Destination SWITZERLAND

Located in the heart of Europe, Switzerland is surrounded by 5 countries; Austria and Liechenstein to the east, France to the West, Italy to the South, and Germany to the North. Sure enough, Switzerland has 4 national languages; French, German, Italian, and Romansh! English is of course spoken as well.

Aside from being the world’s first National Convention Bureau, Switzerland is home to notable global corporations such as the Nestlé Company and serves as the European Headquarters to the United Nations. Placing a continuous focus on innovation and economic growth, Switzerland received the top ranking in the 2017 World Intellectual Property (WIPO 2017).

With 8 Congress destinations and regions providing unique options for your next international program, Switzerland is a dynamic hub for international meetings and events. Designed to adapt to different meeting types and group sizes, the SwissTech Convention Center is one of the top meeting venues in Switzerland, sustainably built as a space to meet and exchange ideas. The Convention Center is a mere feet away from some of the best shopping malls and you’re in luck as Switzerland offers the lowest VAT in Europe as of January 2018!

As the top innovative ranked performer, it is no surprise that Switzerland would be hosting an event aimed at designing a global and vibrant community of cloud app developers/contributors. A future Congress to look forward to in Switzerland is the Cloud Foundry Europe Summit taking place in Basel in October 2018. Expected to draw an eager crowd of app developers from all over the world and Europe, Cloud Foundry tends to startups and Fortune 500 companies alike.

What to do post meeting?

Besides viewing the famous Swiss Alps, you can take in the sights and taste of Switzerland by indulging in the Swiss Tavolata experience. The Swiss Tavola is a “dine with the locals” program featuring farm to table selected menu for international guests to experience the Swiss hospitality. Meals are specially prepared with locally produce and prepared with generational family recipes. Guests are able to immerse in a unique Swiss experience at their host’s kitchen, barn, or wine cellar.

Global Events Visionary: Mr. Thomas Reiser

Global Events Visionary: Mr. Thomas (Tom) Reiser

With more than 20 years of experience, Thomas  Reiser brings a wealth of global experience, expertise, and strategy to the global events and meetings industry. Thomas outstanding leadership in his respective roles in the healthcare sector over the years is truly inspiring. Under his leadership as the Executive Director of the International Society on Thrombosis & Haemostasis (ISTH), “a global not-for-profit membership organization advancing the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of thrombotic and bleeding disorders,”[i] ISTH’s global expansion has been significant as it aims to increase its membership especially to countries with limited resources and connect clinicians and researchers from around the world united under one mission.

Thomas was in the middle of business travel but was able to share the following…

JN: What are the benefits of being part of your organization?

TR: Apart from the many opportunities to become involved in shaping the future of the field, the exchange of science, access to a plethora of scientific and educational materials, as well as being part of the global network, the work ISTH does truly saves people’s lives. As a medical-scientific professional organization, our members are on the forefront of resolving basic science, clinical and laboratory challenges, developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches that ultimately lead to the improvement of the care of patients. While much of it is focused on educating clinicians and scientists around the world – in many cases through meetings – one of our programs that has the broadest impact on peoples’ lives is our award-winning World Thrombosis Day (www.worldthrombosisday.org) campaign, which raises awareness about potentially deadly blood clots. In just five short years, we have created a network of over 1,000 partner organizations in over 100 countries that stage over 8,000 events/activities per year to educate about the risks, signs and symptoms of blood clots and what can be done to prevent, diagnose and treat them. We have countless of examples of people from around the world telling us that our campaign has saved them or a loved-one from a blood clot. It is a wonderful example of how the world can come together to do something truly good and impactful.

JN: What legacies are your association creating?

