![\"bigstock-Team-of-friends-showing-unity--37117480\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-Team-of-friends-showing-unity-37117480.jpg\")
History will surely remember 2015 as a year of record\u00a0breaking\u00a0migrations of people searching for security and fleeing wars.
\nWe asked convention bureaus how\u00a0much\u00a0impact has migration had on\u00a0organizing\u00a0and running events in European\u00a0cities.\u00a0Although the overall impression is\u00a0that they avoid talking about the topic,\u00a0some of them that did comment\u00a0are the London & Partners, Vienna\u00a0Convention\u00a0Bureau, Amsterdam\u00a0Marketing, Madrid Convention Bureau,\u00a0and Serbia Convention Bureau.
\nMost of these Convention bureaus\u00a0believe\u00a0that the refugee crisis has no\u00a0special impact on MICE tourism in\u00a0their countries and they have no statistical\u00a0data about events cancellations\u00a0due to the problem.
\nAlso, there is a tendency to turn these\u00a0events into opportunities, chances\u00a0to prove the safety of a destination\u00a0exceeding any negative effects.
\u201cIt\u2019s too soon to know if the last\u00a0Middle East migrations have affected\u00a0the meetings industry in Madrid;\u00a0it is reasonable to think that\u00a0these population movements won\u2019t\u00a0be a crisis factor for us: we belong\u00a0to a country traditionally chosen as\u00a0a destination by migrants coming\u00a0from the African North, and this\u00a0fact\u00a0has never been a parameter\u00a0for the evolution of this specialized\u00a0tourism\u00a0segment.\u00a0What we should do \u2013 due to the\u00a0political\u00a0and safety situation of the\u00a0Middle\u00a0Eastern and Northern African\u00a0countries \u2013 is use the advantage\u00a0to become first choice for companies\u00a0and associations looking for\u00a0safer Mediterranean and South European\u00a0destinations,\u201d says the Madrid\u00a0Convention Bureau.
\n
\u201cWe notice how carefully customers\u00a0decide on European destinations,\u201d\u00a0notes the Serbia Convention\u00a0Bureau.
\n\u201cCertain events \u2013 even big\u00a0conferences\u00a0\u2013 are getting cancelled\u00a0or having their venues changed.\u00a0The tendency is less present in Serbia,\u00a0since these challenges are not\u00a0affecting\u00a0us as much as they are other\u00a0countries.
\nAlthough there are indications that\u00a0we could benefit from these developments,\u00a0due to the decision\u00a0of some organizers to move their\u00a0events to Serbia, the fact is that\u00a0long-term instability benefits no\u00a0one and the whole industry is wishing\u00a0for a soon and permanent\u00a0solution\u00a0to the ongoing troubles,\u201d\u00a0concludes the Serbia Convention\u00a0Bureau.
Meanwhile, security and safety concerns\u00a0have overtaken cost control\u00a0as the number one priority of corporate\u00a0executives when considering\u00a0business travel growth, according to\u00a0new research from American\u00a0Express\u00a0Global Business Travel (GBT).*
\n[quote_box_center]* The Barometer released during\u00a0the GBT\u2019s 25th annual EVP,\u00a0held in Paris. The Barometer\u00a0was prepared by Concomitance\u00a0from interviews with 580\u00a0persons in charge of corporate\u00a0travel budgets and possessing\u00a0an aggregated expenditure\u00a0of \u20ac1.3 bn.\u00a0The interviewees were spread\u00a0over companies based in 10\u00a0major\u00a0European countries.[/quote_box_center]
\nSadly, at the end of 2015 another event\u00a0took place and shook the globe,\u00a0at the same time touching on many\u00a0industries \u2013 event organizing in Europe\u00a0being among them.\u00a0The horrific November attack in Paris\u00a0caused justified fear and certain\u00a0discomfort in organizing larger gatherings.
\nAccording to the responses\u00a0of other Convention bureaus, their\u00a0cities\u00a0saw no cancellations of already\u00a0arranged events, while \u2013 for example\u00a0\u2013 a Michelin event for 550 people\u00a0was requested to be moved from\u00a0Paris to Amsterdam. Paris events\u00a0were\u00a0getting cancelled, but not in large\u00a0numbers.
