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Major tour operators converging on Barbados for 2019 meeting with tourism partners

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Three weeks away from the May 1 start of the premier business-to-business marketplace, Connect Barbados, with over 100 participants – inclusive of 56 tour operators, have already registered to come and meet with local tourism partners including attraction providers and hoteliers.

Under the theme ‘Breathing Power into Business Connections’, the three-day conference is now in its 14th year. Tour operators have been invited from Barbados’ main source markets – the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Europe and Caribbean and Latin America. Tour operators such as: Air Canada Vacations, Virgin Holidays and Expedia Group, to name a few have already registered to come learn about what is new in Destination Barbados.

Connect Barbados is an annual conference providing opportunities to island operators to sell Barbados’ holiday products to invited tour operators in all of the island’s major source markets.

The marketplace allows global travel partners to learn about and experience the latest product and service developments on the island, while affording local partners the occasion to thank them for the tremendous contribution they continue to make the success of Barbados’ premier economic sector.

BTMI CEO, William ‘Billy’ Griffith, mentioned, “We are positively anticipating to surpass the 1,200 meeting appointments from Connect 2018 as we once again welcome and share our beautiful product with participating tour operators. Being able to connect our local service providers with the agents who have direct contact with potential visitors to Barbados will be extremely vital to both parties.”

This year, as we celebrate the Year of Wellness and Soft Adventure, tour operators will be treated to an outdoor welcome reception as they kick their feet in the sand at the “Feet in the Sand Beach Party, featuring top local entertainment and cuisine, before proceeding to two full days of business-to-business meetings at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

To close out the highly-anticipated conference, a special final evening reception will be held at the prestigious Harrison’s Cave and tour operators will get the opportunity to tour the cave first-hand. On the final day, participants will tour the island for a diverse Attractions Day, inspecting places of interest based on their specialties.

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2nd annual Africa Business and MICE Tourism Master Class to be held in Johannesburg this June

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The 2nd edition of the Africa Business and MICE Master Class will be held in Johannesburg at the BDO South Africa offices from June 10-12, 2019. The African Tourism Board is a supporting partner for this event. This program will grant industry professionals and practitioners from across Africa an opportunity to learn from renowned industry experts, connect with like-minded individuals and benefit from first-hand advice on how to advance growth in their organisations, businesses and destinations. This class will be presented by Africa Tourism Partners and its lead strategic partners, BDO South Africa and South Africa Conference Association Industry (SAACI). “Collaboration is integral to the growth of the MICE industry across Africa. BDO is proud to be associated with the Africa MICE Masterclass program where not only newcomers benefit from the expertise of established industry players, but the experts also learn from each other,” highlights Christelle Grohmann, Director, BDO Advisory. “We look forward to hosting you from June 10-12 at our office in Johannesburg,” she adds.

This year’s program has been designed in response to the high interest and recognition that the 2018 Africa Business and MICE Master Class received, making it a sought-after Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Capacity Building program among practitioners and professionals. The inaugural course was held at the same time last year and featured illustrious industry experts and attendees from 14 African countries including Botswana, Ghana, Madagascar, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Swaziland, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia. “Many attendees at the Africa MICE Masterclass 2018 voiced their satisfaction with the event indicating that the intimate and interactive format and the depth and range of knowledge of the speakers kept them absorbed throughout. Even the speakers commented on it being a well-rounded learning experience that also benefited them. This is industry learning from industry from real working examples,” states Lee-Anne Bac, Director, BDO Advisory & Masterclass 2018 Attendee.

Considering the increased number of African exhibitors and buyers who participated at the 2019 Meetings Africa held in February this year, it is apparent that more countries, tourism boards, convention bureaus, conference facilities, professional conference organizers and the entire African Business and MICE Tourism community now appreciate the significance of the sector. Speaking at the 2019 Meetings Africa, South Africa Minister of Tourism, Mr. Derek Hanekom stated that Business Tourism has earned its place at the economic table. He also revealed that the sector earned R71 billion revenue and contributed R115 billion to South Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This buttresses the sector’s relevance in African economies.

The Master Class is a two-and-a-half day CPD program designed with a variety of theory and practical sessions and the opportunity for further engagement in the form of business-to-business meetings. It will be conducted in conjunction with BDO South Africa, and key industry associations, including SAACI. The course is delivered by faculty experts through a practical and interactive Action-Learning methodology. This approach allows attendees to gain fresh industry insights and global best practices, learn from industry experts and connect with executives from across the continent.

To register, for Business-to-Business or sponsorship opportunities please contact: Ms. Aretha Nozipho Bohlela at: aretha@africatourismpartners.com or +27 81 303 7030.

