The new year is looking brighter. Big event venues such as Mandalay Bay and Palm Springs convention centers have upgraded to green-energy sources, a change that will benefit not just the environment but business, too.
According to this year’s SITE report, sustainability and green initiatives have become very important. Ninety-four percent of corporate clients said a top trend that’s having a positive impact on incentive travel is programs that show they are trying to do something positive. This trend is so important the IMEX Group, along with the Event Industry Council (EIC), are calling attention to it with the coveted Innovation in Sustainability Award.
The IMEX-EIC award was created to give recognition to a meeting, incentive, convention or exhibition program stakeholder team that is driving forward sustainability. The judges’ criteria will include impacts on the environment, community and local economy; innovation in sustainability; collaboration with stakeholders; and legacy. Entries are open until March 1. The winner will be announced at IMEX in Frankfurt Gala Dinner in May. Last year’s recipient was Carlson Rezidor, for its Blu Planet Initiative, which was implemented throughout Radisson Blu Hotels and focused on promoting water mindfulness.
Mandalay Bay Convention Center
UBM plc and its UBM Fashion Group have partnered with Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Las Vegas to replace 1,000 florescent light bulbs with LED lights in its exhibit halls. The upgraded system, which debuted during the Las Vegas February edition of the show Magic, increases the luminescence range by 300 percent and reduces energy usage by 85 percent. That is enough savings to power all of Mandalay Bay for five days and prevent 900 metric tons of greenhouse gases from being released each year.
“This higher-quality lighting system will help Mandalay Bay Convention Center—and MGM Resorts International—achieve significant energy savings,” said Chris Magee, vice president of sustainable facilities for MGM Resorts International, which owns Mandalay Bay, in a press release.
Over the 10-year project life, those 1,000 eco-friendly bulbs will do the work of almost 27,000 traditional florescent lamps, which, if stretched end-to-end, would cover more than 20 miles and contain 4 ounces of mercury.
Palm Springs Convention Center
SolarCity has partnered with Palm Springs Convention Center in California to install nearly 2,000 solar roof modules.
The addition is expected to cut the annual electric load in half by the first year, and increase in subsequent years. Due to continued utility rate increases by Southern California Edison, the cost of electricity for Palm Springs is expected to double over the next 20 years. The city had been looking for a more affordable and sustainable alternative that didn’t involve them raising their rates. This green solution will save Palm Springs $2 million, with the added benefit of producing clean energy.
SolarCity is planning to fund the cost of the entire project, from installation to maintenance, with the city paying a reduced fixed rate for the electricity produced to SolarCity for the life of the contract. The addition of solar panels is part of a package of measures the center is taking in its strive for sustainability.
“Along with our recycling, composting and other energy conservation measures, the center is truly a sustainable meeting location,” said James Canfield, executive director of Palm Springs Convention Center and Bureau of Tourism, in a press release.
Wyndham Hotel Group announced that it is providing a 10 percent discount—one of the highest in the industry—at all of its 8,000 hotels for the 53 million Wyndham Rewards loyalty members, if they book their rooms directly through the hotel.
Why Now?
Wyndham Hotel Group CEO Geoff Ballotti says the company waited to launch the discounted rate due to several things, including Wyndham’s technology platform, digital platform, website and relationships with its online travel agency partners.
“All those things came together, and we have been focusing on laying down the foundation for our property management central-reservation system,” he says. “Our websites have all transformed dramatically in the last two years.”
Wyndham’s new rewards website is updated to offer a more user-friendly experience that works well with desktops and mobile devices.
In 2016, the company offered a 15 to 25 percent discount to members, but it was only for a limited amount of time. But according to Eliot Hamlisch, vice president of worldwide loyalty and partnerships for Wyndham, this new discount has no expiration date. It Is part of the effort to get travelers to book directly with the hotel, instead of going through an online third-party travel website such as Expedia or Trivago.
What’s next for Rewards?
Hamlisch plans on continuing the growth of the two-time winner of the annual Hotel Reward Payback Survey by keeping the program simple and loophole-free. The company’s share in its North American occupancy with loyalty members is now 37 percent, up from 31 percent in 2015, when Wyndham Rewards was relaunched.
