 125 members across 100 major cities in 32 countries. Its aim is to improve the performance and maintain the competitiveness of its members through the exchange of best practice and information.

European Cities Marketing in Lyon

heAlThy fooD AT meeTIngsWHEN THE CONFERENCE TAkES PLACE IN LyON AND THE MAIN THEME OF THE EVENT

IS: ‘CUISINE AND DESTINATION IDENTITy’, FEW OF US WILL THINk TWICE BEFORE

PARTICIPATING. THIS INCLUDES MySELF: THAT’S WHy I TOOk THE TGV FOR A DIRECT

TRIP FROM BRUSSELS TO LyON. report Marcel a.M. Vissers

HEADQUARTERS 11

WANTED

Have you ever dreamed of building your own exhibition? Are you always keen to follow the hottest trend? Lyon Tourism and Conventions bureau and its partners can help turn your dreams into your very own business. Let us make your exhibition a success story.

Development Support| Partner ResearchFinancial Support | Event VenueFor more information visit www.expobooster.org

TOURISM AND CONVENTIONS

LOONEY, VISIONARY PROJECT BUILDERS OBSESSED WITH WILD DREAMS OF BUILDING AN EXHIBITION

MORE INFO

Marie Kuklova T. +33 380 56 59 51 [email protected] www.europeancitiesmarketing.com www.nmbs-europe.com

eUropean cities marketing’s new vice president and board member

At the General Assembly of European Cities Marketing held in Lyon, heike Mahmoud, Director, Conventions, at VisitBerlin, was elected as the Association’s new Vice President. She said: ‘My focus will be on specific content, trends and new activities

relating to the meetings sector, and on giving added value to our members’. No doubt ECM will take yet another dimension with Heike’s election.

HEADQUARTERS 12

hQ: Could you

briefly present

the ECf?

Raimund Sta-

bauer: The ECF

started back in

1983, founded

by 12 bicycle

user asso-

ciations and his

since grown to

66 associations

across almost

40 countries. It was originally based around

organizing the Velo-city Conference where

policy planners, bicycle advocates, politicians,

etc. could meet to discuss, plan and advo-

cate for improved everyday cycling. Now, its

responsibilities have grown: it lobbies at the

EU and international level, provides cycling

expertise through EuroVelo, the trans-Euro-

pean Cycle path network and participates in

a number of EU funded projects. The number

of full time staff has increased dramatically

in the past few years, and it’s becoming quite

the influential player in Europe and globally.

hQ: what kind of challenges has the

association overcome in recent years?

Raimund Stabauer: In recent years we have

had to deal with the consequences of the

global financial crisis. This can affect so

many parts of conference planning, especially

because we’re often in partnerships with

local governments when organizing our

conferences. It’s been a challenge over-

coming reduced budgets and altered

political agendas.

Another big challenge we’ve been facing is

going global. Obviously, if we want to make

sure cycling is taken seriously, getting the

developing giants like China on board is

essential. We’re now trying to place our

roots not only in Europe but abroad, and

this is much easier said than done.

hQ: what kind of events do you organize?

Raimund Stabauer: ECF organizes the

premier cycle planning conference - it’s called

Velo-city. As mentioned earlier, Velo-city

series of conferences is widely considered

as the premier international planning

conferences on cycling. These events are

designed to encourage cycling as part of daily

transport and recreation.

Velo-city began in 1980 in Bremen,

Germany with deep ties in the founding of

the European Cyclists’ Federation. Since

then conferences have been held in cities

including Copenhagen, Brussels, Barcelona

and Montreal. Velo-city conferences are now

attracting about 1,000 delegates. They bring

together those involved in policy, promotion

and the provision of cycling facilities and

programs. Engineers, planners, architects,

social marketers, academic researchers,

environmentalists, business, and industry

representatives join forces with government

at all levels ranging from municipal politi-

cians, policy makers and educators in

knowledge sharing in order to build

effective trans-national partnerships

to deliver benefits worldwide.

Answering the growing demand for expertise

in cycling from cities, ECF has decided to hold

an annual Velo-city conference as of 2010.

europeAn CyClIsTs’ feDerATIonA talk with raimund Stabauer

HQ> A S S O C I A T I O N P O R T R A I T

THE EUROPEAN CyCLISTS’ FEDERATION

(ECF) AIMS TO ENSURE THAT BICyCLE

USE ACHIEVES ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL

SO AS TO BRING ABOUT SUSTAINABLE

MOBILITy AND PUBLIC WELL-BEING. TO

DO SO, THEy LOBBy AND ORGANIZE

EVENTS. RAIMUND STABAUER, VELO-

CITy SERIES ASSISTANT AND EVENT

MANAGER, TELLS US MORE ABOUT

THE ORGANIZATION.

Raimund Stabauer

HEADQUARTERS 13

In any case a Velo-city are held in every odd

numbered year in Europe. The Global edition

(Velo-city Global) of the conference series is

held in every even numbered year on one of

the six continents.

hQ: what is the association’s decision

process concerning the organization of a

conference? how do you decide where to go?

Raimund Stabauer: ECF organizes an open

call for applications to host the Velo-city con-

ference. At this moment the application for

2013 and 2014 is open until the end of August

2011. After this deadline the ECF Board will

shortlist several applications and give these

selected cities another chance to give a more

detailed presentation. The final decision is

then made by the ECF board.

hQ: what kind of venues do you need and

what criteria must they satisfy?

Raimund Stabauer: Velo-city conferences are

known for their participatory nature, provid-

ing opportunities to take part in workshop

sessions, go on technical visits to cycle

facilities and talk to the officials involved in

planning. It is also important to plan informal

sessions during the day, and social events in

the evening where it is possible for delegates

to meet and talk to each other. Formal ple-

nary sessions are used for presentations by

the host city, national and international politi-

cians as well as policy presentations of other

best-practices. Workshop sessions with one or

more presentations are predominant, with up

to seven workshops running simultaneously

throughout the conference timetable.

The proposed facilities must be able to cater

for this, and this is an important factor in

selecting a venue. The bidding city should

include an exhibition in the conference. The

exhibition should be held during the same

days as the conference. The possibilities and

ideas for the exhibition are an important part

of the bid.

hQ: do you work with a pCo or a dMC?

why? what do you expect of them?

Raimund Stabauer: The contract partner for

the Velo-city conference is the host city. The

city therefore can choose which PCO or DMC

they want to contract.

hQ: how would you summarize new trends

in the association congress world?

Raimund Stabauer: There is a clear trend

to hold more sustainable conferences; this

means that there has to be more efficient

energy use in the conference centre, reduc-

tion of printed material and other environ-

mentally friendly choices (e.g. no plastic cups

for provided water, as much recycling as

possible, etc.)

hQ: Any memorable destinations for

one of your events? If yes, why?

Raimund Stabauer: Of course every Velo-

city conference and its host city have a very

unique touch - every host city is chosen for

a number of very good reasons! Nevertheless,

Copenhagen in the year 2010 was a very

memorable destination. Last year was

indeed the first edition of the Velo-city Global

concept - which city would have been better

to celebrate this than ‘the city of cyclists’?

www.ecf.com

Raimund Stabauer is the Velo-city Series Assistant and Event Manager for the European Cyclists’ Federation. He was born in Austria, and studied Sport Culture and Event Management in Kufstein, Tyrol. He came to Belgium to help organize the world’s biggest bicycle planning conference.

There is a clear trend to hold more sustainable conferences; this means that there has to be more efficient energy use in the conference centre, reduction of printed material and other environmentally friendly choices

past and fUtUre velo-city conferences

2001 glasgow / Edinburgh2003 Paris2005 Dublin2007 Munich2009 Brussels2010 Copenhagen2011 Seville2012 Vancouver

HEADQUARTERS 14

HQ> V I P A R I S

susTAInAble VIpArIs

VIPARIS GROUP INCORPORATES TEN EVENT VENUES IN PARIS ILE DE FRANCE,

INCLUDING PALAIS DES CONGRèS DE PARIS, CNIT PARIS LA DéFENSE, PALAIS DES

CONGRèS DE VERSAILLES, AND LE PALAIS DES CONGRèS D’ISSy, WHERE MORE

THAN 125 CONVENTIONS ARE HOSTED EVERy yEAR.

As a key player in the events industry, and

more particularly conventions, Viparis is

keen to play a leading role in reconciling

sustainable economic development with the

conventions, events and shows they host.

prACtICAl StEpSAs part of their commitment, they have

taken the following practical steps:

+ the construction of the new Paris Nord

Villepinte HEQ (High Environmental

Quality) hall

+ the development of a calculator (available

to all clients) to measure the carbon

footprints of events. This tool provides

the organiser with an action plan, in line

with the results, to reduce their footprint.

+ the reducing of energy consumption by

monitoring installations, leading to the

development of a dedicated sustainable

development action plan (energy-efficient

solutions, audits, abnormality detection

operations, optimisation of equipment

programming, etc.).

+ the Palais des Congrès de Paris has

developed an innovative response to

the management of waste generated

by events. In fact, it has set up its own

management system to sort out and

recycle waste (particularly plastic, wood

and paper waste). Thanks to this service,

the handling of waste management is

no longer handled by the conventions

themselves. In addition, the Palais des

Congrès de Paris is equipped with trash

bins allowing visitors to sort out waste

they generate.

for thE pEoplEViparis is also committed to improving

facilities for visitors and particularly for

persons with disabilities. They have launched

two major projects in this area.

In 2009 and 2010, they performed an

accessibility evaluation in compliance with

the French law of 11 February 2005, at all

of their sites, with the support of Bureau

Veritas. These audits formed the basis for

a programme of multi-annual investment

plans to ensure the compliance of all of

exhibition spaces.

They also perform trials in partnership with

disabled people (with physical and visual

disabilities) to identify the practical obstacles

they potentially face during their visit.

Project partners include the Association des

Paralysés de France and Association Valentin

Haüy, which enable Viparis to meet the needs

of persons with disabilities as best as possible.

In this regard, Viparis just implemented an

innovative programme at the Palais des

Congrès de Paris: the fitting of terminals

at the entrance to the site to allow visually

impaired persons, using their everyday

devices (detection device or mobile phone),

to identify the building and the entrance,

and to obtain directions to help them move

around the site. What’s more, the lifts are

equipped with Braille numbers and an

audio information system to facilitate the

movement of disabled people. Headphones

are also available at the entrances to the

amphitheatres to amplify the sound during

talks. Lastly, the teams at the Palais are

available to guide visitors on request.

A best practices guide is also being prepared

to help organisers provide the best possible

welcome to persons with disabilities.

MORE INFO

+33 (0)1 40 68 22 [email protected]

Palais des Congrès de Paris

Inside the Palais des Congrès de Paris

© l

au

ren

ce p

rat

© s

ofiaco

me

HEADQUARTERS 15

According to the ICCA country and city

rankings 2010, the number of international

association meetings continue to increase

significantly. the city and country rankings

of the International Congress & Conven-

tion Association (ICCA) cover meetings

organised by international associations

which take place on a regular basis and

which rotate between a minimum of three

countries, with at least 50 participants. the

data represents a ‘snapshot’ of qualifying

events in the ICCA Association database as

sampled on 9 May 2011.

ICCA’s Association Database is designed

as a sales and marketing resource for its

members to target future international

association meetings, which is why it does

not include one-off events or those which

do not move between locations.

This year the ICCA Data researchers have

identified 9,120 events which took place in

2010, 826 events more than were identi-

fied last year and an all-time record. Partly

this reflects the strength of the association

meetings market despite the recent economic

downturn; partly it is thanks to a record num-

ber of ICCA members sending us their calen-

dar information to help identify new events.

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk says: ‘Some of this

significant increase in numbers of associa-

tion meetings in 2010 is certainly due to our

continued investment in research and the

great feedback from ICCA members, but it

seems clear to me that we’re in the midst of

an extended period of astonishing dynamism:

2009 and 2008 were similarly buoyant in

terms of new association event creation.

HQ> M E E T I N G S T R E N D S

EVERy JUNE AND JULy HQ GETS BOMBARDED WITH MEETINGS STATISTICS. WE CALL IT THE ‘ICCA AND UIA THUNDERSTORMS’.

OF COURSE THEy HAVE A RIGHT TO ExIST, AS THEy CLEARLy INDICATE TRENDS. WE LIkE THE REACTIONS OF COUNTRIES OR CITIES

DOING WELL, BUT SHARE A LITTLE OF THE PAIN OF DESTINATIONS WHO DIDN’T GET A PAT ON THE BACk AT THE SAME TIME.

AS CHRISTIAN MUTSCHLECHNER, OF VIENNA CONVENTION BUREAU, PUTS IT: ‘A loT HAS Been SAId ABouT ICCA And uIA STATISTICS

BuT deFInITely one THIng you CAn noT ARgue AnyMoRe - AS THey ARe done eveRy yeAR By THe SAMe CRITeRIA, BoTH oF

THeM ARe BeCoMIng “TRendBARoMeTReS”.’ WE COULDN’T SAy IT IN A BETTER WAy.

meeTIng TrenDs for 2010

ICCA’s Top AssoCIATIon meeTIngs DesTInATIons In 2010

HEADQUARTERS 16

This surely has to be driven by the accel-

eration of new scientific and technological

developments, and the need to discuss these

complex changes face-to-face. Anyone who

wants to understand what the Information

Revolution really looks like just needs to

consider how the association meetings sector

is evolving.’

