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March / April 2006
In This Issue
 Mexico: Warm and Welcoming
Cancun is Calling You Back
Help From GEP Friends
Poll: International Concerns
Around the Industry
Krisam & GEP News
Mexico: Warm and Welcoming
Mexico offers the exotic appeal of another country while being as accessible as most any U.S. city. And it has the added benefit of being a year-round destination, points out Peter Crossley, president of Destination Mexico.
 Consider also that the country is just 2 hours from Dallas, and just 4 hours from Chicago or New York. “If you have guests coming from throughout the United States, we are convenient for them all.” John Buschman of Fiesta American Hotels, adds.
Convenience. Dependable weather. Fantastic hotels. And new meeting friendly government programs. Here are more ways that Mexico welcomes you.
Cancun is Calling You Back
Update on rebuilding and reopening of Fiesta Americana Hotels.
Sometimes unfortunate events can lead to more fortunate circumstances. That has been the case with Cacun since Hurricane Wilma struck its chic shores in late October 2005. "Cancun is not just back,” reports John Buschman of Fiesta Americana Hotels & Resorts, “It’s better.”
 As the sunny tourist resort rebuilds, improvements are being made along the way so that structures are stronger, more stylish, and, of course, just plain newer. Fiesta Americana has been leading the way with its three hotels in Cancun. Two are open and fully operational now - the Fiesta Americana Condesa and the Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach. The Aqua with its wonderful window walls of aqua-colored glass is expected to reopen in the Fall. Here’s the latest on Cancun’s return and other glorious Mexican meeting centers.
Getting By With a Little Help From GEP Friends...
It happens. A great event is planned for guests. But as the time draws near, one piece doesn’t fall into place and the good idea must be abandoned. That was almost the case when Newtours of Italy tried to arrange a private train from Turin to Bardonechia (an Olympic location) for a VIP client during the recent games. See how the day was saved.
Poll: International Concern
International travel has changed a lot since terrorism became a fact of life even on American shores. Flying is more difficult thanks to increased security. Border crossings of any kind are more complex. And thanks to globalization, disease can spread easier and faster than ever before. It’s hard to keep up with what you need to know and what’s really worth worrying about. Let us know what concerns you most and we’ll have an expert comment on the subject. Take our poll.
Last month's poll results: Have you ever held a meeting..?
Golf resorts are popular destinations for meeting and incentives while cruise ships haven’t been tried by many, according to the responses from last month’s survey. Canada ran slightly ahead of Mexico as a place planners had selected, though neither had a high percentage. In this month’s issue you can check out the pleasures of Mexico after you read the detailed results below:
Have your ever held a meeting..? (check all that apply)
- At a golf resort - 31%
- At a resort with gaming - 22%
- In Canada - 18%
- In Mexico - 14%
- At a ski resort - 10%
- On a cruise ship - 6%
Around the Industry
- Corporate Incentive Trends 2005
The Caribbean and Mexico were the two most popular destinations for incentives outside the United States according the annual survey sponsored by Corporate Meetings and Incentives. Mexico's Cabo San Lucas area received the most specific mentions, with Puerto Rico a close second. The survey also showed average spending per person on an incentive at around $3,100. Here’s more on the report.
- Guests Like Greece Best.
Hotels in Greece rated at the top in customer satisfaction according to a survey of 10,000 guests at overseas hotels by Market Metrix, LLC, a provider of market research for the hospitality industry. Specifically Greece was the winning country in 10 categories. Guests at Greek hotels reported feeling more "Comfortable", "Pampered", "Elegant" and "Hip/cool" compared to guest evaluations from other countries. GEP’s partner in Greece is Horizon Travel.
- Foreign Visitors to US Set Spending Record.
Foreign visitor spending in the U.S. reached a record level of $104.8 billion in 2005, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This represents a 12 % increase over 2004. Other key findings:
• International visitation to the United States saw a 7 % increase to 49.4 million visitors.
• In 2005 U.S. travelers spent $95.1 billion on travel-related goods and services abroad, a 6 % increase over 2004. As a result of the greater foreign spending in the U.S., the U.S. travel and tourism industry finished the year with a $9.7 billion surplus.
• In 2004 (latest figures available), the U.S. ranked first in foreign visitor spending but third in total visitors behind France and Spain.
• Travel and tourism exports accounted for 8 % of all exports and represented 29 % of all private service exports in 2005, positioning it as the single largest private service export.
- What Does Rick Steves Pack?
Rick Steves travels light on the PBS broadcasts of Rick Steves’ Europe. On his web site he shares his packing list and a link to yet another, but well-explained, wrapping approach to packing. Check out Rick’s list. And, here is the far-less-wrinkles packing system explained.
