Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort Earns Official MICE Accreditation

Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort Earns Official MICE Accreditation
The Outrigger in Phuket joins an elite collection of MICE venues in Thailand with MICE Venue Standard accreditation from the Thai government

PHUKET, THAILAND – The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort has passed all systems tests to earn official Thailand MICE Venue Standard (TMVS) accreditation. The inclusion, effective immediately, followed a detailed submission and on-site inspections by the Thai government’s MICE Capabilities Development Department.

The Outrigger’s Area Director for Sales and Marketing for Thailand, Mr Rory Campbell, received the accreditation on behalf of the resort at an award ceremony for recipients organised by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) in Bangkok on 27 April.

“With TMVS accreditation, our sophisticated Similan Ballroom MICE set up at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort has been officially recognised as among the best in Thailand,” said Campbell. “We will now proudly take that message to event organisers who are seeking to create meaningful and rewarding corporate events in Phuket.”

The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau created the TMVS system to give accredited venues a competitive edge and ensure sustainable growth in an increasingly competitive international MICE sector.

TMVS applies ISO quality standards in food safety, security systems, energy management and the administration of sustainable events. Physical, technological and service delivery standards have to be met before TMVS accreditation is awarded.

The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort opened its Similan Ballroom and breakout spaces in 2014. It is now among the leading mid-scale event venues in Southeast Asia.

“Since opening, our commitment to our MICE clients has been underpinned by the support of a dedicated events team for each meeting,” said Tony Pedroni, the General Manager at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort. “Our Outrigger hosts in Phuket work with clients to deliver inspirational Thai service that matches our acclaimed MICE set up and the amazing beachside location.”

Pedroni said that the Outrigger in Phuket prides itself on delivering high-spec facilities at events designed with a unique Thai twist.

The Outrigger offers the Similan Ballroom (716sqm), the Tongfah (158sqm), and the Tawan and Talay breakout rooms at 77sqm each.

Event attendees benefit from a range of high-end in-house AV equipment and technical support. The four meeting spaces feature free Wi-Fi, natural daylight, dedicated technical support, an event and catering team, and state of the art audio visual and conference amenities.

The Similan Ballroom can comfortably host executive conferences of up to 350 delegates in theatre style and 290 guests banquet style. Extensive gardens and a peaceful beachfront create inspirational settings for team building activities and outdoor banquets.

The full technical spec of the Similan Ballroom and the three breakout rooms can be found here and an overview MICE video here. For meeting queries, please contact the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort MICE team at +66 (0)76 360 600. Or email reservation.phuketbeach@outrigger.co.th.

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#MICEnews #HotelNews #HotelIndustry #TheOutrigger #OutriggerHotels #MICE #TMVS

Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort Reveals Its Crystal Marquee for MICE & Wedding Sectors

Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort Reveals Its Crystal Marquee for MICE & Wedding Sectors

BEL OMBRE, MAURITIUS – Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort has unveiled Crystal, a unique meeting space in the south of the island. This new concept opens opportunities for the resort in the events and MICE sector, from meetings and conferences to exceptional gala dinners and weddings.

Crystal is a fully air-conditioned transparent marquee. It measures 33 x 17.5 metres, can seat up to 250 people in banquet style and sits on a rooftop area of the hotel giving a wonderful view of the Bel Ombre coast.

The resort setting is ideal for events: 181 sea-facing rooms offer a breath-taking beachfront location alongside the turquoise lagoons of the Indian Ocean. Nestled in the nature reserve of Bel Ombre, the property is only 45 minutes from the airport,

A permanent structure, Crystal can be adapted for many needs. It can be used as a classic conference venue with pitch-dark option, or semi-transparent with ocean views, both incorporating the latest audio-visual technology.

“Crystal is unique in Mauritius and repositions the Outrigger as a full-on MICE destination for events, incentive meetings, weddings and banquets,” says Cyrille Carmona, Deputy General Manager of the resort. “With Crystal, the sky is the limit.”

The Outrigger, highly acclaimed for its dining, now has five food and beverage venues which can deliver MICE events for up to 250 covers.

