Fintan Connolly: As Global eCommerce Manager for Globoforce, Connolly leads a team of experts distributed across diverse geographies to manage and build the world’s most expansive and exciting employee eCommerce network. Connolly is currently Board Secretary for the Incentive Marketing Association (IMA), and he has served on the IMA Europe Chapter Board.

In today’s ever-expanding global economy, multinational companies with culturally diverse employee groups need to adopt new and creative ways to engage employees and reward performance across their organizations, says a new white paper from the Incentive & Engagement Solution Providers (IESP).

Before addressing some of the specifics of “Overcoming Challenges to Recognizing Performance in a Multicultural Workforce,” it’s helpful to look at the dramatic transformation happening in today’s workplaces.

Organizations need to win the hearts and minds of employees by providing positive experiences where they feel inspired to do their best work. This “human era” embodies a time when work has the potential to be a more rewarding experience for employees.

Seeing firsthand how this battle for their hearts and minds is played out daily through their workplace experiences, organizations are quickly re-examining their employees’ experiences at work as a path to improved job performance and sustained competitive advantage.

Well-designed recognition programs can be a significant contributor to a rewarding work experience. Providing reward options that are relevant to specific cultures and geographies helps employees feel more respected and appreciated while also gaining a greater sense of how attuned the organization is to their needs.

Companies should be prepared to address several questions when mapping out an international recognition program.

• How many languages (and in how many dialects) do the employees speak?
• How many currencies do they use?
• How mobile is the staff?
• Can the organization ensure staff equitable rewards which automatically conform to standard of living indexes?
• Can the rewards be sourced locally?
• Is it possible to cost-effectively get rewards to the employees at their locations without issues at border crossings?

The IESP white paper also addressed adherence to government regulations. It’s important for global program managers to ask about tax compliance when developing their programs. If the program is audited, proof of compliance will be needed.

Social Recognition

Another key element of achieving a human workplace, through positive employee experiences lies in social recognition. An important finding outlined in the 2016 Employee Recognition Survey, published by Globoforce and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Foundation, is that social recognition programs tied to organizational values can outperform other programs in terms of delivering a return on investment, reinforcing corporate values and maintaining a strong employer brand. When it comes to achieving a more human workplace through the power of social recognition, it’s important for organizations to consider the following.

Values-based Recognition Programs

The Employee Recognition Survey, which surveyed nearly 800 HR leaders, indicates that organizations that dedicate 1 percent or more of payroll to values-based rewards and recognition are more likely to perceive greater impacts on retention and financial outcomes. Additionally, HR leaders with values-based recognition programs in place are three-and-a-half times more likely to say their program helps HR professionals attract new job candidates, and two times more likely to help retain employees (88 percent vs. 44 percent).

Well-designed recognition programs can be a significant contributor to a rewarding work experience.

In contrast, companies that do not invest in values-based recognition are five times more likely to rate their recognition program as poor, compared to companies that spend 1 percent or more.

Company Values and Goals

The challenge many companies face today is how to make core company values practicable. Considering social recognition is designed with awards that specifically map back to each value, it integrates those ideals into employees’ everyday thoughts and actions. Ultimately, giving and receiving visible recognition throughout an organization helps establish connections between employees, while also reinforcing behaviors that drive the culture of an organization.

Empower Employees

While managers play a prominent role in employees’ performance and growth, the reality is an employee’s colleagues are often more knowledgeable about their co-workers’ contributions, behaviors and achievements than senior leaders. That’s why it’s important to provide employees with the power to recognize, praise and appreciate one another in meaningful ways. According to the Employee Experience Index, 83 percent of employees report a positive employee experience when they feel recognized through awards and other means for the good work they do.

Fostering co-worker relationships is one way to empower employees to recognize each other. In fact, when those relationships are present in the workplace, employees report a much more positive employee experience than when that support is absent (77 percent compared to 35 percent). Co-worker relationships start with common connections and similarities between colleagues, but can be amplified through company outings and social events, and even company-wide celebrations. Years of service anniversaries, for example, offer the opportunity for an entire company to take part in celebrating their colleagues’ contributions, creating powerful moments of inspiration, gratitude and recognition.

Recognize in the Moment

As managers and team members increasingly travel and work remotely, there is often a time gap following a recognition moment. The result is a squandered opportunity to reinforce the desired behaviors and employee performance that enhance and transform a company’s culture. By utilizing mobile social recognition solutions, managers and peers can give, receive, approve and redeem recognition awards — anywhere and anytime — thereby ensuring strong performance and desired behaviors never get missed or remembered incorrectly. Through recognition that is timely, values-driven and open to all employees, companies can build more connected and fully engaged workforces.

Further guidelines for addressing the needs of a multi-generational workforce include:
Make it matter — Help employees see the meaning and purpose in their work by uniting them behind the company vision and inciting passion to achieve company objectives.
Reward frequently and in a timely manner — Make sure the recognition moment closely follows the act that is being recognized to ensure the act is top-of-mind.
Give the reward of choice — Cater to the demographic of a global, multigenerational workforce and their unique needs by letting them invest in their communities with broad, local choice.
Involve everyone — Move beyond traditional elitist programs that only target the top 10 percent to involve up to 90 percent of employees in a culture of recognition.
Measure results to ensure success — When measured appropriately, recognition can reveal patterns of behaviors and understanding of company values and objectives.

The ROI of Recognition

Feedback and recognition of performance are critical to positive employee experiences, as well as opportunities for professional development and growth. The Employee Experience Index shows that 83 percent of employees who receive recognition for their performance, and 80 percent of those who receive feedback, report a positive employee experience.
Employees’ attitudes toward change and optimism for the future correlate with both recognition efforts and efforts to build a more human workplace. Employees trust colleagues most, but it is trust for leaders that most impacts culture.  C&IT

www.incentivemarketing.org/IESP/Resources/IESP/Resources/Resources-Home.aspx?hkey=c6e14eef-f654-4ef8-a804-b69edd0a387b

Richelle Taylor is Vice President, Strategic Marketing for One10 — a leader in performance improvement and marketing services in North America. Taylor oversees One10’s go-to-market strategy and its Incentives & Recognition business segment, which includes global rewards as well as technology development for One10’s propriety performance improvement platform, PerformX.

People often erroneously think the latest trends are only worth implementing for large, splashy events. Seasoned planners know small meetings require the same attention as a bigger event, just with a slightly different twist. That means there are plenty of opportunities to take advantage of new trends when planning your next event — large
or small.

The landscape for events continues to change. What used to be fresh and exciting becomes mainstream and expected, while event audiences continue to clamor for something new and unique. When you’re planning your next event, keep these four hot trends in mind:

Eco-Friendly Everything

Sustainability has been trending upward, especially as negative effects of unsustainable practices — such as single-use plastics like straws — come back to haunt. Did you know every day in the United States we use enough plastic straws to circle the Earth 2.5 times?

It’s no surprise 2018 marked the first-ever national Skip the Straw day. Sponsors and brands are now more conscious of sustainability options, and they are extending their social responsibility efforts into the events they hold. Planners concerned about the environmental impact of their events may find the elimination of single-use plastic items an effective way to reduce the mark.

How do you get started? Replace single-use plastic items, such as straws, utensils and coffee pods, with alternative materials or omit them altogether. We’re seeing more frequent use of recyclable wooden utensils, and many hotels and restaurants are going strawless, offering paper straws only upon request.

Rethinking Conference/Meeting Layout

Events have historically focused on creating a good flow for attendees. Rethink your layout and incorporate changes that will cultivate a different experience for meeting attendees. This way, you can leverage an organic layout at events to create a new and engaging attendee experience.

How do you get started? Traditional events often use square or rectangular layouts so consider a different stage layout to shake things up. A “Burning Man”-style layout has less concern about the event flow and more emphasis on demonstrating a creative identity.

Concept of “Play”

The ability to play is not for children alone. Play is for all ages and has been shown to relieve stress, enhance creativity, improve relationships and keep adults feeling young.
The concept of play is a great way for event planners to tap into nostalgic and retro themes that are fun, meaningful and engaging for attendees. Play can also be woven into an agenda to enhance networking, teamwork and create a way for attendees to unwind and open up their minds.

How do you get started? The concept of play is very broad so there are many ways to try this at your next event. Recreate escape room puzzles using business challenges. Hold a rock/paper/scissors competition. Play dodge ball. Invite mascots from local sports teams to mingle with attendees. Incorporate amusement rides into outdoor spaces.
Dedicate sessions or tracks to play. The opportunities are truly endless!

Hitting the Road

Take your events on the road to maximize your audience reach. It’s getting harder for attendees to take time away from the office to attend events that require travel and overnight stays, especially for C-level decision makers. Research shows “time away from the office” is one of the top reasons people do not register for events.

How do you get started? Consider multiple, smaller, regional events rather than one large national or global event. Take a look at your CRM database to identify concentrations of high-value audiences to see if there is critical mass in a manageable number of locations.
Smaller events can often provide a more effective way to reach your target audiences and to test the content from event to event. Shorter events can also allow attendees to spend more time with you rather than traveling.

Which Trends Will You Try?

The incorporation of some of the hottest trends can make your events fresh, rewarding and unforgettable. Event trends will continue to drive the industry’s future so don’t be shy when considering how to incorporate them into your events whenever it pairs with a business reason to do so.

By leveraging the latest trends in meetings and events, you can create exciting, new opportunities for exceptional audience engagement that also inspires action and delivers results, no matter the size of your meeting or event.  C&IT

The core elements of meeting planning remain largely the same. But forces impacting them change regularly, requiring planners to make ongoing adjustments to work parameters and processes. Geopolitical, cultural and economic trends and realities evolve and fluctuate. Technology changes so rapidly it’s almost impossible to keep up with,
while requirements for safety and security have increased dramatically in the wake of world violence.

So, what is top of mind for planners today? We asked a diverse group of professionals
from east to west what is front and center for them, and their answers cover a wide range of topics.

Kristi Casey Sanders, CMP, CMM, DES, HMCC, is director of thought leadership for MPI. She’s always looking at what is of importance to meeting planners at the moment, as well as what is likely to be of importance down the road.

Flat budgets and rising costs came immediately to mind. “Budgets are pretty flat but costs continue to escalate, especially projected hotel costs,” she says. “That continues to cause anxiety for meeting professionals.”

Another kind of emerging issue: the difference between independent and staff planners and how they’re viewed. “Independent planners are tired of being seen as second-class citizens. They’re a significant part of the meetings industry, and that’s why MPI offers specialized education and community support for them,” Sanders notes.

Safety and security, the status of women in the industry, technology and attendee experience are also issues that Sanders says are priorities for planners today.

Lindsi Wyner, CMP, senior specialist of meetings and events with American Airlines, believes two of the top three issues facing planners today are event security and hotel/venue flexibility. On the venue issue, she says, “It may be entirely due to the current market, but I am finding it harder and harder to get what I need from some venues that previously were much easier to work with. Venues currently seem to be lacking in flexibility, including availability, rate and space.”

“It’s not enough just to organize an event. You need to know who you’re designing for, what they need and help prepare them to co-create the experience with you.” — Kristi Casey Sanders, CMP, CMM, DES, HMCC

On the subject of whether issues have changed over time, Wyner says, “I don’t think that these would have been the same issues I would have noted five years ago.”

There was a lot of agreement about the most pressing issues among the planners we heard from, and a few subjects that weren’t on everyone’s mind but maybe should be.

Inclusivity

For Shannon Yeater, CMP, conference services and events manager with a Tennessee law firm, providing information and selections for diverse audiences is top of mind. “Diversity and inclusivity have become hot topics in the world and in the meetings industry,” she says. “It is of upmost importance to plan an agenda, food offerings, leisure activities and other accommodations for an attendee base that is more diverse than we’ve ever seen. This includes more than the obvious of race, gender and sexuality. It goes further to take into account disabilities, dietary restrictions, language barriers and more. A topic of conversation while planning any event is how to be the most inclusive we can be for
all attendees.”

Safety and Security

Yeater also sees safety and security as one of the top things on planners’ minds, in all of its forms. “Safety and security doesn’t only mean being secure within your meeting space, conference halls and hotel rooms,” she says. “It also extends to our data and attendee information. When planning or attending large conferences, retreats and meetings, there’s a lot of personal and company information that gets shared with vendors. It’s important that we know these vendors and suppliers will keep company and attendee information private and safe.”

Yeater says a new addition to her company’s large meeting is a phone app for attendees, and its security was as important as its function. “While searching for this product, safety of attendee and company information was our No. 1 concern and discussion. Part of the criteria in our selection process was how confident we were in the safety measures taken by the supplier to protect all of this information.”

Susan Piel, CMP, owner of Spiel Planning in San Francisco, offers this take on security. “As an independent planner with clients in different industries, the biggest issues on my mind these days are related to safety and security for my client and their attendees at each event I manage. I want to ensure that we plan for the correct security for each type of event, and that can vary. I need to make sure the hotel/venue has a good plan in place, and then also supplement on my side for each client to make sure it’s appropriate for the attendees at that event. This mostly relates to physical security; however, data security and privacy are also a concern. I try to limit my access to attendee data for especially sensitive information, such as credit cards. If I don’t need a copy of the data to get my job done, that’s fine
with me.”

