MI M M ma ma a maga ga ga gazi zine n ne ne Afgiftekan ntoor-Bureau de d dép pôt ô : 28 00 Mechelen n 1 Published 6 times a year: Feb, eb, b, , Ap Ap Ap Ap Ap A r r, r r, Jun Jun Jun Jun, S , Sep, No N N N v, v Dec Dec Editio t n June n 2009 – P P4A9 4A9032 2 Jaguar Land Rover FILIP VERSTREKEN Th Th e e me me et et in in gs gs a a nd nd d i i i nc n nc en e en ti ti ti ti ve ve ve ve ve t t t t t ra ra ra ra ra ve ve v ve l l l l ma ma ma ma ga ga ga ga z zi zi z ne e e e e e f f f f or c c c c c c or or o or p po o o o r ra a a a a t te p la la la la n nn n nn n n n n n n n nn nn e er s s …e e e … nr nr nr nr ic ic ic ic he he he he d d d d d wi wi wi wi th th th th p p p p p ri ri r nt nt t e ed ed d b b b ra ra in in in n fo fo fo o od od od od f f f f or or or or d d d d d e ec ec e is is s i i i io o o o o o o n n ma ma a a a a a a ke ke ke ke ke k k ke r r rs rs s r INCENTIVE SPECIAL 2009 I INC CE E EN N N NT T T T T TI I I IV V V V V V VE E E H H H H H H H HO O O O O O O OU U U U U U U US S S S S S S SE E E ES S S S S S S S S I I I I I I I C C C C C C C C C CR R RU U U U U U U UI I I I I I I I I IS S S S S S S S S S S S S S SE E E E E E E E E E E E ES S S S S S S S S S S I I I C C CS S SR R R R T T T TR R RE E EN N N ND D DS S S S S S S S SP P PE E E E EC C C C C CI I I I I IA A A AL L L D D D D D DE E E ES S S S S ST T T T T T T T TI I I I IN N N N N N NA A A A A A A A A A A A T T T T T T T T TI I I I I I I IO O O O O O O O ON N N S S S S S S S S S S S S SU U U U U U U U U U U U U U UP P P P P P P P P PP P P P P P P PL L L L L L L LE E E E E E E E EM M M M M M M ME E EN N N N N NT T T T M M M MA A A AL L L T T T A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A Al l l ls s s s s so o o o o C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C Co o o or r r r rp p p p po o o o o or r r r a a a a at t t te e e e I I I I I I I I I I I In n n n n n n n n n n nt t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t te e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e er r r r r r r r r r r r r rv v v vi i i ie e ew w w w
Transcript
MIMM M mamaamagagagagazizinenneneAfgiftekanntoor-Bureau ded déppôtô :28800 Mechelen n 1
gg
Published 6 times a year: Feb,eb,b,, Ap Ap Ap ApApA rr, rr, JunJunJunJun, S, Sep, NoNNN v, v DecDecEditiot n Junen 2009 – PP4A94A90322
JaguarLand Rover
FILIP VERSTREKEN
ThThee memeetet iningsgs a andndd i i i ncnnceneent it it it i veveveveve tt tt t rararararavevevve llll mamamamagagagagazz iz iz neeeeee ffffor ccccccororoorppoooorraaaaatte pp lalalalannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneerss…eee… nrnrnrnr ici ci ci cheheheheddddd w iw iw iw i thththth p pp p pr ir ir n tntteededd b b brara inininnfofofooodododod fff forororor dd d ddeecece isi ss iiii ooooooon n mamaaaaaaakekekekekekkkerrrsrssr
INCENTIVESPECIAL2009
IINCCEEENNNNTTTTTTIIIIVVVVVVVEEE HHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSEEEESSSSSSSSS IIIIIII CCCCCCCCCCRRRUUUUUUUUIIIIIIIIIISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS III CCCSSSRRRR TTTTRRREEENNNNDDDSSSSSSSSSPPPEEEEECCCCCCIIIIIIAAAALLL DDDDDDEEEESSSSSSTTTTTTTTTIIIIINNNNNNNAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTIIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOONNN SSSSSSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEMMMMMMMMEEENNNNNNTTTT MMMMAAAALLLTTTAAAA
Mid May a remarkable message appea-red in my big e-mail box and it was titled JMIC-IMEX Webinar: ‘Predicts the Shape of Recovery in Corporate Meetings'. The meaning of all this (and the complete text from the e-mail) can be read in the news section of www.MIMmagazine.euI'll keep it short so I'll write: a group of meetings industry experts have put their heads together and made a statement about the current fi nancial crisis and the effect it has on corporate meetings. I want to state in advance that in general I agree with what they say but I want to throw some light on one thing in parti-cular. In the message the professionals say: ‘Panellists agreed that meetings and incentive programs had in some cases been unfairly associated with corporate
spending excesses…' But they don't men-tion another word about these so-called unfair statements, which are supposedly made by journalists. However I think that the general public has the perception that corporate meetings or events are nothing more than extravagant parties, orgies of eating and drinking and costly trips for a privileged group of employees, clients or business relations. I've checked this perception wit a few travel psycholo-gists. I didn't even know that there was a speciality in psychology like this and I've discovered this domain in a KLM airplane by coincidence. And now wild horses
couldn't drag me away from the subject.The (astonishing) answers from the ex-perts were generally like this: 'Incentive organizers, corporate planners and so on mostly have themselves to blame for this bad reputation because they always communicated in these terms. I've only read few texts in which purely the motivating effects on the participants of an incentive trip and the psychological advantages for the business climate are mentioned. I always hear how great those (expensive) trips were and how nice the food and drinks were during the exuberant gala dinners were and how many big and special friendships were started in the late hours at the bar of the - again - chic hotel. But I've rarely heard about the true nature and the essence of an incentive trip. The problem lies with all the people who are involved in the organization of business meetings and events and not with the public opinion or the press. They select what they like to hear anyway. So, it's about time that the right message is sent out.'And with this last sentence I get back to what was said by the professionals: ‘Whi-le the hour long webinar covered a wide variety of perspectives, there was gene-ral agreement that three key areas had to be addressed; fi rst, a greater effort to communicate the role and importance of meetings; second, to enhance the strate-gic value of meetings, particularly from the perspective of participants, and third, to devise and practice better measure-ment of meeting outcomes in order to document and demonstrate their value.’I add a fourth key area myself: travel psychology! And again: read on www.MIMmagazine.eu my fi rst text about what psychology says about the effect of traveling on people. Who's interested in this subject can register on the same website for a Corporate Meeting which will be organized in the SWIFT offi ces in Brussels, and... a travel psychologist will be present!WWW.MIMMAGAZINE.EUWWW.MIMMAGAZINE.EU
The general public has the perception that corporate
meetings or events are nothing more than extravagant
parties, orgies of eating and drinking and costly trips for
a privileged group
Travel psychologists exist!
➔ FOR SUBSCRIBERS - simply log in to read the magazine online or the extended versions of key articles.
➔ FOR OTHERS - just subscribe directly on the website and you will instantly have access to in-depth content online.
➔ And the good news is there are even more developments to come
Stay tuned!
REGISTER NOW ON THE MIM MAGAZINE WEBSITE! WWW.MIMMAGAZINE.EU
COLOPHONMIM magazine IS THE TREND-SETTING TRADE JOURNAL FOR THE MEETINGS INDUSTRY IN BELUX. MIM MAGAZINE IS NOW IN ENGLISH AND COMES OUT 6 TIMES A YEAR AND HAS A CIRCULATION OF 5000 COPIES, PUBLISHED BY MEETING MEDIA COMPANY BVBA/SARL.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:An Annual subscription in Belgium costs 75 EURO (excl. 6% tax) and comprises 6 magazines. In order to subscribe, go to www.MIMmagazine.eu or send an e-mail to [email protected].
MIM magazine sets great store by sustainable development and therefore chose environment-friendly FSC certifi ed paper which comes from a controlled source. More info: www.fsc.be and www.fsc.org ® FSC, A.C. FSC-SECR-0045
Dest inat ion Repor t Ma l ta i s a spec ia l ed i t ion of M IM magaz ine N o 105 - June 2009pub l i shed by Meet ing Med ia Company (Be lg ium) - www.MIMmagaz ine.eu
SPECIAL MIM SUPPLEMENT
MALTAWHERE MEETINGS HAVE A SPIRIT
Afgig ftf ekantot oro -BBureau de ddéppôtôt:2828000 MMececheheleen 11
MIM: Could you introduce yourself to the readers of MIM magazine?Filip Verstreken: 'I've been in the car in-dustry for almost 20 years now, so I don't have to explain to you how passionate I am about these miracles of engineering. After only one year as a salesman I be-came sales manager for Saab Beherman in Antwerp, and after another year I be-came Zone Manager for Mazda Beherman Auto. Then I switched over to my beloved English manufacturers: Rover, Land Rover and MG. For a little while I stepped out of the importing business. Land Rover was owned by BMW at the time so I launched Land Rover Metropool in Antwerp then. In the meantime Land Rover got sold to Ford so I returned to the Land Rover importer and Jaguar was then added to the port-folio. I became the Corporate Manager BeLux for both brands.'I deal with all the contacts with the government (fi re departments, police, army, local authorities, forestry, and civil engineering) and with the leasing compa-
nies. As an indication, half of our cars go to companies, mostly in lease contracts.'
