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More: 7 Smart Moves at Waldorf Astoria, Hilton Long Beach and More

Lani Baird

Baird is the new director of sales and marketing at Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort in California. Prior to joining Hilton Santa Barbara, she served as executive director of sales at Valley Forge Resort in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, since it opened in 2012. Baird has held various sales and operational roles in her career at places such as GF Management, Warwick Hotel, Growth Properties and Korman Communities.

Camille Beatty Falor

Falor has joined Eventcore as vice president of sales. She has previous experience leading sales efforts with various technology-based organizations, having served as senior director of sales at Sesame Communications in Seattle, chief sales officer at StreamLink Software in Cleveland, and senior account executive at Coupa Software in San Mateo, California. She’s also held several leadership positions in the medical industry for McKesson and Essity, formerly SCA.

David MacLean

MacLean is returning to Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa in Lahaina as director of sales and marketing. His career began at Hawaiian Monarch Hotel in Honolulu, where he served as hotel manager. He then became associate director of sales at Hyatt Regency Maui, marking the start of his association with the brand. Then, for a brief period, MacLean took his skills to the mainland, where he was director of sales, marketing and events at Andaz 5th Avenue in New York City.

Heather Buss

Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has added Buss to the team as vice president of sales for the Mid-Atlantic region. Prior to joining ALHI, Buss’ 18 years of hospitality experience has taken her to many places; she has served as director of global sales at Salamander Hotels & Resorts. She has also held positions at several Florida-based properties, including Villas of Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate and Loews Don CeSar in St. Pete Beach.

Nienke Oosting

Oosting has been named general manager of Viceroy Chicago, after joining the team as hotel manager in 2017. Before her time at Viceroy, she held nine positions at Trump International Hotel & Tower over the course of nine years, from housekeeping manager in 2008 to hotel manager in 2016. Oosting served on the teams of Trump International properties in New York City, Toronto and Washington D.C. She has served in various guest relations roles at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam, where her career began.

Chris Paulk

El Monte Sagrado Resort has appointed Paulk as its general manger. In his most recent position, Paulk served as general manager at Indian Springs Resort in Napa Valley, California. Prior to this, he held the same position at Hotel Andaluz in Albuquerque, New Mexico and as hotel manager at Viceroy Snowmass Resort and Spa, near Aspen, Colorado. During his career, he’s had the opportunity to work with industry legends, such as Horst Schulze, whom he aided in opening resorts under the Capella Hotel brand.

Rhonda Brewer

Brewer is now the vice president of North American sales at BCD Meetings & Events. She most recently served as president of RMC, one of the largest woman-owned destination companies in North America. Prior to that, Brewer held senior leadership roles in several departments, including sales, business solutions, sector operations and industry relations. She’s the immediate past president of Society for Incentive Travel Excellence.

most insta-worthy california Social media’s presence grows by the day, and Instagram has become most notable for its destination pictures, thereby increasing the popularity of several locations.

Many users post destination photos with hashtags stating the name of the location. This gives users a chance to influence people inside and outside their social media bubble into planning their next trip to that location. PlayPicks created a list of the 20 most “instagrammable” locations in the United States.

California has the most picture-perfect locations of any state on PlayPicks’ list, totaling a whopping 11 sites.

No. 1 Disneyland

The happiest place on earth has a new name now: the most instragrammable place in America! Every corner of the park is suitable for a picture, so it’s easy to take your fill of jealousy-inducing photos.

Posts shared: 19,783,733

No. 5 Long Beach

The Southern California beach city is a mellow but tantalizing destination to catch that perfect sunset photo. Home to The Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific, and considered one of the most walkable cities in America, Long Beach is sure to add flair to your Instagram feed.

Posts shared: 4,551,339

No. 6 Coachella

A city that shares its name with one of the most popular music festivals in the world, Coachella brings life to the deserts of the Inland Empire. Instagram users are given the chance to showcase their inner fashionistas set in a SoCal oasis.

Posts shared: 4,061,540

No. 7 Santa Cruz Beach

This beach has so much to offer that it is nearly impossible to enjoy all of it in one day. From thrill rides to summer concerts, to delicious healthy and fried food, users have an array of props to give their followers a case of FOMO.

Posts shared: 3,597,629

No. 9 Venice Beach

It’s the place to show off that summer (or winter) body. With people working out all over the beach, a 1,300-foot pier and several beachside restaurants, you’ll be itching to post that quintessential beach photo.