Sanders points out that planners may have more responsibilities in this arena than ever before. “Safety and security is on everyone’s mind,” she says, “although not all event organizers understand their duty of care responsibility to keep attendees safe. If the courts side with hotels and declare that venues cannot be held liable if there’s a shooting or attack of that kind, planners and their organizations have an even bigger fiscal and legal liability than before.”

Fortunately, she adds, MPI has resources. “We convened a risk management conclave to discuss best practices. The result is The Essential Guide to Safety and Security: Best Practices for Meeting and Event Planning 2018, with nearly 400 recommendations for event organizers.” Copies are available at www.mpiweb.org/tools/meeting-and-event-safety-and-security.

F&B

Accommodating attendee food requests and working with venues to meet them is definitely a challenge these days.

Nicole R. Benner, CMP, client events manager with a Philadelphia law firm, says, “We are seeing requests and expectations for vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options at all meal events, including event breaks. I’m located in Philadelphia, and we have an amazing vegan/vegetarian food scene. It’s distressing that hotels and event venues still think a plate of pasta primavera is acceptable as a vegetarian/vegan entrée. At this point, these requests should not be surprising, and venues should be prepared to address them with tasty and creative menus.”

Some of the challenges relate to attendees themselves. “I find that attendees frequently do not request vegan and vegetarian meals in advance,” Benner says. “I’ve taken to just including five percent of my attendees in this category. All of the vegetarian meals are consumed regardless of special requests.”

Piel says that while F&B issues are not her biggest concerns, it’s often frustrating to try to capture everyone’s preferences and accommodate them. “I understand if an attendee has a specific allergy or religious diet, but when it starts getting into very minute preferences, it can be really hard to manage. And hotels can get annoyed by so many requests. Moreover, I have a hard time when I have specific meals for people, and they don’t even identify themselves at the event.”

That can translate into not only wasted food but wasted money, Piel notes. “The hotel makes these dishes, or sometimes, as in the case of Kosher, I pay a big premium for them to be brought in, but the attendee never even claims them.”

The Status of Women in the Events Industry

In the wake of recent events related to how women are treated in offices and industries across the nation, it’s no surprise that some planners are thinking about the status of women in the meeting and events industry.

Wyner doesn’t see this changing for good or bad. “I think that we’re currently staying stagnant, and I don’t see any change in the industry for how women are viewed or receiving equal pay. I think our industry has a long way to go to view women in a more professional light and work toward equal pay,” she says.

Trina Sharp, CMP, CMM, CED, with Point B Solutions in Portland, Oregon, does see some change. “I’ve worked with C-level men and women in the corporate industry for more than 20 years. I have also worked with other event planners and suppliers in MPI and locally through my company. For the most part, I have been treated as an equal partner by my colleagues in the event industry and co-workers in my current position. However, there are a lot of event planners who work as an ‘assistant’ in that field with less responsibility and should not be confused with a planner with more experience and more responsibility,”
she notes.

“In the last few years, I have seen a change — a change for the positive. The event planner position has become more respected, and people are now acknowledging that it isn’t just party planning or ordering food. The event planner should have the ability to run and direct a meeting with C-level stakeholders, control and meet a budget that is scrutinized, have a knack for negotiating the bottom line and be able to meet the goals of both internal and external clients,” she says. “When you are representing your company and doing the items I’ve listed above, you really stand out in your company and become an asset. That’s when you will be treated as an equal partner.”

Yet even when planners take it upon themselves to build skills and be consummate professionals, there can be issues, which has not gone unnoticed by MPI.

“I think our industry is still waiting to have its #MeToo moment,” Sanders says. “We know that there’s uneven gender representation and pay equity. What we don’t know is when abuses of power will be brought to light and bring down prominent players in our industry. We do know a lot of women have stories.”

To make it easier for planners to report offenses or receive guidance, MPI has set up a hotline hosted by a third party, EthicsPoint. Planners can learn more at www.secure.ethicspoint.com/domain/media/en/gui/56572/index.html.

Geopolitics and Economics

Although most planners didn’t express concerns about political and economic forces in the world affecting their work, Wyner believes there’s reason they should be thinking about them. “This should be a bigger concern to meeting planners. With the trade agreements and agriculture issues now in play, our costs could increase greatly, and there is truly a concern that our budgets will take a big hit as a result.”

Technology, Digital Events and Attendee Experience

To be sure, technology is advancing at a faster rate than ever before, and its use impacts all areas of life — including meeting and event planning. It’s no surprise that Wyner lists “oversaturation of new technology and keeping up with it” as one of the top three issues that challenge her on a regular basis.

But does every event require the latest technology?

Elizabeth Glau, CMP, who works with event tech company Sciensio in Portland, Oregon, notes that “the speed of change keeps getting faster and faster,” but also points out that the newest technology may or may not be necessary at all conferences.

“There’s a theory called ‘Jobs to be Done’, and the application here,” she says, “is that you need to be very clear about what the job is you are hiring your technology to do. If it is just there for the sake of it, maybe you don’t need it.”

The best way for planners to know what technology is needed for any given event is to be clear on event objectives. As Sanders notes, “It’s not enough just to organize an event. You need to know who you’re designing for, what they need and help prepare them to co-create the experience with you. As a result, I conduct a lot of focus groups and meet-ups
to better understand for whom I’m creating education and experiences. It helps me accelerate innovation and diversify what we offer in ways that have increasing relevance
in the marketplace.”

Among the innovations that Glau says planners should think about, and perhaps even request in venue RFPs, are chatbots, “which can be supplemented with the information about an event.”

Latest innovations aside, ultimately technology is a powerful tool if planners know how and when to use it. “Access to data and increasingly easy access to insights, as well as the ability to integrate data from one system to another, is a positive change for our industry,” Glau says. “This makes organizers much more efficient in proving the value of their events and tying events to business outcomes.”

What Young/New Planners Should Be Thinking About

While our professionals readily addressed issues they’re confronting these days, they also weighed in on what young or new planners should be focused on that maybe they aren’t,
simply because they don’t yet know every in and out of the job and industry.

“I think young planners have difficulty understanding that everything, including the work done by vendors and venues, is ultimately their responsibility,” Wyner says. “It’s easy to tell someone you need something, pay them and assume that what you are asking for will be done the way you want it done. But when there’s no follow-up and the ball is dropped, the planner is the one who has to take accountability. As planners, we have a responsibility to our meeting owners to execute their vision and deliver on their needs. We can’t blame our partners, venues and vendors if we don’t participate in the conversations, set the expectations and do the proper follow-up. I think young planners often take those relationships for granted and make assumptions rather than doing the extra work to ensure the delivery of these needs is precise.”

Sharp says certification and getting involved with professional organizations should be a goal. “Planners who want this as a career choice need to think about what kind of certification they should get and how to work toward that. There are the following certifications: Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Certification in Meeting Management (CMM), Certification in Event Design (CED) and others, including an associate degree that some colleges offer in meeting planning. Young and new planners should also get a mentor from their local MPI board of directors, who will take the time to meet with them and go through the different options and future planning. Volunteering for your local MPI chapter is also a great way to get your foot in the door. MPI chapters provide continuing education and also offer the best networking you can do to assist you in your job search.”

Benner agrees. “I’d say that ‘kids today’ aren’t thinking about the value of membership, participation and eventual leadership in a professional association. It’s hard to say what people should be focusing on, but by becoming active as a committee member and then taking on a leadership role in my local MPI chapter, I’ve learned so much — and not only by attending monthly education programs on new and timely topics in the industry but also by doing tasks that are outside of my usual job functions.”

Benner says volunteering has helped her become well-versed in creating marketing plans, using social media to promote events and boosting events through paid promotion. “I get to be creative with room set-ups and unconventional layouts to test engagement and excitement for monthly meetings in ways I can’t risk with my day job,” she points out. “Honing these new skills in a low-risk volunteer environment allows me to see potential pitfalls and mistakes before they happen in my career, so when I’m able to implement a new idea professionally, I’ve already tried it out in a volunteer capacity.”

Yeater, too, sees the value of connecting with other professionals — and not just the obvious ones. “One thing I would tell beginning planners and young professionals is to meet everyone, and connect with anyone. We all get caught up in knowing those immediately around us, including our colleagues, shareholders and the vendors we use most frequently,” she says. “However, there is a large network of people in our industry who don’t carry the planner title, don’t have a product you think you would ever use or don’t apparently have the knowledge you think you could learn from.”

Those, in fact, have turned out to be among Yeater’s most fruitful contacts. “The best and most useful relationships in my personal and professional life have grown from those relationships that were not immediately obvious,” she says. “These people can be connections you’ll use for future jobs, a referral for a product you thought you may never need for an event or someone who can mentor you when it comes time to earn your CMP, CMM, DMCP or other industry designation.

“As a new planner and new professional, I suggest you be a sponge and soak up everything you can learn from anyone obviously in the meetings industry, as well as those surprisingly woven into it. You (and your boss) will be pleasantly surprised when some of that seemingly useless or unnecessary information can make you the star of the show!”  C&IT

The “Little Pick-Me -Up” is a popular plate with attendees at the Halifax Convention Centre. It has almond and quinoa energy bars, fruit leather and spicy chickpeas. Credit: Halifax Convention Centre

Evidence of the trend toward a healthier lifestyle is everywhere — from magazine headlines to fashion, Fitbits to fitness-focused hotels. In the event industry, the place where it shows up most frequently is the demand for healthier food and beverages.

The need for more nourishing edibles is closely tied to two things: the number of people with food allergies and consumers’ growing realization that what they put in their bodies is directly tied to their overall wellness. Rachel Chadderdon, director of catering hospitality for Centerplate/NSBE, the premier catering partner for the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., believes the growth of allergies or food intolerances is greatly overshadowed by people’s desire to make positive lifestyle changes.

“The trend to follow such famously followed diets as South Beach, keto and Plant Paradox are driving a significant increase in special meal requests at catered functions,” she says.

There’s another reason event participants are demanding healthier foods, though. “We’re hearing, ‘If you’re going to take me away from my family for five days and put me in a situation where I’m having to absorb tons of information, I want to be fed properly,’” says Holly Swanzy, CIS, senior program manager at Brightspot Incentives & Events in Irving, Texas. “There’s scientific proof that when you feed people the right things, they feel better and are happier and learn more. If you want them to pay attention, you don’t want to give them a fatty meal because after lunch, they’re going to fall asleep in the breakout room or go to their room and take a nap. If you’re just shoving them full of sweet muffins and croissants, people don’t feel good. And we don’t want hangry attendees, for sure.”

Some people still come to events expecting to splurge, so it’s important to strike a balance between offering healthy and more traditional conference foods. Greg Smith, director of food and beverage for the Halifax Convention Centre, perfectly illustrates the paradox of modern menu planning. “Our three most popular items are bacon and chocolate doughnuts, smoked cheddar and apricot sandwiches and poutine. The other one that’s popular is what we call a ‘Little Pick-Me-Up.’ It has almond and quinoa energy bars, fruit leather and spicy chickpeas. People want to be healthy, but they also want to give themselves a little jolt.”

“Having signage at meals is a good way of ensuring people understand … what the nutritional value is and what the calorie counts are.”
— Brian Stapleton

As with so many other elements within an event, the decision about how much healthy food to provide is largely dependent on your audience. “I definitely have clients who are much more concerned with what they put in their bodies,” says Swanzy. “Is it organic, is it local, is it non-genetically modified, are the foods they’re eating raised ethically? Then you have your other clients that don’t really care. They want substantial, hearty food, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be healthy.”

Chefs can be your best friend when it comes to planning a menu that’s full of healthy and exciting dishes. “What I like about this movement to more healthy food is that most of the time, chefs love it,” Swanzy says. “That’s why they are chefs. They like to be creative. Most of them will work for us and come up with a menu that’s something they don’t typically get to do.”

Christophe Luzeux, executive chef at the Halifax Convention Centre, says he’s trying to use more grains such as polenta and rice to give people both variety and an alternative to breads and other starchy foods. “We have the traditional roasted and gratin potatoes, which are not too healthy but so good. When we do that, we try to give another option.”

Popular Diets and Foods

One of the biggest trends today is the move toward high-protein diets and high-fat meal plans such as the ketogenic or “keto” diet. “That’s changing how we look at food and beverages,” says Mary O’Connor, president of the strategic meetings management firm MOC&CO. “For example, breakfast should really be in its natural state. We are minimizing the sugar carbs and spending more time focusing on the healthy proteins, whether it’s turkey sausage or egg muffins with spinach and cheese that are completely gluten-free. Instead of the old blueberry muffins, we’re moving into egg frittatas, which are still grab and go.”

Carbohydrates — or at least the “bad” carbohydrates that were once staples on conference menus — are on the outs with many healthy eaters. “Cauliflower is super-hot right now because we’re trying to get to healthier, lower carbs,” says O’Connor. “There’s cauliflower rice and buffalo cauliflower bites. A lot more cheese is being eaten because it’s a protein with no carbs. Fruits are becoming almost mandated at all three meals because they’re a good carbohydrate. Beets are becoming very popular, too. While they do have carbs in them, they’re not considered a traditional carb the way that potatoes would be.”

