To: %%Name%%,
International Event Organisers Update (IEOU) is published 5 or 6 times a year and is an information source circulated FREE to selected organisers and others interested in keeping abreast of development in the international event industry.
If you have any views on how our newsletter could be more useful to you please e-mail us at info@eou.org.uk
If you wish to unsubscribe, please visit http://www.eou.org.uk or use:
#
Please do NOT use the reply button.
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.
Animal rights activists in Brussels lay semi-naked on the pavement outside the European Parliament smeared with fake blood to protest against the cruelty of bullfighting in Spain. (The Times).
The activists, members of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) group had also attached banderillas to their blood-streaked backs, to draw attention to the long barbed spears that are stuck into and left in the backs of the bulls. These flail around as the bulls move, causing considerable torture and weakening the animals so that they do not present too dangerous a challenge to the brave matadors who dispatch them later.
Several MEP’s have called for a ban on the cruel spectacle but the pro-bullfighting group Mesa del Toro has claimed that the EC does not have the authority to do so.
Meanwhile similar opposition to mindless slaughter for entertainment has taken place on Malta where protesters have been trying to stop the shooting of migratory birds. (Daily Telegraph).
The illegal killings for fun take place every spring and autumn, with a blind eye being turned by the Maltese authorities, and songbirds, flamingos and birds of prey, storks and turtle doves are the victims.
The problem that the peaceful protesters have in making their case is the worrying level of violence offered. Staff with local conservation group Birdlife Malta have been beaten up, shot at and have had their homes, cars and farms vandalised with barnyard animals slaughtered.
The new visitor admission policy for the upcoming World Travel Market (WTM) exhibition is causing organisers Reed Exhibitions some image problems.
According to Reeds advertising for WTM the visitors allowed to attend on the opening day of the show (Monday November 10) are ministers, press and “exhibition invitees” this last category being individuals that WTM exhibitors have told Reed they would like to see at the show.
However what Reeds advertising doesn’t say and presumably exhibitors haven’t been told is that Reed are demanding that some exhibitor invitees pay a £295 “admission fee” if they want to attend, as they are supposedly entitled to, on the Monday, according to a letter from Reed.
A few years back Reed tried a similarly stupid stunt by demanding that all trade visitors paid an entry fee to WTM, a disaster that significantly reduced visitor numbers and one that they haven’t so far repeated.
The managing director of Reed Exhibitions Ltd is Michael Rusbridge.
Noting the number of its passengers that have switched to travelling on Eurostar, Air France – KLM has announced plans to offer a 200 mph + train service between London, Paris and Amsterdam.
The new service will cut, it is claimed, journey times from London to Paris to less than 2 hours, a 15 minute improvement on Eurostar, and will be launched in 2010 with the liberalisation of European Union rail traffic laws.
As Air France – KLM are aware many travellers have switched from flying because the train is often quicker for short-haul city-centre to city-centre trips, is often cheaper, has much shorter check in times which can save hours for passengers, is perceived as safer, is cleaner and is greener.
Meanwhile Air France and BA have been accused of cashing in on Eurostar passengers’ misfortune as thousands stranded in Paris and London by the recent fire in the Channel Tunnel were asked to pay up to £600 to be flown home. (London Lite).
A passenger group, Frances Federation of Transport Users has described the situation as “a scandal” and accused the airlines of laying on bigger planes to maximise their profits and “pouncing like highwaymen”. BA say that the prices charged are the normal rate for late bookings.
Food and win matching master classes for up to 30 participants in wine cellars in Bordeaux are being offered to organisers.
The classes are led by qualified wine experts – oenologists – and focus on matching food to some of the most famous red and white Bordeaux wines as well as some notable champagnes. Tours of the 19th century cellars, which are owned by wine mail order firm Millesima and house 2.5 million bottles, can be included as can lunch or dinner.
For larger groups of up to 400 the cellars can be used for a simple wine tasting, or organisers can hire the whole building (8,000 square metres).
e-mail: sgregoire@millesima.com
Tel: + 33 5 57 808 850
One new, and currently expanding hotel group in Switzerland is Swiss Dreams Hotels, with three properties and a fourth in the pipeline.
