I was completely "baba"

In French they say: ‘J’étais complètement baba’. Well I said the same but in English, because I was completely flabbergasted when I received the ‘International Meetings Statistics for the Year 2007’ from the Brussels-based Union of International Associations. For years I was used to following the battle between Paris and London who were fighting for the first place. The last couple of years I often saw Paris come out best while London was sinking away bit by bit. And what do I see now, like a bolt from the blue? An Asian Tiger who has thrown Europe from the circus table. Paris is now second and Singapore first! And London comes only in 13th place. Unbelievable! What has happened?

Because I have the hots for stats I’ve been doing some research. Something must have happened back in 2003. That’s when the numbers of Singapore started rocketing up and it went swift as an arrow in 2005! Unstoppable. In 2007, Singapore hosted 465 international congresses, while Paris came in second with 315 - a difference of no less than 150 events in only two year’s time. I know what it is: vision. Singapore has been following a sophisticated plan for years to attract international congresses, to get the world’s attention. Something’s always happening. They’re not only building, they’re also organising. They’re letting people enjoy themselves. To put it simple: Singapore is one of the few states that work according to a long-term vision, and you see the result.

Who wants to know all the details should come down to Brussels on October 6, because there UIA will officially present its numbers to a fine European crowd during an academic meetings industry session. Another historic fact! On that same day MIM will publish its 100th issue. Drinks of a respected brand and appetizers from the North Sea will be served in the Dinosaur Gallery.

What's business chic?

Honestly, I've never heard people using the expression 'Business Chic' in the meetings industry. Until I met Paola Casolari from the newly opened Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel in Paris. Paola is from Italy, from the same town where the late Pavarotti was born. You could read the emotion off her pretty Italian face when she pronounces the name of Modena. But I didn't merely come to Paris to admire Paola's beauty, I also wanted to know who were the 'founders of business chic'. I won't explain you how and what, you just have to look at www.foundersofbusinesschic.com. I just want to tell you that Business Chic is a 'mindset' of how one conducts business. It is about being ‘au courant’, not ‘passé'. During my animated conversation with Paola, I noticed the uniform of the waiter in R'Yves, a comfortable and stylish bar and lounge. That's not how I remember the Marriott Hotels. He was wearing a special black and white jacket with black stylized patterns in the sides. His name tag gave away that he probably spoke Dutch. And indeed, Rik van Baar is a trainee from Hotelschool The Hague, in Holland. His French is shaping up but those cheek muscles can hurt like hell at the end of the day, he told me. From now on, the list of Business Chic examples can include the uniform of the staff. I adore uniforms. 'Designed by Bragard, a stylist who occasionally works for Chanel', told Paola. And I will add Paola and Rik to my own list of ‘business chic’.

Titles make the man and the woman

Last year I received a new title: bridge builder, because HeadQuarters Magazine builds bridges between readers and suppliers in the Association Congress business, they told. I could live with that.
A month ago, I received an email from a lady of the Paris Hilton (the actual hotel, not the heiress in the picture) who has the title of ‘Elevator Management Trainee’. I had never heard of such a thing.
And then, last week during the ESAE Assembly, I was totally flabbergasted when I ran into an association executive who has 'Evangelist' on his business card. And maybe you know anyone by the title of 'meeting lover'?

What an ambassador can do for you!

I can't think of any other industry in which there's more talked about ambassa-dors than in the association meetings industry. In the first place, I'm talking about professors who act as ambassadors of a convention bureau. Some big cities even have an Ambassador’s Programme or an Ambassadors’ Club. More and more Top Association Executives are talking about curtailing the influence of such a professor/ambassador because they want to limit the emotional factor when picking a destination. The choice for a certain congress place should primarily be based on objective criteria and not the other way round. I firmly support this idea, but I didn't start this blog entry to talk about this ambassador issue.

I'm talking about real ambassadors, like the Dutch ambassador Dr. Hugo Hans Siblesz (right), Her Majesty's ambassador in Paris. Last week, he welcomed about twenty Paris-based associations in his Residence in the heart of Paris. Hôtel d’Avaray is a wonderful setting to make wonderful new contacts. And I have to say, it didn't leave me cold to be invited for this 'linking lunch'. I also saw sparkling eyes among the Dutch suppliers who were almost as well represented as the associations. Well done, Renée Cohen (left), director of Destination Sales at the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions. That's what I call lobbying at a high level. And I heard a lot of Dutchmen talking good French as well. That's nice! In the garden of the ambassador it came to a fine discussion about the motives that some associations have for organising their convention in this or that destination. Sometimes, that can hang by a thread and no ambassador, minister or president can change that. After a lot of conversations with association excutives, I collected a couple of those threads:
1. We only take our conventions to resorts, other destinations don't stand a chance.
2. If there's no boat available at the destination that can accommodate 150 people with a copious dinner, forget about it.
3. We never use purpose built convention centres, only universities with good meeting services.
4. We never go to destinations where there are less than 5 five-star hotels at walking distances.
5. We never go to a Central European country, a metropolis, a Scandinavian country, an Arabian country,... and the list goes on and on.
My question to destination promotors: do you know all of this? Or do you only take the ICCA database into account? My good advice: go into the human portrait of an association as well.