Berlin, November 2008 - Full speed ahead for all bookings: Grafenstein is to create a sales competition and street event on behalf of Thalys, operator of the European high-speed train. The aim of the advertising campaign is to mobilise all available sales potential during the last quarter of the year. These will be the first in a number of advertising measures which Grafenstein will put into place for Thalys.

Starting on 15th October 2008, a street event addressed customers directly and set the centre of Cologne - the main station for departures from Germany - against a background of the high-speed train. During the event, 2,400 crusty baguettes were delivered, wrapped in the Thalys design and subsequently distributed in Cologne. The aim was to advertise train connections between Cologne and the French capital.

At the beginning of November, Deutsche Bahn Travel Centers will participate in a sales competition which comprises an elaborate calendar of events: To recapture the image of the Thalys train, this was divided into separate carriages and promises the finest Belgian chocolates for every competition day used productively. This method serves as a daily reminder of the high-speed train to counter staff while, at the same time, advertising the advantages of Thalys. Members of staff of the Travel Center with the most bookings each receive an iPod shuffle - a product which, like Thalys, speaks for innovation, user-friendliness and clear design.

Berlin, November 2008 – Until Christmas, Grafenstein’s meeting room will be quite packed. The reason: This year, the Berlin agency acts as a collection point for the charity "Christmas in a shoe box". This is done in support of an initiative, which, since 1996, helps children in Eastern Europe to enjoy the festive season. "We have also decided to cut the amount of presents intended for our customers and instead pay for the postage as well," says Frank Grafenstein, Managing Director of the company.

The idea behind "Christmas in a shoe box" works as follows: If you would like to take part in the nationwide campaign, you fill an empty shoe box with toys, sweets or other practical items such as a toothbrush, hat, gloves, exercise books etc. – either for a girl or a boy. You then decorate the box with gift wrapping and take it to the nearest collection point.

Grafenstein is responsible for the area around Kaunstraße in the Berlin district of Zehlendorf. There, the boxes are checked by members of staff for the right criteria, i.e. replacing perishable goods with small toys. Then, the finished boxes are collected and sent on their voyage to many Eastern parts of Europe.

In 2007, 472,880 shoe boxes from Germany, Austria and Switzerland were distributed among children in need in Eastern Europe. Today, many people still live below the poverty line in Moldova, Romania and the Ukraine. For many kids, the shoe boxes are the first present they receive in their lives.

For more information on collection points all over Germany and details on what to put into the shoe boxes, go to: www.geschenke-der-hoffnung.org.

Berlin, November 2008 - Since October 2008, marketing specialist Ilse Jansen has been part of the international team of Berlin agency Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung GmbH. Born in the Netherlands, the 36-year-old will act as Account Manager for the Scandinavian and Benelux markets and, together with Key Account Manager Melanie Gingold, look after the Visit Britain account, conducting their media and online campaigns for the German, French and Dutch markets.

Before joining Grafenstein, Jansen worked for Sara Lee International in Holland. In her capacity as International Innovations Manager she was responsible for the various brands of tea and coffee importers, Douwe Egberts. Prior to that, she worked for seven years as Marketing Manager for the drinks and food industry in Norway.

Following her joint masters degree in Communication Management at the Artevelde Hogeschool in Ghent and the University of Nijmegen, Jansen took her first assignment as Marketing Researcher with the Market Research Institute, TNS Gallup, followed by the Norwegian telecommunications services provider Telenor in Oslo. In 1999, Jansen joined Carlsberg Breweries as Brand Manager for soft and fitness drinks, part of the Scandinavian Orkla Corporation. In 2004, she took the position of Nordic Marketing Manager for food supplements at Orkla, before deciding to go back to Sara Lee International in Holland.

Berlin, August 2008 – Recently, two new follow-up seminars of the successful Portugal E-learning issued by the Portuguese Tourist Board have gone online: “Portuguese language course for travel agents” and “Portugal’s most beautiful beaches.” Following on from the basic seminar, they contain many useful practical hints providing consultants with the required back-up for their sales.



The seminar entitled “Portuguese language course” offers compact knowledge about the origins and peculiarities of the Portuguese language, plus the most common pronunciation rules. With the help of an audio dictionary, agents can listen to place names, terms and phrases and learn their correct pronunciation in Portuguese – a language not immediately accessible for German speakers, which has to be a bonus during any sales talk!



The course entitled “Portugal’s most beautiful beaches” introduces the best-known beaches situated on the mainland, the island of Madeira and the Azores. A table offers detailed information about more than 250 beaches, providing facts and figures such as length of the beach, water temperatures, water sports on offer, parasol hire, suitability for families and any access restrictions.

Would you like to sample either or both these courses? Then log on to the website www.portugal-schulung.de using the following test access data:

User: guest
Password: guest

"Fishing" for Tourists

What influences the choice of holiday destinations?
Which marketing tools are the most effective ones?
What impact does a company’s brand have in the process?

At the fourth edition of the Grafenstein Symposium „How to reach the Germans“, these interesting questions are answered through six best practice cases. On September 11th and 18th, experts from the tourism trade present their formula for success in Frankfurt and Berlin. The lectures are given in German language. The participation fee is EUR 60,– and includes coffee break, evening snack and hand outs. Each event is limited to a maximum of 20 participants.

Speakers and Topics:

15h00
Introduction
Frank Grafenstein, Managing Director, Grafenstein GmbH

15h20
How to market Young Travel – Challenges and Opportunities
Daniel Sebastian Menzel, Managing Director, von FOrMAT. Marketing Konzept Support

15h40
50 plus – Adventure trips with calculable risks
Tobias Büttner, Deputy Managing Director, Lernidee Erlebnisreisen
(Berlin only)

16h00
Gay & Lesbian – Tourism under the rainbow flag
Dipl.- Kfm. Thomas Bömkes, Managing Director, Tom Consulting Limited

16h20
Break
coffee & sweets

16h50
Luxury Travel – when money is not an issue
Norbert Pokorny, Managing Director, Art of Travel

17h10
Last Minute – How do I reach the undecided?
Judith Ifsen, Cross Marketing Associate, weg.de

17h30
Every path has its strudel – The Austria hiking experience
Stefan Fak, Marketing Manager, Österreich Werbung

17h50
Adress Management – Finding the matching target group
(Berlin) Sigrid Andler, Senior Business Consultant Adressmanagement, Post Direkt GmbH
(Frankfurt) Leonhard Einberger, Senior Business Consultant Adressmanagement, Post Direkt GmbH

18h10
Get Together
Prosecco & snacks

Dates and locations of events:

Thursday, 11th september 2008
Bristol Hotel, Frankfurt Meeting room "Manhattan"
Ludwigstraße 15, 60327 Frankfurt am Main

Thursday, 18th september 2008
DSFT, Berlin Deutsches Seminar für Tourismus Berlin
Tempelhofer Ufer 23/24, 10963 Berlin

All start at 15h00 and end at 18h30

Berlin, June 2008 - After months of intensive planning and input, the new website of German/South African tour operator, Elangeni African Adventures is now active. Since the middle of May, consumers have been able to view the wide range of products on offer by the Africa specialist with offices in Frankfurt and Johannesburg, to which many classic African destinations were added, by visiting their website www.elangeni.de showing a completely new appearance and structure.

