Jun 02
maureen-pickellNews, Trade Shows imex, meeting education, meeting experiences, meeting industry, overseas meetings
I have successfully returned from Frankfurt, but before jetting off to my next destination, I had to share some experiences from the remainder of IMEX from last week!
The Berlin Convention Bureau hosted the ConventionPlanit.com group with a breakfast and presentation. Fresh from being named the 4th most popular association meeting destination by ICCA, Heike Mahmoud took us on a slide and video tour of this exciting city. And the breakfast buffet stoked the group for a day of appointments! Vielin Dank to Berlin!!
The IMEX Daily newspaper featured an article entitled “Response time guarantee ends planners call backs” highlighting the ConventionPlanit.com 24 Hour Guarantee for RFP’s submitted to Caribbean and North American properties. And IMEX attendees actually read this Show Daily!
The first day on the trade show floor started off with the Ovation Global team giving the ConventionPlanit.com group a geography lesson based on the locations of their DMC portfolio members, and it ended with a clever game of Concentration in which the Switzerland Convention Bureau challenging our group members with matching tiles highlighting Swiss venues and events. In between we were educated by Malaysia and feted by Singapore – Singapore Slings being their traditional way to end a hectic day!
Speaking of which, Atout France (French Government Tourist Office) helped to revive our intrepid planners with their famous wine, cheese, pate and some German beer thrown in for good measure at their annual first night event. A sudden shower refused to dampen spirits at the outdoor gathering and all the French partners are to be commended for spreading around their special brand of joie de vivre!
IMEX Wrap-Up to come…
Mme. Blogger
May 26
maureen-pickellTrade Shows imex, meeting industry, overseas meetings
Greetings from IMEX – where 8 of the ConventionPlanit.com Hosted Buyers attended IMEX Association Day – a unique annual event for association meeting planners which focuses exclusively on professional education and round-table debates with each session tailored specifically to address the professional concerns of association executives.
Sessions concurrently during the day to allow delegates to achieve maximum return from their time. Association buyers regularly account for approximately 12% of IMEX’s hosted buyers each year. As such, they deliver huge buying power and influence to the show. The day was capped off by an elegant reception at the Westin Hotel Frankfurt.
Also ending the day on Monday (or starting the IMEX Trade Show segment – depending on how you looked at it) was the first European SITE NITE held at the Frankfurt Intercontinental. Sponsored by the hotel and Abu Dhabi, planners and suppliers mixed and mingled for the benefit of the SITE Foundation…and a lovely time was had by all!
Trade show tomorrow – countdown to business!
Jan 13
maureen-pickellTrade Shows economy, environmental-friendly, green meetings, Keep America Meeting, overseas meetings, pcma
Your intrepid blogger had another busy day. The sessions at the PCMA annual conference continue to be varied and interesting, beginning with “Beyond Borders: Advanced Solutions for International Meetings.” Roundtable discussion topics ranged from Risk Management and Attendance Building to Budgets and Cost Containment as well as Working with Partners. The goal was to help eliminate the trial and error of international planning by sharing information among participants. Specific issues were introduced and solutions discussed using the expertise of both planners and suppliers.
For those of you interested in the results, the notes will be posted on the PCMA website after the conference.
Then on to “Top Industry Leaders on the Future of Meetings.” The meetings industry version of “The Magnificent Seven” including Jonathan Tisch, Roger Dow, John Graham, Bruce MacMillan, Michael Gehrisch, Brenda Anderson and Deborah Sexton addressed the outlook for 2010 and beyond. A lively discussion about the power of collaboration revealed that the prognosis is basically optimistic but more work needs to be done to rebuild and renew our industry.
The standing room only audience seemed more than anxious to take on the challenge by furthering the grass roots movements begun this past year.
And lastly, how many of you know the difference between Free range poultry and Cage free birds? The session entitled “Green Guide: Sustainable Food and Beverage” presented tips on selecting sustainable food choices and staying within budget while implementing a program to manage food and beverage waste. Again, consult the PCMA website for a glossary of terms relating to this important topic.
Looking forward to Wednesday’s sessions and networking!
May 27
Ashley ChalmersMember News, News, Trade Shows Face to Face Meetings, imex, Maison de la France, meeting industry, overseas meetings
Maureen Pickell & Julio Rodriguez are having some great “face to face” time at IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany this week.
This year’s IMEX is the most successful to date with 3,500 exhibitors from 157 countries!
The ConventionPlanit.com Hosted Buyer Group was entertained royally by the Maison de la France at a very creative venue (the top floor of a parking garage!) with champagne, wine and regional cuisine from France.
Are you at IMEX? Regale us with your most interesting face to face!
Apr 13
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, Tips for Meeting Planners meeting planner feedback, overseas meetings, travel tips
For a meeting planner frequently dealing with international business, knowing current exchange rates is pretty common…but finding a good tool for exchange rates is a bit harder to come by.
Our favorite is http://www.x-rates.com/:
-It’s straightforward; no frills, just an easy to use table.
-Current exchange rates (updated daily)
Do you have a favorite planning tool or website? Check out some of our recommendations.
Mar 25
Ashley ChalmersNews, Places to Stay, Tips for Meeting Planners air travel, overseas meetings, travel tips
New travel regulations are coming in June…
…are YOU prepared?
The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative requires all citizens carry a valid passport to enter the following countries:
Anguilla
Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Bermuda
British Virgin Islands
Canada
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Jamaica (except for business travel)
Mexico
Montserrat
Netherlands Antilles
St. Kitts and Nevis
St. Lucia
St. Vincent and the Grenadines
Turks and Caicos
Get details and border travel advice here.
Feb 12
Ashley ChalmersMisc Tidbits, News, RFP, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows meeting education, meeting ideas, meeting planner help, overseas meetings, travel tips
If you’re planning an international meeting or traveling overseas…
…this list of global tips and resources will come in handy!
It covers everything from making international phone calls, to converting currencies, and even time zone maps…so you can avoid calling overseas in the middle of the night. More
Jan 14
Ashley ChalmersMember News, News, Places to Stay, RFP, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners Destinations, economy, hotels, meeting ideas, overseas meetings, travel tips
USA Today reports that Budget Travel Magazine has announced its annual top 10 destinations to visit…
…to get the most bang for your buck.
In no particular order, the top 10 destinations are:
-Austin, Texas
-Washington, DC
-Hawaii
-Mexico
-Hungary
-Iceland
-Berlin
-Vancouver
-Cambodia
-Panama
Destinations were selected based on a number of factors, including free events, price cuts to travel to the area, and special anniversaries.
To find a hotel for your next meeting in one of these top 10 destinations, be sure to enter your specs and search on ConventionPlanit.com!
Dec 03
Ashley ChalmersNews, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows meeting education, meeting industry, overseas meetings
IMEX has just announced the launch of their new meeting industry research library – the free Global Data Exchange.
It’s full of regional, global and market specific research…
…like surveys and up-to-date opinions, trends and analysis on the international level. And best of all, it’s free!
Check it out – what do you think? Do you reference industry studies and reports? Are they helpful?
What topic do you want to see more research conducted about?
Oct 08
Ashley ChalmersMember News, News, Tips, Tips for Meeting Planners ASAE & the Center, association executives, overseas meetings
Tour Southeast Asia and the Middle East with ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership and MCI!
The groups have announced a new study mission to Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in April 2009.
The trip will allow association and nonprofit executives to learn firsthand about the economic, social and cultural environments of colleagues in these nations – which are becoming centers for multinational leadership.
For trip details, check out the full article.
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