Smart Meetings | Page 602 of 604 | Corporate Event Planning: Business Events, Meetings, Conferences

These legendary hotels are scattered around the globe, in such places as New York City, Paris and Hong Kong, and have set the standard for luxury and hospitality. But they’re also among the world’s most famous structures, and in some cases have attained a legendary, almost mythical status.

The following hotels have been longtime favorites of meeting groups and travelers, in general.

The Plaza, New York City: Perhaps the city’s most famous hotel, it occupies a 20-story building and has served as the setting for such classic movies as Funny Girl and The Great Gatsby. Weekly tours are offered to the public, led by an architectural historian.

Waldorf Astoria, New York: Once the world’s tallest hotel, it has hosted every U.S. president from Herbert Hoover to Barack Obama. It introduced to the world 24-hour room service and the Waldorf salad, created by Oscar Tschirky.

Beverly Hills Hotel, California: This property, built in 1912, has hosted some of Hollywood’s most famous movie stars, including Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Hotel Ritz Paris: Slated to reopen this year after undergoing substantial renovations, this hotel is renowned for its lavish belle epoque decor, crystal chandeliers and white-glove service. Ernest Hemingway, Ingrid Bergman and Coco Chanel were among its most famous guests.

Claridge’s, London: It’s an Art Deco property that is England’s most storied hotel. Daily afternoon tea is served in the foyer, as a cellist plays.

The Shelbourne Hotel, Dublin: Ireland’s oldest and most historic hotel, it is also one of the most beautiful, with its Renaissance-style facade, marble pillars and ornate crystal chandeliers.

Raffles, Singapore: An opulent, Colonial-style hotel that is arguably the most famous in Asia. Rudyard Kipling wrote The Jungle Book while staying at the property, which is also the birthplace of the Singapore Sling cocktail.

Peninsula Hong Kong: Located at the southern tip of the Kowloon Peninsula, this hotel is known as the “Grand Dame of the East.” It offers plenty of luxury amenities a private jet available for guest use and a fleet of green Rolls Royce Phantoms.

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LAX Los Angeles AIrport

International airlines are investing some of their record profits into posh, new lounges at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The Los Angeles Times reports that the lounge upgrades are part of more than $2 billion in renovations underway since 2012 at LAX Airport. The improved facilities are almost exclusively reserved for elite passengers who buy the most expensive tickets.

-Last week, Quantas revealed a multimillion-dollar expanded lounge, three times its original size with 400 additional seats. There is a new 74-seat restaurant, a make-your-own juice bar and seven shower suites.

-Virgin America opened its first lounge at LAX last month. The 4,000-square-foot space above Terminal 2 is filled with brightly colored décor and features food and beverage options inspired by hinoki & the bird, an innovative California restaurant. The lounge is accessible to all Virgin passengers with the purchase of a day-pass.

–American Airlines plans to upgrade its lounges in six major airports, including LAX. Later this year construction will begin on a new Admirals Club with a modern design and custom-made furniture.

-United Airlines, which operates from Terminals 6, 7 and 8, will renovate its LAX lounge by 2017. The 29,000-square-foot upscale lounge planned for Terminal 7 is part of a $450 million renovation.

-Next month, Delta Air Lines expects to complete a lounge renovation as part of a $229 million overhaul of Terminal 5.

Whether you’re an old pro or new to the stage, public speaking is no easy feat. Keynote speakers must regularly deliver cutting-edge content while entertaining the masses. But without preparation, even the best presenters can falter. In advance of your next speaking engagement, Linda Marshall, author of Smart Talk: The Public Speaker’s Guide to Success in Every Situation, offers six tips for overcoming stage fright and giving a successful speech:

Stay Hydrated. Jittery nerves can lead to dry-mouth, an uncomfortable symptom of anxiety. Drink plenty of water before speaking, and keep water with you at all times.

Exercise. Working out can help alleviate stress by releasing endorphins. Even a quick walk earlier in the day can have a calming effect.

Visualize. Distract yourself from nervous thoughts by looking at pleasant photos, smiling, telling yourself a joke or taking deep breaths. You can also picture the scenario you wish to experience, with a resulting positive outcome.

Calm Down. Sometimes nervousness can occur in the middle of a speech. Anticipate these moments by taking some deep breaths, regrouping, changing your position or looking audience members in the eye.

Feel the Energy. Good stress can help maintain focus and sharpen your senses. Use the extra awareness to engage your audience and show your passion.

