The key to success in our current industry seems to hinge on one word: flexibility. We see the U.S. financial market sitting on a seesaw with the global economy, creating ups and downs that require balance and tenacity. With one tip, the meeting professional can teeter, but a strong hold on creative solutions will level [...]
The future is here, along with more technology, more networking opportunities, more budget demands… in fact, more demands for everything, including your time. 2008 may be more of 2007, but pick up the tips from our planners and you’ll be ready for a (somewhat) fresh start.
With hotels upping the ante in the amenity wars on a monthly basis, it’s hard to keep up with all the new offerings. In a nutshell, here’s what’s new and bound to appear at a brand near you:
Long referred to as Florida’s “hidden coast,” Northwest Florida is emerging as a major contender for the state’s valuable tourism and destination meetings dollars. With its abundance of natural resources — beautiful beaches, coastal lakes, varied topography — and an interesting and growing mix of venues, from resorts with conference facilities to cottages for executive housing, the area is getting more and more attention.
More than 400 meeting planners and exhibitors learned cutting-edge techniques and essential skills to make the most of their meetings, their profession and each other at the 2007 Plan Your Meetings (PYM) Atlanta Expo, held Sept. 27 at the Crowne Plaza Atlanta-Ravinia.
Hotels pull out all the stops with new packages, initiatives and design.
Ramsey Potts is no stranger to all-inclusive beach resorts. The state sales director for Aflac Insurance of West Virginia has taken his top-selling insurance agents on an annual sales-reward trip to exotic beaches more times than he can count. But last year, Potts decided to ditch the beach, opting instead to take his 40 associates to Rancho de los Caballeros in Wickenburg, Ariz.
By Kristi Casey Sanders
“Demand in the hotel industry stopped growing in 2006, and as people in the industry are catching on, hotels are becoming more variable in negotiations than they were,” says Bjorn Hanson, a lodging and hospitality analyst for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The U.S. State Department has issued travel advisories for many cities in Mexico, but that doesn’t mean your group has to miss out on all Mexico has to offer. Just head for the border, the American border that is.
