THE IBTM GLOBAL EVENTS MAGAzINE Welcome To Our World · 2012-06-13 · THE IBTM GLOBAL EVENTS MAGAzINE ... Global meeting industry research update Interview 26-27 An interview with

The

Welcome To Our WorldUnlocking Your Business Potential on 5 Continents

hybrid events: The Facts behind

the Jargon

eIBTM Celebrates

25 Years

Are you a Responsible

Business?

THE IBTM GLOBAL EVENTS MAGAzINE

www.ibtmevents.com www.ibtmevents.com

Issue 2 June 2012

*Offer is based on pickup of minimum of 80% of contracted room blocks of 50 rooms on peak or more. Complimentary Internet offer up to 10 mbps. Not applicable to previously contracted business and cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts. Valid bookings confirmed by September 1, 2012 and actualized by December 31, 2012. Number of rooms subject to availability and blackout dates may apply.

Offer subject to change without notice. All rights reserved.

“CONGRATULATIONS TO THE PEABODY ORLANDO, RANKED #1 ON OUR LIST OF THE TOP MEETINGHOTELS IN THE U.S.”

See what all the talk is about. Book a meeting by September 1, 2012 and in addition to great rates you’ll get to choose one of the following incentives:

• Complimentary Internet connectivity in your meeting space• 3% rebate off actualized room revenue back to your master account• Complimentary transportation to and from your organized activity

For complete details, please call 800.42.DUCKS or visit PeabodyMeetings.com/incentives.

“Love the attention to detail ... way to go Peabody Orlando.”

“THE PEABODY ORLANDO’S STAFF UNDERSTANDS wHAT REAL SERVICE AND HOSPITALITY IS ALL ABOUT.”

ERIC EDEN,VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING AT CVENT

Welcome

ISSUE 2 JUNE 2012 The DIARY 3

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Contents

It’s June already – how quickly the year flies by. Two of our IBTM events – AIMe and GIBTM have already happened and proved that in these uncertain times there is still business being done. If you didn’t get a chance to visit either event, take a look at the video below to see a snapshot of the Asia-Pacific Incentives & Meetings expo, held in beautiful Melbourne and inside you can see an interview with event Director, Sally de Swart.

Business Travel Market and AIBTM are only a few weeks away so final preparations are being made to ensure that they are fantastic business opportunities for all involved. We hope to see you there!

Thanks for all your feedback on Issue 1 of The Diary – we’re taking it all onboard to try and ensure that each issue is better than the last. This issue is available to view on ipad as a result of your feedback and we’re currently working on an app version for the future.

Don’t forget, we want your stories and ideas of who you would like to see interviewed in The Diary so please just contact us at [email protected]

Mandy Torrenseditor

PS Our new IBTM multi event mobile phone app is now live, packed with news and the

event app for each of our exhibitions. Go to www.ibtmevents.com for further information.

Welcome to issue 2 of

The DiaryNews 4 Hybrid Events 6-7 The facts behind the jargon

The Voice 9 IBTM Chair eric Rozenberg shares his view

Meet the Team 10 Meet the AIBTM US Team

Beijing 12-13 China’s Northern capital, line by line

What’s the word on AIBTM 14-15 From Jaime Rosov, AIBTM Marketing Director

Business Travel Market 16-17 BTM puts professional development first

Welcome to a New Friend 19BCB head, Christoph Tessmar, on his new role

CIBTM 20-21China Meetings Week Showcase

Celebrate With Us 22-2325 years of eIBTM

AIME 24ICCA partnership for young professionals

GIBTM 25Global meeting industry research update

Interview 26-27An interview with... Sally de Swart, AIMe event Director

H‘app’y days at GIBTM 28-29event review of GIBTM / Top tips for your event app

Technology 30-31Wi-Fi: The lifeblood of events

Responsible Business 32-33Inge huijbrechts introduces ‘Think Planet!’

© Reed Travel exhibitions. www.ibtmevents.com/en/Copyright/

The “IBTM” trade mark is owned and protected by elsevier Properties SA and Reed exhibitions Limited uses such trade mark under licence.

All details in this publication were considered to be correct at time of going to press. The publisher reserves the right to change or cancel any details. Whilst every care is taken to ensure that the information published is accurate, the publisher cannot accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions or any consequences arising there from.

Produced for Reed Travel exhibitions by eventful Publishing Co Ltd. www.eventfulpublishing.co.uk

CIBTM host city Beijing and Shanghai municipals have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strategic cooperation in the meetings and incentive market.

This event is unprecedented as these two leading cities in China agree to collaborate at the highest level.

Beijing and Shanghai are two important high-end meetings destinations, each reflecting different characteristics and strengths in the global meetings market, complementing each other to achieve win-win cooperation. After years of

exploration and practice, Beijing and Shanghai have accumulated rich experience from joint bidding of major international conferences, promotion of tourism (business) market as well as promoting the premier meeting, convention and incentive destination. In view of these cross-regional MICe activities, it is necessary to provide governmental support and coordination. With the investment in transport infrastructures and the large-scale tourism projects, it is clear that there is more room for Beijing and Shanghai to further boost the meetings industry.

Beijing and Shanghai to mutually target the international meetings and incentive market

AImE 2013 has just released details of the event which will now take place on the 26 and 27 February 2013.

Previously announced March 2013 dates have been revised as exhibition space at the Melbourne Convention and exhibition Centre (MCeC) became available in February when the show is usually held.

Sally de Swart, RTe’s event Director for AIMe, said the change of dates has been well received following collaboration with key buyers.

“February best suits the industry diary and allows AIMe to remain the first meetings and incentives event on the year’s calendar, so we’re really happy with the revised dates for the 2013 show,” Ms de Swart said.

February confirmed for AIMe 2013

HOTLINKS www. corbinball.com•www.aime.com.au•www.bjta.gov.cn www.shanghai.gov.cn•www.successfulmeetings.com

Corbin Ball, the IBTM Technology expert and Chair of the eIBTM Technology Watch Judging Panel has just been revealed as one of the Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry as listed by Successful Meetings Magazine. Corbin, founder of Corbin Ball Associates was chosen for being the authority on all things technology in our industry on the list which is being revealed week by week until July. Corbin joins industry luminaries such as Roger helms, founder of helms Briscoe, eduardo Chaillo from the Mexico Tourist Board and Roger Dow, USTA.

IBTM Technology expert Listed on Successful Meetings ‘Most Influential People’ List

News


WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Feature

“event Camp europe was an experimental event for event professionals wanting to push the boundaries of events. This event was produced on a shoestring budget by a team of four volunteers in their spare time.

The hybrid based event format was chosen to bring together face-to-face participants as well as remote participants for the one seamless experience in real time (my definition of a hybrid event) .

At this event we looked at testing some of the latest technology to see how we could really take the event outside of the room/main location.

We warned people that if they were happy with one venue, a chalk and talk speaker and a passive audience then this wouldn’t be the event for them. This event was very experimental in nature and we needed lab rats (participants). We made that clear on all our marketing material from the outset. The idea was to experiment and test what could be done, knowing that not everything would work and to allow direct feedback on the various elements throughout the event.

How it workedWe had 40 – 50 face to face active participants at Down hall, UK (the main venue)

PODs of around 12 – 15 people each in Belgium, UK, Poland, Stockholm and the ‘in house’ simulated POD at Down hall

There were 120 – 150 individual remote attendees from across the globe

Speakers/PresentersAll speakers were based at the UK location of Down hall where the event was produced.