MIM: What kind of events do you organize?Filip: 'The entire car industry defi nitely feels the consequences of the crisis but I believe I can say we offer exclusive products so our business is still running on a reasonable level. To stimulate sales we do three things: sales incentives to boost sales numbers, dealer conferences with presentations of our new products, and activities for clients that are linked to our brands, for instance the Land Rover Experience in Scotland or Morocco. The same Experience is also available in Namur and Tournai where they fi rst get instructions on how to drive a 4x4, after which they can try our cars.'Sometimes dealers take their own customers on a trip, e.g. Jaguars on Nürbürgring. Or we organize golf tourna-ments for clients. Trips for car journalists are also indispensable, for instance when we launched the new engines in the XK
and XF we invited journalists to Nice or Sevilla, and for new Land Rovers we often invite them to Scotland, a great location to test these vehicles.'We are represented all over Europe, with factories in Birmingham and Liverpool, our headquarters in Gayden, and national sales companies, like the one in Belgium.'Sales incentives are initiatives from the local markets. Each year we organize an incentive for Land Rover or Jaguar Dealers, a nice trip with all the frills, and a sales incentive for our Land Rover or Jaguar sales people. The next year it's the other way round. I believe these trips are of the utmost importance, because they have four goals: improve sales (if you sell that many cars you can go on a trip to Namibia, Brazil,...), also the
contact between dealers improves in the environment of an incentive (if they know each other better, they'll work together better, e.g. switching cars between deal-erships), share their own experiences, problems,... (so it's an educational experi-ence), and improve the contact between the main company and the dealers. Also, we ask them to bring their wives, so they
When Filip Verstreken, Corporate Sales Manager BeLux for Jaguar and Land Rover, starts talking about his latest incentive trip to the Namibian desert with a group of car dealers, it might stimu-late the audience to test drive a Defender and drive, drive, drive... and enjoy infi nitely. Filip is a car lover all the way, that's why he's working in an 'automobile house'. He only has one company fear, he told: 'if anyone were ever to take away the management tool of incentive travel, my marketing model would completely fall to pieces, because well-chosen and well-considered incentives ap-peal to all innermost feelings of the participants.’INTERVIEW MARCEL A.M. VISSERS AND STEVEN KINS - PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL DE CLOEDT
Filip Verstreken
Jaguar - Land Rover Loves Cars, Needs Incentives
MIM > Interview > Corporate
With a regular meeting you can't get the same effect as with an incentive trip
IN A FEW WORDS, HOW IMPORTANT HAVE THE FOLLOWING ITEMS BECOME?
transport: no low-cost airlines, sometimes chartered planes which we personalize
punctuality: importantmeals: quality is important, but this has
evolved and got betterdrinks: no alcohol if they need to drive after-
wards!spare time: people like to discover the town
on their ownsports/culture: in Sicily we saw the Etna, in
Brazil we went to the historic city of Salva-dor de Bahia, but everything needs to be in the right measure
surprise moments: in Namibia we arrived with small planes, and got back in a big DC60. We incorporate many surprise mo-ments. There was an aperitif in a nice set-ting in Namibia but we 'forgot' the drinks, so someone jumped with a parachute from a plane with them. We purposely leave out certain things from the programme
atmosphere: often a band is playing when we get somewhere
CSR: this year we gave 60 Land Rovers to the Red Cross, and we're the only brand that has a CO
2 offset programme for 150 EUR
more than the catalogue price; Climate Care supports wind energy in China, envi-ronment-friendly heating in Tanzania, ...
hotel: important; the Estonia Lodge in Na-mibia was great, we also had an old colo-nial hotel in Palermo, the Four Seasons in Nice, and The Breakers in Palm Beach.
gadgets: for journalists and clients, but dealers already have them
conference rooms: we pay attention to this. Try to look for something that fi ts with the brand. Before, Land Rover went to places that exuded adventure, now it has to be more 'design', in line with how the brand has evolved.
coffee breaks: carefully tendedexclusive visits: we'll get a new Range Rover
model year 2010, which we want to intro-duce in pre-première to a selected crowd. In Delvaux they'll visit the atelier, will be able to create business card holders with their initials, have a walking dinner, pres-entation, and workshops.
understand better why their husbands need to work as hard as they do (laughs).'
MIM: How do you pick your destinations?Filip: 'Defi nitely for Land Rover incen-tives we try to incorporate the adven-turous character of the brand. Our last trip was to Namibia, where we got off the plane and started driving through the desert in Defenders. We went from Windhoek to Swakopmund and stayed in lodges. Dealers absolutely loved it! Other destinations we've used are Scotland, and Tanzania, where the ruggedness of our cars really comes to life.'
ConferencesFilip: 'New products are presented to our European and international
dealers and employees during conferences. They land in a (often non-commercial) airport, where they can admire the new car for the fi rst time, and they can immediately start driving in the mountains with them, where we plan some stops of course. We give them a nice hotel, good food, and some info sessions, and people get home completely pumped up. We defi nitely try to look for centrally lo-cated destinations with good weather, great hotels and great roads to drive around. A 4x4 parcours around Lake Garda is only one recent example. In June and July we'll go to Geneva to introduce the 2010 models.'
MIM: Do you work together with a pro-fessional organizer?Filip: 'We often work with a British
MIM > Interview > Corporate
These trips have four goals: improve sales, improve the contact between dealers, share experiences and problems, and improve the contact between the main company and the dealers
organization and everything's always perfectly organized. You can't do exclusive stuff like this yourself. Belgian Air Travel, Exceptions, Wonder-man are incentive houses we've worked with, but they have to be organizers that feel at home in the car industry.'
MIM: When can you call an event a succes?Filip: 'A sales incentive, confer-ence or event can be called a success if the participants have learned something, are enthousiastic about the trip and the new products and if they talk about it during the next sales meeting. I often receive a 'thank you' e-mail afterwards and that says it all.'
MIM: Imagine if your superiors would decide to cancel these events...Filip: 'During the crisis we discussed the necessity for organizing them, but for all the arguments I've given above we have to keep on doing this. It would be a bad signal if they canceled them and at the same time they would defi nite-ly take away a great marketing tool. With a regular meeting you can't get the same effect as with an incentive trip. It's important that dealers get away from their dealership for a little while because it's hard work, very stressy and if you place them into a more relaxed atmosphere, they start talking, and settle down.'In any case, the main of-fi ce keeps showing the new products to the dealers, so it's necessary anyway. Get-ting new cars to Brussels for instance wouldn't be the same thing because you can't create the same laid-back atmos-
phere. During staff meetings I explained the importance of these events. Also, during product presentations we try to invite as much employees as possible to motivate them as well.'It's all about people. Someone has to design, build, or sell our cars, and if you can encourage those individuals, the company can feel the advantages. An incentive is something we've been doing for years and we see that it helps and that sales go up. The presentations of new cars defi nitely need to be good, because there's only one fi rst impression. If you do that in the right environment in the right way...'We have the advantage of having a special product that's distinctive from others, and we promote that in a particu-lar way. Is it obvious that I'm proud of 'my' two car brands that stand for British class?'
MIM: Which qualities does a corporate organizer like yourself need?Filip: 'Experience is really important, since you start noticing more and more details over the years. This is a people's business, so you need to know who you're dealing with: what are people's sensitivities?'
MIM: Do you recall a really extraordinary event?Filip: 'I was fortunate enough to witness several absolutely memorable trips, but one of our best brought us to Tanza-nia, with the Gorongoro crater around Kilimanjaro - a stun-ning backdrop for our off-road machines.'
MIM 10
This time we witnessed another kind of discussion. Everyone wanted to defend their industry. One thing became clear quickly: communication is obviously the main thing for the future.
