Connections Meetings gets to discuss

We experienced the first event of this new breed of networking gatherings designed by one of the founders of the science of meeting design, Mike Van der Vijver. New formats, experiential moments, deeper relationships than the 15-minute usual meetings in workshops are amongst the ingredients. Meetings last up to 45 minutes. Activities include donkey riding in the idyllic village of Mijas, a flamenco experience and a sangria challenge. The idea, in the words of David Benitez, head of business development, is that “when you remember a moment, you remember the person you spent it with, and that´s our premise for building stronger relationships with contacts.”

Sessions will include a presentation on how upcoming technologies may benefit or devalue face-to-face meetings (by Ewan Macleod, Digital Director of Royal Bank of Scotland and owner of Mobile Industry Re-view blog), a session on “How to create better meeting content” with meeting designer Mike Van der Vijver, or a brainstorm on how the MICE industry can use everyday technology to make it work in our favour.

Last month, UK-based travel industry event organiser Connections was named Best Trade Show at the Eventex Awards. The Connections brand is part of Europe´s leading travel trade media company, Travel Weekly Group. Connections Meetings involves just 30-40 meeting owners and planners from key and growing markets across the globe and 30-40 selected suppliers.