News

New conference centre in the four star castle hotel

The beautifully renovated Puchner Castle Hotel can be found in the southern part of Hungary, in the vicinity of Pécs. It can accommodate up to 110 persons in the 47 air-conditioned rooms; the Palace Building has 12 twin-bed rooms, 3 rooms with 2+1 and 3 rooms with 2+2 beds, while the Apartment Buildings can accommodate up to 48 persons. The two levels of each three buildings have 4 twin-bed rooms, a separate entrance, a large living-room, a fridge and a safe. The downstairs living-room is made even more intimate by the presence of a fireplace. Each room here is accessible through a separate entrance. The buildings have their own nice, roofed terrace, which makes it possible for a company of 8 people to be together in an intimate environment. The Bathing House offers guests 1 single and 3 twin-bed rooms, and 1 room with 2+2 beds. One of the rooms in the palace building furnished in old German style is awaiting guests who wish to relax in a unique atmosphere. The rest of our rooms are furnished in the same style and have the same equipment. Finished in 2003, with a capacity of hosting up to 400 persons the NEW CONFERENCE CENTRE is an ideal venue for congresses or large-scale conferences. At the same time, it may be split up into sections, so it is also well capable of hosting different small-scale training sessions going on at the same time. Our indoor premises and outdoor facilities are ideal spots for team-building activities. 

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23rd UIA Associate Members Meeting

The Union of International Associations has held its 23. Associate Members Meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The organisation is one of the oldest, established in 1910 and has some 40,000 members (from the 50,000 existing registered international associations!). Among the participants there were representatives of national and regional tourist offices and convention bureaus, airlines and international associations. Hungary was represented by the Hungarian Convention Bureau (HCB) working within the Hungarian National Tourist Office (HNTO), as the role of conference tourism is one of the crucial issues before joining the EU.

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EFCT Summer School

The Hungarian Convention Bureau has won the bidding of hosting the 18th Summer School of the European Federation of Conference Towns (EFCT). The Educational Forum of this year took place in Budapest, on the Margaret Island, where some 70 young MICE professionals met from 49 cities of 21 countries. Beside the presentations and seminars the practical exercises helped the participants to get acquainted with the process of organising site inspection trips and prepare a bid..

Although the 18th EFCT Summer School is over, we have a last small suprise for you, and not only for those who were so lucky to take part at the event.
Probably all participants – students from all over the world and members of the faculty - are of the opinion that those 3 days spent in Hungary were successful and memorable, and a real experience at the same time.
But not only the interesting presentations and case studies organised by EFCT ensured that it is going the be a hit… we hope that the accompanying programs and all the social events arranged by the Hungarian Convention Bureau were also more than enjoyable. We would like to believe that the sightseeing tour by boat, the dinner in the Spoon Café & Lounge or the wine tasting at the House of Hungarian Wines, among many others, have made it possible that this Summer School was just the beginning of fruitful relationships and a widespread network within the meetings industry.

For the summary in pictures, a nice memento, please take a peep to the best photos under the link “Pictures of the Summer School”.

Pictures of the Summer School

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Statistics of UIA and ICCA available

The statistics of UIA (Union of International Associations) and ICCA (International Conference Association) for the year 2002 are available for all members. Both ranking lists have proved that Hungary is making rapid changes on this field, f.e. according to the number of international conferences held in the different cities Budapest ranked 6th on the world list of ICCA. ICCA statistics show that Europe is still leader in the competition of continents (with 60% of the international congresses held on the globe), while Asia has succeeded to increase its share to the detriment of Australia and Latin America. Compared to the nadir of 2001, the number of conferences has started to grow slowly; meetings with 50-250 participants doubled, but at the same time big congresses with 1000-2000 participants are more rare than before. According to UIA statistics both Budapest and Hungary have maintained their top positions among European destinations. As already mentioned, one of the most important questions if Hungary will be able to take advantage of its EU-membership, as did Austria, Sweden and Finland after having joined the EU. After the access the number of conferences held in Austria augmented by 20% year to year, while Sweden and Finland boast with a growth rate of around 50 %.

