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L.A. police search for man who scams, steals from hotel guests
10 March 2010, 10:52 am

LOS ANGELES — A well-dressed man who talked his way into a Florida sugar baron's hotel room and stole tens of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry may be the same person who pulled similar scams on a Mexican soccer team, a salsa band and an Israeli basketball team when they visited Los Angeles, police said Tuesday.The man, described as well dressed and with slicked-back hair, posed as a Four Seasons hotel employee when he struck up a conversation in an elevator on Friday with Jose Pepe Fanjul and his wife, Emilia, according to police. Later that night, he showed up at the couple's room and told them he needed to fix a problem with an air vent. After he left, they discovered more than $45,000 in jewels missing.

"I haven't seen any pictures yet but I've had many calls and I've had a description, and his appearance and M.O. sounds very much like a man we're calling Ricco Suave," said police Lt. Paul Vernon.

In a statement issued later Tuesday, the police department said detectives were still trying to determine for sure whether the thief was the man they call Suave. Authorities gave him that nickname because of his smooth manner and debonair appearance, Vernon said.

Last August, the man persuaded a clerk at another hotel he was a member of a salsa group in town for a concert, Vernon said. He obtained keys to the musicians' rooms and stole more than $9,000. Before he left, he gave the clerk a music CD as a gift.The following month the suspect arrived at yet another hotel and, wearing a soccer jersey, greeted members of a Mexican team as they left for a match with a U.S. team. Later, he persuaded a hotel clerk he was with the team, obtained keys and rifled more than $10,000 from the players' rooms.

Then in October he arrived at the Staples Center arena for an exhibition game between the Los Angeles Clippers and a team from Israel. Wearing a suit and carrying a clipboard, he entered the Israeli team's locker room during the game and stole more than $26,000 in cash and jewelry.

Fanjul, who police believe may be the man's latest victim, arrived in town with his wife last week to see Sunday's Academy Awards. His family business, Florida Crystals, is based in Palm Beach, Fla. It is one of the nation's largest sugar producers, with 155,000 acres, two sugar mills, a refinery and other holdings.

Source: USATODAY.com Travel (Hotels) - Top Stories

Monarch launches flights to Santorini from Gatwick and Manchester
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

Award winning airline, Monarch, is expanding its portfolio of flights to the Greek Islands for Summer 2010, with the addition of new weekly services from Gatwick and Manchester to Santorini. Flights are available to book now via monarch.co.uk.

Formed by an ancient volcanic eruption, Santorini is famed for having the best sunsets in the world and boasts an astonishing blend of scenery, radiant white villages and spellbinding archaeological sites. Combined with dramatic black sand beaches and sophisticated nightlife, this stunning island is one of the most famous holiday destinations in Greece and provides the perfect location for that dream Greek getaway.

Monarch’s new charter flights to Santorini operate weekly (every Tuesday) from Gatwick and Manchester between 05 May and 05 October 2010. Flights start from

Continental Airlines to move Denver flights to concourse B at Denver International Airport
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

Continental Airlines announced that it will move its Denver operations from Concourse A to Concourse B at Denver International Airport, effective March 9. In addition, the Presidents Club located in Concourse A will close, effective March 16. Presidents Club and Star Alliance Gold members and BusinessFirst customers traveling on international flights will have convenient access to the United Airlines Red Carpet Clubs located in Concourse B.

Customers with boarding passes who are not checking bags can go directly to Continental's new gate locations at B-16, B-18, B-20 and B-22. The ticketing and check-in counter will remain in its current Terminal East location.

The relocation will enable customers to connect seamlessly at Denver International Airport between Continental's 10 daily flights and other Star Alliance carrier flights. Continental's move will facilitate connections with United, already located in Concourse B, and US Airways, which is also relocating there. Star Alliance airlines offer more than 440 daily departures from Denver.

"By aligning our operations with those of other Star Alliance members, Continental customers will have better connections to more destinations worldwide," said Marc Bradell, general manager of Continental's operations at Denver International Airport.

Continental's move in Denver follows similar moves at airports in many domestic and international markets, including Chicago, Frankfurt, Tokyo/Narita, Honolulu, Barcelona and Beijing.

Continental Airlines is the world's fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,500 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 133 domestic and 135 international destinations. Continental is a member of Star Alliance, which overall offers 19,700 daily flights to 1,077 airports in 175 countries through its 26 member airlines. With more than 41,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.

Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For nine consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has ranked Continental as the top U.S. airline on its "World's Most Admired Companies" airline industry list.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

Taipei’s elegant new boutique art hotel - Hotel Eclat
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

Discreetly located in a quiet part of Taipei’s most fashionable district, Da-An, is Hotel Eclat, an eclectic, elegant new boutique art hotel which is the first new luxury hotel to open in the city for many years.

The French word “Eclat” literally means “glorious accomplishment and honour”, and this aptly describes this stylish, avant-garde new hotel with lavish furnishings, priceless artworks, eclectic contemporary design and among the most opulent guest room amenities of any hotel anywhere.

A member of the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the 60-room hotel is owned and conceived by sophisticated Hong Kong entrepreneur George Wong, who created and owns the legendary luxury apartment complex Hong Kong Parkview. The hotel features much of his personal art and furniture collection, and even his own personal collections of vintage fine wines and priceless rare Chinese mao tai liquor.

The hotel is designed by Charles Robertson of LKF designers Limited, whose work includes stylish projects such as the ultra cool Le Meridien Cyberport Hotel in Hong Kong, Starworld Hotel & Casino in Macau and Four Seasons Shanghai.

Discreetly scented with bamboo and lotus fragrance, the elegant Eclat Lounge sets the tone and features two original Salvador Dali sculptures worth over several million US$ each, lavish velvet sofas and drapes and vast glass hanging light sculptures in various shades of purple by noted Czech glass artist Jitka Skuhrava, Lasvit. Afternoon tea at The Eclat Lounge has already become a “must do” for those in the know in Taipei.

All 60 guest rooms are luxuriously equipped with state-of-the-art luxury amenities including 42-inch LCD televisions and internet TV keyboards, Bang & Olufsen CD and audio systems, Nespresso coffee machines, Montblanc desk sets and pens, Philippe Starck desk chairs, Riedel glassware and Salvatore Ferragamo toiletries featuring not the usual three but seven different amenities.

A unique glass wall divides the walk in rainforest shower from the living area and can be frosted or defrosted at the touch of a switch, and every room features an original work by Chinese contemporary artist Tang Yuen Hei.

Bed lines are also of the highest quality, and there is a choice of ten different pillow types from the pillow menu.

The signature Eclat Suite – already the choice of celebrities visiting Taipei – includes a lighted marble dining table, Swarovski chandeliers, Murano glass sculptures and a Hasten bed from Sweden favoured by royalty and costing a cool US$48,000.

For dining, Eclat Lounge serves breakfast, business lunches and traditional English afternoon tea, and offers an a la carte menu throughout the day. Guests may descend the marble staircase to the elegant basement level, where a remarkable restaurant with a European flair will open in the first half of 2010, complete with fascinating artworks.

The elegant George Bar, cosy and discreet, is the perfect place to enjoy an expertly mixed cocktail over a few tapas early evening, or for a quiet rendezvous late into the night

Hotel Eclat’s location could not be better. The hotel is in the heart of the fashionable Da-An district just minutes from the world famous landmark tower Taipei 101, the Tun Hua South Rd luxury shopping district, Taipei’s famous 24-hour Eslite bookstore, and cool nightspots such as the Anhe Road bar street and Taipei’s most chic night club Room 18, which Hotel Eclat’s guests can enjoy complimentary entrance to.

Guests also enjoy complimentary access to California Fitness gym and preferential rates at the nearby Shiseido Qi Spa.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

Air France-KLM; recovery in load factors in both passenger and cargo aircraft continues
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

Following the significant capacity adjustments realised by the group over the past year, which have weighed on revenues, the recovery in load factors in both passenger and cargo aircraft continues. Unit revenues per available seat or ton kilometer are improving relative to the extremely low base of 2009. However, pressure on unit revenues remains strong on certain zones and in premium class in general.

Passenger business

Activity in February was affected by adverse weather conditions as well as four days of strikes by French Air Traffic controllers. The impact of these factors on revenues is estimated at some 22 million euros. Nevertheless the decline in traffic was limited to 0.6% while capacity was reduced by 5.0%, enabling the load factor to gain 3.5 points to 77.7%. The group carried 4.8 million passengers (-2.2%). Since January, comparables benefit from a favourable base.

Unit revenue per available seat kilometer (RASK) excluding currency was above the level of February

2009.

- On the Americas network traffic was slightly up by 0.2% with capacity down by 7.1%. The load factor gained 5.8 points to 80.1%. Load factors improved both on North and Latin American routes.

