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ASAE's 2010 Annual Meeting & Expo Loves L.A.

Singing star Melissa Etheridge (top left) kicked things off at the ASAE Annual Meeting & Expo's opening ceremony in the Nokia Plaza (top right). The meeting and expo took place in Los Angeles August 21–24. As the attendance attested, things are picking up in the meetings and conventions industry: A grand total of 5,522 attendees participated compared to 4,901 last year. The final attendance breakdown includes 2,856 executives (compared to 2,183 in 2009), 1,894 exhibitors (compared to 1,798 in 2009) and 772 other participants, including guests, spouses, press, volunteers, vendors and staff (compared to 920 in 2009). Also pictured above are the St. Louis booth at the Expo and John H. Graham, IV, CAE, president and CEO of ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. Graham noted, “The numbers from the 2010 Annual Meeting are very encouraging not only to ASAE but to the entire association community. We believe the positive growth is a good sign that associations and the entire nonprofit community are slowly rebounding from the down economy. This doesn’t mean the tough times are behind us, but it’s a promising indicator that we’re trending in the right direction.”

A total of 439 companies exhibited at the 2010 event (compared to 436 in 2009), occupying 733 booths. The ratio at the expo hall was 60 percent buyers (association staff) to 40 percent sellers (industry partners), which is one of the best ratios in several years. In 2009, the ratio was 55 percent buyers to 45 percent sellers.
Nearly 2,400 guests attended the fourth annual Food & Wine Classic, a fundraiser benefiting the ASAE Foundation, which raised $225,000. The Silent Auction raised $50,000 and the Annual Gold Tournament raised 10,000.

The live event may be over, but the conversation from this year's meeting continues for the next three months with ASAE's 2010 Virtual Annual Meeting Library.To purchase access to 70 on-demand sessions including learning labs, call ASAE's Member Service Center at 888-950-2723 (202-371-0940 in Washington, DC) between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. EST through August 31.

Next year's Annual Meeting & Expo will be August 6–9 in St. Louis. www.asaecenter.org

HCEA Announces Top 50 Largest U.S. Medical Meetings
The Healthcare Convention & Exhibitors Association (HCEA) has released its list of the top 50 largest U.S. medical meetings held in 2009. The listed meetings include both actual and rounded attendance figures self-reported by the event organizers. Below are the top 10 medical meetings from the list:

Rank Association Name Total Attendance

1 Greater New York Dental Meeting 59,166

2 Radiological Society Of North America, Inc. 56,824

3 American Academy Of Orthopaedic Surgeons 33,440

4 American Dental Association 32,000

5 Chicago Dental Society 31,333

6 Society For Neuroscience 30,581

7 FIME Intermed USA 30,306

8 American Society Of Clinical Oncology - Annual Meeting 29,600

9 Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society 27,627

10 Massachusetts Dental Society - Yankee Dental Congress 26,138


The top 50 largest medical meetings are ranked by reported total attendance, which measures all registered participants at a convention, including exhibitors. In the case of a tie, professional attendance is used to further determine the rank.
To see the full list visit www.hcea.org/research_top50.asp.

Anaheim Reports Rise In Meetings & Conventions Business
The Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau recently reported that the first six months of 2010 brought in 367 meetings and conventions to Anaheim and Orange County. Their collective official attendance was 600,927. According to Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau. "This was a phenomenal year in terms of attendance and the type of high profile groups we hosted in the Anaheim area. We had a number of groups that exceeded projected attendance estimates and many who were thrilled with Anaheim's unique meeting campus environment, amenities and world-class meeting and trade show venues." One or the largest groups so far this year was NAMM - International Music Products Association, with 89,000 attendees. www.anaheimoc.org/meetings

Long Beach CVB & Friends Celebrate ‘Spruce Goose’

The Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (LBCVB) welcomed meeting planners and guests to celebrate Red Bull Flugtag, a waterfront event that brought 105,000 people into Long Beach on August 21. The LBCVB’s “Flight of the Spruce Goose 2.0” paid tribute to Long Beach aviation history and was one of 35 teams chosen to participate in the event. Pictured from left to right: Jamal Hageb, senior meeting planner American Bar Association; Amber Cowan, LBCVB Flugtag team member; Salma Hageb, guest; Claudette Baldemor, LBCVB Flugtag team member; Megan Rodriguez, LBCVB Flugtag team member; Billie Robinson, associate director, conventions & meetings, Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses; Art Scanlon, LBCVB staff; Susan Perry, The Perry Group Inc; Paul Romero, LBCVB Flugtag team member and Chad Pearson, LBCVB Flugtag team member. www.visitlongbeach.com