Posts shared: 3,186,917

No. 12 Santa Barbara Beach

The cozy beach city of Santa Barbara is the perfect place to escape with a significant other or to party with college locals. No matter what you decide to do, you have the opportunity for a perfect beach-cruiser picture with your babe or one that shows it takes more than beer to slow you down.

Posts shared: 2,642,067

No. 14 Yosemite

Yosemite is one of many mesmerizing parks found in the Golden State. It offers so much nature and wildlife that you might be able to use your Instagram account as a portfolio for National Geographic.

Posts shared: 2,310,940

No. 15 Golden Gate Bridge

Visitors are sure get a lens full at this historic, reddish-orange landmark. Trails winding to and from the bridge will give you chance to catch a flawless snapshot of it as well as the bay and horizon.

Posts shared: 2,253,270

No. 17 Newport Beach

Unlike the other beaches on this list, Newport Beach relies more on its natural beauty than man-made attractions. Hills filled with lush greenery run straight into the sandy coast, giving you the opportunity to show your followers that opposites do attract.

Posts shared: 2,198,907

No. 18 Huntington Beach

The possibilities are endless at this bustling beach city. A bumping nightlife, majestic whales, endless surfing and deep-sea fishing will give you the best hash-taggable moment for your Instagram.

Posts shared: 2,168,437

No. 20 Laguna Beach

Featuring some of the clearest water on the California coast, Laguna Beach and its boutique-filled downtown are sure to keep your camera’s shutter from stopping. The warm sand, lavish plant life and inviting water ensure that you have everything you need for a breathtaking tropical photo.

Posts shared: 1,963,943

Twenty-one students are learning the art of preparing jambalaya, gumbo, crawfish etouffee and beignets during New Orleans Culinary and Hospitality Institute’s (NOCHI) new series of cooking and baking classes in a freshly renovated building leased from New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NAFEM).

“NAFEM’s commitment to NOCHI from near inception was truly catalytic in propelling this project through our early years as proof positive of the need and desire for innovation in training and education for our industry,” said NOCHI Executive Director Carol Markowitz. “We are extremely grateful for their steadfast support over the years, and the equipment and products generously provided by their members in nearly every portion of the NOCHI building.”

Housed in the old Louisiana ArtWorks building in Central Business District, the school is on five floors, with 90,000 sq. ft. of space. It encompasses two big rooms dedicated to teaching kitchen safety, equipment operation and maintenance, culinary fundamentals, several labs (baking, pastry, restaurant and beverage), an airy and ample event center, and a rooftop terrace. A renovation of the building was done with the support of members of National Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers, who donated kitchens appliances worth almost $5 million.

NOCHI is well-known for its five-month to 100-day certificate programs, including culinary as well as baking and pastry arts. Intensive, experiential learning classes are developed in partnership with CIA Consulting, a division of The Culinary Institute of America.

One of the missions of NOCHI is to promote the NOLA hospitality tradition, so it also launched Enthusiast Courses, a variety of training programs focused on specific cooking topics for residents and tourists. From “Knife Skills 101” to “New Orleans Cocktails,” “Fundamentals of Quick Breads and Doughs” and “Louisiana Series: Into the Gumbo Pot,” there is ample opportunity for everybody to advance enhance their culinary talents or to have a hands-on experience while learning about the outstanding New Orleans F&B heritage.

You’ve set up the Facebook event page, you’re regularly tweeting and you’re posting about your event on Instagram. You might think you’ve covered all your bases. But you’re missing an important piece: an event website.

It might seem difficult and unnecessary, but websites are still key for promoting an event and drawing in attendees. Taking the time to create one can be daunting, but plenty of host sites are making it easier than ever to create a site quickly and in a straightforward, clean manner.

So, what should go on your website? We’ve compiled a list of four tips to make your event website the best it can be.

Related: White-Label Event Websites 101

1. Details, details, details

The most important part of your website should be the details of the event. Don’t make it difficult and hide them under multiple menu options. If it’s not the homepage, the link to it should be clearly marked on the front page. Include the title, date, time, venue and a short description of what attendees can expect from the event. If there are links to tickets or an RSVP website, that should be there, too. And don’t forget to put your contact info on there should potential attendees have any questions!