- Traffic was virtually stable on the Asia network (-0.4%) with capacity down 3.9%.The load factor gained 3.0 points to 86.1%, confirming the progressive recovery in demand volume on this network.

- On the Africa and Middle East network, the decline in traffic was in line with that of capacity (-2.3% and -2.5% respectively). The load factor rose 0.2 points to 75.4%.

- The Caribbean and Indian Ocean network saw traffic rise by 3.0% for stable capacity (-0.3%). As a result the load factor gained 2.7 points to 84.0%.

- On the European network, seve rely affected by the adverse weather conditions and the air traffic control strike, capacity was reduced by 7.7%. The drop in traffic was limited to 3.3% enabling the load factor to progress by 2.9 points to 63.6%.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

Qatar Airways’ fleet size rises to 80 aircraft
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

Qatar Airways celebrated another milestone in its remarkable short history announcing its fleet size has grown to 80 aircraft - double the size of five years ago.

The airline has inducted its 15th Boeing 777 into the fleet and maintains a delivery schedule of more than one new aircraft a month, retaining its status as one of the world’s fastest growing airlines.

The newest Boeing 777-300 Extended Range aircraft will serve long haul routes from the airline’s operational hub of Doha, capital of the State of Qatar. The aircraft is part of a larger order for more than 220 different aircraft worth over US$40 billion placed in recent years.

With the fleet set to grow to 120 aircraft by 2013 and current global network of 86 destinations also expected to rise to 120 by 2013, Qatar Airways is continuing its expansion strategy with vigour.

“Yet again, Qatar Airways is demonstrating its continued commitment to growth, a strategy set in 1997 when the airline was launched under the auspices of The Emir, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani ,“ said Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.

Addressing media in Hyderabad during India Aviation 2010, the country’s second International Exhibition and Conference on Civil Aviation, Al Baker said Qatar Airways was forging ahead with expansion at an unprecedented rate.

He was speaking as Qatar Airways debuted at this year’s Air Show with a dedicated chalet showcasing its award-winning Five Star hospitality and displaying two aircraft - a Boeing 777-200 Long Range version and a Bombardier Challenger 300, which is part of the airline’s new corporate jet subsidiary, Qatar Executive.

“Just five years ago, Qatar Airways operated 40 aircraft. Today our fleet has doubled in size to 80 aircraft. As our fleet increases, we are able to raise capacity on existing services and introduce new routes which is continuing as planned despite the industry facing challenges amid the current global economic climate,” said Al Baker.

“Qatar Airways set out a long-term vision to be a world leader with innovative inflight service using the most modern and efficient aircraft in the skies today. This is what gives us an edge over our competitors and, rest assured, we will maintain and step up our momentum to reach our ultimate goal of being the Best Airline in the World.”

Last week, Qatar Airways embarked on its aggressive 2010 expansion programme with the launch of daily non-stop flights between Doha and Bengaluru (Bangalore), the State capital of Karnataka. It was the first of several planned new route launches this year.

Beginning March 30, scheduled flights are set to be introduced to the Danish capital of Copenhagen; April 5 sees the Turkish capital Ankara coming on line; April 26 is the launch date of daily flights to the Japanese capital, Tokyo; June 7 sees Barcelona added to the network.

 

Formerly known as Bangalore, flights to Bengaluru take Qatar Airways’ Indian capacity up to 71 services a week spread across 11 key points - Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Trivandrum, Cochin, Kozhikode, Goa and Amritsar.

Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777-200LR passenger aircraft on static display in Hyderabad during the five-day Air Show features a total of 259 seats (42 seats in Business Class in a 2–2–2 configuration and 217 seats in Economy in a 3–3–3 configuration).

The Boeing 777-200LR flies on ultra long-haul routes of up to 17 hours non-stop, such as Doha to Houston and Melbourne.

With 32 Boeing 777s on order, including passenger and cargo aircraft, these will form the backbone of the airline’s long haul fleet. The aircraft operates on many long-haul routes and also serves selected destinations in India and across Asia.

Business Class passengers are able to enjoy comfortable and spacious seating offering a pitch of up to 78 inches with each seat converting into 180-degree fully flat horizontal beds. With a 2–2–2 seating configuration, Business Class passengers are assured of either a window or aisle seat and plenty of space.

In Economy Class, seat space is above the industry average with a pitch of up to 34 inches offering significant leg room.

