70TH SKÅL WORLD CONGRESS, BUDAPEST HUNGARY
As we move closer to the dates of the 70th Skål World Congress, it is time to concentrate on one of the principal reasons for holding the congress, the Annual General Meeting or General Assembly of Clubs. At the time of writing we have exceeded the quorum, however there is still a large number of Clubs which are still not registered. A letter has been sent to them inviting them to register and to exercise their right to have their say in the running and the future of the organisation. The agenda for the General Assembly is now on the Skål website, members only area. Go to General Assembly and click on Agenda for General Assembly in Budapest or click on the following hyperlink: http://www.skal.org/pdf/ingles/agenda_budapest.pdf The Agenda contains the reports from the members of the Executive Committee, the annual accounts, Report by the Internal Auditors, Trustees of the Florimond Volckaert Fund and the list of candidates for election during the General Assembly in Budapest. Please discuss these matters at your Club meeting and instruct your delegate accordingly.
BUSINESS TO BUSINESS WORKSHOP (B2B)
This is your opportunity to “Do Business Among Friends”. On Wednesday 4 November 2009 the annual B2B Workshop will be held at the Corinthia Hotel Royal from 9.00am. Each country will be allocated a table and chairs, free of charge and additional tables and chairs can be reserved at a cost of Euro 50.00 each. To register please complete the form on the website www.skal.travel go to forms or click here. To see a list of those members registered for the Congress and for you to decide with whom you want to do business go to the website, Members Only Area, Congress, Budapest and click on “List of Participants”
CONGRESS HOTELS
The Intercontinental, Kempinski and Marriott Hotels are all now full, however, there are plenty of rooms available at the deluxe Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, venue for the B2B workshop and the Radisson SAS Beke Hotel which is in the first class category.
PRE AND POST TOURS
The Pre and post tours on the website have been updated and some of the prices reduced. Go to the website www.skal.travel, congress and click on Pre and Post Tours Hungary. There are only four cabins left on the Post Congress Cruise. You better hurry if you want to reserve your cabin. Again, go to Congress and click on Post Congress Cruise.
E-MAIL CORRECTION
For those persons registered at the Budapest Marriott Hotel, there has been a change in the contact e-mail address. Therefore if you need to contact the Budapest Marriott, the new e-mail address is zoltan.konsanszky@marriott.com
WE NEED YOUR OPINION
The President of Skål International, Hulya Aslantas would like to thank all those who have completed the recent survey. More than 3,000 responses were received. The survey is now closed and the results are being collated. The President will speak on this during the General Assembly in Budapest.
PRESIDENT’S JOURNEY
President Hulya Aslantas has been travelling extensively meeting members around the world. You can follow her on her travels by going to the President’s Journey on the Skål International website www.skal.travel
SKÅL INTERNATIONAL BUCHAREST
Skål International Bucharest will celebrate the 10th Anniversary of its foundation on the weekend of 16-18 October in Bucharest. If you are interested in joining these celebrations please contact the President of Skål International Bucharest, Antoni Kuhnen at a.kuhnen@monte-nelly.ro
A PROPOSAL FROM STEPHANIE ABRAMS
The President of Skål International, Hulya Aslantas was recently interviewed by Stephanie Abrams, a member of Skål International Boston for her Radio Show across America. One of the outcomes of the interview was an invitation from Stephanie Abrams to all Skål members worldwide as follows.
Skålleague Stephanie Abrams, member of Skål International Boston, invites Skål members to post photos, at no charge, of their destinations, properties, tourism products and services and attractions in the Members Photos gallery of www.Travelers411.com Skålleagues are also invited to click on FORUMS on the navigation bar at www.Travelers411.com and www.sAbrams.com and post text to explain, feature, promote and start a dialogue with the community of users at the site which acts as the 'oasis' for fans of Abrams nationally syndicated U.S. radio shows Travel WITH Stephanie Abrams, Travelers411, and her TV show, JetSet411.
To post an unlimited number of photos, go to www.travelers411.com click on Member Photos, create a User ID and Password of your choice and follow the directions prompting you through the process. An email address is provided for assistance. To start a 'thread' of dialogue, choose the country or niche market or start a new topic after you have given yourself a User ID and Password.
