Keith Roher, president of Zeno Office Solutions, plans to start holding quarterly golf outings for Zeno clients at Streamsong Resort (pictured).

Some of the most successful corporate meetings mix business and pleasure in ways that are actually good for business, and great golf & spa resorts enable planners to achieve that effect. When attendees partake of a resort’s recreational amenities, they are not merely getting a break from business. They are refreshing themselves, which tends to improve attention and productivity at the next session. They are often socializing with other attendees, whether at the golf course, tennis court or spa, which can promote cohesiveness among coworkers. And they are building memories of a great overall meeting, which is exactly the impression planners want attendees to leave with.

Luxury Meets Wild Kingdom

The recreational amenities of Streamsong Resort, located in the lush, natural environs surrounding the town of Bowling Green in Central Florida, made quite a first impression on the 60-plus sales representatives of Zeno Office Solutions when the company held its annual sales kickoff meeting at the resort in February. Keith Roher, president of Zeno, a division of Xerox, describes the luxury property as “the Ritz-Carlton meets Wild Kingdom” and notes that the hilly terrain, partly manmade from land recovered from a former phosphate mine, gives the Florida-based group a sense that they’re out of state. “Central Florida is pancake flat and all of a sudden at Streamsong Blue’s first hole you’re 150 feet in the air where the tee box is. It gives you a really cool panoramic view in the direction of both sides of the state,” he describes.

Streamsong Red and Blue were ranked No. 1 and 3, respectively, as the “Best Public Golf Courses in Florida” by Golf Digest this year. In the fall of 2017, they will be complemented by Streamsong Black, designed by Gil Hanse, architect of The Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and co-designer of Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland. Yet Streamsong offers many other ways to enjoy its scenic location, including bass fishing, sporting clays, nature trails, tennis and an infinity pool. Inside, attendees can rejuvenate in AcquaPietra, the resort’s European-style spa, and choose from three restaurants, including a fine steak house, sophisticated Italian restaurant and a casual American eatery.

The Lodge houses 216 guest rooms that Roher describes as “large, beautiful and modern,” together with an additional 12 guest rooms in the Clubhouse. The resort’s 24,600 sf of meeting space includes 14,000 sf in the main conference center, complemented by 40,000 sf of outdoor event space. Zeno held training sessions in the breakout rooms, and the group was quite pleased with the facilities. “We’re a tech company, and they said you don’t need to bring a thing” in terms of AV equipment, “and that usually worries me, but they had everything ready,” Roher relates. “Being that they built the resort in the last few years, it’s got the latest and greatest, so that made everything go very smoothly.”

“Being that they built the resort in the last few years, it’s got the latest and greatest, so that made everything go very smoothly.” — Keith Roher

After that positive first experience with Streamsong and a kickoff that got all the reps “fired up,” Roher notes evidence that a significant ROI was achieved. “The message that we were trying to convey directly related to 2015 and our expectations from the sales side. And we had our biggest first quarter in probably three years; traditionally the first quarter for us is soft.” Roher also plans to start holding quarterly golf outings at Streamsong with some of Zeno’s current and potential clients in Florida.

On the Ball at Kingsmill

Meetings at golf & spa resorts can certainly be conducive to a strong business focus, and another fine example is Greene, New York-based Raymond Corporation’s meeting at Kingsmill Resort, in Williamsburg, Virginia. More than 300 middle- and upper-level managers attended the Summit, which includes a variety of workshops and “a lot of movement,” says Eric Montalvo, project manager customer solutions at The Raymond Corporation, a global provider of material handling solutions. “The meeting aspect of it is very important to us. We look at IACC-certified facilities for that very reason, to make sure the meeting space is adequate, that everything is ergonomically correct, that the AV is good, and so on.”

Kingsmill’s staff also was very adept at fulfilling the event’s logistical needs, Montalvo adds. “Many of our workshops are tailored to go in certain directions, but they can change, so there are times when we are changing room dynamics on the fly. And they were very accommodating in that regard; they did a great job of giving us space that we weren’t allocating at one point for additional planning sessions. From a meeting perspective they were on the ball.” The AAA Four Diamond, 425-room resort offers a 16,000-sf conference center.

On the less formal side, business objectives also were achieved. “The second level of this (program) is the learning process continuing in the evening, and the Kingsmill has all of those nooks and crannies where people can network and talk about best practices. Of course the golf courses come into play there as well,” Montalvo explains. Kingsmill offers two public 18-hole courses, the River Course and Plantation Course, complemented by a new, million-dollar spa with views of the James River.

On the Ocean Down East

Golf and spa are two amenities that often serve as touchstones for attendees: Even when groups venture to an unfamiliar destination or resort, they will get a sense of comfort from the presence of these well-known recreational options. Maryville, Tennessee-based Clayton Homes, for example, had almost always taken incentive groups to the Caribbean, but for their latest program, upper management decided to “look at unique domestic destinations that maybe their people haven’t been to before,” explains Erica White, account executive at Knoxville-based Liaisons Meetings & Incentives, who planned the program. The chosen destination was the coastal town of Rockport, Maine, home to Samoset Resort on Penobscot Bay.

While an oceanfront property, the AAA Four Diamond resort is quite a departure from the Caribbean locales the group was accustomed to. Nonetheless, its golf and spa amenities gave attendees “the resort experience they were used to in the Caribbean,” White says. The Samoset’s golf course celebrated its centennial in 2002, and its spa is designed to reflect the coastal Maine environment. “We held tee times each morning attendees could sign up for, and those were always filled,” she adds. The property houses 178 accommodations and more than 20,000 sf of function space, including the 6,000-sf Knox County Ballroom.

Activities for the 230 guests included a welcome reception with a lobster bake and yard games such as croquet, schooner sailings and a farewell evening at the Cellardoor Winery. “We set up dinner and dancing out in the huge lawn area between the winery building and the vineyard,” White relates. “The only issue is that the winery has a 9 p.m. noise ordinance, so no music is allowed after 9 p.m.

“By the end of the program, every person came up to me and said how amazing the experience was and that this was an area of the United States that they would have never seen if it wasn’t for this program,” she says. “It has inspired Clayton Homes to look at more domestic locations in unique areas of the United States.”

The Ins and Outs of the Boulders

One part of the country that planners often look to for great golf & spa resorts is Arizona, whose dry climate and picturesque desert terrains lend themselves to these activities. Boulders Resort & Spa in Carefree worked as a fine retreat for sales representatives of Santa Clara, California-based Gigamon. “One of the reasons we chose the Boulders is its location; we want everyone to concentrate on our meeting and don’t want too much distraction,” comments Anna Moraleda, global event planner for the network visibility solutions developer. The site choice is a proven one, as Gigamon held its sales kickoff at the resort for the fourth time this January. The globally based attendees broke off into foursomes for a shotgun-start golf tournament at one of the Boulders’ two 18-hole courses, and competed for prizes in traditional events such as closest to the pin and longest drive. In addition, “many of the ladies in my group used the spa, including myself. I love that you can decompress at the spa after a stressful event,” Moraleda says.

While the Spa at the Boulders is formidable at 33,000 sf, the resort also is well-stocked in indoor and outdoor function space. The 50,000 sf includes the 17,800-sf Tohono Conference Center, with flexible floor plans. “One of the things I love about the Boulders is their flexibility of meeting space, so we had several outdoor events,” Moraleda says. In addition, “our general session room and a couple of the other meeting rooms we used had natural lighting.” Attendees also were invigorated by the cuisine, which “is not your typical hotel food; it’s not greasy and is geared toward healthy living,” she adds. “Many of my attendees are very health-conscious.” The F&B staff also is very resourceful in terms of providing varied culinary experiences. “We did Argentinian food this year because we’re going there for the incentive trip, and then the year prior to that, we did a Great Gatsby theme, so they created dishes that were popular in the 1920s.”

Ojai Valley Oasis

The Topa Topa mountain range forms a dramatic backdrop to the 308-room Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a AAA Five Diamond property situated on 220 acres about 60 miles north of Los Angeles. The legendary inn features a George C. Thomas-designed golf course and a Spa Village, home to the 31,000-sf Spa Ojai. The spa recently paved a new road to wellness with the introduction of cocoon-like Somadomes, personal meditation pods that use LED color therapy, binaural beat meditation and microcrystalline tiles to induce enhanced levels of relaxation. For attendees who prefer a more low-tech approach to wellness, there’s full moon yoga and personal mandala sessions.

Also new to the resort is an adults-only pool and lounge, with a spacious VIP cabana. A new signature Italian kitchen concept restaurant, Olivella and Vine, features a new culinary team and a new menu featuring seasonal ingredients sourced locally from the region and from the inn’s own onsite vegetable garden.

The resort’s renamed historic center, the 1923-era Wallace Neff Heritage Bar & Courtyard — formerly Neff Lounge — was refreshed, and its newly expanded courtyard boasts oversized fireplaces and cushy seating, making it a welcoming space for networking events. Ojai Valley Inn Spa offers a total of 35,000 sf of function space.

Beyond Golf at the Wigwam

Arizona’s resorts are known for many outdoor activities beyond golf, in particular hot-air ballooning, horseback riding and jeep tours. St. Louis, Missouri-based Belden Inc. offered the latter two activities during leadership meetings at the Wigwam in Phoenix. But golf is still a prominent feature of the programs, given that out of 90 attendees, about 35 are golfers, notes Tina Hennessy, executive assistant to the CEO at Belden, a manufacturer of networking, connectivity and cable products. “My CEO is an avid golfer, so oftentimes when a property is selected, the determining factor would be their golf course,” she explains. The Wigwam certainly delivers on this front with three 18-hole championship courses, the Gold, Patriot and Heritage. The first two courses, designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr., are celebrating their 50th anniversary. In addition, the 331-casita resort boasts a 26,000-sf Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa and four pools.

With 100,000 sf of total function space, including the 10,800-sf Wigwam Ballroom and 25 separate meeting rooms, the AAA Four Diamond Wigwam offered plenty of meeting options for the relatively small group. Eateries include Litchfield’s, Red’s Bar and Grill and al fresco dining at the Wigwam Bar. “I try to get the group outside for all their meals. Our meeting is in February, and my CEO and I are from the Midwest, so it’s very nice to get out there and see the flowers and enjoy the outdoors,” says Hennessy. Groups that really want to feel close to nature can gather at Sunset Point, an Old West-inspired outdoor venue with a panoramic desert backdrop, or an events lawn that accommodates up to 300 guests.

The resort has recently completed a $15 million renovation that updated its interior design scheme with a Southwestern color palette and motifs, as well as historic photography and Arizona artifacts. Guest rooms also have been upgraded with new custom furnishings, state-of-the-art LCD televisions, granite-top vanities in the bathrooms and more. “The feedback we got from some of the attendees was that the property was a little dated,” notes Hennessy, so the renovation is a welcome development. Red’s Bar & Grill, celebrating its 85th anniversary, also debuted new décor and furniture in February,

Entertaining Talking Stick

Last November, Scottsdale’s 496-room Talking Stick Resort, an enterprise of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, completed an expansion of its casino-level lounge, Palo Verde. The new venue’s upper level features LED staircases, oversized couches, coral tables and seating for more than 100 guests. It also features a second full bar and deejay booth for live entertainment. The Talking Stick Resort Golf Club, adjacent to the resort, is one of Arizona’s finest golf clubs, with North and South courses designed by renowned architects Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore. The Spa at Talking Stick, a 13,000-sf open-air venue on the 14th floor, highlights the use of products made with ingredients that are culturally significant to the Pima-Maricopa Indians.

Talking Stick Resort’s 100,000 sf of function space offers groups 21 meeting rooms available in a variety of room configurations; its 25,000-sf grand ballroom can be divided into eight separate rooms. Private dining for groups is available at Talking Stick’s signature restaurant, Orange Sky. Located on the 15th floor with floor-to-ceiling windows, Orange Sky offers 360-degree views of the valley that attendees can “pair” with an award-winning wine list. One of the features that distinguishes Talking Stick is its robust live entertainment, including many classic rock acts such as Peter Frampton and Cheap Trick at its Summer Concert Series. The resort’s 650-seat Showroom features cutting-edge sound and lighting, and The Pool is a new outdoor performance venue.

Ocean Reef Retreat

2014 was a big year for Key Largo’s exclusive Ocean Reef Club, situated on 2,500 tropical acres in the upper-most of Florida’s chain of islands south of Miami. The resort updated its 30,000 sf of meeting space with new carpet and wall finishings along with new in-ceiling AV. Newly added were a 12,000-sf spa, the new Beach Grill casual lunch spot on Buccaneer Island, and a golf academy with digital coaching software. The 36-hole golf course received some touch-ups including new Bermuda grass and an expanded chipping/putting practice area.

The Ocean Reef Club will debut new meeting and function space in early February 2016. The new meeting space will feature a state-of-the-art, 5,500-sf ballroom; five breakout rooms, all with natural light; a 3,000-sf interactive cooking school and related teambuilding programs; and wraparound outdoor decks with breathtaking views of the marina.

The private, full-service resort, which boasts its own private airstrip, has a range of accommodations that include 175 inn rooms, 100 spacious one-, two- and three-bedroom villas, and private homes. The resort also offers a range of group activities beyond golf & spa: Angling aficionados can experience deep-sea, flats, reef or backcountry fishing off the shores of the resort, which features a 175-slip marina. Other group activities can include chartered yacht dinners, beachside events, eco-tours and teambuilding programs such as golf cart scavenger hunts, cardboard boat regattas and beach olympics, to name a few.

Shared Experiences

Even at resorts known primarily for their golf and spa amenities, there are typically many other recreational options, not to mention some of the country’s best restaurants. A business-centric way to view these numerous amenities is not as distractions from meeting content, but as conversation-starters among attendees. The formality of a general session or training workshop seldom puts participants at ease to really get to know their colleagues, but sharing time on the golf course, refreshments by the pool, or an evening entertainment experience can foster a camaraderie that translates to a better working relationship.

Keith Roher, for example, perceives the meeting at Streamsong as “a chance for attendees to get to know some of the other reps around the state that they don’t see on an everyday basis.” Why not optimize that opportunity with a setting that lets attendees bond over various experiences outside of the conference room? Apart from communicating sales goals and business direction for the coming year, “I wanted everyone to drop their shoulders, relax and have fun,” Roher asserts. C&IT

Christine ‘Shimo’ Shimasaki, CDME, CMP is Managing Director of empowerMINT.com and E.I.C. Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI). She joined DMAI in 2009. Previously, Shimasaki served as E.V.P. and chief strategy officer for the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau. She has served the tourism industry as a board member of PCMA, co-chair of the Performance Measures Initiative for DMAI and chair to DMAI’s Accreditation Board. Currently, she serves on the Convention Industry Council’s APEX Standards Review Committee as chair of eRFP Efficiencies Workgroup and is authoring the Event Room Demand Study, quantifying for the first time the volume of rooms booked outside the contracted room block.

