LIVEWIRE18 . www.conference-news.co.uk . February 2012February Q: How will wireless technologies be developed in the future to provide seamless communication?Deborah Jones, QEIICC Conference CentreA: Operators are working on this at the moment; already many of the larger mobile carriers are working in partnership with providers such as The Cloud and BT OpenZone to bundle wireless access with contracts. However, this is far from seamless at the moment.Over the next few years we should begin to see operators being able to automatically offload large amounts of their traffic that would traditionally be carried over the cellular backhaul onto a local wireless network. This should result in users gaining a higher level of service and more consistent access to data services, especially when travelling. People are now better connected than ever.Richard Hughes, Technical Director, Max Wi-FiCorporate Doctor Wi-Fi answers your tech questionstravel 2012The 2012 Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony comes to Central Hall Westminster on 6 February.The Laureus World Sports Academy, which includes Lord Sebastian Coe, Sean Fitzpatrick, Daley Thomson, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson and Boris Becker, votes the winners in a variety of categories. Nominees for 2012 include athletes and teams from rugby, football, athletics and motorsports. Proceeds from the event will underpin work of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, which supports 89 community sports projects globally. Paul Southern, Central Hall MD, tells CN: "My staff are very excited to host these awards. The guest list of international stars from every sport is incredible." The Great Hall at Central Hall will be designed to host a special set for the 900 VIPs. Winners of previous year's awards have included Roger Federer and Lewis Hamilton. Up for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year 2012 are sprinter Usain Bolt, tennis world number one Novak Djokovic and F1 champion Sebastian Vettel.The neighbouring Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre will provide the official media centre for the event. Central Hall Westminster to host World Sports AwardsBusiness travel management company, ABT UK, reveals its top five predictions for the corporate travel market this year (2012):Safety never takes a day off!Following a turbulent year dominated by uprisings in the Middle East, riots across the UK and unrest throughout Europe due to the Eurozone crisis, safety concerns will be the number one priority for business travel in 2012. The airborne offi ce takes fl ightThis year will see infl ight mobile phone and wireless internet connectivity become a reality. 24-7-365 service expected as standardTime is the most valuable commodity for business travellers. As a result, clients expect to be able to call and speak directly with a knowledgeable travel consultant at anytime from anywhere in the world. In-house IT innovation slowdownAs internal resource cuts bite deeper, businesses will be looking to external suppliers including travel management companies to deliver ever more creative ways of doing business. Budgets, People, Planet - in that orderThe relentless squeeze on travel budgets will ensure that, for the fi rst time, cost will override staff and green travel considerations.

2012February 2012 . www.conference-news.co.uk . 19 LIVEWIREOnline smartphone applications (apps) directory, Meetingapps.com, has released its list of the top 10 'must-have' free iPhone and iPad apps of 2011 for meetings organisers and delegates. The website says organisers are continuously searching for ways their attendees can become more effi cient.The top 10 in reverse order are: Conference CO2 Calculator, ITranslate, LucyPhone, Skyscanner, ILeads, CardMunch, Dropbox, TripDeck, Evernote and in first place is Skype."Mobile meeting apps have proven to be effective tools in increasing productivity and providing greater mobility. "With over 500,000 iPhone/iPad apps available, MeetingApps.com simplifies the selection process," the website says.Since the launch of MeetingApps.com in August 2010 the portal is now used by meeting and event professionals in over 143 countries.Top 10 free meeting apps Flying the Union Jack from hotels, restaurants and attractions could help boost Ireland's troubled tourist trade, according to a new report.The recommendation is one of the proposals in the report which suggests that Ireland, and Dublin in particular, should be more welcoming to British tourists.As well as stating that local tour guides "do not accommodate British sensibilities", the document suggests that the absence of the Union Jack anywhere in Dublin - even though numerous hotels and businesses fl y international fl ags - "may arouse in British visitors an emotion stronger than surprise".The report was commissioned by the Dublin City Business Association and called Rejuvenating Dublin's Tourism Product and said Ireland's share of world tourism visitors had fallen since 2000.Union Jack to save Ireland's tourism?London's Living Room, the venue space on the top fl oor of City Hall in the capital is out of bounds for political meetings, at least in the run up to the London Mayoral elections.The London Evening Standard newspaper claimed an attempt by Ken Livingstone and his Labour Party team to hire the venue "to stage a stunt to highlight the hike in public transport costs" at New Year had been knocked back on political grounds.An email from a representative of the Greater London Authority, reportedly, said: "The Mayor has decided that it would be inappropriate to allow the booking to go ahead in light of its timing."The London Evening Standard claimed Labour had told City Hall it intended to hold a party meeting with high-profi le speakers, including shadow Olympics Minister Tessa Jowell. The venue hire price was reportedly provisionally agreed at £2,717 before City Hall got cold feet.A spokesperson for Livingstone reportedly said: "Boris Johnson's decision to ban Labour is another example of a Tory Mayor who is on the run and out of touch".Playing politics at City HallFootball pulls in the punters new etc.venues conference and meeting venue to open in St Paul's, LondonInsolvencies in the hospitality and leisure sector in fourth quarter of 2011. PWCminute new train link (HS2) between London and NEC Birmingham given the go aheadboost to the economy from a business conference on the eve of the London Olympics 2012new members announced for the Unique Venues of London collectionvalue of acquisition of Starcite by Active Network raised by The Point Conference Centre for Macmillan Cancer SupportPortland place has received ISO14001 accreditation