Since October 2007, Grafenstein and Elangeni have worked together on the implementation of a marketing plan developed by Grafenstein, “Elangeni 2010”. The plan includes a substantial increase in bookings for Elangeni with a view to the 2010 Football World Cup to be held in South Africa. Both the relaunch of the Elangeni homepage and repositioning of the company on the German market constitute the first steps of an ongoing marketing strategy, which also encompasses targeted public relations.

“Ever since our first meeting I was certain to have made the right decision,” Jeffrey van Staden, Elangeni’s Managing Director, comments on the cooperation of the two companies. “The team at Grafenstein had an instant grasp of what we needed and has developed a convincing strategy towards it.”

For further information go to: n.blank@grafenstein.net

The colour green does not only appear in Grafenstein’s logo – the company intends to integrate environmental elements into its corporate identity. To this end, the 20-strong team has voted on several guidelines for members of staff designed to strengthen the profile of the Berlin agency for marketing tourism as an environmentally friendly company.

The measures include the changeover from conventional to eco-power, dispensing with company cars, using trains instead of planes for a large part of company travel inside Germany and public transport within the wider area of Berlin. For company travel abroad, Grafenstein pays an additional volontary climate surcharge to atmosfair.com.

In future, only paper carrying the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) seal of approval will be used in the office to protects forests. This seal is only given to paper derived from sustainable sources. Says Managing Director Frank Grafenstein: “Our customers can now be safe in the knowledge that none of the 15 or so country magazines and catalogues we publish each year which, after all, come to a total circulation of 600,000 have been produced at the expense of illegal deforestation, as, for instance, happens in Russia.“

Through energy-saving technical equipment such as flat-screen computers or energy-saving light bulbs coupled with an energy-efficient attitude alone, consumption has already been lowered by 65% in the past year.

“As one of the leading agencies in tourism communication, we would like to respond to the growing concerns of the industry regarding the consequences of climate change,“ says Frank Grafenstein. “But I didn’t expect our staff members to suggest and accept restrictive measures as forgoing domestic flights and company cars to such a large extent. I welcome this development all the more since we do a lot of travelling inside Germany and can thus make a truly effective contribution towards protecting the environment.“

Berlin, April 2008 – In the near future, the marketing department of the North-Sea branch of the state of Lower Saxony, Nordsee GmbH and Grafenstein will join forces. Starting from 2009, both tourist organisations will work together at refining a marketing strategy in order to raise the awareness of German consumers with regard to the North-German coastline as an attractive holiday resort.

Grafenstein won over this new client by presenting a comprehensive concept focussing primarily on the positive childhood memories held by Germans of holidays spent by the sea. Following a cross-media approach, selected measures will be taken to generate enthusiasm for the wholesome and invigorating North-Sea region among 30–39 year olds as well as the best agers group.

During the Germany-wide campaign – with special emphasis on the Southern German area – Grafenstein will endeavour to widen the distribution channels for the ‘Nordsee’ magazine. Furthermore, inserts are planned in various target-specific publications, as are different ways of online advertising. Cooperating with companies with an interest in the North-Sea region will further enhance these measures.

Berlin, May 2008 – Malta-E-Learning enters a new phase: by means of the online game, ‘Malta by Bus’ the Maltese Tourist Office invites travel agents to get to know the islands of Malta and Gozo in a playful manner. The popular mascot Johnnie Valletti, best known to participants of the Malta training as their virtual instructor, serves as the bus driver.

The new module aims at winning new participants for the training as well as prompting long-established fans of Malta to finish outstanding exams and to revise old material. The Malta Bus Game runs in connection with the Malta training (www.malta-schulung.de), which since its start in October 2003 has registered an ever-increasing rate of participation.

Further information on the Malta Bus Game can be found in the corresponding Case Study Malta Bus Game.

If you’d like to try out the Malta Bus Game, click here!

Berlin, March 2008 – www.reisemagazine-bestellen.de is the new portal offering the possibility of ordering all destination magazines and tour operators’ catalogues produced by Grafenstein for 2008 online. Here, the general public or industry professionals can find and order these and other publications on the subject of holidays directly following easy navigation. Enquiries are forwarded automatically by email to the relevant tourist office and processed in the normal way.

In time for this year’s tourist-event season, Grafenstein has produced a total of 25 magazines and catalogues for national tourist offices from all over the world. With a total circulation of 600,000 copies per year, the Berlin advertising agency is today one of the market leaders for so-called Corporate Destination Publishing – a highly specialised way of communication between national tourist offices and their customers, in which a premium customer magazine presented as special-interest title serves as the main advertising medium.

Detailed information on Grafenstein’s contract publishing activities can be found in the form of case studies at: www.grafenstein.net/casestudy

Photos of this year’s Grafenstein Lounge are now online. Everybody who was there or would have liked to be there, click here for the photo gallery!

Berlin, January 2008 – Success across the board: Starting from 1 April 2008, Grafenstein will be one of the three agencies marketing Great Britain as a tourist destination all over Europe. Based on User Generated Content, their innovative concept derived from in-depth experience of online and cross-media marketing within the tourism industry, coupled with a pan-European network, have proved instrumental in securing the success of the Berlin agency in response to the invitation to tender by the British Tourist Authority.

In conjunction with both a London and a Stockholm-based agency, Grafenstein will become active on behalf of VisitBritain in 18 European countries. The seven-figure annual budget for Europe includes comprehensive marketing measures consisting, on the one hand, of online and print media as well as a market-specific approach of above-the-line (ATL) and below-the-line (BTL) advertising. The exact distribution of markets and/or relevant tasks will be confirmed at the start of the contract in April.

For three years running, Grafenstein has been in charge of the advertising activities of the British Tourist Authority in German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). For some time now, there has been a drive towards a more pan-European approach for these activities: Grafenstein is increasingly involved in marketing measures on the Dutch and French markets on behalf of VisitBritain.

