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REGION WATCH

ASIA

Hong Kong’s Convention Ambassador Program
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel and Tour World
Date: 26 May 2021
Over 100 distinguished leaders of business and professional bodies in Hong Kong have joined forces with the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) as Hong Kong Convention Ambassadors to promote the city as the premier choice for business events. The Hong Kong Convention Ambassador programme is formulated not only to bring business events to the city when travel resumes but will also promote the advantages of Hong Kong to the global business community and help drive multi-sectoral recovery. The strong alliance of Convention Ambassadors will amplify Hong Kong’s appeal in drawing more business events to the city, thereby driving a robust recovery post-COVID-19.

Penang’s virtual road show to China
Source: Edited excerpt from Mix Meetings and M & C Asia
Date: 13 May 2021
Penang Convention and Exhibition Bureau embarked on a virtual roadshow tour five regional markets in China with the Malaysian state’s first event of its type. The inaugural Penang Virtual Roadshow to China 2021 (PVRTC 2021), May 18-20, showcased 26 of the island’s tourism and business events products to some 150 pre-qualified buyers across Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

Seoul’s digital transformation
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World and TTGMICE
Date: 5 May 2021
Seoul Convention Bureau (SCB) has digitally transformed the charm of Seoul starting with a platform called Virtual Seoul for hosting online business events such as conferences, summits, and round tables. The promotion booth has become Seoul MICE World, which introduces mini cultural events along with other tourism and MICE industry information in the city by clicking on the link on the event website. The virtual teambuilding program is the latest resource with 49 360 VR videos for virtual site inspection to invite online participants to digital Seoul. The Virtual Seoul Playground is designed to present a stimulating teambuilding experience to online participants. When utilising the Virtual Seoul platform, not only are the 3D graphics offered at no charge, 10 million Korean won (USD 8,980) will also be provided as a stipend to event planners to offset operating expenses.

Seoul’s Reassuring package
Source: Edited excerpt from TTGMICE
Date: 28 April 2021
In addition, SCB also released a Reassuring Package, aimed at providing MICE delegates with a peace of mind when visiting the city. The package includes emergency medical insurance, language services, and general concierge services for hotel and transportation reservations.

Thailand’s “Winnovation” program
Source: Edited excerpt from PR News Wire
Date: 5 April 2021
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has partnered with other organizations to launch ‘MICE Innovation, Winning with the Innovation’ which is aimed at offering enhanced support for Thai business events entrepreneurs to source and implement innovation in all aspects of event management. ‘MICE Winnovation’ is made up of four components:

1. MICE Innovation Catalog – an online innovation and technology databank listing products and services for pre-event, onsite, and post-event management.
2. Technomart – a business-matching platform for MICE entrepreneurs and start-ups throughout Thailand.
3. Inno-Voucher – a funding scheme to promote innovation implementation.
4. Digital Literacy for MICE – an initiative to encourage MICE entrepreneurs to attend online or offline workshops where they can exchange ideas with experts to advance their digitalisation strategy. TCEB is set to launch a quarterly podcast in 2021 to help MICE professionals stay abreast of relevant technology and trends.

AUSTRALIA

Melbourne’s USD 33.08 million business events funding
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM and Travel and Tour World
Date: 20 May 2021
The Victorian Government will invest AUD 42.913 million (USD 33.08 million) over four years to support the Melbourne Convention Bureau and Business Events Victoria to acquire business events for the state through its Business Events Program.

List of Australia’s support packages for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from MICENET
Date: 13 May 2021

• Melbourne Convention Bureau – up to AUD 25,000 per event to offset event costs through their National Business Events Program for events up to December 31, 2022.
• Business Events Geelong – AUD 50 per delegate for business events up to 100 pax. The total funding pool is AUD 30,000.
• The New South Wales (NSW) Government through Business Events Sydney – Up to AUD 90,000 per event is available through Kickstart 2021 Sydney Business Events Fund. In total, the NSW government has allocated AUD 5.5 million to directly fund business events.
• Business Events Perth – up to AUD 25,000 to help secure a keynote speaker for business events held anywhere in Australia in 2021 and AUD 30 per delegate to a maximum of AUD 30,000.
• Brisbane Economic Development Agency – AUD 50 per in-person delegate for events in Brisbane until December 2022. Funding is to be spent on event costs.
• Business Events Cairns & Great Barrier Reef – an average of AUD 50 per delegate, with subvention funding granted on a case-by-case basis.
• Mackay Regional Council – up to AUD 75,000 per event through the Council’s Invest Mackay Events and Conference Attraction Programs.
• Northern Territory Business Events – AUD 100 per delegate to be spent on local event costs through the NT Business Events Support Fund.
• Business Events Tasmania – up to AUD 150 per delegate through Tasmania’s Business Events Attraction Fund.