Prepare. Failing to come prepared will undoubtedly have a negative effect on your speech. Practice enunciating the words in front of a friend or family member, or even record yourself and play it back until you feel comfortable.

In recent months, the California drought has become the most pressing statewide issue. However, water scarcity has long been a global crisis. Now, thanks to the International Tourism Partnership, hotels are stepping up to reduce water consumption across the hospitality industry.

The Hotel Water Measurement Initiative is standardizing the way the hotel industry measures and reports water consumption. The new methodology will allow hotels to set the standard for similar properties in their region, as to promote good water stewardship.

As part of a rapidly growing tourism sector, the hotels are a large consumer of water. International Tourism Partnership predicts that demand will exceed supply by 40 percent in 2030. By the same year, over a third of the world’s population will be living in areas of high stress on water supply.

The Hotel Water Measurement Initiative is supported by the Stockholm International Water Institute, Water Footprint Network, World Resources Institute and Carbon Trust. Participating hotel companies include: Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, Starwood, Taj, Diamond Resorts and Carlson Rezidor.

Meeting Groups Costa Rica Costa Rica is world-renowned for its incredible views of intriguing rainforests, gorgeous coastlines and lush greenery, among other things. Many of these views and more are available at top hotels and resorts, as well as at meeting spaces.

Oyster.com came up with a list of the 15 most beautiful views in Costa Rica, and Smart Meetings focused on a few that are most appealing to meeting groups.

Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo offers spacious accommodations alongside the beach, restaurants that make magnificent use of local ingredients, a full-service spa, and plenty of eco-adventures. The property also has 120 guest rooms (all with ocean views) and 9,589 sq. ft. of meeting space; sunset meetings on the beach, surrounded by the wild, rugged beauty of Costa Rica’s northwest Pacific coast, are particularly memorable.

The Springs Resort and Spa at Arenal offers a spectacular view of Arenal Volcano, natural hot and cold springs, five unique dining experiences, a 14,000-square-foot spa and 9,800 sq. ft. of flexible indoor meeting space and 17,200 sq. ft. of spectacular outdoor poolside, terrace, and riverfront space for unforgettable parties, events and team-building activities.

An adults-only resort in an idyllic location, Occidental Grand Papagayo is surrounded by the wild, natural beauty characteristic of Costa Rica’s northern Pacific coast. The open lobby features expansive views of the lush and tropical landscape of Costa Rica. The property offers 160 guest rooms and 2,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Hotel Punta Islita provides views of a secluded cove of inspiring natural beauty. Surrounded by ocean, this eco-resort interweaves exuberant tropical dry forest, vibrant local art and charming communities that welcome travelers in heartfelt hospitality. The hotel has 56 guest rooms and 840 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Offering a fabulous setting with a stunning viewpoint to Arenal Volcano, Arenal Kiroro Suites and Spa sits on 27 acres of undulating land, surrounded by two streams (La Palma and Kioro) with crystalline waters that flow into Arenal Volcano National Park. The property has 53 guest rooms and 3,411 sq. ft. of meeting space.

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luxury-hotel-perks

From fancy chocolates to designer handbags, upscale hotels offer premium perks for a select number of guests. According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, there are a number of ways to increase your chances of receiving a personalized treat at luxury hotels.

The most likely approach is to make frequent stays and spend big. Booking through a well-connected travel agent is another sure method. However, giving hotels as much information as possible, such as celebrating a special occasion, ages of children, favorite foods or accompanying pets is perhaps the most overlooked way to garner some special attention.

Luxury properties with some of the best goodies and freebies include:

-Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos, Mexico—mini bottles of Corona during the drive from the airport to the hotel
-Rosewood Hotels & Resorts Mayakoba, Mexico—a welcome mojito
-Trump Hotel Central Park, New York—a free spa treatment for the 50^th stay
-Trump International Hotel & Tower, Toronto—a plate of chocolates
-Wequasset Resort and Golf Club, Harwich, Mass.—limited-edition Sperry boat shoes for guests who book the Round Cove Suite
-Le Sereno, St. Barthelemy, Caribbean—tote bags by a British handbag designer for guests who book one of three largest villas; Havaiana sandals and hotel-branded beach bags for guests staying in regular rooms
-The Sebastian, Vail, Colorado—small tents set up in larger rooms for guests with children; stuffed animals, milk and cookies
-The Jefferson, Washington D.C.—personalized dog bowls and beds for guests traveling with pets

Mexico Tops 2015 Travel Destinations Mexico and Canada are the most popular international travel destinations among Americans this year, followed by three European countries.

