Connect Your Meetings

Gabe Zichermann, Gamification.co and Dopamine CEO

Jennifer Garrett — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:13:08 +0000

By 2015, 50 percent of corporate innovation will be attributed to gaming. At Social Media Week in New York last week, Gamification.co and Dopamine CEO Gabe Zichermann explained why gaming works to stimulate creativity and engage participants at events.

ASTM publishes first green standards

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:22:50 +0000

The American Society for Testing and Materials International has published seven of the nine comprehensive standards for environmentally sustainable meetings. More than 300 meetings and events professionals worked on the standards, which were produced as a partnership between ASTM and the Convention Industry Council’s Accepted Practices Exchange (APEX). A project that started in 2008, the nine standards cover all aspects of event planning and management and is the industry’s first set of standards for green meetings. The new standards give event planners and suppliers measurable specifications to produce sustainable events.

The seven completed standards are:

Audiovisual
Communication and Marketing Materials
Destinations
Exhibits
Food and Beverage
On-Site Office
Transportation

The accommodations standard is currently undergoing final balloting through ASTM and the meeting venue standard is being prepared for publishing. Each of the standards addresses specific sustainable elements such as staff management and environmental policy, communications, waste, energy, air quality, water, procurement and community partners. For more information on the standards visit the CIC site.

DoubleTree opens Philadelphia hotel

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:20:32 +0000

DoubleTree opened its latest hotel 30 minutes from the Philadelphia International Airport in King of Prussia, Penn. The DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia-Valley Forge is the sixth Doubletree in the area. Following a $24 million renovation, the 327-room hotel has updated guest rooms with luxury bedding, high-definition TVs and smartphone-compatible alarm clocks. The property has a 24,000-sq.-ft. conference center, which includes a 7,020-sq.-ft. ballroom and self-service business center. In the vicinity of many Fortune 500 companies and across the street from the East Coast’s largest shopping district, the King of Prussia Mall, the hotel is also close to many of Philadelphia’s business, historical and cultural sites.

Atlanta Marriotts upgrade, go green

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:16:46 +0000

Following a major renovation at the Atlanta Airport Marriott, planners can host events in the updated 28,300-sq.-ft. meeting space. Also at the soundproof hotel are a 9,928-sq.-ft. ballroom that accommodates 1,200 attendees and the 16th-floor, 2,160-sq.-ft. Mercedes Room, which features views of the Atlanta skyline. An outdoor patio with fireplace is a great spot for an opening reception or night event.

Five minutes from the Atlanta Airport Marriott is its sister property, the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway. The 403-room hotel was recently LEED-Silver certified by the United States Green Building Council. The hotel’s general manager, Robert Woolridge, said, “Our contributions in making the environment a healthier place by reducing waste, conserving energy and water and using ‘green power’ provided by the city of College Park are paying off and will continue for years to come.” The eco-friendly hotel has more than 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, including a 12,000-sq.-ft. ballroom, the largest in the area. The property is connected by a covered walkway to the Georgia International Convention Center, which provides an additional 321,000 square feet of event space.

Raleigh Convention Center getting solar roof

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:14:06 +0000

Construction on a solar energy system at the LEED-Silver certified Raleigh Convention Center in North Carolina is underway. The rooftop system will be the city’s largest urban solar energy structure, and once complete in April, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 500 tons annually. “We are thrilled to move forward on this solar energy system,” said Mayor Nancy McFarlane. “Making our fantastic convention center even more sustainable is a very significant achievement.” The city currently has 10 other solar energy systems and was given the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s 2011 Siemens Sustainable Community Award for mid-size communities. The city’s Office of Sustainability and Sustainable Raleigh initiative have created programs to make the city more eco-friendly, focusing on energy efficiency, reduction in fuel usage and training programs for businesses and individuals in the green building industry.

Embassy Suites Houston earns LEED Silver certification

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:12:24 +0000

The first LEED-certified hotel in downtown Houston is also the first to install charging stations for electric cars. The Embassy Suites Houston-Downtown opened last February with 262 guest suites and 6,000 square feet of meeting space. The property, which overlooks Discovery Green Park, is taking great strides to be eco-friendly. The aforementioned charging stations are free through the end of the year. Every room at the property has an automatic light switch that turns off the lights when guests leave. The hotel has water and energy conservation and recycling programs. The entire property is smoke-free. The hotel is located next to the George R. Brown Convention Center, which is also LEED Silver certified. The convention center gives planners an additional 1.2 million square feet of flexible meeting space.