Carmona says the key MICE points for the Outrigger are: five food & beverage outlets, including Crystal; all the resort’s rooms and suites are sea facing with a private terrace and balcony; there are spacious beachfront, garden and poolside venues for events; customized menus for beach parties and weddings, all the way up to wine and gala dinners; advanced audio-visual services; technical and secretarial services for businesses; lighting and ambience support; live entertainment, and complimentary Wi-Fi.

The Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort has a dedicated MICE team that tailors proposals and accompanies groups during their events. This team has created a range of original MICE services including team-building activities, nature retreats, personalised wellness experiences, themed gala dinners and private outdoor events.

“With the opening of Crystal at the Outrigger Mauritius Beach Resort I believe we now have a total package – a very compelling proposition for MICE event organisers worldwide,” says Carmona.

 

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#MICEnews #OutriggerMauritius #CrystalMarquee #TourismNews #HotelNews

ICC Sydney – Feeding Your Performance

Feeding Your Performance:
A Legacy Story for ICC Sydney
International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is driving economic development and delivering societal health and environmental benefits, according to a new study from University of Technology Sydney (UTS) released at IMEX Frankfurt today/overnight.

Launched in December 2016, Australia’s premier convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct has already established a network of 65 local farmers, directly and via co-op and boutique providores – all part of its unique Feeding Your Performance philosophy.

Through a new research partnership with UTS, ICC Sydney will continuously measure the economic and social impacts of this New South Wales regional focused food and beverage supply chain, and deliver annual updates.

UTS Business School Associate Professor, Carmel Foley, said ICC Sydney’s Feeding Your Performance program is an industry first approach that is already benefiting regional communities, delegates, its own people and the environment.

“Through its creation of a local supply chain, ICC Sydney is supporting significant employment opportunities and business growth across regional NSW. Its unique partnerships see the precinct working with suppliers from planting to plate, providing assured income and financial security. It is fantastic to see a major venue like ICC Sydney commit to supporting regional communities and their economic development.”

Geoff Donaghy, CEO of ICC Sydney, said the research project has been designed to track key indicators for convention centre success, including CSR objectives, host city economic impact, the economic impact on regional farming communities and delegate experience.

“For the first time in our industry, we are tracking the full impact a venue can have on its supply chain. We’ll be reporting on the success of our suppliers’ businesses, as well as the communities in which they’re located,” he said.

“Our Feeding Your Performance philosophy also creates a platform to showcase local suppliers to international audiences, and it highlights the importance and provenance through menus which deliver nutritious dishes packed with the best produce from across the State.

“By raising awareness around the importance of healthy, fresh and nutritious food for business, event and delegate success, we are not only improving the experience for our guests but seeking to drive behaviour change,” he said.

The ICC Sydney Feeding Your Performance Case Study is one of the first projects to be submitted to the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC) Case Study Program, which is aimed at measuring the legacy impacts of the business events sector.

For more information, see the case study synopsis in the accompanying press kit which also includes farmer quotes and research statistics.

To find out more about ICC Sydney, visit http://www.iccsydney.com and to join the conversation, visit Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter.

#ICCSydney #Autralia #MICEnews #Tourism

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IACC and Meeting Professionals International Form Global Alliance

IACC and Meeting Professionals International Form Global Alliance

CHICAGO and DALLAS, April, 2017 – IACC, the only association to certify conference and meetings-focused venues on a global basis, and Meeting Professionals International (MPI), the leading global association for meeting professionals, have announced a five-year global partnership for the mutual benefit of their members. The two associations will share event and learning platforms, including education delivered at annual conferences, regional events, and online as well as research initiatives.

In the last year IACC has delivered education at European and US MPI events, including more recently at the Southern California Chapter Conference and MPI Philadelphia Area Chapter Education Institute, and the two associations are exploring opportunities for additional MPI chapter events. In addition, MPI presented two workshops at the IACC-Americas Connect conference this week in Los Angeles.

IACC’s CEO Mark Cooper commented, “The leadership teams at MPI and IACC have been collaborating on several successful initiatives over the last two years and now seems the perfect time to bring all this great work together under one strategy to allow us to seize more opportunities and provide more for our respective members. Just as MPI is passionate about designing great meeting experiences, IACC is passionate about venues delivering an exceptional meetings experience. It’s the perfect marriage”.

