DESTINATION BY TOM NEWCOMBE
Greek capital and was groundbreaking both architecturally and in terms of size. The 506-room hotel is located close to the city centre and 30 minutes from the airport and has a range of MICE areas, with 22 meeting rooms as well as a ballroom with seating for up to 1,100 people. Batzaki admits it isn’t all plain-sailing
in the MICE sector, with the increase in bookings at the Hilton Athens being driven purely by international business, with pharmaceutical companies its largest draw. “Our biggest market over the past 18 months is the UK – perhaps it’s the weather. But, domestically, we’re still yet to see any sign of improvement, so we are quite heavily reliant on the rest of Europe. But I do envisage that changing soon”. Julia Curtis, head of sales at Gray Dawes
Travel, believes confidence has started to return in booking Athens as a meetings destination, especially with “safety in the city stabilising”.
“Safety has been an issue in the past, but things appear to have now settled down and confidence in Greece as a conference, teambuilding and incentive destination is returning,” she says. “Buyers are starting to see the potential of Athens – flight connec- tions are good, and underground transfers from the airport are excellent, which is always an important consideration.”
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS The global image of Greece is beginning to change, but Yiorgos Stavrou, sales di- rector at Sofitel Athens Airport, believes the negative press his country received has had a detrimental effect on MICE business. “The real downturn in MICE bookings came when the global media started reporting on our problems,” he says. “Travel arrangers would wake up and see sensationalised news reports about protests and violence. If you see this on a regular basis you will probably think twice about sending your travellers, or holding an event, here. Safety for the individual and also for the investment is, of course, going to be a top priority for managers, but that [negative] image will take a long time to erase.” So what is Athens doing to attract MICE
organisers? Iossif Parsalis is managing director of Marketing Greece, a non-profit organisation working with government to
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
After years of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, the Greek economy is starting to show signs of rebalancing
promote Greece as a business destination. He says Athens’ mix of business and leisure offerings makes it an ideal MICE location. “Our conference hotels and venues are equipped with the latest technology, and offer an extensive array of professional services and amenities,” he says.
BREAKING RECORDS Tourism as a whole is proving to be the main driver of economic growth for the country. Statistics published in March by Marketing Greece showed that 2013 was a record-breaking year for the industry,
with 17.9 million international arrivals and €12.2 billion in direct tourism revenue. That potential was increased further
recently with no-frills carrier Ryanair an- nouncing it is to start operating flights from a base in Athens and in the second city of Thessaloniki, as part of a €206 million investment. The Irish airline will add nine routes from the two bases, including services to London, Milan and Warsaw. In- crease in UK business was also enhanced earlier this year with Greece’s national airline Aegean launching twice-weekly flights from Birmingham to Athens. Parsalis believes that with tough com- petition from other European cities, repeat business is not only one of the most chal- lenging areas but also key to future success. “When you see groups of smiling business people strolling along the Grand Prom- enade, in the shadow of the Acropolis, you know they will return home to spread the good word on Athens,” he says. “Our goal is to ensure repeat business from congress, incentive and meeting planners – and we’re certain that, once they do hold an event here, they will return.”
Onassis Cultural Centre, Athens KEY
VENUES
ZAPPEION 4,000sqm, suitable for exhibitions and small conferences. A 984sqm central atrium can host conferences, concerts, cocktails and parties up to 1,500 participants (standing) or dinners for 350 people. Conference rooms can support 120 participants.
ONASSIS CULTURAL CENTRE Multiple spaces and halls form a total internal surface of 18,000sqm, which is spread over seven floors and nine underground levels. It has the capacity to hold conferences, corporate events and meetings for up to 880 people.
STARWOOD ARION The Arion Resort and Spa has eight meeting rooms, all with sea views. The Alexander ballroom can accommodate up to 200 people.
IHG ATHENS The Intercontinental Athens boasts the highest number of meeting rooms of any venue in the city. On the seventh floor of the main building, the Ethniki Rooftop has more than 2,000sqm of unobstructed open-air function space and views of the Acropolis.
SOFITEL Located at Athens International airport, the conference centre consists of ten fully equipped meeting rooms.
GRAND RESORT LAGONISSI Located 40 minutes outside of Athens city centre, Lagonissi’s meeting rooms overlook the Aegean. Its main meeting room has a capacity of 1,350 delegates, plus an open-air terrace.
BBT JULY/AUGUST 2014 79
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