“The past three years have been an incredibly busy time for the program,” Hamlisch says. “In 2015, Wyndham Rewards was fully relaunched. In 2016, we introduced member levels and introduced experiences. The year 2017 was all about expanded partnerships like those we established with Caesars Entertainment and Six Flags. There’s opportunity for us to continue to extend the relevance of our value proposition in a really simple and generous way.”
There’s something about snow-covered mountains that brings people together and unites them as a team. Perhaps it’s the thrill of being out of their element and thrust into the wild, but whatever the reason, a trip to someplace snowy often makes for an unforgettable group experience.
Meeting and event planners looking to add some frosty magic to their outing are sure to make an impression in the mountains. Typically, when temperatures drop and snow covers the ridgeline, people turn to skiing and snowboarding for outdoor activities. Not everyone has a passion for flying down a mountain, though, and hanging out in a fire-lit lodge isn’t the only other option. Here are five other enjoyable activities.
1. Roam the Mountains on a Snowmobile
Snowmobiling is a thrilling alternative to skiing that allows riders to cover many miles of terrain easily and quickly without having to trudge through deep snow powder. Montage Deer Valley in Park City, Utah, offers guided snowmobile tours on groomed trails through the beautiful Wasatch Mountains that are great for all experience levels and group sizes. Attendees can arrange for a private tour for up to 70 people by using single- and double-rider snowmobiles.
2. Kick Back on a Dog-Drawn Sled
There’s nothing quite like sitting in the bucket of a sled or standing on the back-runner as 11 excited pups mush through the snow. Hotel Terra, Jackson Hole in Wyoming provides half-day and full-day dog- sledding trips through Granite Creek Canyon, with full-day trips ending at Granite Hot Spring, where groups can swim. Outings can be tailored for groups of up to 20 and it is highly recommended to make a reservation early.
3. Break a Sweat with Snowshoeing
A snowshoeing venture is unlike any other hike. It gives you the ability to stay on top of the snow and maneuver as if normally hiking, thereby allowing people to access beautiful angles of the surrounding mountains that aren’t regularly seen during winter. The guides at Crystal Mountain Resort in Enumclaw, Washington, take their parties (up to 25) off the beaten path on a 2 ½-hour trek around Henskin Lake, followed by a warm meal and drink.
4. Glide from High Above
If your attendees like to look at the snow but hate being in it, they might enjoy Omni Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods New Hampshire, which offers winter ziplining. Open year-round, the three-hour canopy tour can take up to eight people (per pair of guides) soaring above the snow-kissed tree tops through a series of skybridges and platforms. It’s a great trust-building and team-building activity.
5. Skate in the Natural Beauty
Finish the day off with a cup of hot chocolate or hot toddy, and a skate around the rink. Aesthetically, man-made ice rinks don’t hold a candle to those that are naturally made. Mirror Lake Inn Resort and Spa in Lake Placid, New York, has two maintained natural ice skating rinks outside the property’s cafe on Mirror Lake. There, skaters and hockey players of all levels can enjoy themselves on a rink and then skate right into the cafe.
When planning an event, it’s important to avoid disrupting the everyday routines of your attendees. While it’s tempting to fill every minute of the day, keeping attendees’ health and fitness in mind is necessary. If you don’t do so, you risk burnout and restlessness, which no meeting planner wants during an event.
So, when choosing your destination, consider a hotel with space for attendees’ daily workouts. Do one better by including a little something extra. At Smart Meetings, we’ve compiled a list of nine venues that feature standout exercise facilities.
1. Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas
Hilton Anatole Hotel’s Verandah Club provides 80,000 sq. ft. of exercise space, which includes a full basketball court, racquetball and squash courts and LCD viewing screens guiding you through various cardio workouts that best fit your needs. Run laps around the indoor jogging track or take a dip in their standout feature—a 25-meter lap pool.
2. Hotel Bellevue, Washington
Rain or shine, you’ll be able to fit in exercise at Hotel Bellevue. Cold outside? Swim in two of the indoor swimming pools, do some spinning or get some TRX and kinesis exercise to incorporate strength training with core stability and flexibility. You’ll feel the burn in the best way. And when the sun’s out, take a few laps in the outside pool or play tennis with fellow attendees.