As has been the case since 2004, USA and

Germany are the number one and two coun-

tries respectively measured by the number

of international meetings organised in 2010.

However, if comparing the United States to

the European Union, counting only the top 6

European countries (Germany, Spain, United

kingdom, France, Italy and Switzerland),

Europe leads by 2,348 to 623 - explaining

why no US city is mentioned in the top 20

city ranking.

The gap between the USA and Germany is

shrinking from 137 to 81 meetings, compared

to the 2009 figures. Spain, third country in

the ranking since 2007, remains third. The

United kingdom and France both climb one

place to respectively fourth and fifth at the

cost of Italy, which now ranks sixth. Japan

and China-P.R. both also climb one place and

Brazil drops two places and is now ninth.

Switzerland is a newcomer in the top 10.

The top 5 cities are the same as in the 2009

ranking. For the sixth year in a row, Vienna is

the most popular city, even though it organ-

ized 6 meetings less compared to 2009,

which means other cities are gaining ground

on Vienna. Like last year, Barcelona, Paris,

Berlin and Singapore make up the top 5 cit-

ies. Remarkable climbers are Madrid (jumps

from 13 to 6), Istanbul (from 17 to 7), Sydney

(from 27 to 10) and Taipei (from 25 to 11).

Copenhagen and Stockholm dropped out

of the top 10 and Bangkok dropped out of

the top 20. For Bangkok political unrest can

clearly be appointed as a cause for this drop.

When creating a city ranking measured by to-

tal number of participants hosted at all meet-

ings in 2010, Stockholm is third, which means

it has hosted less but bigger meetings.

www.iccaworld.com

NuMber of MeetiNgs per couNtry

rank Country # Meetings

1 USA 623

2 Germany 542

3 Spain 451

4 United kingdom 399

5 France 371

6 Italy 341

7 Japan 305

8 China-P.R. 282

9 Brazil 275

10 Swizerland 244

11 Australia 239

12 Canada 229

13 Netherlands 219

14 Austria 212

15 Portugal 194

16 Sweden 192

17 Republic of korea 186

18 Argentina 172

19 Belgium 164

20 Turkey 160

NuMber of MeetiNgsper city

rank City # Meetings

1 Vienna 154

2 Barcelona 148

3 Paris 147

4 Berlin 138

5 Singapore 136

6 Madrid 114

7 Istanbul 109

8 Lisbon 106

9 Amsterdam 104

10 Sydney 102

11 Taipei 99

12 Beijing 98

Buenos Aires 98

14 London 97

15 Copenhagen 92

16 Seoul 91

17 Stockholm 89

18 Budapest 87

19 Prague 85

20 Hong kong 82

> M E E T I N G T R E N D S

uIA’s InTernATIonAl meeTIngs sTATIsTICs for The yeAr 2010for the past 62 years, the Union of Interna-

tional Associations (UIA) has undertaken,

for the benefit of its members, statistical

studies on the preceding year’s interna-

tional meetings. As in previous years, the

report is also available for sale to the public

following a period of three months’ exclu-

sive use by UIA Associate Members.

The statistics are based on information system-

atically collected by the UIA Congress Depart-

ment and selected according to strict criteria

maintained over the years, thus enabling

meaningful comparison from year to year.

Meetings taken into consideration include

those organized and/or sponsored by the

international organizations which appear in

the yearbook of International organizations

and in the International Congress Calendar,

i.e.: the sittings of their principal organs, con-

gresses, conventions, symposia, regional ses-

sions grouping several countries, as well as

some national meetings with international

participation organized by national branches

of international associations.

Not included are purely national meetings

as well as those of an exclusively religious,

didactic, political, commercial, or sporting

nature, and corporate and incentive meet-

ings, the survey of these specific markets not

being within the scope of activities of the UIA.

HEADQUARTERS 17

top iNterNatioNal MeetiNg couNtries iN 2010

rank Country # Meetings

1 USA 936

2 Japan 741

3 Singapore 725

4 France 686

5 Belgium 597

6 Spain 572

7 Germany 499

8 korea Rep. 464

9 Uk 375

10 Austria 362

11 Italy 357

12 Australia 356

13 Netherlands 329

14 Switzerland 322

15 China 236

16 Canada 221

17 Hungary 181

18 Norway 172

19 India 164

20 Sweden 161

top iNterNatioNal MeetiNg cities iN 2010

rank City # Meetings

1 Singapore 725

2 Brussels 486

3 Paris 394

4 Vienna 257

5 Seoul 201

6 Barcelona 193

7 Tokyo 190

8 Geneva 189

9 Madrid 175

10 Berlin 165

11 London 164

12 Budapest 144

13 Sydney 137

14 Amsterdam 131

15 New york 127

16 Copenhagen 102

17 Busan 89

The Hague 93

18 Melbourne 85

Stockholm 92

19 Lisbon 91

20 Istanbul 86

Rome

> M E E T I N G T R E N D S

Uia’s hard figUres for 2010

total number of meetings in the uia database 359,673 # of those answering the criteria for inclusion in this report 316,534

# of those taking place prior to the reporting year 297,724 # of those taking place in the reporting year 12,015 # of those scheduled to take place after the reporting year 6,795

# of countries represented for all years 256 # of cities represented for all years 11,047

# of countries represented for the reporting year only 181 # of cities represented for the reporting year only 1,573

More prominence has been given to presenting data which, due

to the passage of time, can be considered to have stabilized. The

editors emphasize that the number of meetings for the current

reporting year (2010) is expected to be around 80 percent of that

extracted from the database five years hence.

Since the 2008 edition of this report (published in 2009), the

UIA meetings database has been enriched by connecting it more

closely to its sister database on international organizations, the

source of the yearbook of International Organizations.

This enhances the data available across the time scale and in

particular enables historical surveys of international organization

meeting activity as far back as 1850. It has also affected the rate

of change in data.

CrItErIAUIA divides meetings in 3 categories: meetings of international

organizations, 3-day other international meetings and 2-day other

international meetings.

Meetings of interntional organizations are organized or sponsored

by ‘international organizations’ included in the UIA’s yearbook of

International Organizations, with at least 50 participants. 3-day

other international meetings are not organized or sponsored

by ‘international organizations’ but nonetheless of significant

international character, with at least 40% of participants who are

from countries other than the host country, with at least 5 differ-

ent nationalities, lasting at least 3 days, with either a concurrent

exhibition or at least 300 participants.

2-day other international meetings are not organized or sponsored

by ‘international organizations’ but nonetheless of significant

international character, with at least 40% of participants who are

from countries other than the host country, with at least 5 differ-

ent nationalities, lasting at least 2 days, with either a concurrent

exhibition or at least 250 participants.

www.uia.org

HEADQUARTERS 18

in late 2008, had brought into focus how

important the sustainability concept is for

future economic development.

Since we are now in full swing preparing

for next year’s summit on the subject,

namely Rio 2012, there are some

additional thoughts I would like

to share. While the Earth Sum-

mit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992

clearly placed the environment

at the centre of global concerns,

subsequent meetings focused on

society and its place in natural

and economic development.

Increasingly, we have become

aware of the need to adapt to a

rapidly changing economic and

social environment if we want

to build a sustainable future. Therefore, if we

want to be relevant in the future, we will have

to be innovative, open to cooperation with

all stakeholders through partnerships and

alliances, and use the fast-evolving communi-

cation tools at our disposal.

Personally, I am a great believer in tech-

nological innovation. We only need to look

back at previous centuries to understand

the power of new technologies to improve

human lives. This should not lead to compla-

cency, but it should be an encouragement to

respond to the challenges we face. We are

conscious that, invariably, the growing popu-

lation impacts our global environment and

this should bring home the message that we

need to optimize the use of finite resources.

It is important for associations to adopt in-

novation and the efficient use of resources

in developing their strategies to shape a sus-

tainable future. Rather than considering in-

novative ideas as threats to our organization,

we should turn them to our advantage and

seize the opportunities they offer. We live in

a global community, and associations have

a key role to play in placing the knowledge

and intelligence of the sector they represent

at the disposal of members, policymakers

and regulators and setting an example of

how to be relevant while also being resource-

efficient and sustainability conscious.

www.esae.org

buIlDIng A susTAInAble fuTure

It is important for associations to adopt innovation and the efficient use of resources in developing their strategies to shape a sustainable future

Luc Maene

WHEN I WAS ASkED TO WRITE A COLUMN ON THE MEANING OF SUSTAINABILITy IN THE ASSOCIATION SECTOR, My FIRST REACTION

WAS: WHy BEAT A DEAD HORSE? INDEED, WE HAVE BEEN LIVING WITH THE SUSTAINABILITy CONCEPT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

text luc MaeNe, presideNt of esae aNd director geNeral of the iNterNatioNal fertilizer associatioN (ifa)

I checked the article I wrote for the February

2009 issue of HQ on sustainable develop-

ment and felt that everything mentioned

there is still very much valid. The commodity

price escalation we experienced in 2008,

and the global financial crisis which started

HEADQUARTERS 19

In today’s rapidly evolving world, associa-

tions must regularly review their mission,

core purpose and value proposition to ensure

their continuing relevance to the industry

and members they serve.

Nowhere is this more clear than with issues

surrounding sustainability. Sustainability is

perhaps the defining business and social

issue of this century. This was underscored

by the recent survey conducted by Accenture

for the United Nations in which 93% of

Corporate CEOs interviewed said that sus-

tainability is ‘critical to their future success’.

Sustainability is a broad concept that

includes governance, ethics and anti-

corruption, human rights, diversity, financial

viability and many more issues that go far

beyond the traditional concept of ‘green’.

When integrated in an organisations’ strat-

egy, sustainability delivers reduced costs

and reduced employee turnover while

delivering increases in market share and in

stakeholder trust in the brand. Sustainability

today is about smart and responsible

business practices designed not only

for short term gains but for long term

relevance and durability in the market.

Hubert Mandery, Director General, Cefic

(European Chemical Industry Council)

says: ‘Sustainable development is now the #1

paradigm for politicians, society and industry.

An opportunity for industry to provide

innovative products and services - more

eco-efficient, more resource-efficient. For us

it’s changing the ‘business as usual’ policies.’

dEfInIng thE SUStAInABlE ASSoCIAtIonA sustainable association is an organisa-

tion that generates growth, profitability and

member value by integrating principles of

sustainable development throughout the

association.

profItABIlIty — It is essential that all

associations, although ‘not-for-profit’

organisations, generate surpluses which

can be reinvested in initiatives, programmes

and services designed to fulfil the organisa-

tion’s mission as well as reinforce value and

relevance to members.

growth — A sustainable business model

allows for viable long term growth. This

model must be based on social responsibility

principles: good governance, staff empower-

ment, sustainability reporting and efficient

management of resources used (energy,

waste, water) which will have the added

advantage of cutting costs in the short-

term and changing behaviour to embrace

sustainability.

MEMBEr VAlUE — Associations can help

their members to understand the business

case and stay ahead of the trends through in-

dustry research. They can increase revenues

and member value by providing innovative

services and tools such as measurement

and reporting systems.

SUStAInABIlIty: A frAMEwork to SUpport orgAnISAtIon growth And MEMBEr VAlUEIn a recent whitepaper produced by our MCI

colleagues in the Association Management

and Consulting practice, eight strategies

susTAInAbIlITy: The buIlDIng bloCk of suCCessful AssoCIATIons ASk NOT WHAT yOUR ASSOCIATION

CAN DO TO BE SUSTAINABLE BUT WHAT

SUSTAINABILITy CAN DO FOR yOUR

ASSOCIATION. text guy bigwood, Mci

sustaiNability director

HEADQUARTERS 20

were identified for increasing association

growth and security over the long term.

First among those was the need to ‘Set

a sustainable framework’.

Many organizational leaders feel that sus-

tainability is important but do not under-

stand how to integrate sustainable business

principles into their organisations. The

Framework for Strategic Sustainable Devel-

opment (FSSD), also known as The Natural

Step Framework (www.thenaturalstep.org)

serves as a good example of a resource

available to organisations seeking practical

approaches to integrating sustainability.

The United Nations Global Compact

(www.unglobalcompact.org) is the world’s

largest sustainability initiative with over 7,000

organisations supporting its 10 universal

principles. Their management approach devel-

oped with Deloitte is another good resource.

rEportIng AS An ACCElErAtor of ChAngEIncreasing numbers of organizations are

documenting their performance in sustain-

ability reports and are using standardized

reporting formats, namely the Global Report-

ing Initiative (GRI) framework. In the wake of

the financial crisis, the BP oil spill, climate

change and an interest in preventing mal-

feasance where possible, many governments

are now writing legislation requiring private

and public organizations to report their

sustainability performance. A recent report

produced by the GRI in partnership with

the UNEP and kPMG found that 142 unique

regulatory instruments addressed sustain-

ability reporting in 30 separate countries

(including mandatory reporting in Spain,

Norway, Denmark, Uk and others).