2. Capture attendees on the home page immediately

It might seem cool to have strobe lights or a five-second intro when people first open the site, but let’s be honest: it’s probably unnecessary and potentially frustrating. People want to learn more about what your event is, and they won’t care for any (literal) flashy details. Instead, choose a photo—or a logo, if your client has one—relevant to the event to have as the first image viewers will see.

3. Make it aesthetically pleasing

Comic Sans font? Leaning toward childish. Neon pink text on a dark green background? Not so attractive. It can be difficult to find a good color combination that doesn’t make your site look like an average or painful-to-read page. Stick with colors that play well together and clean fonts that are easy on the eyes. Black on a pastel blue or peach-gradient background? It’s nice and clear. And if you’re looking for a font that is easy on the eyes but not your typical Arial font, consider fonts like Georgia or the classic Times New Roman. And always double-check that your site follows best practices for web accessibility.

4. Include all social media links

While you should absolutely share your website on your social media, it’s important to link your website to your social media as well—especially if you’re sharing content like behind-the-scenes video and little details to followers. Certain sites will also allow you to easily (read: make possible for those who aren’t HTML-savvy) embed your social media on the site itself, so consider doing so with your Twitter and Instagram feeds.

San Francisco and New York City meetings scenes have a lot in common. Both are represented by full-service CVBs that market the entire region and the diverse neighborhoods that make up the geographic areas—San Francisco Travel on the West Coast and NYC & Company on the East Coast.

The two cities are also expanding their convention centers and welcoming new hotel properties to handle record numbers of groups booking conferences. San Francisco recently unveiled a $551 million expansion of Moscone Center that added 157,000 sq. ft. of meeting and exhibit space, including a more than 500,000-square-foot contiguous area that spans the two sides of the street. New York City is in the midst of a $1 billion expansion of Javits Center that will add 1.2 million sq. ft. by 2021.

Both are served by major airports that are also in major growth mode. So, it was only natural that the two joined forces for the second year to tell their stories to event professionals in a joint East Meets West pop-up one January evening at August Hall in San Francisco’s Financial District.

Drop the Mask

NYC & Company Destination Expert Cory Rosenberg and San Francisco Travel Association Convention Sales Manager Anthony Mancuso used the occasion to introduce Sandra Joseph, record-breaking Broadway star of Phantom of the Opera, who had a message to share about the true meaning of courage. “The urge to hide behind a mask is a universal feeling,” she said. “We all understand the desire to hide imagined flaws, but the only way to live front and center is to drop the mask and be our authentic selves.”

Yes, even the leading lady of the most lucrative and longest-playing franchise in entertainment history confessed that she regularly felt debilitating stage fright and almost didn’t get the role because of it. Luckily, she had a supportive family.

Some 70,000 people per year move to New York City in search of Broadway success and only 10 percent get any role at all, and she struggled for more than four years before getting her chance. Joseph blew it twice before she found a way to trust herself to do what she needed to do instead of either being paralyzed by the voices in her head or fake, and therefore not believable.

“I wore a mask of fear and overreaching to try to cover up that I didn’t have confidence in myself,” she said. “I had to shift out of self-pity into a space of gratitude. I had to remember how far I had come before I could trust that I was enough.”

Joseph urged event professionals to ask themselves:

Are you wearing a mask, and if so, what is it showing?
What is your inner monologue? What is the narrative you are saying to yourself?
Could you flip the script to give yourself permission to show up authentically?

Focus on the Individual

After years of playing the same role six times a week, she understood the struggle to stay present and engaged by looking for something new to make the performance fresh. What helped the most was hearing the individual stories of people in the audience. By seeing each person, rather than an anonymous group, and understanding that this was a big event in their life to attend, she could get outside her perspective.

The same goes for planning events. Even veteran event professionals can continue to strive for greater meaning when they understand that what they do every day touches lives in a very personal way. That mind-shift can make even mundane, repetitive tasks, such as RFPs, more meaningful.

Joseph had to make her own shift after a series of losses—the death of her father (her biggest fan), the loss of the role (her character, Christine, is 16 and, as she says, “that ship had sailed”) and a health scare that threatened her vocal chords. “I had to come to terms that I was enough without my dad, without my starring role and possibly without my voice,” she said.

That was when she started exploring her voice on the page and transformed herself into an author and “keynote speaker who sings,” even if there wasn’t such a thing before she tried it.

