January 20, 2011

PCMA Picks Chicago for Future Conference

Meetings Focus - the Destination Experts

January 20, 2011


PCMA Picks Chicago for Future Conference PCMA's Board of Directors approved Boston as the location of its 2014 Convening Leaders conference and Chicago, where the association is based, for its 2015 annual conference. Read more »
NBTA Predicts Rising Travel Spend Business travel spending is expected to increase by 5 percent in 2011, according to a quarterly outlook report issued by the NBTA Foundation, the research arm of the National Business Travel Association. Read more »
HSMAI Sets Affordable Meetings Agenda The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International announced the dates for its upcoming Affordable Meetings conference series this year. Read more »
MPI Forecasts Meetings Growth MPI's FutureWatch 2011 study predicts an increase of 8 percent in the number of meetings held this year over 2010 and a 5 percent increase in the average spend per meeting. Read more »

MeetingsFocusForum.com
	Log on now and get in on the conversation with Joan Eisenstodt, industry education leader, and your fellow meeting planners. Talk about planning issues, destination dilemmas, issues with contracts, ROI, CSR and more. Just join in, post your question and we know you'll find the answer!
MeetingsFocusForum.com is live!

		Wisconsin Dells Delights of the Dells
		By CAROLYN BLACKBURN
		From Chicago's world-class cultural offerings to the vast Great Lakes surrounding Michigan, destinations in the Midwest have a special something that lures visitors, and Wisconsin Dells is no exception.
"It's our reputation as the world's waterpark capital that gets Wisconsin Dells noticed by meeting planners," says Tifani Jones, director of sales at the Wisconsin Dells Visitor & Convention Bureau (WDVCB). "After all, it's a positive, energizing experience you'll only find in Wisconsin Dells." Read more about Wisconsin Dells ...

Subscribe Today!

Don't miss out on a wealth of information that will make your job as a meeting planner more efficient and rewarding, such as:

Planning information you can actually utilize with articles on new properties, expansions and interesting facilities
Feature stories that deliver crucial meetings information to help improve your performance
Programs and packages that will save valuable meetings dollars and make you invaluable

Now available in digital, subscribe today.

News Trends

The results of the 2011 Meetings Market Trends Survey are in! Look for the full report with the next edition of Meetings Focus MidAmerica.

Here's one telling result:

Q: What will be your biggest challenge when planning meetings in the coming year?

• Lower budget: 36.8%, down 14.1% from last year
• Declining attendance: 21.5%, down 9.5% from last year
• Increasing costs: 32.1%, up 16.7% from last year

Read more News Trends »

Site Scene

Illinois

The 162-room Wyndham Blake Chicago Wyndham Blake Chicago recently debuted in the heart of Chicago's South Loop. Formerly the Hotel Blake, the Wyndham Blake Chicago is housed in the restored, 19th-century Morton building. The hotel also offers more than 4,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space, an on-site business center, complimentary high-speed wireless Internet access, a dedicated concierge, in-room spa services and a 24-hour fitness center. For more information, call 312.986.1234.

Read more Site Scene »

Reforms Lure Major Convention Back to Chicago - 1/13/2011
Historic Wisconsin Resort Closes Doors - 12/15/2010
Chicago CTB Chief Resigns - 12/07/2010
Hotel Tax Hike Proposed for Michigan - 11/17/2010
Chicago Taps Big Guns for Convention Board - 11/10/2010
Industry Survey Shows Meetings Optimism - 11/02/2010
McCormick Place Launches New Reforms - 10/28/2010
Hilton Debuts New Doubletree Brand Identity - 10/20/2010
Show Organizers Embrace Digital Media - 10/13/2010
Kimpton to Manage Historic Minneapolis Hotel - 10/06/2010

LATEST VIDEOS
Meetings: On Location!

Chief Content Director Tyler Davidson caught up with PCMA President & CEO Deborah Sexton, who presided over a Convening Leaders annual convention that boasted the highest attendance in the history of the association, and also featured the first co-partnered Virtual Edge Summit.

Meetings Focus Poll

Compared to 2010, how do you expect your attendance to fare in 2011?

Go online to give us your opinion.

Corporate Social Responsibility: "Good" Business Practices

Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2011
Join Meetings Focus and nationally acclaimed author and speaker Tim Sanders—probably the foremost authority on CSR meetings programs—for this webinar examining the latest CSR trends and how you can communicate the importance of these programs to the stakeholders in your organization.

Sponsored by: Cedar Rapids Area CVB, Marriott Kansas City Downtown, Wisconsin Dells, The Inn on Fifth and Hotel Contessa.

Visit our webinar page to register or learn more.

PCMA Picks Chicago for Future Conference

Wisconsin Dells Delights of the Dells

Wisconsin Dells

By CAROLYN BLACKBURN

Wisconsin Dells
Delights of the Dells