Discovering Guam

Discovering Guam
Until very recently not many people could have told you where Guam was located, or even what was there.

Recent political events have certainly changed that.
With intense, global media attention in recent months, however, many outlets like CNN, the BBC and others took the time to really look behind the breaking news. What they found and repeatedly reported on was the amazing people, the beauty of the island, the wonderful attractions and the importance of tourism to its economy.

The stories revealed the special spirit of the nearly 170,000 residents who are predominantly American citizens but who also strongly honor the ancient and vibrant Chamorro culture.

They also unveiled stunning images of the unspoiled, stunning, natural beauty of Guam.

From an economic standpoint, they talked about the growing leisure travel, conference & meeting, and incentive travel market in Guam – propelled not only by its authentic style and unique experience opportunities, but also its modern hotels and convention center and strong technology infrastructure.

Guam will once again have a booth at IMEX America #3041 and is anticipating great interest from event planners and buyers from the US, Asia, Australia and many other regions.

Who’s Been Coming and Why?
In just one example of who’s coming to Guam, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) & PATA (Pacific Asian Travel Association) held their 2016 Annual Conference in Guam which brought many influential industry leaders to the island, and delighted them with all that Guam has to offer,

Japanese, South Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese and American tourists and incentive groups have also been enjoying their experiences of Guam.

While Guam has more than 8,860 modern hotel rooms and hotels run by leading brands such as Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton and Westin – as well as the new Guam Convention Center at the Dusit Thani Guam Resort – Guam also has its own distinctive local style which creates memorable events and experiences.

Business and pleasure visitors alike can take in outdoor fiestas featuring traditional, Chamorro food and festivities like fresh caught seafood & edible seaweed, traditional dancing, music and coconut cracking.

Hiking and walking up into the hills of Guam – or “Boonie Stomping” as it’s known locally – uncovers gorgeous flora, fauna and jungle waterfalls. Golf, dolphin watching and water sports like snorkeling and diving are also among the many activities offering a wide range of incentive options.

Guam has also built a strong technology infrastructure with superfast Wifi – bringing together the best of unplugged and fully connected options and activities.

The world is discovering Guam – and that it has plenty to offer.
https://www.guamvisitorsbureau.com/

Guam Visitors Bureau
www.guamvisitorsbureau.com

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#Guam #UNWTO #WTO #PATA #IMEXAmerica #MICEnews #MICEmedia #TourismNews

IBTM AMERICA 2016 SET TO PROVIDE VALUABLE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS WITH IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF GLOBAL HOSTED BUYERS

IBTM AMERICA 2016 SET TO PROVIDE VALUABLE BUSINESS CONNECTIONS WITH IMPRESSIVE LINE-UP OF GLOBAL HOSTED BUYERS

81% of Hosted Buyers looking to place business internationally 

ibtm america 2016 (www.ibtmamerica.com), taking place from June 15-17 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, has confirmed an impressive global line-up of Association, Agency and Corporate Hosted Buyers attending from the US, Canada, Latin America, Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Asia and more.

Registered Hosted Buyers have confirmed their product interests among exhibitors, with hotels and conference/meeting venues being the top two picks. Other event products to make the list include special event venues, Destination Management Companies, resorts and spas, and destinations. Among those buyers the two most popular event types were conferences/meetings and incentives, followed by exhibitions, conventions/congresses, staff training/motivation, and business and luxury travel.

Jaime McAuley, Event Director, ibtm america commented, “We have a great line-up of Hosted Buyers this year; not only do we have elite buyers with proven budget and business to place attending from all around the world, but we have a diverse group with a variety of products interests and this will increase the opportunity for our exhibitors to make connections at the event. And with our 100% mutually matched appointment system, we can ensure that all of our Hosted Buyers and exhibitors are only attending relevant, valuable appointments likely to result in business opportunities and ROI.”

