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Comprehensive learning program delivers ‘creative collisions’ at IMEX in Frankfurt

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‘Everyone has the potential to think creatively. Children are able to think of more than 60 new solutions per day in response to a problem. As we get older, this reduces to about six a day. Why not learn to think creatively again?’ Gebert Janssen, founder and CEO of the Party and Eventarchitect, and one of the speakers at IMEX in Frankfurt, summarises the challenge planners face in generating fresh content.

Many of the learning sessions at IMEX in Frankfurt, taking place 21 – 23 May (with EduMonday, May 20), focus on the topic of imagination, IMEX’s Talking Point for this year. The result is a wide range of learnings and insights delivered by experts from both within and outside the global business events industry.


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Disruptive thinking

The team behind DUNDU, the giant puppet and previous playful addition to the show, will share their expertise on how to use art to boost playfulness in Puppet-thinking: where puppetry and design thinking collide. Sam McNeill, Song Division’s UK/Europe General Manager and one of the world’s most in-demand MC’s, will also explain the benefits of song writing as a route to problem-solving in Creating a culture of innovation.

True to their name, Marmalade on Toast will be taking an alternative approach to technology and innovation. Founder Simon Harmer thinks ‘the industry is ripe for disruption’ and will explain more in his session Using innovation to disrupt and engage. Meanwhile, the Editor-in-chief of Love Inc. Brittny Drye, will share her advice on creating authentic, inclusive content in Taking the next steps to becoming an equality-minded event business.

The topic of imagination will be expanded in a series of ‘Power chats’ delivered by some members of the IMEX Team. Based on first-hand experience, these interactive insights into the different facets of the show’s Imagination Talking Point will cover diversity and inclusion, imagination in action, and sustainability.

New for 2019 is PCMA’s #Iamremarkable workshop on EduMonday. Designed to tackle ‘gender-related modesty norms and glass ceilings’, this session will empower everyone taking part to speak openly about their accomplishments, in the workplace and beyond. It will be led by Katarzyna Seidl, Strategic Partner Manager in Global Partnerships Team at Google and Florian Ahle, global Brand Evangelist and Auto brand marketing expert who also teaches for the Google Digital Academy in London #iamremarkable is one of three specially-tailored PCMA workshops, with the next at PCMA’s EduCon in Los Angeles in June and the third at IMEX America in September.

Experiences alongside education

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New experiences and activities introduced at this year’s show will fire up the imagination of planners and exhibitors alike. Many of these can be found at the show’s new Discovery Zone which is home to holograms, robots, illusionists, music and art along with a few surprises. EduMonday on May 20 at Kap Europa will showcase its own ‘Imagination Zone’ where attendees can tap into their artistic streak at a painting party or unleash some fancy moves at a silent disco.

‘Creative collisions’

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, explains: “With over 250 educational events over four days, we have designed this year’s programme to supercharge the skills of planners and exhibitors alike. This year’s focus – imagination – takes learning to a new level with advice, stories and direction from boundary breaking experts from inside and outside of our industry.

“It’s been wonderful to see so many partners, one being MPI, leveraging our Talking Point and using it to rethink their engagement and education delivery at the show. They’re a great example of a partner who asked ‘what if….?’ and came up with some fresh new concepts as a result.

“With such a diverse combination of learning, experiences, connections and a huge dose of memorable surprises, we’re expecting some exciting, creative collisions and, of course, plenty of bumper business meetings between buyers and suppliers in a few weeks’ time!”

IMEX in Frankfurt takes place 21 – 23 May 2019. Registration for the show is free of charge and open to all who work in the meetings, events and incentive travel industry. EduMonday takes place the day before the show, on Monday 20 May, and is free to enter following registration for IMEX in Frankfurt.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Emma Ward, emma.ward@imexexhibitions.com ; Chris Lewis, chris.lewis@imexexhibitions.com

Frankfurt Airport lays cornerstone for future Terminal 3

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From the left: Dr. Stefan Schulte (CEO Fraport AG), Karlheinz Weimar (Supervisory Board Chairman, Fraport AG), Dr. Thomas Schäfer (Hesse Finance Minister), Uwe Becker (Mayor of Frankfurt and member of Fraport AG’s Supervisory Board), Matias Wenzel (responsible construction site manager) and Prof. Christoph Mäckler (architect).