EUROPE

UK Government’s Business Events Growth Programme
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 24 May 2021
VisitBritain is accepting funding applications of between £5,000 to £20,000 per event or bid to support all organisations in hosting international business events in the UK, whether they would like to win international events or to develop, grow and internationalize existing events. VisitBritain will offer three types of support.

• Bid Enhancement and Support to bid and win new international business events for the UK.
• International Delegate Growth to support the growth, development and internationalisation of business events in the UK.
• Government Advocacy to support the UK’s business events industry and adding value to your events by working with HM Government.

Finland’s “Virtual Helsinki” initiative
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 18 May 2021
The city of Helsinki has digitised some of its major event venues, in a new initiative called Virtual Helsinki. Its aim is to promote Helsinki as a destination remotely, allowing people to attend virtual fam trips while travel restrictions remain in place.

Vienna Meeting Fund 2021-2023
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 4 May 2021
The City of Vienna is providing the Vienna Tourist Board and Vienna Convention Bureau with €4million (USD 4.875 million) of financial support for meeting organisers in the city. The Vienna Meeting Fund 2021-2023 will also extend funding to corporate conferences and hybrid events, which it previously had not. Any event is eligible which takes place in a Viennese location and includes at least 50 people for a minimum duration of four hours. Further financial support can be obtained for events that generate overnight stays in hotels, and which incur costs in implementing hybrid features. The maximum funding per event is €60,000.

Poland’s protocol for the business events industry
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES and Polish Tourism Organization
Date: 6 May 2021
The KRAKÓW Network Protocol is a set of good practices and recommendations adapted to the new post-pandemic reality outlining a list of key strategies that will allow for the further development of the meetings and events industry. The protocol received 182 signatories from a diversity of stakeholders in the business events industry who highlighted the following courses of action: the need to establish innovative business models based on joint risk management, digital restructuring, the promotion of hybrid events and the creation of the competitive edge of Kraków through the engagement of local representatives of the business events industry.

Read the protocol here.

Europe’s three recovery scenarios for the business events industry
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 12 May 2021
The Strategic Alliance of the National Convention Bureaux of Europe has published an update of its 2020 study, ‘The Impact of Coronavirus on Europe’s Convention Sector’. The report, prepared by Tourism Economics, provides three recovery scenarios:

1. Baseline Scenario – forecasts that different types of events will recover at varying paces, with small domestic-oriented cooperate meetings and events leading the way and almost reaching 2019 levels by the end of 2022.
2. Optimistic Scenario – anticipates an early easing of restrictions, a rapid upturn in economic growth, and limited negative sentiment effects.
3. Pessimistic Scenario – predicts that the continued prevalence and effects of the virus will see some additional restrictions maintained into 2022 and that many future events will be either hybrid or completely virtual.

Read the report here.

Berlin’s Congress Fund
Source: Edited excerpt from Meetings HQ
Date: 10 May 2021 The Berlin Congress Fund is a funding programme initiated by the State of Berlin to restart Berlin’s event industry. The aim of the fund is to support and encourage all event organisers to realise planned B2B events in Berlin’s conference hotels and event locations. The Berlin Congress Fund provides financial support amounting to a possible total of max. 60 euros (USD 73.13) for each in-person attendee.

AMERICAS

Washington DC fully reopens for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World and Destination DC
Date: 21 May 2021
Washington, DC has reopened for in-person meetings, conventions, tradeshows, groups and special events with no restrictions. The hospitality alliance, comprised of Destination DC (DDC), Events DC, the Hotel Association of Washington, DC and Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, is now leading an industry-wide effort to support meetings customers with a two-fold Still Connected approach. First is a focus on health standards and second is a focus on commerce thriving in the city. DDC has launched the DEI District, a content hub to help showcase Washington, DC as a global destination that promotes and validates diversity, equity and inclusion. Within the Meet section, event planners discover unique venues such as women-owned hotels, active community hubs and sustainable spaces.

Incentive market likely to lead recovery in South America
Source: Edited excerpt from Conference and Meetings World
Date: 19 May 2021
The Convention Bureaux of Bogota, Buenos Aires, Lima, Sao Paulo and Quito Tourism presented, the results of their reactivation survey ‘Towards the new meetings industry’. It shows association business set for a sustained medium-term recovery but the incentives sector likely to make the quickest return, but with some changed priorities for buyers. The report had the objective of showcasing the new reality for the MICE industry, in the associative and corporate markets, based on the results of a survey in the Latin-American, Interamerican, Ibero-American, Pan-American and global markets.

