dallas convention shelter hurricane

Some 10,000 Ambit Energy consultants were set to fill Kay Bailey Hutchinson Convention Center (KBHCC) in Dallas starting tomorrow for the annual, three-day Ambition Convention. Now they are being joined by thousands of evacuees seeking safety from the deluge of rain and rising floodwaters along the Texas Gulf Coast who will begin using the convention facility as a mega-shelter.

Texas state officials asked the city of Dallas to make the facility ready to accommodate 5,000 Hurricane Harvey victims. Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings says the mega shelter will be ready to house evacuees from Galveston sometime today.

City officials began preparing the lower-level, air-conditioned garage as a shelter on Sunday. It will include a medical facility capable of offering basic medical care. The exhibit halls above will continue to operate as normally as possible, at least for now.

The city is currently operating three additional shelters at recreation centers that are near capacity.

Rawlings said more than 500 people from Galveston will be flown to North Texas today. Evacuees from Houston will begin arriving once Interstate 45 reopens.

“The state has eight, nine different planes, and we will be receiving at Love Field, 50 to 80 people on each of those flights,” Rawlings told NBC 5, a Dallas-Fort Worth television station. “There will be individuals, their animals as well, and we will start to triage those individuals and figure out where we can put them.”

Rocky Vaz, director of the Dallas Office of Emergency Management, said, “We are committed to doing whatever it takes to accommodate our fellow Texans who may need assistance.” Several city departments, Red Cross, Dallas County, Parkland Hospital, the Salvation Army, Children’s Hospital and numerous volunteer agencies and organizations worked to have the convention center shelter up and running and ready to take in guests.

Still, the convention center and other shelters in Dallas may not be nearly enough.

“We have approximately 740,000 people who live in this hurricane watch area of 30 counties,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins. “We have a maximum capacity—if we open all shelters, both private and public, in Texas –of about 41,000 shelter spaces. So, that’s right at 700,000 people who we don’t have shelter space for. What I’m asking is, if your cousin who is a pain in the neck asks to sleep on your couch for a few days, let the cousin sleep on the couch.”

Claire Mathison, multi-channel marketing coordinator, for Ambit Energy, a Dallas-based marketing company that provides electricity and natural gas services in energy markets in the United States that have been deregulated, told Smart Meetings the company’s event “is moving forward, with great consideration for the evacuees at KBHCC. Ambit has made a $25,000 donation to the Red Cross to support relief efforts, and we’ve encouraged our consultants to do their part and donate to the Red Cross as well.”

Up until 2012 when the media broke the Muffingate story and the scandal of the GSA Western Regional Conference changed everything, government meetings were considered a relatively recession proof base of business. Federal meetings almost singlehandedly bailed out the hospitality industry following the tragedy of 9/11.

Since late 2012, I have been teaching The Future of Government Meetings, which was very uncertain.   Government agencies are frozen, afraid to make decisions that will land their events on the front page of the Washington Post.  Congress finally provided guidance to agencies, limiting:

  • How much money can be spent on meetings and events
  • How many people can travel
  • Where can these meetings be held or more specifically not held

Federal agencies have specific rules and regulations which can be found in the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) when procuring goods and services. The FAR allows for “cancellation for the convenience of the government,” so even before the government shutdown and sequestration, there was always that risk that the government could cancel.

Because the government represented solid business, and the likelihood of cancellation minimal, many venues and event contractors have taken this risk. But consistent with a risk management plan, it is critical that the government contracting document protect the agency with an inclusive force majeure (“Act of God”) clause. This clause protects both parties from paying damages resulting from circumstances that are beyond the control of either or both parties, resulting in breach of contract. The force majeure clause will alert the other party that under certain circumstances, the government may not be able to fulfill the contract. In addition to weather and other Acts of God, these situational items should include cancellation of the event for any of the following reasons:

Availability of funds

A Federal government office must demonstrate to the contracting officer that there is money in the budget to fund an event. This is an internal official document of proof to allow the procurement to proceed. Although the money may be in the budget, based on unforeseen circumstances, an agency might decide not to spend money allocated and cancel the event.

If Congress has not passed a budget and there is a continuing resolution, agencies are only funded for a set period of time and only to the level of the previous budget. New initiatives must wait. It is always wise to include a clause stating, “subject to availability of funds in fiscal year x.”

Government Shutdown

No one expected the government to shut down; everyone was waiting for the 11th hour bail out to keep the lights on in government offices. On October 1, 2013, no budget or continuing resolution was passed, and the government actually shut down all non-essential activities for 10 days. So now contracting documents must add a clause indicating what will happen to programs in the event of a government shut down.

