Posts Tagged ‘this’

Berlin: this is tomorrow calling

Berlin is hoping to build meetings business around the anniversary of the fall of the Wall. Isn’t it time put the past behind? John Keenan reports

History, like celebrity, can be as much as curse as a blessing. It seems only natural that a city such as Berlin should capitalise on its past. But at what point does a destination become trapped by that image? And when is it time to move on?

This year sees the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and it seems that everybody in the German capital has gone over the top. Museums have organised themed exhibitions on the division of Germany and Berlin at the time of reunification. They include the house at Checkpoint Charlie, the German Historic Museum, the Allies Museum, Museum Karlshorst, the Stasi Museum, and the GDR Museum, among others. An exhibition on Alexanderplatz focusing on the Berlin Wall and the revolution will run until October and there are plans for an ineluctable fireworks display on November 9, the day of remembrance, followed by the inevitable concert at Brandenburg Gate and the indispensible political remembrance ceremony.

What of the future?

There is more to Berlin than spies and subversion. For example, this year’s cultural highlights include the new Dali Museum on Potsdamer Platz, a temporary art gallery Berlin on Schlossplatz and the reopening of the New Museum on Museum Island in October. And to underline Berlin’s cool credentials the MTV European Music Awards returns there this year. On November 5 the movers and shakers of the international music scene will be presented with coveted trophies in front of the Brandenburg Gate and in the O2 World.

Perhaps it is this side of the city that will be emphasized when Meeting Place Berlin 2009, organised by the Berlin Convention Office (BCO), seeks to showcase the city as an attractive and sought-after destination for meetings, conventions and incentives.

From July 2-6, around 100 national and international hosted buyers, on the invitation of the BCO, will have an opportunity to see for themselves the range of services offered in Berlin.

And no doubt BCO will hammer home the quality of its transport links. The international flight connections from and to Berlin are being extended; the non-stop flights to the USA by Delta Airlines and Continental and those to Qatar by Qatar Airways guarantee the shortest possible international business links. The new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport – BBI, on the site of the current Berlin-Schönefeld airport – is scheduled to open in 2011. When BBI opens there will be a 20-minute shuttle service between the railway station and the airport. 

For a fine example of how history can be intelligently incorporated into modern-day life, look no further than the Hotel de Dome on Berlin’s Bebelplatz. Rocco Forte’s typically stylish property is the former Dresdner Bank – the huge bank vaults now admit the visitor into a world of health rather than wealth, with spa rooms and a decent-sized swimming pool. The hotel has 146 bedrooms and five meeting rooms – the ballroom is a triumph of the restorer’s art and can comfortably host 250 delegates.

A contrary approach has been adopted at the Ritz-Carlton on Potsdamer Platz. This traditional-looking hotel is in fact only as old as the modern unified city, but that doesn’t stop it exuding the ambience of a time-honoured fixture. If you get the feeling that you are surrounded by the Art Deco splendour of mid-town Manhattan, it’s no co-incidence; that’s what the designer wants you to think. But step beyond the gilded doors and you are soon disabused of the notion – you are bang in the middle of the steel and glass modernism of 21st century Berlin.

For the authentic experience of historic Berlin, the best game in town is the Hotel Adlon Kempinski. This landmark property, in the shadow of the Brandenburg Gate, has had its share of notorious guests – including Michael Jackson who was inspired to dangle his baby over the railings of his suite – but more importantly it has hosted a number of prestigious international events.

Bang up-to-date, the InterContinental, in the west of the city, features a glass pavilion conference centre which can hold up to 400 delegates. It also offers 37 meeting rooms, which includes the main ballroom with a maximum capacity of 1,300 people in theatre style. The InterContinental has 534 bedrooms and 50 suites.

From the sleek sophistication of the Hyatt to the robust Americana of the Marriott, by way of the monumental Westin Grand, there is no shortage of upmarket brands in Berlin. You negotiate your rate and you make your choice.

The Israeli hotel chain Leonardo Hotels will be opening two new hotels in Berlin this year. The first is taking shape in the former police headquarters on the Alexanderplatz. The listed building is being renovated and will open in July as the Leonardo Royal Hotel Berlin; 346 bedrooms plus function rooms for up to 500 persons are promised. The second hotel (a three star) is currently under construction on Wilmersdorfer Strasse in the west. The Spanish Silken Group is building its first four-star-plus hotel in Germany on Lietzenburger Strasse. Guests will be able to book a stay there from autumn onwards. It will have 205 rooms, including 42 suites. The highlights in the Silken Hotel are a Japanese garden with a waterfall and the large wellness area looking out over the roofs of Berlin. A 450 sqm meeting and conference area is an appropriate setting for all kinds of events.