Speakers/Presenters had to work with the participants in the main venue (Down hall) and they also needed

The term hybrid events has been used for several years in describing the combination of face-to-face and online elements but what actually is a hybrid event and what does it take to organise one. The Diary spoke to Paul Cook about Event Camp Europe and asked him what it’s all about . . . .

Hybrid Events The facts behind the jargon

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

6 ISSUE 2 JUNE 2012 The DIARY

to include the PODs and the remote attendees in their sessions. In other words they needed to be able to communicate effectively with a diverse hybrid event set of participants.

Then there was the additional challenge that not everyone has english as their first language and that the event spanned different time zones of europe, UK and USA/Canada.

In order to facilitate this, although the event started at 9am UK time (10am european time), much of the interactive content was kept until the afternoon to enable to the US and Canadian delegates to join the event online.

Presenters had to be clearly briefed to not use jargon or localised language and to speak to the camera as much as they looked around the room in order to engage the remote attendees and PODs.

The FormatAlthough the main venue hosted the majority of the speakers – each POD could also have their own speakers. This is what the Swedish POD facilitated when they had their own speaker that no one else could see.

Feature

ISSUE 2 JUNE 2012 THE DIARY 7

WWW.IBTMEVENTS.COM

The main venue content was webcast – and each POD could view this on a projection screen, whilst remote attendees could view via their laptop. Each POD also had a webcam so that they could interact with the other audiences and Event Camp used this to experiment with the Swedish POD running a stretching session – via Google hangout. Switching of the main webcast enabled all attendees to be able to view and join in.

Each POD could chat via google hangout and could ask questions to the main venue via a twitter hashtag. These questions were handled by the virtual host, Emilie Barta, a professional live and virtual event host.

At various times during the programme one speaker would be talking to the live audience, whilst the virtual host spoke to the remote attendees and during coffee breaks there were white space sessions and pre-programmed interviews via skype. A countdown clock was used during the white space so people knew when to come back to the main session.

Programme HighlightsThose delivered included Unconference Techniques, Engagement Techniques, Social Media Integration, Hybrid Crisis Management, Hybrid Event ROI, Gamifi cation and a Hybrid Wine Tasting.

Each session was 12 minutes long after which the tempo had to be changed to keep the audience engaged.

The wine tasting involved shipping a selection of wines over to the PODs and main venue in advance and there was an expert who talked through each wine and then all the pods could taste. This provided a really interactive session and proved that almost everything can be facilitated through the hybrid format.

Technology The remote PODs (clusters of people) were connected to the event using the Google Hang out facility. This was very new and had only been around for about fi ve weeks before Event Camp Europe took place so this was a risk, but we were pushing the boundaries after all.

The webcasting was through the Mediasite product from Sonic Foundry and the AV was provided by Metro Broadcast.

The Event Camp Europe Event Originators & Producers were Paul Cook – Planet Planit, Jenise Fryatt – Eventprov, Ruud W Janssen – TNOC – The New Objective Collective and Lindsey Rosenthal – Events For Good.

For more info on Event Camp Europe click here

My Top Tips For Producing a Hybrid Event

1 Remember that you have different audiences (physical and remote) and ensure that everyone

is aware of this and that one audience doesn’t feel the other is getting a better experience.

2 Technology is a key issue but have in your mind what you need the event to deliver and

work back from there. Sometimes having the latest toy doesn’t always help with meeting the overall objectives.

3 Always be aware that it’s not just the face to face participants that need some time

to refl ect and have a break but your remote participants need that just as much.

4 Ensure you/ your venue have enough bandwidth / power to be able to handle the

webcasting etc – explain to the venue exactly what you are trying to do.

The Event Camp Europe Event Originators & Producers were

Paul Cook

Paul Cook loves his work in the events industry. He has formed companies, campaigns and competitions to help develop the industry. He is a speaker, author, consultant and publisher. His love is in connecting people and ideas. For more info go to www.planetplanit.co.uk

The Global Meetings & Events Exhibition27 – 29 November, 2012Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

Five star business opportunities for the Global Meetings, Events & Business Travel industry.Enter a world of unique business opportunities and join over 15,200 industry professionals at EIBTM 2012.

Organised By

www.eibtm.com

Find us on:

CELEBRATING

Any strategic action taken by an association, a corporation or a government, somewhere along its successful execution stands a meeting, a face-to-face, or a virtual conversationeric rozenberg

ibtm

iSSUE 2 JUNE 2012 The DiArY 9

The Voice Another perspective

According to the Mayan Calendar, on 21st December 2012 the end of the world will occur … so in that case, we’d better start packing and leave Planet earth! Is this really the end of the world or the beginning of a new era? A global hoax or the teasing campaign for an event organized by Virgin Galactic and the Mexico Tourism Board? We’ll see in few months!

What is certain is that we are going to witness an unprecedented series of worldwide changes. Natural disasters, economic crisis, political crisis, etc etc, and it’s impacted our industry like never before, but its resilience is very inspiring and it is a great testament to the collective energy of each and every one of us and to the impact meetings have on our societies. Whether through face-to-face or virtually, if you want to educate, train, motivate, retain, communicate or simply do business, you need meetings.

Advocacy is fiercely needed, as we have recently noticed (again) with the decisions of the US Administration but we also need to rethink the way we operate and the added value we bring to organizations in the implementation of their vision. Think about any strategic action taken by an association, a corporation or a government, somewhere along its successful execution stands a meeting, a face-to-face, or a virtual conversation.

Behind SMM, Procurement, ROI, and many other very important topics, there are human beings at the heart of the business. The true value of an organisation is the sum of its motivated and talented individuals. It is simple and obvious, but nevertheless, we keep seeing more headlines about the life of a former IMF employee than about the number of jobs the Meetings & events Industry provide to our respective countries. Go figure …

The coming months and the coming years will bring exciting times with many opportunities but also with a lot of uncertainty. We can’t stop the rain from falling but we can learn how to dance under the rain …

Let’s dance!

eric rozenberg CMP CMM is Non-executive Chairman for the Global IBTM Portfolio at Reed Travel exhibitions. he is President of Swantegy and served as 2010 – 2011 Chairman of the International Board of MPI.

This month, IBTM’s Non-exec Chair eric rozenberg shares his view on the global meetings industry

www.ibtmEvENtS.com

AIbtm


HOTLINKwww.aibtm.com

Meet the TeamAIBTM will be 2 years old this June and once again will open its doors for another fantastic event, continuing its mark as the premier global exhibition for the U.S. meetings, events, incentive and business travel industry. The Diary met the IBTM US team to fi nd out more about them.

Karen Gillis Sales ExecutiveKaren joined the team in 2011. She was previously VIP attendee coordinator for a variety of Reed exhibition’s trade shows.

A juris doctorate, Karen was also involved in conference planning for attorneys. After just one short year on the IBTM shows, she confesses that the money spent on the law degree should have gone to traveling from the very start.

Lauren Davidson Hosted Buyer Account ManagerLauren has been a part of AIBTM since it’s launch in 2011. Before joining Reed exhibitions, Lauren worked at Starwood hotels and estee Lauder as well as Fashion Merchandising.

Nancy WalkerSales DirectorNancy has been working in the publishing and events industry for nearly 20 years... and is very proud to have been the fi rst American hire in the IBTM portfolio. Before joining AIBTM, she was Associate Publisher of Tradeshow Week magazine. Nancy attributes her longevity in the business to “the travel in her DNA”

Lynne AndersonHosted Buyer Account ManagerLynne has been in the trade show industry for more than 15 years. Previously she was the Sales Manager of the Boston Gift Show followed by the position of Assistant Show Manager of hSMAI’s Affordable Meetings.

