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MPI Picks Future WEC Sites
MPI announced that it will hold the 2014 World Education Congress in Minneapolis, while San Francisco and Philadelphia will be the sites of the 2015 and 2016 congresses, respectively.
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GBTA Names Best and Worst Cities for Travel Taxes
The five U. S. destinations with the lowest discriminatory travel taxes—those imposed specifically on travel-related services—are all in California, while the highest are found in Boston, New York, Minneapolis, Chicago and Portland, Ore., according to a recent GBTA Foundation survey of the top 50 U.S. travel markets.
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Study says DMO Convention Marketing Rising
According to a report from the Destination & Travel Foundation, the convention marketing budgets of DMOs (destination marketing organizations) increased by 7 percent in the current fiscal year.
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MPI Survey Shows Fuel Cost Concerns
MPI’s most recent Business Barometer, a bimonthly survey of senior-level meeting professionals, indicates a growing concern that escalating fuel and air travel costs will have a negative impact on face-to-face meetings.
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Conference Centers and SMERF
By Zachary Chouteau
While there are built-in challenges between SMERF groups (where attendees frequently pay their own way) and conference centers (which typically have stricter attrition policies), economic factors have conspired to bring the two together in a big way.
"I absolutely believe conference centers have looked to work more with SMERF groups in the recent economic downturn," says Eric Whitson, director of sales and marketing for The National Conference Center, in Leesburg, Va. "Most open-market conference centers are driven by corporate meetings and training, both of which have seen a sharp drop in demand since 2008.
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Have you ‘checked out’ our Checklist Section?
The recently added Checklist section at MeetingsFocus.com is all about making your job easier, with handy step-by-step insights on Green Meetings, Attendance Building, and so much more. Take a look when you have a chance, and feel free to send in your own handy checklist to help your fellow planners!
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