Fraport AG laid the cornerstone for Frankfurt Airport’s new Terminal 3, one of Europe’s largest privately financed infrastructure projects. Numerous guests and construction workers attended the ceremony, which marked the start of above-ground construction. To remind future generations of this milestone, a group of participants filled and bricked in a time capsule. They included Dr. Thomas Schäfer, Minister of Finance of the German state of Hesse, and architect Prof. Christoph Mäckler, as well as Fraport AG’s executive board chairman, Dr. Stefan Schulte, and its supervisory board chairman, Karlheinz Weimar. During periods of peak activity, up to 5,000 construction workers a day and around 75 tower cranes will be deployed at the Terminal 3 construction site.

During the ceremony, Fraport CEO Schulte stated: “We are building the future with Terminal 3―for Frankfurt Airport, the entire Rhine-Main region and far beyond. By employing state-of-the-art technology and intelligent processes to create an outstanding passenger experience, we are meeting the promise inherent in our slogan, ‘Gute Reise! We make it happen’. With the new terminal, we are adding sufficient capacity for about 21 million more travelers annually by the year 2023. Frankfurt is already an international leader in terms of connectivity. No other aviation hub in the world offers more destinations to business or leisure travelers than Frankfurt Airport. And Terminal 3 will further strengthen Germany’s most important gateway to the world.”

Finance Minister Schäfer said: “Today we aren’t just laying the cornerstone for a new airport building. We are also establishing the basis for more jobs, more opportunities, and greater economic vitality. The construction of Terminal 3 is an important step for strengthening the airport’s competitiveness and therefore also that of the state of Hesse as a center of economic activity. Over the next few years, Fraport AG will invest up to four billion euros in the project. This has the potential to create many new jobs while increasing the importance of Frankfurt Airport as Germany’s largest place of employment. But even though the airport is the powerhouse of Hesse’s economy, this doesn’t mean that it has free rein. The state government will continue to insist that the aviation industry uphold its strong commitment to reducing noise and environmental burdens.”

Terminal 3’s Pier G, with capacity for up to five million passengers, will be completed by 2021 in the southern part of Frankfurt Airport. This modern facility will later be integrated into Terminal 3’s premium product. The plans call for the main terminal building, along with Piers H and J, to be completed in 2023. As a result, the airport will then be able to handle up to 21 million more passengers than now. There will be an option to later add a Pier K, thus increasing the new terminal’s total capacity to 25 million air travelers.

Fraport supervisory board chairman Weimar added: “Frankfurt Airport is a premium air traffic hub. This is obvious from the growing number of travelers wishing to fly from and via Frankfurt. In view of the buoyant growth in passenger volumes, it is high time to enlarge our capacity. So it’s good news that one pier can be completed ahead of the rest. Pier G will begin operating and providing additional capacity as early as 2021. This leaves no doubt that we were right to opt for an architectural design that could be flexibly adjusted as required.”

Architect Christoph Mäckler explained the terminal’s design as follows: “What passengers want before and after flying is, more than anything else, rest and relaxation. This was an essential leitmotif for designing Terminal 3, alongside maximizing the technical and functional flexibility of the building complex. The light-flooded interior spaces feature high-quality materials in warm natural hues to evoke a pleasant ambiance that invites passengers to relax and stay a while. In this respect, the new terminal will be the first of a new generation worldwide.”

Fraport Ausbau Süd GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fraport AG, is responsible for managing, supervising and monitoring the construction project. The approved budget amounts to between 3.5 and four billion euros, Fraport’s largest single investment at Frankfurt Airport. Some 500 individual contracts are being awarded for a wide variety of tasks, which is benefitting a large number of small and midsized construction companies, including in the Frankfurt region.