Outlook Brightens for International Association Meetings
Results from a survey of 100 association executives jointly carried out by ICCA and IMEX among the international association hosted buyers who attended the most recent IMEX in Frankfurt paint a very positive picture for this most resilient sector of the meetings industry. Thirty-one percent reported higher actual or planned attendance for their 2010 events compared to previous years and 46 percent indicated no change, with only 14 percent reporting slight reductions and fewer than one in 10 reporting “significant” fall in numbers. Almost one-third of associations will be running more meetings in 2011 than in 2010, with only 8 percent planning to organize fewer; and 53 percent are projecting higher attendances than in 2010 compared to 6 percent who expect their delegate number to fall. “International associations will continue to be a key hosted buyer sector for IMEX and for our new IMEX America show in 2011,” said Carina Bauer, IMEX group CEO. www.iccaworld.com, www.imexamerica.com

GHCVB Reports Healthy Growth
The Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau (GHCVB) noted at their recent annual meeting that they are poised for growth as recovery continues. For the fiscal year 2009–2010, the convention sales department booked 516,000 room nights for domestic conventions, trade shows and group meetings for future years—86 percent of goal—representing more than $630 million in direct expenditures in Houston for future years. The GHCVB continues to focus on key markets with large numbers of meeting planners and associations: Washington, DC, Chicago and New York. A major goal for 2009–2010 was to expand Houston’s footprint in the international meetings market, with a key bid to host the World Petroleum Congress in 2014. A new initiative of the GHCVB is to develop annual trade shows—from conception to implementation. www.visithoustontexas.com

Washington, DC's Marriott Marquis Headquarters Hotel To Break Ground
Walter E. Washington Convention Center officials expect groundbreaking on a 1,167-room Marriott Marquis to take place by the end of October. One of only three Marriott Marquis properties in the country, the four-star room hotel will be located across the street from the convention center. www.dcconvention.com

Omni Hotels & Resorts To Build Music City Headquarters Hotel
Omni Hotels & Resorts and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville, TN, have reached a pre-development agreement to build a new hotel in downtown Nashville. The Omni Nashville Hotel will be adjacent to the new, state-of-the-art 1.2 million square foot Music City Convention Center currently under construction and scheduled for completion in 2013. The new multi-story hotel, which will feature approximately 800 guest rooms and suites and over 80,000 square feet of meeting and event space, is estimated to open later that same year. “We broke ground on our new downtown convention center earlier this year,” said Nashville Mayor Karl Dean. “The headquarters hotel completes the picture for Music City Center and dramatically enhances our ability to market it and reach our goals for growing Nashville’s tourism industry.” www.omnihotels.com

Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center Dedicates Expansion
The Mississippi Coast Coliseum & Convention Center and state officials recently officially dedicated the facility’s $118 million expansion and renovation,which has added 220,000 square feet of meeting space for a grand total of 400,000 square feet. Hurricane Katrina had delayed completion of the project. “Now, we’re in a position to appeal to 85 percent of the businesses out there,” said the convention center’s Executive Director Bill Holmes. The center’s older space also has been totally renovated. www.mscoastcoliseum.com

HSMAI's Affordable Meetings Offers New Meeting Concierge Service
A new One-to-One Meeting Concierge service to arrange pre-scheduled face-to-face meetings with exhibitors will be offered at The Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Affordable Meetings National Exhibition and Conference and Event Technology Expo at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., from Sept. 8-9, 2010. The concierge works individually with planners to schedule appointments with exhibitors they are most interested in meeting with during the show. The personal service was a success leading up to both Affordable Meetings Mid-America and Affordable Meetings West and responsible for arranging hundreds of pre-scheduled appointments between the two shows. www.affordablemeetings.com

Cosmopolitan Of Las Vegas Sets Opening Date
The 2,995-room Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is currently taking reservations for its opening on December 15, 2010. The Cosmopolitan, located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, will feature two 50-story towers showcasing oversized residential-style living space and expansive private terraces. Resort features include 167,000 square feet for meetings; 100,000 square feet of casino space; 60,000 square feet of shopping; a 43,000-square-foot spa; three pool experiences; multi-level integrated nightclubs and signature restaurants. www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

