ABOUT DIANA

DIANA'S WORK

Business Travel Friendly Hotels
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk  Air, Hotel, and Transportation
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By: Diana Rowe
Jul 1, 2008

A business hotel doesn't have to be just another boring stay for your boss (or you!). If you must be stuck in a hotel working, make it a hotel worth remembering.

Central Location
After spending several hours of maneuvering security and airport terminals, nothing's worse than arriving at a hotel destination that's away from everything. Consider where your business will take place, and position the hotel as close to that as possible. If your boss has several meetings throughout the city, try to find a central location.

Hint: Check with the destination's convention & visitor bureaus for suggestions.

Your On-the-Road Office
When you travel on a business trip you want a competitive edge, and having all the tools readily available at your hotel can create a setting that feels as comfortable as your own office.

Tips for Preventing Jet Lag
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk  Planning and Organizing Travel
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By: Diana Rowe
Jul 10, 2008

Fatigue, insomnia, disorientation, swollen hands and feet, headaches, digestion problems, even light-headedness are all symptoms of jet lag. With today's shortage of time and increase of available flights (even with the rising cost of fuel), almost everyone will travel by air at some time, and many will be affected by jet lag.

Research studies report that as many as 94 percent of all long-distance fliers experience some form of jet lag. NASA studies show that for every time zone a traveller passes, one day is required to fully regain your natural rhythm and energy levels.

What is Jet Lag?
Crossing multiple time zones disrupts your circadian rhythms and messes with your natural 24-hour body clock. That clock regulates your waking and sleeping hours and keeps you aligned with your environment. The severity of jet lag is not necessarily dependent on the number of hours on the plane, but the time zones passed through.

DMCs: What Are They and Should You Hire One?
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk  Planning and Organizing Travel

By:  Diana Rowe
Jul 2, 2008

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Maybe you're new to meeting planning, or perhaps you're a busy office professional who knows what's required for every type meeting for which you are responsible. Whether the meeting is too large or your time is limited, you know it's impossible to handle every detail of your meeting because there's only 24 hours in a day. The perfect solution is to clone yourself - but that's not possible. When you need another you, consider hiring a DMC.

From CVBs to RFPs to DMCs, acronyms abound in the meetings industry. Office professionals that aren't familiar with the terminology might liken the meeting maze to a random bowl of alphabet soup. Let's take a look at another - DMC. What is it and should you hire one for your meeting?

Pick the Right Layover City
Planning and Organizing Travel  6-11-08
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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.

Partnering with Your CVB
OfficeArrow Home, Meeting Planning, Organizing Corporate Events , Jun 5 2008
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This week you might be planning an executive retreat in Scotland; next week a one-day event in New York City; and next month, a city-wide in London. Whether you have 20 events back to back, or one each month, your first step should always be the same - call the local CVB (or Tourism Authority).

What Is It

CVB is the acronym for Convention & Visitors Bureaus (also known as Convention Visitors Authority - CVA). Both are the not-for-profit organizations charged with representing a specific destination and helping the long-term development of communities through a travel and tourism strategy. Many CVBs are funded through a combination of hotel occupancy taxes and membership dues. CVBs are both a hotel and meeting planner's best friend. They book business for hotels without a fee and provide the same service free of charge to planners.

When meeting locations rotate, it's impossible for planners to keep up with what's new in every destination, including the one they reside in. With a growing to-do list and a day that only has so many hours, planners need to make the most of every valuable minute - and that's when a CVB can help by providing current information on meeting hotels and convention centers, as well as what's new to see and do around town. And the good news - the majority of their services are provided at no cost to you!

Off-Site or On-Site Airport Parking: The Pros and Cons
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk: Air, Hotel, and Transportation,  Jun 2 2008

You know the story: late night, overslept, forgot to fill your tank, forgot to pack your underwear, forgot your cell phone. And where's your lap top? Traffic jam. All your careful planning and tight budget washed down the drain as you pull into short-term parking. Grab your carry-on. A mad dash later, you've checked in and actually made your flight.

You console yourself that at least your car is safe with all those video cameras trained on it. Yet you cringe at the expense of short-term parking. Or perhaps you simply like the convenience? Maybe you just haven't had a chance to check out other options.

Airport parking is often the cost that breaks the budget. No matter what great rate you uncovered for a hotel room or rental car, the last thing you want to do is shell out another hundred bucks just to park your car. With the cost of fuel and the inconvenience, you can hardly ask your partner or co-worker to navigate the mad dash through rush hour.

Even when your master plan falls together and you arrive early, there are so many choices. Off-site or on-site airport parking, what is the best option for you?

Frequent Flier Programs: A Bird's Eye View
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk: Air, Hotel, and Transportation, Featured Articles 5-21-08
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In one month, you rack up thousands of miles in the air. You silently stand in security lines for yet another TSA screening at yet another airport on yet another long travel day. You try to relax in a plane with never enough leg room and uncomfortable seats. Another report filed for lost luggage. You know you'll receive it on the last day of your trip anyway - just in time to return home with a suitcase full of clean clothes and one well-worn suit.

