BestCities December 2010 e-Newsletter
Explore our website to learn more about BestCities Global Alliance and its Partners – Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Melbourne, San Juan, Singapore and Vancouver.
“The fact that our association has already held (or will hold) congresses in five of the eight member cities led me to believe – and rightly so – that we appeared to be on the right track in our choice of destinations. One of the more valuable aspects of the BestCities Alliance is their mission to establish industry standards and ensure that they are maintained, in order for clients to benefit from this certification of quality. It is essential for association executives to have the assurance that the host city convention bureau is doing its utmost to proactively make their event a success on all fronts. I have certainty that BestCities accreditation is the way of the future for cities competing for international business.”
-Martine Coutu, Executive Director
Société Internationale d’Urologie
Dear Association Friends,
As we come to the close of 2010, we at BestCities Global Alliance would like to thank you all for your support and participation in our various BestCities programmes. We have an equally exciting line-up next year, and with Copenhagen and Dubai extending an invitation to association meeting planners to attend our Clients Workshop. Participation is limited and subjected to our event criteria, and if you want to know more, please do not hesitate to contact Jane Cunningham (email: jane.cunningham@bestcities.net; telephone: +44 2083 9295 75).
We are delighted to announce that with the kind support of IMEX (www.imex-frankfurt.com), BestCities will be organising a group to attend the IMEX exhibition next year. As our guest, we will provide you with either flight or train travel to Frankfurt, two night stay in a 4/5 star hotel in the city centre, transfers from and to the airport, entrance to the exhibition and a dinner with representatives from the eight cities, Cape Town, Copenhagen, Dubai, Edinburgh, Melbourne, San Juan, Singapore and Vancouver on the Tuesday night. IMEX Association Day takes place on the Monday and there will be other networking and educational opportunities available. We already have some association meeting planners signed up for this opportunity and would love to hear from you too if you are interested. Participation is limited and subjected to event criteria.
Please read on and enjoy our BestCities news.
Welcome to Copenhagen: Destination of the Year
Did you know that Copenhagen has been awarded Destination of the Year by European Consumers Choice? Maximilien Lejeune, CEO explains: "Copenhagen is one of Europe's most interesting cities right now. We try to nominate the ten cities we feel are buzzing the most. We most definitely believe that Copenhagen is doing just that.” This year, Copenhagen received 25% of the votes - 4% more than Barcelona. Copenhagen was the only Scandinavian city nominated and maintained the lead throughout the whole month of voting.
Qualified association meeting planners will have the opportunity to visit and experience Copenhagen from June 8-10, 2011 when the city hosts BestCities biennial Client Workshop. This programme is open to only a limited number of meeting planners and guarantees an intimate and attentive experience. The programme will include site inspections to meeting facilities, an educational forum and the opportunity to learn more about Copenhagen and its seven fellow BestCities destinations.
We look forward to seeing you at BestCities Copenhagen: Destination of the Year!
www.meetincopenhagen.com
back to topInternational Egg Conference comes to the home of the largest egg in the world
Cape Town continues its winning streak with regards to securing association conferences after it won the bid to host the Conference of the International Egg Commission (IEC) in 2013. Since April this year Cape Town secured no fewer than 10 association conferences, with an estimated economic impact of R119.5 million.
“The business tourism sector has worked hard to reach the phenomenal total of 10 secured association conferences just half way through the financial year. It is also fitting that this conference should be held in the province that houses the Cape Garden Route & Klein Karoo as well as the Cape Karoo – renowned for its ostriches, which produce the largest eggs in the world,”commented Calvyn Gilfellan, CEO of Cape Town Routes Unlimited, the destination marketing organisation of Cape Town and the Western Cape.
