Analysis of Business and Event Tourism Sector

An Analysis of the Business and Event
Tourism Sector
Alan Byrne
B.A 2013

Business and Events Tourism Research Alan Byrne X000814302
An Analysis of the Business and Event Tourism Tourism Sector
by Alan Byrne
A research assignment submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree of Bachelor of Arts May 2013
Mr. Raymond Keaney School of Business and Humanities ITT Dublin

Table of Contents
1. Introduction..............................................................................................................5
1.1 Background to the study .......................................................................................5
1.2 Aims of the study....................................................................................................5
1.3 Methodology ...........................................................................................................5
2. Business Tourism Overview....................................................................................6
2.1 Defining Business Tourism....................................................................................6
2.2 Business Tourism Market Segments ....................................................................6
2.3 Business Tourism Characteristics ........................................................................9
2.4 Growth and Development .................................................................................. 10
2.4.1 MainDriversof Growth andDevelopment...................................................................10
2.4.2 Future Trends................................................................................................................................11
2.5 Economic Benefit................................................................................................. 12
Direct impact..............................................................................................................................................12
Indirect Impact..........................................................................................................................................12
Induced Impact.........................................................................................................................................13
2.6 Business Traveller Needs................................................................................... 13
3. Business and Event Tourism in Ireland.............................................................. 16
3.1 Size of Market...................................................................................................... 16
3.2 Primary destinations........................................................................................... 17
3.3 Structure of the Business and Event Tourism Sector...................................... 22
Meet In Ireland..........................................................................................................................................22
Professional Conference Organizers............................................................................................22
DestinationManagement Companies..........................................................................................22
Regional Convention Bureaux..........................................................................................................23
Familiarization Trips............................................................................................................................23
Event BID's andElements of a 'BID' document......................................................................23
3.4 Incentive Travel................................................................................................... 24
3.5 The Future of Business Tourism in Ireland ..................................................... 27
4. Business and Event Tourism Overseas............................................................... 29
4.1 Main Industry Events ......................................................................................... 29
4.1.1 WorldTravel Market (WTM)................................................................................................29
4.1.2 Internationale Tourismus-BorseBerlin (ITB)...........................................................29
4.1.3 EuropeanIncentiveandBusinessTravel andMeetingsExhibition(EIBTM)
............................................................................................................................................................................30
4.1.4 IMEX Frankfurt..............................................................................................................................30
4.1.5 Global Travel andTourism Summit..................................................................................31
4.1.6 Travel Distribution Summit Europe.................................................................................31
4.1.7 International Hotel Investment Forum..........................................................................32
4.1.8 Hotelympia......................................................................................................................................32
4.2 Convention and Exhibition Locations and Facilities....................................... 33
4.2.1 National ExhibitionCenter Birmingham (NEC).........................................................33

4.2.2 ExCel London..................................................................................................................................33
4.2.3 International CongressCenter Berlin (ICC).................................................................34
4.2.4 Abu Dhabi Nec’s International ConferenceCentre..................................................35
4.2.5 Vancouver Convention Center.............................................................................................35
4.3 International Convention Organizers ............................................................... 36
4.3.1 Reed Exhibitions..............................................................................................................................36
4.3.2 Messe Berlin......................................................................................................................................36
4.3.3 Terrapinn ..........................................................................................................................................36
4.3.4 Fresh Montgomery.........................................................................................................................37
5. The Events Business.............................................................................................. 38
5.1 Established and Emerging Events Destinations ............................................... 39
5.2 Planning and Organizing Events....................................................................... 40
5.3 Trade and Professional Organizations......................................................... 47
5.3.1 Roll of International Associations and Organizations........................... 47
The International Association ofCongress Center (AIPC)...............................................47
Convention IndustryCouncil (CIC)................................................................................................48
Destinations MarketingAssociation International (DMAI)............................................48
EuropeanCities Marketing (ECM)..................................................................................................48
International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA)..........................................49
International Association of Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO)..............49
Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE).........................................................................50
5.3.2 National Trade Organizations ........................................................................ 50
Meeting Industry Association (MIA).............................................................................................50
Meeting and Events Australia (MEA)............................................................................................50
Association of British Professional Conference Organizers (ABPCO)......................51
6. Summary and Conclusion .................................................................................... 53
Bibliography............................................................................................................. 54

1. Introduction
1.1 Background to the study
In this research project I go into depth on the various elements of the
business tourism sectorin Ireland and abroad, a detailed description of
what’s going on in the business tourism industry in certain places and
who’s going to be there. This study will benefit the reader and give them
an insight to what business tourism is about and how important it is for
all countries.
1.2 Aims of the study
The aim of the study is for a personto pick the booklet up, read it and
have an understanding of the business tourism industry. With the use of
external sources I hope to have fulfilled my obligation to the reader. I will
do this by reviewing the business tourism overview internationally and
nationally as well as business and event tourism in Ireland and overseas
and finally the events business and go into detail on the importance of
each of them to the economy and the countries in question.
1.3 Methodology
Giving the nature of the study and it being a research project I have
gathered the information contained in this document through the use of
external sources. Secondaryinformation gathered from books, reports
and documents online and the use of various company websites
referencing each and every one of them to its original author and date.

2. Business Tourism Overview
2.1 Defining Business Tourism
The definition of the term ‘Business Tourism’ according to
iccaworld.com is as follows “Business tourism is the provision of
facilities and services to the millions of delegates who annually attend
meetings, congresses, exhibitions, business events, incentive travel and
corporatehospitality” (Imex 2012)
Similar to this, in a less technical sense of the definition, in the
book‘The Welcome Business’ business tourism is defined as participants
usually visiting a destination on behalf of their company or organization
for business purposes rather then solely for enjoyment, relaxation,
entertainment and all the other things we come to associate with leisure
tourism. (Nickson 2007)
The business tourism sector comprises of corporations sending delegates
to places around the world or to different parts of their own country in
order to benefit from the relationship gained through doing business
globally and the different variety of resources that may be available in
areas, which differ to the local community of the business.
2.2 Business Tourism Market Segments
There are four main segments that the business tourism market is broken
down into. These market segments are referred to, in the business tourism
industry as M.I.C.E, which in turn stands for:
 Meetings
 Incentives
 Conferences
 Exhibitions
Meetings
According to Union of International Associations there were 377,055
international meetings that took place in 2011 worldwide. Meetings can
be defined as when people who share the same interests or belong to the
same organization come together to communicate their individual
knowledge and make informed decisions, to most efficiently benefit their
common interest or organization. Due to the extent of the information and
importance of the content of the meetings, the time frame of the meeting
can extent to more than a day of business. This can be economically

beneficial to the host location, as for the participant to be involved in the
meeting, the spending of travel and accommodation costs in that area are
essential for them to attend.
Some forms of meetings include training seminars, product
launches and annual general meetings. The process ofa meeting can
differ depending on the type/subject matter. For example, in an Annual
General Meeting, there is a particular procedureto follow in order for it
to be most efficient. Approving the minutes of previous meetings is an
essential element, along with a written agenda of topics to be discussed
throughout the meeting and ‘other matters’ which is an opportunity for
the participants to bring forward any topics they feel necessary to
mention, which are not highlighted on the agenda.
Destinations for meetings are chosenfor a number of reasons for
example, location of organization and its delegates, the price of the
required overnight stay and room hire and also the quality of the transport
links of a destination. The destination that is chosenfor the meeting place
automatically benefits through the revenue earned through hotel stays,
tourism sights and more.
According to Union of International Associations the top meeting
cities and countries are: Singapore 9%, USA 7.3%, Brussels 4.5%, Paris
3.3% and Japan 5.8%. All percentage figures are of all registered
international meetings in 2011. (U. o. Association 2013)
Ireland however, is not ranked in the top ten countries where business
meetings are held. This could be due to the low number of multi-national
corporations located in Ireland. Another reason could be that the transport
systems available in Ireland, in comparison to other countries could be
seen as far less efficient or advanced.
When leisure tourism is in an off-peak time, meetings and events
can be a form of income for hotels to maintain profit levels, which can be
a driver of competition between hotels, which can be a beneficial factor
for the hotel industry.
Incentives
An incentive is a reward that encourages an employee to do something.
An example would be an employee reaching a goal set by the employer
and in return receiving a raise or higher position in the job. An incentive
is a form of motivation that has proven to be very successful.
Many employers use cash and gift rewards as an incentive for staff
although in the last number of years for employees that earn a high wage,
gifts and cashare not as useful as travel opportunities. The employer sets
up package deals with hotels or resorts in order to send their staff there if

