Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront Renovation Nears Completion
The Hyatt Regency St. Louis Riverfront has opened a new Starbucks, a 3,000-square-foot StayFit@Hyatt Fitness Center and the St. Louis Brewhouse Historical Sports Bar as the property nears completion of its $63 million transformation. All 910 guest rooms and 83,000 square feet of meeting space have been updated and are open. Scheduled to open in July to complete the remodel are a Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, Red Kitchen and Bar, and the Gateway Arch Terrace. For more information, visit www.stlouisriverfront.hyatt.com.
Hyatt Regency DFW Completes Renovation
The Hyatt Regency DFW at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, TX, has completed a $50 million renovation that includes the 21,120-square-foot newly remodeled Enterprise Ballroom and the 11,600-square-foot Executive Conference Level (ECL) that can break out into 12 boardrooms. The ECL offers a unique feature with both meeting and sleeping rooms on one floor. The overall project began in summer 2003 and has resulted in several new restaurants, a zero-edge pool, its current 92,000 square feet of meeting space with 74 meeting rooms, and its 811 oversized and updated guest rooms. For more information, go to www.hyattregencydfw.com.
Boston And Cambridge Recognized As ICCA Top U.S. Destinations
Boston, MA, and Cambridge, MA, have been recognized by the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) as the top destination in the U.S. for international association meetings market for 2008. Both cities combined held a record number of association meetings. The Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau, in response to the news, attributed the ranking to its aggressive efforts in targeting the international association meetings market, as well as its continued presence at major industry events and trade shows such as IMEX and EIBTM. For more information, go to www.bostonusa.com.
National Harbor Sells Land To Disney
The Peterson Companies has announced the sale of land at its National Harbor development near Washington, DC, to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Disney is considering the 15-acre site that overlooks the Potomac River as a location for a resort hotel for visitors to the national capital. The resort hotel would be a stand-alone property separate from its theme parks.
Aerial view of Wyland's "Earth, the Blue Planet" mural atop the Long Beach Arena. |
Long Beach Celebrates Earth Day
With Green Initiatives
The city of Long Beach, CA, in conjunction with the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, celebrated Earth Day by unveiling a variety of programs and events, including a mural on the roof of the Long Beach Arena titled "Earth, the Blue Planet," painted by environmental artist Wyland. In addition, the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center has installed a 700-kilowatt solar panel on its roof, which will generate more than one million kilowatt hours of pollution-free electricity annually. The Long Beach Airport has added six “solar trees” that track the movement of the sun to produce electricity, which are expected to create 15,000 kilowatt hours annually and offset nearly a half-million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions over the system's 25-year lifespan, which equates to planting three acres of trees. Several other city departments and travel businesses have introduced green initiatives to support the city's eco-friendly status. For more information, visit www.visitlongbeach.com.
CDC Lifts Mexico Travel Health Warning
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has downgraded its Travel Health Warning for Mexico to a Travel Health Precaution. The risk of severe disease from novel H1N1 virus infection now appears to be less than originally thought, and recently reported cases have been determined to be unrelated to travel in Mexico. The CDC has removed its recommendation that U.S. travelers avoid travel to Mexico.
U.S. Citizens Need Passport For All Continental Travel
As of June 1, 2009, citizens of the United States entering the U.S. by land or sea from Mexico, Canada, Bermuda and the Caribbean will need a passport (or another single document that denotes both identity and U.S. citizenship). Passports are currently only required for air travel. The new measures are in accordance with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, an anti-terrorism measure. For more information, go to www.getyouhome.gov.
United States Remains Top Country Destination
According to a recent survey conducted by the International Congress & Convention Association (ICCA), the United States remains the top country destination measured by the number of meetings organized in 2008. The survey identified 7,475 events which took place in 2008, and did not include one-time-only events or those which do not move between locations. The survey also recorded a rise of 800 events over 2007. For more information, go to www.iccaworld.com.
