Global destinations July August 2014

E d i t

Global DestinationsJuly - Aug 2014 1

Dear Friends

While last issue the focus was on Oman this time we are focusingCambodia and its two beautiful cities - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap as wellas the wonderful Raffles properties namely Raffles Hotel Le Royal andRaffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor. I was surprised to know that while Rafflesglobally has only 10 properties of which two of them are in Cambodia. WhilePhnom Penh has a lot of attractions including the Royal Palace it also has asad past in Toul Sleng - a genocide museum.

But the biggest attraction for us Indians is the Angkor Archaeological Park,the worlds largest religious monument (spread across 200 square kilometers),first a Hindu and subsequently a Buddhist temple complex. Its an UNESCOWorld Heritage site and a must visit on any tourists agenda. The most famousare the Temple of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple.

Both the Raffles properties have a grand history and were built in 1929. Itwould be an excellent idea to stay at these properties and experience thesewonderful old hotels with all the modern five star facilities.

I had the occasion of staying at the Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Maldives,located in one of the largest lagoons of the Maldives. With just 64 luxuryvillas some with plunge pools the island is paradise for tourists wishing tospend some quite time in a pristine location with a butler to pamper you ifrequired.

The World Airport Awards, the most prestigious accolades for the airportindustry saw Changi Airport in Singapore being voted the World's BestAirport by air travellers for the second year in a row at the 2014 WorldAirport Awards. London Stansted Airport was named winner of the award forWorld's Best Airport for Low-Cost Airlines. London's Heathrow Airport wasagain selected by customers as having the World's Best Airport Shopping, anddoubled up on their success with Terminal 5 being named the World's BestAirport Terminal. Hilton Frankfurt Airport was named the Best Airport Hotelin Europe.

We have also done a photo feature on two high end luxury hotels both fromKempinski group and based in UAE - Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi andKempinski Hotel & Residences Palm Jumeirah, Dubai. Emirates Palace isspread across 100 hectares and inspite of such a huge space available thehotel has just 394 rooms (302 rooms and 92 suites).

In our technology section we have focused on a preview on IFAConsumers Electronics Unlimited show held annually in Berlin. We had thepleasure of being invited to the IFA Global Press Conference held at Belek inTurkey. Top authorities and professionals from the industry presented thelatest trends in the Consumers Electronics world. Some interesting facts likethe most watched content provider in the world is YouTube with 65 hours ofvideo being uploaded to YouTube every minute of every day. 4.25 billionvideos are viewed every day with the average person that is digitallyconnected watching 3.2 hours of content each month.

Chandragupta Amritkar

Editor

[email protected]

Editor - Chandragupta Amritkar, Managing Editor - Chandra Talware, Design - Manoj Durgam

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It was during ATF (ASEAN Tourism Forum), Kuching that I

had the opportunity of interacting with John Neutze, Director

of Sales and Marketing, Raffles Hotel Le Royal and Raffles

Grand Hotel d'Angkor, Cambodia. While I had been to many

countries across the globe Cambodia had eluded me. When I

mentioned the same John was quick enough to invite me to both

his properties in Cambodia and said, “A visit to Angkor Wat is a

must. It’s the largest temple complex in the world. You plan your

trip and we will host you.”

I had to agree with him but I had a tight schedule. I decided to

club the visit to my trip to Hong Kong in April. So instead of tak-

ing a direct flight to Hong Kong from Mumbai, I routed myself

via Bangkok. Since I had to visit two cities in Cambodia - Phnom

Penh and Siem Reap I was on the look out for an airline that had

good connections to both cities from Bangkok. The most conven-

ient airline was Bangkok airways. I got in touch with Passapong

Jirawattanasak Deputy Manager - Regional & International Cor-

porate Communications Department. The airline was kind

enough to fly me down to both cities.

Bangkok Airways is Thailand's first privately owned domestic

airline and operates scheduled services to destinations in Thai-

land, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives,

Burma, India and Singapore. The airline distinguishes itself

from most other airlines with its initiative of providing

comfortable boutique lounges to all passengers (including

economy) at no extra charge. Each lounge has free snacks

as well as hot or cold drinks. Passengers can also enjoy free

internet access. I was able to enjoy the lounges at the air-

port and felt nice that an airline is going out of way to make

the economy passengers also comfortable.

On arrival at the Phnom Penh airport, being a VIP pas-

senger of the airline and the first to step out, I had my visa

processed in a few minutes (USD 20 1 photo). Indians get

visa on arrival for 30 days at both Phnom Penh and Siem

Reap International Airports. Incase you want you can apply

for e-Visa.

