Marienburg Castle,Potsdam – Historic Beer Garden

Air New Zealand orders up to
12 ATR 72-600s
The airline is the largest ATR operator in the Pacific region
Air New Zealand and European regional aircraft manufacturer
ATR have announced the order of 7 firm new generation ATR
72-600s, plus options for 5 additional aircraft. The deal,
subject to contract signing, is at list prices valued at more
than US$ 270 million, including options.The first of the 68
seat ATR72-600 aircraft will be delivered to Air
New Zealand in October 2012. Deliveries will be completed in
2016.
The airline, based in Auckland, New Zealand, currently
operates 11 ATR 72-500 aircraft through its subsidiary
carrier, Mount Cook Airline. Today’s announcement of 7 firm
orders and options for a further 5 aircraft potentially
doubles the company’s current ATR fleet, when all the options
will be exercised.
Rob Fyfe, Chief Executive Officer of Air New Zealand, said:
“The ATR 72-500 has been a core part of our extensive regional
operations inNew Zealand since 1999. It has proven to be very
popular with our customers and very cost-effective to operate.
“We now need to expand our fleet, not only to add frequencies
on existing routes but to step up from smaller aircraft types.
We know the ATR product well, and after careful consideration
of several options, we believe this is the most costeffective, environmentally conscious, and customer-friendly
aircraft available in its market segment.”
Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive Officer of ATR, said: “It is
always exciting to secure a new customer for our aircraft. But
it is an even greater endorsement of ATR when a major, world
class airline that has been a long-term ATR customer returns
to place new orders. Air New Zealandfirst started operating
ATRs in 1994 and has operated the ATR 72-500 since 1999, and
we are delighted that as a continuation of our long
partnership, the airline has again selected our aircraft.
“The ATR 72-600s chosen by Air New Zealand will be configured
to seat 68 passengers, featuring our stylized new Armonia
cabin interior, with improved seating and larger overhead
bins. They are the ideal aircraft for Air New Zealand’s next
phase of domestic growth, and as the greenest airliner of its
size in the market today, the ATR 72-600 will not only offer
lower operating costs than similar-sized aircraft, but also
have minimal impact on New Zealand’s environment.”
About the ATR 72-600
Passenger capacity: 68-74 seats
Engines: Pratt & Whitney 127M
Maximum power at take-off: 2,750 horse power per engine
Maximum weight at take-off: 23,000 Kg
Maximum load: 7,500 Kg
Maximum range with full passenger load: 899 nautical miles
(1,665 Km)
About Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand is recognised as one of the world’s leading
airlines and has been recognized with more than two dozen
awards in 2011 alone for its service and products. Air New
Zealand delivers uniquely Kiwi journeys to more than 12
million passengers who fly to, from and withinNew Zealand each
year. The airline operates more than 4000 flights each week,
connecting customers to 27 destinations within New Zealandand
to
Australia,
the Pacific Islands, China, Japan, Canada, USA and the United
Kingdom
www.airnz.co.nz
Formed in 1981, ATR has grown to become a leading manufacturer
of 50 to 74 seat regional turboprop aircraft, has sold more
than 1,200 aircraft and has 175 operators in 94 countries. ATR
operators have accumulated more than 21 million flights. ATR
is a joint venture and equal partnership between major
European aerospace companies Alenia Aeronautica (a
Finmeccanica company) and EADS. Its headquarters are
inToulouse, France. ATR is certified ISO 14001, the worldwide
standard for environmental management and sustainability.
For more information, visit www.atraircraft.com
La
SNCM
ouvre
déjà
les
réservations de l’été 2012
pour la Corse et la Sardaigne
Le 13 octobre dernier, la compagnie de ferries SNCM a ouvert,
avant ses concurrents, les réservations 2012 pour les liaisons
vers la Corse et la Sardaigne, au départ de Marseille. Ces
réservations concernent la période du 1er avril au 11 novembre
2012.
Sur l’ensemble de son offre, la SNCM maintient la même
capacité de transport et des tarifs aussi attrayants qu’en
2011. La SNCM lance cette campagne avec une réduction Prima
Corsa de -55%, qui est largement disponible pour les
réservations précoces.
