Tag: Europe

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What does Bilbao offer for an event?

Bilbao, an industrial port city in northern Spain, is surrounded by green mountains. After years of financial uncertainty, Bilbao has once again become a dynamic city, full of amenities and focused on environmental and urban regeneration.

Bilbao International Airport is located just 10km from the city centre and has direct connections to the main Spanish & European cities. The city has more than 4,00 hotel rooms and in the region are 200 hotels providing in excess of 13,000 beds. The impressive Guggenheim Museum and the Euskalduna Palace, a conference and music centre, have become the icons of the new Bilbao, a city that is gradually regaining space and handing it back to the people.

Basque gastronomy makes Bilbao the best place to taste an entire galaxy of Michelin stars (it has 9 awards). There are also tempting pintxo bars, traditional taverns, grill houses and cider restaurants within the gastronomic capital.

BILBAO EXHIBITION CENTRE is one of the most modern trade-show complexes in the world in terms of design and amenities. It offers 150,000 m2 of exhibition space, 18,000 m2 congress centre, 41,500 m2 atrium and restaurants, 100,000 m2 outside space (gardens & paved areas) and 4,000 parking spaces.

For events requiring unique venues options available in Bilbao include:

Bilbao
Brand new! A minimalist space with an area of 400 m2 that offers breath taking views of Bilbao.
A 24th floor (111 m above ground level) with 1,000 m2 of open-plan floor that offers spectacular views of the city.
An old coffee factory converted into a multi-functional space ideal for hosting all kinds of events. It offers 400 m², high ceilings, large windows, natural light and a terrace on the riverfront.
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More meetings, but smaller and shorter, finds ECM report

Meetings in Europe are increasing in number, but becoming shorter and smaller, according to a new report by European Cities Marketing.

The ninth edition of ECM Meetings Statistics Report reveals that European cities hosted more meetings in 2018, but with fewer participants and shorter duration. With statistics drawn from a sample of 41 cities, ECM’s new report is recorded more than 56,000 meetings in 2018.

Overall, there is a growth of 2.9 per cent in the number of meetings between 2017 and 2018. However, the number of participants decreases by 3 per cent and number of participant days goes down by 5 per cent. This implies that, in average, there were more meetings in 2018, but welcoming fewer participants and lasting less time.

This year’s report shows a similar division of national and international events among the two segments (corporate and non-corporate). Compared to 2017, there is a slight decrease in the number of corporate meetings and a 12 per cent decrease in terms of participants whereas the non-corporate segment demonstrates an increase in number of meetings (10 per cent) and participants (5 per cent). Trends this year also show that smaller corporate meetings are increasing and unusual venues are becoming more popular.

Petra Stusek, European Cities Marketing President, said: “In the bigger picture, international meetings and events have become instrumental for destinations – cities and nations – to manifest their business clusters, their science and research communities and their cultural scene for global audiences. Meetings do give much more to our cities and the greatest value arising from meetings is not only numbers but also the benefits beyond simply spending-based impacts: the quality of the professional, business, academic outcomes they deliver. It is no longer just about the hotel bednights that the meetings generate. It is about hosting the meetings with purpose and legacy. It is about connecting the destination to the world.”

The ECM Meetings Statistics Report 2018-2019 is the culmination of the collective effort of industry representatives who have pooled resources, collected data, shared information and provided case studies during conferences, meetings and through ECM research newsletters. Some cities started to collect meetings statistics as a direct result of this ECM initiative. ECM and its Research & Statistics Knowledge Group is committed to using this project as a way of continuously improving the collection and analysis of meetings statistics.

Published yearly, the report is a result of the cooperation between European Cities Marketing and its member cities. The main goal of the study is to go further than the current rankings published by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) and the Union of International Associations (UIA), which focus only on international non-corporate meetings with specific criteria. The ECM Meetings Statistics Report presents figures on corporate and non-corporate meetings whether they are national or international events.

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Brussels announced as ‘preferred events destination’ for European associations

For the eighth year running, Brussels is the preferred destination in Europe for association event organisers, according to the Union of International Associations’ annual ranking.

The capital of Europe has a network of more than 2,250 registered association, which represent diversified sectors.

The successful ranking is based on a number of factors, including its ideal geographical location, the presence of an important network of associations and European institutions, a network of speakers nearby, venues for special events, hotel infrastructure and a high level of multilingualism.

“Visit.brussels has invested greatly in supporting international associations and in organising their events. They are truly part of the capital’s DNA,” said Patrick Bontinck, CEO of visit.brussels.

“In this respect, in 2018 the partners form the visit.brussels Convention and Association Bureau contributed significantly to the 733 meetings of international associations held in Brussels. A big part of our 2025 strategy’s commitments is based on a deeper development of our congress and conference offer, as well as strengthening personalised services supported by international associations,” he added.

“They will be able to reap the benefits of the numerous connections that our expert will help with as well as the economic development of our region.”

