Author: Ben Debski

Passenger duty meets its critics

Posted on by Ben Debski

The Air Passenger Duty has risen steadily since its introduction and now accounts for a sizeable piece of every airfare charge. Complaints have risen right along with the duty over the years. The fee currently stands at somewhere between £24 and £170 per ticket, with many passengers complaining that the fee is excessive and that it falls most heavily on those who can least afford it, such as families travelling for their summer holiday.

A common enemy
Competing airlines, traditionally at odds with each other, are actually joining forces to battle the tax. EasyJet, British Airways, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic CEOs issued a joint statement saying, “These endless cumulative increases in APD are pricing families out of flying, both from and to the UK. That means fewer visitors to the UK, which destroys jobs in our tourism, aviation and hospitality industries and chokes off opportunities for young people at a time of exceptional youth unemployment.” The APD is projected to bring in £2.5bn to government coffers during the 2011-2012 budget period.

Between 2007 and 2010, passenger flights from the UK fell by 29 million. Some point to the recession, some to the APD, but most agree it is probably a combination of the two factors. It’s easy to see that the APD had some kind of effect, as passenger flights from the continent actually grew by 66 million in the last year alone. UK air passengers currently pay, on average, almost nine times the duty of their continental counterparts.

Positive effects?
Environmentalists point out that the APD helps combat global warming. The tax was created and introduced as one method to combat greenhouse gas emissions, and in fact the imposition of the tax will be broadened to cover private jets as early as 2013. No one disputes the fact that airline emissions, particularly because they occur so high in the atmosphere, have a damaging effect on the ozone layer. But with the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme coming into effect, some argue that the time has come to re-evaluate or even scrap the APD.

Government’s view
A spokesperson for the Treasury department has said that the APD rise is only £1, a tiny increase which was publicised well in advance. Also, VAT is not levied on domestic flights within the UK, and the airlines benefit from the fact that aviation fuel escapes tax. The Treasury has also cut corporate taxes for the airline industry, benefiting all the corporations that are complaining about the tax. While not specifically mentioned, the APD raised £2.2bn, a fact that may be more of an impediment to removing the tax than even the most cogent argument from the airlines and passengers.

Hotel chains continue global expansion

Posted on by Ben Debski

A number of major hotel chains are expanding their global presence by opening at new locations around the world. Despite the fact that economies are still struggling in many countries, luxury hotels are constantly opening. One example of this can be seen in Starwood Hotel and Resorts Worldwide’s new W Hotel.  The W brand is continuing its recent expansion by opening a new hotel in Paris. The W Paris Opera hotel is set in an historic 19th century building in the French capital, located close to the Opera Garnier, and offers guests luxurious and stylish accommodation. This is the W brand’s first hotel to open in Paris.

Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide have also been extending another of their hotel brands, Sheraton Hotels. This worldwide expansion is set to continue throughout 2012 as 20 new hotels are due to open over the course of the year. New Sheraton Hotels plan to open throughout central Europe, Eastern Europe, North America and Asia in 2013 and 2014 with several new sites including branches in Pakistan and hotels in the Ukraine and Dubai.

InterContinental Hotels Group is another company that is expanding globally by opening more Holiday Inn hotels, particularly in Latin America. The InterContinental Hotels Group views business travellers and families as its target market for its Holiday Inn hotels and this brand is currently re launching itself in a bid to give the group a more contemporary image.

China, in particular, has experienced a steep increase in the number of hotel chains expanding into the country. Large hotel brands such as Hyatt and Hilton have increased their number of hotels in the country, as have other brands such as Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn and Sheraton. In the future, Ritz-Carlton is planning for around one quarter of its worldwide hotels to be located in China in the near future.

The Hilton hotel group is also planning to increase their number of hotels in China, and aims to reach a total of 100 hotels in the country by 2012. One of the reasons for the recent boom in new high-end hotels being built in China is that governments and businesses across the country want to have a large, grand hotel close by to attract business and to create a strong impression on visiting business contacts. However, other hotel brands that are currently experiencing some success in China include budget chains such as Home Inns and Hotels Management Inc. China’s growing importance as a major economic power and tourist destination is helping to ensure that major hotel chains will continue to expand throughout the country as there is such a potential for profit to be made from business and leisure travellers.