3. Marriott Hotel Al Forsan, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Marriott Hotel Al Forsan has your standard fitness equipment, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool and personal training—perfect for getting in your usual regimen. What makes it stand out is the sports club next door. Featuring activities such as outdoor wakeboarding, paintballing and horseback-riding, the club ensures a new type of thrill each day.
4. 1 Hotel South Beach, Miami Beach
At 1 Hotel South Beach, the gym is your playroom, a far cry from the usual fitness rooms for travelers. Some 14,000 sq. ft. are available to give you a break from your usual workout, or, for the more ambitious, to help you prepare for the annual Spartan Race obstacle course. Swing on the monkey bars or climb a rope wall to keep in shape within the facility—it’s better than any other cardio.
5. Whitney Peak Hotel, Reno, Nevada
The fitness facility can certainly accommodate your regular workout, but consider joining in on the climbing fun at Whitney Peak Hotel. Home to the World’s Tallest Climbing Wall (verified by Guinness World Records) at 164 feet, you’ll feel like you’re on top of the world. Scared of heights? The hotel also features a 7,000-square-foot bouldering park.
6. The Berkeley, London
The Berkeley features a rooftop pool and panoramic views—gorgeous and exciting to view as you get your sweat on. Every hotel offers classes, but very few host unconventional classes. That’s where The Berkeley adds a fun twist—an intensive hula-hooping master class, where you can burn more than 600 calories per session.
7. The Peninsula Chicago
Throughout the year, you can overlook the city while you run on the treadmill—the gym is located on the 20th floor, giving you a view of The Windy City through floor-to-ceiling windows as you burn calories. During the winter, the rooftop ice-skating rink opens, giving you a unique and fun break from your usual routine.
8. The Los Angeles Athletic Club
What originally started out as a world-class athletic facility now also functions as a boutique hotel. You will find every type of workout you want in the 80,000-square-foot circuit-training gym. Gather a group to play volleyball, take group classes in water polo or shoot some hoops at the basketball court. It’s impossible to run out of space or things to do when you’re surrounded by options. It’s no wonder Arnold Schwarzenegger trained here—it has everything.
9. Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Kailua Kona, Hawaii Island, Hawaii
Beachfront sights make any workout better, but Four Seasons Resort Hualalai relies on more than its exquisite views. The resort’s 15,000-square-foot fitness center contains everything your heart desires, from weights to cardio equipment. To make the most of your regimen, play volleyball or basketball, or rent some paddle boats for the day. Why admire them from inside when you can dip your toes in the water—and get your fitness routine in at the same time?
Steve Ford at Smart Meeting Southern California
When you are hosting an event for professional event makers, it is no time to be a wall flower. That is why Smart Meeting Southern California at the metamorphizing Renaissance Newport Beach Hotel was designed to inspire with fresh ideas for presenting food, career advice, and even what it means to do business. Here are three tips from this fashion-forward meeting.
When in Newport Beach, capitalize on your local strengths. From the fresh salad wall and dripping honey/cheese display at the opening reception to the house-made Balboa ice cream bars (pictured right) served up in a frozen tray during the break, and a spring style demonstration in the palm tree-lined patio courtesy of Nordstrom’s and Fashion Island, the event played on the attractions that make the destination unique.
Lead with hope. Executive coach Libby Gill shared the true meaning of leadership—caring. Real leaders care about their teams on a personal level and help them move through the hard work of change through stability, compassion, trust—and most importantly—hope. “High-hope people set more goals, set more ambitious goals and have more success and satisfaction and less stress,” she said. That bit of advice is particularly applicable in the event world where leading a team to try new things is essential for exceeding attendee expectations.
Libby Gill at Smart Meeting Southern California
Focus on the long-term good. Actor, rancher, recovering alcoholic, speaker, and—most poignantly—son, Steve Ford put the connections being made in that ballroom into context when he shared a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to turn 18 in the White House as the son of Gerald Ford, a man thrust into the presidency at a crucial time in American history.
Ford explained that a family living in the White House is not Republican or Democrat family. They are just people. And like everyone else, they make decisions every day, but sometimes what they do has implications for an entire country for years to come. Although his father’s decision to pardon President Richard Nixon after the Watergate scandal was a big part of the reason the senior Ford lost the next election to Jimmy Carter, Ford said in the long-term, that was the right choice because the country needed to move on rather than letting a trial drag on for five years.