![\"Paris\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/paris2.jpg\")
Music events certainly\u00a0were\u00a0getting cancelled, while U2\u2019s\u00a0performance\u00a0planned for November\u00a0was moved to December.
\nAs for the movie industry, Jane Got\u00a0a Gun featuring Natalie Portman and\u00a0Bridge of Spies, where Steven Spielberg,\u00a0Mark Rylance and Amy Ryan\u00a0were\u00a0scheduled to appear, saw the\u00a0cancelling\u00a0of their promotions.
\nThe Airbnb Open conference that\u00a0takes place in Paris where more than\u00a06,000 attendees reportedly visit\u00a0from over 100 countries across the\u00a0globe has been cancelled.
Currently, the company has over\u00a0600 employees in the city, as well\u00a0as 5,000 Airbnb hosts and \u201csuperhosts\u201d\u00a0in town who attended the conference.
\nNow, organizers are looking for \u201csafe\u00a0destinations\u201d for their conferences,\u00a0conventions, or meetings, somewhat\u00a0more carefully than under normal circumstances.\u00a0We can say that everyone is aware\u00a0of and following the situation in Europe,\u00a0and by this working on promoting\u00a0their destinations as safe for\u00a0event organizing. They are expecting\u00a0everything to get back to normal,\u00a0without any major effects on MICE\u00a0tourism.
\nThis is evident in some of the 2016\u00a0plans noted by Convention bureaus\u00a0from across Europe.
![\"bigstock-a-crowd-of-people-at-a-concert-80271962\"](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/bigstock-a-crowd-of-people-at-a-concert-80271962.jpg\")
\u201c2015 has been a fantastic year for\u00a0London\u2019s MICE sector, we\u2019ve had some\u00a0great events coming, and returning,\u00a0to the city, such as the European\u00a0Society of Cardiology congress,\u00a0which broke all previous\u00a0records\u00a0of\u00a0attendance,\u00a0London Technology\u00a0Week,\u00a0and Advertising\u00a0Week\u00a0Europe.\u00a02016 is set to be equally\u00a0successful\u00a0with great new events\u00a0taking\u00a0place\u00a0in the capital including\u00a0New Scientist\u00a0Live, which will demonstrate\u00a0how\u00a0science and technology\u00a0can improve\u00a0lives and shape\u00a0society, and the AI\u00a0Summit, which will explore the possible\u00a0applications of Artificial Intelligence\u00a0for business purposes.\u201d-\u00a0Tracy\u00a0Halliwell,\u00a0Director\u00a0of Business\u00a0Tourism\u00a0& Major Events at London\u00a0& Partners.
\n\u201cIn the meetings industry market,\u00a0we are confident that there will be\u00a0a continuous\u00a0increase of the activity\u00a0in Madrid; overall in the incentives\u00a0and corporate sector, as the companies\u00a0are investing more budget than\u00a0in these last years of economic\u00a0crisis and it appears that Madrid is\u00a0awakening more and more\u00a0interest\u00a0between event organizers.\u201d\u00a0\u2013\u00a0David\u00a0Noack, Director of the Madrid\u00a0Convention Bureau.