The gluten-free craze is still going strong and is the most common dietary restriction Swanzy sees on registration forms. “It’s not necessarily because someone has celiac disease but because people are trying to avoid carbs and wheat,” she says.

The one place where carbs are still showing up in droves is in the now-ubiquitous avocado toast and similar snacks. “The toast craze is really part of breakfast and morning breaks,” says O’Connor. Almond butter on whole-grain bread is a popular breakfast choice,
she notes.

Vegetarian, flexitarian, pescatarian and vegan eating have also moved into the mainstream. Swanzy is seeing plant-based proteins such as tofu, beans and quinoa used a lot more. Cauliflower mac and cheese and legume and mushroom meatloaf are just a few examples of vegan dishes that are popping up with some regularity. She’s also eager to try a new product called Impossible Burger, which is a vegetarian hamburger patty that’s supposed to taste exactly like its beef-based counterpart.

When planning a healthy menu, don’t forget about snacks. “For breakfast and breaks, people are requesting hard boiled eggs, nuts, hummus and veggies to snack on instead of the traditional cookies and brownies,” says Swanzy.

Strategies for Healthier Meals

No matter what food you serve, one of the best ways to make meals healthier is to encourage attendees to eat appropriate portions. “If you’re serving chicken or salmon, and you have it portioned into your vessel on a buffet, generally people are going to take one of everything because they’re going to try it,” says Brian Stapleton, vice president of food and beverage for Aramark Parks and Destinations in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. “If you cut that salmon into two-ounce portions instead of four-ounce, you’re able to manage the consumption level based on how you manage your product.” That may also cut down on food waste and expense for the event.

Along with portion control is balancing heavier meals with lighter ones. “For example, if you are having a heavy three-course dinner, then go lighter during lunch with a salad bar and plenty of protein options,” says Swanzy.

Putting a positive spin on healthy food can make it more appealing to doubters. “Embrace proper adjectives in menu descriptions so that what otherwise may be bland food is not produced, sold or marketed in any way that is bland,” says Chadderdon. “Instead of saying ‘arugula goat cheese salad,’ advertise it as ‘fresh baby arugula with pine nuts, Meyer lemon essence, sea salt and goat cheese snow.’”

It remains important to tell people what’s in their food, both so they can avoid allergens and control their own portions. “Having signage at meals is a good way of ensuring people understand what’s in each dish, what the nutritional value is and what the calorie counts are so they can make informed choices,” says Stapleton.

Doing this is a lot easier if the kitchen cooks from scratch rather than using pre-packaged products. That’s one of the many reasons Luzeux prepares nearly everything in-house. “We know what’s in every piece of pastry. If someone has a question about what’s inside, we know because we made it. In the kitchen, we’re working with knives, not box cutters.”

Meals on the Move

The type of food that’s served at meetings and conventions makes a big difference in how attendees feel and function. But how the meal is served can also have an impact. Many planners are moving toward offering standing or grazing meals instead of the traditional sit-down ones.

“It’s a health trend, but it’s also attached to millennials’ wish to network,” says O’Connor. “The Europeans have always done standing executive lunches, and it’s just becoming a preference in the U.S. because everyone can stand up, stretch their legs and network.” This model seems especially appealing given new research showing that sitting for long periods of time can be detrimental to your health.

For a grazing lunch to work, both the portion size and presentation of food are important. Meals are often served in grab-and-go cups or jars so they are easy to carry. (This also allows people to sample a lot of different foods, which they appreciate.) Salads such as watermelon salad, ancient grain salads, even build-your-own-salad bars work great for this, O’Connor says. Sandwiches can be cut into smaller pieces so it’s easy to eat them with one hand.

“Part of the equation is not only the food, but having people move,” says Smith. “Planners will need a bigger space for people to stand up and walk around.”

Healthy Food, But…

Even though healthy food is a must, O’Connor says she would never take cookies or other sweets off the menu entirely. “In the old days, you might do 70 percent traditional food and 30 percent healthy, and I think that’s flipped. I’d take those percentages to the bank because there are so many options that are healthy and still satisfy the need for sweet.”

Her examples include popsicles made with puréed fresh fruit, fruit tarts with nut crusts and chocolate desserts laced with tart cherries. “The trend isn’t there quite yet, but tart cherries are going to start showing up in baked goods because they’re a superfood,” she says.

Chadderdon recommends combining fresh fruit with natural sweeteners for healthy dessert options. “An example would be minced Asian pear tossed with macerated blackberry and 100 percent agave nectar drizzle,” she says. “Also, introduce healthier chocolate, which would be at least 90 percent dark cocoa nibs that can be used as a sauce topping, an accoutrement to a dessert dish or simply by itself, such as a dark chocolate truffle.” For the right event, frozen desserts made with almond or coconut milk and sweetened with natural products can be a big hit.

Satisfy traditionalists and fans of healthy eating by keeping the dessert portions small. “Do varied desserts like chocolate tarts or coconut cream pie in bite-sized portions or the tall tasting cups,” says Swanzy. “Some people don’t want a whole piece of pie, but they do want something sweet at the end of a meal.”

Trends in Beverages

“Water, water everywhere” is the mantra when it comes to healthy beverages. “It’s the single largest segment of the beverage world and the highest-growing segment,” says Stapleton. Although many folks are happy with plain water, there’s a big trend toward water infused with healthy and natural ingredients, including detoxifying spices such
as cinnamon and turmeric.

“We use lots of infused water with things like raspberries, pineapple, ginger, rosemary or lemon,” says Smith. “Everyone is pushing away from bottled water, so we’re making that in nice dispensers, and you get that water with our coffee break.”

These infused waters are typically still, but Chadderdon points out that sparkling water with flavors such as cucumber and berry is popular, too. She also makes electrolyte-infused water, like LifeWater, available to health-conscious guests. “Cold-pressed juices are all the rage,” she adds. “Sugary beverages such as soft drinks, bottled juices and artificially flavored beverages are becoming the least attractive options.”

Many groups are still requesting smoothie stations, but O’Connor is seeing attendees put a new twist on them. Instead of being so fruit-focused, people are making them high in protein and fat by adding ingredients such as chocolate, yogurt and almond milk.

“Probiotics and gut health are on people’s minds as scientists are finding more and more correlation to good bacteria and staying healthy and staving off health-related issues,” says Swanzy. “To that effect, try offering a smoothie station for breakfast with options for fresh fruit, kefir, kombucha or acacia. Bone broth and collagen powders can be incorporated into these shakes as well. Don’t forget the tart cherries in those smoothies either, as they are on the top of the list of fruits which fight free radicals and repair cell damage.”

There are even a few things that can be done to lighten up alcoholic beverages. Although craft beers continue to be quite popular, “it appears that people are starting to drink lighter beers and not so much the IPAs,” says Stapleton. “They’re interested in reducing calories and that heavy feeling you get after having a few beers.”

Mixed drinks can be made with fresh juice (O’Connor recommends trying a beet bloody Mary) or fruit and vegetable-infused alcohol. “We tend to make simple cocktails as signature drinks with infused products,” says Smith. “We’re trying to use fresh juices more than in the past, when you’d get a rum and Coke at the bar. Now we do some different martinis, which makes it more fun.”  C&IT

Whether a meeting planner is looking to motivate employees, inspire an audience or educate C-level executives on the latest marketing strategies, hiring a professional speaker is often easier said than done. Mismatched styles, wrong messaging or unprofessional delivery can easily result in a speaking event that doesn’t encourage or engage attendees. Therefore, it’s vital that meeting planners do their homework to find a speaker that keeps attendees wanting more.

When Lynne Wellish, CMP, CHSE, CHO, of Phoenix, Arizona, first began in the meeting and events industry, she only focused her efforts on speaker procurement by looking at the budget and potential speaker rather than what that speaker brought to the proverbial table. Now Wellish recognizes that while those two pieces are important, the focus needs to be on how attendees experience and interact with the content of the event. When selecting speakers for events these days, Wellish asks additional questions: “What is the profile of your attendee? What is the message you want your participants to walk away with? How will that benefit your organization?”

“Speakers need to fit into the very fabric of the event, and they can help make this happen if they are included earlier in the planning process,” Wellish says. “This is because their business is being subject matter experts that can use a wide variety of content delivery formats.”

To select the right speaker, match the speaker to the content and objectives. Look for subject matter experts for content delivery. Is the speaker’s topic suitable for your audience profile?

“The way a speaker shows up as a conversation on a call mirrors how they show up in a room no matter what the size of the audience.”
— Holly Dowling

“Start with goals and objectives of the educational program, then seek to find the subject matter expert that fits the topic,” Wellish says. For example, at a national sales meeting, Wellish and her client were very confident about the keynote speaker that they had selected.

“The CEO had heard the speaker, and he was stellar. Except he was not — or not for our audience. It was a big lesson learned,” Wellish says. “Now I know to ask the right questions with a velvet tongue. Speakers are subject matter experts. A celebrity who wrote a book is on a promotions circuit and may or may not be an appropriate polished speaker.”

Sherry A. Marts, Ph.D., president and CEO at S*Marts Consulting in Washington, D.C., is a frequent speaker and has a clear understanding of how to make the speaker-planner relationship a smooth one. Her advice for meeting planners hiring speakers? “Get very, very clear about what you want and what your priorities are,” Marts says.

Do you want the speaker to:

• Convey critical or important information? If so, exactly what information?
• Offer useful solutions or action items?
• Be funny and entertaining? If so, are you OK with the content being a bit fluffy and/or forgettable?
• Inspire people to action?

“It’s only the rare speaker who can do all of this,” Marts says. “So decide what is most important and emphasize that when you talk to prospects or to folks giving you referrals.”

Steps to Take

There are numerous key strategies to follow when selecting someone to speak at a meeting. Nicole Chattin, CMP, senior program manager at Brightspot Incentives & Events in Irving, Texas, explains that it is important to keep the meeting goals and objectives in mind when selecting a speaker for an event.

“If the meeting is a sales kickoff, a motivational speaker would be beneficial, but for something like a human resources conference, an ethics speaker may be more appropriate,” Chattin says. “Think about the audience, why they are attending the event and what they want to achieve with this speaker.”

Demographics of the audience are also a crucial piece in determining the best presenters. Gender, age range and industry (to name a few) contribute to the demographics of your attendees that you want to consider before selecting speakers.

“If there is a mostly female nurse convention, one may not want to choose a sports-related male speaker,” Chattin says. Again, keep in mind who the audience is, their expectation for the event and what will best benefit them.

When selecting a speaker, the first thing meeting and event planners should do is set up an appointment to talk before signing a contract and to review expectations prior to event.

And be sure your major meeting stakeholder fully supports and embraces the speaker’s message. If this doesn’t happen, the experience, information shared and expense will bring little return, if any.

Former event planner and now a professional speaker, Cara Silletto, president at Crescendo Strategies, says the best speakers have a combination of powerful content and dynamic delivery, so it is critical to see current videos of the potential speakers from a live (not staged) event. “Any speaker can make a nearly perfect three-minute promo video showing only their funniest jokes and best material, but watching an uncut five to 10 minutes gives planners a more realistic sample of the speaker’s style and value,” Silletto says.

“From a speaker’s perspective, I look to make sure the organizers are clear on what they want. If they aren’t, I have no way to know if this is a good fit for me,” Marts says. “How sure are they that I’m the right fit? Sometimes it’s as simple as: Have they even looked at my website? Essentially, they are going to hire me (on a temporary basis), so we both have to decide if the job is a good fit for my skills, knowledge and abilities.”

Marts decides whether this is an organization whose mission and values align with hers. She also evaluates who and how big is the audience? What are the expected audience demographics? “The last thing I want is to be speaking about a topic to an audience who could school me on that topic,” Marts says. “I also ask if they are willing to pay me, and how much? At the very least, will my expenses and registration be covered? I get lots of requests from folks who think I’m still willing to work for the ‘exposure’ to ‘potential clients.’ I can count on zero fingers the number of clients I got as the direct result of an invited speech or participation in a panel. I will consider speaking for free or for a reduced rate for organizations with small budgets whose work I want to support, but it has to mean little or no out-of-pocket costs for me.”

Silletto recommends asking the potential speaker who their best or ideal audience is. Are they a better fit for a primarily female or male audience, or does that matter to them? Is their material better suited for mid-level managers or C-suite executives? Do they get better reactions and engagement from older or younger audiences?

“If they say their keynote is perfect for everyone, they haven’t embraced their target market,” Silletto says. “And finally, has the speaker worked successfully with other organizations in your industry or ones similar to your group?”

Make a Contract

Once you have secured the speaker, a contract needs to be created. As Chattin explains, the contract should outline the event date, location, time, speaker’s fees, travel arrangements (hotel, flight, transfer), payment terms, inclusions and exclusions. It is important to set up pre-event calls or meetings with the speaker to review the meeting objectives, content and audience, so they are prepared with material that will correlate with the theme.

Wellish also advises that before signing the contract, figure out expenses in total and read the contract in its entirety. Does it say first-class travel or companion to accompany? Ask for references and check on them.

“Speaker agreements should include everything you expect of the speaker. This includes dates, times, additional events participation, due dates, travel, expense reimbursement, etc.,” Wellish says. “It seems so simple, but if you don’t have it in the contract, it could cause miscommunications and worst case, legal issues. The contract needs to be very specific regarding expectation — expenses covered, arrival and rehearsal time, meet and greet times and numbers, as well as any ‘handlers’ and their expenses.”