Berlin, January 2008 – Just in time for the ITB in March, Hungary will have its own dedicated customer magazine for the German market: On 44 pages, the country at the heart of Europe presents itself to the reader. Glossy pictures, in-depth copy and helpful tips and information are intented to generate interest in Hungary as a holiday destination and, at the same time, provide useful backup for planning a trip.

The information material destined for the German market has so far been centrally managed in Budapest; now, the Hungarian Tourist Authority has commissioned Grafenstein with producing a customer magazine specially geared to the requirements of the German reader. “Due to this decision, Hungarian marketing in Germany will take great leaps forward,” says Maria Pap, Regional Director for Berlin and East Germany of the Hungarian Tourist Board. “This way, layout, structure and the choice of topics can be tailored 100 per cent around the interests of German holidaymakers.”

The new magazine for the Hungarian Tourist Board will appear with a circulation of 30,000 copies. Part of the costs will be covered by advertising; it will be distributed at trade fairs, consumer roadshows, travel-agents’ seminars and will be available on request from the Tourist Authority.

Berlin, December 2007 – Grafenstein’s customer acquisition team welcomes a new member into its midst: Katharina Petersen. The trained communications expert will mainly look after German advertising customers for the country magazines Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, India, Japan, Portugal and Saarland.

Before joining Grafenstein at the beginning of November, Katharina Petersen worked as Key Account Manager for an international finance company as well as an American pharmaceutical company. Her organisational talent and excellent knowledge of English will greatly benefit Grafenstein’s acquisition department.

Berlin, September 2007 – From the river Spree to the Saar: Grafenstein could add the tourism board for the federal state of Saarland to its list of new clients. Starting from catalogue production to corporate design and print and online advertising, Grafenstein will take over the most important tasks of a creative agency on behalf of the German region on the river Saar. “We’ve had a successful relationship with a printing company from the Saar area for quite some time now. So I am particularly pleased to be able to act directly for this small, attractive region,” Frank Grafenstein enthuses about the new client.

The Berlin-based agency will take charge of the entire German-language catalogue production for the Saarland in 2008 as well as product and image brochures for the Netherlands and British markets. Not only will the catalogues appear in a brand-new design, they will also boast a new, magazine-like layout thanks to enhanced journalistic elements and a more personalised approach. As a further step, Grafenstein will generate print and online advertising material to get the new catalogues to consumers in a targeted way. To ensure the best possible positioning of the “Saarland” brand, its basic corporate design will also be revamped.

As the first German region in the Grafenstein portfolio, Saarland benefits in many ways from the agency’s inside knowledge of the market: It draws from the long-standing expertise in the German market as well as the considerable experience gathered from dealing with foreign home and target markets. Due to a growing interest in integrated marketing strategies beyond the boundaries of German-speaking countries, the Berlin agency has been actively involved for some time now in international marketing, liaising with eleven subsidiaries worldwide.

Berlin, September 2007 – Since August 31st, a new edition of the travel magazine for France, “Bon voyage – French highlights” has been available for the trade. With the special Autumn/Winter issue, the French Tourist Board, Maison de la France in conjunction with Grafenstein have extended the range of travel magazines entitled “Bon voyage”. “The intention was to provide German readers with fascinating photos and exciting features during the cold months of the year in order to create a passion for France and to introduce attractive destinations and travel offers,” editor-in-chief Nicolai Blank from Grafenstein explains.

The magazine’s 52 pages are packed with information on the main topics of exotic destinations in France’s overseas territories, short trips, French ski resorts as well as a guided tour of France’s most atmospheric brasseries. In addition to tips on restaurants, shops and entertainment, a 16-page pocket guide offers useful information and addresses on the subjects of wellness and ski resorts with guaranteed snow.

The magazine’s total circulation is 50,000 copies, 10,000 of which are sold at the cover price of 3.50 Euros at railway stations and airports all over Germany as well as through selected wholesalers in the West-German conurbations and in Southern Germany. Starting from 15th September, the magazine can be ordered free of charge from the French Tourist Board, Maison de la France.

Since February 2007, “Bon voyage” presents France at its very best: Large-scale photographs transport you into a world of endearing clichés and surprising discoveries. Lively reports, portraits and interviews invite the reader to sample France’s unique way of life. In the pocket guide, “Compagnon de voyage”, well-travelled French experts let you into their secrets of where it’s happening. The magazine is produced by the editors of Bon voyage at Grafenstein, experts in tourism. Official publisher is the French Tourist Board Maison de la France.

Some examples of the magazine’s contents:

- Tips and information for touring
- Horsepower: Across Paris in a Citroen 2CV
- Paradise Isles: France’s overseas resorts
- A couple’s holiday: Personal account of a trip to Brittany
- Portrait of a city: Bastia
- A taste of France: Champagne + Sancerre
- Classic winter holiday: Skiing in the French Alps
- Art de vivre: Brasseries – Theatre of life

The registration for this year´s symposium arranged by Grafenstein, "How to reach the Germans" on 11th, 20th and 21st September, 2007 is about to close. Register now without delay, there are only a few places left:

Frankfurt: 11th September, 2007 (one place only)
Hamburg: 20th September, 2007 (only 4 places)
Berlin: 21st September, 2007 (only 3 places)

LATEST NEWS!

Stephen Kreppel of "The Hat Factory", London, will hold an additional talk in Frankfurt on the subject of "Destination Branding": "The new tourist board: tour operator or champion of the national image?"

Just scroll down for the full programme and additional information!



Berlin, June 2007 – What effects do the discussion about climate change and economic prosperity have on the travel habits of Germans? What new possibilities does the Internet hold for advertising tourism? Is there really a direct competition between print and online media?

These are fascinating questions, which will be addressed by the symposium: "How to reach the Germans" organised by Grafenstein for a third time running. On the 11th, 20th and 21st of September, experts from the tourism industry as well as from marketing and media will discuss the latest trends and most recent experiences on the subject in Frankfurt, Hamburg and Berlin.

