Meeting News - December 17, 2007 - (Page 26)

International New CC Will Help Melbourne Bolster Its Meetings Market Melbourne, Australia—Melbourne’s new convention center, opening in 2009, is already winning over domestic and international groups, as 70 national and 17 international conventions are on the books for between 2009 and 2013 as of early December, reported the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre. Under construction since June 2006, the new building, providing a grand ballroom, 32 rooms of various sizes, and a 5,000-seat hall, will be integrated next to the city’s existing 323,000-sf facility. Combined, the convention complex will be Australia’s largest, according to the MECC. The new development, an $874-million public-private enterprise, of which the state of Victoria is covering nearly $325 million, will have a Hilton hotel and nearly 650,000 sf of retail, completing an urban renewal program along the Yarra River. The state government wants to grow Victoria’s meetings market, noting that international convention delegates spend five times as much as leisure tourists, and that 57 percent of those surveyed are likely to return within two years. The 17 international conventions already on tap are expected to bring 42,000 convention-goers to Melbourne and contribute $250 million to Victoria’s economy. The 70 national events are set to bring 94,000 delegates and pump in $450 million. Meanwhile, newly released data from the Melbourne Convention & Visitors Bureau shows that it directly sourced 101 business events and 53,000 business visitors in its 20062007 fiscal year, a 16-percent increase over the previous fiscal-year performance for the CVB. 26 MeetingNews Edited by William Ng william.ng@nielsen.com according to George. The Hyatt will feature languagetranslation booths, and a16,000-sf ballroom that holds 1,500 attendees for sit-down events. About 3.5 hours from Miami, the hotel will market to petroleum groups, Caribbean associations, and U.S. meetings to fill its 300-room group block. All rooms have LCD TVs, iPod player docks, Wi-Fi and wired Internet access, and Hyatt Grand Beds. The hotel is not all work. It will have a 9,000-sf spa, a spa floor featuring in-room services, and an infinity pool and terrace overlooking the Gulf of Paria. Neighboring Tobago, meanwhile, sports plenty of beaches, said George, as well as protected forests and diving sites, widely considered tops in the Caribbean. George noted that Tobago is a premeeting locale for many groups’ recreation activities. Airlift also has expanded. On Dec. 20, Delta Air Lines has new service from New York JFK to Piarco International Airport, and from Atlanta to Tobago’s Crown Point International Airport. Continental and American airlines also have direct service to Trinidad. Trinidad Cements Its Reputation New Hyatt exemplifies island’s focus on business meetings In Port of Spain, the Hyatt Regency Trinidad is located within the International Waterfront development, which is the centerpiece of the capital’s revitalization plan. New York—Distinguishing itself from leisure-friendly destinations in the Caribbean with its business-first philosophy, Trinidad will benefit from the soft opening of the 428room Hyatt Regency Trinidad, which kicked off Dec. 17. The business hotel, in capital Port of Spain, is expected to fully open on Jan. 17, but it will host its first meeting on Jan. 2. With its 43,000 sf of meeting space, it is designed as a meetings hotel, said GM Russell George, during a visit to MeetingNews’ offices in New York. Trinidad has been focused on making the island a global hub for oil and gas—the island is a leading exporter of liquefied natural gas and gas-based products—and local petroleum companies have been eagerly awaiting a full-fledged meetings property, Barcelona is Apple Of Microsoft’s Eye Barcelona—Microsoft’s relationship with the Barcelona International Convention Centre (CCIB) began two years ago, and the two sides have never looked back, with the center hosting the corporation’s most pivotal European events. Starting with the Microsoft IT Forum in 2005, the CCIB has since been the venue for the firm’s TechEd Developers and Tech-Ed IT Forum events. This year, the events accounted for 9,000 IT professionals from 57 countries and an economic impact of $16.3 million over 10 days. In October, the CCIB also welcomed 1,200 Microsoft sales reps to its International Sales University training event. “Events of this caliber consolidate Barcelona’s position as a top-flight international business destination,” said Jesus Alvarez, one of the CCIB’s managing directors. Microsoft’s director of Europe, Middle East, and Africa events, Luca Balbo, said the company has been returning to Barcelona based on “excellent” attendee feedback, the city’s infrastructure and climate, and the CCIB’s modern facilities. In the Developers and IT Forum events, Microsoft became the first user of the CCIB’s 16 new highdefinition projectors, valued at $1.1 million and each spanning 33 feet wide. Some other numbers: 41,500 lunches were served, 150,000 bottles of water and soda were consumed, and 125,000 cakes and pastries were eaten by Microsoft convention-goers. CCIB employed 250 waiters and 100 cooks each day. Barcelona’s tech meetings aspirations didn’t end there. The CCIB hosted the four-day HP Software Universe & Communications World event that drew 4,500 global attendees in late November. H www.meetingnews.com December 17, 2007 http://www.meetingnews.com

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