It’s Time … Address to a Haggis!

Each year on 25th January, Scotland and its diaspora marks the annual celebration of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, through the ritual of the Burns Supper.

Robert Burns is one of Scotland’s most important literary figures and is best known for his famous, and often humorous, songs and poetry. Burns is regarded as Scotland’s National Bard. Robert Burns is to Scotland what Shakespeare is to England.

More commonly known as Rabbie, Burns was born to a poor family in Alloway, Ayr, (about 40 minutes south of Glasgow) on 25 January 1759 and began his working life on the family farm. As Burns grew older, his passion for Scotland and his dynamic, contemporary vision played an important role in inspiring the founders of liberalism. His literary fame began when his first work Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect, later known as the Kilmarnock Edition, was published in 1786 after which his writing career flourished.

Despite Rabbie’s short life (37 years), he enjoyed an eventful life and produced an astonishing amount of great literary work during his career.  Burns is famous for his political views, revolutionary behavior and his love for the lassies, all of which can be seen in his extensive catalog of work.

Burns was also inspired by the beauty of Scotland, particularly the breathtaking scenery of Ayrshire, his birthplace, and the romantic setting of his later home region of Dumfries & Galloway.  Although more than 200 years have passed since his death, Burns remains one of the most celebrated figures in Scottish history and culture, demonstrated by the annual Burns Night celebrations held across the country on 25 January each year.

The Address to a Haggis is one of Robert Burns’ most famous and regularly performed poems.  No Burns Supper is complete without this pomp and ceremony in tribute to Scotland’s national dish. Luckily for any incentive groups coming to Scotland, they are in safe hands. MICEport’s DMC in Scotland, Hello Scotland’s own Bill Thomson is a master of the Address to a Haggis and delivers it with enthusiasm and gusto.

The end of any celebration in Scotland is rounded off by a rousing version of Auld Lang Syne, another well-loved Rabbie Burns influenced piece of prose. If an incentive or meeting group comes to Scotland, Hello Scotland can recreate the “Address to a Haggis” for an unforgettable final night gala.

Happy Burns Night!

For more information and unique Scotland experiences for North American groups, contact MICEport at inspireus@miceport.com

Click here to find out more about Burns night maybe you can have your own celebration

 

Hello Scotland’s Driving Forward

MICEport’s DMC in Scotland, Hello Scotland, has launched a new activity for North American incentive planners to consider when choosing Scotland for their next group, Driving Forward.

Hello Scotland have created an activity that gives any incentive guests the opportunity to see parts of Scotland that the average group does not get to see; and best of all is that the choice is theirs.  Scotland packs a punch for incentives, partly due to wildly dramatic scenery along with huge amounts of history and endless things to do and see. Hello Scotland’s Driving Forward gives the chance for the individual to take things into their own hands by driving themselves to experience aspects of Scotland that are of interest specifically to them.

The beauty of Driving Forward is that every group and individual gets a bespoke experience. Perhaps the intrepid incentive group could head north from Glasgow in a fleet of self-driven SUVs or classic cars taking them into the real Highlands and the stunning Glencoe, Scotland’s most spectacular glen (or mountain). Here a stop could be arranged to enjoy a sumptuous posh picnic complete with butler, or for those who like the wild side of life, a dip in the crystal clear river in Glen Etive. Hello Scotland would recommend following a swim with a dram of Island Malt (non drivers only) or hot chocolate and some home-made Highland oatcakes to warm them up again….then it’s back on the road looking for the next adventure! Before long the guests could be looking out at the islands off the West Coast of Scotland, but that’s up to them…

Bill Thomson who set up Hello Scotland nearly 18 years ago said ‘It is perhaps typical of most destinations to focus on the same areas and same properties or venues for incentive groups, and whilst the programme content may vary slightly, the ingredients used tend to be quite similar. By no means is this a criticism as Hello Scotland also subscribes to this habit, but in order for our ingredients to change, we need to “Drive Forward” into different areas of what is after all a small country. By doing this we change everything!’

Sláinte to ‘Scotch’ at The Balmoral Hotel!