they work hard enough. Hotels can provide good deals to big companies
that use this as an incentive as it guarantees revenue for the hotel and
leads to good relationships for the future.
Travel incentives come in short breaks like weekends away as to
not damage the running of the business. The travel destination is chosen
to match the employees’ lifestyle and demographic profile. For example,
an employee that is aged 20-30 would be sent to a different place then 40-
50 year old employees. Employees can be sent away as individuals or as
a team. Some companies use this form of incentive travel as a team
bonding session so the employees get to know one another better and in
turn have better staff morale and higher productivity. This is both
beneficial to the employee and the company for these reasons. Another
form of a travel reward is when employees are rewarded with family trips
to take along their kids and spouse. (Nickson 2007)
Conferences
Conferences are another type of business meetings. The term ‘congress’
can also be used when it’s an international meeting and involves people
traveling from all around the world in order to attend. According to the
Union of International Associations over 7000 congresses take place
annually. The top congress destinations are the U.S, France and
Germany. This is because all three have great resources when it comes to
hospitality and transport links.
Although again Ireland is not in the top 10 destinations to hold a
conference or congress a brand new state of the art convention center has
been opened in Dublin City in 2010 and in May 2012 celebrated its 500th
event. (Fischer 2012) Cities around the world not considered a ‘top
destination for conferences’ are beginning to build conference centers and
facilities in an attempt to modify the locations chosenfor conferences and
gain their own share of tourism benefits.
Exhibitions andTrade Fairs
Exhibitions and Trade Fairs are large-scale events that offer various
products and services on display and can, in most cases be available for
purchase. A lot of Exhibitions and Trade Fairs are open to the general
public. In some cases, these can be private event where the hosts of the
exhibition will select participants they wish to invite to view the items on
display or be provided with information on services which they can avail
of on show. Art exhibitions are a very popular form of this type of

meeting and very common all over the world. Holding exhibitions leads
to an automatic boostofrevenue through transport and accommodation in
the city, similar to that of general meetings mentioned above.
According to ‘ITB-Berlin.de’ whom is the largest travel trade fair,
in 2011 their trade fairs exceeded over 6 billion in sales, had over 169
thousand visitors, 7200 journalists visited them from over 94 countries.
Germany make a huge amount of money each year with this trade fair as
30% of its visitors come from abroad leading to direct boostsin
accommodation services in the capital city, transport and indirect boosts
in retail, food and beverage services and so on. This is why each year
there is a lot of competition between governments to receive the contracts
to host these events.
2.3 Business Tourism Characteristics
According to ‘Business Tourism Partnership’ business tourism have
many principle characteristics. Some of which include:
1. Business tourism is at the high quality, high yield end of the tourism
spectrum. This means the quality of the business tourism has greatly
improved and has proven to generate a lot of revenue for businesses
and for countries.
2. Business tourism is resilient and sustainable. This means it has no
long-term effect on the environment and also the sectoris very
flexible and nothing is set in stone as all meetings, conferences and
exhibitions are all different and companies adapt to fulfill the needs
of the hosting companies.
3. Business tourism employs 530,000 directly and indirectly, all year
round businesses host business tourism events, which require a lot of
staff to fulfill the needs of the hosting companies. Directly the jobs
are in the hosting companies and indirectly with transport, retail, food
and beverage companies and so on.
4. Business tourism stimulates future inward investment. While on
business trips companies see the attractions of a destination like
transport and resources and come back in the future and set up their-
own sort of business in that location. This is very good for an area as
it brings in new companies, which leads to a change in the
environment.
5. Business tourism leads to the return of business travelers as leisure
travelers as they have experienced the business side and want to now
see the leisure side of the destination. (Partnership 2005)

2.4 Growth and Development
In 2010 according to ‘Business Tourism Trends” many businesses, due to
the global recession began to cut costs and sought out new ways of
trading. Examples of this would be airlines cutting back on business
travel seats, accommodation services went in search of adding value
added solutions and the ways of travelling changed. People started to
drive to their destinations rather than fly or sail and day trips and
weekends away were a lot more popular than weeklong trips. (Scoltland
2010)
2011 showed real improvement. According to “Deloitte Annual
Business Travel Survey” 85% of people said they would be making the
same amount of business trips in 2012 as 2011 or more. Six out of ten
people said they are expecting more from hotels with regard to services
and amenities due to the rise in accommodation prices. The survey results
then showed younger generations were planning to travel more frequently
in 2012. (Deliotte 2011)
2.4.1 MainDrivers of Growthand Development
There are a number of main drivers of growth and development of the
business tourism industry in today’s world. The drivers of this sector are
what provide potential for greater beneficial aspects to multi national
companies and different countries, within the Hospitality & Tourism
industry.
One of the main drivers of growth and development for this sectoris
Globalization. Globalization is described, by the International Monetary
Fund World Economic Outlook 1997 as ‘the growing interdependence of
countries world-wide through increasing volume and variety of cross-
bordertransactions in goods and services and of international capital
flows, and also through more rapid and widespread diffusion of
technology’. (International Monetary Fund 1997)
Globalisation is a driver of growth and development in this
industry as it is making the tasks of communicating and travelling easier
and more flexible to partake in. This is due to the fact that trade barriers
are disappearing; perceived distances are shrinking due to advances in
transportation and telecommunications, along with material cultures of
different countries beginning to look similar. This converging
commonality is creating a more accessible workforce globally for the
hospitality and tourism industry, and therefore is one of its main drivers
in growth and development.

Another main driver of growth and development for the sectoris
technology and the continued advances occurring within technology on a
daily basis. Without the technology available to us in today’s world, a lot
of the day-to-day tasks of managing a business in the hotel and tourism
industry would be a lot more strenuous and inefficient towards companies
regarding their resources and labour costs. Forexample, a hotel without
it’s Point-of-Sales and Property Management Systems would affect the
running and time management of the hotel, to a major disadvantage.
Technology is a huge developer of the sectorwith regards future
decisions on location selection for a meeting/event. The type of event to
be chosen would be based on the deciding factor of the most up to date
and efficient form of technology available at that time.
2.4.2 Future Trends
Not only is technology a factor of growth and development for the
hospitality and tourism sectorbut it is also something that is going to
have a massive impact on the sectorin the future, both to an advantage
and disadvantage. Although technological advances are creating a more
costefficient and time manageable environment within the sector, it is
also a demising trend, which will impact the tourism benefits of the host
locations of meetings and events across seas and/or in other countries.
Telecommunications and the Internet are creating a much easier
environment for engaging in information sharing and communication
between foreign businesses, for example Skype video conferencing. Due
to the fact that these international meetings can now take place online,
delegates no longer need to travel and generate a loss on money through
traveling expenses. This can be seen as a huge disadvantage on the host
locations of said meetings, as previously without the increased use of
technology the income in which they were once generating, is lost.
One other future trend of the hospitality and tourism sectoris that
companies are becoming more and more environmentally friendly. Each
business thrives to be environmentally sustainable and have the most up
to date technology in order to obtain future business deals. There will be
a stronger focus on personalization and maximizing the individual
learning experience at future events in order to get maximum efficiency
from the event and it’s participants. There will be greater focus on
capturing the knowledge generated at an event. An increased focus on
building globally branded events that can be delivered in multiple
locations will allow organizers to be more selective with regards location

of the event and more companies will be known on a more global scale.
(Talwar 2010)
2.5 Economic Benefit
To any economy, business tourism holds great importance. Countries
such as Cyprus, Ireland, UK and Spain all depend on the tourism industry
because of their geographical locations. According to ‘The Economic
Impact on the UK Exhibitions Industry Report2012’ the exhibitions
sectorgenerated £11 billion in spending and contributed £5.6 billion in
value added to the UK economy in 2010. This outlines the mass sums of
money that passes through this sectorof the economy. The business
tourism sectoraffects the economy in three main ways: directly
impacting the economy, indirectly impacting the economy and an
induced affect on the economy.
Direct impact
‘The direct economic impact is a measure of the total amount of
additional expenditure within a defined geographical area, which can be
directly attributed to staging an event.’ (eventIMPACTS 2012)
According to ‘The Economic Impact on the UK Exhibitions
Industry Report2012’ the UK exhibitions sector derived a direct income
of £315 million from both rents and catering alone. Accommodation,
food and drink derived a further £1.2 billion. An average of £1 million
per exhibition was earned in 2010. Event organizers accrued an estimated
income of £1.6 billion for all events that took place in 2010. Event
organizers funded a total of twenty thousand two hundred jobs, with the
massive sum of money made that year.
It’s clear from the information provided above, that the direct
impact on business and event tourism has great importance within the
economy and generating income and labour needs.
Indirect Impact
With regards to indirect impact, forty one thousand jobs were funded
through indirect impact of business tourism on the economy in 2010.
These jobs were in companies like catering companies, taxicab
companies, hotels through accommodation and restaurants. The indirect

effect the exhibitions industry had on the economy in 2010 in the UK was
£1.8 billion.
The indirect impacts on the industry are something that can
sometimes be forgotten about; yet hold such a great deal of importance
regarding the amount of revenue it can generate in a particular location.
Induced Impact
Induced impact, the third and last form of impact of economic benefit,
stimulates what directly employed people in the sectorspend their money
on in an everyday circumstance. Forexample a receptionist of a hotel
may spend his or her earnings much differently to someone who may
work in the private sector. Over one hundred and forty thousand jobs
were supported in relation to induced impact of the business tourism
sectoron the economy in 2010 in the UK, once again proving the
importance this form of impact has on the economy and the benefit it
provides, monetarily. (Economics 2012)
2.6 Business Traveller Needs
Business travelis definedas trips andvisits made by employees and
others inthe course of their work, including attending meetings,
conferences andexhibitions (Medlik 2003) Twotypes of travellers are
leisure andbusiness travellers andbothhave some similar needs
althoughthere are a lot more things they both needwhich
differentiates themcompletely.
Here are some of the main business travellerneeds according to
the article ‘Catering tothe Needs of the BusinessTraveler’:
Location
A good location is one of the major needs of the business traveller. It’s all
about where you are. ‘In a recent survey by the National Business Travel
Association and Best Western International, over 60 percent of travel
managers said the right location was the number one factor in picking a
hotel. Over 70 percent of those surveyed by the Hotel Association of
Canada in 2007 said they would pay extra to be within five minutes of
their meeting site.’ Relative to location are the transportation options

