Smart Meetings | Page 168 of 602 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

You may not be the Amazon of the meeting planning industry who can provide just about anything to anyone, but that doesn’t mean small, third-party management companies and independent planners need to think small when it comes to wooing potential clients.

Americans tend to be enamored with the whole “bigger is better” concept, especially when it comes to business. But in some industries, being the biggest isn’t always the best strategy, says Heather Mason, founder and CEO of the Caspian Agency. Remember how Nokia used to own the mobile phone market and IBM was dominating Apple in the computer market back in the ‘90s? Sometimes, as Malcolm Gladwell points out in his book David and Goliath, the big guys’ very strengths can be their downfall—and the things that small companies fear are their weaknesses can turn out to be their biggest strengths.

Explore the world of event science with Heather Mason and Carl Winston.

For example, large companies have economies of scale and can provide commodities at a cheaper cost than their smaller competition. Their very stature in the market can make them focus on retaining the status quo, which by definition is their sweet spot. But smaller companies have less infrastructure and bureaucracy to support, which means they have a lot less to lose and many more ability to be agile and innovate.

Here are three ways Mason says smaller agencies and third-party meeting managers can leverage their unique advantages to land those lucrative big clients they might think are out of their reach.

1. Know your value proposition.

No, you probably can’t provide every item on every potential client’s wish list, but your smaller, boutique organization has its own unique niche. If you don’t already have your specific value proposition nailed down, it’s time to do some soul searching. Once you find it, own it, says Mason. “You don’t want to fight on someone else’s battlefield—you want to fight on one of your own choosing,” she says. “Smaller agencies tend to take whatever comes, then go crazy trying to accommodate projects that may not be a great fit. Be very clear about what makes you stand apart—when someone asks you what you do, don’t say ‘All of it.’ Know your customer, and know that everyone is not your customer all the time! Specialize and determine what your brand will be.”

2. Overprice your way to success.

Large companies in almost every area are in a race to the bottom when it comes to price—it’s those economies of scale that make their businesses work, after all. But that’s likely not your strength. For example, compare Tiffany’s to a big box jewelry outlet. You can probably get a similar bracelet at either, but one look at that Tiffany-blue box will light up the recipient’s eyes in a way that no big box outlet product can. Even Tiffany’s packaging very tastefully screams exclusivity. What’s your special sauce, your equivalent of that Tiffany blue box? “You have to understand who you are in the world before you can set your price,” Mason says. “Pricing is really just psychological. It’s based on the story you tell. Do you want to be a 99 Cent Store or a Tiffany’s? Both have winning business models, but they may not be business models that will win for your agency,” Mason says.

Once you have chosen your unique value proposition (see #1), you have your superpower. No one can do that one (or two, or 10) things the way you can. That’s worth something—actually, a lot of something. Price accordingly.

3. Perfect your pitch.

You know what your secret sauce is, you have it priced appropriately—now you just have to convince that whale client to swallow your hook. Just as every agency has a unique angle to pitch, they will also have to come up with their own unique way to pitch it. While Mason says she’s a big fan of TEDTalk-style pitches, that may not work for everyone. The common denominator of a successful pitch, says Mason, is to tell your value story, your way. “Storytelling and value-based selling are the ways to both a consumer’s and a company’s heart,” she says.

Continue your education.

Mason will provide more tips on how small independent meeting management companies can “punch above their weight” during a session at the one-day virtual Event Agency Growth Summit, organized by Event Leadership Institute. The Summit, which is geared toward providing insights on how agencies and third-party and independent planners can grow their businesses, will take place Dec. 15 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

In addition to Mason’s session, participants will be able to get insider info from meeting business leaders about topics including the current state of the industry, how to hire and retain talent in today’s tight labor market, and how to drive new revenue streams with event tech reseller partnerships.

Learn more and register here.

You can see a whole roster of new classes available through Event Leadership Institute’s partnership with Smart U here.

Four new and renovated venues and suites in West Hollywood, Philadelphia and Montgomery, Texas.

Citizen News, West Hollywood, California

Once home to the newspaper of the same name, this 88-year-old building is now home to more than 15,000 sq. ft. of event space across two floors, between the recently opened Thompson Hollywood and the soon-to-open Tommie Hollywood. On the second floor sits a 10,000-square-foot space for 750 people, plus a 14-seat boardroom. The space will soon also be home to Italian restaurant Mother Wolf.

Boathouse Bar & Lounge at Margaritaville Lake Resort, Montgomery, Texas

The latest addition to Margaritaville’s now five F&B options features a perfect Lone Star State stew of delicious food and fun. In addition to its Texas-influenced small bites and signature dishes, the restaurant also features a stage, dance floor, sports simulator for rounds of golf and a 20-person suite. Just beyond await the property’s 335 guest rooms, including 32 lakefront cottages and more than 72,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Panorama Suite at Andaz West Hollywood, California

This 240-room Los Angeles-area property renovated its 1,700-square-foot suite, which features two bedrooms, a full kitchen, dining area and a balcony with views of famed Sunset Boulevard. While the suite is available for overnight stays, it’s also ready for private events and corporate get-togethers. An additional 11,300 sq. ft. of meeting space includes the 3,600-square-foot outdoor Sundeck.