TerminologyIt's all a question of giving things the right name. SITE gave a new defi nition to 'incentive travel'. From now on they're calling it 'motivational experiences'. Elie Lores-Blanes of SITE Belgium recogniz-es that the term 'MICE' used to group eve-
rything nicely together. After all, meetings are not always motivational, sometimes it's pure business, so, SITE tried to fi nd another terminology instead of MICE to respond to the client's needs. Raymond Desmet of Initiative believes MICE was an accepted term, but he acknowledges that incentives came under fi re because of the bank crisis. Even when a company is doing great, they can't show it. From Initiative's point of view, incentive travel should even be organized when things aren't going that great in order to keep stimulating people. But the word itself is under fi re, so we either have to change names or wait and let the whole thing blow over. Even organizations like Initiative aren't uniform in their opinion and the issue remains high on the agenda. Denying it would be stupid of course.Still, it's not necessary to run along with the panic situation. People can tolerate less and less from each other, so they do things they wouldn't have done before, thinking 'if I'm doing bad, I can't have it that another one is doing good.' Also, clients go 'shopping' more than before. Before, there was competition between four agencies, now maybe six or seven. Obviously, the world has changed and
the crisis has added to this. The sector itself caused the bad situation for a big part, just as Panos Tzivanidis said in MIM No. 103, and now everything has to settle down a little.
Identity crisisThe question the incentive industry can ask itself is: Have we been selling our-selves as a party industry? Rik Gerits of I2P rightly wonders: Is every incentive a party?? An incentive is not always a trip, it can even be a coupon for a gastronomic dinner, a concert ticket, or driving a car for a day. It's literally a reward for an ef-fort, for a goal that has been obtained.Clearly an incentive is not a clear-cut con-cept. Annemie De Rooy of Mind and Mo-tion notes that often a seminar is included in an incentive trip. Some people consider organizing an incentive as not done, but now is the time more than ever to organ-ize one. People have to work creatively with the concept, to motivate people, and putting a seminar in a trip takes away the negative aspect. However, 60% of what Annemie organizes is still pure incentive.As many things, the concept of what's an incentive changes year by year, says Raymond pragmatically.
>> MIM magazine has built up a tradition of being
all ears to the incentive organizers. Even when
new times are ringing different bells our round
table is set for the professionals who strongly believe in one thing: travel is the most all-round motiva-
tor and incentive travel is the most specifi c stimulus to incite people to perform better. But each year
people speak differently about incentive travel. We were able to notice this when about twenty repre-
sentatives of incentive houses, cruise companies and airlines gathered around the oval meeting table of
the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport hotel. TEXT MARCEL A.M. VISSERS AND STEVEN KINS
How are the
incentive houses in Belgium doing?
MIM > Round table
Marc Lambert - Antipodes:
Businesses are more and more aware that they do not stand alone in society and that one needs to work together to survive in this turbu-lent world and economy
MIM 11
Against the ropesQuite a few companies are hit by the fi nancial crisis, so, it's only logical that the meetings industry is affected as well. Kathy Thoeye of Club Med feels that some companies are in some trouble, but they have to reward certain departments who are fi ghting to get good fi gures. In other words, meetings, incentives and events can't be cancelled completely.HRG's Caroline Rivel denounces the fact that some people are trying to break in-centive travel. People should be proud and answer back to the hairsplitters, instead of feeling guilty. Companies are afraid to say they still have incentive programmes, but they organize them nonetheless. After all, it's part of people's paycheck!Elie notices that incentive travel is still the main part of incentive programmes, and it's what helps a company the best, because people keep talking about a trip.The most striking example of the effects of the crisis is the Fortis debacle in Monaco, says Mark Verheyen of Incentive Reizen. It was actually about Fortis Insurance, which was doing OK, so those people had the right to go on a trip! That paints a good picture of the current situation. It's impossible for a company to fi re people and organize incentives on the other hand. But the future is still bright. A slight set-back doesn't mean we should panic.
Answering the crisisTina Joris is glad that THA does more than just incentive travel, they also organ-ize award shows, marketing tools, and mo-tivation programmes. That's the advantage of being connected to an English group:
you're less troubled by a bad image, and an incentive is considered as just another management tool. Not often do they meet a company that only does incentives, mostly they want a whole communication package, which is a much broader instru-ment, but the advantages are not yet clear in Belgium. Every department can have its incentive. So, other countries are also troubled by the crisis, without this affect-ing the perception. That means people have to communicate in the right way. The incentive industry took a beating but Tina is not surprised, since some incentive trips are not communicated in the right way, which makes them seem over the top to the outside world. The current situation is an excellent opportunity to see what we can get out of the concept of an incentive. Glitter and glamour don't belong to to-day's world anymore, that's over. We have to pour a new sauce over it.Raymond Desmet regrets that Initiative hasn't been communicating. A few designs are on the table to decide which direction should be taken, not to improve business, but to show what's an incentive. An incen-tive is only a part of something bigger, a whole marketing plan needs to be behind it. Perhaps the added value of the inte-grated system needs to be stressed.
Change client base?Some incentive houses do because they need to fi nd other clients, remarks Rik. Before, they said: everything that's below a certain budget, we don't need. But now they're fi shing in the same pond of clients more aggressively. Fiscality is never men-tioned but people are keeping that in mind
more often now. The taxman is controlling what's happening during incentive trips and if the books aren't in order...Elie percieved that clients are looking else-where quicker now and they also ask for more. 'But we shouldn't forget that we're in a people's business', he immediately added. Clients don't work with agencies but with a representative of that agency. Everyone can adapt prices, but the quality of the services is the main thing. Incentive houses don't sell merely programmes, but also services. Finding new clients is hard, but losing one can happen in an instant.David Reculez of Eagle Travel Agency agreed that fi scality isn't easy and added that it's much more fl exible abroad. The Treasury is not up-to-date with the current developments.
DMC groupsDMCs are an excellent contact point in unfamiliar destinations and some of them are grouped together, but do incentive houses work with groups of DMCs? Rik understands that they save costs by being represented by a group and that some DMCs in such a group are interesting, but not necessarily all of them. In his opinion, a few DMCs that are part of Euromic work in a very professional way, so he would work with them, but not necessarily with others.Elie sees other opportunities. Other DMCs are represented in Belgium by someone, like Patricia Bogaert. Being part of a group is not necessarily a guarantee for quality. Incentive houses have to see if they want to work with them. Of course, it's conven-ient to talk to just one representative.David links the two professions: 'It's a peo-
MIM > Round table
Tina Joris - THA:
The current situation is an excellent opportunity to see what we can get out of the concept of an incentive
Elie Lores-Blanes - SITE Belgium: percieved that clients are looking elsewhere quicker now and they also ask for more
Raymond Desmet - Initiative: Incentives came under fi re because of the bank crisis. Even when a company is doing great, they can't show it
MIM 12
ple's business with us, but also with DMCs. Having a personal contact with them is necessary. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Anyway, it's not easy to create a programme in a destination you don't know without some help over there.'Tellus' Enzo Piccoli, on the other hand, sees the necessity of a quality label.The DMC department of @dmire is part of Global Events Partners, which is supposed to be the biggest group according to themselves; says Raymond Desmet. Often they only have one representative in each country. @dmire was looking who was checking the quality the most and who had the best marketing plan. They also work with GEP if they go to a country they don't know and want to be sure of the quality of the DMC. Using a controlled partner is an advantage and as a DMC being a member of such a group is also an advantage.Tina was wondering: 'When does a rep-resentative have an added value? If they give you info on which DMC is the right one for you.' Clearly, honesty is an impor-tant issue here.
Different needsIt's no secret that the market has changed, and the exotic destinations had to make room for closer or second-tier destinations. Elie was organizing a 5-day trip to Brazil for a big company, but due to the recent problems, they changed it to 3 days in France, which meant a cost reduc-tion of 2000 euro. The incentive business goes in waves and the crisis serves as
an alibi for some. In September it might change. Often, budgets were made last September, before the crisis really hit, so the complete picture will take shape after September 2009. Clients make requests later than before, 3 or 5 months in advance, and they don't want to pay a lot in advance.Caroline noticed that the size of groups has been changing as well: she does feel that big groups are less big. 50 people changed into 35. Big contracts continue to exist but there are also a lot of last-minute bookings. She also has a lot of requests for Belgium or neighbouring countries, and less for the exotic locations. It involves a lot of comparing as well, and clients become more demanding. I used to direct the clients a little, and now they are directing me.Mark sees another problem. Contracts were signed in 2008, while today there are a lot of special prices in hotels and airlines, so now you can buy a lot more for the same money. Now it's no problem to have 100 people in a plane. Clients can see that and feel more or less cheated.Other new developments are clients who cancel contracts and organize everything themselves (Caroline), who better read the general conditions (Kathy), and who don't want destinations that 'sound' exotic (Tina). Trips to Montenegro, Vilnius or Bulgary become more popular now, and there's still a lot of good material in Europe. Companies look for safety too, but Elie immediately added that safety is also
a matter of perception.Rik said that an incentive for clients and distributors is not the same as for inhouse employees. The fi rst two stay, others might be cancelled. Enzo concluded that we're in a state of change for the moment, a delicate situation.
