It’s a new year! After making your New Year’s Resolutions and recovering from New Years Eve (hydration is key!), #eventprofs should start thinking about ways to make 2015 even better. Here are a few tech trends that could really help with events in the future!
1. Smart Watches
Designed to travel at speeds of 200 mph between Los Angeles and San Francisco, California’s high-speed rail development marked its start Tuesday amid challenges from Central Valley workers and other communities in direct path of the project. The rail project is expected to be completed by 2029 and is projected to create jobs for more than 20,000 in the next five years.
AirlineRatings.com announced the top ten safest airlines of 2015 by examining airline operational history, incident records and operational excellence. Other rating systems taken into account were factors related to audits from the FAA, ICAO as well as government audits. See what airlines ranked the safest for 2015.
Spice up your next meeting or conference event with these fresh takes on food and beverages. This list includes sure-fire trends that are expected to take hold this year. See what the hottest menu selections are and what professional chefs are serving up in their kitchens.
Planners already received the good news that airfares are likely to decrease in 2015, but there are several ways that they can further cut expenses for their companies and organizations.
By taking these relatively simple steps, planners—and in some cases individual staff members—will be able to save more money than they ever imagined.
Book a hotel and flights as a package: This is the single fastest way to save. Don’t jump just because a site claims that it can save you 10 to 20 percent on booking a flight and a hotel; it’s probably offering the discount based on booking both separately. By opting for a flight-hotel package, you can often save much more—in some cases, the cost of a package is even less than booking just the flight.
Read the small print: Business travelers should carefully read over their credit card’s benefit package and their health insurance’s international coverage policies. Credit cards don’t usually cover liability and sometimes don’t cover car-collision in all countries. On the other hand, in some cases they provide benefits such as reimbursement for a camera lens if it’s dropped and damaged within 90 days of purchase and for toiletries if luggage is lost.
Check online for free activities: Most every city has outstanding attractions that cause little or nothing. By using words such as “San Francisco free” (without the quotation marks), for example, you’ll find plenty of attractive options.
Stay in less expensive areas: Many metropolitan areas have great hotels outside a city’s main business district that are inexpensive and near public transportation. Booking them can result in huge savings in some areas, in particular, including New York City. For instance, in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough, 18 of 20 hotels offer rooms for $151 per night or less, only a fraction of the cost of most Manhattan hotels.
Stay on top of the news and book stopover flights: It’s no secret that layover flights can save money, but there are more ways to take advantage of them than many people realize. After a Malaysia Airlines jet was shot down near the Ukraine-Russia border, Ukranian International Airlines began offering promotional rates under $500—with reasonable layovers—from New York City to several destinations, including Dubai, Istanbul and Athens.
Research currency-exchange rates: Planners are aware that some countries are more expensive than others, but it’s important for them to check up-to-date exchange rates to have accurate information. In Russia, for example, U.S. groups would get 94 percent more for their money than they did a year ago, while they would also receive more in these countries, among others: Argentina (31 percent), Norway (21 percent), Sweden (16 percent), Chile (16 percent), Mongolia (15 percent) and Israel (13 percent).
See if you can negotiate lodging rates: Business travelers who use sites such as Airbnb for alternative lodging should check to see if they can negotiate a better price. It’s not as likely to work if a property is managed by a third party, though.
Rent a car and rent your own car: By renting their car through FlightCar.com—which operates in several places, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadephia and Washington, D.C.—business travelers earn 5 cents to 20 cents per mile driven, plus receive free parking. And by renting someone else’s car, they can save up to 50 percent off of typical rental fees.
Read the source article at nytimes.com
United Airlines will outfit more than 200 regional jets with Gogo’s ATG-4 advanced air-to-ground Wi-Fi service enabling customers to stay connected during flights. The company will also install Personal Device Entertainment, a service that offers hundreds of complimentary movies and television shows available for Wi-fi-enabled iOS and Android devices, as well as laptop computers.
Read the source article at United Continental Holdings, Inc.
Roughly a quarter of Americans have some sort of nervousness related to flying. Japan’s All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) new app promises to alleviate in-flight stress after surveying more than 1,000 passengers who concluded that anxiety can be moderated with music and distracting games. Other apps include SOAR and VALK, and attempt to use logic as the main weapon against anxiety.
Online travel agencies account for 38 percent of the global online market and are expected to grow over the next two years. Global leaders in the travel space include Priceline and Expedia who sell more than 22 million and 12 million hotel room nights per month. As the competition thickens, there are a few behemoth online retailers vowing for a piece of the pie. Read how Amazon and Alibaba can disrupt the online travel market. Continue reading “The Online Travel Market: A Battle of Behemoths”
Deciding what to include in a contract can be complicated. Which clauses are crucial and which can be left out? Do you really need an addendum? Or is it time for an amendment? Lisa Sommer Devlin, founder of Devlin Law Firm P.C., spoke to Smart Meetings about the ins and outs of creating a contract that works for both you, your guests and your venue.