Disclosure is a key area where associations

can help their members to develop industry

specific reporting frameworks, implementation

guidance and initiatives. One example is the

International Coalition of Mining and Metals

(ICMM), a London-based trade organization

of 18 major corporations and 30 mining and

global-commodity associations that has com-

mitted to address the sector’s core sustainabil-

ity challenges and publicly report on progress.

ICMM worked with GRI staff in 2006 to

create the first standards specific to the

mining and minerals sector. Now after a

two-year transition period, all but one

new member now report at GRI levels. The

industry can now see how public reporting

is improving performance based on the

stronger engagement of leaders with ICMM

and their improved human-rights and

community-relations programs.

tAkIng thE lEAdIt is an exciting time for associations that

embrace sustainability as a framework to

address new challenges not as barriers to

success but as opportunities for innovation

and growth, and to enhance member value.

Association management teams must take

the lead in guiding members toward

sustainable practices and by updating dated

processes and paradigms to more accurately

reflect the dynamic business landscape in

which they now operate. This is even more

important when considering the next gene-

ration (y) of business professionals who have

greater expectation for more transparent,

ethical and responsible business practices.

Looking around the world at associations

implementing a strategic approach to green-

ing and social responsibility we have seen

that ‘sustainability’ enhances member

value, creates a healthier more connected

community and improves economic results.

www.mci-group.com/associations

www.lessconversationmoreaction.com

Guy Bigwood is the Sustainability Director of MCI and President of the Green Meeting Industry Council. He provides strategic guidance and consulting advice to associations and institutions about sustainable business.

SUStAInABIlIty IMpACt ArEAS And ExAMplE StrAtEgIES

goVErnAnCE tAlEnt EVEnt & offICE opErAtIonS

• develop vision and strategy• establish leadership and empowerment• define objectives and metrics• ensure accountability and performance• implement & maintain good business ethics• produce a sustainability report

• engage & communicate sustainability strategies to employees

• promote employee wellness, health and safety

• promote diversity & labour rights• ensure human rights

• reduce energy & water consumption• increase energy efficiency and use of renewable energy • reduce waste management, resource usage & recycling • improve technology efficiency• use it systems to manage sustainability

prodUCtS And SErVICES EdUCAtIon CoMMUnICAtIon

• create and offer services to help members implement sustainability

• provide measurement and reporting tools & advice• offer consulting services

• develop leadership education• implement official training programs• create and provide guides and reports

• engage with leadership & raise awareness of business case• engage with government bodies.

advocate change & influence legislation• share best & next practices

HEADQUARTERS 21

AnoTher ArTICle on susTAInAbIlITy

ARE yOU BORED WITH THIS TOPIC? DO yOU THINk IT HAS BEEN DONE TO

DEATH IN EVERy MAGAZINE AND AT EVERy MEETINGS INDUSTRy CONFER-

ENCE IN THE LAST FEW yEARS? IS ANyTHING HAPPENING AS A RESULT OF

ALL THE HULLABALLOO? WELL yES IT IS, BUT NOT ENOUGH - WE NEED TO

kEEPING BANGING ON THE DRUM UNTIL IT IS SECOND-NATURE.

And it takes a number of drums to make up

the full drum kit. There is social and eco-

nomic responsibility; there is the workplace,

the office, the home and, in our instance,

the conference. It is the responsibility of all

individuals to practice and support sustain-

ability through their CSR practices and

develop sustainable practices. In the world of

conference organisers it is not only the client

and organiser who need to adopt sustain-

able principles but attendees who need to

support, adopt and apply those principles to

their individual practices.

The ‘Green Meetings’ element stretches

across the whole gambit of the meeting:

+ The destination and venue

+ Accommodation and transport

+ Food and beverage

+ The exhibition

+ Production

+ Marketing & communications

+ Congress materials

Everyone is talking about it, and in general

most are doing something about it… but are

they doing enough?

Taking Food & Beverage as an example: think

about the scenario of 2,500 delegates across a

5 day conference using 62,500 plates, 87,500

napkins, 75,000 glasses and cups, and 90,000

can or bottles, not to mention the Greenhouse

emissions from travel along with paper and

plastic waste materials from the conference.

If you consider that IAPCO members alone in

2010 produced over 6,000 conferences with

over 2.2 million participants it is easy to see

how important sustainable practices are within

the meetings and events industry.

According to the Green Meeting Industry

Council (GMIC), a green meeting or event

incorporates environmental considerations

throughout all stages in order to minimise

its negative impact on the environment. So

what kind of sustainability practices can the

meetings industry adopt?

Conference Organisers are able to choose

meeting facilities and venues that have a

Green Globe accreditation where possible and

have achieved an International Association of

Congress Centres (AIPC) Gold quality standard.

Sound food and beverage management

can assist in reducing conference costs and

environmental waste. Considerate organisers

use local products and minimise packaging

where possible. The use of a food bank will

ensure that excess food is not wasted and food

safety practices are adhered to. Organisers

and managers of catering companies will

calculate catering numbers very carefully

to avoid excess waste - and create budget

savings as well! Inevitably there will be wasted

food and in many countries it is not possible to

implement a programme of redistribution to

community projects, but the compost heap is

always an alternative! In addition, organisers

might consider providing delegates with water

bottles that they can refill.

Choosing hotel options for accommoda-

tion that are within walking distance to the

meeting venue will ensure that delegates use

less transport and emissions are reduced, if

this is not possible promote the use of public

transport to reduce emissions or use green

efficient transport.

printed conference materials are now

minimised where possible with the use of

electronic marketing and web resources.

With the introduction of the smart phone

and ‘app’ developments many delegates do

not need a printed copy of the program book

or registration brochure. For materials that

must be printed on paper, organisers have

the choice of vegetable inks, recycled paper

and printing double-sided to minimise paper

use. And organisers could use web-based

portals and teleconferencing facilities to

communicate with clients with a view to re-

ducing travel associated with administrative

face-to-face meetings.

production companies could be selected

on the basis of their sustainable practices,

where materials which are still usable, and

equipment, are donated to the commu-

nity, and where equipment is turned off or

switched to eco-mode as a matter of course.

Exhibitors and sponsors are fully briefed

and abide by the conferences environmental

policies. Exhibitors are encouraged where

possible to repackage reusable materials

instead of creating landfill. Exhibition

HEADQUARTERS 22

www.messecongress.at www.vienna.convention.at

meet. understand. network.experience. contribute.excite. convene. present.motivate. interact. participate.exhibit. create. inspire. connect.exchange. select. succeed.meet in Vienna.

organisers need to take a look at minimising

lighting outside exhibition hours and care-

fully consider the need for excess carpet-

ing taking into account tiles, second lay or

providing disposal carpet (first lay) to an

external venue such as hostels. And of

course providing facilities for easy division

of recycling materials.

Whilst it is accepted that sponsors frequently

provide the financial backing for conferences,

it is important that organisers create

packages that are eco-friendly, and that

items contained within ‘shopping lists’ do

not contravene the event’s sustainable

policy. Via electronic marketing alert

your delegates and attendees to the

conference policies on sustainability. By

making delegates and attendees aware of

the sustainable practices and providing

them with hints and tips, conference

organisers can ensure that everyone is

doing their part towards achieving a green

meeting. Community activities for delegates

and attendees can also be a fun way to

experience different cultures and

support social responsibilities. Planting

a copse of trees or fundraising for an

industry specific community green

project can be a way to leave a positive

lasting legacy from the conference to the

community. There are a range of carbon

offset programs to offer to delegates and

exhibitors.

Most importantly conference organisers

must ensure that all actions are practical,

affordable and viable for the conference.

Conference organisers can adopt best

practice principles for green meetings by

referring to resources such as International

Standardization Organization (ISO)

and British Standards Institution (BSI).

Further comprehensive standards for

environmentally sustainable meetings are

being created through a partnership of

The Convention Industry Council (CIC)’s

Accepted practices Exchange (APEx)

initiative and ASTM International. Standards

will be composed of nine sectors within the

planning process and will go a long way to

assist organisers through education and

reporting materials to manage certified

green events, with appropriate reporting

structures.

This article was provided by the International Association of Professional Congress Organisers. IAPCO members organise in excess of 6100 meetings annually, totaling some 2.24 million delegates. [email protected] / www.iapco.org

HEADQUARTERS 23

Historically, associations have been slower

in applying cross-industry practices but that

is changing. Perhaps there are important

lessons to learn from others who have gone

through learning curves and embraced

change. We asked Congrex’s, the interna-

tional management experts for meetings,

events, conferences, association manage-

ment, travel and accommodations, new CEO

David Wade-Smith, who has cross-industry

experience with this issue, to discuss some

of his ideas for implementing sustainability

in the association’s world.

hQ: Some of your background involved the

retail industry - one of the first to have to

deal with sustainability issues. what are the

lessons in sustainability that associations

might learn there?

david Wade-Smith: Much of what went on in

the retail industry in the early days around

the issue of sustainability was initiated by

crisis points - and was due initially to a lack of

awareness. you could say that much of what

we learned was a process of trial-and-error

because we are talking about 5 or 10 years

ago and the mindset wasn’t fully

there yet.

But this has changed.

Especially my background in

working with cities in the Uk

has shown me that this area is

moving forward rapidly.

When I was part of the

team heading up the

‘year of Environment’

in Liverpool, part of

the communication

strategy was

engaging residents concerning environmen-

tal issues and the feedback was very positive.

It has shown me there really is a hunger for

the ‘CO2 agenda’.

Today we have at our disposal a great deal of

information and processes of standardisation

to help us along. For associations this means

they have access to a wealth of information

on how to best design and manage sustaina-

ble practices. The know-how is out there and

professional management companies have

access to this information, competencies

and the necessary skills on how to support

the implementation of this and streamline

such practices into organisations. The big-

gest lesson is to be pro-active - and always

seek improvement and quality. Ultimately,

if an organisation is to be profitable in the

long-term it must also be able to do so at a

sustainable level.

hQ: how can conferences positively impact

participants and local communities alike?

david Wade-Smith: you’ve got to look at the

big picture and then create tie-ins that benefit

many different stakeholders. It is important

to include the greatest number and in this

way more people will benefit. We have to be

imaginative and think outside the box - take

a good look, who our audience is; where they

are holding the event; work locally on the

ground to understand how we can achieve

an organiser’s objectives while maximising

local resources. When we create efficient and

creative solutions, there is a multiple win that

includes the people and the planet.

hQ: why is supply chain so important when

designing a conference or event?

david Wade-Smith: Supply chain is extremely

important because it touches on every

aspect of delivery. That means we must think

about the full chain of events to deliver our

products and services. In other words, when

we plan our tactical or operational plans,

we should be assessing what it actually has

taken to make something happen. If it means

something that originated somewhere on

the other side of the planet that we could

have sourced locally, then we really need to

reconsider the basis for our decisions.

hQ: what is your take on the wider CSr

conversation - now and in the future?

david Wade-Smith: Like everything else the

conversation has widened, become refined,

and most important, is work in progress.

Congrex operate internationally, but it is vital

that we ‘act local’ and meet the demands

of each customer, city and venue that we

work with. An every day example is that

our offices in Scandinavia report more and

more increased demand for environmentally

friendly and secure venues for events. Con-

grex Nordic encourages all partner members

to work actively on these issues by applying

for the eco-label from 2012. Congrex Nordic

will also host an Environmental and Safety

Forum in November where ideas will be

exchanged. Importantly, while CSR may have

been a ‘nice to have’ in the past, today it’s

a ‘must do’ - because it is the sensible and

right thing to do.

www.congrex.com

TAlkIng susTAInAbIlITy with Congrex CEo David Wade-Smith

ACCORDING TO MPI (MEETING PROFESSIONALS INTERNATIONAL), ‘93% oF All Ceo’S SAy THAT SuSTAInABIlITy WIll BeCoMe CRITICAl

To THe SuCCeSS oF THeIR BuSIneSS’. OBVIOUSLy ISSUES OF SUSTAINABILITy ARE NOT JUST RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRy, BUT WHILE THE

STRATEGIC ISSUES ARE THE SAME WITH REGARDS TO SUSTAINABILITy, EVERy INDUSTRy MUST FACE ITS OWN TACTICAL CHALLENGES.

David Wade-Smith

HEADQUARTERS 24

This increased interest relates partly to the

spread of international standards such as

ISO 14001 and EMAS, intended to reduce

environmental harm. They have now been

joined by a new standard, ISO 26001,

intended to improve ‘social responsibility’.

Nevertheless, we expect that physical

meetings will continue to flourish. People

need to meet people. ‘Virtual’ meetings

are most successful when most of the

participants have already met in real life.

In finding a new balance between ‘virtual’

and real-life meetings, the quality of the

alternatives will play an important role:

the quality of video and audio meetings

has still to be improved, and indeed new

improvements are announced almost

monthly. Higher quality of physical events

will be a future trend too, and a challenge

for the event industry. In the light of current

trends, we expect that event organizers

will not only focus on further upgrading the

quality outcome of their activities: there is

also room for steep improvements regarding

the environmental impact of our activities

and the increasing need to justify our

events as regards resource use and social

responsibility.

