Smart Meetings: The Intelligent Way to Plan in the Western Region

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August 2008

Redefining the brand

30 CVBs Speak OutConvention and visitors bureaus have been around for about a hundred years. They’ve enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with meeting planners that has grown exponentially, but still relies on relationships.

Destinations

Northern California

Planners Have Plenty of Options in Northern California

Some of the most dramatic coastline in the world. A shimmering alpine lake that draws visitors 12 months a year. One of the most beautiful big cities imaginable. A state capital with a mix of modern and Old West flavors.

Mexico's Pacific Coast

Pacific Mexico blends timeless allure with brand-new meetings facilities

Perhaps the Corona beer company captured it best, when it launched its successful TV ad campaign showing a pristine and tranquil beach, a bottle of icy-cold Corona and a vacationer in the deepest throes of relaxation.

Tucson

Tucson Offers lovely scenery, good weather and Plenty of World-Class Resorts

You’re seeking a destination with weather that will accommodate events any time of the year. It should have interesting scenery, rich culture, welcoming people, adequate infrastructure and many interesting diversions for meeting attendees.

Idaho

Idaho lures meetings with indoor and outdoor pursuits

When Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led their hardy band out of the Bitterroot Mountains in 1803 into what is now north-central Idaho, they entered yet another vast, beautiful wilderness. While they had a sense of adventure and dedication to a goal, they were also in need of sustenance and regrouping—not too different, it seems, from today’s meeting attendees.

Pasadena and the Valleys

Pasadena and the Valleys blend L.A. appeal with relaxed settings

If you’re a college football fan, perhaps no other destination in California carries more weight and idealism than Pasadena. Home of the epic Rose Bowl football game—and the accompanying Tournament of Roses celebration and parade—Pasadena is burned into the minds of many fans as a beautiful and perpetually sunny city that encompasses the best of what L.A. has to offer.

Features

Here today gone tomorrow

The merry-go-round of brand and ownership changes among hotels poses challenges for meeting planners—but they’re not insurmountable

Redefining the brand

30 CVBs Speak OutConvention and visitors bureaus have been around for about a hundred years. They’ve enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with meeting planners that has grown exponentially, but still relies on relationships.

Columns

HEALTHY MEETINGS: Take a Hike

Meeting-goers come in all shapes, ages and sizes, so finding an active mid-meeting activity that appeals to attendees of all fitness levels can sometimes be tricky.

SMART MONEY: Boosting Your Budget

You’ve asked for a bigger budget. You’ve bargained hard with your hotel for a killer room rate. And if you spend any more time scouring the Internet for a better deal on chair skirts you swear you will lose your mind.

VIEW FROM VEGAS: Frisky Business

Las Vegas has transformed itself into a world-class culinary center in recent years, with Michelin-rated restaurants serving the cuisine of nearly every “name” chef in the world, including Guy Savoy, Alain Ducasse, Bradley Ogden, Hubert Keller and many others.

Departments

Headlines: August 2008

A Return to Shangri-La The iconic Hotel Shangri-La is slated for an October re-launch as its $30-million upgrade is nearing completion in Santa Monica. An additional 17 guest rooms will bring the property’s total to 71 rooms and suites. Potential event space includes a rooftop bar—with panoramic views of the Pacific and downtown—with two adjoining suites. shangrila-hotel.com

Food + Beverage

Wining, Dining and Back Nine-ing

Of course you’ve heard of Pebble Beach—is there anyone out there who doesn’t equate Pebble Beach and golf? Can you say “Tiger Woods”?

Give Me 5

Interview with Sharyn Fitzpatrick

Interview with Sharyn Fitzpatrick, principal & CEO of Marcom Gurus

Smart Planner

7 Rules for Innovative Conferences

Do you participate in conferences, make notes and never look at them again? Ed Bernacki, a speaker on innovative thinking, asks his audiences this question at every event, and 70 percent always raise their hands affirmatively. “It doesn’t matter what country [I’m speaking in], what the level of participants is or what industry,” he says. “The answer is the same.”

Smart Spaces

The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel,

Techno Files

iRoom

Have you seen the new iPhone? Upgraded to Firefox 3.0 yet? These are the latest headlines in consumer technology, but by the time you read next month’s Techno Files column, all of this will be old news.

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A publication tailored for you, the meeting planner professional. We focus exclusively on locations in the western United States (including Alaska and Hawaii), Mexico and Canada.