That focus on the future was key for planners going into their one-on-one appointments as well. Although many brought RFPs and one booked business on the spot, many more found the relationship-building to be an important part of growing their careers. Learning about new venues and catching up with properties that have reinvented themselves is what inspires planners to make the next event even more brilliant.
Everyone uses social media now for marketing events. But what about the feedback you get from attendees during an event? People post about everything—and that includes how they are enjoying the venue, food, customer service and so on. Heed these six tips to stay on top of your social media throughout the day.
Track Hashtags, @ Mentions and Keywords
At Smart Meetings we talk a lot about the importance of a custom event hashtag—because it truly does matter. While people can mention you by name on Twitter and Facebook through @ messages, they may not remember to tag you directly. By using a hashtag, you can follow people’s experiences throughout the day, both negative and positive. Make sure you’re following keywords for your event, as well.
Respond Quickly to Unfavorable Feedback
The Social Habit reports that 32 percent of people expect a response from a brand within 30 minutes, and 42 percent expect a response within an hour. Take any longer, and you risk potential backlash for ignoring a problem—even if you didn’t see it in the first place. If you don’t have the time to check social media, consider hiring one or two people to follow your various outlets and reply in a timely manner.
Make It Public
People can see other attendees’ comments regarding your event. This means any negatives in your feed are available to everybody. That’s why responding publicly is important. You want everybody following you to know that you take attendees’ problems and thoughts seriously. Even a simple “I’ll send you a private message” is enough to let people know you are paying attention to attendee happiness.
Don’t Respond to Negativity with Negativity
Responding to negativity in like fashion is never a successful solution. While it can be difficult, stay transparent and helpful. Unfortunately, some people simply need to blow off steam before they can hear helpful responses you may have. Attendees will appreciate your cool, and it can contribute to a positive experience after all.
Listen to the Problem Before You Try to Fix It
It’s tempting to jump the gun and assume you know exactly what an attendee is complaining about, but ask questions about the experience, make sure you listen closely, and let the attendee know you appreciate the feedback—most people with complaints simply want to feel heard.
Don’t Forget to Respond to Positive Feedback
It might feel self-congratulatory on a public forum, but responding to positive feedback is also important, even if only to a few representative comments. Showing gratitude demonstrates that you value your attendees and their opinions. You can also take the opportunity to ask how their experience could be even better—those who are in a positive mindset will be more likely to offer constructive criticism rather than purely negative responses.
U.S. millennial travelers are seeking immersive, local experiences that challenge them and expand their awareness, according to a new report.
The report, 2018 Future of U.S. Millennial Travel, was based on a Resonance Consultancy survey of U.S. residents from 20 to 36 years old who have taken an overnight vacation at least 75 miles from home in the past year. Eighty-five percent of respondents said that venturing out of their comfort zones and learning new things is a priority, right behind dining (91 percent), fun attractions (90 percent) and sightseeing (88 percent).
Consistent with this finding, two of the most desired future travel activities among respondents are participating in once-in-a-lifetime activity (36 percent) and volunteering (31 percent).
“Young travelers are not ‘escaping’ through travel as much as they’re collecting experiences and pursuing opportunities for growth,” the report says.
This adventurous spirit can also be seen in the large portion of millennial travelers who are choosing to travel alone. Twenty-five percent of those polled say they prefer solo trips, and as far back as 2014, in Booking.com’s Solo Travel Report, American women ranked first (ahead of those from the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Germany) in solo travel.
The quest for expanding awareness is reflected in the findings that those surveyed by Resonance Consultancy are almost as likely to visit a major metropolitan city (38 percent) as a beach resort (40 percent), and that about one-third plan to visit a foreign country in the next two years.
The report includes other key findings, such as the following.
The two most important factors for solo millennial travelers when choosing a vacation destination are safety (56 percent) and cost (51 percent).
The most popular accommodation preference is a full-service hotel/resort (53 percent). Apartment/condominium ranked ninth, at 21 percent.
Forty percent are most likely to vacation with friends and family.
Two-thirds prefer booking on travel websites and close to half (47 percent) prefer booking through a specific hotel, resort or airline website.