\nThe post The refugee crisis and Paris attacks – Effects of the Unfortunate Events in Europe on the MICE industry appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "Perhaps it is too soon to analyze the effects of the refugee crisis on the MICE tourism\u00a0in Europe and the region, but we should look back and revisit last year\u2019s\u00a0events\u00a0at the start of 2016.\nHistory will surely remember 2015 as a year of record\u00a0breaking\u00a0migrations of people searching for security and fleeing wars.\nWe asked convention bureaus how\u00a0much\u00a0impact has migration had on\u00a0organizing\u00a0and running events in European\u00a0cities.\u00a0Although the overall impression is\u00a0that they avoid talking about the topic,\u00a0some of them that did comment\u00a0are the London & Partners, Vienna\u00a0Convention\u00a0Bureau, Amsterdam\u00a0Marketing, Madrid Convention Bureau,\u00a0and Serbia Convention Bureau.\nMost of these Convention bureaus\u00a0believe\u00a0that the refugee crisis has no\u00a0special impact on MICE tourism in\u00a0their countries and they have no statistical\u00a0data about events cancellations\u00a0due to the problem.\nAlso, there is a tendency to turn these\u00a0events into opportunities, chances\u00a0to prove the safety of a destination\u00a0exceeding any negative effects.\n\u201cIt\u2019s too soon to know if the last\u00a0Middle East migrations have affected\u00a0the meetings industry in Madrid;\u00a0it is reasonable to think that\u00a0these population movements won\u2019t\u00a0be a crisis factor for us: we belong\u00a0to a country traditionally chosen as\u00a0a destination by migrants coming\u00a0from the African North, and this\u00a0fact\u00a0has never been a parameter\u00a0for the evolution of this specialized\u00a0tourism\u00a0segment.\u00a0What we should do \u2013 due to the\u00a0political\u00a0and safety situation of the\u00a0Middle\u00a0Eastern and Northern African\u00a0countries \u2013 is use the advantage\u00a0to become first choice for companies\u00a0and associations looking for\u00a0safer Mediterranean and South European\u00a0destinations,\u201d says the Madrid\u00a0Convention Bureau.\n\n\u201cWe notice how carefully customers\u00a0decide on European destinations,\u201d\u00a0notes the Serbia Convention\u00a0Bureau.\n\u201cCertain events \u2013 even big\u00a0conferences\u00a0\u2013 are getting cancelled\u00a0or having their venues changed.\u00a0The tendency is less present in Serbia,\u00a0since these challenges are not\u00a0affecting\u00a0us as much as they are other\u00a0countries.\nAlthough there are indications that\u00a0we could benefit from these developments,\u00a0due to the decision\u00a0of some organizers to move their\u00a0events to Serbia, the fact is that\u00a0long-term instability benefits no\u00a0one and the whole industry is wishing\u00a0for a soon and permanent\u00a0solution\u00a0to the ongoing troubles,\u201d\u00a0concludes the Serbia Convention\u00a0Bureau.\nMeanwhile, security and safety concerns\u00a0have overtaken cost control\u00a0as the number one priority of corporate\u00a0executives when considering\u00a0business travel growth, according to\u00a0new research from American\u00a0Express\u00a0Global Business Travel (GBT).*\n[quote_box_center]* The Barometer released during\u00a0the GBT\u2019s 25th annual EVP,\u00a0held in Paris. The Barometer\u00a0was prepared by Concomitance\u00a0from interviews with 580\u00a0persons in charge of corporate\u00a0travel budgets and possessing\u00a0an aggregated expenditure\u00a0of \u20ac1.3 bn.\u00a0The interviewees were spread\u00a0over companies based in 10\u00a0major\u00a0European countries.[/quote_box_center]\nSadly, at the end of 2015 another event\u00a0took place and shook the globe,\u00a0at the same time touching on many\u00a0industries \u2013 event organizing in Europe\u00a0being among them.\u00a0The horrific November attack in Paris\u00a0caused justified fear and certain\u00a0discomfort in organizing larger gatherings.\nAccording to the responses\u00a0of other Convention bureaus, their\u00a0cities\u00a0saw no cancellations of already\u00a0arranged events, while \u2013 for example\u00a0\u2013 a Michelin event for 550 people\u00a0was requested to be moved from\u00a0Paris to Amsterdam. Paris events\u00a0were\u00a0getting cancelled, but not in large\u00a0numbers.\nParis\nMusic events certainly\u00a0were\u00a0getting cancelled, while U2\u2019s\u00a0performance\u00a0planned for November\u00a0was moved to December.\nAs for the movie industry, Jane Got\u00a0a Gun featuring Natalie Portman and\u00a0Bridge of Spies, where Steven Spielberg,\u00a0Mark Rylance and Amy Ryan\u00a0were\u00a0scheduled to appear, saw the\u00a0cancelling\u00a0of their promotions.\nThe Airbnb Open conference that\u00a0takes place in Paris where more than\u00a06,000 attendees reportedly visit\u00a0from over 100 countries across the\u00a0globe has been cancelled.