available within that particular city. It’s important for a participant of a
meeting or event to know their whereabouts in a foreign location and the
options available to them in regards to attending the particular event.
Convenience & Comfort
The convenience is another essential need of the business traveller. It’s
important that the traveller has an effortless and enjoyable travel
experience, as opposed to just a bed for the night, focusing on their
individual needs & interests also. The available amenities in a hotel can
add to the convenience of a business traveller’s need, such as the option
of a spa or bar within the hotel they are staying. The concierge within a
hotel also can aid with the convenience levels of the experience,
providing the guest with destination information in which they can
experience.
With regards to comfort, it’s important for a guest to feel
comfortable within their surroundings in a foreign environment, with
factors such as safety and security, health and loneliness and a feeling of
being welcome.
Internet
It’s important in today’s world for business travellers to have access to
immediate information along with access to a variety of mediums of
communication such as Wi-Fi, e-mails, lobby computers etc. This enables
them to communicate either on a personal level since they are away from
home or a business level with regards to doing work relevant to the
business meeting.
Value
Value is one last important need of the business traveller, according to the
article ‘Catering to the Needs of the Business Traveller’. Especially with
the current economic climate, value for money is something that is going
to be seen as a necessity. A way in which value can be reached as a need
of the business traveller is from providing perks through products and
experiences, which give the consumer a sense of being distinct or cared
for. These are perks that may not have even been expected; yet is a
considerable factor to the traveller and add to the overall value of the
experience.

In order for the business traveller to be satisfied with their overall
experience, these are the factors that must be catered for throughout their
trip to meet the needs of all business travellers.

3. Business and Event Tourism in Ireland
3.1 Size of Market
Business and event tourism are very important to any country and is the
fastest growing sector in World Tourism. In Ireland, the business and
event tourism sectoris a multimillion Euro industry and each business
tourist is worth 2.5 times what a leisure tourist is worth to the country and
economy. A business tourist comes 2-3 days post-conference, and have
an indirect impact on the economy, eating out, visiting the sites and
staying in hotels, all the time bringing more money into the country.
Having visited Ireland for business purposes, the business tourist will
return to the country for leisure orientated purposes, benefiting the
country’s economy. In 2010 there was an increase in spending on world
business travel by 6% compared to 2009 and 2008, therefore becoming
an even more important aspectof tourism to focus on.
In 2011 the leads for conferences in Ireland rose by 19% compared
to the leads in 2009. That 19% difference adds up to almost €20 million
in revenue terms. The total leads are potentially worth €218 million in
2011. The to 10 conferences in 2012 were worth €34.4 million to the Irish
economy brining together over 25,0000 delegates. Some of the
conferences that made the top 10 were ‘International Water Association’,
‘The International Eucharistic Congress’ and ‘The International Congress
of Parkinsons Disease and Movement Disorder’. (Flinter 2012)
According to the results of a survey in 2010 carried out on behalf of
Fáilte Ireland, surveying over 1,000 overseas delegates who were
attending 35 different international conferences in 2010, the average
spend per delegate over their period of stay was between €1,300 and
€1,500. This figure includes out-of-pocketexpenditure along with the
average price of hosting an event along with other essential resources,
such as the hire of equipment. The percentages of out-of-pocket
expenditure for 2010 compared to 2011 are represented in graph form as
follows:

The overseas business tourismnumbers grew by 9% in 2011;this was
the first indicationof growthsince the global recession. The trips that
were most popular that year were associationconferences, corporate
conference andtrade fairs and exhibitions. The expenditureby
business visitors increasedby 4% in 2011 comparedto2010. (MRBI,
Research and Statistics 2010) (MRBI, Research and Statistics 2011)
3.2 Primary destinations
Ireland has many primary destinations with not only perfect business
tourism facilities including the Convention Center Dublin and The Royal
Dublin Society in Dublin but a lot of wonderful sights to see for the
leisure tourist for example the Cliffs of Moher in Co. Clare and The
Giant’s Causeway, which is located in Belfast, Northern Ireland. There
are six destinations that stand out that are primary destinations for
business tourism and they are as follows:
 Dublin
 Belfast
 Cork
 Limerick
 Galway
 Kilkenny
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
2010 2011
Accommodation
Food and Drink
Shopping
Transport
Leisure Activities

Dublin
Dublin has many business tourism attractions and facilities along with
many compelling tourist attractions. Dublin Airport is located just 20
minutes by car from the city center along with Dun Laoghaire Port, a 30-
minute drive away also. The road and railway system throughout Dublin
are also exceptionally sufficient. Three of the main business tourism
attractions would be:
The Convention Center Dublin (CCD)
The CCD is located in the docklands in Dublin City Center, opened in
2010 and costjust over €4 million to build. The CCD offers 22 multi-
functional rooms suitable for meetings and exhibitions, a 2,000 seat
auditorium, banqueting for 2,000 delegates, theatre capacity for 3,000
delegates and the whole building is equipped with top of the range
facilities, cutting edge technology and Wi-Fi throughout. The building is
carbonneutral meaning it has no bad effect on the environment, recycling
227 tonnes of all waste in 2012. The building is a ten minute walk from
Dublin City Center and is located close to many train, tram and bus stops
along with its very own underground car parking facilities with many
close-by hotels and restaurants making it an ideal location for business
tourism events of all kinds. (Dublin 2013)
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS)
The RDS was founded in 1731 and has been located in Ballsbridge since
1879 amongst one of the country’s finest hotels, The Four Seasons along
with good transport links through bus services and public transport with a
large car park facility.
The RDS is made up of 10 halls, which makes the RDS an ideal venue
for all different types of events like international conferences, sporting
events, concerts, exhibitions and trade fairs, productlaunches and award
functions. The venue can accommodate up to 35,000 for concertand
sporting type events and can accommodate from 10 to 4,500 for theatre
style and meeting events. (Society 2013)
Croke Park Stadium
Croke Park Stadium is the heart of Irish sporting events, like the GAA.
Since 1884 the site has been used to host the Gaelic Games and to the
present day is still used to host the championship finals annually. Not

only used for GAA, whilst The Aviva Stadium was under construction
the stadium hosted many international rugby games. The stadium boasts
of its 82,300 capacity and is an ideal location for massive events like the
many concerts held in the venue and the many exhibitions also hosted in
the stadium. The massive venue has been cutting down on its negative
impact on the environment and in fact has been awarded many green
awards in recent years with the changes made, giving evidence that being
environmentally friendly is one of the industry’s future trends to follow.
(Park 2013)
Galway
Galway is located on the West of Ireland and being the second largest
county has a population of over 200,000 people. It is well known for its
nightlife and culture. Many events are held in the great county when it
comes to business tourism, some of the main venues include:
The Radisson Blu Hotel Galway
The RadissonHotel was established in 2001 and is located within 5
minutes walking distance from the Famous Eyre Square in Galway town.
The hotel has 272 guestrooms and can hold up to 1,000 delegates for
conference and events. The Hotel has its own parking facilities, gym and
spa facilities and is equipped with a large restaurant and over 4 bars.
(RadissonBlu Hotel 2013)
The NationalUniversity of Ireland, Galway
The college was established in 1845 and has a massive 260-acre parkland
campus. The college has a number of great events facilities including the
recently opened Bailey Allen Hall, a multi-functional hall that can be sub
divided into three sound proofrooms. The hall can hold up 1,000
delegates and can facilitate for meetings, conferences, exhibitions,
concerts and gala dinners. The other facilities the college has to offer
would be lecture halls, seminar rooms, accommodationservices and
restaurant facilities for up to 800 delegates. The college is easily
accessible through public transport and has its own car parking facilities.
(M. i. Ireland, Meet in Ireland/Search and Plan/NUIG 2013)

Cork
Cork is Ireland’s largest county and has a population of just fewer than
450,000 people and is well known for the friendliness of its people and
vibrancy. Some of the business tourism attractions would be:
The Silver SpringsMoran Hotel
The hotel is equipped with 109 deluxe bedrooms including 5 deluxe
suites keeping the most prestigious and discerning guests in mind. The
hotel is located in Cork City Center and is located just 11 kilometers from
Cork International Airport. The Hotel has its own conference center and
can facilitate up to 1,500 delegates, making the venue the largest
conference facility in Cork. (Hotel 2013)
Maryborough Hotel and Spa
Located just 8 kilometers from Cork International Airport, the hotel has
the capacity for hosting many events such as meetings and conferences.
Its meeting halls can hostup to 500 guests theatre style and up to 600
delegates reception style. It is also ideal for small meetings and
conferences as there as many small rooms available with the same top of
the range facilities like Wi-Fi, projectors, personal assistant facilities and
air-conditioned rooms. (Spa 2013)
Limerick
Limerick city is in the South West of Ireland, in the middle of the
Shannon Region and adjacent to Shannon Airport. Limerick is also home
of the Munster rugby team and has a variety of conference, meeting and
events facilities suited to large groups in the city’s many hotels and of
coursethe state-of-the-art University of Limerick campus.
University of Limerick
The University of Limerick (UL) was established in 1972. The
conference and sports campus offers three conference venues and over 60
breakout rooms equipped with the most up to date technology, which can
accommodateup to 2,000 people at any given time. The three conference
venues are Kemmy Business School(320 theatre style), The University