Government sequestration

Automatic spending cuts through government sequestration is a new name for an old issue. In recent times, government agencies have been forced to cut budgets by up to 20%. If there is money budgeted to fund meetings, the perception of a government agency hosting off-site meetings while employees are being furloughed does not play well. That possibility needs to be acknowledged in contracts.

Threat of Terrorism and Terrorist attack

While things may grind to a halt during the aftermath of an attack while the government recovers, vendors still want to be paid. Include the possibility of terrorism in your force majeure clause.

Including these provisions in contracts with government agencies can help manage a risk that everyone now knows is there, while opening up possibilities for a big chunk of business.

Garland Preddy worked for the Federal government handling special events and meetings for more than 30 years and taught Doing Business with the Federal Government for 16 years. 

cut event costs low

Whether you’re planning a small meeting or gearing up for a large trade show, odds are you’re working within a set budget. Surely you’ve been thinking long and hard about how to put together the best event at the lowest cost. The following five tips will help keep your event costs low while planning an unforgettable event!

1. Find a Privately Owned Venue

When you’re shopping around for a venue, start by looking at private spaces. They’re often equipped with experts devoted to you and your event. Schedule time with them to talk about specifics. A private company may be more flexible with pricing than public venues—or at least more creative about finding solutions.

2. DIY Planning

After you’ve chosen a venue, a variety of add-ons can bump up the price. Instead, spend a little bit of time DIY planning. Several event decorations are easy to find online or make yourself, such as center pieces and lighting. Taking time to find your own decorations allows you shop for the best items at the lowest prices. Essentials such as tablecloths, dishes, and signage are just some of the basics that can be found at a lower price. Every penny counts, and the savings will add up!

3. Book Early

Perhaps the easiest way to save money is to book your event space early. The later you book, the more likely you’re going to encounter less flexibility and a lack of availability. Business venues will most likely be busiest in the fall and first quarter going into spring, so plan your date accordingly. Booking your event space four to six months in advance should prevent unwanted fees and give you enough time to find an optimal venue. This also gives you more time to prepare and publicize your event.

4. Outsource Catering

Similarly to decor, your vendor may offer catering services for your event at a premium price. By outsourcing, you can choose from a variety of cuisines and price points. Local restaurants may offer a wider selection of great food, and even add a bit of local flavor to your event, while working with you to meet your budget. Supporting local businesses is also a great way to foster business relationships in the area, which can help your business expand its network!

5. Keep Event Space Clean

Often times, venues require a security deposit to book your event. This security deposit will be used as collateral in the event that you incur any damages while using the space. By keeping the event space clean, you can avoid losing your deposit. After the event, spend some time cleaning up to make sure everything is in order. Putting the space back the way you found it is an easy way to get your deposit back and meet your budget.

Business Expo Center is Orange County, California’s premier event venue and leader in producing specialized expos, conferences and special events. The experienced event specialist staff works closely with organizations to create effective events and is committed to providing the highest value in event space and services at the best price.

keeping an eye on the storm

Nothing can ruin a perfectly planned event faster than unexpected severe weather.  Each year more than 100,000 thunderstorms occur in the United States, producing 25 million lightning flashes and killing an average of 51 people per year. It can strike as far as 10 to 25 miles from the storm that produces it—making it very challenging to know when your outdoor event is in danger.

Many event and meeting planners don’t think about severe weather impacting their event until it gets closer to the date. Then, many rely on their free app to predict weather. While it can predict rain, it may not predict lightning at all—or has delayed lightning detection, which can be worse than not having any at all since it can give a false sense of security. Advance warning can be the difference between getting people to safety before lightning hits your area, and putting lives in danger.

If your venue doesn’t provide a weather monitoring service, commercial weather services can step into the gap. Trained (degreed and certified) meteorologists can navigate uncertainty about constantly evolving weather patterns, providing 24/7 weather counsel and informing you of unfavorable weather conditions that can impact the event.

Levels of Service to Consider:

The size and budget of your event will dictate the resources appropriate for weather monitoring to determine when and if a meeting should be moved indoors or, worst case, evacuated.

  1. Meteorologist on-site during your event
  2. Meteorologist monitoring your event from an off-site location
  3. Online weather monitoring and alerting that you perform yourself with support from a meteorologist

If you evacuate the event, you’ll also have to determine when you can resume it in a normal and planned environment. Onsite Meteorologists can provide a professional opinion and guidance as to when it is safe to return to outdoor events. This takes the stress of decision-making off event staff so they can focus on other aspects. Experts can also provide backup documentation if the decision to evacuate is questioned afterward.

