On The Cover - Meetings & Golf
Corporate and Incentive Travel May 2008
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=858

It’s all about the golf. Meeting planners everywhere report that attendees consistently request (read: demand) golf on the itinerary. Hotels and resorts are attracting meetings business with new and renovated golf courses, celebrity-endorsed golf academies, as well as updated, state-of-the art meeting facilities and ultra-luxe accommodations and amenities, such as pampering spa experiences. Why are golf and meetings such a natural combination?

Luxury Yacht Cruises on the Sea of Cortes - La Paz, Mexico
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/mexico/cortes1.html

On the Sea of Cortes in Mexico, you can enjoy your own private yacht without all the hassles of ownership. No worries about docking fees or navigating unfamiliar waters or the ever–increasing fuel costs. No cooking as your own private onboard chef prepares gourmet meals and pours drinks of your choice. Chartered yachts let you take the luxury vacation of your dreams exploring the Sea of Cortes' secluded coves, turquoise clear waters, private sand beaches on unpopulated islands, and nature at its best.

Gamboa Rainforest Resort at the Panama Canal––Panama
Panama City, Panama
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/panama/gamboa.html

A destination resort in the heart of Soberania National Park, the Gamboa Rainforest Resort at the Panama Canal was created to provide guests a unique vacation experience incorporating on–property rainforest encounters. Originally opened in 2000, the resort is situated on 340 acre and provides a range of ecological adventures close to the capital city.

InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa––Panama
Panama
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/panama/icplaya.html

The InterContinental Playa Bonita Resort & Spa is just 25 minutes from Panama City and 40 minutes from the Tocumen International Airport, but this secluded beachfront property is the essence of privacy and luxury.

Fairmont Acapulco Princess––Acapulco, Mexico
Playa Revolcadero s/n, Col. Granjas del Marques, Acapulco, Mexico
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/mexico/fairmont_princess.html

Situated in three Aztec–style pyramid buildings on Revolcadero Beach, the Fairmont Acapulco Princess is a massive luxury hotel with 1,017 rooms, including seven penthouse suites. The high–rise somehow still manages to serve up a laid–back charm and consistent service, plus the 480 acres of grounds and golf course offer plenty of room to roam

The Fairmont Pierre Marques––Acapulco, Mexico
Playa Revolcadero s/n, Colonia Granjas del Marques, Acapulco, Mexico
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/mexico/fairmont_pm.html

The love affair of the Fairmont Pierre Marques began when oil tycoon J. Paul Getty built this private hideaway in Acapulco's exclusive Diamante district. Several owners and millions of dollars of renovations later, this intimate, beachfront getaway is framed by an exclusive neighborhood, the Pacific Ocean and the emerald slopes of Mexico's Sierra Madre.

Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort––San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
Carretera Transpeninsular, Km. 19.5, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
http://www.luxurylatinamerica.com/mexico/hilton_los_cabos.html

Brand names like the Hilton might be safe bets, especially when traveling in Mexico, but sometimes that's not enough to ensure only the best. Hilton Los Cabos is one of those exceptional exceptions.

The Hotel at Esperanza
Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Las Ventanas al Paraiso
Baja California Sur, Mexico

Marquis Los Cabos, Beach, Golf, Spa & Casitas Resort
Baja California Sur, Mexico

One&Only Palmilla
San José del Cabo, Mexico

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Pick the Right Layover City
Planning and Organizing Travel  6-11-08
Office Arrow Layover City Article

Getting a direct flight is like winning the lottery. Put some thought into where you spend your layover, and you could turn down time into a good time. With weather delays and an array of other possible airline setbacks, you could be there a while.

When it's all about timing.

You land and glance at your watch and realize that you have less than 30 minutes to find your gate! To follow is the mad dash through the airport, on a tram, to (of course!) a totally different concourse of the airport.