Exemple de prix Prima Corsa 55%
Sur la base d’une réservation pendant une période bleue, pour
deux adultes, deux enfants et une voiture de cat. A2.
au départ de Marseille, lors d’une traversée de nuit
vers Bastia, en cabine confortable avec fenêtre (A4E) :
169,96 € = 42,49 € par personne.
au départ de Nice, lors d’une traversée de jour vers Ile
Rousse, sans cabine : 110,65 € = 27,67 € par personne.
Lors de la réservation, il est possible de réserver également
d’autres services :
prépaiement des repas pour éviter d’attendre à bord et
pour bénéficier des formules avantageuses,
élargissement de l’assurance annulation,
embarquement prioritaire, sans temps d’attente.
Renseignements et réservations:
* SNCM, Galeries AGORA, Rue du Marché aux Herbes 105/boîte 10,
1000 Bruxelles
*
Tél.
02-5490880,
Fax
02-513
4137,
courriel [email protected]
* www.sncm.be
* Les agents de voyage peuvent réserver par l’intermédiaire du
nouveau site Internet professionnel de la SNCM, appelé SEAWEB,
ou par le biais d’Amadeus. Pour plus d’informations à ce sujet
ou pour recevoir le lien SEAWEB, veuillez prendre contact
via [email protected]
A Swiss sanctuary straight
from the heart Nira Alpina
opens 30 November 2011
This winter a new attraction will open on Switzerland’s
spectacular slopes – Nira Alpina, a glass-and-timber-built
mountain sanctuary from award-winning hotelier MPS Puri and
the only one in the Engadin Valley to offer guests a true ski
in, ski out experience. With spectacular views over Lake
Silvaplana, just five kilometers from St. Moritz in the small
hamlet of Surlej, the hotel’s enviable position is certain to
make it a year-round destination for young couples, families,
ski fanatics and outdoor adventurers.
Nestled into the mountainside, with a private, glassed-in
covered walkway leading straight to the adjacent Corvatsch
cable car, guests have quick and easy access to the mountain
peaks, allowing them to reach virgin powder snow before the
crowds. Inside, panoramic views illuminate a variety of
intimate and cozy spaces that welcome guests to relax and
unwind after a day exploring the pistes. Two restaurants treat
diners to local Swiss favorites as well as international
cuisine using fresh, local ingredients. Puri’s food and
beverage expertise is evident throughout the hotel’s offerings
at the two restaurants, from classic Engadin-style dishes at
Stalla Veglia restaurant, to bread and pastries, baked fresh
daily at the in-house Bakery. Several chill-out areas and a
stylish bar, with cigar lounge, outdoor terrace for starlit
dining and central open fireplace, offer stunning views of the
surrounding valley.
www.designhotels.com/nira_alpina
Spacious Rooms and High-Spec Design
Boasting 70 rooms, all with a balcony, terrace or garden
space, guests can make the most of the surrounding nature and
fresh mountain air. Throughout the layered wooden building,
modern minimalism sits comfortably alongside traditional local
materials such as wood and granite. All rooms have floor-toceiling windows and offer an eclectic interior design with the
latest technology such as iPod docks and HD TVs. Under the
wood-paneled headboards, cotton sheets and pillows made by
Swiss firm Schwob, pioneers of organically grown cotton,
invite guests to snuggle up and relax. For families or larger
groups there are 14 connecting rooms and 10 large junior
suites, all decorated with local Swiss artifacts.
Genuine Hospitality in the Heart of the Mountains
Throughout the year the hotel offers a warm, personalized
service that comes from the heart. During winter the hotel’s
Bakery will serve gourmet sandwiches for skiers eager to spend
the day on the slopes, while children on the nursery slopes
enjoy homemade cupcakes. A well-stocked library, complete with
a range of Taschen books, can be found on a mezzanine level.
Decorated with cowhide rugs and decked out with deep leather
armchairs this space is the perfect place to unwind.
For adults looking for some pampering, the Nira Spa promotes
well-being through a range of innovative and authentic
treatments such as a Swiss chocolate body wrap. The relaxation
room, striking mosaic-lined whirlpool with underwater beds and
large sauna guarantee a luxury spa haven. Treatment rooms are
available for clay wraps, sports and hot stone massages,
exfoliation treatments, pedicures and manicures year round. A
gym fitted out with the latest technogym equipment is also
available.
