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International Event Organisers Update (IEOU) is published monthly and is an information source circulated FREE to 12000 selected organisers and others interested in keeping abreast of development in the international event industry. It is edited to higher standards than the inadequate ones laid down by the self-regulatory Press Complaints Commission (PCC)
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Note: As a matter of policy International Event Organisers Update (IEOU) does not carry any 0870 telephone numbers in entries for the news or Announcements section of IEOU. This is because these numbers operate as covert premium rate lines – misleadingly called “national rate” by BT and others that sell them – and are charged at five or more times the current normal cost to dial a normal geographical UK number.
Readers are advised to visit www.saynoto0870.com for more information about this customer-unfriendly scam, and to ask all suppliers and potential suppliers to provide their normal, cheaper numbers.
IEOU is sad to report the recent death of Sir Freddie Laker aged 83.
Laker’s ground breaking, no-frills Skytrain air service to New York and Los Angeles in 1977 encouraged millions of UK consumers to visit America for the first time and million of Americans to visit the UK, lured by prices that were a fraction of what BA and American operators such as Pan Am were charging. Laker was the inspiration for all of today’s no-frills airlines. He also inspired, for a while anyway, Margaret Thatcher, then UK Prime Minister to hold him up as a much-loved folk hero, telling the 1981 Conservative Party Conference, in ringing tones: “The fact is that only when we introduce the spur of competition into state run industries do they begin to respond to the needs of the customer, just as it’s thanks to Freddie Laker that you can cross the Atlantic for so much less than it would have cost you in the early 1970’s. Competition works!” (cue wild applause, cheers, totally spontaneous standing ovation for the TV cameras etc etc).
Curiously, or perhaps not airlines like BA, chaired by the very rich and unpleasant Lord King of Wartnaby, were ungrateful at being stabbed with the healthy spur of competition particularly as it reduced the profits they could milk from their lucrative IATA encouraged cartel and, along with Pan Am they dropped their prices to the same price as Lakers, but only on Laker’s routes. Laker’s company subsequently collapsed in 1982, amidst claims that there had been a conspiracy to bring about his downfall, one helped in no little part by the “listening” Midland Bank (now HSBC) who listened intently to Laker’s enemies before calling in his loans, and the receivers.
Such deeply unsavoury revelations were published in a TV documentary A Case of Corporate Murder which also recounted how well Laker was subsequently doing with a lawsuit in the USA against BA and others such as TWA, Pan Am and Lufthansa for price fixing and for threatening Laker’s aircraft supplier, McDonnell Douglas with a withdrawal of their business, if they helped Laker survive by re-scheduling his debts. In the UK this lawsuit threatened BA’s upcoming privatisation and accordingly Margaret Thatcher cajoled the then American president, actor Ronald Reagan into intervening and stopping the action of the US Justice department against BA.
Margaret Thatcher once famously boasted “The lady’s not for turning” although she didn’t add she was available for rolling over and doing rude things to, in the strictly political and commercial senses, of course.
Meanwhile all those currently enjoying flights for a tenth of what they would have paid 30 years ago can thank Sir Freddie Laker for starting it all in 1977
In terms of delegate safety Egypt might be an especially bad choice for organisers following the ferry disaster on the Red Sea which has killed up to 1000 and the way the Egyptian authorities and the ferry company have mishandled it.
Survivors have claimed that shortly after the ferry left Duba in Saudi Arabia to sail 120 miles across the Red Sea to the Egyptian port of Safaga a fire broke out on one of the vehicle decks. Rather than sail back to Duba the captain sailed on and the crew tried to persuade panicking passengers to go back to bed taking away their life jackets and locking some in their cabins. It has also been claimed that as the ferry started to sink the captain got into a lifeboat and left.
Anxious relatives of the 1,270 passengers rioted in Safaga when information about the disaster was very slow to come through.
The ferry was the unstable roll-on, roll-off type banned in European waters after the P & O Herald of Free Enterprise sunk at Zeebrugge, killing 193 and the Estonia sunk off Finland killing 852.
Travellers to Muslim countries should avoid weaving crucifixes or St Christopher medals on the basis that they will offend Muslims.