When thinking about meeting destinations, there is just about every type and size: from major convention hubs to smaller, boutique style cities. The key for meeting planners, is finding the right fit for their specific meeting. Oftentimes, you might hear a planner say that their annual meetings are only held in first-tier destinations. Or that a specific destination is a second-tier city. What specifications determine whether a city is a first-, second-, or third-tier destination?

Defining tiers in the meetings industry has been a topic often discussed, yet not a lot of substantial research has been conducted to help define and clarify them. We do know that tiers are descriptions, not designations, and descriptions are subject to perception. Unfortunately, some of the perceptions or assumptions planners make could keep them from a great destination find.

Whereas hotels have a rating system that awards three, four or five stars to properties based on their quality, size, services and amenities, no such system exists for rating meeting destinations. While there are some common tier realities, there is a lot of gray area when defining tiers. And in that gray area, there are many advantages planners can explore.

When looking at different destinations in which to hold your meeting, you should be able to ascertain the many distinct attributes of each tier as well as the advantages each tier offers, which may spur you on to consider a few destinations not previously on your radar.
Here’s what we currently know about destination tiers:

• An official list with specific tier qualifications doesn’t exist.
• There are general characteristics or attributes that apply to each tier.
• A first-tier destination to one planner may be a second-tier to another planner.
• Tiers do not denote quality or services.

Don’t let tier designations define what destinations you consider. While second- and third-tier cities might be known for being more affordable, there are still plenty of affordable options in first-tier destinations, especially if you are flexible with dates. Additionally, second- and third-tier destinations, depending on the meeting size, can offer just about everything a first-tier destination can. The key is keeping your own meeting objectives in mind first and then understanding how destinations, regardless of tier, will be the perfect complement.

“Don’t let tier designations define what destinations you consider.”

Convene magazine recently conducted a survey of meeting planners, which is the source for the following material. One of the questions asked was, “What attributes must be present for you to consider a destination a first-, second- or third-tier meeting destination?” Based upon the responses, there are general attributes that can be applied to each tier.

Essential Attributes of a First-tier Destination

First-tier destinations might be the easiest to define. They are typically the biggest convention cities in the country such as Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, etc. While each of these cities is very different in terms of size and location, there are certain characteristics they all have in common such as:

• Airport with ample nonstop national and international access (69 percent).
• Hotel inventory that includes major hotel brands (60 percent).
• Abundant dining, entertainment and attraction options for attendees (57 percent).
• 10,000 minimum committable sleeping rooms (47 percent).
• Convention center with a minimum of 500,000 gross sf of exhibit space (44 percent).
• Considered one of the top 25 destinations for group business (43 percent).
• Distinctive leisure-travel appeal (37 percent).

Other measurable first-tier attributes include:

• Major metropolitan hub.
• Strong destination travel infrastructure in place (rail, public transportation, taxis).
• Reputation for world-class services and amenities.

Essential Attributes of a Second-tier Destination

We know first-tier destinations are fairly easy to identify based upon certain measurable attributes (size, airport, airlift, etc.). But how do you measure and/or perceive what is a second-tier or third-tier destination? This is where it gets a little more complicated. Often, a destination is categorized to be a second-tier destination simply because of its size, and thus may also be perceived as being more affordable.

• Affordable, better value (59 percent).
• Attracts a regional drive market (49 percent).
• Convention facilities with less than 500,000 gross sf (36 percent).
• Regional airport with less nonstop or direct airlift (36 percent).
• Largest convention venue generally a single hotel or conference center (32 percent).
• Productive local industries and business climate (32 percent).

While a second-tier destination may not have a lot of international airlift, 10,000 committable hotel rooms or large meeting/exhibit space, it doesn’t mean that these destinations don’t have world-class meeting facilities and amenities.

Essential Attributes of a Third-tier Destination

The key is to not consider a third-tier destination as being third-class as it really is just based on the size of the city and its convention offerings, not quality or even cost. For example, some of the most luxurious resorts are located in destinations considered third-tier, simply because of the destination size.

• Measurable attributes include:
• Regional airport with less nonstop or direct airlift (37 percent).
• Largest convention venue generally a single hotel or conference center (20 percent).
• Convention facilities less than 500,000 gross sf (16 percent).
• Attracts a regional drive market (13 percent).
• Distinctive leisure travel appeal.

Often, third-tier destinations are the choice for incentive travel and find themselves competing for the business along with first- and second-tier destinations.

How Do You Find the Right Destination?

The key is understanding the strengths and attributes each tier represents. Do you want your medium-sized convention to feel like the “big fish” in a destination? If yes, go with a second- or third-tier destination. Or, what if you have a small meeting but need the convenience of a large international airlift? A first-tier destination might be the best fit. The key is to look at each destination with fresh eyes and determine how it can work for you.

Also, empowerMINT.com’s Destination Finder is an invaluable tool, and empowerMINT.com helps planners search and compare meeting needs across multiple destinations.

Suppose your meeting requires the flexible travel options of a first-tier destination, but the accommodations of a second-tier destination? Or you are looking for a high-end meeting experience but in a smaller, more intimate destination? That’s where the experts at the convention and visitors bureau (CVB) can help.

The CVB sales professionals are the best first point of contact to help planners find the right fit for any size or type of meeting. They offer a comprehensive view of the destination, local expertise, extensive in-market relationships and more. CVB services are free to meeting planners.

To research destinations, find out what’s new and connect to CVB experts at more than 145 top meeting destinations, visit empowerMINT.com. C&IT

The brand new Special Events Design Lab at the International School of Hospitality in Las Vegas features the latest in event décor and lighting.

Kate Patay, CPCE is the Executive Director of Sales and Marketing for Creative Coverings, a national linen rental and sales company. Patay helps represent Creative Coverings as the NACE National Secretary/Treasurer, a NACE National Business Partner and Social Media & Trend Expert. She is an active member of ISES, ICA, ACCP, ARA, EPA, and is on the advisory board of The Solace Tree. She also is a faculty member at The International School of Hospitality in Las Vegas. Patay has been a guest speaker at numerous conventions and organizational meetings around the country. She was recently awarded the 2015 Pacesetter Award from the Convention Industry Council.

As meeting and event planners, it is our responsibility to stay current with trends, whether it’s colors, themes, décor elements, culinary creations or technology. Right now, it’s the constantly evolving technology that is most rapidly changing how we design events. We still consider designing for a physical space and location, but now we also design for unique spaces that social media provides, which aims toward a more personalized event experience — incorporating physical and virtual environments.

Personalize Unique Spaces

Clients are choosing spaces that relate to their brand or identity. Why not hold a fundraiser for the local university on the school’s football field or basketball court? Perhaps hold a gala for the local public library at the library. Clients are choosing places such as historical and cultural sites, camps and retreats, stadiums, arenas, showrooms in hotels on their “dark nights,” to showcase their personal tastes. Authenticating or personalizing these spaces helps noninvasively brand the event and provides a social media-worthy experience. At The International School of Hospitality in Las Vegas, we constantly experiment to see what design elements work for such personalized experiences, using the school’s new Special Events Design Lab, where we try new things with the latest in lighting and décor, and social media and other technology tools.

Put Technology to Work

Technology is the future of events. With increased demand for technology, there is a corresponding decrease in cost. Expensive projectors can be replaced by digital projection mapping to create holograms. Remote performances by artists can be projected onto a screen without having the costs associated with bringing talent to the actual venue. Guests can choose their menu options with a “virtual waiter” at the touch of a button. Sensory projections lead to a more satisfying event experience.

Use Interactive Décor

Interactive décor will play a key role for event-space design moving forward. Events are moving from “cocktail hour/sit-down, dinner/entertainment” to interactive, networking-focused environments. Floral centerpieces are being replaced with extravagant floral walls that serve as design elements, while creating space within a space. Lounge spaces include throw pillows that coordinate with table linens. Ambience is enhanced by the unexpected, such as suspending desserts from the ceiling or hanging appetizers on a wall, doubling as décor components. With guests having so many diet restrictions and food allergies, food stations become interactive with do-it-yourself menus. Guests can pick and choose their own ingredients to customize food pairings to their personal palates.

Continually Review & Refresh

Moving forward, how do we as event professionals keep up with trends, forecast what is coming and provide our clients unique experiences? It is our role to refresh annual events, and the key is to continually educate ourselves so we can provide our clients with innovative and successful parties. One way is to seek opportunities to collaborate and share ideas with others in the field. So, in that spirit of collaboration, I went to my friend, the incredibly talented, Lenny Talarico, CSEP, director of events for MGM Resorts Events Productions, who also oversees the seasonal design of The International School of Hospitality’s Special Events Design Lab. Lenny is renowned for producing the most cutting-edge event experiences from year-to-year for his clients. Here’s what I got from our conversation:

With the demanding schedules many of us face, and the unwelcomed trend of shorter planning windows, we might have a tendency to repeat what we just did. However, Lenny cautions that when we do the same old thing, the event experience for attendees suffers and we lose because we now lack innovation.

“What I like to stress upon planners and partners is to constantly review their event objectives and say, how do we still achieve those by going a different route?” he said. “Perhaps that traditional plated awards dinner can still achieve its goal by being on a flow, or in a nightclub or a venue that offers something totally unexpected.”

If It Isn’t Broke, Break It

According to Lenny, reviewing, refreshing and changing direction serves us in multiple ways. We aren’t resting on our laurels by doing the same event in another color. We are creating excitement and a buzz for attendees with a sense of anticipation, pushing them (and ourselves) out of the comfort zone. As Lenny would say, “If it isn’t broke, break it. You may be surprised by what evolves.”

Keep Up With Trends & Experiences

As we evolve, so do our customers, the environments in which we work and the industries we rely on for support. The goal is to be at the forefront of what is emerging now to provide clients the best available. If you are not seeking out what’s happening at events everywhere you are missing out. If you are not attending trade shows and conventions, even those outside of your core business, you are missing out. According to Lenny, clients want to create event experiences that communicate their business mission, or replicate their lifestyle.

 ”If you are not seeking out what’s happening at events everywhere you are missing out.”

“To know what that experience is, you need to immerse yourself in their world, understand their goals and objectives and offer the most current solutions…or face failure,” he said. “You can’t do that unless you are out and engaged in the industry at all times. Make a habit of functioning with your antennas up at all times to catch the latest trends as they come.” C&IT

Big Lots’ Jeremy Ball (r) with celebrity Jack Hanna of Columbus. Ball meets in Columbus because of the great value. Credit: Big Lots-Debbie Stansberry

Although the meeting industry has returned to robust health and vitality, one lingering aftereffect of the Great Recession has been unprecedented and ongoing management scrutiny of budgets, while at the same time the proverbial pendulum has swung back to a seller’s market that has caused costs to spike in many A-list destinations.

Thus, for many planners, finding real value is more important than ever before.

“There are still budget restrictions for many companies,” says Darla Huckaby, CMP, global account executive at Confer­ence Direct in Irving, Texas. “The economy is rebounding. But in the meeting and event industry, because of what we had to deal with a few years back, people are still being conservative and budgets are being reviewed very carefully. And companies also want to do more with less. So that is now a top consideration for a lot of companies.”

A related factor is a continuation of the longstanding trend of many meetings being booked on very short notice, Huckaby says. That means many A-list destinations are not available, which forces planners to use a less well-known or second-tier destination. And that translates to an opportunity to get value that cannot be matched in first-tier destinations. “So we’re now looking more and more,” Huckaby says, “to those alternative destinations simply based on lack of availability, on short notice, in major destinations.”

And in turn, Huckaby notes, strong demand for top first-tier destinations — simply in terms of supply and demand — tends to drive up the cost of a meeting in a major destination, whereas in a second-tier destination, by definition, demand is less intense and the value proposition is reinforced.

“It really boils down to supply and demand,” she says. “So based on that factor alone, to get the best value today, you have to start looking at these alternative destinations.”

In fact, never before in her 20-year career as a planner has Huckaby seen market factors so strongly aligned in favor of seeking out superior value in less well-known destinations. “And that also opens you up as a planner to more creative thinking in terms of destination selection,” she says. “It really does give you an opportunity to do more for less.”

Like Huckaby, Turner Gravitt Jr., director, corporate events, member relations and government affairs at Richmond, Virginia-based agricultural supplier South States Cooperative, faces tight budgets and seeks solid value destinations. Today, bottom-line bang for the buck plays more of a role in his destination selection than ever before.

“We’ve always been a conservative company,” Gravitt says, “but especially since the recession we’ve tried to do an even better job of watching our budgets and analyzing our costs and the value we get from every dollar we spend.”

Lisa Crouse, founder of independent meeting planning firm Fagan & Crouse in Marietta, Georgia, is another planner who is increasingly aware of the importance of value destinations.

“Many clients are concerned about their budgets these days,” she says. “And a lot of them want the best possible quality in hotel rooms at the lowest possible price. So we always look for destinations that we think deliver real value.”

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Although many smaller, less well-known destinations now tout their value proposition, few equal Oklahoma City, which Huckaby has used multiple times over the last few years.

“Oklahoma City was never even on my radar,” she says. “It wasn’t a destination I even thought about or knew anything about. But once I discovered Oklahoma City and realized the number of flights coming in and the accessibility and convenience it offers with its downtown area, I saw that it is a very attractive destination.”

And like Dallas/Fort Worth, Oklaho­ma City is equidistant between the East and West coasts, which makes it a favorable choice in terms of logistics. It offers similar hotel product and dining and entertainment options, but at a significantly reduced cost, Huckaby says.

Oklahoma City represents substantial savings over doing the same meeting in Chicago or Dallas, Huckaby says. “And one reason for that is lower airfares,” she says. “And because the airport is very close to downtown, it’s a very convenient destination and you save money on ground transportation. You also get good value in hotel rooms, food and beverage and meeting space. You get good value on everything.”

But there’s also an important related benefit that Huckaby and her clients like. “Oklahoma City really offers that kind of down-home hospitality that you don’t find in many places anymore,” she says. “And there are just great people in Oklahoma City. That’s something that is becoming more and more important today in terms of the kind of support and service you’re going to get. Good people enable a successful event. And Oklahoma City has great people. You get smiles and Southern hospitality. And your attendees get well taken care of.”

Over and above that, Huckaby was surprised to discover how much there is to do in Oklahoma City. Popular with attendees is Bricktown (pictured), the former warehouse district on the Bricktown Canal, offering entertainment, shopping and dining. “There’s a lot of nightlife downtown,” she says. “There are a lot of fine-dining restaurants and a wide range of inexpensive restaurants.” And she notes that the Boathouse District offers a range of outdoor adventures such as kayaking, paddleboarding, zip lining and bicycling. “I don’t think most planners realize how much there is to do in Oklahoma City. And a lot of things are within walking distance of the hotels. The city also has great infrastructure.”