For organisers of events needing meetings space as well as bedrooms there is the 70 bedroom Hotel Walzenhausen in the Appenzellerland, the rural eastern chocolate-box part of Switzerland overlooking the south-eastern shoreline of the Bodensee (Lake Constance) opposite Germany and close to the Austrian and Lichtenstein borders.
The hotel has, as well as a restaurant with panoramic views, an extensive centre for beauty and health treatments and therapies of all kinds. These include Magnetic Field therapy and an alpine relaxation speciality from which participants sometimes have to be woken up, being covered in special alpine hay, alone or with a partner, fed an aural stimulus of soft, harmonic and relaxing music, a visual stimulus of slides of natural alpine plants and flowers and, a popular appeal to the sense of taste, a glass of cold champagne. Oh, and by the way this is apparently best done naked, to get the full benefits ….
On the business side the Wallzenhausen has three meetings rooms for 150/30/20 with one of the smaller ones located adjacent to a large outside terrace with great views. Prices are affected by season with a day delegate rate of around £34 and a 24-hour rate of £92.50 - £112.50 depending on room. There is also an inclusive 48-hour rate of £150.
The food and drink offering is high quality with a daily changing table d’hote at £20 for two courses, £25 for three, £30 for four, £35 for five, all prices inclusive a complimentary amuse-bouche and a palate cleansing sorbet with prosecco. The a la carte runs from starters at £5 - £10, and mains from £12 - £34 with prices for two portion sizes. Those who know their wine will know that Swiss wine is excellent, if pricy and not available outside the country. Here it is dual priced with the choice of drinking it in the restaurant at the higher price, or taking it away for a much lower one. The list features lots of choices of very good local wines.
Foodies will also enjoy a visit to a nearby cheese dairy to see how one local product, Appenzeller, is made and to taste samples, washed down with local wine or local beers as well as to buy some to take home. (You can bring into the UK from Switzerland a maximum of 5 kilos combined weight of milk, cheese and meat products).
And just opened earlier this year is the mountain top restaurant at Hoher Kasten, 5890 feet up and reached by an exhilarating 8 minute cable car ride. The floor of the restaurant revolves once every hour, giving diners ever changing views to enjoy, along with the food.
Other trips possible are to nearby St Gallen, with its beautiful over-the-top baroque cathedral and an equally baroque and beautiful Abbey library, the oldest in Switzerland. Swiss Dreams Hotels has another property here, the Hotel Gallo, a bed and breakfast hotel with 24 bedrooms. In addition the large quirky village of Appenzell is as great for just strolling around as is the whole region for just driving around. And sailors can enjoy the dozens of trips on the Bodensee including a whole day trip to the island of Mainau in Germany, which has been turned into a giant 110 acre garden planted with rare trees, plants, shrubs and millions of flowers and offering a palm house and butterfly house along with some excellent places to eat and drink. Excursions can also be made to nearby Vaduz, the capital city of quirky Lichtenstein, the fourth smallest autonomous state in the world (35,000 inhabitants) and a haven for stamp collectors. Visitors can take the tourist city train for a good overview.
The third Swiss Dreams property is the Hotel Du Nord in the classy end of Interlaken, with a lovely flower garden, outside seating for meals and a good view of the famous snowy 13,638 ft Jungfrau, site of the highest railroad station in the world at Jungfraujoah (11,400 ft) and one of the most popular all day visits in the area. A TV sits in the reception area showing the view at the top of the mountain range which includes the Mőnch at 13,445 ft and the Eiger at 13,022 ft – so that guests can check how clear it is before making the commitment.
Other attractions include many leisurely boat trips on the two lakes of Interlaken, the western Thunersee and the eastern Brienzersee as well as a wood carving factory to visit and buy from at Brienz. There are of course, loads of hiking, mountain train trips and skiing possibilities for the active, and a very attractive casino for alternative sports. (The hotel issues vouchers for free entry and a free welcome drink).