ASAE & The Center Selects Board Of Directors Nominees
The Joint Leadership Committee of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) & The Center for Association Leadership (The Center) have selected its nominees for the Board of Directors for Fiscal Year 2010. Members of ASAE & The Center have 30 days to approve the nominees. Board members will begin their terms on September 1, 2009; directors at-large hold three-year terms. The nominees are: Karen Hackett, FACHE, CHE, for chairman-elect of the ASAE Board; Peter O'Neil, CAE, for secretary-treasurer of ASAE and The Center Boards; Abe Eshkenazi, CSSP, CPA, CHE, CAE, for director at-large of ASAE and The Center Boards; Randy Linder, CAE, for director at-large of the ASAE Board; Susan Neely, CAE, for director at-large for ASAE and The Center Boards; and Antoinette Samuel, MPA, CAE, for director at-large of the ASAE Board. Jack Horne, vice president of sales for Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, has been nominated as an industry partner member for a three-year term. For more information, go to www.asaecenter.org.
Branson Airport Opens
The Branson Airport in Branson, MO, has welcomed its first commercial flights since its opening on May 11th. The airport, the first privately developed and operated commercial service airport in the U.S., celebrated its opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with airport executives, area dignitaries and Sun Country Airlines officials, and an air show with more than 50,000 visitors in attendance. The Branson Airport includes a 58,000-square-foot terminal and a 7,140-foot runway. For more information, visit www.flybranson.com.
PCMA Members Gain Access To MeetGreen's Planner Tools
Members of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) are now able to access MeetGreen's sustainable meeting tools at a discounted rate. The MeetGreen suite of tools includes a Toolbox of ready-made RFPs and contract language for everything from sustainable destination, venue, accommodations and catering to audio-visual tips, printing and carbon offsetting. Also, the MeetGreen Calculator tracks planner success in implementing green practices in a measurable and comparative way. For more information, go to www.pcma.org or www.meetgreen.com.
Hilton Orlando Announces September Grand Opening
Hilton Orlando, Orlando, FL, recently announced that its grand opening showcase will be held on September 12, 2009 (the hotel is currently accepting reservations). The 1,400-room Hilton Orlando, featuring 175,000 square feet of meeting space, is in the heart of Orlando’s famous attractions area and just minutes away from Pointe Orlando, Sea World Orlando, Universal Orlando, Walt Disney World and a 15-minute drive to the Orlando International Airport. The new Hilton Orlando will be the first hotel to provide a covered, open-air walkway to the Orange County Convention Center. The Hilton Orlando smart hotel design features a discreet separation between meeting facilities and recreational amenities. When meetings are finished, attendees can enjoy a wide range of on-property recreational offerings, including two pools that are surrounded by a lazy river. For more information, go to www.thehiltonorlando.com.
Benedick Named V.P. At Visit Denver
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Benedick
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Rachel Benedick has been named vice president of sales and services for Visit Denver, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, a position she has held on an interim basis since September 2008. She replaces Doug Small, who became president of the Grand Rapids Convention & Visitors Bureau last year. Benedick joined Visit Denver in 1998 and was most recently associate vice president of convention sales. She has been the bureau’s top convention sales person for the past six years, and was the salesperson responsible for bringing the Democratic National Convention and SnowSports Industries America to Denver. Benedick also had a role in creating the Denver Alliance, a joint effort among Denver’s Division of Theatres and Arenas under Mayor John Hickenlooper’s administration; Centerplate, the Colorado Convention Center’s (CCC) exclusive caterer; SMG, the CCC manager; Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center; and Visit Denver. For more information, go to
www.visitdenver.com.
