On The Cover - August / September 2008

By Stella Johnson

When Chicago-based Healthcare Information and Management  Systems Society (HIMSS) convened at Universal Orlando Resort earlier this year for its 2008 Annual Conference & Exhibition, the event broke attendance records, drawing 29,000 attendees — 9,000 more than its total membership. “Members,

“Members, spouses, children, exhibitors and staff all attended.  ...People were very happy with the (Orlando) conference, and overall it scored close to 90 percent in approval ratings.” Karen Malone Vice President of Meeting Services Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society Chicago, IL

spouses, children, exhibitors and staff all attended,” said HIMSS Vice President of Meeting Services Karen Malone, accounting for the phenomenal figure.

Malone, who sometimes includes her husband or twin sister on a pre- or post-convention trip, also commented that choosing Orlando as the destination and, more specifically, Universal Orlando Resort as the site, broke a number of records for the group: One, it drew record attendance; two, it attracted higher-level executives, a number of whom stayed on with family members; and three, its networking event, historically one of the group’s most popular activities, attracted a record number of meeting-goers.

One of Universal Orlando’s keys to success is that the resort distinguishes itself by delivering a prestigious AAA Four Diamond-rated hotel experience within a broader environment for kids and adults. Vince LaRuffa, vice president of resort sales and marketing for Universal Orlando Resort, said, “We find that an increasing number of association groups are incorporating spouse programs and children’s events within the fabric of their programs, unlike corporate groups, which are more likely to add a couple of days before or after the meeting. When you relate this to today’s economy, when families are scrutinizing various vacation options, the concept of attending a meeting in a destination that is also known for delivering great family experiences, bringing your family along suddenly becomes a very palatable option. Also, meeting-goers don’t have to worry about entertaining their guests while attending meetings, as they can easily meet up with them at certain periods during the day.”

He added that Universal Orlando is a safe environment with no free access in or out of the complex. It has security personnel and event guides with radios and other communication devices for rapid response in the event of an emergency. “People come for a great meeting but they can also have a fabulous family experience. These two objectives are not mutually exclusive in our destination,” LaRuffa said, naming meeting planner Karen Malone’s citywide convention as a perfect example. “Karen’s team included three Loews Hotels in her block and they also held a very successful themed event at Universal Studios Florida.”

Thinking Outside The Ballroom
The fact is that planning a meeting today requires a lot of thinking “outside-the-ballroom,” as industry leader Gary Sain, president and CEO of the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau likes to say. Sain, who said he traveled with his dad when he was a kid although “only as a Navy brat,” noted that today’s shrinking tourism market continues to dwindle and is expected to do so throughout next year.

Shrek and company get up close and personal with attendees and family at Universal Orlando Resort, thanks to the technological magic of OgreVision, which adds a 4th dimension of special effects to an original 3-D film. Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort

“The first point when the meetings and hospitality industry will start to see some real growth again will be 2010,” Sain predicted. “Oh, people will continue to travel during this period but they will travel differently, taking vacations that are four nights instead of five, or turning business trips into family vacations.” According to this CEO, bureaus and hotels want a fair share of the travel pie, whatever it may be, and they can get it by offering more travel choices to both the public and private sector — especially in the way of economically sound, pre- and post-convention trips with family, friends and children. (Incidentally, Orlando is more than

“Pirates of the Caribbean” is “arrrgh”uably one of the more popular family attractions at Walt Disney World Resort’s Magic Kingdom. Walt Disney World Resort provides the perfect balance in play versus work, with theme parks aplenty plus six convention hotels and the Disney Institute, which offers professional development opportunities. Disney’s Signature Events team can arrange networking, teambuilding and entertainment for groups within any of the resort’s theme parks. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort

prepared to meet that resurgence when it comes with a revitalized downtown that includes an expanded convention center and new or expanded hotels.) Still, he mused, it’s not all about ROI or return on investment, it’s also about return on ideas, too.

The Orlando Experience
Indeed, one would be hard-pressed to find a more natural place on earth that so beautifully meshes families and meetings together than Orlando, Florida, home to not only Universal, but Disney World, too.

For instance, Universal Orlando Resort claims to be a destination where “meeting attendees can bring their spouses and children and still get business done.” For the uninitiated, the newly branded Universal Orlando Resort Meetings & Events allows planners to leverage the resort’s facilities and services and have a one-stop shop that includes three meeting-style, award-winning Loews Hotels, all of which are a stroll or quick water-taxi ride away from all Univeral Orlando sites and attractions: the Portofino Bay Hotel (750 rooms, 42,000 square feet of meeting space); Hard Rock Hotel (650 rooms, 6,000 square feet of meeting space); and Royal Pacific Resort (1,000 rooms, 85,000 square feet of meeting space).