Benefit from the experiences others have made – take part in the discussion! Register today:

Phone 0049 (0)30. 80 58 59 290 or go to fg@grafenstein.net


Program including speakers and topics:

3.30 pm Introduction
Frank Grafenstein, Managing Director Grafenstein GmbH

3.50 pm Online-marketing trends
Sabine Bruhne (Hamburg, Berlin), Grouphead Onlinemarketing, Xenion
Branko Gabrielski (Frankfurt), Online-Berater

4.10 pm E-Learning – How can study results be assured in the long term?
Anke Blecher, Marketing Manager, Malta Tourist Board (Frankfurt)
Juliane Metz (Hamburg, Berlin), Project Manager E-Learning

4.30 pm Bon voyage – about the importance of a customer magazine in an online-marketing environment
Karine Hugues (Frankfurt), Marketing Manager, Maison de la France
Nicolai Blank, Editor-in-chief Bon Voyage (Hamburg, Berlin)

4.50 pm Break
Coffee & sweets

5.20 pm New products for dialogue marketing
Barbara Ellen Fiebelkorn, Fachwirt Direktmarketing (BAW), Deutsche Post Direct

5.40 pm Economic cooperation – a fertile ground for advertising tourism?
Tim Bewig, PR-Berater, BHK Nord

6.00 pm Brand images in tourism – a never-ending task?
Jens Lange, Dipl. Kommunikationswirt, Silverstation

6.20 pm Get Together
Prosecco & snacks


Dates and locations:

Dienstag, 11.09.2007
Bristol Hotel, Frankfurt
Conference room: Manhatten
Ludwigstraße 15, 60327 Frankfurt am Main
Tel. +49. 69. 24 23 90

Donnerstag, 20.09.2007
Hotel Hafen, Hamburg
Conference room: Bastion
Seewartenstraße 9, 20459 Hamburg
Tel. +49. 40. 31 11 3 - 70 70 6

Freitag, 21.09.2007
Arcotel Velvet, Berlin
Conference room: Velvet Business Studio (Suite 616)
Oranienburger Straße 52, 10117 Berlin
Tel. +49. 30. 27 87 53-0

All start at 3.30 pm and end at 6.30 pm.

Berlin, August 2007 - The Japanese National Tourist Office (JNTO) has entrusted Grafenstein with the production of the brochure “Japan Reiseangebote 2008” (Travel Offers to Japan 2008). It will appear as a revised and updated edition for the second time in December 2007. Consisting of 32 pages, it provides a clear summary of all holidays to Japan offered by German tour operators in 2008. This will be of great help for prospective travellers to Japan in choosing the most suitable trip. JNTO will supply the brochure on request and will also distribute it at consumer road shows.

The brochure “Japan Reiseangebote 2008” is partly financed by advertising, allowing the tourist office to keep its own costs low. Like many other national tourist offices before (France, Portugal, Poland, Malta, The Bahamas, Brazil and Sri Lanka), JNTO makes use of the Berlin communication agency’s know-how in creative design and generating advertising revenue for customer magazines, information booklets and sales guides. At the same time, JNTO benefits from two other core competences of the agency: Knowledge of the target market Asia and the source market Germany.

Berlin, August 2007 - With Skadi Rau, Grafenstein has taken a young talent with great creative potential onto its team at 25. Skadi has already completed a professional training as design assistant and now works at Grafenstein to become a fully fledged graphic designer. When laying out colourful travel magazines, her heart beats faster: "This is almost like being on holiday!"

Berlin, June 2007 – Summer’s here, school holidays are just around the corner, and many people are about to make last-minute decisions about where to go. This summer’s campaign to win new customers is designed to help you make use of this fact by addressing German holidaymakers in a targeted way without significant coverage waste:

Grafenstein can offer you a package price of 9,950 Euros net which includes all necessary steps towards a successful direct-mail campaign – starting from profiling your customer database and hiring addresses to designing and printing the mailshot including all costs of postage. To take up this offer, all you need is your own customer database.


You may ask the following questions:

Who is at the end of this mailing campaign?

15,000 potential customers matching the profile of your regular clients

How do you get hold of these addresses?

First of all, we will carry out a basic profile of your customer database using standardised variables. This is done by analysing your clients’ data according to structural data such as age, purchasing power and family structure, consumer data such as propensity for mail-orders and credit-worthiness as well as information about size of location and availability of private transport. Following that, 15,000 new addresses are selected in cooperation with Deutsche Post, matching the established client profile.

Why is it done this way?

The customer profile allows for the new consumer addresses to be selected according to a specific target group, which means addressing the “right” prospective customers. This minimises the risk of coverage waste, increases the likelihood of a response and, by and large, eliminates returns. In addition, it will provide you with material for future advertising campaigns, using the customer profile established as a reliable source for your next mailing.

And the mailshot itself?

We envisage of 6-page selfmailer, which will be sent out in the post to 15,000 addresses gathered. Grafenstein will advise you about the choice of subject as well as contents and will be responsible for the design and layout of your mailshot.

What about printing costs and postage?

Both the costs for printing and the postage are included in the package price of 9,950 Euros.


Hurry up – this offer must end on 15th August!

In case of any queries and/or for further information on our summer offer, please call or email us: 0049 (30) 80 58 59 2 90 or f.grafenstein@grafenstein.net

Berlin, June 2007 – With its entry "Direct-Mail Campaign for Ireland Conference Tours", Grafenstein came third in the nationwide direct-mail competition by Deutsche Post and was awarded the prize money of 1,000 Euros. The Berlin-based agency had come up as regional winner in the category "open format" in the preliminary round and was here chosen among 32 entries from all over Germany. Out of a total of 600 mailings entered, only two entries from the tourism industry were picked and judged in the five categories – Ireland being the only tourist destination.

"The category ‘open format’ provided us with the opportunity of being totally creative, without any restrictions with regards to format or weight,” Frank Grafenstein, managing director of the Berlin agency explains the background of his company’s competition entry. The mailshot had been sent out to 500 major businesses in Germany as well as all German companies with headquarters or subsidiaries in Ireland on behalf of Irland Information/Tourism Ireland during spring 2006. The novel idea of a folding cardboard box in the distinctively Irish tweed pattern, complete with covering letter, information leaflet and country-specific give-away in the form of a hip flask, made the Ireland mailing stand out against ordinary mailshots, thereby making an impact on decision-makers in the incentive industry.

The annual mailing competition by Deutsche Post was created in 1996 and has since become a central platform for dialogue marketing. This year, more than 600 agencies from all over Germany sent in entries to be judged in five different categories. The entries were judged according to the criteria concept/strategy, creative idea and realisation, target-oriented approach as well as effectiveness.

For further information on the set-up and concept of „Direct-Mail Campaign for Ireland Conference Tours” click here!

Berlin, April 2007 – During recent years, National Tourism Organisations as well as other service providers in the tourist sector have shown a growing interest in marketing their products with the help of Grafenstein beyond the boundaries of the German-speaking territories. Given that in-depth knowledge of the foreign market and close contacts with decision makers at the relevant location are absolutely vital to successfully adapt marketing strategies, Grafenstein has set up its first representative offices in key markets for its customers: China, Greece and Poland.