\nCurrently, the company has over\u00a0600 employees in the city, as well\u00a0as 5,000 Airbnb hosts and \u201csuperhosts\u201d\u00a0in town who attended the conference.\nNow, organizers are looking for \u201csafe\u00a0destinations\u201d for their conferences,\u00a0conventions, or meetings, somewhat\u00a0more carefully than under normal circumstances.\u00a0We can say that everyone is aware\u00a0of and following the situation in Europe,\u00a0and by this working on promoting\u00a0their destinations as safe for\u00a0event organizing. They are expecting\u00a0everything to get back to normal,\u00a0without any major effects on MICE\u00a0tourism.\nThis is evident in some of the 2016\u00a0plans noted by Convention bureaus\u00a0from across Europe.\n\n\u201c2015 has been a fantastic year for\u00a0London\u2019s MICE sector, we\u2019ve had some\u00a0great events coming, and returning,\u00a0to the city, such as the European\u00a0Society of Cardiology congress,\u00a0which broke all previous\u00a0records\u00a0of\u00a0attendance,\u00a0London Technology\u00a0Week,\u00a0and Advertising\u00a0Week\u00a0Europe.\u00a02016 is set to be equally\u00a0successful\u00a0with great new events\u00a0taking\u00a0place\u00a0in the capital including\u00a0New Scientist\u00a0Live, which will demonstrate\u00a0how\u00a0science and technology\u00a0can improve\u00a0lives and shape\u00a0society, and the AI\u00a0Summit, which will explore the possible\u00a0applications of Artificial Intelligence\u00a0for business purposes.\u201d-\u00a0Tracy\u00a0Halliwell,\u00a0Director\u00a0of Business\u00a0Tourism\u00a0& Major Events at London\u00a0& Partners.\n\u201cIn the meetings industry market,\u00a0we are confident that there will be\u00a0a continuous\u00a0increase of the activity\u00a0in Madrid; overall in the incentives\u00a0and corporate sector, as the companies\u00a0are investing more budget than\u00a0in these last years of economic\u00a0crisis and it appears that Madrid is\u00a0awakening more and more\u00a0interest\u00a0between event organizers.\u201d\u00a0\u2013\u00a0David\u00a0Noack, Director of the Madrid\u00a0Convention Bureau.\nThe post The refugee crisis and Paris attacks – Effects of the Unfortunate Events in Europe on the MICE industry appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2016-03-29T14:56:41+02:00", "date_modified": "2017-12-18T11:51:46+01:00", "author": { "name": "Svetlana Gavric", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/ceca/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Ceca.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Pocetna1a.jpg", "tags": [ "convention buerau", "Madrid Convention Bureau", "mice industry", "Paris", "serbia convention buerau", "Hot topics" ] }, { "id": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/madrid-city-that-makes-work-meetings-a-pleasurable-time/", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/madrid-city-that-makes-work-meetings-a-pleasurable-time/", "title": "MADRID \u2013 CITY THAT MAKES WORK MEETINGS A PLEASURABLE TIME", "content_html": "For a short period of time Madrid jump in ICCA rankings, from 13th place in 2009 to the 2nd place in 2013, just below Paris.
\n![\"David](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/David-P\u00e9rez.jpg\" "\\"David")
1. City of Madrid is the center of the dynamic country as it is Spain. Could you name three things that make Madrid different?
\nUndoubtedly the sun, the passion of its locals and the wide variety and good quality of its culture and leisure options.
\nAnyone who has been to Madrid will tell you how welcome they\u2019ve felt.
\nMaybe thanks to the city’s 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, or perhaps because of its age-old status as a cultural melting-pot and national capital or its strategic location between continents, the fact is Madrid has a fabulous vitality which infects everybody 24/7: visitors and of course locals who show their passion when enjoying their city’s day and night life.
\nThe selection of cuisine, shopping and leisure activities are a faithful reflection of the city’s lust for life, its respect for tradition and its commitment to the avant-garde and sustainability.
\nWith a huge variety of restaurants and shops for all tastes and budgets, an enviable cultural and sporting calendar, and all imaginable options for a great night out, Madrid is one of the most fun cities in the world.
\n![\"Steps](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/monumento_a_alfonso_xii_retiro.jpg\" "\\"Steps")
\n2. What are strengths of Madrid as a meetings destination?
Given its status as the country’s economic centre and home to 90% of large companies operating in Spain, the capital city is a global showcase for presenting products and new proposals.