Check with the speaker on their set-up needs and schedule rehearsal time. Do they like a podium? Do they wear a lavalier microphone or use a handheld? Set up a speaker ready room with refreshments, if necessary.

“Another important part of the planning process is the speaker’s presentation and ensuring it is in the correct format for the screens,” Chattin says. “Will they also be providing handouts for the guests? Check if the speaker is available to attend the reception or lunch after the presentation to mix and mingle with the attendees or if they need to fly out after they are done.”

While contracts are vital, so are the protocols that come when hiring a speaker. To streamline this process, assign someone to act as a “speaker ambassador.” This person should meet and greet the speaker on the day of the event, assist him or her with AV, presentation requirements, last-minute requests, etc.

“Also, will you allow the speaker to sell books and products? Will it be from a table in the back of the room or from the stage?” Wellish says. “Clarify in advance — will the books be autographed? Will the speaker eat before the presentation or after? Will someone keep a meal hot for them?”

Make sure you are communicating clearly with the speaker, and don’t be afraid to repeat yourself several times in telling them exactly what they need to do.

“We’ve all sat through those panel discussions where ‘each panelist will speak for five minutes, and then we will have Q&A,’ which turns into ‘each panelist droned on for 20 minutes, and we had five minutes for Q&A,’” Marts says. “I once sat through a speech that was billed as ‘cyber security in the hospitality industry’ by a speaker with a pages-long resume of jobs with the FBI, NSA and private security firms, and it turned out to be ‘how to keep yourself safe while sleeping in a hotel room’ — this, to a room full of meeting planners. You can’t control what someone does once they have the microphone, but communicating early and often does reduce the chances of that kind of disaster.”

And remember, great speakers don’t just fill time slots. Their messages solve problems the audience members are currently facing.

“So planners need to be sure the speaker understands what keeps their audience members up at night — even if it’s not what the speaker will be addressing,” Silletto says. “Understanding the full picture of attendees’ realities means the speaker will earn credibility on the platform more quickly and can speak to real situations and needs during their program.”

Mistakes to Avoid

On occasion, planners forget to consider diversity in their speaker lineup, and they print the brochure with headshots only to realize they’ve selected all white male speakers. As Silletto explains, there is a plethora of strong female and minority speakers to choose from, but it often takes intentional, proactive efforts to find and hire a diverse group of speakers.

“For some time slots, event planners also may care more about the celebrity factor than the valuable content delivered on the platform,” Silletto says. “As a content-rich speaker who has spoken before or after several big-name speakers, I encourage planners to check in with other clients who used those celebrity speakers before booking them because some are amazing, but several planners I know have been disappointed with the lack of value in their content or the frozen, podium-based delivery.”

Holly Dowling, global keynote speaker, inspirational thought leader and creator of the podcast “40 Absolutes for Every Meeting Planner,” says one big mistake meeting planners make is putting too much dependence on speaker bureaus and agents.

“Meeting planners need to get on the phone with the speaker — do not base a decision on a bio, reel or resume,” Dowling says. “Get on a call and ask the right questions. The way a speaker shows up as a conversation on a call mirrors how they show up in a room no matter what the size of the audience. Are they going to bring their authentic self like they were on the phone? Always reach out to the speaker themselves.”  C&IT

From Australia to Croatia, Nashville to Napa, planners have a plethora of worldwide options when choosing a location for their incentive meeting. Whether looking for an incomparable locale stateside, or a hidden haven abroad, these destinations range from well-established winners to little-known wonders. All present a variety of hotel options, group activities and first-class amenities that can impress even the most jaded executive.

International Destinations

Australia — An Iconic Mystery

Perhaps it’s Australia’s distance from the U.S. that makes it an intriguing destination for incentive programs. The anticipation of the unknown creates a one-of-a-kind experience.

Planners will discover the mystery of Australia is just one element that makes it stand out among other locations. From the iconic landmarks of Sydney to the eclectic gardens of Melbourne to the seemingly endless days of sunshine in Brisbane, the continent’s multi-faceted characteristics will capture attendees from arrival to departure.

“Australia is home to some of the world’s most inspirational event destinations and can’t-be-bought experiences,” says Mary Ann McDonald, Tourism Australia’s business events manager. “Australia’s innovative event delivery capabilities, friendly welcoming people and unique landscapes, combined with our exceptional food and wine and high-quality products and experiences, deliver above expectations for incentive events.”

To fuel new group business, Tourism Australia created the Boosting Business Events Bid Fund Program (BFP), which gives financial assistance to suppliers bidding against international competitors to hold the program in Australia.

The BFP is an extension of Australia’s Advance Program, which provides delegate-acquisition support for previously confirmed events. With a goal of driving visitation, the program boosts the country’s tourism activities and further entices international groups to consider Australia for their meetings.

“Nowhere else in the world can you dine under the stars at Uluru (Ayers Rock), bond with your team as you sail under Sydney’s iconic Harbour Bridge, experience the relationship between art and wine at Tasmania’s Museum of Old and New Art and snorkel the Great Barrier Reef,” McDonald says.

The Bahamas — Paradise of the Caribbean

U.S.-based planners have long-chosen The Bahamas as a destination for their incentive meetings. Located less than an hour off the coast of South Florida, The Bahamas is an easy flight away from most major U.S. cities. Yet in the oasis of The Bahamas, attendees can feel like they are a million miles away from home.

Indeed, the country’s capital, Nassau, is connected to paradise. A short drive over the bridges of Nassau Harbour, and visitors are transported to Paradise Island, where the only choice is whether to stay at a quiet, secluded beachfront property or at an opulent oceanside resort.

Atlantis Paradise Island is a resort that offers both. With five distinct properties, planners can choose the location that best fits their incentive’s size and content.

Family-inclusive programs will thrive at The Coral, while an agenda allowing for plenty of leisure time is ideal for the The Beach. The architecturally stunning and centrally located The Royal dances with the Junkanoo street parades, a carnival of music and masquerade of costumes. An intimate, high-level incentive will bask in the ultra-luxury of The Cove, while a lengthier trip is perfect for The Reef’s spacious rooms equipped with kitchens and private balconies.

“There are many reasons planners should choose The Bahamas and Nassau Paradise Island for their incentive meetings,” says George Brice, vice president of the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board. “The proximity to the U.S. and the array of resorts and hotels suitable for accommodating groups of any size are two compelling reasons. In addition, we have sophisticated entertainment and nightlife options, including a casino, as well as world-class gourmet dining options. Last but not least, our islands have some of the most beautiful turquoise waters and white sandy beaches in the world.”

Croatia — Undiscovered Eastern Europe

Touting the longest coastline of the Eastern European countries, Croatia is bordered by five countries and located across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Its weather is a combination of a Mediterranean climate along the western coast and a continental climate in its interior — warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. You’ll find the Mediterranean climate in the city of Dubrovnik, considered to be one of the most popular tourist destinations around the Adriatic Sea.

“Dubbed the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’ by George Bernard Shaw, Dubrovnik has the feeling of an old town with incomparable views and relaxing mountain wineries,” says Beau Ballin, senior director, business development, CWT Meetings & Events. “Additionally, its proximity to Italy provides an easy and cost-efficient opportunity to include Italy for a dual-destination program.”

While Croatia’s coast is an excellent location for incentive meetings, the interior should be evaluated as a distinctive alternative. Consider a January trip to a professional ski tournament in Croatia’s capital of Zagreb. Then, visit the ice park in King Tomislav Square, where attendees have the opportunity to take a whirl around the ice skating arena. After that, warm up with hot drinks and local sweets served from charming wooden houses. Zagreb won the European Best Destinations’ award — “Best Christmas Markets” — as selected by travelers.

“With its diverse offerings and a combination of nature, tradition and cultural heritage, Croatia is a real treasure that is bound to surprise and delight all visitors,” says Ina Rodin, director North America, Croatian National Tourist Office.

“Each region offers its own unique characteristics, such as natural beauty, history and festivals, from traditional to current. One will be inspired and have memories that will last forever.”

As an emerging incentive travel destination, Croatia is a unique choice for high-level executives who have traveled the world and lack enthusiasm to visit the long-popular destinations in Western Europe.

“For those groups who have been to Europe many times, attendees are looking for newer destinations that are more up-and-coming such as Croatia,” says Rhea Stagner, CIS, CITP, vice president, supplier relations, Maritz Travel, who is also past president of SITE Foundation.

New Zealand — Home of Hospitality

Hospitality in New Zealand began 1,000 years ago. The country’s indigenous people, Māori, practice manaakitanga, a warm style of hospitality where the importance is to care for visitors and make sure they are treated well.

“The New Zealand hospitality industry is great at collaborating to create memorable events for incentive groups,” says Lisa Gardiner, global manager, business events, Tourism New Zealand. “From the moment guests step off the plane, they will receive a warm New Zealand welcome, superb service and support. International visitors arrive as strangers and leave as family.”

Auckland is the country’s largest, most diverse and probably best-known city to U.S. planners. Here, attendees can enjoy the energy of a sophisticated city, and in only a 30-minute drive, can be on the beach, hiking or visiting an award-winning winery.

“There is an amazing array of activities offered here, as well as stunning landscapes and scenery waiting to be explored,” Gardiner says. “A 90-minute flight can take visitors from Auckland’s cosmopolitan nightlife and beaches to the snow-capped mountain and adventure experiences of Queenstown.”

Billed as the “Southern Hemisphere’s premier, four season, lake and alpine resort,” Queenstown is set on a lake and surrounded by mountains. Here, adventure abounds. For thrill-seeking attendees who think they’ve done it all, Queenstown challenges you with everything from jumping off a mountain ledge to swinging over a canyon. And then, there’s heli-biking. A helicopter drops bikers on the top of a mountain. From there, they start a downhill ride on hidden trails through sheep paths and around gold-prospecting tracks from the 1800s.

“New Zealand is unique in being able to offer itineraries where groups can hold a business function in the morning, go jet boating, bungee jumping, boutique shopping or play a game of golf in the afternoon, then dine at a vineyard or atop a mountain at night,” Gardiner says. “This is really appealing to organizations that want to provide their employees with a varied and fulfilling travel experience.”

Portugal — Classic Contemporary Europe

Dive into history in its crystal waters. Race like a Formula One driver in its sunny south. Snowboard down hills as high as the Austrian Alps. This is Portugal.

A seven-hour flight from the U.S. East Coast, Portugal is the closest European country to the States. Lisbon, its capital and largest city, offers an eclectic mix of historic charm and modern conveniences with a classic European feel. Groups will be awarded an upscale sensory experience, from globally inspired cuisine to world-renowned wines. The only European capital situated on the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon is a great walking city with a pleasant climate throughout the year and an abundance of sunshine.

“Portugal is a country with diverse scenarios, heritage and culture in a very short distance from the U.S.,” says Celina Tavares, U.S. director at the Portuguese National Tourist Office. “We have rich and distinctive gastronomy and great wines in the Douro Valley wine region.”

Located in northern Portugal, Porto lies on the Douro River and is a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Lisbon. Port wine gets its name from the city, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest cities in Europe. A coastal transport from Lisbon to Porto is ideal for a longer incentive trip. In order to attract international groups, Portugal’s National Tourism Authority — Turismo de Portugal — created the Meetings and Incentive program (M&I) which provides financial assistance to companies wanting to hold events in Portugal.

“Portugal has a proven ability to receive international events,” Tavares says. “We have modern facilities, advanced and efficient communications and great transport links. Portugal is a friendly and welcoming country that, for centuries, has linked and discovered different, new worlds.”

U.S. Destinations

Austin — World-renowned Events

There was a time when Austin wasn’t top of mind for planners considering Texas as an incentive destination. Austin, the state’s capital and fourth-largest city, has emerged as a unique alternative to its Texan counterparts. From its vibrant music scene — Austin boasts more than 250 live music venues and entertainment districts — to its comprehensive art collection at the Blanton Museum of Art — one of the oldest and largest collections of Latin American art in the country — Austin surprises groups with its free-and-easy culture and state-of-the-art technology.

“J.D. Power and Associates ranked Austin No. 2 for the Destination Experience Satisfaction Award and No. 1 in the Southwest,” says Katherine Wise, communications manager for Visit Austin. “U.S. Travel + Leisure named Austin one of the Top 15 Cities in the U.S., while the World Economic Forum lauds the Texas capital as the No. 1 city for tech in the world. “

Austin’s festivals such as South by Southwest (SXSW) and the Austin City Limits Music Festival are world-renowned and exclusive options for smaller incentives. SXSW celebrates the merging of interactive digital media, art, film, music and comedy. The festival showcases these industries — and the gaming culture — through screenings, exhibitions, educational sessions, hands-on play, industry leader awards and parties. The festival’s lounges are an opportunity to create a VIP experience and make one-on-one connections with people from these industries.

On a smaller scale, Sixth Street and the Warehouse District are two of six vibrant areas of Austin that thrive with live music, entertainment, restaurants, bars and shops. These walkable neighborhoods give visitors a taste of the local character of the city.