MEDIA CONTACT: Fraport AG, Angelika Heinbuch, Spokesperson, Press Office, Corp. Communications, 60547 Frankfurt, Germany, Telephone: +49 69 690-28417, E-mail: a.heinbuch@fraport.de ,  Internet: www.fraport.com , Facebook: www.facebook.com/FrankfurtAirport

Lufthansa makes dedicated staff look bad: The eTN Hero is Patricia Dzai of Swissport Johannesburg

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Lufthansa

“My personal hero today is Ms. Patricia Dzai. Patricia works for Swissport in Johannesburg, South Africa,” said eTN Publisher Juergen Steinmetz. Swissport is one of the largest aviation ground-handling agencies operating in countries around the world.

Major airlines hire Swissport to manage customer relations and logistics when it comes to baggage handling, including lost or misplaced items.

Lufthansa German Airlines’ ground handler in Johannesburg is Swissport. I recently traveled from Nice to Cape Town via Frankfurt and Johannesburg on Lufthansa German Airlines. I am a United Airlines Star Alliance Gold member and traveled on Lufthansa in Business class. Lufthansa is a member of Star Alliance.

When I arrived in Johannesburg, I heard my name called by Lufthansa’s lost baggage office handled by Swissport.

I was told my tube was still in Frankfurt, and they would put it on the next flight to Johannesburg. I explained it was of utmost importance to have the tube for an important trade show event, the World Travel Market in Cape Town, in the morning.

Patricia Dzai, the Swissport agent in Johannesburg, wanted to make sure this would be possible and sent an urgent message to Lufthansa in Frankfurt. The message said:

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleased to know my tube would go on LH 576 directly to Cape Town almost in time for the start of World Travel Market.

I went on to fly to Cape Town and received a text message in the evening saying my tube would be on the Lufthansa flight to Johannesburg, which was different from what Patricia had requested. Since it was late and the Swissport office in Johannesburg was closed, I was able to find a non-published phone number for Lufthansa baggage service in Frankfurt. Lufthansa, like most airlines, is hiding phone numbers to encourage passengers to communicate only by email.

I was told by Lufthansa Baggage Service in Frankfurt no such message to forward my tube to Cape Town was ever received by Swissport Johannesburg. The agent went on to say that passengers are often not told the truth by Swissport agents.

The Lufthansa agent in Frankfurt explained that his job was not to help me, since this was only handled in Johannesburg. I argued my tube is in Frankfurt and not Johannesburg, and the handling agent for Swissport in Johannesburg was closed.

The agent then said he was now doing a one-time exception for me and would reroute my tube on LH576 directly to Cape Town. He said there were 5 hours to get this done, still plenty of time according to him.

The next day I received another message telling me again the tube was on its way to Johannesburg instead of Cape Town.

I called Swissport in Johannesburg, and the news not could have been worse. They told me, apologizing, that my tube was still in Frankfurt for a second day, and they did not know why.

I again called the baggage-handling office in Frankfurt and was again told it’s all Swissport’s mistake for not telling them where to send it.

This time I was angry and called Swissport Johannesburg again. I asked Patricia why she was lying about this. I told her she never sent this request to Frankfurt, according to Lufthansa.

Ten minutes later, I received an email with a time-stamped screenshot from Patricia Dzai showing me exactly what was requested by her in the first place.

Patricia actually had gone out of her way originally to make sure I would be united with my tube on time and in Cape Town. I felt bad thinking she didn’t care and didn’t do anything, when in fact she did.

It shows that big companies like Lufthansa have a serious customer service issue. They hide behind a huge system and are trained to say it’s not their job and simply blame others for company shortcomings.

There was no way I could talk to anyone at Lufthansa about this, and my urgent email to them on the day I was trying to get the tube re-routed was just responded to 2 weeks after I was already back home in Hawaii. Lufthansa offered a 200 euro compensation.

No explanation was given and no apology for accusing Patricia Dzai and Swissport for not doing their job.

I finally received my tube on the last day after the trade show and took it back to the US unopened. When I changed planes in Frankfurt, I asked the agent working in the Senator Lounge to speak to a supervisor in baggage handling about this case and compensation. She told me I have to send an email, which I had already done days ago.

She gave me some chocolate and said they get customers’ complaints all the time and do their best to help and respond, but the back-up system by the airline is not there.

It’s all about a giant non-caring anonymous machine.

I extend my apologies to Patricia Dzai from Swissport, as I now understand she was also a victim of shortcomings created by Lufthansa German Airlines.