One new project slated to roll out in 2017 will entail MPI conferences streamed live to IACC venues, where MPI members can come together, learn and experience valuable networking. The venues will all be IACC certified and capable of delivering a quality event with live streaming of content, supported by IACC member staff. MPI’s 2017 World Education Congress (WEC), which takes place June 19-22 in Las Vegas, will be the first conference featured.

“One of our top priorities at MPI is to continuously enrich our portfolio of professional development offerings and this collaboration with IACC will certainly help us deliver more value to our membership community,” said Paul Van Deventer, president and CEO of MPI. “We are especially excited about the opportunity to live stream WEC to members that are unable to make it to the conference this year and in an environment, that encompasses peer-to-peer engagement and networking.”

MPI will also take part in the next phase of the IACC Meeting Room of the Future™ research project, which aims to transform the meeting experience through a global collaboration of leaders in conference and meeting space design, technology, hospitality, delegate collaboration, experience and conference management. The first phase surveyed meeting planners, including MPI planner members, and was published in 2016, and the second phase will focus on the venue buyer community and look to draw parallels with the initial research.

The results will be unveiled at MPI’s WEC 2017 this June, with IACC conducting a Research Showcase at the conference. A full copy of the initial report and infographic can be downloaded from the IACC website here.

Alex Cabañas, IACC president and CEO of BENCHMARK®, a global hospitality company, comments, “This is the perfect project to use as an example of the power of the alliance, as it combines venue innovation and entrepreneurialism with the expertise of meeting industry professionals”.

Education, Education and More Education
With IACC leading the field in representing the top one percent of small-to-mid-size meetings-focused venues in 25 countries over four continents and MPI representing the largest community of meeting professionals worldwide, this alliance is a natural one and comes following many years of working together.

This is an era where the industry sees a significant increase in the number of part-time meeting planners, who with busy jobs look at professional development a little differently. IACC certified venues, which host smaller conferences and meetings, has a large number of part-time planners booking space and one objective of this alliance is to provide relevant education to this important group.

Additionally, IACC venues consist of many individ

 

#IACC #MICENews #MediaChannel #MPI

INCON 2016 PRESS RELEASE

INCON 2016 PRESS RELEASE:
Social Media Opportunities for Events and Conferences Social media has changed the approach to conference management for all involved: the PCO, the delegates, the sponsors and the speakers…INCON’s latest expert article looks at the impact that social media has had on the meetings industry and the importance of understanding and utilising all available communication channels.Author, Emma Aru, President of EGA Worldwide explains “I am convinced that we are in a new pioneering phase of the meeting industry, which will be deeply changed by social media and by the technological, social, and cultural innovations that will take place within the next few years.”
This article is No.29 in a series of expert articles brought to you by INCON.

To download the full article or other articles in the series please go to:
http://www.incon-pco.com/expert-articles

Press enquiries can be taken as follows:
Angela Guillemet,
Executive Director,
INCONT: +353 86 311 40 67
E: angela (et) incon-pco.com
W: www.incon-pco.com

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#INCON #PressRelease

Iceland enjoys successful growth strategy in tourism

Press Release from the the Icelandic Ministry of Industries and Innovation 

Iceland enjoys successful growth strategy in tourism:
30% growth in Icelandic tourism and 84% of visitors would like to return 

Iceland’s growth strategy in the tourism industry has become a benchmark for the global tourism industry. It reflects, amongst other things, the results of Iceland utilizing the opportunity that presented itself through the unexpected volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010 that “shut down” Europe and Iceland for days. The tourism sector in partnership with the Government used the volcanic eruptions as an opportunity to create a global campaign called “Inspired by Iceland” that boosted the inflow of tourists, now estimated to reach 1.7 million this year, up from 500 thousand in 2010. Tourism has grown to be one of the most important industries in Iceland, generating more foreign revenue than any other industry.

Ragnheidur Elín Árnadóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, will visit the IMEX exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, on April 19^th 2016. The Minister will chair the Politicians Forum as well as take part in an open debate on topics relating to the international meetings industry. IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany, is one of the largest tourism exhibitions and conferences in the global tourism industry.

