Sargent Returns To Chicago As CCTB’s Senior V.P.

CHICAGO, IL — Tim Roby, president and CEO of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB), announced the appointment of David J. Sargent to the newly created position of senior vice president. Most recently, Sargent was senior vice president of sales and marketing for the Orlando/Orange County CVB. Prior to that, he was area director of sales and marketing for the Hiltons of Chicago.

“Dave has an unmatched knowledge of the meetings and convention business and a stellar reputation within the hotel community,” said Roby. “In response to the increasingly intense competition within our industry we felt we needed to add more ‘firepower’ to our already strong team led by Mark Theis and Mark Tunney, and Dave fits that bill perfectly.”

Sargent will lead the CCTB sales team with a strategy to acquire new meetings and convention business. Said Sargent, “Chicago’s reputation as a serious business destination, its diverse meeting facilities, a built-in attendee base and more will provide a solid platform in selling the destination to meeting planners seeking a partner to help grow their events.” choosechicago.com

StarCite’s Iwamoto Honored with NBTA’s Industry Icon Award

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Kevin Iwamoto, vice president, enterprise strategy for StarCite Inc., a leading provider of Web-based solutions to strategically manage corporate meetings and events, will receive the National Business Travel Association’s (NBTA) Industry Icon Award, the association’s highest honor, at the 2009 NBTA International Convention & Exposition, which will be held August 23–26 in San Diego. starcite.com, nbta.org

Las Vegas’ CityCenter Announces Key Sustainable Highlights

LAS VEGAS, NV — CityCenter, the 18-million-square-foot urban resort on The Strip, is positioned to achieve a combination of gold and silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) ratings by the U.S. Green Building Council throughout its hotels, residences, dining, retail and public spaces.

Green features include energy generation through its 8.5 megawatt natural-gas, co-generation plant, providing efficient electricity onsite, reducing emissions and using “waste heat” to provide all domestic hot water; water conservation technology and programs that will save between 32 percent and 39 percent within the buildings, and 60 percent in outdoor landscaping; a fleet of stretch limos powered by clean-burning compressed natural gas; hotel rooms that allow guests to “green their stay”; development of slot-machine bases that serve as floor air-conditioning units; and many more green features in every facet of the development.

The “city within a city” will be one of the world’s largest sustainable developments when it opens in December. citycenter.com

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa Now Open

TULSA, OK — After a $155 million renovation of the former Cherokee Casino Resort, the new Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tulsa, opened this month. The property, which is owned by the Cherokee Nation and operated by Cherokee Nation Entertainment, features 350 luxury hotel rooms and suites; more than 125,000 square feet of gaming space; five dining venues including Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill and McGill’s on 19, a fine-dining penthouse restaurant; and five nightclubs and entertainment venues, including the 2,500-seat Hard Rock Hotel & Casino event center scheduled to open in 2010. The hotel offers 35,000 square feet of meeting space, plus the 5,000-square-foot Sky Room banquet facility. hardrockcasinotulsa.com

Fenton Begins Term as DMAI Chair

ATLANTA, GA — Daniel Fenton, CEO of Team San Jose in California, has been elected chair of the board of directors of Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). Fenton’s term began at the 95th Annual Convention held in Atlanta last month. As CEO of Team San Jose, Fenton has guided the organization through unprecedented growth, market diversification and a shifting economic climate. He has been an active DMAI member for 12 years.

“I’m really looking forward to working with an incredible team of staff and volunteer leaders to help take DMAI to a new level of leadership,” said Fenton. “During my tenure I am committed to driving the concept that national partnerships between key industries are vital to DMAI members. I will encourage partners such as arts, hotel chains and organized labor to work with DMAI to elevate the meeting industry’s profile and make seamless customer service a nationwide priority for the benefit of meeting planners. sanjose.org, destinationmarketing.org

Incentive Travel Remains A Preferred Business Strategy

NEW YORK, NY — According to “Incentive Industry Trends Outlook 2009,” an Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) pulse survey, a majority of incentive practitioners are unlikely to switch from travel incentives to another program initiative, despite the current economy. The survey indicates that while incentive travel programs will indeed be altered due to budget constraints, their utility as a strategic business tool persists. Survey answers reveal a shift in award selection decisions in merchandise programs and budgets for incentive travel programs and note the political landscape’s impact on the industry, among other findings.

“Amid the economic downturn and intense public scrutiny of motivation and awards programs, savvy business professionals continue to realize the power of incentives to help achieve business goals, even when they may need to alter programs due to cutbacks,” said Rodger Stotz, chief research officer of the IRF. “These findings support the experience of those who use incentives that incentive programs are results-oriented, cost-effective, useful for multiple applications and highly measurable.” theirf.org

Hyatt Regency Bellevue Opens New Tower

BELLEVUE, WA — The Hyatt Regency Bellevue officially opened its $185 million tower expansion. The new state-of-the-art 17,745-square-foot Grand Ballroom is now the largest hotel ballroom on Seattle’s Eastside and third largest in Washington State. Additionally, the 13,755-square-foot Evergreen Ballroom, a 135-seat executive auditorium and seven versatile conference suites are housed within the new tower. The additions bring the total meeting space to 60,000 square feet and total number of guest rooms to 733. bellevue.hyatt.com

Disney Meeting Attendees Offered Incentives At Parks

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL and ANAHEIM, CA — For a limited time, attendees meeting at either Orlando’s Walt Disney World or California’s Disneyland are eligible to receive a single Theme Park admission ticket (good after 4 p.m.) and a $25 Disney Dining Card that can be used toward a meal at participating Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort restaurants. The offer is valid for meetings held on select dates and hotels. Go to disneymeetings.com for information.

Golden Nugget Accepting Reservations For New Rush Tower

LAS VEGAS, NV — The Golden Nugget is now accepting reservations for its new hotel tower. The $150 million Rush Tower, which is scheduled to debut November 20,

Rendering of the new Rush Tower lobby.

will add nearly 500 guest rooms and suites to the hotel’s existing 1,914 guest rooms. The new guest rooms will be 20 percent larger than the existing standard North Tower and South Tower rooms. The tower also will feature the Chart House Aquarium restaurant with a 50,000-gallon aquarium as its centerpiece; new swimming pool; gaming; and retail shops. The Golden Nugget offers more than 50,000 square feet of meeting, event and function space that accommodates from 15 to 1,300 attendees. goldennugget.com

Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge Refurbishes Championship Course

ORLANDO, FL — The golf course maintenance project that began this spring on the Championship Course at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge is on schedule, and the course is scheduled to reopen in October. The overall goal of the project was not to completely alter the course, but rather elevate its architectural and aesthetic standards to the modern level one would expect from an Arnold Palmer-designed course. The 70-room property, which is the site of the annual Arnold Palmer Invitational PGA Tour golf tournament, features a full-service spa, salon, fitness and aquatic center; 27 holes of golf; the Arnold Palmer Golf Academy; four dining locations and three lounges; and 9,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. bayhill.com