This in turn puts pressure on venues. Beyond

the little bathroom notices asking for saving

water and towels, a broader view is emerging

of ‘SRE’ - Socially Responsible Events. How

‘green’ and ‘responsible’ is your venue? Can

it be proved? And can it be improved?

MEASUrES of ‘grEEn’ And ‘rESponSIBlE’Corporate Social Responsibility, business

ethics, ISO14001, ISO26000... in and across

different businesses there are industry

standards. In the events industry standards

are in preparation: the London Olympics will

foster the new ISO20121 (for sustainability

in event management). We suppose you

will soon hear more and more about this

standard. But also Green key, EMAS,

different Ecolabels and national incentives

IT’S NO SECRET THAT MANy ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDEED BUSINESSES, ARE

INCREASINGLy SWITCHING FROM FACE-TO-FACE MEETINGS TO VIDEO AND

INTERNET CONFERENCING. GOOD REASONS ARE TO SAVE MONEy (OF COURSE),

TO SAVE TIME (IN AIRPLANES, AIRPORTS, TAxIS AND… HOTELS). OTHER GOOD

REASONS ARE ECOLOGICAL: THIS SWITCH GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITy TO

REDUCE OUR USE OF NATURAL RESOURCES, AND REDUCE CO2 EMISSIONS. AND,

AS MANy OR MOST OF US NOW ExPERIENCE, RESOURCE AND CO2 REPORTING

ARE INCREASINGLy ExPECTED By MEMBERS AND OTHER STAkEHOLDERS.

text MarilyN MehlMaNN (gap) aNd Marc boNteMps (ecolife)

‘responsIble’ eVenTs?

Marc Bontemps Marilyn Mehlmann

U I A ı U n i o n o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l a s s o c i a t i o n s

HEADQUARTERS 25

will increasingly be on offer. Where to start,

how to build up a step-by-step approach is an

obvious question - both for venue managers,

and for their clients.

A good starter is always to take a benchmark:

to measure where you are. One measure of

resource use and emissions, increasingly

used in many sectors, is the ecological

footprint. Different calculators are available.

One can also focus on specific issues like

carbon, water or material footprints. Ideally

this is a measure that can be used for

comparison - with other organizations, or

to demonstrate improvements over time.

you may already be using it in your own

association, and can reasonably expect some

such measurement from your venue.

wAyS to IMproVEFortunately, there is a big range of actions

that can be taken by a hotel or conference/

congress centre to improve performance

in these areas. And a correspondingly

big opportunity for an event organizer to

ask pertinent questions when selecting

a venue. Some things you can check in

advance. Others, you will certainly notice

on site. Remember to give the management

feedback on your observations!

Here are some major areas in which most

venues could probably become more ‘green’:

1. catering: a leading expert says that

food is the biggest single contributor

to global warming - and the sector with the

biggest potential for improvements. Event

venues can contribute by using locally grown

food, organic and/or fair trade products,

reducing waste, composting unused

vegetables, by including tasty and high

quality vegetarian dishes on the menu.

2. heating/cooling, lighting and other

energy use: often a first point of

attention because a lot of money can be

saved by investing in new applications - and

by engaging staff and guests, empowering

them to behave differently.

3. printing and web hosting

(did you know that internet servers

account for as much CO2 emissions,

worldwide as the whole aviation sector?)

4. office, conference, exhibition

and maintenance supplies

(reducing waste and useless gadgets can

save money and ecological impact). Even

visitors’ badges can be bio-degradable these

days, towel and other textiles can be fair

trade…

5. transportation: how accessible is the

venue by public transport? How are

car parks planned and maintained? Is your

staff already ‘eco-driving’?

Some other factors that may have either

a high or a low environmental impact:

+ the cleaning of the venue, laundry,

and services to the guests

+ furniture, furnishings and building

materials (including paint for instance)

Social responsibility also, importantly,

includes ‘access for all’: both standards of

accessibility for people with different kinds

of handicap; and staff ability to cope with the

needs of such guests.

‘Responsible’ employees are indeed a

critical factor: at all levels in the venue,

staff should be aware of what can be done

to reduce environmental impact and act

more responsibly. Education plays an equally

important role as physical investments and

communication. Empowering staff on these

issues increases team spirit and good feeling,

and creates a positive environment for

guests: you’ll soon notice!

Social responsibility is usually also taken to

include factors that can be more difficult for

you as a client or guest to assess. It includes

things like equal opportunity for employees

- regardless of race, gender, age, etc.;

working with the entire supply chain to meet

high ethical and environmental standards;

contributing to the local community.

top MAnAgEMEnt: thE kEyThe values, priorities, and behaviour of the

top management team are the key to success.

This is as true now as when W. Edwards

Deming pointed it out in the 1940s, and as

true in the events sector as anywhere else.

A team that truly values ‘green’ and

‘responsible’ performance is not just ‘green-

washing’. It’s committed to improvements

and constantly looking for better ways

to do things.

A team that prioritizes improved

performance constantly communicates

this to all employees, clients, and other

stakeholders; and invites evaluation by

including ‘green’ and ‘responsible’ factors

in, for instance, the annual report. The top

management team communicates most

effectively by example. Do it! Expect to

be noticed.

And, most of all: guests will love to come to a

place where things that matter really count.

www.uia.org

Marilyn Mehlmann is a Vice-President of the Union of International Associations (UIA). She is, since 1995, the General Secretary of Global Action Plan International, a network of organizations working for a common goal: empowering people to live and work increasingly sustainably. She is also a Member of the Advisory Boards of People-Centered Development Forum, Seattle, and of Gaia University, Germany and Mexico.

Marc Bontemps (1953) is Director of Ecolife, the Belgian member of Global Action Plan. Ecolife developed different footprint calculators for events and venues. Marc has worked for PriceWaterhouseCoopers as well as for different development agencies and a CSR-rating bureau.

A good starter is always to take a benchmark: to measure where you are

HEADQUARTERS 27

Fascinating with a wealth of influences,

Durban caters to every taste. There you

can sample the unique vibrancy of urban

township life and traditional Zulu culture,

the finest curries outside India and a

calendar filled with thrilling events. From

Durban, it takes a mere few hours drive to

a choice of two World Heritage sites, game

reserves, coral reefs and historic battlefields,

all ideal destinations for pre- and post

conference tours.

dIVErSE ChoICEWhen it comes to conferences, Durban offers

a diverse choice of meeting venues total-

ing more than 19,000 cinema-style seats.

Its award-winning International Convention

Centre Durban (ICC Durban) - the biggest in

Africa - is centrally located, and adjoins the

Durban Exhibition Centre, which together

can cater for up to 18,000 delegates.

A purpose-built centre, ICC Durban boasts

three convention halls that are interlinked

but separate, where moveable walls allow

for a number of different venue configura-

tions. No wonder the city has played host to

numerous international conventions, such as

COP17 or the International Satistical Institute

conference, especially since ICC Durban has

won the title of Africa’s Leading Convention

Centre by the World Travel Awards for the

past nine consecutive years.

There is also a range of business hotels,

boutique establishments, and guest houses

that offer meeting facilities as well as a good

selection of stand-alone conference venues.

Hotels like the Hilton Durban, located near

the ICC Durban, offer first-rate meeting

venues, as do the Sibaya Casino & Enter-

taiment World, the Suncoast Conference

Centre, and Makaranga Garden Lodge &

Conference Centre - just a few of hundreds

of meeting venues located in and around the

city. Another option for large conferences is

the Olive Convention Centre located close to

the beachfront, its main auditorium has the

capacity of seating up to 1,400 delegates.

The hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup was

a spectacular success, and saw the Moses

Mabhida Stadium and its surroundings devel-

oped in a majestic manner. Now the Stadium

can serve as a stylish new venue, as well as a

tourist attraction with its arch and panoramic

views of the city, with a fair number of meet-

ing options.

goldEn MIlEThe Southern Sun Elangeni, located on Dur-

ban’s ‘golden mile’, offers a variety of meet-

ing rooms catering for gatherings of all types,

accommodating between 10 and 500 persons.

Durban has a vast selection of accommoda-

tion of a very high standard, ranging from

luxurious 5-star establishments, beachfront

self-catering apartments with sweeping views

of the ocean to intimate guest house and

boutique hotels. With many of these being

located along, or with easy access to the

beachfront, activities and events that revolve

around the ocean are never out of reach...

Let’s also mention the Signature Life

Docklands Hotel located on Durban’s Point

Waterfront. It’s a trendy hotel with three

large conference venues able to host small

groups to large conferences and banquets

able to seat up to 600 delegates and guests.

Makaranga Garden Lodge in kloof caters for

a range of disabilities, with its wheelchair

friendliness, and offers conference facilities

for up to 100 delegates.

DurbAnfusion in your meetings

CONTACT

+ south african tourism Tina Herold, Business Tourism Manager Europe [email protected] www.southafrica.net

+ icc durban www.icc.co.za [email protected]

+ durban Kwazulu-Natal convention bureau James Seymour, CEO [email protected] www.durbankzncb.co.za

SITUATED AT THE HEART OF kWAZULU-NATAL, kNOWN FOR ITS PARTICULARLy GOOD WEATHER ALL yEAR ROUND,

DURBAN IS A SOPHISTICATED COSMOPOLITAN COASTAL CITy, A FUSION OF EAST, WEST AND AFRICAN CULTURE,

OFFERING CULTURAL DIVERSITy AND MULTI-CULTURAL TRADITIONS, SOPHISTICATION AND STyLE.

HQ> S O U T H A F R I C A

HEADQUARTERS 28

HQberlInA dream come true

> B E R L I N

Twenty years after the Berlin Wall fell and

Germany was reunited Berlin has established

itself as a young, dynamic and cosmopolitan

city at the heart of Europe. The unique ap-

peal of Germany’s capital lies not only in the

fact that the restaurants, bars and clubs have

no official closing time; 175 museums, includ-

ing the recently reopened Neues Museum

on the Museum Island, over 130 stages in

opera houses and theatres, as well as seven

major symphony orchestras offer a diverse

programme of top-class social events.

I could personally experience it during Meet-

ing Place Berlin, a prestigious event Berlin

Convention Office organizes every two years

for planners from all over the world. I had

been in Berlin two years ago and, this time

again, I was amazed to see how much the

city had changed. Maybe the only busy but

laid-back metropolis, Berlin is a dream come

true when it comes to get together, as it

seems as if everywhere you go there’s an old,

usually post-War or industrial venue that has

been transformed to meet the needs of the

most demanding planners.

According to the latest ICCA figures, Berlin

ranks among the top four key destinations

for association congresses in the world. As a

matter of fact, ICCA will host its 50th congress

in Leipzig this year, and for a pre- or a post-

conference tour, Berlin could well be the place

to be (see sidebar). The German capital also

boasts Europe’s most modern hotels and more

than 115,000 hotel beds. And the city is home to

Europe‘s largest conference centre, the Interna-

tional Congress Centrum Berlin (ICC Berlin).

BErlIn: fUtUrE-proof EVEnt loCAtIonIn the past years, the German capital has

gained attractiveness as a location for

large-scale events. By the end of 2013 a new

congress and trade fair centre will be built

on the site of the former Deutschland Halle.

Between 2014 and 2016 it will replace the

International Congress Centrum ICC Berlin,

which will be completely closed and refur-

bished during that time. With the re-opening

of the ICC Berlin, Messe Berlin will then have

almost doubled its convention capacities.

The capital’s new airport, Berlin Brandenburg

International BBI, which is due to open in

June 2012, will give a further boost to the

city’s already successful development. It

is currently built on the site of Schönefeld

BERLIN COULD WELL BE A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ANy DEMANDING MEETING PLANNER: THE CHOICE OF SPECIAL LOCATIONS

RANGES FROM THE 368 METRE HIGH TELEVISION TOWER TO THE HANGAR OF FORMER TEMPELHOF AIRPORT ACCOMMODATING

5,000 GUESTS. BERLIN’S MODERN HOTEL LANDSCAPE ALSO OFFERS A UNIQUE DIVERSITy AT FAVOURABLE RATES. TO PUT IT IN

A NUTSHELL: THE GERMAN CAPITAL CONVINCES AS A PERFECT MEETING AND CONVENTION HOST. text réMi déVé

Moskau

© b

joern

stu

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HEADQUARTERS 29

Airport. The latter will be replaced by the BBI

Airport in the same way as Tegel Airport and

the already closed Tempelhof Airport. The

opening of the new airport is scheduled for

3 June 2012. In addition, a shuttle service

will be provided between BBI and the Berlin

main station. It will take passengers every 20

minutes to the airport and/or the city centre.

During Meeting Place Berlin, we had a dinner

right at the construction site and everything

looks big, impressive, and most importantly,

on schedule!

IMprESSIonS of A CItyIt feels like everything is changing at the

speed of light in Berlin. The organizers of

Meeting Place Berlin had done their job right.