Hosted Buyers have also indicated the regions in which they are most interested in placing business, with 98% of buyers looking to place business in the US and 81% interested in placing business internationally. Domestically buyers placed particular emphasis on wanting to meet exhibitors from the Western US (98%) and the Southeast (97%). Internationally buyers were most interested in Canada, Latin America, and Europe.

McAuley commented, “These preferences are really on trend with where the industry is right now. Rob Davidson, Managing Director of MICE Knowledge, predicted in his 2015 Trends Report that 2016 will see an increase across all meeting types in North America, so it’s not surprising that both our regional and international buyers are looking to place business in Canada and the US. Davidson also noted how Latin America’s close business and cultural ties to the US, which make it especially attractive for US-based meeting groups, have played a large role in the Latin American MICE industry’s growth, so we expect this to continue to be a region of interest among our Hosted Buyers.”

Some of the Hosted Buyers attending this year include Philips (Brazil), Rimac Seguros y reaseguros (Peru), Hurricane Action Sports (Canada), Montreal Event Planner (Canada), Lenovo (China), GECK’O Incentives & Events (Germany), Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (India), Fullteam Networks (Mexico), TUSExpo BV (Netherlands), Decast Group (Russian Federation), ABB INDUSTRIES (UAE), Ultima Media (UK), Smartfocus (UK), Freestyle Football Federation (UK), the American Association for Cancer Research (US), AT&T (US), Wells Fargo (US), Corning Inc. (US), The Geological Society of America (US), and Nature’s Way (US).

Veronica Carletto, Project Manager, Fourth Wall Events, who will attend as a Hosted Buyer commented, “My objective is to learn about new hotels and services that I can share with my organisation and offer our clients. I am interested in looking at the 5* luxury brands in Europe and Asia.”

Blair Monica, Marketing Event Project Manager, GM Financial, also a Hosted Buyer for 2016 commented, “We plan events all over the US and Canada. I am interested in looking at different locations that can hold larger groups, what’s new with technology, meeting design, what’s new with exhibit design and displays and how to elevate our meetings and events.”

Fred Williams, Conference Manager, Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, also a Hosted Buyer for 2016 commented, “Face-to-face meetings are critical to understanding city and hotel updates as well as special offers. Cities, hotels, airlines, audiovisual, and exhibition companies are the types of exhibitors I wish to meet.”

Joost de Meyer, Chairman & CEO, First Incentive Travel, also a Hosted Buyer for 2016, commented, “I am the Chairman & CEO with First Incentive Travel. I lead a team of experienced project managers. We work all over the USA for incentive groups coming to the USA, Mexico and Caribbean from mainly Europe and the rest of the world. I am interested in hotels, DMC’s, CVB’s, cruise lines, etc.”

To hear what more Hosted Buyers have to say, please visit:http://www.ibtmamerica.com/Media/galleries/Testimonials/

For further information about exhibiting, please visit http://www.ibtmamerica.com

 

LEADING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS TO ATTEND EIBTM

LEADING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS TO ATTEND EIBTM
MY ASSOCIATION | MY CLUB ATTRACTS GLOBAL ATTENTION

OKTOBER 2014 – A new initiative launched for the Association Sector by EIBTM has garnered support from the industry across the world and attracted a global representation of Buyers who are now registered to attend EIBTM 2014. My Association | My Club was announced in the summer to give a more flexible option to an Association Planner’s business and networking agenda at this year’s event in Barcelona from 18-20 November.

Association Buyers with average budgets between US$1m & US$5m and some as high as US$20m, have joined the programme which will see 20 countries represented including US, China, UK, Canada, Russia, Switzerland, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and France. The key elements of My Association | My Club have been designed in consultation with Association Planners through research and a dedicated Focus Group meeting.

Commenting on the new approach to the Association sector, Patrick Debus, Permanent Secretary World Federation of Consuls said: “I can only congratulate the EIBTM Team for having launched “MY ASSOCIATION / MY CLUB“, this new initiative is fully answering and definitively taking more care of the Association Planner’s expectations and I can only congratulate the team for such a useful and highly appreciated concern.”