\nIt has modern facilities for congresses and fairshows like the IFEMA trade fair centre and the Municipal Conferences Centre in the Campo de las Naciones business area or Caja M\u00e1gica in the Manzanares Linear Park. Madrid’s business facilities are complemented by its palaces, stations, theatres and all kinds of other unique buildings available to organizers who wish to surprise their invitees.
\nTravelling to the capital is easy and convenient thanks to its geographical position in the centre of Spain and its excellent access infrastructure: national motorways, high-speed trains and, above all, International Adolfo Su\u00e1rez Madrid-Barajas Airport.
\nOn arriving in the city, visitors will confirm the quality of the capital’s hotel sector, with around 80,000 beds, more than half of which are in four or five star hotels.
\nIn addition, the capital has the experience of the best professionals in the meetings industry. However, if Madrid has a distinguishing feature it is its ability to make work meetings a pleasurable time. In Madrid the line separating business and pleasure blurs, making it possible to hold meetings and close business deals while enjoying the city’s unbeatable entertainment, food and cultural agenda.
\n![\"Grand](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/gran_via_01b.jpg\" "\\"Grand")
3. Are there some weaknesses of Madrid as a meetings destination?
\nIf we keep in mind that the main feature on Madrid\u2019s offer for a meeting planner is the diversity and high level quality of professionals and services, we\u2019ll conclude for sure that everybody will find the most suitable option for their needs in Madrid; so we cannot speak on weaknesses, it would be better to mention the city\u2019s duty of improving MICE tourism market by new developments (congresses centres with more capacity or new and original activities for incentives, for example).
\n4. In your opinion, what is must-have for one destination to be successful in meeting industry?
\nThe transport network is the first one: Madrid has an international airport quite close to the city (12 kilometers), Adolfo Su\u00e1rez Madrid-Barajas, with a wide capacity of 70 million yearly passengers and more than 150 direct destinations; it is the main hub for Latin America, with a large potential growth in that market as well as in Asia.
\nBut if Madrid has a particularity in this sense is its high speed railway system, which connects the capital to all parts of Spain (more than 80 destinations) with more than 300 diary trains.
\nA high quality range of hotels is the second must-have for the meetings industry, and in the case of Madrid, that means more than 80,000 hotel beds (most of them 5, 4 and 3 stars establishments) of which the most relevant characteristic is the excellent value for money. \u00a0\u00a0Cutting-edge facilities and culture and leisure options must complete the meetings tourism destination offer.
\n![\"Prado](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/museo_del_prado.jpg\" "\\"Prado")
5. What are the 5 must-try incentives in the city of Madrid?
\nObviously, as the capital of the city and because of its historic location, Madrid is a melting pot of all different cuisines in Spain and even in the world, but if there is a reason why Madrid is better known it is for its gastronomic specialty called \u201ctapas\u201d: small dishes of Spanish traditions like jam\u00f3n serrano, callos or Spanish omelet served with a drink. One of the favourite activities is the tapas tour in the city centre, from the ancient Market of San Miguel to the centuries-old taverns of Cava Baja street.
\nAnother incentive activity that Madrid has to offer, and it is unique in the world, is to trip to one of the 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that you can find within one hour driving from the city: Alcal\u00e1 de Henares, El Escorial and Aranjuez in the region and Toledo, \u00c1vila and Segovia in the surroundings, including perfectly preserved architecture, monuments and art from Roman times to our days.
\nMadrid R\u00edo, the new park in the banks of the Manzanares River, offers a wide variety of areas for sports and recreation along its ten kilometers stretch: a Segway tour from Matadero Art Centre to the Pr\u00edncipe P\u00edo Railway Station is one of the most amazing and amusing activities for the incentive trip participants visiting our city.
\n![\"Casa](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/casa_patas.jpg\" "\\"Casa")
Tough Flamenco is always associated with the South of the country, Andalousia, nobody interested in this passionate music and dance should lose the opportunity to attend a Flamenco show in Madrid, where the best \u201ctablaos\u201d (Flamenco dancing bars) in the world are located. And if you want something more original for your clients, try a Flamenco class.
\nOr maybe, combine a private visit to one of our important museums in the \u201cArt Walk\u201d with a shopping day along the Golden Mile, a famous shopping area home of the most prestigious stores in the world and a teambuilding activity in the pitch of Real Madrid football team in its Stadium, Santiago Bernabeu.