In addition to the Egg Conference Cape Town has secured the following, the:
- International Mesothelioma Interest Group Conference in 2012
- International Conference on Emergency Medicine in 2016
- IFEA Endodontic World Congress in 2016
Combined these 4 bids will inject approximately R37-million into the local economy. These bids are in addition to the 6 bids secured earlier this year.
back to topThe Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCVB) scoops Victorian Tourism’s best Meetings and Business Tourism organisation 2010 Award
Sandra Chipchase, CEO of MCVB, said the organisation’s innovative practices and bidding expertise, which delivered strong results in the previous financial year, contributed to the organisation’s award win. In 2009/10, MCVB’s activities secured Business Events projected to attract 71,891 delegates and their partners and families to Victoria, injecting $269 million into the State economy over the next five years.
This year MCVB introduced a world-first online digital delegate boosting tool to not only boost delegate numbers and spend while in Victoria, but to also increase the number of visitors accompanying delegates.
“MCVB’s service standards are also key to our success, with 98 per cent of clients rating MCVB as ‘excellent’ in post bid surveys for areas such as professionalism, assistance in bid preparation and enquiry response time,” Ms Chipchase said.
back to topUnderwater Acoustics Experts Head to Edinburgh
Edinburgh has been selected to host the biannual European Conference on Underwater Acoustics and some 600 delegates are expected to attend the four day event in July 2012. The event is one of eleven new conferences won for Edinburgh with Edinburgh Convention Bureau’s assistance in the last one month. The subject matter of these most recently confirmed conferences range from forensic psychotherapy, oral surgery, cable supported bridge construction to paediatric dentistry. At the Underwater Acoustics Conference, topics covered will be ranging from underwater intruder detection to fish shoal density.
In total these International and National Association events are estimated to be worth £6.5 million to the Edinburgh and Lothians economy and will be attended by up to 4,700 delegates.
Sue Stuart, Chief Executive of ECB, also revealed that they are currently pursuing another 42 conferences which could be worth another £32.5million to the economy. She commented: “If we can confirm all the events we have in the pipeline we will exceed by a margin of £3.5 million our target for this year of helping attract conferences to the city worth £75.7 million to the local economy. These latest figures underline the importance of business tourism to the wider economy in times of economic restraint.” The European Underwater Conference is expected to inject £1.1 million into the local economy when it is staged in July 2012.
Edinburgh is the most popular UK city after London for hosting international association meetings and is the 36th most popular business tourism destination in the world.
back to topNovember 2011: A great time to visit Dubai
For those associations who have perhaps been to some of the other BestCities but never to Dubai, we invite you to join us in November to experience what the city has to offer for International Associations. You will also meet the team at the Bureau to find out more about the support available and the other 7 cities will also be present so you can share your future conference requirements with them and gain up to date information about our cities. A Client Forum during the workshop will enable the associations present to discuss current / relevant issues that affect them. We are here to work with you in partnership to ensure the success of your conference through the support the convention bureaus can offer.
back to topRecognising the best in Singapore’s tourism industry
The Singapore Experience Awards which aims to be the most prestigious awards platform in Singapore’s tourism industry, recognises and rewards those who deliver the best in holistic travel experiences covering a wide range of the tourism sector – from retail to hospitality, from dining to attractions, from healthcare to several awards which are specific to the business travel and MICE industry.
Under the Events category, awards were given for Association Conference of the Year, Trade Conference of the Year, Exhibition of the Year, and Meeting of the Year. Other awards relating to the MICE industry were Business Event Venue Experience, Best Business Event Services Experience, Best Hotel Experience, Best Nightspot Experience and Best Visitor Attraction Experience. The judging panel comprised local and overseas representatives who are recognised professionals in their respective fields.
Ms Aw Kah Peng, Singapore Tourism Board’s Chief Executive said, “It is vital that Singapore’s tourism industry continues to embody the spirit of innovation, passion, and creativity. Each year, the Singapore Experience Awards allows us to recognise and celebrate individuals and organizations who are moving Singapore’s tourism sector forward. The winners exemplify the passion and commitment which are needed for Singapore to deliver winning and compelling visitor experiences. Ultimately, this is what will set Singapore apart as the global destination of choice.”
