Smart Meetings | Page 483 of 603 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

guam cvb

Tumon Bay with Two Lovers Point in the background. Photo credit: Guam Visitors Bureau

Guam has been in the headlines in recent days and weeks due to a potential threat from North Korea to fire missiles in the direction of the U.S. territory. Despite the dark cloud of looming concerns, the sun is shining bright over this island in the Pacific Ocean. Guam Visitors Bureau President and CEO Nathan Denight insists “it’s business as usual.”

“There has been no increase in Guam’s threat level. Guam is U.S. soil and remains safe and protected,” he tells Smart Meetings. “Additionally, an annual joint military exercise is being planned for this August.”

Known for its “breathtaking panoramic views to soft white-sand beaches and spectacular sunsets,” the U.S. territory has over 20 hotels housing meeting space and in excess of 9,450 guest rooms to accommodate groups of any size. The island has a population of 160,000-plus people and welcomes more than 1.5 million tourists annually.

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Annual Summit at the Dusit Thani’s Guam Convention Center in May 2016.
Photo credit: Guam Visitors Bureau

“Guam plays host to hundreds of groups every year. For example, in Fiscal Year 2016, [we] welcomed over 225 [meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions] groups,” Denight says. “That number continues to grow and has already been exceeded in FY 2017.”

The threat level has never been elevated due to the North Korean situation and it has not caused groups to cancel meetings. In the event of an attack, meeting professionals can rest assured that “Guam has a very developed emergency system,” according to Denight. “Guam is always prepared because of natural disasters that occur around our region of the world such as typhoons, earthquakes and tsunamis.”

Contrary to reports stating the emergency alert system was accidentally set off a few days ago, Denight explains this was a regularly scheduled test. There are also three hospitals—Guam Memorial Hospital, Guam Regional Medical City and Naval Hospital.

Guam-Museum. Photo credit: Guam Visitors Bureau

“Guam continues to be a safe and protected destination, and anyone planning to visit Guam should continue with their plans,” Denight assures. “The island has world-class facilities ready to accommodate visiting groups and many optional tours and activities that showcase Guam’s beauty, hospitality, shopping, food and culture.”

Travelers can easily access the island on direct flights from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Hawaii and the Philippines. Guests flying from the continental United States can connect in Hawaii or Japan.

Bulldog Puppies Check in to The London WeHo Hotel

Photo credit: The London West Hollywood

Prepare for your heart to melt and it has nothing to do with the summer heat. Meet Winston and Churchill! They are The London West Hollywood at Beverly Hills’ two new permanent residents.

Named after the historical British Prime Minister, the bulldog puppies call the luxurious hotel home. Much nicer than any doghouse I’ve ever seen! Guests can pet the pooches in Hampton Court garden or shake a paw during walks around the property. The wrinkly mascots can also be found lounging poolside on the rooftop.

Photo credit: The London West Hollywood

Meeting professionals, Winston and Churchill will happily wag their tails at events for an hour if you make a $250 donation to a local Los Angeles animal shelter. This special appearance can be made in The London’s 4,000-square-foot Kensington Ballroom or on multiple levels of rooftop space with views of Beverly Hills that are nothing to bark at.

The hotel’s executive chef Anthony Keene has even created a dog-friendly “Winston’s Menu” for guests who are accompanied by their canines. Items include The London Pooch and Doggie Bags.

swan and dolphin meeting room view

Nature is the star attraction at a new 2,800-square-foot meeting space at Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. True to its name, the Lake View Room, on the Swan side of the resort, features floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook a private lake.

With outdoor access, the room is especially suited to indoor-outdoor meetings and events.

The Lake View Room can be divided by a set of connecting doors. The larger space can accommodate 277 attendees, and the smaller can hold up to 119.

The resort is undergoing a multiphase, $140 million refurbishment that includes another 329,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. All 85 of the resort’s meeting rooms—including two executive ballrooms, four other ballrooms, 110,500 sq. ft. of contiguous convention/exhibit space and an outdoor function area—are scheduled for completion by September.