Live! Event Center at Live! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia

A warmly welcomed 15,000 sq. ft. of meeting space has been added to this 208-room Live! property, the third to open by the brand. This event space comes in the form of the 10,000-square-foot Market Ballroom, two 100-person rooms and three boardrooms; there are 11 locations to dine, as well. Placed within Philadelphia’s Stadium District, attendees will be near many more restaurants, bars and entertainment opportunities.

Previously: New and Renovated: Long Live the Boutique

Events Industry Council (EIC) has started the first phase of its Equity Acceleration Plan. The plan aims to focus on creating a foundation on which to measure the event industry’s current state of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), “[aiming] to provide a framework to turn its vision to action and lead the challenge against discrimination and systemic racism in the events industry,” reads a press release.

Using a survey—which you can take here—EIC will determine its benchmark, which will influence its steps moving forward, informing the “development of tools, resources and recommendations,” according to the release.

“With over 10.3 million direct jobs and over 1.5 billion participants in our sector, and as the industry that at its heart fosters human connection and collaborations, we have the opportunity and responsibility to be a catalyst for meaningful and measurable change,” Amy Calvert, CEO of EIC, says. “The Equity Acceleration Plan will enable us to support event professionals to create more diverse and inclusive environments, develop career pathways, and ensure representation in leadership and supply chains by providing the learning and resources intended to reach and support our community.”

Despite 91 percent of employers having DEI programs, according to HR analytics firm Josh Bersin Academy, many companies still believe there is much work to be done.

This study is an important step toward emboldening our global industry to lead and be an example of how to move the moral compass of DE&I to the center of everything we do,” Jason Dunn, co-chair of EIC Equity Task Force and vice president of Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau. I’m looking forward to seeing the results and to working with the EIC Equity Task Force to create what will be incredibly valuable guidance and resources for event professionals.”

The survey has been extended through January 15, 2022.

American Hotel & Lodging Association Foundation (AHLA) just received a $1 million grant from Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

This two-year grant has been given with the purpose of attracting youth to hospitality. According to a press release, it will “[allow] the AHLA Foundation to expand its Empowering Youth development programming to Los Angeles and New Orleans, propelling young talent into hotel careers.” The foundation also says it will collaborate with organizations to engage those between ages 16-24 who are “out of school, unemployed, and looking for a path forward in an industry that offers more than 200 career pathways.”

In October, employment in leisure and hospitality increased by 164,000 and has risen by 2.4 million over 2021; but it remains down by 8.2 percent—1.4 million people—since February 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition to reemploying those affected by the pandemic, there has been an increased focus on diversity, equity and inclusion by the events industry, and AHLA Foundation will be devoting $5 million to that cause, as well.

“We are thrilled to work hand-in-hand with AHLA Foundation as we discover new talent, sharpen their skillsets and track their success throughout their careers,” says Elizabeth Cheung, senior program officer of opportunity youth at Hilton Foundation. “The Empowering Youth Program is playing a significant role in building the next generation of the hospitality industry, and we’re excited to play a role in that.”

Brian Oaks

Oaks is now senior vice president and chief operating officer at Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau. Prior to this new position, Oaks worked for Bank of Springfield Center in Illinois as its director of operations and box office manager and, later, as the center’s general manager. Oaks has also worked with charity and professional organizations such as Downtown Springfield, The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce and Springfield Crimestoppers.

Dhruv Patel

Visit Oakland has appointed Patel chairman of its board of directors, making him the youngest person, at age 35, to assume the position. Patel is currently president and COO of Ridgemont Hospitality in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he also served as vice president of operations and development. Previously, he was director of operations at Balaji Hotels & Enterprises in India.

Nicholas Pillet

Azerai Can Tho Resort, in the Mekong River Delta of Vietnam, has named Pillet general manager. Pillet studied culinary arts in Nantes, France, during his hospitality education and went on to hold multiple leadership positions in the hospitality industry internationally. He has worked as general manager of Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train, a luxury sleeper train in Southeast Asia, and was most recently general manager of Aman Resorts, Hotels & Residences’ Amanoi Resort in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam.

Lynnelle Morgan, Anna Lundy and Janel Clements

Louisville Tourism has promoted Morgan and Lundy to marketing manager roles and hired Clements as convention sales assistant.

Morgan now handles promotion and initiative marketing for tourism in the organization. She has been with Louisville Tourism since 2012, having been hired initially as tourism coordinator and later becoming leisure sales manager. Previously, Morgan was sales and marketing coordinator at Louisville MEGA Cavern, one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions.