“Austin is centrally located in the U.S. and has more than 300 days of sunshine on average,” Ballin says. “Weather makes it ideal for a sunset cruise on Lady Bird Lake to check out their legendary bats, or walks, hikes and bike rides on one of Austin’s many trails. Finally, a quick transfer away is 14,000 square miles of Hill Country with quaint, historic towns and more than two dozen vineyards to provide a relaxing respite.”

Hawaii — No Passport Required

When U.S. planners think of creating an incentive in paradise, Hawaii is often the destination that comes to mind. With its exotic landscape, intriguing culture and captivating people, the Islands are a faraway retreat that do not require a passport.

“Beyond Hawaii’s year-round warm weather and breathtaking scenery, the rich cultural heritage of the Islands provides attendees with authentic and engaging experiences demonstrating its famed aloha spirit,“ says Mary Neister, CMP, vice president, MCI, Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau. “Unlike any other state, Hawaii offers the feel and appeal of an international destination (exotic, tropical, culturally diverse), with the familiar comforts and conveniences of working in the United States.”

Group activities in Hawaii are very ordinary. The varied experiences are meant to share the local flavor of the islands, humanizing their indigenous people and sharing the Polynesian roots of the native residents. Harvesting kalo is one such activity meant to immerse attendees in the Hawaiian cultural experience. Kalo is an ancestral plant, sacred to the native Hawaiians. It dates back to 500 BC, when the first voyagers arrived on the shores of the islands. Helping restore a centuries-old loko ia (fishpond) built by early Hawaiian settlers is another example of this personal history.

“Hawaii offers the feel and appeal of an international destination with the familiar comforts and conveniences of working in the United States.”
— Mary Neister, CMP

Last year, Jenn Artura, senior director, global strategic events and executive briefing programs, Veritas, planned a high-level incentive on the island of Lana’i. The event was to take place in Bali, however, after a volcano eruption, she was forced to select another destination.

“We felt like we were on our own private island,” Artura says of Lana’i. “The people, culture and beauty all came together to create a one-of-a-kind experience.”

Thais Toro, MBA, event manager, Cox Automotive also recommends Hawaii for incentive meetings. “Each of the Hawaiian Islands are rich with beautiful beaches, mountains and waterfalls — perfect scenarios for group activities. Hawaii has a unique culture that brings magic to any event. Anywhere you go or whatever you do, there is always something spectacular that only Hawaii can offer.”

California Wine Region — Personalized Programs

It’s difficult to imagine an incentive trip without wine. No matter the destination, whether in the U.S. or abroad, fine wines and an epicurean desire for culinary creativity are important elements of any incentive. California’s Napa Valley and Sonoma County deliver this — and more.

For Napa, it began in 1976 with a wine competition that became known as “the judgment of Paris.” A local Napa chardonnay beat out nine Parisian varieties in a blind taste test. After this, global connoisseurs viewed Napa differently. California wines were not only contenders, they were winners.

“California Wine Country gives guests quite a unique experience as a small group vs. what one might do on their own,” says Stagner. “This area works wonderfully for couples. You’ll find unique, high-end hotels with fine dining experiences, biking and picnics at the vineyards. And flying in and out of San Francisco Airport to reach wine country is relatively easy.”

If your attendees have experienced the California wine region in the past, Visit Napa Valley — the tourism marketing organization for the area — has created a program that might entice even the most jaded attendee. “True Taste of the Napa Valley” is available for groups through May 2019. Your selected hotel will provide a complimentary culinary or wine expert to curate a full-sensory experience tailored to your attendees.

“Your expert will be available to co-create a variety of activities, including a guest showcase, personalized demonstrations and an educational tasting or seminar,” says Teresa Savage, vice president, sales, Visit Napa Valley. “This memorable epicurean experience will elevate your meeting or event and ensure your guests are engaged and inspired.”

Nashville — A Bit of Greece in America

It’s no longer a place where you can hear only country music. Now, Nashville delivers diverse musical genres that attract a wider demographic. But don’t let a more mainstream ambience deter you from selecting the “Music City. “

“Planners should choose Nashville because of its state-of-the-art facilities, surge of new hotel supply and world-class music and entertainment offerings, including more than 180 live music venues offering music of all genres 365 days a year,” says Adrienne Siemers, senior vice president, sales, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “Also, we have a diverse offering of attractions, including the Belle Meade Plantation Culinary Tour, Historic RCA Studio B, Hatch Show Print (a letterpress print shop dating back to the 19th Century), President Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage, the Frist Art Museum and several others.”

Further showing the growth of the city as a strong location for incentive meetings, Nashville came in second for North America in the American Express Meetings and Events list of 2018 Hotel Openings. Currently, Nashville has more than 15,000 hotel rooms in all phases of construction. Also, Ballin attributes Nashville’s success for meetings to “great airlift with 46 nonstop flights from U.S. cities.”

A quirky, yet one-of-a kind experience for the well-traveled attendee, Nashville was known as the “Athens of the South,” long before it became the “Music City.” A replica of the Parthenon in Athens, Greece, stands majestically in Nashville’s Centennial Park. Built in 1897 for Tennessee’s Centennial Exposition, the building and an Athena statue are full-scale replicas of the originals in Greece. The Parthenon is an art museum, as well. The permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19th- and 20th-Century American artists. Additional gallery spaces provide a venue for a variety of temporary shows and exhibits.

“Music can be heard 24/7, 365 days a year, from the legendary honky tonks and world-famous Bluebird Café to the Ryman Auditorium and the Schermerhorn Symphony,” Ballin says. “Nashville’s creative spirit extends beyond the music, however. The city has numerous art galleries, museums, chef-driven restaurants and historic museums.”

The Palm Beaches — The First Resort

It might seem a little odd that the town of Wellington in Palm Beach is known as the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.” Winter? In Palm Beach County, Florida? Perhaps that’s why an incentive belongs in this location. It’s more than just an oceanic adventure where you can snorkel through 160 man-made reefs — including sunken ships and a sunken Rolls-Royce — it’s a luxurious haven for the famous and those who just want a vacation in paradise.

“The Palm Beaches deliver a luxury experience more than 100 years in the making, one that has long attracted the world’s elite, from the Vanderbilt family to today’s titans of industry,” says Ashley Svarney, senior director, public relations & social media, Discover the Palm Beaches. “There’s a reason why business moguls like Martha Stewart visit often, A-list celebs like Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello get married here, and global athletic icons like Serena Williams call America’s First Resort Destination home — it’s overflowing with some of the country’s most ultra-lux hotels, spas, private yachts and dining experiences.”

Why is Palm Beach known as the “first resort?” At the turn of the century, oil, railway and real estate tycoon Henry Flager built two lavish hotels to provide Northerners a much-needed escape from the harsh winters. And to make it accessible to the vacationers, he built the Florida East Coast Railway. In 1894, the six-story, Georgian Hotel went through two phases of expansion to make it, at that time, the largest wooden structure in the world — it accommodated 2,000 guests.

And this opulence continues today. Eau Palm Beach is a haven of grandeur, one of only two Forbes Five-Star resorts in Palm Beach and one of eight in Florida. Attendees are welcomed with champagne before relaxing on the hotel’s private beach stretching seven acres along the oceanfront. Or they can take a respite in the award-winning Eau Spa — also rated five-star by Forbes.

What better way to incentivize your attendees than having access to Palm Beach’s tennis courts where Venus and Serena Williams practice? Or your guests can shop on luxurious Worth Avenue or peruse the eclectic vintage finds at Antique Row, a premier antique shopping district in West Palm Beach. Oh, and don’t forget to tell your attendees they might bump into a famous Palm Beach resident.

Continue to surprise your attendees with these untypical destinations. They are sure to remember the event for years to come. C&IT

Credit: Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority

It’s no accident that Las Vegas has finally claimed the undisputed title of No. 1 meeting and convention destination in the U.S. Its unparalleled meeting infrastructure and wow factor have propelled it into the stratosphere since the depths of the Great Recession a decade ago.

And a large part of its success can be attributed to planners who use it for meeting after meeting, year after year, with enormous enthusiasm and loyalty.

Gayle Strawn, conference director at Minneapolis-based Franchise Times Corporation, which hosts annual educational conferences in the restaurant and franchise industries, has been using Las Vegas every year for the last 17 years for two of the company’s most important events. One is a two-and-a-half-day November conference for 2,800 attendees from the restaurant industry. The other is a two-and-a-half-day conference each spring for the franchise industry. Attendees include bankers and investors.

Why has Strawn been so loyal to Las Vegas? “The main reason is the ease of getting into Las Vegas for our attendees,” she says. “It is centrally located, as far as flying in and out are concerned. Another reason for our loyalty is that we have also seen our attendance go up each year since we’ve been in Las Vegas. We actually tried holding one of the meetings at another destination several years ago, and we lost half of our attendance. And when we went back to Las Vegas, attendance went back up — and grew.”

The convenience of McCarran International Airport, which is just minutes from Strip hotels, also makes the destination extremely popular with attendees, Strawn says.

Another reason they return annually is its unmatched hotel inventory. “Las Vegas has an excellent range of meeting hotels,” Strawn says. “We tend to mix up our choices each year.” Because both of her meetings attract well-heeled attendees, she adds, she uses only the best and most well-known properties.

“We actually tried holding one of the meetings at another destination several years ago, and we lost half of our attendance.” — Gayle Strawn

The hotels for this year’s November meeting are two of the city’s most exclusive and luxurious resorts: Wynn Las Vegas and its adjacent sister property Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. Both hold AAA Four Diamond ratings for 2018. “We’ve used both hotels before,” Strawn says, “but we’ve never used all of the meeting space at both hotels before. This fall will be the first time.”

Last fall’s hotel was The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. In 2016, it was Bellagio. Strawn is taking the meeting back to Wynn this year because of its unparalleled prestige. “The Wynn is perceived as a very high-end hotel,” she says. “It’s the kind of hotel where people walk down the hall and say, ‘I just love being here.’” Her hotel for next year is Bellagio.

Another Longtime Loyalist

Gigi Gleason, CMP, senior manager, global strategic meetings, at major software manufacturer Autodesk, Inc. in San Rafael, California, is another meeting planner who is a die-hard enthusiast for Las Vegas as a destination. Autodesk hosts two major annual meetings there — a 10,000-attendee, four-day user conference in November and a 3,000-attendee, four-day global sales meeting in spring. Both meetings have been held in Las Vegas for the last 20 years.

“The big reason we’ve been so loyal to Las Vegas is that everybody loves going to Las Vegas,” Gleason says. “It’s also easy to get to, with great airlift. And you can house meetings the size we do under one roof, which is very difficult to do anywhere else. And then the final reason is we, and our attendees, have such great familiarity with Las Vegas from going there every year for so long.”

Gleason’s rotation of go-to hotels has always included marquee properties such as Mandalay Bay, The Venetian and Caesars Palace. “And we’re getting ready to go to ARIA Resort & Casino, which is another fantastic hotel, for our sales conference next spring,” she says. ARIA holds a AAA Four Star rating for 2018. Earlier this year, the property completed a $170 million expansion that nearly doubled its meeting and convention space to 500,000 square feet. The expansion, which totaled 200,000 square feet, converted a theater built to host Cirque du Soleil shows into three ballrooms, more than a dozen new meeting rooms and an executive lounge.

What key factors account for Gleason’s hotel choices? “We use the cream of the crop properties,” she says. “Mandalay Bay, The Venetian, Caesars Palace and ARIA are all well-known ‘brand names.’ But what they also have in common is the number of people you can get under one roof and the amount of meeting space they have. But the ‘brand’ issue is also very important to us, because we want to be associated with top-notch sleeping rooms and meeting space, as well as the overall experience our attendees have.”

Gleason also observes that Las Vegas is constantly reinventing itself, always raising the bar for meeting infrastructure and amenities. “That is very appealing to me as a meeting planner,” she says. “The great thing about Las Vegas is you never have to do the same thing twice. There is always something new and exciting. For example, CAESARS FORUM is going to add a whole new dimension and new amenities to the destination.”

Breaking ground last July and making its debut in 2020, CAESARS FORUM is a $375 million, 550,000-square-foot conference center that will be adjacent to the wildly popular LINQ Promenade retail district and within walking distance of more than 20,000 Caesars Entertainment-operated hotel rooms in its portfolio of blue chip properties, such as Caesars Palace and the LINQ Hotel & Casino.

The CAESARS FORUM complex will dramatically raise the profile of what is possible within an ultra-modern conference facility. The LEED Silver-rated center will feature 300,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including two 110,000-square-foot, pillar-free ballrooms, two 40,000-square-foot ballrooms and six state-of-the-art boardrooms, as well as more than 100 breakout rooms. Able to accommodate more than 10,000 attendees, the entire complex will be built on one floor for maximum convenience and ease of move-in. There will also be a 100,000-square-foot Forum Plaza outdoor venue for opening receptions, other events, wellness breaks and al fresco meals. A skybridge will link CAESARS FORUM directly to The LINQ Hotel & Casino and Harrah’s Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, MGM Resorts International has already set a new standard for 21st-Century meeting space at its new $550 million Park MGM, formerly the Monte Carlo, which debuted in April. Park MGM’s new Madison Meeting Center is specifically designed to host meetings for 10 to 50 attendees. The 10,000-square-foot complex features 10 flexible rooms that have been created to reflect the most innovative breakthroughs in learning when it comes to classroom-style training, certifications, product seminars and workshops. It also offers moveable ergonomic furniture, built-in audiovisual equipment and rolling whiteboards.

