Kimpton Angler’s Hotel South Beach, Miami

This renovated 132-room property includes 85 new guest rooms–choose from villas, beach bungalows and two-story lofts, or bright-air studios with a terrace and views. The collection of habitats invites you to indulge in the Art Deco neighborhood, and it’s just two blocks from the beach. The hotel is adjacent to the new Seawell Fish N’ Oyster restaurant, featuring fresh, local ocean fare and cocktails including the pineapple gin concoction Whoa, Nelly.

Hotel SLO, San Luis Obispo, California

 This property boasts 78 guest rooms ranging from 450 to more than 800 sq. ft., with indoor and outdoor areas to encourage basking in the temperate morning like a local–with a cup of coffee in hand on the balcony and central coast light illuminating a modern-bohemian ambiance. Hotel SLO offers nearly 10,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, ranging from a wine library adjacent to the kitchen’s gardens to outdoor terraces featuring a bocce court or views of Nine Sisters mountains.

Carte Hotel San Diego Downtown, California

This Curio Collection by Hilton property brings 246 spacious guest rooms and suites with crisp, ocean-city style to the Little Italy neighborhood of downtown San Diego. The LEED-certified hotel boasts more than 8,500 sq. ft. of event space across seven on-site options, along with a full-service fitness club and a sea-to-table restaurant. Chill out and admire the sunset on the Embarcadero from Above Ash Social Club—a copper-ceilinged rooftop lounge serving local flavors and elevated cocktails.

Hotel Cerro, San Luis Obispo, California

Opening in January 2020, this hotel features 65 guest rooms that complement the town’s mixed modern coastal vibe, with hints of old missionary architecture. Sustainability reigns, with LEED certification and no-waste touches such as reusable water bottles for guests, and filling stations throughout the premises. Complete the picture with Brasserie SLO, a new restaurant focused on local freshness and flair— with its own distillery. Featuring a relaxed, artisanal vibe, Hotel Cerro can accommodate up to 75 for private events. Attendees can sip cocktails poolside or enjoy a catered dinner in an airy event space that has a garden and fire pit.

A project that could herald urban transportation of the future will begin at Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) sometime this month.

The specialized drill from Elon Musk’s The Boring Company, currently in wait 40 ft. underground, will begin tunneling a two-loop system, slated for completion in January 2021. The tunnels will use high-occupancy, autonomous electric vehicles to transport up to 16 passengers at speeds of up to 155 mph.

Currently, walking from New Exhibit Hall to North/Central Hall takes about 15 minutes: The same trip will take about one minute on the LVCC Loop.

Potential future extension of the route could offer the same weather-proof, traffic-proof transportation to hotels on The Strip, McCarran International Airport (LAS) and eventually to Los Angeles.

Convention Center Expansion 50% Complete

The futuristic people-mover is just one reason for LVCVA to celebrate, as at the end of October, it reached the half-completion mark of an ambitious 1.4 million-square-foot expansion of the convention center. The expansion is expected to be completed in December 2020. Phase 3, renovation of the existing convention center, will begin in summer 2021, with plans to stagger construction to ensure there will be no disruption to shows and events until the project is completed in 2024.

Las Vegas has been named the No. 1 trade show destination in the country for the 25th consecutive year, by Trade Shows Network. With convention attendance up 4.9 percent this September compared with 2018, the multilevel project is expected to help the U.S. City of Lights retain the accolade and pursue further business opportunities.

LVCVA CEO Steve Hill shared his vision: “This expansion and renovation is our commitment to our clients and our community, to foster growth and continue to deliver the excellent service and amenities that have made Las Vegas the world’s premier destination.”

Owl Labs unveiled a product on Wednesday that could alter the way we see videoconferencing forever by making the remote meeting experience more immersive.

The videoconferencing technology company introduced Meeting Owl Pro, the second-generation Meeting Owl. They are the only 360-degree camera, mic and speaker smart devices on the market today. Powered by Owl Intelligence System, the products aim to give viewers the feeling that they are sitting in the room. Meeting Owl Pro is an improvement of the first product because it comes with a sharper camera, capable of 1080p resolution, and a 360-degree speaker that is twice as loud, reaching conference tables that are up to 18 feet away.

When planners place Meeting Owl Pro in the center of the conference table, Owl Intelligence System uses vision and voice recognition to shift the camera to identify and magnify whoever is speaking, creating a remote meeting experience that makes nonattendees feel engaged.

Both products are compatible with many often-used videoconferencing platforms, including Zoom, Google Meet, Skype for Business, Slack, GoTo Meeting and more.