Boston Marriott renovation complete

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:10:05 +0000

A four-year, $30 million renovation of the Boston Marriott Long Wharf was completed in January, completely transforming the hotel. Among the additions at the 412-room waterfront hotel is a ballroom with floor-to-ceiling views of the Boston Harbor and an outdoor patio. The pre-existing meeting space, including an 8,200-sq.-ft. ballroom, was fully renovated. With the addition of the Harbor View Ballroom, the Marriott Hotels and Resorts property now has 21,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Each guest room has new furnishings, luxurious bedding and high-definition TVs with split-screen technology and plug-ins for digital devices. The hotel redesigned its largest suite, and added 12 executive suites and two luxury waterfront suites. The lobby was also renovated, brightened by natural lighting. A new adjoining restaurant overlooking the harbor, Waterline, replaced the hotel’s previous restaurant, Oceana.

Meetings Incentives: New York, Ponte Vedra, Cincinnati, Miami

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:08:25 +0000

The Kimberly Hotel in midtown Manhattan currently has a Conference in Comfort package, which offers complimentary conference room rental, AV and wireless Internet valued at $3,000 per day, accommodations in the hotel’s suites and a cocktail voucher for the hotel’s rooftop bar, Upstairs. The package, available when 10 or more rooms are booked, also gives groups a special rate on accommodations. It is available through March 31. For more information, email sara@kimberlyhotel.com or call 212-702-1621.

Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is offering the All In It to Win! package. It includes meeting space, room rates, parking and public dining with a private dining option upgrade. Rates start at $199 for single occupancy and $299 for double occupancy.

Cincinnati Marriott at RiverCenter has a special for new meetings that actualize between March 1 and March 31. The hotel is offering 35 percent allowable attrition, one free room for every 35 booked, and double Marriott Reward points. If more than 100 rooms are booked, there will also be a 2 percent rebate on the master bill. Room rates for groups start at $99 per night.

Three Miami Beach hotels have a new meeting and corporate travel package called More Than a Meeting. The Delano, Mondrian and Shore Club properties are offering an F&B deal at $85 per person, which includes continental breakfast and lunch buffets, morning and afternoon breaks, meeting room rental and complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access in meeting rooms. For every 20 rooms booked, More Than a Meeting offers a complimentary room; for every 10 rooms booked, two complimentary room upgrades are offered. A free two-night stay for the meeting planner completes the package. The promotion is available from April 1 to Dec. 25.

Cruise industry introduces new safety procedures

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:06:12 +0000

Following the Costa Concordia cruise ship accident in January when the ship ran aground off the coast of Italy, the worldwide cruise industry has adopted a new emergency drill policy. The new policy requires an emergency drill with all embarking passengers before the ship departs from port. Previously, cruise ships were required to hold the drill within 24 hours of departure. The Concordia’s drill was scheduled for the day after the ship capsized; an operational safety review after the incident led to the new policy. The Cruise Lines International Association, the European Cruise Council and the Passenger Shipping Association all support the new emergency guidelines.

Gluten-free food arrives on hotel menus

Mari Shirley — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:04:27 +0000

Almost 3 million Americans have celiac disease, a disorder that hinders the digestion of gluten. Last year, restaurants and retailers sold more than $8 million in gluten-free products. Properties such as the Hotel Palomar San Francisco and Hotel Monaco in Portland, Ore., have recognized the importance of offering gluten-free foods for some travelers. Likewise, the Omni Hotels and Resorts company now offers a gluten-free breakfast buffet section, and Fairmont Hotels and Resorts’ Lifestyle Cuisine Plus Menu caters to guests with gluten allergies, diabetes and other dietary preferences. And the Ritz-Carlton Georgetown in Washington, D.C., a Marriott property, has a gluten-free tea menu during its daily afternoon tea. “There is a much stronger effort and focus to call items out that are gluten-free,” says Brad Nelson, corporate chef of Marriott International.