Lundy now handles marketing for the convention sales and destination service departments. Lundy joined Louisville Tourism as a sales assistant after finishing her degree at the University of Louisville. She later became senior sales assistant, sales coordinator and, most recently, events manager.

Clements was priorly sales and events coordinator at Main Event, a Louisville entertainment company. She has also held marketing and event management roles at BrainBox Intelligent Marketing and iHigh.com, both in Lexington, Kentucky.

Spencer Cody and Ellen McGinnis

Cody is now corporate director of club and golf operations, and McGinnis is now corporate director of spa for Omni Hotels & Resorts.

Cody joined the company as director of golf operations at Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas, where, in 2019, he hosted the PGA Cup, the Inaugural Women’s PGA Cup and the Senior PGA Professional Championship with Professional Golfers’ Association of America. Before his time at Omni, Cody was director of golf at PGA WEST in LaQuinta, California. He’s also held managerial and leadership roles with Sewailo Golf Club in Tucson, Arizona, and The Revere Golf Club in Nevada.

McGinnis began with the hotel group as spa director at Omni Bedford Springs Resort in Pennsylvania. After two years, she became director of spa at The Omni Grove Park Inn in North Carolina, where she had worked before as executive spa director and an executive committee member. McGinnis has also held the role of executive vice president of operations at Innovative Spa Management in Atlanta.

Matt Connelly

Tempe Tourism in Arizona has promoted Connelly to director of sales. With more than 25 years of sales and marketing experience, Connelly most recently served as national sales manager at Tempe Tourism. Before this, Connelly was business development manager at Earth911, a company that maintains a nationwide eco-efficient, sustainability and recycling information database for programs and disposal sites.

While professionals from every office, front desk, kitchen and corner of the hospitality industry worked hard to keep our hotels running in the thick of the pandemic, housekeepers have held it together with tireless hands. The last two years, of course, have been fraught with fear of Covid contraction—and for no one more so than the essential workers charged with maintaining the cleanliness and order of dozens, sometimes hundreds of hotel guest rooms.

But despite the danger, hotel housekeepers were and continue to be on the front lines of hospitality. Many have met their property’s guests with unwavering commitment, kindness and concern for their safety.

In response, Cintas Corporation has created and funded a competition to honor 10 of the most exceptional housekeepers from hotels across the United States: the 2021 Cintas S.H.I.N.E. (Star Housekeepers In a New Era) Award. Launched this year, the award calls attention to the largely under-sung contributions housekeepers have made to the safety and comfort of fellow hotel staff and guests.

“We received inspiring nominations about hardworking housekeepers from hotels across the country, many of whom were the only ones available to clean for much of the pandemic due to furloughs and layoffs,” said Nicole Beall, Cintas senior director for hospitality and gaming enterprise. “These employees not only rose to the challenge of maintaining new standards of cleanliness but did so with smiles on their faces and ongoing enthusiasm for their important jobs.”

Of ten finalists, the first recipient of the S.H.I.N.E. Award is Miriam Rodriguez Alvarez of Best Western Plus Villa Del Lago Inn in Patterson, California. She will receive a $5,000 cash prize, and her property will get a product, training and consultation package from Cintas and its business partners.

Alvarez was selected for the commitment, resilience and joy she unrelentingly brings to the job. In her nomination, her hotel’s management noted that, although she is deaf, she always maintains a positive attitude and frequently goes the extra mile to communicate with, and show appreciation for, hotel guests.

Other sponsors of the award include Indoor Environmental Healthcare and Hospitality Association, a division of ISSA, an international cleaning organization; Global Biorisk Advisory Council and Rubbermaid Commercial Products. They are donating products and services said to be worth $11,600 to Alvarez’s property.

Nine runners-up will be awarded $500 each, and their properties will also receive prizes.

When snowfall starts to look a lot like magic in the dusk sky, the holidays have indelibly arrived. (Even if it settles around others of us as light rain and winter-bitten cheeks after coming in from the chill air.) For many, however, the bracing weather of the holiday season also comes with travel plans. And if you’re tasked with planning a comfortable, Covid-conscious, festive and fun company holiday party or other group experience, you’re likely seeking cost-effective options—and it’s crunch time.

Just for you, tourism bureaus and hospitality professionals are hanging holly, preparing their spaces to host events and—beginning Black Friday and Cyber Monday—sales for holiday business travelers.

Many of these experiences come fully packaged, like gift-wrapped presents. To cite but one packager, Tinggly, a travel company that organizes affordable, giftable and sustainable travel experiences around the world, has hundreds of new international excursions with all the wintry charm for welcoming whomever the cold brings in. These are typically all-inclusive; the only additional cost is that of the plane tickets to and from. Careful consideration has been given to establish and maintain Covid-safety protocols for each experience listed.