When not working she enjoys bicycling and enjoying the outdoors.

Christine Knox CMMHosted Buyer Program ManagerPrior to joining AIBTM, Chris specialised in managing global pharma conventions and meetings, working for both Pfi zer and Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals. Previously Chris was the Global Strategic events Manager for DDB Worldwide, and the Manager of Special events for estee Lauder.

Jaime RosovMarketing DirectorJaime has been working in the trade show industry for nearly 8 years, Jaime started at Reed exhibitions in 2006 in the Marketing Department and has worked on America’s top tradeshows including, National hardware Show, JCK and PGA Worldwide Golf exhibitions.

Andrew Negri – Marketing AssociateAndrew joined the AIBTM team in December 2011. Prior to joining the team, Andrew worked for sports marketing agency Octagon where he was involved in the implementation of marketing events.

Note: Liz Shipman is on maternity leave at the time of print.

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Centre of Ancient Chinese Culture - Lines 2, 6 & 8Liulichang Street, located about 400 meters south of the hepingmen station, dates back to Ming Dynasty. The street has long served as the hub of the ‘Four treasure of study’ – brush, ink, paper and ink stone, with some of the aged shops having plaques that were made as far back as the 16th century. The stop of Yonghegong at Line 2 is the easiest way to visit Lama Temple and Confucius Temple, the Analects.

Don’t miss the traditional Chinese tea culture and Beijing Opera at Laoshe Tea house, it’s just a few minutes walk from Qianmen station at Line 2. For

the fans of Chinese Massage, get out from exit B of Jianguomen station. Line 6 is scheduled to open which will run east-west with hot stops at Nanluoguxiang and Beihai. The two

places present the well-known hutong culture. A Rickshaw tour is the best

way to experience the Chinese Architecture.

Heaven to the Shopper’s -

Lines 1, 5 & 10Located at the

eastern terminal of Line 10 and within walking distance is


cIbtm

As the host city for CIBTM, Beijing is a vibrant mixture of history and modernism. CIBTM Marketing Manager Dew Yang takes us on an unusual tour round her home city to show us what Beijing has to offer.

“Whether you have ever been to Beijing or not, most are familiar with the sights of this

ancient destination like the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Temple of heaven

however, you probably never knew that Beijing’s 372 kilometers metro system is the fourth longest in the world, surpassing even New York’s! Recent years have seen the capital expanding its subway lines at a furious pace and traveling with public transport instead of a car has became more than a new lifestyle for the Beijingers, but also part of the sustainable development advocated in China.

So my tour of Beijing uses public transport to show off some of the highlights of this magnifi cent city.

The Art of Eating – Lines 2, 5 & 10Beijing is famous for Peking Roast Duck, only a quick walk from exit C of Tuanjiehu subway station will lead you to Da Dong Roast Duck, one of the most famous duck restaurants in the city. Taking another short walk from exit A, and turning right to head west on Gongti Beilu, you will fi nd 1949 - The hidden City and Sanlitun Bar Street, with the perfect combination of different Chinese cuisines plus bars and cafes. however if you want to sample the more adventurous side of local Beijing cuisine, the mandatory destination would be the Beixinqiao station of Line 5. It’s the home to all things spicy, hot pot, crab, fi sh and frog!

BeijingThe Northern Capital, Line by Line

As the host city for CIBTM,

familiar with the sights of this ancient destination like the Forbidden

The Northern Capital, Line by Line

Dew Yang

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

the famous Panjiayuan antique market. Remember two things: try your best to bargain for the goods you want; and make sure the vendor offers delivery before buying a heavy statue! across the street from one of the landmarks of Beijing, the Temple of heaven, is the pearl market – the ideal place for jewellery, clothing and video games. Or visit the well-known Silk Market situated at Line 1 which goes through the centre of Beijing. Line 1 also features the most popular stops like Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, the World Trade exhibition Centre and the central offi ce of the government.

Unique venues – Lines 8, 10 & 15,Line 8 is the legacy of the Beijing Olympics, a short walk from its terminal and you’ll reach the Olympic venues. People might be familiar with the Bird Nest and Water Cube as the sports venues. Only few know

cIbtm


HOTLINKS www.cibtm.com•www.bjta.gov.cn

that they are also venues for congress, meetings and events. If you are looking for new venues, again the Tuanjiehu station at Line 10 should be the fi rst choice for event organisers. More than 500 brands have placed indoor and outdoor small events in the last 3 years in Salitun Village. With the opening of Line 15, you have more than one

option to go to the most trendy venue in the city - 798 Art Zone. It offers multiple types of venues from hundreds of square meters to approximately 100,000 square meters. everything here is full of the sprit of Chinese modern art and culture.

Furthermore, language is no longer a barrier in Beijing. All Station signage and train announcements are made in both english and Mandarin. Bilingual instructions are offered at every ticket machine. With a fl at fare of just RMB 2, you can cover an enormous distance for a fraction of the cost of just going down the road in most big cities.

So next time you visit Beijing, ditch the taxi and explore the city in a more sustainable way.”

Pictures clockwise

from above, Olympic

Park, Sanlitun Village,

Panjiyuan, Temple

of Heaven and

Lama Temple,

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

AIbtm


will moderate a discussion on the political debate that is very much in the limelight - the value of meetings and how government agencies are using tax payers dollars on meetings and associated expenses. PCMA will be providing a major education session on Wednesday morning addressing government policy and the positive impact of meetings.

AIBTM is about Networking A dedicated networking evening exclusively for hosted Buyers will take place the Monday evening before the show at the stunning NeW Four Seasons, Baltimore. hosted Buyers will be provided with world-class service and magnifi cent water views of the Inner harbor while networking with fellow hosted Buyers in this spectacular hotel. The New 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 infi nity-edged outdoor pool and 10,200 square foot spa.

“Visit Baltimore has pulled out all the stops for AIBTM this year” said Marketing Director, Jaime Rosov. All visitors and exhibitors are invited to attend AIBTM’s Welcome Party, hosted by Visit Baltimore. The reception will take place Baltimore’s famous Power

It’s all about powerful meetings and inspiring content. When it comes to the Americas meetings and events exhibitions, AIBTM leads the way.

From June 19-21, 2012, AIBTM will bring together the world’s incentive, business travel, meetings and events industry for three days of focused business.

“AIBTM only gets better and better” says, Jaime Rosov, Marketing Director. “We’ve listened to the feedback from our attendees and exhibitors and we have now tailored AIBTM to best fi t our customer’s needs”

AIBTM is about Education A new strategic partnership with PCMA (Professional Convention Management Association) brings AIBTM’s education to the next level with more opportunities to earn CeU credits and more educational hot topics.

education Powered by PCMA includes industry trends such as SMMP Beyond Theory: Foundational elements of Partnerships and Policy, Delivering Meetings that Meet Your Organization’s Strategic Plan, Creating a New Trade Show Floor experience and Meetings Signifi cance Forum: Government and Industry Leaders Discuss the Positive Impact of Meetings.

Roger Rickard, Partner & Chief Advocate, Revent, LLC;

What’s the Word On AIBTM?

From Jaime Rosov, AIBTM Marketing Director

Jaime Rosov

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

AIbtm


HOTLINKwww.aibtm.com

Plant Live near the Wharf in the Inner harbor area. The theme will be a “fun fi lled 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 ultimate MJ tribute band’.

