Belgian MICE expert speaks at fourth Team Bahrain meeting

Joyce Dogniez, director of Global Training Practice at Meeting Professionals International (MPI) – Europe, Middle East & Africa Chapter (EMEA) delivered a presentation entitled, Defining the Meeting Management Profession, at the fourth meeting of Team Bahrain, which recently convened at Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC).

Team Bahrain is an initiative of Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority (BECA) to bring together all companies relating to promoting Bahrain. It is comprised of more than 50 representatives from Bahrain’s business and leisure tourism sectors.

“BECA is delighted to elevate the strategic importance of meetings by holding this presentation for the local Meetings, Incentives, Conventions, and Exhibitions (MICE) community,” said Hassan Jaffer Mohamed, CEO – BECA. “BECA’s mandate, in line with the National Economic Strategy 2009–2014, includes the improvement of Bahrain’s supporting infrastructure for MICE. By serving as the driving force behind Team Bahrain events and facilitating a forum that can improve the standing of local meeting professionals within their organizations, BECA is able to fulfill its remit as the country’s forerunner business tourism authority.”

This was the second visit of Ms. Dogniez, a Belgian meetings professional, to Bahrain, having visited the destination for the first time in 2006. She has a Certification in Meeting Management (CMM) from MPI and was nominated Planner of the Year by MPI’s Belgian Chapter in 2005; she became the president-elect of the Chapter in the same year.

“I am excited to be back in Bahrain. From my perspective, it is fascinating to see the tremendous work that has been done in terms of positioning the country as a destination. Bahrain has rapidly developed in three years with bigger events such as the Formula One Grand Prix and the forth-coming Bahrain Air Show that the destination is hosting certainly put Bahrain on the map,” said Ms. Dogniez.

Says Karin Andrews, director – Incentive Sales at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Hotel & Spa, one of Team Bahrain’s private sector organizations: “We are delighted to be among the pioneers of Team Bahrain which represents a group of organizations with similar standards dedicated to the business and leisure tourism industry.”

MPI is the meeting and event industry’s largest and most vibrant global community with more than 24,000 meeting professionals belonging to 71 chapters and clubs worldwide. It represents more than 11,000 planners spending more than US$10 billion per year. MPI’s international headquarters is located in Dallas, Texas, with offices in Doha, Luxembourg, Toronto, and Singapore.