Dallas Approves Convention Center Hotel
Dallas, TX, voters awarded the green light for construction of the city’s planned convention center hotel. “Our 30-year wait for an attached convention center hotel is finally over,” Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau President and CEO Phillip Jones said at the election-night victory celebration. In six months of selling the convention center hotel, the Dallas CVB has booked 400,000 room nights representing more than $500 million in economic impact to the city of Dallas. The city of Dallas will now proceed with the sale of tax-exempt revenue bonds to fund construction of the four-star, 1,000-room hotel connected to the Dallas Convention Center, to be completed in 2011. Matthews Southwest is the developer of the project, and Omni Hotels was selected as the hotel operator. The remaining four acres of the site surrounding the hotel are slated for dining, retail and other development.
Winchester |
Galveston Island CVB Promotes Winchester
To Bureau Director
The Galveston Island (TX) Convention and Visitors Bureau (GICVB) has promoted Meg Winchester to CVB director. She was previously director of sales. Winchester has more than 20 years in the hospitality industry and is a certified meeting professional. Prior to working at the GICVB, Winchester spent three years at the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau and the George R. Brown Convention Center as senior national sales director. Before she joined the GICVB, Winchester was a part of the San Diego Convention Center's sales team. For more information, visit www.galvestoncvb.com.
Meeting Strategies Worldwide Changes Name
Meeting Strategies Worldwide based in Portland, OR, has changed its name to MeetGreen. MeetGreen is a conference management and consulting firm founded in 1994 by Nancy Wilson and Amy Spatrisano, specializing in green meetings and has offices in Washington, DC, and Vancouver, British Columbia. Wilson and Spatrisano were also instrumental in creating the Green Meeting Industry Council, created in 2003 to promote sustainable practices in the meetings industry. Wilson said the name change is an affirmation of the company's core business objective: "empowering organizations to connect, sustain and thrive." For more information, go to www.meetgreen.com.
Las Vegas Entertainer Danny Gans Dies At 52
Danny Gans, headliner at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV, has died unexpectedly. He was 52 years old. Gans was a celebrated performer with many accolades to his name, including being named Entertainer of the Year for 12 years in a row in Las Vegas. He debuted his new show at Encore in February after an eight-year span at The Mirage. Steve Wynn, CEO of Wynn Resorts, has released a statement in tribute of Gans and support of the Gans family. The cause of Gans' death is unknown.
Hyatt Regency Boston Wins Green Award And Designation
Hyatt Regency Boston recently received Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s Third Annual Boston Green Business Award for demonstrating extraordinary accomplishments related to sustainable environmental practices. The hotel has also been awarded its second U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) prestigious Energy Star rating. Initiatives include composting food in the hotel kitchens; converting food to fertilizer to grow organic foods; energy-efficient lighting; motion detector light switches in storage and meeting rooms; and automatic-control water fixtures. For more information, go to www.hyattregencyboston.com.
Site CEO Responds to Swine Flu Epidemic And Travel Concerns
Brenda Anderson, CEO of Site, has released a letter to the meetings and travel industries regarding the recent swine flu epidemic and its effects on future travel throughout Mexico. Quoting the Mexico Tourism Board's Eduardo Chaillo, CMP, CMM, director of the strategic business unit for the U.S., coastal resort areas in Mexico remain swine flu-free and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control are closely monitoring the situation domestically and abroad. Site will also be part of an industry-wide meeting that will discuss a response to the crisis. The U.S. State Department is warning U.S. citizens to avoid nonessential travel to Mexico, and U.S. citizens currently in Mexico are warned to stay away from hospitals and clinics unless they have a medical emergency. The travel alert will be in place until July 27th. For more information, go to www.siteglobal.co
Vancouver Convention Centre Expands
The Vancouver Convention Centre has recently completed a facility-wide expansion that tripled the centre's size to 1.1 million square feet. The facility now offers more than 450,000 square feet of prefunction, meeting and event space with breakout capabilities. Located directly on Vancouver's waterfront, the center uses some of the clearest glass in the world to let the outside in and inside out. The centre welcomed more than 63,000 meeting planners, dignitaries and Vancouver-area residents to tour the new facility. A new, integrated marketing program includes a social media component. For more information, visit www.vancouverconventioncentre.com.
