Newsletter – December 2014

Experience the Bled winter fairytale!

20.12.2014 12:19
Bled is known as one of the world’s most enchanting tourist destinations. In the holiday season and in winter, this fairytale town is lit up by fairy lights, giving it a special charm that attracts visitors from around the globe. The magical atmosphere of December will continue in the new year: they are preparing a wide range of events designed to take thei guests deep into the Bled winter fairytale.

That is their name for the many events and activities organised in cooperation with the Bled Local Tourist Organisation, Bled Municipality and local providers. Visit the Bled ice skating rink with a view at Hotel Park for a wealth of events on and around the ice. The activities will continue until March next year, with a special focus on weekends. On the Bled Promenade, weekends are spiced up by the Taste Bled, an event created by the Bled restaurateurs and designed to revive traditional Gorenjska cuisine, but with a modern twist. When it comes to planning the menus, they stick to the Gorenjska culinary strategy outlined by Prof. Dr. Janez Bogataj: here, the culinary pyramid is topped by the Original Bled Cream Cake. Treat yourself to a slice of the winter holiday version! Don’t forget to stop at the KISSING POINT by the lake and enjoy the romantic atmosphere. Send your romantic images to @BledSlovenia with the hashtag #kissBled or share them on the Facebook pagewww.facebook.com/LakeBledSlovenia to be in the running for romantic prizes. For a fun winter to remember, come to Bled! For more information about activities and events in Bled, visit www.shr.si. Renovation of Sava Hoteli Bled buildings In December, Sava Hoteli Bled is wrapping up the complex renovation of the façade on Bled’s most elegant and only five-star hotel, Grand Hotel Toplice. The façade, loggias and balconies of all hotel rooms were renovated in keeping with the guidelines and under the supervision of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage. Other investments made this year include improvements to the hotel’s energy efficiency, new wooden tents – Gozdna vila huts – for the eco-village at Bled Camping, new family Gozdna vila huts and outdoor wellness facilities. On top of that, we have renovated the rooms at Hotel Park and installed air conditioning units in the rooms at Hotel Golf.

Ljubljana has ranked on the Global Top 100 Sustainable Destinations 2014

20.12.2014 12:08
Ljubljana has been invited and nominated because of its active work in the field of sustainable development that was also noticed at the international level – primarily, this is certainly represented with its European Green Capital 2016 title and in addition, Ljubljana is one of the pilot Slovenian destinations introducing the ETIS indicators (the European Tourism Indicators System for sustainable destinations, developed by the European Commission), and the first Slovenian destination which was assessed by the GSTR – a tool that besides the European indicators includes also global indicators for sustainable destinations, thus allowing comparison between destinations in this area on a global level.

Assessment for the selection of the top sustainable destinations is a joint initiative of four international organisations in the field of promotion and enhancement of sustainable tourism – that is, Green Destinations, TravelMole.com, Vision on Sustainable Tourism and Totem Tourism, while the Global Sustainable Tourism Council was included in the process in the role of a special partner and advisor. The list does not offer a simple evaluation on the scale from 1 to 100 since the destinations are classified in different ways, also according to which region in the world they belong – thus they are divided into four regions (Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific). 50 destinations from Europe have been included in the list. For example, only the Austrian Werfenweg and the Italian Migliarino San Rossore Massaciuccoli have been included from the neighbouring countries, while none from Hungary or Croatia. At the global, general level the Portuguese Azores, an archipelago of volcanic origin lying in the middle of Atlantic Ocean, have been ranked as the most sustainable, attaining a grade of 8.9 of 10. The experts carried out the assessment according to the criteria delineated in six thematic areas: (1) nature, (2) environment, (3) culture and tradition, (4) social welfare, (5) green economy, and (6) green tourism policy certification. Maximum weight was put on the latter which relates to certification using the global indicators for sustainable destinations (GSTC, developed by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, as well as the tools based on these indicators, such as GSTR – Global Sustainable Tourism Review). Ljubljana received a high rating of 8 (nines were extremely rare) In all the initial five categories, while in the latter category (green tourism policy certification) it has not been rated yet as the assessment process using GSTR tool has not yet formally been fully completed – this assessment will shortly be added. Photo by Janez Kotar. More at greendestinations.info/top100

Hotel Ramada Resort Kranjska Gora received Best ski hotel award

20.12.2014 12:03
World Ski Awards has recognised the very best in the global ski tourism industry during its inaugural Gala Ceremony on 22nd of November. Hotel Ramada Resort Kranjska Gora received Best ski hotel award!