Furthermore, it incorporates the DELOS Stay Well Meetings protocol, developed in cooperation with health-and-wellness guru and DELOS board member Deepak Chopra, and previously introduced at the MGM Grand and Mirage properties. The Stay Well program features state-of-the-art air purification, energizing lighting, science-based menu options, soothing aromatherapy and other wellness features designed to enhance the productivity and overall wellness of attendees.

The other new facility at Park MGM is its Ideation Studio, opening this fall, which is aimed at corporate retreats and brainstorming sessions, with eight unique environments and four distinctive room types that each can accommodate groups of six to 25 attendees. Each space has been intentionally planned with options for a wide array of workspaces to spur collaboration, productivity, creativity and innovation.

Many Hotel Options

Yet another reason why Las Vegas is so popular with meeting planners, across a wide spectrum of types and sizes of events, is its one-of-a-kind hotel inventory. A trio of properties illustrate the point.

M Resort Spa Casino, a 390-room off-Strip hotel located in the peaceful seclusion of nearby Henderson, offers more than 92,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 17,400-square-foot ballroom, as well as the 25,000-square-foot M Pavilion and LUX special event venues and a full-service business center. The resort also features a TopGolf swing suite, with a unique training simulation that is popular with corporate groups. It includes a spacious temperature-controlled lounge area that offers food-and-beverage service as well as a variety of interactive games.

Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, which is enormously popular with younger attendees or planners seeking a “hip and cool” factor, has invested more than $20 million in expanding and updating its meeting infrastructure. The hotel now features more than 110,000 square feet of eco-friendly, multipurpose space, which includes new ballrooms.

The Hard Rock can accommodate events for up to 5,000 attendees. An additional $40 million investment has upgraded the hotel’s guest rooms, as well as its dining and retail shopping venues.

At the other end of the spectrum, in terms of history and local culture, is the landmark and time-honored Tropicana Las Vegas, which has been among the destination’s most beloved properties for decades. It, too, touts a brand name that is synonymous with a fun, exhilarating experience that is Caribbean-themed. The Tropicana’s conference center has been expanded and can be configured into as many as 38 breakout rooms. Facilities also include an elegant 25,000-square-foot Cohiba Ballroom that can accommodate up to 2,700 attendees or be divided into as many as 11 breakout rooms. The Trinidad Pavilion is a 24,000-square-foot, pillar-free ground-level venue that often houses general sessions and large food-and-beverage functions.

Such ongoing expansion and evolution of what is already an extraordinary meeting infrastructure is what keeps Las Vegas atop the heap of major meeting destinations.

“It’s an exciting time in Las Vegas,” Strawn says. “There’s a lot going on that’s new, and I’m hearing that there are a lot of new things coming along in 2020. More and more properties are adding more meeting space. New hotels, like the Drew, are coming.”

The under-development luxury hotel Drew Las Vegas is the former $2.5 billion Fontainebleau Las Vegas, and its opening is highly anticipated.

“So, as a meeting planner,” Strawn says, “I’m thrilled to know there will be new hotels and new meeting space available. And for attendees, Las Vegas is always exciting.” C&IT

Atlantic City’s resurgence has not only attracted more residents and tourists, it has brought an influx of business meetings to the area.

There was once a perception that Atlantic City was in a slump due to closing resorts, fewer meetings and visitors and an over-dependence on gaming. However, these days nothing could be further from the truth.

This year alone, two new casino properties opened. Resorts are renovating, expanding and adding more meeting space. And, Atlantic City is also opening new attractions, entertainment venues and dining experiences.

According to Jim Wood, president and CEO of Meet AC, the sales and marketing force supporting the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC), Atlantic City’s resurgence is attracting more meetings. “Though our audience is primarily from the Mid-Atlantic region, we are starting to see more national growth in the meetings segment,” says Wood.

“Investors are buying properties and meeting space is expanding, such as Harrah’s Waterfront Conference Center and meeting space additions at Resorts Casino Hotel, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa and The Claridge, etc.”

Atlantic City is also broadening its variety of entertainment and attraction options to draw families and young adults.

According to Wood, “Headline entertainment continues to grow with the Hard Rock Casino opening and a commitment to bring midweek entertainment back to Atlantic City,” says Wood. “We also envision Atlantic City growing its beach concert series each summer and attracting massive crowds to the beach. Another example is the recently opened Observation Wheel at Steel Pier. And with the Boardwalk being expanded and connecting to the Marina District, great things are in store.”

Atlantic City’s upgrades ensure that it will continue to entice repeat visitors, such as the Tri-State Metro Operating Unit of Coca-Cola Bottling Company. In June, Tri-State Metro held a meeting at Tropicana Atlantic City for more than 100 employees. It was one of several Tri-State Metro meetings at Tropicana over the last eight years for groups ranging from 20 to 150 attendees.

According to Don Barsalou, director of sales and planner for Tri-State Metro, Tropicana’s national sales manager is a big reason for the company’s repeat visits. “She is great to work with, and she is able to keep my costs under control,” says Barsalou. “She is consistently checking in with me during our meetings and is only a phone call away if any issue arises. She was also able to have someone pre-check-in our group so everyone could get their room keys at the end of our day-one early meeting and go directly to their rooms.”

“We are starting to see more national growth in the meetings segment. Investors are buying properties and meeting space is expanding.”
— Jim Wood

Tri-State Metro is also attracted by Tropicana’s constant improvements, including its acquisition and $200 million renovation of The Chelsea Hotel, a non-gaming facility.
The Chelsea, which is connected to the Tropicana via a skybridge, increases the total number of meeting rooms to 2,730 and adds more amenities, some of which Tri-State Metro attendees enjoyed. These include Chelsea Towers’ Cabana Five Bar & Pool Deck with poolside dining and live entertainment; Oasis Pool; Whiskey Five bar; Chelsea Five Gastropub; and Gilchrist Restaurant.

More than ever, Barsalou notes, Tropicana has everything Tri-State Metro needs for its meetings. “It’s truly a value property,” says Barsalou. “Sleeping rooms are renovated, meeting rooms are close and can fit any size group. They also have ample room for large meetings, and boardrooms are great for smaller meetings. For this last meeting, we had brand groups jumping from one room to the other to make presentations, and the boardrooms at the Havana Tower were perfect for this.”

Tropicana’s several dining experiences are also popular among Tri-State Metro attendees. “We usually use the Tropicana’s restaurants for our food and beverage,” says Barsalou. “The food and service are always great.” He noted that popular restaurants among attendees include Il Verdi, which offers Italian cuisine, oceanfront experience Olon, and Palm Restaurant, a steakhouse.

Offsite activities for Tri-State Metro attendees included a teambuilding event of competitive beach games at Bally’s Beach Bar, located on the Boardwalk a short distance from Tropicana. “It was our first activity at the Beach Bar, and it was a hit,” says Barsalou. “Afterward, we had drinks and food and enjoyed a DJ and local band. Our meeting was also a hit, and we will be returning to the Tropicana.”

Tropicana is not the only Atlantic City property renovating and upgrading. Two new properties, Ocean Resort Casino and Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, opened this year.

Ocean Resort opened in June after acquiring, rebranding and then upgrading the former Revel Casino Hotel. As part of the Unbound Collection by Hyatt portfolio of properties, the 1,399-room Ocean Resort Casino is the tallest structure in Atlantic City and presents scenic ocean views. The resort offers planners a complete package of meeting space necessities, including 160,000 square feet of indoor event space and 90,000 square feet of flexible outdoor space. Entertainment and activity options include six swimming pools and 138,000-square-foot of gaming space.

Groups seeking a variety of cuisine experiences under one roof will enjoy Ocean Resort Casino’s nine dining concepts. These include Zhen Bang Noodle & Sushi, American Cut, Italian seafood concept Dolce Mare and Chef Jose Garces’ Distrito (Mexican fare) and Amada (tapas) restaurants. Other amenities include the world’s largest Top Golf Swing Suite, six pools and the 40,000-square-foot Exhale spa.

The Hard Rock brings its signature rock ‘n’ roll glamour to Atlantic City following its opening in June with 200 nights of music featuring more than 50 shows and events with top acts. Located on the site of the former Taj Mahal, the Hard Rock underwent a $500 million makeover. Renovations included guest rooms and suites, meeting and convention spaces, performance venues and an indoor pool.

Refurbished spaces also include the Hard Rock Casino, Hard Rock Café and the Rock Spa. The many dining options at the Hard Rock include Italian restaurant Il Mulino, seafood experience Council Oak Fish and Robert’s Steakhouse. In addition, Hard Rock promises to offer entertainment every day of the year in venues that include two 7,000-seat arenas.

Attendees are always excited to experience the local flavor of the oceanside city with their co-workers and peers. Credit: D. Lawrence Planners

New and expanding resorts are driving Atlantic City’s growing number of entertainment activities. “With the Hard Rock looking to offer so many entertainment options over the next 12 months, it’s believed this may be a trend in providing entertainment with which other casino hotels may have to compete,” says Larry Huttinger, CMP, owner of D. Lawrence Planners and Destination Philly A.C.

All of Atlantic City’s new activities provide more options for planners. “We create events at clubs such as the Pool at Harrah’s and Premier at Borgata, which gives planners incredible space to create events and at lower price points,” says Huttinger. “We also use the third floor of the Playground Pier connected to Caesars, using the restaurants operating in that location for evening dining with entertainment throughout the space.”

Options for family-oriented activities are multiplying in Atlantic City. A highly anticipated attraction, the 350-foot-high Polercoaster roller coaster, is scheduled to debut in 2019 on the site of the former Sands Casino. Additional attractions planned to open near the Polercoaster include a zip line, extreme ninja course, skydiving simulator, and bar and retail space. Attendees also can find fine shopping at fashionable outlets on resorts such as Caesars, Borgata and Tropicana, as well as offsite outlets.

Atlantic City is also underrated when it comes to golf, offering about 25 courses that attract corporate groups from throughout the Northeast, including the New York area.

According to Karen Shackman, president, Shackman Associates, a New York City DMC specializing in domestic and international corporate meetings and incentives, “Because the Atlantic City region is an outlier against a national trend of golf courses closing, we know this is a huge plus for attracting corporate meetings and incentives.”

Shackman has worked with corporate groups that have held outings at some of Atlantic City’s top golf courses, including Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club and Galloway National Golf Club. “Both are located a short drive from most of the resorts,” says Shackman. “Seaview is considered one of the most exclusive ‘old school’ clubs in the area, and it’s even more valuable to attendees to add on an intimate dining opportunity there or at a resort.”

Nonstop Improvement

Borgata Hotel Casino illustrates how even Atlantic City’s premiere casino resorts are reinventing and upgrading. Planners can hold larger-than-ever meetings and events at Borgata due to its new 18,000-square-foot Central Conference Center (CCC), which offers customizable event space with five meeting rooms and two ballrooms encompassing a 6,500-square-foot ballroom. The CCC increases the Borgata’s total event space to 106,000 square feet including The Water Club at Borgata and The Event Center.

Away from the meeting spaces, attendees at the 2,000-room Borgata Hotel can enjoy some of the finest dining options in Atlantic City, including some headed by famous chefs, such as Wolfgang Puck American Grille, Bobby Flay Steak and Izakaya Modern Japanese Pub.
Caesars Entertainment Corporation — owner of Bally’s Atlantic City, Caesar’s and Harrah’s Atlantic City Hotel & Casino — continues to set a standard for enhancing its properties.
Upgrades at Caesars Entertainment include more than $30 million in improvements to Harrah’s Resort. Enhancements include a redesign of 450 guest rooms and suites in the Bayview Tower and a facelift of The Pool After Dark pool and nightclub.

In addition, several new restaurants expand the variety of Harrah’s dining experiences, such as Martorano’s Italian Restaurant, Coastal Craft Kitchen + Bar and Mexican restaurant Veracruz. Culinary options at other Caesars Atlantic City resorts include Guy Fieri’s Chophouse at Bally’s and Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars.

One Company. One Contract. Countless Options.

The culinary additions at Harrah’s follow the premiere of its 100,000-square-foot Waterfront Conference Center (WCC), one of the biggest hotel-conference centers in the Northeast with two 50,000-square-foot ballrooms. Planners wanting green meetings can consider the WCC’s Leed Silver Certification status. Meanwhile, Harrah’s sister property, Caesars, offers 28,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 17,135-square-foot Palladium Ballroom and 10 meeting rooms.

All of Caesars Entertainment’s properties follow the company’s philosophy of “One company. One contract. Countless options.” as expressed on its website. It’s the idea behind Caesars’ program that allows planners to conveniently book properties through a single contact with one contract and one minimum. Planners can even mix and match properties within a destination.

Another Atlantic City property, Resorts Casino Hotel, has renovated its Ocean Tower’s 480 guest rooms and suites and completed a $35 million enhancement of the Jimmy Buffett-inspired Margaritaville entertainment complex, which includes Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant and Landshark Bar and Grill. The improvements are part of Resorts Casino Hotel’s ongoing $100 million renovation and expansion to complement its three-year-old modern convention center, which offers 64,000 square feet of meeting space, including two ballrooms.

