Big interview
E-Formula for success
CMW HEARS ABOUT GLAMOUR AND GRAFT, AS WELL AS DIGITALISATION AND INFLUENCER
MARKETING FROM SANDRINE CAMIA, DEPUTY GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE MONACO
GOVERNMENT TOURIST AND CONVENTION AUTHORITY
ow did you first come
into the meetings
industry?
I have made a 22-year
career in sales and marketing in deluxe
hospitality, starting in Paris in 1989 with
Concorde Hotels Group then owned and
managed by the Taittinger family. I have
co-operated with meeting and incentive
organisers since the early 90s working
for Hotel Lutetia and later for Hotel
Martinez in Cannes.
I joined Monaco Government Tourist
and Convention Authority in 2011 as
Director of the Convention Bureau.
Tell us about some recent
high-profile meetings and
conferences in the Principality?
Monaco welcomes more than 400
business events per year and notable
events have included the Ernst & Young
World Entrepreneur of the Year, the
world re-insurance congress (‘Rendez
Vous de Septembre’ which shows
unparalleled longevity and marks its
63rd edition in 2019).
Monaco has a high level of loyal clients
which account for 41% of the total
overnight stays generated by business
tourism.
Monaco hosts many association events
and, in 2017 saw the FERMA Risk
Management Forum welcome 2,000
delegates to the Grimaldi Forum and
more recently 1,500 delegates touched
down in Monaco for the AEGPL 2018
Congress.
In 2019, Monaco will host the sixth
International Olympic Committee World
Conference on Prevention of Injury &
Illness in Sport. The triennial conference
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CONFERENCE & MEETINGS WORLD
/
has been hosted in Monaco since 2011
bringing together 1,200 delegates from
24 countries.
Monaco has a long tradition in hosting
international conferences, including the
Interpol General Assembly, IOC
Extraordinary Session, and numerous
conferences on sustainability and
preservation of the oceans.
This year we’ll host the 51st Session of
the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change and the 36th session of the
International Organisation of La
Francophonie.
There was also the recent State visit of
the Chinese President Xi.
What about claims that Monaco is
expensive and hard to get to?
Monaco is easily accessible. The
Principality is located in the heart of
Europe, 25km from Nice Cote d’Azur
international airport, which links
Monaco with 100 international
destinations. There are 70 daily flights to
and from Europe’s main hubs. It is the
third busiest airport in France and an
base for Air France and Easyjet. In 2018
it handled almost 14m passengers;
Monaco is also easily accessible by
train, by car and has a regular helicopter
line from Nice airport. Once you get
there, Monaco is a safe and walkable
destination.
Perception
Until now, our biggest challenge when
marketing the destination for MICE has
been the perception. Monaco is one of the
most well-known destinations in the
world, a land of superyachts, super
casinos and super rich.
ISSUE 100
For visitors from
certain countries
you have VAT
refunds for many
services, right?
“VAT recovery
conditions vary
depending on
the nature of
the event an
most requests
are for
incentive
groups. We
recommend
contacting tax
advisers to get
the appropriate
guidance.”
We did have our successes with these
stereotypes, but after the 2009 world
financial crisis, our attractions turned
into negative stereotypes that many
planners and corporate CEOs avoided.
The Monaco Convention Bureau
(MCB) launched a campaign aimed to
change the destination’s perception to be
more appealing for international MICE.
Today, group business is 27% of total
tourism in Monaco and we have been
able fill the quieter winter months with
business travellers.
The initial campaign targeted three
key sectors: finance, medical and
technology. As the campaign progressed,
so the focus shifted to promoting values
over sectors. These include: good value
for money, excellent service and strong
expertise hosting business events.
What recent developments are there
to report on the hotel and venue side?
From May 2019, Monte-Carlo Société
des Bains de Mer will offer a new
conference centre, One Monte-Carlo, in
the heart of Monaco. Together with
Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo and Hôtel
Hermitage Monte-Carlo, it will form a
new hub, right on Casino Square.
Covering a surface area of 1,445sqm,
One Monte-Carlo conference centre will
include 300sqm of plenary space, with a
178sqm connecting multipurpose room,
three modular breakout rooms and a
large 523sqm foyer.
Opposite One Monte-Carlo, the
Boulingrins Gardens has been
relandscaped around Casino Square, and
will be available for private functions.
The Hotel de Paris is starting a new
chapter of its story, fully re-opening its