The resort offers 2,267 guest rooms.

Bruce Seigel

Bruce Seigel was tapped as the general manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe. In this role, he’ll oversee financial performance, employee/guest engagement, community relationships, partnerships and talent development. Seigel has been with the brand for almost 18 years. He previously worked at The Ritz-Carlton’s properties in the Caribbean and Mexico region, Naples, Georgia and Orlando.

Patrick Pacious

At Choice Hotels, Patrick Pacious was promoted to CEO four months ahead of schedule. He’s held the title of president since May 2016 and COO since January 2014. Pacious will join the Board of Directors next month as well. Prior to Choice bringing him aboard in 2005, he worked with BearingPoint and Arthur Andersen in senior management consulting positions and was an officer in the U.S. Navy.

Mai Johnson

Viejas Casino & Resort in San Diego has recruited Mai Johnson to their team as director of resort sales. In her new position, she’ll direct sales tactics for convention and leisure and be a prime point of contact for hospitality groups. Johnson assumes the role with 16 years of experience under her belt in such roles as national sales manager for Bellagio Resort and associate director of sales for Luxor Hotel and Casino, both in Las Vegas. Johnson has served on the board of Meeting Professionals International Southern California Chapter.

Nancy White

Nancy White is returning to Cliff House Maine full-time as general manager to oversee the second phase of renovations. She previously served as interim general manager and director of sales and marketing at the Cape Neddick, Maine, property in 2015 when the project began. White worked at another Destination Hotels-managed property, the Royal Palms Resort and Spa in Phoenix/ Scottsdale, before opening a consulting firm, Workshop AZ. She is director of Leadership Honors Bootcamp and The Leadership Wheel foundation and an instructor at Georgetown University.

Obed Morales

Obed H. Morales

Atrium Hospitality appointed Obed H. Morales general manager of Embassy Suites by Hilton Dallas Forth Worth North in Grapevine, Texas. He’s held managerial roles at all-suite hotels, including 14 Embassy Suites properties, for the last 15 years. Morales joins Atrium Hospitality from his previous post at John Q Hammons Hotels & Resorts, where he served as general manager of Embassy Suites by Hilton Albuquerque Hotel & Spa for three years. Prior to that, he worked for several properties for The Dow Hotel Company in the Anaheim area and Chicago.

Do you have an announcement about a new executive-level job appointment? Email us the good news at [email protected].

mario kart

Millennials, set down your Nintendo controllers and step into Mario Kart IRL (in real life). The once-fictional racetrack is coming to Niagara Falls next spring and the internet is all abuzz.

Located in the amusement area known as Clifton Hill, Niagara Speedway will be “North America’s largest elevated go-kart track facility” and “the first of its kind in Canada.” The multi-level racetrack looks like it is straight out of a video game with a spiraling and wavy roadway. A track with a similar design already exists in Branson, Missouri, at The Track Family Fun Parks.

HOCO Limited president Harry Oakes describes it as “go-karts on steroids.” The checkered flag is an opportunity to introduce some friendly competition into your next event.

Here are 10 reasons why Niagara Falls is a great meeting destination, according to Niagara Falls Tourism:

1. Bucket List: Check!

Meeting goers can mix business with pleasure by checking an item off their bucket list when they visit the majestic falls.

2. Accessibility

Three international airports are nearby and Niagara Falls is only a day’s drive away from more than 55 percent of the U.S. and Canadian populations. Trains and busses can also transport guests here.

3. Wine & Dine

Niagara Falls is more than cascading water. It is also home to a bustling wine region and culinary scene featuring farm-to-table cuisine and world-class vineyards.

4. Accommodations

More than 14,000 hotel rooms dot the rolling Niagara Falls landscape. Fully half of guest rooms are allocated for meetings and conventions.