Neighboring Mexico has long been a favorite destination partly due to its warm weather and outstanding beaches. Excellence Playa Mujeres, an all-inclusive oasis situated on an untouched peninsula between the Caribbean and a wetlands preserve, is one of the most popular spots. It offers 450 guest rooms and 17,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Several Mexico resorts and hotels have been focusing much more on health-and-wellness options, and this has helped to attract many like-minded groups. One that has been attracting the health crowd for decades is Rancho La Puerta, with 87 guest rooms and a meeting room that can seat 40 attendees. The property, which has served as the prototype of health-and-wellness resorts, is located in Tecate, a 15-minute drive from the San Diego border.

Canada lures groups with its cosmopolitan cities and magnificent natural attractions. Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa, Victoria’s only five-star oceanfront resort, is a contemporary boutique spa and conference property with 35 luxuriously appointed OceanSuites and OceanVillas, and 2,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Groups that head for Britain, the third most popular destination, customarily meet and stay in London. But another intriguing city is Bath, a town set in the rolling countryside of southwest England. Bath has several outstanding hotels, including Macdonald Bath Spa Hotel, which features the country’s only hot springs, landscaped gardens. It provides 120 guest rooms and 4,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Paris is clearly the top destination in France, which placed fourth, but other locations, such as Cannes, also have many attractive features. Cannes is located on the French Riviera and is filled with restaurants and luxury hotels, such as Majestic Barrier, located on the Croisette, facing the Mediterranean and Palais des Festivals. It provides 349 guest rooms and 16,146 sq. ft. of meeting space.

Italy, the fifth most visited country, features the ever-popular cities of Rome, Florence and Venice, but in the summer, Tuscany and Sicily are particularly popular destinations. Il Pellicano (50 guest rooms, 1,076 sq. ft. of meeting space), one of the most attractive properties, overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea from a rugged hillside locations.

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Proposed Hyatt Hotel near Kansas City Convention Center — Courtesy of JWallace. Artist rendering of the proposed Kansas City Convention Center Hotel.

Kansas City, which has been losing business as a key convention destination because it currently lacks a large convention center hotel near the Kansas City Convention Center at Bartle Hall, is moving closer to sealing a deal that will change that.

The Kansas City Business Journal reports that Kansas City Council’s Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee voted May 20 to advance an ordinance authorizing City Manager Troy Schulte to execute a memorandum of understanding between the city and hotel developer, Burke Swerdling & Associates LLC. For three years the developer has been working with the city on a proposal calling for an 800-room, 30-story Hyatt with 75,000 sq. ft. of meeting space to be located on 16th Street, between Baltimore Avenue and Wyandotte Street, south of the downtown freeway loop.

The convention headquarters hotel is projected to cost $302.5 million. The memorandum of understanding authorizes spending $35 million in city money on the project. A catering agreement worth an additional $62.4 million over 15 years would give the owner exclusive catering rights in the Kansas City Convention Center’s Grand Ballroom.

Kansas City leaders point out that they cannot attract big conventions due to the lack of hotel space near the convention center. Supporters like Ronnie Burt, CEO of Visit KC, say this new hotel project will reverse that.

Burt believes the hotel would be a “game changer” for Kansas City. The CVB reports that from 2005 to 2014, Kansas City lost 665 groups, representing 5.5 million room nights and $3.9 billion in economic impact, because of an inadequate number of hotel rooms near the convention center. Although Visit KC was successful in attracting smaller conventions, Burt says the proposed hotel would allow it to target convention groups requiring 3,000 or more hotel rooms.

“It…opens us up to a whole other universe,” he said.

If the deal can be sealed, it is expected that the hotel could be completed by 2018.

Las Vegas is trying to attract middle-income tourists from China with two new projects specifically designed to appeal to Asians. On May 5, Resorts World Las Vegas finally broke ground on a long-awaited mega resort on 87 acres at the north end of the iconic Strip. In addition, construction has begun on Lucky Dragon, a boutique hotel located right off the Strip at 300 W. Sahara Avenue.