Other experiences come a la carte. Here are some of the best experiences and Cyber sales on hotels and the most festive corporate-friendly events and giftable trips of the season.

United States

Watch the sun set on Boston Harbor over spiked or extra-sweet hot cocoa on the Boston Holiday Cocoa Cruise. Decorated with lights and holiday music, this cruise along Boston’s shoreline and through the corner of its bay is ideal for large groups.

For those who enjoy daytime vistas on the water, the Boston Harbor Holiday Brunch Cruise is an excellent choice. Also fit for a large group, this cruise features views of Boston Seaport, Bunker Hill Monument, Sea Castle Island and more.

Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Fort Washington, Maryland, along with other Gaylord properties, is brimming with Christmas festivities. During your stay, ride the Snow Flow Mountain (an ice rollercoaster at the resort’s Snow Factory), ice bumper cars, get a seasonal spa treatment or go ice skating in the same building you’re staying in.

Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz, New York is having a Cyber sale this winter. If booked between Nov. 16-Dec. 3, guests will save big on two-night or more midweek stays and select weekend stays from Jan. 2 through March 27, 2022. This sale also offers additional perks, such as discounts on private wellness sessions and certain purchases in the gift shop and spa, afternoon tea and cookies and nightly entertainment. In addition Mohonk Mountain House is offering two enticing holiday discounts: the Fall for Mohonk 30 percent discount special, which is available through the last day of November, and the Midweek Winter Getaway, available Nov. 28-March 27, 2022. Beyond the discounts, a stay at Mohonk may well qualify for more wintry seasonal specials.

The Brooklyn Christmas Lights Walking Tour at Dyker Heights takes groups of up to 16 through the historic residential streets of Brooklyn. See delicately decorated homes and brick houses covered in festive lights as the night air settles around you and the friends and coworkers who’ve joined you.

The Brooklyn Dyker Heights Christmas Wonderland Bus Tour is similar but a better fit for a larger group. If you’re interested in cruising down boulevards to the distant but loudening sound of carolers, plus nativity displays, nutcrackers and blocks of extravagant Christmas lights vining above, visit this magical neighborhood that’s held this tradition since the 1980s.

A late evening cruise around New York Harbor and along the Hudson River, the Manhattan Holiday Jazz Cruise serves its guests sugary desserts and drinks to the sound of holiday music from the yacht’s resident jazz band. See shoreline sites as you glide past and glimmering Manhattan after dark from the open deck with a small or large group.

The New York City Cocoa and Carols Holiday Cruise welcomes aboard guests with holiday sweets and drinks for a “holiday sing-along cruise” past Battery Park, Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and other Manhattan attractions on the water. Live jazz fills the halls of this 1920s, vintage-style yacht as guests take it all in. This outing can accommodate groups of all sizes.

Take a tour of New England taverns in Philadelphia with the Christmas Traditions Tavern Experience of Philadelphia. A group of up to 30 will visit two or three local taverns, learning about Roman Christmas and Viking folklore and tradition, playing trivia and earning Christmas prizes.

The Chicago Holiday Stroll and Food Walking Tour with Samples hits the historic spots, with a holiday twist. Warm your hands with hot cocoa or a cup of cider and wander through Chicago’s famous Christkindlmarkt with your colleagues.

Grand Geneva Resort & Spa on the shores of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, is offering discounts on rooms and hotel credit for those who book before Nov. 30. The resort’s 13,000-acre property, resort and private igloo booking options make staying at the Grand Geneva a great choice for corporate groups looking for a festive stay in the wintry hills of Wisconsin.

The Saving Christmas escape room in Chattanooga, Tennessee, invites a private group to a 45-minute race to help Santa succeed in spreading Christmas cheer.

For a maximum of 40 persons, the Savannah Holiday Lights Trolley Tour leads guests through the Holiday Lights & Sights, an annual holiday lights tradition in Savannah, Georgia. Take the Old Town Trolley past dazzling displays of Christmas lights, city squares and historic buildings, including the Isaiah Davenport House.

At the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas, Christmas is a big deal. Like Gaylord National, this Gaylord Hotels propertyhas planned for months of holiday fun and festivities. At this resort, guests can snow tube, ice skate, build gingerbread towers, receive seasonal spa treatments and experience multiple escape rooms. Make sure not to miss the winter wonderland garden atriums.

Skip the line at the Stars of Magic Theater and see the Magic of Christmas Show in Reno, Nevada. This cheerful holiday magic show is in a European cabaret style, and tickets through Tinggly give guests the VIP experience.

The Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno is offering discounts on rooms for Black Friday from Nov. 26-Dec. 2. Your stay will also include resort credit for stays lasting two nights or longer, and resort fees are waived if you book on the resort’s website.