The vehicle from Raffles picked me up from the airport.

Fortunately there was not much traffic and we reached the

hotel in 30 minutes. Raffles Hotel Le Royal looked quite grand as

we entered the porch. The lobby was equally imposing and the

size caught my attention. Noemie Payumo, Manager, Marketing

Communications, Raffles Hotel Le Royal & Raffles Grand Hotel

d’Angkor was there to receive me and after a brief chat she took

me to my room.

Over a wonderful vegetarian lunch at Restaurant Le Royal that

serves Royal Cambodian cuisine and modern French cuisine,

Noemie Payumo explained the long history of the hotel. Built in

1929 the hotel had only 55 rooms. Over the years the hotel

changed names several times before regaining a new lease of life

when in 1996 Raffles International Limited decided to renovate

it. All bungalows surrounding the hotel were demolished and

replaced by three new, more substantial wings. The main building

was left intact and completely refurbished. The guestrooms,

lobby, bar, private rooms and ballroom were again refurbished in

2011. The hotel now boasts a total of 185 guestrooms and suites

- 102 State Rooms, 3+ Landmark Rooms, 12 Executive Suites, 10

Colonials Suites, 4 Personality Suites, 5 Landmark Suites, 2

brand new Balcony Suites, 1 Le Royal Suite. The hotel even

today has an artistic statement of Khmer, Art Deco and French

P u r e I n s p i r a t i o n

Global Destinations July - Aug 20146

Mesmerizing Cambodia

Using the twin Raffles hotels located in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap as a base Chandragupta Amritkarrelished both the Cambodian hospitality and the beautiful palaces and temples.

style – giving the guest all modern facilities as well as the old

authentic experience. I was fortunate to be allotted a room in the

old wing. My room was equally impressive – a suite with a beau-

tiful bathtub.

The hotel located in beautiful tropical grounds several locations

where one can relish a variety of food and drink. Apart from

Restaurant Le Royal theres the Caf/ Monivong an all day dining

– buffet or a la carte restaurant where I had breakfast – a well

spread one. The restaurant serves International and AsianGCam-

bodia themes and cuisine. The Elephant Bar where I had a long

chat with John (before going to dinner with him) serves original

cocktails and a wide selection of premium spirits with some

savoury snacks. The bar has truly a colonial atmosphere with

wicker chairs and ceiling painted with elephants, a snooker table,

a piano etc.

The Raffles Spa has a fully equipped gymnasium, sauna,

Jacuzzi, steam and massage rooms. They also have a 25m lap

pool and family fun pool located in the centre of the hotel. MICE

is one of the highlights of the hotel with a Royal Ballroom that

can accommodate 440 persons making it an ideal setting for an

International conference or even a wedding. Apart from this they

have five more meeting areas catering from 15 to 150 people.

The next day I had the pleasure of meeting Pieter van der

Hoeven, M, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh who really

takes pride in the hotel he is looking after. “The hotel has seen 85

successful years hosting who is who of the global world. Since its

inception there have been many famous guests who have stayed

and this is mostly because of certain discretion. I don’t think

Jackie Kennedy, President Barack Obama, Prime Minster Abe

from Japan, matinee idol Charlie Chaplin or Christine Legard

from the IMF would mind me telling you they stayed. But more

important are the guests that we welcome every day. Each is treat-

ed as a VIP and become part of the Raffles Cambodia story. Ours

is the only hotel in Phnom Penh to provide a full 24-hour Butler

Service – for all guests staying in the heritage building,” said

Pieter. Adding further on his keenness to take care of each guest

Pieter said, “My father was a hotelier so I grew up in the business,

it is in my blood and a wonderful lifestyle choice that has allowed

me to work in Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Bali, Australia and

even spend some time in Hawaii.”

Phnom Penh is beautiful and there’s a lot to see. My friend

Meng Phala, Managing Director, Kambuja Voyages was kind

enough to arrange for my local sightseeing with a guide at both

the cities.

Raffles is located in the heart of Phnom Penh within easy

access to most city's attractions. My guide first took me to the

National Museum. It showcases one of the finest examples of

Khmer architecture. The museum houses sculptural, ceramics,

bronzes, and ethnographic objects. The Museum’s collection

includes over 14,000 items, from prehistoric times to periods

before, during, and after the Khmer Empire, which at its height

stretched from Thailand, across present-day Cambodia, to south-

ern Vietnam. Its collection of important Buddhist and Hindu

sculpture is an attraction.