5. Locations, Locations, Locations

Niagara Falls is home to a wide array of memorable venues to hold meetings and events such as aboard a ship, in a wine cellar and overlooking the waterfall.

6. The Great Outdoors

In their spare time, guests can explore outdoor adventure activities such as zip-lining, cycling, hiking and paddle boarding or a leisurely day on the golf course.

7. Open Year-Round

Niagara Falls gets brutally cold in the winter, but the city still attracts visitors during all four seasons. In the winter, guests can look forward to the Winter Festival of Lights and Icewine harvest celebrations.

8. Rock Around the Clock

Networking doesn’t cease when the business day is over. Niagara Falls offers plenty of nighttime fun including the gambling, theater, live music, magic shows and bars.

9. World-Class Convention Center

The 288,000 square-foot Scotiabank Convention Centre is only 250 steps from Niagara Falls. Meet with a view!

10. On-Site Planners

The Business Events Niagara Falls Team is always at the ready to assist meeting professionals plan and execute events and put you in touch with local vendors.

On your mark, get set, go!

the best of the best

Naming the “best of the best” in the hospitality world is no job for the meek, but international luxury travel network Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts did the deed—again. Palazzo Seneca in Norcia, Italy, was named Hotel of the Year, and 10 other hotels and hoteliers from around the globe were also honored as 2017 Best of the Best.

Five winners are based in the United States, one is in Mexico and the rest are in Europe. The awards were announced at the travel organization’s 11th annual awards ceremony, attended by 1,600 of luxury travel’s top names, in Las Vegas.

Palazzo Seneca, in the Umbrian village of Norcia, is a historic site from the 16th century, restored by the Bianconi family, leaders in the Italian hospitality industry for 150 years. Rooms feature oak floors and details from Umbrian craftsmen, as well as antique furnishings and plush linens. Norcia is the nexus of Italian black truffle country, and the hotel’s Ristorante Vespasia is Michelin starred.

Other winners:

Best Achievement in Design: Six Senses Douro Valley, Lamego, Portugal
Best Dining Experience: La Terrazza—Hotel Eden Rome, Rome
Best Bar: Bar Hemingway—Ritz Paris, Paris
Best Family Program: The Ritz-Carlton, Naples, Florida.
Best Wellness Program: Canyon Ranch, Tucson, Arizona

Best Virtuoso Experience: Andaz Mayakoba Resort Riviera Maya, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
Best Virtuoso Newcomer: Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, New York City
Sustainable Tourism Leadership: Cavallo Point: The Lodge at the Golden Gate, Sausalito, California
Best Virtuoso Hotel Ambassador: Kees Hogetoorn—Grand Hotel Amsterdam, an Accor Hotel
Hotelier of the Year: Susanne Hatje—Mandarin Oriental, New York, New York City

Virtuoso received input from its 800-plus travel agency partners and more than 16,000 professional travel advisors to name the winners in each category. Editors of Virtuoso Life, the network’s magazine, helped to select the nominees for each category.

“This year’s Best of the Best winners are truly renowned properties,” said Albert Herrera, senior vice president for global product partnerships for Virtuoso. “They constantly redefine modern luxury by proactively reimagining the guest experience and inspiring others within our own industry to think bigger.”

Founded in 1992 with 20 hotels, Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts is marking its 25th anniversary in 2017.

Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach, a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

A $7 million refresh of this 296-room nautical gem in Florida along the Intracoastal Waterway—and adjacent to the International Swimming Hall of Fame—stars a $50,000 chandelier and 28,000 sq. ft. of sparkling meeting space, including the largest ballroom in the area.

Hotel Adeline, Scottsdale

The 213-room Hotel Adeline is getting a $12 million renovation that gives a bohemian twist to an otherwise contemporary design—fun, no? The reimagining of the Arizona property included 10,000 sq. ft. of private event space, a whiskey bar available for buyouts, and a Mediterranean-American restaurant and lounge, all within walking distance of Old Town Scottsdale. It’s reopening this fall.