 

Added Al Baker: “With a flying range of up to 17 hours non-stop, our Boeing 777 LRs and ERs offer passengers the ultimate in comfort and service to long-haul destinations non-stop from Doha. The aircraft also features unrivalled facilities, which certainly provide our competitors with something to think about.

“With a 78-inch Business Class pitch, our 42 premium seats are undoubtedly the best in the Middle East. And our Economy seats offer the greatest levels of comfort in this cabin than any other airline in the region.”

Regardless of class of travel, passengers can enjoy the next generation interactive onboard entertainment system with a choice of more than 900 audio and video on demand options. From music, documentaries, movies, sport, comedy, children’s programmes and interactive games, passengers are rest assured of a great choice of touch-screen entertainment through the airline’s Oryx Entertainment system. Both Business and Economy class cabins offer in-seat PC power supply.

The Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft on display in Hyderabad is one of three corporate jets in the airline’s subsidiary Qatar Executive, launched six months ago to serve the Middle East’s expanding corporate business travel market.

With eight reclinable leather seats in a luxurious configuration, the Challenger 300 features premium fittings and has a range of up to 2,800 nautical miles – enough to fly as far as South East Asia and Europe non-stop from Doha.

Being a subsidiary of a well-established Five Star-ranked airline, Qatar Executive leverages on its extensive expertise and experience so VVIP travellers can be rest assured of the highest standards of comfort and reliability provided by highly trained and experienced flight and cabin crew.

Statistics from the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) show that the corporate market in the Middle East has grown at an average of 13 per cent a year since 2000. Nine years ago, there were 200 corporate jets based in the Middle East, more than doubling in size to 450 in 2008 with estimates of further growth over the next few years.

According to CAPA, the corporate jet market in the Middle East is estimated to be worth between US$500 million and US$700 million a year.

Added Al Baker: “Forecast growth in the Middle East corporate jet market is expected to be between 15 and 20 per cent until 2012, so there is a clear opportunity for Qatar Airways to capitalise on this trend, hence the creation of our business unit, Qatar Executive.”

The trend towards using corporate jets is also fuelled through the growing number of secondary airports in less populated areas now available in the region, making travel to remote areas much easier, which is especially valuable to oil and gas companies.

Qatar Airways currently operates a modern fleet of 80 aircraft to 86 diverse business and leisure destinations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific, South Asia and North America.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

LOT modernise its core passenger systems with the adoption of Amadeus’ inventory
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

LOT Polish Airlines and Amadeus announced the expansion of their IT partnership agreement with the adoption of the Star Alliance Common IT Platform (CITP) inventory module, provided by Amadeus.

LOT, which has been a user of Amadeus’ Altea reservation system since 2003, will now add the Amadeus Altea inventory module to its customer management system. After the implementation, which is expected to be completed by the second half of 2010, the airline will manage both reservations and inventory from an integrated, new generation technology platform.

By implementing CITP to manage its inventory LOT will benefit from additional synergies with other Star Alliance member carriers, such as improved time to market, reduced costs of ongoing system development and a seamless service offering across the global Star Alliance network.

Amadeus Altea Inventory is a critical component of the Amadeus Altea suite. It is designed using Service Oriented Architecture that enables airlines to implement the most advanced revenue management techniques, to streamline schedules management and significantly improve the time to market of new products.

“We are thrilled with LOT’s decision to select Amadeus as a lead technology partner to sustain its growth. With the adoption of Altea Inventory, that will enable LOT to maximize its yield, LOT is taking a quantum leap in IT. Continued modernisation of IT infrastructure is essential for airlines to remain competitive in the current economic scenario” commented Julia Sattel, Vice President of Airline IT at Amadeus.

“Adoption of additional components of the Altea platform will enable us to meet our objective of delivering the highest level of service to LOT customers. Managing our passenger service platform with Altea Inventory will enhance our competitiveness, simplify key processes and enable our customers to efficiently enjoy all the benefits of the Star Alliance customer proposition" said Tomasz Kochan, Chief Information Officer, LOT.

“We are very pleased that LOT have opted for the Star Alliance Common IT Platform (CITP)”, commented Justin Erbacci, Vice President Information Technology, Star Alliance. “By adopting the same customer management system as a large percentage of the Star Alliance members, LOT will benefit from additional operational synergies and be able to provide a more seamless interline travel experience to its customers.”