The Meeting Owl Pro is a part of the larger Smart Meeting Room ecosystem, enhancements of which will roll out starting in 2020. These new features will include the following.

  • Q1 2020: IT Analytics Suite and Fleet Management to help your company get more out of its meeting spaces
  • Q2 2020: New technology to bring the whiteboard to the remote participant
  • Late 2020: Additional meeting productivity applications

Holiday energy and colder weather are kicking in at places throughout the country, leaving people more vulnerable to colds and flus. Planners who miss a day or more of work often find their progress on events and other projects is derailed, but they can avoid this problem by taking a few basic steps.

Many medical experts say that a cold or flu can be contagious 24 hours before people start to feel its symptoms. Although a flu shot can reduce the chance of getting the flu and limit its severity, people can still get sick if they have an unhealthy lifestyle, triggering a cold—and no cold vaccine exists.

Here are some easy tips to prevent getting sick this winter.

Flu Shot or Nasal Spray?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) approved a flu shot and nasal spray (FluMist) this year; however, the nasal spray has many health restrictions. It’s best to talk to a doctor to see if you are eligible for the spray. The flu shot takes about 14 days to take effect, and is less restrictive. Most medical clinics have a flu shot area. Target, CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens and Safeway offer a shot free with most insurance providers.

More: Stay Sniffle-Free During the Holiday Traveling Season

Strengthen Your Defenses with This Routine

  • Wash your hands for 20 seconds. If this isn’t possible, use hand sanitizer.
  • Cough or sneeze into the crook of your arm, or into a tissue. Throw away the tissue afterward.
  • Get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week.
  • Practice strength or resistance training twice a week.
  • Sleep at least seven to eight hours each day.
  • Reduce your stress.
  • Eat healthy and drink water.

More: De-Stress in 20 Minutes or Less

Obstacles to Health

Although the holiday season presents challenges to these everyday tips, there are solutions. A few of the tips can be combined or facilitated.

Cold weather and a busy schedule can take time away from exercise. The CDC recommends starting slow and incorporating exercise into the day. Parking farther away than usual or walking on a treadmill count toward the goal. The CDC provides many exercise ideas for those with busy schedules and many winter activities.

Sleeping seven to eight hours might not be for everyone. Having a bedtime routine helps people find the ideal amount of sleep needed. Schedules may be altered due to travel, but preparing for time zone changes helps reduce stress.

Disinfect Often

When going to the next event, don’t forget to sanitize your cellphone. If traveling by plane, Sanitize seats, armrests and the seat tray with disinfectant wipes.

Don’t touch your eyes, nose or lips. UCI Health discovered that the eyes, nose and mouth are where bacterial infections—including the cold, flu, pneumonia, and strep throat—enter.

Staying Healthy During Events

People eat plenty of food—including sweets—during the winter. Germs can spread when people eat foods such as chips, candy, nuts and pretzels out of bowls.

Consumer Reports consulted a registered dietitian and doctor for its story, “Don’t Get the Flu at a Superbowl Party,” and the same guidelines provided in the story apply to the winter season, in general. For example, some gatherings—including end-of-year celebrations and holiday parties—that you attend will offer communal foods or be potlucks. Jeffrey Pellegrino, professor and program director of health sciences at Aultman College in Canton Ohio, stated in the story that people shouldn’t be afraid to avoid a food, or ask for a utensil if none is available.

Marriott Hotels, the legacy brand of Marriott International with over 550 hotels and resorts in more than 60 countries and territories in the world, has embarked on a journey of the mind. That was the uber-message delivered at the unveiling of a makeover of iconic San Francisco Marriott Marquis, a 1,500-room meetings mecca in the SoMa District, near Moscone Center.

Julius Robinson, senior vice president of classic premium brands for Marriott International, led off an evening’s celebration at the newly redone hotel with a “fireside chat” with Eric Berlow, TED senior fellow and a researcher, into the nature of creativity and how best to stimulate it. Robinson also discussed the results of a Marriott Hotels global study that delved into today’s travel trends and “the powerful impact of letting your mind travel.”

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Marriott Hotels, Robinson said, is ensuring the continued relevance—“future proofing”—of the brand by basing its design thinking on approaches that enable a range of work styles and stimuli for encouraging creativity and inspiration.

“We believe our guests at Marriott have the ability to do great things when they are inspired,” Robinson said.