Sonya Bouyakhf, who used to work for Grafenstein in Berlin, now looks after the Chinese market from her base in Shanghai. Elfriede Balis is located in Greece, where she predominantly maintains contacts with Greek tour operators. Jędrzej Marzęcki supplements his work as project manager in Berlin by entertaining direct relations with the Polish market. "We expect to become market leaders with regard to the know-how of all the main source and target markets within Europe by 2012," Frank Grafenstein explains the future plans of the Berlin agency. "These three representative offices are the first step in that direction."

Further information about the representative offices and their contact addresses can be found here!

Berlin, May 2007 – Noble, understated and unconventional: In the style of the Irish Tweed jacket, the “Direct-Mail Campaign for Irish Conference Tours” made an impact, which brought Grafenstein a regional victory in the direct-mail competition by Deutsche Post in the category "open format". The special format – a folding cardboard box in the Tweed pattern – as well as a sophisticated use of language describing Ireland as a destination for conference tours, have convinced the members of the jury.

The Ireland conference tours mail shot was sent out in the spring of 2006 to 500 major businesses in Germany as well as all German companies with headquarters or subsidiaries in Ireland. "With an unusual mailing which clearly stands out against ordinary mail shots, we aimed for a lasting impact on decision-makers in the incentive industry,” Frank Grafenstein explains the background of the dialogue-marketing campaign carried out on behalf of the Irland Information/Tourism Ireland. And the results proved the case: When interviewed two weeks after the mailing, 95% of recipients remembered the mailing, and nearly all of them said that they recalled Ireland as a destination for conference tours in a fond manner.

During the Deutsche Post direct-mail competition, Grafenstein’s contribution proved successful against eleven competing entries in the category “open format”. The entries were judged in a total of five different categories according to the criteria concept/strategy, creative idea and realisation, target-oriented approach as well as effectiveness. The regional winners of each category will receive the seal of approval “Mailing-Partner of Deutsche Post” and are automatically entered in the final nationwide contest.

For further information on the set-up and concept of „Direct-Mail Campaign for Ireland Conference Tours” click here!

Berlin, May 2007 – Viennese waltz & Co.: The Tourist Board for the city of Vienna has entrusted Grafenstein with the organisation of an event in both Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Intended as a promotion of sales “at the counter”, the functions are directed exclusively at travel agents and tour operators. The aim is to recall Vienna into people’s minds and, at the same time, to communicate the latest trends from this holiday destination. Grafenstein will be responsible for organising the event involving the complete management of addresses and invitations.

The programme contains a well-balanced mixture of information and entertainment: After the presentation of Viennese highlights for 2008 and the new film “Vienna Collections”, there will be a 45-minute dance workshop, where participants get the chance to practice the famous Viennese waltz. Following that, a buffet with Austrian specialities and a selection of wines from Vienna provides a welcome opportunity to exchange views.

“We know how travel agents and tour operators tick, which is of great advantage not only in planning and organising these events, but also for managing addresses and invitations,” Ludia Kohl, who looks after the account Vienna Tourism at Grafenstein, explains the nature of the agency specialising in tourism communication. In addition to addressing travel agencies and operators directly via invitation, a targeted announcement in the trade press will publicise the events scheduled for September 2007.

Berlin, May 2007 – "Sri Lanka. A land like no other": In future, the Sri Lanka Tourism Board’s customer magazine for the German market will be produced by Grafenstein. With this new business, the agency specialising in tourism communication adds another destination to its Asia portfolio. "We have had some excellent results in the Asian sector producing the magazines for Vietnam and Thailand as well as the marketing initiative go asia in the past few years. Sri Lanka will complement these perfectly," Frank Grafenstein comments on the new customer.

Following Grafenstein’s tried and tested approach for customer magazines, the island state situated at India’s south-easterly tip will be presented to the reader in a personalised manner with selected copy and large-scale images. On 32 pages, journalists will comment on Sri Lanka’s ancient culture, the natural wonders of the island and the way of life of its inhabitants. Attractive photographs are there to inspire the reader and cast a spell on behalf of this colourful island in the Indian Ocean.

The new issue of the Sri Lanka Magazine will be out this autumn and has a print-run of 20,000. It will be entirely financed by advertising and distributed at major tourism fairs as well as consumer roadshows and travel agent’s seminars. In addition, it may be ordered by requesting it directly from the Sri Lanka Tourism Board, Frankfurt.

Berlin, April 2007 – The new issue of the newsletter “Spécial France”, dedicated to business travel, appears just in time for the IMEX in Frankfurt. In the 16-page brochure, the Maison de la France advises German businesses about new developments in the hotel and conference sectors and presents new incentive ideas. Grafenstein has produced the newsletter for the French Tourist Board for the third time, again relying on a proven, well-balanced mixture of interviews, commentaries and short news items. Under the headings “hotels”, “incentive ideas”, “conferences” and “MICE-Mélange“, facts and contacts are presented, which are designed to help conference planners who organise events in France.

Thus, the newsletter addresses the high level of interest among German businesses, which choose France as a MICE destination. According to the Confederation of German Travel Management, both France and the US represent the most important destinations for business travel among members of the German business world (VDR business travel analysis, 2006). It boasts a varied natural and cultural landscape and, due to its strong infrastructure, offers ideal conditions for the business traveller.

The newsletter appears twice yearly and has a total circulation of 15,000 copies. 12,000 copies of the current issue will be added to the trade journal “Tagungswirtschaft”. 2,500 copies will be mailed directly to German businesses. The next newsletter “Spécial France” is due in autumn 2007 in time for the EIBTM (Barcelona).

Berlin, April 2007 – The official customer magazine for the Central Greek Tourist Office, “Magie der Vielfalt” (Magic of Diversity) receives a makeover: Starting from the 2008 edition, Grafenstein will be charged with the production of the magazine. The new concept and layout aim at inspiration and close proximity to the readers.

On 72 pages, well-travelled journalists and experts on all matters concerning Greece will report on the country and its people in exclusively researched articles, introduce the various regions of Greece and pass on up-to-date insider information for the preparation of your trip. Extensive photo reportages are there to stimulate people’s desire to travel and get immersed in a foreign culture. In line with a high-profile journalistic approach, the country is presented in a very vivid and direct manner.

The reason behind this approach: “Travel information is a confidential matter – 60 % of German holidaymakers choose their destination on the basis of recommendations by neighbours, friends, newspapers and magazines,” Sonja Lange, responsible for the account at Grafenstein, outlines the Berlin agency’s guidelines for producing country and region magazines.