Santa Clara Convention Center Expansion Almost Complete
Santa Clara (CA) Convention Center's $37 million expansion is almost complete and is expected to be open for business in early summer 2009. The expansion will add 22,400 square feet of space to the facility, bringing its total square footage of space to 302,000 square feet. The addition, named the Mission City Ballroom, with feature six plasma screens in its lobby, as well as skylights that allow natural lighting. A glass wall is blackout-enabled for breakouts. The facility will be wireless throughout and includes a 607-seat theater, 25 breakout rooms and free parking. For more information, go to www.santaclara.org/conventioncenter.
Portland Mayor Wants Convention Center Hotel
Sam Adams, mayor of Portland, OR, believes the city should proceed with plans to design a 600-room convention hotel at the Oregon Convention Center, called The Westin Portland at the Convention Center. An exploratory committee convened by the mayor and headed by lead developer Mark Edlen recommends the city and the Portland Development Commission invest up to $12 million for designing and engineering for the hotel. According to Travel Portland, the city's convention & visitors bureau, lost business due to a lack of major hotel within convenient distance of the Oregon Convention Center costs the city $41 million in business sales per year.
The trade show floor at ASAE's 2009 Springtime. More than 2,000 profesisonals were in attendance. |
ASAE's Springtime 2009 Offers Networking And Learning
The 2009 Springtime Expo, hosted by the American Society of Association Executives & The Center for Association Leadership (ASAE & The Center), was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC, on April 16th. The one-day event drew 2,129 attendees from the association, corporate, government and independent sectors, and 1,877 exhibitors representing 586 companies. New programs offered this year included a CEO Power Breakfast for C-suite association executives; Springtime UnPlugged, a networking event for young professionals held on April 15th; and a live Twitter feed with information on education sessions and updates. The event featured an opening address on corporate social responsibility by Gary Hirshberg, chairman and CEO of Stonyfield Farm, as well as the traditional trade show and expo. For more information, visit www.springtimeexpo.com. |
Las Vegas Convention Center Celebrates 50th Anniversary
The Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV, first opened its doors on April 12, 1959 to convention visitors. The original center featured 90,000 square feet of meeting space and 18 meeting rooms, in comparison to the existing facility's 3.2 million-square-foot building with 2 million square feet of exhibit space and more than 140 meeting rooms. The Las Vegas Convention Center hosts 100 trade shows annually that attract 1.5 million visitors to the city and generate more than $2 billion in annual revenue. For more information, go to www.lvcva.com, www.visitlasvegas.com or www.vegasmeansbusiness.com.
Phoenix CVB Shows Planners The 'New And Improved' Phoenix
The Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau invited 40 meeting professionals to tour the newly revitalized downtown area in Phoenix, AZ. Visiting planners toured the expanded, LEED-certified Phoenix Convention Center and stayed at the 1,000-room Sheraton Phoenix Downtown. The Sheraton's close proximity to the city's new $1.4 billion light-rail system allowed planners to use the new transportation to go to restaurants, attractions and offsite event venues. The Phoenix Convention Center features 2.7 million square feet of space. For more information, go to www.visitphoenix.com.
Oncenter Complex Announces Toennies As President & CEO
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 Toennies
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The Oncenter Complex board of directors voted Wednesday to appoint Terri Toennies, CMP (left) as president and chief executive officer of the Oncenter Complex. Toennies will oversee the multi-venue complex, which includes the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center, the War Memorial Arena and the John H. Mulroy Civic Center. She is expected to begin April 13. Toennies served as general manager of Sunset Station, a four city block venture in San Antonio, TX, that hosts functions for up to 20,000 guests at a time. Sunset Station includes 10 event spaces, more than 100,000 square feet of venue space, and also presents up to 30 concerts per year. She has also held various upper-management positions with the House of Blues. For more information, visit www.oncenter.org.