In 2016, Oklahoma City’s Boathouse District, home to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic training site for Canoe/Kayak, will host the U.S. Olympic trials just before unveiling the new $45.2 million whitewater rafting center that same year; one of only a few in the world. Also on the horizon is a new streetcar system, a 70-acre park in downtown Oklahoma City, a new 470,000-sf Downtown Convention Center and headquarters hotel as well as many other hotels in downtown and surrounding districts. The convention center is expected to open in 2019.

The new Embassy Suites Oklahoma City Downtown/Medical Center, located in the heart of the metropolis, marks the third Embassy Suites property in the Sooner State. The full-service hotel offers 195 two-room guest suites and more than 10,000 sf of meeting space. The new onsite restaurant, E.S. Founders, is led by executive chef Andrew Black.

DoubleTree by Hilton Oklahoma City Airport, recently opened as the brand’s first property in the capital city. The 134-room, full-service hotel has commenced property-wide renovations.

Columbus, Ohio

In his quest for value, Jeremy Ball, director of philanthropy and corporate events at retail store operator Big Lots, uses the company’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio, for all of the half-dozen meetings and events he plans each year.

The reason for his fierce loyalty is simple, Ball says: Big Lots has never found a destination that provides better value than Columbus.

“We choose to do our meetings here because Columbus is a top value destination,” he says. “We’ve considered other places, but we ended up making a decision that we want to host all our important meetings locally because we get great value here.”

Value is a principle that is deeply embedded in the company’s identity, Ball says. “It is our anthem,” he says. “We’re all about value in everything we do, whether it’s what our customers look for in a store or it’s something we do as an organization. And that also applies to where we do our meetings and events. And when it comes to value, Columbus has a very compelling story to tell. It provides excellent value, but it also provides an excellent experience. And that is also important to us and our attendees.”

Another key factor in Ball’s loyalty to the destination is Experience Columbus, the local CVB. “I can’t speak highly enough of them,” he says. “And the way we work with them has become even more important as our company has grown. And growing as rapidly as we have in the last few years has challenged us when it comes to fitting more people into our meetings and events and providing an experience that will get them excited. And that has meant moving our events into bigger venues, and we have gotten a lot of help from Experience Columbus.”

Their biggest meetings now, for between 700 and 1,000 attendees from all over the U.S., are held at the Greater Columbus Convention Center (GCCC).

Ball also finds the perfect hotel product in Columbus. “We have working relationships with both the Hilton Columbus Downtown and the Hyatt Regency Columbus,” he says. “Those are our two most important venues and the ones we have built real relationships with. In terms of which one makes more sense at any given time, it just depends on the nature of the event.”

In addition to excellent hotels, Columbus also offers a thriving local food scene, Ball says. “The number of independent entrepreneurs who are opening restaurants is incredible,” he says. “So we now have a lot of great restaurants downtown, but also in some of our other neighborhoods. I personally am a fan of our local mom-and-pop restaurants, and we have a lot of those that are wonderful. We also have some great local coffee houses and bakeries that are fun for meeting attendees. And now the local craft brewery scene is really taking off. From a value standpoint, we now have a lot of places where people can have a great experience, but from a cost point of view, we can also get a lot of bang for our buck.”

“From a value standpoint, we now have a lot of places where people can have a great experience, but from a cost point of view, we can also get a lot of bang for our buck.” — Jeremy Ball

Beyond all those reasons to love Big Lots’ hometown, Ball says, “Columbus is just a cool city. And there are a lot of cool things going on here.”

New & Noteworthy

The renovations at The Westin Columbus are rolling out in carefully orchestrated phases. The lobby and public space is terrific. The more than 12,000 sf of meeting space has been upgraded, and connectivity has been greatly enhanced with high-speed Internet and convenient wireless capability throughout the public space. The boardroom’s new expansive conference table and 50-inch monitor make it an ideal location for smaller functions.

The GCCC is set to undergo a $125 million renovation and expansion project from September 2015 through July 2017. The space will expand from 1.7 to 1.8 million sf and gain LEED certification. The 100,000-sf expansion will include 10,000 sf of two-level meeting space and 37,000 sf of exhibit space, and the meeting room inventory increases from 65 to 75 rooms.

The CBUS Circulator is a free bus that circulates through downtown. It operates seven days per week, every 10-15 minutes depending on time of day, and stops are easy to find throughout the city. Pickups happen regularly in front of the GCCC, making it easy for convention and meeting attendees to explore the city.

The Port Columbus International Airport, located a short drive from downtown, is currently undergoing a three-year, $80 million renovation. Southwest has recently begun direct service to Dallas and Washington DC and will begin direct service to Boston and Oakland in August, allowing easier access from around the country.

Charlotte, North Carolina

For Southern States Cooperative’s biggest and most important meeting of the year, a management meeting and product show that draws 2,000 attendees, Gravitt has used booming Southern metropolis Charlotte for the last five years. And based on the value the company gets there, Southern States is booked through 2019.

“One of the most basic ways Charlotte provides value for us is that it is centrally located for all of our attendees,” Gravitt says. “We also get good value on hotel rooms, food and beverage, meeting rooms and audio-visual services.”

The convenience of the downtown hotels to the Charlotte Convention Center is another factor in Gravitt’s value proposition, because most attendees can walk to the venue. “And that saves us quite a bit of money on transportation costs,” he says.

The convention center features 280,000 sf of exhibit space, more than 90,000 sf of flexible meeting space, a 40,000-sf ballroom and a 35,000-sf ballroom.

For his 2,000-attendee meeting, Gravitt says, Charlotte Convention Center is perfectly sized and configured. “It has just the right number of breakout rooms that we need,” he says.

Southern States also enjoys good food and beverage value in Charlotte. For the sake of convenience and overall budget control, Gravitt stages breakfast, lunch and dinner at the convention center each day. “We get excellent food and excellent service,” he says. “And we also get very good value. That’s one of the reasons we keep coming back year after year.”

For the last two years, his headquarters hotel has been The Westin Charlotte, and it will serve in that role again this fall. “It’s very convenient for us because it’s right across the street from the convention center,” Gravitt says.

Gravitt also places great importance on the support services he gets from the local CVB, Visit Charlotte. “They know the area, and they kind of serve as our ‘mediator’ with all our vendors,” he says. “So we work as much as we can through them. We ask them a lot of questions, and then they come up with current information that we know we can rely on. We don’t have to go digging for information or wonder whether the information we’re being given is actually true.”

And Visit Charlotte helped facilitate his superb relationships with the convention center and hotels, Gravitt says. And part of that facilitation has been to ensure that Southern States gets real value from every dollar it spends in town.

“But the main thing is that we just like the quality of the people we work with at Visit Charlotte,” Gravitt says. “We feel like they bend over backwards to help us meet our goals and take good care of us. They treat us like we’re important and that they care about us. And that is very, very important to us. And that’s not just Visit Charlotte: It’s the same with the people at the convention center and the hotels. So in Charlotte, we get people, the place and value.”

Minneapolis, Minnesota

Another thriving and well-known metropolitan area that also happens to deliver exceptional value to meeting planners is Minneapolis.

Marlys Knutson, external relations manager at Minneapolis-based recreational equipment manufacturer Polaris Industries Inc., uses the company’s hometown every five years for an important meeting that also commemorates a key anniversary for the company. Last year, she used Minneapolis for the company’s 60th anniversary, and Polaris will be back in 2019 for its 65th anniversary.

The four-day, three-night celebration draws 5,000 attendees from the U.S. and more than 30 countries internationally.

Last year, Knutson used the Minneapolis Convention Center as her meeting venue, and Polaris will use it again in 2019. The facility, the largest convention center in the upper Midwest, features 475,000 sf of exhibit space, 87 individual meeting rooms, and food and beverage services from award-winning Kelber Catering.

“The Minneapolis Convention Center is awesome, and it’s the perfect size for us,” Knutson says. “We’re one of a very few groups that use almost the entire facility. We also have a lot of hotel rooms in downtown Minneapolis that are great. We use 16 hotels for our meeting, and almost everyone can walk to the convention center, so our busing costs were minimal.”

Hotel rooms costs are one of the primary factors that make Minneapolis a top value destination,” Knutson says. “Hotel rooms in Minneapolis are quite a bit less expensive than they are in the other destinations that we use,” she says. “The F&B catering we get in Minneapolis is also awesome. Not only do we get reasonable prices, but the food is great. And the staff we work with at the convention center is great.”

Airlift and cost-effective airfares are another budgetary advantage that Minneapolis offers, Knutson says, because the city is a hub for Delta Airlines.

Planners who are unfamiliar with Minneapolis will find a number of pleasant surprises there, Knutson says. “I would say the size and scope of the convention center facility is probably the biggest surprise to planners who have never been to Minneapolis before,” she says. “And along with that is the way they offset a large percentage of the cost of the facility through hotel room rebates and things like that. The formula they use really works well.”

All of the 16 hotels Polaris used last year provided a nice rebate. “And those rebates offset a large percentage of our cost for the convention center,” Knutson says.

And when it comes to such net cost savings on a convention center, only two destinations she knows of offer that perk, Knutson says. The other is Phoenix.

New & Noteworthy

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area saw 30.9 million total visitors in 2014 — an all-time record for the area.

Craft Bar and Lounge is now open at the Minneapolis Convention Center. The venue was created to provide an alternative place for meeting planners and guests to connect and build relationships. It is located on the balcony of the new Visitor Information Center in the main lobby.

Super Bowl LII will be held February 2018 in the new Minnesota Stadium as will the NCAA Men’s Final Four in March/April 2019. The new Minnesota Stadium, currently under construction in downtown Minneapolis, will open in July 2016.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Perhaps the best news of all for planners is that it’s not just less well known or second-tier destinations that offer exceptional value in today’s market.

One A-list, perennially popular destination that has built a formidable reputation for value is New Orleans.

“I love New Orleans because it not only delivers real value, but it’s also a destination that will attract attendees and make then want to come to the meeting, Crouse says. “It’s just a great destination, because everybody has heard of New Orleans and there are lots of things to do there.”

Crouse has used New Orleans repeatedly for more than 25 years. And she gets excellent hotel rates there, she says, compared to similar major city destinations.

She and her clients also love the city’s world-famous culture, dining scene and unique venues, such as the World War II Museum.

Most of all, she says, she loves the New Orleans Convention & Visitors Bureau. “They just go above and beyond to make sure you have everything you need and that your meeting is successful,” Crouse says. “And a big part of that success is getting value for the money you spend.”

New & Noteworthy

The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center is embarking on an ambitious new venture that will revitalize the City’s riverfront. The Convention Center District Development Project, situated on 47 acres upriver from the center, calls for construction of a new headquarters hotel, a linear park (pictured) along Convention Center Bou­levard, outdoor entertainment, arts and cultural venues and new retail and housing options.

Readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted New Orleans the No. 1 “U.S. City for Business Travelers” in the February issue of the magazine based on friendliness, value, walkability and its 1,400 restaurants.

In January 2015, The New York Times named New Orleans one of its “52 Places to Go in 2015,” which proposes untraveled destinations as well as familiar cities offering travelers new reasons to visit this year.

Antoine’s Restaurant is celebrating 175 years of French Creole culinary traditions in 2015. In commemoration of this prestigious anniversary, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in America and birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller will host special events, present new menus and bring its celebrations beyond the French Quarter.

Emeril’s New Orleans, the original flagship of Chef Emeril Lagasse, is celebrating 25 years in the Cres­cent City in 2015.

Louis Armstrong International Air­port has surpassed pre-Katrina passenger numbers. With 14 airlines providing service to 46 nonstop destinations, the airport is serving the most nonstop destinations in its history. Plans were announced to build a new, state-of-the-art airport terminal on the north side of the current airport property.

The Aloft New Orleans Downtown, HRI Lodging’s newest property, opened in New Orleans’ Central Business Dis­trict in March 2015. The Aloft offers 188 guest rooms, 2,500 sf of meeting space, a bar and more. The hotel accompanies 192 apartments in the same building dubbed the Strand Apartments.

The Wyndham New Orleans-French Quarter has completed its multimillion-dollar renovation, which included 374 guest rooms as well as the building’s exterior and improvements to the parking garage. C&IT

CRDN’s Florida events included a Gilligan’s Island-themed evening of fabulous food, live music, costume contest and a glorious sunset on the beach. Credit: Joni Sabo

Although Florida’s weather makes it one of the planet’s most popular destinations, the state counts on much more than sunshine to attract meetings. Florida’s array of destinations — from internationally renowned Orlando and Miami to up-and-comers such as Jacksonville and Tampa Bay — continue to build new hotels and resorts, and improve existing ones while adding retail, dining and entertainment venues. Florida’s theme parks are adding more attractions, and the state’s meeting properties offer stellar services to large and small meetings alike.

No wonder the prospect of meeting in Florida excites attendees. “They can’t wait to get here and they get off the plane with smiles on their faces,” says Joe Gutierrez, director of operations and customer service, and meeting planner for Jupiter, Florida-based Jetstream Ground Services. “Half the battle when you put together a meeting is getting buy-in from the group. When that happens, they get so much more out of the meeting.”

Miami

Miami is embellishing its reputation as one of Florida’s premiere destinations. The Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) started a $592 million expansion and renovation that will add $600,000 sf of ballroom space upon completion in 2018. The project includes several green features such as solar energy and natural lighting that will decrease the facility’s energy use by 20 percent. A new 6-acre public green space in front of the MBCC will provide an outdoor mingling and networking area.

While the MBCC is popular for large meetings, Miami has an abundance of hotels that cater to small and mid-size meetings, according to Linda Santos, corporate director, continuing medical education, Baptist Health South Florida. Santos and her team plan up to 15 medical meetings a year at South Florida hotels. Meetings range in size from 140 to 450 attendees. Over the last few years, Baptist Health has held meetings at the Trump National Doral; Fontainebleau Miami Beach; Eden Roc Miami Beach; The Biltmore in Coral Gables; Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort, Golf Club & Spa; and the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami.

Santos says she can always find a Florida hotel to meet the varying criteria for each meeting. “Every meeting has a different audience, content, focus, length and personality,” she says. “The meeting leaders and the physicians and clinical employees who attend are different for every meeting. The top factors for choosing a hotel are location, room rates, banquet costs and convenience. We need an enticing hotel with reasonable room rates to attract out-of-town and international attendees, and the location needs to be convenient for local attendees who drive in. We don’t put money into entertainment, in keeping with our not-for-profit status.”