In the two days I was there, I could catch

a glimpse of what is at stake. My personal

favourites definitely include two venues:

Moskau and the Berlinische Galerie.

With an original Russian sputnik on the roof

and a beautiful façade mosaic by the main

entrance, the Moskau is a perfect combina-

tion of history and modernism. A popular

restaurant in East Berlin before the Wall

came down, it’s been totally renovated and

now offers 4,000 m2 multifunctional event

areas equipped with best infrastructure and

premium materials.

The Berlinische Galerie is one of the newest

museums in the German capital and collects

art from Berlin dating from 1870 to the pre-

sent day - with both a local and international

focus. It offers a representative ambiance for

events of any kind and you may book special

opening hours of the museum as well as

professional guided tours! Predominantly the

auditorium is available for events (capacity:

300 people), but the exhibition rooms may

also be rented upon consultation as well.

+ PrE-CoNVENtIoN tour: 1-day programme this exclusive Berlin tour takes you through the

checkered history of the city and provides fascinating insights into the extraordinary diversity of arts, culture, music and entertainment with which the vibrant lifestyle metropolis enthralls its visitors from all over the world. a programme highlight is the visit to the new museum, reopened in 2009. apart from the Pergamon altar and the countless valuable art treasures, the world-famous bust of nefertiti is exhibited there. Furthermore, europe’s largest convention centre - the icc Berlin - opens its doors for you. it was recently presented for the sixth time in a row with the World travel award as ‘leading conference & convention centre’.

+ PrE-CoNVENtIoN tour: 2-day programme 1st day: same as above 2nd day: Berlin as a convention destination is equally

convincing for organisers and participants thanks to its outstanding offering of special event venues and europe’s most modern hotel landscape. today you will be presented with a small selection of facilities, among which the estrel hotel and convention centre Berlin, europe’s largest convention, entertainment and hotel complex. you will also enjoy an exclusive guided tour of a fascinating top location close to the Brandenburg gate: the axica congress and convention centre, with its expressive architecture by Frank o. gehry. this will be followed by a special highlight: you will have privileged access to the reichstag, the seat of the Bundestag, the german Parliament. a visit to the reichstag dome and the rooftop garden restaurant will offer unique views of the Berlin government district and the surrounding sights.

happy 10th birthday visitberlin berlin convention office!

Since July 1, 2001 the visitBerlin Berlin Convention Office (BCO) of Berlin Tourismus &

kongress GmbH has been offering competent support at the organisation of conventions,

meetings and incentives. Customers benefit from the experienced team, a broad network

of contacts and the free-of-charge reservation services for hotel allotments.

In time for the anniversary BCO now informs with a completely revamped Internet pres-

ence on Berlin as an event metropolis. On www.convention.visitberlin.de Germany’s

leading congress destination is presented in a comprehensive, structured and interactive

manner. Event planners are provided, for instance, with ideas for framework programmes,

participants get information on the tourism offering of Germany’s capital.

> B E R L I N

© b

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Meeting Place Berlin at the Bode Museum Inside Berlinische Galerie Berlinische Galerie

what to do in berlin prior the icca congress?

CLIENT : Tourisme MontréalPUBLICATION : HeadquartersPARUTION : September/October 2011NO DOSSIER : 22130-007_9444FORMAT : 210 x 270 mmCOULEURS : 4 COULEURS

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKD106057A_9444_Marina_V2_Europe_Headquarters_210x270mm ARTM_22130-007 PAGE 128/06/11 ÉPREUVE 2

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Montage à 100 % du format final Épreuve à 100 % du montage Impression finale à 100 %

Experience the joie de vivre of Montréal, the only city in the world to embrace North American effi ciency and a laid-back European mindset. In Montréal, we’ve got all the nuts and bolts to help you plan a successful event—like our ultramodern convention centre, the Palais des congrès (with more than 50,000 m2 of meeting space), over 26,500 downtown hotel rooms and Team Montréal, always on hand to make sure your event runs fl awlessly. We’ll bring artfully creative, customized solutions to craft that extra touch of magic your attendees will never forget.

tourisme-montreal.org/meet

THERE’SSOMETHING

ABOUTMONTRÉAL.

different

D106057A_9444_Marina_V2_Europe_Headquarters_210x270mm.indd 1 11-07-11 2:22 PM

HEADQUARTERS 31

‘Cleantech’ stands for ‘clean technologies’.

With this concept, Geneva has been initiating

a fascinating array of sustainable, ‘green’

technology and ideas that are already hitting

the market. For international associations

looking for added values in a destination,

that could definitely be an important one.

And for those wanting to gather to discuss

the subject, Geneva could well be the place

to be, especially since Geneva Tourism &

Conventions is there to make it a resounding

success and to help you get connected with

the right people in the field.

The Lake Geneva Region is positioned to have

a privileged corner on the development of

cleantech. First, Geneva is a major economic

hub of a nation that itself has an enviable po-

sition. Some 160,000 Swiss are already active

in cleantech and Switzerland has a reputation

for both performance and innovation.

Second, any new industry needs money and

cleantech needs more than most. Geneva

is fortunate in that the Swiss have a track

record in sustainable and cleantech invest-

ing. Geneva-based private bankers Lombard

Odier Darier Henstch and Pictet et Cie.

were among the first banks to offer socially

responsible investment funds.

Third, the Lake Geneva Region has top

research universities and labs and innova-

tive companies that can bring their findings

to market. ‘geneva has the concentration of

knowledge to develop a cluster with key play-

ers like dupont and ABB Secheron, innovative

new companies like SRB energy Research

Sàrl, an excellent R&d base and the stimulus

of public and private projects,’ says Daniel

Loeffler, Director of the Geneva Economic

Development Office.

Fourth, Geneva is a hub of research, lobbying

and planning concerning the environment

and sustainability-related issues. Such inter-

national organizations, NGOs and innovation/

trade actors as the United Nations Environ-

ment Programme, the World Intellectual

Property Organization, the World Meteoro-

logical Organization, the World Trade Organi-

zation, the International Emissions Trading

Association, the World Business Council on

Sustainable Development, and the WWF all

have headquarters or major offices here. In

short: it all makes sense.

Geneva also has political will to make the

most of its assets. Over the past year, public

authorities have made their support clear

for the development of a cleantech cluster.

A federal Master Plan for developing

Switzerland’s cleantech industry is under

development; the Western Switzerland region

has launched the Cleantech Alps cluster;

and the Geneva Department of Regional

Affairs, Economy and Health mandated

an independent analysis by Claude Béglé,

General Director of SymbioSwiss, that calls

for the creation of a cleantech ‘catalyser’

including an incubator and an international

center for corporate policy on cleantech. He

says: ‘geneva is at the crossroads that led

us to launch an innovative strategy in clean

technologies. With a strong political will, lead-

ing private corporations and a prestigious

academinc and financial past, geneva has

everything it needs to become a leader in

sustainability.’

GENEVA HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT

OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SINCE

1987, WHEN THE GROUNDBREAkING

REPORT OF THE BRUNDTLAND COMMIS-

SION, ‘OUR COMMON FUTURE’, POPU-

LARIZED THE CONCEPT. MANkIND, THAT

REPORT WARNED, MUST EITHER CURTAIL

GROWTH OR DEVELOP NEW TECHNOL-

OGy ABLE TO BALANCE DEVELOPMENT

WITH ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITATIONS.

SINCE THEN GENEVA HAS LED THE WAy.

CLIENT : Tourisme MontréalPUBLICATION : HeadquartersPARUTION : September/October 2011NO DOSSIER : 22130-007_9444FORMAT : 210 x 270 mmCOULEURS : 4 COULEURS

CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACKD106057A_9444_Marina_V2_Europe_Headquarters_210x270mm ARTM_22130-007 PAGE 128/06/11 ÉPREUVE 2

Rédaction Directeur de création

Directionartistique

Service à la clientèle

Client Réalisateur Correction d’épreuves

InDesign CS5 CS4

Typo vérifiée Photos vérifiées R.-C.

CD/DVD FTP

Date : 11.07.11

Commentaires

ATTENTIONLe « trapping » est à faire par

l’imprimeur selon ses propres specs.

Annonce 210 x 270 mm

Montage à 100 % du format final Épreuve à 100 % du montage Impression finale à 100 %

Experience the joie de vivre of Montréal, the only city in the world to embrace North American effi ciency and a laid-back European mindset. In Montréal, we’ve got all the nuts and bolts to help you plan a successful event—like our ultramodern convention centre, the Palais des congrès (with more than 50,000 m2 of meeting space), over 26,500 downtown hotel rooms and Team Montréal, always on hand to make sure your event runs fl awlessly. We’ll bring artfully creative, customized solutions to craft that extra touch of magic your attendees will never forget.

tourisme-montreal.org/meet

THERE’SSOMETHING

ABOUTMONTRÉAL.

different

D106057A_9444_Marina_V2_Europe_Headquarters_210x270mm.indd 1 11-07-11 2:22 PM

CONTACT

aline christen Project Coordinator, Association Meetings Geneva Tourism & Conventions T. +41 22 909 70 64 [email protected] www.genevaconventionbureau.ch

HQ> G E N E V A

CleAnTeCh In geneVA

Leading the way

By giving people the power to share,you're making the world more transparent.Mark Zuckerberg: co-founder Facebook

To get the special pre-register rate and do as your many planner colleagues, please register on-line before 16 September 2011! You want to come with colleagues or friends also involved in the Meetings & Events Industry, please discover also on-line the advantage rates for you all

Final Program - Registration Form - More info on www.meetopolis.be

Objectives?Meetopolis, first cross-industry training and inspiration platform for corporate and associa-tion meeting & event planners, will approach all of the needs and issues that you meet in your day-to-day tasks…

Organised according to an original and innovating approach, without any direct selling, Meetopolis has been designed to be the meeting, education and inspiration place where you will be able to exchange and share information, ideas, knowledge and experiences with your peers of the associative and corporate worlds, with no competition what-soever.

Why the Forum?Association & Corporate planners more often work in isolation in their sector and rarely have the op-portunity to share experiences with their peers (from other sector).

With Meetopolis, delegates will learn about the latest trends in conference management and how to leverage educational content; get engaged in high level strategic discussions; and participate in roundtable discussions on key topics answering to their needs, issues and questions (see preliminary programme by clicking below).

Concept?The Meetopolis concepts engage participants actively and have a new creative approach to a far more flexible use of conference facilities.

The concepts will help planners to transform the traditional one-way communication standards into a creative forum, in which the participants are actively involved in obtaining the tools and knowledge they need to strengthen their com-panies’ or associations’ overall objectives and strategies.

This is not a how-to session. Instead you will engage in an interactive discussion on the appli-cation of the topics/themes and what it means for your day-to-day work.

Who should attend?Meetopolis, open exclusively to Senior as well as Junior corporate and association meeting & event planners… and all the pleople involved in conferences, conventions, seminars, incentive events, training sessions, team building activities, events, business travels and meetings of every variety in Belgium and further afield.

Advantages and benefits? These are:> a unique opportunity close to you to meet and

share one whole day with 250 to 300 people doing the same planner job as you

> the possibility to discover new ways to work and answers to your needs, issues and ques-tions

> the opportunity to compare your practices and experiences with fellow members

> the guarantee to find new and creative ideas for your meetings & events

> a chance to make many new contacts with your peers

> the occasion to pick up the new main market trends

> high degree education programme to learn about several key subjects

> study and practice new animation and networking techniques

> with no competition and without any direct selling

> immediately transposable in your day-to-day tasks

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn

and network with your colleagues/peers from the association and corporate

worlds. Register now !

The 1st Education and Inspiration Meeting & Event Planners Forum

Square, BrusselsSeptember 29th, 2011

From 8.30am until 6.30pm

where ideastake off

HEADQUARTERS 33

HQ> Z ü R I C H

48th IflA world CongrESS (IntErnAtIonAl fEdErAtIon of lAndSCApE ArChItECtS)Held 27-29 June 2011 in Zürich, the 48th IFLA

World Congress was a spectacular conven-

tion. Instead of the expected 600 partici-

pants more than 1,300 landscape architects

from as many as 74 countries attended the

event. The topic was ‘Scales of Nature’.

A few facts and figures. Several pre-congress

meetings of the IFLA World Council and

the Committees of IFLA, three conference

days in the kongresshaus Zürich with eight

key note speeches in the mornings, 116

presentations that took place in parallel in

five session rooms in the afternoons… But

that’s not all. There were also 220 posters on

display, two round tables, an exposition with

15 exhibitors, a student competition with an

unprecedented number of 360 entries, 36

technical visits, an open firm evening, and a

platform of current research presented by a

number of different universities and research

institutes. The inaugural meeting presented

the initiative ‘Green City Switzerland’, the

welcome reception took place in a huge tent

at the lakeside, there were a festive gala

dinner, a farewell party which nobody will

ever forget, and finally several post-congress

tours showing Switzerland’s multifaceted

landscapes.

This somehow complex event was carried

out by the Federation of Swiss Landscape

Architects and the City of Zürich’s Office of

Parks and Open Spaces with the help and

guidance by the team of Zürich Tourism

assisting the organizing committee with

regard to the selection of the PCO and

during the whole project.