There are also two theme parks — Universal Studios, a motion picture and television theme park with attractions based on pop-culture icons and blockbuster films; and Islands of Adventure, known for white-knuckle, technologically advanced thrill rides and other exciting activities — and CityWalk, a 30-acre entertainment complex dedicated to dining, shopping, club and live entertainment venues. Onsite are Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, Emeril’s Orlando and Hard Rock Live, among many dining and entertainment options.

Combined, Universal Orlando has a total of more than 250,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space located throughout the entire complex, as well as one-of-a-kind entertainment options including the new, customizable Blue Man Group show. Unique venue options include access to open-air arenas, production soundstages, back-lot movie sets, night clubs and restaurants, and themed areas from a medieval village to a tropical jungle to a comic book city for special events.

When attendees and their families are ready to explore, Universal Orlando issues exclusive convention-rate tickets for half-, full- and multiple-day use, as well as Universal Express which allows onsite hotel guests to bypass regular lines for attractions, rides and shows — a real hit with attendees and their guests. Universal also offers spa services and group discounts at its 12,000-square-foot Mandara Spa; and, through a partnership with four of central Florida’s top championship golf courses, Universal can arrange group golf outings and tournaments, each with a designated golf event director.

“Because we are an entertainment company,” said LaRuffa, “there are a lot of opportunities to delight and surprise our guests in unexpected ways. Meeting-goers don’t have to worry about their families or guests who can pursue a variety of activities and attractions on their own.” LaRuffa, who prior to joining Universal Orlando was a vice president at the Orlando/Orange County CVB, was most recently elected to a three-year term on the board of trustees for the MPI Foundation (and, we might add, he is also on the board of Canine Companions for Independence).

Record-Breaking Event
Karen Malone, who was born and raised in Chicago, started her career, almost inadvertently, answering an ad for an administrative assistant at SmithBucklin. “The ad said ‘travel-related’ and I thought ‘Hmm, that

Whoo hoo! Universal Orlando Resort’s Universal Studios Florida theme park is home to the new Simpsons Ride, which transports attendees and their families through Krustyland, inhabited by America’s favorite animated family — Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie.  Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort

sounds interesting.’” 

Now, with more than 10 years of experience at HIMSS, Malone has attained the managerial level of vice president of meeting services and coordinates “all the logistics of all the meetings we do, from citywide conventions to meetings in Europe and Asia and, this spring, the Middle East. We also plan 45 seminars per year.”

The opening reception for the 2008 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition was held at the Orlando Convention Center and was attended by almost 7,000 people. The event donned an Academy Awards theme with celebrity look-a-likes such as Humphrey Bogart, Lucille Ball and Marilyn Monroe, a red carpet to greet attendees and Oscars-style “awards” ceremony. There were plenty of photo ops with the look-a-likes while movie themes played in the background.

Although the healthcare group suggested that attendees tack on vacation days to the front or back end of the convention — which allowed them to keep their special hotel rates and other discounts — some of the families came for the whole nine yards of the convention anyway. “Everyone is invited to all of our big events and I saw a lot of spouses during the day, too, doing their own thing,” Malone said. Although no specific children’s programs were formally planned, Malone provided ample information regarding Universal sites and area attractions for kids of all ages on the group’s designated Web site.

Traditionally, one of the association’s most popular activities is its annual networking event, which attendees pay for separately. For 2008, they utilized Universal Studios’ New York set and drew almost 10 percent of the group. It included a free cocktail, dinner and entertainment, dancing and the latest rides. “It was kind of

It’s Lucy...it’s the Opening Reception planned with an Academy Awards theme at the 2008 Annual HIMSS Conference & Exhibition in Orlando, FL. Attendees met several familiar celebrities who joined the crowd during the Sunday night event at the Orange County Convention Center. Photo courtesy of HIMSS

an old-fashioned block party with an Irish pub, casual restaurants, rides, 3-D movies and the Blues Brothers. We had the highest attendance ever,” Malone reported.

Post-evaluation scores for the Orlando experience were quite high, too. “People were very happy with the (Orlando) conference, and overall it scored close to 90 percent in approval ratings. Our networking event, however, scored well over 90 percent, higher than any other year,” she said.

Making Dreams Come True
There are those among us who might still remember those small, 13-inch, black-and-white TV screen we watched while Walt Disney introduced what went on to become “The Wonderful World of Disney,” way back in the mid-1950s. It was Walt Disney himself who said all of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. Accordingly, the famous Walt Disney World Resort tries to do just that: help meeting planners’ dream of a perfect event become a reality. And, it has more than 600,000 square feet of flexible and very unique space to do it.

For instance, under the banner of Special Programs and Services, Disney offers Signature Events for networking, teambuilding and entertaining within any one of its theme parks including Animal Kingdom, Epcot and Magic Kingdom, among others. Also, the Disney Institute offers opportunities for professional development and has been called “a living classroom where attendees can experience the business behind the magic.” Also onsite is Creative Events, reputed to be one of the most versatile event production companies in the world.

