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Updates & tips
World-Class Celebration of Design in Helsinki
If you have an eye for and an appreciation of good design, consider visiting Helsinki, Finland, which has been named the World Design Capital for 2012 by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). Helsinki received this honor in recognition of its exemplary use of design in cultural, social and economic development. Hundreds of events will be held throughout the year in Helsinki, as well as in the Finnish cities of Espoo, Vantaa, Kaunijainen and Lahti. Stop by the Pavilion in Helsinki, the central meeting place for World Design Capital, located in the courtyard between the Museum of Finnish Architecture and the Design Museum. Through mid-September, the Pavilion will host workshops, lectures, and presentations by local and international artists and designers. The museums will also extend their displays into the courtyard. During “Design Week” in Helsinki in early September, programs will explore the implementation of social innovation through participative design. From September through December, food and design will come together in Helsinki’s old customs warehouse, which will feature farmers’ markets, pop-up restaurants and design events. In Lahti, trash will be turned into fashion and toy racing cars. A display of BMW art cars at the Espoo Museum of Modern Art is also among the many design exhibits visitors can see throughout the year. Several new structures will go up during the year, including a Chapel of Silence at Narinkka Square in Helsinki and a new public sauna – keeping an old Finnish custom very vibrant. An old rail yard will be transformed into an urban garden. Helsinki is within easy reach of two other Baltic Sea ports worth touring: charming Talinn, Estonia, and St. Petersburg, Russia, which is full of incomparable historic buildings, monuments, art and other treasures. A World Design Capital is named every two years, and the capital for 2014 will be another great destination: Cape Town, South Africa. To plan to visit Helsinki this year and Cape Town two years from now, talk with your travel professional.
Top Trends in Business Travel
68% of Travel Leaders agents say business clients are at least somewhat strict in their enforcement of travel policy in place for their business travelers. However, another 29% loosely enforce their policies, and 3% do not have travel policies. Typically air travel policies are most often enforced; employers are overall more lenient with hotel and car rental policies. The survey also showed that companies still reward their business travelers by allowing them to keep perks such as frequent flyer miles and loyalty reward points earned while traveling on business. All of the Travel Leaders agents surveyed said their clients are able to earn frequent flyer airline miles for their travel. 99% said their clients can earn loyalty reward points for their hotel stays; and 97% can earn loyalty reward points for their car rentals. This is a nice perk for business travelers and an easy way for companies to offer an additional bonus to employees. With a slow economy, this is one great way for companies to offer more to employees.If you are interested in more information about a corporate travel account, we can help! Call 800.842.0097 to speak with one of our corporate agents at Travel Leaders.
The Kennedy Center Turns 40
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., opened on September 8, 1971, and has hosted thousands of performances by great artists from across America and the world during the past 40 years. The center, located on 17 acres that overlook the Potomac River, is the nation’s busiest arts facility. The Kennedy Center has a place on any “must-see” list of Washington attractions, and more than three million people visit each year. Tours can be arranged in advance, and walk-in tours are available, too. Tours begin about every ten minutes between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on weekends. Tours of the Kennedy Center include the Hall of Nations, lined with Cararra marble; five of the center’s main theaters, including the Concert Hall and its 4,144-pipe organ; and the stunning Israeli Lounge. There are 20 Century works of art and crystal chandeliers gifted by Sweden, Norway and Austria. Tours also ascend to the center’s Roof Terrace restaurant, which has a breathtaking, 360-degree view of the nation’s capital. As part of its commitment to enabling everyone to enjoy the arts, the Kennedy Center has a Specially Priced Tickets program for students, seniors, people who have disabilities, enlisted military personnel and other people who have fixed low incomes. The Kennedy Center also offers more than 400 free performances – at least one per day – each year. The Kennedy Center presents a diverse and wide-ranging program of music, dance, theater and multi-media performances. For example, in the coming months, the center will host the National Ballet of China, the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and a tribute to comedian Will Ferrell. The schedule also has performances by the National Symphony Orchestra, the NSO Pops, and noted pianists, jazz musicians, chamber groups and folk musicians. You can even attend the annual Kennedy Center Honors, a glittering event held each year to recognize luminaries in the performing arts for their contributions to American culture. Tickets for all Kennedy Center events are easy to purchase online, or you can visit the box office after you arrive in Washington. For more things to do during your visit to the nation’s capital, talk with your travel professional.