Using video conferencing to build up internal networks

Posted on by Ben Debski

With the global economic recovery still stagnating, companies around the world are increasingly turning to video conferencing to help save on travel costs. Due to the price of petrol constantly rising, even conference costs within driving distance can quickly become expensive. Polycom, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Cisco Systems all manufacture video conferencing equipment, and Polycom’s CEO has said the company is doing little in the way of advertising to increase sales. “We’re not having to pitch this,” he said recently.

However, a company’s internal network must have the technology and bandwidth to accommodate video conferencing. Carrying video and audio on the same line cannot be accomplished on a standard analogue telephone line; a digital, high-speed line is required, and the larger the video conference, the bigger the “pipeline” that is required. In addition, difficulties can arise when the two parties involved in the video conference use different systems as most of them do not “talk” to one another.

If an organisation’s internal network is not sufficient to handle both video and audio, some opt for a “hybrid” approach where the audio is carried on speakerphone via a conference call while the video is carried on a separate, digital line. While this can be a bit awkward to set up, it can work as an interim solution until the internal network is upgraded to handle the required capacity.

Security is an often-quoted reason for remaining on an internal network. Video conferencing from one IP address to another on the same network is much more secure than an “open” conference that utilises the internet. While getting everyone together on a Virtual Private Network or VPN can be another method of raising security, it creates another layer on the conference call, which means one more thing to go wrong.

Building up the organisation’s internal network has benefits both for video conferencing and overall work production. With faster network speeds employees are not waiting around for the system to “do its thing” and save, retrieve, or manage data and files.

Combining an improved internal network and video conferencing capabilities can create efficiencies, as well. For example, a file does not need to be emailed to every conferencing participant; it can be stored in one central location or even shared on the conference itself, saving storage space and data usage rates, if those apply.

Companies like Manpower, EasyNet, NewsCorp and Deloitte are utilising more and more video conferencing to enhance their communication strategies. Even Cisco, manufacturer of some of these products, has cut back on travel and begun using its own products. The corporation is hoping to cut travel by 20 percent, and so far has saved nearly $150m.

At the recently completed Streaming Media Europe conference held in London, several options were presented for working with—rather than against—an internal IT department.  New tools and options available today can protect the network, the company’s intellectual property, while still saving money on travel.

FAA reform legislation in place

Posted on by Ben Debski

The US’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), has long sought legislative clarification as to its role, oversight and priorities. Several bills have been introduced in Congress over the years, but few had made it anywhere close to being passed into law. However, in February, President Obama signed into law the long-awaited FAA reform legislation. Congressman John Mica, of Florida, who is also Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the US House of Representatives, introduced the original bill.

Congressman Mica said House Resolution 658 will, “reform FAA programmes, eliminate expensive ticket subsidies, modernise our air traffic control system, improve airport infrastructure, reduce air traffic delays, and create jobs.” One part of the bill allows the FAA to move forward with its NextGen air traffic control modernisation programme, which will be GPS rather than radar-based. NextGen is also expected to lower fuel costs, reduce air pollution and bring down costs for the flying public. Another provision allows the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), a federal agency, to supervise qualified private screeners rather than force every airport to exclusively use TSA personnel.

Funding
The funding of the FAA was one critical portion of the bill. Without a bill authorising a certain amount of money, if an agency runs out of funds, in some cases it must cease all activities except those related to national or personal security. The last FAA law had been extended a total of 17 times, often with stop-gap funding included to keep airports open and the security screeners at their posts for a period of anywhere from a few weeks to several months. The FAA had managed to function without a long-term bill and budget, making planning for the future extremely difficult. H.R. 658 provides $63.4bn over four years, including around $11bn towards the cost of implementing the new air-traffic control system.

In previous versions, the FAA bill had eliminated federal air-ticket subsidies, which had kept the prices of airline tickets out of small airports fairly reasonable. This was a particularly contentious provision in the bill and actually shut down the FAA for two weeks, though airport screeners and other “essential” personnel remained on the job. The bill prevents new membership of the Essential Air Service programme and reduces the budget for funds to those smaller airports. However, it only affects airports within 175 miles of a larger hub.