To ensure guests fully explore the area a shuttle service is
on hand to run guests to Surlej, Silvaplana and nearby St.
Moritz where the designer shops provide high end retail
therapy. Underground parking is available for guests who can
check in separately and benefit from direct access to the
mountain.
A Place to Inspire
Nira Alpina is also a place for brainstorming, meeting with
clients or for the ultimate incentive weekend away. The
hotel’s conference room opens out onto a terrace and can
accommodate up to 100 delegates.
Location
Sitting atop the village of Silvaplana, Nira Alpina is a
gateway to some of Switzerland’s highest mountains. Surrounded
by hills and lakes the location also has summer appeal, with
hiking and biking trails, windsurfing, sailing and canoeing on
offer.
Travelport
agreement
and
SAS
renew
Leading Scandinavian airline to continue providing full fares
and inventory to Worldspan and Galileo
Travelport, the business services provider to the global
travel industry, announces the renewal of a full content
agreement with SAS –Scandinavia’s leading airline.
SAS – Scandinavian Airlines System – is the flag carrier of
Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the largest airline across
Scandinavia, operating 159 aircraft to 93 destinations in
Scandinavia, Europe, the US and Asia.
The new multi-year contract ensures that Travelport’s 65,000
connected travel agency customers worldwide using the Galileo
and Worldspan platforms will continue to have access to SAS’
full inventory and range of fares. The new deal also includes
a common framework to provide enhanced SAS functionality to
Travelport’s travel agents, such as the addition of
merchandising services, online check-in and participation in
the Travelport Rapid Reprice efficiency product.
Robin Kamark, Chief Commercial Officer at SAS commented:
“Travelport has provided great support and leading solutions
to serve our business for 18 years now and we are most happy
to take this partnership forward. With an extensive footprint
of travel agencies worldwide, we expect to continue to benefit
from this global business and look forward to working with
Travelport in the future.”
Mathias Andersson, Country Manager for Travelport in the
Nordics added: “We have had a very positive partnership with
SAS for many years and this new agreement enables us to
continue supporting SAS’ global distribution needs and also
work together to introduce innovative new technology and
merchandising services to benefit connected travel agency
customers in the Nordic region and beyond.”
Hahn Air inaugure ses centres
émetteurs de billets «Hahn
Air
City
and
Airport
Ticketing Centres»
Hahn Air a annoncé la mise en route des «Hahn Air City and
Airport Ticketing Centres». Les agences de voyage peuvent
désormais s’inscrire à ce réseau afin de bénéficier de
différents services proposés par Hahn Air.
Toute
agence
de
voyage
qui
s’enregistre
sur www.hahnair.com bénéficiera de nombreux avantages, dont un
second « Your Rooster » pour 365 jours (qui débarrasse d’un
ADM), des nouvelles et informations en avant-première, des
invitations à des séminaires et événements au centre de
formation Hahn Air en Allemagne, un profil personnalisé de
l’agence de voyage sur le site Internet de Hahn Air, l’accès
au futur portail de réservation ainsi qu’à son moyen de
paiement, la carte virtuelle HR UATP Corporate Card.
S’inscrire aux Hahn Air Ticketing Centres est facile, rapide
et gratuit. Si l’agence de voyage est déjà enregistrée, il
suffit de mettre à jour le profil existant en ajoutant
quelques informations supplémentaires ; si l’agence de voyage
n’est pas encore inscrite, il faut s’enregistrer au préalable.
Toutes les agences inscrites au cercle de qualité mondial Hahn
Air avant fin 2011 participeront automatiquement à des
loteries mensuelles, où elles pourront gagner jusqu’à € 1 000
de crédit pour la carte UATP Corporate Hahn Air.