Concert Hall (1,000 tiered theatre style) and Jean Monnet Theatre (500 in
five different theatres). In the last 30 years the university has become one
of Ireland’s leading education institutions. (Limerick 2013)
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is renowned as the medieval capital of Ireland. The city is
located 120 kilometers from Dublin and an 80-minute drive from Dublin
Airport. Despite the low numbers in conference and event facilities, the
ones that are located in the county are fully functional and equipped with
the top of the range facilities.
Lyrath Estate Hotel
The hotel is located on the Dublin/Kilkenny road and according to its
website the hotels in Kilkenny don’tcome close to the Lyrath Estate. The
hotel has its own convention center, which can accommodate up to 1,500
delegates. The largest meeting spacemeasures 972 meters squared and
sub divides into 3 sections. Additional smaller break out rooms and
boardroomfacilities are available within the convention center, with a
maximum capacity for up to 166 delegates. The hotel and convention
center offer complementary Wi-Fi and are equipped cutting edge
technology. (L. E. Center 2013)
The other primary destinations in Ireland are located in the North of the
country, Belfast City and Derry City. Belfast is a busy city that has
undergone remarkable development and renewal in recent years. As the
capital of Northern Ireland, Belfast is an ideal destination for
conferences, meetings and incentives. Local currency operates in UK
Sterling (GBP), with Euro widely accepted. Dublin city and Dublin
Airport are approximately 2 hours by road. Derry or Londonderry is
Northern Ireland's second city and is unique among Irish cities in that it is
Ireland's only completely walled city. Like Belfast, Derry has
undergone remarkable development and renewal in recent years with the
selection and quality of conference and corporatemeeting venues. (M. i.
Ireland, Cities and Regions/Derry 2013) (M. i. Ireland, Cities and
Regions/Belfast 2013)

3.3 Structure of the Business and Event Tourism Sector
Meet In Ireland
Meet In Ireland is known as the official MICE brand of Ireland with its
headquarters located in Dublin, and has many offices located around the
world. Its main aim is to promote Ireland as a business tourism
destination, highlighting all that Ireland has to offer as a business tourism
host. (M. i. Ireland, About Us 2013)
The organization is made up of 3 main bodies, which are:
1. Failte Ireland, with the role to supportthe tourism industry and
work to sustain Ireland as a high quality and competitive tourism
destination. (F. Ireland 2013)
2. Tourism Ireland, with the role to market Ireland overseas as a
holiday destination. (T. Ireland, What We Do 2013)
3. Northern Ireland Tourist Board is responsible for the development
of tourism and the marketing of Northern Ireland as a tourist
destination to domestic tourists. (Board 2013)
Professional Conference Organizers
A Professional Conference Organizer is an organization that specializes
in the administration and organization of conferences in Ireland. Through
gaining many years of experience the organization acts as a consultant to
the conference organizing contactregarding the conference. The
company provides supportin many areas like IT, logistics, audiovisuals,
leisure management, marketing and many more. (Bureau 2013)
Destination Management Companies
Destination management companies are local companies that handle
arrangements for tours, meetings, transportation and so on for groups that
have not originated from the destination. (Dictionary 2007)
Ireland’s leading Destination Management Company is 'A Touchof
Ireland’, which ensure they have the inside track on every detail of your
planned trip, they choosethe best places for your group to eat and stay,
and bring you to the most memorable attractions along the prettiest routes

to take and even the best pubs to enhance your visit and get in touch with
the Irish culture and what better way to do it than with a nice pint of
Guinness. (D. M. Ireland 2013)
Regional Convention Bureaux
These are companies located in main cities of Ireland give or take one or
two and are responsible for helping to organize panned conferences,
corporatetrips, meetings and incentive visits to Ireland. Some examples
include the Dublin Convention Bureau, Belfast Visitor and Convention
Bureau and the Shannon Region Sports and Conference Bureau. (M. i.
Ireland, Regional Convention Bureaux n.d.)
Familiarization Trips
Familiarization trips are business related trips, whereby delegates travel
to a destination where they intend to host a conference or event. In doing
this, delegates are inspecting the scenery, facilities, PCO’s,DMC’s, etc,
and putting together a plan for when they return for the event. (M. i.
Ireland, Familiarization Trips 2013)
Event BID's and Elements of a 'BID' document
A bid document is required to be submitted in responseto an invitation to
bid. These include the prescribed bid form, drawings, specifications, time
lines, charts, price breakdowns, etc. Bids not accompanied by all the
required documents are considered incomplete bids, and are usually
automatically rejected. These are also called bidding documents. The
elements of a bid document include:
1. Identifying the resource that can be employed to supportthe event,
for example the venue and government grants
2. Developing a curtail path timeline for the preparation and
presentation of a bid document to the owners of the even.
3. Responding to each of the bid criteria set by the event owners.
4. Developing an understanding of the organizations conducting the
event and the exact nature of the event itself
5. Identifying the key elements of past successfulbids to ensure that
these elements are dealt with fully in the bids document
6. Prepare a bid document

7. Presenting and/or submitting a bid to the owners such as the
sporting body
8. Lobbing in supportof the bids  
9. Evaluating reason for the bid to failure (if necessary)
(Boudin 2011)
3.4 Incentive Travel
Incentive Travel can be defined as ‘travel offered as a reward for top
performance and the business that develops, markets and operates these
programs’, according to Checkfront.com. A popular form of using
incentive travel would be if an employee were to reach a particular sales
target of the company, incentive travel maybe an option of reward given.
(Hospitality Glossary n.d.)
Throughout Ireland there are a lot of wonderful activities to do,
which attract many travellers from foreign countries and also gives the
Irish people the opportunities to take part in such events or activities. A
lot of new trends have come out in the last few years, for example spa
and fitness centers being incorporated in hotels along with employees
from some companies being sent on team building weekends in order to
do some team bonding and get to know one another better. Some of the
most popular activities and their venues are as follows:
Spa and Wellness
Spa and Wellness have become a lot more popular in the last decade. A
lot of hotels have become equipped with all the latest up to date spaand
fitness facilities in order to recognize and reward guests to the fullest
extent. There is nothing better for the body or mind when trying to escape
from busy office days, stressful meeting days and organizing events than
a weekend away at one of Ireland’s spa and wellness facilities. There are
four types of spas that people can go to. One is a ‘resortspa’;these spas
offer a side of relaxation along with a side of recreational activities.
Another type of spais a ‘destination spa’;this type of spa is where you
expect a full emersion of the spaexperience. ‘Hotel spas’ a lot of hotels
ranging from 4 stars and upwards offer the spa experience now along
with the typical accommodation services but you can expect to feel fully
relaxed on your hotel room doorstep. Thelast type of spa is the
‘specialized retreat’ spa, which offers a special type of relaxation
methods like seaweed baths and a lot of natural relaxation techniques. (T.
Ireland, Things to see and do in Ireland 2010)

Some of Ireland’s top wellness and spadestinations are as follows:
 The Europe Hotel and Resort in Kerry
 The G Hotel in Galway
 Samas at the Park Hotel Kenmare in Kerry
 Farnham Estate Health Spa in Cavan
Gala Venues
Gala Dinners are pre booked meals from a set menu in a function room
along with a stage for entertainment and a dance floor. If you want to
wow guests, make sure you chooseone of Ireland’s unique or unusual
venues like one of Ireland’s ancient castles in the country side or a
historic university to which there are many to choosefrom. (M. i. Ireland,
Meet in Ireland /Incentive-Travel /Activies/Gala Venues 2013)
Dining
Ireland has a lot to offer in this section of the industry. From award-
winning and Michelin-starred restaurants to modern Irish cuisine, Ireland
has a huge variety of fantastic dining options like fine dining in hotel
restaurants, banquets in castles and conference venues, roomy restaurants
suited to large groups, pub grub, local cafes and delis. Or if you’re
looking to give your staff new experiences, why not send them to one of
Ireland’s cookery schools for a weekend away after all of their hard work.
(M. i. Ireland, Meet in Ireland/ Incentive-Travel/ Activities/ Dining 2013)
Golf
Send your staff to one of Ireland’s finely cut golf courses. Although
Ireland does not have the sky-splitting summers it does not stop the Irish
people playing golf on the many world-renowned golf courses. Many
hotels around Ireland have their own on-site golf courses. Forexample
The Carton House in Kildare is hostto the Irish Open in July 2013 or the
K-Club in Kildare, which was host to The Ryder Cup in 2006, one of the
world’s highest-ranking golf tournaments.
Team Bonding
If it is time to motivate your staff and get them all working together as a
unit then it is time to send them to one of Ireland’s outdooractivity
centers, water-based activity spots orsporting activity facilities. The
owners of there centers know how important it is for a workforce to be a