Another provision is that small, air travel-related businesses owned by disabled veterans will be given preference when government contracts are involved. The disabled veteran would have to have served in the Afghanistan/Iraq conflicts and/or the Iraq Gulf War. Another provision within the bill allows for flights of unmanned drones in US airspace, though jurisdictional disagreements are already simmering before even a single drone has hit the skies. It remains to be seen how some of the provisions in the bill will play out in the friendly skies over the USA.

Airline strikes continue to hit industry hard

Posted on by Ben Debski

We have all become used to the idea of flying when and where we please, with an estimated  figure of over 76,000 flight departures per day globally in 2006. While the industry has been hit hard over the past few years – and can be affected by fuel surcharges and adverse weather conditions – one thing that the airlines have had to deal with on a consistent basis is labour unrest. Strikes cost the industry millions every year and leave a lasting public relations impression that is hard to shake off.

Qantas very recently dealt with this issue and in part, because of the need by the flying public to know whether or not flights would actually arrive and depart, the company’s CEO decided to shut down the airline until the situation was resolved. The weekend grounding in late 2011 certainly got everyone’s attention, but perhaps not in the way the CEO planned; flights eventually resumed with both sides agreeing to talk again, but only after an arbitration court intervened when an employee lockout was threatened.

2004’s strike by workers at Northwest Airlines was so protracted partly because each individual union (flight attendants, baggage handlers, mechanics, pilots) negotiated separately regarding their contracts. Rather than one large strike, where at least the public knows the planes will not be taking off, the individual strikes meant travellers never knew what they were going to get. Their flight might take off, but the luggage would stay on the ground or pilots would be serving drinks.

A British Airways cabin crew strike in March of 2010 lasted seven days and cut the carrier’s flights by approximately 14 percent; the cost to BA was estimated at about £43m. Strikes were implemented again, later in the year, regarding cost cutting at the airline, which at that point was losing vast amounts of money.

The economic cost to the airline is often centre stage in news articles, but the cost to businesses can be much greater. While one airline is affected, multiple businesses can suffer if their profits are dependent on an in-person presentation or meeting. A significant number of companies have already changed their strategies to incorporate more video conferencing or conference calls, a technique that many were forced to employ for the first time during previous airline strikes.

Business travellers are the heart and soul of airline profits. Families taking holidays do not travel anywhere near the miles that a business traveller does and so do not contribute as much to the bottom line. Should strikes become more of a concern, it is conceivable that businesses could shift more of their processes to online techniques or even flying smaller carriers, especially if those carriers take them where they need to go. Large carriers, such as BA, Air France and United are obvious choices for long-haul flights, but they are often not the only option. Business travellers may, in a sense, strike back if airline strikes begin to impact their ability to operate efficiently.

New plans for Birmingham – London speed train

Posted on by Ben Debski

The 250mph rail link would possibly be extended to northern England and Scotland in future.

His announcement started a public consultation process and work on the project itself is unlikely to start before 2017.

According to Lord Adonis, Euston would be the preferred location for the London terminus of the envisaged high-speed line. In Birmingham city centre the station will be located in Curzon Street. There will also be interchange stations with Crossrail near Birmingham Airport and west of Paddington.

The maximum speed of the train would be 250 miles per hour, allowing passengers to commute between London and Birmingham in 49 minutes – compared to the current time of around an hour and a half.

There will also be a reduction in the travel time between Birmingham and Leeds from two hours to only 57 minute. The time it takes to travel from Manchester to London will be reduced from the current 2 hours and 8 minutes to only 1 hour and 8 minutes.

By connecting to existing lines, passengers will be able to cut the time it takes to travel between Edinburgh, Glasgow and London to only 3- and a half hours.

According to government estimates, the high-speed rail link would eventually result in the elimination of 4.5 million plane journeys and nine million road journeys every year.

At current prices, the cost of the project will amount to £32.7bn, but the government justified this by saying that the rail link would deliver benefits in the region of £46bn.

The company tasked to undertake this mammoth development is HS2 Limited. It is expected that the section between London and Birmingham will come into operation by 2026.

Since the 2010 announcement the consultation process has resulted in nearly 55,000 responses – showing clearly that the project has become rather controversial. Both those in favour of the rail link and those against it hold very strong views about the issue.