When there are economic pressure to keep an event running as long as possible, setting criteria such as wind speeds and lightning distances can take the subjectivity out of determining when to evacuate. Depending on the size of the crowd and the distance of nearby shelters, the allotted timeframe for an evacuation will fluctuate. This pre-planning process is intentional to eliminate making decisions under stress if severe weather strikes.

Planning and executing an event can be stressful. Oftentimes, uncontrollable variables, like weather, are an afterthought or left to chance. Having a professional meteorologist take the responsibility of weather conditions can ultimately lighten the burden and help tremendously in case of an emergency evacuation and severe weather conditions.

Jim Foerster is the Director of the Meteorology Operations team at DTN, where he oversees a talented group of more than 50 meteorologists providing weather forecasts and consultation to businesses making critical decisions around safety or operations. Jim and his team are tasked with bringing decision-support tools focused around critical weather decisions to DTN customers, and engage with the market frequently to ensure this process is ongoing. Jim is one of four Certified Consulting Meteorologists with DTN, one of the most prestigious peer-awarded certifications available in the weather industry.

Planning a meeting in December can be stressful. Holiday parties, social obligations and work commitments are all competing for attention. As the days grow shorter, draw inspiration from the season to design events that everyone will want to attend, and to help keep them engaged long after. Below are six tips to incorporate holiday cheer, connect with attendees and create a little magic of your own.

 1. Get Festive

Last week, I was listening to research findings from Journal of Environmental Psychology, which confirmed that people who decorate for the holidays early are happier. It allows them to tap into the nostalgia of childhood. Leverage that good cheer and make your own magic by selecting a venue with festive decorations. In San Francisco, California Academy of Sciences becomes a winter wonderland complete with an ice rink and a giant snowman theater that shows a short film on the geometry of snowflakes. Talk about a conversation starter!

In California’s Silicon Valley, the historic mansion, Filoli, decorates the grounds with large trees, holiday market carts and wreath making classes. C-level dinners in front of the mansion can feature a dramatic 32-foot garland centerpiece and pashmina shawls for guests.

2. Hygge Inspiration

Perfect for a rainy December day, take your event design cues from the Danish Hygge concept to curate a cozy and warm experience. Pamper your guests with a pop-up salon offering 15-minute massages. Evoke the joy and pleasure of sitting beside the fireplace with a mug of rich hot chocolate. Elevate the traditional hot chocolate bar with colorful meringue sticks, hand-cut snowflake marshmallows, and seasonal syrups like peppermint and gingerbread.

3. Season of Giving

Dedicate a breakout session to assembling personal care packages for a local shelter or other hands-on activity. Give attendees the opportunity to get in on the maker movement by bringing in a local artisan to head up the instruction. Don’t forget to tie this in on social media with your event’s messaging for increased ROI!

4. Start A Tradition

In the spirit of the season, create your own tradition that attendees will associate with your event and look forward to each year. A quirky ice breaker will get everyone moving and out of their shell at the beginning of the day. Similarly, clinking glasses with a specialty cocktail at the reception afterward will shift the group into party mode after a full day of activities and information. A favorite is a classic French 75 made with champagne, gin and lemon.

5. Tuesday Is the New Friday

Host the meeting earlier in the week to avoid scheduling conflicts with attendees needing to duck out early for holiday parties and other social obligations. Having a Monday or Tuesday meeting will often result in reduced venue pricing as well, as many locations charge more for those key Thursdays and Fridays in December. Additionally, rental companies, lighting and audiovisual vendors, and caterers all will have greater product inventory and resources to support your event.

6. Avoid Re-gifting

Offer your guests a take away memento they will cherish rather than a traditional swag bag full of branded cups and t-shirts that are quickly discarded. Curate a gift that is special to the location or host—think one-of-a-kind items like certificates for a unique experience that complement your meeting’s goals. Leave guests with a memory of your homemade cookies.

Tina Hirshberg Novelo is a program manager and event producer, and has been with Taste since 2010. She has orchestrated more than 1,000 events and programs for Fortune 500 corporations and national retailers.

One of the things I love about the meeting community is that we come together in good times and bad. For many of our readers and partners, a series of natural disasters has made this a challenging time—from hurricanes to earthquakes, the infrastructure that hosts our events has been threatened, and the industry has reacted heroically.

