By Sandy Biback, CMP, CMM Imagination+ Meeting Planners Inc. Recently, I saw the movie Quartet, directed by Dustin Hoffman and starring, among others, Maggie Smith. The story depicts what takes place at a retirement home for performers who had been involved in opera, and a concert they are planning. I won’t give away any more than that. Allow me some self-indulgence here. Here’s what I got … Read More about Where Do Retired Meeting Planners Go?
By Sandy Biback, CMM, CMP We all know the horror stories of groups planning a meeting during religious holidays. As we live in a more diverse world, the planner must be more cognizant of determining dates. Online calendars abound (see links at the end of this article). And now there’s an app for that. You plug-in your dates and locations and see if it’s a ‘safe’ date, if even for a conference … Read More about Accommodating Diversity
For years, Toronto’s North 44 has been a go-to restaurant for special-occasion dinners and a magnet for the city’s Big Money set. It had been about seven years since I’d eaten there, so it was high time I visited, to see what they were up to. Under chef Sash Simpson and his kitchen brigade, all is well. Addictive house-made breadsticks were followed by some top-notch apps: intensely flavoured … Read More about All Points Lead to North 44
By Les Selby, CMP, CMM les_selby@rogers.com I believe the vast majority of the people who visit the MeetingsCanada.com website are involved in the events industry. So if you are reading this blog, you are a “planner”, “supplier” or “supplanner” (an insider term often applied to third-party planners). That means your job is probably focused on logistics (venue, food & beverage, … Read More about Job Priority – Strategy, Content or Logistics?
By Anne Dimon Washington, D.C., has a number of noteworthy hotel developments, of interest to meeting and event planners, on the books. Scheduled to open in 2014, the Washington Marriott Marquis is being built next to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and within walking distance of the shops and nightlife of D.C.’s vibrant Penn Quarter district. The uniquely designed building (with a … Read More about New Hotel Developments Abound in Washington, D.C.
By Anne Dimon The newest dining option at the 878-room JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE, in the city’s downtown, allows conference delegates to enjoy an authentically local culinary experience via food trucks. The LA Gourmet Food Truck is a fresh alternative to the traditional convention luncheon. The hotel’s event team works with meeting and event planners to invite the city’s popular … Read More about JW Marriot L.A. Offers Food Trucks for Groups
By Sandy Biback, CMM, CMP biback@imaginationmeetings.com When you think about the next meeting you have to plan, how can you engage more people? It isn’t about everyone being face-to-face. There are so many challenges for that in today’s business world: timetables; work/life balance; budgets; acts of God; and so much more. Having said that, though, I challenge you to consider a hybrid … Read More about In Praise of Hybrid Meetings
Tourism Victoria is offering meeting and planners an incentive to book groups into the Vancouver Island, B.C., city. Planners who send a qualified RFP, for a minimum of 50 room nights, to Meetings@TourismVictoria.com, by March 31, 2013, will receive, from Tourism Victoria, a $150 spa gift card for use at one of over 2,000 spas in North America that are part of the WaySpa.com network. “The idea … Read More about Tourism Victoria Offers Planners a $150 Spa Incentive for Qualified RFP
By Anne Dimon Recently introduced at the 308-room Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, in Southern California, Meeting Moments is a menu of added-value options for meeting and event planners and delegates. Lauri Baker, director of national accounts, says the program was launched as a point of differentiation for the California resort. Depending on the number of rooms booked – starting at 50 room nights – … Read More about Ojai Valley Inn & Spa Launches Value-Added Meetings Menu
By Les Selby, CMP, CMM les_selby@rogers.com According to travelhotnews.com, IATA (the International Air Transport Association), on Oct. 19, adopted a resolution that will implement a new distribution standard that will “modernize airline retailing by enabling innovation in the way airline products are distributed, and making possible personalized offers to passengers who will have access to all … Read More about Technology and Ethics
By Les Selby, CMP, CMM If you’re not currently using an external sourcing expert, should you consider it? Until the late 1980s, anyone who ran an event did their own sourcing. Then the recession of the early 90s made companies examine how financial commitments were made on their behalf. Procurement experts gained influence within many organizations and companies started to implement … Read More about Who Should Do Your Venue Sourcing?
A new website aims to help meeting and event planners make informed decisions before signing contracts, by providing independent reviews, from other planners, of venues, caterers, production companies and suppliers. Event-library.com aims to bring the same transparency to events that Trip Advisor has brought to the holiday industries. Planners can search for the best-rated venues and suppliers … Read More about New Website Provides Reviews of Venues, Caterers, Production Companies, Suppliers
The $17-million Bacchanal Buffet will open in Caesars Palace in early September. Offering over 500 items and the most variety on the Las Vegas Strip, Bacchanal Buffet will serve individually-plated items and small plates, and offer numerous cooking stations and an immense dessert selection. Seating 600, the 25,000-sq.-ft. buffet, created by noted design firm Super Potato, will include canvas, … Read More about Bacchanal Buffet to Open Early September at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) has launched a strategic partnership with Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI). In the partnership, MPI will provide its education for meeting and event planners at certain HSMAI events, and HSMAI will provide training and professional development for suppliers at select MPI events. The partnership debuted at the recent MPI … Read More about MPI and HSMAI Launch Strategic Partnership
By Anne Dimon Whiskey and cigars (being rolled, not smoked) are not amenities you¹d expect to find in a spa, but when Quartz Crystal Spa morphs into a venue – as it did for a recent VIP event at Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto – that’s a game changer. Spa director Daphne Swenerton says meeting and event planners can book the 15,000-sq.-ft. space for three hours and up to a full … Read More about The Spa as Venue
Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has identified 30 hotel and resort options in its Four- and Five Diamond-calibre properties that are available for buyout. Based on planners’ criteria, this can mean buyout opportunities for the entire hotel or resort, or buyout of a specific wing or section of the property for a program and attendees. ALHI’s buyout options include properties … Read More about Associated Luxury Hotels Provides Over 30 Buyout Opportunities
A new resort property, Fairmont Ajman, will open in the United Arab Emirates in early 2013. Fronting 820 ft. of unspoiled, sandy beaches, the resort will feature 252 guestrooms and suites, including two penthouse offerings. Eating options will include an all-day dining outlet, with a multi-kitchen format and two private dining rooms, which will transform into an a la carte restaurant in the … Read More about Fairmont Plans to Open Resort in UAE Early Next Year
February 23, 2012 You have to hand it to meeting planners. They’re eternal optimists, always seeing the glass as half full, always viewing the world through rose-coloured glasses. In our Market Report, that translates to predictions—expectations, really—that, more often than not, exceed marketplace reality. Yet this year appears to be different. Planners’ forecasts for 2012 have been tempered by … Read More about 2012 Market Report
January 3, 2012 As many of us have been in the biz for a long time, we’ve seen high and low levels of service in a variety of venues. We hold all those experiences with us, as we continue to plan our conferences and events. Recently, my husband and I were in Playa del Carmen Mexico, at the Royal Playa del Carmen, where we encountered the best service I believe I’ve ever had, either on vacation or … Read More about Best Hotel Service EVER!
November 16, 2011 I’m preparing for a vacation in the sun. What’s my biggest decision right now? Should I bring my iPhone? Should I stay connected? I’m only going for a week and I don’t pretend to be that important. Do I think my work world will survive without me for seven days? Well, only if I get all my ducks in a row before I leave. In my case, that includes: 1. Getting 24 student final … Read More about The Importance of Taking Vacation