Some, such as Keith Brown from the Scottish government, feels the benefits are clear and that the line should be extended to Scotland much sooner than the planned 2033.

He said: “The high-speed rail line will undoubtedly bring benefits to the areas it serves.  But if it does not extend beyond the current plans of just a third of the way up the British mainland, those benefits will focus on London.”

The Campaign for Better Transport’s Stephen Joseph added that they were pleased to see the government expanding the rail network, rather than aviation and roads.

Others do not agree. Joe Rukin, a campaigner for Stop HS2, said: “There is no business case, no environmental case and there is no money to pay for it.”

The Chairman of Action Groups Against High Speed Two (AGAHST), Jerry
Marshall warns of ‘untold environmental damage’ and doubts whether the line would ever pay for itself. He added that if the government looked objectively at HS2 it would realise it was a ‘disaster waiting to happen’.

Sustainable airports provide an option for eco-friendly travellers

Posted on by Ben Debski

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), sustainable airports have three goals; to reduce the impact on the environment, maintain high economic growth levels and work toward “social progress” in the community. To accomplish these goals, sustainable airports often take measures that include reducing emissions, lowering noise levels and conserving natural resources, including water, electricity and land.

What eco-friendly measures have airports taken?
To conserve resources, airports have used a variety of environmentally friendly measures in the past. These include choosing sites near mass transit options, to reduce the number of wild animals in the area, to keep natural resources from being used and to cut down on emissions from automobiles. Other facilities have installed light-coloured surfaces, such as pavements, roadways and car parks to reduce heat islands and lower cooling costs.

Other measures include conserving water by installing low-flow water fixtures and planting drought-tolerant landscaping around the airport. Properties have also begun using “green” energy sources such as solar power, geothermal power, wind power and hydropower, since these resources are renewable. Reusing and recycling materials as often as possible is another sustainability measure, as is using locally sourced materials for projects, which reduces both transportation costs and pollution.

International airports that have adapted to sustainability
To encourage airports to make these adjustments in the USA, the FAA has created the Sustainable Master Plan programme to assist airports attain the goal of sustainability. So far, twelve US airports have already signed up to participate, including Denver International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Several airports around the world, however, have already undertaken their own measures to reach sustainability. At Dallas Ft Worth International Airport, the largest source of emissions on the property comes from aircraft. While it is not possible to reduce these sources of pollution, the facility has worked to cut down on other pollutants. Some of the measures taken have included reducing electricity use by installing fuel cells and buying wind-produced power, lowering emissions during times of the day when they are normally at their highest and using alternative energy ground support vehicles.

In 2009, the Chicago Department of Aviation issued the Sustainable Airport Manual and multiple airports agreed to collaborate with this programme, including Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, Baltimore-Washington, D.C. Airport and Los Angeles International Airport. Since then, the participating airports have saved nearly $3 million by taking eco-friendly measures, such as recovering and reusing asphalt, using “green” roofs on buildings, switching to low-emission construction vehicles and installing energy-efficient lighting throughout the taxiways.

At Zurich International Airport, technicians monitor air quality and energy usage per passenger in order to identify areas where efficiency can be improved. The airport also recycles 40 percent of its waste, uses geothermal energy, subsidises the cost of public transport for passengers and offers public tours that explain the airport’s energy-saving programmes.

At India’s New Delhi Airport, other measures are in place. The facility takes advantage of natural daylight illumination to lower electricity use, adapts recycled content in construction, uses battery-powered vehicles to reduce emissions and even relocates animals that stray toward the airport to wildlife sanctuaries. Since its construction, the airport staff has engaged in planting over 18,000 trees.

The psychological contract of an organisation

Posted on by Ben Debski

The psychological interaction between the management of an organisation and the subordinate employees is a rich area of study. A strong understanding of the relationship can lead to improved performance for the company and possibly to improved employee welfare, due to increased work satisfaction. Several theories have been developed, with the aim of describing workplace dynamics and behaviour through BMod theories. Two of these are opposing theories, known as Theory X and Theory Y and deal with the motivational factors that influence employee behaviour. They can be seen as different perspectives of how to deal with employees, but according to their creators, the theories should be looked at as separate, rather than different sides of the same idea. Both could be seen as ‘models’ of employee/employer behaviour, since they deal with a complete system of interaction, similar to how a physical model simulates the behaviour of a physical system. Both Theory X and Y were created by Douglas McGregor in the 1960s.

