http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles 2008-04-28T11:17:06Z http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/2007-platinum-choice-awards 2008-04-28T11:17:06Z

ALASKA• Alyeska Resort• Hilton AnchorageARIZONA• Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa®• The Buttes, A Marriott Resort• Carefree R...

ALASKA• Alyeska Resort• Hilton AnchorageARIZONA• Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa®• The Buttes, A Marriott Resort• Carefree Resort & Villas• Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Gainey Ranch• JW Marriot Starr Pass Tucson Resort & Spa• Loews Ventana Canyon Resort• The Phoenician• Radisson Fort McDowell Resort & Casino• The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa• The Wigwam Golf Resort & SpaCALIFORNIA• The B... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/view-from-vegas-rock-rolls 2008-05-01T08:35:27Z "Lucky Chuck" Kapelke

Summer GroovesThe hot months usually bring a new wave of musical acts to Vegas, and this year looks to be no exception. With shows suited to every taste and budget, tickets t...

Summer GroovesThe hot months usually bring a new wave of musical acts to Vegas, and this year looks to be no exception. With shows suited to every taste and budget, tickets to a summer Vegas concert can be a perfect personalized incentive prize or an easy group activity (book early and ask for group discounts).Some of the acts coming to Vegas this month include the Police, who will perform at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Friday on May 23, along with Elvis Costello & The Imposters (mgmgrand.... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/roughin-it-in-style 2008-05-01T08:35:36Z Zach Chouteau

Let’s face it, a camping trip in the backcountry could be the perfect company off-site—

If it weren’t for the down-to-earth discomfort, food that isn’t exactly fancy fare and just plain hard work. After all, who wants to rough it during a rough week of work?No one, frankly. And that’s why “glamping” (glamorous camping) is replacing camping as an alluring option for rustic group retreats. You’ve still got the fresh air, the team bonding and the natural surroundings, but now hot dogs have been replaced with haute cuisine, sleeping bags with silk... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/the-end-of-e-mail 2008-05-01T08:35:37Z Hunter Holcombe

Here’s a fun trick: Close your eyes for a minute and try to remember the days before e-mail.

What do you see—bad haircuts, fax machines and constantly ringing telephones? Well, difficult as it is to imagine that anyone ever got any work done without this universal communication tool, it might be even harder to picture a future without e-mail.“E-mail is dead,” boldly states Richard Laermer, a regular speaker at planner events like MPI and the founder of RLM PR. To be more specific, Laermer believes that e-mail in its current form (address-based, open to the public) i... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/engaging-speakers 2008-05-01T08:35:37Z Carolyn Koenig

Professional speakers can make or break your meeting—and their success impacts yours.

Often, you don’t even need a feedback form from attendees; if you were there, you know the audience’s response.Finding a good speaker who’s right for your event isn’t a simple task. Whether you’re looking for someone to motivate, educate or strictly entertain your group, they’ve got to have that elusive talent that enables them to capture an audience. They need to be good presenters, good storytellers and know the perfect combination of humor and content, s... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/smart-money-budgeting-strategies 2008-05-01T08:35:39Z Hunter Holcombe

No planner would contest the claim that pulling off a successful meeting is in many ways an art, a careful orchestration of diverse factors brought together to form...

...a seamless, productive, inspiring and memorable occasion. As an art, then, couldn’t it also be argued that no price should be placed on creativity? That would be nice, just once, wouldn’t it!In reality, however, planners would not be the maestros they are if it weren’t for the restrictions of time and money; anyone can create a fantastic event with limitless funds, but only a seasoned planner knows how to squeeze every penny to make spectacular meetings with the budgets g... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/between-rock-and-a-soft-place 2008-05-02T14:15:54Z

If you’re interested in a rock band that will enhance rather than overwhelm your next event, Unplugged will be music to your ears.

Part of the San Francisco-based Innovative Entertainment group, which specializes in coordinating and producing live acts for functions and events, Unplugged features a bassist, two guitarists and a percussionist—and plays favorites from the ’60s and ’70s that Baby Boomers will love.“I’m always asked for ‘cool’ music, and I wanted to come up with something different,” says Peter Berliner, president of Innovative Entertainment, who put the group ... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/working-with-procrument 2008-05-01T14:05:50Z Sandi Cain

It's not a numbers vs. service game

Using “meeting planner” and “procurement department” in the same sentence doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. Instead, there are ways to make the combination a win-win situation for both sides. So says Christina Wilkes, meeting practice leader for American Express Business Travel, who was the keynote presenter at the launch of Virtualmeetingworld.com. Wilkes says planners who understand the motivation for subjecting meetings to procurement and learn to speak their la... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/healthy-meetings-sweet-dreams 2008-04-24T13:43:39Z Julie Keller

Ask any sleepy road warrior who has just stepped off a red-eye flight to make a morning meeting: business travel can be exhausting.

“By their very nature, most business travelers work long hours, are under a lot of stress, are exposed to frequent fluctuations in weather and physical environments, and hold erratic schedules that span multiple time zones,” says Steven Tan, M.D., a specialist in integrative medicine and stress medicine at the California Health & Longevity Institute in Westlake Village, Calif. “This sets up a series of challenging hurdles to getting restful sleep.”While lack of sle... http://www.smartmeetings.com/articles/show/interview-with-brandy-lewis-cmp 2008-05-01T08:35:43Z

Interview with Brandy Lewis, CMP Director, Business Development, Meeting Logistics Management,

A 10-year industry veteran, Brandy Lewis, CMP work-ed in hotels and in  meeting planning before assuming her position as Director, Business Development for Meeting Logistics Management, an Atlanta-based company that provides meeting logistics services to medical and healthcare professional clients.Q: How many meetings a year does your company handle?A: About 150 on average. They range in size anywhere from 20 to 1,000 attendees; some are large medical symposia, some are smaller advisory ...