Smart Meetings TV Special

Smart Destinations: The Best of 2014” Features the Winners of the Smart Stars Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media contact: Josef Aukee, 415-339-9355

Sausalito, Calif. (November 21, 2013) – Smart Meetings magazine announced its first venture into television with a special one-hour presentation of “Smart Destinations: The Best of 2013.” The show features the winners of the inaugural 2013 Smart Stars Awards celebrating the best premier meetings hotels, resorts, cruise lines, event venues, and convention and conference centers in North America across 25 categories.

The program will air in more than 100 major media markets from Nov. 22, 2013, through Jan. 6, 2014, on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC and other independent affiliates across the U.S. Check local listings for scheduled broadcast times.

“We’re thrilled to bring Smart Meetings to television. The excitement around our Smart Stars Awards and the hotels and destinations represented simply lent itself to bringing the allure and quality of the winners to the broadest spectrum of audiences possible,” says Marin Bright, CEO and Founder of Bright Business Media, LLC, publisher of the meetings industry trade publication. “So many of these venues shine in more ways than are celebrated in their respective categories—they are also top choices for vacations, weddings and special events, in addition to being excellent for meetings.”

The following winners announced earlier are featured in “Smart Destinations: The Best of 2013”:

Best Airport Hotel – Hyatt Regency DFW

Best Attraction/Theme Park – Universal Orlando Resort

Best Ballroom – The Grand Del Mar

Best Beach Resort – Tradewinds Island Resort

Best City Hotel – The Fairmont Dallas and The Fairmont San Francisco

Best Coastal Hotel – The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay

Best Conference Center – Woodlands Resort & Conference Center

Best Convention Center – Oregon Convention Center

Best Convention Center Hotel – Hyatt Regency New Orleans

Best Cruise Line for Meetings – Royal Caribbean International

Best Desert Hotel and Resort – The Phoenician

Best Eco/Green Property – Hyatt at Olive 8

Best Executive Retreat – Parker Palm Springs

Best Family-Friendly Hotel/Resort – Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort

Best Gaming/Casino Hotel – Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Hotel

Best Golf Resort – The Broadmoor

Best Hotel Chef – Julian Serrano, Picasso, Bellagio Las Vegas

Best Hotel Pool – Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa

Best Hotel Spa – Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village

Best Island Hotel – Grand Hotel, Mackinaw Island

Best Mountain/Ski Resort – St. Regis Aspen Resort

Best Outdoor Event Space – The Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation

Best Pet-Friendly Hotel – Loews Coronado Bay

Best Special Event Venue – Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

For a complete list of Smart Stars Award winners, visit smartmeetings.com/smart-stars.

The special program was created and produced in conjunction with Telco Productions, Inc., a Santa Monica, Calif.,-based production and distribution company with more than two dozen television shows currently airing in national syndication.

Smart Meetings is published monthly in print and online by Bright Business Media, LLC, a multimedia company based in Sausalito, Calif. BBM also hosts smartmeetings.com, an award-winning interactive website, and produces Smart Events, live events connecting meeting planners with hotel and destination representatives. An efficient, personal approach to RFP submission service, Smart Site Selector, was introduced earlier this year.