\n6. Madrid claimed fast to Top 5 ranking cities at ICCA statistic. What is the secret of your success?
\nThe commitment of institutions and private companies in the sector to promote the city internationally together as a leader destination for big international events.
\n![\"Atocha](\"https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/atocha.jpg\" "\\"Atocha")
This, and a hard work from the Madrid Convention Bureau for making new contacts attending the most relevant events of the industry around the world, strengthening relationships with companies and associations and in summary, trying to be better known as the leader destination we\u2019re confident Madrid is.
\n7. Could you tell us the plans for the future to stay in top meeting destinations in the world?
\nPublic institutions and private companies must walk hand in hand to continue with the implementation of the current meetings tourism strategy, in the same way that Madrid Convention Bureau must keep and even increase its promotional activities, especially in those markets where our growth rate is potentially more interesting, like Asia or the East of Europe.
\nThe post MADRID – CITY THAT MAKES WORK MEETINGS A PLEASURABLE TIME appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.
\n", "content_text": "The Madrid Convention Bureau, with 25 years of experience, is promoting Madrid as a city capable of hosting national and international meetings and aiming to enable these events from a technical and institutional viewpoint. It currently groups some 200 members.\nFor a short period of time Madrid jump in ICCA rankings, from 13th place in 2009 to the 2nd place in 2013, just below Paris.\nDavid P\u00e9rez Noack, Director of Madrid Convention Bureau\n1. City of Madrid is the center of the dynamic country as it is Spain. Could you name three things that make Madrid different?\nUndoubtedly the sun, the passion of its locals and the wide variety and good quality of its culture and leisure options.\nAnyone who has been to Madrid will tell you how welcome they\u2019ve felt.\nMaybe thanks to the city’s 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, or perhaps because of its age-old status as a cultural melting-pot and national capital or its strategic location between continents, the fact is Madrid has a fabulous vitality which infects everybody 24/7: visitors and of course locals who show their passion when enjoying their city’s day and night life.\nThe selection of cuisine, shopping and leisure activities are a faithful reflection of the city’s lust for life, its respect for tradition and its commitment to the avant-garde and sustainability.\nWith a huge variety of restaurants and shops for all tastes and budgets, an enviable cultural and sporting calendar, and all imaginable options for a great night out, Madrid is one of the most fun cities in the world.\nSteps on the Monument to Alfonso XII, The Retiro Park, \u00a9 Escarabajo Amarillo\n\n2. What are strengths of Madrid as a meetings destination?\nGiven its status as the country’s economic centre and home to 90% of large companies operating in Spain, the capital city is a global showcase for presenting products and new proposals.\nIt has modern facilities for congresses and fairshows like the IFEMA trade fair centre and the Municipal Conferences Centre in the Campo de las Naciones business area or Caja M\u00e1gica in the Manzanares Linear Park. Madrid’s business facilities are complemented by its palaces, stations, theatres and all kinds of other unique buildings available to organizers who wish to surprise their invitees.\nTravelling to the capital is easy and convenient thanks to its geographical position in the centre of Spain and its excellent access infrastructure: national motorways, high-speed trains and, above all, International Adolfo Su\u00e1rez Madrid-Barajas Airport.\nOn arriving in the city, visitors will confirm the quality of the capital’s hotel sector, with around 80,000 beds, more than half of which are in four or five star hotels.\nIn addition, the capital has the experience of the best professionals in the meetings industry. However, if Madrid has a distinguishing feature it is its ability to make work meetings a pleasurable time. In Madrid the line separating business and pleasure blurs, making it possible to hold meetings and close business deals while enjoying the city’s unbeatable entertainment, food and cultural agenda.\nGrand Via, \u00a9 Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau\n3. Are there some weaknesses of Madrid as a meetings destination? \nIf we keep in mind that the main feature on Madrid\u2019s offer for a meeting planner is the diversity and high level quality of professionals and services, we\u2019ll conclude for sure that everybody will find the most suitable option for their needs in Madrid; so we cannot speak on weaknesses, it would be better to mention the city\u2019s duty of improving MICE tourism market by new developments (congresses centres with more capacity or new and original activities for incentives, for example).