TR: There are truly many. ISTH – back in the early 1950 – was the first organization that started to create consistent nomenclature and scientific standards of newly discovered blood clotting factors to help the emerging field of hemostasis to develop in a unified way across the world. This enabled research to speed up and ultimately led to the development of the diagnostics and therapies patients around the world today take for granted and that save lives every day. This work continues today as the understanding of the complex bleeding and clotting system deepens. Apart from leading the basic and clinical research side, ISTH has also – over decades now – played a strong role in building medical capacity in countries with limited resource. As such, ISTH is active in 40 some developing countries with teaching courses and other educational missions. Another key aspect is to bring the global thrombosis and hemostasis community together and connecting clinicians and researchers from around the world. This is also where our congresses – which rotate around the world – play a key role as they help to strengthen that international network and leave a deeper and more meaningful impact in the respective country and region.

JN: What are some of the lessons learned from being international?

TR: The biggest lesson to share would be to thoroughly enjoy the differences in cultures, approaches, and backgrounds. Doing work on a global basis is complex but it is also so rewarding and provides you with even greater opportunities to make a difference and to learn new things every day, work with wonderful people from around the world and broaden your own professional and personal horizons. This is an enormous privilege and something to be truly cherished as not many people are fortunate to experience it.

[i] History of ISTH. https://www.isth.org/page/History?

Breakfast at IMEX Frankfurt

This year’s pre-IMEX Market Update Breakfast took place on Tuesday May 15th at the Maritime hotel in Frankfurt and MCIntl clients were present.

Michel presentation highlighted the positive economic environment for meetings and conventions in North America. Based on surveys published by MPI and Convene magazine, meeting planners shared their optimistic views both on current and future meetings.

Some of the key points discussed are:

  • Budget are still limited and planners have to do more with the same budget.
  • Security ranks high in their priorities when planning event domestically and internationally.
  • Attendance to both live and virtual events is growing.
  • Booking windows for large events is shrinking to an average of 2.2 years, while small meetings are usually planned 9 months in advance.

This year’s keynote speaker, Genevieve Leclerc, founder of Caravelle Strategies, described how convention bureaus can add value to their association clients. She emphasized the difference between legacy versus impact and shared tips on how to provide real support to associations.

Genevieve shared a recent networking forum which took place in Paris for associations under the banner of Tourisme Montreal. The networking event didn’t focus on Montreal’s venues and services but was a forum where planners created and developed new ideas for their associations. The sessions were geared towards involving the planners and helping them with their strategy. In a crowded and competitive market place, bureaus must adopt a different approach, create unique bonds with their association clients, and develop strong business relationships.

Lastly, Michel presented the new MCIntl blog and the Global Events Visionary program which was well received. Click here to view the presentation!

IMEX Frankfurt was busier than ever and remains the leading industry event!

A Sales Date With MCIntl

We want to meet you, not annoy you!

We are all in the F2F business, and we love it! Nothing beats an honest conversation in an office, over a cup of coffee or at a restaurant. Don’t you agree?

That is why, from time to time we call you and ask you to meet with one of our international destinations.  Now, contacting you is not random. We have pre-qualified you, and we strongly believe that meeting a top executive from an international convention bureau will be worth your while; an investment of your time.

How do we go about preparing our F2F meetings with you, the decision maker of global events? Here are the steps we follow carefully:

  1. We conduct research

Before reaching out to you, we have thoroughly researched your company, and informed ourselves as much as possible on your organization and programs.

  1. We value your time

We know you have so much happening at once – from events to other meetings. Whether you have only 30 minutes or an hour to spare, we will make your time with us as productive as possible. Our aim is to know your specific requirements prior to our visit and tailor-fit our presentation to make it relevant to your program.

  1. We still want to know more about you!

We schedule an appointment with you not only to tell you all about a destination. We want to utilize our time with you to learn about the latest updates, ask questions, and meet your colleagues. The opportunity to have a conversation versus email allows both parties to exchange feedback and information.

