Members News
21 June 2010
Global Green Alliance officially launches at IMEX, Frankfurt
The collaboration of three of the world’s most renowned eco-friendly convention centres was launched at IMEX on Tuesday 25 May 2010. The Global Green Alliance, made up of Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool, Cape Town International Convention Centre and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, is a combined effort to promote industry best practise for hosting sustainable events across the globe.
The initiative, which was a direct result of relationships forged at the 2009 ICCA Congress in Florence, levies importance on helping clients ‘go green’ when choosing where to hold meetings.
Kerrin MacPhie, Head of Sales at BT Convention Centre, part of ACC Liverpool, commented, “This year we not only take our individual products to IMEX, but also the joint venture of the Global Green Alliance. IMEX will provide us with the pedestal we need to project the Global Green Alliance to all potential buyers, media and existing clients. The affiliation we are embarking on is set to give the meetings industry a breath of fresh air, especially for those event organisers searching to encompass CSR and sustainable targets to their events.”
Anne Jamieson, director of sales and marketing at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre added, “As well as showcasing the MCEC’s world-leading environmental capabilities and award-winning design features at IMEX, we’re looking forward to highlighting the initiatives and benefits of this important and exciting new partnership as an integral part of the Global Green Alliance.”
Rashid Toefy, chief executive officer of the Cape Town International Convention Centre concluded, “As a convention centre, whose business principles are built around the ethos of sustainability CTICC is excited to form part of this alliance, which marks an exciting new era for the meetings and events industry”.
On Tuesday 25 May all three venues hosted a press conference and the venues also exhibited their world-class meetings venues, environmental credentials and sharing the initiatives for the Global Green Alliance partnership during the entirety of IMEX.
Green credentials of partner venues:
ACC Liverpool:
- Due to ACC Liverpool’s environmental measures it produces half the CO2 emissions it would without any and uses 20% less electricity.
- The design of the building, along with its insulation and air control system, is inherently efficient and requires significantly less energy than a traditional build would.
- Lighting is high efficiency and controlled by motion detection (so a room is dark unless someone is in it).
- Five 20 metre low-noise wind turbines contribute to ACC Liverpool’s power provision.
- Rainwater is collected on the roof of the building, which is then used to flush toilets. The rainwater accounts for approximately 40% of the water used for flushing toilets within the arena.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre:
- World’s first 6* Star Green Star environmentally rated venue
- Displacement ventilation provides effective, high indoor quality air flow at low energy consumption
- Solar hot water systems can offset more than 40 per cent of general hot water requirements and can provide 100 per cent of public amenity hot water requirements
- Light fittings have been selected and positioned in order to minimise resource and energy consumption
- A black water treatment plant collects building wastewater and some stormwater to provide treated water for toilet flushing, irrigation and cooling towers
Cape Town International Convention Centre:
- “My Tree in Africa” initiative to reduce the centre’s carbon footprint by planting trees in disadvantaged communities
- Nurture Our World (NOW) campaign which is a call to action and encapsulates the centre’s responsibility to address issues such as climate change and the preservation of the environment for future generations.
- Range of green conference packages to encourage event “greening”
- Dedicated environmental task team
- ISO14001 accredited venue
- Water conservation via dual-flushing toilets and automated drip system irrigation methods
- The extensive use of low voltage bulbs, fluorescent fixtures, and dimmer switches
- A primary closed circuit air-conditioning system with daily temperature selection adjusted according to the change in ambient external temperatures
- Daily adjustment of sun louvers to maximise light and reduce the loss of heat.
Berlin – Best M.I.C.E. Destination in Western Europe
Leading business travel magazine presents Travel Award 2010 to German capital
The magazine Business Destination has presented the German capital with the World Travel Award 2010 in the category “Best Destination for M.I.C.E, Western Europe”. Berlin won the jury over with its qualities as a venue for meetings, conventions and incentives.
Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH comments, “We are delighted about this award. Berlin, together with its convention industry, has been striving over the last few years to make it to the top league of meetings and incentives.”
The Travel Awards are presented once a year by the leading international trade journal Business Destinations. The Hilton Berlin, a representative of the Berlin hotel scene, also ranks amongst the award-winners. The hotel was selected in the “Best Business Hotels 2010”.
UNESCO advisors choose Manchester for international summit on documentary heritage
The meeting to decide which new documentary heritage will join the Magna Carta, the Diaries of Anne Frank and the Bayeux Tapestry on a special UNESCO register is to take place in Manchester.
The register, entitled Memory of the World, was established by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) in 1992 to recognise documentary heritage of international significance.
The International Advisory Committee (IAC) that is responsible for advising UNESCO on additions to the list will meet at the Chancellors Hotel & Conference Centre from 23 – 25 May 2011.