There is going to be a buzz in the air in Baltimore this June as AIBTM follows in the heels of Baltimore’s famous “Sailabration.” An international parade of ships will sail from Baltimore around the same time as AIBTM. The Star-Spangled Sailabration, United States’

national launch of the three-year commemoration by the U.S. Navy and the State of Maryland of the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the penning of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Star-Spangled Sailabration features seven days (13-19 June) of free entertainment including ship tours, a Blue Angels air show, patriotic fi reworks, memorial ceremonies and much more. More than two dozen ships including U.S. Navy, British and Canadian warships and tall ships from countries including Brazil, Colombia, ecuador, Indonesia, Mexico and the United States are expected to fl ank Baltimore’s famed Inner harbor duringStar-Spangled Sailabration.

Let the meetings beginAIBTM is fast approaching and we’re already full speed ahead as we count down to the event. I would like to personally thank our team and all of our stakeholder partners for their continual support to help make AIBTM a success. We are confi dent that together we have created an event that will bring together the world’s entire meetings and events industry in one U.S. location.

Visit Baltimore has pulled out all the stops for AIBTM this yearJAIME ROSOV

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

BTM


education remains a key attraction for Business Travel Market and the show once again partners with ACTe Global, the Association of Corporate Travel executives, to develop quality, informative and relevant sessions for the two-day event.

To ensure the very best content, the show engages the support of an education planning committee of experts comprised of buyers and suppliers. Programme speakers include: Kerrie henshaw-Cox, Astra Zeneca, Susan hopley, The Data exchange, Paul Raymond, Conferma and Nigel Turner, CWT. The educational sessions take place in a bespoke area adjacent to the show floor, designed to encourage learning and audience interaction. Content is divided into six areas:

Business Travel Market Puts Professional Development FirstBusiness Travel Market has committed itself to producing the most relevant, intelligent and interactive conference programme to date at this year’s event at exCeL London 13-14 June 2012.

1Re-engineeringTravelManagementUnderstand how underlying market forces are

causing a shift in expectations and reshaping the travel management function.

2IsitTimetoEliminatetheRFPProcess?The traditional RFP process is both time

consuming and costly for all concerned yet it is also considered a critical supplier selection, negotiation and audit model. Discuss how the process of buying business travel and accommodation is developing beyond the traditional RFP/RFI model to the mutual benefit of buyers and suppliers.

3HowWillPeopleMeet,WorkandCollaboratein2015andBeyond?

Seismic shifts in generational expectations and behavioural trends, the proliferation of homeworking, and the rapid pace of technology development are all fundamentally changing the way we work. This session will evaluate leading product developments and determine effective toolkits, within security guidelines, to support and enable your travelling and home-based employees to perform at their optimum.

4IndustryIssuesthatMatterRound table discussions enabling delegates to

meet field experts and peers to focus on issues that matter to them. Discussion groups will be dedicated to: Navigating Cultural Nuances - hurdles and

www.IBTMEvENTS.coM

BTM

ISSUE 2 JUNE 2012 The DIARY17

opportunities (Middle east, Russia, China and India respectively); Top Tips: Create a robust SLA or contract; and Create a simple travel policy; Technology: Using social media to support a managed travel programme; and Security: Keeping your travellers and data safe. Delegates can join two out of eight discussion groups during the hour.

5MakingDataActionabletoFindtheReturnonInvestment

Discuss the changing metrics to measure the ROI of the Managed Travel Programme. Determine what metrics have the greatest impact and how you can apply them to make a positive change within your organisation.

6Communicate!Communicate!Communicate!

Internal and external communications form an integral part of successful business operations so determining what, why, how, when and through which channels remains a fundamental part of the planning process. Are you using your full company resources to share information with your stakeholders to communicate what they need to know, when they need to know it and in ways they can digest and support it?

Commenting on the content, Caroline Allen - ACTe Regional Director europe and Middle east, said, “We have taken a considered approach to developing the

HOTLINKwww.businesstravelmarket.co.uk

2012 programme content. With the support of a respected group of industry volunteers representing a cross section of the industry, ACTe has built the Business Travel Market educational programme around three core areas; the future of the industry, its operational and technical issues and communication.”

www.IBTMEvENTS.coM

Welcome To A New Friend

Christoph isn’t a newcomer to Barcelona, in fact he has lived and worked in Spain for the past 23 years. German by birth, his professional career started in Boehringer Mannheim as Area Manager but he moved to join Sanofi-Aventis in 1999 where he was in charge of the organisation and coordination of all the company’s events.

In this issue of The Diary we take a closer look at Christoph’s aims and goals for BCB and his new life as a strategic partner for eIBTM!

Q Stepping into the shoes of Airy cannot be easy, what do you believe makes you the right person for the job?I have been working in a pharmaceutical company for so many years as Director of events and have the complete picture of the meetings industry (associate and corporate meetings). On the other hand, I love Barcelona and it is a great honour and motivation to work on the promotion of this marvelous city.

Q Can you outline your aims and objectives for BCB? We have an ongoing business strategy for the BCB that will help to achieve the following goals: • To continue to consolidate

Barcelona as a top city destination in the meetings industry

• To continue to grow the corporate market

• To develop a project on sustainability

• To stimulate new technologies

Q How has the BCB been affected by the dips of the economy in Europe and Spain in particular?2012 is clearly not going to be an easy year for the congress market in this city, nevertheless, there are 29 association meetings confirmed with more than 1000 delegates at each event, for this year. On the other hand, the forecasts for 2013 are looking very positive.

Q When you are not working, how do you spend your leisure time?To go out to a nice restaurant, although sometimes it is difficult to choose one due to the great offer Barcelona has.

I love sports, specially soccer and Formula 1. As a FC Barcelona supporter I have enjoyed the last successful years.

Another passion is opera, so I am attending the opera season in Barcelona at the Gran Teatre del Liceu which is a wonderful Opera house in Barcelona.

Q Do you have anything exciting planned for EIBTM and the 25th anniversary this year?I am very excited to be involved with eIBTM as a host city. I was previously attending as a hosted Buyer. Barcelona is an excellent scenario and a very vibrant city. I would like to keep on working in the approach of the city to the eIBTM participants.

earlier this year, we all said a fond farewell to Airy Garrigosa who headed up the Barcelona Convention Bureau since its creation in 1983. Following her well deserved retirement Christoph Tessmar was appointed.

ChristophTessmar is the Director of Barcelona Convention Bureau – host city of eIBTM.

HOTLINK www.barcelonaturisme.com

Interview


WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

cIbtm


also international exhibitors who are looking to get in front of the opportunities delivered from the huge out bound market. equally CIBTM hosts international buyers who are looking to discover where and how to organise events, conferences, incentives and congresses for their clients. The event is all wrapped up in one major experience – China Meetings Week.

Educationeducation is key and a fundamental part of the event with sessions that help develop understanding of how to do business in the region, train individuals through presentations by influential academics, and provide knowledge and learning unprecedented in China.

For the very first time, ACTe, The Association of Corporate Travel executives, has strategically

So it’s not surprising that the key industry players around the world see China as the place to be for their future business development. One of the key advantages of the MICe industry in China is the sheer size of the country, the choice of locations, the culture and history. Of course outbound it is still one of the largest “untapped” resources of business for the rest of the world. With a prediction that the value of the Chinese meetings and events sector is soon to reach US$150b and continue to grow at a rate of 20 per cent, it’s clear why international suppliers want to be in on the act.

