Archive: December 2009

For groups in search of destinations that seem different yet offer all the comforts of home, the Great Lakes area provides a trove of meeting options. Centrally located and blessed by a well-balanced blend of urban pizzazz and spectacular countryside, this cluster of freshwater states features true four-season charm. [...] Read more

In the AV biz we tend to throw around a lot of terminology that we take for granted. As an event planner, you may or may not be familiar with our AV lingo. So here’s some terminology that can help you jive with your AV provider and, perhaps, even more groovy people. [...] Read more

Very few industries in the U.S. have escaped the recession unscathed, and the magazine industry is no exception. A number of high-profile titles have ceased publishing this year, while others have cut back on frequency and/or shifted to an online-only model to cut costs. [...] Read more

From three-dimensional virtual meetings to slick event scheduling applications for your mobile phone, technology for the meeting planning industry is advancing at a fast pace. Your meeting budgets can benefit from software tools that reduce paper consumption, negate travel costs and trim staff hours. Here’s a sampling of the latest trends. [...] Read more

Increase your business savvy by subtly training others to remember your name, and employing strategies to deposit new names into your memory banks. [...] Read more

Tami Cecil is a former stockbroker turned chef who began Woodhaven Farm in 1993 and hasn’t looked back. She offers cooking classes, parties and corporate team building on the farm outside of Columbus, Ohio. [...] Read more

Through city revitalization projects, creative sales and marketing efforts, and an emphasis on the kind of personalized customer service you can’t always get in top-tier destinations, several second-tier cities are demonstrating that once meeting planners experience their destinations, their minds, and their misconceptions, will be forever changed. [...] Read more

Smith Travel Research (STR) forecast U.S. hotel industry rates, revenue and occupancy to begin recovering in 2011, based on improved occupancy and less inventory in the pipeline. [...] Read more

Favorable tax incentives, global shipping options and the fact that U.S. citizens don’t need a passport are key features being promoted by hospitality officials from the U.S. Virgin Islands to encourage planners to bring their meetings and events to St. Croix, St. John or St. Thomas. [...] Read more

As a U.S. territory, Puerto Rico is another island destination that doesn’t require U.S. citizens to have a passport for entry. [...] Read more