CSR?For some companies CSR is something that goes without saying, for others it's just a trend, according to Tina Joris. Nine out of ten winners of the SITE Crystal Awards in Montreux did a CSR event. Elie is a bit more expectant: It should be a long term effort. It's not about going to a poor destination once, giving them football shoes and leave.Corporate Social Responsibility is the new keyword for corporate management in the new century, according to Marc Lambert of Antipodes. Businesses are more and more aware that they do not stand alone in society and that one needs to work together to survive in this turbulent world and economy. Additionally research has shown that employees feel an increased connection and motivation when they work for a company that stands for their values. Implementing a CSR policy helps a company to motivate and connect with its personnel and relations, do something positive for society and earn it back with stronger bonding and highly motivated personnel without extra costs. Either way it is a win-win situation for both the soci-ety and the organization
MIM > Round table
Mark Verheyen - Incentive Reizen:
Contracts were signed in 2008, while today there are a lot of special prices in hotels and airlines
Caroline Rivel - HRG:
I have a lot of requests for Belgium or neighbouring countries, and less for the exotic locations
David Reculez - Eagle Travel Agency:
I've noticed the need for privatizing planes and cruise ships, and we need to keep proposing new ideas to keep incentives original, it's always a product under development.
MIM 13
MIM > Round table
Communication is the keyWe got the question to unite the incen-tive houses with cruise companies and airlines. Cruises gained ground in the incentive world, but communication with incentive houses didn't go smoothly. Is this still the case? Rob van Leeuwen of Cruise Connection could respond that they have a couple of contacts with incentive houses, but since they don't always have a concrete request, they should know the cruise companies are there to help. That's why they try to com-municate in the best possible way.
PopularityCruises have become more and more popular in the private market but appar-ently there's still some work to be done in the incentive sector. Elie, for instance, has been approached by a cruise com-pany one single time in 18 years, so he doesn't really know the product.
ObjectionsDavid remarks that a cruise suggests there's only one single place for leisure and work.Caroline has some experience in this fi eld, she has sold several cruises. She spots one important downside to a cruise: as an organizer you arrive in the destination at the same time as the cli-ent, so there's no time to correct things that aren't going right. Then you really have to be able to trust the DMC you're working with. You can't do a lot of exclu-sive things onboard. Quickly, Rob picked up on the subject, explaining that groups get an onboard coordinator.Eric Rozenberg of Ince & Tive sees two problems. First of all, the number of people you want on the ship is too big or small. You don't want to eat at another table of another company on the same boat. Secondly, cruises are not fl exible,
mainly because of the fi xed dates. Again, Caroline could speak from her own ex-perience, and she knows that sometimes there's a gap, allowing organizers to do things at that time. Tina also mentioned other examples showing the lack of fl ex-ibility: meals are only served at two dif-ferent times, so if you have an exclusive excursion, you take the second dining but your evening animation is limited then. Apparently people are scared off by this, while she admits that she noticed a lot of interest in cruises the last few years. You can't charter the cruise ship. If a client asks for a cruise, it's hard to differentiate from other incentive houses because you can't change anything in the ship.What many people don't know is that there are special cruises for incentives, remarked Rob.Everything depends on the way you look at it, as Gualtiero Togneri of MSC Cruises observed. Either you see the ship as a fl oating hotel that takes you from one destination to another or as a destination on itself. It's even possible to privatize one part of a restaurant. There's an evolution towards more fl exibility, and a demand for creativity and originality, but
a cruise is a product that's still original because not a lot of people went on one. Elie agreed but added you can only go to an onboard restaurant...Gualtiero admitted: 'I'm the fi rst to admit that we thought we had an incentive package that's ready to sell, so we under-estimated it. But now incentive houses are proposing cruises to their clients and that's the different approach.'Raymond gave his perspective: 'If you have a group of the wrong size, you have to go to a big ship and privatize a part of it. I have to admit we don't know what's possible on big ships like that. They're not built for incentive groups. If you have to walk to the restaurant, you have to mingle with other people on the ship, so you lose the private part. You have to make up for that with the land programme.'Caroline saw a more general problem: 'You sign a contract and later you see ads announcing prices at 20% of the price you paid... It's the same problem as with hotels, but it makes a cruise less exclu-sive as an incentive when prices make it accessible for everyone.But apparently you can anticipate to situ-ations like this, as Gualtiero responded that some regions and some periods are more apt to see special prices, so then you might get a less 'nice' public.Privatizing a ship is another option but of course it costs money and according to Tina 'it's worthwile to privatize, but it brings along a lot of extra logistic stress.'
Cruises
Rob van Leeuwen - Cruise Connection:
On a cruise ship, a lot of variation and extras are possible so incentive agencies can always be an added value
Gualtiero Togneri - MSC Cruises:
Incentive cruises have potential, if only incentive houses would include a cruise in their propositions now and then
a
MIM 14
Things haven't always run smoothly between incentive houses and airlines, so a round table would be a great time to ex-press their mutual concerns. But fi rst, let's start with what airlines do for groups.
Today, for groups of 10 to 500 people, there are no arrangements between the 24 partners of Star Alliance, was the disturbing message that Gina Verkouter
of Star Alliance brought up. From 2010, however, there will be a new product, called Atlantic Plus, with Continental Airlines and Air Canada. What does exist, and is unique with Star Alliance, is the Plus Programme: all partners together have a programme giving discounts to groups of at least 500 people coming from at least three different countries and two continents. You just have to go to the website, register, and specify the group. Your contact will be the best air-line for that specifi c case, you'll get a code that all participants can use when booking the fl ight. With that code, the agency can book, or individuals can do it themselves.
A relevant question brought up by Eric is: How is it possible that some airlines are open to exclusive extras, and others aren't? Apparently, and according to Gina, every airline has its own rules... Brussels Airlines is more fl exible but local representation is so very important. Group seating and book-ing isn't that diffi cult, but still the situation isn't going to get any better due to the cur-rent budget cuts and the reduction of staff.
Elie was able to give another example of goodwill - or lack thereof: on a return fl ight from an incentive trip to South Africa, a husband and wife couldn't sit together and it's things like this that ruin the whole experience you worked so hard to create. Of course, Eric has a point when he says it shouldn't be a matter of goodwill, it should just be possible.
Tina puts it even more strongly: Since 9-11 it's never been fun to work with airlines, it's the hardest part of the whole organization process. Also Raymond could feel the arro-gance of airlines towards incentive houses.Gina claims it's a matter of manpower. The service calls are outsourced to cheap countries. And more efforts are made for the meetings industry than for others, so
you can imagine that other sectors have to deal with even more issues.
Caroline fi nds this a bad excuse to tell the clients, while Tina blames the low prices but she also has questions about the YQ taxes (Fuel and Insurance Surcharge). According to Gina, prices are going down and everyone has to follow. Airport taxes are normal, but YQ taxes are actually a strange thing. Apparently, the Net price is the advertized price plus the YQ tax.
Airlines
Elie Lores-Blanes - SITE Belgium: percieved that clients are looking elsewhere quicker now and they also ask for more
Eric Rozenberg - Ince & Tive:
The only person who decides is the client and we need to keep that in mind. We need to provide an added value
Kathy Thoeye - Club Med:
Some companies are in trouble, but they still need to reward certain departments who are fi ghting to get good fi gures
Gina Verkouter - Star Alliance:
Group seating and booking isn't that diffi cult to organize, but still the situation isn't going to get any bet-ter due to the current budget cuts and the reduction of staff
Rik Gerits - I2P:
An incentive for clients and distributors is not the same as for inhouse employees. The fi rst two stay, others might be cancelled
Annemie De Rooy - Mind and Motion:
Some people consider organizing an incentive as not done, but now is the time more than ever to organize one
MIM > Round table
MIM 15
Towards a Sustainable Meetings Industry Over the last years, companies, govern-ments and the general public have come to the conclusion that the role of companies was much larger than just maximizing profi t. They started to realize that an organisation is inextricably intertwined with society and the environment and must therefore take corporate responsibility for its actions in regard to the 'triple bottom line' of people, planet, and profi t. Simultane-ously, event professionals recognized the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility and integrated economic, environmental and societal considerations in the organisation of events, thereby having a sustainable and profi table future for all in mind.To ensure the survival of events as relevant business tools it is vi-tal to run them as environmentally effi cient as possible. Especially since the high carbon impact of international travel brought the meetings industry in the spotlight of an environment increasingly focused on environmental, social and economic sustainability, as stated ICCA CEO Martin Sirk. A sustainable event implies support-ing the host organisation’s prosperity, minimizing the environ-mental footprint, and having a positive and lasting human impact on the host community and stakeholders.