The Greece Magazine, which has appeared yearly since 1999, has a circulation of 70,000 copies and is entirely financed by advertising. It is addressed to potential travellers to Greece and is distributed by various channels: In the traditional way by display at consumer fairs as well as by post on request from the Central Greek Tourist Office in Frankfurt.

Berlin, April 2007 – A targeted approach to acquiring new customers with guaranteed response has recently been on offer by Grafenstein, the agency specialised in tourism marketing, thus meeting clients’ needs for security and measurable success in their marketing activities.

“We can offer our clientele the possibility of acquiring a certain number of high-quality sets of address data at a fixed price which has been determined in advance,” Frank Grafenstein comments on the key element of the new concept not previously employed by the tourism industry. For the main part, the offer is directed at service providers in the tourist sector wishing to approach potential new customers in the context of a dialogue marketing campaign.

The high quality of new customer leads – combined with a relatively high conversion rate – is secured by a multi-level analysis/filtering system: In conjunction with the client and in cooperation with the full-service provider for dialogue marketing, AZ Direkt, a target-group profile for the product to be advertised is worked out by means of a structural customer analysis. For this purpose, the existing address database is augmented by parameters such as average income or preferred leisure activity. On the basis of the emerging profile, White Mails or emails are sent out to generate new leads.

What decides the quality of the new data sets is the fact that double the amount of leads are being generated; this allows us to identify the most promising contacts in a final step using scoring. Only the so-called “Top 50 %” is passed on to the client for the purposes of conversion.

Berlin, March 2007 – A commercial steals the show at the ITB 2007: In the international film competition for cities, regions and tourist organisations, “Das goldene Stadttor” (Golden City Gate), the advertising spot "The Welshman" received a special prize. Grafenstein had produced the film for this year’s spring advertising campaign on behalf of the Wales Tourist Office, Visit Wales. All in all, there were 95 nominations for entries from 33 different countries.

“This is a creative and funny spot, and even three days later, judges would still talk about the Welshman,” Wolfgang Jo Huschert, president of the Federal Association of film and AV producers and organiser of the competition, comments on the jury’s decision, further underlining the promotional effect of the film. The 30-second online advertisement purposely uses the wow effect on the viewer: Only the final seconds reveal that the narrator is, in fact, not the sheep appearing in a full shot but the shepherd standing next to it.

Since 2002, the event “Das goldene Stadttor” has taken place every year to coincide with the International Tourism Fair (ITB) in Berlin. It aims to promote films with a special audience appeal, which manage to convincingly portray the commercial and cultural aspects of a city, region or tourist-industry provider. The films entered in the competition are divided into seven categories and judged by a high-profile jury of international calibre. The main criteria for the judges are ‘visual performance’, ‘acoustic ensemble’, ‘emotional effect’, ‘information value’ and ‘conceptual design and creativity’.

The Welshman, specially produced for online viewing, can be seen in conjunction with two other advertising spots, the Iron Man and Time Management, on the websites of various travel media (e.g. Merian.de, Marcopolo.de) as well as on the Internet travel pages of many newspapers and magazines (e.g. Faz.net, Zeit.de, Brigitte.de) until the end of the campaign on 31 March 2007.

Click here to see the spot: ("The Welshman")

Here are the pictures of this year’s Grafenstein Lounge in the Riva-Bar for all who have been with us or would have liked to!

Go to the picture gallery!

Berlin, March 2007 – Infotainment and Edutainment meet current trend. On March 15, 2007 the new Ireland Pub Quiz by the Irish Tourist Board goes online on the website www.irland-reisebranche.de. The game, which is directed at sales personnel working in travel agencies, alludes to the popular quiz show format “Who wants to be a Millionaire”. In the manner of host Chris Tarrant, the well-known sheep mascot Sean asks questions around the subject of tourism in Ireland – commenting right and wrong answers from candidates in an animated way. Contestants may find the answers to the questions on the above website as well as the Internet pages of partner companies Aer Lingus, Irish Ferries, DERTOUR and TUI Wolters Reisen. As a reward, one of ten trips to Ireland can be won.

The concept of the game developed by Berlin agency Grafenstein is about self-directed and ‘explorative’ learning on the part of the contestants. They are encouraged to actively use the trade website and partner websites in their search for the right answers. The didactic principle is an effective way of imparting knowledge, since actively acquired knowledge is lodged permanently in the learners’ memory. Moreover, they get to know the information offered on the websites – an ideal combination made up of edutainment and infotainment!

“When it comes to ways of acquiring new knowledge, travel agents and future tourism experts have different needs and preferences – in order to reach everybody and to catch up with them at the point where they are, it makes sense to use parallel ways of imparting knowledge rather than be limited to one particular tool, such as e-learning,” sums up Juliane Metz, Grafenstein’s specialist for didactic online learning tools.

Infotainment is in line with the current trend, as witnessed at the recent ITB 2007 in Berlin. In a panel discussion during the 2nd Educational Forum of the School of Tourism experts debated the future of virtual learning in the tourism industry. Among the main issues discussed were the correct composition of Edutainment whilst maintaining the quality of the learning matter and optimum use of all available information during the professional training of tourism experts.

Click here to play the Ireland Pub Quiz: www.irland-reisebranche.de/lernquiz.html

Berlin, February 2007 – This year, the Welsh Tourist Office Visit Wales has chosen the Internet as the preferred medium for its spring advertising campaign (until 31 March 2007), employing three advertising spots specially produced for use online. By choosing the format “Medium Rectangle Expandable with Zoom Video”, a rectangular frame with zoom function, the campaign puts into action the latest technology available for online advertising. Two of the three video spots offer a German and Welsh language version – offering a complete novelty in the relatively young market of video advertising.

The advertising spots last an average of 30 seconds and show three different themes based around holidays in Wales: “Der Waliser” (“The Welshman”) expands on the hospitality of the people and the beauty of the Welsh countryside. The “Iron Man” looks back onto the myths surrounding Welsh history, and the “Time Management” spot points at the possibilities of sporting holidays in Wales. “Combining moving images with language and music generates an emotional appeal to the customer, which makes this medium especially effective,” says Melanie Grohn, who is responsible for the production of the Wales video spots at the Grafenstein agency. This effect is further increased by the zoom function enlarging the spot to twice its normal size as soon as users point their mouse at the video.