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Conference and Cultural Center in Balatonfüred - Opening in 2004

The regional Conference and Cultural Center will open on the Northern part of Balaton Lake in Balatonfüred, in 2004. The complex – with a wonderful view on the Tihany peninsula– will have a big hall which will accommodate up to 1000 people. A part of this hall can be transformed to an auditorium, the stage can be seen from each angle of the hall, so besides meetings and conferences it is also suitable for festivals, sport events and exhibitions. There will be a session room on the roof of 285 m2, for 100 persons, the cinema can hold 120 persons, and in the basement there is one more session room of 193 m2, for 120 persons. In the summer there will be an open terrace where guests can enjoy the beautiful vista of Lake Balaton. Further facilities will be the squash courts, fitness rooms, possibility for sauna, solarium, infra-sauna, jacuzzi. Total capacity: 1320 pax. Area: 15.190 m2, built-in area 3.715 m2.

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Rendez-vous at the Event of the Events in Budapest

A new venue, the Budapest Congress Center gave place this year for Rendez-vous at the Event of Events between 19-21 January, 2004. It has been tradition in Hungary since 11 years, that all Hungarian professionals interested in the colourful palette of event-organising, meet and change their experiences here. Beside the possibility to share informations, create new business contacts, this years main point have been presentations f.e. about The market of the Eastern European countries’ MICE industry, The promotion of congress tourism in the light of the 2004’ marketing plan and the function of the Hungarian Convention Bureau, The whole world is in a constant race in the meeting market: Henri Céran (F), president of the EFCT (European Federation of Conference Towns) and director of the Cote d’Azur Convention Bureau, To Bid or not to Bid? Christian Mutschlechner (A), president of the ICCA (International Congress & Convention Association) and director of the Wien Congress Bureau, The event organizing’ education’s present status, Where is the place of the empathia and the creativism in the event activity organizing? Are they given or can they be improved? How to cope with the creative client, Bits from succesful, traditional events’ organizations and many other interesting topics.

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The glittering treasure on the bank of the Danube

Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest is a glittering treasure on the bank of the Danube, facing the historic Chain Bridge, and offering panoramic views of the Danube and the Royal Castle. Built in 1906, the Gresham Palace is one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau architecture in Europe. The 179-room Hotel can accommodate meetings and events of up to 100 people. Its 600 m² (6,458 sq. ft.) of meeting and conference space combines the grandeur of the Hotel’s historic setting with the latest technology. Five fully equipped meeting rooms – three on the Hotel’s Mezzanine level, two on the ground floor – open into spacious breakout areas and offer complete flexibility for board meetings, seminars and small conferences. All are equipped with full technological support, such as high-speed Internet access and automated blackout curtains. They are equally suited as elegant venues for post-business socializing or society dinners and events. The restaurants, lounge and function spaces look over the river, and a rooftop health club will provide full spa services, a pool, state-of-the-art fitness equipment and sauna/steam facilities.

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73. ASTA World Congress in Miami

21-24. October, 2003: the American Society of Travel Agents held its World Congress in Miami. The Society is the world’s largest and most influential travel trade association with over 20,000 members in 140 countries. It was more than important to get them acquainted with Hungary, as a tourist destination. The Hungarian National Tourist Office took part at the Congress in order to present its bid for holding and organizing the 2006 World Congress. Our biggest competitor is Prague, which town has the advantage, that it never hosted an ASTA Congress before, while Budapest has already been the venue of the meeting in 1988 /with great success/. To compensate this, Hungarian delegates organized a successful reception in Miami, where they tried to convince the decision makers about the eligibility of Hungarian venues.