From here we proceeded to Wat Phnom a Buddhist temple that

was built in 1373, and stands 27 metres (88.5 ft) above the

ground. It is the tallest religious structure in the city. Its walking

distance from Raffles. The interior has a central altar complex

with a large bronze seated Buddha surrounded by other statues,

flowers, candles and items of devotion and worship. The walls

are covered with murals, especially of Jataka stories of the Bud-

dha's earlier reincarnations before his enlightenment. The south-

west corner of the vihar and stupa, is a small shrine dedicated to

Lady Penh.

In the afternoon we went to the impressive Royal Palace. Built

in 1866 and covering an area of 174,870 square metres, it serves

as the royal residence of the king of Cambodia. Its amazing and

worth the visit. The complex is divided into four main com-

pounds, on the south side is the Silver Pagoda, to the north side is

the Khemarin Palace and the central compound contains the

Throne Hall and to the west is the private sector or the Inner

Court. Theres also the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, stupas and

mural paintings. Inside the Silver Pagoda (which draws its name

from the 5,000 silver tiles that pave its floor) are hundreds of gifts

given to Cambodian king, including a solid-gold Buddha encrust-

ed with 9,584 diamonds weighing 90 kilograms.

For those who love shopping there are three main markets and

I was able to visit two of them - Olympic Market near the

Olympic Stadium which features mostly wholesale goods and the

Russian Market that has a large selection of souvenirs, curios,

antiques, carvings, Buddha statues, handicrafts, silks, fabrics,

DVDs, inexpensive electronic goods, Jewellery and gemstones

(but be aware of fakes). The third is the Night Market located on

the riverfront.

While Phnom Penh has a lot of attractions it also has a sad past.

My guide took me to Toul Sleng - a genocide museum (and



brought back memories of my visit to Dachau concentration

camp near Munich). The site, a former high school, was used as

the notorious Security Prison by the Khmer Rouge regime from

its rise to power in 1975 to its fall in 1979. Tuol Sleng means

"Hill of the Poisonous Trees" was only one of at least 150 execu-

tion centers in the country and as many as 20,000 prisoners there

were later killed. From 1975 to 1979, an estimated 17,000 people

were imprisoned at Tuol Sleng and were repeatedly tortured and

coerced into naming family members and close associates, who

were in turn arrested, tortured and killed. Medical experiments

were performed on certain prisoners. Inmates were sliced open

and had organs removed with no anaesthetic. Many Indians and

Pakistanis were also imprisoned.

The buildings at Tuol Sleng are preserved as they were left

when the Khmer Rouge were driven out in 1979. The regime kept

extensive records, including thousands of photographs. Several

rooms of the museum are now lined, floor to ceiling, with black

and white photographs of some of the estimated 17,000 prisoners

who passed through the prison. The site has four main buildings

- Building A, B, C, and D. Building A holds the large cells in

which the bodies of the last victims were discovered. Building B

holds galleries of photographs. Building C holds the rooms sub-

divided into small cells for prisoners. Building D holds other

memorabilia including instruments of torture.

After a two nights stay I took the morning Bangkok Airways

flight to Siem Reap. As expected on arrival the hotels driver was

there to receive me and in 15 minutes we reached the hotel. On

the way I at least saw 20 V hotels, which gave me a fair idea on

the number of tourists visiting this city for the Angkor Temples.

Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor is huge. Set amongst 15 acres of

serene grounds overlooking the Royal gardens it’s close to the

Old Market. Like Raffles Hotel Le Royal this hotel also has a

wonderful past. Originally opened in 1932 as Grand Hotel it was

the only luxury accommodation to tourists visiting Angkor Wat.

After an extensive restoration it was reopened in 1997 as Raffles.

As you enter the hotel on the left hand side is a very old lift -

the Original Birdcage Elevator. I had the pleasure of using it a

couple of times. The lobby overlooking

the largest swimming pool in Cambodia

is beautiful and tempting. As I waited

for my room to get ready, the staff

offered me nice cold coconut water.

Again I was provided with a nice suite

over looking the pool.

Divided into 2 wings, the hotel is

interconnected by art deco black-and-

white tiled hallways to the guestrooms

and restaurants in either direction. Each

of the 119 guestrooms and suites are

tastefully done reflecting the architec-

tural theme of the period. The hotel also

has 2 luxurious Two-Bedroom illas

(318sqm), which are the biggest in Siem

Reap.