“Iceland has over the past few years enjoyed growth far beyond any forecasts and the sector is expected to continue to grow. Last year 1.3 million tourists visited Iceland, a 30% increase from 2014. This year 1.7 million tourists are expected to visit the country, more than five times Iceland’s population”, said Ragnheidur Elín Árnadóttir Minister of Industry and Commerce as she opened the IMEX Politician Forum in Frankfurt. ”This increase represents a challenge for us, as tourism has historically been very seasonal but we have been able to change that picture and attract more visitors during the off-season period and can therefore be optimistic for the future of the industry.”

The increase in the number of tourists and the growth in revenue is partly due to the award-winning Inspired by Iceland marketing campaign, where the focus has been on promoting Iceland as a destination for all seasons. Also more frequent flights and increased general interest in what Iceland has to offer during the winter season, including the Northern Lights as well as music, art and design festivals which draw thousands of guests all year round to the country. Surveys show that 95% of those who visit Iceland are satisfied with their trip and 84% say they would like to return.

Iceland is primarily a nature destination, both summer and winter, but it also has a strong offering when it comes to the MICE market (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions). This market represented 7% of Iceland´s tourist market in 2015, an 11% increase from 2014. The growth of the MICE market supports the overall objectives for Icelandic tourism to decrease seasonality as well as to encourage higher spending levels overall. It also contributes to better utilization of resources and long term positive economic impact and growth for the destination.

Let’s meet in the middle
Iceland is well located, only 5 hours away from North America’s East Coast and 3 hours away from mainland Europe. Around 25 airlines operate from Keflavík International Airport during summer, serving over 80 destinations around the world. To put this in context, there are more weekly departures out of Iceland to North America than from the capitals of Norway, Sweden and Finland combined. This puts Iceland in a unique position when it comes to access to the country and for connecting people from all over the world in international meetings and conferences.

Tourism has played a major role in Iceland’s economic growth in recent years and generated thousands of new jobs. Today the tourism industry generates more foreign revenue than any other industry in Iceland. Iceland also ranks high on the World Economic Forum’s Travel and Tourism Index, being 18^th out of 141 countries in the category “tourist services”.

ACCESS Destination Services to accept payment of deposits via Meeting Escrow

ACCESS Destination Services to accept payment of deposits via Meeting Escrow

Meeting Escrow (www.MeetingEscrow.com) is proud to announce that ACCESS Destination Services (www.accessdmc.com) has officially confirmed acceptance of payment via its industry-leading deposit escrow service.

Chris Lee, DMCP, CEO of ACCESS comments, “Meeting Escrow is a long-overdue financial and risk management solution to challenges the Meetings Industry has been facing for years – how to protect client funds and ensure timely payment to supplier-partners. It provides our clients with 100% transparency and confidence for the advance payments they make to vendors around the world. ACCESS is proud to show its leadership by confirming its acceptance of this new standard of accountability for the industry.”

Grant Snider, Meeting Escrow President & CEO adds, “This is another exciting development for our company. As we expand our range of financial and risk management solutions for the Meetings Industry worldwide, we are proud to see a prestigious Destination Management organization such as ACCESS add their support for a new way of doing business.”

Meeting Escrow was founded by Grant Snider in 2015 to bridge a gap in the marketplace between buyers and sellers of Meetings Industry services. Both parties sign an escrow contract with Meeting Escrow for the total amount to be protected. Funds are wire transferred by the buyer directly to a distinct, uniquely identified Meeting Escrow bank account to the benefit of the supplier-partner and then the individual deposit payments are wire transferred out per the deposit payment schedule in the contract. Client funds are secure and fully protected and supplier-partners are paid on time.  In addition, escrowed deposits can be held in US dollars, Euros, Canadian dollars and 17 other foreign currencies, thereby shielding clients from exchange rate fluctuations. Meeting Escrow Inc. holds $5 million in liability coverage, underwritten by Lloyds.