“The rewards are great when we choose to show up,” she concluded.

In a move that could have both positive and negative implications for the meetings industry, facility operator giants SMG and AEG Facilities are merging to create a new, standalone company, ASM Global, that will manage 310 venues, including convention centers, professional sports stadiums and arenas, and performing arts centers in North and South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

“I’m guardedly optimistic by the news,” said Christy Lamagna, CMP, CMM, CTSM, founder of Strategic Meetings & Events. “It can go one of two ways: It can be a one-stop shop that is easier for planners because the venues will be under one umbrella, so planners can leverage prices, or the company can charge higher prices because it manages both groups of venues. It will be nice if a happy medium is found.”

David Bruce, founder of Meeting Planners Unite and founder and executive director of Alliance of Independent Meeting Professionals, thinks that the merger will have a negative impact on planners.

“I think we’ve seen in the Marriott-Starwood merger how less competition is causing those in power to change the rules,” he said. “That also goes for the Encore-PSAV merger, too. This new merger will cause less competition, and that isn’t good for the industry, because competition brings innovation and keeps prices down. And I’m not sure that quality will increase because of the merger.”

ONEX, the owner of SMG, and venue management company AEG, which includes subsidiary AEG Facilities, will each own 50 percent of ASM Global once the transaction is completed, tentatively early next year. The company will be headquartered in Los Angeles and maintain SMG’s office in West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, for key operations. No other details of the merger were disclosed.

“This merger is a major step for our industry,” said Wes Westley, CEO and president of SMG. “We are excited to bring together these complementary businesses to further elevate the standard of excellence in venue management. We plan to accelerate innovation by combining our expertise to deliver increase value and offer enhanced capabilities to municipalities and venue owners worldwide.”

Dan Beckerman, CEO of AEG, expects that many new services will be offered.

“ASM will offer an impressive array of capabilities that will accelerate the development and deployment of new services and bring diverse business, sports and entertainment experiences to municipalities, partner and fans around the world.”

AEG will retain ownership of its real estate holdings not included in the merger, such as its entertainment districts and owned venues in Los Angeles, London, Berlin and Hamburg, as well as its extensive development, sponsorship, music and sports divisions. ONEX will contribute all its equity investment in SMG to ASM.

More: 7 Smart Moves at Hilton Santa Barbara and More

Stephanie Gassen

Gassen is the director of sales at the newly opened Cyrus Hotel in Tokepa, Kansas. In her previous position, she served as director of market sales for Residence Inn in Topeka and Fairfield Inn Topeka. Before this, Gassen held positions as the sales manager for Courtyard by Marriot and Ramada Hotel & Convention Center. Currently, she is the president of the Topeka Lodging Association.

Cyrus Hotel

David Emig

Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Hawaii has appointed Emig resort manager. His career with Four Seasons has spanned almost two decades. In Emig’s most recent position, he served as director of rooms at Four Seasons Hotel London. He’s held his fair share of senior management positions in locations across the globe, including the Maldives, Shanghai, Singapore and Austin, Texas.

Aaron Garsombke

Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, California, has selected Garsombke as its recreation director. He will use his long history of recreation management in creating winter activities for the property. Before joining Squaw Creek, Garsombke served as restaurant and recreation manager of The Modern Honolulu in Waikiki. He also held the role of recreation manager at Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu and activities manager of the The Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas on Kauai.

Nikolina Felton

Felton is the new vice president of marketing at Live! Casino & Hotel, in Hanover, Maryland. She brings more than 17 years of gaming industry experience to her new role. Prior to this appointment, she served as president of loyalty marketing for the property. She joined the Live! opening team in 2012 as director of database marketing. She’s held leadership positions at Pinnacle Entertainment Inc., serving as director of marketing for two of Pinnacle’s St. Louis properties, Lumiere Place and River City Casino.

Live! Casino & Hotel

Nathan Fillion

VisitDallas has welcomed Fillion to the team as regional director of sales for the Southwest; he will represent the CVB in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona and Utah. Fillion comes from almost three years with Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority. Prior to this, he spent more than a decade in hotel sales. Fillion currently has a seat on the MPI San Diego education committee, is the Expo chair for the annual MPI San Diego/Orange County joint chapter conference and is a member of SITE, IAEE, PCMA and CalSEA.