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Tourisme Montréal celebrates excellence, pays tribute to Air Canada’s Calin Rovinescu

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Leaders from Montréal’s tourism industry were honored yesterday at the Distinction Awards, an annual gala celebrating innovative business strategies. The event, which took place at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, was organized by Tourisme Montréal and presented by Air Canada.

“Tourisme Montréal wishes to commend its industry partners for their outstanding work. Thanks to them, Montréal is considered one of the most attractive urban destinations in North America and is known around the world for being an open, vibrant and creative city,” said Yves Lalumière, President and CEO of Tourisme Montréal.

The event included a special tribute to Calin Rovinescu, President and CEO of Air Canada. Under his leadership, Canada’s leading air carrier has increased Montréal’s international connections, making it one of the world’s top 50 megahubs.

The 2018 winners are:

Bill Brown Leader of Tomorrow Award: Angèle Vermette, Guidatour
Tourism or Hotel Management Student Award: Alexandra-Jade Girard, ITHQ
Concierge Award: Yannis Triantafyllou, Hôtel Le St-James
Hospitality Award: Hôtel Monville
Destination Marketing Award – Under 50 employees: Festival MURAL
Destination Marketing Award – Over 50 employees: Festival International de Jazz
Innovation Award – Under 50 employees: MU
Innovation Award – Over 50 employees: Phi Centre
Business Meetings and Conventions Award: Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth
Synergy Award: MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and ITHQ
Museum Award – Over 50,000 visitors: Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex
Sports Tourism Development Award: Olympic Park
Special Tribute: Calin Rovinescu, President and CEO of Air Canada, member of the Order of Canada

The Distinction Awards were made possible thanks to support from the following partners: Air Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Aéroports de Montréal, Le Journal de Montréal, Re Le Traiteur, Colette Grand Café, Restaurant Le XVI XVI, and the students of LaSalle College.

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IMEX Policy Forum puts future city development front and center

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Policy makers from national and regional governments worldwide will explore The Business of Placemaking with leading business events industry professionals at this year’s IMEX Policy Forum.

This year the annual Forum will take place at the InterContinental Hotel Frankfurt on Tuesday 21 May, the first day of IMEX in Frankfurt 2019.

The IMEX Policy Forum is where the business events world and public policy makers annually connect and share insights into how events such as conferences, meetings and incentive travel can make a major contribution to national and regional economies.

The enormity of this contribution has now been quantified. According to the Global Economic Significance of Business Events, the first ever worldwide study from the Events Industry Council (EIC) and conducted by Oxford Economics, the direct spend of the meeting and event industry worldwide in 2017 was more than US$1.03 trillion, matching the consumer electronics sector in size.

Leveraging the link between business events and the innovation economy

All participants have the opportunity to visit the IMEX exhibition in the morning. In the afternoon, invited ministers and senior political representatives will take part in a national government discussion in collaboration with the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) chaired by Martin Sirk of Sirk Serendipity. At the same time Professor Greg Clark CBE, the world-renowned advisor on cities will facilitate a city workshop specifically designed for local, municipal and regional policy makers and destination representatives, exploring ‘business meetings and the innovation economy.’

Analyzing the business opportunity for urban placemaking

The Business of Placemaking will be put into the spotlight when the keynote speech is presented by Dr Julie Grail, a leading expert and commentator on partnership and place management and a special adviser on Business Improvement Districts at the Institute of Place Management at Manchester Metropolitan University. Julie, who has been involved in managing places for two and a half decades, has in recent years worked on international assignments in Australia, New Zealand, South America, Europe and the United States.

New this year, the interactive Leadership Discussion will feature an invited panel who will present case studies from the perspective of political, urban planning and destinations stakeholders who have all played influential roles in placemaking success stories. The discussion will be moderated by leading business journalist and media advisor Ursula Errington and will provide plenty of opportunity for everyone present to contribute to the discussions.

Each year the political representatives who take part acclaim the event, saying how valuable it is to learn from their peers in other countries and from the meetings industry experts about the benefits to economic development and business tourism that investment in business events can bring.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group commented; “Placemaking is a concept that’s long been understood and embraced by some city planners and developers alike but now the meetings and events industry understands the power and importance of being part of these conversations. This year’s agenda reflects what feels like a tipping point: a recognition that the business events industry can – and should – speak up to influence any city planning or placemaking decisions. This year’s Forum will guide by example and show the way. With its new format everyone can contribute fully to a lively discussion and gain valuable insights from the case studies.”

Organized under the auspices of the Joint Meetings Industry Council (JMIC), the IMEX Policy Forum’s advocacy partners are Association Internationale des Palais de Congres (AIPC), European Cities Marketing (ECM), ICCA, The Iceberg and UNWTO. The Forum is sponsored by Turisme de Barcelona, Business Events Sydney, German Convention Bureau, Geneva Convention Bureau, Messe Frankfurt and the Meetings Mean Business Coalition.

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