Founded in 1969, ACCESS Destination Services sets the standard for excellence in award-winning destination management services throughout North America and the world.  Through global alliances with Pacific World and Amstar, ACCESS serves over 100 destinations throughout 30 countries. With global coverage and local expertise, ACCESS meets client objectives and exceeds expectations for corporate, incentive and association groups.

http://www.meetingescrow.com
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London sees growth in hotel development, as new properties open across capital for 2016

London sees growth in hotel development, as new properties open across capital for 2016
Increase driven by uplift in budget and five star accommodation

PRESS RELEASE: Wednesday, 18 November 2015

The number of hotel rooms in London is expected to grow by 12 per cent over the next three years according to new data compiled by London & Partners and AM:PM, with the increase being driven by an uplift in budget and five star hotel accommodation across the capital. These new properties and hotel extensions will add 17,769 more rooms across the capital over the same period, up from the current figure of 138,769.

The data released to coincide with IBTM World in Barcelona this week, shows that 43 budget properties are expected to open by the end of 2018, with low-cost accommodation in the city predicted to increase by 29 per cent over the next three years. Over the coming three years, 19 five star properties will also open in the capital, increasing the hotel stock in this category by 22 per cent.

Tracy Halliwell MBE, Director of Business Tourism and Major Events at London & Partners, said: “With the rising number of business and leisure visitors to London and strong occupancy levels across the city, it is great to see that a range of hotel companies are investing in new properties, catering for the demand for both low-cost and high-end hotels. With properties right next to many tourist attractions, these investments will help to attract more visitors to London as well as provide new facilities for both local and international businesses to host meetings and conferences across the city.”

Rising business and leisure visitor numbers for London have been reflected in record occupancy levels across the city’s hotels. London occupancies have averaged 80 per cent or above since 2006, according to PwC and their UK hotels forecast 2016 predicts a decade high of 84 per cent this year, with the Rugby World Cup having provided a further boost. PwC projects a further increase to 85 per cent occupancy for London’s hotels in 2016.

Alan Gordon, Director of AM:PM said: “London has absorbed significant new hotel supply in recent years and continues to attract serious attention from UK and international hotel groups looking to enter or extend their presence. Alongside wider infrastructure and real estate investment in the capital, the footprint of the hotel market in London continues to expand and this has opened up new opportunities in many locations. Aldgate, Shoreditch, Vauxhall and Whitechapel are just a few areas that are witnessing exciting change that includes new hotels, many of which are from brands making their UK debut.”

Between 2010 and 2014 there was a 18.9 per cent increase in room supply in London and the city continues to see increasing hotel openings to cater for this strong demand. New luxury hotels opening their doors in 2016 will include the InterContinental London – The O2, the Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square and The Curtain Hotel and Members Club Shoreditch.

Featuring 453 bedrooms, a dedicated conference centre with 20 multifunctional meeting rooms and a 3,000sqm ballroom, which will hold up to 3,000 delegates the InterContinental London – The O2 is due to officially open its doors in January. The hotel will be on the doorstep of The O2 in east London and will include a spa, an indoor pool, two restaurants, a hotel bar and an 18th-floor Sky Bar, offering panoramic views across the Thames to Canary Wharf and beyond.

Also in east London, the Curtain Hotel and Members Club Shoreditch, which will feature 120 warm and spacious guest rooms including six suites, each with natural light, hardwood floors, steam showers, and bespoke and original artwork from some of London and New York City’s leading contemporary artists. Nobu’s first London hotel will house 143 bedrooms and a statement restaurant: a dramatic five metre high space in the basement. The five storey hotel includes its own garden, while rooms are clustered around a central bathroom screened off by a full-height curved unit.

Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, an exhibitor on London & Partners stand at IBTM World, will open two London properties in 2016. Park Plaza London Waterloo will have 494 rooms and offer a swimming pool, spa, restaurant and bar. Opening in early 2016, the Park Plaza Park Royal hotel in west London will offer four star accommodation over six storeys, with a bar, restaurant, gym and conference facilities on the ground floor.

“Our development pipeline continues to focus on opening contemporary hotels in vibrant destinations.” comments Greg Hegarty, Regional General Manager UK, PPHE Hotel Group. “As London remains extremely popular with business and leisure guests, we have directed investment in to the capital so that we can continue to offer a greater choice, excellent service and value to our guests in key locations throughout the city. In addition we have just confirmed the signing of a hotel management agreement with Battersea Power Station Development Company to open a new hotel under the art’otel brand; so the new openings come at a very positive time for PPHE Hotel Group and our ongoing development pipeline.”