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News about he Debrecen Convention Center

The Debrecen Convention Center is under public procurement procedure as the local authority is searching for co-investors to establish accommodation of high standard, next to the complex. The Convention Center will include a plenary room for 750 people, 8 breakout rooms and an exhibition area of 1500 m². The complex will fit all international requirements of a conference center. 

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European Society of Incentive Travel Executives Networking and Educational Programme

Budapest had the honour to welcome the participants of the 2nd ESNEP (European Society of Incentive & Travel Executives Networking and Educational Programme) Conference between 1-4 March, 2003.

The Board of Directors of SITE in Chicago has decided to choose Budapest as the venue for the conference, after the first successfully organised meeting for the European chapter in Malta. The Networking and Educational Programme has proven to cater for the requests of the members to be educated, to network and to be informed on emerging markets and trends.

More than 160 delegates from 25 countries from wide variety of categories have taken part at the conference. The members had the possibility to change their opinions, ideas and experiences about their markets and the international trends.

The purpose of the conference was to show the Major Incentive Houses and Corporate Incentive Buyers of Europe the best of Budapest, as a potential conference venue, an excellent destination for incentive houses.
It has turned out that Budapest can compete, on the highest level, with any other European city in flight arrangement, accommodation, meeting facilities, catering, sights, venues.

Five-star hotels have offered to sponsor the important SITE event with complementary rooms, moreover the Hotel InterContinental, Danubius and Accor-Pannonia also offered their sponsorship for one of the major events of the conference.

The Hungarian Convention Bureau working within Hungarian National Tourist Office coordinated and supervised the event and the activity of the organizing committee.

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The Phantom of the Opera

The Madách Theatre in Budapest is the first theatre in the world to win the right to stage its own independent ("non-replica") version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit musical The Phantom of the Opera.
This very fact represents both an exceptional opportunity and a splendid acknowledgment by Andrew Lloyd Webber of the talent of Tamás Szirtes and his colleagues.
This extraordinary theatrical event was first staged on 30 May 2003. All those attending the premiere of The Phantom of the Opera or any of the following performances were able to enjoy this unique masterpiece in a totally new interpretation, with new stage design, costumes and choreography.
More information:
www.operahazfantomja.hu

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38th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes Budapest, 1-5. September

Between 1-5 September, 2002 Budapest hosted the largest scientific meeting in the history of Hungarian tourism, the 38th Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.
As we have been informed by the PCO of the meeting, around eleven thousand participants attended the event.

In 1998 while they had been sitting at their stand at the “Rendez-vous” Congress & Exhibition, on the last day, in the last hour - thinking how to carry everything back to the office – happened, that someone introduced the Secretary General of the Hungarian Diabetes Association, saying here is a Professor who would like to organise a Meeting for 10.000. At that time they thought that organising a conferences above for 2-3000 participants are not very different from each other.

Today – after attending the EASD Meetings of the past three years – they think different.
First of all they have been facing the fact that Budapest does not have yet a conference centre big enough for this capacity. Therefore the organisers had to choose the Budapest Fair Centre (BFC) for venue. Since at BFC there are only bare walls, the necessity, that they have to figure out the whole interior design, gave the idea to combine the most modern conference equipment with the traditions of the Hungarian folk art and architecture.
According to this idea the different halls are named after significant regions of Hungary and registration hall is addressed to the folk arts.

Traditionally the most important social event of an EASD Conference is the Welcome Reception, which gives the opportunity to the organisers to present the history, culture and gastronomy of their country. In Budapest the Welcome Reception will be held at one of the most beautiful monument of Budapest, the Heroes square. In three huge tents the guests are walking through the Hungarian history starting with the Hungarians settled in the Carpathian Basin, visiting the renaissance times of the medieval ages and finally arriving to the centuries of the most famous Hungarian inventions such as Vitamin “C”, the Rubik cube or the hologram, while following the development of the gastronomy.

It was a huge task, but the organisers believed that the joining of governmental, professional and civil forces will lead to a successful congress...as it did.

