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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.
Three employees of the company responsible for the Polish exhibition hall that collapsed in January in Katowice killing 65 have been arrested and detained in custody until trial.
One is Bruce Robinson, the managing director of UK firm Expomedia and all have been charged with unintentionally contributing to the tragedy either through recklessness or negligence.
A judge has refused bail claiming that immediately after the building collapsed the accused destroyed some vital documents and that there is a possibility they might intimidate witnesses.
Expomedia own 51% of event industry publisher Mash Media, in whose event magazines the above story has not appeared.
(Fuller story in Exhibition Update, March/April at www.eou.org).
At least 50 people attending a consumer electronics fair in the northern Indian town of Meerut died after a fire broke out on Monday 10 April. (The Times).
The Press Trust of India reports that police are still trying to find the show’s organisers, for whom they have issued arrest warrants. (Expo). Over 200 people were injured and the death toll is expected to rise.
Officials say that many people had difficulties escaping from the 100 metre long marquee and that many were knocked down and crushed in the stampede for the exits.
Another boat tragedy has occurred in the Middle East, killing 58.
A pleasure boat carrying 130 people but only licensed for 100 capsized off Bahrain on Friday 31 March after hitting the bow wave of another vessel. The boat had been chartered for corporate hospitality purposes by South African construction company Murray and Roberts to celebrate the construction of the £150 million Bahrain World Trade Centre.
The incident follows the capsize of the unstable roll-on roll-off ferry in the Red Sea, Egypt in January, which killed up to 1000 (see IEOU Jan/Feb on archive www.eou.org.uk)
Meanwhile another boat sinking blamed on overcrowding has occurred on Ghana’s Lake Volta where 120 out of 150 are feared to have drowned on a boat licensed to carry 70. The passengers and all their livestock were being forcibly deported on Saturday 8 April after settling illegally in a forestry reserve.
Questions are being asked in the UK national press about the poor image that London’s excitable mayor Ken Livingstone is giving the capital and its people in the international community.
These follow stupid remarks made by Livingstone comparing a reporter from the London Evening Standard he knew to be Jewish with a concentration camp guard. Livingstone was just leaving a pointless reception he had staged to celebrate the brave “coming out” of UK tourism politician Chris Smith as a homosexual – something millions of non-politicians have done – and on which he had wasted £10,000 of public money when he was asked, possibly disingenuously, if he had “had a good time”.
Livingstone refused to apologise for offensively engaging his mouth before his mind and was suspended for a month by the Standards Board for England, a fair punishment Livingstone successfully overturned with an expensive legal challenge.
Since the row the boorish Livingstone has suggested that two Jewish property developers should “go back where they came from” and hypocritically described the United States ambassador to Britain as a “chiselling little crook” for refusing to pay Livingstone’s £8 London congestion charge, something all diplomats are legally entitled to do. This mirrors Livingstone’s refusal to accept a one month suspension from his job, on legal grounds.
Livingstone’s latest stupid gaffe has been to compare the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacres in China, in which hundreds of protesters were murdered with bullets and flame-throwers by their government, with the Trafalgar Square poll-tax riots of 1990 in which no-one was killed. It is thought that Livingstone, in China to promote London business, made the ludicrous and inappropriate comparison in an ill advised attempt to suck up to his hosts. According to the Daily Telegraph, which ran a leader piece under the headline “Ditch Livingstone” his visit was organised by three public relations firms.
The UK offers tourists the worst value for money of any European country. (Daily Telegraph).
This is the verdict of holiday makers from USA, Asia and Australasia taking packages with members of the European Tour Operators Association (ETOA) and is based on the cost of accommodation, transport, beer and coffee.
Nearly 60 per cent of the tour operators say that the UK offered their customers the worst value for money whereas 23 per cent nominated Croatia as the best followed by the Czech Republic (15 per cent) and Iceland (12 per cent).
In the Czech Republic the Mayor of Prague set a good example to mayors everywhere in February when he went undercover to find out first hand whether or not Prague taxi drivers ripped off tourists, as had been alleged. Pavel Bem, 43, posed as an English rock star with a false goatee beard, side-burns and shades and found only one taxi driver who doubled the official rate (note to London’s Ken Livingstone – you could pose as a sensible and intelligent politician, to avoid being recognised).