On the doorstep of the Tower of London will be the new Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square. The existing structure of Ten Trinity Square, a grand Parisian beaux-arts building, is being meticulously restored and upgraded. The hotel will occupy the lower ground to the third floors of the building, with 100 guest rooms and suites, two gourmet restaurants, a grand lobby bar, and a spa and fitness centre.

New budget accommodation for the city will include eight new Travelodge hotels including London Richmond Central and London Finsbury Park. Premier Inn is also expected to open three properties during 2016, including London Sidcup, London Archway and the hub by Premier Inn at London Spitalfields, Brick Lane Hotel.

Visit London & Partners on stand G10 at IBTM World in Barcelona to learn more about new openings in 2016 and hosting an event in London.

www.conventionbureau.london

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AIBTM 2012 | Press Release April 18th, 2012

AIBTM 2012 – EXHIBITION PREVIEW
AIBTM is the premier global exhibition for the U.S. incentive, business travel, meetings and events industry. AIBTM brings together the world’s meetings, incentive, business and corporate planners for three days of focused business. This year’s AIBTM America Meetings Week will be taking place from June 19th – June 21st and will deliver a fantastic range of unparalleled learning and thought provoking education, exciting networking opportunities and offer powerful business connections for attendees of the show.

AIBTM 2012, is expecting 20,000 pre-scheduled onsite appointments and there is a confirmed 71% increase in Group Co-ordinators over last year. The success of the inaugural event for exhibitors has led to 85% returning for 2012. Of these, 30% have increased their floor space significantly.

What’s New?
PCMA Strategic Partnership – AIBTM 2012 has signed a major strategic partnership agreement with PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) and will be the only exhibition organiser recognised at this level by PCMA. As part of this exclusive partnership, PCMA is on track to deliver over 500 Hosted Buyers this year. The partnership with PCMA will also facilitate a ‘State of the Industry Debate’ where the sessions will include keynote speakers to talk about relevant cutting edge topics, as well as an “Executive Edge Programme” which sees PCMA’s partnership with leading business schools to provide industry-relevant MBA educational opportunities.

SITE Partnership – A major new partnership with SITE (Society of Incentive Travel Executives) is on target to deliver 100 incentive buyers. AIBTM will also run SITE’s Young Leaders Programme which is designed to build the next generation of motivational leaders by providing education and networking opportunities that appeal directly to the younger generation.

New to AIBTM – Business and Corporate Travel Sector – AIBTM is dedicated to providing Business travel products, services and solutions to an audience of budget holding executives. The enhanced partnership with ACTE (Association of Corporate Travel Executives) at this year’s show will deliver a dedicated educational track focusing on how industry professionals can make the most of face time while developing technology to best enhance the corporate travel experience.

ACTE Partnership – AIBTM 2012’s Partnership with ACTE will deliver significantly greater exposure to the Corporate & Business Travel Industry. This new collaboration with ACTE will provide an educational track of sessions relevant to face-to-face meetings in the context of business travel. ACTE’s focus will be on how industry professionals can make the most of developing technology to best enhance the corporate travel experience.

ICCA Partnership – This year, ICCA (International Congress and Convention Association) will present an educational track at the show for the first time. The ICCA Global Meetings track will feature two 90-minute roundtable sessions as well as a one-hour clinic where ICCA members will be able to provide personalised advice for planners.

MPI Partnership – MPI will deliver a series of education tracks which will cover the final installment of BVOM (Business Value of Meetings) which was launched in 2011 and supported by AIBTM.

CSPI Partnership – Convention Service Professionals (CSPI) and AIBTM will be working together in an enhanced partnership for the 2012 event. CSPI will help promote AIBTM through print pieces, presence on their website and e-newsletters and give recognition as a sponsor at their conference. CSPI (formerly ACME) is dedicated to fostering the spirit of collaborative success between convention centre sales professionals and their convention sales counterparts at regional destination marketing organisations.

