Archive: April 2010

With the the human spaceflight program scrapped and future space programs barely sketched out, NASA officials are staring at a number of empty, high-tech facilities on Florida’s Space Coast. [...] Read more

European airports are open again after ash from the Iceland volcano eruption made air travel unsafe, but fallout will continue for weeks. Meetings and business travelers have been particularly impaired by the disaster. [...] Read more

Green meetings continue to be a growing industry trend. Planners are trying to be more eco-friendly in everything from waste disposal to shipping to registration. A number of resources exist to help planners adopt better eco practices.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s website provides an extensive list of green resources for meeting and event planners, including incentives like WasteWise, a program that helps cut disposal costs.

The Green Business League assesses companies assembles a prequalified list of nationally [...] Read more

With all the news about fees for checked baggage, food and beverage, and now carry-on luggage, meeting planners have new budget considerations when planning events. [...] Read more

Financially strapped municipalities around the country are eyeing hotel taxes as a revenue source that can be tapped. In several cities and states, bed taxes have been approved recently or are under consideration.

Scottsdale and Tempe approved a 2 percent bed tax increase in March, raising the final checkout rate 13.92 and 14.07 percent repectively. Santa Clara approved a room tax increase from 9.5 to 11.5 percent to generate revenue for the new 49ers stadium; Baltimore is [...] Read more

Remi Beckmann 0f Open Window Productions planned the opening-night bash for MEET Las Vegas, Sin City’s newest events venue, which opened March 16 after three years of construction. Beckman talked with us about her plan and what makes MEET different from other Vegas venues.

The guest list: More than 500 people attended the event, which included a mixture of event planners, city officials, speakers, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and MEET CEO Dan Maddux.

The plan: Showcase [...] Read more

W San Francisco became the hotel in the country to earn LEED certification on an existing building among major hotel brands. It earned the silver-level recognition in March. As part of its meetings program, the hotel serves organic food and beverage and hosts carbon-neutral events through a partnership with LiveNeutral grassroots organization dedicated to curbing climate change.

Tysons Corner Marriott in Vienna, Va., planted a garden at the Northern Virginia Ronald McDonald House in honor of [...] Read more

San Diego’s Port Commission approved a plan earlier this month for a $753 million expansion to the city’s convention center. The expansion would add 200,000 feet of exhibit space (for a total of 815,000 square feet) and a 500-room hotel to the 6-acre bayfront site downtown. The proposed plan would help to attract and keep large-scale events in town, including Comic-Con, the world’s largest comic book convention, which holds its annual event at the convention [...] Read more

Hyatt Regency Chicago nabbed the No. 14 spot on this year’s Crain’s Chicago Business Best Places to Work list. Crain picks companies that emphasize career development and provide rewarding work experiences. More than 50 employees have worked at the hotel since it opened in 1974 and more than half of its staff has been with the company for 10 years or more. The hotel gives its employees 12 free room nights a year at Hyatt [...] Read more

A new Loews property opened April 1 in Atlanta’s Midtown district. Loews Atlanta Hotel is the company’s first newly built property in the past five years. “Atlanta has been on our wish list for years and we are thrilled to finally be opening a Loews Hotel in this energetic and growing city,” said Jonathan M. Tisch, chairman and CEO of Loews Hotels. The hotel has 414 guest rooms and more than 25,000 square feet of [...] Read more