This is the view of the management of airline BMI, which recently forbade aircrew on its Saudi Arabian flights to wear such obvious objects of offence as part of its “obligation to respect the customs of Saudi Arabia”. (Daily Telegraph). It is thought the advice has come from the British Foreign Office.
Meanwhile rioting and killing on an escalating scale has been organised by extremist Muslim groups over the pointless and moronic cartoon depiction in Denmark of the Prophet Mohammed as a terrorist with a bomb. In retaliation in London a recent demonstration featured a minority of extremists waving placards advocating the murder of “those who insult Islam”. Some chanted slogans threatening more suicide bombings for London and dressed up as suicide bombers, to show how offended they were to be wrongly portrayed as terrorists. (One, a convicted drug dealer from Bedford quickly apologised, which is more than the publishers of the cartoons have).
However many Muslims appreciated how counter-productive such calls to violence by a misguided minority were. The Muslim Public Affairs Committee described them as “disgraceful and disgusting” and told the media: “These people are less representative of Muslims than the BNP are of British people”.
The conflict, and the negative portrayal of Islam is likely to discourage some to travel to, and trade with Muslim countries, an outcome that is presumably what the violent extremists, on both sides, actually want.
Is a “no-frills” airline such as Ryanair really going to stay a cheaper option for flying into Europe than “full price” airlines such as British Airways?
Possibly not for much longer judging by recent developments, which have included the announcement by BA that it intends to re-launch its low-cost CitiExpress network and offer fares as low as £25 one way from its range of 14 regional UK airports. At the same time Ryanair, which has been building a reputation as the “no-frills but lots of extras” airline in its pricing policy has announced that as from March 16 it will be adding yet another “extra” in the form of a charge of £5 per bag carried in the hold (or £2.50 if booked in advance).
This, for many passengers will bring the total minimum cost of a single Ryanair flight close to, if not above, the BA £25 charge.
Even when Ryanair give “free” flights they still charge £10.49 each way for “Taxes, fees and charges”, whatever they are as well as £3.48 each way for “Aviation/WCHR levy”, whatever that is, making a total minimum of around £14 each way.
A Ryanair passenger arriving at the airport therefore with a bag weighing more than 10 kilo will pay a total minimum of £16.50 each way even if the flight is “free” and the luggage has been pre-booked, which is edging even closer to the BA figure of £25.
Ryanair’s pricing is already something of a bad joke that can’t help its cause. A recent flight to “Hahn Frankfurt” (a tedious 1½ hour coach ride from Frankfurt) we booked started at a fare of £18.78 return and rose to £46.72, an increase of nearly 150 per cent, courtesy of Ryanair extras.
And when other aspects are factored in, such as the unsociable flying times of the cheaper Ryanair flights, the inconvenience for many of Stanstsed Airport and the actual distance from the destination of some airports used by Ryanair there will be many who come to the realisation that the BA offer could be considerably better.
Of course, Ryanair could fight back against BA by going the extra mile beyond “free” flights and paying its customers to travel with them, and we would be interested to know what the response of the (reportedly) foul-mouthed boss of Ryanair, Michael O’Leary is to that suggestion, though we can’t promise to print it verbatim in a wholesome family publication such as this.
Salzburg and Vienna Convention Bureaux are both hoping to cash in on the fact that had composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart not died, young and broke at 35, he would have been 250 years old this year.
Mozart 2006 is therefore the cue for an orgy of Mozart chocolate, Mozart cake, Mozart tea towels, Mozart perfume, Mozart wine etc etc. There’s even a German made doll dressed as Mozart, at his infant prodigy stage, for only £130. This is rather more expensive than the other piece of exquisite good tourist taste being peddled in the USA for only £17 – a “Princess Diana” doll that speaks 26 phrases when pressed, including “I’d like to be a queen of people’s hearts” and “I sit here in sadness”, the latter something Mozart might say today, if he could.
Mozart was born in Salzburg, a town he disliked and left when he was 18, dying in Vienna where he felt his music was more appreciated. Since his death far more money has been made out of the tourist tat sold in Salzburg and Vienna than Mozart ever made for crafting some of the world’s most beautiful music. Sadly for him the lucrative merchandising, of which he could have had a share, didn’t start until he died.
Organisers running events for true music lovers might want to avoid taking them to Austria this year.