World Ski Awards is the sister organisation of World Travel Awards, the “travel Oscars” currently celebrating its 21st anniversary. Votes were submitted online on the World Ski Awards website from 6th June till 26th September for each of the world’s top 21 ski tourism nations. Votes were cast by professionals working within the ski industry — senior executives, travel buyers, tour operators, agents and media — and by the public (ski tourism consumers). The event was hosted in Kitzbühel. The 2014 Gala Ceremony was hosted by UK television star Ms Ela Clark and welcomed a host of Austria’s finest entertainers as guests enjoyed a sumptuous banquet. Ski tourism figureheads and market leaders were in attendance as the World Ski Awards winners were unveiled. Mr. Fedja Pobegajlo, general manager of Hit Alpinea said: “It was our pleasure to represent Slovenia in the company of the best. We take this reward as an important sign that the guests and the professionals working within the ski industry trust us. We are sure that this reward will give us extra boost in integration of joint promotions of Kranjska Gora as a destination. And especially, this reward is an acknowledgement to our employees. We work hard to keep the level of our service high in all seasons, not just in winter.”

Ljubljana Quality: The Best Restaurants are known

20.12.2014 12:01
Local experts have rated Ljubljana’s restaurants and awarded them with Ljubljana Quality Mark. The restaurant that received the highest mark was Strelec Restaurant Kaval Group located in Ljubljana Castle’s picturesque Shooters’ Tower. Dada Jerovšek, Director – Kaval Group: “We are infinitely proud to have received this prestigious award for Restaurant Strelec in Ljubljana Castle. Strelec Restaurant is marked by culinary at the highest level. In a unique way connect the Castle and the city below. This award brings us also greater responsibility for our future work.”

The culinary scene in Ljubljana has enjoyed a real boom over recent years and the city’s renowned chefs, restaurants, and typical dishes are becoming increasingly recognized around the world. Gastronomy in Ljubljana is characterized by great diversity, with dishes ranging from traditional Slovenian and international classics to specialities of more exotic cuisines. Menus are often based on seasonal ingredients sourced from nearby farms. Ljubljana Quality Mark The quality of tourism offerings in Ljubljana and Central Slovenia is assessed every two years as part of the Ljubljana Quality project, run by Ljubljana Tourism, the city’s tourist board. The quality assessment is based on carefully defined criteria and carried out by an expert commission using the mystery shopper method. The highest-rated outlets receive a Ljubljana Quality Mark indicating the level of quality achieved. The Ljubljana Quality Mark winners include not only fine dining restaurants, but also a whole range of more affordable modern restaurants, traditional ‘gostilnas’, and cake shops.

New BMW X6 series presented at Best Western Premier Hotel Slon

20.12.2014 11:44
At the beginning of December, the BEST WESTERN PREMIER Hotel Slon has, in cooperation with BMW Group Slovenija, hosted a very special event named INNOVATION DRIVES CHANGE, which was thrown to present a new BMW X6 series. The event was visited by eminent guests, who, among else, spoke about the role the investments have in today’s as well as future economic and social aspects.

The opening speech was given by Mr. Igor E. Bergant, who had the honour to present the special guests of the evening: Dr. Anna Elisabeth Prinz – German Ambassador in Slovenia, Igor Akrapovič – owner of the company Akrapovič, Denis Oštir – journalist and editor at POP TV, Ajša Vodnik – executive director of AmCham Slovenija, Lothar Schupert – general manager at BMW Group Slovenija and Robert Trnovec – general manager at Microsoft Slovenija. Through the evening, the visitors could enjoy the cuisine specialties of Hotel Slon’s chefs and follow the dance performance of the ProDance group, while the sweet treat of the evening was provided by BMW Slovenija. In organizational terms, the event was pretty demanding, since the car was brought into the conference room through the window. Moreover, the whole process was the attraction for the passers-by and the event which made this gathering an extraordinary event. Gregor Jamnik, Director / General Manager of BEST WESTERN PREMIER Hotel Slon: “At Best Western Premier Hotel Slon we focus on tailor made events. The launch of new BMW X6 luxury car was just perfect event for us. Medium size event, with not more than 120 participants which first participated in a great debate about innovation and future, after plenary part moved to the next hall where the new car was revealed. This took place on the 1st floor in our seminar and banquet halls where it is impossible to drive the car to. There are only elevators and stairs to the 1st floor, so people were truly amazed how on earth we managed to bring the car to this floor. When you think something is impossible, you need to step out of the box and rethink the whole situation. Then we got an idea to bring the car into the space through the window with a special external elevator. Our idea paid off as we totally surprised our guests and BMW company successfully launched their amazing new car. What a memorable event this was :-)” More at www.hotelslon.com/en

Grand Hotel Union with new promotional video

20.12.2014 11:38
Promotional Video Marketing has become one of the top forms of communicating benefits to a target audience. All businesses, small and large, are jumping on board to get their start with video – consumers demand it!