An ongoing trend It can be questioned to what degree companies and organisations actually are embracing the deed versus the words of CSR. Last year proved that the sustainable meetings industry is a trend that evolves with no signs of stopping. At the 2008 summer conference of Eventia, the UK Events industry association, an increased CSR and sustainability aware-ness was identifi ed as a major trend: Attendees reported a
Despite the economic downturn, the awareness of the need to implement Corporate Social Responsibility principles and the attention devoted to sustainable practices continues to grow for the organization of events and incentives. Apart from the positive and sustainable impact of environmentally responsible events, the implementation of CSR measures can bring a strategic advantage. At the same time, methods and means to come to ‘green events’ are increasing steadily. TEXT NATHALIE REGA
CSR Trends The sustainable meetings industry continued
MIM > CSR Trends
MIM 16
MIM > CSR Trends
growing interest in carbon-considerate hotels and venues and a larger demand for events incorporating CSR elements, including carbon reduction and offset.
Also the established trend away from long distance travel appeared to be further reinforced. The MPI Business Barometer report of No-vember 2008 identifi ed ‘green events’ as a Top Ten Trend. Equally, a survey of senior executives in sales and marketing manage-ment positions conducted by EventView last year showed that in Western Europe 47 % of the respondents planned to implement green event initiatives within the next 12 months. Adopting a corporate social responsibility mandate continues to be the main motivator for pursuing green. However, the high rates suggest that marketers also seem to recognize the
importance to adapt CSR practices as a means to win customer loyalty and to gain a competitive advantage.The EIBTM Report of December 2008 takes a closer look at the aspects of events organisation, which are actually infl uenced by an organisation’s policy on CSR: While 46% of the event organis-ers say all aspects of event organisation are infl uenced by CSR, 48 % also refer to the destination selection, and 31 % to the venue selection. Other aspects, such as travel arrangements, social activity programmes, and catering services that provide fair trade products, are mentioned by another 29% of the respondents.
+ Green events The aspiration towards en-
vironmentally sustainable or ‘green’ events continues to be an important element of Corporate Social Respon-sibility within the meetings industry.
2008 has seen a significant growth in the use of tech-nology and innovations that make events more sustain-able. Webinars (web-based seminars) and webcasts are used more often to replace seminar formats and bring attendees together without requiring them to travel. Virtual technologies offer another alternative to far distance travelling, which is becoming less evident because of upsets in fuel prices and the high carbon emissions.
Likewise, serious efforts are made to shove off the use of printed paper. The possibilities of on-line com-munication and advertise-
ment make the internet an efficient tool in this regard. Using bio-based and recy-cled product offerings, re-placing bottled water with water-filling stations and reusable cups, are other examples of how to make your events greener. Being innovative is the message.
If creativity is an issue, web-sites with information and services focused on sustain-ability for the meetings in-dustry can present a helpful instrument. New and more sophisticated measurement tools have been launched to measure the ecological footprint of events and the return on CSR investments. The Ecological Footprint Calculator or Best Places to MeetGreen, are just some examples.
+ The human factor But not only the green
factor of CSR is at stake. Looking at the other side of the coin, organis-
ers and suppliers should consider the impact of an event on the well-being of people who live and work in the destinations where the event takes place. Incentives can enhance a company's social respon-sibility by integrating community service projects
into the programme, and by contributing to the local economy. Event profession-als can also try to purchase in a more responsible way, by buying closer to the location of the event and consider fair labour prac-tices associated with the production of conference items.
+ Green standards and certifications
To event professionals it is important to create sustainable policies and implement sustainable practices that are credible. To respond to this demand, organisations are launching green standards or certifi-
cations. They make it easier for professionals to clearly define what a green event is and provide ways to man-age the implementation of CSR. The British Standard, BS 8901, a standard for Sustainable Event Manage-ment, is just one of the many sorts of standards introduced last year.
Strategies for sustainable events
Adopting a corporate social responsibility
mandate continues to be the main motivator
for pursuing green
im
wIn spite of the continued economic challenges, sustainable events are gaining ground
MIM 17
Will CSR keep on track at times of economic regression?How will the trend of CSR practices in the event industry evolve, facing the diffi cul-ties of the current economic downturn? It seems that in spite of the continued economic challenges, sustainable events are gaining ground.European event organisers consider the economic climate and the pressure to reduce costs to be the issue that will infl u-ence this year's events the most, as shows the EIBTM Research Report of December 2008, ‘The Mood of the Market’. Yet, since CSR issues were seen as the second major trend, it is to be doubted that they will lose their importance. Look-ing at the next ten years, 21 % of the same respondents believed CSR and environ-mental issues will be extremely infl uential, while 65 % of them thought they will be somewhat infl uential. Currently, there is a strengthening busi-
ness trend around CSR as a strategic business component. 86 of the top 100 largest publicly traded companies have CSR websites, according to the MPI report of February 2009, which is an increase of 48% compared to 2005. An increasing number are also completing sustainability reports.
Cost or benefi t? It is often brought forward that sustain-able elements are too costly to imple-ment. One of the reasons companies might consider continuing to include green practices is that these measures prove to be cost effective. According to Meeting Strategies Worldwide, even in the present economic context, companies and organisations that commit themselves to sustainable principles, are fi nding they are prospering: consumers want to do business with them and employee retention is increased. It is stated that im-plementing basic green initiatives, like the replacement of bottled water, can already save money. And in the end, incentives that are compliant to CSR will strengthen a company’s reputation. According to the Ernst & Young Report of December 2008, Global Hospitality Insights: Hospitality Going Green, ‘green programs can provide a competitive advantage as long as green activities are still optional in the market.’ But in the long run, green practices will become a baseline requirement in the meetings
industry, particularly as the cost of non-renewable energy continues to increase.
Action is neededEvent planners often take the initiative on CSR matters and can play an important role when it comes to infl uencing their companies to implement CSR practices. Since they are the ones who choose the sites, the vendors, the speakers, they can make change possible. Even if companies have already adopted CSR practices and policies, event planners may still need to ensure they extend to incentives. Implementation of CSR principles is grow-ing on the supply-side of the meetings industry as well. More and more hotel chains are committing themselves to ‘go green’ by trimming energy and water costs and reducing carbon dioxide emissions. When it comes to creating sustainable events, planners and suppliers need to work together.
MIM > CSR Trends
Marketers also seem to recognize the
importance to adapt CSR practices as a means to
win customer loyalty and to gain a competitive
advantage
Companies and organisations that
commit themselves to sustainable principles, are
fi nding they are prospering
MIM > Belgium > Site
News from Belgium ChapterEach year we give an update on what's going on at Site Belgium Chapter, the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives. And who better to talk to than Elie Lores-Blanes, the Presi-dent of this Chapter?Last December, Site offi cially launched its new strategic vision, brand and communica-tions platform during the Annual General Meeting at the Site Global Conference 2008 in Montreux, Switzerland. At its heart this new vision stays true to the organization’s essence of strong professional relationships with high ethical standards while positioning this unique industry as a key tool for driving growth and delivering business results.In March of this year, following the suggestion of the Board, the members of the Site BeLux Chapter decided to change the name of the chapter to 'SITE Belgium Chapter' instead of SITE BeLux Chapter.There were very relevant reasons to do so: + 'BeLux' was an artifi cial word. In this inter-
national environment, nobody knows what it stands for. The identifi cation of the name 'Belgium' is a lot clearer, both geographi-cally and image-wise.
+ Our chapter has not had any members from Luxembourg in the previous years. Also, there is no interaction whatsoever with suppliers from Luxembourg in respect to the events we organize.