The Fontainebleau met all of those requirements for a four-day meeting that Baptist Health held in February for 450 doctors, nurses, physician assistants and other health care providers. The Fontainebleau also had one other advantage, says Santos. “The hotel and its location have a national and international appeal. That works in our favor. A lot of people came from Canada, New York and Italy.”

Santos says the value provided by the Fontainebleau was comparable to other properties and was as good as can be expected. “You will pay a premium to be anywhere in Florida during the winter, which is when everybody wants to come,” says Santos. “We understand how that works and if resorts can fill hotels, they don’t necessarily want to give deals. We are known as a large institution in our community, but sometimes we are ‘small fish’ in a big sea of meetings when it comes to negotiations.”

Orlando

Although Orlando is known primarily as a large-group destination, it continues to make small groups welcome. “One of the areas where Orlando has stepped up to the plate is catering to small groups,” says Jane Scaletta, general manager, AlliedPRA, Orlando. “When you walk into a large convention hotel with many meetings going on at the same time, the convention service managers are paying close attention to the groups. Hotels do a good job of separating the groups. The layouts of the hotels, especially many of the newer properties, make that possible.”

Many groups visiting Orlando for the first time often return as repeat customers. “There are groups that come annually or every two or four years,” says Scaletta. “They also arrive early and stay later. That is something that we lend ourselves to more than any other destination. You also have the three top theme parks in Orlando. It’s difficult to explore even one park let alone three parks. It keeps people coming back.”

Small groups planning to visit Orlando for the first time include CRDN, a Berkley, Michigan-based textile restorations company. The firm recently scheduled site visits to two Orlando resorts for its 2016 four-day meeting of 350 franchise owners and their salespeople, according to Jeff Schultz, vice president of communications, who also plans meetings for CRDN. “We are looking at Florida resorts because they enable us to let franchise owners provide a reward for their top salespeople,” Schultz says. “I’m optimistic because they’ve both given us really good proposals that came in a little lower than I expected. They are willing to work with us because they have space to fill.”

Orlando has a variety of properties that can accommodate the size of Schultz’s group and its other needs. “Our group isn’t the biggest but it’s not real small, so we have to find locations that can accommodate us and provide flexibility with space,” says Schultz. “For example, we need an open area for a general session. We also do an awards banquet, and we need someplace that doesn’t take the general session area and transform it. We need a different feel going from a general session to an elegant, celebratory awards environment. That’s a big thing for us. We feel the Florida properties can meet our needs.”

We need a different feel going from a general session to an elegant, celebratory awards environment. …We feel the Florida properties can meet our needs.” — Jeff Schultz

In fact, Schultz previously used the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, Florida, for a successful event. The resort’s access to a private island about 20 minutes away by boat provided great memories and many smiles, too, as the group replicated the characters from Gilligan’s Island for their themed event. “Ginger,” “Skipper” and the rest of the crew had a grand time.

More Options for Planners

Orlando’s spending on new meeting-related projects also keeps groups returning. Recently, TV cameras captured daredevil Nik Wallenda walking without a safety net on Orlando’s newest attraction, the 400-foot-tall observation wheel — the Orlando Eye at I-Drive 360, which is the $200-million dollar entertainment complex that blends dining, entertainment, attractions and shopping in an upscale setting. Its courtyard is a special space for outdoor events, and the $1.5 million water show set to music and color-changing lights will delight attendees. Centrally located on International Drive, minutes from the Orange County Convention Center, I-Drive 360 will have plenty for meeting groups to see and do.

Also new are Madame Tussauds, the Sea Life Orlando Aquarium and Skeletons: Animals Unveiled!, which will be open soon and one of the more unique venues to throw a bash surrounded by more than 400 skeletons from the animal kingdom.

Restaurants now open at I-Drive 360 include Yard House, with a myriad of craft beers, and Tin Roof, a great place for live music and Southern-inspired eats. Sugar Factor and Ben & Jerry’s will be open for dessert.

Other restaurants opening this year include Buffalo Wild Wings, Café de Paris, Tapa Toro, Shake Shack, McFadden’s, Naru Restaurant & Sushi Bar and Cowgirls Rockbar Orlando, which will boast a mechanical bull.

Walt Disney World Resort’s multi-year transformation of Downtown Disney into Disney Springs is well underway. The first two restaurants to be announced — The Boathouse, which opened in April, and Morimoto Asia — will include private dining rooms for special events, conventions and presentations. In addition, Disney’s culinary and catering team offers teambuilding sessions dedicated to cooking for groups of up to 50 participants.

A new nighttime spectacular “Rivers of Light” is among the many new entertainment experiences that will be available to groups as part of the largest expansion in the history of Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The multisensory experience will combine live music, floating lanterns, water screens and swirling animal imagery.

Orlando also bustles with options for offsite activities. “A lot of groups do restaurant buyouts,” says Scaletta. “You usually need 200 to 400 people to do that. Some groups do partial buyouts. Quite a few groups do restaurant dine-arounds on what we call the “restaurant row” corridor. The Orlando Harley-Davidson Historic Factory Dealership is fun. For groups with less of a budget, Howl at the Moon live music bar is popular. The Isleworth Golf & Country Club is nice for upper-end groups. The Richard Petty Driving Experience and BB King’s Blues Club are always popular.”

Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County, one of Florida’s best-known upscale destinations, is becoming even more attractive to meeting groups. Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s convention and visitors bureau, recently announced that it posted a 9.5 percent rise in revenue per available room from $104 to $114 in 2013. The county also recorded an average daily rate of $156, a 6.8 percent increase year-over-year.

Palm Beach County has big plans to further boost its number of visitors. The CVB believes that its new television advertising campaign will help attract 400,000 additional visitors in 2015, bringing the yearly total to 6.6 million. The TV spots, “Unplug and Reconnect in The Palm Beaches” and “Big Break The Palm Beaches, Florida,” have been running nationwide. In addition, the Hilton West Palm Beach is offering incentives for planners who book before the property opens adjacent to the Palm Beach County Convention Center in spring 2016.

In January, Jetstream Ground Ser­vices held a three-day leadership conference at the 179-room Wyndham Grand Jupiter at Harbourside Place, which opened last October and is located about 20 minutes north of Palm Beach. The meeting’s more than 50 attendees took full advantage of Harbourside Place, a 360,000-sf entertainment, restaurant and retail complex that held its grand opening last December. “We had a very nice event one evening using the bars, dining areas and restaurants,” says Gutierrez. “People could go from one venue to another. Another night we hired some drivers and went to the beach for a catered dinner.”

Jetstream selected the Wyndham Grand Jupiter after it made a big impression during site visits. “The hotel really sold itself,” says Gutierrez. “It’s in a great location with the Intracoastal on one side and just a couple of miles from the beach on the other side. The layout is part of what sold it to us. You have a meeting room that overlooks the Intracoastal. Other rooms overlook a nice fountain. Every meeting space has quite a bit of natural light.”

Gutierrez also raves about the Wyndham Grand Jupiter’s service. “Even with a group as small as we are you get the feeling that you are the only group in the hotel because the design of the hotel lends itself to that,” he says. “That adds to the value, which was good even though we had the meeting during the thick of the tourist season. Sometimes you go to large resorts and can go for a whole day without seeing a member of your group because they are so spread out. We are having conversations with the hotel about holding another meeting later this year.”

Jacksonville

This promises to be another banner year for Jacksonville, a unique destination that borders both the St. Johns River and the Atlantic Ocean. Hotel occupancy and rate levels are expected to continue growing after posting a 14th consecutive rise last year, according to Visit Jacksonville, the destination’s convention and visitors bureau. Jacksonville is introducing new hotels, restaurants and meeting venues as well as revitalizing the downtown district.

Jacksonville’s many offsite venues will include the Jessie Ball duPont Center (formerly the Haydon Burns Library), which will reopen in June after a $21 million renovation. The facility will include a conference center, 12 meeting rooms, reception spaces and a green roof garden that will be available for special events. Other popular offsite venues include the Atrium at the Jacksonville Main Library, the rooftop at the Museum of Science and History, the Ritz Theatre and The River Club.

Sandestin

Located along the white-sand beaches on Florida’s northwest coast, Sandestin is one of the top resort communities in Florida. That’s why the Southeast regional office of a company chose the AAA Four Diamond 602-room Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa for a three-day meeting of 187 managers in January.

The Hilton Sandestin’s coastal location and its 32,000 sf of recently renovated meeting space were major deciding factors for the company’s executive assistant to the president and meeting planner, who plans about seven meetings a year. “I wanted something in a beach area and the Hilton Sandestin had the best meeting facility that I found on the beach,” she says. “Our managers in the Southeast don’t see the beach that much, and beaches along the Atlantic Ocean aren’t like those in the Florida Panhandle.”

The planner was awed by the caliber of Hilton Sandestin’s service. “This year, we tried something new, having managers use their cell phones to answer questions posed by presenters onstage using PowerPoint and display screens,” says the planner. “When we were setting things up, the resort’s technology person was working with my AV person getting things in place and running tests. The hotel’s person saw things that were a little off on the screen and fixed it even before my AV person noticed it. The Hilton staffer sat beside my person throughout the presentations.”

In another instance, the planner says, “We planned fireworks for the beach party and it ended up being cold before we could launch them. The hotel brought out its portable heaters but didn’t have enough. So they borrowed some from other hotels and purchased more. They really went above and beyond to make it perfect.”

Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa now offers a third, 7,500-sf ballroom, and has expanded and enhanced the award-winning Serenity by the sea Spa. Completed in March, the Coastal Ballroom addition now provides meeting planners with more than 23,000 sf of ballroom and event space on a single level, with approximately 10,000 sf of additional prefunction area. Now with nearly 40,000 sf of indoor meeting space and 20,000 sf of outdoor event space, the resort can now accommodate larger conferences and events, and provide additional flexibility for group activities.

Daytona Beach

Daytona Beach is keeping pace with other Florida destinations by offering more attractions as well as new and improved hotels. The destination is investing more than $1 billion in construction and renovations, including $400 million to expand the Cici and Hyatt Brown Museum of Art and the Daytona International Speedway. The speedway project due for completion in 2016 will include 60 new luxury trackside suites with patios; 11 new football field-size social areas called “neighborhoods”; and 101,000 new grandstand seats.

Daytona Beach hotels also are sprucing up. One of the destination’s signature properties, The Shores Resort & Spa, debuted new paint, carpeting and décor in its 20,000-sf function space as well as wider bandwidth wireless throughout the property. The Shores Resort & Spa also features a new built-in AV package and 80-inch, flat-screen monitor in the Surf Boardroom, an added lobby check-in area and new banquet equipment. All 212 guest rooms and suites feature new beds, new furniture in rooms and on balconies, HDTVs and drapes. There also are plans to build a new Hard Rock Hotel & Cafe, set to open in 2016.

Tampa Bay

The Tampa/St. Petersburg area is trying to cut a higher profile among Florida destinations. Visit Tampa Bay, the city’s CVB, has joined several other Florida destinations in taking to the television airwaves. The CVB premiered its first national television commercial on January 1. The 30-second spot is entitled “Unlock Tampa Bay.” The commercial features a boy who, as he prepares to leave after a family stay in Tampa, experiences a flood of joyful memories that are depicted in the spot. A 15-second version of the commercial ran during the winter.

New & Noteworthy

Orlando continues to expand and improve its formidable supply of hotels. The 1,000-room Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando is scheduled to open in the summer of 2016 with more than 131,000 sf of meeting space. The property will be located near the Cabana Bay Beach Resort and Loews Royal Pacific Resort, which is set to complete expansion of its meeting space from 85,000 sf to about 140,000 sf this fall. A covered, air-conditioned bridge will connect the two Loews properties, which offer a combined total of 272,000 sf of meeting space.

The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel is undergoing a $125 million multiphased renovation, the largest makeover in its history. The project includes every guest room in the 758-room Swan Hotel and the 1,509-room Dolphin Hotel. The makeover will be completed by the end of 2017 and will not disrupt service or the availability of the majority of guest rooms and meeting rooms.

The Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando Resort, with 6,000 sf of meeting space, has renovated all of its 650 guest rooms.

The Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa is adding a new development that will feature 32,000 sf of flexible meeting and banquet space, restaurants and a bowling alley. The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2015.

In Palm Beach County, the upscale 318-room Boca Raton Resort & Club recently completed a $30 million makeover. The Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa is finishing up renovations on common spaces, including the bar and lobby, as well as new furniture and increased Wi-Fi bandwidth. The Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa redesigned its 309 guest rooms in partnership with Jonathan Adler, who also designed exclusive new furnishings for the project. The property offers more than 30,000 sf of meeting space.

In Jacksonville, the 963-room Hyatt Regency Jackson­ville Riverfront recently announced a renovation scheduled for completion this fall. The project includes all guest rooms, six new meeting rooms, improvements to the hotel’s rooftop fitness center and Regency Club lounge, which will feature improved networking areas, work stations overlooking the city and a meeting room. The hotel offers 110,000 sf of meeting space.

In South Florida, Miami’s Sun Life Stadium modernization is well underway. Football enthusiasts and corporate groups will experience a refreshed environment and amenities for the 2015 season. The home of the National Football League Miami Dolphins will be remodeled and redesigned. Stadium improvements include new and more comfortable seats as well as expanded room between rows; more seats closer to the playing field; improved concourse and concessions on both the lower and upper levels; and increased number of premium seating areas and enhanced club seating options. By 2016, there will be state-of-the-art video boards in the four corners of the stadium as well as a partial roof over the stadium, providing more shade and weather protection.

The Trump National Doral Miami recently completed the renovation of its Golden Palm golf course, one of five on the property. The facelift was part of a $250 million project that included three new and three revamped ballrooms including the largest — the 24,000-sf Donald J. Trump Grand Ballroom.

Elsewhere in Florida, Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys on Duck Key in the lower Middle Keys, has recreated itself. Walls, carpeting and even fixtures now reflect the aquamarine life located just steps from the meetings area. Walkways and meeting room entrances are now located outside under a covered awning, not buried in an interior hallway corridor, maintaining the connection between water inspiration and experience-sharing as a meeting objective. For the first time, the resort can accommodate large groups of up to 600 people and provide the flexibility of the entire group being able to meet in one room and dine in another. Technology also has been upgraded to ensure desired connectivity outside and in. Groups also may take advantage of new all-inclusive programs. A new Marina Walk serving as an entertainment destination within the resort will include the new Angler and Ale Restaurant later this year.

The Henderson Beach Resort is scheduled to open in Destin in 2016. The property’s 171-rooms will feature views of the Gulf of Mexico, a spa with 11 treatment rooms and 10,000 sf of indoor event space.

Central Florida’s Streamsong Resort, home to two golf courses, has announced plans to build a third course — Streamsong Black. Set to open in autumn 2017, the course will be designed by Gil Hanse, architect of The Olympic Golf Course in Rio de Janeiro and co-designer of Castle Stuart Golf Links in Scotland, among others.