Accompanied by print ads, direct mailings and e-newsletters, the video spots will be running on the websites of various travel media (i.e. Merian.de, Marcopolo.de) until the end of the campaign on 31 March 2007, as well as on the travel sites of various newspapers and magazines (i.e. Faz.net, Zeit.de, Brigitte.de).

Please click on the link to see the online videos (without zoom):

• „Der Waliser“ ("The Welshman")
• „Iron Man“
  
• „Time Management“

Berlin, February 2007 – Online Games First Choice for Address Generation. Featured on the English Tourist Board’s homepage since the beginning of February, the new East Midlands film game not only proved a success with a player registration rate of 50%, it also underlines a current trend: Online games are the travel industry’s key tool in dialogue marketing yielding the highest response rates. “On average, every second to fifth user registers after playing the game, thus leaving their personal data – keeping the costs per contact relatively low,” says Melanie Grohn, online specialist at Grafenstein and responsible for the production of the East Midlands film game.

The agency specialising in tourism communication considers that the key to a successful integration of the games into any marketing campaign lies in the proper configuration of the game according to the target group’s preferences. Experience has shown that a younger audience prefers more involved games offering increasing levels of difficulty, while older users might choose knowledge-based games. If such a target-specific solution is achieved, registration will soon follow.

However, online games are not exclusively used for generating new addresses, they also serve as popular advertising means. Through the systematic use of illustrations and copy, users enter the charming landscape of England or stroll along Portugal’s sunny beaches. Who could escape the holiday mood? Or at least want to try out the games for themselves: Recently, all online games produced by Grafenstein were put on their website at: www.grafenstein.net/games.php

Or alternatively, play the East Midlands film game at: www.englandgewinnspiel.de

Berlin, February 2007 – The Berlin-based agency for tourism marketing has again increased its staff. With newcomers in the fields of project management as well as graphic design, the team at Grafenstein now boasts 19 members, enabling it to look forward to a new and promising season with confidence.

Since October of last year, Sonja Lange has worked on the team in her capacity as project leader. With effect from this year, her duties also include press and public relations work at Grafenstein. The other new face is Benjamin Gruhn, who works in a support role as editorial assistant responsible for the French client, Maison de la France.

New and fresh ideas are not only required for long-standing clients of Grafenstein, but also for newly signed-up accounts. The creative team has been extended especially for this purpose. Its two new arrivals, Marionna von Rieth and Jana Koch, ensure that the agency is well equipped to meet the needs of existing as well as new projects.

Dear colleagues, partners and friends,

We invite you to join us on the 9th March 2007 for the “Grafenstein Chill-Out” at the Riva-Bar.

Let’s celebrate together the end of a successful season and the beginning of a prosperous new year. ITB is the perfect time to meet at the Riva-Bar, located in the heart of Berlin. You’ll have the chance to meet familiar faces and make new interesting contacts in a relaxed atmosphere – this year with hot Brazilian rhythms and cool Caipirinhas.

We would be pleased if you could keep this date available in your diary. Let us know as soon as possible (by the 1st March at the lastest) whether you can join us since the guest list for the evening is limited to 200.

We look forward to seeing you soon in Berlin. Upon receipt, we’ll send you a personal invitation!

Date: 9th March 2007 at the Riva-Bar
Time: 7 pm

Contact: Sonja Lange
Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung GmbH
Tel.: +49 (0)30 80 58 59 2 - 0
Fax: +49 (0)30 80 58 59 2 - 10
Email: s.lange@grafenstein.net

Click here to see the pictures of the Grafenstein chill-out last year!

Berlin, February 2007 – Yorkshire as a region in the North of England is proving very popular at the moment. Yielding a response rate of over 12 %, the direct mail campaign “Yorkshire – Touring the North of England”, which ran in December 2006 as part of the England Short Breaks Campaign met with a considerable amount of interest among consumers. Catchment area was the town of Düsseldorf and surrounding area.

In a newspaper insert and first mailshot in May 2006 we had already advertised Yorkshire as a varied and easily accessible region due to new improved flight connections. In a second step, a follow-up mail was sent out in December 2006 in connection with the England Short Breaks Campaign to addresses collected in May as well as other recipients with an affinity for Great Britain. "Following a general introduction of the destination, the follow-up mail enlarged on the theme by proposing specific tours for weekend short trips to Yorkshire. This two-step strategy, combined with a colourful layout and high quality of copy again yielded an above-average response rate," says Melanie Grohn, responsible for campaigns for the British Tourist Authority – VisitBritain – at Grafenstein. In both instances, the reply element was linked to a competition.

The 16-page guide went out in December 2006 to 25,000 households in the Düsseldorf area. The decisive argument for this regional direct marketing was the direct connection Düsseldorf – Leeds/Bradford offered by British airline Jet2.com since May 2006. It was the aim of the campaign to promote Yorkshire as an ideal destination for short trips in autumn and winter, especially among the DINKS and Empty Nester market segments.


Here an example: The Heritage-Tour

Berlin, January 2007 – Whether cycling through Vietnam, undergoing an Ayurveda treatment in Sri Lanka or following in the footsteps of the Khmer kings in Cambodia: With the first issue of go asia magazine, the marketing initiative of the same name aims to promote one of the most fascinating regions of the world: Asia.

“This part of the world is lively, ever-changing, full of colours, scents and unfamiliar noises,“ says Frank Grafenstein, spokesperson for go asia. On 36 pages, the special beauty and secrets of some of these countries have been captured in words and pictures. We hope that this will ignite the spirit of discovery among our readers,” Grafenstein continues.

In the glossy brochure, experienced travel writers and Asia experts talk about wellness and culture and introduce cosmopolitan cities such as Shanghai. Reports on special-interest tours, such as cycling holidays or river cruises are included to further whet the reader’s appetite for Asia. The first issue of go asia not only lists the best hotels of the continent, but also the main tour operators specialising in the region. A detailed factsheet on the best countries to visit in Asia provides background information.

30,000 copies of the first issue of the magazine have been printed, the majority of which will be given out as a supplement of the magazine “Reise & Preise”. The remaining copies will be distributed at major trade fairs. You can also order them via the homepage: . 

Following a 4th successful year of exhibiting at TT Warsaw, the VisitBritain team in Poland were recognised (honoured,chosen?) by the exhibition organisers by winning the award for “Best and most professional stand”. The International Tourism Trade Fair – TT Warsaw Tour & Travel 2006 took place between 21-23 September in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw.

The event, featuring a record number of British partners, including Visit London and VisitScotland, is considered the premier travel trade event in the Polish calendar. With over 80 m² contracted at the event, Britain was once again featured prominently, providing a professional platform for our valued partners.