This has affected me deeply on a personal level, as I have dear friends and some of our team members who were caught up in the rush to evacuate and nervous waiting that followed. My heart is with them and their loved ones now and in the recovery that is to come.

As a company, we will be contributing to The Red Cross to support immediate relief efforts and will work with local charities as they take on the long-term rebuilding that will be required in some communities. We encourage our readers to show their support in whatever way makes sense for their groups. As we have seen so many times in the past, we succeed when we work together and everyone has something to contribute.

As always, we will continue to share the stories of bravery and kindness shown by the hospitality industry as they threw open the doors to convention centers and hotels for evacuated residents. We would like to commend the groups that donated to host cities after they were forced to cancel or postpone meetings. Many of the properties were unharmed or only required minimal cleanup to get back in business, but many will need our support as they invest in recreating the places we bring our groups. We will share these updates with you in the weeks and months ahead.

The event community is, by definition, resilient. We at Smart Meetings are dedicated to bringing you the latest information as it becomes available and supporting a return to transformative meeting experiences as soon as possible.

Warmest thoughts,
Marin Bright

A staple in the Newport Beach hospitality sector is updating its name to reflect its unique place in Southern California. Island Hotel Newport Beach changed its name to Fashion Island Hotel to emphasize its location as an iconic luxury destination, explained Ralph Grippo, president of Irvine Company Resort Properties, in a statement on Dec. 8. Irvine Company owns and operates the retail center, Fashion Island, and neighboring Fashion Island Hotel. “We are always looking for innovative ways to engage with and meet the needs of our guests–packaging the hotel and Fashion Island together is a win-win for both the company and our customers,” he said.

Visitors can look forward to more integrated perks, such as a Fashion Island Gift Card program, a personal shopper, trunk shows with fashion designers and a trolley to transport guests to and from each destination. Planners can also expect to see cocktails inspired by fashion designers, and newly inspired food and beverage presentations for groups and private events.

The 295-room hotel recently completed an 18-month transformation that included Oak Grill, an inventive new restaurant with a 2,100-square-foot deck for al fresco dining; an updated resort-style pool area with a contemporary poolside bar; a remodeled event space, including the largest ballroom in Newport Beach; an indoor/outdoor Cabana Room with glass panels opening to a private, heated terrace; and Aqua Lounge, which features an interactive mixology format. Gerard Widder, general manager of the property, says the name change “fortifies our commitment to its position as an important destination for local, regional and international business and leisure travelers.”

World’s Shortest and Longest Flights?

There’s no meal or beverage service, but you’ll hardly notice on America’s new, shortest-scheduled flight. Traversing about 62 miles and lasting just 16 minutes, from takeoff to touch-down, United Airlines has begun daily service between San Francisco and Santa Rosa in Northern California’s Sonoma County wine region.

On its website, United is offering today’s departure, with a scheduled journey time of 45 minutes, for $399 one way or $797 roundtrip. Advance fares are as low as $298 one way and $413 roundtrip.

The same distance can be driven in about 1 hour and 20 minutes, in good traffic.

An even shorter U.S. flight was formerly available in Hawaii, from Hoolehua, the main airport on the island of Molokai, to Kalaupapa on the same island, a distance of only 8 miles. Kalaupapa is otherwise inaccessible except by boat or a cliff-side trail that descends 1,700 feet. The small airline that flew this route ceased operations in 2013.

Even that flight, however, was much longer than the current world’s shortest flight. Scotland’s Loganair flies between the Orkney Islands of Westray and Papa Westray, with a scheduled flight time of two minutes to cover 1.7 miles.

The world’s longest nonstop flight was inaugurated this year, according to The Telegraph. Qatar Airways flies from Doha, Qatar, to Auckland, New Zealand, a distance of 9,028 miles, in 16 hours and 23 minutes.

Among U.S.-based airlines, United claims the longest flight, too. In partnership with Singapore Airlines, it currently flies from San Francisco to Singapore (8,446 miles). On Oct. 27, United will launch a Los Angeles-Singapore route (8,700 miles), and on January 18 it will begin flying to Sydney from Houston (8,596 miles).

voice search is next big thing

According to Google, 60 percent of searches from mobile devices are done by voice. Are you ready for the voice revolution?

Bronwyn White, a tourism strategist and co-founder of MyTravelResearch.com, asked that of an audience at the Tourism Marketing Rockstar Convention earlier this month in Sydney.

Artificial intelligence, and how it processes voice data, is changing accessibility to the hospitality industry, and the future is here. More than 50 percent of teens and 40 percent of adults use voice search daily, though research has found that users older than 25 feel more comfortable using voice queries privately rather than in public. Users younger than 25 are not uncomfortable using voice search in public, and that’s where the tide is turning, according to White.