CIC Chooses Five Hall Of Leaders Inductees
The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has chosen five meetings industry professionals for induction into the Hall of Leaders. The ceremony will take place at the Professional Convention Management Association's (PCMA) 2010 Annual Meeting in Dallas. The honorees are: Terri Breining, CMP, CMM, president and CEO of Concepts Worldwide; Tom Mobley Jr., senior vice president for convention centers, Global Spectrum Facility Management; Steve Porter, former president, The Americas, InterContinental Hotels Group; Preston Robert Tisch, former chairman and co-owner, Loews Hotels; and Jerry Wayne, vice president, sales and marketing, The Greenbrier.
Las Vegas Convention Center Improvement Plan On Hold
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) has recommended a temporary suspension of its Master Plan Enhancement Program for the Las Vegas Convention Center. Projects currently under construction will be completed, and the LVCVA will re-evaluate the program and new projects in the second quarter of 2010 to determine a new timeline. The $890 million Enhancement Program is a comprehensive plan to renovate and integrate the entire 3.2 million-square-foot convention center into a cohesive facility. Improvements under the plan include renovating decor, expansions, and adding a new transportation center. For more information, visit www.lvcva.com.
Registration Now Open For ASAE 2009 Annual Meeting
Registration is now open for ASAE & The Center's 2009 Annual Meeting, to be held in Toronto, Canada from August 15-18 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The 2009 event includes keynote presentations from Gary Hamel, author and business consultant, Charlene Yi, author and business consultant, and Fareed Zakaria, editor for Newsweek. For more information or to register, visit www.asaecenter.org/annualmeeting2009.
Columbus Plans New Convention Hotel
A new $160 million convention headquarters hotel is scheduled to debut in Columbus, OH, in 2012 with 500 guest rooms and 30,650 square feet of meeting space. The hotel will be located between the 1.7 million-square-foot Greater Columbus Convention Center and Nationwide Arena. An operator has not been selected yet. For more information, go to www.experiencecolumbus.com.
Spokane CVB Hosts Rally To Support Meetings Industry
The Spokane (WA) Convention & Visitors Bureau hosted a rally to support the continued success of the meetings industry and protect the positive reputation of meetings. The rally was held in downtown Spokane on March 6th with the support of more than 200 elected officials, including the mayor of Spokane, area business owners and protesters carrying "Meetings Mean Business" banners. The Spokane CVB has partnered with the Seattle Convention & Visitors Bureau to create a new pro-tourism Web site. For information, visit www.whytourismmatters.com. Also, the CVB has partnered with Hartford, CT, and Madison, WI, to form an incentive Web site for meeting planners who book in either of the three cities. For more information, go to www.hartfordmadisonspokane.com. For more information on the Spokane CVB and the Meetings Mean Business campaign, go to www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com.
U.S. Travel Launches 'Meetings Mean Business' Campaign
The U.S. Travel Association has launched its Meetings Mean Business campaign, whose stated purpose to protect the millions of American jobs that depend on business meetings and events. The initiative is intended to push back against the recent political demonization of business meetings and events, which has resulted in the drastic cutback in business travel and meetings. The Meetings Mean Business campaign is a comprehensive effort with extensive grassroots mobilization, paid advertising and media strategies. For more information, visit www.meetingsmeanbusiness.com.
