Category: International

–         496,296 residents (50% Dutch natives)



–         30 theatres, 26 movie screens, 45 museums, 4,211 shops, 7 outdoor markets



–         68 hotels / 7,507 beds



–         509 restaurants



–         345 pubs & bars



–         70,000 roadside trees (1/3 of The Hague is green)



–         11 km of coastline



–         1,200 pleasure boat moorings



–         400 km of bicycle paths



–         131 international organisations



–         316 international businesses



–         107 embassies and consulates

Monaco Government Tourism & Convention Authority (MTA) are looking to increase low season business with a number of initiatives. These include ‘Monaco Meetings’ which offers events of more than 1,200 room nights 10% off venue hire at Grimaldi Forum, rates from €150 per delegate for 3 star accommodation and other incentives including a free cocktail reception and transport discounts

 
Monaco has plans to book 230,000 room nights per year from now to 2015. In 2011 they achieved 160,000.

 
The Sporting d’Hiver, part of The Societe des Bains de Mer group, will be replaced by 3 developments including 3,000 sqm of conference facilities with an auditorium and an 800 sqm exhibition area

Summum, the Private Jet Lounge, recently opened at Amsterdam Schiphol East. Responding to the need for exclusive meeting rooms at the top end of the market. This is reflected in the design, first-class service, and culinary delights offered by two-Michelin-star restaurant De Bokkedoorns. The exclusive lounge has two boardrooms, a lounge with bar, a cigar room with patio, and a spectacular view of the take-off and landing runways at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. The space is rented exclusively, has high security levels and allows you to arrive with your own jet directly in front of the building

 

The German export industry, one of the main pillars of the country’s economy and in Europe, dropped to its lowest point since 2009 during August 2012 sparking fears that the euro crisis is finally catching up with one of Europe’s stronger nations.
That was the result of a survey published on Monday 3rd September by the ‘Markit Institute’.

Demand is sinking particularly in recession-plagued southern European countries, the survey of 500 German firms found, but even China is reportedly struggling against the worldwide economic downturn.

The survey reported that German exports to Portugal sank by 14.3 percent in the first half of this year, while exports to Greece and Spain sank by more than nine percent.

Orders for manufacturing machines, raw materials and other producer goods were particularly affected.

And there is little room for improvement, at least in the short term, the report found, as more and more German companies lay people off.

“Despite slowing the decline, German industry faces its worst quarter in more than three years this third quarter,” Markit economist Tim Moore told Reuters news agency.

Economists now fear that Germany’s gross domestic product could sink in the coming year.

Berlin is a metropolis. It is also known as the German capital to most people. But that’s not all: Berlin is also a Green City! In Spring and Summer particularly it can no longer be ignored – everything is greening and blooming all over the place.


For an extensive visit to the Green City, you should schedule several days if you can so that picnics and BBQs can be organised at least on the most important green spaces. For biking, paddling, hiking, strolling and searching for all other urban green areas spread over Berlin, one would probably have to use the full annual vacation!


Even the most experienced Green City aficionado has a difficult choice to make for a simple green outing: the options include Tiergarten with beer garden and café at Neuer See. Here you can leave all your cares behind, possibly rent a boat and paddle… Children are happy to pay a visit to the nearby Zoo…


Or do you prefer to enjoy a day just like at the seaside? Do you want to surf and sail and fly kites, let your gaze wander over a never-ending horizon, for a change… This is the feeling prevailing on Tempelhofer Feld. The former airfield site is a giant sea of meadows in the middle of the city for kite skaters, kite flyers, roll surfers, joggers, or people who simply want to relax in meadows, with the wind in the hair and a clear mind.


It can even be romantic: the way from the airfield through Hasenheide, along the petting zoo, to Landwehr canal is not very long. Here, in the meadow in Urbanhafen, the bottle of red wine tastes best and makes it easier to move closer to one another, while listening to guitar sounds and watching people. Maybe it is even more romantic in Schlossgarten in front of Schloss Charlottenburg. Or does Lustgarten live up to its name?