Dave Elcon

Elcon has been hired as resort manager of newly opened Vista Collina Resort in and its sister company, Meritage Resort and Spa, both in Napa, California. Upon Vista Collina’s opening, he led the property as general manager. Elcon served as director of operations at Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara, California, prior to joining Vista Collina Resort. Prior to this, he was front office manager of Loews Royal Pacific Resort in Orlando, where he had the highest front office metric score in the history of the hotel.

Travis Lunn

Lunn now holds the role of president and chief operating officer of Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi. He most recently served as general manager and senior vice president for MGM Grand Las Vegas; he began his career in the city, at Golden Nugget Las Vegas. Before joining the MGM family, he was vice president of operations for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas and general manager of hotel operations for The Venetian and The Palazzo resorts in Las Vegas.

Winners of the prestigious 2018 Crystal Awards were honored at the SITE 2019 Global Conference in Bangkok in January.

SITE Crystal Awards are awarded to impactful and memorable incentive programs around the world. Employee engagement, business results and improving the bottom line are also requirements for the award.

Below are the award winners and their contributions to the industry.

Best Destination-Based Experiential Incentive Travel Program

Program: Salad Master India 2018

Awarded to: Destinos India, working with Global Agency

Client: Multilevel Marketing Firm

Destinos selected three cities to create an unforgettable experience for 140 global qualifiers. Thirty-five of these qualifiers stayed for an extra three nights 8,000 feet above sea level, where they took part in nature walks, yoga and cycling. Destinos India’s regional offices, hotels and local vendors kept client objectives in mind to create a rich experience for all attendees, creating an experience that included authentic sightseeing, attendance at India’s first music show, jeep safaris and more.

Excellence in Incentive Travel: Africa/Middle East

Program: SKODA UK Retailer of the Year

Awarded to: Walthers DMC, South Africa

Client: SKODA Cars UK

SKODA UK’s incentive program recognizes top-performing dealers and offers unique experiences to those who qualify. SKODA’s new slogan, “Driven by Something Different” pushed Walthers DMC to be creative, choosing Madagascar as its new destination. No participants had ever visited Madagascar, marking a new adventure for attendees. Eighty percent of respondents reported that the event was “amazing,” and 20 percent had a one-word response: “wow.”

Excellence in Incentive Travel: Asia Pacific

Program: US Foods President’s Cup 2017

Awarded to: Meridican Incentive Consultants

Client: US Foods

The President’s Cup is an annual reward for elite sellers. Meridican was tasked with finding a location filled with culinary excellence. Enter: Sydney, Australia. Meridican partnered with professional culinarians to showcase local cuisine, restaurants and caterers. Attendees learned about Australia’s innovative approach to food service, witnessed best food practices and were fully immersed in Sydney’s culture.

Excellence in Incentive Travel: Europe

Program: Michelin Premium Driving Experience-Grand Tour of Switzerland

Awarded to: Ovation Global DMC-Ovation Switzerland

Client: Michelin USA

Michelin is well-known for its tires, but the company is also the publisher of Michelin Guide to Fine Dining. Michelin USA’s Premium Driving Experience connected the two, inviting guests to experience both the top-tier tires and culinary offerings with a trip to Switzerland. Ovation was responsible for delivering an upscale event showcasing all that Switzerland has to offer. Following the experience, the company saw a 23 percent increase in sales, demonstrating that the program encourages results.

Excellence in Incentive Travel: Latin America & Caribbean

Program: 30 Years of Partnership

Awarded to: ECO Destination Management Services of Aruba & Curacao

Client: Top 30 Clients that Contributed to Company’s Success for Past 30 Years

To celebrate its 30th anniversary, ECO Destination Management Services of Aruba & Curacao was both the client and the DMC of its “30 Years of Partnership” recognition and celebration event. The 12-month event ended with a final client-week incentive and gala awards event for 350 attendees and government officials. It featured incredible experiences, including a carnival parade, an off-road ATV excursion and snorkeling. ECO managed budget constraints and local destination partners; ROI came from establishing an advisory board with clients committed to be a part of its growth.