Planners unfamiliar with all that Disney delivers might be surprised to find as many as nine theme parks and an impressive list of lodging accommodations that, depending on personal preferences and budgets, are value-packed and fairly priced. These run the gamut from deluxe, convention-style resorts (Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort is the largest among Disney’s six dedicated convention resorts, which offer a combined total of 5,000 guest rooms and 600,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space) to the more moderately priced hotels, as well as cabins and campgrounds that are perfect for attendees who wish to extend their trip with their children in mind.

Although most meeting programs can be customized to any association’s special needs and requirements, spouse’s programs include several behind-the-scenes tours including Gardens of the World and Hidden Treasures; while children’s activities include a Wonderland Tea Party, Mouseketeer Clubhouse, Pirate’s Adventure, Harbor Club and Cooking Adventures, among others.

The Great Florida Tow Show
One of the many groups that return to Walt Disney World Resort year after year is the Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida (PWOF), centrally located in Orlando. Incorporated in 1977, PWOF has operated as an association of towing business people who constantly seek new ways to upgrade the industry in terms of image, profitability and working conditions. With more than 5,000 attendees, its annual Florida Tow Show has grown to be one of the largest international towing expositions around, attracting exhibitors and attendees from all over the world.

PWOF’s Executive Director Mike Seamon plans the whole pow-wow. Ask him why the group returns to Disney World year after year and he will tell you that it’s because Disney (more specifically, the 1,921-room Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort) has “220,000 square feet of exhibit space and all the parking space we need.” Ask him what the highlight of the whole event is and he’ll say the same thing almost without batting an eyelash — “220,000 square feet of exhibit space and all the parking space we need!”

The fun-filled, full-blown event is normally scheduled during a four-day time frame, Thursday through Sunday, and includes a board meeting, classroom sessions on a variety of subjects including “10 Ways to Roll a Vehicle.” There are amusing driving contests and corresponding award presentations. Since PWOF’s member companies are mostly family owned and operated, the show literally tows in more than 5,000 attendees, including spouses and children, some of whom come a day or two earlier

Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort entertains families with three heated pools as well as an archaeological adventure at its Dig Site feature pool. Meeting facilities total 220,000 square feet of contiguous function space on one level that includes the 86,000-square-foot Veracruz Exhibit Hall. The resort also features one of the largest hotel ballrooms in the Southeast at more than 60,000 square feet. Photo courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort

or a stay a day or two later in order to take advantage of the endless variety of Disney options in the way of entertainment and excitement.

According to Seamon, his group likes to take advantage of the Disney offer to “come for the meeting and stay for the magic.” It offers all meeting and convention groups theme park tickets designed to accommodate any agenda and are only available to attendees, their guests and family members.

Seamon readily admits, “We’re not your typical trade show. We have a lot of vehicles and a lot of things going on both inside and outside the facilities, like food and beverage events and industrial demonstrations. We actually spill into the parking lots.”

Planner On A Mission To Boost Attendance By 50 Percent
Project Manager Kristy O’Leary also views family-friendly meetings as an opportunity to increase attendance and, perhaps, shake things up a bit by changing the demographics of the group. Her organization, the Ohio Oil & Gas Association (OOGA), is a trade group with more than 1,300 members involved in the exploration, production and development of crude oil and natural gas resources within the state of Ohio. One of her responsibilities is to plan its annual summer meeting, which has been traditionally hosted at a nearby country club.

“I’ve run into too many logistical problems coordinating this event,” she said, “the five hotels we’ll need for lodging, selecting an offsite venue for our prestigious awards dinner, getting the music and caterers lined up, and on and on. Usually, only association members without any family members attend and I want to change that. I thought a resort like Saw Mill Creek in nearby Sandusky, which overlooks Lake Erie, would be a perfect fit for us and, with all the onsite recreational activities the resort offers its guests, the event would be more family-oriented

A luau buffet at Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando offers an entertaining way to include the kids while mom and dad network. Photo courtesy of Universal Orlando Resort

than in prior years.”

O’Leary anticipates that the changeover would not only solve logistical problems but it also would attract a higher level of clientele and increase overall attendance by as much as 50 percent: “Our members would be more inclined to turn it into a mini-vacation for the whole family, especially in this economy. Members could attend meetings while spouses and children took advantage of the many recreational activities at the resort. They could also extend the trip.” Older members would appreciate the relaxing respite, O’Leary believes.

After doing all the necessary research to support her claim, O’Leary took her ideas to the association’s 12-member Meeting Committee who unanimously voted for Saw Mill Creek rather than the local country club. The next step, she said, is obtaining approval from a 65-member board of trustees, but she’s confident that “it all looks good to go.”