Planners see new and expanded properties that attract groups from its Northeast base as keys to Atlantic City’s continued resurgence, and expect to see value rise along with more growth in the years ahead. “If you have a group local to the New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey area that is budget conscious, Atlantic City is a good fit,” says Christy Lamagna, CMP, CMM, CTSM, president, New York-based Strategic Meetings & Events.

In order for value to continue rising, notes Lamagna, “It’s not just a few hotels that have to be open, it’s the surrounding area that has to be attractive for groups. Continuing to share that message and showcase the new energy and opportunities in Atlantic City will help change its image. New Orleans is open for business again and Detroit is becoming more relevant, so we know it can be done.”

Atlantic City’s improvements are boosting business. According to Meet AC, sales of the Atlantic City Convention Center (ACCC) will reach $10,493,488 in 2018, up from $9,517,000 in 2017. Enhancements to Exhibit Hall A , Wi-Fi upgrades and the creation of a welcoming marquee atop the ACCC will also help to draw more business to the facility, which is located just blocks from the Atlantic Ocean and offers 600,000 square feet of meeting, exhibit and function space.

Sales will get an added boost from Meet AC’s new virtual reality (VR) marketing tool. The program, provided by YouVisit, is designed to attract planners, convention business and visitors. The tool allows anyone to virtually visit each room of the ACCC, Boardwalk Hall and surrounding area. Another tool, available in the Apple iTunes Store or Google Play Store under the title of Meet AC, provides interactive floorplans of the ACCC.

The ACCC is also a draw for planners seeking a large meeting space with sustainable efforts, having reduced the facility’s energy consumption every year since opening in 1997. For example, in 2017, the ACCC’s solar roof panels produced 28 percent of the building’s total electrical consumption.

In all, the ACCC expects to save $4.4 million in electricity costs since opening through 2029. The savings result from the ACCC’s strategy, which considers “going green” a main operating objective, and has a “Green Team” which focuses on five issues — energy efficiency, recycling, water usage, client communication and composting preparation. In addition, Atlantic City’s gaming industry is expanding and diversifying. Gaming revenue increased 2.4 percent by the end of November 2017. While online gaming accounted for most of the increase, additional growth is expected from the approval of sports gaming.

Borgata recently became the first Atlantic City casino to launch sports wagering as a result of new sports betting regulations in New Jersey. The regulations follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to strike down a federal law banning sports betting and leave it up to state legislatures. Borgata’s sports wagering area, known as Race & Sports Book, features 100 seats, 40-inch color betting machines, 10 betting windows and a video wall. At least three betting windows are dedicated to sports wagers.

Atlantic City’s new activities, resort additions and makeovers are improving value for planners. According to Huttinger, “Atlantic City offers more value due to its location and sizable casinos and meeting space. Room rates compared to other New Jersey and regional cities, such as Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, NYC and Boston, means planners are looking at prices 40 percent to 60 percent less during most seasons. That, along with low rates or complementary rates for meeting spaces, depending on the size and spending of the group, make for an ideal location for planners.”

While Atlantic City now offers about 7,000 guest rooms and 1 million square feet of meeting space, the destination is not one to rest on its accomplishments, no matter how big they are or how fast they come. Atlantic City will continue to add more of everything that planners need get value for large and small meetings alike. C&IT

The islands of the Caribbean and the Bahamas offer planners destinations that provide everything needed for a successful conference — and a great deal more! Each Caribbean and Bahamas island has its own distinct personality and traits. Geographically, some are mountainous with dense forests spilling down to the sea while others are as flat as floating pancakes. They might be lush and tropical or desert dotted with wind-sculpted cacti and boulders.

Their cultures and histories began with indigenous tribes, but over centuries, varying degrees of French, English, Dutch, Spanish and African influences have created a rich and vibrant mélange, with each island offering its own take on food, language, music, architecture and traditions.

Most islands face the Caribbean Sea on one side and the Atlantic on the other, though a few are surrounded entirely by the turquoise Caribbean Sea. The 700 or so islands of the Bahamas are not in the Caribbean at all. Rather, they spread across warm Atlantic waters that happily provide the same tropical vibe.

What they all share in common are balmy waters with brilliant clarity, sweeps of inviting beaches and reefs, and wrecks offshore that attract schools of tropical fish, divers, snorkelers, sailors and anyone who simply wants to dip their toes in the sand and sea.

Best of all, for folks in the eastern half of the United States, doing so involves only a short flight to reach many of the islands, including the Bahamas, which start just 50 miles from Florida. For others, it’s a longer, but well worthwhile, journey ending in an alluring version of a tropical paradise that also delivers meeting satisfaction and ROI.

Here are three options for meeting planners to choose from. There are hundreds of others, making the Caribbean and Bahamas destinations that planners and groups can return to again and again, with each visit different from the last.

Puerto Rico

Perhaps its biggest draw is the fact that no passports are required for U.S. citizens, there are no currency issues to deal with in contracts, and though Spanish is spoken by most residents, so is English.

Puerto Rico was hit hard by hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, which affected power on much of the island. There’s still restoration work to be done, but planners should know that almost all of the infrastructure critical to tourism and meetings has been up and running for months. Most hotels and resorts are back in business, and groups can enjoy Puerto Rico just as they always have.

Perhaps most important, it’s not just about recovery. New meeting destinations on the island are also being built. Brad Dean, CEO of Discover Puerto Rico, provides a peek at what’s coming in the not-too-distant future.

“Puerto Rico has over 130 hotels, more than 4,000 restaurants and 189 sights and attractions open right now. The island offers state-of-the-art meetings and convention facilities — including the largest and most technologically advanced convention center in the Caribbean — and growing this business is one of our biggest priorities as major investments continue to be made in this sector. Coming Q4 next year, for example, is a five-acre hospitality and entertainment district built in partnership between Island Hospitality Partners (led by PRISA Group) and the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority. The district is destined to be the Caribbean’s most vibrant and popular setting for events, conventions and performances of all types.”

American Airlines is one of the biggest players in the Caribbean in terms of airlift from the United States, and San Juan is one of its critical hubs. Not surprisingly, many of the airline’s employees live on Puerto Rico, and the company wants to show its support for the island. One effort: holding its global sales conference there in May, an event that drew 1,000 attendees.

“The island offers state-of-the-art meetings and convention facilities and growing this business is one of our biggest priorities.”
— Brad Dean

The conference was based primarily at the Sheraton Convention Center, but also used Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, La Concha Renaissance and the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino. All of the hotels were chosen based on their proximity to the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan.

Lindsi Wyner, CMP, senior specialist, meetings and events with American Airlines, says giving back to the local community was part of the goal of the meeting. “With the number of American Airlines team members in Puerto Rico, it was important for us to take a meeting of this size there and give back to the community to help them rebuild.”

Wyner says the group didn’t have any problems with facilities being closed or inaccessible. “Nothing that we wanted to access or use was closed down. We stayed in the San Juan area, and everything was functional and open for business. We did not experience any power issues. All services that we required were available with no issues.”

The group used a variety of venues for meetings and functions. “Our meeting was held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center,” Wyner notes, “but we had our opening reception on the beach at La Concha resort. It was wonderful, and the hotel was accommodating, amazing to work with and completely on top of all of our needs.”

“The most important thing for planners to know,” Wyner says, “is how kind and wonderful the people of Puerto Rico are. They want the business, and they want to rebuild. It’s a fantastic island with many options and opportunities to pull off a successful meeting.”

The other advice she offers to those planning a meeting on the island is use Meet Puerto Rico. “They were so helpful in getting the logistics together for a meeting with so many moving parts. We also used a DMC, Destination Puerto Rico. They made everything so easy and assisted us with transportation, décor and entertainment, and it was all a huge success!”

Among the resorts reopened after the hurricanes is Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Puerto Rico Golf & Beach Resort, about 30 miles east of Old San Juan and less than 20 miles from the international airport. The resort’s multimillion-dollar upgrades include new dining outlets, such as Comfort Kitchen Restaurant and Iguana’s Pub, set to open by Thanksgiving. The resort also contributed significantly to restoration of the island’s premier tourist and local attraction, El Yunque National Rainforest, collecting $1 for every room night in March and April to fund restoration. The goal was $10,000. The actual result was a check for $16,000 to the National Forest Foundation.

In that spirit, the resort is offering volunteer opportunities for guests and attendees who add purpose to their visit by helping with aspects of the island’s recovery — lunch and transportation provided by the resort.

Aruba

Set in the Southern Caribbean, the 19-mile-long island of Aruba is an autonomous country within the Netherlands. It sits about 15 miles off the coast of Venezuela, which puts it far below the hurricane belt that impacts other Caribbean islands summer through fall. Its Dutch influence is clearly evident in the local food and architecture, and though residents do speak Dutch and Papiamento, a Creole language comprised of Spanish, Dutch and Portuguese elements, the fact is that most residents are multilingual and speak English and Spanish very well.

That’s just one of the reasons the Aruba Convention Bureau says the island is an excellent meeting destination. Others include ease of airlift, and the fact that U.S. attendees can pre-clear U.S. Customs and Immigration at Aruba’s airport, a broad choice of hotels flagged by the world’s leading lodging companies, stellar connectivity with technology options comparable to those in the United States, a mere 20 inches of rain each year so planners can depend on setting functions in gorgeous outdoor venues, spectacular beaches and, of course, a dedicated convention bureau that can assist with every aspect of conference and event planning.

Sergino Croes, CIS, business development manager with Eco Destination Management Services of Aruba and Curacao, a DMC, says Aruba has other assets as well. “Being an island where the tourism industry generates over 80 percent of the GDP, we care for this industry, and it is part of our culture and development. The great weather, the short distances and safety are key components to providing great experiences.”

Those experiences cover a broad range of options. Croes breaks it down into “Explore Our Waters,” “Explore Our Land” and “Explore Like a Local.”

On water, he says, there’s sailing, snorkeling, shipwrecks, windsurfing, kayaking and deep-sea fishing. Intriguing land experiences can be found on different sides of the island, where terrain varies. In addition to off-roading in quad racers, dune buggies and Jeeps, there’s horseback riding, mountain biking and hiking. Arikok National Park is an intriguing destination, as well. On the cultural side, groups can learn firsthand about the island’s aloe and make their own products, or they can make the island’s rich Carnival tradition part of a program. Groups can also arrange to have a local spice and herb expert provide a hands-on experience in which attendees make their own sauce.

One of the most fabulous events his group worked on, Croes says, was creating, planning and executing a VIP dinner in the caves at the south side of the island.

“The setting was just amazing, with a nice, four-course dinner, a saxophone player and a local artist who captured the setting and created an art piece on canvas for each top performer. This was the perfect way to push the eight top performers to maintain or improve their performance while also sharing the unique experience with other participants in order to motivate them to achieve this selected group. This has been, both in experience and in return on investment, a great event for the client and the participants.”

Although Aruba is an ideal destination any time of year in terms of weather, Croes notes that demand drives seasonal differences, meaning planners have the option of choosing value dates — June, August and September — if budget requires that, with no worries about hurricanes.

The Bahamas

Although the Bahamas is comprised of some 700 islands and cays, only a few islands are really able to accommodate larger meetings. One of those islands — arguably the most well known and most developed — is New Providence, often referred to as Nassau, which is actually the name of the city on that island which also serves as capital of the Bahamas.

Just offshore from New Providence and connected by bridge is Paradise Island, home of the Atlantis Resort, staggering in its scale, design and acres devoted to an open-air marine life habitat. With more than 3,000 guest rooms and 500,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor meeting and function space, Atlantis can accommodate groups of 15 to 4,000. Within its massive conference center, it offers a 50,000-square-foot ballroom — the largest in the Caribbean region, 34 meeting rooms, 15 boardrooms, thousands of feet of pre-function space and a great deal more.

The resort has multiple towers and lodging options within it. The Royal Towers is where Nailor Industries of Houston, Texas, has held its VIP meeting each March for the past four years. The event draws 225 attendees.

Charles Piserelle, director of sales for Nailor Industries, says Paradise Island and Atlantis offer “ease of access and what our group likes to do.” In fact, he adds, “It has just about everything a person could want in an island getaway.”

Although he says the destination presents no real challenges and points to ease of access as an attribute, Piserelle notes that “direct flights would make getting there just a little bit easier.”

Music to planners’ ears is Piserelle’s assessment of the staff at the resort. “The people I have worked with have always found a way to get me what I am wanting,” he says.

The group has used a variety of function venues, and Piserelle gives especially high praise to the F&B team at Atlantis. “All the places we have had our functions have been great,” he says, “and the food at these functions is by far the best at the hotel.”

Atlantis easily lends itself as a destination for family-friendly meetings, but not just because it offers a multitude of activities and programs for children of all ages. “The hotel is totally safe,” Piserelle notes. “If you are bringing your kids, you can just turn them loose, and they will be safe.”

Given the size of Atlantis, it’s easy for attendees to spread out and go in many different directions. For that reason, Piserelle offers this suggestion for planners who are considering bringing a group to the resort: “If you are trying to keep the group together, consider setting up a specific place to have drinks and food during the day.”

The Nailor group rents a cabana complete with a bartender and available food so that Nailor staff and customers can have ongoing quality time networking even while enjoying all that paradise offers.

