THE UNIVERSITIES, CENTRES FOR CONGRESSES
WHAT’S ON? – Upcoming congresses
Leading upcoming events in Catalonia:
– European Congress of Cardiology – ESC Congress 2017 (Fira Gran Via de L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 26 – 30 August)
– 32nd International Epilepsy Congress (Palacio de Congresos de Cataluña in Barcelona, 2 – 6 September)
– World Routes 2017 – Forum for the Development of Air Routes (Fira Gran Via de L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, 23 – 26 September)
– Eurofruit 2017 – Professional Fair of Fruit Industry Suppliers (Fira de Lleida, 28 September – 1 October)
WHAT DO WE DO? – Participation of the Ambassadors
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FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX IN CATALONIA Last May, coinciding with the celebration of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Catalonia, a meeting was held of several Ambassadors with the Director General of Tourism, Octavi Bono, and with the Executive Director of the Catalan Tourism Agency, Patrick Torrent, at the Barcelona-Cataluña circuit of Montmeló. |
BEIJING INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY The Ambassador Josep Ramon Herrero, professor and researcher at the UPC, used a professional stay in China to give a presentation about Catalonia and to give copies of the book Catalunya és genial! (Catalonia is brilliant!) (in Chinese) to departments of the Beijing Institute of Technology. The material was supplied by the Catalan Tourism Agency. |
THE DESIGN OF THE VENUES, A NEW TENDENCY IN EVENTS
In an interview published in the British portal Conference News, Alastair Stewart, executive director of Etc Venues, a specialist company in the sector, offers interesting reflections and highlights two elements in the adaptation and design of a modern venue: the enlargement of the spaces and the gradual elimination of closed rooms. The aim is twofold: to boost shared environments to offer alternative activities to conferences and promoting networking among the attendees.
In relation to the technology used in the events, Stewart underlines the use of the Glisser application, which enables Power Point presentations to be followed on a mobile device, which makes it easier for the attendees to save them with screenshots without having to take notes by hand.
Additionally, the growing importance of the internet connection has meant that chargers are essential for venues. Their installation, however, is still very expensive. To solve it, Stewart considers that one of the best resources today are the USB ports, where several devices can be connected at the same time.
SECURITY, A COMMITMENT FOR CONGRESSES
The demand for security by professionals and companies in the organisation of events from the MICE sphere has increased due to the terrorist attacks suffered in European cities such as London, Brussels, Istanbul, Nice, Manchester or Munich.
This circumstance has meant that the economic investment in security matters has risen over the last two years in order to ensure the physical integrity of the attendees. This is explained in a report presented a few months ago by the MPI (Meeting Professionals International), the most relevant association in the world of the events industry. This document reveals that 48% of the organisers interviewed have already raised investment in this sphere.
Similarly, the MPI study shows the increase in the use of tools for recording attendees. It also shows the rise in technological advances in the Internet of things: wearables already exist that will facilitate tasks of identification, security processes and check-ins.
According to the recently interviewed Fiona Pelham, President of the MPI, education about security and communication is basic for meetings and events professionals in order to deal with the threat of attacks.
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PRESENTATION IN VIC OF THE CATALUNYA CONVENTION BUREAU AND THE AMBASSADORS PROGRAMME
On the 27 June, the Director General of Turismo de Cataluña, Xavier Espasa, and the director of the Ambassadors Programme, Sònia Serracarbassa, presented the Catalunya Convention Bureau and the Ambassadors Programme in Vic. The meeting, which included a visit to the Vic Town Council and a working session in the Casa Convalescència, served to discover the opportunities that the attraction and organisation of professional events offer in economic dynamisation and positioning in the central counties of Catalonia.
During the conference, which had the participation of different political, business and academic figures from the county of Osona, such as the Mayoress of Vic, Anna Erra, the deputy mayor, Josep Arimany, the Mayor of Manlleu, Alex Garrido, the rector of the University of Vic-UCC, Jordi Montaña, and the President of the Osona Business Council, Lourdes Baulenas.