The response amongst the participants, the

exhibitors and guests was overwhelming.

One could not imagine a better calling card

for Switzerland, the beauty of its countryside

and the people living here.

SErVICES of thE ZürICh ConVEntIon BUrEAUThe Convention Bureau of Zürich Tourism

provides a wide range of complimentary

services to conference organisers including:

venue location and reservation, preparation

of bid documents, accommodation booking

service, organisation of site inspections,

arranging social events and many more.

Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau presents

ZürICh, lIfesTyle CApITAl on The wATerZüRICH OFFERS THE UNIQUE MIx OF DISCOVERy, PLEASURE, NATURE AND CULTURE. THE FINEST CULINARy HIGHLIGHTS, UNLIMITED

SHOPPING PLEASURE, OVER 50 MUSEUMS AND MORE THAN 100 GALLERIES, SWITZERLAND’S LIVELIEST NIGHTLIFE, NUMEROUS EVENTS

AND COUNTLESS GREEN OASES IN THE CENTRE OF THE CITy TEMPT GUESTS TO LINGER AND ENJOy. CENTRALLy LOCATED AND SAFE

ZüRICH IS ALSO THE IDEAL HOST REGION FOR MEETINGS, CONVENTIONS AND SEMINARS.

By giving people the power to share,you're making the world more transparent.Mark Zuckerberg: co-founder Facebook

To get the special pre-register rate and do as your many planner colleagues, please register on-line before 16 September 2011! You want to come with colleagues or friends also involved in the Meetings & Events Industry, please discover also on-line the advantage rates for you all

Final Program - Registration Form - More info on www.meetopolis.be

Objectives?Meetopolis, first cross-industry training and inspiration platform for corporate and associa-tion meeting & event planners, will approach all of the needs and issues that you meet in your day-to-day tasks…

Organised according to an original and innovating approach, without any direct selling, Meetopolis has been designed to be the meeting, education and inspiration place where you will be able to exchange and share information, ideas, knowledge and experiences with your peers of the associative and corporate worlds, with no competition what-soever.

Why the Forum?Association & Corporate planners more often work in isolation in their sector and rarely have the op-portunity to share experiences with their peers (from other sector).

With Meetopolis, delegates will learn about the latest trends in conference management and how to leverage educational content; get engaged in high level strategic discussions; and participate in roundtable discussions on key topics answering to their needs, issues and questions (see preliminary programme by clicking below).

Concept?The Meetopolis concepts engage participants actively and have a new creative approach to a far more flexible use of conference facilities.

The concepts will help planners to transform the traditional one-way communication standards into a creative forum, in which the participants are actively involved in obtaining the tools and knowledge they need to strengthen their com-panies’ or associations’ overall objectives and strategies.

This is not a how-to session. Instead you will engage in an interactive discussion on the appli-cation of the topics/themes and what it means for your day-to-day work.

Who should attend?Meetopolis, open exclusively to Senior as well as Junior corporate and association meeting & event planners… and all the pleople involved in conferences, conventions, seminars, incentive events, training sessions, team building activities, events, business travels and meetings of every variety in Belgium and further afield.

Advantages and benefits? These are:> a unique opportunity close to you to meet and

share one whole day with 250 to 300 people doing the same planner job as you

> the possibility to discover new ways to work and answers to your needs, issues and ques-tions

> the opportunity to compare your practices and experiences with fellow members

> the guarantee to find new and creative ideas for your meetings & events

> a chance to make many new contacts with your peers

> the occasion to pick up the new main market trends

> high degree education programme to learn about several key subjects

> study and practice new animation and networking techniques

> with no competition and without any direct selling

> immediately transposable in your day-to-day tasks

Take advantage of this unique opportunity to learn

and network with your colleagues/peers from the association and corporate

worlds. Register now !

The 1st Education and Inspiration Meeting & Event Planners Forum

Square, BrusselsSeptember 29th, 2011

From 8.30am until 6.30pm

where ideastake off

CONTACT

+ for zürich Romy Brändli Convention Bureau Zürich Tourism T. +41 (0)44 215 40 73 [email protected] www.zuerich.com/meetings

+ for switzerland Myriam Winnepenninckx Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau T. +32 (0)2 345 83 57 [email protected] www.myswitzerland.com/meetings

Zürich

IFLA World Congress

© r

ubia

no s

oto

HEADQUARTERS 45

HEADQUARTERS 35

HQ> W O R L D F O R U M

The World Forum Convention Centre in

The Hague still sees major challenges in

the ‘people’ aspect of the corporate social

responsibility policy. Without neglecting the

environmental angle of their policy, they

now want to dig deeper into this essential

aspect of responsible entrepreneurship. They

consider the subject of a structural policy,

which places all the necessary attention on

their stakeholders.

onE SIZE fItS AllOne of the Forum’s main points of focus

are its clients. They respond to every single

need and work to come up with an appro-

priate solution. They indeed have found

that the international association meetings

market expects a tailor-made proposal when

it comes to its congresses. keeping this in

mind, they decided to take a big step by

transforming the largest auditorium of

The Netherlands into the ideal plenary

room with a maximum capacity of 770

seats. This optional construction, which

will be available from September 2011, is

the answer par excellence to the needs of

the market by saying ‘one size fits all’.

Along with many breakout rooms and

2,500 m2 of exhibition space, they offer the

possibility to transform the entire building

in order to suit the association’s personal

wishes and branding. With this, they provide

complete exclusivity, in words as well as in

deeds. The perfect accessibility with several

means of alternative transportation - such as

bicycles and electric cabs - encourage clients

to get closer to nature with the beach shore

at a mere ten minutes away from the venue.

With more than 700 high quality hotel rooms

within five minutes walking distance and a

narrow collaboration with the city, they also

ensure that even the social events surround-

ing the conference are done responsibly by

selecting from The Hague’s Sustainable and

Good & Green guides.

StrIVIng forwArdMost importantly, they want to pass on

the ‘green bug’ to their stakeholders and

challenge their clients to be more socially

conscious in their own events. Furthermore

they challenge their regular partners, ven-

dors and the industry. The objective of the

World Forum Ethical Program is to promote

corporate social responsibility and corporate

citizenship at a micro level.

To do so, they have developed a Green Events

Checklist full of practical tips an organiser

can use to assist in putting on a socially

responsible event on a climate neutral basis.

It is indeed important to consider the ‘people’

aspect of CRS in its entirety. By introducing

the option of a downsized theatre they have

definitely made a good step towards respond-

ing adequately to the demands of the client.

The most important thing in communication

is to hear what isn’t being said.

Digging deeper into CSr

worlD forum In The hAgueTHE WORLD FORUM CONVENTION CENTRE IN THE HAGUE (THE NETHERLANDS) IS POSSIBLy ONE OF

THE SMALLEST MEMBERS OF THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT. HOWEVER, BEING INTERNATIONALLy

ORIENTED AS THEy ARE, THEy DEFINITELy CAN STILL MAkE AN IMPACT.

CONTACT

world forum

Churchillplein 10 2517 JW The Hague The Netherlands [email protected] www.worldforum.nl T. +31 70 3066 228

HEADQUARTERS 36

A SpECtACUlAr hoSt VEnUEOCC is already acting as a catalyst for

positive change in the downtown core of

the Canada’s Capital and is fast becoming

the talk of the global meetings industry as a

spectacular host venue for conventions and

a broad range of events. With its multi-level

design and flexible configuration options, the

OCC can accommodate a greater variety of

groups of all sizes. And it isn’t just size, but

volume as well.

‘In the past, there were many medium-

sized conventions with set dates that we

had to turn away because they overlapped

with others that we had booked,’ said

president Patrick kelly. ‘now we have the

facilities to handle both at the same time.

This has allowed us to book many conven-

tions that we would have previously had to

pass up.’

A MEtAphor for ottAwAThe new facility is about much more than

interior space. The physical design, by local

architectural firm BBB, is a metaphor for

Ottawa. The shape of its striking glass facade

is analogous to a ship’s hull, while the Wall of

three Rivers that runs through all four levels

is made from 150–200 year old logs that

were reclaimed from the Ottawa River.

Built to stringent environmental standards,

the OCC includes building materials salvaged

from the old structure, an energy-efficient

design that reduces water use and green-

house emissions, and accessibility that meets

the highest North-American standards. This

commitment to sustainable development

continues through to operations with an

integrated green housekeeping program and

lifecycle and evergreen programs that will

maintain the facility at an optimal level for

decades to come.

Demand for the new facility has been

extremely encouraging; 95 conventions

have already confirmed space at Canada’s

Meeting Place it its first five years of

operation. Patrick kelly says: ‘The new

ottawa Convention Centre will host

organizations that have never been able to

come to ottawa because we could not

accommodate their needs or their numbers.’

Some of those organizations attract an

international delegate base, which repre-

sents a new market for Ottawa as a meeting

destination. In this sense, the M&C sector

acts as ambassador for the city, province

and country.

www.ottawaconventioncentre.com

OTTAWA ExPERIENCED THE BIGGEST OPENING EVENT OF THE yEAR WHEN CANADA’S

MEETING PLACE, THE NEW OTTAWA CONVENTION CENTRE (OCC), OPENED ITS DOORS ON

APRIL 13, 2011. THE ExCITEMENT WAS NOT JUST ABOUT AN IMPORTANT HAPPENING ON

THE OTTAWA SOCIAL CALENDAR; IT HERALDS A SURGE IN ECONOMIC ACTIVITy FOR THE

CANADA’S CAPITAL REGION.

Demand for the new facility has been extremely encouraging; 95 conventions have already confirmed space at Canada’s Meeting Place it its first five years of operation

new In CAnADAottawa Convention Centre (oCC)

at a glance

a bold, modern design, a bright naturally-lit interior, magnificent views... the all-new ot-tawa convention centre offers unparalleled, environmentally-responsible setting and support for ottawa conventions, conferences, meetings and exhibits – large and small. its 7-storey high sweeping window façade faces the rideau canal unesco World heritage site.

• 192,000 sq. ft. / 17,837 sq. m. of usable space• 28 meeting rooms in maximum configuration• 56,000 sq. ft. / 5,203 sq. m. multipurpose

hall with capacity 6,260 theatre-style, 4,600 banquet style

• 21,300 sq. ft. / 1,979 sq. m. ballroom with view of the rideau canal and Parliament hill

HQ> O T T A W A

980256BelgiumHeadquaters[6].ai 6/9/10 13:31:57

HEADQUARTERS 38

Malaysia’s strength in engaging with new

and emerging economic centres lies in its

rich historical links with China, India and the

Middle-East while simultaneously enhancing

ties with the West.

Zulkefli Hj Sharif, Chief Executive Officer,

Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau

(MyCEB) said: ‘our recent success in secur-

ing international meetings is supported by

Malaysia’s positioning as a role model among

emerging economies and as Asia’s educa-

tion hub. Hosting a meeting in Malaysia

meant international associations can use

the opportunity to engage with their Asian

counterparts, raise their association profile

and create interest in their respective fields

in this region of four billion people.’

‘As outlined in the national economic Trans-

formation Programme (eTP), Malaysia aims

to become a high income and developed

nation by year 2020. Investments in key

economic areas including medical sciences,

technology, oil and gas and education are

expediting progress and advancements for

the country in the respective fields. This has

provided us with the perfect opportunity to

strengthen our international networks and

engagements - which is vital through

conferences,’ Zulkefli continued.

As Anouk Rey, Conference Director of

International AIDS Society based in Geneva,

attested, ‘We are very impressed by the

Malaysian government’s commitment to

provide free HIv treatment to all Malaysians

in need of antiretroviral therapy. It under-

scores our interest in bringing the confer-

ence to Malaysia so that our colleagues

from around the world can learn from such

best practice.’ Malaysia will be hosting the

7th International Aids Society (IAS) HIV

Conference in Pathogenesis, Treatment and

Prevention with 5,000 delegates. ‘Hosting

the IAS HIv conference in Malaysia in 2013

will not only be attractive to our delegates in

terms of destination (touristic aspects, value

for money) but it is also centrally located in

Asia to attract HIv professionals from neigh-

bouring countries,’ said Rey. The 7th IAS HIV

Conference was the first large scale event

secured under the Malaysian government’s

Economic Transformation Programme.

In addition, the prestigious annual Human

Genome Meeting (HGM) organised by the

international Human Genome Organisation

mAlAysIA: A ChAmpIon Among emergIng eConomIesKey to Bid Success

HQ> M A L A y S I A

STRATEGICALLy LOCATED IN THE HEART OF SOUTH EAST ASIA BETWEEN THE TWO

BOOMING ECONOMIES OF CHINA AND INDIA COUPLED WITH ITS MULTI-CULTURAL

DIVERSITy AND ExCELLENT VALUE FOR MONEy, MALAySIA OFFERS A COMPELLING

PROPOSITION FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS HEADQUARTERED IN EUROPE WHO

AIM TO CONNECT WITH ASIA AND INCREASE THEIR PROFILE IN THE WORLD’S MOST

POPULOUS REGION.