Lunch was wonderful at Café

d'Angkor and Indians will love this

hotel as it has some authentic Indian

dishes. Please go through the menu. The Restaurant Le Grand

showcases Royal Khmer cuisine and Western fine dining. Le

Grand can be divided into three private rooms, with a collection

of 13th century ceramics and sculptures inspired by the Bayon

temple. The Wine Cellar is impressive and has one of the finest

wine selections in Asia. The other locations to enjoy your food

and drink are Elephant Bar, Poolside Terrace, The Conservatory.

I was informed by ohn not to miss the Apsara Terrace a must

to experience in Cambodia. Located in the hotel premises one can

enjoy a majestic performance with Cambodian dances and Khmer

martial art over a delightful selection of pan-Asian barbeque cui-

sine. This venue is very popular J for parties, barbecues and pre-

dinner cocktails.

For guests the hotel provides complimentary evening activities

which include wine tasting, cocktail tasting, and local culture

themed activities with Khmer Lotus flower and Palm Tree etc.

There’s complimentary WiFi throughout hotel and computer

stations on each guest floor with internet connection (a well

thought gesture). I also pampered myself at Amrita Spa which has

a selection of massage and treatments.



You do have two wonderful properties in Cambodia. But

Raffles globally has only 10 properties. How did Cambodia

get two of them?

The two properties are perfect fit for the Raffles brand and very

complementary in the SE Asian region with the flagship Raffles

Singapore. There are measured growth plans to ensure brand

integrity with hotels opening in 2014 in Jakarta and 2015 in Istan-

bul.

Maintaining such old properties must be quite a task. How

do you go about managing it?

Since the hotels were completely renovated and became Raf-

fles in 1997 a rigorous maintenance schedule is kept to ensure we

maintain the history of the building but give guests the modern

services and facilities that they expect. For instance we are cur-

rently upgrading the internet and redesigning the iconic Elephant

Bar.

A lot of hotel brands are currently emphasizing green prac-

tices. What about your hotels?

This is an important focus for the hotels and some more obvi-

ous examples include energy saving light bulbs, recycling. But of

equal relevance in a developing country like Cambodia is our

support of local community and education projects that give the

less privileged a chance to improve their lives. It is about sustain-

ability not just the environment.

Well said. How do you distinguish your property from the

rest in your city?

The history of our two hotels automatically differentiates our

hotels from any in each city having welcomed guests for over 80

years. Cambodians have a very genuine and natural approach to

service and our guests soon feel very much like Raffles is their

home and they have become part of the ongoing history of the

hotels. Many of our colleagues have been with the hotel since

1997 as have many or our repeating guests so we really are a res-

idence for many repeating well healed travelers.

How much of a role does technology play in the hospitality

business and in particular your properties?

Guests require more instant technology – when they are plan-

ning their trip they require more information and interaction with

us. We provide this through most social media and even offering

service to pre-book additional personalized services before they

arrive at the hotels.

As guests are becoming more and more health and fitness

conscious what steps is your group taking for a better well-

ness and fitness experience?

Both hotels provide an oasis in the middle of the bustle of the

cities that automatically provides a sense of wellness to the soul

after a busy day where all senses can be overloaded. For each

hotel this is centred around the iconic swimming pools, the gym

and spa. A variety of treatments are available for body and soul.

In the restaurants healthy light options are available. Our hotels

are perfectly located in each city to take a stroll to the city mar-

kets or landmarks.

What is the potential for MICE?

MICE business is generally driven by good air capacity and

over the past few years both Siem Reap and Phnom Penh have

added air service and now have connections with most major

Asian cities within 4 hours of Cambodia that give easy connec-

tions to the world beyond. Both cities offer excellent experiences

for the MICE groups with innovative events such as temple and

museum dinners

Indian market is in demand globally thanks to the increase

in spending power. Any specific plans to target the India

market?

Our hotels already attract some business from India – mostly

leisure FIT. I think with such landmark hotels in India the market

is atuned to staying at a hotel that has a story to tell. In Siem

Reap, we have also welcomed some Indian weddings in the past

few years which I think has more potential. The temples of the

area provide such a different dramatic backdrop for such a cere-

mony

On the F&B front vegetarian dishes are very important. Do

your restaurants cater to this segment?

Yes, we do have a special vegetarian menu in all outlets. Plus

with the personalized service we provide the restaurants are will-

ing to cater for specific tastes and needs

What are the key priorities for the next five years?

We will strive to continue to offer a part of history to travelers

to Cambodia while remaining relevant with the needs of the trav-

eler over the next 5 years. We want to continue to play a role in

bettering the lives of our colleagues, our communities and Cam-

bodia as a whole.