With the addition of LOT, the Amadeus Altea community has over 130 airlines using the Altea Reservation module and over 90 airlines that have opted for the full Altea CMS suite.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

Congrex UK MD joins the IAPCO council
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

The Congrex Group announces that Sarah Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Congrex UK, at the recent General Assembly in Athens, was elected to the IAPCO council.

IAPCO is the international association for professional organisers and meeting planners and aims to promote the professionalism of the meetings industry through continuing education. Sarah will join the other newly elected members of the Council and President, Philippe Fournier, as Chair of the Quality Committee, to help serve the IAPCO members in 2010 and 2011. The Council also works to promote IAPCO as the leading authority on professional congress organisation worldwide and to maintain the quality standards within the industry.

“I am really excited to join the IAPCO Council as this is such an important Association in the meetings industry”, said Sarah Fitzpatrick. “It will be a great challenge for me personally, but I am sure that I can contribute to helping IAPCO meet its targets and goals for the coming years” Sarah added. “On behalf of IAPCO, I am pleased to welcome the newly elected members onto the council”, commented IAPCO President Philippe Fournier.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

Emirates welcomes aboard Senegal by announcing new route to Dakar
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

Emirates passengers can look forward to a warm welcome on and off the aircraft after the airline unveiled plans to launch direct services to Senegal - known as the land of ‘Teranga’ or hospitality because of its friendly and welcoming people.

 

The West African nation will be Emirates’ 106th international destination, and closely follows new route announcements to Tokyo, Amsterdam, Prague and Madrid, also launching in 2010. Dakar is the airline’s third new African destination in less than 12 months, after Durban and Luanda joined the network in late 2009.

 

Starting 1st September 2010, Emirates will fly non-stop to Dakar five times a week on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The service will be operated by an Airbus A340-300 aircraft, offering a three-class configuration of 12 First Class, 42 Business and 213 Economy Class seats.

 

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline & Group, said: “We are delighted to announce Dakar as our nineteenth destination into Africa. This new route further underlines our commitment to Africa, as we seek to continuously strengthen our services across the continent.”



Sheikh Ahmed continued: “This service will link Dakar to Emirates’ network of over 100 international markets spanning six continents, facilitating the smooth transfer of business and leisure travellers as well as cargo. It is a significant next step in further strengthening ties between the United Arab Emirates and Senegal, as the two nations continue to collaborate on many significant projects.”



His Excellency Karim Wade, Senior Minister, Ministry of International Cooperation, National Planning, Air Transport and Infrastructure, Senegal said: “As the first direct service between Senegal and the UAE, this new route will deliver a significant boost to our nation’s trade, commerce and tourism industries.”



Mr Wade continued: “I am proud that Senegal continues to forge new links with the United Arab Emirates. Just as our countries share an 'open skies' agreement, so we also share a strong tradition of hospitality and Senegal looks forward to extending a warm welcome to Emirates and all its customers.”



 The announcement of the Senegal service comes as economic activity between the two nations continues to blossom. Dubai’s non-oil trade with Senegal has increased significantly in recent years – from $61.9M per year in 2005 to $130.2M per year in 2008 – an average annual growth of 28 per cent.

 

 DP World was recently awarded the concession to develop and operate the existing container terminal at Dakar and invest in a new container terminal at the city’s Port du Futur, while the Jebel Ali Free Zone is developing a special economic free zone connected to Senegal’s new Blaise Diagne Airport, which is currently under construction.

 

In November 2009, the Emirates Group announced a joint agreement with the Government of Senegal to assist in the start up and longer term future of Senegal Airlines. The Group will provide commercial support, technical expertise, training and aviation-related goods and services for the fledgling carrier, which is due to commence operations later this year.

 

Emirates Flight 797 will depart Dubai at 09:55 and touch down at Dakar's Leopold Sedar Senghor International Airport at 16:00hrs the same day. The return flight departs Dakar at 17:40, arriving in Dubai at 07:15 the following morning. The service connects seamlessly to key centres in the Middle East, the Indian Sub-continent, Asia and the Far East.

 

The 18 tonnes of belly-hold cargo capacity on the A340-300 aircraft will support key Senegalese exports such as fresh fish, fruit and vegetables, primarily destined for EK destinations in the Mediterranean such as Athens, Larnaca and Beirut.