A propos de Hahn Air
Hahn Air est l’expert en billetterie d’exploitation, qui gère
la plate-forme universelle E-Ticketing leader du marché pour
plus de 250 compagnies aériennes à travers le monde, en
utilisant n’importe quel GDS sur plus de 190 marchés (non)
BSP et ARC. Pour de plus amples informations, veuillez
consulter notre site internet www.hahnair.com
Connecter avec Hahn Air sur Facebook Hahn Air Lines GmbH |
Facebook
Suivre Hahn Air sur Twitter @HahnAirLines
Souscrire à Hahn Air sur YouTube YouTube – Kanal von
TravelAgentMartin
59% des enfants ont peur de
la mort
D’après une enquête réalisée par Listen et Wide pour Walibi à
l’occasion d’Halloween, le top 5 des peurs des enfants est la
peur de la mort : la mort des parents (59%), la mort des
grands-parents (21%) et la mort dans l’absolu (50%). Viennent
compléter ce top 5 : l’abandon par les parents (19%) et avoir
un accident (17%). L’enquête ne souligne pas de différence
particulière entre filles et garçons, si ce n’est que les
filles ont plus facilement peur des insectes et des araignées,
tandis que les garçons ont plus facilement peur de l’abandon
par les parents. Halloween ne fait pas partie des grandes
peurs des enfants.
D’après Stéphanie Gallo, psychologue – psychothérapeute, «
l’angoisse sous-jacente à toutes ces peurs est souvent la peur
de la séparation».
Les peurs principales des enfants vues par les parents
Les parents pensent, quant à eux, que les enfants ont peur de
ne pas avoir assez d’amis (12% pour les parents d’enfants de
3-5 ans et 54% chez les parents d’enfants de 12-14 ans) et
d’être l’objet de moqueries (14% contre 42%, respectivement
pour les parents d’enfants de 3-5 ans et de 12-14 ans).
Ainsi, certaines peurs (ex. : le manque d’intégration
scolaire) gagnent en importance avec l’âge tandis que d’autres
(les peurs imaginaires : monstres et fantômes, bruits
violents, animaux dangereux, etc.) perdent en importance avec
l’âge. Pour les parents, Halloween ne fait que rarement partie
des grandes peurs des enfants (entre 1 et 6% des enfants en
fonction de l’âge). Par contre, la peur du noir et de
l’obscurité reste bien présente jusqu’à 12 ans (20%).
Différences entre la perception des parents et la réalité chez
les enfants
Ce qui est intéressant, c’est qu’il y a une discordance entre
la perception des parents et la réalité chez les enfants au
niveau de l’importance de certains thèmes. Les parents sousestiment cette peur de la mort et de la perte d’un parent chez
leurs enfants, tandis qu’ils surestiment les moqueries, le
fait d’être seul et le manque d’intégration sociale. Par
contre, Halloween est un sujet pour lesquels les parents et
les enfants ont la même perception. « Cet événement permet de
dédramatiser, d’offrir un contexte ludique, contrôlé et
rassurant pour les enfants » commente la psychologue –
psychothérapeute Stéphanie Gallo. « Halloween est un événement
qui peut aider les enfants à mettre un visage palpable à la
mort » ajoute-t- elle.
Les vecteurs de communication des peurs
Les grands vecteurs de communication des peurs sont assez
similaires pour les enfants et les parents : la plupart du
temps, les peurs viennent naturellement, en fonction de l’âge
des enfants. Chez les plus jeunes enfants, la famille (frères,
sœurs et parents) occupe un rôle plus déterminant dans la
transmission des peurs. Dès 6 ans, l’influence des médias et
des amis prend davantage d’importance. Les parents, pour leur
part, ont tendance à sous-estimer leur propre influence dans
la transmission des peurs à leurs enfants.
Comment font les parents pour aider leurs enfants à surmonter
leurs peurs ?
Trois méthodes principales ressortent de l’enquête et ce,
toutes tranches d’âge confondues : tandis que les mamans
encouragent leurs enfants à exprimer leurs peurs (cité dans 37
à 49% des cas), les papas ont plutôt tendance à rationaliser,
à expliquer les phénomènes (de 30 à 34% des cas). Enfin, les
parents aident leurs enfants à accepter les peurs, qui font
partie de la vie. Les parents n’évoquent pas le fait d’éviter
les circonstances qui génèrent la peur comme outil pour les
surmonter.