“In Siem Reap, we have also welcomed some Indian wed-

dings in the past few years”To get an insight into the twin properties we spoke

with Pieter van der Hoeven, GM and JohnNeutze, DoSM. Excerpts

Pieter van der Hoeven John Neutze

My guide arrived in the morning at around 9 am and we

proceeded to the temple complex. The guide said many

prefer to go early in the morning before it comes to hot.

On reaching the place, the guide asked me to buy a day’s pass.

They are on sale at the front gate for 1-day (USD20), 3-day

(USD40), or 7-day (USD60) durations. He informed me that he

and the driver don’t require a pass as Cambodians can enter for

free. Also the pass includes complimentary use of rest rooms in

the complex.

Many tourists use tour buses or private cars. But quite a few

even prefer a healthier, environment friendlier and economical

option - bicycles (USD1 per day). If you are keen on Khmer

architecture then you must reserve at least 3 days for the trip. It is

a good idea to take a lot of water with you though around every

temple in Angkor park you can buy some food and drinks (it's

more expensive in the Park).

The most famous are the Temple of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom

and the Bayon Temple. While early Angkor temples were built as

Hindu temples, Jayavarman VII converted to Mahayana Bud-

dhism c. 1200 and built a new capital city of Angkor Thom

including Bayon, Ta Prohm, Preah Khan and many more as Bud-

dhist structures. However, his successor Jayavarman VIII

returned to Hinduism and embarked on an equally massive spree

of destruction, systematically defacing Buddhist images.

Bayon's plan can be divided into three levels — the first two

are bas-reliefs and the uppermost consists of the central sanctu-

ary. The outer gallery depicts scenes from everyday life and his-

torical events, while the second inner gallery depicts mythical fig-

ures and stories. In total, there are more than 1km of bas-reliefs

to be viewed in the Bayon. Located to the northwest of the

Bayon, the Baphuon is one of the largest and grandest structures

in Angkor. Built into the western face of the Baphuon is a giant

reclining Buddha, added in the 16th century after the region con-

verted from Hinduism to Buddhism. Other sites of interest

include The Elephant Terrace and The Terrace of the Leper King.

Ta Prohm is best known as the temple where trees have been

left intertwined with the stonework, much as it was uncovered

from the jungle. A few scenes from Angelina Jolie's Tomb Raider

were shot here. It’s a popular place to click photos.

Angkor Wat, an architectural masterpiece, is as imposing as

Pyramids and as impressive as our Taj Mahal. Angkor Wat,

means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer. Breaking

from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was

instead dedicated to Vishnu. The temple is at the top of the high

classical style of Khmer architecture which got major influence

from Kalinga architectural style.

Angkor Wat was built in the first half of the 12th century and

took 30 years to construct. It is the largest monument of the

Angkor group and the best preserved. From a distance Angkor

Wat appears to be a colossal mass of stone on one level with a

long causeway leading to the center but close up it is a series of

elevated towers, covered galleries, chambers, porches and court-

yards on different levels linked by stairways. The height of

Angkor Wat from the ground to the top of the central tower is

greater than it might appear: 213 meters (699 feet). You will find

thousands of Apsaras (celestial dancers) on the walls of the tem-

ple offering endless

visual and spiritual

enchantment.

The uppermost

level of Angkor

Wat, require climbs

up very steep stair-

cases and are best

avoided if you suf-

fer from vertigo or

are not fully confi-

dent of being able to keep your footing.



Angkor Wat

A UNESCO World Heritage site, the worlds largest religious monument (spread across 200 square

kilometers), first a Hindu and subsequently a Buddhist temple complex - Angkor Archaeological Park

is a must visit on any tourists agenda.

M I C E


International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA),

the leader in the international association meetings sector recent-

ly released the 2013 Top 20 Rankings for countries and cities.

ICCA’s in-house research team has concluded that during 2013,

535 more events took place than a year previously. Thus ICCA is

reporting another year of continued strength in the international

association meetings market. With 11,685 regularly occurring

association events in 2013 that rotate between at least three coun-

tries identified by ICCA members the year was quite good.

2013 top 10 countries: Some small changes

The top 10 country ranking is made up of the same countries as

last year, but some countries switched places. The U.S.A., Ger-

many and Spain remain respectively 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The gap

between U.S.A. and Germany has become significantly smaller

though; from a difference of 184 meetings in 2012 to 107 in 2013.

France and United Kingdom have switched places: France is now

4th and United Kingdom 5th. Italy remains 6th. Japan climbs one

place to number 7 and China-P.R. climbs two places to number 8,

at the cost of Brazil, dropping from 7th to 9th place, and The

Netherlands, dropping one place to number 10.

