The event's organiser, Rein Raud, was handed the honour at a ceremonial gathering at the Tallinn Teachers' House on January 30.

The congress brought over 700 participants from 43 countries to Estonia and was the largest of the 13 congresses the EAJS has held so far.

Accepting the award, Raud praised Estonia's readiness to host top specialists from abroad and noted that the country had plenty to offer the worldwide academic community. He also said that his efforts for the EAJS, including organising the congress, had earned him the association's presidency as well as an Order of the Rising Sun from the Japanese government.

ECB Managing Director Kadri Karu said that there were nine strong candidates for the Conference of the Year title, but that the EAJS congress stood out for its high level of quality and could serve as an example to those putting together similar events.

The 2011 Conference of the Year award was the first ever handed out by the ECB. To be considered for the prize, an event must have a minimum of 100 delegates, 40 percent of whom come from abroad.

For additional information:
Mrs. Kadri Karu
kadri.karu@ecb.ee

The Tartu Conference Ambassador event, which took place in Alatskivi Castle on January 17, recognized the efforts of the the city's 64 ambassadors, with Mayor Urmas Kruuse giving out certificates to the four newest recruits. In addition, one ambassador, Professor Peeter Burk, was singled out for his significant contribution to developing conference tourism in the city.

Tallinn's 44 ambassadors were honoured at a ceremonial gathering at the city's Teachers' House on January 30. There another four new ambassadors were brought into the fold.

The ECB's Tartu ambassador programme has been in operation since October 2009, and its Tallinn equivalent since November 2010.

For additional information:
Mrs. Kadri Karu
kadri.karu@ecb.ee

The award ceremony was held in London on the 18th of January.

The International Hotel Awards evolved from the International Property Awards, established 18 years ago, its award winners’ logo is recognised as a symbol of excellence throughout the global industry. A specific awards’ programme for the hospitality industry was launched due to an increasing number of entries within its commercial categories.

In addition to categories for different sized and specifically targeted hotels, the International Hotel Awards includes sections for the best hotel architecture, interior design, marketing and website covering the entire range of hotel disciplines. Entries are first judged at country level before the top scoring winners go forward to be re-judged internationally.

A judging panel of 20 high-end professionals established the ranking of all participants following a list of 39 questions/criteria including the hotel service and facilities offered to customers, the awards, the location, the environmental commitment, the interior-outdoor design and decoration, the hotel's marketing and website. This year's judges included Rebecca Johnson (Bloomberg TV - Hotel Section), James Bacon (UK account manager of Google), Mike McNamara (RBS: Royal Bank of Scotland), and David Dalby (RICS: Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors).

Further information:

Liina Lõpp, PR & Marketing Executive, Swissôtel Tallinn 
Phone: +372 624 2447
E-mail: liina.lopp@swissotel.com

Tallinn Conference Directory gives an overview of the city's convention potential: venues in hotels and other places, companies involved with conference organising, and support services (technical solutions, transport, catering).

The brochure is in A4 format, available in English and can be ordered from Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau directly, Conference Directory.

Additional information: http://www.tourism.tallinn.ee/

Meinrad, a Swiss national, has a solid background in the hospitality industry. After gaining his first experience working in various hotels and restaurants across Switzerland, he was appointed Night Manager at Sofitel in Zürich, Switzerland in 1991. After taking on several management positions, he was appointed General Manager of Hotel Alfa in Bern, Switzerland in 2000. Then, he moved on to Bindella Gastronomie in Zürich as Regional Director looking after 10 restaurants spread over Switzerland in 2002 before transferring to Tallinn in Estonia later that year where he worked as General Manager of the Grand Hotel for Meriton Hotels AS. In 2005 he took on the position of Operations Manager at the Westin Leipzig in Germany and moved to Egypt in 2007 as General Manager of Iberotel Fanara in Sharm-El-Sheikh.

Meinrad joined Rezidor in February 2008 as General Manager of the Park Inn Sharm-El-Sheikh in Egypt and took on the additional responsibility as General Manager of the Radisson Blu Resort in Sharm-El-Sheikh in December 2010, which is his most recent position.

