News

Hotel Palazzo Zichy opened

The newest 4-star hotel of Budapest hosted its first guests on 2 February: the Hotel Palazzo Zichy was reborn on its 110th anniversary. As the owner and the operator is the same as Hotel Parlament, some members of the staff joined from the downtown hotel.  The 80-room hotel features a spacious lounge with complimentary water and coffee until 5 pm, complimentary wireless Internet in the public areas and in the meeting rooms, an @-room with free access to public computers and a printer, and a complimentary fitness centre equipped with cardio- and workout equipment. Further information: www.hotel-palazzo-zichy.hu
11th February 2009

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State of the 2009 Sustainable Meeting Industry

Meeting Strategies Worldwide is proud to present our inaugural State of the 2009 Sustainable Meetings Industry Report. Trends and forecasts speak to continued economic challenges and increased demand for sustainable meetings. Both present a perfect storm of conditions to continue to motivate all of us to improve the value of what we do by exploring new ideas to be most sustainable and maximize return on investment. In this year’s report we set the stage for 2009 by discussing the trends and economic factors that are affecting us all, and then provide you with some ideas to address emerging areas of policy, human interest and technology for events. For more information please click here!

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Wing Co. to build hotels in Budapest

One of the emblematic buildings of Budapest, the former Postal Palace in Moszkva Square, was purchased by Wing Zrt. last spring. Based on the study of an international hotel development adviser, the investor is planning to recreate it as a 250-280-room, 5-star hotel with a conference centre for 800. Although negotiations have already started with various hotel operators, the possibility of transforming it into office space is still open.
Another building, this one located in Andrássy Avenue, may also become a 5-star boutique hotel with 101 rooms. The fate of a third hotel, in Clark Ádám Square, is not decided yet, as it was originally planned as a 5-star hotel but rooms would be too small for this category, so the investors reckon that an elegant 3-star hotel on the site may have a better chance.

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Promoting Hungary in China

On 9th January, more than 60 corporate buyers and DMCs assembled in Peking for the presentation of Chinese regions and several countries from all over the world. The participants of the event organised by the magazine MICE China could get acquainted with the MICE offer of these countries and regions. The representative of Hungary as the only Eastern European country invited for the event informed the participants on Hungary surprising them with a little present. 15. January, 2009.

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Green conference centre in Szentendre

Hungary’s first  conference centre with zero carbon-dioxide emissions can be found in Szentendre. The operation of the Regional Environmental Centre for Central and Eastern Europe (REC), which was built as a brownfield investment in a two million euro project fi nanced by the Italian government and the EEA fund, is based one hundred percent on renewable energy sources such as geothermal and solar energy. During operation, it also acts as a kind of mini-power plant, with local utility Elmü purchasing the excess power generated. Also included in the two-level centre, which is intended as a reference project, are two 80 and 120-seat conference halls, a library and a small conference room.
Source:
www.kereskedelmiforum.hu

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Páva Restaurant becomes event room

The management of the Four Seasons Gresham Palace Budapest decided to transform the famous Páva Restaurant into an exclusive meeting room, with the aim of expanding the hotel’s event capacity. The new facility is capable of hosting 100 persons for business or private meetings. Mr Simone Cerea, executive chef, remains head of the banqueting department and no personnel changes are planned in the F&B department.  Source:HTTH

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Green Is Good for the Bottom Line

Just when you thought your green meetings initiatives might be tossed aside by pencil-pushers anxious to shave costs, there is hope—and help. Green meetings not only benefit the environment, they can help your budget, according to a new white paper developed by Meeting Strategies Worldwide, a Portland, Ore.–based meeting planning company.

The white paper, titled The Economy and the Environment: One Solution for Two Meeting and Event Industry Issues, finds that what makes the best financial sense is often the environmentally friendly choice as well. The paper outlines the advantages to green meetings, starting with cost savings.

Click here for more 

Download the white paper from here 

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Meeting Strategies Worldwide Launches MeetGreen Calculator

Meeting Strategies Worldwide  has launched the MeetGreen Calculator , a gauge for environmentally friendly meetings.

To assess an event’s environmental impact, the MeetGreen Calculator compares practices of a specific event against the greenest alternative practices. Results provide a benchmark for future events and a comparison with other green events. The calculator is part of a suite of products and services that includes tools to use throughout the planning process to lessen detrimental environmental effects and a program to certify that an event is following the best green practices.  A product of the industry’s foremost experts in green meetings, MeetGreen is destined to become the leader. If you are serious about green meetings, these tools will help you achieve your goals. Source: www.environmentalleader.com

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January