Not surprisingly, the Marriott study found that many people think they are too busy to be their best selves. Conducted with 7,500 business travelers in nine countries, the study found that 83 percent believed not having enough time to clear their minds impacted their creativity—more than half said if they had an extra 15 minutes in their day, they would use it to hit the mental pause button.

Other findings:

  • Eighty percent of global respondents noted inspiration often comes from a moment of pause.
  • Globally, 69 percent reported that they spent at least an hour a day multitasking, while in the United States that percentage spiked to 80 percent.
  • Seventy-seven percent of U.S. respondents said trying to complete all their daily to-dos distracted them from doing what was really important (compared to only 50 percent in Mexico and China).

Berlow, a scientist and researcher, said his own work has indicated that most people think social media is their No. 1 distraction. “But tech doesn’t distract us,” he countered. “We distract ourselves. It’s a part of human nature. We’re curious, and so as soon as we’re in the deep state of work, we want to be distracted.”

A survey of creative styles conducted with 10,000 people demonstrated that creative habits fill a spectrum, Berlow said. “Some people,” he said, “are kinetic creators. They get their ideas while in movement. Others are meditating creators.”

Marriott’s refreshed design approach, Robinson said, aims to “encourage our guests to reach their full creative potential” by accommodating this spectrum with both social and private spaces, as well as places to be in motion and others for quiet contemplation.

When veteran planners gathered at Hyatt Regency Monterey this week for the 9th annual SPINCon, every activity—from the opening challenge and dinner at Monterey Bay Aquarium, to the 40 over 40 celebration luncheon at Folktale Winery & Vineyards and the bingo-pajama-dance party—was designed to support the whole person. Smart Meetings sat in on the fun and games and came back with some potent lessons for making gatherings more meaningful.

Create a Safe Space

Meeting professionals are uniquely positioned to design environments that affect how people feel. Why not focus on making that a safe space for expressing real emotions? The conference kicked off with a single rule—no using the “f”-word, and by that Senior Planners Industry Network Executive Director Tracey Smith was referring to the word “fine.” When people asked how you are doing, you were to answer truthfully instead of with a politically correct answer.

A number of sessions addressed overcoming anxiety and stress, including the stress of travel with tips on overcoming jet lag from Travel Balance Chief Balancing Officer John Ayo.

Meredith Martini, CEO of PlayWorks Group, put the economic price tag each year due to depression in the billions. Although that fact is seldom talked about, she suggested that planners be the first to ask their colleagues and attendees if they need to talk, and to encourage them reach out for help if needed.

Get Strategic

Christy Lamagna, president of Strategic Meetings & Events, shared secrets for getting out from under the deluge of details to make time for big-picture thinking. It starts with surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you. Meetings require teams, and that means trusting the people around you.

Once you have the right people in place, she suggested replacing your never-ending to-do list with a ta-da list of the things that will have the most impact. She also encouraged planners to learn to say “No, thank you” when asked to do things that are not the highest priority and best use of time.

📍 Smart tip: All these ideas can be used for both professional and personal enhancement. As Lamagna pointed out, “Life is the ultimate event.”

Turn Insights into Action

After three days of making new friends and learning new tricks, it is easy to get overwhelmed and let the good intentions fall through the cracks under the mountain of emails waiting your return. That is why Dean Savoca, keynote speaker with Savoca Performance Group, closed the conference with an exercise designed to help everyone follow through on their aha moments.

“The brain defaults to consistency and safety over progress,” he said. He walked the group through an exercise that identified the most relevant opportunities and resulted in a written action plan, complete with contact information to help make it happen.

Then, everyone hugged and penciled in plans for AdventureCon in Alaska June 1–4 and next year’s SPINCon at Kimpton Epic Hotel in Miami December 13–15.

Just the right balance of amenities, activities and natural beauty make it the perfect place for planning memorable meetings and incentives. Here are eight great reasons to choose Costa Rica for your next meeting:

  1. Connectivity

Located in the heart of Central America, it’s the ideal centralized location from major cities around the world. Twenty-six airlines fly directly into Costa Rica’s two international airports, San José and Liberia.

  1. Strategic Location

With year-round temperatures ranging from 70–80° F, you can plan your event any time of the year.

  1. Excellent Infrastructure

There are over 17,000 hotel rooms throughout the country and a variety of meeting venues, including the new Convention Center in San José that has a capacity of over 6,500 delegates.

  1. Well-being and Quality

Costa Rica ranks seventh in the world for quality of life and first in Latin America and Central America. It is also internationally known as the safest country in Central America, providing visitors with a peaceful environment for their stay.