Kelley House, Martha

One of the grande dame hotels of these United States commemorated its 275th anniversary with fresh makeup that included weathered wood-plank floors and ceilings, updated recessed lighting and local art evoking the ocean’s pull. The Edgartown, Massachusetts property is a collection of five buildings, including 60 guest rooms and The Newes From America Pub.

trp4368lo-203621-Arcade-Lounge-detail-Low

Riviera Palm Springs, California

The “Riv” has been a desert oasis for Hollywood and Grammy Award-winning royalty since 1959. Modernized public spaces have gone mid-century, enlivened by playful color and patterns, plus a soupcon of retro nostalgia. Expanded amenities include two new restaurants. Have fun with 45,000 sq. ft. of versatile indoor-outdoor function space, a trio of ballrooms and an abundance of break-outs, all to glorious desert and mountain backdrops.

Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach, Florida

Home of 10,632-square-foot The Dunes Ballroom, this Clearwater Beach property boasts the largest meeting space of its kind in Pinellas County. We’re talking a total of 22,000 sq. ft. of meeting space and awesome views of the Gulf of Mexico at no extra charge. Serving the 343 guest rooms at this beachfront property is Pallavi Spa and Ocean Hai restaurant.

Michael Murphy

Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe announced Michael Murphy as the new general manager. He first joined Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in 1996 at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Murphy has gone on to work at nine properties in eight states across the country, including Austin, Westlake Plaza, California and Lost Pines Resort and Spa in Cedar Creek, Texas. He’s been awarded Hyatt Corporation’s Rooms Director of the Year twice.

Cindy Ruchman

Cindy Ruchman has been named the director of sales and marketing at the brand-new Marriott Marquis Chicago. The 40-story, 1,205-room hotel is set to open in September. Ruchman has worked for Marriott for 15 years. Most recently, she served as general manager of the Northern Mid America Sales Office. This new post will be her 10th position with the brand.

Michael Tiseo

Marriott Marquis Chicago welcomed Michael Tiseo to the Windy City as the director of event management. The new hotel, which is scheduled to open next month, will have more than 90,000-square-feet of meeting space. Tiseo has been with Marriott for over 12 years and previously held this same title at Marriott Marquis New York. He’s also worked as director of banquet operations at The Hilton New York and The Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C.

John Maibach

The Loews Regency New York Hotel appointed John Maibach as the managing director. He comes to the Midtown Manhattan property from Loews Boston Hotel, where he was the general manager. Maibach began his career in hospitality as a housekeeping floor manager at the Hotel Macklowe, now the Millennium Broadway. He worked his way up to executive director of rooms at The Plaza, New York. He was general manager of The Copley Square from 2007-2013, where he oversaw an $18 million renovation project and elevated the hotel from two-stars to luxury status.

Derek McCann

Derek McCann is taking on the role of managing director of Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel. The Edinburgh, Scotland native’s career is coming full circle back to LA. After earning a degree in hotel administration from Cornell University in 1996, he moved west to be an assistant front-office manager of the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles Hotel. Since then, he was vice president and hotel manager of Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville prior to joining Loews in 2014 as managing director of Lowes Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona.

Christopher Shiel

Christopher Shiel has been named director of sales and marketing for the Refinery Hotel in New York City. Since entering the hospitality market more than a decade ago, Shiel previously worked with Two Roads Hospitality, Denihan Hospitality Group and Intercontinental Hospitality Group. For the past two years, he has been at Smyth, a Thompson Hotel, where he contributed to rebranding and marketing the property, as well as assisting with sales management.

Do you have an announcement about a new executive-level job appointment? Email us the good news at [email protected].

You can bank on it. There will soon be lines around an old gray granite bank just off Union Square in San Francisco. But angry depositors won’t be demanding their cash. Oh, they’ll be screaming, all right—for ice cream.

On Sept. 17, America’s third Museum of Ice Cream opens its doors. Private tours for up to 20 guests can be booked.