In spring 2011, the luxury Waldorf Astoria Group will open their first newly-built hotel in Europe. Located in the vicinity of the Kurfürstendamm and the Zoological Garden, the 31-storey Waldorf Astoria Berlin will feature 242 rooms and suites, a conference area covering more than 1 100 sqm and a sumptuous spa facility.

The Hotel Barcelona on the Alexanderplatz is due to open in the summer of 2011 and will feature a swimming pool 30 meters above the lobby – separated by a single sheet of glass, this should keep you occupied while waiting to check in.

Away from the hotels, the city has a clutch of weird and wonderful venues. Axica – a typically eccentric Frank Gehry creation – features a modern conference room which can hold to 85 delegates, while the Forum, below stairs, is ideal for receptions for up to 750 people. The restored Museum for Post and Communications is another idiosyncratic gem encased in a glass atrium and is suitabe for a gala dinner for up to 100 people. The courtyard at the Jewish Museum can hold 500 people for a reception while the Meilenwerk tram depot – home to classic and modern cars – comfortably seats up to 450 for a gala dinner. The Kaisersaal on Potsdamer Platz offers a more exclusive atmosphere for small groups, while E-werk – formerly the electricty generating station – comprises two halls offering a maximum capacity for 900 people at a reception or 300 for dinner.

 Brief word…

We asked a leading Berlin-based destination management company to respond to this hypothetical brief: a pan-European company needs to retain staff and strengthen its upscale brand image internally. A two-day conference including by break-out sessions, a keynote address by the CEO and a gala dinner on the final evening. Here is what they suggested.

 Jill Tanamal

Ovation Germany

 For a conference in a city as rich in history as Berlin I would suggest the heritage property Hotel de Rome Berlin. Dating from 1889, the former headquarters of the Dresdner Bank has been impressively restored to form part of the Rocco Forte Collection. Located right in the heart of this bustling city, it combines the ornate grandeur of the original bank with many striking contemporary design elements.

 With 146 sleek rooms, a luxurious glazed ceiling ballroom, spacious breakout rooms and a lavish Spa carved out of the former vaults, this hotel provides for every meeting planner’s and conference delegate’s need. For something a little different, the former GDR chancellery of Erich Honecker is now a private university combining historical walls with state-of-the-art meeting facilities.

 Berlin offers a superb variety of locations for gala dinners. In addition to its world renowned museum spaces, the architectural highlight of the AXICA building cannot be missed. Located beside the historic Brandenburg Gate, architect Frank Gehry’s innovative and futuristic venue will wow even the best-travelled delegate.

 ‘Must-do’ group activities include the Trabi-Safari (using Trabants, the former cardboard cars from the GDR) or a flight with the well-known Rosinenbomber – guaranteed to combine a little German history with great entertainment and fun.

Berlin MICE hotels and services

 Browse MICE and corporate hotels in Berlin on the Great Hotels of the World website (http://www.ghotw.com/list/city/business/berlin.htm) including detailed meeting information, photos, reviews and more. 

 For great MICE offers and to request a proposal for your next event please visit the Great Hotels of the World MICE page (http://www.ghotw.com/facility/mice.htm).

 For more information on MICE events in Berlin contact Heike Mahmoud at the Berlin Convention Office: Tel: +49 (0)30 26 39 183 / berlin-convention-office@b-c-o.com

 Vital indicators: Berlin

 Value for money – 3

Compared to its near-neighbours, Germany is not cheap, and prices in the city reflect that fact. That said, Berlin offers good value compared to other major European capitals.

 Infrastructure – 4

The city has a good supply of five-star products and a choice of extremely professional destination management companies.

 The X-factor – 2

Two decades have passed since the fall of the Berlin Wall. If you were born in the late 1980s, the Cold War seems as distant as the Holy Roman Empire.  It’s time the city sold its future rather than its past.

 Access – 3

There are two airports either side of the city: Tegel in the north and Schönefeld in the south. The former is the main international hub. It is comparatively painless to get into the heart of the city from either.

 Luxury investment – 2

The city’s existing five-star stock is good but the focus of new-build hotels is downmarket.

 Conclusion

Berlin needs an image makeover if it is going to seriously challenge the big players in the meetings market.

Improve Child Safety and Home Safety With This Basic Childproofing Checklist

When your baby starts walking, the number of dangers multiplies and parents must pay even more attention. Bookshelves become hazardous and table knick knacks become the object of unquenchable curiosity. Even table cloths can become dangerous. Yes, a simple tablecloth can create unintended havoc when a toddler is involved. Here are is a checklist for parents to follow and implement before your baby becomes a walking toddler:

1. Use bolts or screws to fasten bookshelves to the wall. If a toddler likes to climb, this is one of the many types of furniture they’re very likely to climb on, pull down or fall off of. There are also straps, anti-tip kits and anti-tip devices that secure your bookshelves to walls keeping your toddler safe. Falling bookshelves, bookcases, dressers and in general, falling furniture happens more often than people think and it can be fatal.