- Putting Excitement Into Gift Giving
Would you rather drive a Lamborghini for a weekend, jump out of an airplane, or have a private scotch or cognac tasting? These are just three of dozens of experiential gifts offered by Excitations, a new company operating in the Washington DC area. For clients, associates, or incentives, Excitations arranges gifts that cover a wide range in price and courage. Spa treatments, cooking classes, and winery picnics are on the tame side. Skydiving, vintage biplane tours, and formula race car driving top the adventurous choices. The group hopes to expand to other markets soon. Here’s Excitations' catalog of gift experiences.
Krisam & GEP News
Get updates on Krisam member properties & GEP partners here. For more information on any of the partners below, contact your Krisam or GEP representative directly or email us today.
Krisam Group Member News
GEP Partner News
KRISAM GROUP MEMBER NEWS
New Krisam Member Hotels & Resorts
* The James Chicago, Chicago, IL
-- Rooms: 297; Total Meeting Sq. Ft: 7,000
* Lausanne Beau-Rivage Palace, Switzerland
-- Rooms: 169; Total Meeting Sq. Ft.: 15,720
* Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colorado
-- Rooms: 92; Total Meeting Sq. Ft: 7,500
* Jumeirah Essex House, New York, NY
-- Rooms: 515; Total Meeting Sq. Ft.: 11,270
Links and Golf magazines honor Lansdowne Resort
“If you think turning 50 mellowed Greg Norman, you’ll be quickly disabused of the notion at this Washington, D.C. area layout.” So begins the Golf magazine description of the new Norman Course at Lansdowne Resort in a special report on the Top Ten New Courses You Can Play in its December 2005 issue. Lansdowne was also singled out by Links’ Premier Resorts Guide 2006 for inclusion in its list of Ten Best Golf Trips for Business, along with fellow Krisam property Chateau Elan Winery and Resort, Braselton, Georgia. The Chateau Elan is a French provincial style resort, 40 minutes from Atlanta offering two courses, a par-3 layout and fine conference facilities. At Lansdowne, the new Greg Norman course joins a Robert Trent Jones Jr. layout, just a short ride from Dulles Airport and 45 minutes from downtown Washington.
Maroma Resort reopens in Cancun
The Maroma Resort and Spa in the Cancun area reopened in February. On Conde Nast's Gold List, the resort is perfect for small executive groups planning both meetings and leisure events. The resort is located right in front of the second-largest barrier reef in the world and in the middle of an ecological reserve. It has 56 rooms and 8,200 sq ft of meeting space.
Charleston Place Hotel completes upgrades
In the past 3 years, more than $10 million dollars has been reinvested in the Charleston Place Hotel, Charleston, SC, according to Charlie Wellmann, director of sales. “Simply stated, the hotel is in the best shape in our 20 year existence!” he reports. Some of the highlights:
- All guestrooms have been converted to the new Orient Express look that features fresh yellow colors, with the stunning hand stenciled wood parquet foyers.
- Complimentary high-speed Internet access has been installed in all guestrooms.
- All breakout meeting rooms have been completely renovated with fresh new color schemes. The ballroom sports a brand new carpet, and a substantially improved lighting system.
- The spa has expanded to a total of eleven treatment rooms.
- The lobby lounge has been completely transformed into a “Polo Lounge” motif known as The Thoroughbred Club
- The Palmetto Café has been completely renovated, with a fresh, sun splashed look and feel.
Peabody Orlando announces expansion plans
The Peabody Orlando has embarked on an ambitious expansion of its guestrooms and meeting space, and other public areas expected to be complete in July 2008. Projects include:
- Construction of a tower of 750 additional guest rooms, increasing total rooms to 1,641.
- An additional 140,000 square feet of meeting space, providing a total of 200,000 square feet of state-of-the-art, flexible, meeting space. The additional space will include two additional ballrooms, one with 55,000 square feet, and the other with 35,000 square feet.
- A 20,000 square foot, full-service spa.
- A family-style grotto pool.
- An English Garden providing the perfect setting for outdoor events in the Florida sunshine.
- Two new restaurants.
- 2,200-space parking garage.
“Most importantly,” Sheri Wallen, national sales manager, stated, “ we will continue to deliver our Mobil Travel Guide Four-Star and AAA Four-Diamond service through Peabody Service Excellence®, ”
Royal Sonesta New Orleans introduces Express Meetings
The Royal Sonesta in New Orleans has introduced a new Royal Treatment - Express Meetings program, designed to specifically address executive meeting requirements under 20 rooms on peak night. The Royal Treatment team can plan and confirm an event in just 24 hours. The new program offers everything from instant confirmations and contracts, to menu design, VIP amenities, audio visual needs, and onsite coordination. The hotel also offers special meeting packages for groups from 25 to 100 and 100 and higher and 2006 hot dates with rates ranging from $99 to $179 a night. For more information on these hotel values, contact your Krisam representative.
The Inn at Perry Cabin hosts beer and scotch tasting event
The Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland, will hold a Hops-Scotch event on Friday, April 7, combining the nuances of a fine Scotch with a brew master’s finesse. The evening event includes a presentation with scotch and beer authority Haley Schwartz from International Beverage, and a four course gourmet dinner with beer and scotch pairings.
