In your decision-making to attend our C&E Summit in August please consider the following:

Sessions

We are pleased to inform you that all keynote speakers and panelists detailed on our (updated) Summit website at http://www.polyu.edu.hk/htm/ces have reconfirmed their attendance at our new Summit date in August. We are also approaching further high profile international convention & exhibition industry professionals and academics to speak at the Summit who can offer the latest insights on the actual impacts on the convention & exhibition industry following SARS and the Iraq war. 

The first meeting of the DOME Academic Council will still be held in conjunction with the Convention & Expo Summit in Hong Kong � it has been scheduled for 30 August 2003. 

Following our previous Call for Papers we have accepted 30 research papers dealing with various aspects of convention, exhibition and event management from around the world, including Australia, China, Germany, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States  � the vast majority of accepted paper presenters have reconfirmed their attendance and presentation of papers at the Summit in August. 

Use of Advanced Conference Technology 

Advances in technology have great potential for conventions, especially in these uncertain times we live in. One of the key features of the Convention & Expo Summit will be webcasting to make the Summit available to a wider audience � this should be of interest not only to people who cannot join us due to scheduling conflicts but also to attendees who wish to expose their convention, exhibition and event management classes back home to a premier event. Furthermore, we have videoconferencing arrangements in place for one panelist who cannot come to Hong Kong due to hosting a major convention in the United States at the time. 

Flight and Hotel Specials

Airlines and hotels are likely to offer attractive prices in the coming months to encourage travel in general and to the region in particular. We will also approach individual hotels in close proximity of our conference venue, the InterContinental Grand Stanford, for special rates to offer a wider choice to Summit delegates.