Archive: May 2009

David Moth becomes director of operations at Desires Hotels, Ono Poortier, president of The Leela Palaces, receives Five Star Diamond Award and more news. [...] Read more

The Senate Commerce Committee approved the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 May 20. Sponsors believe the bill will help stimulate the U.S. economy, create thousands of jobs and generate hundreds of millions in new tax revenue. [...] Read more

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts purchased a 15-acre plot in the 300-acre National Harbor development on the Potomac River in Maryland, where it is considering building a resort hotel. [...] Read more

Planners at MPI’s MeetDifferent conference in Atlanta February 7-10 said frugality is the biggest trend of this economy and they shared these budget-stretching tips:

• Cut breakfast and do a more lavish dinner. Or cancel lunch and encourage attendees to experience the community or the venue’s on-site restaurants.

• Downsize meals. Serve lunch portions for dinner. Everyone is cutting back and calorie conscious these days anyway.

• One planner suggested talking to the behind-the-scenes hotel staff for some [...] Read more

The League of American Bicyclists added Tulsa, Okla., to its list of “Bicycle Friendly Communities and States” for 2009. [...] Read more

In the meetings industry, acronyms abound — MPI, CIC, PCMA, CMP, ASAE are just a few. Here at Connect, we’ve been struggling with SMERF, long used in the hospitality industry as a convenient abbreviation for a market segment for Social, Military, Educational, Religious and Fraternal special markets.
We have several problems with the acronym. First, it bundles a very diverse mix of associations and special interest groups. (MPI does too, but its members have signed [...] Read more

The Hyatt Regency O’Hare announced the completion of $64 million in renovations May 13, 2009. [...] Read more

Meeting planners considering the Lake George Area in New York’s Adirondacks for conferences can now receive a free update on group tours with the “What’s New List.” [...] Read more

Events and the Web are the marketing disciplines that provide the greatest ROI, according to respondents to the annual survey EventView 2009: Global. [...] Read more

To celebrate its 50th anniversary of statehood and lure more visitors, Anchorage, Alaska, is turning to gold. The newest value offer from the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau (ACVB) is the Gold Card program, which encourages visitors to extend their stay with upgrades, discounts and special offers at participating business. [...] Read more