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For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

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REGION WATCH

ASIA

Thailand’s strategies to boost International Exhibitions
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel Daily News
Date: 20 January 2021
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) aims to be more segmented in its international exhibition promotion in 2021 giving high priority to 12 key industries to strengthen national development and put emphasis on the Asian market.

1. Asia-centric approach to increase online and offline trade shows to maintain Thailand’s position as a centre of international exhibitions in Asia.
2. Attracting new shows and clustering events, such as conventions and festivals whose content is aligned with the shows
3. Creating opportunities in potential regions, for example, Thailand LOG-IN Events planned for Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC).
4. Collaborating with government agencies to promote large-scale trade shows and conventions under “One Ministry, One Expo” concept.
5. Promoting innovation and technology to enhance visitors’ experience through an online platform, create business opportunities, and lower physical touching points at the shows.

Hong Kong adapts online-offline program for business events in Q1 and Q2 of 2021
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 12 January 2021
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) will reconfigure its industry trade fairs and conferences in the first half of 2021 as part of its ongoing efforts to find ways to help Hong Kong companies continue doing business during the pandemic. In addition to enhancing its hybrid model that combines online fairs with physical fairs and symposiums, the HKTDC will also organise new local exhibitions and hold a number of its key international conferences online, including those targeting the finance, creative and marketing sectors.

Penang Convention Bureau hosts virtual roadshow
Source: Edited excerpt from Impact News
Date: 25 January 2021
Malaysia’s Penang Convention & Exhibition Bureau (PCEB) recently conducted its 4th Annual Penang Roadshow in India for travel agents in 4 prominent cities of Kochi, Chennai, New Delhi and Mumbai. This year’s show was carried out fully virtually followed by a Penang Night special dinner hosted for the Indian travel agents. The virtual show had a total of 25 registered sellers from Penang and the larger Malaysia travel and business events industry, and welcomed more than 200 buyers in total.

AUSTRALIA

Tasmania’s COVID-19 Safe Events Framework
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM and Business Tasmania
Date: 12 January 2021
The Tasmanian Government has launched A Framework for COVID-19 Safe Events and Activities in Tasmania to support event organisers to plan and hold larger-scale COVID-19 safe events from December 2020. Depending on the risk profile of the event, it will be classed as Level 1, 2 or 3, and different controls will apply depending on the level. The Framework applies to gatherings that exceed the ordinary gathering limits.

New South Wales unveils Visitor Economy Strategy 2030
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 19 January 2021
New South Wales has outlined a strategy to host more major events as it looks to transform the state into the largest tourism hub in the Asia-Pacific. The Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 aims to aid recovery and turbocharge visitor economy growth through securing world-class events, boosting regional visitation and building new tourism icons and visitor experiences for the future. Developed by Destination NSW the strategy will also focus on the day trip market, worth an estimated AUD 10 billion (USD 7.7 billion) by 2030, and grow opportunities in regional NSW, with the aim of returning visitation to pre-pandemic levels by 2024. The Visitor Economy Strategy 2030 can be found here.

EUROPE

Germany launches Response Room
Source: Edited excerpt from German CVB
Date: 14 January 2021
The German Convention Bureau (GCB) launched its open innovation platform “Response Room”, initiated in cooperation with PCMA and the IMEX Group. The platform offers a global, interdisciplinary forum to innovate business events. The partners are looking to build a global community of meeting planners, organisers, suppliers, and event participants to jointly develop new solutions and innovative business models.

Scotland’s USD 7.27 million Pivotal Event Businesses Fund
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES and VisitScotland
Date: 20 January 2021
At the end of last year, the Scottish government announced that the business events sector was to receive £6 million (USD 7.27 million) from the £104.3 million (USD 126.48 million) Scottish Government package for tourism and hospitality businesses across the country. The Pivotal Event Businesses Fund, to be delivered through VisitScotland, will be prioritised towards those businesses that can evidence and demonstrate they play a pivotal role across the events industry in Scotland and are in financial difficulty as a direct result of COVID-19.

Austria’s USD 364.8 million meetings protection plan
Source: Edited excerpt from M & IT and Vienna CVB
Date: 14 January 2021
Under an approved EUR 300 million (USD 364.8 million) protective shield, the Austrian government will cover financial damage resulting from events being cancelled or restricted due to COVID-19. The Austrian guarantee of liability gives event planners planning security. Starting January 18, 2021, applications can be submitted via the Austrian Hotel and Tourism Bank (ÖHT). The first eligible event date is March 1, 2021. Applications can be submitted through June 15, 2021.

