hosted Expo 2008, a world’s fair on water and sustainable development, and was a potential candidate city for the 2022 Winter Olympics (the Spanish Olympic Committee eventually chose Barcelona). The strategy seems to be working – hotel stays rose 11 per cent year-on-year to just under 800,000 in 2010. For incentives, the destination offers adventure sports, kayaking and botanical walks. Its top business hotels include the Gran Hotel Cascada del Balneario Termas Pallarés, which can hold up to 100 delegates. www.incentivesinspain.com
BALTIMORE, USA After hosting AIBTM (The Americas Meetings & Events Exhibitions) in June 2011, Baltimore was put firmly on the MICE map. The city is easily accessible for UK tourists, with British Airways flying daily to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). In November 2011, Sales Focus, a Marriottsville-based sales outsourcing firm, announced a MICE focus as a reaction to the anticipated MICE market boom. MICE- friendly hotels are also springing up,
What’s hot in 2012
including the 256-room Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore (see p104). Another popular hotel in the city is Kimpton Hotels’ Monaco Baltimore (near the Baltimore Convention Center), a 202- room property featuring six meeting rooms occupying 557sq m. www.gepdmc.com/baltimore
HAINAN, CHINA The smallest province in China, Hainan comprises some 200 islands scattered among three archipelagos off the southern coast. MICE facilities are housed within a range of resorts located in the islands’ three major centres: Haikou, Sanya and Boao. After suffering a tourism dip in the downturn, Hainan recently regained the spotlight as a business destination after attracting conferences and incentives from companies including Ford, HP (Hewlett-Packard), Macquarie Group and Intel. Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines reported a 17.8 per cent growth in travel in 2011. Sanya has hosted three Miss World contests and boasts a range of golf courses. The Crowne Plaza Sanya offers
EMERGING UK DESTINATIONS YORKSHIRE
Manchester
The UK 2011 Events Markets Trends Survey (UKEMTS) showed that Yorkshire has bucked the trend nationally for the average number of conferences and events taking place across the region in 2010. The destination hosted an average of 450 events per primary venue, higher than the national average at 371 events. The figure represented a 5 per cent increase for Yorkshire year-on-year compared to a 2 per cent decrease nationally. Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, says: “The findings are brilliant news for the region and highlight that Yorkshire is the place to do business. With the majority of conference and event organisers struggling, Yorkshire provides a cost- effective destination for events that doesn’t cut back on quality.”
106 Aberystwyth University
MANCHESTER Manchester hosted 4.2 million delegates in 2011, contributing £573 million to the sub-regional economy. In 2010 international business visits to Manchester had increased by 16 per cent year-on-year, compared to a UK increase of 3 per cent. Steven Small, head of business tourism at Visit Manchester, says: “Manchester is capable of hosting
2,377sq m of meeting space, including a 1,300sq m grand ballroom. www.coco365.net
NUREMBERG, GERMANY Known, but not yet established with the UK MICE market, Nuremberg is looking to increase its UK activity in 2012, and double overall MICE turnover in the long term. The city’s 120-plus hotels include a good range of global brand and independent properties with meetings facilities. “In German terms we are established, but not in Europe,” says Nürnberg Convention’s Geoffrey Glaser. “Internationally we had far more requests last year from the UK and Asia, so I think, combined with our congress targets, the destination is at a tipping point.” He adds that Nürnberg Convention’s recent attendance at EIBTM in Barcelona was successful in a tough business climate – a sign of renewed interest in the destination, which is aiming to become the most technologically advanced conference venue in Germany. www.nuernberg.de
a wide range of conferences and events, with the Conservative party conference planned for 2012 and 2014, and the Soccerex European Forum and the Chartered Institute of Housing annual conference and exhibition taking place in 2012. We’re confident that with events of this calibre the city region will continue to generate significant economic benefits.”
WALES After hosting golf’s Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor resort in 2010, Wales demonstrated it has the capacity and staffing expertise to hold major events. Technological companies have also been attracted, including 170 Apple app developers from around the globe, who gathered at Aberystwyth University in September 2011 for a conference on the latest developments in the iPhone and iPad market. Architectural practice Populous, which was behind the O2 Arena, recently reignited the campaign for a national events arena in Wales. The Welsh Assembly’s head of major events, Arthur Emyr, says: “The world is starting to take notice of Wales, with the Ryder Cup signalling a new era. I am also aware that there is a good case for building a national arena for large-scale modern conferences.”