In addition to world-class golf, Streamsong features a 216-room Lodge, with three casual and fine dining restaurants, conference and event facilities, a spa and infinity pool.

The re-designed Sundial Beach Resort & Spa, named the “Best Full-Service Resort” on the Gulf Coast’s Sanibel and Captiva Islands, invested more than $6 million in refreshed amenities. The resort features the new Resort Centre, which is the largest meeting venue on Sanibel Island. Boasting 12,000 sf of flexible space, the center accommodates up to 300 guests and features unique outdoor event space with water views. Newly renovated meeting facilities include nine separate event rooms, all with expansive Gulf views, a full business center and AV capabilities. Wireless Internet is available throughout all meeting rooms.

Sundial Beach Resort & Spa’s new restaurants include the Water­view with floor-to-ceiling windows offering unbeatable views and the Sea Breeze Café, which sports a spacious bar, live music and an outside terrace.

All types of groups can find the Florida destination and property that perfectly matches their needs. That’s why meeting in Florida inspires confidence that attendees will arrive in Florida with smiles on their faces and leave with even bigger ones. C&IT

Cintas employees receive a warm welcome and thanks from local Cancun school parents for assembling hundreds of new school backpacks for their children. Credit: Sergio Martinez

Most of us are no strangers to the world of philanthropy and the concept of “doing good.” We’ve been asked to lend our time and financial support to various charitable causes. We often are solicited by groups to help combat various diseases, construct new buildings or save the rainforest. And for many causes, business professionals are the cornerstones of these efforts — participating in philanthropic initiatives and charitable endeavors during onsite or offsite meetings and events.

Business volunteerism, often referred to as corporate social responsibility (CSR), can take many forms and can be a quadruple win. Everyone involved — the organizations that provide the employee volunteers, those where employee volunteers help out, the wider community and the employees themselves — has something to gain.

Such efforts offer a low-cost, low-risk, high-impact way of making the knowledge, skills and experiences of the business sector accessible to the non-profit sector while building understanding, employee skill and community goodwill.

And experts agree that business professionals who volunteer during meetings and events find their experiences inspiring, empowering and sometimes life-changing. They are giving the opportunity to practice service and compassion for those who need it most.

The Human Element

According to Lauren Deese, account supervisor of corporate events at GMR Marketing, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based global, full-service engagement marketing agency that creates custom solutions for clients to meet their specific CSR goals, numerous corporate clients want to give back to the community as part of goodwill activities that serve a higher purpose while also empowering employees to do more.

“The most popular component of CSR programs are those real-life moments when a child’s smile or a mother’s thank you resonate with our guests and let the attendees experience firsthand how they are making a difference,” Deese says. “It’s the human element that is so vital to the success of a CSR program.”

“The most popular component of CSR programs are those real-life moments when a child’s smile or a mother’s thank you resonate with our guests and let the attendees experience firsthand how they are making a difference. It’s the human element that is so vital to the success of a CSR program.” — Lauren Deese

From orchestrating the distribution of meals to Hurri­cane Sandy victims to painting the gym at a local Boys & Girls Club, many of these activities are becoming part of companies’ meeting and events initiatives — especially at offsite locales including resorts and convention venues.

“In our regional office in Charlotte, North Carolina, I chair a committee that runs an internal CSR program called Casual for a Cause (CFAC),” Deese says. “We help promote an employee-nominated charitable cause within the organization on a monthly basis. All GMR employees that donate or volunteer to support the monthly cause are permitted to dress casual for a designated CFAC week each month. This not only supports the passions of our employees but also our local community.”

Companies increasingly are offering employees the opportunity to participate in philanthropy as part of a structured meeting or event — and believe they’ll attract the best people by doing so. It gives everyone a chance to make a difference as not everyone can afford to donate to charities each year, so this helps them be a part of the greater good.

On August 15, 2014 GMR Market­ing and the Cancun destination management company, Meeting Incentive Experts (MIE), assisted Cintas Corpo­ration with an initiative to donate 850 backpacks filled with school supplies to students at the Raza de Bronce elementary school in Cancun, Mexico. While education in Mexico is government-funded, the funding is not adequate to cover all of a school’s needs.

As Deese explains, often this burden falls to the students’ parents, who most often are not in a financial position to take on the burden. Cintas’ donation of school supplies relieves some of that burden and helps promote pride in education in the young students of Mexico.

“This social responsibility initiative is part of the annual Cintas President’s Club program, an incentive program for Cintas sales employee-partners produced by GMR in partnership with Cintas since 2009,” Deese says.

In addition to the school supplies, Cintas donated sports equipment including a dozen each of volleyballs, soccer balls and basketballs along with soccer goals. MIE and GMR also were inspired to participate in the philanthropy. They, along with Cintas, donated funds to purchase truckloads of gravel to refurbish the school yard, and they hired cleaning and plumbing crews to restore the school’s neglected restrooms to full working order.

According to Deese, Cintas introduced this social responsibility initiative to the reward trip in 2013 by donating 500 backpacks filled with school supplies to the students of a local elementary school in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

“CSR programs, like Cintas’, continue to grow within the meeting and events industry because they provide a unique teambuilding experience while also inspiring pride in the organization and fostering a company’s culture of integrity and service,” Deese says. “The CSR experience is often the most appreciated and talked about event within our multiday events and meetings. This is especially the case during incentive programs when attendees take time to reflect and celebrate their own successes. Knowing that they can share their successes with the community and make the world a better place is a very powerful feeling to impart. The stories and buzz that surround a well-executed CSR program truly are priceless.”

A Greater Good

Asilomar Conference Grounds, in Pacific Grove, California, also places a strong emphasis on CSR.

As Suzan Carabarin, director of conference services at Asilomar explains, their facility incorporates sustainable efforts into everything that they do including offering environmentally friendly options and volunteer opportunities to companies that are considering hosting a meeting or event at Asilomar.

“When we speak with companies about hosting an event one of the things we discuss is CSR, it’s part of our sales package,” Carabarin says. “For example, we offer everything from sustainable meals to refillable water bottle dispensers at meetings rather than individual plastic water bottles. Additionally, we partner with organizations such as Ag Against Hunger, Pacific Grove Museum, Habitat for Humanity and the Food Bank for Monterey County to offer volunteer opportunities for groups.”

Carabarin is seeing a much greater demand for properties to offer sustainable options to those hosting meetings and events. For this reason, there has been an increase in industry standards.

“We have found that companies are recognizing it’s the right thing to do,” Carabarin says. “They are looking for volunteer opportunities now for teambuilding events and group activities. Companies want to give back and show they are active in the community.

Standards have increased for the properties as well. Groups are booking events based on what the properties are doing from an environmental perspective.”

Asilomar works with a variety of local organizations to provide volunteer opportunities to their clients. For example, recently a group built birdhouses for the native birds around the area, while another group did planting work in Asilo­mar’s greenhouse.

“By incorporating CSR into a meeting or event, it allows employees to interact with their environment, do something worthwhile with their free time, promotes teambuilding and camaraderie while also educating them about various topics and needs that exist in the community,” Carabarin says.

Doing Good Together

When looking for teambuilding activities that give back, meeting and event clients from around the country regularly turn to Marlton, New Jersey-based Team Builders Plus, the largest teambuilding company in the U.S.

“Years ago we started with a program called Wheels for the World, which is a program where the participants engage in team initiatives to earn bike parts,” says Team Builders Plus CEO and planner Jeff Backal. “They then build and decorate new bikes that are donated to underprivileged children. What the participants do not know is, we have pre-arranged for the kids to come running in the room at the end of the program. Once the participants see the smiles on the kids’ faces, there is typically not a dry eye in the room.”

Because of the increased interest in CSR teambuilding-focused events, Team Builders Plus also initiates Smile Kits whereby participants create care packages that are donated to kids in children’s hospitals, our military overseas or animal shelters.

“Our Kindness Wins event is a treasure hunt-type of activity, but as opposed to finding answers to clues, the groups are performing Acts of Kindness, such as recycling bottles and cans, inflate the beachball and give it to a stranger, and build the kite and let a stranger use and keep it,” Backal says.

And during their Mini Golf Char­ity Classic, participants create a miniature golf course made out of canned food. They then play the course. Following the game, all of the cans are donated to a local food bank.

“Once a client goes through one of these programs, the participants realize this is not a typical teambuilding event and everyone leaves feels great about themselves as they had the opportunity to help others,” Backal says. “It creates such a memorable event that the participants share their experiences with friends, family and coworkers. This word-of-mouth awareness results in an increasing number of groups wanting to experience the same.”

Alternative Ways to Embrace CSR

While many companies are incorporating philanthropic efforts and volunteerism into their meetings and events, others are determining ways their meetings can give back to the environment, through alternative corporate responsibility initiatives.

Hilton continues to drive meaningful change within their organization and in the communities where they live, work and travel.

“In fact, our corporate responsibility strategy, ‘Travel with Purpose,’ was the inspiration behind the recent launch of Meet with Purpose, a concept designed to make it even easier for meeting professionals to reduce waste and incorporate health and wellness into meetings and events,” says Andrew Flack, vice president, B2B marketing and customer insights at Hilton Worldwide.

As Flack explains, Meet with Purpose has two focus areas: Mindful Eating, which encourages meeting professionals to minimize food waste and make healthy choices, and Mindful Meeting, which helps meeting professionals host more sustainable events.

“From the initial planning stages, our sales team presents customers with a menu of options to add sustainable and healthy practices to their event, allowing them to easily select those that best meet their needs,” Flack says. For example, Hilton offers solutions such as locally sourced food, preplated meals for reduced waste, central water stations and paperless registration.

“From there, we work to customize each event to ensure that our customers get the most out of the planning process and to infuse greater purpose into the final outcome,” Flack says.

Hilton also was one of the first major multibrand companies in the hospitality industry to make sustainability measurement and improvement a brand standard with the launch of LightStay, a proprietary system that measures sustainability performance by tracking more than 200 utility and operational metrics such as energy, water, carbon and waste. The tool features a “meeting impact calculator” that can calculate the sustainability impact of meetings or events held at any of our hotels.

“As we’ve seen an uptick in companies interested in planning more meaningful, sustainable meetings, ensuring we have dedicated, accessible and useful solutions for meeting professionals is critical for us,” Flack says. In fact, Hilton’s corporate responsibility strategy, Travel with Purpose, encourages every one of their hotels to find meaningful ways to contribute to the thousands of communities they touch in one way or another.

As Flack explains, this comes to life in many different ways, from Hilton hotels partnering with organizations such as the Global Soap Project to donate discarded soap to be reprocessed into new bars for vulnerable populations around the world, to activating more than 3,500 volunteer projects company-wide during Hilton’s annual Global Week of Service.

Flack associates the growth of corporate responsibility within the meetings and events industry primarily with greater consumer awareness.

“We also see it as a byproduct of increased consumer demand for hyper-personalization and transparency in how companies deliver their products and services,” Flack says. “Today’s meeting professionals are looking for tailored, unique solutions, and today’s attendees are seeking personal, memorable experiences. By making meetings and events more purposeful, brands can deliver just that.”

Maria Barboza, events manager at Los Suenos Marriott Costa Rica, agrees. “As a whole, the corporate social responsibility industry continues to gain traction this year, with social impact increasingly making its way into every segment of the market and transparency becoming the new norm,” Barboza says. Currently Mar­riott Costa Rica offers meeting and event attendees a variety of CSR options including the opportunity to participate in the The Reforest the Rainforest program, which reintroduces the scarlet macaw to their natural habitat, an alliance with Habitat for Humanity, and a waste-water educational program.

Marriott’s Reforest the Rainforest initiative allows meeting and event attendees to participate in the resort’s ongoing efforts to preserve the rainforest while creating a habitat for the area’s 150 species of birds and local wildlife. Guests can participate in the complimentary program by planting a Tropical Almond Tree, beneficial for the preservation of the iconic macaw, along the property’s La Iguana Golf Course located on a 1,100-acre rainforest overlooking the Pacific Ocean. The Reforest the Rainforest initiative is part of the Scarlet Macaw Reinsertion Project, the property’s ongoing initiative to preserve the rainforest while creating a habitat specifically for the endangered macaw.

What the Future Holds

Deese expects that CSR programs will continue to grow in popularity as an element of meetings and events. As the demand increases, planners, facilities and destination management companies are going to have to be more creative, and the ability to create custom programs will be essential.

“We continue to see the build-a-bike CSR experience being offered in multiple markets these days and eventually clients are going to say, ‘Ah, we’ve done that. We want to do something new,’ ” Deese says. “Unfortunately, there are plenty of communities and people in need, so there is a world of opportunity for creativity within the CSR landscape. Tapping into the most essential needs of the local market or into the strengths and passions of the attendees so that the CSR program makes the most positive community impact, will be key.”

Carabarin adds that while companies strive to differentiate themselves from competitors, they are becoming increasingly more transparent about their desire to give back and have an environmental footprint. “Surveys have shown that employees are happier when they can be active in communities and look favorably upon companies that offer those kinds of benefits,” Carabarin says.

“CSR has become the norm now for corporate functions. It has replaced the elaborate gala or reception,” Carabarin says. “We are doing a lot more organic and sustainable meals and planning more outdoor activities and events. We have even seen brides and grooms, for example, planting trees to commemorate their special day. We anticipate we will continue to see this shift in mindset.” C&IT

James Wood, CEO of Meet AC, on Atlantic City’s world-famous Boardwalk. Credit: Thomas Robert Clarke

Lady Luck has not smiled on Atlantic City’s gaming industry in recent years. Revenue in that segment has fallen since 2007, and four casinos have closed to date. A major reason is competition: While Atlantic City is still considered the gaming capital of the East Coast, up-and-coming gaming markets in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Connecticut have been siphoning away clientele.

Fortunately, Atlantic City has many other cards to play in the tourism business, from its nostalgic appeal to great entertainment, restaurants and shopping. For incoming meeting groups, it also offers top-tier function space and services by upscale brands such as Caesars, Tropicana and Trump.

Non-gaming Revenue

Focusing on these non-gaming virtues has effectively led to the “rebirth” of this classic resort town, renowned for Americana such as The Boardwalk and the Miss America Pageant. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority (CRDA) reports that in the last two years, non-gaming revenues have increased by more than $160 million and are now nearing $1 billion annually. Group bookings at the city’s primary meeting hotels also have been on the rise, increasing by more than 22 percent since 2009.

