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Bill to Raise Miami Hotel Tax Moves Forward

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Meetings Focus - the Destination Experts
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MARCH 31, 2011
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Industry News
Bill to Raise Miami Hotel Tax Moves Forward
Florida's Senate Commerce and Tourism Committee voted to approve a measure allowing Miami-Dade officials to increase hotel tax in order to fund renovations of Miami's Sun Life Stadium and the Miami Beach Convention center.
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Two Resorts Set for Playa Del Carmen, Mexico
Sol Melia plans to open two all-inclusive resorts south of Cancun in Playa Del Carmen, the 512-room Paradisus Playa Del Carmen La Esmeralda and 394-room Paradisus Playa Del Carmen La Perla, in late 2011.
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Westin Houston Memorial City Makes Debut
The Westin Houston Memorial City opened in Houston's Memorial City complex on the city's west side.
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Sheraton Jacksonville Expanding Event Space
The Sheraton Jacksonville Hotel in Jacksonville, Fla., is adding new meeting space that will include a new ballroom with capacity for 400 guests.
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The Peabody Orlando
Click here As the largest Forbes Four-Star, AAA Four Diamond hotel in the Eastern half of the United States, we are the Orlando convention hotel of choice for professional meeting planners. Known for our unparalleled blend of world-class services, facilities and unrivalled location, The Peabody Orlando features 1,641 guestrooms, 300,000 total square feet of meeting space, a 22,000-square-foot Spa, Salon and Fitness Center and ten dining and entertainment options, all connected to the Orange County Convention Center.

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Featured Story
Incentives  

Incentives

Revving Them Up

By MARIA LENHART

Although tough economic times are when motivation is most needed, many companies scaled back on incentive programs during the depth of the recession. Now, however, incentive planners say companies are more willing to invest in programs geared to boost the bottom line and stay ahead of the competition.

In a recent SITE Foundation survey of incentive professionals, 62 percent of the respondents said they expected to see an increase in the use of motivational travel over the next six to 12 months, while 84 percent predicted improvement over the next one to three years.

Read more about Incentives ...

 
Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, Grand Bahama Island
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Strike a balance between work and play at Our Lucaya Beach & Golf Resort, Grand Bahama Island. Our Lucaya offers the Conference Center, encompassing 90,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space, 40,000 of which are outdoors. The advanced technology needed for flawless execution of corporate functions and a full range of conference-friendly services for all your business needs are met. When the workday ends, guests can enjoy the resorts' casino, restaurants, pools and spa.

For more information, visit www.ourlucaya.com.

 
Site Scene

Site Scene

North Carolina

Harrah's Cherokee Casino & Hotel, near Asheville, opened its third luxury hotel tower in December as part of its three-year, $633 million expansion. The 21-story Creek Tower adds 454 new guest rooms and 78 new suites to the property, increasing the total room count from 576 to 1,108. Upon completion in 2012, the 56-acre property will have added the tower, a 3,000-plus-seat Events Center, entertainment and VIP lounges, an 18,000-square-foot spa and new restaurants. For more information call 828.497.7777.

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Short Takes

Destination Dispatch

The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB launched a new online service to help meeting planners boost attendance at events. The service, called GAP (Group Attendance Push), offers planners a selection of tools, including a customizable e-mail template and banner ad that lets them input specific event information and details. With these templates, planners can send dynamic e-mail blasts and post ads to their websites. Planners can also request text, videos and images to create their own promotional materials. For more information, call 239.225.2379.

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Fiesta Americana Grand Coral Beach Cancun
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Nestled on Cancun's finest stretch of beach, our AAA Five Diamond resort offers relaxed luxury within a Latin Chic-style ambience. 602 ocean view suites, six restaurants and a new 40,000-square-foot, gem-inspired spa complete the experience. Our renowned meetings team is driven by the belief that every occasion requires expert customization. Myriad options for a meeting or event designed for individual needs await you within our 85,000 square feet of meeting space, which can accommodate groups from 12 to 1,700 guests.

For more information, visit www.fiestamericanagrand.com.

 
Past Issues

Hilton Launches New Brand in N.C. - 03/24/2011
Upscale Hotels Lead in Recovery - 03/17/2011
Miami Officials Back CC Expansion - 03/10/2011
Expansion Planned for Bimini Bay Resort - 03/03/2011
STR Releases Upbeat Hotel Forecast - 02/24/2011
Big Casino Resort Coming to Gulf Coast - 02/17/2011
NBTA Changes Name to GBTA - 02/10/2011
Convention Center Set for Kentucky - 02/03/2011

 
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LATEST VIDEOS
Meetings: On Location!

David Fine

What are some of the recent trends with group meetings and golfing getaways? Zachary Chouteau checked in with the PGA National Resort & Spa's VP of Sales, Marketing and Revenue Development—David Fine—while visiting the resort for the recent Honda Classic PGA tournament. Here's the scoop from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

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Meetings Focus Poll
How has your view of planning for contingencies changed in the last year?
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F&B: Creating Impressions on a Budget
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Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Food and beverage functions can either wow your guests or leave a lasting bad taste in their mouths. Now, more than ever, it's important to work effectively with catering managers and chefs to create added value, even on a limited budget. Join Meetings Focus and Arlene Sheff, CMP, and learn new ways to impress your guests with creative menus and food service methods.

Sponsored by: Myrtle Beach Convention Center, San Antonio CVB, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Hershey Meetings, Villas of Grand Cypress, Loews Lake Las Vegas, Hutton Hotel, Myrtle Beach Area Convention Bureau and Loews Miami Beach Hotel.

Visit our webinar page to register or learn more.

 

Meetings South
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Destin, FL
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