team and want to work for one another, which is why Ireland has so many
activity hotspots that are up to date with all the latest gear and fun-filled
activities. (M. i. Ireland, Meet in Ireland/ Incentive
Travel/Activities/Team Building 2013)
Sample Programs
Across the country there are many incentive programs to choosefrom to
get out of your daily routine for a weekend or to enroll your staff in if
rewards are what your game is. One of best is as follows:
Dublin’s Doorstep and Kilkenny
This program is made up of three days of well-planned events.
Day one:
 Arrive in Dublin International Airport
 Luxury Coachpick up. Today’s experience is filled with a wealth
of Culture and Heritage in the Royal County Meath. Our first stop
is Newgrange one of Irelands UNESCO World Heritage Sites for a
private tour.
 Next is a trip to Slane Castle for a wonderful lunch
 Accommodation is in The Carton House for the night while testing
your team bonding skills with extreme.ie in blindfold driving on
the hotel grounds.
 Off to the gold salon for the gala dinner.
Day two:
 Breakfast in a private dining room.
 Depart for a hot air balloon ride over the heritage town of Trim.
 Back to Dunboyne Castle for a presentation on the area just visited
and a little bite to eat.
 Off to Kilkenny to visit some historical sights like St. Cancine’s
cathedral, where a local performer will highlight the amazing
acoustics of the cathedral.
 Accommodation for the night is in Mount Juliet Estate, which
boats of its top-notchgolf courseand close by Ballylynch Stud
farm. Enjoy a leisurely tour and then off to the Smithwicks
Brewery to taste some tutored beer and then to Rothe House for
dinner.

Day Three:
 After breakfast at leisure you leave Mount Juliet to experience the
arts & crafts skills of the artisans of Kilkenny. Visit Jerpoint Glass
and see glass blowing experts and then on to a pottery to create
your own masterpiece
 Enjoy a local lunch before departing for Dublin International
Airport.
This program allows you to visit some wonderful sights, stay in some of
Ireland’s top hotels and eat in style and elegance with team building
exercises incorporated in the daily activities. (M. i. Ireland, Meet in
Ireland/ Incentive Travel/Sample Programs/ Dublin's Doorstep and
Kilkenny 2013)
3.5 The Future of Business Tourism in Ireland
In the next decadethere are a lot of new upcoming things that are going
to change the future of business tourism in Ireland. Some of the things
that are on the horizon according to the web blog “Irish Tourism Times”
with regard to the future of business tourism such as:
 World tourist arrivals are set to almost double (880 million to 1.5
billion) between 2009 and 2020. This represents a huge
opportunity for employment creation, economic growth and
increased exchequer revenues
 While 83,666 jobs were lost in the sector between 2007 and 2009,
the plan seeks to create just over 20,000 jobs in the next five years.
A return to 2007 levels would create almost 100,000 jobs and €2
billion in foreign revenue
 Other countries are ahead of us. New Zealand's Prime Minister,
John Key, is also the country's Tourism Minister. David Cameron
wants the UK to be in the Top Five destinations in the world.
President Obama signed the Travel Promotion Act into law last
year, which provided for the setting up of a new national tourism
board to promote international travel to the U.S. Last month, the
Portuguese Tourism Confederation invited former New York City

Mayor Rudy Giuliani to deliver the keynote address at its
conference on city-based tourism. (Keaney 2011)
According to Fáilte Ireland the future of business tourism will consistof a
bigger focus on incentive travel. Companies abroad are adopting
incentive travel rewards and sending their staff to different destinations
around the world. Fáilte Ireland is planning to position Ireland as one of
these top destinations. Keith McCormack of Fáilte Ireland’s Business
Tourism Unit stressed that the incentive sectoris an area of strategic
importance and has the potential to generate significant revenue for the
Irish economy. Mr. McCormack also highlights Ireland’s unique traits,
it’s welcome-ness and people, and the importance for Ireland to have
unique dividing factors in order for the country to be considered a top
incentive travel destination for the future. (F. Ireland 2013)

4. Business and Event Tourism Overseas
4.1 Main Industry Events
Throughout the world there is a variety of main business and event
tourism destinations with events taking place regularly. Some of the main
destinations and the main business tourism events are as follows.
4.1.1 WorldTravel Market (WTM)
This 4-day event is staged annually in London. It is a business-to-
business event presenting a diverse range of destinations and international
travel professionals. It is held each year in the city of London. The must-
attend event gives the global travel trade sector the chance to trade all
under one roof immediately giving a business the competitive advantage
over its competition. According to The World Travel Market website, in
2012, 184 represented countries attended, total participant numbers
reached 47,525, 52% coming from outside the UK. The WTM 2013 will
take place from November 4th-7th at the Excel London, the UK’s only
international convention center and has more than five thousand suppliers
of tourism and travel expected to attend. Examples of the top traders
likely to attend are Hyatt hotels and resorts, Etihad Airways and Golden
eagle Luxury Trains. Reed exhibitions are the annual organizers of the
event whom are the world’s leading event organizers. (R. Exhibitions,
Reed Exhibitions World Travel Market 2012)
4.1.2 Internationale Tourismus-BorseBerlin (ITB)
ITB Berlin is the world’s largest tradeshow located on the Messe Berlin
fairgrounds, Germany and has been staged annually since 1966.
According to Itb-Berlin.de in March 2013 over ten thousand companies
came to represent their business and showcase their new products and
services. Typical attendees included tour operators, destination
management companies, car rental companies, airlines and hotel groups.
The event lasts five days and attracts over one hundred and fifty thousand
people annually. In 2008 ITB Asia was launched, staged in Singapore this
acts as the trade show for the Asian travel market. (ITB-Berlin 2013)

4.1.3 European Incentive and Business Travel andMeetings Exhibition
(EIBTM)
This is a three-day event hosted in the award winning business and
tourism destination of Barcelona. According to EIBTM.com if you are
serious about global meetings and events this is a must attend event.
EIBTM is the global hub for the meetings industry with the main aim to
deliver global business contacts to all of its attendees simply by them all
coming to do business under the one roof. The advantages of the EIBTM
are that the business is all done face to face, if you need to meet with
some one this is the place to do it and the attendees are the decision
makers of the companies and the CEO’s rather then representatives of the
companies. It brings together 4,000 trade visitors, 3,100 exhibiting
companies and 4,200-hosted buyers who are at a higher level than the
normal visitor. Hosted buyers benefit from access to VIP lounges,
complimentary return flights, accommodation and transfers and have to
option to pre bookappointment with exhibitors of their choice. People
come from all around the world to attend the event. Destinations like
USA, Asia and Far Eastern Europe, the main topics discussed at the event
are:
 Technology
 Hotels
 Destinations
 Venues
 Event services
Throughout the event attendees are talking about how bestto improve the
meetings industry with the use of the five above topics of discussion. (E.
I. Exhibitions 2013)
4.1.4 IMEX Frankfurt
The IMEX Frankfurt is a worldwide exhibition for incentive travel,
meetings and events providing outstanding business opportunities for all
attendees, visitors and exhibitors. The event lasts for three days and is
hosted in Messe, Germany. This event also has a lot of incentives on offer
like the hosted buyer program providing exhibitors with a high-class
service and exclusivity and a free educational program. Many seminars
are held throughout the three days on subjects like industry trends,

marketing and sales, personal development and many more. According to
IMEX Frankfurt, in 2012 3,500 exhibitors came from 157 countries
worldwide to represent their companies. The main represented companies
were among the following types of businesses:major hotel groups
(Jumeirah Hotel Group and The Marriott Hotel Group), tourist offices
(Ireland Tourism Authority) and international airlines (Qutar Airways).
IMEX has been awarded a substantial amount of awards in the last 10
years including the 2006 Trade Show of the Year award, awarded by the
Association of Event Organizers. IMEX Frankfurt also has sustainability
initiative programs. An example of one of these programs would be the
‘Badge Back’ program. In a nutshell this is how it works. IMEX
Frankfurt encourages participants to recycle their badges when leaving
the exhibition in the designated boxes. Each box represents a Frankfurt
legacy project in the local area and for each badge recycled additional
supportis given to the local projects. A local project example is
‘Maisha’s Sewing Project’ additional information can be found at:
(Frankfurt, IMEX Fankfurt/sustanaibility 2012)
(Frankfurt, IMEX Frankfurt/aboutimexnew 2012)
4.1.5 Global Travel and TourismSummit
The Global Travel and Tourism Summit is an exclusive two-day event
that brings together a thousand of the world’s leaders of the foremost
companies in the travel and tourism industry. In April 2013 the event was
held in Abu Dhabi. The World Travel and Tourism Counsel are the
organizers of the event who have brought in some high profile guest
speakers like former US president William J. Clinton and many of the
various tourism ministers. (Councel 2013)
4.1.6 Travel DistributionSummit Europe
The Travel Distribution Summit Europe concentrates on the online sector
of the hospitality industry. The summit lasts two days and takes an in
depth look at the key business issues for online travel professionals. The
summit brings together over 90 top travel professionals to discuss the
following topics:
 Technology, mobile and innovation
 Marketing and social media
 Distribution and channel management

 Revenue management and pricing
Launched and staged annually in London since 2005, the summit is to
take place in the Novotel Hotel in West London and is organized by the
Eye ForTravel event company. (Travel 2013)
4.1.7 International Hotel InvestmentForum
This is the leadingfinancial investmenteventfor the hotel industry.
The eventlaunched and takes place in Berlin since 1998 and brings
together the industry’ssenior membersand is known as the event
‘where businessgets done’. Over 1700 delegatescome from over 60
countriesattend to get in touch with the industry and to meet
potential stakeholders and investors. The eventis dueto take place
in March2014 in the Hotel Intercontinentallocated in Berlin. (Q. H.
Group 2013)
4.1.8 Hotelympia
Hotelympia is the foodservice and hospitality based event that takes place
every two years. Forthe pastcouple of years it has been hosted in the
ExCel London venue in the UK. Hotelympia brings together the broadest
range of future trends, new industry ideas and fresh new talent on the
scene. Seven sections that are reviewed and showcased are technology,
catering equipment, interiors, tabletop, bathroom and spa, waste works
and food and beverage including wines.
There are many new plans set out already for the 2014 event. It is to be
hosted later in the year and consists of the launch of the new spring line
in the whole of the south hall in ExCel London.
The types of businesses that attend this kind of event are hotel
groups, bars, restaurants, quick service of fast food companies, in-store
catering companies and many more of the same nature. Over thirty
thousand people attended the event last year consisting of eighty-seven
countries represented and over fifteen thousand senior members of staff
from the various countries. (Hotelympia n.d.)