Resorts World Las Vegas

The hotly-anticipated Resorts World Las Vegas, located on the site of the former Stardust Resort and Casino, will be a Chinese-themed complex featuring a panda exhibit, an indoor water park and a replica of the Great Wall of China. The 21,847,314-square-foot mega resort will boast a 4,000-seat theater, a bowling alley, aquarium and retail, dining and convention space, in addition to four towers containing 6,583 guest rooms and a 175,000-square-foot casino.

Stardust Resort and Casino closed in 2006 after operating continuously for 48 years. Boyd Gaming bought the site, demolished the building and in 2007 started construction on Echelon Place. The recession permanently halted construction in 2008 and in 2013 Boyd Gaming sold the land to the Genting Group for $350 million. Genting is a multinational company with properties on seven continents. Its worldwide resorts draw 50 million customers annually. Its plan is to develop the Las Vegas site in phases.

Phase one of construction, which will include a 3,000-room hotel and the casino, was supposed to begin in late 2014, however ground breaking was repeatedly delayed. It finally took place May 5, with much fanfare and many dignitaries in attendance. The first phase, expected to cost $4 billion, will open in 2016. The complete project, which is expected to open in mid-2018, could cost up to $7 billion. Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that it will bring 13,000 permanent jobs to the city.

Lucky Dragon

Early May also marked the beginning of construction on Lucky Dragon, a 201-room boutique hotel located on a 2.5-acre site just off the Strip, on Sahara Avenue between the Golden Steer restaurant and the Allure condominium tower. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the concrete foundation has been poured, and construction crews are there working.

The site was initially destined to become a twin tower to the $150 million Allure, a 41-story, 428-unit condo development at 200 W. Sahara Ave. Residents have been living at Allure since 2008, however because of the recession, a second building never materialized.

Instead, the developer is focusing on a boutique hotel casino with an Asian theme. Built with Feng Shui principles in mind, the two-story property will feature a curved design without sharp edges or corners, and will be red, considered a lucky color in China. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that the building with include a pool, three restaurants and an 18,900-square-foot casino with 478 slot machines and baccarat tables, which are popular among Asians. Being located slightly off the Strip, the developer expects Lucky Dragon to become its own destination.

Planners are accustomed to scoring free swag from sponsors, but new trends are emerging to make event sponsorship a much more organic, integrated function of the overall meeting. Here’s a look at some new approaches that add value for the sponsors, planners and attendees alike.

Give people what they want

It’s pretty much a given that attendees will respond favorably to sponsored treats like chocolate and ice cream. But think beyond the supermarket-style “free sample” approach. Guidebook.com suggests you ask attendees to “tweet for ice cream using the hashtag for your event along with the sponsor’s name,” as opposed to simply giving out sample cups full of fudge ripple. Of course, your food sponsorship doesn’t have to ignore your more health-conscious guests. For example, Fran’s Chocolates is a wonderful (and universally popular) sponsor of Smart Meeting events but we also offer more nutritious refreshments from our sponsor Sunny Delight as a nice counterbalance. Whether your sponsorship includes snacks or swag, try taking a more holistic, balanced approach to how you deliver the sponsors’ products and you’ll likely make a bigger impression on your attendees.

Give people what they need

Another popular trend is to find sponsors that provide real-time, practical benefits to your attendees. Wi-Fi sponsors, sponsored cell phone charging stations and branded portable USB chargers are just some examples of products and services that can be used by attendees to support the event. By turning sponsors’ products and services into necessities as opposed to novelties at your events, your sponsors will enjoy a more captive audience that will likely pay much more attention to the brands on offer. For example—although not a necessity per se—we provide each attendee with a collapsible wine bottle transport bag, courtesy of our sponsor WineSkin. This unique gift helps solve a practical problem with business travelers: How do you transport a bottle back home when your suitcase is already full of event materials (and swag)?

Support your sponsors, too

Modern events can provide a number of perks to your sponsors too. User data from event apps can track positive sentiment toward your sponsors’ brands, or measure the number of mentions your sponsors receive from attendees on social media. Sponsors will be happy to get that info. Consider inexpensive value-adds for your sponsors, like including order forms for their products along with the free gifts they provide for your swag bags. You can also include sponsors’ logos, websites, offers and so on in your own social media promotions before, during and after your event. Have a conversation with your sponsors and get creative about giving them an extra boost at your events. It will not only make their contributions more meaningful to your attendees, it’ll also help sponsors realize a positive ROI from your events that will keep them coming back year after year. Have any other creative ideas about how to make the most out of your event sponsorships? Let us know by tweeting your suggestions to @smartmeetings.