Paul Simpson, managing director of Visit Manchester, said: “The IAC meeting is a truly international occasion. Committee members will be flying into the city from more than 14 countries around the world and the recommendations they make in Manchester will be reported across the world’s media.
“International conferences such as the IAC generate significant benefits for the city, both economic and in terms of increasing our reputation as a world class conference destination.”
Whilst deciding which new documents will be added to the register, the IAC will also discuss the wider objectives of the Memory of the World programme. These are: to facilitate the preservation of, assist the universal access to, and increase the worldwide awareness of the world’s documentary heritage.
Melbourne Convention Centre named Australia’s most outstanding construction
The multi-award winning Melbourne Convention Centre has been declared the most outstanding example of construction excellence in the nation by winning the 2010 Australian Construction Achievement Award (ACAA) – the industry’s most prestigious award.
Constructed by Brookfield Multiplex, the Melbourne Convention Centre was delivered as a public-private partnership under the Partnerships Victoria model to create the world’s first, and one and only, ‘6 Star Green Star’ environmentally rated convention centre.
Seamlessly integrated with the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, the venue is the largest and most versatile convention and exhibition venue in the Southern Hemisphere – the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC).
In congratulating Brookfield Multiplex, Leigh Harry, chief executive of the MCEC also acknowledged the designers; Joint Venture Architects Woods Bagot and NH Architecture, the developers Plenary Group, the State Government of Victoria, the City of Melbourne and the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust for their collaborative vision.
‘This is a perfect example of how public-private partnerships can succeed. As a team we have created one of the most impressive architectural and environmentally-sound buildings in the world. On behalf of the members of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust, my congratulations to Brookfield Multiplex and to everyone involved. This is indeed a great honour.’
Chair of the 2010 ACAA judging panel, Professor Michael Dureau said ‘The convention centre had been built in an incredibly short time frame in the most complex of crowded urban surrounding, and had delivered Australia’s best convention and exhibition complex in an environmentally sensitive and function-friendly way.
Tourism Toronto and Metro Toronto Convention Centre ranked #1 in North America
In a study released by Watkins Research Group Inc., Toronto was ranked the #1 convention city in North America. This top honour was based on the city's superior Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), Tourism Toronto, and convention centre services, provided by the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC).
Watkins Research Group conducts a biennial survey of convention and meeting planners who make decisions about where to hold their organisation's meetings. The survey included over 600 meeting planners from across North America.
"Our customers value the ease of working with our experienced staff team, and our exceptional customer service," said Barry Smith, President and CEO of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. "Being rated #1 by meeting planners themselves is indicative of our approach: considering ourselves an extension of the planner's team and working together to make every event successful."
In addition to the overall #1 ranking of Toronto's CVB and convention centre services, Toronto ranked in the top five (among 46 cities) for the following criteria:
• 'Hotels well suited for my largest meeting'
• 'Safe and secure'
• 'Superior convention facilities'
• 'Great all around convention city'
"The Watkins study is considered the most prominent, comprehensive and authoritative survey of its kind in the convention and meetings industry," said David Whitaker, President & CEO of Tourism Toronto. "Attaining the number one ranking is not only a great source of pride but also a tool we'll use to aggressively invite others to see the benefits of a successful meeting in Toronto."
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre ISO 14001 Certified
The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre has successfully notched another international accreditation with receipt of ISO 14001:2004 Environmental Management Systems (ISO 14001:2004) certification.
The recognition qualifies the venue as the first convention centre in Malaysia to be certified ISO 14001:2004 following a stringent audit by SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd (SIRIM QAS), Malaysia’s leading certification, inspection and testing body.
For the purpose-built world-class facility, receipt of ISO 14001 marks another milestone as a venue that operates in a responsible manner.
Attributing the Centre’s success to a team effort, General Manager Datuk Peter Brokenshire said that ISO 14001 certification will spur the Centre to continually improve “our environmental performance and ensure better acceptance in a growing ‘green’ world.”
Continuing, Brokenshire said, “to adhere and follow recognized standards of environmental harm-reduction programmes in our day-to-day operations requires commitment and passion from the entire team. The efforts and dedication demonstrated by every staff member across the board; from operations and facilities to sales and marketing, finance and administration, and human resource, have been integral in our achievement of both certifications and will be strong motivators for us to continue adopting best practices in our business operations.”
ISO 14001 is a tool which provides assurance to management that it is in control of the organizational processes and activities that have an impact on the environment.
Besides ISO 14001, the Centre is ISO 9001, ISO 22000, OHSAS 18001, EarthCheck Bronze and HACCP (Hazard Analysis Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certified.