Sixty-four percent prefer booking on travel websites, compared with 47 through specific hotel, resort and airline websites; 24 percent through travel agents; and 23 percent through Airbnb (although 52 percent use owner-direct rental services such as Airbnb).
The most desirable hotel amenity is free internet/Wi-Fi access (68 percent), followed by privacy (57 percent) and a swimming pool (50 percent).
Seventy-one percent enjoy health and fitness activities while traveling, ranking just below nightlife (76 percent), and cultural events and performances (74 percent).
Thirty-four percent plan to go camping in the next two years, barely trailing the portion that plan to visit a metropolitan city (38 percent).
Seventy-seven percent use a mobile phone or computer daily while traveling, while 32 percent use one of them hourly.
Forty-three percent share Instagram images daily, and 11 percent do so hourly.
What’s your favorite movie genre? Perhaps you enjoy the thrill of horror, or maybe you prefer indulging in a good cry over a tragic romance. Regardless of your preference, one thing’s for certain—films yield power over our emotions.
Creating a memorable experience is the biggest challenge when planning an event. Since people hold movies so near and dear to their hearts, incorporating a filming location might just do the trick. The following hotels made their star debuts in favorite films. Here’s a close look, by genre, at big-screen properties.
Science Fiction: Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Movie: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
Meeting space: 160,000 sq. ft.
Guest rooms: 1,663
The tribute quarters and training center from the second installment of the four-part series required a grand filming site. Atlanta Marriott Marquis’ atrium fit the bill. At one point, the atrium was the largest in the world. Plus, its glass elevators and magnificent architecture gives it an extra dose of magnificence. The tribute quarters can be found on the 10th floor.
Horror: Timberline Lodge, Mount Hood, Oregon
Movie: The Shining
Meeting space: The largest space (Mount Hood Room) has 1,290 sq. ft.
Guest rooms: 76
The ever-terrifying tale is largely associated with the Stanley Hotel, as Stephen King has cited it as inspiration for the fictional Overlook Hotel. But filming for the movie took place at another hotel. The Timberline Lodge on Mount Hood was used for establishing and exterior shots—so beware of spooky flashbacks!
Drama: Park Hyatt Tokyo
Movie:Lost in Translation
Meeting space: 10,000 sq. ft.
Guest rooms: 177
The five-star hotel is located in central Tokyo. The area was beautifully showcased in the Oscar-winning film Lost in Translation. Sights characteristic of the city, such as bright neon lights and Mount Fuji in the distance, were abundant throughout the flick. There’s one special place, in particular, that visitors can explore—New York Bar on the 52nd floor of Park Hyatt Tokyo. In the film, this is where Bob (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) first met.
Comedy: Caesars Palace, Las Vegas
Movie: The Hangover
Meeting space: 300,000 sq. ft.
Guest rooms: 2,419
Few things are as quintessential Vegas as Caesars Palace, or The Hangover. So, naturally, the pairing was showcased in the 2009 comedic hit. In the film, a group of friends (Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis) have a wild night in Las Vegas for a bachelor party. The hotel is featured in various shots of the lobby, pools, roof, reception and suite. In case, like the characters, you also need to jog your memory, the group memorably wakes up to a live tiger in Caesars Palace. Don’t worry, though—no one at the hotel was harmed during the making of the film.
Action: Wyndham Grand Chicago
Movie: The Dark Knight
Meeting space: 16,000 sq. ft.
Guest rooms: 334
Formerly known as Hotel 71, Wyndham Grand Chicago Riverfront is home to Bruce Wayne’s (Christian Bale’s) glamorous apartment in The Dark Knight. More specifically, the hotel’s penthouse ballroom on the 39th floor stood in as his chic lair. The floor-to-ceiling windows steal the show when the Joker (Heath Ledger) crashes Harvey Dent’s (Aaron Eckhart’s) function.
Romance:Beverly Wilshire, a Four Seasons Hotel
Movie: Pretty Woman
Meeting space: 25,000 sq. ft.
Guest rooms: 395
Beverly Wilshire is so heavily associated with the iconic film that some people even refer to it as the “Pretty Woman Hotel.” The exterior is the only part of the hotel that makes an appearance, but the filmmaker modeled interior sets on the guest rooms. You can also relive the 1990 hit during your stay, as the hotel keeps a copy of Pretty Woman in its library.