Helping to strengthen Brussels’ association meetings reputation is the ESAE’s (European Association of Association Executives) Strategic Plan for 2019-2021, which launched in June.

The plan implants the vision and sets the foundation for ESAE to uphold Brussels’ position as the leading pan-European network of association leaders and the referenced knowledge source on association management, leadership and governance.

ESAE connects European association leaders and executives, supports their professional development and establishes effectiveness and professionalisation of the sector.

ESAE’s program manager, Ioannis Pallas said: “We are glad to count on visit.brussels’ extensive know-how in helping understand better and connect with association leaders from different sectors.

“Working with their extremely knowledgeable staff is a valuable practice in ESAE’s way forward to extend our outreach and provide high-quality, bottom-up services to our members.”

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Bookings spike suggests London as Europe’s most connected business hub

The UK now serves more European and international destinations than any other European city, according to new research commissioned by the London Convention Bureau.

London has direct air connections to 401 destinations around the world and more connections with Europe (243 routes) than any other European city, according to RDC Aviation, which analyses city flight data.

Transportation links with Europe are well served with by high-speed train links, like Eurostar, to cities across France and Belgium. There is a new service between London and Amsterdam, with a third daily direct train from London to Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The extra service, which launches on 11 June, was due to demand for routes to the Netherlands.

Eurostar claims that a London-Amsterdam Eurostar journey emits 80 per cent less carbon than the equivalent flight.

Due to the strong transport links with mainland Europe, London’s Convention Bureau recently announced a new partnership with the Paris Convention and Visitors Bureau that will see the two cities forming a partnership offering a range of two- in-one incentive travel products.

“The number of high-profile associations and corporations that are now choosing London is an endorsement of the city’s position as a world-class location for meetings and events, as well as being a global centre for learning,” James Rees, executive director for Conferences and Events at ExCeL London said.

The meetings and incentives market remains a tour de force in the UK capital with brands like Adobe, Salesforce, Amazon Web Services, Oracle, Google and Microsoft hosting large scale corporate events in London this year.

Massive meetings are also on the horizon, with London Tech Week welcoming over 55,000 visitors in June 2019, at a number of venues including the Barbican and the Tower of London. Sibos, one of the world’s largest financial services, will host more than 11,000 delegates.

“We are very excited to be bringing Sibos to London for the first time, this year. London is one of the world’s great financial centres. It’s a city where business, creativity and innovation converge – and that’s why it’s the perfect place for Sibos 2019,” Chantal Vanes, head of Sibos said.

“While providing a great venue to do business, London’s ever-changing cultural offering, spanning world-class museums, theatre and the arts, will also allow delegates to enjoy their experience at the world’s premier financial services event to the fullest.”

London fact box

  • Latest figures show that business visitors to London spent £3.5 billion annually.
  • From September 2017 to October 2018, London welcomed 3.5 million international overseas business visitors.
  • According to findings from the Hotel Monitor Report, a new report monitoring hotel capacity across European cities, London is set to add 11,600 rooms to its hotel market by 2020.
  • The capital’s hotel market is set to outpace a number of major European cities by 2020, including Paris, Berlin, Lisbon and Milan.
  • Hotel operators are increasing hotel capacity across the city, with an 8 per cent uplift predicted by 2020.
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We take a look at Hilton’s newest hotels in Europe and further afield

Doubletree by Hilton La Torre Golf and Spa Resort

This hotel opened recently and is 20 minutes from Murcia Airport and an hour from Alicante. The ballroom is the largest meeting room, with capacity for 800 people for a dinner and there are four smaller meeting rooms which can be divided. The hotel has 133 bedrooms. It is situated beside a lake and golf course, with a spa, swimming pools and fitness facilities.

Grand Tirolia Hotel Kitzbuhel, Austria

The Grand Tirolia Hotel opened in December 2018 and is part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. The nearest airport is Saltzburg, which is a 90-minute transfer. The hotel has 81 bedrooms and 5 meeting rooms, the largest has capacity for 300 people in theatre-style. Located on a golf course, there are two terraces with views of the Tyrolean Alps and in winter, the lifts for Kitzbuhel ski area are about 4½ km away.

Conrad Washington DC

The Conrad Washington DC opened in February 2019 and is located downtown. There are 380 bedrooms and 8 meeting rooms. The largest event space is the Ballroom which has capacity for 850 people in theatre-style. There is also a rooftop bar which can be used as event space for a drinks reception of 200 people.

Waldorf Astoria – Dubai International Financial Centre

This hotel is due to open in August 2019. It is on the 18th – 55th floor of the Burj Daman, which also contains offices and apartments. The largest event space will be the ballroom which has capacity for 270 people for a banquet and there is a library with open kitchen which can be used for meetings.

New hotels due in 2020

Two more properties to look out for in Europe, both currently scheduled to open in September 2020 – the Hilton Paris Eiffel Tower and the Parliament Hotel Reykjavik, Curio Collection.