“It’s a foretaste of things to come,” she said. “We’re still at the start of the revolution.”

Voice recognition software in the industry now is higher than 90 percent, but 99 percent is within reach. And once that happens, the world of difference between the current 95 percent accuracy and eventual 99 percent accuracy will be evident.

The hospitality industry needs to be ready, White advocates. There’s already simple steps that the travel and hospitality industry can take to adapt their marketing to voice queries:

  • Optimize location data
  • Fill out all relevant information in Google My Business
  • Promote and curate reviews
  • Focus your branding
  • Have a voice in mind when developing relevant content

White also suggested making FAQs far more conversational, as well as creating guides that contain informal, verbally phrased questions. The narrowed algorithms by voice-recognition software access user preferences, location and search history to tailor results to the user.

“To a great extent, if tourism businesses are optimized for mobile typed search, Google will deliver accurate search results via voice, too—at least in the short term,” White said.

low cost holiday ideas

Great ideas are both timeless and adaptable. With New Year’s celebrations upon us, providing a low-cost, yet bold focal point on a tight budget can be an annual challenge. Double the dare and make sure the solution also shines with functionality. Here are some tips for making a big impact while keeping a handle on the budget.

1. Combine lots of the same inexpensive item to make a big statement

The sparkling reflections of a champagne flute tower or wine glass pyramid bequeath any event with an elevated feeling. For the Napa-Sonoma chapter of International Live Events Association, steady hands at The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, California, stacked stemmed wine glasses to make a bold entry. Guests selected wine glasses from the display and wandered to a pouring station at their leisure. No long lines at the bar and no additional investment to create this festive attention-getter.

2. Invest your money where it will be seen and appreciated

Growing up, my dad had practiced parlor tricks, such as testing the diamond in a ring to see if it would scratch glass or running his dampened finger around the rim of a glass to induce a musical tone. Little did I know he was priming me to recognize quality. Thickness, weight and the ability to create prisms are all distinguishing attributes of crystal. But really…who has time for that when you’re socializing? Trim your stemware budget by 50 percent or more by using standard glassware at the bar during cocktail hour and then showcase the crystal on the dining table when the guests are more likely to examine the drinking vessels.

3. Light one spectacular element rather than many small pieces

Think about it. The word spotlight infers special and it’s easy to turn an object into a showpiece just by focusing lights on it. If your focal point is on the floor, give it room to root. To make it seem larger, place it on a draped table. To really direct attention, put a riser on the table. To add volume, add more risers and crunched linens. Applying basic theatrical staging and lighting tricks can quickly turn an ordinary prop into a statement piece.

4. Mirror, mirror on the wall

In addition to weddings and awards ceremonies, the one time people dress to say, “Look at me,” is New Year’s Eve. Your guests will be delighted if you provide full-length mirrors so they can admire themselves. While one mirror simply looks like a mirror; multiple mirrors turn a lonely hallway into a grand entrance or a pre-function room into a discrete vignette. Available through rental companies and sometimes the venue, prop them against the wall or on an easel. When you position several mirrors together they enliven the space into ever changing design decor. Not only do they provide a reflective surface, but guests instantly become part of the action as they twirl and pose in front of the looking glass.

5. Repurpose those Christmas tree lights

Call them what you will, fairy lights, Tivoli lights, patio lights–battery operated or hard wired, they’re all strings of lights that, when used outside during the summer or on the tree during the holidays, add twinkle to any festivity. Cut glass bowls and vases are the perfect receptacle to scatter light beams throughout the room, light up an otherwise dark buffet table or enliven a centerpiece. Bonus–you’ll find them on sale after Christmas or at summer’s end.

6. Combine an activity with the take home memory

Those party togs call for a photo memory and everyone has a camera phone. The key is to build a few settings that the guests can easily walk into for the perfect shot. Enhance the sets with easy-grab accessories such as top hats, feather boas, a champagne bottle and faux pearl Mardi Gras beads. A themed mural back-drop, step-and-repeat branded wall, or up-lighting a basic wall with color will provide photo worthy settings while adding to the overall ambiance of the event space.

7. Incorporate props from your venue

The repurpose concept is as easy as using ice buckets to hold floral centerpieces or as a riser for a glass garden globe. Turn the venue’s wedding loveseat, pillars, archway and potted silk ficus into props for a photo scene or to spice up an otherwise lackluster area.