Why do you do it? Frequent flier miles for business travelers are what ease the pain of the daily inconveniences of airline travel.

According to www.Frequentflier.com, frequent flyer programs date back to 1981, when American Airlines launched AAdvantage. Now more than 80 million people participate, making frequent flyer programs the most pervasive and successful marketing programs ever developed.

Below is a birds' eye view of a few frequent flier programs and excerpt of benefits:

Rental Car or Taxi?
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk; Air, Hotel, and Transportation, Featured Articles 5-19-08
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The process of renting a car is usually quite simple, but all rental companies are not created equal. Renting a car can add flexibility to any trip, but depending on your destination, it can rack up the mileage, which in turns hikes your out-of-pocket cost. Plus add in the high cost of gasoline, and sometimes it might feel like you just bought the car!

The question then becomes - when is the right time rent a car or hail a taxi?

Evaluate Your Rental Car Needs
Chances are you won't need a rental car each time you travel, so the best approach is to map out your trip before you arrive at your destination.

 Productive Layovers: Fact or Wishful Thinking?

The OfficeArrow Travel Desk, Planning and Organizing Travel. Featured Articles May 16, 2008
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More than ever before business often includes air travel, and unfortunately, when your plans include flying, layovers are simply part of the package. Higher fares, delayed flights, and cutbacks in non-stops have created even longer layovers, which might be considered a time waster. However, layovers can be a tedious bore or productive tool, depending on how you manage your time.

Be Prepared
Instead of viewing layovers as a nuisance, be prepared to make the most of your time. Consider bringing business items to work on. Business items may include files, writing materials, a laptop computer, phone cord, calculator, dictating machine and batteries.

Downtime can be productive. It's simply a matter of pre-planning. Plan ahead and make a to-do list of phone calls to return or short projects to work on. While you may never get excited about layovers, you can at least make them a little more bearable.

Tips for Productive Layovers

Airport Hotels: Convenience or Hype?
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk, Air, Hotel, and Transportation, Featured Articles May 15, 2008
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Until the last few years, airport hotels were as appealing as a transcontinental flight in a cramped coach seat toward the back of the plane, but hotel companies, especially brands, are realizing that airport hotels can be profitable. Not only are these convenient hotels worth the value, but airport hotels are upping the experience for the traveler.

For many business travelers, an airport hotel was simply an option to take the worry out of fighting rush hour for an early morning flight. The additional sleep was always an added bonus, and some even allowed guests to park their car in the hotel lot, thus saving on-site parking fees. But other than a bed to sleep in, the amenities were sparse and not figured into the decision.

The Art of Packing: Keep It Simple
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk, Planning and Organizing Travel, April 11-2008
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There are two packing personalities: those that pack everything and those that pack frugally. Although both might be extreme, the best rule of thumb for packing is to keep it simple. The key to packing is organization.

Know Your Agenda
The first step is to know your trip's agenda and create a packing list to match. Print your agenda and decide what outfit is the best selection for each day and/or event. Write it down!

For example, if it's a business meeting during the day followed by a cocktail reception, dress for business during the day (slacks or skirt and blouse) and add a suit jacket for the evening. If it's a more casual event, swap out your plain blouse for color. Crosscheck your list for possibilities of mixing and matching colors that complement each other, i.e. a black jacket goes with black dress pants and dark blue skirt. TIP: Dark colors work well and go together well for both social and business occasions.

No U.S. Passport? No Problem: Tropical Destinations for U.S. Citizens without a Passport
The OfficeArrow Travel Desk, 05-14-08
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Last year, the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) took effect, requiring Americans to travel with a passport to many international destinations where one was previously not required. Air travelers entering the United States now must show a passport. That includes American citizens returning from popular destinations, like Canada, Mexico and many Caribbean countries, where previously all that was required was a driver's license or birth certificate.

Don't have a passport yet? No problem. There are still plenty of places, by air, sea and land, where no passport is no problem. WHTI doesn't affect travel between the U.S. and its territories.

Environmentally Friendly Rental Cars - The Impossible Dream?
Featured Articles 5-9-08
Air, Hotel, and Transportation
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You haven't refueled in two days, yet you've logged 500 miles on your rental car doing sales calls in California. Everyone else is stopped in yet another traffic jam, but you are driving along at a modest speed in the carpool lane, without another passenger. Yet you aren't worried about running out of gas or getting a citation. Sound like the impossible dream? No, all you did was think environmentally conscious and rent a hybrid.

With all the environmental benefits of being eco-friendly, more travelers are also opting to rent environmentally friendly vehicles. Unfortunately, the task isn't as easy as picking up the phone or booking online, and may dip more toward the impossible dream.

Green Meetings: What Are They and Are They Really Green?
Featured Articles 5-6-08
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Forget high thread counts or butler service. Show me your biodegradable soap, high impact fluorescent light bulbs, and recycle bins. The meetings industry is going green, or at least becoming more conscious about recognizing the need to adopt environmentally-conscious practices and standards.