4.2 Convention and Exhibition Locations and Facilities
4.2.1 National ExhibitionCenter Birmingham(NEC)
The NEC opened in 1976 and consists of exhibition 21 inter-connecting
halls over the spaceof 200,000 square meters and is the UK’s largest and
Europe’s busiest exhibition center. It is located in Birmingham just off
the m42 and adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and within a
kilometer radius of Birmingham train station making it an ideal venue for
all types of international events. In 2006 the NEC had welcomed over
ninety million visitors, staged over twenty-five hundred events and
generated more than twenty billion pounds for the regional economy
since opening thirty years previous. The building is not very
environmentally friendly or sustainable considering it was build so many
years ago nonetheless it still does take away from its popularity or the
things the building has to offer like event management, catering, security,
marketing, advertising, ticketing, audio visual, graphics, internet and IT,
utility and technical services, which are all available to customers should
they need assistance.
The NEC hosts a broad spectrum of events. The events very from
sporting events like the World BMX Championships in 2012, musical
events like the Eurovision song contest in 1998, fashion events like the
Clothes Show Live in 2013 and business events like the Commercial
Finance Expo in 2013. The center has won many awards in previous
years. Some of them include ‘Best Employer Award’ in 2013, the ‘Best
Venue Event Manager’ awarded to Jayne Harmen Jones, the ‘Best Venue
Sales Person’ awarded to David Gallagher and the ‘Best Venue award.
This shows that you do not have to be a brand new top of the range
building in order to achieve success. (T. N. Group 2013)
4.2.2 ExCel London
The ExCel London exhibition and convention center opened in the year
2000 located on the Royal Victorian Dock in the heart of London. The
venue consists of one hundred thousand meters of multi function flexible
exhibition space, which includes the International Convention Center
(ICC). The ICC takes up the most spaceof the center that includes the
five thousand-delegate auditoriums, the ICC capital suite comprising of
seventeen individual meeting rooms with the capacity of hosting up to

twenty five hundred delegates, the ICC capital hall comprising of space
capable of hosting three thousand delegates for dinner and five thousand
for reception. The ICC London suite comprising of six meeting room
with the capacity of fewer than four hundred delegates, this spaceis ideal
for individual, personalmeetings and events. The remaining space
comprises of the Platinum Suite, this is spread across three levels. The
spaceaccommodates between four hundred and eleven hundred delegates
and is ideal for gala dinners, conferences, productlaunches, meetings,
award ceremonies and weddings. The Gallery meeting room so named
because of its wonderful view of the Royal Victorian Dock. The space
consists of thirty meeting rooms, which can hold up to four hundred
delegates at any given time.
The venue hosts a wide range of events, which range from the
Olympics in 2012 to The World Travel Market to The X-Factor auditions
to the G20 Summit. The types of awards the venue has obtained are:
 Europe’s Leading Meeting and Conference Center in 2011 and
2012
 Exhibition Venue of the Year in 2011 and 2012
 The Excellence Award in 2012
 Best Conference Venue 2011 and 2010
There are many more prestigious awards won by this stunning venue
since opening its doors. The venue is ideally located considering it is
located just two miles away from London City Airport and also has two
DLR stations located close by.
The venue has a ‘C Rating’ on its energy output credentials, which
means it is thirty percent more efficient than the buildings of similar type
and usage and encourage all delegates to arrive at the venue through the
use of public transport. (London, ExCeL London/ About ExCeL London
2012) (London, ExCeL London/About ExCeL/exCeL and the
Environment 2012)
4.2.3 International CongressCenter Berlin (ICC)
The ICC Berlin opened in 1979 and is ranked one of the biggest, most
technologically advanced congress buildings in the world. It is 25,600
meters squared in diameter and consists of 80 halls spread over 4 levels
and is deigned to accommodatedifferent types of events simultaneously.
The four levels are The Hall Level, The Salon Level, The LobbyLevel
and The Entrance Level.

Since opening the venue has hosted 8,752 events and has
accommodated for almost 11 million participants and visitors and is
perfect for any convention, show or concert considering it has the
capacity of almost 10 thousand people at any given time. Some events
include The Annual General Meeting Daimler and The ITB-Berlin World
Trade and Travel Show. Getting to and from the venue is relatively easy
with the venue being not so far from airports and having underground rail
stations nearby. (Berlin, Fact and Figures: ICC Berlin 2013)
4.2.4 AbuDhabi Nec’s International Conference Centre
As part of the Nation Exhibition Company the conference center located
in Abu Dhabi is a fully functional tiered seating style building that can
accommodatefor up to 6 thousand people and is perfect for large
meetings and conferences. Within a kilometer radius exhibition spaceis
adjacently located along with a lot of accommodation services ranging in
stars from 3-5 stars. Dubai has excellent infrastructure allowing delegates
to travel easily to and from the venue giving it a competitive advantage
over some international conference centers. The venue opened in 2007
and has approximately 1.8 million visitors annually. (Company 2012)
4.2.5 Vancouver ConventionCenter
Opened in July 1987 after being Canadian Pavilion in 1986. In 2010 the
venue hosted over 350 events accommodating for over 220 thousand
delegates, generating over $215 million in economic activity for the
British Columbian economy. The venue has the perfect space for all
events like weddings, meetings, conferences, trade shows, exhibitions
and many more.
With the recent expansion, the building has become a lot more
environmentally sustainable and recycles over 180,000 kilograms
annually, energy and resource use is monitored in real-time throughout
the facility, the facility use fresh and local ingredients without additives;
avoid prepackaged canned goods;utilize cutlery, china, glass and cloth
napkins, and serve nearly all condiments in bulk or reusable containers.
Vancouver Harbor Water Airport and Skytrain stations are within a
kilometer radius of the venue making it a prime location for national and
international events. (V. C. Center 2013)

4.3 International Convention Organizers
4.3.1 ReedExhibitions
Reed Exhibitions was founded in 1966 and is the World’s leading event
organizer with a history of over 500 events in 39 different countries.
Being such a high profile company its field Reed Exhibitions has a
workforce of over 3000 exhibition specialists. Reed Exhibitions are
known globally for their spin on developing, marketing, selling and
organizing exhibitions and events. The company’s conceptis to deliver
contacts, communities and content all under one roof for those taking part
to fully benefit. Some of Reed Exhibitions’ top events include “World
Travel Market”, “World Future Energy Summit”, and “European
Incentive and Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition”. (R. Exhibitions,
About Us: Reed Exhibitions 2012)
4.3.2 Messe Berlin
Meese Berlin are a high profile congress and trade fair organizer located
in Germany. Some of the company’s top events include ‘ITB Berlin’ and
‘International Green Week Berlin’. The company organizes over 100
events each year in some of Berlin’s finest and best-equipped venues
such as ICC Berlin.
The company cater for all its clients and have the
conceptof “Wherever, Whenever and In Every Possible Way”, if the
company can do it then it shall be done. With a workforce of 719 people
and a turnover in 2012 of 247 million euro, the company 100% knows
what they’re all about. (Berlin, Company: Messe Berlin2013)
4.3.3 Terrapinn
Founded in 1987, Terrapinn organise events that stimulate the brain, spur
creativity and facilitate meetings. The company’s conferences are major
industry gatherings focusing on strategy, innovation and technology and
their trade exhibitions are marketplaces for global business. The company
deliver focused industry training in person and online.
Terrapinn operates from a network of offices in major cities
all around the world suchas London, New York, Singapore, Sydney,
Dubai and Johannesburg. This gives Terrapinn events a global reach and
truly international perspective. Some of Terrapinn's top events include
“The Digital Educational Show” and “Edutech”. (Terrapinn 2012)

4.3.4 FreshMontgomery
Fresh Montgomery is a market leading specialist exhibition organizer in
the food, drink and hospitality sectors. Founded in 1999 the company has
done well in the industry and attends many high ranking hospitality and
food fairs such as ‘Hotelympia’,’Specialty Chocolate Fair’ and
‘Hospitality and Food Ireland’ In October2012 Fresh Montgomery was
the first UK organizer to be registered to ISO 20121, which in turn means
the organizers are sustainable and have the aim of improving the
sustainability of all their future events. (Montgomery, About Us: Fresh
Montgomery 2013) (Montgomery, Fresh montgomery and Sustainibilty
2013)