Excellent trans-portation system

2010 World Congress of Accountants

Borneo Convention Centre kuching

© d

an

ny

sek

HEADQUARTERS 39

> C O N T I N U E D

(HUGO) will be held for the first time in kuala

Lumpur in the year 2015. To be held at the

kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the HGM

2015 is expected to attract 1,000 delegates

comprising researchers, academicians, clini-

cians, students and others in science and hu-

man genome industry to Malaysia. ‘Malaysia

is rising in South east Asia in investment and

quality of genomic and genetic sciences. Their

hosting of HgM 2015 is a mark of interna-

tional recognition of these advances. We look

forward to partnering with universiti Sains

Malaysia in making HgM 2015 a celebration

of genomic sciences in the region,’ remarked

Professor Edison T Liu, President of HUGO.

The decision to host the HGM 2015 in kuala

Lumpur is also supported by the positioning

of Malaysia as a role model amongst develop-

ing nations; an economically prosperous

moderate Islamic country which encourages

dialogue within the society and the govern-

ment. The event will play an instrumental

role in promoting Malaysia as a leader on the

global bioinformatics and genomics research

industry, expediting scientific breakthroughs

in the medical, agricultural and industrial sec-

tors. The meeting will be an excellent opportu-

nity for the country to showcase its genomic

research capabilities taking into account the

12 genomic centres located all over Malaysia.

Further strengthening the country’s profile

as the choice destination for international

associations, Malaysia was the proud host

of the 70th Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA)

Conference in July 2011. A first in Asia since

the IIA’s incorporation in 1941, the conference

was expecting an estimated 3,000 delegates

and contribute over e4.6 million in economic

impact for Malaysia. ‘With members in 165

countries, Malaysia’s diversity and cultural

richness provides a perfect background for

our conference. Malaysia is an affordable - yet

still a world-class destination in the middle of

a growing Asian market, which makes it very

attractive to conference of our size,’ said

Augusto Baeta, Manager of Global Profes-

sional Development, the IIA, based in USA.

Malaysia leaped a notable three spots to the

28th position in the latest ICCA, International

Congress and Convention Association coun-

try rankings. The number of meetings hosted

grew 24 percent, from 96 meetings (2009)

to 119 meetings (2010). Malaysia retained its

position as one of the top 10 meeting desti-

nations in Asia Pacific. In 2010, Malaysia grew

its business tourism arrivals to 1.3 million

from 1.2 million in the previous year (2009).

This is in line with the country’s vision to

achieve 2.9 million in international business

tourism arrivals by year 2020 and to position

the country as one of the Top 5 destinations

in Asia Pacific for international meetings.

CONTACT

zulkefli hj sharif Chief Executive Officer Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau T. +603 2034 2090F. +603 2034 [email protected] www.myceb.com.my

highlights of malaysia’s bUsiness events calendar for 2011

• kl Vision 2011 - 10th international conference on low Vision - 1,000 delegates• 22nd Pacific science congress - 1,000 delegates• the institute of internal auditors (iia) 2011 international conference - 3,000 delegates• 21st asia Pacific cancer conference - 2,000 delegates• 18th asian Pacific congress of cardiology - 3,000 delegates • asean Federation of accountants (aFa) conference - 2,500 delegates • student in Free enterprise (siFe) World cup - 1,500 delegates• asean australian engineering congress (aaec) - 1,000 delegates• automechanika malaysia 2011 - 5,000 visitors• 8th international halal showcase (mihas) - 36,000 visitors• oil & gas asia exhibition - 25,000 visitors

kuala Lumpur City Centre - Convention Precinct of kuala Lumpur Convention Centre PETRONAS Twin Towers

HEADQUARTERS 40

HQ> T A I W A N

MoVIng Up In ICCA rAnkIngSOverall, Taiwan’s country ranking according

to the ICCA statistics has risen significantly

over the past year. In 2010, Taiwan played

host to a total of 138 international associa-

tion meetings, ranking it 23rd globally and

taking 5th place in both the Asia-Pacific

region and the Middle East. That’s 9 rank-

ings higher than last year globally - which

says a lot about Taiwan’s efforts in the MICE

industry. With 99 international association

conferences held in Taipei City in 2010, Taipei

occupied the 11th spot worldwide and 2nd place

in Asia - way better than last year as well!

As with Taiwan, there has been a marked

improvement in Taipei City’s overall global

and regional rankings.

Since the launch of the Taiwan MICE

Advancement Program and ‘MEET TAIWAN’,

there has been a marked improvement in

various key indicators with regard to interna-

tional association conferences held in Taiwan

and Taiwan’s overall rankings. It goes without

saying that MEET TAIWAN’s active involve-

ment in international MICE trade shows and

expos has borne fruit.

tAIwAn’S IMproVEd InfrAStrUCtUrESFollowing the global trend on sustainability,

Taiwan has recently taken a few steps show-

ing that the local MICE industry does take this

issue very seriously. Taiwan’s MICE hardware

infrastructure improvement consists of the

on-going expansion of its existing exhibition

TAIwAnEven more on

the international map

HIGHER THAN EVER IN THE ICCA RANkINGS, DEVELOPING ITS MICE INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT OR USING PRESTIGIOUS

VENUES IN A ‘MEETINGS’ PURPOSE, TAIWAN IS SURELy BECOMING A LEADER NOT ONLy IN ASIA-PACIFIC BUT GLOBALLy AS WELL.

LET’S REVIEW WHAT’S NEW AND SPECIALLy NEWSWORTHy IN TAIWAN.

Taipei 101

HEADQUARTERS 41

> T A I W A N

space and the smart re-cycling of display

stands or structures initially built for interna-

tional expos or trade shows. Such measures

as adopted by cities like Taipei and Hsinchu

are expected to further increase their respec-

tive MICE competitive advantages.

During its half-year duration from November

6th, 2010 to April 25th, 2011, the 2010 Taipei

International Flora Exposition attracted

nearly 9 million visitors, breaking the records

for attendance of events in Taiwan. To

leverage its practical functionality and fully

realize its value, the venues and facilities of

CONTACT

tess yangPR ManagerT. +886 2 2514 [email protected]

parkinson’s disease congress the 3rd asian and oceanian Parkinson’s disease and movement disorders congress (aoPmc) was held from march 25th to 27th, 2011 at the taipei international convention centre. experts and academic researchers in the field of Parkinson’s disease attended the congress, and an unprecedentedly large number of Parkinson’s disease sufferers had also been specially invited. the 3rd event attracted a total of 1,082 medical professionals and patients, of whom about 450, or about 40%, hailed from 30 foreign countries. dr. louis tan, of singapore’s national neuroscience in-stitute (nni), said: ‘The Congress was absolutely world-class both in terms of the scientific com-ponent of the Congress and the organizers’ supreme operational capacity.’ richard ko, ceo of the appointed professional organizer round table Pco, told us that during the preparation period, to ensure a faultless performance in the delivery of comprehensive support and care to special-needs participants, they had carried out numerous drills or mock exercises to achieve perfection.

considering that the patients would require easy access and travel routes, additional manpower and shuttle buses were deployed during the congress to facilitate movement. a significant challenge for round table stemmed from the need to strike a balance in ensuring both the smooth running of the congress and the comfort of the patients.

Just prior to the congress, Japan was hit by a devas-tating earthquake and tsunami. there was widespread concern about the nuclear plant incident and possible exposure to radiation since taiwan is Japan’s close neighbor. to alleviate attendees’ worries, the organ-izer gave detailed information while answering a large number of inquiries online or via telephone. as a result of the earthquake, the Japanese delegates could not make it to taiwan, so the organizers im-mediately worked with the congress host committee to work out a crisis management solution to replace the absent guests, many of whom were scheduled presenters, with other suitable candidates.

In 2010, Taiwan played host to a total of 138 international association meetings, ranking it 23rd globally, according to the ICCA rankings

Parkinson’s Disease Congress

Expo Dome

Expo Dome

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the exposition will either be continuously

used as what they are or converted for other

uses. In this regard, the ExPO Dome will

be turned into a convention and exhibition

centre. Other structures to be preserved or

converted will be the Fine Arts Park Area,

ExPO Hall, Pavilion of Aroma of Flowers

inside the yuanshan Park Area, the Pavilion

of Future, and the Pavilion of Dreams. The

Pavilion of Angel Life in the xinsheng Park

Area will also be retained. Thus the Flora

Exposition will remain in Taipei as the Flora

Expo Park, which will ensure the appeal and

beauty of the Expo will be preserved for a

long time to come.

The World Expo-Taiwan Pavilion is also

moving to Hsinchu and will be in operation

in March 2012. Significantly, the city has

appeared for the first time in the ICCA rank-

ings. This may be considered the outcome of

Hsinchu City’s long effort to promote and

develop its MICE industry - Hsinchu is also

the technology hub, the Silicon Valley of

Taiwan. The city’s effort will be furthered by

the ‘OT Program’ and ‘the BOT Project of

Hsinchu International Science and Techno-

logy Commercial Exhibition Center’ (or BOT

Project), which aims to rejuvenate the whole

area, starting with the evaluation and con-

struction of a science and exhibition centre

situated at the western side of the Industrial

Innovation Park.

The ‘OT Program’ will consist of the 2010

World Expo Taiwan Pavilion and Fengcheng

Culture Centre. It will include the rezoning of

an urban area and alignment of eight land-

mark buildings, with commercial technology

offices and the municipal government centre

along the two sides.

case study

IT&CM China 201217 - 19 April 2012 | 2012年4月17-19日 Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center上海世博展览馆(世博主题馆)

www.itcmchina.com

Quality Leads86% of 2011 exhibitors expect to receive orders over the next 6-12 months

质量领先86%2011年大会展商预计在接下来的6到12个月内收到来自大会买家的订单

New Participants50% of the buyers were new to the show

新的参会者50%的买家首次参展

The Right ChoiceExhibitors choose IT&CM China to• GenerateNewSalesLeads• Promotecompany,productsandservices• Network• StayCompetitiveAnd IT&CM China delivers!

正确的选择展商选择参加中国（上海）国际奖励旅游及大会博览会的目的：• 增加销售• 推广公司、产品和服务• 拓展社交网络• 保持竞争力

一切期待尽在中国（上海）国际奖励旅游及大会博览会中得以实现！

Register Online!

网上注册！

推动商业意识与中国MICE产业共赢

“The networking sessions were very constructive. I made several potential business contacts.”ChongYongFeeISingaporeAlivePte.Ltd.,Singapore

“I met my objectives. Very well-focused show! The appointments were almost all good matches.”KevinMeadIIGAFWorldwide,UnitedStatesofAmerica

Advancing MICE and Business Minds

Bringing Together Chinese and International MICE Exhibitors &BuyersInOneDynamicMarketplace汇聚全球以及中国MICE供应商和买家共同打造一个瞬息万变的市场

参加了三届中国（上海）国际奖励旅游大会，感觉都非常不错，很实用。了解到了很多需要的信息，并

与很多卖家展开了合作。谢谢为我们构建了一个平台！

肖羽 | 商务会议部经理 | 四川省中国国际旅行社

非常感谢这次展会为我们提供了一个开拓业务并与买家沟通的良好契机，期待在未来的一段时间内大会给我们

带来的显著效果与收益。聂家晶 | 皇家加勒比游轮公司 |会奖旅游销售经理

Exhibitors | Buyers | Media 展商 | 买家 | 媒体Hosting Programme For Buyers and Media Available.为买家和媒体特设的招待计划现在开始申请。

FOR INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITORS,BUYERSANDMEDIA 国际展商、买家和媒体，请您联系TTG Asia Media Pte LtdTTG亚洲传媒有限公司 Tel 电话: (65) 6395 7575 Fax 传真: (65) 6536 0896 Email 电子邮箱:[email protected]

FOR CHINA-BASEDEXHIBITORS,BUYERSANDMEDIA中国展商、买家和媒体，请您联系 CITS International MICE国旅（北京）国际会议展览有限公司Tel 电话: (86) 021 3304 9999 Fax 传真: (86) 021 6350 9030 Email 电子邮箱:[email protected]

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ORGANISEDBY SUPPORTEDBY

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HEADQUARTERS 43

hQ: Every destination now says they’re

sustainable. what makes Copenhagen/

denmark different?

Anja Hartung Sfyrla: A number of things has

made it easy for us to ‘walk the green path’.

First because Denmark is flat and cars are

quite dear here, we were born in a biking

culture - it’s been a long time since we’re

sustainable and we didn’t even know it! There

are also great weather conditions for wind

power, but, most importantly, we live in a

very functional society that understands

what it means to promote a healthy lifestyle,

green solutions and sustainability.

The greening of COP15 has made it possible

to incorporate some of these values into the

meetings industry. As a matter of fact, the

event partly transformed, or, at least pushed

the greening process in the Copenhagen

meetings industry: we have a far more green

meeting product today than before COP15.

For example, Bella Center had a greening

plan already before COP15, but decided to

speed up the process - they reduced their

CO2 footprint by 20% in the two years lead-

ing to the event and worked out a solution

on how to serve organic food at reasonable

prices. Likewise, many hotels got some kind

of ‘green’ certification and to this day this

number is still rising (see sidebar).

