Smart Meetings

Giving Back

Team building for a good causeTake the concept of company team-building and mix it with philanthropic activities that make a community and the world a better place, and what have you got? A new wave of company outings that might be taking corporate group bonding to a whole new level.

NEW AND RENOVATED: Forging Ahead

New and Renovated Properties Still BoomingEven in the face of a challenging economy, newly constructed and renovated western meeting properties are booming— with an emphasis on luxurious amenities, sustainability and  state-of-the-art technology.

To Boutique or not to Boutique: A Planner's Dilemma

They’re often sleek and shiny with lots of high- tech toys, glam bars with a buzz and sometimes celebrity chefs and rooftop restaurants.

HEALTHY MEETINGS: Summer Spa-ing

It’s summer! That means it’s time for sun, surf, sand, swimming and other alfresco endeavors.

LEGAL BRIEFS: Negotiate with Confidence

If you’ve been planning meetings for even a short amount of time, negotiation is certainly not a foreign concept.

VIEW FROM VEGAS: New is the New New

Quick: which Las Vegas hotel owner recently made the following statement to a group of investors: “Las Vegas is going to get treated to a spanking, shiny, new, completely original hotel...”?

Headlines: July 2008

A New Century?The landmark Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles has been purchased from Sunstone for $366.5 million by a group led by investor Michael Rosenfeld.

Smart Sites: July 2008

Riding the Rails

At four- and five-star restaurants, discerning diners are focused on their meal—the presentation, the quality of the ingredients, the creativity and the overall expertise of the front and back of the house.

Omniscient Accounting

As if you needed another credit card, right?

Interview with Laura C. Bohannon, CMP

Interview with Laura C. Bohannon, CMP, Bohannon & Associates, Inc. Gardnerville, NV

Fleetwood Macadamia?

Meeting planners—who can certainly relate to the phrase “don’t stop thinking about tomorrow”—may find Mick Fleetwood and his Island Rumours Band a perfect pick for a party that attendees will never forget.

Gotta Have It: CD-Burning Digital Recorder

Using Our Senses

What makes one meeting truly stand out from others? It’s not necessarily how much money was spent but how many positively memorable experiences the attendees recall.

THE US GRANT, SAN DIEGO

Soft music literally sets the stage for your elegant event in the Celestial Ballroom at The US Grant hotel in San Diego.

Just The Fax

Sometimes the newest technology isn’t necessarily the best technology.