IMEX 2011 Interviews

Always something new in Singapore

Details: Category: ITCM IMEX Interviews; Created on Thursday, 30 June 2011 14:00

Interview with Oliver Chong, Director of Conventions & Meetings, Singapore Tourism Board

‘Long haul from Europe to Singapore is seeing an increasing number of enquiries, but they’re not as yet translating into groups’, says Oliver Chong. He is Director of Conventions & Meetings at the Singapore Tourism Board and keeps a constant watch on the level of that sector of business.
However, many destinations would be happy to be able to quote the statistics that he can quote for Singapore. ‘Hotels reported 84% occupancy in 2010. This was an improvement over 2009, but still below 2008.’

‘Italy doesn’t have to be expensive’

Details: Category: ITCM IMEX Interviews; Created on Tuesday, 14 June 2011 12:07

Lorenzo Pignatti, CEO of +39 Events, talks to ITCM

‘Organisers must use a DMC in Italy’, says Lorenzo Pignatti. He would say that, of course, because he started his own DMC, +39 events, in February 2010. But he is able to give reasons for his assertion. ‘I worked many years as a DMC previously and I could see opportunities being missed, especially in the quality of service being provided for the foreign clients. So I am now running my own show and putting my ideas into practice.

After 3,500 years, Izmir is ready for recognition

Details: Category: ITCM IMEX Interviews; Created on Monday, 13 June 2011 11:40

ITCM interview with Leyla Cingoz, Secretary General, Izmir C&V Bureau.

An exciting destination that feels it has been overlooked for too long is Turkey’s ancient city and province of Izmir. ‘We are taking two important steps on the way to gaining a higher profile’, says Leyla Cingoz. The first step was to create the Izmir Convention & Visitors Bureau, of which she is the Secretary General. The second step is to put Izmir forward as a candidate to stage World Expo 2020.

Euro 2012 is Poland’s chance to update its image

Details: Category: ITCM IMEX Interviews; Created on Friday, 10 June 2011 15:58

ITCM interviews Boguslaw Becla, Acting Director of the Polish National Tourist Office in London

The Euro 2012 finals will kick off on June 8 2012. It was very timely, therefore, for the Polish National Tourist Office to kick off their year’s promotional build-up with a hospitality box at Wembley on June 4th 2011 when England played Switzerland in one of the qualifying matches.
Poland, with Ukraine, is host to the finals and it is determined to ensure that the 800m Euros it is spending on new stadia and road, rail and general infrastructure will be a worthwhile investment.

A passion for Hyderabad

Details: Category: ITCM IMEX Interviews; Created on Thursday, 09 June 2011 10:00

ITCM interviews Gary Khan, CEO, Hyderabad Convention & Visitors Bureau

Jalil Khan, known mostly as Gary, hails from Hyderabad, but has spent most of his life away. He has an MBA from California and for 23 years he worked for United Airlines in the USA. ‘But I always knew I would return home to India. I wanted to give something back to Hyderabad and this is the perfect vehicle for doing that’.