Provenance Hotels, headquartered in Portland, Oregon, are participating in a Cyber sale, taking half off regular prepaid rates—with no fees or changes to the rate you received, regardless of trip adjustments through 2021. But be ready—this sale only runs from Nov. 25-30. With 14 properties across Washington, Oregon, California, Louisiana, Tennessee, Massachusetts and Indiana, Provenance campuses prioritize sustainable living that prioritizes eco-friendly practices.

Hyatt Hotels has released a holiday Hyatt Global Offer from Nov. 9 through Dec. 21 that includes bookings at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Lahaina, Hawaii. Book at a discount any stay from Nov. 10 through April 30, 2022, and visit the Halona Kai Holiday Village Dec. 23-27 or another Christmas-themed event.

Hyatt Hotel’s holiday Global Offer also includes Andaz West Hollywood hotel in Los Angeles.

Mexico

With Los Cabos reclaiming itself as a reigning tourism destination post-pandemic, Hotel Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort, Villas & Golf is hosting a New Year’s Night celebration. This luxury property makes for a festive corporate holiday retreat, boasting more than 500 rooms and a convention center for large groups and parties. Combined with its purely Mexican details and decorations, the resort has decked its halls and itineraries with Latin parties, violin concerts, live jazz, fishing at sunrise, desert golf and special holiday menus at its multiple Mexican restaurants—but only for the final two weeks of the year.

Hyatt Hotel’s Global Offer also extends to its Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya in Playa del Carmen. Book for your group from Nov. 9-Dec. 21 for any stay after Nov. 10 until the end of April next year. Visit for their Mistletoe & Margaritas Christmas Buffet Dec. 24, La Fiesta Mexican Kermes Dec. 28 or the gala New Year’s Eve party on the beach.

Ideal for a group of any size, Marriott Cancun Collection is offering a Black Friday deal that extends to guests who book between Nov. 22 and Dec. 3 at either JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa or Marriott Cancun Resort. The “Future is Now” package includes complimentary drinks for the group and a 20 percent discount on dinner at Marriott Cancun’s new Polynesian restaurant during any stay before Dec. 31, 2023. The resorts are also hosting back-to-back events for Christmas and New Year’s, including bottomless buffets, fireworks shows and seasonal ceremonies.

Canada

The Magic of Christmas at Butchart Gardens in Victoria, British Columbia, beckons guests with its colorful lights, ice skating, Christmas carolers and hot chocolate and gingerbread by the fireplace. This experience can be booked for up to six people and features an extensive, winding Twelve Days of Christmas display.

Suitable for a group of up to 20, Christmas Magic in Old Quebec is a walking tour that passes through the Historic District of Quebec City and local Christmas market, where guests may delight in tastings, craftwork and other festive products.

United Kingdom

The Christmas, Charms, Crafts & Canals in Bath, England, hosts an eight-hour wander through the old streets of this historic city and a charming Christmas market that’s set on medieval farm grounds and along the Kennet & Avon Canal. The excursion can entertain up to eight.

France

In Paris, the Paris at Christmas: Festive Shopping Past & Present tour makes its way past and through 19th-century boutiques and cafes that bear the patina of age and Christmases past, now ridden with history and a curious draw. A group of up to 15 will get to see Parisian palaces and the haunted Opera Garnier before enjoying seasonal food and drink on boulevards and at gourmet shops.

Another holiday-exclusive Parisian experience is the Chocolate Christmas Tree Workshop in the heart of Paris, designed for small groups of fewer than seven. Shape hand-made chocolate into Christmas-tree sculptures at the chocolate tasting.

In Grand Est, the Alsace Safari invites guests for a magical tour that visits three Christmas markets. The fairytalesque towns of the French province of Alsace twinkle this time of year, with rows of buildings cloaked in Christmas lights. Send a small group of eight or fewer to sip hot wine and nibble gingerbread while milling from market to market.

A tour for up to eight, the Winter in Carcassonne experience takes travelers through the New Town area, stopping at Christmas markets, and boasts a slew of idyllic photo opportunities. Touring groups will meander around the hilltop city of Carcassonne and down to the ancient and historic Pont Vieux.

Switzerland

In the Swiss city of Lucerne, visitors will find The Magic of Lucerne: Christmas Edition Tour. This outing features a decorated “fairytale” market, the location’s famed Chapel Bridge and its notably well-preserved, quaint and cozy old town.

Norway

For a larger, 20-person tour, visit Christmas in Oslo. Acquaint yourself with a traditional Norwegian Christmas in Oslo when you wander through the Christmas markets, taste the region’s traditional mulled wine, and give its traditional and festive foods a try.

Denmark

The Copenhagen Christmas Food Walking Tour will take a medium-sized group through Copenhagen’s food hotspots that feature tasty Christmas specialties. Experience traditional Danish cuisine and markets with a holiday twist.

Germany

Visit the Bavaria for its Original Munich Christmas Market Food Tour. Send up to 15 travelers on this all-tastings-included excursion through Munich’s Christkindlmarkt, a popular German holiday tradition, where guests meander about the old city and enjoy warm food and drink.