When the selection of your connecting destination is based simply on ease in transfer, before you book, research the layout of your connection airport. Locate your arriving airlines terminal (concourse), and then your connecting flight's concourse. Make sure you have enough time to get there without chancing a missed connection.

Take the nine terminals of Miami International Airport for example. If you arrive on American Airlines headed to the Bahamas, the arrival terminal is Concourse C, but your connection is on Concourse H for Delta Airlines. One hour layover probably won't be enough - unless you prefer a sprint through the airport.

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Gaming Hotels And Resorts  
AC&F April/May 2008 On The Cover
http://acf.themeetingmagazines.com/acf/20080405OnTheCover/tabid/78/Default.aspx

Everyone takes notice when the leading association executives who make up the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Association Committee of 100 converge on a gaming resort such as the Mohegan Sun. Their group may appear to be a small association meeting with roughly 100 attendees, but their impact resonates throughout this premier gaming destination’s walls. A small association meeting is not always less powerful than a trade show with thousands of attendees, according to Clint Wheeler, vice president of corporate programs for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Texas
AC&F April/May 2008 Destinations
 http://acf.themeetingmagazines.com/acf/20080405Destinations/Texas/tabid/93/Default.aspx  

Mention Texas, and many people still envision cowboys, tumbleweed, cacti and cattle as far as the eye can see. Areas still exist that are throwbacks to the old spaghetti westerns, but for years now, Texas has been building a solid reputation in the meetings industry. Within the state’s 267,000 square miles of wide-open spaces, planners will discover vibrant cities, more than 900 golf courses and an abundance of natural wonders. The 18.5 million square feet of meeting space and 330,000 hotel rooms statewide provide multiple options for meetings, from the world’s largest column-free exhibit hall to meeting rooms flanked by sparkling bays and lazy rivers.

Mountain Resorts
April 2008 C&IT Travel
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=854

A natural landscape moves people in different ways. It inspires. It motivates. It silences. It takes one by surprise. Words rarely capture the moment — the skyward sweep and heady mix of humility and awe when first viewing the “purple majesties” of the Rocky Mountains, the Allegheny Mountains of West Virginia or any awe-inspiring mountain ranges. That’s why when planners announce a mountain resort destination, their attendees instantly get a touch of mountain fever.

http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=850

Creativity & Innovation
April 2008 C&IT Travel
Which way do you lean? Are you right-brained or left-brained? Marketeers sometimes use the quasi-scientific theory that right-brained people interpret information visually and use their intuitive powers in a creative manner whereas left-brained people are more comfortable processing the written and spoken word in a more logical manner. If you tend to lean to the left and could use a healthy dose of creativity when planning your meetings, events and conferences, there are many excellent resources to help you turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.

Partnering With CVBs
March/April 2008 I&FMM
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=821

New Orleans: The Big Easy Is Back And Better Than Ever
April 2008 Corporate & Incentive Travel
 "Now is the time to fall in love with New Orleans all over again,” said Nikki Nicholson, vice president of sales for the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau (NOCVB). “I would not say New Orleans is coming back. Rather, New Orleans is back, and it’s business as usual. In 2007, we welcomed six million visitors, and we’re ready to welcome more this year.”

Sun-drenched beaches, treasured pre-Hispanic cultures, lovely colonial towns and bustling cities — no wonder Mexico’s meetings and conventions sector is a $1.5 billion industry. It is ranked ninth worldwide in the number of hosted events, welcoming 22 million international visitors each year. The Mexico Tourism Board (MTB), one of the few countrywide bureaus in the world, coordinates the country’s vast network of convention centers, and convention and visitors bureaus with an emphasis on corporate meetings, conventions, expositions, trade shows and incentives.