The landmark Edinburgh 5 star hotel The Balmoral has yet another reason for
incentive guests to stay, a brand bar. However, this is no ordinary bar, this is a whisky bar with the largest collection of purely Scottish whiskies in Edinburgh, Sláinte to Scotch! (Sláinte is a word translated as “health” in Gaelic and is commonly used as a drinking toast in Scotland).

When a member of the Balmoral’s team was asked for help in finding a good whisky bar, it occurred to them that what they believe is the most iconic building in Edinburgh, should be able to offer Scotland’s iconic product in house. Thus, Scotch was born. With over 400 whiskies available from across the regions of Speyside, Islay, Campbeltown, the Highlands and the Lowlands, there are a variety of blends, malts and vintages dating back to 1940 available. With this amazing bar Scotch now open within its historic walls, The Balmoral Hotel can now offer incentive guests an authentic space for whisky tastings. Or perhaps just a gorgeous place to enjoy Scotland’s national drink..….it would be rude not to!

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Passport Competition Revealed by MICEport

Gosford House, 16 miles from Edinburgh, UK.  In May 2010, Gosford opened its doors for Incentive and hospitality events, from Gala dinners for up to 100 in the Grand dining room to receptions for 400 in the Marble hall.

Gosford, the seat of the Earls of Wemyss and March, is set in 5,000 acres of combined coast and parkland in East Lothian on the south side of the Firth of Forth and close to the celebrated golf courses of Muirfield, Gullane and Craigielaw.

With so much space and with such a varied landscape there is no end to what Gosford House can offer:

• Large scale interactive Highland Games
• Clay pigeon shooting
• Rugby workshops
• Fly fishing
• Sea fishing Horse riding
• Golf clinics
• Falconry displays and handling
• Home baking classes
• Guided nature walks through the Estate and coastline

Hello Scotland is MICEport’s DMC in Scotland for North American Meeting and Incentive buyers. Email us for all your Incentive and Meeting needs from North America at inspireus@miceport.com.

 

AIBTM Chicago…Let’s Meet on Stand 763!

MICEport will be exhibiting at AIBTM next week in Chicago with their great DMC from Austria and Germany, Team Seefried, on Stand 763.

Come by and meet us on the MICEport stand.  We have a MICEport buyers incentive* in place; if you book and confirm a meeting, incentive or group with one of MICEport’s partners for 2013, 2014 or 2015, we will give you an ipad mini, ipad or a donation to the charity that MICEport is working with in the country you book the meeting, incentive or group.

MICEport’s DMC Partners are from Ireland (Wallace Travel Group), Scotland (Hello Scotland), Austria and Germany (Team Seefried), Italy (Studio ITER) and Spain (DMC Protocol). MICEport’s hotel partner in Ireland is Druids Glen Resort.

*This incentive is in place from June 2013 to December 2013 on booked and confirmed business through MICEport LLC.

 

Meet MICEport Partners at IMEX Frankfurt

Meet Scotland, Austria, Germany, Italy, Ireland & London

MICEport’s Partners will be at IMEX Frankfurt next week. Please make sure you drop by MICEport’s Partner stands or make an appointment, they will all be more than happy to see you.  

In the meantime we have attached a quick video on 

• Hello Scotland (Stand G200), 
• Studio ITER (Stand D030), 
• Team Seefried (Stand G170), 
• Wallace Travel Group (Stand F420), 
• Druids Glen Resort (Stand F420),
• London & Partners (Stand F400) 

If you would like to discuss your meeting or incentive needs from North America, MICEport’s President, Matthew, will be attending IMEX, email inspireus@miceport.com  

 

Meet MICEport’s Partners – IMEX Frankfurt

Meet MICEport’s fantastic partners at IMEX Frankfurt 21-23 May, 2013. You can make an appointment with MICEport’s Partners on the IMEX diary website:

Destination Management Companies (DMCs)

• Hello Scotland Scottish DMC  
  • Stand Number G200 – Meet Bill
• Studio ITER Italian DMC
  • Stand Number D030- Meet Roberto
• Team Seefried Austrian and German DMC
  • Stand Number G170 – Meet Jochen and Elke
• Wallace Travel Group Irish DMC
  • Stand Number F420 – Meet Derek

Hotel Companies

• Druids Glen Resort  Irish 5 star Golf Resort 
  • Stand Number F420 – Meet Aileen

Destinations

• London & Partners – Official Agency promoting the city of London 
  • Stand Number F400 – Meet Chris

MICEport’s President, Matthew McElroy, will be at IMEX on Tuesday and Wednesday and if you would like to meet with him please email inspireus@miceport.com.