CIBTM (12-14 September) is a vibrant hub for the sector, the annual event in Beijing, that brings together not just the Asian supplier and buyer but

Beijing’s biggest showcase to take place at China Meetings Week in the year of the dragonChina is the 2nd largest economy in the world; stable, dynamic and fast-growing which means huge potential for the equally fast-growing meetings market both inbound and outbound. Added to this is its unique culture and beautiful landscapes, which contribute to its strengths as a world-class meetings industry destination.

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com


partnered with CIBTM to deliver business travel specifi c seminars to help buyers, bookers and infl uencers in business travel to make well informed time and cost effective decisions within corporate, agency and association environments.

Industry associations including ICCA, MPI and Site are also involved, sharing their perspectives on the hottest topics to include Global and Regional Industry Trends, Technology Innovations, Sustainability and Social Media.

Site International ConferenceFollowing on from CIBTM, delegates are invited and encouraged to attend the highly awaited 2012 Site International Conference 14 – 17 September. Promising to deliver high-level topics never before presented at any Site conference, speakers that will not only generate excitement among veteran attendees, but also present new knowledge and fresh ways of conducting business. Attendees will have an opportunity to network with China’s MICe community and learn how to do business in one of the most robust economies in the world.

Subject matter will vary from new frontiers in incentive travel, insight on winning new business, and exploring the fascinating elements that make China a motivational, exciting and dynamic destination.

Whilst seminars, panel discussions and round tables are high on the agenda throughout China Meetings Week, discovering Beijing and more of China’s

HOTLINKS www.cibtm.com•www.siteglobal.com

fascinating cities is also a huge benefi t of taking part. Starting with a familiarisation tour of Beijing, hosted Buyers are given the opportunity to chose from three fantastic programmes to explore the cities most celebrated sites, such as The heaven Temple, Yongdingmen City Gate Tower, the Water Cube and the Bird Nest, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, The Forbidden City, China National Museum and MICe venues in Qianmen Area.

The Site International Conference host Committee is arranging a fascinating two day post-tour experience: one is in Beijing and the other allows for the exploration of two more diverse and unique destinations in China. The fi rst stop is hangzhou for an overnight stay. hangzhou is one of the most important tourist cities in China, famous for its natural beauty and historical and cultural heritages. After taking in more sights guests will proceed to Shanghai via an express train for two nights in the city. It’s all geared to helping hosted Buyers see fi rst hand the opportunities that exist for their events and incentives in the future.

As a hosted Buyer to CIBTM, fl ights can be extended to attend the 2012 Site International Conference as part of China Meetings Week.

Find out more atwww.cibtm.com/meetingsweek

cIbtmWWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

EIbtm


A quarter of a century ago, yes that’s 25 years, eIBTM was launched to the market, an exhibition that was all about incentives and meetings and the talk of “the value of meetings” was really just at the beginning of its journey. This year we are going to make the most of this landmark and like the UK’s Royal Jubilee, we will have our very own celebrations, some nostalgic, others visionary and certainly the future will be the focus for all of us.

So what did it look like then and what will it look like in the future – this industry has seen it all, from the trusted typewriter to carbon paper, from Telex printers to Tippex, and for those who don’t even know what these are, it doesn’t matter because they are no longer relevant!

The evolution of eIBTM has taken us all on a journey (some longer than others!) and so much has changed since the doors opened for the fi rst eIBTM ever in 1988. A major milestone for us all was the move to Barcelona in 2004 and a shift in the annual meetings calendar to November.

Celebrate with us!1988 was not just about eIBTM, there were other like-minded entrepreneurs who launched initiatives such as M&IT, which hit the press with it’s fi rst issue in 1988. The Association of British Professional Conference Organisers (ABCO) opened its doors to serve the industry that year, as did BCD Travel. We are proud to be celebrating our success together with these organisations in 2012.

eIBTM set a new bar in the industry of exhibitions, introducing the hosted Buyer concept, which has been pivotal to the success of the show. The quality of buyers attending and the serious business opportunities delivered to exhibitors are now an intrinsic element of the IBTM brand, which now has shows in fi ve continents.

The eIBTM professional education programme has also pioneered the industry for quarter of a century now, paving the way with new and interesting platforms for sharing global learning opportunities. Dedicated streams and provide relevant content for association, agency and corporate sector attendees.

The entry process for the highly acclaimed eIBTM Technology Watch Awards has opened and as always, this year’s search is dedicated to delivering world-class support for the entrepreneurial candidate who scoops fi rst place position in the competition.

The eIBTM Technology Watch is the most high profi le and longest running technology recognition scheme for innovation in the meetings and events sector across the world offering an invaluable opportunity to rising stars within the industry.

The entrant responsible for the winning innovation will receive an exhibition stand space worth over

EIBTM Technology Watch Awards Searches for this Year’s Rising Star

€3,000 in the Technology Village at eIBTM - where they can showcase their product to over 15,200 industry professionals who will attend the show in Barcelona over the course of three days.

The winner will also benefi t from global PR and Marketing support on the run up to, during and after the show. Additional exposure will include:• Inclusion in monthly e-newsletter which goes to over

28,000 industry professionals

• Inclusion in the weekly alert which will be issued to over 15,000 industry professionals on the run up to the show

• Branding and information on relevant pages of the eIBTM website which receives over 1.3 million page views per year

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

EIbtm


This year sees business travel enter the mix with a dedicated stream of content delivered in association with the Association of Corporate Travel executives. The integration of business travel is a logical progression for eIBTM, which will afford new possibilities and increased return on investment for those exhibitors and buyers already operating in this fi eld, as well as introducing new specialist suppliers and buyers to the event.

Digital innovations such as webinars, online presentations, tweet chats, podcasts, QR codes and blogs serve as a primary support networks these days – delivering added depth and dimension to education content which is vital and a new platform to connect

HOTLINK www.eibtm.com/techwatch

communities. Apps, iPads, smart phones – who knows what will be next!?

eIBTM 2012 will see the launch of “The Forum” which will take place on Monday 26th November. Content for the new eIBTM Forum will be announced later in the year but it promises to inspire the industry and set the tone for an exceptional show – brimming with cutting edge business, education and networking opportunities.

Please join us in our celebrations – eIBTM is of course all about you - the industry, our exhibitors, partners and buyers who are eIBTM! We invite you to post your favourite moments, memories, photos and videos from eIBTM on our Facebook page and join in the fun www.facebook.com/eIBTMevent. Perhaps you were even at the very fi rst eIBTM or just want to tell us why eIBTM has been important to you? If so we’d love to hear from you: [email protected]

• Inclusion in the offi cial eIBTM catalogue (printed and online) for promotion of their product and award presentation at the show

• Article in the offi cial Show Daily at eIBTM distributed to all attendees

• exposure to over 15,200 industry professionals including over 9,300 visitors and hosted buyers

The eIBTM Technology Watch Award acts as a major opportunity for companies to demonstrate new and innovative technology solutions that make a real difference to the meeting and event planner’s business.

Last years winner commented, “The leads we generated and the contacts we made were extraordinary,” said Mike Sorgani, Vice President, Sales and Marketing of US-based ITN International, a full-service registration and lead management company. “I will give you just one example. eleven days after eIBTM, we found ourselves in front of the producer of the world’s largest corporate event, describing how our technology could add excitement to their

event. The invitation to visit the producer’s offi ces and make a presentation stemmed directly from our participation in eIBTM. This particular opportunity is huge--and we owe it to eIBTM.”

