Plan Your Meetings

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Ashley Brazzel — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 15:00:51 +0000

Did you know that this year alone over 73 billion beverage cans and plastic bottles will be incinerated or tossed into landfills? Make a difference at your next event by checking out CynerGreen, an environmentally friendly company whose “Bottle Free” programs are specifically designed to eliminate the use of plastics during meetings and conventions. CynerGreen [...]

2010 Austin Town Hall: Table One notes

Kristi Casey Sanders — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:09:09 +0000

How to make positives out of negative situations, current contract negotiation trends and maintaining marketshare were some of the topics discussed at Table One at the 2010 Town Hall Austin, held at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center on Feb. 24.

2010 Austin Town Hall: Table Two notes

Kristi Casey Sanders — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:08:59 +0000

How do you attract more business, reach the decision makers and keep your staff motivated through the hard times? Those were some of the questions tackled by Table 2 at the 2010 PYM Town Hall Austin: State of the Industry Event held on Feb. 24 at the AT&T Executive Education & Conference Center.

President Obama endorses first-ever Travel Promotion Act

Ashley Brazzel — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:27:50 +0000

After seeing 2.4 million fewer overseas visitors in 2009 than in 2000, the United States is finally making the commitment to reposition itself as a frontrunner in the global travel market. On March 4, nearly a year after its introduction, the Travel Promotion Act (TPA) was signed into law by President Obama, making it the [...]

PYM planner profile: Susan M. Fox, CMP

Kristi Casey Sanders — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:10:23 +0000

She plans between 45 and 95 meetings a year and loves every minute. This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Susan M. Fox, CMP, about the value of getting certified, the perks of planning meetings and what she enjoys most about her association with Plan Your Meetings. — Lisa Kraus :: Lisa Kraus is the Director [...]

How to save time and money with CVBs

Kristi Casey Sanders — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:13:40 +0000

What exactly can convention and visitors’ bureaus do for meeting planners? How can they save you time and money? And what is their future role in the events industry? Join our panel of experts as they talk about the old-school and new-school benefits of tapping into this free planning resource. This 40-minute video is part [...]

The importance of building relationships with your hotel sales contacts

Kristi Casey Sanders — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:20:36 +0000

Recently, at the Georgia MPI Meetings Exploration Conference, I had dinner with three of the opening general session panelists who would share their near-term outlook for the meetings industry. We all seemed to share the same sentiment: Our business is based on the benefits of people meeting face-to-face. That’s what meetings are, right? An opportunity [...]

Virtual (phone) assistance

Ashley Brazzel — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:00:31 +0000

Onebox Receptionist is a virtual phone system for small businesses (i.e., the independent meeting planner) looking to bypass the expense of hiring a receptionist or answering service. Onebox provides a 24/7 automated attendant that answers calls and routes them to you or your team. Features include a toll-free number, a studio-recorded customized greeting, voicemail (with [...]

10 dirtiest U.S. hotels

Ashley Brazzel — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:00:11 +0000

This may be a buyer’s market, but not every hotel offering a good deal is a safe bet. To get the real “dirt” on a property before booking, check out TripAdvisor’s 10 Dirtiest U.S Hotels of 2010. The list is based off of customer reviews that rate their overall experience at the hotel, including the [...]

The lost art of communication: March 2010 morsel

Kristi Casey Sanders — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:44:56 +0000

The step by step experience I have with banqueting managers across this country is pretty much the same everywhere. And, banquet managers: There is room for improvement. Time and time again, this is how things go: Menus are negotiated and designed with catering and chef. I put a lot of notes on my BEOs for banqueting and the kitchen. I [...]

Negotiating your best deal starts with a strong RFP

Kristi Casey Sanders — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:35:17 +0000

In these economic times when every dollar an organization spends is being scrutinized, meeting expenses are under the microscope just like every other expenditure. What’s the single most important thing you can do to ensure you negotiate the best possible deal for your meeting? What one tool will save you time, energy and frustration in [...]

Competing hotels bid to pick up business from disgruntled Hilton HHonors customers

Kristi Casey Sanders — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:00:17 +0000

If you’ve been saving up Hilton HHonors loyalty points, they’re now worth less than you’d expect. However, competing hotel chains such as Starwood, Carlson and Best Western are picking up the slack, offering loyalty points and other incentives to make up for what Hilton has devalued. Read the full story here.

How meeting planning skills can boost your career

Kristi Casey Sanders — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:11:07 +0000

The job of a planner involves a lot more skill than choosing chicken for a banquet menu. But does corporate America know that? In other words: Can event and meeting planners leverage their skills to climb the corporate ladder? Absolutely, says Amy Giglio, manager of talent acquisition for Columbus, Ga.-based Aflac, a supplemental insurance provider that [...]

Update on Chile’s main tourist districts

Kristi Casey Sanders — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:05:21 +0000

Despite experiencing an 8.8 quake in the early morning hours of Feb. 27, Chile’s tourism infrastructure has suffered little overall damage, and the extreme northern and southern regions of Chile (the Desert and Patagonia regions) were not affected by the quake at all. Easter Island, which lies 2,300 miles off the coast of mainland Chile, [...]

‘Don’t defend the rate; defend the value of meeting’

Kristi Casey Sanders — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:11:31 +0000

If 2009 was “the perfect storm” that disrupted the meetings industry, then Danielle Babilino insists she was the poster child for everything that could have gone wrong. “I represent the five-diamond, five-star Wynn/Encore in Las Vegas, which opened in December 2008,” explained the senior vice president of hotel sales at the 2010 Meetings Exploration Conference opening [...]

Meeting publication merry-go-round

Kristi Casey Sanders — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:20:49 +0000

Planners complaining of receiving too many publications may see their reading list thinned out dramatically over the next several months. Penton Media filed for bankruptcy protection on Feb. 10 and submitted a “pre-packaged” Plan of Reorganization to eliminate $270 million of the company’s debt. Penton Media publishes such titles as Medical Meetings, Financial & Insurance [...]

Names in the news: March 2010

Ashley Brazzel — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:42:19 +0000

New hires and promotions throughout the meetings and hospitality industry.