Theory X has more recently been considered a negative way of dealing with employees. Its premise is that employees are, by nature, reluctant to fulfil the obligations of their job and instead will find ways to avoid work or otherwise reduce their work output in a bid to expend the least amount of effort possible. Theory X posits that for a company to be successful and have productive employees, it will be necessary for the more motivated management staff and owners to coerce the employees into making them work. This requires strict control and monitoring of behaviour in order to detect attempts by the staff to avoid work. Management must keep a careful eye out for sabotaging effects by self-interested employees and find the cause of disruptions, handing out penalties in the belief that a sincere wish to avoid responsibility is the root cause for the majority of trouble.

Theory Y is, in many ways, the opposite to that of Theory X. Rather than taking the view that employees must be forced to do what management want and that they will not, under any circumstances, do anything beneficial for the company under their own direction, Theory Y states that employees actually become more productive when more trust and responsibility is delegated to them. According to Theory Y, employees do wish to work and be productive and the act of doing well at work is itself a strong motivator. In fact, employees will seek responsibility and ways to be productive, if they are allowed to do so. Theory Y has been shown to be more beneficial in creating a productive working environment than Theory X, at least in modern working environments. Nonetheless, Theory X remains relevant, since some managers naturally gravitate to this viewpoint.

According to McGregor: “Man is a wanting animal – as soon as one of his needs is satisfied, another appears in its place. This process is unending.” When choosing between Theory X and Y, the one that best meets the needs of the people involved is likely to be the most appropriate.

Outdoor spas capture the imagination

Posted on by Ben Debski

In the high-stress environment of the business travel one often finds too little time to spend relaxing. This is probably why spas have become so popular during the last couple of decades. Outdoor spas, where you can relax surrounded by nature while being pampered in the lap of luxury, have become particularly popular in recent years.

COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali
The dominant philosophy in Bali is based on tri hita karana. Essentially this means maintaining harmony and balance between the gods, the community and the environment. The Balinese believe that this is the only way to achieve peace and happiness.

COMO offers a choice of 20 Western and Asian holistic treatments. There is also a gym, a yoga pavilion, a pilate studio and four outdoor treatment pavilions. Everything carries mysterious-sounding Sanskrit names; for example, the spa is called Ojas, which means ‘essence of life’ in Sanskrit, while a typical residence would be named Wanakasa; forest in the mist.

Sereno Spa, Goa
Spreading over 36,000 ft2, the breathtaking outdoor spa pavilions have beautiful ocean views. A complete range of body and skin treatments and Ayurvedic-inspired massages are on offer.

The traditional Marma Facial is ideal for mature skin types and includes a Crown Chakra massage. However, if you really want to invigorate your body, go for the Synchronised Abhyanga massage, ‘The Four Hands’.

The Spa at the Breakers Palm Beach, Florida
This spa is situated in the heart of Palm Beach, Florida, at an Italian Renaissance-style resort. In total, there are 20,000 ft2 of indoor and outdoor facilities, where customised and individualised spa treatments are on offer.

This beachfront property offers no less than 13 different types of massages and a wide array of body treatments, as well as skin-care and facial services under the open sky and fronting the ocean. There is no other spa, outside Paris, that offers the unique ‘Guerlain Institut de Beaute’ facial.

Lake House Spa at Lake Austin Spa Resort, Texas
This spa offers a lavish range of services and treatments in its outdoor cabanas. Its prime location, in Texas, makes maximum use of its waterfront location with top-of-the-range relaxation, fitness and sports amenities and classes, including acupuncture, yoga, Nia and tai chi, pedal-boat workouts and kayaking.

There are several areas where guests are able to enjoy outdoor massages. This includes a huge screened porch, where guests can indulge themselves in a Texas Pecan Scrub, a Swedish massage or a Ruby Red Grapefruit Refresher treatment.