But the “new” Atlantic City has certainly not left the success of its meetings business to chance. It is taking calculated measures to ensure that the revenue stream continues trending upward. A significant step was the formation of the CRDA-funded Meet AC last April and the appointment of James Wood as its CEO. Formerly president and CEO of the Louisville Convention & Visitors Bureau, Wood is intent on fulfilling Atlantic City’s potential as a meetings hub. “Knowing that the convention market is one that used to be vibrant here in Atlantic City years ago, (we’re trying to) reenergize that aspect of the business and bring more meetings and conventions back to Atlantic City.” The effort has seen results, with 8 percent more group bookings and 15 percent more convention-related room nights, in 2014 than in 2013. “We booked more convention room nights in 2014 than we had in the previous 15 years. So we have very positive momentum,” he says, adding, “We’re seeing growth in multiple segments, including corporate, regional association and sports, so that’s very encouraging for us.” Sports convention business in particular will benefit from the new Atlantic City Sports Commission, launched in January.

“We’re seeing growth in multiple segments, including corporate, regional association and sports, so that’s very encouraging for us.” — James Wood

Wood indicates the city is on track to realize a 20 percent increase over 2014 in its meetings business this year. During the first quarter of 2015, the Meet AC sales team brought 30 conventions and meetings to the Atlantic City Convention Center and another 19 to the city’s hotel properties. That’s an increase of more than 25 percent from the first quarter of 2014. In addition, attendee spending rose 32.7 percent from the same quarter as last year, to approximately $73.1 million.

New Convention Center Management

“Atlantic City is a destination that is expanding outside of the gaming market. While gaming may still be an important part of this city, attracting convention business is their current goal,” affirms Sally O’Shea, CEM, a Philadelphia-based independent event manager who oversees manufacturer EP Henry’s Mid-Atlantic Hardscaping Trade Show at the Atlantic City Convention Center. O’Shea has worked with shows in the city since 2004, and has seen an improved Atlantic City Convention Center under Global Spectrum management. “Their hands-on management team is very active with the shows,” she says. “When the management first came in they invited show managers of different companies that produce shows in Atlantic City to a meeting where they introduced them to the organization.” Initially, the convention center also “asked us for feedback and actually followed up on that feedback with information on what they’ve done and plan to do based on it,” O’Shea notes. In addition, Global Spectrum negotiated new union contracts at the convention center that have reduced operating costs.

“We have a tremendous relationship with Global Spectrum; they’re a terrific partner with Meet AC as well as the CRDA,” notes Wood. Meet AC’s staff, currently numbering 26, was mostly comprised of new hires when it was formed, with a few employees of the CVA. Sales territories were changed, but O’Shea notes that they ensured her that she would continue to work with the same representative she was accustomed to. “Meet AC makes it a point to be very knowledgeable of what assets they have within the city,” she adds. “They do not play favoritism in any way; that’s been my experience.”

Revel Case Study

While Meet AC is doing much to revitalize the city’s meetings business, there are also ambitious ideas coming from the private sector. Florida developer Glenn Straub has purchased Revel, the $2.4 billion casino resort that closed last September after failing to turn a profit, for $82 million. He reportedly intends to build the resort’s never-completed second tower. “I think Revel is an interesting case study for everyone to look at,” Wood says. “They invested a significant amount of money to build the property, but they didn’t finish building it out; that’s No. 1. And they came to the market with a different approach, but obviously the strategy didn’t work for them. It’s going to reopen sometime this year, and we’re excited about its reemergence and a new brand associated with it.” But the new property is just a part of Straub’s overall vision for Atlantic City, a $500 million deal that includes an agreement to purchase the former Showboat casino from Stockton University; a proposal to reopen Bader Field as a sports complex; numerous new recreational facilities (such as an equestrian complex and waterparks); and high-speed ferries and helicopter service between Manhattan and Atlantic City.

New Developments and Revitalizations

While Straub is certainly “thinking big,” it remains to be seen whether his $500 million deal will come to fruition. In the meantime, planners can take advantage of several developments in the city that have been realized, primarily at hotels and resorts. The 507-room Claridge Hotel, whose largest meeting space is 3,800 sf, reopened last year with new restaurants and entertainment offerings at this 1920s-era property. The Twenties Restaurant, frequented by Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe in its heyday, reopened in November. Here, groups can also experience the Atlantic City Ballet and the Garden State Discovery Museum. Cem Erenler was appointed as the hotel’s new GM in February.

Wood asserts, “Everybody is opening their doors to the meetings and convention market,” and a standout example is Caesars Entertainment. In August, the company is debuting the $125.8 million Harrah’s Atlantic City Waterfront Conference Center, the largest convention center-hotel complex from Baltimore to Boston. Groups will have at their disposal two 50,000-sf ballrooms that can be divided into up to 29 individual sections, directly accessible to Harrah’s Atlantic City’s 2,500-plus hotel rooms.

Richardson, Texas-based Lennox Industries Inc., an HVAC systems provider, has held its Northeast Dealer Meeting in Atlantic City for the past 11 consecutive years. According to Kim Hentges, CMP, senior planner, events and incentives, the company has contracted the new conference center for its 2016 meeting. “Harrah’s new conference center is going to be a great fit for us due to all of our meeting space needs located together on one level,” she says. “And the size and quantity of the meeting space allows us to grow our program, while still keeping it on one level.”

New meeting space is also coming to Resorts Casino Hotel, the first casino to open in the city. Planners will be able to utilize an additional 12,000 sf of meeting space, including 11 new conference rooms, thanks to a $9.4 million expansion plan. When the project is complete this summer, Resorts will offer 64,000 sf of function space consisting of 27 rooms accommodating from 40 up to 1,350 attendees.

Last October, Chrysler held a parts and service meeting for its mid-Atlantic and Northeast Business Centers at Resorts, bringing in 500 attendees. Susan Elise McGonigle Corporate Events arranged the program for Chrysler, and McGonigle notes that Resorts was selected partly based on “how they treated us on the site inspection. We felt they could fit our needs the best and bend over backwards to make sure our event was a success.” Ultimately, Resorts confirmed that impression was correct with “an amazing attention to detail,” she says. “Even the desserts had our logo in them and they did ice sculptures with our logo — little things that build up in the end.” Attendees also enjoyed private dining in groups of 50–60 at Margaritaville, a popular Jimmy Buffet-themed restaurant at the hotel, as well as the Landshark Bar & Grill. Resorts Casino Hotel will be even more attractive to the group with the additional meeting space, particularly the new breakout rooms all on one level. “The expansion they’re doing is key; we do a lot of breakouts,” says McGonigle, adding, “We will be going back in the fall for a smaller meeting using the new facility.”

Major hotel makeovers include Tropicana Atlantic City’s $50 million resort-wide renovation featuring the addition of a multimedia light and sound show to the Boardwalk façade, a new fitness center on Brighton Avenue, North Tower hotel room renovations, a completely renovated North Tower casino floor and new retail shops. All projects were recently completed.

Also investing in upgrades is Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, with $13 million in renovations to its Borgata Buffet, men’s and women’s lounges at Spa Toccare, the Pump Room (Fitness Center) at Spa Toccare and the casino floor. Recently, the hotel announced $14 million in additions, including an outdoor concert venue, Borgata Festival Park and a new nightclub. Festival Park will debut this June, while the new nightclub is expected to open at the end of the year. Borgata has invested $50 million in redesigning its 1,566 Classic guest rooms and hotel corridors, and the room improvements continue this year with $6 million dedicated to restyle 39 Opus suites and two 5,000-sf Residence suites.

Both the Atlantic City Convention Center and Board­walk Hall will receive more than $100 million in maintenance-related upgrades, ensuring that these facilities remain in peak condition to host attendees, whether for a meeting or entertainment, in the case of Boardwalk Hall. Also managed by Global Spectrum, the venue hosted 54 ticketed events last year, a 26 percent increase from 2013. The events included 13 concerts by major acts such as Lady Gaga, Luke Bryan, Aerosmith, Kiss, Queen, Jason Aldean and Def Leppard.

Atlantic City’s broader focus on non-gaming entertainment also will be supported by “The Playground,” a 464,000-sf self-contained entertainment venue, which rests over the Atlantic Ocean and includes high-end retail as well as eight live entertainment clubs and restaurants. The Playground also will boast a 50,000-person oceanfront concert space, bowling alley, swimming pool and the Varsity Club, a sports bar. The new venue will be fully operational by year end.

Caesars has a new venue of its own with the recently opened Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars Atlantic City. The 250-seat restaurant offers an authentic English pub experience on the East Coast.

Yet another highlight is the $34 million Bass Pro Shop at the Walk, which opened in April.

One of the city’s classic attractions is also seeing investment: The iconic Steel Pier is undergoing a $100 million, three-phase makeover and will be open year-round. Phase two includes plans for a new museum, retail entertainment space and a 200-foot-high observation wheel. The third and final phase revamps the Marine Ballroom as a 2,000-seat venue suitable for concerts. The renovations are expected to be completed in this year. This spring also saw the beginning of a $50 million reconstruction of The Boardwalk from Revel to Gardner’s Basin.

Wood emphasizes that however much Atlantic City develops, its traditional attractions remain a draw. “When people come to Atlantic City they still have a tremendous Boardwalk and some of the best beaches in America,” he says. “And the gaming piece is still very popular; millions of gamers come every year.” But with approximately 60 casinos in the Northeast vying for business, “there is now a focus on diversifying the mix a little bit more, to add more non-gaming business opportunities to Atlantic City. That philosophy had emerged over the last couple of years.”

Showcasing the City to the Industry

Atlantic City will display its non-gaming attractions for meeting planners next year when it hosts the 2016 MPI World Education Congress. “It’s all part of the new strategy of Atlantic City, to (bid for) some of the industry shows and showcase the city as a viable destination for meetings and conventions,” says Wood. “We’ll be working with Caesars Entertainment to host the MPI convention, which will bring in over 1,000 meeting professionals to the destination. Our preliminary plans include an opening-night party at the brand new Playground entertainment venue so people will get a taste of the true Atlantic City experience. We’re going to pull out all the stops to make the 2016 convention the most memorable for MPI.”

McGonigle has personally experienced the city’s zeal in pursuing the corporate group market. “As a meeting planner, I’ve never seen a city that was more competitive for the business,” she relates. Meet AC and Atlantic City’s hotels are all “very proactive for the business, and they show appreciation for it, unlike other locations.” The surging number of group bookings is thus no surprise, and the multitude of investments in the city’s meetings and tourism infrastructure guarantee Atlantic City will continue to have new selling points in the future. C&IT

Dubai is quickly becoming one of the world’s most intriguing destinations for meetings and incentives.

It’s a big world and getting bigger. As more companies go global, more places in the world make sense as a meeting destination, which makes choosing the right ones for your international meetings exponentially harder.

It’s not just about location. It’s also about culture, facilities, tantalizing opportunities, growth, relationships, how business is done, what languages are spoken, what documentation is required and how many flights go in and out each day. The upside to so many options is that with good research, every planner should find a destination that’s the right fit. Here are a few top choices to consider.

Australia — Wish List Destination

Australia offers a dynamic business environment and is a country that continues to invest in exceptional facilities. The $1.1 billion International Convention Center will open in Sydney’s Darling Harbour late 2016. There’s the new West Building at Adelaide Convention Centre and a new space accommodating 700 at Star Event Centre in Sydney. The five-star Mayfair Hotel opened in Adelaide, construction began in January on an onsite hotel at the three-year-old Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane, and Four Points by Sheraton Sydney embarked on a $200 million redevelopment plan that will add substantial meeting and event space, among other things.

Australia is a top wish-list destination for North Ameri­cans, meaning it can boost attendance. And according to Jane White­head, vice president, the Americas, at Tourism Australia, the country easily inspires, motivates and rewards. “We understand the importance of excellent service, and our service professionals are warm and friendly while also being adept at handling events of all sizes and will go the extra distance to ensure perfect event execution,” she says. “Australia offers truly inspiring teambuilding experiences, from sailing regattas to surfing lessons to indigenous experiences. Whether you’re looking for active pursuits or cultural discovery, we can tailor unique experiences that will create lasting memories and bonds.”

Australia is so expansive geographically that at any given time of year there’s someplace for corporate and incentive groups to meet, and Australia offers some of the best wine and food in the world. Bottom line: “Australia,” says Whitehead, “has a proven track record of hosting successful business events.”

Dubai — On the Move

A decade ago, much of the world knew nothing about Dubai. In 2014, 71 million international passengers passed through the city’s airport — more than went through London’s Heathrow — and today Dubai is an “it” destination for business and leisure travel. As Louise Olson, CMP, president of Zest Events, puts it, “Dubai is beautiful and everyone wants to see it.”

Dubai is a destination with challenges, and with substantial rewards.

In February, Olson helped execute a meeting in Dubai with 80 attendees for UL, the safety consulting and certification company headquartered in Illinois. The meeting was based at The Palace, Downtown Dubai, which Olson says was chosen for its “location, service and beauty.” The challenge, says Olson, is that Dubai is “very expensive to get to and rates for hotel, food and beverage can be high.”

Zabrina Hazeltine, CMP, CMM, president of Hamilton Group Meeting Planners Inc., has brought multiple client groups to Dubai, a destination she likes because it’s new and convenient to Europe. But she also experienced challenges, in one case, maybe too much of a good thing. “So many hotels are coming online each month, inventory is constantly growing and new areas of the city are springing up all the time,” she says. “It’s difficult to narrow down choices.”

“So many hotels are coming online each month, inventory is constantly growing and new areas of (Dubai) are springing up all the time. It’s difficult to narrow down choices.” — Zabrina Hazeltine, CMP, CMM 

Additionally, Hazeltine notes, “I could do more business there if they had fewer visa restrictions, and not allowing Israeli passport-holders to get a visa is a deterrent for a lot of our groups.”

But the benefits to meeting in Dubai are many. For one, it’s likely to boost attendance. “It’s an exciting destination and attendance is good because it’s a new destination with new business opportunities,” Hazeltine points out. Moreover, she calls the city “easy to work with,” noting that her contacts were fluent in English, responded quickly and were easy to negotiate with — all attributes that help planners working in international locations.

Looking to the future, Dubai will host the World Expo in 2020, a mega event held every five years that attracts millions of visitors and global leaders. City tourism officials believe it will propel Dubai forward as one of the world’s top destinations for international meetings and events.

Fiji — South Pacific Adventures

Collette is a travel company so it makes sense that it sets its global sales meetings in the destinations it covers. “We sell travel, and we offer unparalleled travel experiences on over 160 tours to every continent,” says Dan Sullivan Jr., Collette’s president and CEO. “Hosting our sales meetings in destinations where we offer tours provides training and knowledge to our sales managers that we can’t provide through a webinar or brochure. When they get to experience a destination firsthand, they have the enthusiasm and personal stories to share with group travel professionals.”