2013 top 10 cities: Paris new number one

Vienna, which has been the number one city in the ICCA rank-

ings each year since 2005, has lost its 1st place to Paris, which

was 2nd last year and previously shared 1st place with Vienna in

2008. Madrid, 4th in 2012 is now 2nd and Vienna 3rd. Barcelona

climbs one place to 4th and Berlin moves from 3rd to 5th place.

Singapore remains 6th and London fell from a shared 6th place to

7th. Istanbul climbs one place to 8th and Lisbon and Seoul, both

newcomers in the top 10, share 9th place.

ICCA CEO Martin Sirk: “It shouldn’t be surprising that our

2013 figures have demonstrated the strength of the international

association meetings sector, since the overall picture for our

industry is significantly better than has been the case for quite

some time. But it should be remembered that this is a sector that

has shown significant growth in every single year since the finan-

cial crisis hit the world economy in 2008. The international asso-

ciation meetings sector is a solid, reliable performer, in good

times and bad, and the longer term trends are the most critically

important factors when preparing strategic plans and investment

decisions. I am convinced that every serious meetings destina-

tion, internationally ambitious venue, and forward-thinking meet-

ings management company should include international associa-

tions in their marketing and development strategies.”

About ICCA

ICCA represents the main spe-

cialists in organising, transport-

ing, and accommodating interna-

tional meetings and events, and

comprises almost 1,000 member

companies and organisations in

over 90 countries worldwide.

ICCA specialises in the interna-

tional association meetings sec-

tor, offering unrivalled data,

communication channels, and

business development opportu-

nities. It was founded in 1963 by

a group of travel agents to

exchange information on inter-

national congresses and conven-

tions. Headquartered in Amster-

dam, the Netherlands, the ICCA

is a not-for-profit trade organisa-

tion whose primary purpose is to

be the global community for the

meetings industry, enabling its

members to generate and main-

tain significant competitive

advantage.

ICCA: Maximum Events in U.S.A., Germany and Spain

Rank Country #Meetings Rank City #Meetings

1 U.S.A. 829 1 Paris 2042 Germany 722 2 Madrid 1863 Spain 562 3 Vienna 1824 France 527 4 Barcelona 1795 United Kingdom 525 5 Berlin 1786 Italy 447 6 Singapore 1757 Japan 342 7 London 1668 China-P.R. 340 8 Istanbul 1469 Brazil 315 9 Lisbon 12510 Netherlands 302 10 Seoul 12511 Canada 290 11 Prague 12112 Republic of Korea 260 12 Amsterdam 12013 Portugal 249 13 Dublin 11414 Austria 244 14 Buenos Aires 11315 Sweden 238 15 Brussels 11116 Australia 231 16 Copenhagen 10917 Argentina 223 17 Budapest 10618 Turkey 221 18 Beijing 10519 Belgium 214 19 Rome 9920 Switzerland 205 20 Bangkok 93

Stockholm 93Sydney, NSW 93

ICCA country and city ranking measured by number of meetings organised in 2013

How to contact usKarlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH | Festplatz 9 | 76137 Karlsruhefon +49 721 3720-0 | fax +49 721 [email protected] | www.messe-karlsruhe.de | contact: Regina Feiner

How to find us- easy to travel to - by rail, roads and air- direct access to nearby motorways: A 5, A 8, A 65- only 1 hour from Frankfurt airport - direct rail link- approx. 3 hours from Paris on the TGV (high speed train)- excellent local transportation infrastructure, Messe-Express (shuttle service) from the main station to the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center

CapacitiesTrade Fair Center - award-winning architecture, premium quality materials- 3 halls, each measuring 12.500 sq. m plus the 12.500 sq. m dm-arena- an atrium with events hall measuring 1.800 sq. m- an atrium with garden atmosphere for events- an open-air exhibition area totalling 10.000 sq. m- a conference centre accommodating approx. 2.000 guestsConvention Center- 4 event venues/halls, 28 rooms, space for approx. 13.000 seated guests- 20.000 sq. m exhibition area in the halls and foyers- 10.000 sq. m open-air area for exhibitions and events- 1.000 underground parking spaces- attractive location in the city centreEuropahalle- Room for 9.000 guests, seated or standing, or 5.097 guests seated in rows in the inner area and seating galleries- 4.400 sq. m usable area- best conditions for any kind of sporting events and entertainment

Support from A to Z- exhibitor services- visitor/participant services- event organiser services- travel services- KMK-TV - Germany´s first trade fair TV channel

Hotel recommendationsBest Western Queens, Novotel, Radisson SAS,Renaissance, Ringhotel Residenz, Schlosshotel

Everything.Out of the ordinary.

