Programs & Packages
- Seattle’s waterfront Bell Harbor International Conference Center is offering a summer meetings package for groups of 20 or more. Available through September, the package deal includes room rental, basic AV equipment, a continental breakfast, snacks and an afternoon break. Bell Harbor offers 18 meeting rooms totaling almost 100,000 square feet. For more information, call 206.441.6666 or visit www.bellharbor.com.
- Devil’s Thumb Ranch Resort & Spa in Tabernash, Colo., announced a new cooking demonstration program for groups of up to 70. Participants can sip wine as they watch chefs cook while offering tips and recipes. The classes can also be customized for cocktail receptions, meals and events. The resort also unveiled a new zip line tour in May that reaches speeds up to 40 mph. The tour includes hiking and historical information. For more information, call 303.756.5600 or visit www.devilsthumbranch.com.
- Sheraton Hotel Seattle launched the Sheraton Social Hour wine program. Developed with wine experts, the program offers a curated wine menu and weekly tasting events in the lobby lounge. The Sheraton Seattle offers 75,000 square feet of function space, including an 18,300-square-foot ballroom. For more information, call 206.621.9000 or visit www.sheraton.com/seattle.
Destination Dispatch
- Visit Oakland launched a new tourism campaign, “Oakland: To Know It Is To Love It”. The effort is supported by local celebrities and business owners, including Tim Westergren, founder of Pandora, and Yoshi Akiba, owner of Yoshi’s Jazz Club. The campaign focuses on promoting four key areas: arts and culture, music and entertainment, food and nightlife, and meetings and groups. The city is also offering booking incentives for planners. For more information, visit www.oaklandloveit.org.
- Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport opened a $2.4 billion international air terminal in June. The 1.9 million-square-foot Terminal 3 will house 14 international gates. A 6,000-space parking garage was also constructed. Almost 114,000 passengers and 970 flights pass through McCarran each day. For more information, visit www.mccarran.com.
Tech Updates
- The Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board launched a new website and booking engine following this year’s Tianguis Turistico conference. The site will allow visitors to search for hotels, flights and car rentals. For more information, visit www.visitpuertovallarta.com.
Kudos
- The nonprofit Spokane Hotel-Motel Association collected and donated professional business clothes to the city’s YWCA as part of its first-annual clothing drive to help women coming out of homelessness or abusive relationships dress for jobs in the hospitality industry. For more information, visit www.visitspokane.com or www.ywcaspokane.org.