Source: TravelDailyNews.com

IMEX 2010 signals global growth and strong business outlook
9 March 2010, 11:00 pm

The eighth IMEX will open on May 25th at Messe Frankfurt with its largest ever hosted buyer programme in place and buyer, exhibitor and trade visitor targets all on course for year-on-year growth.

"We have spent the last 12 months concentrating on developing new partnerships with intermediaries who can deliver more high quality buyers from the most important and resilient long-haul markets," explains IMEX Group Chairman, Ray Bloom. "What is more, we have made sure that a large proportion of these buyers will be staying for three full days and also spending longer on the show floor meeting and doing business with exhibitors."

45 new hosted buyer groups have been confirmed for IMEX 2010; with many of these new buyers coming through key global hotel groups who have expanded the regions from which they are delivering clients. These include Marriott International, Mandarin Oriental, Kempinski, Hilton, Starwood, the Ritz, Rocco Forte, Concorde, Sol Melia and Leading Hotels of the World.

A total of 50 exhibitors have already increased their stand space compared to 2009. From Europe, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the Czech Tourism Authority, Romania, Serbia, Iceland, Meet Sicily and Figur Tourism will all have a larger presence at the show. Continued strength among Asian exhibitors is also demonstrated by increased space for Seoul, Korea, Malaysia, Macau, Indonesia and Japan. From the Middle East, Qatar and Discovery Jordan will be taking bigger stands, whilst further growth in the Latin American market has prompted Argentina and Uruguay to increase their stand space. Other larger exhibitors include St Petersburg Express, China, DMC South Africa and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Among the hotel groups, Rezidor, Ritz Carlton, Steigenberger, Moevenpick, Fairmont/Swissotel Raffles, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Rixos Hotels have also increased the size of their stands.

Hotels also account for a number of brand new exhibitors to IMEX 2010. These include Scandic Hotels, Albert Management and Warwick Hotel International who are making a welcome return. Visitors will also see Columbia, Meeting Point International, Showcare, DMC4EU, Business on Cruise and Green Globe Tourism exhibiting for the first time. Abercrombie & Kent return to IMEX with their biggest stand ever.

Spain has once again increased its presence at IMEX. This now makes it second only to the GCB Germany stand in terms of size.  Spanish exhibitors now account for 800 square metres, which includes separate stands for Valencia and Madrid for the first time this year.

In addition three suppliers brand new to the meetings industry will each be celebrating winning a free place on the Wild Card Pavilion. This year's winners are: Uganda; Morzine in France and the Hof Conference Center in Iceland.

The US Pavilion will once again be an extremely diverse and business-centred section of the show.  Anchorage, Arizona, Chicago, Texas, the Eastern Seaboard and New York City will all be present. Las Vegas also plans to bring up to 16 partner exhibitors to Frankfurt.

Also new this year will be the offer of discounted airfares from Qantas. Qantas operates 28 flights a week from London Heathrow via the Far East into seven gateway cities across Australia and will be making the discount fares available to all approved IMEX participants.

Association Day - results revealed

This year's IMEX Association Day will be held at the Messe Frankfurt Congress Center. This important annual event allows association buyers and planners to participate in a tailor-made education and networking programme. Concurrent and themed sessions for 2010 include: Strategic Global Planning for Associations; How to Decide where to Hold International Congresses and Leveraging Conference Content Online.  The day's educational programme will also include 'Convention 2020 Research - A Snapshot of The Future of Association Meetings.' Following the educational element, suppliers from recognised association partners of IMEX will be invited to network with Association Day guests. This evening drinks reception frequently draws up to 700 people and has become the unofficial start of the show, taking place as it does the night before opening.

Politicians Forum and Future Leaders Forum 2010

Industry leaders and politicians attending this year's IMEX Politicians Forum will hear the views of panellists including Mr Hein Verbruggen, President of SportAccord and Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee and the Honorary Bruce Baird, MP, Australia.  Both have extensive experience of the impact a major sporting event can have on a destination and its long-term legacy and will share their insights with delegates.

As Ray Bloom, IMEX Group Chairman explains, "With each passing year the importance and influence of this Forum becomes more obvious and more direct. We now have a host of examples of destinations acquiring more funding for new infrastructure and marketing efforts in particular as a direct result of their political representatives attending the Forum, meeting like-minded politicians and understanding the wider benefits of hosting large-scale meetings and conventions in their home regions. This is extremely gratifying and precisely why we continue to pour a great deal of effort into this Forum. I am delighted to announce the Politicians Forum is already expanding into other countries through a variety of new IMEX alliances and I will announce further details after the show."