ATTENDANCE AT MEDICAL CONGRESSES COULD DECREASE AS FROM 2018
According to the data published in Hosteltur (17 February 2017), the pharmaceutical industry spends a total of 120 million euros per year for Spanish professional meetings in the sphere of health. However, this is about to change due to the funding restrictions that pharmacists plan to introduce as from the 1 January 2018.
The new ethical code of the industry passed by Eucomed concludes that the member companies of this association involved in medical technology in Europe will not provide direct economic support to health professionals in relation to their attendance at medical congresses. Therefore, it is feared that the National Business Association of the Spanish Pharmaceutical Industry will follow in the path of Eucomed and slow down meeting tourism in the medical sector.
This fact could lead to a considerable decrease in attendance of professionals at the congresses, which according to the President of the Spanish Association of Andrology, Sexual and Reproductive Medicine, “could drop by between 30 and 50%” (Nexotur, 20 February 2017).
DEL CONFLICTE A LA GOVERNANÇA EN L’ACTUAL SITUACIÓ TURÍSTICA
Aquest 24 d’abril, el conseller d’Empresa i Coneixement, Jordi Baiget, ha defensat a la conferència “Del Conflicte a la Governança” que el turisme d’avui en dia és un sector econòmic potent, tractor i font de riquesa permanent. Però els “reptes, els nous escenaris i els nous contextos” obliguen a ser més exigents.
Baiget deixà clar que “cal un canvi en l’actual sistema de governança” per poder aconseguir l’excel·lència en el sector i això es pot assolir amb “el diàleg des de la lleialtat” entre les administracions i el sector privat.
Així doncs, el conseller anuncià la redacció per part del Govern d’un Pla Territorial Sectorial de turisme que “ha de donar resposta a la implantació del turisme en el territori i ha de vetllar perquè ho faci seguint el model del turisme pel qual apostem”. Aquest és un model que defensa un sector turístic potent i generador d’oportunitats i de riquesa “per les empreses del sector, pels seus treballadors i pel territori”, com també basat en criteris de sostenibilitat i la descentralització i “que fixa l’atenció en la despesa que genera el turista“.
Per tant, segons Jordi Baiget, és important crear “espais de complicitat i de confiança” i per fer-ho ha proposat reformular la Taula de Turisme, reactivar la Comissió Interdepartamental i impulsar el Consell General de l’Agència Catalana de Turisme.
PARTICIPATION OF AMBASSADORS IN THE CONGRESS OF PROFESSIONAL CONGRESS ORGANIZERS IN LLEIDA
The 29th National Congress of the Spanish Congress Organising Companies was held on the 16, 17 and 18 of February in La Llotja in Lleida, attended by professionals from the Ambassadors Programme of the Catalunya Convention Bureau.
National and international speakers took part in the congress, as well as the medical companies and associations, which dealt with several topics of interest for the meetings industry and showed the latest tendencies from the sector. One of the most outstanding is the need to look into a new more useful, interesting and innovative congress model for attendees. The speakers from the professional associations agreed that the professional organisers of congresses must provide an added value when organising a congress, opting for innovation and a change in the business model. New experiences must also be created, which are memorable and of quality, in which the host destination undertakes a relevant role.
Mention should be made of the different workshops that dealt with the use of new technologies, which are becoming the key factor of congresses. This is the case of the correct use of Twitter to achieve a congress attaining greater diffusion, multimedia posters and the tendency of virtual meetings, which facilitate the projection of events.
Finally, mention should be made that Lleida is a privileged city to host congress tourism, both for its geographical location and for the programmes it offers linked to the natural environment, sport, wine tourism and gastronomy, which complement professional meetings and trips.
MEETING OF AMBASSADORS IN THE DIRECTOR’S BOX OF THE F.C. BARCELONA STADIUM
On the 19 February, at the match between Barça and Leganés at Camp Nou some of the Ambassadors that form part of the Catalunya Convention Bureau met. The attendees had the opportunity to network while enjoying the match from the director’s box, to which they were invited by the Barcelona Convention Bureau.