PCMA Announces Site Of 2013 Annual Meeting
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) has announced that the site of its 2013 Convening Leaders Annual Meeting will be Orlando, FL, which last hosted the event in 1999. The Annual Meeting, which will take place January 13–16, typically attracts more than 3,000 attendees. “We are extremely excited to work with Orlando for this future meeting,” said Deborah Sexton, PCMA president and CEO. “Orlando put together a terrific package and so much has happened in Orlando since PCMA was last there. It’s certainly time to return and see the convention center expansion, the new hotel development and all of the great things Orlando has grown to offer. It’s clear that Orlando is very serious about winning our members’ business and the opportunity for everyone to see the latest is great.” www.pcma.org

ASAE & The Center To Bestow Leadership Awards
ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership honored David N. Parker, CAE, president and CEO of the American Gas Association (AGA), with this year’s Key Award; David G. Gabri, president and CEO of Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI), with the Academy of Leaders Award; and R. Norris Orms, MBA, FACHE, CAE, executive vice president and COO of the Healthcare Information & Management Systems Society (HIMSS), with the Professional Performance Award. The awards were presented at ASAE & The Center’s 2010 Annual Meeting & Exposition, August 21-24 in Los Angeles. www.asaecenter.org

Disney Resorts Score Top Spot In Hospitality Survey
A pool of 35,000 surveyed customers awarded Walt Disney Resorts the highest rating in the hotel upper upscale category. The results are from the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, the largest and most in-depth measure of hospitality company performance available today. For the first quarter of 2010, Disney received an 89.7 numerical rating out of 100 points in the hotel category. “Taking the survey’s top spot is a testament to our world-class facilities, remarkable attention to detail and knowledgeable Cast Members, all of which sets us well above the rest in the meetings industry,” said George Aguel, senior vice president for Disney Destinations. “The impeccable services and accommodations Disney offers make way for one-of-a-kind experiences for meeting attendees, conventioneers and other business professionals. That’s what makes us uniquely Disney." www.disneymeetings.com

Atlanta Wins New Convention Business
Atlanta will host the upcoming Rotary International and Primerica Inc. conventions. The Rotary Foundation Board voted to move forward with Atlanta as the site for the Rotary International convention June 10–14, 2017. The convention attracts more than 30,000 Rotarians from around the world. "This is a big win for Atlanta and the state of Georgia," said William Pate, president and CEO of Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Statewide support from Rotarian leaders strengthened the city's proposal and helped Atlanta to stand out from the competition." The biennial Primerica convention, the city's largest corporate meeting, with 50,000 attendees, returns June 15–18, 2011. Both conventions will take place at the Georgia World Congress Center. www.atlanta.net

PCMA Adds Newest Chapter In Mexico
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) board of directors approved Mexico as PCMA's third international chapter and the 17th chartered PCMA chapter. The Mexico chapter is a key part of PCMA's Global strategy. The announcement was made during PCMA's 2010 Education Conference June 12–16 in Montreal, QC. The first PCMA Mexico Chapter President will be Jesus Aparicio, CMP, CMM, CASE, President and CEO of Eventia. The chapter will be based in Mexico City. Aparicio stated, "Opening a PCMA chapter in Mexico is an excellent way to not only attract the attention of meeting professionals planning international meetings but to improve the professionalism of our industry in Mexico through PCMA's education." www.pcma.org

New Projects Revitalize St. Louis
According to the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission, downtown St. Louis continues to reinvent itself with new development projects currently underway. The Laurel, a 630,000-square-foot development adjacent to the America’s Center convention complex district, will be transformed into a 212-room Embassy Suites Hotel, apartments and street-level retail. The new 135-room Moonrise Hotel features the Rooftop Bar and the Eclipse restaurant. The new Four Seasons Hotel offers 200 guest rooms, a 12,000-square-foot spa, a fitness center, pool, a 24-hour business center and restaurant Cielo. The former Adam’s Mark Hotel has been renovated and rebranded as the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, which underwent a $63 million building-wide renovation. The 910-room property serves as a signature group and convention-oriented destination hotel for St. Louis’ business, convention and leisure visitor market. The former Hyatt Regency at Union Station is now the St. Louis Union Station Marriott. The hotel will undergo a $25 million restoration including all guest rooms, meeting space and public space, and add 20,000 square feet to the current floor plan. explorestlouis.com