All of this shows it’s much easier to ask for

and get a sustainable meeting in Copenha-

gen compared to other destinations. Here,

you might even end up having a sustainable

meeting without knowing it!

hQ:how do the danish ‘Energytours’ fit into

sustainability? what are they exactly?

Anja Hartung Sfyrla: EnergyTours offer a

unique opportunity to come and experience

Danish clean technologies and climate-

friendly solutions. During those special tours,

we invite planners to take advantage of the

lessons already learned by Danish compa-

nies and institutions on how to fight climate

change. An EnergyTour will be relevant to

top, technical and commercial management

in leading energy companies and other

companies committed to the energy agenda,

such as developers, technology providers

and consulting engineers.

We give people the opportunity to meet

Danish environmental frontrunners, including

company leaders, politicians and experts.

The groups using this service come as

Anja

Har

tung

Sfy

rla

HQ> D E N M A R k

green As IT geTs with the Danish

ORGANIZING A SUSTAINABLE MEETING IN COPENHAGEN AND DENMARk SEEMS NATURAL.

WITH THE COP15 LEGACy AND THE GREENING OF THE PRESIDENCy OF THE COUNCIL OF

THE EUROPEAN UNION IN THE LINE OF FIRE, GREEN MEETINGS ARE EASy TO ARRANGE.

I COULD PERSONALLy ExPERIENCE IT DURING THE MIND FAM-EVENT THIS JUNE

WHERE ACTIVITIES WERE ORGANIZED AROUND THE MEETOVATION CONCEPT, OF WHICH

SUSTAINABILITy IS A MAJOR PART. NOW ANJA HARTUNG SFyRLA, INTERNATIONAL

MARkETING MANAGER, BUSINESS TOURISM AT VISITDENMARk, TELLS US MORE ABOUT

THE DANISH ADDED VALUE WHEN IT COMES TO GREEN MEETINGS. iNterView réMi déVé

HEADQUARTERS 44

> D E N M A R k

delegations to Denmark for a study trip, but

very often EnergyTours are ‘natural’ pre- and

post- tours in connection with the many con-

ferences Denmark host within the field

of energy and sustainabillity

(www.energytours.com).

hQ: one of Meetovation’s key concepts is

how to incorporate sustainability into your

meetings. Can you expand a little bit on

that?

Anja Hartung Sfyrla: In Denmark we are

passionate about meeting design! We higly

believe in identifying the purpose of a meet-

ing and then designing it according to this.

Of course this will result in a better outcome

and therefore a higher Return on Meeting

Investment (RoMI) for the company organ-

izing the meeting.

Meetovation is our recipe for designing

the best meetings. This concept offers five

design principles and sustainabillity is one of

them. We do believe that taking good care of

the environment and our world is very impor-

tant today; a company demonstrating this

kind of awareness in the way they organise

meetings can obtain motivation and a posi-

tive attitude in connection with the other

messages they want to convey to either

internal or external stakeholders.

Integrating a sustainable thinking in the way

the meeting is organised can also be a way

to increase the effectiveness of a meeting

and even sometimes decrease the cost of the

meeting. Sustainable thinking is everything

from using the excellent Danish tap water in

jugs to using the ‘Walk and talk’ technique

for a discussion session where you send

participants out of the meeting room to a get

some fresh air on a 20-minute walking trip

so they can brainstorm in a different way.

Another example is the organiser contribut-

ing to rescuing trees in the rainforest instead

of buying gifts which many delegates don’t

bring home anyway to making all conference

material available electronically, etc.

hQ: I find that being sustainable is not

every planner’s primary concern. It’s just an

added value, but not a necessity after all.

what do you say to those people?

Anja Hartung Sfyrla: As sustainability is an

integrated part of our society and of our

meeting product we don’t really need to

convince clients who don’t see sustainability

as a priority. We do believe that responsible

thinking can increase the positive experience

for the participant of the meeting as well as

it can often help reduce costs. Those argu-

ments are often most important to potential

clients.

hQ: Is there still room for improvement

when it comes to Copenhagen/denmark

being sustainable?

Anja Hartung Sfyrla: There is always room for

improvement! A group of hotels are planning

to come together and buy wind power energy

for their hotels. Denmark will also host the

Presidency of the Council of the European

Union in the first half of 2012. As a result,

the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs will

organise over 100 meetings of various sizes,

attracting more than 15,000 participants vis-

iting Copenhagen and the city of Horsens in

central Jutland. At this very moment, key pri-

vate and public stakeholders affiliated with

the Danish meetings industry are uniting

and creating an ambitious national sustain-

ability project named the ‘Danish Sustain-

able Events Initiative’ (DSEI) to ensure that

Danish sustainability leadership in action is

advanced, showcased and shared.

www.visitdenmark.com/meetings

www.meetincopenhagen.com

www.meetovation.com

copenhagen, the capital of sUstainable meetings

+ grEEN HotELS copenhagen has a pioneering status

when it comes to sustainable meetings. this status is underlined by the fact that 60% of the city’s hotel rooms now hold one of the official eco-certificates available for hotels.

+ A BIKINg CuLturE 35 % of all copenhageners commute

by bike, and in total copenhageners cycle 1.2 million kilometers a year - equivalent to travelling to the moon and back, twice. so delegates wanting to go to their meeting on a bike are more than welcome!

+ Co2 NEutrAL By 2025

today copenhagen’s co2 emissions

are less than 2.5 million tons, and the ambition is, that in 2025 the city’s co

2

emission should be 1,1 million tons. this will be achieved thanks to a wind mill project reducing co

2 emissions by

375.000 tons, a grand electric and hy-drogen car project reducing emissions by 50.000 plant woods and a number of other initiatives.

VM building

For the rest of Denmark:+45 3288 [email protected]

For Copenhagen enquiries:+45 3325 [email protected]

Feel free to bring your next meeting to Copenhagen - the Capital of Sustainable Meetings

and the greenest major city in Europe. Copenhagen is a vibrant metropolis with a unique

art & design scene, plenty of cultural attractions and many Michelin-starred restaurants.

Denmark is easy to reach from anywhere in the world, offers high value for money and

has excellent hotels and ultra-modern meeting facilities. Copenhagen and Denmark is

open for great meetings.

Open for Great Meetings

Open for Great Meetings

Stockholm– leading the way in sustainability

A broader definition of sustainability Sustainability is undoubtedly the word ”de jour” of the world’s meeting indus-try, with more and more destinations offering so called “green meetings”. But real sustainability can’t be achieved by focusing on the meetings themselves. Not even if factors such as accommo-dations and transports are factored in. Actual sustainability can only result

from a much more holistic approach where every aspect of environmental, economic and social impact is part of the equation. That’s why factors such as freedom from corruption, equality and labour legislation are equally important to consider when choosing a meeting destination. Then, and only then, can the true meaning of sustainability, and indeed green meetings, be realized.

Welcome to the first-ever European Green CapitalStockholm was the first-ever city to be designated European Green Capital by the EU Commission in 2010. The main reason cited for the award was Stockholm’s integrated administrative system, which guarantees that environmental aspects are considered in budgets, operational plan-ning, reporting and monitoring.

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In a world where green is the new black, the temptation to gloss over the real environmental issues with superficial or cosmetic sustainability efforts can prove almost irresistible. But real sustainability is not a quick fix. At least not in the first ever European Green Capital.

Food and drink – check. Accommodations – check. Meeting facilities – check. You’ve gone through your green meetings checklist and everything seems to be in order. But is your meeting destination REALLY living up to its sustainability claims?

Did you know that there is a duplicate of Stockholm’s sustainable city concept, Hammarby Sjöstad, in China? (Tianjin Eco City 500,000 residents)

For more information, send us an e-mail or give us a call!

Stockholm Visitors Board Stockholm Convention BureauPhone: +46 8 508 28 [email protected]

Or in other words: just about everything that happens in Stockholm does so with sustainability in mind.

At the cutting edge of urban developmentSustainability starts at home. Stockholm’s much-publicized sustainable city con-cept, Hammarby Sjöstad, has come to serve as a role model for urban develop-ment projects all around the world. For the next project area, Stockholm Royal Seaport, the requirements will be even more stringent!

Sustainable transportationThere is no getting away from the fact that traveling to and from your chosen meeting venue has some environmental impact. Therefore you’ll be pleased to hear that Stockholm-Arlanda Airport was the first airport to meet the require-ments for the highest level [3+] in the assessment of environmental impact of airports in 2009. This level requires that the airport is entirely climate-neutral

with respect to emissions from its own operations. In continuing efforts to optimize the whole transport chain, there will be a new commuter train con-nection, taking passengers directly [and swiftly] from the airport to Stockholm International Fairs, beginning December 2012. This is in addition to the already existing Arlanda Express high-speed rail link (travel time from airport terminal to Stockholm Central: 20 min). And once in Stockholm, you can take advantage of the extensive local transport system that ranks among the best in Europe.

the city for everyoneThe vision for Stockholm in 2030 is that of a world-class city, accessible to everyone – disabled or not. To this end, a systematic endeavor to make Stock-holm the world’s most accessible capital city was launched in 1999. Every year since, MSEK 100 have been earmarked for the Easy Access Project which is aimed at making Stockholm’s streets, squares, restaurants, cultural institu-

tions and the City’s own properties, accessible and serviceable to all.

We are here for youStockholm Convention Bureau is here to make things easier for organizers. As a part of Stockholm Visitors Board, we provide a free-of-charge service offer-ing all the support you need to plan a successful meeting. If you want to know more about what we offer and why companies and organizations keep coming back to Stockholm, don’t hesi- tate to get in contact.

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Stockholm– leading the way in sustainability

A broader definition of sustainability Sustainability is undoubtedly the word ”de jour” of the world’s meeting indus-try, with more and more destinations offering so called “green meetings”. But real sustainability can’t be achieved by focusing on the meetings themselves. Not even if factors such as accommo-dations and transports are factored in. Actual sustainability can only result

from a much more holistic approach where every aspect of environmental, economic and social impact is part of the equation. That’s why factors such as freedom from corruption, equality and labour legislation are equally important to consider when choosing a meeting destination. Then, and only then, can the true meaning of sustainability, and indeed green meetings, be realized.

Welcome to the first-ever European Green CapitalStockholm was the first-ever city to be designated European Green Capital by the EU Commission in 2010. The main reason cited for the award was Stockholm’s integrated administrative system, which guarantees that environmental aspects are considered in budgets, operational plan-ning, reporting and monitoring.

pho

to: j

EnS

ASS

ur

In a world where green is the new black, the temptation to gloss over the real environmental issues with superficial or cosmetic sustainability efforts can prove almost irresistible. But real sustainability is not a quick fix. At least not in the first ever European Green Capital.

Food and drink – check. Accommodations – check. Meeting facilities – check. You’ve gone through your green meetings checklist and everything seems to be in order. But is your meeting destination REALLY living up to its sustainability claims?

Did you know that there is a duplicate of Stockholm’s sustainable city concept, Hammarby Sjöstad, in China? (Tianjin Eco City 500,000 residents)

For more information, send us an e-mail or give us a call!

Stockholm Visitors Board Stockholm Convention BureauPhone: +46 8 508 28 [email protected]

Or in other words: just about everything that happens in Stockholm does so with sustainability in mind.

At the cutting edge of urban developmentSustainability starts at home. Stockholm’s much-publicized sustainable city con-cept, Hammarby Sjöstad, has come to serve as a role model for urban develop-ment projects all around the world. For the next project area, Stockholm Royal Seaport, the requirements will be even more stringent!

Sustainable transportationThere is no getting away from the fact that traveling to and from your chosen meeting venue has some environmental impact. Therefore you’ll be pleased to hear that Stockholm-Arlanda Airport was the first airport to meet the require-ments for the highest level [3+] in the assessment of environmental impact of airports in 2009. This level requires that the airport is entirely climate-neutral

with respect to emissions from its own operations. In continuing efforts to optimize the whole transport chain, there will be a new commuter train con-nection, taking passengers directly [and swiftly] from the airport to Stockholm International Fairs, beginning December 2012. This is in addition to the already existing Arlanda Express high-speed rail link (travel time from airport terminal to Stockholm Central: 20 min). And once in Stockholm, you can take advantage of the extensive local transport system that ranks among the best in Europe.

the city for everyoneThe vision for Stockholm in 2030 is that of a world-class city, accessible to everyone – disabled or not. To this end, a systematic endeavor to make Stock-holm the world’s most accessible capital city was launched in 1999. Every year since, MSEK 100 have been earmarked for the Easy Access Project which is aimed at making Stockholm’s streets, squares, restaurants, cultural institu-

tions and the City’s own properties, accessible and serviceable to all.

We are here for youStockholm Convention Bureau is here to make things easier for organizers. As a part of Stockholm Visitors Board, we provide a free-of-charge service offer-ing all the support you need to plan a successful meeting. If you want to know more about what we offer and why companies and organizations keep coming back to Stockholm, don’t hesi- tate to get in contact.

pho

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