Patricia Dzai is the eTN Hero for today.

Travel News | eTurboNews

IMEX exhibitors invited to make Sustainable Exhibiting Pledge

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IMEX in Frankfurt has invited exhibitors at this year’s show (21 -23 May) to make a Sustainable Exhibiting Pledge as it continues to increase its commitment to demonstrating and leading through best practice in sustainability.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, said: “Our approach to sustainability is to lead by example, to encourage others to aim higher and to shine a spotlight on key industry campaigns. This year I’m inviting exhibitors to make a sustainable exhibiting pledge, to implement three simple green initiatives to help reduce their environmental impact at the show. A list of ideas on how to do this features in our IMEX in Frankfurt 2019 Sustainable Exhibiting Guide.”

In January the IMEX Group highlighted its commitment by making sustainability the third ‘pillar’ of this year’s IMEX Talking Point “Imagination.”

Carina Bauer explained: “We’re asking everyone in the global meetings industry to imagine a new beginning: to ask what if we all really committed to cutting down waste?

“We’ve continued to improve our own sustainability performance at both of our shows each year and we’re proud to say that our Frankfurt show is now 100 per cent hydro-powered. Thanks to our waste donation program plus the responsible recycling systems at Messe Frankfurt, we now send zero waste to landfill. This is virtually unheard of in the exhibition business!

“Our work to reduce and recycle more waste generated by both exhibitors and visitors is explained in our first ever IMEX in Frankfurt sustainability report which joins our annual IMEX America sustainability report.”

In line with its determination to lead the industry forward, IMEX was a launch partner when the Events Industry Council introduced its Principles of Sustainable Events in January after hosting two forums at IMEX in Frankfurt and IMEX America in 2018 when these principles were formulated.

A further element of its commitment to leading the industry, the IMEX team believes in sharing what it knows and has learned through experience. At IMEX in Frankfurt, learning about sustainability will feature prominently throughout the show. Starting on EduMonday, 20 May, there will be more than 20 opportunities to learn about sustainability among the 250 plus sessions in the extensive education program at the Inspiration Hub. What’s more, the first ever Sustainability Policy Round table, supported by Edmonton, will bring together industry leaders and experts to share insights at the InterContinental Frankfurt on 21 May.

Furthermore, in partnership with the Events Industry Council (EIC), IMEX will salute an organization making a significant commitment to reducing its environmental impact by announcing the winner of the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award at the IMEX Gala Dinner on 22 May.

Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, says: “At both shows we continue to work closely with our partners including Meet Green, EIC, The Venetian®| The Palazzo® and the Sands Expo®, Messe Frankfurt and GES. We are wholeheartedly committed to providing education, inspiration and leadership on sustainability issues. The business events industry still has a long way to go before thinking green is the first thought, not the last.”

Travel News | eTurboNews

No surprises: New York, London and Tokyo top the list of world’s 15 richest cities

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Boston, Calgary, Perth and Macau – all associated with material wealth – have failed to make this list of the 15 richest cities in the world, compiled by market research firm New World Wealth.

The data gathered by the researchers reflects the total amount of private wealth held by all the individuals living in each of the cities on the list. Unlike traditional ratings, this top 15 is not based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), but reflects analysis that covers all assets, such as property, cash, equities and business interests, excluding liabilities. Government funds are included.

1. New York City – $3 trillion

2. London – $2.7 trillion

3. Tokyo – $2.5 trillion

4. San Francisco Bay Area – 2.3 trillion

5. Beijing – $2.2 trillion

6. Shanghai – $2 trillion

7. Los Angeles – $1.4 trillion

8. Hong Kong – $1.3 trillion

9. Sydney – $1 trillion

10. Singapore – $1 trillion

11. Chicago – $988 billion

12. Mumbai – $950 billion

13. Toronto – $944 billion

14 Frankfurt – $912 billion

15. Paris – $860 billion

According to New World Wealth, wealth is a measure that differs from a GDP indicator, which is another common metric used to gauge economic power. The research firm revealed that Houston, Geneva, Osaka, Seoul, Shenzhen, Melbourne, Zurich and Dallas had just missed out on the top 15.

Travel News | eTurboNews