All entries submitted will be judged on ‘Innovation, completeness of concept, potential value to the meetings industry’.The eIBTM Technology Watch is free to enter,for more information please visit www.eibtm.com/techwatch

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

HOTLINK www.eibtm.com/birthday

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.comAImE


Ambitious young professionals and newcomers to the global meetings industry were offered valuable career development at the annual International Congress and Conventions Association’s (ICCA) Forum for Young Professionals, which took place over two days prior to the AIMe in Melbourne recently.

The Forum, held at the Melbourne Convention and exhibition Centre (MCeC) on 19 and 20 February 2012, was open to ICCA members who are under 30 and new to the industry and had participants from Taiwan, Malaysia, Australia and South Africa.

The 2012 program, Growth Through Innovation, included interviews, case studies, exercises and personal accounts, as well as casual networking opportunities and this year featured guest speaker, Arnaldo Nardone, President of ICCA.

Along with the valuable education and networking, attendees to the Forum also received complimentary entry to AIMe, an invitation to the AIMe Welcome Reception and access to the AIMe Business events Forum on Tuesday morning, allowing them to make the most of their time in Melbourne.

The Forum, which has been held in association with

Young professionals benefi t from AIME and ICCA partnership

AIMe every year since 2000, refl ects and responds to the challenges seen within today’s meetings industry – encouraging attendees to keep on the ball and think creatively.

It is one of two Forums For Young Professionals as the initiative is also run alongside eIBTM in November.

Forum Manager, elizabeth Rich, said the event, which is in its 12th year, is a rare opportunity for industry newcomers to learn from more experienced professionals in the lead up to the Asia-Pacifi cs biggest event on the industry calendar – AIMe.

“This unique ICCA Forum is aimed at young professionals or newcomers who are keen to develop their own careers in the meetings industry,” said Ms Rich.

“Limited to around 30 participants, the intensive two-day program allows newcomers to hear from some of the best practitioners in the business on the latest global trends, work with each other to solve specifi c challenges and develop a valuable new network of contacts around Australia and Asia.”

HOTLINKS www.aime.com.au•www.iccaworld.com

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

events are 53.7 percent of Middle east buyers and another 46.4 percent of Global buyers indicating an increase in their budgets in the next 12 months.

With the survey results showing that the UAe (Abu Dhabi and Dubai) continues to top the list of ten countries that both Middle east and Global buyers use for events, factors such as competitive rates, added value, intelligent pricing, innovative products, new destinations, wow factor, economic recovery, political stability, regional security, visas, airlift and airport taxes, are seen to have the most impact in increasing meetings and events business in a specific destination.

The results of the report were drawn out of a survey of 1,063 buyer-respondents, 143 of whom are based in the Middle east.

The latest Global Meetings Industry Research report for the Gulf, Middle east and North African region, which was launched at GIBTM, pointed to buyers and event organisers looking at increasing the volume of events, with a large number also looking at increasing their budgets for the region.

Presented by Sally Greenhill from The Right Solution and Rob Nicholas of meetme, the results of the research indicated that 48.2 percent of Middle east buyers and 47.2 percent of Global buyers said that they organised more events in the last 12 months as compared with the previous year, 64.5 percent and 56.4 percent respectively said that they are even looking at further increasing that volume. Supporting such an increase in the volume of

GIbtm

HOTLINKS www.gibtm.com • www.ibtmevents.com/globalresearch

The latest Middle east report indicates buyers looking at organising more events and increasing budgets for the region

Global Meetings Industry Research Update

For the full Middle Eastern report click here

The next full Global Research survey is being sent out now so please help us by completing the short questionaire when you receive it. A look at North America will be presented at AIBTM Jun 21 – 23, Baltimore

Buyers:

• In 2011, 58.5% of events organised by buyers were the conventions and congresses– reflecting a significant increase in this category.

• The top ten countries for Middle east buyers during the past 12 months were the UAe (Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, egypt, Turkey, Thailand, Jordan, India, and Malaysia.

• In the next 12 months, Middle east buyers see growth in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, France, Japan, and the UK.

• The top countries for Global buyers during the past 12 months were UAe, the USA, China, Italy, France, UK, Spain, India, and Germany.

• In the next 12 months, Global buyers see growth in India, USA, Singapore, Thailand, Italy, UK, France, China, Germany, and Macao.

• Top ten industry sectors for MeNA events are Oil and Gas, Pharmaceutical, Finance and Banking, Training and education, electronics and Communications, Construction and engineering, hospitality/Food/Tobacco, IT and Computing, Manufacturing, and Transport/Retail/Automotive/Cosmetics.

• The top five markets for MeNA region are the UAe, Saudi Arabia, egypt, Qatar and Kuwait.

• In terms of the number of delegates, 46.8% of Global buyers and 52.9% of Middle east buyers said that there were more during the previous 12 months.

Report at-a-glance summary

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com


Interview


An Interview With . . .Sally de Swart

Q Give us a quick synopsis of your career to date.I have been in the exhibition industry since 1998 and have worked for Reed exhibitions for 10 years. Before that I was a teacher! I have organised events for many different industries but most of my career has been involved in the defence industry and now know more than I will ever need to know about tanks, warships and fi ghter jets. In 2010 I relocated to Sydney from the UK to take up the role of event Director for AIMe. Interestingly AIMe was the fi rst exhibition I ever exhibited at in 2000.

Q What are the main challenges you fi nd in your role?Finding enough time in the day to complete my “to do” list.

Managing the needs of 3 different audiences.

Incorporating technology into everyday functions with budget and resource restraints.

Q What is the best thing about your job?After 14 years in the industry I still love the buzz about being at the event, it’s a lot of work to deliver a 2 day event but it is always worth it to see the end result.

Q Describe the event you manage – AIME - in 3 words? Inspiring, enjoyable and educational

Q In your career what has been the most surprising trend or development that you have seen?events used to be about the experience at the show, now the opportunities that exist both pre and post event are so varied, and with the integration of social media and new technology, events now can assist in providing a fully integrated year round marketing campaign.

Q What is the best piece of advice you have been given?If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it

Q Describe AIME’s home town, Melbourne, in 3 words.Beautiful, fun and something for everyone (not quite 3 words!)

Q What is your favourite place in Melbourne?St Kilda Beach

Q What are you currently watching on TV? “The Voice” (reality program)

Q What is the last book you read?The Mothers Group by Fiona higgins, a must read for all mothers

Q What’s your favourite app?Tripview – it manages my life when I am trying to get to meetings on time!

The Diary talks to AIMe event Director, Sally de Swart about why she chose exhibitions.

HOTLINK www.aime.com.au

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Q If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fi ctional – who would it be? I would like an insight into the pressure of being royalty so I guess I would like to be Kate Middleton, but I think I could only manage that for a day!

Q If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see play the lead role as you?Cate Blanchett

Q What is your favourite quote?“Perception is reality” – very true especially when getting feedback from attendees at the show

Interview


Sally de Swart is the event Director of AIMe

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about itSALLY DE SWART

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

found their participation to be invaluable for the development of their business – that’s what the show is all about” Stated Lois hall, exhibition Manager.

More than 270 hosted Buyers with high spending power from across the globe attended this year’s show and 7,672 pre-scheduled appointments took place, an impressive increase of over 8% from 2011. United States Senior hosted Buyer, Kip horton,

Universally described as the best edition in its six year history, GIBTM exceeded expectations as attendees enjoyed high quality face-to-face appointments, enhanced show features and two major networking functions.