The Du Nord has 46 rooms, a cellar that can accommodate 15-20 for wine tastings and a restaurant area that can be divided off for meetings of 40/50, depending on hotel occupancy. A separate restaurant within the hotel, Im Gade, has a well deserved reputation amongst locals for its fine cooking and generous portions of tender meats and lake fish. They also serve a superbly sweet local quince liqueur, a perfect match for strong, salty Swiss cheese.
Lastly Swiss Dreams new offering will be the lakeside Hotel Hirschen, located around 20 minutes from the Du Nord, on the north side of the Thunersee at Gunten, one of the boat stops. This is due to open after extensive refurbishment in 2009/10 and will offer 70 bedrooms, a spa and meetings rooms for around 100 .
UK information: Tel: 0207 367 0922
e-mail: beckysmith@hillsbalfoursynergy
A new convention centre, which includes a 15,000 square metre exhibition area is to be built in Madrid 2011. (Association Executive).
The Madrid Convention Centre (MCC) will be located in a new financial and business area in the north of the city and it is claimed that it will be the largest and most avant-garde in Spain.
www.esmadrid.com
The Daily Telegraph is conducting a campaign to oppose mobile phone use on flights, a service Ryanair and BMI are launching. A protest staged by the newspaper earlier this year attracted more than 6,000 signatures.
Most supporting the protest were concerned about safety, and the annoyance that mobile telephone conversations could cause to them.
It is thought that other airlines, noting the high charges that can be made for the service, are watching to see if this will be offset by any decrease in passenger bookings as those who feel strongly against the service vote with their wallets.
One suggestion IEOU has received is that mobile users be seated exclusively in the tail end of the plane, where the whip from turbulence is greater.
www.telegraph.co.uk/travelviews
VANCOUVER/CANADA – Where East meets West
An exciting destination, a clean city, operating with fabulous efficiency in spectacular surroundings.
9 HOURS FLYING TIME FROM LONDON – 15 HOURS FLYING TIME FROM SYDNEY
Interested in meeting in Vancouver? – If you require a venue for 50 or 1000 delegates we can help. Free information is available to qualifying organizers from Corporations, Association and Institutions, and a trip is planned for later in the year.
Contact:-
Greens Service Company
Established 1988
IATA/TIDS NO: 96046952
Enquiries to:-
TEL: 01934 612277
Or email: tim@gsc-events.com
www.EventPlannerSpain.com is the first Andalusian portal for event and meeting service providers, with all you need for organising your corporate and private events in Andalusia. Browse a wide range of quality meeting and event-related resources and contact directly the suppliers of your choice. Alternatively, use our inquiry service and let us help you find what you are looking for. Special offers, practical information, segmented news and our monthly newsletter for those of you wanting to be kept informed, complete our service package, all totally free of charge.
Tel: +34 952 294 327
info@eventplannerspain.com
www.eventplannerspain.com
o CERTIFICATE IN CONFERENCE ORGANISATION (CCO)
This is a four day course with a 1½ hour, 150 question examination. Non-residential London course dates are hosted at 16 Park Crescent, London W1. Fee is £980 + VAT or £880 plus VAT if two or more delegates attend from the same organisation. (£740 + VAT for SEO members).
Putting together a conference programme covering objectives, delegate needs, layouts, food and beverage, speakers and audio-visual Friday 6 March 2009 (London), Monday 24 August 2009 (London), Friday 20 November 2009 (London).
Sourcing, evaluating and negotiating with venues covering where to find the best venues, inspecting them and getting the best packages Friday 13 March 2009 (London), Tuesday 25 August 2009 (London), Friday 27 November 2009 (London).
Conference Administration covering contracts, organisation, delegate and speaker care, trouble-shooting and evaluation Friday 20 March 2009 (London), Wednesday 26 August 2009 (London), Friday 4 December 2009 (London).
Staging a conference for profit covering conception, budgeting, pricing, getting sponsorship and marketing. Examination. Friday 27 March 2009 (London), Thursday 27 August 2009 (London), Friday 11 December 2009 (London).
o The CCO can also be delivered as an in-house presentation anywhere – tick the box for a call or telephone 01767 316255.
o DIPLOMA IN CONFERENCE ORGANISATION (DCO)
Following on from the CCO (above) this is an eight day London-based, non-residential course for those who hold the CCO qualification. The full programme is as follows.