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VAT Refund in Hungary

Foreigners are entitled to VAT refund.
Definition of a foreigner in this respect:

-a non-Hungarian citizen who has no right of permanent residence in Hungary
-a Hungarian citizen whose permanent residence in outside Hungary

"VAT refund reclaim forms for foreigners" can be obtained at stationary shops, merchants and refund offices. This form has to be filled in by the sales person on the where goods were purchased. Upon payment a VAT invoice or cash receipt should be asked for showing the purchaser’s name and address since sample receipts not containing these data cannot be accepted for VAT refund.
VAT can be reclaimed for brand new i.e. intact goods that are intended to be exported. Only those products are considered brand new that are in the original packaging and have not been put in use at the time of export. VAT cannot be reclaimed for any work of art, collection or antique items.
The total invoice value of all goods purchased is required to be minimum 50 000 HUF for VAT refund eligibilitay meaning that each individual item does not have to reach this amount.
Goods should be exported for good from Hungary within 90 days following the actual date of purchase. Goods for export have to be certified therefore must be presented to Customs Authorities. 

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nincs cím

Die neue Veranstaltungshälle des Hotel Panda haben im Rahmen eines Presskonferenzes „Das Welt ist besser mit uns!” geöffnet. Die 30köpfige Bambusz (Bambus)Konferenzhalle und die 40köpfige Lótusz (Lotus) Halle sind mit Klimaanlage eingerichtet. Auch der Restaurant ist zu eine Konferezhalle konvertierbar. Quelle: Turizmus Panoráma Bulletin

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nincs cím

The OPUS 2010 Pécs Conference and Concert Centre will open by 2010, when the city will host the events of the European Capital of Culture. The multifunctional facility will have a floor area of 11,000 sqm, the main hall will host 1000 guests and the five section rooms combined will be able to cater to the same number of people. Currently the project is in the preparation phase; construction of the 29 million euro complex may start this year. 22. October 2008., Source:HTTH

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Largest Belgian travel association to meet in Budapest

Following a tender application submitted by the HNTO, the Association of Flemish Travel Agencies (Vereniging Vlaamse Reisbureaus, VVR) has chosen Budapest as the venue for its next meeting in November 2008. In the tender Budapest was up against Barcelona and Malaga. The conference is expected to attract 250 travel trade professionals to Hungary, who will have a chance to see the attractions and the offer of Budapest and the surrounding area

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17. World Corporate Games in Budapest in 2006

Granting the right to Hungary to organize the most important and largest global event of amateur sports known as ‘World Corporate Games’ in response to an initiative of the Hungarian National Tourist Office is recognized as an exceptional achievement of sports diplomacy and tourism. Hosted for the first time in Budapest, this international event is especially significant for tourism as it attracts close to 4000 participants to visit Hungary from five continents. The top-notch sports competitions set the scene for pleasant moments of leisure, for establishing new business contacts and making friends simultaneously. The UK based proprietor of World Corporate Games selected Budatours Travel Agency to act as the Hungarian organizer of the event. The event will be organised between 14-16 July 2006. The official web site of the World Corporate Games: www.corporate-games.com.

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The second inland study tour of the Hungarian Convention Bureau ended successfully

The Hungarian Convention Bureau organized the first time this year an domestic study tour series for the Hungarian MICE market. The second stage of this series was the Balaton region between the 18th and the 20th of June. Part of the program was that the participants visited 20 different MICE  venues in 3 days from Siófok to Veszprém. They got acquaintance with the major congress centres, congress hotels and with hotels that will be opened in the near future in this region. Beside the professional program the participants took part in a sailing programme (also excellent as incentive) in Balatonfüred and visited the Adventure Park in Balatonfűzfő. With regard to the popular initiative the Hungarian Convention Bureau will continue the study tour series. The next station will be the Southern Great Plain region. (30^th June 2008)

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2003