Incentives and meetings

Venice wants to reposition its tourism in a more upmarket segment. And MICE activity is an integral part of this. The city therefore wants to make the 'barrier' island of Lido even more attractive to congress and conference organisers.

The end of the crisis and an upturn in business, new corporate habits, hybrid meetings and development: Benjamin Abittan, Deputy Managing Director of Châteauform', takes a look back at the latest news from his group.

UNIMEV's annual event, See You There, was an opportunity for events professionals to discuss the difficulties facing the industry and the government's support for its recovery. A recovery in which digital technology, sustainable development and the pooling of energies will play a major role.

VivaTech 2021, held from 16 to 19 June, used a hybrid format to explore the smartcity and mobility of tomorrow, while at the same time revitalising the event machine after months of paralysis.

From "World's Best Destination for Meetings and Conferences" to "Europe's Best MICE Destination", the quality of Madrid's offering is seductive. But these recent awards also recognise the efforts of the Convention Bureau and the involvement of all the city's tourism stakeholders in making the Spanish capital a key destination for years to come.

A first house in the Netherlands, just outside Amsterdam, and another in a listed château on the edge of the Yvelines: the Châteauform' group will be opening two new seminar venues this autumn.

The official reopening of Phuket to vaccinated travellers - without compulsory quarantine - has been confirmed for July 1. This means the reopening of air routes between Europe and Thailand, in particular those operated by Thai Airways International.

Vienna is devoting a budget of four million euros to help the MICE industry choose the Austrian capital for events and conferences. And it remains confident of its attractiveness...

Salzburg is resolutely optimistic about its future as a tourist destination as Austria reopens its borders. Nevertheless, the city intends to revitalise its offer to avoid the problems of tourist saturation that it experiences during the summer months.

Austria's reopening to the international market on 19 May is an opportunity to look at how this small Central European country, so dependent on tourism - and so...

Lille Grand Palais has turned the corner on hybrid events, with the launch of a new offering combining the physical capabilities of the convention centre with new cutting-edge technological tools to open up to a large online audience. Interview with Hervé Vauvillier, Sales Director of Lille Grand Palais.

With a Convention Bureau committed to the sustainability of events, environmentally-friendly conference and meeting venues and one of the greenest cities in the world, Madrid has everything to appeal to eco-responsible organisers.

At the end of the week, Emmanuel Macron announced the schedule for deconfliction, which will begin on 3 May. Here is a look back at the main lessons to be learned and the reactions to these announcements.

Shaun Nelson, CEO of Keeze, talks about the hybrid positioning of this new player, somewhere between coworking and meeting space. It's an opportunity to take stock of the trends emerging in the face of the crisis, changing demand and the new relationship with the office.

Wojo has just announced the imminent arrival of a new coworking address in Paris, thanks to a management contract signed with the Jean Turon Group.

From 1 May, French Polynesia is introducing simplified entry requirements for travellers from the European Union and the United States who have been vaccinated or immunised against Covid-19. 

The Maldives archipelago, a traditional luxury destination - particularly for MICE - is inventing the concept of a vaccination holiday. It's a strategy that could prove particularly attractive to nomadic digital workers.

Futuroscope is preparing to launch an original new hotel: "Station Cosmos" will be inaugurated in spring 2022, along with its restaurant, the Hyperloop, as part of a vast development plan to turn the park into a European-scale resort.

As Southeast Asia's leading international destination, Thailand welcomed nearly 40 million international travellers before the Covid crisis. It is now trying to revive its economy by planning the gradual return of tourists, who are vital to its growth. It's an uphill battle as the country is hit by a new wave of contaminations...

On 24 April this year, Singapore will loosen the restrictions on holding congresses, conferences and meetings, giving the MICE industry some hope. The maximum capacity will now be 750 people per event. However, we are still a long way from a return to the pre-Covid situation...