Nevada: A Meetings Mecca, From Las Vegas to Reno
Association Conventions and Facilities: Destinations - February / March 2008
http://acf.themeetingmagazines.com/acf/20080203Destinations/Nevada/tabid/71/Default.aspx

Mining has made a comeback in the state of Nevada, which now produces more gold than any other state. For planners, the state is a gold mine in a different vein, boasting all the assets of a proven meeting and convention attendance- and revenue-builder: many direct flights with reasonable airfare; amazing hotels, which are like cities within cities; the world’s best top-name entertainment; the finest dining on the planet; and, of course, the allure of gaming.

Zero-Waste Events
Association Conventions and Facilities: Destinations - February / March 2008
http://acf.themeetingmagazines.com/acf/20080203Features/ZeroWasteEvents/tabid/65/Default.aspx

High thread counts and spa services are great, but show me your biodegradable soap, high-impact fluorescent light bulbs and recycle bins. That’s the new dictum in site selection these days. In a very short time, eco-friendly initiatives have gone from becoming a thoughtful thing to do, to becoming a required component of meetings and events, where the ultimate goal is a zero-waste event.

Colorado
C&IT February 2008
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=800

Nearly two-thirds of Colorado is made up of mountains, and not just any range, but the legendary Rocky Mountains, the tallest in the continental United States. Wherever there are mountains, planners can anticipate a plane full of attendees eager to witness purple mountain majesties, guaranteeing the popularity of a meeting in Colorado.

Food & Beverage Trends
C&IT January 2008
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=763

The West Coast’s reputation as a trendsetter probably had its beginnings back in the 1970s when the fitness and health food craze took root. It’s an evolution that has become a revolution with our nation’s renewed awareness of healthful eating and new emphasis on sustainability, a trend that has compelled planners to assign food and beverage a bigger slice of the meeting planning pie.

Chichén Itzá  One of New Seven Wonders of the World
World & I Online November 2007
http://www.worldandi.com/

Clap your hands at the bottom of the stairs of the 1,100-year-old Temple of Kukulcan, in the ancient city of Chichén Itzá, and the responding echo will sound like the cawing of a sacred quetzal bird. Interesting phenomenon or acoustical masterpiece? Many believe the Maya were engineering geniuses, and this is not sheer coincidence.              Continued

Creative-EnergyBoosters
C&IT November 2007
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=703

It can be draining just to think about all the challenges faced by meeting professionals: Stay focused and budget-conscious, negotiate contracts, juggle vendors and schedules, hit multiple, impossible timelines, look after attendee management, deliver on business objectives with each project, measure ROI — and then muster the creative energy necessary to keep programs fresh and new.

On The Road Again– Transportation Sets the Tone
C&IT November 2007
 http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=704

First impressions are everything. Before attendees even set foot in their meeting hotel or resort, it’s how they got there that sets the tone for the entire meeting. If the people-moving piece of the event puzzle is frustrating, inconvenient and confusing, it tends to cast the upcoming meeting in the same light.

Wildlife at The Mirage
November 2007 VAXVacation Access (Mark Travel)
http://www.vaxvacationaccess.com/destcontent/rowe/stories/MGMMirage.asp

Taking A Bite Out Of Vegas
November 2007 VAXVacation Access (Mark Travel)  
http://www.vaxvacationaccess.com/destcontent/rowe/stories/biteoutofVegas.asp

New Orleans
September 2007C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=643
The city of New Orleans is alive and well and better than ever according to scores of meeting planners who have recently staged meetings in the Crescent City. Such praise is music to the ears of Stephen Perry, Kelly Schulz and the entire enthusiastic, hard-working staff of the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau (NOMCVB). Perry, the president and CEO, and Schulz, the vice president of communications for the Bureau, have not let the devastation wrought by Hurricane Katrina or occasional negative press deter them from their mission — diligently promoting their city as one of the premier meeting destinations in the world.

Florida
September 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=644
Florida’s abundant sunshine, extraordinary golf courses, miles and miles of white sandy beaches, plentiful recreational and leisure activities, myriad dining and entertainment options, and world-famous theme parks are just a few of the many reasons that meeting planners often return to the Sunshine State. The state’s many convention and visitors bureaus boast that planners will discover something new and different from coast to coast at every opportunity.