The International Conference 2009 will be held in Aruba from 30 October till 2 Novem-ber. In today’s complex environment, meetings mean business. The intelligent business leader who believes in unleashing human potential through extraordinary motivational experi-ences will be the winner on a global stage.The conditions and regulations being imposed on businesses today call for redefi ning opera-tions and establishing a bold vision. The com-munity of Site invites you to become part of the movement at this year’s Site International Conference: Business Without Boundaries.Last year 2 Belgian incentive Travel Agencies were nominated for the Crystal Awards. Let’s hope that this year will also be a prolifi c year!And to give some long-term vision, we are proud to present the next ESNEP that, after one year of absence, will take place in Porto from 9 till 11 of April 2010!
www.site-belux.org
ICE International ... now even faster !3 times a day full speed to Brussels - Cologne - Frankfurt
Brussels - Cologne > in 1h57Brussels - Frankfurt Airport > in 2h56Brussels - Frankfurt > in 3h12
Brussels will be connected to Cologne, to the heart of Frankfurt and to the international airport of Frankfurt thanks to the ICE-connection via Liege, Aachen and Cologne. With a top speed of 300km/h, and in all comforts, the ICE International whisks you in a record time of only 3h12* to the centre of Frankfurt.
* fastest travel time
For information and reservations > www.sncb.be - www.nmbs.be> Contact Center SNCB/NMBS 02 528 28 28> SNCB/NMBS stations issuing international tickets> Travel agents accredited by SNCB/NMBS
Elie Lores Blanes
MIM 19
MIM > Incentive Houses
Incentive Houses Why use one?
INCENTIVESPECIAL2009
BELGIAN AIR TRAVEL 20
BCD 20
ANTARES 21
ANTIPODES/IN-SIGHT 21
DE BUCK 22
INCENTIVE DESTINATIONS 23
MASTER EVENTS 23
PAUWELS 24
MIND AND MOTION 25
If you want to create a once in a lifetime experience for your team, there's only one address to go to: your preferred incentive house. Be it in Belgium, Brazil, Bulgary or Botswana, on a beach, in the air or on the water, they'll baffl e you with ideas you've never even thought or heard of. On top of that, Belgian incen-tive houses are praised even outside of the country borders. So, on the next few pages you will fi nd a selection of major and trustworthy incentive bureaus.Perhaps you as a reader are not quite familiar with the possibilities of using an incentive house. What can an incentive house do for you in particular? Why use an incentive house? Well, for a start it is a fact that incen-tive programmes consistently meet company's goals. Previous international studies by incentive magazines world-wide among their readership found that on average 80% of incentive pro-grammes have reached their company's established goals.Even if you want to start modestly, incentive houses can be of great help. It is their job to control the size and scope of the programme. And remember: they are not an expense; they will earn you money in the end.
For more info on this subject, contact us:MIMmagazine.eu+32 (0)2 761 70 53offi [email protected]
Now is the time more than ever to get your team to obtain goals and incentive travel is still the best way of rewarding someone and keeping them motivated, because... who can forget a trip? And after all, a motivated staff is exactly what you need these days.
BELGIAN AIR TRAVELwww.belgianairtravel.be - [email protected] De Keersmaeker - T: + 32 2 737 97 30
29 YEARS EXPERIENCE, PROBABLY THE BEST PROFESSIONAL SERVICE YOU CAN EXPECT
4787
MIM 21
Val des Seigneurs 51 box 1 Herendal . Tel. : 32-2-761 10 23. Fax : 32-2-779 09 65 - [email protected] – Travel Lic. A 1564
Inventiveness is our major asset That we customise to its utmost limits Using a whole universe of specialist experience To which we add the touch of originality that spells ‘unforgettable’ Our sensitivity is your guarantee of perfect harmony with your corporate image… …and effective fulfilment of your objectives Creating projects that comply with your corporate policy And that totally respect your budget.
Incentives Meetings Conferences Congress Seminars Events
Antipodes (in-Sight Incentives) goes East !
On our Market, Antipo-des Voyages has long earned its excellent reputation as Australia Specialists, but recently
they added another cord to their already well furnished bow: Tour East! Tour East is recognized as one of the leading destina-tion management companies in Asia and has recently expanded its network to include Australia & New Zealand. Tour East Australia is a joint venture between the Qantas Group and the Tour East Group. The presence on the Belgian/European Market of this great company has brought a wealth of specialized knowledge and know-how to our doorstep!
Destinations Down Under!Australia has been and still is simply one of the most desired and dreamed-about destinations on our planet. The people,
the natural beauty, beaches, wildlife and the very best in hotels, touring and travel experiences make Australia defi nitely a highly desired destination!
Other Tour East DestinationsVia the connection with the Tour East Group, Antipodes Voyages now also offer a number of exciting Asian destinations such as Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet-nam, Hong Kong, Singapore and Bali.
Your Partner in the MICE market!Tour East Australia – and now by exten-sion – Marc Lambert, offers a “one-stop”
solution for the MICE market as well as an excellent trackrecord for delivering tailor-made events & incentives to suit the clients’ specifi c needs and budget and providing that “Wow” factor!
In house services:Audiovisual techniques.Digital photography.Graphic design.Video perfomances.TV spots.Inheritage family imagesmanagement.
The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Alan C. Kay
To convey each day the results of long reflexion efforts by our team thus not only stating who we are, but also what we promise to be, each day for our clients.Our clients’ satisfaction is at the heart of all our endeavours.To construct your incentives, conventions, your seminars,meetings and conferences.To organise the launches of your products and your events.To organise your «deluxe» tours.To become your partner for the organisation of a high quality made-to measure trip. The spirit to serve.
Travel designers & consultants
4 rue des Comtes de Robiano1440 Braine Le Château - Belgium
Mind and Motion has as mission to be the best quality supplier in the organization of incentive trips, seminars, conferences and team buildings. It is our goal to organize your unique projects with specialized and professional solutions.
Our activities in a nutshell :
motivational meetings / innovative incentives / carefully craved conferences / exciting events / success full seminars / thrilling team buildings / tailor made group trips
Fortaleza, the capital of Ceará, is known across Brazil for its extended coastline, which comprises bars and restaurants along a 15 km infrastructure as no other place in Brazil has. It's also famous for its high sun levels during the whole year, its warm-watered sea, and its cheer-ful, good-spirited, hospitable people - a common feature of all Ceará inhabitants, I must say. Needless to say the entertain-ment level is quite high there, but my trip emphasized sporting activities and most of it happened up north.
For the sportaholicsCamocim: Its rich natural beauty spans along 62 km of beaches with an almost
unreal landscape full of coconut trees, mangroves, and white sand dunes. The omnipresent wind makes it the ideal place to practice wind sports like kitesurf and windsurf. Or if you’re into it, you can just buggy your way around: it’s quite fun! And if you need a special organizer there for your special group, the incoming agency inc-camocim (www.incomingcamocim.com.br) will be delighted to set up a tailor-made programme for you.
Jericoacoara: Located 310 km from For-taleza, Jericoacoara has some of the most beautiful beaches of the country. With unpaved streets, the town preserves the charm and rusticity of a fi shermen’s village. There tourists can enjoy astound-ing scenery, take buggy rides on its vast coastline or sail in the ponds of crystal clear waters, before watching the sun go down from an enormous, comfy dune. Sound like paradise? It can well be…
Parnaiba: Situated in the province of Piauí, Parnaiba is also known as the Delta’s capi-tal. Its natural landscape is truly post-card material. The delta enters the Atlantic through 5 river branches and offers more than 70 islands as well as uninhabited beaches. From the stunning combina-tion of sea, sun, fresh water, mangroves and dunes emerges one of the richest
untouched eco-systems on the planet. A sailing tour of this natural sanctuary is defi nitely a must.
A little culture won’t hurt anybodyA little more than an hour away from Fortaleza, you can fi nd the most complete museum of Cachaça in the world, which the famous producer Ypióca inaugurated a few years ago, with great celebration,
in the fi rst industrial unit of Ypióca. The museum boasts the largest wooden barrel in the planet, with a capacity of up to 374 thousand liters. There you can learn all about the famous Brazilian drink, sit in a period bar, drink delicious sugar cane juice or take a horse-drawn buggy ride and even pedal boats on a nearby drink or take a panoramic bus tour…
www.turismo.gov.brwww.fl ytap.com
MIM > Abroad > Brazil
Brazil. The mere name conjures up images of sun, bikini, beaches and fun. And like for most clichés a great part of it is true. But the country is a little more than that, especially when it comes to incentives, sports and culture. Last April, at the kind invitation of TAP, I was lucky enough to join a group of Hosted Buyers to discover the joys of Fortaleza and its surrounding region, in the north-east of the country, on a rightfully named Trail of Excitements. Here are the highlights of a rather eventful journey. REPORT RÉMI DÉVÉ
The Trail of Excitements in Brazil
Sound like paradise? It can well be…
Sailing in the Parnaiba delta
Buggying in Camocim
MIM 27
MIM: What’s TourEast Australia all about?Kim Cassingena: 'Incentives is where our expertise lies. We’re a relatively new com-pany: we’ve been 18 months in the market place. But our skills date back ten years: both our name and brands are strong in the Asian market place.'Leon Ellas: 'Although we’re a new compa-ny, we’ve been around for a very long time. 75% of Tour East is owned by Qantas: we’re one of the leading DMC companies in the country and a one-stop shop. Our very highly qualifi ed staff know what large numbers are and can deal with them.'Kim Cassingena: 'Our clients are top corporates working for top companies. We need to look for unique options for them. I like to think we have the highest product knowledge, and there’s basically no limit to what we can offer!'