Like the Christkindlmarkt of Munich, Berlin has many traditional markets, and the Berlin Christmas Markets with Culinary Tour takes up to 12 guests through a string of bustling, bright and inviting Berlin Christmas markets.

Poland

Learn about Wrocław legends, history and tradition at the Wrocław Christmas Market & Conspirators Tour. The tour takes ten guests to Main Market Square, the local Christmas market and a special Polish dining event at the end of the trip.

In Krakow, send a small group on a private Christmas Market Tour. This tour will take only your own group or gift recipients to the local market, decorated with festive foods and full of local history.

Czechoslovakia

The Christmas Magic of Prague in Czechia features Christmas markets lined with folk crafts, honey wine and traditional Christmas food favorites.

Hungary

The Christmas Lights, Beautiful Budapest with Mulled Wine tour through Budapest invites up to ten guests to hear a wintery edition of the city’s history. This tour stops at many of the most popular markets, where guests can ice-skate, watch a 3D light show and try street food and hot drinks.

The Budapest Christmas Market Small-Group Tour with Wine Tasting offers many similar events, but it can accommodate a larger group of up to 30. On this tour, visitors will see magnificent St. Stephens Basilica, the local opera house and the Christmas market.

Italy

An excursion designed for between ten and 15 people, the Celebrate Christmas in Rome–Small Group Walking Tour teaches of Rome’s rich Christmas traditions and other important local history and cultural information. The group will stop at the Piazza of Rome and the Piazza Navona, or the local Christmas market and St. Peter’s Square.

The One-day Christmas Markets Tour is an eight-hour excursion that covers much of the history, culture, food, scenery and Christmas traditions of the Trentino-Alto Adige region. This tour is ideal for large groups and will travel through three Italian provinces across a corner of northern Italy.

Spain

The Christmas Lights Tour of Madrid by Electric Tuk-tuk around the Comunidad de Madrid, which nests in the nation’s capital city, gives guests a ride through the region, passing brilliant buildings and streets covered in Christmas lights.

Russia

The Christmas in St. Petersburg Tour is a private group tour that takes place throughout the city of Saint Petersburg. Guests will visit open air markets aglow with Christmas lights, see the Peter and Paul Fortress and learn about Russian Christmas tradition.

See the Nutcracker Ballet in St. Petersburg at either Hermitage Theatre or Mariinsky Theatre, where this dark Christmas fairytale in the city was first performed in 1892.

Caribbean

Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas on Paradise Island has a Cyber Week sale for stays at select hotels: The Coral, The Royal, The Cove and The Reef. Early-access bookings are available from Nov. 22-24. Included in your discounted stay is daily resort credit, adventures in the Dolphin Cay and Atlantic LIVE performances.

Hotel Barriere Le Carl Gustaf is offering a Cyber sale from Nov. 26-29 for stays until Oct. 31, 2022, for five nights or longer. The Saint-Barthelemy hotel opened in 2020, but this is its first Cyber sale. With luxury rooms, suites, bungalows and penthouse suites to choose from, guests perks include meals at Michelin-starred restaurants, yoga, Pilates, massages, roundtrip airport transfers and Shellona Beach access and accommodations.

Costa Rica

Tierra Magnifica in Nosara is offering a Cyber sale on rooms and services this holiday season. Book now for deals on stays from Nov. 27-Dec. 6 and hide away in a lush oceanside jungle for a few nights.

South America

Explora, a travel company that organizes South American explorations and experiences—and makes conservation efforts wherever their clients explore—has large discounts on bookings at all five of its destinations in Chile, Argentina and Peru.

Send your groups who love the snow to Ski Portillo, South America’s first ski resort, located in the Chilean Andes. Ski Portillo is offering sizable discounts on lodging, lift tickets and meals through Dec. 7 for a trip in the new year. Choose from a stay in Hotel Portillo, one of the many lodges tucked between mountains, or a chalet.

International Brand Deals

Homes & Villas by Marriott International is having a holiday sale from now until Nov. 30 on last-minute stays within ten days of booking. Smaller discounts are also available for trips on certain dates within the next two years when you book before Dec. 2. Find a stay on sale at properties in the Florida Panhandle, Palm Springs, California, or Scotland.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is giving large discounts on room and suite bookings from Nov. 27 through Dec. 1. Cancellation flexibility through June of next year makes this a safe and solid choice for future trip plans. Find a Rosewood property in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean Atlantic, Europe, Middle East or Asia.

Omni Hotels & Resorts is offering deals at locations across the U.S. this holiday. A PGA Tour Golf Package available through Dec. 31 entitles participating guests to a round of golf per day, resort credit, complimentary PGA Tour brand amenities and merchandise and additional perks. Book a stay at an Omni San Diego, Bedford, Pennsylvania, or Hot Springs, Virginia, property.