In December 2014, the meeting took place on Fiji’s Denarau Island at Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa, which has the meeting space Collette needed. “The staff was extremely helpful in arranging anything that was needed,” Sullivan says. “The Sofitel is perfectly located a short walk from Port Denarau Shopping Centre, which hosts the Hard Rock Cafe Fiji and a number of shops and restaurants, perfect for downtime or regional team dinners.”

The team also worked closely with Tourism Fiji. “They connected us to all the organizations we needed to plan alongside. Our vendors, especially Rosie Holidays, were extremely willing to help us coordinate activities for the sales team to help them sell this destination in the future. Of course, we could not have hosted this meeting in Fiji without the support from Fiji Airways, who is our key partner to this destination.”

Sullivan has high praise for Fiji as a destination but is aware of its challenges, too. “Fiji is an exciting destination, but we knew it would take a significant amount of planning based on its location.” He also notes, “It’s also important to be familiar with Fiji and its culture/weather, etc. We knew that we needed a backup plan for events in case the weather didn’t cooperate.”

As for highlights, Sullivan says, “Captain Cook Cruises provided us with a full-day excursion out to a private island. It was certainly a highlight of the meeting!” But perhaps the best event of all was taking the sales team to one of the Collette Foundation sites. The entire group volunteered with projects such as painting and gardening to help Koroipita Village with much needed attention (learn more in this video of that day: www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9NYedLEDu4).

Fiji is committed to the international meetings business. In November, Tourism Fiji announced the establishment of the country’s first convention bureau, expected to launch in 2015. Last year, Sheraton Fiji Resort opened a new convention facility, the largest on Denarau Island, which seats 1,700 theater-style; 1,000 for a banquet. Three resorts completed major renovations in March: Vomo Island Resort, Matamanoa Island Resort and Namale Resort & Spa. Captain Cook Cruises Fiji also refurbished its sailing catamaran, Fiji One, popular for private group charters.

Greece — by Land and Sea

A cradle of modern civilization, Greece has strong appeal for conferences attended by people in the arts and sciences. How can attendees not be inspired by art and architecture that still awes after centuries, to say nothing of the sea and terrain that define the Greek isles? The hardest choice for planners may be deciding between the urban riches of Athens and the appealing natural bounty and intimacy of the islands.

According to Visit Greece, the country’s tourism organization, the seas around Greece are also drawing planners to book boats as floating conference centers, offering attendees the chance to moor in multiple harbors. With its mild climate, Greece is a year-round destination and travel is streamlined because no visa is required for Canadian and U. S. citizens.

Hong Kong — Cultural Crossroad

“From its strategic location to sophisticated infrastructure and leading-edge venues, Hong Kong is one of the world’s leading meeting destinations,” says Bill Flora, U.S. director of the Hong Kong Tourism Board. “There’s no better base to connect with mainland China’s high-growth markets. …Every MICE event held in Hong Kong makes engaging with mainland China an efficient and effortless process.”

China has become a coveted destination for meetings, including Hong Kong, which has long experienced international influences and offers facilities, hotels and infrastructure firmly in place. Meetings with thousands of attendees are no problem. Hong Kong Convention Center and AsiaWorld-Expo offer 975,000 and 753,000 sf, respectively, and there are nearly 73,000 hotel rooms. In 2013, Kai Tak Cruise Terminal opened overlooking Victoria Harbour. Built on a former runway of Kai Tak airport, the terminal features four indoor venues that accommodate 3,000 guests each. On the expansive roof, a garden provides an inspiring setting for functions. Other worthy venues include Hong Kong Maritime Museum and PMQ, the historic site of the former Police Married Quarters.

It’s not just about facilities. Hong Kong is a cultural crossroad. Its East-meets-West culture has appeal for conference-goers from both sides of the Pacific, and that multiculturalism extends to the superb cuisine and notable shopping, as well as to diverse cultural attractions. Attendees can learn such skills as traditional lion-dancing and dragon-boat racing, experience a traditional fishing village or take to the seas in a tall ship, among other options.

Iceland — Meeting in the Middle

Iceland is a primary destination for international meetings, drawing attendees from North America and Europe. The tagline for Meet in Reykjavik, the capital city’s convention bureau and go-to resource for planners, puts it this way: Let’s Meet in the Middle. Founded in 2012, a joint venture of the city of Reykjavik, Icelandair Group and Harpa Concert Hall and Conference Center, the bureau’s goal is to make Reykjavik one of the top 10 meeting cities in Europe.

Between 2014 and 2017 Reykjavik’s hotel-room inventory is slated to increase from 3,400 to 5,500. Three new hotels will open in the city center this year, including Fosshotel Reykjavik, with 320 rooms and conference facilities. Two new Icelandair hotels will open in 2016, including one near the convention center. And in 2017, a five-star hotel will open at Iceland’s most famous attraction, the Blue Lagoon. The hotel will feature private access to the lagoon, and the plan is to build new conference facilities as well. As for event and reception spaces, Iceland delivers that “wow” factor at such venues as The Whales of Iceland museum; The Pearl, a visually striking dome and revolving restaurant; and Inside the Volcano, open summers, which puts visitors inside an actual volcano.

Ireland — A Great Buy

The reasons meeting planners consistently turn to Ireland for corporate and incentive trips are many. “Ireland offers the complete package and is fortunate to enjoy high satisfactions levels. The combination of world-class infrastructure as it relates to the range of accommodations, meeting space and technology options, and the wide variety of unique and authentic experiences all brought together by Ireland’s renowned brand of hospitality have made Ireland one of the top European incentive travel destinations for North American corporations,” says Alison Metcalfe, executive vice president, U.S. and Canada, Tourism Ireland. “There has also been continued investment in new experiences to excite and delight such as the ‘Game of Thrones’ Tour in Northern Ireland, the Wild Atlantic Way, new culinary tours and our championship links golf, which remains as good as ever.

“Ireland offers value and has never been easier to get to, with direct services from 14 gateways across North America. The availability of a U.S. CBP (Customs and Border Protection) pre-clearance facility at Dublin and Shannon airports provides an added benefit for clients traveling from across the country by reducing connecting times.”

Jodi Swailes, senior buyer, geographic specialist with ITA Group, offers a few additional reasons. “Ireland is a great buy, even before the lower exchange rate,” she says. “The size of the country allows you to give participants multiple experiences — city of Dublin combined with the countryside of Killarney and the Cliffs of Mohr — or a less-traveled experience such as Belfast and Northern Ireland.” She adds that guests feel comfortable in part because English is spoken and many North American visitors have ancestors from Ireland. But, Swailes notes, “The people are what really make the destination. They’re extremely friendly, and they enjoy meeting Americans.”

Macao — the Las Vegas of Asia

Macao is a compact 11 square miles but offers extraordinary richness of history, culture and experience. Set on a peninsula on China’s south coast 37 miles from Hong Kong, Macao also encompasses the islands of Taipa and Coloane, now connected by a strip of landfill transformed into a neighborhood of high-rise hotels, shops, theaters and casinos. It’s no accident that the Cotai Strip, with 9,000 hotel rooms, evokes Las Vegas. Familiar hospitality brands include the expansive Sands Cotai Central resort, home to the Conrad Macao, Holiday Inn Macao Cotai Central and Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central. Nearby is the Venetian Macao. Macao also has a Wynn and an MGM.

The Sheraton Macao is meeting central with more than 3,000 guest rooms and its Kashgar Grand Ballroom accommodating 5,000. Six other ballrooms accommodate 12 to 2,000. Among the hotel’s interesting options are Fit meetings, based on the integrated approach to training used at Exos (formerly Athletes’ Performance) facilities.

Madrid — Means Business

Madrid came in at No. 11 on the Condé Nast Traveler list of best international cities for business travelers. It’s the third largest metro area in Europe and was ranked by Eurostat as the continent’s second safest capital. Madrid is a dynamic city with much to offer groups — year after year. According to the Madrid Convention Bureau, 13 new hotels and 24 new restaurants opened in the city from 2013–2014. Meeting space is diverse and includes such options as the lower level of the mega Apple store, which opened in 2014. Madrid is also home to four major convention and exhibition centers, 89 museums, 14 universities, 27 golf courses and lots of sunshine, making it an alluring meeting and incentive destination on multiple levels.

Mexico — VAT-free

Mexico is meetings friendly. According to Visit Mexico, the country’s tourism organization, there are 68 major convention and exposition centers across the country and 500,000 hotel rooms in more than 3,000 luxury hotels. It’s also budget-friendly. Meetings and conferences are exempt from the VAT tax, which equates to a 15 percent discount on a range of meeting services. Mexico is culturally rich, with 29,000 archaeological sites and 31 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And U.S. and Canadian citizens with a valid passport don’t need a visa.

In spite of news stories about cartel violence, the fact is that the violence is region-specific, and there are no travel advisories in place for the vast majority of Mexican cities and resorts where meetings take place, including Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Riviera Maya, Tulum, Riviera Nyarit, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende, Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa, Mazatlan, Mexico City and Leon.

Scotland — Home of Golf

The ultimate bucket-list destination for lovers of golf has to be in St. Andrews, the Home of Golf. While the immediate area boasts 11 courses, The Old Course Hotel offers corporate golf programs that include 18 holes of play, snacks, a main meal and an awards presentation. Located an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh, the five-star Gleneagles golf and spa resort offers three championship courses, including the Kings Course dating back to 1919. Gleneagles is converting one of its Activity School equestrian arenas into a nearly 27,000-sf modern, multipurpose event space. Located within the hotel’s 850-acre estate, the venue will have capacity to cater up to 2,000 guests for concerts, launches and brand-experience events.

Singapore — Golden Jubilee

A city-state of remarkable diversity, Singapore’s native population is made up of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Peranakan and Eurasian cultures, which can be seen in the food, art and architecture. 2015 marks Singapore’s Golden Jubilee, its 50th year of independence. The celebration will feature significant events throughout the year, including the opening of the National Gallery of Singapore with its impressive collection of art, and the Jubilee Walk, a designated city walk with trail markers and new public artworks to commemorate Singapore at 50.

Singapore is also business- and meeting-savvy. Among its new programs is My Way in a Day, a digital game that introduces Singapore to the meetings sector to showcase the history, culture, food, heritage, new attractions and more, giving planners substantial information in a fun, easy-to-access way. Also new in the past year or so are eight hotels, giving planners plenty of options. C&IT

Meeting planners experience The High Roller observation wheel at The Linq during a tour of special event venues arranged by event planning firms Fancy Shindigs Inc. and Astound Group. Credit: Fancy Shindigs Inc.

Considering the fact that there are so many options for meeting venues in Las Vegas, it’s all about continuing to narrow down the choices until you find the one that’s the best fit for your event. For Larry Schur, CEM, president of San Antonio, Texas-based All Baby & Child Corporation, the right choice was the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, a Caesars Entertainment property.

Schur chose the Rio for his company’s 7th Annual Spring Educational Conference & Trade Show, which gathers specialty store retailers together to learn more about the products they sell and to get updates on issues that are relevant to the juvenile products industry. The event draws approximately 125 exhibitors and 800 attendees. “Attendance is free for qualified retailers, who also can qualify to receive a rebate off their lodging and merchandise purchases,” Schur explains.

“The Rio is a perfect fit for our conference because it contains just the right amount of meeting and exhibit space to fit our program,” he continues. “The exhibit area, The Pavilion, conveniently breaks up into 10 portions, allowing for the maximum flexibility for our trade show. We will utilize two-thirds of the space for exhibits and the remaining one-third for food and beverage. The close proximity and size of the meeting rooms to the exhibit space allows us to tailor each meeting room to fit our varied program.

“We have also selected two excellent venues within the Rio to hold our receptions,” he adds. “Our welcome reception will be held poolside at VooDoo Beach, while our all-attendee reception will be held high atop Las Vegas at the VooDoo lounge and outside terrace. These two venues provide unique and completely varied networking experiences.”

The VooDoo Rooftop Nightclub occupies the 51st floor of the Rio’s Masquerade Tower and offers spectacular views of the Las Vegas Strip. It also features the VooDoo Zip Line, which takes guests on a one-minute, 10-second ride from the top of the Masquerade Tower down more than 800 feet to the Ipanema Tower at speeds up to 33 miles per hour and a height of more than 400 feet. It can accommodate up to two riders at one time, and then they ride back up to the starting point facing backwards.

In addition to 2,522 suites, the Rio contains 160,000 sf of convention and meeting space, multiple entertainment venues, including the popular Penn & Teller magic show, as well as 10 restaurants and the Rio Secco Golf Club designed by Rees Jones.

Schur summed up the reasons that make the Rio a good fit for his conference: “With reasonable lodging rates, outstanding restaurants and a contained venue, we feel that this property will allow us to help keep our attendees in-house during our scheduled programming and not wandering around Las Vegas.”

For Nancy Vince, president of Mooresville, North Carolina-based Wholesalecrafts.com, the right fit was the 2,079-room South Point Hotel, Casino & Spa. Located just minutes from the Las Vegas Strip, the hotel includes 71,000 sf of conference space, an 80,000-sf carpeted, column-free pavilion and a 4,600-seat arena. It also contains multiple dining outlets, a 64-lane bowling center and a 16-screen movie theater. Last fall, South Point debuted a new $35 million, 90,000-sf bowling tournament facility, South Point Bowling Plaza.

Vince’s event, the American Craft Retailers Expo, also known as ACRE, is expected to draw 1,000 attendees plus hundreds of jewelry buyers coming over from other shows. “(South Point) is close to the JCK Jewelry show at Mandalay Bay each year, and they have placed our show on their official bus schedule, which is convenient for buyers,” she explains, “and we have aligned our timing at South Point to be in ‘jewelry week’ for years to come, which allows buyers a way to shop multiple shows with one low travel dollar. Our show is 40 percent handmade jewelry, and the 60 percent handmade gift/gallery artists are also appealing to jewelry stores, so being in jewelry week makes sense.”

“South Point is affordable and offers an intimate environment and is the right size for our event. They give us great service there, too.” — Nancy Vince

She gave a few other reasons why the hotel was the right choice for her expo. “South Point is affordable and offers an intimate environment and is the right size for our event,” Vince notes. “They give us great service there, too.”

It’s All About the Image

There also are times when it’s critical for the image of the venue to precisely match the image of the event. That’s the case with Couture Las Vegas, an annual event devoted to the luxury jewelry and timepiece market. The show, which attracts approximately 225 exhibitors and 4,000 attendees, is held each year at the Wynn Las Vegas. Show director Gannon Brousseau explains why. “The Wynn Las Vegas is the perfect location for hosting the Couture show. There is no other venue that is comparable to the Wynn/Encore in terms of ambience, service, staff and amenities. The high-end designers, brands and retailers who attend Couture each year are all pleased to consider these properties their home in Las Vegas.”

