February 15, 2012

Dallas Marriott City Center Completes Makeover

Dallas Marriott City Center Completes Makeover
The top-to-bottom makeover of the Dallas Marriott City Center—including a new restaurant, upgraded guest rooms and a state-of-the-art fitness facility... Read more >>

Pelican Grand Under New Management
Noble House Hotels & Resorts, Ltd.–a collection of luxury hotels and resorts–has assumed management... Read more >>

New Conference Center Comes to North Carolina
The Wilderman Group has been tapped to manage the new LeGrand Center, an upcoming $19-million, 40,000-square-foot conference center... Read more >>

Homestead Enhances Spa, Other Areas
The Homestead is embarking on a multifaceted $25 million renovation... Read more >>

Miami/Fort Lauderdale
With a possible mega-casino resort on the horizon and other properties and attractions newly opened or on the way in 2012, Miami and Fort Lauderdale are running neck and neck toward pre-recession visitor and development figures... Read more >>

Atlanta
Not so long ago Atlanta underwent a rebranding. “Every Day is an Opening Day” was the new slogan. The $200 million Georgia Aquarium and other new attractions were opening, and neighborhoods were transforming. But like many destinations, the Great Recession reined in the momentum... Read more >>

Oklahoma
In the popular 1943 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma, the title song exclaims “We know we belong to the land, and the land we belong to is grand!” Read more >>

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Starwood's The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts Debuts in Australia with the Addition of Lilianfels and Echoes Resorts in Blue Mountains
Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. today announced it has reached an agreement... Read more >>

Changing of the guard at Marriott (The Miami Herald)
For more than 20 years, the head of Marriott International has vacationed at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale... Read more >>

SEC probes Wynn Resorts Macau dealings
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating Wynn Resorts Ltd's business practices... Read more >>

Kerzner To Develop And Manage New One&Only Resort in Sanya on Hainan, PRC
Kerzner International Holdings Limited, which through its subsidiaries is a leading... Read more >>

Do or Die
For meeting planners who don’t have a contingency or safety plan in place—or for those who need to update an old plan... Read more >>

Value Proposition
While there has been much talk of the return of the hotel seller’s market in 2012, hotel negotiating experts say planners can still find value... Read more >>

Bigger & Better
Despite what most meeting planners might expect, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which affected the ocean destinations of the four Gulf states... Read more >>

Mountain Marvels
Mountains are arguably some of the most beautiful things in nature. They inspire poetry (think J.R.R. Tolkien’s ‘Durin’ and Robert Frost’s ‘The Mountain’), they guard towns against violent weather and they create endless adventure options for outdoor enthusiasts... Read more >>

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Meetings Make You Stupid. What?!?!
We all know that meetings can be dull and boring. A new study shows that they can also make you stupid... Read more >>

NYC Comfort Zone
For business travelers seeking an inviting New York City location for upcoming corporate meetings and events, The Kimberly Hotel has announced... Read more >>

Keeping Fit in the Westin World
Westin Hotels & Resorts has announced a complete refresh of the WestinWORKOUT® program to match the evolving fitness trends among guests... Read more >>

Vintage Value
New in 2012 at Napa’s Vintage Estate is the just-announced Winter Meeting Package, available through March 31... Read more >>

Site Scene
Louisiana
Baton Rouge will gain a 74,000-square-foot casino and a 12-story hotel with 206 guest rooms with the opening of L’Auberge Casino & Hotel this summer. Construction costs are estimated at $357 million, and the hotel will also offer event seating for up to 1,600 and outdoor festival grounds...

North Carolina
The 30,000-square-foot Gastonia Conference Center opened in December. Located 15 miles from Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, the facility includes a 5,000-square-foot ballroom and 10 meeting rooms. The property was built to high standards of sustainability and includes electric vehicle charging stations...

Texas
Houston’s Hotel ICON relaunched under new management in 2011 after undergoing a $5 million renovation. The 135-room hotel offers 8,000 square feet of function space, including a 2,300-square-foot ballroom and the underground Wine Vault. More updates are planned for 2012....

Read more >>

Raleigh Convention Center Goes Solar - 2/8/12
Tempting Top Ten: Best U.S. Hotels Named - 2/1/12
Air Travel Rights Fly Into Place - 1/25/12
Orlando Getting Cluster of Biz Traveler Hotels - 1/18/12
HQ Hotel Shot Down in Va. Beach - 1/11/12
Houston Planning Major Convention Area Development - 1/4/12
Ft. Lauderdale's Airport Hilton Must Be Demolished - 12/29/11
Houston Again Mulls Conv. Center Hotel - 12/22/11
Northern Kentucky CVB Adds CEO - 12/15/11
Hilton Focused On Luxe Growth - 12/8/11
Cruise Meetings Picking Up Steam - 12/1/11
Omni Miami Moves Closer to Becoming Casino Complex - 11/17/11

February 15, 2012

What is your code of ethics?

Meetings in a Minute Tip
Know your association's code of ethics.

Click the map below to search articles, destinations and meeting facilities by state or region.

Contingency Planning: Preparation Pays

Wed. February 29, 2012
Years after terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, and hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and mere months since unprecedented droughts, hurricanes and flooding in the U.S, and a deadly outbreak of e-Coli in Europe, we still do little to protect meeting participants and property. The potential for weather interruptions, brown- and black-outs, food poisoning—even death—are real. Large or small—paper cuts or disasters—we are woefully unprepared for contingencies.

Sponsored by:
LOEWS Philadelphia Hotel
Kansas City Marriott Downtown
The Roosevelt Hotel
Hotel Contessa Suites on the Riverwalk
Hyatt Regency Dallas

“Ever left a meeting feeling stupid..? There might be a reason for that... ”