 

MICEport’s DMC in Scotland – Going Wild With Luxury

2013 is VisitScotland’s ‘Year of Natural Scotland’ which is a chance to highlight Scotland’s great natural assets. The team at MICEport’s DMC in Scotland, Hello Scotland, have always promoted Scotland’s breathtaking landscapes and diverse wildlife; they want as many visitors to experience this amazing aspect for themselves.  However, they also appreciate that incentive groups expect a little indulgence too……thus Going Wild With Luxury!

Hello Scotland’s experienced team have created create a bespoke program that focuses on going WILD followed by a  large dose of LUXURY.  The question then being is ‘which activities to choose from?’

Go Wild with……. 4×4 Highland Safaris, Adventure Golf, Wheeled Frolics, Foraging For Your Own Dinner, Salmon Fishing on The Mighty Tay River and not to mention camping (or Glam-ping if you want a touch of comfort) or kayaking on one of Scotland’s mighty lochs.

With Luxury……..Sip Champagne on a Royal Yacht, Luxuriate in a Spa, Stay in an Exclusive Use Castle, Dine in a Michelin Star Restaurant, Discover Scotland in a Classic Car or even Blend your own  Malt Whisky to take home to impress family and friends.

Going Wild With Luxury is the perfect blend of primitive and pampering; contact MICEport (info@miceport.com) today to see how we can make your next incentive unique and memorable in Scotland.

 

Importance of Partnerships

MICEport recently undertook a FAM trip to Scotland with some fantastic MICE buyers from North America. This was MICEport’s first FAM trip with our Scottish DMC partner Hello Scotland.

The FAM was absolutely fantastic and I know that everyone in the group saw a different and unique side of Scotland thanks to the creativity of Hello Scotland.  We flew into Edinburgh from Newark Liberty International on our airline partner, United Airlines and returned via Glasgow on the amazing daily service. United’s flat bed BusinessFirst service really was phenomenal!

Our hotel partners on the FAM were The Balmoral Hotel in Edinburgh which was a fantastic 5 star property in the center of Edinburgh and Cameron House, another 5 star property, just outside Glasgow, which offered us a totally different luxurious experience.  This program enabled us to have a twin city program experience, which is ideal for the North American MICE market (You will be seeing more about these two great properties in the coming weeks).

Aside from the great experiences, which we will be writing about in the coming weeks, the key thing that came through from this FAM trip was the importance of great partnerships.  MICEport’s DMC in Scotland, Hello Scotland, has such strong relationships with all of the fantastic suppliers in Scotland that the FAM was a true success for everyone involved. It was clear to me that the importance of this great partnership between DMC and supplier is so crucial to make an incentive or meeting a success for the end client.

You will see more from our FAM trip in the coming weeks but in the meantime, have a look at our short video presentation.

Thank you once again to all the partners involved in this FAM trip but especially, Hello Scotland, United Airlines, The Balmoral Hotel and Cameron House.

 

Celebrate Scotland – Burns Night (January 25th)

Burns Night is in effect a second national day in Scotland.  It is celebrated on Robert Burns’ birthday, 25 January, with Burns suppers around the world, and is more widely observed in Scotland than the official national day, St. Andrew’s Day.

Robert Burns is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and he is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a light Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these his political or civil commentary is often at its bluntest.

The format of Burns suppers has changed little since:

• The basic format starts with a general welcome and announcements
• Followed with the Selkirk Grace (you can see Bill from Hello Scotland giving the Selkirk Grace here).

• After the grace comes the piping and cutting of the haggis, when Burns’s famous “Address to a Haggis” is read and the haggis is cut open.
• The event usually allows for people to start eating just after the haggis is presented.
• This is when the reading called the “immortal memory”, an overview of Burns’s life and work, is given.
• The event usually concludes with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne”.

Hello Scotland is MICEport’s DMC in Scotland.  If you would like to find out more about Hello Scotland and MICEport for your Group, Meeting or Incentive go to www.miceport.com or contact us