\n4. In your opinion, what is must-have for one destination to be successful in meeting industry? \nThe transport network is the first one: Madrid has an international airport quite close to the city (12 kilometers), Adolfo Su\u00e1rez Madrid-Barajas, with a wide capacity of 70 million yearly passengers and more than 150 direct destinations; it is the main hub for Latin America, with a large potential growth in that market as well as in Asia.\nBut if Madrid has a particularity in this sense is its high speed railway system, which connects the capital to all parts of Spain (more than 80 destinations) with more than 300 diary trains.\nA high quality range of hotels is the second must-have for the meetings industry, and in the case of Madrid, that means more than 80,000 hotel beds (most of them 5, 4 and 3 stars establishments) of which the most relevant characteristic is the excellent value for money. \u00a0\u00a0Cutting-edge facilities and culture and leisure options must complete the meetings tourism destination offer.\nPrado Museum, \u00a9 Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau\n 5. What are the 5 must-try incentives in the city of Madrid?\nObviously, as the capital of the city and because of its historic location, Madrid is a melting pot of all different cuisines in Spain and even in the world, but if there is a reason why Madrid is better known it is for its gastronomic specialty called \u201ctapas\u201d: small dishes of Spanish traditions like jam\u00f3n serrano, callos or Spanish omelet served with a drink. One of the favourite activities is the tapas tour in the city centre, from the ancient Market of San Miguel to the centuries-old taverns of Cava Baja street.\nAnother incentive activity that Madrid has to offer, and it is unique in the world, is to trip to one of the 6 UNESCO World Heritage Sites that you can find within one hour driving from the city: Alcal\u00e1 de Henares, El Escorial and Aranjuez in the region and Toledo, \u00c1vila and Segovia in the surroundings, including perfectly preserved architecture, monuments and art from Roman times to our days.\nMadrid R\u00edo, the new park in the banks of the Manzanares River, offers a wide variety of areas for sports and recreation along its ten kilometers stretch: a Segway tour from Matadero Art Centre to the Pr\u00edncipe P\u00edo Railway Station is one of the most amazing and amusing activities for the incentive trip participants visiting our city.\nCasa Patas (Flamenco in Vivo), \u00a9 Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau\nTough Flamenco is always associated with the South of the country, Andalousia, nobody interested in this passionate music and dance should lose the opportunity to attend a Flamenco show in Madrid, where the best \u201ctablaos\u201d (Flamenco dancing bars) in the world are located. And if you want something more original for your clients, try a Flamenco class.\nOr maybe, combine a private visit to one of our important museums in the \u201cArt Walk\u201d with a shopping day along the Golden Mile, a famous shopping area home of the most prestigious stores in the world and a teambuilding activity in the pitch of Real Madrid football team in its Stadium, Santiago Bernabeu.\n6. Madrid claimed fast to Top 5 ranking cities at ICCA statistic. What is the secret of your success? \nThe commitment of institutions and private companies in the sector to promote the city internationally together as a leader destination for big international events.\nAtocha train station, \u00a9 Madrid Visitors & Convention Bureau\nThis, and a hard work from the Madrid Convention Bureau for making new contacts attending the most relevant events of the industry around the world, strengthening relationships with companies and associations and in summary, trying to be better known as the leader destination we\u2019re confident Madrid is.\n7. Could you tell us the plans for the future to stay in top meeting destinations in the world?\nPublic institutions and private companies must walk hand in hand to continue with the implementation of the current meetings tourism strategy, in the same way that Madrid Convention Bureau must keep and even increase its promotional activities, especially in those markets where our growth rate is potentially more interesting, like Asia or the East of Europe.\nThe post MADRID – CITY THAT MAKES WORK MEETINGS A PLEASURABLE TIME appeared first on SEE Business travel & meetings magazine.", "date_published": "2014-06-11T15:00:58+02:00", "date_modified": "2016-12-09T16:26:59+01:00", "author": { "name": "Svetlana Gavric", "url": "https://www.seebtm.com/en/author/ceca/", "avatar": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/Ceca.jpg" }, "image": "https://www.seebtm.com/wp-content/uploads/museo_del_prado.jpg", "tags": [ "madrid", "Madrid Convention Bureau", "meetings destination", "Convention Bureaus" ] } ] }