Day One. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Pre-event and at-event considerations. Avoiding high stress levels in event delivery, anticipating problems, having a contingency plan, setting deadlines, working with and briefing all groups.EVENT INSURANCE
What you can and can’t insure for, what you really must insure against, what you probably should, what you could and what it costs.Day Two: FOOD AND BEVERAGE
Designing a memorable menu, price implications and catering to a budget, eating trends, special diets, health and safety issues and legalities, food poisoning and allergies, choosing wine with food. Day includes a menu exercise and a wine with food tasting. (Delegates should not drive).Day Three: VENUE SELECTION/EVALUATION EXERCISE
A one day activity in teams requiring a choice of venues from criteria set as well as visits for evaluation and a presentation of findings.Day Four: AUDIO VISUAL CONSIDERATIONS AND SPEAKERS
This session takes a look at all the technology available for presentations, the selection of the right types for the audience and a practical look at the problems of speakers.DISABILITY – THE PRACTICALITIES
A practical look at all aspects of disability as it affects event organisers. How to ensure all your events don’t just comply with the law but are positively disability-friendly.Day Six: MEDICAL EMERGENCIES
A practical look at how to cope with some of those nightmare scenarios from choking through injury and dealing with shock to serious coronary problems and how to do Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).FIRE EMERGENCY
How it happens. What to do to minimise risks, what to do if it happens, what to use and what definitely not to do.Day Seven: PUBLICISING A CONFERENCE
A practical day which looks in depth at writing persuasive publicity material, using PR techniques to publicise and writing effective press releases to maximise free publicity.Day Eight: ORGANISING CONFERENCES OVERSEAS
A half day session on running conferences outside the UK covering cost comparisons, travel, customs and excise, currency and cultural considerations.EXAMINATION
An invigilated 1½ hour examination. Delegates need 70% right answers to pass. Results sent within four weeks.Dates for 2009 are August 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20 all hosted at 16 Park Crescent, London W1.
Fees for the DCO are £1,960 plus VAT per delegate or £1,660 plus VAT per delegate if two or more delegates from the same organisation attend. Delegates from SEO member companies can attend for £1,460 plus VAT
o CERTIFICATE IN CONFERENCE VENUE MARKETING (CCVM)
This is a new four day non-residential course for marketing and sales staff working in conference venues, and those promoting conference venues. There is a 1½ hour written examination. The CCVM is being hosted at 16 Park Crescent, London W1 and fees are £1,200 plus VAT per delegate with a reduction to £950 plus VAT per delegate if two or more delegates attend from the same organisation. The outline programme (full programme on request) is:-
Day One: Nature of the markets, branding, pricing, zero-cost marketing, advertising.
Day Two: Press relations, writing impressive press releases, finding the best stories, handling bad press,.
Day Three: Direct marketing, e-mail marketing, effective direct mailings, copywriting, telemarketing.
Day Four: Exhibitions, maximising the leads, special; events, show-rounds. Examination.
The CCVM takes place January 20-23 and August 24-27 in 2009.
o NEW FOR 2009
Two one-day tutorials How to write a press release and How to be much more creative. Also new is a one-day organisers networking and discussion presentation Delegate agenda. Call 01767 316255 for details.
o MAY WE COME TO YOU?
In addition to the above the SEO presents in-house workshops on such subjects as exhibiting successfully, manning an exhibition stand, running a small exhibition, negotiating with suppliers, conference catering, legal aspects of running events, presenting persuasively and many more. Call 01767 316255 for more information.
o Event Organisers Update (EOU) for those running UK based conferences and seminars. www.eou.org.uk
o Corporate Hospitality and Party Update (CHPU) for those organising client hospitality and parties. www.eou.org.uk
o Association Update (AU) for association organisers. www.eou.org.uk
o Exhibition Update (EU) for organisations that exhibit themselves. www.eou.org.uko Association News (AN) for those who associate. www.associationnews.org.uk
o Charity Matters. www.ezinematters.com
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
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
Subscription Options
To change your preferred format or to unsubscribe then please visit: www.eou.org.uk