Issue link: https://digital.meetinreykjavik.is/i/653841
1/26/2016 International Meetings | www.themeetingmagazines.com file:///S:/Marketing%20MIR/PR%20&%20Press/Articles%20on%20MiR/English/International%20Meetings%20_%20www.themeetingmagazines.com.html 6/8 Madrid came in at No. 11 on the Condé Nast Traveler list of best international cities for business travelers. It's the third largest metro area in Europe and was ranked by Eurostat as the continent's second safest capital. Madrid is a dynamic city with much to offer groups — year after year. According to the Madrid Convention Bureau, 13 new hotels and 24 new restaurants opened in the city from 2013–2014. Meeting space is diverse and includes such options as the lower level of the mega Apple store, which opened in 2014. Madrid is also home to four major convention and exhibition centers, 89 museums, 14 universities, 27 golf courses and lots of sunshine, making it an alluring meeting and incentive destination on multiple levels. Mexico — VATfree Mexico is meetings friendly. According to Visit Mexico, the country's tourism organization, there are 68 major convention and exposition centers across the country and 500,000 hotel rooms in more than 3,000 luxury hotels. It's also budgetfriendly. Meetings and conferences are exempt from the VAT tax, which equates to a 15 percent discount on a range of meeting services. Mexico is culturally rich, with 29,000 archaeological sites and 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And U.S. and Canadian citizens with a valid passport don't need a visa. In spite of news stories about cartel violence, the fact is that the violence is regionspecific, and there are no travel advisories in place for the vast majority of Mexican cities and resorts where meetings take place, including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Tulum, Riviera Nyarit, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Mazatlan, Mexico City and Leon. Scotland — Home of Golf The ultimate bucketlist destination for lovers of golf has to be in St. Andrews, the Home of Golf. While the immediate area boasts 11 courses, The Old Course Hotel offers corporate golf programs that include 18 holes of play, snacks, a main meal and an awards presentation. Located an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, the fivestar Gleneagles golf and spa resort offers three championship courses, including the Kings Course dating back to 1919. Gleneagles is converting one of its Activity School equestrian arenas into a nearly 27,000sf modern, multipurpose event space. Located within the hotel's 850acre estate, the venue will have capacity to cater up to 2,000 guests for concerts, launches and brandexperience events. Singapore — Golden Jubilee A citystate of remarkable diversity, Singapore's native population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan and Eurasian cultures, which can be seen in the food, art and architecture. 2015 marks Singapore's Golden Jubilee, its 50th year of independence. The celebration will feature significant events throughout the year, including the opening of the National Gallery of Singapore with its impressive collection of art, and the Jubilee Walk, a designated city walk with trail markers and new public artworks to commemorate Singapore at 50. Singapore is also business and meetingsavvy. Among its new programs is My Way in a Day, a digital game that introduces Singapore to the meetings sector to showcase the history, culture, food, heritage, new attractions and more, giving planners substantial information in a fun, easytoaccess way. Also new in the past year or so are eight hotels, giving planners plenty of options. C&IT