MGM Mirage Changes Name To MGM Resorts International
MGM Mirage shareholders approved at their annual meeting a proposal to rebrand the iconic hospitality leader “MGM Resorts International.” In addition, the company announced that it will relaunch its Players Club loyalty program as M Life. "We believe this evolution honors our entertainment heritage, better represents the growing global presence our company has today and positions us to move forward under a unified brand strategy," said Jim Murren, chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International. "The new MGM Resorts International name will create better clarity and awareness for our collection of assets globally thereby maximizing our best-in-class portfolio of resorts." www.mgmresorts.com

Virginia Beach Convention Center Achieves LEED Gold
The Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (CVB) announces that the Virginia Beach Convention Center is the first convention center in the country to achieve LEED Gold certification for Existing Buildings. This achievement also signifies the facility as the Commonwealth of Virginia’s largest building (over 515,000 square feet) to achieve the LEED Gold certified project for Existing Buildings. The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high performance green buildings, which was developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). www.vbconventioncenter.com/green

Chicago's Tinley Park Convention Center Is Expanding
Officials broke ground in April on an expansion of the Tinley Park Convention Center in Chicago's south metro region that will effectively double the size of the current facility, adding an additional 24,000 square feet of clear-span exhibit space and bringing the total contiguous exhibit space to over 58,000 square feet. Another 9,000 square feet of functional meeting space will bring the convention center's breakout room count to 18. The expansion is expected to be completed by May 2011. www.visitchicagosouthland.com

Chicago CTB Launches Meetings And Conventions Trip Planner
The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau (CCTB), has launched MyChicagoTrip, an online tool that allows meeting and convention attendees and exhibitors to build customized Chicago experiences. At the conclusion of the event, user travel styles and interests are aggregated and made available to meeting planners to help them market effectively and ultimately create more meaningful and memorable experiences for their attendees in the future. "In this highly competitive and rapidly changing industry, meeting planners are increasingly challenged to deliver value to their attendees and exhibitors," said Tim Roby, president and CEO of the CCTB. "The data from MyChicagoTrip profile reports give the CCTB the opportunity to help meeting planners better understand their attendees." www.meetings.mychicagotrip.com

Renaissance Palm Springs Makes Its Debut
The Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel — the only property connected to the Palm Springs Convention Center — recently unveiled its new makeover. Formerly a Wyndham Hotel, the Renaissance Palm Springs has undergone a comprehensive, multimillion-dollar redesign that included the lobby, restaurants, meeting rooms, accommodations and pool areas. The hotel has 410 guest rooms that offer views of the scenic San Jacinto Mountains. A total of 30,000 square feet of meeting space includes 14 meeting rooms, a unique learning center amphitheater and ballroom of 12,571 square feet. Outdoor receptions for up to 2,000 attendees are accommodated in the pool area, which features a 24,000-square-foot courtyard. The convention center offers another 150,000 square feet of space. www.renaissancepalmspringshotel.com

PCMA And IMEX America Announce Industry Partnership
The Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA) and IMEX Amercia have entered into a new industry partnership agreement that will see the two organizations collaborating on a range of marketing and educational initiatives, including the co-location of an important PCMA educational event alongside IMEX America when it launches in October 2011. Both organizations intend to use the partnership to generate high quality hosted buyer groups for IMEX America as well as target potential new U.S. trade show attendees. PCMA plans to host approximately 150 buyers to IMEX America and will target top-level association and corporate buyers from the major industry sectors. The addition of PCMA's co-located educational event to the IMEX America calendar means that 40 separate educational seminars and workshops will be available free of charge to attendees over the three-day IMEX America on October 11–13, 2011 at the Sands Expo, Las Vegas. www.pcma.org, www.imexamerica.com

Convention Industry Council Promotes Kotowski To CEO
The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has announced the promotion of Karen Kotowski, CAE, CMP, from Chief Operating Officer to Chief Executive Officer. The CIC board of directors voted unanimously on this change at their recent board meeting. "Karen has gone an incredible job for us over the past 16 months in managing the day to day activities of CIC and in planning forward on all of our critical initiatives," said Deborah Sexton, chair of the CIC board and president of the Professional Convention Management Association. Kotowski joined CIC in 2008 as COO. She leads a team of professionals in managing the CMP program, APEX and other CIC programs and activities. www.conventionindustry.org

