Meeting and Incentive Briefing
Registration Open for Upcoming European and Gulf Region Shows
The European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC) organized by Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will be held in Málaga, Spain from February 28 through March 2. More than half of EMEC speakers are new to the line-up from European markets including Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, United Kingdom, Denmark and more. Register at www.mpiweb.org/emec. Special rates are available to MPI members.
Pre-registration for GIBTM – The Gulf Incentive, Business Travel and Meetings Exhibition – now in its fourth year, is also open. Taking place at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from March 29-31, GIBTM will put attendees in touch with 250 exhibitors from the Gulf, Middle East and from around the world. Special travel and accommodation rates are available through Etihad and the event’s official hotels. Full details can be found at www.gibtm.com.
Chicago Property Unveils New Facilities, Deal
The Chicago Marriott Oak Brook Hotel had completely renovated “The Gallery” meeting floor. Meeting room updates include new acoustical infrastructure and state-of-the-art Bose Sound system, the addition of a new 2,000 square foot meeting space, new electronic meeting displays, and high-end executive board rooms with 52″ HD LCD televisions and designer ballroom chairs. In addition, for any group over 50 cumulative room nights arriving before December 31, 2010, the hotel near Oak Brook Center will offer:
* 35% allowable attrition
* One complimentary room per 35 rooms booked
* 2% rebate off the master, for any group over 100 room nights
* Marriott Rewards members registered for the promotion also earn double points up to 100,000 total points (50,000 base + 50,000 bonus)
* If a registered member pays for the event with their Visa Card, they can earn triple points up to 150,000 total points (50,000 base + 100,000 bonus)
For details, visit www.marriott.com/travelagents or call (800) 831-3100.
Leading Hotels of the World Targets Groups
The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) has recently hired two new regional directors of sales to address the distinctive needs of group buyers in the Northeast and in the Western United States.
Jeanette Stancato has been designated director of group sales for the Northeast region. She has most recently served as director of group sales with The Ritz-Carlton, Battery Park in Lower Manhattan.
Cathy Myers has been named director of group sales for the Western region.
LHW has also added five new member properties, including the 166-room Taj Cape Town, slated to open at the end of January, and the Banyan Tree Mayakobal situated on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, ten miles from Playa del Carmen. This ecologically-sensitive resort is comprised of 132 free-standing one-, two-, and three- bedroom villas, all with private pools, and also features four meeting rooms which can accommodate up to 180 people. Also being added: the Hotel Guarda Golf in Crans,Switzerland, the Royal Mansour Marrakesh and the Capella Singapore on Sentosa Island. In addition, the Baur au Lac in Zurich is completing a major renovation, the centerpiece of which is the transformed Pavillon restaurant. Formerly in operation only in the summer, it is now open year-round. A new rooftop patio can accommodate up to 20 people for small receptions. For information on meetings at any LHW property, visit http://www.lhw.com/groups/.
Welsh Hotel Garners Top Honors
Wales’ five-star, 400-room Celtic Manor Resort, host to golf’s Ryder Cup 2010, has been voted the UK’s Best Conference Hotel for the fourth time in the last five years by Conference & Incentive Travel Magazine. The resort’s convention center – one of the largest hotel facilities of its kind in Europe – houses the Caernarfon Suite, which can seat 1,500 delegates for a keynote lecture or 800 dining guests for a gala dinner. The property features an additional 31 syndicate and meeting rooms with break-out areas. www.celtic-manor.com/conference.aspx.
Travelocity Business Taps Meetings & Incentives for Meetings Management Services
Travelocity Business has announced an agreement with Meetings & Incentives, a full-service meetings management company. Travelocity Business ranks among the top 15 travel agencies in North America. Meetings & Incentives (M&I), a full-service meetings management company, is ranked in the Top 25 by Corporate Meetings & Incentives and is responsible for more than $40 million in spend and more than 500 events annually. M&I’s collection of primary services, now available to all Travelocity Business clients, includes strategic meetings management; domestic and international sourcing, with services in Latin America and Europe; planning and registration; on-site services and production; event marketing detailed reporting.
Ritz-Carlton Cancun Features New Beach
The oceanfront Ritz-Carlton resort in Cancun has added a 300-foot deep beach as part of Cancun’s $71 million beach renovation project. To highlight the dramatic expansion, The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun will feature a beach celebration program that includes dining literally on the beach, moonlight fiestas, salsa lessons, ocean-inspired spa treatments and more. Visit www.ritzcarlton.com or email Marimar.montamayor@ritzcarlton.com.
New Openings, Renovations on NY’s Long Island
The Three Village Inn is undergoing a $1 million renovation of all rooms including their meeting rooms and ballroom, suitable for sit-down groups of up to 200 people, to be completed by the fall. www.threevillageinn.com.
The Viana Hotel and Spa in Westbury is scheduled to open in last spring, just walking distance from the Westbury Music Fair. A full-service, 116-room hotel, the Viana’s 3,000 square feet of meeting space is expected to attract business from the nearby Jericho and Garden City Quadrangles.
The Hotel Indigo East End near Riverhead is taking over the footprint of the old Best Western and should open by June or July. While the ballroom can hold 200 persons and the meeting room 60, the hotel will convert the lobby or restaurant to meeting space if needed, or will tent over part of its surrounding 80 acres for larger groups if necessary. www.hotelindigo.com.
The James to Debut in New York City
Denihan Hospitality Group has announced the summer 2010 opening of The James New York. A newly built hotel anchoring the southwest corner of SoHo at Grand and Thompson Streets, The James New York will feature 114 guestrooms and suites offering unobstructed views of Manhattan. Function space will include an urban garden and a rooftop pool deck and bar, complete with 360-degree views of the Manhattan skyline. Outdoor space is further maximized through a boardroom which seamlessly converts into a modern indoor/outdoor special event and meeting space featuring state-of-the-art video conferencing and in-room private dining capabilities. www.jameshotels.com
New Fort Lauderdale Airport Property to Open
Hyatt Summerfield Suites Fort Lauderdale Airport-South, the country’s first joint Hyatt Place and Hyatt Summerfield Suites development, is scheduled to open in early March. Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Airport-South will offer 142 guestrooms, complimentary WiFi access throughout the hotel, complimentary continental breakfast and 1,700 square feet of meeting space. The hotel is located just 2.5 miles from Hollywood International Airport and three miles from Port Everglades Cruise Terminal. For additional convenience, the hotel will offer a complimentary shuttle to both Hollywood International Airport and Port Everglades Cruise Terminal. www.travelagent.hyatt.com
Four Seasons Expands
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has opened the first of five planned openings with the debut of its Beirut property this month. Vail, Denver, Hangzhou (China) and Marrakech (Morocco) will follow later this year. The Beirut property features 5,071 square feet of meeting space with a meet and feed capacity of up to 550 persons. In addition, the Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver has a fresh appearance in time for the Olympics, with a renovated lobby, Park Ballroom and 10 additional meeting rooms. In the Middle East, the Cairo property added another ballroom. www.fourseasons.com.