5. The Events Business
The events business according to Donald Getz PhD, a professorat the
University of Queensland, Australia describes the events business as
“The systematic planning, development and marketing of planned events
as tourist attractions, and for their benefits to place marketing, image
making, and development.” Donald Getz also describes the goals of
events tourism as:
Place Marketing
This is to create positive images and improve the quality of life and the
environment and attract residents and investors.
The Tourist Attraction
This attracts quality tourists, spreads demand and increases visitor
spending and length of stay.
Image Maker
Image-maker for attractions, resorts and destinations, creates and
enhances themes and combats negative imagery.
Catalyst (Impulse)
This stimulates infrastructure, assists urban renewal, stimulates
business/trades and supports other attractions.
Animator
This encourages first and repeat visits at facilities, resorts and attractions.
(Getz 2010)
The types of events tourism are as follows:
 Sporting events such as the Olympics and FIFA World Cup
 Entertainment events like The Eurovision and Oxegen
 Commercial events such as a productlaunch like the launch of
Coors Lite’s new product‘Canadian Beer’
 MICE events like The World Travel Market
 Family events like weddings
 Fundraising events like St. Vincent De Paul
 Miscellaneous events, which covers all other events not in the
above list.
(Lynn 2005)

5.1 Established and Emerging Events Destinations
The Union of International Association has a great piece on the
established meetings and events destinations for 2012. According to their
website the top 10 destinations in 2012 in graph form are as follows:
(Associatons 2013) (U. o. Association 2013)
There are many emerging destinations in reference to the events tourism
sectorof the industry and they are:
Singapore
Although Singapore was listed above as an established destination for the
events tourism sector, Singapore is moving from a manufacturing based
destination and in the process ofbecoming a service orientated economy.
It is actively encouraging regional and international association and event
management companies to set up headquarters there and offering support
to the event management companies to develop and anchor events on the
island.
India
India is still in its infancy in reference to its business events market with
many convention centers and exhibition facilities under construction or a
as a proposallike Bangalore International Convention Center, which has
a stunning architectural design and would certainly bring India on to the
map of business and events tourism in the world and would also create
hundreds of jobs and bring a lot to the Indian economy.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Percentages of total international
meetings destinations
Percentages of total
international meetings
destinations

China
Macau, located on the southern coastof China has an enormous casino-
based business events industry and reportedly has taken over from Las
Vegas in terms of casino-generated revenue. In 2008 Beijing stated its
intention to focus on the MICE market postOlympics in order to fill its
new hotels and events spacein order to maximize revenue and obtain a
top ranking spotfor business events tourism industry in the world. Other
key destinations include Shanghai, which held the World Expo in 2010
and Pearl River Delta, which is an economic powerhouse. (U. o.
Association 2013)
Middle East
It is well known to all that Dubai wants to develop its business and events
market with its stunning, uniquely designed buildings like the Burj Al
Arab Hotel, which is apparently “the world’s only 7 star hotel”. Other
Middle Eastern destinations include Abu Dhabi and Qatar, which is
entering the market with a vision to become a world leader in research,
science, education and knowledge. One of the world’s largest and newest
venues is the Qatar national convention center, which has secured many
high profile events for the future like ‘IEarn Qatar 20th International
Conference and 17th Youth Summit.
Meanwhile the country of Oman and looking to reposition its focus
away from its natural gas and oil reserves and focus on the high yield
leisure and tourism side of the economy. (T. B. Group 2008)
This goes to show that Asia is on the horizon and will becomeone of the
major players with regards to the business and events tourism industry in
years to come if not now already.
5.2 Planning and Organizing Events
Regardless of the size and content of the event there are a lot of things
that need to be considered and a lot of laws that need to be abided by
when planning and organizing events with public safety being a top
priority to the event organizers. Some of the common principles that are
taken into consideration regardless of the type and size of an event are:
 Planning the event

 Providing a safe venue 
 Staff organization 
 Preparing for the unexpected
 Documentation
If those points are considered and the event abides by the required rules
and regulations then the event should run smoothly and safely.
5.2.1 Planning the Event
When it comes to events there is no threshold for the amount of planning
that can be done. The more planning that goes into an event the more
efficiently it should run. Planning should begin well in advance to the
event date. Depending on the size of the event, logistics and the type of
the event will determine how well in advance one would need to start the
planning process. Before any money exchanges hands a feasibility study
should be carried out and the following points should be addressed:
1. Details of other competing events, which may take place at the
same time as the event in question. Research should be taken out
on the local area’s calendar of events to ensure no other events
cause any conflict with the dates to which you are planning the
event.
2. Sponsorship opportunities. Companies or individuals may be
interested in becoming part of the event and it is your
responsibility to ensure their needs are to be met.
3. A marketing strategy should be drawn up to spread the word and
advertise the event.
4. Insurance, public liability insurance is required prior to any event-
taking place; premiums may very in each local authority.
5. Available funds, all income and expenditure reports should be
prepared prior to any event.
6. Suitable venue availability, the follow questions should be
reviewed before deciding on the event venue:
 Will you need to constructtemporary facilities?
 Is there sufficient spacefor the expected audience?
 Are there security considerations?
 The ease of access to and from the event venue
 Is there sufficient parking and/or loading areas nearby?

7. Contact with relevant bodies and agencies, the event may have an
effect on the local community meaning you should inform the
appropriate people of the event like An Garda Síochána.
8. Availability of resources, Resources required for events, includes
time, people, equipment and finance. Some of the questions you
should address include:
 How many staff will the event require?
 Will some of the staff be paid?
 Is there sufficient time to plan the event?
 Is the equipment required available for the period of the
event?
 Are there local sources of equipment?
 How much planning is required?
 What are the financial implications?
 Do I need professional assistance?
One of the most common barriers to feasibility studies would be an
insurance issue. By law the organizer is required to have Employers
Liability cover and Liability Cover. If insurance is not taken out, it is
illegal to carry out the event.
Now that the feasibility study is done and you have decided to go ahead
with the event there is still a lot of planning that needs doing.
Pre-Event Planning
Your event should be planned out in phases. The details in each phase
will depend on the type, scale and duration of your event and the planned
activities.
Phase One:
 Venue design.
 Selection of competent staff, contractors and subcontractors  for
your event
 Construction of structures within your venue
 Safe delivery and installation of equipment and services that will
be used in your event
Phase Two:
Management Strategies for:

 Crowds coming to and going from your event
 Transportto and from your event
 Welfare and wellbeing of all participant
 First aid on-site
 Risk of fire
 Major Incidents
 The setting up and taking down of all equipment and the carrying
out of services in your event
 Contingencies if all does not go to plan
Phase Three:
 Safe removal of equipment and services 
 Removal of structures
 Rubbish and waste removal
 Remedial works
 Debrief
In all phases the establishment of a safety culture in management and
operational practices is essential and should be seen as a common goal to
which all parties are fully committed.
Risks
Every event has attendant risks. The first step in managing those risks
involves examining all areas of your event to determine where risks can
occur. The examination is not limited to safety issues but can ensure that
the event is conducted in the safest possible manner and if something
unfortunate does occurthat the loss does not further impact the
organization either financially or through negative publicity.
There are four general areas of losses associated with events:
 People
 Property
 Income
 Liability
By looking deeper into where the risks may occurit gives you a heads up
of what additional steps you need to carry out to minimize risks or what
additional insurance you may need to avail of. The risk management

process does notensure that you have covered every possible risk factor
but it does mean you have been diligent in attempting to identify all
possible risks and can lower the insurance costs forthe event. Last minute
decision-making and changes made to the event can leave you more
vulnerable to risks. Examples of these are: if you change the venue the
event to a smaller building or spaceyou may not be able to facilitate for
everyone or if the weather is not what you had planned for, you may have
risks that you had not anticipated.
Licensing and Permissions
During the advance planning stage you should investigate if you or your
suppliers require a particular license or statutory agency approval to carry
out the event. As the event organizer, it is your responsibility to ensure
that you are in possessionof the appropriate license or approval on the
day of the event. For events held on public property irrespective of
expected attendance, the local authority will expect the event organizers
to submit proofof public liability insurance. In addition a detailed event
management plan will be required before approval is given for the event.
Contractors and Suppliers
Dependent on the scale of your event, it is likely that you will be
requiring the services of contractors and sub-contractors to undertake
such tasks as the construction and take down of temporary structures that
are in use in your event. The set up and take down of major event sites
can be extremely hazardous and all the necessary precautions need to be
put in place by the contractorand event organizer. The following
documentation should be requested from all contractors:
 Written confirmation that they have a current Safety Statement 
 Proofof public liability insurance
 A site-specific risk assessmentof the work they will be carrying
out on your behalf for all events.
 Work method statements for any construction activities
 Certification for materials used e.g. fire certificates for carpeting
and other types of similar materials
 Site plans and specifications where required  Structural Engineer’s
certificates 
 Documentation as required under the Construction Regulations
Providing a Safe Venue
In order to provide a safe venue, time management has be up to par, if