Land Secured For San Diego Convention Center Expansion
The Unified Port of San Diego has authorized the transfer of six acres of land to the San Diego Convention Center Corporation (SDCCC) that would allow for an expansion of the San Diego Convention Center. Plans for the $752 million expansion call for the addition of 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, 100,000 square feet of meeting rooms, 80,000 square feet of multipurpose ballrooms and 40,000 square feet of bayfront retail. With service and support space, the overall gross square footage of the expansion totals 1,266,719 square feet, amounting to roughly one-third of the entire San Diego Convetnion Center upon completion of Phase Three. Carol Wallace, president and CEO of SDCCC commented, "We have lost or turned away 381 events in recent years because of lack of space or available dates. An expansion would allow us to accommodate 89 percent of that lost business." www.visitsandiego.com

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Convention Industry Council Launches New Research Effort
The Convention Industry Council (CIC) has issued a comprehensive survey to meeting planners that will develop data necessary to determine the economic significance meetings represent and to produce a basis for ongoing benchmarking and analysis of the meetings sector. The study is being conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the survey is being sent to planner members of CIC's member organization. An alliance of 11 of CIC's 32-member organizations is funding the study. This is the most comprehensive study to ever be undertaken for the meetings, conventions, exhibitions and events industry," said Deborah Sexton, 2010 CIC Chair and president and CEO of the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA), one of the organizations that is funding the research."The results of this study, along with the recently launched "Face Time" messaging campaign, will provide the data and tell the story about the economic, business and human value of face-to-face meetings and events. I urge everyone who receives the survey to fill it out and be part of this vital industry initiative." Those planners who complete the survey will receive an executive summary of the results as well as the option to have their name and organization's name listed in the acknowledgement. www.conventionindustry.org

JW Marriott Indianapolis Reaches Two Milestones
The 1,005-room JW Marriott Indianapolis — the largest JW Marriott in the world — has reached two major milestones. Bookings have surpassed 275,000 room nights, for a total of close to 400,000 room nights booked in the entire Marriott Place Indianapolis complex, and the glass facade of the building is now complete. The JW Marriott Indianapolis will offer 104,000 square feet of meeting, banquet and exhibit space. "We are moving ahead on schedule with the construction of the JW Marriott Indianapolis," said Cory Chambers, director of sales and marketing for Marriott Place Indianapolis. "Not only did the first three hotels in the Marriott Place development open ahead of schedule, but we are on track to open the JW Marriott in February 2011." Chamber added, "We're finding that the uniqueness of Marriott Place Indianapolis is appealing to meeting and event planners. With four Marriott properties on the site, at all different price points, and a variety of flexible meeting spaces, we can meet the needs of virtually any size group. Add that to the fact that we are steps away from all that downtown Indianapolis has to offer, and we have a winning proposition." www.jwindy.com

Visit Milwaukee Names New President/CEO
After a nationwide search, Visit Milwaukee today named Paul Upchurch as its new president and CEO. Upchurch joins Visit Milwaukee after some 30 years in the hospitality and tourism industry, including five years (2001–2005) as vice president of hotel operations with Milwaukee-based Marcus Hotels and Resorts. He most recently held the position of chief operating officer for Chicago-based TCA Holdings, operator of private sports resorts and clubs in the United States and Canada. "As a Midwesterner, my five years working in Milwaukee stand out as the most memorable," Upchurch said. "It's an honor for me to join this outstanding tourism marketing organization and work to grow our convention, meetings and leisure travel business for the region." www.visitmilwaukee.org

Palm Beach County Convention Center Hotel In The Works
After years of delay, the Palm Beach County Convention Center hotel project appears to have new life. The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners chose Related Companies, L.P. to develop a 400-room convention center hotel in West Palm Beach, FL, using the Hilton Hotels brand. Related developed CityPlace, the nearby shopping and entertainment district. With a projected opening in 2014, the hotel will be developed to allow for expansion to meet future demand. “Hilton Worldwide is proud to have a role in this important project for Palm Beach County and to be a part of the exceptional team that is collaborating with Related Companies to develop a first-class convention center hotel for the destination,” said Ted Ratcliff, SVP Operations - Eastern North America. www.related.com, www.hiltonworldwide.com

Southwest Washington CVB Launches New Brand
In spite of the fact that the southwest region of the state of Washington is home to Vancouver, the fourth largest and oldest city in the state, it has long suffered from a mistaken identity. The confusion between Vancouver, WA, and Vancouver, British Columbia, has always proven to be a huge hurdle for the Southwest Washington Convention and Visitors Bureau (SWCVB). To overcome this challenge, SWCVB announced that it is redefining itself through the launch of a new branding “Visit Vancouver USA | Discover the Original." “I am confident that this brand will begin clearing up the confusion between the Canadian city and our city, which was really reinforced during the 2010 Winter Olympics,” said Gerry Link, the general manager of the Hilton Vancouver Washington and Vancouver Convention Center. “We received numerous calls from travelers who mistakenly thought they were calling the other Vancouver.” www.visitvancouverusa.com