Caesars Entertainment is offering discounts on multi-course Thanksgiving feasts at several restaurants at Caesars Atlantic City Hotel & Casino, Tropicana and Harrah’s Resort properties on the New Jersey oceanfront.

Convene, the fast-growing hospitality, event and workspace services company, is offering discounts on its event space rental rates just in time for holiday parties. The company specializes in providing meeting and event spaces, amenities and technology services for in-person, virtual and hybrid events, as well as office space redesign, furnishing and hospitality services. Convene is giving over 40 percent off its regular event and event space prices—and beer, wine, charcuterie and cheeseboards are included. Businesses can also save 25 percent on Jan.-March 2022 meeting and event packages when booked before Dec. 31.

Denver and Phoenix lead the way in the resurgence of business travel and meetings in the United States. That’s according to predictive data company Adara, which reports that both those Western cities are down only 29 percent for business trips booked in the last two months as compared to same period in 2019.

Los Angeles and Atlanta are next in the Top 10, each down 35 percent as compared to 2019.

Other cities on the list are Washington, D.C., and Boston (both down 38 percent) Dallas/Ft. Worth (39 percent), New York City (45 percent) and San Francisco (52 percent).

Adara labels these result “a return to a more normal pattern in destination rankings.” The list, it notes, is dominated by large metro areas, with only one resort-type location (Phoenix). The company says these bookings “very likely reflect travel by small and medium-sized businesses.”

It also makes the point that “perennial pandemic favorites Las Vegas and Orlando failed to make the Top 10.”

Miami topped the list in leisure bookings, at only 10 percent below 2019. Others in descending order of bookings were Los Angeles, Denver, Orlando, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Honolulu, Phoenix, New York City and San Francisco.

Countries are reopening their borders like crocuses cautiously poking their noses out of the spring ground. Not everyone is ready yet, and some countries are emerging from their pandemic restrictions more slowly than others. Since June, however, borders that had closed in March of last year have begun to open back up for business travel. border openings

While tourism has not yet resumed in full, international destinations are developing plans to reopen to tourists in the final months of 2021 and at the start of new year. In the meantime, many destinations have been readying, renovating and innovating to prepare for the return of tourism and group travel.

But among the reopened and reopening, each country has its own travel restrictions and requirements. Here’s an update.

Canada

Canada’s borders reopened to vaccinated international travelers in August. The country saw an uptick in Covid cases shortly thereafter, but by the end of September the rate of cases had begun decreasing and has steadily decreased since. New spots for business meetings and events are also opening up across Canada. The Muir, Halifax, a Marriott hotel in Queens Marque on the coast of Nova Scotia, opens this November. It has a total of 2,400 sq. ft. of event space in three sizable rooms, and the location features a waterfront terrace.

Mexico

Mexico’s borders, on the other hand, never closed. Since the beginning of the pandemic, Mexico has continued to allow international travel. But Covid cases have declined considerably in Mexico since late August and have stayed on a decided downtrend. Baja California Sur has started to see many visitors, especially in Los Cabos. The Los Cabos Tourism Board’s media contact Andrea Romero explained in an announcement released Oct. 20 that “the destination’s commitment to efforts that support the well-being of the community and visitors have been foundational to its successful recovery and capability to offer a safer travel environment.” Covid-19 health and safety protocols and a successful vaccination program for the community allowed the destination to see a 40 percent upturn this September in international travel compared to September 2019, indicative of a full travel and tourism recovery.

A relatively new arrival to the Cabos San Lucas hotel scene is The Cape, A Thompson Hotel—an alluring event space for business planners that opened in 2015. The property has 25,000 sq. ft. of event space and sits directly where the soft sand of beachfront meets a shallow rocky slope. At 2,155 sq. ft., Glimpse is one of its most impressive meeting rooms, with its clear, expansive ocean view and open-air setting.

More: Incentive Experience – Mexico

Although the rate of cases is declining, the country has over 1.5 million recorded Covid cases at the moment. Mexico does not require foreign nationals to be vaccinated or have a negative Covid test result to enter the country. So, if you are planning on traveling to Los Cabos or any other part of Mexico, make sure to adhere closely to Covid-safety guidelines as determined by the CDC.

Australia

Bucking the trend, Australia has yet to open its borders. But the country has big plans when reopening comes. Australia’s tourism and hospitality industry has been preparing new travel experiences for visitors that are set to open to the public at different times throughout 2022. Tourism Australia is promoting the nation’s many new hotels, one of which is to open this December—The Tasman. It’s located in central Hobart, Tasmania’s capital. The building has an Art Deco theme throughout and six meeting spaces, as well as an outdoor terrace for business events.

Another hotel that prioritizes spaces for business travelers is the Crystalbrook Kingsley, which had its debut in June in New South Wales. The Crystalbrook also engages in eco-conscious upcycling and recycling.