(Culture note: This piece written to the strains of Mozart’s famed Requiem in D minor, K.626, Recordare, Confutatis and Lacrimosa, performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker and conducted by Herbert von Karajan).
Those organising events in Italy, Sicily and Sardinia could find the Venue Italia publications of publisher Convegni srl useful.
A years subscription for 70 euros gets a directory of hotels, conference centres and suppliers, published in September, a directory of Italian historic residences for events, published in January and three issues of the Venue Italia magazine which carries articles about destinations, activities and food and drink.
Tel: +39 02 349921 Fax: +39 02 3499 2290
e-mail: convegni@convegni.it
Visit: www.convegni.it
The 282 room Marriott Hotel Cologne opened in January and is offering organisers some special prices until the end of May.
These are 64 euros (£45) day delegate rate inclusive a big buffet lunch, ad lib beverages, snacks and fresh fruit and the use of a data projector, and 139 euros (£100) a night bed and breakfast for up to two people in the room, unlimited internet use and 1,000 Marriott Reward Points per person.
The hotel is located in Cologne centre, adjacent to the railway station and has twelve meeting areas including a ballroom for 380 theatre-style and nine boardrooms for twelve.
Phone (free): 0800 221222
Visit: www.marriott.com
The Spanish Travel Industry Show, which some event organisers find worth attending, takes place Wednesday March 29 and Thursday March 30 at the Royal Horticultural Halls, Victoria, London.
STEPS 2006 features up to 200 exhibitors of which around 20 will be the convention bureaux and specialist conference hotels of particular interest to organisers.
www.steps2006.com
Those travellers wanting to exchange currency in London should definitely avoid doing so with banks like HSBC.
A recent check on how many euros we got for £200 showed a miserly 270 at HSBC (opposite Kings Cross) and a rather more generous 286 at the Capital Exchange bureau a few doors away.
Put another way we gained an extra £11 on our £200 transaction by not giving HSBC the business.
Other rip off places for currency exchange can be found at UK airports, and the Eurostar terminal at Waterloo. With some less common currencies it is better not to exchange in the UK at all but in the destination. Examples we’ve personally found have been Czech Koruna, around 5% better in Prague, and Polish Zloty, 2% better in Krakow.
Gripping, it is, to read in International Association Executive (IAE) that the mag is so grovellingly willing to publish “advertorial” features on behalf of its advertisers.
These, as readers will know, are blocks of advertising copy masquerading as editorial and are very common in the events industry sector, amongst publishers who clearly believe that the majority of their readers are complete morons who can’t spot the difference.
In the latest issue of IAE, which reads like wall-to-wall advertorial, editor Robert Kemp, a one-time association executive and publisher, tells his readers that a new member of his staff, freelance PR writer Bob Tolley is “available to produce the editorial aspects of advertorial features on behalf of suppliers to the association sector”. All of which seems to provide a good reason for readers with brains to use IAE to light the fire, keep out draughts, or swat wasps, rather than as a source of useful and/or impartial information.
IAE is claimed to reach the CEO’s of more than 6,000 associations in Europe and is published by accountants and consultants to the association and charity sector Kingston Smith, who have very wisely kept their name out of it by setting up a subsidiary, Devonshire Publishing Ltd, to front it, according to records at Companies House.
We say "very wisely" noting their editor's questionable sense of humour which has included running a spoof headline "just for fun" which reads; "SKELETON STAFF AT ANOREXIA SOCIETY DURING HOLS"
This is a real rib-splitter, unless of course you run an association or charity concerned with the horrors of anorexia or are someone touched by it personally. And it can't be especially funny if you are a well-regarded firm of accountants, like Kingston Smith, trying to promote an image of responsibility to, and to get business from, a sector known to contain a large number of organisations and individuals, often badly paid, who care about people and find the publication of sick "jokes" counter-productive to what they are trying to do.
But then accountants will be smart enough to know this, wont they?One guest we know staying at the new Puerta American Hotel in Madrid found it something of a triumph of style over substance.
Apparently, although the design was cutting-edge his shower in his bathroom had no curtain, so left him wet floors to paddle through.
