In This Issue

Belgium For Bon-Vivants
Trans Fat Free Tasty Menus
From the Field: El Conquistador Resort /Spa, Puerto Rico
Poll: What’s Your Diet Downfall?
Around the Industry
Krisam & GEP News

Belgium, a Bon-Vivant and History Buff’s Paradise

Viewed from afar, Belgium is a bit deceptive. First thoughts probably center on Brussels as the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. But go beyond those first thoughts, and the second ones are quite delicious. Chocolate. Beer. Lace. Waffles. Pommes Frites. Yes, the Belgians say they invented French Fries. When they pair them with moules (mussels), you have a national specialty that’s quite a treat.

Yet there is much more that makes the nation a fascinating choice for meetings or incentives. The land of Hercule Poirot, Jacques Brel, Rubens and Magritte beckons with history and culture très intéressant. Learn more about Belgium.


 

Trans-Fat Free Tasty Menus

Label after label now proudly declares "0 Trans-Fat” while cities, including New York, issue bans on its use. Loews Hotels was the first hotel brand in the U.S. to announce that the company is implementing a full ban on all artificial trans-fats.

Applying to restaurants, room service, banquet functions and even snack foods found in the in-room mini-bar, the Loews exile of trans fats is scheduled to be complete by June 1. Why and how is this all happening? What does it mean to your menu choices for events?

Gregg Wangard, executive chef, Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, offers some answers and some healthy menu suggestions...plus a recipe to try.


 

From the Field: El Conquistador Resort and Golden Door Spa, Puerto Rico
Combine the largest ballroom in the Caribbean with more than 900 guest rooms, 16 restaurants and lounges, eight swimming pools, a 26,000 sq.ft. spa, an Arthur Hill Golf Course, a private island, and waters of the most indescribably wonderful color, and you have the beginnings of the wonders of the El Conquistador Resort & Golden Door Spa.

• Germany...16%
• Austria...14%
• France...14%
• Italy...13%
• Great Britain...11%
• Other...9%
• Czech Republic...5%
• Eastern Europe...5%
• Spain...5%
• Netherlands...4%
• Scandinavia...4%

• National Trust Gives New Orleans Special Recognition
  This month the National Trust for Historic Preservation announced its 2007 Dozen Distinctive Destinations, but issued a special distinction for New Orleans. The organization recognized the city of New Orleans for exemplary achievement in heritage tourism. The citation reads, "New Orleans is a richly unique, authentic, historic community that is reinventing itself through preservation-based revitalization. The National Trust salutes the unflagging spirit of the people.” Among the additions to the Distinctive Destinations list are Charlottesville, VA, Chatham, MA, and Durango CO. Get the full list of the 2007 Dozen Distinctive Destinations.
• Name Tag Advice from PC Nametag.com
  Need some artwork for your nametags? Not sure what template to use? Want a holder that’s 23% faster to insert than most? PCNametag.com, a commercial seller of the ubiquitous meeting basic, offers lots of free advice on its website. Under resource center, you’ll find helpful hints on designing nametags, templates for various formats, and some free artwork from deco to southwestern to the Dallas skyline. You can also learn about that nametag that inserts faster. Get valuable nametag advice.
• 2006 Results from the Hotelbenchmark Global Ranking Index
  European hotels continue to lead hotel performance on a global scale in terms of revenue per available room (revPAR), with Venice and Paris taking the top two slots in the HotelBenchmark Global Ranking Index (GRI) 2006. The GRI compares the performance of 165 cities outside North America on an annual basis. Also, in the top five were Dubai, Rome, and London and Doha tied for fifth. Tops in terms of occupancy were Brisbane, Melbourne, Dubai, Heathrow, and Abu Dhabi, all above 83%.
• Oslo Most Expensive City
  Europe dominates the cost of living rankings, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s most recent Worldwide Cost of Living Survey. The top five most expensive cities were Oslo, Paris, Copenhagen, London and Tokyo. U. S. cities were a relative bargain with New York way down in 28th place. Best bargains in Western Europe were Athens and Lisbon. Latin America presents the best value for money overall, the survey reported.
• Planners Choose City Hotels First
  Future Watch 2007, the joint survey by Meeting Professionals International and American Express, paints a positive picture of the meetings business for 2007 with most respondents saying that they would hold more meetings in the New Year and that they had bigger budgets. Some of the interesting detail in the survey reports that U.S. planners will hold 35% of their meetings in City Hotels, followed by 30% Resort Hotels, 10% Airport and Suburban Hotels, and 8 % each for Conference Centers and Universities and Convention Centers. Get more on the meeting industry (PDF format).

Krisam & GEP News
Get updates on Krisam Member Hotels & Resorts and GEP Partners here. For more information on any of these Members or Partners below, contact your Krisam or GEP representative directly or email us today.

New Krisam Members
* Fontainebleau Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada
Opening in Fall 2009 ~3,874 rooms, 353,000 total sq. ft. of meeting space

* The Umstead Hotel & Spa – Cary, North Carolina
150 rooms, 10,200 total sq. ft. of meeting space

Switzerland Tops First Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report
“I found this an interesting conclusion and it confirms what I have been saying for years,” reports Rudy Alofs, CEO of Conventus SA, Switzerland, in learning that his country topped the first Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Report from the World Economic Forum. “I am pleased to see that our other surrounding Alpine neighbors are right behind us, ” he added.

The report released earlier this month stated that Switzerland, Austria and Germany have the most attractive environments for developing the travel and tourism industry. Iceland, the United States, Hong Kong, Canada, Singapore, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom complete the top ten list.

Conventus is the GEP partner in Switzerland. Partners in Austria and Germany are Panorama Tours & Travel and Icontas Service, respectively.

Air Tran Helps Reduce Fare to Charleston, SC
When discount airline AirTran announced that they would soon begin flying into Charleston, SC, other airlines took note and reduced rates to be more competitive, Charles Wellman, director of sales for Charleston Place Hotel, happily reports.

Two flights per day will begin on May 24, doubling to four per day on June 7. “This is great news for all of us, as Charleston had been handicapped by fares that were some 14% higher than the national average,” Wellman explains. They’ve seen some flights drop from over $500 to under $200 from such locations as Chicago, New York Dallas, and Atlanta.

“With affordable airfare no longer an impedance, there is no better time to consider Charleston and Charleston Place, ” he reasonably concludes.

GEP Philly Tops the List
The Philadelphia Business Journal just released their 2006 Top Event Planners List with GEP Philly as Number one, reports Mike Lyons, president and CEO.

New Spa Opens At Beaver Run Resort In Breckenridge
The Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center, located slopeside at the Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado, has opened a luxury full-service spa as part of a $3.5 million renovation.

The ski-in/ski-out Spa has 20 trained aestheticians and massage therapists and features six treatment rooms for mud wraps, Bindi herbal body treatments and oxygen therapy, among other treatments. Within the 2,800 sq. ft. facility are two six-person hot tubs with a view of the mountains, and a Vichy shower – a horizontal shower bed with multiple showerheads. The new Watsu therapy pool, at 9,800 feet, is believed to be the highest in North America.

Beaver Run, a 500-plus-room hotel-condominium property, offers more than 35,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space for groups of seven to 1,000.

Exclusive Cove at Atlantis Opens
A new, exclusive all-suite resort – The Cove – has just opened within the Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas. It features 600 suites ranging from 672 to 760 square feet.

Standard in the suites are:

• King beds
• Step-down parlor with sleeper sofa and bistro table
• Spacious bathroom with marble floors, granite vanities with twin vessel sinks, frosted glass-tile enclosed shower and large bathtub
• Full or French balconies with superior or partial ocean views