At the beginning of this month I hosted a round-table discussion with the cream of the Belgian incentive world in the Conrad Brussels Hotel. Someone said: 'Looking after the environment? OK! I barely notice anything about this concern in the convention and incentive world. Most participants are not consciously involved in this matter!' That's how a lot of people feel, but is that true? For instance, in a short period of time I bumped into two very practical initiatives. The first one was by accident. The famous London photographer Allan Pollok-Morris was in Antwerp for a photo shoot in the 'House of Tulips'. I seized the opportunity to let him do the cover shoot for MIM magazine. On that cover sparkles Marleen Wyckmans; she's marketing manager at KLM - AIR FRANCE for Belgium and Luxemburg. He literally surrounded her with tulips. And what does a new customer of Allan receive? A tree! Just read what's on the card that I got from Kerrigan Bell of 'Trees for Life'. Allan had a Rowan Tree planted for me in Glen Affric in the North West Highlands of Scotland. I'm ext
remely pleased with that!The second one came from Star Alliance (my apologies, Marleen, I know that KLM - AIR FRANCE is part of SkyTeam and maybe they have something to report as well), who are celebrating their 10th anniversary. I read in their press release: ‘Under the banner of Biosphere Connections, Star Alliance is entering into cooperation with recognised environmental organisations in order to support the sustainability of the biosphere in a constructive and positive way.’ That's a very nice present to the world! This week I'm throwing a party together with my life partner. As a gift, we have asked 'two trees', which we will plant in a pot in front of our house: yellow sweet-smelling magnolias!
Now I'm making two proposals:
1. My own proposal to the global convention and incentive world, the people who read my blog: for every new subscription to MIM magazine or HeadQuarters Magazine, I will deposit 15% into the fund of the still to be established association ‘Global Meeting Forest’.
2. If every congress delegate worldwide donates a small portion of his subscription fee for taking part in a convention to this fund, we'll have a new forest somewhere in the world by next year: the Meeting Forest.
From now on, I'm actively looking for a spot where we can plant this Meeting Forest. We will keep you informed. So, buy your meeting tree now!
Posts
2 comments:
I fully understand the feelings Marcel is having and can appreciate (and will support)a lot of his ideas on the Meeting Forest he is planning.
For sure when you take into account that we are maybe the only Belgian PCO company having its offices in the "middle of nowhere" between cows and pigs. Apart from that after my 150% job as a PCO, I am also myself half time farmer with a licence even to hold 69 cows, 12 farm vehicles and 6000 liters of diesel.
I would be delighted to offer Marcel the opportunity to have his Meeting Forest over here but all farmers are catching after every m² of ground in order to get rid of their dunk (correction mainly dunk of their pigs).
So Marcel, be convinced that your trees could grow dramatically over here.....
Last Saturday, I openend my post box and found out that it was completely blocked by the Saturday journal including the job section with 184 pages on its own. (multiplicated by 600.000 (?)copies printed makes...... a lot of meeting forests (and a lot of dunk necessary to grow these trees).
So Marcel's idea on a Meeting Forest is unique as it offers THE idea for a combined solution on environmental and farmers problems.
Win/win as they call it
The Meeting Forest can generate sufficient wood for all Job sections of the different daily journals. So let's hope the Meeting Forest will make it until the economy gets a dip and this job section gets down to 32 pages.
The journals nearly daily report on the environment, put minister Flahaut on the front page when he takes his heli to visit Al Gore etc.. but when it comes to business the environment does not count any longer
About 80% of the readers does not even touch the job pages but they are distributed to all subscribers and one cannot even tick a box indicating that you do not want that part of the journal.
So maybe Marcel we together maybe can safe the environment, I can help you to convince the farmers over here when you convince the daily journals not to distribute the job sections to all their readers as press is the business you are active in.
I look forward to Meeting Forest gump soon
All the best,
Werner Van Cleemputte
Managing Director
Medicongress
And how do I acquire a tree in the forest. Because I must say I'm quite fond of forests and a new one should be equally supported or more as any other.
Greetings
Sander X
Post a Comment