But worse, when enjoying a morning lie-in, with the electrically opened window blinds down, two maids entered the room to clean it and inexplicably removed his key-card from the slot, which cut off the electricity in the room.
When he arose later he couldn’t turn on the lights, or raise the blind and had to stumble around in the dark getting dressed, a delay which meant he missed his breakfast.
Don’t hoteliers think these kind of things through?
Those travelling through Amsterdam’s Schipol airport and looking for a relaxed, civilised and low cost lunch could check out the buffet served in stylish Voyager restaurant at the airport’s Sheraton Hotel.
This offers, along with friendly and helpful waiting staff a soup salad, and cold fish and meat option for 15 euros (£11). A recent meal on this basis included a tasty tomato and red pepper soup with fresh olive bread, matjes herring, smoked salmon, parma ham, salami, a range of pasta and other salads and Dutch cheeses with grapes.
Those with larger appetites can pay 25 euros (£18) and also get stuck in to hot main courses such as roast meats, fish and vegetables and a large choice of sinful desserts.
The restaurant is connected to Terminal 3 by a short walkway.
Note: The Sheraton also has 408 guest rooms and 1,200 square metres of conference space for up to 1,000.
Tel: (31) (20) 3164300 Fax: (31) (20) 3164399
Visit: www.sheraton.com/amsterdamair
From: Susan Spibey
Peter = I wonder why you keep sending us information when we have an 08700 number - ?????? = we are International Professional Congress Organisers and in no way compromise our clients!!! We would have liked to promote our services in your newsletter but ………………………………………
Seasons Greetings
Susan Spibey
To: Susan Spibey
Susan. Thanks for your note on the subject of 0870 telephone numbers.
Firstly despite your ill-advised choice of an expensive premium rate number for your clients we are happy to continue sending our newsletters free of charge to you, on the basis that, as the bad publicity for these numbers increases you might see the light and supply your clients with your Warrington land line, which will be much cheaper for them to call.
As far as you advertising your services to our readers I would be happy to take your money and run an ad with your postal address, web site address, e-mail and land line, (phone and fax) as above. Please advise – you can call me on my land line number, not premium rate, at 01767 316255.
Thanks once again for your view on this important issue of customer care.
Happy New Year.
Peter Cotterell
Editor
The following piece, published in the public interest, is absolutely nothing to do with events, but we suspect that many readers will still find it inspiring.
Has your bank ever, over the last six years, charged you a penalty of around £30 for bounced cheques, direct debits or for going a few pounds over your agreed overdraft limit? And if so did you think they were playing fair with you?
If you answered yes to the first question and no to the second one then you are definitely not alone, because the Consumers Association (now called “Which?”) calculates that our caring bankers take £3 billion a year off us in these penalties, or £18 billion over the last 6 years, which equates to £300 from every man, woman and child in the UK.
We say 6 years because if you want to sue your bank to recover your money that’s how far back the law allows you to go. And one young law student and father of three at Plymouth University has done just that, winning his claim for £800 worth of penalties in court and then receiving an out of court settlement for not enforcing it from his bank, Abbey National of £5,000. And this after reportedly refusing a request from Abbey National to keep the settlement confidential.
How did he do it? Well firstly he sensibly ignored the blandishments of the Financial Services Ombudsman to use their free “independent” service, on the basis that the Ombudsman has no power, unlike a court, to order any company to pay anything. He might have also found out, like we have, that the “independent” ombudsman is appointed by, and can be dismissed by the Financial Services Authority (FSA) whose directors include such independent voices as James Crosby, chief executive of the Halifax, an unhealthy conflict of interests for customers if there ever was one.
Secondly – and this is where it really gets interesting, at least for ripped off bank customers, - Stephen knows his law and was able to win his case in court by advancing the following, which he has public spiritedly supplied to us for publication. (Sadly no national newspaper has published this, to help their readers, an aspect some cynics might say is not unconnected to the amount of bank advertising they fill their boots with). This, for anyone who wants to use it, could be a most useful template for recovering their unfairly grabbed money.
Given the above I therefore require you to refund, within 14 days the sum of £ …. being the unfair penalties applied to my account over the last six years, failing which I will, with regret, lodge a claim against your company in the small claims court.