Guests will be able to de-mystify the world of single malts by focusing on the unique characteristics that dictate the vast differences amongst single malts. Sherwood Landing’s Chef Mark Salter will draw on Germanic and Scottish classic cuisine for the evening’s meal. Special one or two night “Hop-Scotch” packages with luxury accommodations, for two people, start at $495 for one night and $755 for two night’s accommodations.
CMI readers name 16 Krisam Members to top list
When asked to name the hotels, resorts, and conference centers that best handled their meetings during the past year, readers of Corporate Meetings and Incentives placed 16 Krisam Members on their list of the top 50. The 16 winners of the magazine’s Paragon Awards are:
Boca Raton Resort & Club, Boca Raton, FL; The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO; Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Islamorada, FL; Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach, Cancun, Mexico; Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine, TX; Half Moon Montego Bay, Jamaica; Harrison Conference Center at Glen Cove, Glen Cove, NY; The Lodge at Torrey Pines, La Jolla, CA; Loews Miami Beach Hotel, Miami Beach, FL; Millennium Broadway Hotel, New York, NY; Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT; The Peabody Orlando, Orlando, FL; The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Kiawah Island, SC, Sanibel Harbour Resort & Spa, Fort Myers, FL; Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, CA; The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, Las Vegas, NV
GEP PARTNER NEWS
New GEP Partner
* Atlantik Tours serving Iceland
Delta Amsterdam wins best DMC award
Delta Travel Service, Amsterdam, won the award for the Best Destination Management Company in the Meetings Category at the 2006 Meetings & Incentive Travel Industry Awards dinner. The awards ceremony took place in London in February in connection with the International Confex. Organized by Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine, the awards were created to reward excellence of service and product
Michael O’Connor receives award named for his mother
Michael O’Connor, President of Chicago Is . . ., received the first annual Joanne O’Connor President’s Award at the 11th annual conference of the Association of Destination Management Executives (ADME), held in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The award, named after Michael O’Connor’s mother who founded Chicago Is . . ., will be presented each year to a "rising star" in the destination management/event management industry.
Atlanta Arrangements wins three Allie Awards
Atlanta Arrangements, Inc. received the Allie Award for Best Corporate Event in Atlanta (for the 5th time in 6 years)! They also received an Allie for Best Logistical Achievement in Planning and for Best Team Effort. The corporate award was for Play Like the Pros where 3,500 Deloitte guests enjoyed an unforgettable night in the Georgia Dome, home of the Falcons, starting with entering the field through the inflatable tunnel that the Atlanta Falcons run through at the start of every home game. The logistics award was presented for a white-gloved Herbalife Silver Anniversary Dinner for 1,850 guests held under the stars in Centennial Olympic Park.
The third award, Best Team Effort was for "Georgia on My Mind", a themed event for Event Solutions Magazine, that featured soft, classic decor, uplit bars and a Ray Charles type cabaret performance. Even a light peach scent wafted through the room.
New Director joins Moscow staff
Edouard Hart de Keating joined the Russkie Prostori office in Moscow as director in February. He has strong experience in the field of hospitality and tourism at the international level, including posts at such prestigious organizations as the Oberoi Group of Hotels.
Lafayette Travel Celebrates 20th Anniversary
Since its founding in 1986, Lafayette Travel has grown to a permanent staff of 24 highly experienced, multilingual and multitalented professionals, in addition to a network of over 200 guides and hostesses who work on a regular basis. The DMC organizes and operates conferences, meetings, congresses, incentive programs and product launches in Paris, as well as the Loire, Burgundy, Normandy, and Champagne regions. Recently Lafayette Travel arranged a gala evening for the Night of the Child charity at which 700 guests dined in the Palace of Versailles and enjoyed a concert by Sir Elton John.
Special Events features Bonnie Boyd
Bonnie Boyd and Company received several mentions and an interview in the December issue of Special Events magazine, as the publication lauded those who helped restore the meetings industry in New Orleans. BBC was named in the issue’s list of "Top 25 DMC's". See the interview with Bonnie.
Upcoming Industry Events - 2006
| April 4 |
Krisam Group New York Trade Show & Reception
Millennium Broadway, New York, NY |
April 6
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Krisam Group Philadelphia Trade Show & Reception
Loews Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA |
| April 13 |
NEMICE 2006 - Krisam Group & GEP Booth
Boston Convention and Exposition Center, Boston, MA |
| May 25 |
Krisam Group Customer Dinner following GWSAE's Springtime
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| May 30 - June 1 |
IMEX 2006 - GEP Booth
Messe Frankfurt, Fankfurt, Germany |
| June 29 - July 2 |
GEP Executive Summit 2006
Salzburg, Austria |
See the Calendar of Events for more information. Or if you are interested in attending one of these events, please send an email to newsletter@theeventinsider.com. |
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