Le rôle de la peur et les peurs agréables
Au travers de cette enquête, on remarque que le rôle de la
peur dans le développement de l’enfant est surtout de lui
faire franchir des étapes, de lui apprendre à se dépasser et à
se protéger face au danger. Dans cet esprit, les « peurs
agréables » jouent un rôle important. Les activités agréables
mais qui font peur citées dans cette enquête sont assez
similaires chez les enfants et chez les parents, à savoir :
les attractions (préférées dans 38 à 55% des parents, toutes
catégories d’âge confondues) et regarder un film effrayant
(28%). Ensuite, certaines activités plaisent surtout aux plus
jeunes : plonger dans l’eau (surtout les 3-5 ans), se cacher
dans le noir (jusqu’à 8 ans surtout) et Halloween (surtout
jusqu’à 9 ans, tout en restant présent jusqu’à 13 ans). Enfin,
certaines activités sont surtout appréciées par les plus
grands, à savoir : les jeux de piste et autres jeux dans la
forêt (à partir de 7 ans) et les films d’horreur (qui
dépassent les 25% dès 9 ans).
Winter timetable 2011-2012 :
Brussels Airlines increases
frequencies to Moscow
During the upcoming winter season, Brussels Airlines will
increase its flight frequency between Brussels Airport and
Moscow’s Domodedovo airport. From the end of October onwards
Brussels Airlines will connect the Russian Capital ten times a
week with Brussels. Other highlights of the winter timetable
are the new destinations Bamako, Agadir and Marrakech who
appear for the first time in Brussels Airlines winter
schedule.
Till the month of June Brussels Airlines was operating seven
weekly flights to Moscow Domodedovo. Since then an eighth
weekly frequency has been added. Starting this winter season,
two more weekly frequencies will be offered. In total,
Brussels Airlines will then offer 10 weekly flights between
the European capital airport and Domodedovo. The flight
increase has been made possible thanks to an expansion of the
bilateral aviation agreement between Belgium and Russia. Also
the growing market demand justifies the frequency increase.
The additional frequencies are scheduled on Sunday, Tuesday
and Thursday with a late evening departure from Brussels
Airport and an early morning return from Moscow on Monday,
Wednesday and Friday. All these flights connect smoothly at
Brussels Airport with European and African services of
Brussels Airlines.
The
new
winter
timetable
also
contains
new
Africa
destinations. Bamako (Mali), a destination that Brussels
Airlines is connecting twice weekly since September, pops up
for the very first time in the winter schedule. Also Agadir
and Marrakech are newcomers in the winter timetable.
During the upcoming winter season, Brussels Airlines will
operate larger aircraft with additional seat capacity on
several routes. Flights to Hamburg, Berlin, Geneva,
Copenhagen, Vienna, London Heathrow and Tel Aviv are upgraded
thanks to the fleet replacement programme whereby some Boeing
737 and AVRO RJ aircraft are replaced by larger Airbus A
319/320 aircraft equipped with new ergonomic seats that offer
more leg space.
On several routes like for example Athens and Lisbon, Brussels
Airlines adjusts the timing of its flights resulting in
improved connection possibilities with other flights.
Due to lower market demand on typical summer destinations,
some destinations are suspended this winter. Flights to
Seville are operated till the 13th of November, Naples and
Catania till the 6th of November. On some other routes
frequencies have changed in order to adapt seat capacity to
the lower market demand during the winter or the weekend days.
On a weekly basis, Brussels Airlines operates this winter 712
return flights.
Winterseizoen
2011-2012:
Brussels Airlines verhoogt
vluchtfrekwenties naar Moskou
Vanaf het winterseizoen, dat eind oktober van start gaat,
verhoogt Brussels Airlines haar vluchtfrekwenties tussen
Brussels Airport en Moskou Domodedovo luchthaven. Brussels
Airlines zal voortaan tien keer per week de Russische
hoofdstad verbinden met Brussel. Nieuwkomers in de nieuwe
winterdienstregeling zijn Bamako (Mali) en de Marokkaanse
bestemmingen Agadir en Marrakech.