  1. We are great hosts: Coffee? Tea? On me!

As a meeting planner, we understand that you are constantly on the go. We want to meet you where it’s most convenient for you. We try to be as flexible as possible. If that means meeting outside your office, at a local coffee shop or a restaurant, don’t worry – we’ve got you! It’s the least we can do for the time you made to meet with us.

  1. We share our network of global experts

Our clients are true international meeting experts. To use the cliché, they “think globally, and act locally”. They help plan hundreds of global events yearly. You will be able to always rely on them for basic questions on culture or venues, or get the local government involve.  They are your local source.

We know your time is precious. We know it is all about ROI. We are very appreciative when you share valuable information on future meetings; it helps us serve you better.

When next we contact you to set up a meeting, know that we do our due diligence.

Can’t wait to meet you soon!

 

Top Four Criteria for Destination Selection

Over the past 4 months, we have met many planners of international events and chatted with them. During our conversations, we asked them to share their criteria when selecting a destination for future meetings/events.

Although our survey is not scientific, here are the results we were able to gather. By the way, recent published surveys confirm our findings!

  1. Accessibility

Meeting planners prefer venues and hotels with seamless accessibility and proximity to and from the international airport.  Don’t forget to point out how easy it is to get to your destination.

  1. Competitive rates

An open market leads to competitive options. Meeting planners are constantly in search of reasonable rates. Keep these rates competitive or simply add value.

  1. All under one roof

North American planners are used to having meetings in large hotels with conference facilities. Las Vegas resorts tend to exemplify what planners want. Indeed these venues offer everything under one roof, but have you walked from your room to the convention center at The Venetian, 20 minutes at least!…. Remind the planners that your hotels and centers are walking distance, or simply easily accessible by public transportation. And if you can provide free public transportation, just say it!

  1. Unique venues

Meetings are all about “Engagement”.  Meeting planners must create a unique experience and include that local flair.  Showcase your unique venues from castles, palaces, restaurants, parks, and even movie houses for that different experience.

Additionally, several planners pointed out that 3D virtual tour of the conference centers, hotels, and non-traditional venues is very helpful. Keep this in mind when planning your next marketing budget.

These are the highlights of our unscientific survey. For further confirmation of our findings, check out the Resource and Market Pulse sections of our website.

Destination VIENNA

Vienna, the picturesque capital of Austria was ranked the world’s most reputable cities in 2016 (The Reputation Institute) and came in at the top position for Mercer Quality of Living in 2018. Vienna is the cultural, economic, and political center of Austria, a cohesive representation of the classical and modern. The city’s rich history in the arts, science and a long roster of famous Viennese has made it a destination for incentive and association meetings alike.

Planning an unusual meeting, there are a few venues that might pique your interest. Check out the Imperial Palace and historical venue, Hofburg Vienna. Perfect for an opening reception or a banquet, Hofburg Vienna is able to accommodate 4,900 delegates! Situated in the center of Vienna, this venue has been tapped to host the 2018 International Wine Festival.

Take a walk like one of Vienna’s most celebrated scientist, Sigmund Freud:
So it comes to no surprise that the World Congress on Psychotherapy will be taking place in Vienna in 2023. Birthplace to Sigmund Freud, the founder of psychoanalysis, this will be a homecoming for this program. The World Congress is scheduled to take place at Sigmund Freud University.

Part of this year’s program would include the Freudian Walks. Freud was known to take walks with his patients around the university as it helped to effectively engage with them.

As an innovative hub, Vienna ranks 10th in Europe for startups. Waytation, a Vienna-based and successful startup is offering the first seamless technology to capture and analyze visitor’s experience at any conference or exhibition. This is a game changer for the industry! For the very first time, congress and exhibition organizers have the possibility to visualize and understand the interactions and behavior of their participants. The ability to create relevant and valuable content targeted at the visitors will hopefully optimize opportunities in sales, marketing and overall experience.

With different activities taking place all year round, it’s no surprise the city of Vienna hosted more than 4,000 events and at least 611,000 people in 2017!