Under the 45-foot-high dome of the historic bank building, recast with a modern design and “signature playfulness,” visitors will be greeted at San Francisco Museum of Ice Cream with such wonders as “a magical candy garden, psychedelic rainbow unicorns, a push pop installation, a cherry on top sky [and] the renowned Sprinkle Pool… filled with over one hundred million custom-designed sprinkles,” according to a press release from the museum. There’s also a Pop Rocks cave. In all, 10 thematically tailored, immersive installations aim to delight children of all ages.

“Sort of a pop art, museum-sized photo booth,” is how Website SF Eats sums it up.

For sure, Instagrams will begin flooding cyberspace as a rotating cast of mostly local creameries offer visitors a “scoop of the week,” and a mochi ice cream-tasting experience is provided by California-based My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream. Not to mention the final sampling—a “never-been-tasted, custom, Museum of Ice Cream flavor,” according to the museum.

The experience will conclude with a Design Within Reach lounge and gift shop.

Tickets, available only in advance, are $38 per person (children under age 3 are free). At a pop-up version in New York City and a current, sold-out run in Los Angeles, they’ve been $29 for adults and $18 for seniors and children ages 3–12. But publicists for San Francisco Museum of Ice Cream say this will be an entirely new flavor compared to previous versions—and that more new locations will be opening this year and in 2018.

clothing swap meets conferences

One man’s (or woman’s) trash is another’s treasure. If you are sick and tired of your old wardrobe, pack your bags with everything you don’t want to wear and head to a hotel participating in a swap meet.

Make hand-me-downs cool again in support of National Secondhand Wardrobe Day on August 25th. It’s important to dress for success at meetings. Sometimes our bodies fluctuate. We may pack on a few pounds or drop some inches and our closets need a bit of refresh. Women who are expecting a bundle of joy or gradually losing baby weight might not want to invest in costly clothing during each phase of their journey. Swapping offers the perfect solution.

Meeting professionals everywhere can further this movement by encouraging attendees to bring articles of clothing they no longer want to swap with fellow meeting goers. Unclaimed items can be donated to a local shelter or clothing drive.

One such example is the ObesityHelp National Conference, which has dedicated space for a clothing swap at their annual event. This is intended for attendees whose waistlines are rapidly shrinking following weightloss surgery.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Swapping is fun and good for the planet. Eco-stylist Nina Gbor hosts swap shops at Australian hotels throughout the year. “The reason we do these clothes swaps is not only to have fun and tszuj up our wardrobes. It’s basically to reduce clothing waste,” she told ABC Radio Canberra. “The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry after oil and gas and people are not aware of that.”

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that 85-percent of discarded textiles, weighing 13 million tons, wind up at U.S. landfills annually. Additionally, to manufacture just one cotton t-shirt, 2,700 liters of water is required. This is the same amount of H2O to keep an individual hydrated for 900 days!

In North America, Element Hotels is installing Element Exchange pop-up shops in their properties for guests and members of the community to trade clothing. Donation and up-cycling points can be found on-site for guests to continue paying it forward.

“Clothes are one of the most frequent items purposefully left behind in hotel rooms,” says Marlon Whyte, global brand leader of Element Hotels. “The Element Exchange helps to limit the huge environmental impact of fashion sustainability by giving guests and locals in our vibrant communities the option to exchange or recycle clothing and offset their carbon footprint.”

Responsible Dressing

Element’s Boston Seaport location partnered with up-cycling organization Ministry of Supply to provide underprivileged adults with outfits for job interviews and the office. Guests can participate in the organization’s 1 In, 1 Out initiative.

Following the success of their Take Off Your Clothes swap event in Montreal in 2007, The SWAP Team formed a non-profit group to tackle the issue of clothing waste. Since its inception, volunteer chapters opened in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, NYC, Boston, Winnipeg and Calgary. More than 52,000 articles of clothing have been swapped, 51,000-plus donated items have gone to charities and over 103,000 garments avoided landfills, saving over $1 million.