Public Speaking
August 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=618
“Public speaking is no longer just a nice tool to have,” said Vickie Sullivan, president of the Tempe, AZ, Sullivan Speaker Services Inc. “Public speaking is now considered a necessary leadership skill for meeting professionals. Public speaking gives planners a forum to impress their company’s leaders, display their personal style and competence. If a meeting professional wants to get a seat at the executive table, she must be able to put on the hat of public speaking.”
 

Independent Meeting Planners
July 2007C&IT
http://themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=570
If you have visions of becoming an independent meeting and event planner, we have good news for you. Enterprising, savvy planners have been making lemonade out of lemons for years by choosing to go the independent route. During the last decade, the aftereffects of corporate downsizing and restructuring, mergers and acquisitions have left the door wide open for ingenious planners to capture new business that corporations can’t manage on their own nowadays.

No More "Bored" Rooms
July 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=568

“Been there, done that” — four words that planners typically don’t want to hear from their attendees when announcing the location for an upcoming meeting or event. But when the powers-that-be insist on returning to the same destination or venue time after time, the onus falls on the meeting professional to find ways to inject new life into the same-old.

Vancouver
July 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=572
You would think that a city with Vancouver, British Columbia’s breathtaking, natural beauty and worldly, sophisticated flair wouldn’t need any help to attract business. And it really doesn’t. The point is, the folks at the Vancouver Convention and Visitors Bureau (VCVB) never take their city’s appeal or your business for granted. The bureau’s rebranding process has yielded a “service edge” commitment program with a focus on “exceeding expectations” in customer relationships that not only continues to attract coveted meeting and convention business, it was a major contributing factor in VCVB landing the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Beat The Clock
June 2007C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=541
Corporate meeting planners acknowledge that mastering time management skills is at the top of their to-do list, but when asked to comment on the topic, many reply that they don’t “have the time.” Fortunately, we persevered and found a handful of dedicated corporate meeting planners who were willing to share their tips on time management.

Gaming Resorts
April 2007C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=48
The odds are in the planner’s favor that meetings held at gaming resorts will be an unqualified success. Just ask John Gill, senior manager of national events for Nashville, TN-based Nissan North America. “The infrastructure and resources that gaming destinations bring to the table are unparalleled in the meeting industry,” he said.

Conference Centers
March 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=443
Conference centers have enjoyed tremendous growth in revenues and profits recently, following a number of lean years. Both a healthy economy and disciplined management contributed to the strong performance according to the 2006 edition of “Trends in the Conference Center Industry” published by PKF Consulting in conjunction with the International Association of Conference Centers...

Colorado
February 2007 C&IT
ttp://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=430
“Scenery that bankrupts the English language” is how Theodore Roosevelt described Colorado’s Rocky Mountains on a visit in 1901. Planners already know that Colorado offers a panorama of scenic vistas with soaring peaks and sprawling ranches that stretch as far as the eye can see. And they know that their attendees can choose from a variety of activities to enhance their meetings, including watching thrilling rodeos, skiing on prime mountain slopes, ballooning over snowcapped mountains, white-water rafting down a rushing river, fishing in tumbling streams or golfing on world-renowned, signature courses

Puerto Rico
January 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=400
Puerto Rico Convention Bureau President and CEO Ana Maria Viscasillas personifies the energy and excitement that’s currently brewing on her island when she talks about its appeal for planners. “Puerto Rico’s vibrancy sets itself apart from most other major U.S. meeting destinations.

Features:Trends and Tactics
January 2007 C&IT
http://www.themeetingmagazines.com/index/Default.aspx?tabid=39
To ensure a memorable and successful meeting, plan entertainment that will drive home the corporate message, enhance the brand, deliver the wow factor and contribute measurably to the bottom line. And don’t forget to arrange an inviting environment so that a good time can be had by all.