Association Execs Optimistic As Economy Improves
With the first signs of economic recovery on the horizon, association executives show increased optimism in the operation and financial performance of their organizations, according to a new study released by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership. “Associations and CEOs: A Report on Two Studies During a Down Economy” is the second installment of the association executives study, and fourth in a series that looked at the impact of the economy on the association community.
The key findings of the study indicate that: An increased number of association executives predict their revenues will increase in the coming year. • More than half of respondents believe membership will decrease, an improvement from 66 percent last year; more than twice as many respondents as last year believe membership will increase. • A larger percentage of respondents believe revenue will increase from multiday events; multi-day education events; sponsorships; and foundation giving. • A majority of executives anticipate online tools will provide new revenue streams, although only a third reported such an increase so far. • Leaders of smaller organizations, which traditionally invest their reserves in liquid investments, are the least confident that their total revenues will increase in the coming year. Conducted between January 26 and February 2, the study surveyed 960 association CEOs. It was preceded by the first study of association CEOs, conducted in the spring of 2009. www.asaecenter.org/economy

ASAE & The Center Announces Future Annual Meeting Host Cities
ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership announced that the cities of Atlanta, Nashville, Detroit, Salt Lake and Toronto have been selected to host the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 Annual Meetings & Expositions, respectively. It is estimated that 20 percent of the delegates who attend the Annual Meeting & Exposition book their own conventions in the host city within five years. “Even though ASAE & The Center’s Annual Meeting is the premier education and networking event, our members and industry partners attend this event not only to network and learn, but also to see and experience locations for their future meetings,” said ASAE & The Center President and CEO John H. Graham IV, CAE. “So the event is also a major economic boost for the host city." The announced sites join the following cities in hosting ASAE & The Center’s Annual Meeting & Exposition in the next three years: Los Angeles, August 21-24, 2010; St. Louis, August 6-9, 2011; and Dallas, August 11-14, 2012. www.asaecenter.org/annualmeeting

New Orleans Secures Six Major Citywide Conventions
The New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, have secured the conventions of Club Managers Association of America, Kiwanis International, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine, American Society of Plastic Surgeons and Benevolent & Protective Order of ELKS, which will bring 66,000 attendees and $77.6 million to the local economy between 2012 and 2014. “New Orleans is a city with depth, character and soul, lending itself as a premier destination for major conventions by offering attendees a great, convenient hotel package surrounded by the best restaurants in the country,” said Nikki Nicholson, vice president of convention sales for the New Orleans CVB. “With millions of dollars in improvements to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, and all the elements that make our city so authentic, it's no surprise that New Orleans is the destination of choice for major conventions." www.neworleanscvb.com

New Hotel To Open Across From Denver Convention Center
The new-build, 403-room Embassy Suites Denver Downtown hotel is scheduled to open directly across from the Denver, CO, Convention Center in December 2010. The hotel is being developed by White/Peterman Properties Inc. in Merrillville, IN, and will be managed by Windsor Management Services, the hotel management arm of Windsor Capital Group, headquartered in Santa Monica, CA. The new 403-room Embassy Suites Denver Downtown hotel will feature 17 function rooms totaling 21,000 square feet of meeting and banquet space. “This hotel is in a prime location, and our convention groups will be very excited about this addition to our skyline,” said Rachel Benedick, vice president of sales & services for Visit Denver, the city’s convention and visitors bureau. www.windsormanagementservices.com

The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa Merges With Diplomat Golf Resort
The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa in Hollywood, FL, recently merged with the Diplomat Golf Resort & Spa, a member of the Starwood Luxury Collection. Together, as one destination, The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa now offers golf, spa and beachfront accommodations and amenities, including the Troon Golf-managed 18-hole golf course, tennis center with 10 clay courts, full-service spa, teambuilding program, infinity-edge pool, Westin’s Kid Club, Westin Destination Club and several onsite dining options, such as the Hollywood Prime signature seafood and steakhouse. The resort offers 952 guest rooms and 106 suites. Total meeting facilities include more than 220,000 square feet of meeting and convention space with an unobstructed, 50,000-square-foot Great Hall, six ballrooms, 41 breakout rooms and ample outdoor venues. westin.com/diplomat