2010 will also see a total of 13 separate IMEX-MPI Future Leaders Forums taking place at various events and in diverse destinations around the world including Serbia, Iceland, South America, the Middle East, Italy, Thailand, Poland and Shanghai together with Frankfurt and the US. The Forum's mission is to help inform and unite the next generation of industry leaders to give them valuable insight into the industry and position them to lead it in the future. The global programme now includes internships, an International University Challenge competition and a global mentoring network.

Topical German language seminars

IMEX 2010 will present a choice of 17 German language seminars. The sessions will each address an important issue currently facing the industry in Germany. Topics will include 'Change management in associations' and 'Association Sponsorships'. Detailed discussions about the growing role of corporate social responsibility will be covered in 'CSR meets live communication' and 'Green meetings - change or necessity?'  Marketing and media issues will be addressed in two seminars - 'Trends in the German media' and 'The challenges of online direct marketing'. Other seminars will look at current technology, logistical and liability issues. The programme has been devised by the German Convention Bureau.

Simple new green measures

IMEX has also taken the market's appetite for environmental education and green suppliers into account by developing a new green education and awareness programme. New drop-in workshops will take place every hour on the Corporate Responsibility Stand (powered by the Green Meeting Industry Council). These will offer live case studies from previous IMEX Green Award winners plus insight into the many green meeting industry standards that now exist, including the GRI Report Initiative, Green Globe Certification, ISO and APEX. Other topics will also be addressed.

Exhibitors will also be able to apply for a new Green Ribbon scheme this year. If their exhibition stands meet a number of criteria relating to reduced waste output, energy usage and the use of sustainable materials, all staff will be able to wear an IMEX 2010 'Green Team' ribbon.

Explains Dale Hudson, Head of Project Development, IMEX Group, "We hope that the new green ribbons will give those exhibitors who've made special environmental efforts for 2010 more visibility and make them easier for buyers to spot. They are intended to be a good talking point and we know that buyers want quick and simple ways to see that those companies they are doing business with are environmentally aware."



Giving education a new edge

Other seminars and presentations at IMEX will include Women's Forum sessions on 'How to develop your personal branding' plus a Cross-Cultural seminar on 'Getting a competitive edge from culture' by Richard Lewis Communications. A team from the COP15 taskforce will also look at 'How to implement extremely sustainable events that transform a destination' and share the lessons learned from the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. Teachings from New York Times Bestselling book 'Influencer' will also be presented. A number of industry associations will also be delivering seminars including CIC's 'In alphabet soup' and DMAI's 'How to establish and build a CVB.'

The Professional Development and Innovation Pavilion is again expected to be extremely popular. Sponsored by CIC (Convention Industry Council) it will also host IMEX's new Meetings Under the Microscope education programme. Launched last year, this scheme aims to help meeting planners keep up to date with the latest ideas and advice on how to improve meeting content delivery and information retention. One of this year's speakers will be Graphic Facilitator, Andrew Parks of Cognitive Media who will demonstrate the power and purpose of live illustration as an 'edutainment' tool for meetings.

First phase of global research results made public

Earlier this year IMEX joined forces with ICCA and Fast Future to fund and support an important new piece of global research. The 'Convention 2020' Strategic Foresight Study will look in detail at the conventions industry in 10 years' time. The study is being conducted by a large team from research and trends company, Fast Future. Its CEO, Rohit Talwar, will present six different seminars, each detailing the study's first phase findings. His presentations will include 'Meeting the technology timeline', 'The Meeting Experience' plus an interactive workshop looking at the potential long-term impact of the study's results on the design of venues and their services.

Also new this year is a partnership with i-Meet, the industry's largest online social network. This will enable IMEX hosted buyers to network with each other and share ideas in a private online environment both before and after the exhibition. IMEX will create a "community within the community" at i-Meet, and offer various ways for attendees to join.

Summing up the benefits of IMEX 2010, IMEX Group Chairman, Ray Bloom, says: "IMEX continues to advance, invest and innovate. This year will be no exception. In fact, with industry sentiment both realistic and robust, we must continue to deliver on all fronts. That means high quality buyers; high numbers of genuine business appointments; satisfied exhibitors; targeted, relevant and interesting professional education and, not least, the chance to meet old colleagues and peers face to face as well as developing new contacts. Never has IMEX been more comprehensive, or more necessary for business."

Source: TravelDailyNews.com