Another built-in benefit of the decision in selecting a family-oriented site over the local country club, she affirmed, is that the event also will attract younger members who will, in turn, bring family members. “Like most associations, we tend to have an older demographic attending our functions but the resort will change that by appealing to a larger base of our members.”

So far, O’Leary’s wish list includes a fishing tournament, a reception on the beach and a number of golfing contests. There will also be a number of age-appropriate activities for the kids and teens, as well as interesting programs for spouses and guests, “including a wine-tasting party at a vineyard,” she mused.

Final Words…
Finally, always remember that a business trip is a great way for kids to see mom or dad in an entirely different role, or so advises Eileen Ogintz, author of the syndicated column “Taking the Kids.”

“It also can be a great time to introduce kids to your passion, whether it’s art museums, baseball, scuba diving, etc. It’s a good idea to opt for a suite…so the child can play/watch TV in one room while you work in the other.” Other Ogintz tips: Take one child at a time for one-on-one bonding (“no sibling rivalry that way”); make sure your child understands your meeting agenda, after all, you do have to work first (“just like they have to do their homework first”); and, get your child(ren) involved in the itinerary (“let them lead you”).

In addition, for any meeting planners convening in “unchild-like” cities, log-on to sixnewthings.com for a selected list of things to see and do with children when meeting in those destinations. This summer’s pick includes The World of Coca Cola museum in Atlanta, the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, Millennium Park in Chicago, the Children’s Museum in Boston and the Asia Art Museum in San Francisco.    ACF

Hoteliers Accommodate The Trend

It’s a megatrend, this blurring of the lines between work life and personal life brought on by technology and 24/7 connectedness, the economy, generational shifts — and recent headlines from various news sources bear it out. For instance, according to SpongeBob SquarePants chuckles as Marriott International Chairman and CEO Bill Marriott gets slimed in celebration of the hotelier and Nickelodeon’s partnership to build Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott. Photo courtesy of Marriott International one CNN report “Forget the babysitter, more parents taking kids on business trips,” convention planners are wooing their attendees by arranging for babysitting services and family-oriented activities, “especially after the terrorist attacks of 2001 when the industry struggled to recover by offering more incentives to get people on the road (and in the air) again,” it said. For instance, children can enjoy their own kid-sized buffet at either Disneyland or Disney World, while mom or dad are attending a business luncheon in an adjacent hall. Likewise, as USA Today reported, “Taking a business trip? Hotels want you to bring the whole family.” Family-friendly amenities and services are coming up roses at such hotel chains as Omni Hotels which, it said, not only provides backpacks with small toys for children, and milk and cookies at the end of a child’s busy day, but also offers at certain locations kid suites with bunk/twin beds, beanbag chairs and denim couches. The really big news in the piece, however, is that Marriott International, in partnership with Nickelodeon, will soon introduce a new chain of hotels designed especially for families that will accommodate and appeal to group business. The first one will open in San Diego in late 2011 (19 more to open by 2020) with a 100,000-square-foot water park. Nickelodeon themes throughout the hotel will include “characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants, a main-stage theater for live entertainment and children’s suites decorated with Nick characters.” Group events will be managed by Marriott meeting professionals, and the hotels will offer facilities with an average of 30,000 square feet of meeting space. During non-group meeting periods, these facilities will host “Nick after Dark” events, as well as themed parties. The Orlando Sentinel reported that Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ “Love Your Family” program has been such a success at two of Sheraton’s timeshare properties in Orlando, that the parent company is taking the product to its meeting-style hotels and resorts. “It definitely breaks down the normal barriers,” said Sally Evans who was instrumental in developing the program and whose title is, appropriately enough, Director of Fun at the Sheraton Vistana Resort (a title not to be taken lightly either, for it holds just as much punch as Director of Operations). “It’s a moment that you share forever,” she was quoted as saying. Love Your Family is something an astute meeting planner should know about. Comprised of three components, “Love” includes Fireside Storytelling (campfire, marshmallows, s’mores and professional storytellers); Stargazing (telescopes and constellations); and Dive-in Movies (a family swim followed by movies on the Big Screen), among other activities. In addition, there is a guilt-free Parents’ Night Out (while children enjoy their own Big Night Out); a selection of family-style amenities and services; and a food-and-beverage policy that lets children under five eat free and children ages six to 12, eat at half price. “The purpose of Love Your Family is not only to help families maximize their time together (whether on vacation, business trip or convention), but to create memories that will last well beyond the flight home,” said Matt Ouimet, president of the White Plains, NY-based Starwood Hotel Group. — SJ

Artist’s rendering of the planned Nickelodeon Resorts by Marriott, the first of which is slated to open in San Diego in late 2011. The 650-room, themed resort will offer approximately 30,000 square feet of meeting space. Photo courtesy of Marriott International