So far, the year 2006 has not been a bad one for the tourist industry. Germans have a lot of faith in the future. For them, travelling is still a fundamental need.

Does this mean we can now sit back, relax and carry on as usual?




Most certainly not. The custom of German consumers is hard fought over. More than 53,000 major companies fight for the attention of consumers issuing 3,000 advertising messages per person per day. In the tourist sector, the pattern is similar: In Germany alone, there are more than 110 airlines and 600 operators, and in the whole of Europe, over 1,400 regions compete for paying guests.

If, in addition to these known competitors, there are external threats in the form of terror attacks and natural catastrophes, the marketing of tourism soon becomes a ´mission impossible´.

There are no simple rules on how to meet these challenges, but this much is clear: in future, marketing must be based more on the individual and become more flexible as regards time and space.

Experts from the fields of marketing tourism, the media, PR and data bank management will propose their solutions: Only by truly knowing the interests of your clients can you continue to win them over.

Benefit from the wealth of experience your collegues have gathered. Take part in the debate! Register today. (Tel.: 030. 80 58 59 290, fg@grafenstein.net)

Berlin, September 2006 – more business, more staff, bigger premises: Berlin communications agency Grafenstein was pleased to announce further financial gains over the past few months, which led to structural changes within the company. As a consequence, the team grew by three more members and the office space situated near Mexikoplatz in the district of Zehlendorf doubled to its present size of 320 square metres.

In addition, head of the agency Frank Grafenstein has introduced a new internal structure for his staff. Members of the team have now been allocated a regional and topical subject each.

As of now, Michaela Grün joins the team who will assist Grafenstein in acquiring new customers and also be responsible for the Asian region. Another project manager also joins the team: Jedrzej Marzecki mainly looks after Poland and northeast Europe. The third and last newcomer, Sabina Saracevic, acts as deputy advertising manager and looks after the region southeast Europe.




Jedrzej Marzecki (left), Sabina Saracevic (right)

After four years of preparatory talks, the Brazilian Tourist Board EMBRATUR has commissioned the Berlin marketing specialist for the tourist trade with the production of a magazine for the German market. "For a long time, we have wanted to become more active on the German market and are delighted to have found a competent partner," says Katia Cristina Alves Bitencourt, Marketing Director of EMBRATUR Brasilia.

The „Brasilien Magazin“ will be launched at the ITB 2007 and, for the time being, appears only once a year. The initial circulation will be 30,000 copies. The distribution is target-oriented in the form of inserts in tourist magazines and at travel fairs. Alternatively, the magazine may be ordered directly from EMBRATUR or by going to www.reisemagazine-bestellen.de.

The Polish Tourist Office has entrusted Grafenstein with the production of its brochures for the German market. The agency had already overseen the production of the magazines and sales guides for the German representation of their Eastern neighbour from 2001-2003. Now, the 80-page consumer magazine "Polen Reiseinformation" will be produced again starting from January 2007 with a circulation of 100,000 copies by a four-strong team around Project Manager Juliane Metz.
The same month also sees the launch of the "Polen Verkaufshandbuch" – with a circulation of 27,000 copies and a volume of 112 pages. Both publications will be entirely financed by advertising.
Grafenstein’s Project Manager for the task, Juliane Metz, looks forward to a renewed cooperation: "Poland is up and coming as a new holiday destination. With the new magazines, we want to demonstrate to families and younger Germans that Poland is an attractive holiday destination."

For a second time in succession, Grafenstein has won the bid for the magazine budget by the German representation of the French Tourist Board, Maison de la France. This means that the Berlin-based agency will continue the production of the complimentary magazines entitled "Tours de France", started in 2003, until 2009.



A marked increase in circulation
The new concept calls for an increase in circulation by 30,000 to 100,000 copies per year as well as a widening of distribution channels. In future, the main magazine entitled "Frankreich" is due to appear twice a year as a spring/summer issue with the emphasis on beach, family and activity holidays (60,000 copies) as well as an autumn/winter issue (40,000 copies), with special focus on French lifestyle, short trips and city tours.

Commercial distribution
Starting from January 2007, the 100-page summer issue will be available at newsagents. The autumn/winter issue, due to appear in August 2007 for the first time, will be mailed as a special insert "Frankreich" to 20,000 subscribers of one of the leading German travel magazines. Part of the circulation of both magazines will be held back and distributed as before as a free-of-charge special edition via the Maison de la France in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

> Go to our press room for detailed information.

Dear Sir or Madam,
From 27th March 2006, you can contact the agency Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung GmbH on the following new telephone numbers!

Fon: +49 30 80 58 59 2 – 0
Fax: +49 30 80 58 59 2 – 10


Contact persons:

Managing Director:
Frank Grafenstein: - 90

Key Account Manager:
Juliane Metz: - 60
Nicolai Blank: - 50
Melanie Grohn: - 30

Sales Department:
Thorsten Dzionara: - 70
Tereza Stevenson-Braga: - 71

Graphic Department:
Susanne Scheding: - 40
Agnieszka Grabowska: - 41
Sascha Templin: - 42
Sonja Multhaupt: - 43

Accounts department:
Ludia Kohl: - 20

Here are the pictures of this year’s Grafenstein Lounge in the Riva-Bar for all who have been with us or would have liked to!
Go to the picture gallery.

Berlin, 15th March 2006 – A new E-Learning starting in mid-April instructs (helps) travel agents to become “Portugal experts”. The assignment (task) to develop the E-Learning programme was commissioned to the agency Grafenstein in Berlin, which specializes in tourism communication.

The seven extensively introduced? regions of the country are the focus of the E-Learning that the Portuguese tourism board (ICEP Portugal) has brought into being. Additionally, modules relating to subjects such as “accommodation” and “journey and locomotion (?)” are in pre- paration. The tourist board sets (places) a high value on the fact that the knowledge should be imparted in a playful manner: Several games and videos create an easy atmosphere, a mascot leads through the programme.

With Grafenstein the Portuguese tourist board confides in (relies on) a creative expert in the field of E-Learning. The communications agency has already implemented a very successful E Learning-Project for the Maltese tourismt board. Since its introduction in (the year) 2003 the programme has been nominated for 2 prizes: the E-Learning award EureLea 2004 and the Willy-Scharnow prize 2004.

Furthermore the E-Learning platform developed by Grafenstein for the initiative go-asia is the only E-Learning programme for Asia and has enjoyed a great reception among travel agents.

A pre-registration is possible under www.portugal-schulung.de

For further informations please contact:
Juliane Metz, Tel: 030-80491257, eMail: jm@grafenstein.net