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Carlson Wagonlit Creates Global Meetings Group
CWT Meetings & Events has consolidated its existing teams and expertise to offer a new international division... Read more >>
Baccarat Hotels Sets Sights Abroad
Baccarat Hotels & Residences will have a decidedly global tilt as Starwood Capital Group looks to develop the brand... Read more >>
Hilton Opens Two Props in One in Turkey
Hilton Worldwide has announced the opening of Hilton Bursa Convention Centre & Spa and Hampton by Hilton Bursa—the company's first dual branded property in Turkey... Read more >>
Starwood’s Luxury Collection Heads to Jakarta
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide has opened Keraton at The Plaza, in Jakarta, Indonesia. Located at Jalan Thamrin, in Jakarta, the property brings Starwood’s Luxury Collection brand up to 80 properties... Read more >>
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Hong Kong
Somewhere between the black fungus and wasabi small plate and double- boiled soup with mushroom and bamboo, I’ve lost track of how many courses have passed my palate... Read more >> |
Rio/Sao Paulo
The 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics—both of which will take place in Brazil— may be the most visible examples of this South American nation’s appeal... Read more >> |
Dubai
Home to the manmade Palm Islands, visible from outer space, and the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, the city of Dubai seems conjured from dreams.... Read more >> |
Belgium
Imagine a feast for a king, with endless treats and entertainment—the choices are overwhelming and it all looks so divine. Where to start? Read more >> |
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Being a quick study is a prerequisite for international meeting planning
by Charles Chan Massey
“If I knew then what I know now.” How many times have we heard that expression?
I planned my first international event many years ago in London. It was a one-day meeting held in a conference center for a U.S.-based client and its U.K.-based partner company, had no hotel room block, for about 200 people. Sounds pretty simple, right?
The venue contract was literally one page—basically stating how many people would be attending the meeting, what time the lunch and breaks would be, and how much we would pay. There was no mention of attrition or slippage, which I soon learned meant that there was no attrition allowance. The contract as it was written was very simple: Here’s what you’re bringing us, this is how much you’ll pay and this is what we’ll be providing for your meeting... Read more >>
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International Sensations
International incentives are back. That’s the word from incentive planners, destinations, hotels and the destination management companies that tie them all together.
In New Jersey, independent meeting planner Gloria Hobbins saw her incentive business wither during the recession. Today, she is riding a new wave of interest in incentives outside North America...Read more >>
Know Before You Go!
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Your government is at your disposal, offering all the info you need to know about passports, visas, travel advice and warnings, and more. This is probably the first leg on your journey... Read more >>
CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
Yep, that CIA. Learn everything you need to know about the geography, people, cultures, politics and situation on the ground for 267 world entities, including maps and additional information... Read more >>
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Keep ahead of the game with our Meetings Focus magazines, with info and insights that you can’t afford to miss:
- Handy planning info on new and expanded properties, unique facilities and amazing group activities
- Tips and trends that give you an edge in the world of meeting planning
- Updates on programs and packages that will directly help your client’s or company’s bottom line
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Grab it and go
Brightly colored personalized luggage straps emblazoned with your name or a favorite phrase make identifying your suitcase on a baggage claim carousel a breeze... Read more >> |
Capture the shot
Joby’s GorillaPod helps novice and professional photographers alike capture compelling moments and scenery throughout their journeys. The flexible tripod attaches to a camera and rotates.... Read more >> |
Don't get weighed down
As airline regulations get stricter for both international and domestic flights, don’t get bogged down by overweight luggage. The small, portable Brookstone digital luggage scale lets you weigh and measure your bags before departure... Read more >> |
Guard the grapes
Invented in 2006 by a wine connoisseur couple from California, Wine Skin can protect precious bottled cargo in checked luggage. Travelers can avoid additional shipping costs... Read more >> |
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Site Scene
CHINA
The 636-room Conrad Macao opened in April with 48 meeting rooms and four ballrooms, including the Kashgar Grand Ballroom, which can accommodate up to 4,000 people and be divided into 16 rooms. The Conrad is part of the multibillion-dollar Sands Cotai Central project, which also includes a Sheratonm a Holiday Inn, two casinos, 100 retail stores and numerous dining options. The three hotels added 5,300 rooms and over 100,000 square feet of event space to the coastal China region... Read more >>
Short Takes
PROGRAMS & PACKAGES
Meeting planners can grab the keys to the family-owned Gstaad Palace in the Swiss Alps through the Rent-A-Palace program. Available to groups larger than 100, the palace offers 104 rooms and suites and five conference rooms ranging from 200 to more than 2,000 square feet. The palace also offers gourmet international cuisine and a range of incentive and team-building excursion opportunities, from igloo receptions to raft-building... Read more >>
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| Be on the lookout for our next issue of Meetings Focus International in late July, where we’ll provide planners with the crucial 411
on organizing events in Australia, Panama, Singapore and Spain. The next issue will also include a feature on global protocol, helping
ensure that none of our loyal readers are ever featured on an episode of Locked Up Abroad. |
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| May 25, 2012 |
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Katie Goshgarian
Account Executive
The Kellen Company, New York
What are the selling points that make Dubai an ideal place to gather?
Dubai is a city that has demonstrated tremendous growth for our industry and is continuing to develop. As a global organization, we aim to reach our members around the world…
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Mario Gambron
Principe di Savoia - Milan, Italy |
What service can you provide to groups that they normally might not receive?
Hotel Principe di Savoia has a large parking space in Milan, where large groups arriving in buses can reach the hotel with ease. We also have a private entrance for groups, where they can check-in separately from other guests of the hotel and take advantage of private welcome desks and an area where they can all meet. We also have devised a speedy procedure so all members of the groups can receive their luggage promptly.
Read more >>
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