The Broadmoor Meeting Guarantee
“We Perform. Or it’s Free,” said Steve Bartolin, president and CEO of The Broadmoor, in a recent YouTube video announcement. Bartolin's bold, innovative offer states that The Broadmoor will stand behind their service, staff and facilities by providing a guarantee for new group business held in 2009 and 2010. Bartolin's simple message promises that "if your Broadmoor meeting doesn’t deliver superior value in service, facilities and quality, the master account will be waived." Bartolin continued, "We feel that in difficult times it is more important than ever to bring people together. At the same time, organizations want to be certain they are making a responsible decision in doing so. I can't think of a better way to assure that decision then by guaranteeing the outcome, or the entire meeting is free. To my knowledge, this has never been done before and it demonstrates the confidence we have in our staff." John Washko, vice president of sales and marketing of The Broadmoor and HSMAI Americas board member, added that client satisfaction will be determined by results of a independent, third-party survey of attendees in areas such as service, staff and facilities. The offer is valid for groups of 50 or more who stay for a minimum of two nights. For more information, call 800-633-7711 or visit www.broadmoor.com.
Doug Neilson To Resign Post With Visit Milwaukee
Doug Neilson, president and CEO of Visit Milwaukee has announced to the board of directors his plans to resign his post when his contract ends on December 31, 2009. Neilson was with the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau prior to his tenure with Visit Milwaukee and plans to return to the San Francisco area to pursue new opportunities. A search committee to find Neilson's replacement will be formed from members of the board of directors' executive committee and the process will begin soon. For more information, visit www.visitmilwaukee.org.
15 CIC Members Endorse Meeting And Travel Guidelines
Fifteen member organizations of the Convention Industry Council (CIC) have endorsed the Guidelines for Meetings, Events, and Incentive Travel, a response to a government call for guidelines on meeting and incentive travel programs for companies that have received federal emergency funding. For more information, visit www.conventionindustry.org.
NYC Business Travel Summit Draws Industry Leader Companies
Travel industry executives representing Best Western International, Southwest Airlines and MasterCard Worldwide convened in New York City for the third annual Business Travel Summit. The summit's major discussion topics included the current economic recession's impact on business travel, expense management tools, loyalty programs, and business-to-business partnerships. Linda Rutherford, vice president of communications and strategic outreach for Southwest Airlines, (left), George Zilvetti, vice president, co-brand development, MasterCard Worldwide, (center), and Dorothy Dowling, senior vice president of marketing and sales for Best Western, (right), discuss the recession's impact on business travel at the third annual Business Travel Summit in New York.
DMAI And U.S. Travel Association Foundations To Merge
Destination Marketing Association International (DMAI) and the U.S. Travel Association have decided to unite their foundations in a new alliance, named the Destination & Travel Foundation. The new alliance will serve to bolster the destination marketing profession and travel industry by supporting activities through research, education, visioning and travel industry partnerships. The new foundation will be headed by DMAI Foundation Executive Director Jim Duda and its board will be comprised of members from both foundations. Its first joint initiative will be the Destination Excellence: Investing in the Future of Destination Marketing campaign. For more information, go to www.destinationmarketing.org or www.ustravel.org.
ASAE & The Center Impact Study Responds To Economic Climate
The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) & The Center for Association Leadership has released the results of a new economic study titled "ASAE & The Center Impact Study: Beliefs, Behaviors and Attitudes in Response to the Current Economy." The study concluded that the association meetings sector is doing well, and it highlighted several key points for leaders to keep in mind when planning business strategies. Respondents in the study reported they prefer face-to-face interaction and might skip local events in order to attend larger, national/regional meetings which have higher value. The study was conducted between December 2008 and January 2009 and included the participation of more than 100 associations, with 8,500 professionals offering their input. For more information and to read the white paper, visit www.asaecenter.org/economy.
JetBlue Offers Help To Unemployed Customers
JetBlue Airways has announced an airfare-forgiveness program for customers who book flights and lose their jobs after their bookings. The JetBlue Promise Program allows customers who book flights between now and June 1, 2009 and lose their jobs on or after February 17, 2009 are eligible for a full refund and can request the refund at least 14 days prior to the travel date. Eligible customers can also request refunds for up to nine customers traveling on one reservation (but excludes group bookings and frequent flyer miles travel). Customers with questions can contact promise@jetblue.com.