Naturally readers may amend and add to this to suit their own purposes. There are also two supportive websites that deal with the growing fight against the banks and these are at www.bankactiongroup.com and at www.bankchargeshell.co.uk
Readers might also wish to send copies of their letters, and subsequent documentation to the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) which has tried to get the banks to play fair with their customers, and to the British Bankers Association (BBA), which helps look after the financial interests of banks.
Oh, and give yourself a pat on the back, you’ll be performing a valuable public service.
References
Office of Fair Trading, Fleetbank House, 2-6 Salisbury Square, London EC4Y 8JX enquiries@oft.gov.uk
British Bankers Association, Pinners Hall, 105-108 Old Broad Street, London EC2N 1EX. www.bba.org.uk
For over 300 years, the Royal Society has held some of the most important events in the scientific world. Based in Carlton House Terrace overlooking The Mall and St James’s Park, this Grade 1 listed building offers first class meeting and dining facilities. Whether a meeting for 10, a conference for 300 or a banquet for 160, we have the experience and the commitment to exceed your expectations.
With state of the art audio-visual equipment, including video conferencing and a high-tec digital filming service, we can also offer preferential accommodation rates with local Hotels. Full disabled access is also available.
Further details can be found at www.royalsoc.ac.uk or contact Nick Watts, Sales and Marketing Manager on 020 7451 2616 or email nick.watts@royalsoc.ac.uk
Porto Convention Bureau is a not-for-profit organisation specialising in promoting Porto and Northern Portugal as a destination for congresses, conferences, seminars, events and incentive travel.
The Porto Convention Bureau provides a wealth of information and advice, namely facilities, natural resources and professional partners.
We offer our services free of charge to any national and international organisers of meetings, conventions and incentives.
The Porto Convention Bureau gathers over 120 members such as hotels, congress and conference centres, DMC’s PCO’s transport companies and support services and plays a key role in giving an international reputation to Porto and Northern Portugal as a vintage destination.
Porto Convention & Visitors Bureau
Av. Inferior à Ponte D.Luis 1, 53-1° andar
4050-074 Porto – Portugal
ph: +351 223 326 751 – fx: +351 223 326 752
E-mail: rkoehler@portocvb.com – www.portocvb.com
The Society of Event Organisers (SEO) has launched a one-day in-house presentation, UNDERSTANDING EVENT ORGANISATION, aimed at giving venue sales, marketing and operations staff a full appreciation of the job their organiser clients do, to build rapport and improve working relationships.
Other training for venues offered by the SEO includes a public or in-house course on MARKETING YOUR VENUE FOR EVENTS.
Tel: 01767 316255 Fax: 01767 316430
This is a new three day residential adjunct to the Certificate in Conference Organisation (CCO), with an examination and qualification and being run in Porto, Northern Portugal for 2006 in co-operation with the Porto Convention and Visitors Bureau (PCVB). Covers destination evaluation, using a CVB and/or DMC, negotiating, pricing, transportation, security, insurance, legalities, currency, customs and excise, tax considerations, partner programmes, food and beverage, cultural differences. Fees from £950 plus VAT. Monday 31 July 2006 – Thursday 3August 2006.
Tel: 01767 316255 Fax: 01767 316430
Visit: www.seoevent.co.uk
REACH 12,000 INTERNATIONAL EVENT ORGANISERS FOR £95
A 100-word announcement costs from £95 in this section of International Event Organisers Update (IEOU) and reaches 12,000 organisers.
To download full details and a booking form visit www.eou.org.uk Alternatively call (44) 1767 316255 or fax to (44) 1767 316430.
For more information please contact the organisers directly. You are advised to check that events are appropriate to your needs and still running before finalising travel plans. IEOU only lists the main international exhibitions and events specific to the events market – there are however lots of smaller country-specific presentations and travel industry events that can deliver useful information to organisers.
30-1 June FRANKFURT IMEX exhibition
www.imex-frankfurt.com
6-7 MELBOURNE AIME – Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo.
www.aime.com.au
28-30 BARCELONA EIBTM exhibition
www.eibtm.com
Edited and distributed by:
Society of Event Organisers
29a Market Square, Biggleswade, Beds. SG18 8AQ
Tel: +44(0)1767 316255 Fax: +44(0)1767 316430
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