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For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

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REGION WATCH

ASIA

Singapore’s roadmap for the business events industry
Source: Edited excerpt from MICENET and Visit Singapore
Date: 9 October 2020
Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) together with Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG) have launched the Events Industry Resilience Roadmap (IRR), which provides guidance on safety measures and best practices in line with the gradual resumption of business events. It presents three strategic objectives:

1. Helping the industry to implement best-in-class standards under STB’s Safe Business Events Framework;
2. Creating agile business models with a focus on hybridisation;
3. Developing pathways for professional development in the new way forward.

The IRR also includes guidelines on SG SafeEvent Standard which is a mark of assurance that an event meets the requirements for safety, compliance and wellbeing in a COVID world.

Singapore rolls out pre-event testing
Source: Edited excerpt from M & C Asia
Date: 21 October 2020
To speed up the return of large-scale business events in Singapore, the Minister of Health announced a pilot program for pre-event COVID-19 testing where attendees of selected events will be tested either at the event venue or a separate testing facility. Only participants who test negative will be allowed into the event.

Japan to host virtual fam trips
Source: Edited excerpt from Mix Meetings
Date: 15 October 2020
Japan National Tourism Organisation (JNTO) is offering an online fam trip as part of its convention bureau’s hosted buyer programme. Meet Japan, being held fully virtually from January 26 to February 4, 2021 is designed to help international associations and PCOs learn more about the country’s convention cities and to connect with local meeting professionals. Attendees will choose 2 out of 4 cities to virtually visit.

Kobe announces support packages for hybrid events
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM Unity and Meet in Kobe
Date: 28 October 2020
At the annual “Meet in Kobe” meeting which was held as a hybrid event this year, Kobe Convention Bureau announced its new support package for hybrid meetings held in Kobe starting October. The support package includes organizational support and financial support of up to 5 million JPY (US$ 47,795) for international conventions and up to 2 million JPY (US$ 19,118) for domestic conventions.

Hong Kong launches hygiene framework for the business events and tourism
Source: Edited excerpt from M & C Asia
Date: 9 October 2020
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) in partnership with the Hong Kong Quality Assurance Agency (HKQAA) has rolled out a set of standardised hygiene protocols for tourism and business events-related businesses in an effort to restore confidence among travellers. The protocol will roll out in two phases and is similar to Singapore Tourist Board’s SG Clean Initiative.

Thailand unveils operational plan for FY2021
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel Daily News
Date: 15 October 2020
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has revealed its operation plan for the fiscal year 2021, focused on recovery for Thailand’s business events industry and strengthening the industry’s fundamentals for sustainability. Guided by the concept “New Normal MICE – Sustainable Growth”, the plan comprises four strategies:

1. Promoting domestic MICE
2. Attracting international events
3. Implementing innovation
4. Developing a robust MICE ecosystem

TCEB has allocated 10-million baht (US$ 321,027) in its budget for the first quarter of the FY2021 (October – December) towards the promotional campaign “Thailand: A Safer Place for Meetings”. The campaign aimed at encouraging the public and private sectors to use business events activities as a means to distribute income to local communities.

Thailand’s continued focus on innovation
Source: Edited excerpt from Travel Daily News
Date: 27 October 2020
Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has launched the third edition of ‘Thailand MICE Startup’. The competition, aimed at boosting Thailand’s post-COVID-19 competitiveness, pairs start-ups or tech entrepreneurs with business event entrepreneurs to compete for the best innovation for the business events industry. So far, there are 23 applicants who are required to form a team to develop innovations or solutions that can address the pain points faced by business events entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The competitors are required to partner with a business events entrepreneur to ensure the practicalities of the innovations.

AUSTRALIA

Tourism Australia inspires event planners with 8D
Source: Edited excerpt from M & C Asia
Date: 14 October 2020
Tourism Australia has launched an 8D immersive campaign featuring six videos highlighting some of Australia’s most iconic spots, in a move to inspire event planners for future business events. Unlike other destination marketing campaigns by tourism bodies worldwide, Tourism Australia is the first to use 8D audio to deliver the sound engineering treatment so listeners experience a three-dimensional effect via their headsets.

Planners can find the six Audio Escape videos via the Business Events Australia website.