Meinrad is a graduate from Swiss Hotel School in Lucerne and obtained a BBA from Graduate School of Business Administration in Zürich. He speaks German, French, English, Spanish and basic Italian.

Radisson Blu Hotel Olümpia
Radisson Blu Hotel Olümpia is a first class hotel built for the Olympics 1980 yachting regatta and it is completely renovated by today. In addition to 390 comfortable rooms the hotel offers a conference centre with 14 multifunctional rooms, a fresh, inspiring café and bakery Café Boulevard, a cozy restaurant Senso, a rooftop pool and fitness centre Club 26.
For more information on Radisson Blu, visit www.radissonblu.com

About The Rezidor Hotel Group
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the fastest growing hotel companies in the world. The group features a portfolio of more than 400 hotels in operation and under development with more than 86 300 rooms in more than 60 countries.
Rezidor operates the brands Radisson Blu Hotels & Resorts, Park Innby Radisson in Europe, Middle East and Africa, along with the Club Carlson loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. Rezidor has signed a worldwide license agreement with the Italian fashion house Missoni, in order to develop and operate a lifestyle hotel brand of the same name: Hotel Missoni.
In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson Companies is the main shareholder.
The Corporate Office of the Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.
For more information on Rezidor, visit www.rezidor.com

Additional information:
Meinrad Schibler
Radisson Blu Hotel Olümpia
Tel 6315 333
meinrad.schibler@radissonblu.com

The low fare airline Ryanair has announced that they are opening a Tallinn-Frankfurt route as of 27th March 2012, which will be operating three times a week.

It is possible to purchase tickets as of 3rd of December and the opening price is 27,99 euros. After the opening of this route, Ryanair will be flying to a dozen destinations from Tallinn.

Source: ERR www.uudised.err.ee

This Forum is a meeting place for new industry colleagues under 30 years of age and who are relatively new in the meetings industry.

During the 4 forum days participants will get an insight to conference travel market and trends, develop professional skills and have an oppurtunity for networking with the best speakers in the meetings industry.

Forum faculty members Rob Davidson, Graeme Barnett, Corbin Ball, Martin Sirk and others share their knowledge and experience with the young colleagues.

Competition for 20 places in the Forum group is very tight every year. Liis Ahonen's essay was selected as one of the best giving her the possibility to attend this one of the most appealing trainings of the industry. Congratulations! 

For more information please see: http://www.iccaworld.com/dbs/fyp/

Looking forward to meeting you on EIBTM!
Estonian Convention Bureau 

“Readers Choice Awards” is an annual survey conducted by the magazine Condé Nast Traveler. Over 8 million votes were cast by the 28,876 readers, who selected their favourite preferences amongst the cities, islands, and hotels they visited in the past year, and the airlines and cruise ships they travelled with.

The list of favourite destinations in Europe hasn’t changed a great deal except for Northern Europe, where Estonia is represented by Swissôtel Tallinn for the first time ever, achieving a very respectable fourth place amongst the 50 different destinations. The 64th place achieved in the list of the Top 100 destinations also underlines Estonia’s credentials as an up and coming destination for business and leisure. Full listings for 2011 can be found from http://www.concierge.com/images/cnt/pdf/2011-Readers-Choice-Awards.pdf .

Swissôtel Tallinn is a luxury hotel set amidst the business district of Tallinn. The UNESCO Old Town with its world-class entertainment, shopping, art galleries and museums is a short stroll away whilst the airport can be reached in 10 minutes. Swissôtel Tallinn offers 238 guestrooms and luxury suites, 3 restaurants, 2 bars and Pürovel Spa & Sport whilst boasting breathtaking views of Tallinn. If meetings are a focus, the banquet rooms, including the largest ballroom in Estonia, are the ideal venue.

Further information:

Liina Lõpp, PR & Marketing Executive, Swissôtel Tallinn Tel +372 624 2447 Email liina.lopp@swissotel.com