Australia plans to have its borders open by the start of the new year.

European Union

The U.S. was removed from the European Union’s list of Covid-safe countries for incoming travelers on Aug. 30. For this reason, individual European countries have begun determining their own rules for allowing U.S. nationals to enter. Bulgaria, Luxembourg, Norway and Sweden are all closed to U.S. travelers of all types as of this month; however, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland all have opened their borders to vaccinated U.S. nationals.

Belgium accepts unvaccinated travelers, as does Austria, the Czech Republic, Iceland, Ireland, Slovakia and England, but they will be required to quarantine upon arrival. Denmark and Germany may require you to quarantine even as a vaccinated individual traveling for an essential reason.

Saint-Tropez, on the southeastern coast of France, opened a new hotel this July. The Château de La Messardière has 118 guest rooms and 6,997 sq. ft. of meeting space for business travelers. The grand, charming building is surrounded by tall, green trees for 25 acres. The hotel has eight meeting rooms, the largest of which is 2,691 sq. ft., making it an exceptional location for hosting events.

Asia

In Asia, travel restrictions vary by country and region, as do Covid case statistics. China has curbed its swell of Covid cases, but still face over 96,000; Thailand is recovering from an influx of cases that picked up their pace between May and July, with over 1.75 million current cases, yet that rate has been dropping since July. In general, Asia is still difficult for business travelers and nearly impossible for tourists to enter.

China, India and Japan are allowing U.S. nationals to enter with a work or residence visa. Hong Kong, Myanmar and Taiwan are effectively closed to all travelers from the U.S. South Korea is open to U.S. nationals, but only with proof of a negative Covid test result and a quarantine process. Malaysia is planning to fully reopen its borders to foreign visitors Dec. 1.

One of the few locations in Asia available for regular U.S. business travelers and tourists to visit is Phuket Island in Thailand, as of July. Intercontinental Phuket Resort opened in 2019. It has 221 guest rooms, nine meeting rooms and 3,272 sq. ft. of meeting space—and it awaits planners looking to book a business meeting abroad.

Though the return to travel continues to ramp up for planners and other business travelers, all is not back to normal, at least not yet. In the latest setback, Southwest Airlines has been canceling and delaying domestic flights in droves for nearly a week. Since Oct. 9, the airline has canceled almost 2,000 flights and hundreds more were delayed, blaming a mixture of unsafe and unpredictable weather changes as well as air traffic control issues.

“Las Vegas travel was heavily impacted by Southwest Airlines travel disruptions, so although LAS [McCarran International Airport] is more of a leisure than a business destination, the ripple effect of cancellations on Southwest has affected many business travelers over the past five days,” said Brian Tanis, vice president of product development and marketing at International Travel Solutions (ITS), a software company that provides operations support and emergency services for major airlines and FEMA disaster response and relief.

Planners, like all air travelers, are no strangers to flight delays, but in case your airline skills are rusty, Events Industry Council, for one, recommends leaving at least two hours’ time between flights or other connections to give yourself plenty of spare time for your initial flight to depart or land late.

But what can the business traveler do to protect against the inevitable added expenses of travel cancellations or extended delays—meals you weren’t expecting to buy, nights you weren’t expecting to spend in a hotel, a missed connection due to a flight delay? Travel insurance may be the answer.

InsureMyTrip, which calls itself “the nation’s first and largest unbiased travel insurance comparison website,” offers tips on what to look for when choosing an insurance plan and insights on how you can expect your insurance provider to respond to certain situations.

Some unexpected expenses may be covered by your travel delay benefits. These will typically cover delays that last between five and 24 hours. The insurance provider will reimburse the traveler for “reasonable meals and accommodations” over the course of the delay.

Unplanned changes to your travel itinerary may entitle you to trip interruption benefits. This coverage reimburses the traveler for “pre-paid, nonrefundable expenses” and protects against the costs of extending or shortening your trip; however, be sure to take careful note of exclusions from reimbursement in the policy for things such as trip interruptions due to a preexisting medical condition or a work-related reason.

Travel insurance covers more than flights. With missed connection, or “meet your cruise” coverage, your insurance provider may reimburse you for the cost of missing your cruise departure after a delayed flight and even assistance in reaching the cruise at its next port of call. Still, the fine print can be tricky. This type of coverage typically only allows for delays of three hours or longer. Your provider will also determine whether you allotted yourself enough time between your flight arrival and cruise departure.

In the words of Meghan Kayata, media contact with InsureMyTrip: “Passengers with departing flights at busier airports or travelers concerned about protecting any trip expenses should consider travel insurance with robust travel delay benefits.”

As winter weather adds even more unpredictability to business travel, consider adding travel insurance to your trip to-do list. Then take a moment to review your plan before stepping onto the jetway. The right coverage could give peace of mind and save you a lot of money.