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Short Takes - MidAmerica July/August 2010

 

Museums & Attractions

  • The Indianapolis Museum of Art in June debuted its 100 Acres: The Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, located on 100 acres of land that includes untamed woodlands, wetlands, a lake and meadows. Formerly a gravel pit and construction area, the park is bordered by the White River and runs contiguous to the museum’s 52-acre campus, more than half of which is composed of historic landscapes and gardens. The museum’s goal is to present contemporary art projects and exhibitions that provoke an examination of people’s relationship with the environment. 100 Acres is one of the largest museum art parks in the country. The park opened with eight newly commissioned inaugural works by international artists, a LEED-certified visitor center and numerous walking trails that highlight the indigenous landscape. Commissions for the park will be ongoing, with additional artists’ projects announced annually. For more information, call 317.920.2659 or visit www.imamuseum.org.

Programs & Packages

  • Dolce Hotels and Resorts, operator of 26 upscale hotels, resorts and conference hotels in Michigan, Minnesota and other locations in North America and Europe, recently introduced It’s Included, a promotion offering 5 percent off meetings booked through July 15 and held through March 31, 2011. The 5 percent discount applies to the entire bill, including guest rooms, conference rooms, audiovisual services and food expenditures. Dolce also now offers staff rooms at a 50 percent discount and extended the negotiated group rate to three days before and three days after arrival for any attendee. For more information, call 800.983.6523.
  • Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide and PepsiCo joined forces to launch a major initiative for meeting planners, Starwood’s Get More for Your Meeting, Give More to Your Community promotion, which offers companies exclusive savings and a chance to win one of four $50,000 charity grants. Meeting planners who book a meeting by July 31 and hold their meeting by Dec. 31 will receive 4 percent off their master account, a complimentary PepsiCo food and beverage break and up to a 100,000 Starpoints signing bonus. Additionally, companies will have a chance to win a $50,000 charitable grant to be awarded to their charity of choice. The promotion is bookable at more than 350 North America hotels across eight of Starwood’s brands. For more information, call 914.640.8100.