Market Focus SPOTLIGHT on Europe – AIBTM 2012 is delivering a special Market Focus on Europe in which European exhibitors can benefit from a new networking opportunity to meet with Hosted Buyers who have a specific interest in hosting meetings and placing business in Europe. European Exhibitors will be able to meet with key U.S buyers during the hour long session. Hosted Buyers who have selected Europe as a preferred destination in their application to register will automatically have this networking hour in their pre-scheduled diary of appointments.

Increase in Hosted Buyer Group Coordinators – This year’s AIBTM has 71% more Group Coordinators signed than AIBTM 2011 and is still in pre-registration phase for the Hosted Buyer Programme.

New Exhibitors – AIBTM is delighted to welcome over 43 new exhibitors to this year’s show.
New Future Events Experience – Following a successful debut at EIBTM, the Future Events Experience run in conjunction with Newtonstrand, Sync Partners and RTE will be introduced at AIBTM 2012. Exhibitors will have the opportunity to showcase their latest technology or services to all attendees in an interactive experience on the show floor. The Future Events Experience allows attendees to play, touch, feel and experience the most cutting edge technology in an environment that demonstrates how technology will influence and play a major role in the future of the meetings and events industry.

Hosted Buyers
The AIBTM Hosted Buyer Programme is a unique component of the show, which provides top-level buyers an opportunity to meet with the exhibitors of their choice for focused one-on-one appointments. The programme hosts International Buyers from across the globe, regional meeting planners from North America and local planners from around the Baltimore and Washington areas.

Qualified buyers can benefit from the buyer-driven appointment system, opportunities to build their network of industry professionals and suppliers, dedicated educational sessions to expand necessary skills and knowledge, complimentary travel/accommodation, admittance to exclusive AIBTM networking functions including an exclusive Hosted Buyer networking evening at Baltimore’s new Four Seasons hotel (situated at the edge of Baltimore’s Harbour East waterfront) and events as well as access to two VIP Hosted Buyer Lounges.

The Hosted Buyer programme and applications are split by three categories, Corporate, Agency and Association. The different categories ensure that buyers are provided with a business and education programme, which is dedicated specifically to their business requirements.

The Hosted Buyers programme is specifically designed to allow flexibility for buyers attending ensuring each buyer has appropriate resources required to attend both the Education and Trade Show days. Buyers also have the option to stay an additional night so that they can take full advantage of the programme.

AIBTM will also reimburse parking costs for those who cannot accept accommodations as well as offer a 10% discount on AMTRAK off the lowest available rail fare to Baltimore, MD between June 16, 2012 and June 27, 2012

A list of AIBTM Hosted Buyers can be found at www.aibtm.com on the home page.

Networking
This year’s Hosted Buyer’s Ice Breaker will take place on Monday 18th June from 5:30PM to 7:30PM at the new Four Seasons, Baltimore and will provide Hosted Buyers at the show with an opportunity to network with others in the programme. The new and luxurious Four Season Baltimore opened up in November 2011 and has an impressive 256 rooms and suites with harbour, marina and city-scape views , 121 foot infinity-edged outdoor pool and 10,200 square foot spa.

The Welcome Reception will take place on Tuesday 19th June at Power Plant Live near the Wharf in the Inner Harbour area. The theme will be a “fun filled street party” in one of Baltimore’s liveliest hot-spots. A variety of restaurants and bars will be open to all AIBTM attendees and exhibitors including: Luckie’s Tavern, Luckie’s Liquors, Leinenkugel’s Beer Garden, Mosaic, Mex Tequila Bar, PBR Baltimore, Angels Rock Bar and Joe Squared. Each bar/restaurant will be offering an AIBTM special signature cocktail. Plus, entertainment will be provided by the exciting Who’s Bad: Michael Jackson Tribute referred to as none other than the ‘ the ultimate MJ tribute band’.

Sustainability
The Baltimore Convention Centre is committed to this initiative through the following operations:

The Baltimore Convention Centre (BCC) recycling programme is single stream. Attendees can put any materials into the one container: paper, plastic, aluminium cans. There are marked cans throughout the building and on the show floor.
The BCC has a cardboard bailer to condense materials to be recycled
Food waste is recycled through the Somat machine.

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