When it comes to creating a contract, it can be easy to forget the basic purpose: to state what each party must do and what happens if they don’t. Should one party fall through on their promises, the law will remedy it. And should one party step away, a third party should be able to come in and understand what the agreement between the two parties is.
One thing to keep in mind during your negotiations: don’t go overboard. While dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s is crucial, you must make sure you are not asking too much of the other party. Both sides want to execute a good event and reap the benefits, so make sure you’re acknowledging if you’re being unreasonable.
Listen to the entire webinar with Lisa Sommer Devlin on demand here.
Based on news headlines today, it can be tempting to add a clause surrounding sexual harassment. However, it’s unnecessary most of the time, Devlin says. Hotels often have their own policies, and including your own clause does not mean that they must follow it. That doesn’t mean it isn’t important for your organization to have one. It can help save you from liability later on, and others will see that you do not condone inappropriate actions, but you may not be able to enforce it on others.
Venues will have their own emergency procedures and policies. While some may be confidential (think: security camera placement), always ask your venue about their practices. Should your event be occurring near or during an emergency, work closely with your venue to decide whether your event will be affected. Force majeure—circumstances that prevent fulfillment of a contract—is standard with any venue contract.
It’s in your best interest to avoid addressing the topic of do not disturb, especially in light of recent tragedies. The hotel has a legal responsibility for the safety of their guests, and there is an obligation to prevent disaster from happening. Potential human trafficking, dangerous activity and illness are all legitimate reasons for hotels to enter a room. If a certain guest has issues, refer them to the hotel directly, rather than being the messenger.
Put simply, an addendum clarifies an existing contract, while an amendment changes or adds to the contract. For example, if you have booked 50 rooms at a hotel, an addendum would be a request for specific floors; an amendment would be a request for 75 rooms. Neither should be used to add desired terms to another party’s contract. Work together rather than adding to each other’s contract.
If you change any term, review the entire document to make sure it doesn’t impact other terms, such as concessions or cancellation. If it does impact, you must add an amendment. If it does not, state that it stays the same.
The iconic Pasadena City Hall, with its Spanish Colonial Revival design, is located at the picturesque center of downtown Pasadena. An architectural feat, the building serves as the backdrop for many Hollywood movies and photoshoots.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is an oasis of art and culture set amid 120 acres of consisting of 12 breathtaking gardens and 14,000 species of plants. The library hosts a rare collection of historic artifacts and prints.
Built during the American Arts and Crafts movement, the Gamble House is the best preserved example of work from architects Charles and Henry Greene. The home, built for David and Mary Gamble of Procter & Gamble, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
One Colorado (47 W. Colorado Blvd.) is an outdoor shopping center outfitted with gorgeous cobblestone and charming brick walls where you will find find elegant clothing stores like Finn + Willow, Joie, and Cop Copine.
With 22 blocks designated a National Register Historic District, “Old Pas,” as locals affectionately call it, offers open air shopping plazas, hidden laneways and a lively strip of retailers and restaurants along the main drag, Colorado Boulevard.
The artsy Playhouse District is home to the renowned Pasadena Playhouse along with museums, galleries, eateries and a smattering of independent shops. The Playhouse District also serves as a canvas for an eclectic and robust public art collection.
Plaza Las Fuentes, located across the street from the beloved City Hall, is a local favorite for basking in unique colors of multiple mosaic tile walls. When the flowers are in bloom, the plaza is the perfect place to relax in the middle of a busy day.
A National Historic Landmark built in 1922 and known mainly for the Tournament of Roses Football Game, the Rose Bowl Stadium has also earned its world-class reputation by hosting NFL Super Bowl Games, Olympic Soccer Matches, and Men’s and Women’s World Cups.
Volunteers make the non-profit planning world go ‘round. The annual Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day is hosted by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association and employs 935 volunteers every year! That is some incredible volunteer motivation. We talked to the (volunteer) President of the 2020 Tournament of Roses, Laura Farber, about energizing a volunteer base to consistently pull off the world’s biggest (and some say, best) parade.
The 2020 Rose Parade will be the 131st parade held in Pasadena. What began as a way to drive tourism towards SoCal, the parade and subsequent Rose Bowl Game have become American institutions.
Preparations for the 2020 parade began before the 2019 event took the first step. This allows bands and float makers time to prepare and fundraise and speaks to the organization of the association. When asked about traction surrounding the parade, Laura touched on the increasing popularity of it. While it has always been a big event (800,000 annual attendees!), technology, social media and innovation have allowed the parade to be broadcasted further and wider than ever before. With this growing innovation and attention comes a growing international presence at the parade. Laura said she has travelled to various countries, many in Latin America, to review bands that want to play in the famed parade. Laura mentioned how often, when she is travelling, people express how amazed they are that such a big event is run by a volunteer-driven organization. Smart Meetings chatted with Laura about how she keeps volunteers motivated, energized and organized. Here’s what we learned:
Smart Tip: If you end up in Pasadena around New Year’s, the Pasadena CVB has a visitors’ hotline available in the weeks leading up to the parade to help with information about the event, hotels, travel etc. so expert advice is just a phone call away!