Abrams directs listeners to her broadcasts to the photo gallery and Forums give easy visual access to guest interviews. Abrams invites Skål members to contact her if they would like to participate in a telephone interview that can be arranged as part of a live broadcast or pre-recorded for later airing. She can be reached by email at stephanie@sabrams.com
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS WITH AVIS-BUDGET RENT A CAR
Skål International has entered into a special agreement with Avis-Budget Rent a car. The following is the web link and code details for accessing the booking web site for AVIS-Budget Skål rental car discounts and booking process. You may view the Web page(s) by clicking here:
https://www.avis.com/car-rental/profile/go.ac?A445000 -The AWD for Avis is A445000
http://www.budgetcarrental.com/budget/assoc/index.html?R141200 - The BCD for Budget is R141200
If you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact Skål member, Debbie Arett debbie.arett@avisbudget.com
MOTIVATION SHOW, CHICAGO
A reminder that Skål International will have a booth at the IT&ME Motivation Show which will be held in Chicago from 29 September to 1 October 2009 at McCormick Place. The booth number is 5219. A special “Happy Hour” kindly sponsored by the Croatian Convention and Incentive Bureau on Tuesday and Wednesday 29 & 30 September from 12.00 -14.00. We look forward to meeting as many Skål members as possible.
H1N1A VIRUS
Skål International has been proactive with regard to the spread of the H1N1 virus otherwise know as Swine Flu. The recent letter sent by the President of Skål International, Hulya Aslantas in which she advised that Skål had teamed up with its partner, Johnson Diversey to create a special website which would be constantly updated. See www.skalagainstinfluenza.com Read the President’s letter here.
Secretary General, Jim Power recently attended a conference at the UNWTO headquarters on the H1N1 Virus, entitled Travel and Tourism under Pandemic Conditions. Click here to read his report.
WORLD TRAVEL MARKET LONDON 9-12 NOVEMBER 2009
World Travel Market, the premier global event for the travel industry, is celebrating its 30th event in 2009. The must-attend four-day business-to-business exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry has been as a key event in the industry’s calendar for the past three decades. Since WTM first opened its door way back in 1980 it has always been the place for the whole travel industry to get together, network discuss the issues of the day, discover the future trends and buzz words and negotiate and conclude business deals. Click here to read more.
MINI TRAVEL TRADE SHOWS
A note from Skålleague Buck Wilson so that the Mini Travel Trade Shows continue across the United States of America. He is offering special arrangements to Clubs who participate. This is an ideal platform from which to develop membership. Please click here to see the list of venues.
TARATHEP HALL OPENS
Chaophya Park Hotel, Bangkok announces the opening of its brand new MICE facilities ‘mansion house’ styled venue, Tarathep Hall. The new MICE facility is an elegant stand-alone venue with an impressive façade of columns and a white dome. With its own driveway and grand entrance, guests will first glimpse a stunning new water feature at its entrance. Located close to the main hotel entrance within the hotel’s famous gardens, which include space for 900 cars, Tarathep Hall can accommodate upwards of 600 people for cocktails and up to 450 people for a sit down dinner. Read more.
WELL DONE PAST PRESIDENT JAN
Antalya Skål member, Asuman Tariman confirms the importance of friendship in her recent travel plans to Bergen Norway. She quotes “We have been talking all the time for years among us about the importance of the friendship in Skål. Here I would like to inform you of an experience that I had two weeks ago in Bergen which proves the idea. I had sent an e-mail to Jan Sunde that I was coming to Bergen by Cruise and spending a couple of hours in his home town. I had also added that I would not be on my own, there would be six people of the average age of more than 75. The result was a real friendship case! Jan met us at the Harbour of Bergen. He had rented a van for six of us and he intended to spend all his Sunday with us! He took us and showed us the highlights of Bergen, sometimes breaking traffic rules in order not to make the elderly walk! It was a fantastic day for us, because we had the chance to see the city with a native and with the service of a great hospitality. Here you find a picture of Jan and myself and also a magnificent panorama of Edward Greig's House”.
NEW BOOK TO AID THE FLORIMOND VOLCKAERT FUND
A REQUEST FOR HUMOUROUS STORIES FROM SKÅL MEMBERS FOR A NEW FLORIMOND VOLCKAERT FUND-RAISING BOOK ABOUT OUR INDUSTRY (Which won’t make you famous, but you will receive a free copy if your story makes the final cut for our book, and at your request, we can give publicity to you and your company).
Dear Skålleague:
I am a Canadian journalist and author of over a thousand national articles and three dozen books. I have been authorized by the Skål Executive Committee and commissioned by Thom Vincent, International Skål Councillor for Canada, to create a win-win project for the thousands of Skål members around the world.
I will be writing a humorous book of stories, to raise funds for the Skål admirable charity, the Florimond Volckaert Fund, which assists Skål members who may have economic, family or health challenges. As many of you have had years of experience in the tourism and hospitality business, I know you have a few great stories to tell.
Please submit as soon as possible to amgould@sympatico.ca Read more