  1. Experience

Costa Rica sets the bar on an international level as a destination for organizing meetings and incentives. It is the ninth most frequently chosen country in Latin America to host meetings and fifty-sixth globally.

  1. Highly Educated

With about 44% of the population having studied in higher education, Costa Rica is a haven for creative thinking.

  1. Sustainable by Nature

As one of the world’s leaders in clean energy production, Costa Rica’s goal is to be carbon-neutral by 2021. It is also home to six percent of the world’s biodiversity, and to preserve this wealth of natural beauty, the Costa Rica Tourism Board developed the Sustainability Certification program for tourist enterprises that demonstrate sustainability within their operations.

  1. Diverse Attractions and Activities

Consistently temperate weather allows for year-round team-building activities. Scuba diving, rock climbing, ziplining – there’s no shortage of thrills here.

Get to know why Costa Rica is a top destination for meetings, incentives, conferences and events. Let the discovery begin at CostaRicaPureMeetings.com.

Hotel Indigo Seattle Everett Waterfront, Washington  new

This 142-room property is the first completed stage of the Waterfront Place development, a plan to invigorate the heart of Fisherman’s harbor as a gathering place for visitors and residents alike. The new hotel offers much to entice guests, with 119 of its guest rooms boasting water views, an easily accessible 3.5-mile hiking trail, paddleboard rentals, and a free summertime ferry to nearby Jetty Island. The style throughout feels like a salty air breeze, with fresh tones and pops of bright color. The property offers 8,000 sq. ft. of meetings and outdoor space, from an outdoor courtyard to its Grand Ballroom. Take a dip in the salt-water pool, then dry off and head to the hotel’s Jetty Bar & Grille for the freshest of seafood dishes.

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Bar Moxy

Moxy Boston Downtown, Boston

Situated plunk amidst the city’s theatre district, this lively, fun-forward property features 340 guest rooms and plenty of play space. 7,000 sq. ft. of event space encourages mixing business with pleasure—a philosophy to continue at Bar Moxy, which serves as an eatery, cocktail counter, coffee shop and communal office space (with giant boardgames). Choose-your-purpose space is the theme, as rooms feature foldaway furniture, pegged walls and a bounty of outlets with video streaming services, Broadway HD and super-fast Wi-Fi. Guests get easy access with keyless entry and mobile check-in and out. Dare to tuck your phone away to grab a keycard from the lobby “food truck” and you’ll walk away with a comped cocktail to reward your human interaction.

The Piccolo, Paso Robles, California

This charming 24-room retreat offers high-end hospitality within the relaxed, vino-fueled sensibility of the central coast. After your mobile check-in, stroll on up to the town’s only rooftop bar, Tetto, to enjoy a well-deserved glass. If you’re feeling exploratory, the world’s easiest wine tour is steps from your room at The Piper, the in-hotel communal tasting space. With a full booking of the hotel, these open-intimate spaces are all yours; if you want to stay in style but need more event space, simply cross the town square to 5,000 sq. ft. of varied meetings space at Paso Robles Inn.

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Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Lobby

Hyatt Regency John Wayne Airport Newport Beach, California

The ultra-renovated stand-by for those coming through and to California’s southern coastal towns features 343 rooms, just 7 miles from the ocean. The building hosts an impressive 28,000 sq. ft. of meetings and event space, including a ballroom, boardrooms and pre-function options within its customizable indoor/outdoor venues. Choose from a breakfast buffet or Machaca Chilaquiles at WAVE onsite, or grab a craft cocktail at BLVD Bar. Enjoy the free shuttle to shopping at Fashion Island, as well as to John Wayne Airport. Did we mention that it’s 16 miles from Disneyland?

Previous: Luxe New Landmarks of the East and West

Brad Weaber

Event planning veteran Brad Weaber, founder of the eponymous Brad Weaber Consulting Group, has some news for meeting professionals who may have written off destination organizations as not relevant. “It used to be all about heads in beds; now CVBs are involved in subjects ranging from advocacy and safety to climate change; the role of a destination organization has changed dramatically,” he said.

They are now strategic advisors.

Weaber has launched a new career as a communications consultant, working largely with boards, and has facilitated panel discussions with planners and CVBs that dramatically illustrate how the two can work together to solve social problems.

“This is the power of where we’re going as an industry,” Weaber said. CVBs are addressing difficult issues, being transparent and open, and working with planners to solve problems. To illustrate his point, he pointed to an exchange on the stage in July at Destinations International’s annual conference in St. Louis.