Hotels look to LEED commitment

Posted on by Ben Debski

As awareness of mankind’s environmental impact on earth grows, more and more individuals are becoming environmentally conscious. This movement has also reached the hospitality industry, an industry in which establishing sustainable practices can have a significant impact due to the large numbers of individuals it accommodates each year. The United States Green Building Council (USGBC) has established the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification programme to recognise hotels and motels that have worked towards reducing their overall impact on the environment.

What is the LEED certification?
In general, the LEED system measures how a facility lowers CO2 emissions, improves the quality of indoor air, reduces waste, and saves water and energy. Buildings that receive LEED certification can display their certificates in their lobbies, establishing their credentials as eco-friendly hotels.

According to the USGBC, “green” facilities use “26 percent less energy, emit 33 percent less carbon dioxide, use 30 percent less indoor water, and send 50-75 percent less solid waste to landfills and incinerators.” The LEED rating system is completely voluntary and based on a consensus of panel members who are independent of government or corporate involvement.

While the benefits of attaining LEED certification primarily affect the planet, hotels also benefit from making these structural and procedural changes.

Making environmentally friendly adjustments often results in lower operating costs as energy and water efficiency increase. The necessary renovations generally cause the property value of the hotel to rise. In addition, the ability to brand a property as LEED certified leads to a higher profile among eco-conscious consumers and businesses, who are interested in patronising hotels that leave a lower carbon footprint.

How does a hotel qualify?
Qualifying for LEED certification is a rigorous process. There are 100 separate points that the agency considers when evaluating a property’s environmental impact. These points cover multiple aspects of eco-friendly operation, including choosing a building location in an area with access to public transportation, using Energy Star appliances throughout the facility, using local and recycled materials in construction, and selecting indoor paints that emit no harmful chemicals. In order to receive certification, a property must meet at least 40 of the 100 points. Certification is issued in four levels: Basic certification for properties that meet 40-49 points; Silver certification for those that meet 50-59 points; Gold certification for hotels that meet 60-79 points; and Platinum (the highest) certification for those that meet 80 points or more.

A number of hotels and motels have begun the process of achieving LEED certification, and the largest participant in the programme thus far has been Marriott. In 2010, the company announced plans to certify 300 of its properties as LEED-compliant by 2015. Included in these properties were both new construction projects that would be LEED certified upon completion, and existing properties that were being renovated to meet LEED standards. The company has also embarked upon eco-friendly practices at its headquarters, including recycling 69 percent of its waste, eliminating disposable eating utensils, and replacing standard fixtures with higher efficiency lighting.

Convention centres seek approval

Posted on by Ben Debski

Choosing the right convention centre at which to hold an event or conference can be a challenging task, particularly if you are unfamiliar with the facilities that are available in a particular area.

There are two major international institutions that certify convention centres: the International Association of Congress Centres, and the International Association of Conference Centres.

The International Association of Congress Centres
The International Association of Congress Centres (AIPC) considers itself to be the leading association in the industry. AIPC has committed itself to “encouraging and recognising excellence” in the management of convention centres, while at the same time assisting convention centres to comply with these high standards through its educational, research, and networking programmes.

AIPC membership is open to all convention centres – provided they comply with the standards laid down by the association. A site inspection is carried out by an AIPC official before a convention centre’s application for membership can be approved.

The AIPC Quality Standards programme is industry-specific and aims to set standards for evaluating important areas of convention centre performance. A convention centre has to comply with the most stringent international standards before it will pass an AIPC Quality Standards audit.

The International Association of Conference Centres
The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC) is a facilities-based non-profit organisation whose mission is to give assistance to members in “providing the most productive meeting facilities around the world.” To become a member of IACC a conference centre has to comply with some of the highest quality standards in the industry.

Among the criteria used by the IACC are:

Priority of business
–    A minimum of 60 percent of available meeting space must be dedicated to conference space.
–    A non-residential conference centre must generate at least 70 percent of its income from selling conference space.
–    For a residential conference centre, this figure is 60 percent.

Design
The design of the centre has to comply with a long list of criteria covering the size of the centre, storage space, separation of leisure and living areas, tables provided, lighting, windows, curtains, climate control, acoustical rating, permissible background noise, sound systems, and telephone and internet access.

Services
Here the association looks at the availability of trained staff members, a trained conference planner, and the availability of a properly equipped business centre for the use of delegates.