The best music plays in Mauerpark. Whoever can and wants to sing (or even those who do not have talent) sing here – with karaoke and jumble sale it will certainly never be boring. When climbing on the Kreuzberg hill in Viktoriapark, mastering the high rope course Jungfernheide, on Schöneberger Südgelände between locomotives and rails and even more during a world tour through the Gardens of the World, the green outing becomes an active vacation.


After so many experiences you simply want to grill a sausage at the end of the day in Volkspark Friedrichshain or watch the sun go down on Wannsee, while being totally exhausted.
It’s such a pity that a year has only 365 days – for a city with around 425,000 trees this is clearly not enough. But with so much green, we do not have to paint a gloomy picture, because Botanischer Garten, Britzer Garten, Wuhletal, Körnerpark, Müggelberge, Grunewald, Wuhlheide, Spreepark, Treptower Park… will still be around next year! Preview some of these on the website visitberlin.de.

The Grimaldi Forum Monaco offers a sustainable solution for every event. As a leading player in the world of events, and conscious of the importance of limiting its environmental footprint, it is fully committed to protecting the environment, reflecting the Principality’s approach in general.

 

 

 

Monaco’s congress centre has been ISO 14001 certified for five years. It has an admirable environmental track record: 71% of the light bulbs on the premises are low-energy; it has reduced its water consumption by 40%; it recycles 500 tonnes of waste per year, particularly from events (such as carpets, PVC sheeting, wood and metal); uses recycled or FSC paper for its communications and only ecologically approved cleaning materials for the day-to-day housekeeping of the building. It was one of the first European congress and cultural centres to attain this certification. This was the culmination of work begun in 2007 by all staff with the aim of becoming a key player in “green” issues. The Grimaldi Forum’s “Act Green” team can help organise an event that has a low impact on the environment. They can offer unobtrusive yet educational support, so the event runs smoothly.

Did you know Monaco Tourist and Convention Authority had a “Responsible Tourism” department? It’s a one-stop shop that can help ensure your events are eco-friendly. Its role is to offer advice and coordinate the various tourism players involved, especially the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The Foundation has set up Monaco Carbon Offsetting, a voluntary, not-for-profit programme. It invites businesses to calculate the emissions generated by their events, then offset them, reducing the impact on greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. The Bilan Carbone® (Carbon Assessment) is carried out in strict accordance with the procedures advocated by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency

“Going green” has been fashionable since 2007, but few countries are totally committed to sustainable development.   Monaco, under the leadership of H.S.H. Prince Albert II, is taking a coherent, pioneering approach that encompasses all aspects of going green – a commitment that has real meaning.

 

Logically, business wishing to organise a “sustainable” event should opt for the Principality of Monaco – Monaco’s environmental approach is one of the most up to date and one of the most effective.

 

In 2007, all hotels in Monaco signed an environmental protection charter.  The idea was to reduce waste, encourage responsible procurement, and showcase the hotels’ cultural and natural heritage.  Chefs are encouraged to use local, seasonal, organic products wherever possible.

 

This is part of an overall national plan to encourage sustainable development;  the Government is committed to reducing its greenhouse gases by 30% by 2012.  Efforts are being made to reduce and recycle waste and use recycled or reusable materials.

 

With regard to transport, for the past 20 years, the Principality has been pioneering a scheme to give subsidies for purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles.  It also encourages the use of public transport – the solar-powered bus boat for crossing Port Hercule is one example.

 

The Grimaldi Forum is one of the few European conference centres to have been awarded the ISO 14001 certification for ensuring that every event is sustainably organised.

 

If you are still hesitant, the Albert II Foundation promises sustainable development on a global scale with its MCO2 programme.  This makes it possible to offset greenhouse gas emissions generated by your stay in the Principality.  A logical approach to a heartfelt commitment – protecting our planet.

Opening Concert of the ‘Great Season’ by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra – On Sunday 16^th September at the Grimaldi Forum the opening concert of the Great Season as a preamble to the Verdi Bicentenary

The Fairmont Monte-Carlo Argentin Restaurant has launched a new a la carte menu, which includes a gourmet journey of discovery. From the starter to the dessert, each dish will be accompanied by a specially selected fine wine