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European hotel rooms see ‘strong growth’ in value

European Landmarks

Hotel values across Europe registered another strong year in 2018 showing 3% growth and reaching new highs, according to the annual European Hotel Valuation Index (HVI), compiled by global hotel consultancy HVS.

Although it was a more modest growth than that of 2017 at 3.9%, 2018 saw recovery for many cities as well as a levelling off in values for some markets, which had previously been depressed compared with the European average.

The annual HVI ranks the percentage change in the values of typically four-star and five-star hotels across 33 major European cities, both in Euro and local currency terms, as well as ranking each market in terms of the average price per hotel room.

Hotels in Lisbon, Moscow, Paris, Brussels and Berlin filled the top five slots in terms of highest percentage growth in values in euro terms, with Lisbon (9%), the year’s biggest climber.

On the back of the FIFA World Cup Moscow’s hotels recorded 8% growth in this year’s index with a RevPAR increase in euros of over 180% for June and July. St Petersburg showed a 6% increase, ranking it sixth in the HVI. In local currency value growth in these markets was even more pronounced.

Paris returned to the top five in this year’s index up 7%, while Berlin completed the top five also with 7% growth.

Only six of the 33 markets analysed experienced a value drop, with those at the bottom of the index, in euro terms, including Barcelona, which was badly impacted by the civil unrest caused by the strengthening of the Catalan independence movement; Hamburg, Manchester and Warsaw, which all suffered from an influx of new supply in the market; and Geneva and Stockholm, which were impacted by currency dynamics in 2018.

In terms of the absolute value of hotel rooms, those in Paris, London, Zurich, Geneva and Rome filled the top five slots for the most expensive in Europe, with Birmingham, Sofia, Bratislava, Bucharest and Manchester at the bottom end of the ranking.

Sophie Perret, director at HVS London, said: “Demand for hotel accommodation remains vigorous across most markets in Europe, and while economic growth for this cycle might be beyond its peak hotel demand is unlikely to suddenly fall away.

“For investors the advice is to factor in a slightly longer exit window and be cautious, but there are some good deals to be had by those seeking to acquire hotels in many European cities.”

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Good profitability for hotels in UK and Europe during 2018

UK

There was a second consecutive year of growth from hotels in the UK, which showed a 6.7% increase in profit per room. This resulted in a 1.6% year on year gross operating profit increase, with rooms, food and beverage increasing in profitability although Leisure, Conference and Banqueting showed a decline.

Hotels’ overheads were up by 3.3% and one of the impacts was the cost of utilities and labour. The UK hotel market is seen to be strong, despite Brexit.

Growth in London was slower with hotels recording a 3.6% profit increase per room in 2018. In the first quarter of the year there was a decline, but the market improved from May onwards.

Europe

December was a poor month for hotels in Europe, however, overall operating profit per room in 2018 was up by 9.2%. This was the second consecutive year of gains.

The best performing destination was Vienna which saw a 24.2% increase in revenue per room, compared with 2017. Paris achieved good profits for the first 11 months of the year, but the ‘yellow vests’ protests meant that visitors in December were down as many businesses and tourist attractions were closed.

For more information about hotel profitability visit www.hotstats.com

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Latest openings from NH Hotels

With more than 380 hotels in the NH Hotels Group, we’ve got everything you need to know on their newest offerings across Europe…

NH Essen – Germany

This new hotel with 182 rooms is located in the pedestrian zone of the city. Rest in one of its industrial looking rooms and contemplate the Essen skyline from the balconies on the rooms on the 6th floor.

NH Essen - Germany

nhow Marseille – France

This hotel was previously the NH Marseille Palm Beach but has been completely renovated and reopened as a nhow branded property, contemporary and design-led.  It is on the waterfront, about 10 minutes’ walk from the city centre.  The meeting space is multi-functional and the auditorium has capacity for 300 in theatre-style.   There are terraces which can be used for dinners and receptions.



NH Collection Eindhoven Centre – The Netherlands

This hotel opened a year ago and has now become the first 5-star hotel in the city of Eindhoven. It is located in the city centre. There are 6 meeting rooms, with flexible space and a maximum capacity of 160 theatre-style in the largest configuration.  The rooftop bar and terrace have beautiful views over the city.

NH Graz City – Austria

NH Graz City – Austria This hotel is located in the centre of Graz, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  It doesn’t have any meeting rooms, but the Congress Graz is within walking distance.

NH Graz City - Austria

Two more NH Hotels opening shortly…

The NH Collection Valencia Colon, will open on 15th November and it is right in the centre of Valencia.  It’s a boutique property with 47 bedrooms, but no meeting space.

The NH Toulouse Airport will open in January 2019.  It will have 12 meeting rooms and 148 bedrooms.

Want to know more? Find out what other NH Hotels have to offer here.