Open new doors. Savour success. Experience inspiration. Stage trade fairs, conventions and events in Karlsruhe and everything fits together. More than you would expect. In three world-class locations for events, with plenty of room for creativity . For your latest innovation. And your ideas. Welcome to Karlsruhe Messe- und Kongress-GmbH.

While at Raffles,why not visit Siem Reap & Phnom Penh?

Legendary service since 1887Our reputation travels

A w a r d s


The World Airport Awards, the most prestigious accolades

for the airport industry saw Changi Airport in Singapore

being voted the World's Best Airport by air travellers for

the second year in a row at the 2014 World Airport Awards, held

at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Barcelona, Spain.

The awards are voted by customers in the largest, annual glob-

al airport customer satisfaction survey. The survey and awards

process is totally independent and guaranteed free of any airport

influence or interference in final results.

The World Airport Awards are based on 12.85 million customer

nominations across 110 nationalities of air travellers, and includ-

ed 410 airports worldwide. The survey evaluates customer satis-

faction across 39 key performance indicators for airport service

and product - from check-in, arrivals, transfers, shopping, securi-

ty and immigration, through to departure at the gate.

Changi Airport enjoyed double success at the Awards, also

receiving the award as Best Airport for Leisure Amenities. The

vast array of leisure and entertainment facilities are a unique,

stand-out feature for Changi Airport, and underline the dedication

of airport to ensure maximum levels of passenger satisfaction.

"Winning this prestigious award for the second year in a row,

Changi Airport Singapore is showing itself to be much more than

an airport," said Edward Plaisted, CEO of Skytrax. "Changi Air-

port offers a travel experience in itself and continues to develop

its quality standards to be named the world's favourite airport

again. Changi Airport is a well-known leader and innovator for

the airport industry and genuinely delights and surprises trav-

ellers who are lucky enough to enjoy the airport facilities. Chan-

gi Airport demonstrates how to make the airport experience an

enjoyable part of the journey that is so important in today's fast-

moving world."

Mr Lee Seow Hiang, Chief Executive Officer of Changi Air-

port Group said, "We are honoured to be named Skytrax World

Best Airport for the second consecutive year. We appreciate the

support given to us by travellers from around the world. This

recognition is great motivation for us and spurs us to continue to

aim higher. At Changi Airport, we remain steadfast in anticipat-

ing the needs of our customers, which is the cornerstone of the

Changi Experience. We share this honour with our airport com-

munity, for their unyielding commitment to service excellence

and with our passengers, for their vote of confidence."

London Stansted Airport was named winner of the award for

World's Best Airport for Low-Cost Airlines. Stansted’s Managing

Director, Andrew Harrison, said: "It’s a fantastic achievement and

a very proud moment for everyone at Stansted to be voted the

world’s best airport for low-cost airlines for the fourth year in a

row. The airport has been at the heart of low-cost travel revolu-

tion for the last 15 years and this award demonstrates we are still

the undisputed world leader at serving this growing and vibrant

airline sector. Stansted has returned to growth over the past year

as more and more passengers recognise that the airport is the best

way to get to and from Europe. The good news for passengers is

that Stansted has plenty of room to grow, and with a major invest-

ment project underway to transform our terminal, this really is an

exciting time for the airport."

Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport

celebrated by winning the Best Regional Airport North

America for the 4th year in a row. "The World Airport

Awards are another global recognition of something we

see every day at CVG – hard-working professionals

coming to work to serve our passengers with high quali-

ty customer service and a positive traveling experience,"

said Bill Robinson, chairman of the Kenton County Air-

port Board. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International

Airport CEO, Candace McGraw: "Receiving this presti-

gious recognition four years in a row provides us with a

proven track record of excellence."

London's Heathrow Airport was again selected by cus-

tomers as having the World's Best Airport Shopping, and doubled

up on their success with Terminal 5 being named the World's Best

Airport Terminal. Heathrow Airport Commercial Director, Mr

Fidel Lopez said: "We’re delighted to be recognised so consis-

tently for our range of shops and restaurants and for T5. T5has set

a fantastic benchmark for us at Heathrow and we are looking for-

WORLD AIRPORT AWARDS 2014

Changi Airport

Regal Airport Hong Kong

7 f4 " etail and Technology, said, “Dollowing stagnation in 2013

there will be a return to growth on the global consumer electron-

ics markets in 201 (M1 %) and 2015 (M5 %). This is due to the

improving world economic situation as well as to an increase in

sales in the TV and PC sectors. This growth will mainly come

from the K iddle East and Africa and outh America. The emerg-

ing markets of Asia. Europe will only make a minor contribution

to growth, while the markets in Lorth America and the developed

nations of Asia will experience declines.”