2. Electrical and pull cords can strangle a baby or toddler. Tape down all electrical cords and put cords on blinds and curtains up, out of reach of a child as they may be dangerous. Even the cord on the treadmill should be removed so a baby or toddler doesn’t strangle herself. As most of us know, a celebrity just tragically lost a small child because of a loose treadmill cord. Cord shorteners are available for curtain and blind cords. It only takes a moment to walk into a room and take precautions that will dramatically enhance child safety.

3. Put covers on electrical sockets so that a baby or toddler doesn’t get shocked, or electrocuted by putting his fingers or a metallic object in the socket. This does happen in real life, it is not an urban myth.

4. Medications and household cleaners can be dangerous. Items as mundane as bath oil or nail polish remover are toxic when ingested by a child. Put them up in a locked cabinet. Remember, a baby or toddler cannot tell you what they swallowed. Assume the worst. If you suspect that your child has swallowed something toxic, call your local poison control center. In fact, always make sure you have a legible list of emergency numbers next to every phone in the house. Take the time to program those numbers into your mobile phone.

5. Beware of small objects on the countertops like coins and paperclips. A toddler can reach these items and there is a high probability that they will at the very least put them in their mouth and at the worst, swallow them. Obviously, there is also a high probability that these item will cause the child to choke. It only takes a minute to look at your countertops and to remove those small, dangerous objects.

6. Keep electrical appliances, knives and glass objects high up and far away from your toddler. A small child will grab at anything that looks bright and shiny. These objects need to be locked up in cabinets and those cabinets should be up very high and they absolutely need to be locked. When a baby becomes a toddler latched doors and drawers in lower cabinets are no longer safe. A small child will try and open that lower cabinet if given the opportunity. All cleaning supplies should be kept high and locked up to ensure that the toddler can’t reach them. Never leave cleaning supplies out and absolutely never, never leave them open. That is just asking for trouble.

7. Cover any and all sharp edges on furniture. Toddlers aren’t all that agile or coordinated plus they wobble when they walk. It is not abnormal for a small child to bump their head or other body part on the corners of coffee tables, other tables, cabinets, table legs and just a countless list of furniture parts and pieces.

8. If you don’t have a garbage disposal and have a garbage can, secure it, hide it or keep it secured outside. Babies and toddlers are insatiably curious and the child can reach in and remove, examine and possibly swallow small objects or toxic objects. I am not exaggerating. Remember, whether you keep a garbage can inside or outside child proof it by securing it.

9. Put safety gates at both the top and bottom of stairs. Use baby safety gates that require a hardware installation as pressure gates are insufficient. Stairways are dangerous for babies and toddlers at both the bottom and top of the stairs. Make sure the railings of the gate are less than 2 3/8 inches apart. The last thing you want is to give a small child an opening between rails. Small children love to explore and will simply look at this as another adventure and the last thing you need is that type of adventure.

Please follow this checklist to ensure the safety of your children. Remember, child safety and home safety should always be priority number one.

Don’t but your Baby Gates for Stairs until you read this!

There are two types of gates:

The hardware mounted gate requires screws for installation in a doorway. You can drill holes in a door frame or stud behind the wall and attach the gate with brackets and screws. In many cases you can avoid this by purchasing a round or square clamp made of solid wood to attach and drill into. Hardware mounted gates are the most secure choice and are best used at the top of stairs. No matter how much you want to avoid drilling holes pressure mounted gates can be surprisingly easy to dislodge and are not recommended for top of stairs.

Pressure mounted gates are held in an opening by pressure against the door frame or walls. Pressure keeps it in place and doesn’t require drilling. These are suitable for less hazardous locations, such as between rooms, for example, off your kitchen so you can make dinner without a crawling baby underfoot, or at the bottom of a stairway to discourage your little climber from venturing upstairs. We recommend that you not use a pressure-mounted gate at the top of stairs.

Avoid gates with horizontal slats, they are an invitation for  a child to climb. Look for narrow spaces between the vertical slats. These should be less than 3 inches apart to prevent head entrapment. Look for sturdy construction and an even finish. Metal is more durable than wood. Take measurements for your desired location an avoid gates that will need to be at their maximum width to fit because they may wobble.

You can also use a gate to keep a pet away from a child or vice versa. Child safety gates are intended for children between 6 months and 24 months of age. All safety gates are only a deterrent, not a replacement for adult supervision.