Toy Story Mania! Photo credit: Disney
You’ve got a friend in meetings! In anticipation of the June 30 opening of Toy Story Land inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, a Slinky Dog rollercoaster car created a buzz in New York’s Times Square last week as a promotional stunt. Inside the 11-acre theme park, visitors can expect to shrink down to the size of a toy in Andy’s backyard and be surrounded by larger-than-life-size toys towering over them.
“At the heart of this, what our Imagineers are trying to do, with obviously a magnificent story of Toy Story, is just make sure that families can truly feel like they’re immersed in one of those favorite memories when they were kids having a chance to experience Toy Story for the first time,” says Phil Holmes, vice president of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He adds that Slinky Dog and all your favorite characters will be in the land.
This announcement got us thinking outside of the toy box with creative ways to incorporate the toys featured in the films and park into meetings.
1. Tinkertoys
The lampposts inside Toy Story Land will be shaped like Tinkertoys, the construction sets that have been played with generation after generation. These building materials can take collaboration to infinity and beyond in a team-building exercise. There are several Tinkertoy challenges to choose from. Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Division of Student Life posted instructions online for their Tinker Toy Tower Activity. A group is divided into two teams and given 20 minutes to construct the tallest tower possible, but must overcome roadblocks along the way. At designated time intervals, the facilitator creates mock scenarios to pose challenges, such as only being able to use one hand, a language barrier which prohibits teammates from understanding one another or an earthquake created by shaking the table.
At a staff retreat for faculty members of International School of the Peninsula, English program coordinator Donna Wood participated in a Tinkertoy challenge. “The debriefing discussion was really focused on understanding the way that we could use this to better support our students in group activities,” she wrote on the school’s website. “It also gave teachers time to do some introspective reflection on group dynamics, what role they take in group settings, and reflecting on personal feelings to better understand their students.”
Classroom.com has other fun Tinkertoy challenge suggestions, including having two groups each build half of a bridge and then come together to merge the two halves. Another activity involves a sighted team captain instructing blindfolded teammates how to replicate a Tinkertoy model solely by listening closely and relying on touch.
At IMEX America in October in Las Vegas, Amusement, Exhibit & Event Services’ chief interactive designer Gary Bordman hosted a breakout session about stackables. Each table had a different type of building block, such as Magnaformers and EverBlocks, which look like LEGOs. Attendees teamed up to get creative juices flowing and build as large a structure as they were able.
2. Etch-a-Sketch
Doodling is always a fun way to give your mind a break from the daily grind. Remember Etch-a-Sketch from your childhood playroom? Bordman created an oversized digital version of the classic toy, which he calls Digi-E-Sketch, that meeting professionals can rent or purchase for event attendees to fiddle around with between sessions.
3. Mr. Potato Head
David M. Williams, Ph.D., an improvement advisor for TrueSimple, uses Mr. Potato Head to teach Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) testing, measurement and collaborative learning. Groups are divided into teams of four, and each person is assigned a role as either master clinician, documenter, time measurer or accuracy score inspector. The facilitator reveals an image of how Mr. Potato Head should look, and teams are challenged to mimic the photo. The teams each must predict their accuracy and speed. This gets repeated for five rounds to see how rapidly participants learn to improve their time and accuracy.
Group dynamics and techniques are observed by the facilitator and discussed in a debriefing session. This exercise has gone global, and is being used in the United States, England, Scotland, Qatar, New Zealand and Australia by organizations such as the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Williams jokes that his exercise is second only to Toy Story for stimulating purchases of Hasbro’s Mr. Potato Head.
Tom Heck, president and founder of the International Association of Teamwork Facilitators (IATF), developed another Mr. Potato Head exercise to demonstrate process and product. Similar to the blindfolded activity involving Tinkertoys, participants are asked to close their eyes. Then, the toy and all its parts are placed down in front of them. Without being told it’s Mr. Potato Head, they are tasked with figuring it out and putting it together. Often, the finished product is definitely not the classic Mr. Potato Head. It’s a lesson in who is more concerned about collaboration—and who cares more about how the finished product looks.