“The positive feedback from exhibitors, hosted Buyers and trade visitors has been incredible. The Middle east has recognised the potential in attracting meetings and events to the region the success of GIBTM illustrates the hunger for the sector to develop at a swift pace. We are delighted to hear that the high-quality meetings and appointments that exhibitors and buyers had were well received and that they

GIbtm


GIBTM, The leading Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings exhibition in the Middle east took place with great success last month in the heart of the Gulf’s business network of Abu Dhabi.

h“app”y days at GIBTM

The GIBTM team reflect on the successes of the 2012 app and would like to share with you lessons learned and idea’s gained. More information found at www.gibtm.com/innovation

1Use the app to build a stronger community around your event—make the app available

beforehand, ensure people know it’s available for use during the event and then use it to follow up – surveys/ratings etc. afterwards.

2Use the integrated reports and statistics to better understand what’s happening at your

events and how people are interacting so you can offer relevant, tailored events that people will want to return to again and again.

3harness people’s love of social media—smartphones allow people to tweet, digg and

post on their experiences on Facebook …encourage them to be unofficial ambassadors for your events.

4Don’t overanalyse—launch into it! And plan for success over two or three event cycles. In the

1st cycle, just having an app is a success. In the 2nd, focus on improving delegate participation and by the 3rd, have your mobile app fully integrated with your other technology and event communications.’

5Focus your marketing on one or two features that will achieve your objectives - want more

feedback?: promote the speaker ratings, session evaluations, post event surveys etc. Want more networking?: promote the meeting maker, social media profiles etc

Top tips for your event app!

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

HOTLINK www.gibtm.com

GIbtm


President of International Division at hPN Global, commented: “As this region gains prominence as a destination for group meetings and incentives, anyone planning on working there needs to be at GIBTM.”

Mobile APP Enhanced ExperienceAmongst the many attributes which contributed to GIBTM’s success was the introduction of the brand new event app, created and provided by ShowGizmo. Designed to enhance attendee experience, drive interaction, create interest and awareness for the education programme and encourage overall event engagement, the GIBTM app delivered in all areas.

“The feedback we have received from exhibitors and visitors in regards to the show app has been phenomenal. Our target this year was to ensure that attendees engaged with the app prior to

GIBTM in order to allow us to push vital messages such as travel information, education schedules, networking information and visitor to exhibitor interaction. This year we integrated a push to download the app via QR codes in print advertising, email marketing campaigns, SMS and banner advertising. In an intimate event

such as GIBTM, to receive 8075 logins has been a real achievement,” commented GIBTM Marketing Manager, Victoria Blake.

exhibitors who engaged with the app also saw a greater interest from delegates. Melia hotels International, the offi cial GIBTM app sponsor became the most searched exhibitor within the app whilst Atlantis, The Palm was selected “favourite” by users overall.

Marketing manager, Victoria Blake refl ects, “This year we have certainly taken our event app to a new level. As an exhibition for the “events industry” GIBTM should be leading on the fi eld of driving new technology to enhance delegate experience.

FIRSt INDUStRY mULtI EvENt APP Ibtm Global Events is pleased to announce the launch of the fi rst industry multi event app, meaning that delegates will be able to download one app containing news and information about the portfolio and its events and each event app will be embedded

within the app. the Ibtm app launches in June 2012 for AIbtm – go to www.ibtmevents.com or www.aibtm.com for more info.

GIbtm

6At the event, put fl yers on the cafe tables with a QR code to scan to download your app - put

them in the toilets too!

7Brief your MC to refer to your app before presentations (so people can use it to see

the speaker profi le and take notes) and after the presentation (so they can rate the speaker and give you feedback).

8Add a slide to the end of every seminar presentation with a QR code for the audience

to download your app.

9On your iPad/Laptop during the event, check the ‘Favourite’ reports in real time and let your

exhibitors know who’s ranking highest!

10have a roving app evangelist at your event - put a QR code on their back and let them

loose on your visitors to help them download and enjoy!

The positive feedback from exhibitors, hosted buyers and trade visitors has been incredibleLOIS HALL, EXHIBITION MANAGER GIBTM

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Consider these statistics:• Wi-Fi internet access is the most important hotel

amenity for U.S. travelers.TripAdvisor, Jan 2012 • Free Wi-Fi is a must when choosing a hotel room

and this overwhelmingly factors into which hotel to book. Hotels.com, January 2012

• 65% said they have used free Wi-Fi internet in an accommodation’s lobby to avoid paying for in-room charges. TripAdvisor, Jan 2012

• 47% of respondents said a hotel must cater to their technology needs before they book it, with wireless access a top priority. Synovate, 2011

• Free Wi-Fi affects the choice of venue (64% yes, 31% maybe/depends on other factors as well, 5% no). InStat, September 2010

Increasingly, meeting attendees are carrying around one or more wireless internet-enabled devices. They are business travellers and expect to check email, use social networks (40% of all tweets are mobile), and wish to take advantage of a wide range of mobile meeting and travel apps. For international attendees, the cost of roaming fees is often prohibitively expensive. Wi-Fi is their lifeline to stay connected. With this growing need and demand by attendees, planners are pressing venues for free event Wi-Fi and are making this a key criterion for venue selection.

The Challenges:There are many issues involved:• 60% of travellers in the US, Europe and Australia

indicate they already have had a poor hotel downloading experience because the system was slow. Ttnooz, Nov. 2011

• Many facilities are unable to keep up with the demand. The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (the world’s largest technology show) asked attendees to turn off their phones and Wi-Fi to enable access for the keynote presenters.

• The demand for broadband is exploding for many events, eg 5,000 attendees consumed one terabyte (one thousand billion bytes) of data via Wi-Fi in four days at the London Frieze Art Fair, Oct. 2011.

• 90% of meeting professionals have smartphones and/or iPads/tablet computers and 62% use their apps constantly throughout the day. M&C Research, December 2011

• A November 2011 white paper by iBahn, a major hotel internet provider, notes that 25% of devices on their network are iPads. These use 400% more data that the average iPhone.

• 25 million iPads have been sold as of June 2011 (UnwiredView) and 5 million Wi-Fi only Amazon Kindle Fire tablets are estimated to have been sold in the last three months of 2011. J.P. Morgan, December 2011

• 3 million iPad 3s were sold on its opening weekend. Apple, March 2012

• 94% of all iPad sessions use Wi-Fi. Localyitcs, March 2012

• This explosion of iPad and other tablet computer is driving bandwidth requirements to what is felt by some hotels to be unsustainable levels. To quote David Garrison, iBahn CEO in the November 2011: “The iPad is the final nail in the ‘all internet is free’ coffin.”

• There is a big discrepancy between event organisers and venue managers on whether attendees should receive free Wi-Fi: 90% of organisers say yes while only 48% of facility managers replied favourably. IAEE, July 2011

• 64% of venue managers and CVB stakeholders feel that show managers have unrealistic expectations when it comes to what they want and are willing to pay for regarding event Wi-Fi. Red 7 Media, Summer 2011

Technology

30 ISSUE 2 JUNE 2012 THE DIARY

Wi-Fi: The Lifeblood of Events – Should It Be Free to Attendees?As the use of mobile event apps continues to explode, there is an increasing demand by attendees to have easy-access, barrier-free and, hopefully, cost-free Wi-Fi in the meeting space and in hotel rooms. Corbin Ball explains.

www.IbTmEvENTS.com

technology


Some solutions:the facts are that the Wi-Fi at many venues is not satisfactory (it sucks!) and with increasing bandwidth requirements things are getting worse. What can or should be done? Here are some recommendations:• Meeting venues need to plan on high double-digit

annual growth in Wi-Fi bandwidth requirements at least for the next five years. The good news is technically this is completely feasible.