MIM: To what extent does a client differ from another?Kim Cassingena: 'The emerging markets,
like Russia, need a little bit of guidance. The returning travelers, like the Germans or the North Americans, have a clearer idea of what they want. The European market is different: clients from this con-tinent tend to be more adventurous: when they come all the way here, they want to have the whole Australian experience, they want to be immersed in the Austral-ian way of life.'
MIM: What are the most popular Australian destinations?Kim Cassingena: 'Defi nitely Sydney and Melbourne. It has a lot to do with them be-ing the gateways to the country. Since the movie Australia came out, a lot of people have been requesting the whole outback cattle experience far west in Australia or in the Northern territory.' Leon Ellas: 'People also like to combine the many possibilities Australia has to offer. They start with Sydney and its beautiful harbour and continue in the outback. Remember that in this country you can be swimming in one state and skiing in another one! We are fairly unique: our country is also a continent! Of course, the aim is client satisfaction: it all pretty much depends on what they want but we like to think everything is possible because Australia is equally diverse and unique.'
MIM: Could you describe the personal feelings Australia gives you?Leon Ellas: 'In a multicultural country like ours, there are always changes so it makes sense to come back on a regular basis. Even though we’re not that close, we’re very open, safe, friendly and lively. Every state you go to is different and will make you experience something different.'Kim Cassingena: 'A lot of the conven-tion centres throughout the country have recently been either upgraded or refurbished. We now have the possibility to cater for larger events. Regarding the hotel landscape, there are new developments everywhere: Melbourne is the best example of that, with the Hilton South Wharf next to the MCEC and the third Crown hotel due to open in 2010, among others of course.' Leon Ellas: 'The state, the government, and the private sector invest a lot every-where. When people come to Australia, they will be amazed with the array of pos-sibilities that the country can offer.'
Incentives Down UnderLast AIME in Melbourne was pretty busy. But I gladly took the time to meet with Kim Cassingena, TourEast Australia Account Manager, and Leon Ellas, TourEast General Manager Sales. They told me what makes Australia so great as an incentives destination. INTERVIEW RÉMI DÉVÉ
Kim Cassingena and Leon Ellas
Marc Lambert
MIM 28
MIM > Cruises
Cruise Interview: Peter Mathieu, Cruise & Ferry World
Thanks to Peter Mathieu we no longer call a cruise ship a boat, but he knows much more about incentive cruises than just that. He's the chairman of Cruise & Ferry World, the offi -cial association for Cruises and Ferries enterprises in Belgium & Luxembourg, and has been a big promoter of cruises for years. Today C&FW represents nearly all cruise and ferry companies in Belgium and Luxembourg. INTERVIEW MARCEL A.M. VISSERS
MIM: After all the work that has already been done in this fi eld, incentive organizers still mention the lack of fl exibility on a cruise. Peter Mathieu: 'I know, we need to learn to accept this, but not ignore it. A lot of travel agents know our products, but I have to admit that the incentive organis-ers have remained a bit behind. I think that we need to pay more attention to our communications with this group.
'Let’s just look at the notion that people have less freedom with a group on a ship. A ship is complex, that’s true, but that does not mean that people can’t implement their own creative activity. Don’t forget, there are always new ships being launched on the market that are very much more designed to meet client demands.
'Another issue that comes up is paying deposits. I know that a certain shipping company asks for 25 Euro per person as a deposit to avoid people blocking cabins a long time ahead. That’s not a lot. But yet again, we need to learn to communicate about all these points in more detail. Do you know that 40% of the turnover of Cruise Connection comes from groups? So there is still a great future for Cruise Incentives!
'And those who fi nd freedom to be so im-portant have an alternative – it’s one that
costs a bit more – and that is to charter ships. Then as a company, you can be your own captain.'
MIM: Are there cruise destinations that you really love? PM: 'Alaska! So beautiful! Flora and fauna, ice and glaciers, light and air. PEACE! When you are on a ship you see things with other eyes. You see so much more. Unbelievably beautiful!'
MIM: A cruise as a motivator, a reward and an image builder: can you just describe the driving forces behind each defi nition. PM: 'I can put everything into one single description: romance, safety and prestige. That’s actually the greatest content of an incentive these days.'
MIM: Just one more question. If I ask members of the public in the street: ‘if I say Cruise, what comes to mind?’ Most people think of eating lots of food. Getting fat! PM: 'The new Celebrity ship has new cab-ins and new restaurants on board where everything is geared to wellness, well-being and healthy food. Developments that take place on land also follow on the water. There is a great emphasis even on cruises on being active!'
www.cfw.bePeter Mathieu Cruise & Ferry World
MIM 29
MIM > Cruises
Have you ever thought of organising a conference or incentive trip on a cruise ship? Navigator of the Seas in 2009 and Adventure of the Seas in 2010 offer 4 and 5 night short cruises sailing from Barcelona and Malaga. Our mix of state-of-the-art ships, leading-edge meeting rooms and conference technology, complimentary business services, onboard activities and exotic ports of call, all add up to the most productive, enjoyable and exciting functions experience ever.+ Spectacular facilities: rock climbing wall
(61 metres above sea level), ice-skating & in-line skating ring, 9-hole miniature golf course, golf simulator and full size sport court for basketball and volleyball.
+ ShipShape Health and Fitness Centre with breathtaking views over the sea; and ShipShape Spa which includes a beauty salon, sun deck and solarium with indoor and outdoor pools with whirlpool.
+ The Royal Promenade, four decks high and longer than a football fi eld, offering shops, bars and a restaurant.
+ Fantastic variety of dining options from
the Johnny Rockets** typical American diner to the Portofi no** Italian restau-rant and the spectacular 3-tier dining room, the Café Promenade, the Windjam-mer buffet, the Chops Grille** or Jade. (**with surcharge).
+ Night & day entertainment: twin-decked library stocked with over 3.000 books, cinema screening the latest release mov-ies, Casino Royale caters for every gam-ing preference and slot machines, wide variety of bars and pubs and a disco to dance away the night, fabulous fi ve-tier theatre showing Broadway-style shows and speciality acts.
+ The Conference Centre is located adjacent to Studio B (can be expanded to accommodate up to 1.350 guests) and is ideal for exhibitions and trade show events: confi gurable in a variety of theatre or classroom seating arrange-ments, sizeable from a single room into four breakout rooms, plus an executive boardroom and a multi-media screening room; wireless control of sound, light and temperature in the room.
For further information, please contact your travel agent or visit
www.cruiseconnection.be (lic A5341).
Short cruises out of Barcelona & Malaga: a big incentive
Public room capacities+ Theatre 1.362+ Schooner bar 130+ Lounge 350+ Screening room 60+ Studio B 900+ Viking Crown Lounge 335+ Casino Royale 418+ Connoisseur Club 30+ Night Club 240
Meet GroningenYou arrive around noon in the city where you'll be invited on a boat excursion on the historic canals of Groningen while enjoy-ing a delicious lunch. You'll get to know the historic and modern architecture and you'll be given some time to breathe in the atmosphere of the city. In the evening you'll have a surprising dinner in an original location, followed by an overnight stay in Groningen.
Meet the WaddenThe next morning you leave for Harlingen where you'll be picked up by a rescue boat. On the island you go on a bike tour along the original meeting facilities and there's also a small excursion
through the dune and forest area. You'll be introduced to the available teambuilding activities while having lunch after which it's due time to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. A trendy beach pavilion is the setting for the dinner and you'll spend the night in Ter-schelling.
Why come?This is an excellent op-portunity to get to know the original meeting facilities and the refreshing ideas for teambuilding events in this region. At the same time your taste buds will be aroused by the delicious local gastronomy and you'll be amazed by the excellent hotel accommodations in an exceptionally attractive and natural setting.
If you're interested to take part in this educational on Groningen and the Wadden, contact:An Van de [email protected]+32 (0)2 543 08 15www.holland.comwww.groningencongresbureau.nl
Groningen Congres Bureau and the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) are eager to welcome you on a trip to meet Groningen and the Wadden, in the north of the Netherlands. From 21 till 23 August you'll be hosted on a three-day trip to this unspoilt part of the country.
