The Brussels meeting planning guide “Let’s Meet 2010” is now available online as well as in print. The updated guide has more venues and a greater emphasis on greener meetings, in line with the Brussels-Capital Region’s “Eco-Dynamic Company” label system. Founded in 1999 it encourages companies and organizations in Belgium to commit to improving their environmental performance, and certifies those who do with the Eco-Dynamic Company label. 34 suppliers in the meetings industry have this designation.

Website: www.brusselsinternational.be

Talk about a city whose time has come! In July 2009, Copenhagen ranked as one of the top 10 congress cities according to data from the Union of International Association (UIA). Last December Copenhagen was also designated as the “greenest” major city in Europe by the European Green City Index, through a study conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, and sponsored by Siemens. This accolade was followed by a NY Times article January 2010 which ranked Copenhagen fifth in “The 31 Places to Go in 2010”, explaining that “The Danish capital has already emerged as one of the world’s greenest — and maybe coolest — cities”. With over 17,000 hotel rooms (53% of which are green), excellent infrastructure and great venues, Copenhagen is a top choice for eco-friendly events.

Websites: www.visitdenmark.com - www.wonderfulcopenhagen.com
E-mail: woco@woco.dk

The Scandic Palace Copenhagen opened in April 2009 in a glorious centenarian landmark building. All 161 guest rooms are elegant and comfortable as are the public areas of this 4-Star property. Like all Scandic Hotels, the Palace is eco-friendly and received its Nordic Swan Eco label in December 2009.

The hotel’s three flexible meeting rooms accommodate up to 80 attendees, two of the rooms accommodate 12 attendees and one room accommodates 80. All the rooms have Internet access and modern technological supports. The hotel’s restaurant overlooks Rådhuspladsen (the City Hall Square), which is the heart of Copenhagen. The Nordic-inspired menu offers a varied choice of seasonal and mostly organic produce. The organic Breakfast Buffet with over 100 energizing breakfast options is included in the room rate. Fresh, fair trade coffee is available 24 hours.

Website: www.scandichotels.com

E-mail for Scandic Meetings: meeting.group.se@scandichotels.com
E-mail for the hotel: palacecopenhagen@scandichotels.com

Frankfurt Tourist+Congress Board (Tourismus+Congress GmbH Frankfurt am Main - TCF) expanded its congress marketing department by launching the Frankfurt Convention Bureau. Their new website, available in eight languages, includes a Congress/Event Venues search engine for the Frankfurt Rhine-Main region. For incentives, the site features over a hundred unique and fun activities and venues under the heading “Incentive Ideas.” Frankfurt Convention Bureau has a staff of five and the Bureau’s services include finding event venues; booking and allocating accommodation for congresses and large-scale events; assisting with the support and organization of fringe programs for attendees and their guests; provision of TCF's special Congress Ticket for unlimited travel on Frankfurt’s public transportation, Congress+Museum Tickets and the Frankfurt Card; arranging tour guides; arranging coaches and limos; organizing site inspections and drawing up post-conference statistics.

Website: www.frankfurt-tourismus.de
E-mail: congress@infofrankfurt.de

Hyatt Regency Ekaterinburg is one of the first 5-Star hotels in Ekaterinburg, Russia. It is part of the new Ekaterinburg City district on the Iset River.

The hotel features 296 guest rooms and suites outfitted with ergonomic work areas and bathrooms stylishly partitioned with transparent glass walls. Meeting facilities accommodate up to 800 attendees, and include 2,500 sqm/26,910 sqft of event space, with five meeting rooms and a 600 sqm/6,458 sqft ballroom. A dedicated meeting executive is assigned to each meeting and high-speed Internet connections are possible throughout the property. Dining options include a fine dining restaurant, an all-day restaurant and three lounges including a wine and champagne bar. The hotel’s Myst Spa & Fitness Centre features a sauna and heated indoor swimming pool.

Website: www.ekaterinburg.regency.hyatt.com
E-mail: ekaterinburg.regency@hyatt.com

Scandic has been growing green hotels since 1994, and their hotel rooms are 97% recyclable. But the hotel group is also interested in your personal well-being. Already a leader in conscious meetings, Scandic’s meeting and conference attendees will soon enjoy gastronomic delights, thanks to the Jamie Oliver creative food philosophy. Scandic will unveil its Jamie Oliver Meeting Menu in May. Oliver enthused about meeting cuisine “it’s not just kids who love playing and having fun. We adults do too! The food has to taste good, but I also want it to inspire conversation and new ideas, and my experience cooking for many demanding events like the G20 shows that great food can make a difference to the outcome of the day”.

Website: www.scandichotels.com