Incentives and meetings

Events Director for the International Fertilizer Association (IFA), Stéphane Leleu attended one of the first international hybrid events to be organised since the start of the health crisis: the PCMA 2021 convention in Singapore in January. He shares his experience and analysis of the advantages and limitations of this format in the short and medium term.

Arun Madhok is CEO of Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre. He talks about the adaptation of the convention centre to meet hybrid demand, and the challenges facing professionals in the events sector.

Interaction, attention-grabbing, appropriate content: the digital part of meetings and events calls for real entertainment, inspired by the codes of television. Expert advice and an ideas box.

Whether in hotels or convention centres, the conditions for hybrid meetings are being put in place. Here's an overview.

Facilities dedicated to meetings and events have invested in technological equipment to offer organisers a virtual alternative. The time has come for hybrid events, with far-reaching implications for organisers and participants alike, whether on site or online.

The members of the Strasbourg Convention Bureau are already ready to help companies organise their hybrid events. The Strasbourg specialists have developed a wide range of digital solutions for organising meetings and team-building events. Here's an overview of the latest developments.

At La Défense, the famous CNIT has entered the world of cartoonist François Schuiten, transforming itself into a dreamlike, technological venue for conferences and meetings.

Singapore is positioning itself as a pioneering destination for the recovery of MICE and international business travel. The Singapore Tourism Board is launching SingapoReimagine, both to embody THE post-Covid destination par excellence, and to initiate a global co-creation dynamic around the travel of tomorrow.

Newton has just unveiled three new projects for spaces dedicated to corporate customers in Marcq-en-Barœul, Euralille and Villeneuve d'Ascq. The latter will open in April.

The InterContinental Bordeaux has inaugurated the Studio du Grand Hôtel, a new infrastructure designed to organise hybrid events, with the support of the Abaques audiovisual agency.

The Circle opened at Zurich airport at the end of last year. A new business district that must now find its feet in one of the most uncertain times for both airports and the financial metropolis that is Zurich.

The first Regus store is due to open in Togo in the second quarter of 2021, in the administrative district of the capital, Lomé.

Next April, the MSC Virtuosa will enter service. MSC Cruises' new flagship will offer a futuristic experience, embodied by a humanoid robotic bartender called Rob.

Dr Edward Koh, Executive Director of Conventions, Meetings & Incentive at the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), explains how Singapore is gradually revitalising its MICE business, while positioning itself as a pioneering destination for hybrid events.

The Centre Expo Congrès in Mandelieu-La Napoule is breaking new ground with the installation of a brand new intelligent disinfection gantry.

The Convening Leaders conference was held for the first time outside the United States, in Singapore. It was an opportunity to mark the gradual resurgence of MICE in the Asian hub, and to pave the way for hybrid, post-Covid events subject to strict health protocols.

The pandemic has prompted Châteauform' to rethink its offering and deploy new solutions adapted to hybrid meetings and changing working habits.

On 1 January, the departments of Bas-Rhin and Haut-Rhin became the new Collectivité Européenne d'Alsace. The merger will create a new Alsatian regional entity within the Grand Est region, with wider economic, cultural and tourist powers. 

The Hilton Group is launching a programme of hotels offering perfect connectivity to host meetings and events in hybrid formats.

Comet Meetings is preparing to inaugurate a new address dedicated to meetings and events. The opening of a branch in Brussels in early March will mark the beginning of the group's international strategy.