Food and beverages
The criteria here is that the centre should have a separate dining venue for the use of delegates. This venue should be able to accommodate all conference delegates in no more than two sittings. There should also be refreshments available outside conference rooms.

Technology
The centre must have the facilities to use all the latest portable audio-visual equipment. The availability of microphones, flip charts, and video equipment is also an important criterion. Centres over a certain size must also have a retractable projection screen. Technicians who know how to handle this equipment should be on call during conferences.

An ode to ambition

Posted on by Ben Debski

As the booming, magnificent cities of Asia keep up their bright ascendancy, it seems right that we take a moment to honour what is still one of the greatest business cities on Earth. New York. We still love it. The glitter of the East is dazzling, but our hearts flutter too at the familiar golden glow of the West.

With a record 50 million visitors last year, it’s obvious the world is still completely smitten with New York. It’s not the capital of America or even of New York State itself, but to many minds it is the unofficial capital of the world. Only London, with a slightly smaller population but a more ethnically diverse one, can rival New York for an informal Centre-of-the-World status.

In fashion, media, finance and art, New York exerts a staggering amount of global influence. But it isn’t just its power and dynamism that makes us love this city. We love its sheer romance. Physically beautiful, it’s also riddled with potent symbols of hope, of aspiration and self-renewal. New York is a canvas of dreams.

Who wouldn’t sigh to behold Manhattan’s peerless skyline rising above the water? Each skyscraper is a hymn to ambition, a symbol of what can be achieved here. The torch-bearing Statue of Liberty, the first sight of America for millions of immigrants arriving by sea, is an intensely potent icon of a new and better life. Meanwhile the new One World Trade Centre and the 9/11 Memorial eloquently speak of a city that can’t be beaten, a city that overcomes disaster and moves forward with dignity and fresh strength.

Romance seems built into the very fabric of this city. It’s there in the dreamy Art Deco fantasies of the Chrysler and Empire State buildings as they throw their lyricism into the twilit sky. It’s there in the vast Gothic span of the Brooklyn Bridge, that mighty umbilical carrying people into and out of Manhattan. It’s there in Grand Central Station, in the cathedral-like beams of light that rake across hurrying travellers. And it’s in Central Park too, in the landscaped woods, ponds and lamp-lit paths that make up America’s single most- visited urban park. Certainly there’s romance and colour in New York’s markedly extreme seasons, giving us a city with sultry summers (July average: 25oC), glittering winters (average annual snowfall: two feet), and vivid-hued, New-England-style autumns.

With its super-glamorous looks, with its » mean streets and its glossy avenues, New York is a natural-born movie star. It is very probably the most filmed city on Earth, with countless movies and TV shows set here, and about 40,000 location shoots taking place each year. So when we arrive, even for the first time, New York is already intimately familiar to us. We know its flavour and its drama, and we can feel like an actor on an enormous stage set as we tread its hallowed streets.

Music has told us what to expect when we get here too. It’s hard to resist a city that comes already eulogised for us in a thousand songs. New York is “so good they named it twice” and “if you can make it there you’ll make it anywhere”. In 2009 when Alicia Keys belted out “These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you; there’s nothing you can’t do, now you’re in New York”, her hit record joined a long tradition of popular love songs to the city. Every decade seems to spawn at least one new offering.

Movies and music aside, European travellers have other reasons to find New York familiar.

This is one of the most European-seeming cities in America. The food and coffee are great, the people dress stylishly and have a liberal outlook, and, quite amazingly for Americans, they actually walk to places. While cities like LA are an ocean of automobiles, New York teems with pedestrians. It’s currently the only US city in which a majority of households (52 percent) do not own a car. Plus it sees America’s greatest use of public transport. This, together with an increasing number of eco-fuel buses and taxis on the streets, makes New York one of America’s most energy-efficient cities.

Energy. It’s something in which New York never seems to be in short supply. The buzz of this city-that-never-sleeps can be quite overwhelming. Fast-talking New Yorkers have twice as much to say as everyone else and half the time to say it in. And we love them for it.

Dynamic, forward-looking New York just won’t shut up or stay still. Neighbourhoods, faces, waves of immigration: everything changes and brings fresh colour. All that really stays unchanged is the glory of the place.