Tot de junimaand vloog Brussels Airlines zeven keer per week
naar Moskou Domodedovo. Sindsdien werd een achtste frekwentie
toegevoegd aan het aanbod. Vanaf het winterseizoen worden nog
twee bijkomende vluchten gelanceerd. Brussels Airlines zal
vanaf dan tien keer per week vliegen tussen Moskou Domodedovo
en Brussels Airport. De nieuwe vluchten zijn mogelijk geworden
dankzij de uitbreiding van het bilateraal luchtvaartakkoord
tussen België en Rusland enerzijds en de toegenomen marktvraag
anderzijds.
De bijkomende frekwenties zijn gepland op zondag-, dinsdag- en
donderdagavond met een laatavond vertrek in Brussel en een
vroeg ochtendvertrek op maandag-, woensdag- en vrijdagochtend
vanuit Moskou. De uurregeling laat vlotte connecties toe via
Brussel Airport naar talrijke andere Brussels Airlines
bestemmingen in Europa en Afrika.
In de winterdienstregeling prijken ook nieuwe Afrika
bestemmingen. Bamako (Mali) wordt sinds 7 september twee keer
per week rechtstreeks aangevlogen door Brussels Airlines en is
de 21ste bestemming op het Afrikaanse kontinent. Ook Marrakech
en Agadir zijn nieuwe Brussels Airlines winterbestemmingen.
Een andere nieuwigheid van de winterdiensteregeling 2011-2012
is dat Brussels Airlines in vergelijking met het winterseizoen
2010-2011 op talrijke routes grotere vliegtuigtypes met meer
zetelcapaciteit inzet. Dat is ondermeer het geval voor de
lijndiensten naar Hamburg, Berlijn, Geneve, Kopenhagen, Wenen,
Londen Heathrow en Tel Aviv. Deze zetelgroei is mogelijk
dankzij de vlootvervanging waarbij enkele Boeing 737 en AVRO
Jets werden vervangen door grotere Airbus A 319 en Airbus A
320 toestellen. Deze Airbus vliegtuigen zijn uitgerust met
nieuwe ergonomischezetels die meer beenruimte garanderen.
Op talrijke routes verbetert ook de uurrgeling zodat nog
vlottere
combinaties
met
andere
Brussels
Airlinesvluchtenmogelijkworden.Datisondermeerhetgeval
metdedagelijksevluchtennaar Athene en Lissabon.
Omwille van de lage marktvraag worden enkele lijndiensten naar
typische zomerse zonbestemmingen niet aangeboden. De route
naar Sevilla wordt geopereerd tot 13 november.
Catania en Napels worden aangevlogen tot 6 november. Op andere
routes zijn er ook frekwentiewijzigingen omwille van de lagere
vraag tijdens het weekend of tijdens het winterseizoen.
Brussels Airlines
retourvluchten
opereert
deze
winter
wekelijks
712
Jobs’ biography sets records
for Taiwan publisher
Taipei, Oct. 24 (CNA) Commonwealth Publishing Group, the
exclusive Taiwanese publisher of Apple Inc. co-founder Steve
Jobs’ biography, said Monday when the book first hit store
shelves that its production had already set several “firsts.”
It was the first time in Commonwealth Publishing’s three
decades in business that it had signed a confidentiality
agreement with an author from the early stages of copyright
negotiations. The agreement not only covered the company’s
management, editors, translators, and marketing people, but
also contractors such as printing houses, binderies and
distributors. The publisher was also forced to use more
contractors to produce the book than it had ever used on a
project before, relying on 18 printing houses, binderies and
others to meet the huge number of pre-orders. Local pre-orders
of the Chinese edition have surged to 220,000 copies in the 19
days since Jobs’ death on Oct. 5, according to the company. It
usually takes a single printing house and bindery a year to
produce 10,000 copies of a bestselling book. “Since we
obtained the rights to the Chinese-language edition in March
this year, it has taken 110 days as well as the efforts of
three translators and seven editors to publish the biography,”
said Daisy Yu, deputy managing editor at Commonwealth
Publishing, at a press conference to introduce the new book.