Excellence in Incentive Travel: North America

Program: Major High-Tech Firm Elite Event

Awarded to: PRA Orlando

Client: One10 Marketing

One10 Marketing wanted a meeting that was unlike any other. So, PRA Orlando created a memorable experience. Attendees—top sales employees of the firm—were brought from a meeting in the Bahamas aboard a private jet and placed in high-performance planes. Guided by an expert fighter pilot, attendees had the time of their lives in friendly competition in the air. PRA managed a tight timeline with many moving parts, and the success led to loyalty and retention at the company.

Most Impactful Effort Toward Corporate Social Responsibility as Part of an Incentive Program

Program: 3M Corporate Social Responsibility Program

Awarded to: CWT Meetings and Events with PRA

Client: 3M

Following its incentive travel program, 3M consulted CWT Meetings and Events with PRA to figure out how the team could leave a positive and impactful mark on Hawaii. CWT found an agroforestry initiative, planting more than 100 trees. Trees included coconut and ulu, which produce the local bread fruit. The planting contributed approximately 2,000 pounds of bread fruit, which will be given freely to school districts and local community members for decades.

America has come a long way since the original 13 colonies—and has seen the rise of technological innovations, a standard of living, and hotels and meeting spaces that would leave the Founding Fathers in utter disbelief. Here are four hotels located in Colonial America that have stood the test of time.

The Ballantyne, A Luxury Collection Hotel, North Carolina

To commemorate its 17th anniversary, this stately Charlotte property unveiled a multimillion-dollar makeover, complete with new guest rooms and meeting spaces. As the first state where gold was discovered, guests are welcomed into a gold rush-inspired lobby that features a palette of gold, white and gray. Groups can also enjoy The Lodge at Ballantyne, a 35-room private retreat. The hotel is available for group buyout.

The Hotel Concord, New Hampshire

With only 38 guest rooms, this is the first intimate, boutique hotel in the Granite State. In the heart of downtown Concord, the hotel has guest rooms on the fourth and sixth floor of Capital Commons, just a short walk from the State House. There are two meeting spaces on the third floor, as well as executive lounges on the fourth and sixth floors. The largest banquet room can accommodate up to 225 people.

The Bristol, Virginia

With a beautiful view of the Appalachian Mountains from the rooftop bar, this 65-room hotel provides a little taste of history upon stepping inside. This historically prominent office building turned boutique hotel is really something to see. Featured is 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting room and a private rooftop lounge if additional space is needed.

Emerson Resort & Spa, New York

Located in the Catskill Mountains in Mt. Tremper, this luxury property recently completed a $500,000 renovation of the 2,500-square-foot Catamount, one of three meeting spaces which sits on Esopus Creek; it accommodates up to 100 guests. Also available to groups is open-air Waterside Pavilion and the Great Room, which can seat 210 guests. The resort’s outdoor team-building activities range from tubing to fly fishing.

As a way for properties to meet the tech and design expectations of today’s groups and other guests, hotels are constantly reinventing themselves. Although reinvention is exciting, it can be a long process, not to mention the immense amounts of money involved. Here is an appreciation of renovations where a not-so-small number was invested.

More: New & Renovated: Early America

Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek

The Wyndham Grand Orlando Resort Bonnet Creek recently unveiled the $4 million renovation of all 400 of its guest rooms. To contribute to its plans for a sustainable future, Wyndham Grand features LED lighting throughout the entire hotel. Groups can enjoy 32,000 sq. ft. of event space.

The Lodge at Sea Island

The Lodge at Sea Island, in Georgia, recently underwent a $25 million makeover. Included are six new guest cottages, which offer 14 new rooms, an 18-hole putting course and an oceanfront pool and pool house. Along with the 390 guest rooms and a golf experience that seasoned golfers and nongolfers alike can enjoy, The Lodge offers 40,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The renovating isn’t quite over either, as the next phase, a 17,000 sq. ft. Golf Performance Center, is set to open early 2019.

Sea Island

Skamania Lodge

This newly renovated property recently invested $6 million to improve its 254 rooms with all-new chairs, sofas and carpeting. After the meeting in the 22,000 sq. ft. of event space offered at this property, you can break a sweat at the updated fitness center, which features Peloton bikes and all-new equipment.

Fairmont Hotel Vancouver

Just a brisk walk away from Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre and with a recent expansion of the meeting space, the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver is doubling down on being a premier location in Canada for hosting events. No less than $55 million went into the new meeting space, now offering 507 guest rooms, two grand ballrooms and 63,000 sq. ft. of space for groups to enjoy.