According to the organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) the UK’s tourism figures have slumped further since 1998 – more than 11% - than any other major country.
The new 259 room Renaissance Barcelona Airport hotel opens this month.
Located in the Mas Blau business park around 2 km from the airport and a short drive from the new Fira 2 fairground it offers a 500 square metre ballroom, divisible into four, a 270 square metre function room and seven small break out rooms.
There is also a swimming pool, two paddle tennis courts and a fitness centre, all within 10,000 square metres of gardens.
Call 0800 221222
Visit: www.marriott.com
One rather quirky choice of hotel in Amsterdam is the informal Lloyd, located out in the newly gentrified Eastern Docks area, around two miles from the Damrak.
This offers 116 very different bedrooms graded from one to five star and priced accordingly, so corporate organisers looking to treat every delegate the same could have problems.
Prices range from 80 euros for a one star room in the low season to 295 euros for a five star room in the high season.
Conference facilities comprise 11 rooms for 10-75 delegates and the Lloyd also serves as a cultural centre for artisans of all types with studio space supplied for artists and a sound proofed studio for musicians.
Tel: +31 (0) 20 561 36 36 Fax: +31 (0) 20 561 36 00
e-mail: post@lloydhotel.com
Visit: www.lloydhotel.com
The four star Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort, Monaco opened last October and offers 334 bedrooms along with 10 meetings rooms from 37 to 370 square metres.
The hotel also has a sandy bottomed outdoor lagoon, comprising interconnected swimming pools, waterfalls, spa-bath, terrace solarium and two hectares of Mediterranean gardens as well as an indoor pool, spa with 12 treatment rooms, four restaurants and a number of casinos. It is built on a peninsula located within a short stroll of the Grimaldi Forum conference complex and room prices start at 300 euros (£211 at 1.42).
Tel: + 377 98 06 02 00 Fax: + 377 98 06 00 03
e-mail: info@ montecarlobay.com
Visit: www.montecarloresort.com
One interesting tourism development in Rio de Janeiro is the growth of very cheap hotels in the city’s favelas or shanty towns. (The Guardian).
There visitors with a mind to can experience the misery of the “real Rio” for less than £15 a night, as opposed to the five-star one for hundreds more.
According to some hoteliers tourists are more likely to be robbed on Copacabana beach than in the favelas.
Some good reasons not to buy too much at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam were provided on a recent trip.
A bunch of 50 mixed colours of tulips were 10 euros (£7) in Amsterdam’s rightly famous flower market and 33 euros (£23) at the airport.
And a short sit-down for a drink cost £2.25 for a very small filter coffee and £3.30 for a small glass of beer.
You have been warned.
Those organisers involved in sourcing ideas for luxury travel incentives might find a visit to the Premium Travel Show useful.
This takes place at the Royal Albert Hall, London, 27-28 April and promises to show-case “over 100 of the world’s leading luxury brands”.
Visit: www.premiumtravel2006.com
News that a Ryanair flight from Liverpool to Derry landed at an army airfield five miles away in error has amused many.
The flight was made by Eirjet, contracted by Ryanair, and landed at Ballykelly Camp where its 39 passengers and crew were transferred by road to Maiden City, Derry. The incident resulted in the return flight to Liverpool being cancelled and much laughter in the press at Ryanair’s expense.
Rumours, however, that Ryanair’s new advertising features a shot of its reportedly foul-mouthed chief executive Michael O’Leary saying “YOU F****** WILL GO WHEREVER WE F****** CHOOSE TO TAKE YOU” should be treated as merely mischievous.
Those caring souls wondering what happens to bits of some of the cuddly seals clubbed to death by the Canadian authorities to protect their commercial fish interests could go to Beijing, China and find out.
Apparently a speciality restaurant there, Guolizhuang by West Lake specialises in cooking and serving penis from such animals as horses, donkeys, dogs, goats and yak. Most highly prized however is Canadian seal penis, widely regarded as a powerful aphrodisiac and selling for £220 a portion.
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
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
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Tel: +44(0)1767 316255 Fax: +44(0)1767 316430
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