Executive Director
SOLE-The International Society of Logistics
Hyattsville, Md.
Describe your event.
We held our annual five-day international logistics conference and exposition in Irving for about 375 attendees from 10 countries. The Omni Mandalay Hotel at Las Colinas was our headquarters.
Why did you decide to host the meeting in Irving?
It has a great location, especially because of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. We probably had only about 10 percent of our attendees from the U.S. and 90 percent from around the world. Also, it has good proximity to Dallas, which has a certain international cache. Also, it’s affordable. The Omni gave us five-star quality for three-star prices.
What surprised you the most about Irving?
We were enormously impressed by the commitment and support of the Irving CVB. I used their registration personnel, who are without parallel. The bureau’s integration with the local community is very visible, so that even the mayor welcomed us with a proclamation.
What did your attendees seem to enjoy the most?
They loved the Omni for several reasons. For one thing, we are a meetings-intensive group. We typically have a requirement for a single plenary, 10 breakouts, two offices, and separate training groups—so we require a lot of space. They could accommodate us and didn’t have to move around to other sites—a great value without having to go to a convention center. We had some meals there as well as breakfast and continuous all-day meeting breaks. All this for a registration fee of less than $600. It was great.
Was anybody particularly helpful?
Cameron McDonald, the Omni’s director of catering and conference planning, made everything run smoothly. The group was so impressed with him that they did a proclamation of appreciation for him. Jennifer Warren and Bob Berry, both at the CVB, were very helpful.
What would you have done differently?
We are returning in 2009, and we’ll work with the CVB to find good off-sites for a couple of receptions. Maybe something with one of the wine cellars in Grapevine.
What were some of the venues you used for off-site events or meetings?
Nothing for the annual conference, but recently I did a dinner for 55 people at La Cima Club in Williams Square. It gives a great view of the Dallas skyline and the famous horses fountain in the square, which was particularly popular with our Asian attendees.
How does Irving compare to other cities where you have hosted meetings?
It is one of the best. We’ve made it one of our three rotational cities for the future. Omni is my hotel brand of choice, and Irving provides great central access for entertainment and ball games throughout the Metroplex, yet isn’t close enough to things that would provide meetings distractions. Ours is a professional development conference and we don’t want attendees running around.