Partner in Planning

Deirdre Clemmons, CMP, senior vice president of events and strategic partnerships at Airports Council International (ACI) of North America, which produces more than events a year across North America, peered out at the roomful of destination organization executives and said, “You have become my partner—no matter how long or how small an event is.” Clemmons described how she has witnessed the CVB shift to trusted advisor first-hand. She now relies on them for a connection to experiences in the community.

She also turns to CVBs for help in collecting analytics on the impact her groups have on a community when they bring a meeting. For just ACI’s annual three-day conference for 2,500 people, the economic bump is $5.5 million. “It’s vital to know the impact,” said Clemmons.

A Dramatic Turnaround

Windy Christner, CMP, senior director of meetings and expositions at American Pharmacists Association (APhA) called the relationships with CVB service personnel essential. “They become a part of my team,” she said. “To tell you the truth, my job load would be out of control if I didn’t have a good services person I could rely on to pick up the phone, get back to me, give recommendations, be my advocate. Someone who will work with me closely when things go wrong—as closely they would work with me when things go right.”

That was exactly what happened when Christner almost pulled her 6,000-person annual meeting with an economic impact of $11 million from the city of Seattle.

She told Visit Seattle CEO Tom Norwalk that the homelessness issue was making some of her attendees uncomfortable and was, frankly, “out of control.” Instead of denying it, he asked her to put her concerns in a letter that he sent to city leaders. He was trying to address the issue with them and knew her words would carry weight.

Norwalk explained, “We decided as an organization about 10 years ago that what was happening all over the county in cities big and small could be one of the most hurtful issues for the conventions industry, so we started to speak out. We put ourselves out there in a way you never thought a CVB would be doing.”

The letter caught the attention of city leaders and the media, which started to do stories about what the city would lose if it didn’t act.

Eventually Christner came to the realization that instead of complaining about this issue, she needed to do something about it. “We decided we were going to turn this around,” she said.

However, even though she was confident attendees would share her desire to help, she knew just giving people money on the street was not the answer. “There are fabulous organizations in each destination that already have processes in place to assist with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health,” she said.

With the help of Visit Seattle, Christner connected with nonprofit Mary’s Place. A booth was set up in registration to share stories. Attendees created comfort kits. For every badge swiped, two dollars was donated to the organization, which places unsheltered families in permanent housing. Thousands of dollars were collected.

Christner said her job was to make sure attendees knew APhA was doing everything possible to keep them safe, including offering safety and security tips on the web site. But the partnership resulted in much more than that. “The emotional connection with my attendees was something I had never seen before,” Christner said.

APhA ended up having an extremely successful convention in Seattle, and is now bringing its Federal Pharmacy Seminar there in 2021.

What If Every Meeting Did This?

“We know we can’t solve everything. What we’re trying to do is make an impact,” she said. “Can you imagine if every meeting organization partnered with somebody who would help the people who are homeless in your towns? What an impact and difference we would make in the lives of even just a few people!”

Happy hour takes on new meaning when it’s held at a spa that dishes up alcohol-infused treatments. Take Scotch, for example, which is chock-full of sugars, minerals and vitamin B6 that provide beneficial hydrating and anti-inflammatory properties.

Champagne and wine-based beverages can smooth skin, enhance blood flow and provide powerful anti-aging benefits. Beer yeast can increase skin elasticity by suppressing sebum.

More: 4 Spa Tourism Options to Make You Say ‘Ahh’

At the 732-room The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, tequila is the alcohol infusion of choice. The Tequila Lime Refresher facial claims to leave the skin hydrated, nourished and luminous.  The signature Tequila and Lime Body Glow combines coastal sea salts, lime, agave and tequila in a healing, smoothing “sub-lime” scrub.

Agave is another source of anti-inflammatory and anti-aging benefits, with a touch of organic lime to stimulate cellular renewal. For a quick jolt, try the jalapeno booster, which increases oxygen, improves circulation and leaves skin toned with a youthful, rosy glow.

At the 177-room Hawks Cay Resort in the Florida Keys, Florida, spa therapists whip up a special Key Lime Mojito to revive and refresh the skin. The spa’s Pina Colada is another cleansing and moisturizing treatment that includes a cane sugar scrub, tropical oil massage and body butter wrap, infused with pineapple essence.

Read more about innovative spa treatments at North American resorts in Kristine White’s story, “Beyond Coddling: Resorts Add Sophisticated, Innovative Programs to Their Spa Offerings” in the November issue of Smart Meetings.