Across the bridge in Nassau, along Cable Beach, sits the island’s newest resort complex, Baha Mar. Three hotels provide three distinct lodging options within the complex. Grand Hyatt Baha Mar was the first to open and is the largest with 1,800 guest rooms. SLS Baha Mar combines style and luxury with an upbeat, energetic vibe. Among its 299 guest rooms are 107 suites. Rosewood Baha Mar was the final hotel to open. In addition to 233 guest rooms, the Rosewood has four luxury beachfront villas, ideal for executives and VIPs on high-end incentive trips.

Baha Mar’s Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center features 200,000 square feet of art-filled indoor space and exquisite outdoor venues that can accommodate groups of all sizes. The convention center is easily accessible from all three hotels, meaning planners can offer attendees a variety of lodging price points and amenities all within the same complex. In total, there are dozens of restaurants, beachside food trucks and bars and lounges, as well as poolside and cabana service, plus a nightclub to entice attendees with chef-driven food and creative, contemporary beverages in eclectic daytime and nighttime settings.

Wherever in the Caribbean or Bahamas you desire to meet, there is an island that will meet your group’s needs. Chances are, it will increase meeting attendance and provide the perfect backdrop, whether your goal is networking, incentive rewards, increased sales, customer retention, team building, product development or buy-in to company transformation. C&IT

A beautiful spot to hold an event will be on the outdoor patio of the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport when it opens in 2021. Credit: Elkus Manpredt Architects

It’s challenging to stay abreast of the numerous hotel openings and renovations across the country and abroad, but certain projects are truly game-changers and invariably end up on a planner’s radar. For planners who do business in the Pacific Northwest, the Hyatt Regency Seattle is one of those properties creating major new opportunities. Opening this fall, the site will be the Emerald City’s largest meeting hotel with 1,260 guest rooms and 103,000 square feet of meeting space, topping the Sheraton Seattle Hotel’s 1,236 guest rooms and 75,000 square feet of meeting space. In fact, the Hyatt will be the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest. What is more, the new property will be located adjacent to the Washington State Convention Center’s planned expansion and is thus primed to serve as the headquarters hotel for the WSCC’s clientele.

Mallory Rabinowitz, Seattle-based sourcing manager for Experient, has toured the Hyatt, which will be a boon for the citywide tech conferences she plans in the city. “Seattle is very popular right now, so with this hotel being added to the downtown core, it’s going to help a lot of the citywides,” says Rabinowitz, who has booked the hotel for a spring 2019 meeting. On her tour, she noted the optimal design of the meeting space, comprised of 46 rooms of various sizes. “The meeting space is all laid out so well. You can have multiple groups in-house at the same time, and you don’t necessarily feel like you are walking through the other group. You really feel like you’re in your own self-contained space,” she describes. “And for those smaller corporate groups, they have those 1,500- to 2,000-square-foot rooms so they can be in a corner by themselves and not feel swallowed.” The property will be seeking LEED Gold certification, and the design certainly incorporates natural light. “When I went on the tour, I don’t think I saw a meeting room that didn’t have natural light,” Rabinowitz comments. “In the Pacific Northwest, people think it’s gray and dreary all the time, but our sunny days are gorgeous, and you definitely want to take advantage of that.”

WEST

Especially known for sunny days is San Diego, California, where the 400-room InterContinental San Diego opens in September. The property will offer 95,000 square feet of meeting space. The 35,000 square feet of indoor space includes the 12,000-square-foot Pacific Ballroom, accommodating up to 1,500 guests. Outdoor space includes bay-view terraces overlooking Lane Field Park. The flagship restaurant will be Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse.

Colorado’s meetings industry is celebrating the centennial of a longstanding icon of the luxury resort market. The Broadmoor turned 100 years old this year and has been commemorating a different era in the hotel’s history each month this year (e.g., the focus in August is “Designing the Broadmoor Gardens”). The occasion is also being marked with several upgrades to the property, including a refresh of Broadmoor Main’s guest rooms and the golf facility. The original lobby of Broadmoor Main has been expanded and now includes a fireplace. A new eatery is Café Julie’s, which evokes a fine Parisian patisserie. In addition, the former Golf Club Dining Room has been reimagined into The Grille, with its own classic bar and mountain views.

On the more metropolitan side of Colorado, December saw the debut of the Hilton Denver City Center following a $27 million renovation. The 613-room hotel is housed in a 20-story tower and offers groups more than 50,000 square feet of function space, including 32,000 square feet of indoor space. The property is conveniently located just three blocks from the Colorado Convention Center.

“In the Pacific Northwest, people think it’s gray and dreary all the time, but our sunny days are gorgeous, and you definitely want to take advantage of that.”
— Mallory Rabinowitz

In Texas, a major upgrade is taking place at the Omni Houston Hotel, which reopens in November following a $30 million renovation. The hotel offers 40,000 square feet of meeting space, including the 10,000-square-foot Regency Ballroom. The project is redesigning the first- and second-floor space and expanding it by 2,500 square feet. Goodman Manufacturing has held dealer meetings at the 378-room Omni Houston Hotel for eight years, bringing in groups of up to 150 attendees. Mary Alice Kahanek, CMP, senior manager, events and trade shows, describes some of the logistical features of the event space that have made the property ideal: “It has a large meeting space that has its own prefunction space. It’s great that I can go down the hallway and know that everybody’s going to be mine — it’s not a thoroughfare of the hotel. You just don’t mix with all the other guests in the hotel, which I really like. We also do a lot of themed dinners and pool receptions, and you can go directly into the meeting space from the pool area. So it’s really a nice flow. We do a pool reception and then invite them up to the ballroom for dinner.” The additional meeting space “is going to be an advantage to us to have pop-up meetings during our meeting. They’re locating [the new rooms] in other areas so you don’t have to be contained just to the meeting space. There are going to be rooms down by the welcome desk and near the bar and restaurant.” In addition, the Omni is redesigning its lobby and bar with a historic Houston theme. The bar is being expanded to include both a wine bar and whiskey room. Goodman Manufacturing’s attendees will return to the hotel to enjoy these new features in November and December.

About 90 miles northwest of Houston in College Station, the Doug Pitcock ‘49 Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center is set to open in August. The Benchmark Hotels & Resorts-managed property, located on the Texas A&M campus, offers 250 upscale guest rooms, 35,000 square feet of IACC-certified meeting space, a full-service restaurant that focuses on locally sourced ingredients and a 1,400-space parking garage.

NORTHEAST

Similar to the impact that the Hyatt Regency Seattle will have on a first-tier market, the Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport will be a game-changer in Boston when it opens in early 2021. Furthering the development of the city’s Seaport District, the 1,055-room hotel is part of Omni’s growing Convention Center Collection. As such, it will offer formidable meeting facilities — approximately 100,000 square feet of function space, including the largest hotel ballroom in the Seaport District, along with direct access to the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Property highlights include LEED Silver certification, a Mokara Spa, a 7,500-square-foot outdoor pool deck, a 4,500-square-foot pool bar and grill and a French brasserie.

Boston’s hospitality industry also welcomes the renovation of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf. Completed this summer, the $35 million project has redesigned the hotel’s 398 guest rooms to reflect the waterfront locale and transformed the hotel’s 20,099 square feet of meeting space, which includes 19 event rooms. A new addition is the two-story M Club Lounge, which offers a breakfast buffet and automatic access for Marriott Rewards Gold and Platinum Elite members plus one guest.

On the gaming front, a standout in the Northeast meetings market is Mohegan Sun. The riverside property has made a quantum leap in its meetings infrastructure with the introduction of the $80 million Earth Expo & Convention Center this spring. The expansion includes the 125,000-square-foot, column-free Earth Expo Center, the 20,000-square-foot Earth Ballroom — divisible in two and featuring more than 3,000 square feet of prefunction space, 15 meeting rooms ranging from 360 square feet to 675 square feet, a high-tech, 1,263-square-foot Executive Boardroom with a private outdoor terrace, 3,500 square feet of outdoor space and a 5,630-square-foot kitchen. On the entertainment side, Mohegan Sun is debuting GAME ON! this winter. Located inside the Expo Center, the 23,000-square-foot restaurant and bar will offer diversions such as bowling, Ping-Pong and karaoke.

A new entrant to the Northeast gaming market is MGM Springfield, opening August 24 in Springfield, Massachusetts. The 250-room property will be home to a 125,000-square-foot casino and upscale eateries including Cal Mare, by Michael Mina and The Chandler Steakhouse. The property offers 34,000 square feet of meeting space, as well as an open-air plaza in view of the historic Springfield Armory. Other property highlights include Topgolf Swing Suites, retail outlets, a collection of New England art, a spa, fitness center and pool.

In western New York, The Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, a 135-room, AAA Four Diamond property, is located on the southeastern shores of Chautauqua Lake in the village of Celoron, near attractions such as the new National Comedy Center and the Lucille Ball Desi Arnaz Museum. The hotel houses the Lakeview Ballroom and Conference Center, accommodating up to 300 attendees, and a patio overlooking the lake. The hotel also has its own small island with a gazebo, ideal for small gatherings.

SOUTHEAST

Planners who are partial to Music City welcomed the opening of the JW Marriott Nashville in July. The 33-story tower houses 533 guest rooms and 50,000 square feet of function space, making it a major addition to Nashville’s hotel portfolio. Property highlights include the award-winning Bourbon Steak by Michael Mina, Spa by JW and a collection of contemporary, music-themed art.

One of the largest hotel investments in the Southeast is the $150 million expansion of the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida. The project will add 303 guest rooms to the 1,416-room resort and about 90,000 square feet of function space to the property’s already massive 400,000 square feet. A new multilevel parking garage will be added by 2019, and the lodging and meeting space expansions are projected for completion in 2021.

This year marked the completion of a $32 million, two-year renovation of the Grand Hotel Marriott Resort Golf Club & Spa, in Point Clear, Alabama. The 371-room property renovated its guest rooms and 38,000-plus square feet of function space, opened The Local Market and Bayside Grill and Southern Roots (complementing the Saltwater Grill and Grand Steakhouse) and added a recreation lawn. Point Clear is a scenic beach hamlet near Fairhope, Alabama. When not enjoying the Gulf Coast shores, attendees can play at one of 10 tennis courts, tee off at the Lakewood Club or visit the 20,000-square-foot Grand Spa.

Also known for its extensive recreational amenities is Georgia’s Sea Island Resort. This summer, the resort announced plans to invest $25 million into enhancing The Lodge at Sea Island, adding six new cottages, an oceanfront pool and pool house. Completion is expected in November, when the resort will host the RSM Classic, an official PGA TOUR event held annually at Sea Island Golf Club. Golf enthusiasts will benefit from additional enhancements — a new state-of-the-art Golf Performance Center opening in early 2019, a fully renovated Sea Island’s Plantation Course reopening in October 2019 and a putting course.

Savannah, Georgia-based Yates-Astro’s attendees will experience these enhancements. The pest control company traditionally holds its Annual Managers Meeting at the resort. “Yates-Astro feels fortunate to be located close enough to one of the finest resorts in the country. It is because of this that we have held our Annual Managers meeting at Sea Island for the past 26 years,” notes Anita Garris, office manager at Yates-Astro and planner of the event. The number of attendees has grown from 10 at the first meeting to 61 last year, a group size that is nicely accommodated in the Clubroom. “We also utilize the Sea Island Hudson and Summit boardrooms as a place for our branch locations to meet on
Saturday,” Garris adds. “The architecture and décor in the Sea Island meeting spaces is beautiful. We have also had black-tie plated dinners in the Ocean View Room as well as casual buffet cookouts at Rainbow Island. This event gives everyone the opportunity to visit and enjoy Sea Island’s delicious cuisine and fine wines. Whether casual or black tie, they have always put together a wonderful menu for our event.”

The conference services staff is also quite resourceful. “One year, we had scheduled a cookout at Rainbow Island, and had to move it indoors because of inclement weather,” Garris says. “[Senior Conference Service Manager] Brittany Blythe moved it to the Spanish Lounge at the last minute. A notice about the change was sent out to all of our guests. You would have never known that the Spanish Lounge wasn’t our intended location.”

Sea Island is part of the Golden Isles of Georgia, and groups can enjoy coastline views from many of the resort’s meeting venues, which total more than 40,000 square feet.

Speaking of island resorts, a major new option opened last year in Nassau, Bahamas. Situated on Cable Beach, the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar offers 1,800 ocean, fountain and island-view guest rooms, including 230 luxury suites and residences. The property is a true destination resort, featuring a collection of five restaurants, a 30,000-square-foot ESPA Spa, 100,000-square-foot casino, an 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Design golf course and state-of-the-art tennis courts and facilities. At the same time, the property makes a strong bid for group business with the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center, one of the Caribbean’s largest meeting facilities at 82,000 square feet. That includes three unobstructed ballrooms (the largest spanning 29,600 square feet) and 16 breakout rooms. Overall, the Grand Hyatt offers 200,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor function space.

Just as new 1,000-plus-room hotels are becoming game-changers in the meeting marketplaces of Seattle and Boston, the Grand Hyatt Baha Mar has given planners a major reason to consider the Bahamas. New properties mean new opportunities for groups, from the northern cities to the tropics. C&IT