Corporate Travel Destinations

The Polish Parliament officially named 2010 as the Year of Fryderyk Chopin. Chopin’s music has been loved worldwide for more than a hundred years. Most of his work was created for the piano and he is credited for creating the instrumental ballad.

Poland will honor her native son with special concerts, recitals, and conferences. The 16th edition of the International Chopin Competition will be held in October 2010. Pianist from all over the world flock to listen and compete in this event. Interest in the competition is keen and event promotion is in motion.

The Chopin Museum houses the world’s largest collection of compositions and artifact attributed to the maestro. Warsaw considers herself his true home because he grew up there and was most influenced by the city though he was born in a village about 50 kilometers away. Warsaw honors Chopin every year with a festival befitting Poland’s only internationally recognized artist.

American Travel Abroad has joined with ORBIS Travel and the team is setting up tours before and after the competition for travelers fascinated with Chopin and his work. Groups or individual may purchase concert tickets and take advantage of special hotel promotions. The demand for concert tickets is already keen and the concert will be sold out months in advance.

The world is peppered with event destinations and conference centers. Almost every large city has several, and even smaller towns are starting to create event space or renovate older buildings to bring conference visitors. However, many of them are reusing unique sites and unusual existing buildings ad business for convention space. Brussels is one of the best examples of this unique venue space.

Brussels Events Brewery

Brussels is one of the world centers for brewing “liquid bread.” The Events Brewery provides space for up to 40,000 people, and offers high tech support and sound proof walls for space division.

Van Buuren Museum

Featuring some of the world masters, this art museum also has space for smaller events. After attending an event in the garden or their art deco lounge, participants can enjoy five hundred years of world-class art.

The Atomium

Engineer André Waterkeyn designed this amazing building, which was renovated in 2004 and is now available for meetings and receptions. For an idea of just how remarkable this building is, go to www.atomium.de.

The number of wonderful event centers in Brussels does not end here. Many museums, breweries, hotels, historical buildings, and more make Brussels an ideal choice for a European destination meeting or conference. Check with Belgian tourism groups for more information, or simply do an internet search to find the many choices available to you in this beautiful country.

Every now and then we get a chance to do something special in life. If you are a corporate meeting planner, you may get the opportunity in the form of booking a meeting in a foreign country. If your client is leaning towards Europe, your job is not complete until you have researched Portugal.

Lisbon, Portugal

One of the biggest concerns to travelers is a friendly atmosphere. Portugal is positioning itself to be important in that regard by offering great properties, resorts, service, and even private guides when appropriate. Running a close second is concern about food. Portugal and neighboring Spain are world-renowned for cuisine and a wide range of foods.

On top of all that, Portugal is home to world-class scenery, complete with old-world architectural flair. You can tour the cities as much as you like and never run out of things to see. You can also get out into the countryside, where you will see the lush wineries of Portugal. Everything from port to white wine is made there, and day trips with tastings are always popular activities for travelers.

As with other foreign destinations, make sure your travelers are aware of entry and exit requirements, have the proper identification and passports, and are informed about currency exchange and other details. Then turn them loose to enjoy the riches Portugal has to offer.

Often when one thinks of Europe cities like Paris, London and Frankfurt am Main come to mind. And why not? They are the quintessential destinations for European travel, and the hubs from which other destinations spin off. However, many people are content with those hub cities. Smaller towns and even rural destinations are sometimes not even considered, and the former eastern bloc countries are afterthoughts at best.

Why not consider the “smaller” destinations for your corporate travel destinations? Here are some favorites among world travelers. Continue reading »

If you have recently been assigned the task of arranging a meeting in Europe and want to try something other than the usual places, try Croatia. From sailing on the Dalmatian Coast to concerts in the old cities, Croatia is everything you could possibly want in a unique corporate destination.

Every day Croatia thinks of new ways to bring tourism to its country, and this means for you that you can find new incentives to travel there. Hotel rates are reasonable and there are many direct flights from many European destinations. In many of the cities traditions are rich and tourism is popular for those who appreciate the arts, history, and architecture.

As a corporate destination, any organization will be pleased with Croatia’s meeting venues and accommodations. Zagreb’s Concert and Congress Hall Vatroslav Lisinski, recently renovated, contains two meeting halls and is flexible enough to accommodate many different kinds of events and meetings. It also has over 20,000 square feet of exhibit space, complete with snack bars and high tech amenities. Continue reading »