• Meeting venues should provide detailed assistance to meeting planners to help them determine the Wi-Fi and internet requirements. It is not enough to reply “yes we can provide Wi-Fi.” Many questions need to be asked, such as: Wireless internet for how many people simultaneously? On what devices? For what apps? In what locations? how much bandwidth is needed? Venues must know their capabilities and limitations well and communicate them to clients.

• Meeting planners also must educate themselves as to the specific needs of their attendees, their expectations, their internet requirements, and must be very clear to venues about what they expect in detailed requests.

A major challenge is cost. meeting venues are for-profit entities and the demand for internet services is growing exponentially. How can these costs be offset or limited? Here is my view:• Venues should provide basic, mobile-friendly Wi-Fi

internet access (512kb/s) throughout the entire facility (sleeping rooms/lobby/meeting rooms/exhibit hall) for free without the need for extensive log-in procedures. 512kb/s is fast enough to check email, tweet, and do some basic web browsing but not fast enough to stream hD video, download audio files, etc.

• Provide a reasonably priced “premium service” for attendees who desire more speed or specialised services.

• Another option to offset costs is for meeting planners to solicit internet sponsorship. Internet access and mobile apps have many opportunities for splash page or banner ad sponsors, which are completely trackable.

• Planners, exhibitors and attendees should expect to pay for premium internet services. Venues are for-profit entities and have every right to charge to cover costs at the minimum. however, planners and attendees should not be gouged with exorbitant fees. hotels and other venues should not consider internet services a major profit center any more than they consider providing lights and water for attendees and guests – Wi-Fi has become an expected utility.

Wi-Fi challenges will likely get worse before they get better. The increasing demand will exceed the supply as venues struggle to upgrade their internet infrastructure. It will be incumbent on all venues to gear up for these increased bandwidth demands. It will also be important for planners, exhibitors, attendees and venues to educate themselves on the issues and help each other find the optimum way for providing Wi-Fi for events. As Wi-Fi increasingly becomes the communication life-blood of events, we will all need to work together toward optimal solutions.

Corbin Ball CMP, CSP is a professional speaker and consultant focusing on meetings technology and Chair of the eIBTM Technology Watch judging committee. With 20 years of experience running international citywide technology meetings, he now helps clients worldwide use technology to save time and improve productivity.

WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

HOTLINKS www.corbinball.comwww.twitter.com/corbinball

Interview


WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Responsible Business

Q What is Think Planet!?Think Planet! is Rezidor’s ambitious new energy-saving initiative, designed to help our hotels reduce our energy consumption by 25% over the next five years.

As an energetic and pro-active programme, Think Planet! will generate a real focus on saving energy throughout our whole organisation to help us achieve our ambitious target by end 2016.

Q Why have Rezidor decided to implement it?Many of our 320 hotels have already introduced progressive, environmentally friendly measures. Think Planet! will help us spread these initiatives into all our hotels and to set priorities for implementing those energy-saving investments that will have the biggest impact.

At the same time, we are currently faced with significantly rising energy costs in many countries – along with government carbon taxation. Moving forwards, reducing our energy consumption will also contribute to maximising our profits. So Think Planet! is good for business and for our planet.

Q What exactly will it entail?Think Planet! focuses on energy saving investments with a Return on Investment up to seven years and on continuous staff engagement on energy savings in operations.

Q Who will be involved?Think Planet! is new because it is driven by a specially formed, truly interdepartmental and cross-regional team, with representation from technical services, operations, purchasing, finance and responsible business. Input from all these different areas is the key to success in making our challenging pledge to save energy and costs really happen.

Rezidor’s unique, bottom-up Yes I Can! spirit will also be a crucial factor as we strive to successfully and substantially cut our energy consumption: we’re urging each and every one of our 35,000 employees from 70 countries to get fully onboard with Think Planet! And use his/her energy to save energy.

Inge Huijbrechts, Director Responsible Business at The Rezidor hotel Group Tells The Diary About Their New Initiative - Think Planet!.

Interview


WWW.IbtmEvENtS.com

Q What sort of innovative energy saving techniques are you thinking of?In operations, Think Planet! focuses on creating smart energy habits: Switching off lights & equipment, turning heating/cooling to eco-mode, reporting energy related issues that request attention and preventative maintenance.

With regards to technical installations we are fully rolling out Think Planet! tools – simple and low-cost solutions – across the group. For example, daylight and motion sensors for lighting, condensation water recuperation from the air-conditioning, alarms on freezers, etc.

At the same time considerable investments are made to completely move to energy efficient lighting in all hotels, install variable extraction systems in our hotel’s kitchens, optimising the building management systems, etc.

Q How long will it take to roll out?Think Planet! was announced to all our General Managers and hotel owners at our Annual Business Conference end of January 2012. The immediate first step following the conference was a company-wide energy audit. This audit highlighted the areas where we can really make big wins in terms of energy savings.

The results of this audit have been translated into a general energy Action Plan, listing our Top 10 energy Priorities. Our technical and purchasing teams are giving full support to implement the changes needed to reduce our energy consumption.

As of May 2012, all hotels are implementing their five Think Planet! priorities for 2012. Our existing monthly reports on environmental key performance indicators will be used to measure progress. As it is a five year programme regular communication updates will follow both to our hotel managers, their staff and external stakeholders like guests and media.

Responsible Business

For more information on Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group Responsible Business, click here:

Q How have you communicated to your employees?energy saving is fun. everyone can contribute and use their energy to save energy. That’s the message we are bringing to our employees.

Lumi, the firefly, is Rezidor’s new, and very cute, energetic Think Planet! Mascot, who will lead the way in lighting the vital energy-saving spark amongst our staff.

To kick off the project, we’ve created a fantastic new communication pack to engage and motivate our hotel staff. It contains back of house posters, the hotel’s action plan on a postervisible to all employees and 3 Think Planet! training video’s for staff: on smart Think Planet! habits in housekeeping, M&e and the kitchen.

Just recently we launched the monthly Lumiquiz to all employees. By answering five fun questions per month on energy, employees will get to know more how to save energy and can win an iPad.

Lumi will also shine as the torchbearer for our exciting new Think Planet! competition, which will reward all employees of our most efficient, energy-saving hotel in 2012

Q Any other sustainability initiatives that Rezidor currently have?Rezidor has a very comprehensive Responsible Business programme which consists of 3 pillars:

• health and safety of guests and employees

• Social and ethical issues in the company and community

• Minimizing our environmental footprint

The continuous drive for Responsible Business in all our hotels made us achieve:

• Being named as one of the World’s most ethical companies for the third year in a row in 2012.

• An eco-label for close to 200 hotels

• A global participation in our yearly Responsible Business Action month for the community

HOTLINK www.responsiblebusiness.rezidor.com

The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition

Abu Dhabi, UAE

www.gibtm.com

The Global Meetings &

Global Meetings and Events Portfolio

Events Exhibition

Barcelona, Spain

www.eibtm.com

Asia-Pacifi c Incentives & Meetings Expo

Melbourne, Australia

www.aime.com.au

The European Event for Business Travel

London, United Kingdom

www.businesstravelmarket.co.uk

The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibition

Baltimore, USA

www.aibtm.com

The China Incentive, Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition

Beijing, China

www.cibtm.com

www.ibtmevents.com

The Leading Exhibitions for the Global Meetings, Events & Business Travel Industry

Documents

THE IBTM GLOBAL EVENTS MAGAzINE Welcome To Our World · 2012-06-13 · THE IBTM GLOBAL EVENTS MAGAzINE ... Global meeting industry research update Interview 26-27 An interview with