“But it’s been worth it to see the result,” she added. The
company’s first printing run of 220,000 copies are expected to
be sold out this week, and the book is expected to sell
300,000 copies in the first two months, said Commonwealth
Marketing Director Sherry Lee. The television commercial
filmed for the book was also a first for Commonwealth
Publishing. The production of the commercial was finished
within 18 hours after Apple announced Jobs’ death on Oct. 6,
and it was to be aired Monday night on local television, hours
after the biography became available in local stores. The
Chinese-language version of Jobs’ biography went on sale in
Taiwan at 7 a.m., with people lining up outside an Eslite
bookstore in Taipei at least an hour ahead of time. The large
bookstore chain said it was offering free apples and appleshaped notepaper at 12 of its outlets to the first 100 people
who showed up Monday dressed in black turtlenecks, Jobs’
signature outfit. Kingstone, another leading bookstore chain
in Taiwan, said its outlets also opened at 7 a.m. on Monday
for the first time in three decades rather than the normal 10
a.m. The book, titled “Steve Jobs: A Biography” was written by
Walter Isaacson based on more than 40 interviews with Jobs
over a period of two years, as well as interviews with his
family, friends and colleagues. (By Jeffrey Wu)
Successful Conclusion of IPI
World Congress 2011 Taiwan’s
Hosting
Ability
Highly
Praised
by
International
Media
The International Press Institute (IPI)’s 60th World Congress
was held at the Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei
from September 24 to 27, 2011. Close to 300 mainstream media
and journalists from approximately 50 countries congregated
for the third World Congress held in Asia in IPI’s 60-year
history, and the second time it has been held in Taiwan. For
most members, this was their first trip to Taiwan, and they
were impressed by Taiwan’s free news environment, high
technology, and hospitality.
Conscientious Crisis Management Mechanism
Enhances Taiwan’s Overall Image
Added emphasis was placed on crisis management this year due
to health and medical care issues among some of the
participants. The organizer had notified the hotel’s permanent
medical staff and nearby hospitals in advance, so that any
emergency could be taken care of immediately. An incident of
another sort occurred when Shatha Al-Harazi, a human rights
journalist for the Yemen Times, encountered problems when her
flight from Sana’a, Yemen had been grounded due to a riot.
After emergency handling, she was able to arrive in Taiwan
successfully.
Before this year’s Congress, in the six decades since the IPI
was formed, only two World Congresses were held in Asia, once
in India, and once in Taiwan. IPI Director Alison Bethel
McKenzie visited Taiwan for the first time and was impressed
by the organizing staff’s expertise, the hospitality of the
Taiwanese people, and the vitality of the city. She even
indicated a desire to stay for two more days and said
humorously, “I suggest we should move the headquarters to
Taipei!” CNN correspondent Jim Clancy also said, “For the past
several days, I believe all participants can appreciate that
although Taiwan is a small island, it is nonetheless a big
world full of energy. I personally think that Taiwan is an
extremely worthwhile place to explore in depth.”
Witnessing Taiwan’s Technological Prowess
Experiencing Diverse Culture
The theme of the 60th IPI World Congress was: The Asian Media
Century? 21st Century Developments from New Technologies to
Press Freedom. Booths were set up by ITRI and several
Taiwanese technology firms, exhibiting the ultra-thin flexible
speakers from the Taipei International Flora Expo’s Dream
Pavilion and cutting edge i2R e-Paper. In addition, the United
Daily News also exhibited new technology which integrates
print with electronic audio/visual technology, where one
simply has to download the specified cell phone app and point
at a newspaper picture to view the video file of that news
item.
The first Financial Reporting Workshop to be held in Taiwan
involved the invitation of globally renowned finance reporters
from the Financial Times, Fortune Magazine, Bloomberg News and
Reuters as speakers. Journalists from major print and
electronic media in Taiwan as well as media groups from as far
afield as Bangladesh participated. Numerous people from the
financial services industry and academia flocked to the event
to absorb new knowledge and take advantage of the rare
opportunity to interact with international media.
The organizer paid extra attention to the banquet
arrangements. The first welcoming banquet was held at Taipei’s
finest example of historical architecture, the Taipei Guest
House, while the other was held at the National Theater, where
the participants were treated to a Cloud Gate performance, so
that the international media were able to appreciate Taiwan’s
culture and art in depth, as well as the diverse urban
imagery.