He further added that by 2015 that every second smartphone

sold globally will be done in emerging Asia. In 200W, the total

digital world spending was 5WW (billion euros), by 2012, total

spend increased to ä83 (bn euros) driven by smart phones, smart

TV and sales from the S" IC countries, defined then as emerging

markets. 2013 saw close to no growth with sales at ä8q (euros)

with reduced growth from emerging markets, but by 2015 the

total global spend on digital products will increase to 835 (billion

euros) driven by improved global economic prosperity and

stronger PC and TV upgrade cycles.

" emarkably, of the 835 bn euros of digital goods expected to

be sold by 2015, the smartphone will be responsible for almost

half of those sales up from 18% in 2011. Another way of looking

at that is of the two billion core Internet devices expected to be

sold, 1.2 billion will be smart phones.

4 laus F +hrl, Reputy Chairman of the VEI Household Appli-

ancesZ “In 2013 the markets for domestic appliances expanded by

between one and more than five per cent, according to continent.

This process will continue in 201 . The markets with the greatest

expansion are those of Lorth America (’ 5%), followed by Gatin

America, Asia, Eastern Europe, the K iddle East and Africa

(between 1 and 5%). mall domestic appliances are also register-

ing growth in almost all regions, at rates of between one and, at

the maximum, more than 15 per cent.”

S H (Sosch and iemens HausgerOte) unveiled its Home Con-

nect app, which it states is the “first solution in the world” allow-

ing a variety of household appliance brands to be controlled

through one app. Pro ect leader Rr Claudia HOpp presented the

app at the IDA 7 PC.

The presentation was titled as B 9 ne App Dor j ouB. F ith the

title one can understand Home Connect is All in 9 ne app that can

replace all other apps which consumers install on their smart-

phones to make their home appliances work smarter. “It enables

the remote operation and monitoring of different brands of con-

nected household appliances. In addition to this, the Home Con-

nect app can be used to access extra offerings that complement

appliances, such as, for example, an extensive collection of

recipes and other services.”

It is no doubt a great idea, instead of installing different apps on

your smartphone that takes lot of memory and makes your smart-

phone works slower, why not installed a single app that can

replace all those apps. The idea is same like as BAutomationB,

instead of hiring 10 employees , why not develop a robot or a

software which can replace those 10 employees and works

smarter and faster. Home Connect is somewhat an Automation

app that will replace all other applications.

Home Connect is conceived as an open platform that will con-

tinually develop to offer an increasing range of services, S H fur-

ther stated. In early 2015, the app will be made available for

Android phones and iPhones, and from autumn 2015 additional

connected appliances from brand families will be put on the mar-

ket, while late 2015 will see a further rollout of Home Connect.

To end it would be perfect to …uote Vestelüs CE9 Turan Erdo-

gans, a leading Turkish appliance and display maker who spoke

extremely well at the event, “F e spent so much in technology to

make perfectly flat GER PanelsN now we have to make them

curved.”

T e c h n o l o g y


IFA presented research on where consumer electronicssales are heading in 2014 around the world

• For small domestic appliances which include juicersand vacuum cleaners, previously considered luxuries indeveloping countries are looking at an increased aver-age sales value of seven per cent. Asia is expected tomore than double their sales from last year.

• Digital camera and PC sales will continue to dropglobally while a 50 per cent increase on smart phonesand tablets is expected. Two billion personal Internetcapable devices will be sold in 2014 globally, with morethan half in smartphone format.

• TVs will still dominate in all sizes with a surprising sta-tistic – the average global TV viewing time per day isthree hours and 55 minutes.

• Consumer sales are looking most promising in Asia,representing 60 per cent of the world’s population, andnew found wealth will buy innovative electronic con-sumer goods.

• Europe has 10 times more eco-friendly, environmen-tally designed products than North America.

• The next big thing in the coming years will be smartwearable devices though they still have a long way togo.

• The most watched content provider in the world isYouTube. 65 hours of video are uploaded to YouTubeevery minute of every day. 4.25 billion videos areviewed every day with the average person that is digi-tally connected watching 3.2 hours of content eachmonth.

• Facebook has 1.28 billion active accounts of which abillion are active on a mobile device. So, with 7.2 billionpeople living on earth 1 out of 5 are on Facebook and80 percent are so on a mobile device.

Global destinations July August 2014

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Transcript of Global destinations July August 2014