Meet Groningen and the Wadden Islands21-23 August 2009
MIM > Abroad > Groningen
Get to know the original meeting facilities and the refreshing ideas for teambuilding events
Groningen riverside
Rescue boat
Sailing
“I co-organize the annual convention of the Netherlands Museum Association. We consciously choose to have it outside the Amsterdam-The Hague area. The museum branch is well-presented and very active outside this area too, and, as the representative body, we can contribute positively to a specific region by having our annual convention there. For most participants travelling to a nice location outside the ‘Holland’ area is already a trip as such. In 2008 we had our conference in Groningen. And we liked it there.
“Groningen offers every facility – first and foremost, of course, the Groningen Museum. We are a non-profit organisation so our budget is rather limited. Groningen was quite attainable, though. The overall quality was great, the hotels were excellent and everything was surprisingly affordable. But what struck me most of all was the enthusiasm and the geniality of the people we worked with. You could just feel that it was really appreciated that we had chosen Groningen. Reactions were never blasé.
“The collaboration with Martiniplaza, Marketing Groningen and the Groningen Convention Bureau was truly heart-warming. They come up with many ideas, which I like. Everything around our 2-day convention was organised very accurately and efficiently and communication was open and good, both before and during the convention. When, for instance, at any time we asked for a list of all registrations, it would always be available. The purposive professional support we received was one of the reasons we had no fewer than 775 registrations. And our visitors were very content as well.”
GRONINGEN CONVENTION BUREAUUbbo Emmiussingel 37b9711 BC GroningenThe Netherlands
France has always been a preferred destination for Belgian MICE groups. The reason is simple: an abundance of original and attractive ideas! Here just a selection to wet your appetite:
+ A responsible crossing of the Mediterra-nean Island of Corsica by addressing all the current environmental issues within an idyllic framework...
+ Discover the charm of Montmartre’s narrow streets, with its caricaturists and musicians dressed as poulbots + typical street urchins…
+ Relive the splendours of Louis XIV’s court at dinner at the Château de Versailles…
+ Pretend to be a movie star strolling down la Croisette and ascending the steps of the Palais des Festivals at Cannes…
+ Go on a wine rally in Burgundy and learn about wine tasting…
+ Admire Art Nouveau masterpieces in Nancy…
+ Learn to cook local specialities from the Lyon region at a cookery workshop…
+ Go on a search for the 'Secret of Wine',
a hunt created by Saint Emilion Excel-lence that will plunge the participants in a playful, interactive, educational and astonishing adventure following the 'Star' of the wine leading them to discover THE bottle that contains the secret of wine.
Whatever destination, style or theme you are seeking, you will fi nd it in France. Come and mix business with pleasure, we all very much look forward to seeing you back in France soon!
Atout France, the national tourist board of France, has a dedicated meetings industry department: The French Convention Bureau. The main objective of The French Convention Bureau is to market and promote France as a destination for meet-ings, conventions and incentives. The French Convention Bureau functions as a li-aison between foreign meeting, convention and incentive planners and the facilities and service providers in France. It offers free and impartial information and advice.
AT THE HEART OF YOUR EVENTThe French Convention Bureau offers the combined powers of an entity made up of more than 130 members, each a true spe-cialist in his particular sector of activity, and covers all aspects of business tourism. Hotels, destination management compa-nies, conference organisers, convention centres and bureaux as well as transport companies and local and regional tourist boards are widely represented. Further-more, local representatives of Atout France have the professionalism, know-how, and market knowledge to help fi nd solutions to meet clients’ needs and expectations.
AT THE HEART OF ALL DESTINATIONSThe French Convention Bureau will advise you, assist you, and provide you with the know-how to make your event a success. With The French Convention Bureau, France has never been closer to your next event.
For further information, please contact:Gudrun GhesquièreAtout France21 avenue de la Toison d’Or1050 BrusselsT: +32 2 505 38 04F: + 32 2 514 33 [email protected]
Authenticity, safety and reliability are the hallmark of all French destinations. The great variety of land- and cityscapes as well as strong regional cultures plus a shared dedication to unique experiences strikes a balance between tradition and innovation.
Discover Switzerland by train in a glass-roofed panorama car, in a vintage car, hot-air balloon, horse-drawn sleigh, canoe, or on a dog sled, boat, mountain ride, scooter, pedalo, or by postal bus, helicopter, bike, horse, or why not on snowshoes? Any way you choose to do it, the abundance of af-fordable ideas to organize an incentive or teambuilding event is mind-blowing.Your team will soon learn that it's not all fun and games when they're building a raft they will also use as a picnic location on the water, when they're using snow as a material to come up with fresh ideas, or when they're going through the whole proc-ess of cheese-making. Sports might bring out the competitive aspect of your team, so let them try out curling, toboggan racing, night skiing or golf, which is even possible on a glacier at an altitude of 3,000 metres, imagine that! Or test their nerves as they experience an avalanche situation where they need to use avalanche transceivers to rescue a buried dummy skier against the clock, or as they shoot an apple just like Swiss national hero William Tell did.In need for an adrenaline rush? Just think about traversing a glacier and conquering the treacherous sea of ice while roped to-gether, or crossing wobbly rope bridges 18
metres above the ground at an adventure rope park. Switzerland is also the perfect country for mountain biking, but not neces-sarily in a conventional way. Try a ride through the wine-growing areas, cycling through the wine hills by day and tasting the product itself in the evening.Climb a mountain together, on foot, before paragliding back down together with a professional pilot. Back on the ground, there are numerous ways to hurtle down a
snow-covered mountain: try the new Air-board, a high-speed, air-fi lled bodyboard, 'zorbing', which involves rolling down inside a giant infl atable ball, or 'tubing', on giant inner tubes. On the water you can combine tactical skill with knowledge of the elements during a sailing race. Below the surface you will notice that the water is so clean that visibility during a diving session is exceptional, even deep down.Don't be afraid you'll be twiddling your thumbs when the weather doesn't play along. Switzerland has museums, galler-ies and collections to suit every taste and you can even discover your inner artist and awaken your own creativity. Not everything has to be about effort or education all the time, so it's time to relax in the soothing en-vironment of a wellness centre. Choose your style: from Roman-Irish baths to modern sauna complexes, from aromatically scented grottoes to steam rooms and crystal baths.Nothing says teambuilding like working on a good cause together. Join in the haymaking in remote mountain villages, help with the protection of forests, with the construction of winter shelters for wildlife, or with a resto-ration project of a mountain footpath that suffered from storm damage.After an eventful day you need a good night's rest, so pick the accommodation that suits you best, be it in an igloo, a mountain hut, a magnifi cent castle, elegant villa in the countryside, a Grand Hotel, tepee, or mon-astery. And then we haven't even mentioned more peculiar locations like La Claustra, a clear and stylish study in light and rock deep inside the Gotthard massif, or the clean air of the mountain hotels above 3,000 metres.
Switzerland at a glance: 1/ Magnifi cent panorama 2/ Quality and service 3/ Reassuringly safe 4/ Cultural diversity 5/ Multi-lingual 6/ Short distance 7/ Traditional standing
This is why Thailand has become one of the world’s most favoured business event destinations. There is a real invigorating and stimulat-ing effect that allows executives to see things in a different light, and to seek creative breakthroughs for corporate issues. Here, event delegates feel stimulated to raise their game and contribute their best to meet the challenges of business. Of course, it does help that Thailand offers so much more for vibrant events. Located in the geographical heart of Asia, Thailand offers magnifi cent backdrops for events, superior accommodation, state of the art equipment and professional operators, excellent food variety, international cuisine; and above all, impeccable service always with the world-famous Thai smile. Additionally, the cost of living in Thailand is much more appeal-ing, compared with many Asian destinations, so all this comes with real value for money. So, locate your business events in Thailand and maximize ideas and let inspiration soar.
The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau or TCEB welcomes your event with heartfelt sincerity. Check how much more Thailand offers. Visit www.tceb.or.th
Maximize Your Inspiration
In recent years, research studies have demonstrated the effect of light and bright
sunshine on stimulating the brain and inspir-ing creativity. The bright skies and natural
light of Thailand has formed the remarkable, cheerful characteristics of generations of Thai people. For years, visitors to Thailand
have been exhilarated by the prevailing ambiance and welcoming smiles.
MIM > Abroad > Thailand
Cooking Workshop
OFFICE ESPAGNOL DU TOURISME Rue Royale, 97 - 5º, 1000 BRUXELLESSPAANSE DIENST VOOR TOERISME Koningsstraat, 97 1000 BRUSSEL
