[pullquote]If you build up your network with clients over the years and you inform them regularly about news in your destination, then it is relatively easy – you cover more with direct contacts[/pullquote]Q: What trends do you think we will see in meetings and events in your city in the next 12 months?
Nothing spectacular – a further increase in compliance issues for medical meetings, new ways of cooperation between the health care industry and health care meetings and a further decrease in destination appeal and a stronger focus again on education.
Q: How is your city positioned as a meeting destination today and what are its positive attributes that are often overlooked?
We are positioned as a multi-faceted meeting destination, meaning that we can cater for almost any type of meeting in our city. It is this variety – from university level via meeting hotels to our three large conference centres – that makes it easy for the customer of our city to choose the right venue for his/her specific meeting.
Q: How hard is it to get the message out about all that your city has to offer?
If you build up your network with clients over the years and you inform them regularly about news in your destination, then it is relatively easy – you cover more with direct contacts.
Q: How do you see the relationship between the meetings industry and the tourism industry?
They are more and more drifting away from each other – organisers, especially from association congresses, are more and more keen not to be seen as tourism, a trend that will continue.
Q: Tell us something that might surprise meeting planners about your city?
Probably to experience the reality of how compact and easy it is to orientate in our city and due to the public transport you can reach the key meeting infrastructure within 10 minutes by underground. Sometimes our clients tell us: I could not believe what you told me, I needed to experience it.
Q: Can content marketing drive meeting planners to your destination?
I am not so sure – for leading European associations they create content on a pan-European level and therefore rather need perfect infrastructure in order to build the appropriate meeting environment and meeting design.