activities go unfinished or are running late people will start to rush to try
get everything done, this opens the event up to risks to which you may
not have planned. Ensure that all contractors or sub contractors are fully
set up in the way you want and need them to be in terms of their
equipment like scaffolding and music equipment.
Venue Design
When choosing a venue for an event, you must select one that has
sufficient spaceto accommodatefor the potential audience attendees
taking into consideration the spacethat needs to be allocated to
structures, equipment lighting towers ect. A map of the site layout should
be clearly shown all around the event highlighting all activities and also
highlighting all entrances and exits. There should also be large exits
allowing for quick evacuation if needs be and also emergency vehicular
access needs to be clearly outlined.
Providing Space for People
Primary objectives in restricting the numbers in attendance at any event is
to avoid the dangers of overcrowding and to ensure that the means of
escapein an emergency are sufficient for the numbers of people being
evacuated from the venue. Advice should be sought out by professionals
in relation to the number of attendees allowed at the event. Advance
ticket selling is the best way to avoid over-crowding as it allows a ‘no
access’ policy to be enforced.
Entrances, Exits and Signs
Approaches to the venue should be well sign-posted from parking areas
and public transport points. Temporary stands or trading points must not
be allowed to obstructcirculation. Inappropriate positioning, width or
impeded flow rate may constitute a hazard. Entrances and exits should be
clearly labeled in terms of where they lead to, and should provide a
smooth flow within a time period, which will not cause frustration.
Directional signage must be consistent with, and easy to relate to,
information on tickets and ground plans. Examine areas where patrons
are likely to congregate such as particular attractions or catering outlets
and ensure sufficient spaceis provided to avoid congestion.
Environmental Issues
Issues of public health at events such as: food hygiene, sanitary and
drinking water provision and noise/air pollution are monitored and

regulated by Environmental Health Officers. In terms of noise the site
design, layout and management are important in minimizing the
environmental impact of noise. The location of the stage, the orientation
of the speakers, the type of sound system, the controlof sound power
levels, and the duration and timing of the entertainment can all be
engineered to reduce the noise impact.
The risk of damage to hearing is also very important, which can
occuras a result of exposure to loud sound over a period of time. Food
safety and catering are very important and the event organizer should
ensure that all caterers operating on their behalf are reputable, their staffs
are appropriately trained and food handling and preparation techniques
are safe. Litter is among the other important environmental issues. The
event organizer should Make arrangements for the cleaning of the venue
before, during and after the event. Arrange for sufficient rubbish bins
collection points to be positioned on the approaches and throughout the
venue.
Communications
Effective and efficient communications are vital throughout the event
especially in an emergency situation. Communications between staff is
very important to know what is happening during the event and to ensure
everyone is on the same page. Handheld radios are the best option to have
effective communications between staff members. In the event of an
emergency communications between staff and attendees needs to be fast
and effective. A handheld radio/microphone hooked up to the main
speakers is the bestoption to get across a message to all attendees.
Preparing for the Unexpected
Along with risk assessment, you will need to figure out how you will
respond if something does actually go wrong during your event making
sure that everyone involved in dealing with accidents knows their
responsibilities and what procedures to follow. Accidents should be
categorized into minor incidents and major incidents. Minor incidents
may affect the attendees and may disrupt the smooth running or the event.
Examples of minor incidents would be a problem with the suppliers or
the malfunction of equipment like lights. Bearing in mind minor incidents
can escalate into major incidents so properprecaution should be in place
at all times.
Major incidents are incidents like a fire or an incident that affects a
number of the attendees at the event; something like a structural collapse
would be classed as a major incident. In dealing with major incidents

many of the management staff will be involved and then the required
external forces should be informed of the incident, when they arrive, the
event is then handed over to the emergency services relieving the
management staff of their duties.
External Stakeholders
The event organizers should take it upon themselves to inform the
appropriate external stakeholders as common courtesy and to get them
involved in your event if they are needed. External stakeholders are
bodies like An Garda Siochana, the Fire Department and the Health
Authorities.
Without informing theses bodies of the event they will be unable to
aid you in any way. For example the Fire Department can aid you in
giving you feedback on their concerns regarding the layout of the event
venue. Without informing them they will only assist you when needed.
(Unit 2012)
5.3 Trade and Professional Organizations
Throughout the world there are many trade and professional
organizations. According to European Consumer Centre for Services the
definition for trade and professional organizations “a trade association,
also known as a industry trade group, is an organisation founded and
funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry.
A professional association is a non-profit organisation seeking to
further a particular profession, the interests of individuals engaged in that
profession, and the public interest. (Services 2010)
5.3.1 Roll of International Associations and Organizations
The International Associationof Congress Center (AIPC)
The AIPC is committed to encouraging and recognizing excellence in
convention center management, while at the same time providing the
tools to achieve such high standards through its research, educational and
networking programs. The AIPC run many programs throughout the year,
examples of these are AIPC Academy is a convention center learning
experience that is designed to keep fully qualified staff standards at their
best. It provides a targeted, costeffective for of training and development

along with means to establish the kind of industry networks that facilitate
future professional growth. Quality Standards is another program that the
AIPC are passionate about. Members in having an industry specific
program from identifying and evaluating key areas of convention center
performance, leading to an accepted form of recognition, developed this
program in responseto ongoing interest. (AIPC 2010)
ConventionIndustry Council (CIC)
It was founded in 1949. The Convention Industry Council's 31 member
organizations represent over 103,500 individuals and 19,500 firms and
properties involved in the meetings, conventions, and exhibitions
industry. Their mission is to exchange information on global trends and
topics, collaborate on industry issues and advocate the value of the
meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry. (Council 2010)
Destinations Marketing AssociationInternational (DMAI)
Founded nearly 100 years ago and has More than 4,100 members from
nearly 600 destination marketing organizations in over 15 countries. They
provide their members, professionals, industry partners, students and
educators and the most cutting-edge educational resources, networking
opportunities, and marketing benefits available worldwide. (International
2013)
European Cities Marketing (ECM)
ECM are a non commercial company that improve the competitiveness
and performance of the leading cities of Europe by providing a platform
for convention, leisure and city marketing professionals to exchange
knowledge, best practice and widen their network to performing better.
Their mission is to do the following points:
 Focus on new opportunity and work on break-through solutions to
obtain growth
 Provide essential research, insight and tools to bench-mark city
performance; improve operational efficiency and make better
business decisions
 Provide useful platforms and forums to exchange knowledge and
best practice
(Market 2013)

International Congress andConventionAssociation(ICCA)
Founded in 1963 by a group of travel agents with the aim of evaluation
practical ways to get the travel industry involved in the rapidly expanding
market of international meetings and to exchange actual information
related to their operations in this market. ICCA is now one of the world’s
most prominent organizations in the world of international meetings with
offices in the Netherlands, Malaysia, US and Uruguay. ICCA’s network
has over 950 suppliers to the international meetings industry across the
globe, with members in 88 countries. (I. C. Association 2012)
International Associationof Professional Congress Organizers (IAPCO)
IAPCO are a non-commercial organization founded in Brussels in 1968.
The organization has many aims, which follow:
 To further the recognition of the professionof the congress
organizer
 To further and maintain a high professional standard in the
organization and administration of congresses, conferences and
other international and national meetings or special events
 To undertake and promote the study of theoretical and practical
aspects of international congresses
 To undertake research work concerning all problems
confronting professional organizers of international meetings
and to seek and promote relevant solutions
 To establish and maintain effective relations with other
organizations concerned in any way with international meetings
 To develop a program of educational courses through IAPCO’s
Training Academy
 To offer a forum for PCOs
 To encourage meetings’ conveners to seek the assistance of
reputable PCOs
 To provide members with opportunities to exchange ideas and
experiences
The organization are committed to raising standards of service among its
members and other sectors of the meetings industry by means of
continuing education and interaction with other professionals.
(Organizers 2009)

Society of Incentive Travel Executives (SITE)
SITE was founded in 1973 and has nearly 2,000 members in 90 countries.
The network of Site professionals brings best-in-class solutions, insights
and global connections to maximize the business impact of motivational
experiences regardless of industry. (Global 2013)
5.3.2 National Trade Organizations
Meeting Industry Association (MIA)
Founded in 1990 with a mission to inspire the very highest standards of
service and facilities throughout the UK meetings industry through the
sharing of best practice and the setting and governing of standards.
What they do:
 MIA, deliver tangible benefits including valuable trends research.
 MIA, provide dozens of networking opportunities enabling the
exchange of information and the gathering of market intelligence.
 MIA, educate buyers to select AIM accredited venues giving our
members a clear marketing advantage.
 MIA, provide a framework of structure, process and training to enable
members to deliver the highest level of service to their own clients.
 MIA, supportmembers in the achievement of their own business goals
by the provision of information, education, research and advice all of
which lead to improved business performance.
 MIA, bring issues of sector importance to our members.
 MIA, are committed to raising the profile of business tourism with
government.
(M. I. Association 2011)
Meeting andEvents Australia (MEA)
Mea is a non-commercial organization dedicated to fostering
professionalism and excellence in all aspects ofmeetings and event
management and promotes the value and effectiveness of meetings and
events as an important high-yield sectorof business travel and tourism.
Their mission is to benefit their members by promoting the growth of,
and excellence in, the Meetings, Conventions and Business Events

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