Another participant from the Association Focus Group commented: “The new My Association | My Club programme is unique, as it is specifically tailored to the Association Executive, allowing optimal networking while offering maximal flexibility. The Club Lounge on the show floor and the Educational Sessions will allow to maximise interactions with fellow Executives and Exhibitors. No doubt this will enhance the return on investment of Exhibitors as well as Association Buyers.”

Richard Holmes, International Director of Meetings of International League against Epilepsy, added: “I am delighted to see that many of the suggestions from the Association Focus Group have been taken on board and incorporated into the planning of EIBTM 2014. By hosting Buyers at the same hotel and benefits such as the Association Hub, I expect to have greater opportunities to meet with other Association Buyers whom I might not get a chance to catch up with on the show floor. I hope that more flexible scheduling will allow me to maximise my limited time, meeting with more partners and suppliers at the show.”

Priority has been given to “flexibility” a key request that came out of the research. Each Association Planner can now control their own itinerary, through choosing what they do, allowing time to explore the show, choose their own meetings and appointments and add to them as they wish in their own Association Hub – a dedicated Club Lounge on the show floor. With dedicated networking, and their own host hotel, the Association Club also means that the attendees get to be together throughout their attendance at EIBTM 2014.

Whilst the Association Planners will continue to have their own dedicated education sector sessions, they will also have the flexibility to attend any of the EIBTM Knowledge Programme, defining which best suit their own business – another request that was made from those who participated in the research.

“We are delighted by the response from the international Association sector, since we announced the launch of My Association | My Club. It was clear from the Focus Group held to determine and discuss what they wanted from their industry event, that we needed to think big and make some fundamental changes. We have, and we hope that EIBTM 2014 will be exactly what they want from their stay with us in Barcelona, and that our suppliers will obviously benefit as well from this more flexible approach,” said Graeme Barnett, EIBTM Senior Exhibition Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions.

“More than ever, EIBTM is definitively the key Event for Associations Meeting Planners to meet the World, and their world, in the most enjoyable and fruitful conditions,” added Debus.

For more information on My Association | My Club, please go to: http://www.eibtm.com/Hosted-Buyers/Dedicated-Programmes/My-Association-My-Club

To find out more about the Hosted Buyer Programme and to apply for your place, please visit: www.eibtm.com/hbregister

EIBTM 2014 will take place from 18th – 20th November.

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX LAUNCHES DESTINATION VILLAGE

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX LAUNCHES DESTINATION VILLAGE

24th July 2012, London: International Confex has announced plans to create a Destination Village at the 2013 show. The feature will form part of the International sector and is the first in a series of new experiences launching next year (19-21 March 2013).

The Destination Village will represent the perfect opportunity for Destination Management Companies (DMC’s) from around the world to represent theirdestinations to the lucrative UK outbound market. The Village will also create an easy to navigate and knowledgeable environment for buyers looking to take their events internationally.

“The UK market sits as either the first or second largest inbound market for themajority of countries both within Europe and further afield in the US, Asia, and South America,” comments James Samuel, Event Manager, International Confex. “It is therefore crucial that we continue to satisfy this demand from our buyers.”

The Destination Village will consist of a series of pods each representing a different destination, with one DMC limited to each destination. Exhibitorsusing the area will have full use of the distribution and connectivity features from International Confex, ensuring they can seek, meet and qualify the right buyers for their destinations.

“We’ve already had an outstanding response to the new feature, and some major destinations have signed up including Malta, Italy, Spain, Germany and Netherlands,” continues Samuel. “This is brilliant news for both exhibitors and buyers to ensure this sector is vibrant and business focused.”

International Confex and its sister show Live Experience will form part of Confex Week, launched earlier this month, encompassing the full range of events, education, and networking that will take place around the show at ExCeL London next year.

www.international-confex.com