The Association Conference of the Year was awarded to the International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies – ICMAT 2009 – while the President of Materials Research Society of Singapore, Prof B.V.R. Chowdari was named Business Event Ambassador.
For a full list of the winners and finalists of the Singapore Experience Awards 2010, visit www.singaporeexperience.com.
back to topSan Juan: Smooth meetings capital of the Caribbean
Anyone connected with meetings knows the best phrase you can hear at the end of the day is: “The meeting went smoothly.” Nowhere else in the Caribbean is that phrase heard more often than in Puerto Rico. The Puerto Rico Convention Bureau is committed to Smooth meetings. This award-winning organization serves as a liaison to more than 350 member-suppliers and assists planners with everything from hotel proposals, site selection and customized promotional materials as well as organizing special events, theme parties, provide on-site convention staff and more.
Celebrating five years of operation, the Puerto Rico Convention Center offers a high-tech, high-touch experience. The visually-dramatic, technologically-advanced Center, designed to evoke images of Puerto Rico’s historic and natural surroundings, includes a 152,700 sq. ft. (14,186 sq. m.) exhibition hall, a 39,500 sq. ft. (3,570 sq. m.) ballroom and 36,200 sq. ft. (2,282 sq. m.) of meeting space in 15 flexible rooms with 28 breakout sections.
Recently opened is the official headquarter hotel of the Puerto Rico Convention Center. The Sheraton Puerto Rico Hotel & Casino, located within the Puerto Rico Convention Center District and designed as an “urban oasis” features 35,000 sq. ft. (3,251 sq. m.) of state-of-the-art flexible meeting space. Design as a conference center and located directly across from the Center, the property includes a 16,300 sq. ft. (1,514 sq. m.) ballroom, and a smaller, 7,700 sq. ft. (715 sq. m.) ballroom with natural lighting, in addition to seven other meeting rooms. Other hotels planned within the District include a 300-room Marriott and a 252-room Aloft property.
In 2011 Puerto Rico will be host to no fewer than six “Citywide” conventions with a line-up that includes the first-ever Ironman 70.3 San Juan triathlon event in March, the Sixth World Congress of the International Society of Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Baptist Biennial hosted by the American Baptist Churches USA in June; the 46th General Assembly of the International Union of Pure & Applied Chemistry in July and the World Library & Information Congress (IFLA): 77th IFLA General Conference and Assembly and the XXIX Conferencia Interamericana de Contabilidad (CPAs) in August.
Puerto Rico continues to grow in its appeal as an international meetings destination and in addition to more than 1,700 weekly non-stop and direct flight arrivals from the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Europe and the Caribbean, the destination offers more than 1.3 million square feet of meeting and function space and nearly 14,000 hotel rooms for an outstanding range of top-name accommodation choices in a variety of price ranges. And when it’s time to relax, Puerto Rico features award-winning restaurants, 14 championship golf courses, full-service resort spas, the sights and sounds of Old San Juan and the El Yunque Rainforest, as well as lively casinos and nightlife.
For more information about planning and booking a meeting in Puerto Rico, contact Lisa Altieri of the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau at 1-800-875-4765 or visit www.meetpuertorico.com.
back to topVancouver does it (again)!
It’s official! Vancouver is, again!, one of the world’s best places to visit. Readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine have once again named Vancouver "Best City in the Americas" in the magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey. This is the fifth time Vancouver has won the title since 2004.
The poll, which defines the Americas as Canada, Central America and South America, asked readers to rate cities on a variety of criteria, including culture and sites, restaurants, lodging, shopping, ambience and friendliness. Vancouver is no stranger to major accolades. In 2009 alone, the city was named "the world’s most liveable city" by the Economist Intelligence Unit, and "top city in the Americas" in the Mercer Human Resource Consulting annual quality of living survey. To see Vancouver’s full list of honours, click here.