VON ESSEN GROUP GOES INTO ADMINISTRATION - On The Road

MIce news
plAnnErs gUidE
The GCB German Convention Bureau has
launched a 36 page guide aimed at helping
meeting professionals. The guide, written
by an industry professional, is full of useful
information designed to get organisers thinking
about how to improve every area of their
event planning, implementation and delivery.
The guide is available in both hard copy
and PDF download from the GCB website
http://www.gcb.de/ENG/about_us/
brochures.htm or mail to info@gcb.de
Matthias Schultze, Managing Director of
the GCB explained: “We felt there was a need
for a booklet which provided practical tips
to organisers on all aspects of meeting and
event planning. The
brochure covers a
wide range of
topics, including
traditional areas
such as goal setting,
organising, project
planning and negotiation,
but also new
subjects, such as
meetings planning
as a discipline.”
The Guide also deals
with questions about
running incentive
schemes, and highlights issues such as
risk management and health and safety,
event marketing, and topics such
as communicating to the different generations
now in the workplace. The guide has been
written by Richard John, a consultant,
trainer and writer.
CCd wins AwArd
The Convention Centre Dublin (The CCD) has
won silver in the Best Overseas Convention
Centre award from Meetings and Incentive
Travel Industry Awards 2011. This industry
award was based on the votes from Meetings
and Incentive Travel (M&IT) magazine readers.
In addition, The CCD hosted over 200 events
at the centre in its first six months of operation.
Since opening its doors in September 2010,
the CCD has welcomed 13,000 international
delegates, which has generated an additional
Budapest is packed with historical buildings
and Palaces. Meeting organisers can book
events and have the opportunity of holding
a reception or gala dinner in one of many
historic buildings, museums and palaces.
This scheme has been launched, and is
open to all international companies
(meeting planners, event organisers,
agencies and operators). The Hungarian
Convention Bureau sponsors complimentary
room rental for the gala dinner or
reception if your event or meeting planned
in Hungary meet the following criteria:
€22 million* for the local economy.
*According to recent research conducted by
ipsos MRBI on behalf of Fáilte Ireland, the
total value of an international association
conference delegate over the period of
their stay in Ireland is €1,507
inCEnTiVE idEA:
TiTO’s BlUE TrAin
Tito’s Blue train and hostesses
rOTTErdAm OpTiOn
‘Budapest... more than expected’
Vekol DMC is a destination management
and special event service provider in Serbia.
They are offering new team building ideas
and event planning and management
resources. One example is the use of Tito’s
Blue Train, the name of the popular train
once used by Josip Broz Tito, president of the
former Yugoslavia. Today, visitors can meet
Tito, played by a well-known Serbian
actor, and learn about his incredible life.
Visitors to the Blue Train will also have the
opportunity to enjoy recipes Tito prepared
for Richard Burton, Sofia Loren, Indira Gandhi
and other high profile individuals. The train
features live music by Tito’s original entertainers.
www.vekoldmc.com
Combine a boat trip to the former Submarine
Wharf at the heart of the Port of Rotterdam
with a lunch or dinner and a visit to Museum
Boijmans Van Beuningen from June, to
September.
The Submarine Wharf is a gem in the port
area where beautiful art projects are hosted.
Besides this special summer offer, you can
hold receptions in Museum Boijmans Van
Beuningen all year round.
conventions@rotterdam-marketing.nl
• Minimum 50 participants
• Minimum 2 nights in campaign
• participating four of five star hotel
• Minimum half day meeting in the hotel
Cooperation with a participating Hungarian
DMC for the organisation of the gala dinner
or reception (catering, decoration,
entertainment, technical detail etc
Venues include, Royal Palace Gödöllő , Secret
Saloon of Queen Elisabeth, Budapest History
Museum – Royal Cellar, St. Gellért Thermal
Bath and Spa – Pool and many more. For full
details visit www.budapestmeetings.com
faith tourism news
John Paul II
beatification
Hotels in Rome have been criticised for taking
advantage of the demand, with room prices
tripling in some cases. Modest two-star hotels
are asking for €700 a night while some fourstars
are charging up to € 1,760 for a suite.
“Since the beatification announcement, bookings
have exploded,” said Giuseppe Roscioli, the head
of Federalberghi Roma, the city’s hoteliers’
association, which represents around 500 hotels.
“The Vatican’s decision to hold the celebration on
May 1 complicated matters, because it coincides
with a public holiday in much of Europe and is
always a peak period for tourism in Italy. It’s
like wanting to organise an event in Monaco
during the Formula One Grand Prix. It’s absurd.
It’s obvious that the Vatican’s calendar has
nothing to do with day-to-day life,” he said.
However OTR received an email recently from
Travellanda Ltd - a UK agent, offering rooms
from €101 ( 3 star double) to €154
(4 star double) per night.
Israel...
• Israel is inviting tourists to retrace the
footsteps of the Virgin Mary, officials said
in the latest campaign to bring Christian
pilgrims to the Holy Land.
A new itinerary developed by the Tourism
Ministry helps tour operators plan pilgrimages
to sites where the mother of Jesus Christ lived
and travelled. They include her birthplace near
Nazareth in northern Israel, as well as Mary’s
Spring and the Tomb of the Virgin near Jerusalem.
The Virgin Mary itinerary includes holy sites in
the West Bank, as well, including Bethlehem.
Tourism officials said they work closely with the
Palestinians on tourism matters, although this
itinerary was not specifically coordinated with
the Palestinians.
In 2010, 69 percent of Israel’s almost 3.5 million
tourists were Christians, most of them Catholics.
Now Israel is encouraging return visits by those
who already have made their first pilgrimage.
Lina Haddad, who directs Israel’s marketing
of religious tourism, said the full-colour
booklet outlining the Virgin Mary itinerary,
Pilgrims trail
to santiago
European activity holiday specialist UTracks has
number of new Spanish trips for 2011 which
include Pilgrims Trail To Santiago (9 days)
The Pilgrims’ Trail to Santiago de Compostela is
one of the great historical ‘long distance foot
paths’ through Europe.
Walked by millions of ‘peregrinos’ over the
centuries, the walk reveals the beautiful natural
settings, captivating historical monuments,
gorgeous rural farmland and authentically
friendly villages of Northern Spain. Near Lugo,
the ‘Camino Primitivo’ joins the more popular
French route. In the company of an expert, guide
travellers have the option to walk the last few
kilometres, to enter the city of Santiago de
Compostela on foot.
Departs: 28 May, 25 June, 17 September,
1 October. www.UTracks.com
released earlier this year in English, will be
translated into Spanish, French, Italian, Polish
and Portuguese. www.goisrael.com .
• Thirty-one of the thirty-three Chilean miners
who were rescued from a collapsed mine last year
were in the Holy Land for an eight-day pilgrimage
earlier this year invited by the Israeli government.
They arrived with their wives and partners and
toured the Old City of Jerusalem. Their visit took
in other tour holy sites, including King David’s
Tomb and Nazareth.
Faith played a huge part in the experience of
the miners while they were trapped 800 metres
below the earth. Bibles and rosaries were sent
down a capsule to the men and prayer meetings
were held twice a day. When they were
finally freed, they emerged from the depths
wearing T-shirts that said ‘Thank you God’.
On a recent tour of England, Jose Henriquez, the
‘pastor’ of the group, told of miners coming to
faith in Jesus after their tangible experience of
God, whom they named “34th man” in the mine.
Chilean miners welcomed in Jerusalem
on the road issue 195 Page 12