“We think that a good video can do wonders for a business, that’s why we did it as well,” said Martina Marušić, marketing director of Union hotels, Ljubljana. The Union Hotels group comprises four hotels – Grand Hotel Union, Grand Hotel Union Business, Hotel Lev and Central Hotel. In the city centre they offer 574 comfortable and pleasantly furnished rooms, where guests will be happy to return after a day of business obligations or sightseeing. In over a century of its existence, the Grand hotel Union was an important co-creator of the political and social life in the capital and in the wider Ljubljana region. This breath-taking four-star hotel in an Art Nouveau style offers an exclusive location in the heart of the city centre. The Grand Hotel Union offers 173 standard and superior rooms, 9 suites and 12 hotel studios. The rooms are comfortable and stylishly furnished. The hotel offers the largest hotel conference centre in Ljubljana, a secured parking garage, large working areas in rooms, an indoor swimming pool, fitness centre and sauna. Top class culinary experiences can be enjoyed in two renowned restaurants, Smrekarjev hram and The Union Garden. Treat yourself to the finest coffee or tea in the legendary Union Café or hang out in the elegant Aperitif Bar. Grand Hotel Union throughout history hosted many important guests and events. See videopresentation of hotel accommodation, conference halls and rooms for organizing events. “We are sure that a top quality video will impress our clients. Maybe you disagree?” added Mrs. Marušić. Watch the video >>

CD Congress Centre on Video

20.12.2014 11:43
Just before Conventa starts, CD Congress Centre Ljubljana has offered a tool to help the organisers to a final venue decision in presenting its feature in a short video.

11th IEEE Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition – FG  2015, 4 – 8 May (www.fg2015.fe.uni-lj.si), Plant Health for Food Security, 11- 12 May (www.phsa-conference.com), SINAPSA, 15 – 17 May (www.sinapsa.org), Medicine of  SE Europe, 4 – 7 June (www.drmed-mb.org), 16th European Congress of Pediatric Surgery – EUPSA 2015, 17 – 20 June (www.eupsa.org), 13th Meeting of European Neuro-ophthalmological Society – EUNOS 2015, 21 – 24 June (www.eunos2015.org), 53rd Symposium of International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision – ISCEV 2015, 24 – 27 June (www.iscev.org/events), Alzheimer Europe Conference, 2 – 4 September (www.alzheimer-europe.org), International Conference on Engineering Vibration –IFToMM 2015, 7 – 10 September (www.ICoEV.org) are just a selection of international events taking place in the first half of the meetings’ year in CD Congress Centre Ljubljana. Make yourself comfortable at your desk and with just a CLICK allow yourself to be introduced to the CD Congress Centre Ljubljana.

Final countdown to Conventa

20.12.2014 11:32
With the start of Conventa being only a month away, the organizers enter the final stage of preparations with positive emotions. The current numbers show promising results and indicate that the seventh Conventa will be the best one yet. From 21 to 22 January 2015 organizers expect more congress destinations than ever to be presented at the trade show. Organizers are sticking to the strict cretirea and confirming only serious meeting planners with great interest in New Europe. Last edition hosted meeting planners from 25 different countries, the upcoming Conventa will host more than 90 percent new buyers coming from 33 different contries.

Every corner of the exhibition floor will be filled The fact that Conventa opened the exhibitor area and invited also emerging destinations of New Europe to exhibit resulted in an increase of meetings destinations presented at the trade show. Last year the show hosted 12 great destinations of Central and South East Europe. Current numbers show that 15 New European destinations like Azerbaijan, Albania will be presenting the offer this time around and the exhibition floor will be filled with round 140 exhibition booths. Winners of the Conventa Wild Card are known Although the trade show has invited new destinations, the majority of the exhibition floor will remain reserved for the South East and Central European meetings providers. The strong players will once again be joined by meetings industry providers coming from countries with lower trade per capita. Conventa Wild Card, a chance to exhibit free of charge at Conventa 2015, was given to Carnet de Voyage from Croatia, Thessaloniki Convention Bureau from Greece and Tourist organization of Budva from Montenegro. Education as the biggest added value The boutique trade show will be enriched by a great educational programme featuring speakers likeMartin Ferro-Thomsen, Founder of Conferize.com and Co-founder of Issuu.com, that will be speaking about events online and the digitalization of the meetings industry, Claudia Koehler, Corporate Vice President of one of the leading event marketing agencies worldwide VOK DAMS, will be explaining why live campaigns are the next big thing in marketing and Kevin Kelly, internationally acclaimed motivational speaker and authority on the success principles underpinning entrepreneurship, leadership, sales and motivation, who will be revealing the secret of “xceptional” execution in the meetings industry. Best practice examples, new destinations and great incentive programmes will be presented at Experts’ Corner throuought Conventa, students from South East Europe will be able to participate at the IMEX-MPI-MCI Future Leaders Forum, while representatives of associations from South East Europe will be able to attend Association day, an educational programe at Conventa dedicated solely to associations. For more information about the trade show and why people working in the meeting industry should not miss it at www.conventa.info