In a very short time, eco-friendly initiatives have gone from becoming a thoughtful thing to do, to becoming a conscious decision. FutureWatch 2008, the sixth annual international study conducted by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and sponsored by American Express, confirms that environmental sustainability interest tops the chart. A survey of 1,643 meeting and event professionals and suppliers from around the world lists conservation and environmental concerns among the top three trends affecting 19 percent of professionals surveyed.

Airport Lounges: Good Use of Time and Money?  
Air, Hotel, and Transportation 5-6-08
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The entrances are chameleons, unobtrusive and merging into the metal background of the steel and noise of the airport. You've heard there's a quiet sanctuary with room to work and unlimited food and drink beyond those doors. From time to time, the doors slide open, like the Starship Enterprise, allowing people to walk in or out. You might even try to sneak a peek inside. But for most of us, the view from the outside is all we see of the members-only airport lounge.

Thousands of people belong to one or more airport lounge network in the United States alone, and the numbers increase outside the borders. Some airport lounges offer great food and drinks, with shower facilities, work stations, perhaps even a massage service, or computer games to help you pass the time. Some though are tucked into a small room with fewer perks, like maybe a comfortable chair and complimentary drinks.

Choosing which lounge to use can be yet another complicated step in your quest for the perfect trip. Yet, for those that ante up their annual membership fee (which can totter well over $400), access to an airport lounge is well worth the price.

Breezing Through Airport Security
Planning and Organizing Travel 4-15-08
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Like anything to do with travel, pre-planning decreases the time and stress at the airport. Read further for tips to breezing through airport security.

The Night Before:

• Print all your documents needed for your trip. Here's a quick check-list:
• Airline Reservation: flight numbers, departure and arrival, confirmation number and contact number of the airlines. Take this information and Check-in online and print your boarding pass. The process is simple, especially when you have everything in front of you.
• Hotel reservation: full/official name of hotel or resort, address and phone number of hotel.
• Car Rental details including reservation number, Rental Company, where to pick up your car, contract price, etc

Carbon Offsetting: Environmental Saver or Wallet Drainer?
Air, Hotel, and Transportation 4-15-08
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Carbon offsetting. Carbon footprints. Zero-waste. Green.

These are all terms thrown about in today's world in response to global warming admonitions. All across the globe, "green" is the new trend, and everyone from corporations to business and leisure travelers is considering "carbon offsetting" as a way to reduce their "carbon footprint."

What is it?

Carbon offsetting is part of a carbon neutral lifestyle to send the right message and do good and go green. According to Wikipedia, carbon offset is a financial instrument representing a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and in 2006, about $91 million of carbon offsets were purchased in the voluntary market, representing about 24 million metric tons of CO2e reductions.

Hotel Brand Loyalty
Air, Hotel, and Transportation 4-15-08
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Brand loyalty and its awards are available for just about everything you spend money on - from clothing stores to airlines to hotels. For travelers, the business world has truly grown to a global marketplace over the past dozen years.

However, it can be a maze of confusion when you are trying to assess the benefits of a particular guest program versus another when there are so many choices. Is it really worth it to book with the same brands, or are the benefits of ‘brand loyalty" just marketing hype?

Organizing Corporate Events
Long Distance Site Selection: Will it be Love at First "Site" or a Nightmare Waiting to Happen?
Featured Articles 4-13-08
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Choosing the right site for an event is more a science than an art. Whether your meeting location is a thousand miles away or around the corner, in a large resort or small boutique hotel, or an off-site venue such as a museum or restaurant, site selection involves the careful, methodical collection of key information, followed by selecting the site that best fits your meeting's needs and budget.

Choosing the right site without an in-person inspection, can be love at first "site" or a nightmare waiting to happen. Yet in today's corporate world of time- and number-crunching, that can often be the case.

Planning and Hosting Meetings
Local Site Selection: The Good, The Bad, and The Must-Have
Featured Articles 4-13-08
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Site selection can make or break the success of an event, which is why where you have your meeting can make or break your success.

Consider your Attendees' Comfort

A meeting goes beyond the cost of the event space, audiovisual equipment, food and beverage, travel and guest rooms. The well-being of attendees must also be considered.

When selecting a site, consider the stress involved with being away from friends and family, the mounting work that is not getting done while in meetings, and the often extreme change in diet and schedules while attending conferences.

Zen Your Office
Featured Articles 4-13-08

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Making your office space "Zen" is more than simply redecorating. It's about creating a space that is comfortable, smooth and productive while decreasing distraction. Whether your office is a cubicle or large private office, inherited or your own personal creation, it's your space, and your productivity is directly related your comfort level.

What is Zen?

The definition of Zen according to http://www.Yourdictionary.com  is: "a variety of Buddhism, now practiced especially in Japan, Vietnam, and Korea, seeking to attain an intuitive illumination of mind and spirit through meditation, especially on paradoxes."

Today the term is associated with simplicity, tied to meditation and being aware of your world.

Achieving Zen sounds like some "way-out-there hippie" term for something perhaps none of us can master: simplicity. Pulling that concept into your office space can be similar to the impossible dream. If you keep in mind the key phrase: Keep it Simple, and focus on what you have, not what you don't have, you'll be able to simplify your work space.