Meeting News - November 19, 2007 - (Page 62)

Cover Story Heathrow continued from cover which is to be in partial operation by the Olympics and ultimately replace Terminals 1 and 2. With Terminal 5 and Heathrow East, the airport will have capacity for 93 million annual passengers versus the 68 million it struggles to handle today. While the opening of Terminal 5—promised to move 30 million passengers a year—and the closing of Terminal 2 should yield a net capacity increase, BAA will also mine efficiencies by grouping allied airlines together. British Airways will move to Terminal 5, while Oneworld carriers will operate from Terminal 3, SkyTeam from Terminal 4, and Star Alliance from Terminal 1 (and later Heathrow East). This will accelerate passenger transfers. BAA is also refurbishing Terminal 3, and planning for check-in and lounge upgrades next year at Terminal 4. At Terminal 3, the firm is promising better passenger logistics with a modernized forecourt by year end and a $2-billion facility investment over the next decade. Many view BAA’s $13.1-billion Heathrow improvement plan over the next 10 years—nearly twice the amount it has spent in the last 10—as a long time coming. It’s no secret the aged airport has been plagued by overcrowding, flight delays and cancellations, long lines, and baggage mishaps. A dreadful summer performance prompted London’s city minister, Kitty Ussher, to dub it the “Heathrow hassle” and another U.K. politician to call it a “national disgrace.” It also compelled the Association of Corporate Travel Executives to do an informal poll in which 80 percent of respondents said they expect not only to skip Heathrow for other hubs, but also take their meetings out of the United Kingdom because of the travel nightmare. Simon Bradley, New York-based executive VP of the Americas for Visit Britain, admitted that there have been “isolated incidents” of lost meetings due to the problems, but said business was doing well. Bradley added,“If we weren’t seeing improvements Drought continued from cover tions of Marriott,” she said.“Marriott has been asking people to conserve water for years.” On the other hand, David Jurcak, general manager of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center, also in Atlanta, is taking a cautious, preventive approach. “We are in a severe drought,” Jurcak said. He indicated that attendees won’t be seeing plentiful pitchers of water on conference tables. Also, water will only be served upon request in restaurants, and there is a strong push for green housekeeping practices, such as not changing linens and towels daily. “We don’t have any dry taps, but if the situation worsens we’ll act accordingly,” Jurcak said. But there are those who think the water shortage 62 MeetingNews November 19, 2007 [by BAA], then we would be concerned.” liorate Heathrow. “Buildings don’t solve the probMeanwhile, Tracy Halliwell, head of business lem, people do. Putting in bad management there tourism and convention services for Visit London, is my biggest issue,” said Talwar, though he favors a was “surprised”by the poll result and said staunchly, third runway to relieve the two that are now at 98.5 “Heathrow doesn’t come up as an issue for not using percent capacity. A new runway has met opposition London.” Not only that, Halliwell said convention from environmentalists and area residents, though. inquiries are up and that London has confirmed the Terminal 5—four football fields long and two same amount of meetings business through the first fields wide—is a four-story structure that will have seven months of fiscal 2007 versus all of 2006. a rail station served by Heathrow Express and the “It’s a situation where we had a lot of bad press London subway. Linked to the M25 and M4 highabout lines and baggage at Heathrow,” Halliwell ways, it will have 60 aircraft stands, its own traffic said.“Recently in Chicago, it took me an hour to get control tower, and a 4,000-car parking garage. through security. You can be affected at any airport Whether it will bring improvements remains to in the world, with heightened security. Heathrow be seen, but according to Talwar, small companies, does have issues, but I haven’t expemore flexible in their travel, are rienced any problems.” already moving out—some to lessPlanner Maja Leibovitz wasn’t as congested regional airports like fortunate when she worked on her Stansted and Luton. “At meetings first-ever London meeting in late industry events, I hear companies September. The president and CEO mumbling about taking their busiof New York-based Serious Celebraness out of the U.K. We had a fall in tions, who personally delivered provisitors [in August], and people will gram guides for a 15-CEO executive start blaming Heathrow,” he said of event, was snagged for two hours at their frustration. Heathrow customs. “It just seemed But, despite her bad first expericrazy, and I’m from New York,” said ence at Heathrow, Leibovitz of SeriLeibovitz. “There was confusion. I ous Celebrations said London and bumped into someone, and he U.K. meetings will survive, noting —Simon Bradley, executive VP looked like he wanted to kill me.” the city and nation are too vital of the Americas, VisitBritain Another, long-time Heathrow economically. “I don’t think it’s sufferer is Rohit Talwar, a Londongoing to have an effect on meetbased travel, tourism, and meetings consultant, ings,” she said, “but I would send disclaimers or who said BAA hasn’t figured out an intelligent plan advisories to my attendees to be aware of for improving security flow—this despite BAA hav- Heathrow.” ing added 500 security officers and 13 lanes since “The entry point into a country is always the August 2006. “On some mornings, there could be moment of truth. The good news is there is a seri700 people in a line that snakes back to the airport ous attempt to modernize Heathrow,” said Bradley. entrance,” said Talwar. “Part of the problem is that “Terminal 5 will change the overcapacity situation, [BAA] has given too much space to retail, and that the negative perception, and position Heathrow as means not enough for security.” a key hub in the future.” H Contact William Ng at william.ng@nielsen.com Talwar is also skeptical that Terminal 5 will ame- the negative perception and position Heathrow as a key hub. “Terminal 5 will change ” in the Southeast, and particularly Georgia, will indeed worsen. Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in October, and asked President Bush to issue a federal disaster designation for 85 counties. Some estimates for the Atlanta metro area, a major convention destination with a population of 4 million, predict that the city’s main source of water, Lake Lanier—a meetings destination in its own right— will be out of potable water by mid-January. North Carolinians, meanwhile, have been urged by Governor Michael Easley to stop using water for purposes “not essential to public health and safety.” The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau could not make a spokesperson available to MeetingNews, but released the following statement: “Currently, the city has water and no dry taps, but stricter restrictions may have to be put in place. The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau is asking all visitors to conserve water and has partnered with the city in offering visitor tips.” In addition to urging conservation, Perdue filed a lawsuit to prevent the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife from releasing water from Lake Lanier to protect endangered species downstream, a situation he called “a man-made disaster.” Planners with events in other parts of the country may have to plan for conservation techniques, too. New York Times Magazine on Oct. 21 cataloged the continued on page 64 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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