Tasmania’s support package for the business events sector
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 19 October 2020
Tasmania has announced grants from AU$ 5,000 (US$ 3,517) to AU$ 100,000 (US$ 70,340) to support local small businesses that provide critical event support infrastructure and other services that are essential to the running of events.

Sydney launches new brand campaign for the business events sector
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 27 October 2020
Business Events Sydney (BESydney), backed by the New South Wales Government and the tourism industry, has launched the “It’s got to be Sydney” campaign to position Sydney as the number one Australian destination for business visitors – and focuses on the domestic market to ensure Sydney is the top pick as businesses plan upcoming busines events. The campaign is filled with optimism for a new COVID-19 safe future and connects planners and suppliers via a dedicated microsite.

EUROPE

UK launches “Events. Reimagined” campaign
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES
Date: 29 October 2020
VisitBritain have launched the new international recovery campaign, ‘Events. Reimagined’, as part of their international hosted buyer partnership with The Meetings Show. The new ‘Reimagine’ campaign is to help buyers creatively reimagine the future of events in the UK, and take this opportunity to reboot, refresh and reimagine their future business events.

Austria’s EUR 300 million (US$ 350.4 million) support package
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES and Pro Media news
Date: 15 October 2020
The Austrian parliament recently agreed on a EUR 300 million (US$ 350.4 million) financial support package for business events organisers. If an event is subject to restrictions or is cancelled, the organiser’s liability will be limited by the Federal government. This also applies to organizers from other EU countries who hold their event in Austria.

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For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.

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REGION WATCH

ASIA

Hong Kong launches USD131 million subsidy scheme for business events
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM and TTG MICE
Date: 29 September 2020
On October 3, the Hong Kong Government launched the Convention and Exhibition Industry Subsidy Scheme worth HKD1,020 million (USD131 million) to help ease financial burdens on the local convention and exhibition industry and help it attract domestic and overseas exhibitors, buyers and conference delegates to Hong Kong. The Subsidy Scheme offers to cover a 100 per cent venue rental cost for organisers of exhibitions and international conventions held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and AsiaWorld-Expo.

Hong Kong focuses on regional source markets
Source: Edited excerpt from M & C Asia
Date: 16 September 2020
Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) is working on re-engaging and attracting event planners from regional source markets as well as having discussions with other destinations on forming travel bubbles, lending confidence to the business events sector’s recovery. HKTB is also working on Open House Hong Kong – a co-platform between the government and trade partners serving to inform international visitors and planners of the destination’s COVID-19 safe status, together with a host of attractive offerings and experiences.

AUSTRALIA

Shoalhaven’s AUD170,000 support package
Source: Edited excerpt from CIM
Date: 25 September 2020
Business events in Shoalhaven which have been postponed or cancelled due to COVID-19 have been given grants worth a total AUD170,000 (USD121,714) to help them in recovery. The funds are from the AUD10 million (USD7.2 million) Regional Tourism Bushfire Recovery Grants program, which was set up to support events of all types in fire-affected regions.

EUROPE

Poland’s “Safe MICE Venue” certification
Source: Edited excerpt from KONGRES and Poland Convention Bureau
Date: 24 September 2020
During Meeting Week Poland, Polish Tourism Organisation and Poland Convention Bureau launched the “Safe MICE venue” programme intended to provide business travellers, meetings and events customers and professional congress organisers with access to information about venues capable of delivering services in accordance with regulations of Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and Ministry of Development.

GLOBAL RECOVERY RESOURCE

AIPC, UFI and ICCA release second Good Practice Guide
Source: Edited excerpt from TTG MICE and MeetExpo
Date: 16 September 2020
AIPC, the International Association of Convention Centres; ICCA, the International Convention and Congress Association; and UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, have joined forces to release Good Practice Guide: Addressing COVID-19 Requirements for Re-Opening Business Events – Version 2. The Guide, focused on the reopening for phase, builds on the first report published in May and includes 12 mini case-studies and learnings from business events which successfully too place during July and August 2020 around the world.

Download a copy here.

TOURISM SECTOR RECOVERY

Air Canada offers free COVID-19 insurance for international travel
Source: Edited excerpt from ETurbo News
Date: 18 September 2020
Air Canada announced that it is including complimentary COVID-19 emergency medical & quarantine insurance for Canadian residents booking round-trip international flights. The coverage, available for new bookings made in Canada from September 17 until October 31, 2020, inclusive, provides emergency medical and quarantine insurance designed to give customers added confidence when booking flights and travelling abroad.

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For more articles/news, please visit News & Resources.

Our summary of how destinations are responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. We hope this bulletin will help you in planning your own mitigation and recovery strategies.