The Wynn contains more than 2,700 hotel rooms and suites, and its sister property Encore has 2,034 suites. Couture’s attendees likely feel right at home, since the Wynn’s two shopping esplanades include luxury brands such as Alexander McQueen, Cartier, Chanel, Dior, Given­chy and Louis Vuitton. The Wynn and Encore also offer three nightclubs, a 60,000-sf beach club and an 18-hole golf course. The resorts also are home to the aqua theater-in-the round show, “Le Rêve – The Dream.” Combined, the Wynn and Encore offer 260,000 sf of event space, and many of the meeting areas feature floor-to-ceiling windows that provide views of the resort’s pools and gardens.

The Encore Tower Suites and Encore Resort Tower at Wynn Las Vegas will launch a room renovation project this summer that will encompass new furnishings, carpeting and technology, including additional USB plugs and electrical outlets.

A Menu of Venues

Las Vegas also has an extensive “menu of venues” for planners to choose from when they are looking for unique spaces to “wow” their attendees. Lisa Gentilin, PhD, CMP, is president of Fancy Shindigs Inc., a corporate event planning and training services firm based in Castro Valley, California. In March, she presented a session titled “Special Event Venues – Four Exciting Las Vegas Venues That Will Dazzle Your Guests” at the ExhibitorLive 2015 Conference & Exhibition. Her co-presenter was Katie Zanardi, director of business development for the San Francisco Bay area event planning firm Astound Group.

Legends Ranch. Gentilin and Zanardi took a group of 22 planners on the tour, and their first stop was something they may not have expected to see so close to The Strip. “It’s called Legends Ranch Las Vegas,” Gentilin explains. “It’s beautiful. It’s a working ranch. They board some horses there for folks who come and ride, and they have a beautiful outdoor area where you can do daytime or evening events. They’ll work with you. They’re like a one-stop shop. You can let them know everything that you want, and they’ll work with their preferred vendors. You can do something that’s more rustic and ranch-themed with family-style seating with the big plank tables, if you like. They’ll also do high-end linens on rounds, whatever you’d like in that area.

“It’s a beautiful location,” she continues. “It’s something that is very unexpected because it’s only 10 minutes (from The Strip), and it’s so tranquil. Inside, there’s some reception space. They also have what I call the executive room. It’s a special room in the back that has its own private bathroom and actually opens out onto the patio area by the pool. They also have a space I would use for the war room, for the meeting planner’s office. It has lots of storage, and its own bathroom, as well.

“In their large patio space they have a large, built-in bandstand, so if you want to have a band play, it’s a great spot,” she adds. “People can dance in that area, and you can have seating in the lower patio area.”

The High Roller. The tour continued with stops at two Caesars Entertainment properties. The group had lunch at the wheelhouse for the High Roller, the world’s tallest observation wheel. It’s part of The Linq, an open-air shopping, dining and entertainment district. “(The wheelhouse) has floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the Linq promenade and then there is beautiful patio space right there, as well, where you can put outdoor furniture. You can see the pods as they go by. Our folks got to do the half-hour (ride) — 15 minutes to the top and 15 minutes down.”

Drai’s Beach Club. They also toured The Cromwell, a 188-room boutique hotel set on one of the busiest corners of the Las Vegas Strip. “There are several locations within The Cromwell where you can do small events,” Lisa notes. “They have a beautiful hospitality bar that you can take over, but for me, the most beautiful part is upstairs, where they have Drai’s Beach Club. It is spectacular. It’s a nightclub, but if you wanted to do a presentation of some type you could technically do it on the dance floor and then there’s built-in seating there already.

“There are floor-to-ceiling doors that will open from the nightclub to the pool area. From that beach club area, there are these great little hospitality cabanas that you could sell off as sponsorships that people could have their own area to invite their special VIPs in. Each one of those has its own bathroom and furniture and its own LCD television so you can run branded videos if you’d like.”

She described the venue’s flexibility. “You can go all the way to the very end of that level and have a 180-degree view of The Strip. You can take over just that back corner where it’s all lounge furniture and they have outdoor seating or you could take over the entire area including the cabanas, and its two levels. Or, you could take over the entire facility, which would include the nightclub, as well. So there are lots of opportunities if you wanted to do something from day into night. You could do a presentation during the day, then go outside for a cocktail reception. They’ll flip the inside really quick and get rid of any staging where the presenter was and set up buffets, and people can sit either inside or outside.”

Gentilin added that The Cromwell has two other event venues, Drai’s After Hours, which offers a late-night nightclub atmosphere, and Giada, the restaurant by celebrity chef Giada De Laurentiis. “They have two private rooms that can accommodate roughly up to 40 people (20 in each) with French doors that open between both spaces.”

Neon Museum Boneyard. Gentilin and Zanardi also treated their group of planners to a unique experience: a tour of the Neon Museum Boneyard. The two-acre outdoor museum features more than 150 of Las Vegas’ iconic neon signs, six of which have been restored. It also includes an event venue called the North Gallery, which contains additional rescued neon signs and is used for special events. “If somebody wants to take both sections over, the museum has control of the road that separates them, so that can be shut down and you can put out a red carpet or stanchions.”

She was surprised by the planners’ reaction to the Neon Museum. “They were just floored,” she says, adding that they couldn’t wait to have their pictures taken in front of the famous signs. She explained that the museum also can provide a docent to answer all of the questions guests invariably ask.

“It’s right across the street from the Cashman Center, so if you needed to have something really big and you were at the Cashman Center and then you wanted to do a private event, you could take over the entire space. It’s a great place to get a piece of history.”

Gentilin is already thinking about doing another tour of unique venues for the ExhibitorLive 2016 Confer­ence & Exhibition, which will take place next year on Febru­ary 28–March 3.

More Las Vegas News

The Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino (formerly the LVH – Las Vegas Hotel & Casino), in partnership with Elvis Presley’s Graceland, has unveiled a permanent exhibition, “Graceland Presents Elvis: The Exhibition, The Show, The Experience.” The exhibit includes hundreds of artifacts never before displayed outside of Graceland.

In other Westgate news, the resort has announced plans to do a full remodel of its 200,000 sf convention center, which will include the installation of new technology and a modern new look. The project is scheduled to begin in the fall. The resort’s newly refurbished spa and health club is expected to open this summer. Upgrades to 1,200 signature guest rooms and the pool area have been completed.

The Mandalay Bay Convention Center is adding 250,000 sf of exhibit space, more carpeted ballroom space and other amenities, which will bring its total amount of event space to more than 2 million sf. The $66 million project is now underway and is on schedule to welcome its first attendees in August, with the anticipated completion of the entire expansion and renovation in January 2016.

The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino recently completed a renovation project of all of its standard guest suites that included the installation of a media hub system to give business travelers a convenient workspace with electrical and USB charging capabilities for phones and laptops.

With the renovation of the 403 suites in Bellagio’s main tower now complete, the MGM Resorts International hotel has finished the $165 million remodeling of all 3,933 rooms and suites that began in 2011. Bellagio also recently debuted Lago by Julian Serrano — a contemporary, Milan-inspired Italian restaurant concept that boasts a new outdoor patio with spectacular views of Bellagio’s world-famous fountains through the dining room’s large arched windows.

The Tropicana Las Ve­gas – a DoubleTree by Hil­ton’s Trinidad Pavilion and Meeting Rooms, a 30,000-sf expansion of the convention area, is now officially open. The expansion brings the hotel’s total meeting, event and exhibition space to more than 100,000 sf with 38 separate meeting rooms, which does not include the outdoor venues.

The Omnia Night­club — the former Pure Nightclub — opened in March at Caesars Palace after a top-to-bottom makeover. The completely redeveloped 75,000-sf venue houses three distinct nightlife spaces: the Main Club including the Balcony level, Heart of Omnia; the sleek ultra-lounge; and the Terrace offering sweeping views of the Las Vegas Strip. Omnia is available for corporate event buyouts for groups of 200–4,000 people.

The Las Vegas Con­vention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) purchased the Riviera Hotel & Casino as part of it plans for the new Las Vegas Global Business District. The acquisition will make it possible for the project to add 750,000 sf of exhibit space and 187,000 sf of additional meeting space to the Las Vegas Convention Center. The $2.3 billion Global Business District project is the largest economic development project the LVCVA has undertaken since the Las Vegas Convention Center was built in the late 1950s. It is estimated that once this expansion initiative is completed, it will attract 20 new trade shows and conventions.

Upon the LVCVA’s approval to purchase the historic Riviera Hotel & Casino’s 26-acre site, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said, “Las Vegas has proven time and again, its ability to reinvent itself as the economic engine for Southern Nevada. For the better part of 60 years, this historic property has created memories for millions of guests and will always have a place in the history of this great city. As the storied resort makes way for the Global Business District, this site will continue to play an integral role in the attraction of visitors to Nevada.” C&IT

Sydney Wolf has been working in the Event Services division at metroConnections since May 2011. As a member of the Sales Team, Sydney leverages her expertise in creative design, program management and event logistics to create experiences for metroConnections clients. With previous roles as Event Coordinator and Program Manager, she can help clients understand the process from start to finish as she works alongside the Operations Team every step of the way. Sydney holds a degree in Sports, Entertainment and Event Management from Johnson & Wales University with an emphasis in Sales and Meeting Management.

Social responsibility has always been a prominent and important part of our personal lives. As the interconnectivity between our personal and business lives grows, so does the desire for employees to give back at work. To this end, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) events are on the rise as they create goodwill with attendees and the community. Corporate groups of varying sizes are able to come together through a mix of different programs set up to benefit local or national nonprofit organizations. However, the key to success is selecting the right CSR activity for your group, as well as following some best practices.

CSR Is on the Rise

CSR is a hot topic of conversation among many meeting executives. It is more widely accepted that companies with a CSR policy seem to have more credibility and integrity with clients and customers. According to an article published by Meeting Professionals International (MPI), nine out of 10 meeting industry businesses actively engage in CSR. Meetings and events provide a great opportunity to meet this growing desire by team members to give back.

As quoted in the same article, Alex Kenyon from Leeds Metropolitan University stated that there is growing evidence that CSR agendas and strategies can enhance reputation and identity in the minds of stakeholders. Consider that 75 percent of CEOs are concerned about maintaining their organization’s image, particularly with an increased appetite for transparency, communication and trust; it makes sense to explore avenues to enhance market value.

CSR activities not only increase brand equity from an external standpoint, but they also offer many internal opportunities for teambuilding. When integrated into a meeting or event, CSR logistics can be streamlined because people are already gathered in one spot. However, like any activity, there are some keys to success to ensure the activity meets your goals.

Getting Started

CSR activities come in all shapes and sizes. The important thing to consider is your objective so you can select the right cause. To begin, are there organizations that are already integrated into your organizational culture? If so, it may make sense to pick an activity or non-profit that is an extension of your brand or industry as it allows you to continue that relationship. For example, if your company sells educational software, supporting local schools in the host city for your event may be a fun way to help attendees build a connection with their target audience. Case in point was a recent conference held in Nashville. Even though Nashville is known as the “Music City,” the music programs in schools are historically underfunded. Building on the music theme because of the conference location, and educational theme because of the organization’s product offering, an activity that catered to both themes created a rallying point for attendees.

The most effective and efficient CSR projects relate to the geographic region, organizational passion and available budget. One recent example was the August 2014 World Education Congress (WEC) Conference, hosted by MPI. Minneapolis-Saint Paul is the No. 1 metro area in the country for volunteerism. To spotlight Minneapolis’ passion for philanthropy, event planning firm metroConnections, in partnership with Meet Minneapolis, conceptualized and executed a give-back event that turned the Minneapolis Convention Center into “CSR Central.” Six different hands-on activities supporting eight local charities engaged attendees, while educating them on how to incorporate CSR initiatives into teambuilding events. The outcome was the assembly of 16 bikes and 500 personal hygiene kits, the stuffing of 96 backpacks, the sorting of 927 cans of food, the painting of 15 furniture pieces and the creation of 85 blankets.

Meeting attendees also can provide great insight into appropriate activities. This personal engagement helps them to be better advocates for the cause. Other factors to consider include issues that may impact that region, or even the time of year (such as a winter coat drive). However, it is key to recognize that initiatives don’t always have to be large orchestrated events. Rather, an event may incorporate a recycling focus to ensure a CSR initiative. For example, consider ways in which you can reuse materials and handouts from the meeting.

Another consideration is whether or not this will be an annual activity. Since people tend to get bored easily, you may consider doing a similar activity each year to make CSR a tradition, albeit with new ideas mixed in every year.

Establish a Team

Once you have established your desire to engage in a CSR activity, select volunteers to organize the event who care about the cause. They will not only feel more engaged but also will serve as advocates for the project. Although it is often advantageous to use a professional meeting planner for your event, it is still essential to have internal advocates for the CSR activity to create allegiance and excitement. Delegate action items to committee members to maximize the efficiency of the project. This allows the meeting’s project manager to focus on the big picture.

One of the first steps for the CSR planning team should be reviewing the conference or meeting agenda to evaluate time and space restrictions. These factors are key to selecting the right activity. In addition to the available space and schedule factors, also consider the make-up of attendees as their demographic, attitudes and work styles can influence what you do. The necessary time and supplies for the activity also are key. For example, if you are planting a garden, are the right tools available and within reach for participants? If stuffing backpacks with school supplies, are the supplies in piles and organized for efficient stuffing? If your meeting is out of the area, assign a local advocate to work directly with the non-profit organization and coordinate logistics. On the day of the activity, assign a host who can help the group navigate throughout the activity. A host can really drive home the message of giving back and connect it to the company cornerstones. In addition to engaging the appropriate players to help manage the CRS event, it also is important to promote the activity. Many organizations choose to mandate attendance at the CRS activity to show how significant it is to the overall meeting or conference.

Debunking the Money Myth

Although there is a perception that CSR activities and donations can be costly, with proper planning, there are a variety of ways to alleviate the budget drain. The percentage of your overall meeting or conference budget that is tied to your CSR activity is really up to your team. There are no best practices or rules of thumb. Donating time, rather than monetary resources, is a simple and impactful way to give back without sacrificing the bottom line. Another idea to save money could be to provide an incentive for employees to give their own monetary donation during a conference. For example, if you wanted to raise $10,000 for a charity but couldn’t justify it as a company, auction off extra vacation days for employees.

Another means to afford a CSR activity is to look for funds outside of the conference or event budget. While the conference budget can cover the cost of the facility rental and actual organization of the activity, there may be funds available from a corporate CSR line item or other funding mechanism. If you are donating goods or resources, oftentimes companies use a different internal budget center, which helps make the activities more feasible.

It’s Good for Business

Although CSR may be the trendy topic in the business world today, the benefits are real. Integrating CSR into your next event, provided it is accomplished in a mindful way, creates goodwill for all involved. C&IT