Opening the door to education and networking, the third annual HSMAI’s World Quest is one of the world’s most unique educational and networking events for international meeting planners seeking international business partners. It brings qualified corporate, association and government international planners together with international hospitality industry business partners for a day of learning about topics of critical interest, roundtable discussions and networking.
On the educational front, attendees gathered information on new business strategies, best practices and provocative presentations of hot topics important to the arena of international meetings, followed by interactive roundtable topic discussions with planners and international business partners.
Topics covered were: Value Added Tax (VAT)/International Tax Reclamation, International Shipping and Customs, International Security Measures and International Legal Considerations.
“What makes World Quest so unique and rare is that it is a potentially lucrative forum for both buyers and suppliers in the international marketplace,” states Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHA, president and CEO of HSMAI.
In 2006, World Quest took place in New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco.
Opening the door to education and networking, HSMAI World Quest is a partnership between HSMAI and Association Management Group and its division Meetings Management Group.
The following Business Partners participated in the World Quest 2006 events: Aberdeen Exhibition AECC, Accor Hotels International, Austrian Business and Convention Network, Belgian Tourist Office, Cairns Convention Centre/Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, Concorde Hotels & Resorts, Destination Halifax, Euromic Inc. North America, German Convention Bureau, GTB Destination Management Services Inc., Hong Kong Tourism Board, InterContinental Hotels Group, Kempinski Hotels, Las Brisas Hotels & Resorts, Lufthansa German Airlines, MARITIM HOTELS, Meet Aruba, Mexico Tourism Board, Millennium Hotels & Resorts, Monaco Government Tourist Office, Netherlands Board of Tourism, NHow by NH Hoteles, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Singapore Tourism Board, Starwood Luxury Collection, Steigenberger Hotel Group, Switzerland Convention & Incentive Bureau, Visit London, Visit Scotland Business Tourism Unit, World Marketing Group, Hilton Hotels and Continental Airlines.
For more information about the HSMAI’s World Quest events or future partnership and sponsorship opportunities, contact Derek Jenks at djenks@meetingsmanagementgroup.com or (703) 610-0223 or visit www.hsmaiworldquest.org.
HSMAI is an organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality industry. With a strong focus on education, HSMAI has become the industry champion in identifying and communicating trends in the hospitality industry, and bringing together customers and members at eight annual events, including HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings®, and HSMAI World Quest. Founded in 1927, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 36 chapters in the Americas region.
For more information on HSMAI, contact the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, 8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300, McLean, VA 22102, phone (703) 610-9024; fax (703) 610-9005, or visit the web site at
www.hsmai.org.