4. Slinky
One of the featured attractions inside Toy Story Land will be the rollercoaster Slinky Dog Dash. Buddy up like Woody and Jessie for a slinky relay race at your next event. Or, spring into action by getting customized Slinkys branded with your company, organization or event’s logo to hand out in swag bags or trade-show booths.
In her essay titled “Play with the Slinky: Learning to Lead Collaboration Through a State-wide Training Project Aimed at Grants for Community Partnerships,” University of North Florida’s Elizabeth A. Curry recalled leading a workshop with 20 librarians. She gave participants 15 minutes to list all the ways a Slinky can be used, other than as a toy. In no time, people began collaborating and brainstorming ideas such as earrings, coffee cup holder and steering wheel cover.
Event planners can create a memorable party by hiring a Human Slinky performer, such as Scarlett Entertainment & Events’ Veniamin, who has appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent and The View and at SeaWorld Orlando. The mind-bending act will leave the audience’s imaginations…stretched.
Event planners can create a memorable party by hiring a Human Slinky performer, such as Scarlett Entertainment & Events’ Veniamin, who has appeared on Late Show with David Letterman, America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent and The View and at SeaWorld Orlando. The mind-bending act will leave the audience’s imaginations…stretched.
5. Rubik’s Cube
Long before fidget spinners gained popularity, the Rubik’s Cube and other spatial puzzles have been keeping hands—and minds—busy. Canada-based Freeman Audio Visual thinks a Rubik’s Cube-themed event can be an analogy for strategic problem-solving. Attendees are encouraged to wear a solid color shirt that matches one of the six sides of a Rubik’s Cube—white, red, blue, orange, green or yellow—to designate which team they are on. As an ice-breaker, teams must race against the clock to try to solve a cube. Tablecloths and other decor can follow this color-scheme to keep the theme going. What about a Rubik’s Cube cake?
The element of surprise can create a memorable moment and get your event trending on social media. Planners can consider hiring a dance troupe dressed as Green Army Men to perform a choreographed routine. Or, how about they parachute down from the sky and create a flash mob?
7. Brilliant Place: The Great Escape Estate Lakeside
Located on 10 waterfront acres in the Orlando area, very close to Toy Story Land, games come to life at The Great Escape Estate Lakeside, a vacation home available to rent for corporate retreats. It sleeps 45 guests, and each room is decorated using the theme of a different board game, such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue and Operation. The movie-screening room is based on Jumanji decor. Outside, the pool has a real-life Chutes and Ladders slide.
Forbes Five Star is rarefied territory, and 27 new hotels are now on it. It may surprise some to know that, as always, the just-announced 2018 ratings are heavily weighted to service standards rather than facility quality.
“Our standards—the most exacting in the industry—emphasize graciousness, thoughtfulness and personalized service,” says Forbes Travel Guide Editor Jennifer Kester. “Our incognito inspectors evaluate properties based on up to 900 objective standards.” The scoring system uses a proprietary algorithm that weighs service at 75 percent and the hotel itself at 25 percent, she says.
In its 60th year of rating hotels, restaurants and spas, Forbes expanded into a total of 50 countries and such international destinations as Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Hokkaido, Japan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Marrakech, Morocco; Prague; and Vienna.
A total of 199 Five-Star hotels were named, plus 513 Four Star and 309 Recommended hotels. The Middle East was among the biggest winners, adding four Five-Star properties—Burj Al Arab Jumeirah, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi; Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre; and Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach). Belmond Hotel das Cataratas in Brazil’s Iguacu National Park became the first South American hotel on the Five Star list.
In the United States, New York City has two new Five Star venues: Baccarat Hotel and Residences and Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown. The new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills is Hilton’s first Five Star hotel in the Western Hemisphere.
Among restaurants, five received first-time Five Star honors, 24 won new Four Stars and 10 received Recommended ratings.
When in Newport Beach, capitalize on your local strengths. From the fresh salad wall and dripping honey/cheese display at the opening reception to the house-made Balboa ice cream bars (pictured right) served up in a frozen tray during the break, and a spring style demonstration in the palm tree-lined patio courtesy of Nordstrom’s and Fashion Island, the event played on the attractions that make the destination unique.
