February 2015

Featured Article:
Groups gathering in Madison, a city well equipped for meetings business, won’t run out of thin...

Features

Seven top settings for pharma/medical functions
Medical meetings today are difficult to diagnose. Austerity is in, and new restrictions on gifts and... Read More
Prompting posts is now ‘socially acceptable’
Remember when keynote speakers and moderators were perturbed to see people texting, tweeting or post... Read More
Off-season settings deliver group values
For planners that keep encountering top-tier properties and destinations that seem just a bit out of... Read More
Diversity marketing broadens its scope
The right rhetoric and people in brochure photos used to suffice for a good diversity marketing effo... Read More

Departments

Delish: Startup Vibes
Marriott International announced the launch of Canvas, the company’s new global incubator for encouraging new food and beverage concepts. Chefs...
Profile: Michael Lyons
You can’t judge a book by its cover, as the old saying goes, and that’s especially true of speaker Michael J. Lyons, former exhibition dir...
Breakout: Sail the Sparkly Seas
The luxury small-ship cruise line Seabourn announced a partnership with Swarovski Optik to provide binoculars on the company’s Antarctica and Pa...
News Brief: IHG boosts boutique portfolio
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants was acquired by InterContinental Hotels Group for $430 million. Founded in 1981, Kimpton’s...
News Brief: Waterparks Make a Splash
Jump in, the water’s fine! 2014 may have been the year of the waterpark, with both indoor and outdoor projects springing up across the U.S. at a...
Key Notes: Current Events (Feb. 2015)
The last few months have given me the opportunity to attend a couple meetings industry events that were quite different in nature, yet still served th...
PCMA’s Convening Leaders sets attendance record
PCMA’s 59th annual Convening Leaders conference, held at Chicago’s McCormick Place West, set an attendance record by attracting 4,128 atte...
Bytes: Wi-Fi Set Free!
After much contention, Marriott International announced that it will not block hotel guests from using personal Wi-Fi hotspots for their mobile device...
News Brief: Meetings Mean Business Announces Co-Chair
The Meetings Mean Business Coalition advocacy group appointed Michael Dominguez, senior vice president of corporate sales at MGM Resorts International...

EYE ON

West

Destinations

San Diego’s array of heritage stops are group magnets
San Diego’s consistent warm weather and coastal setting translate to a plethora of outdoor gro... Read More
Las Vegas broadens its horizons for a new tomorrow
Approaching Las Vegas always comes with a sense of marvel and high expectation, especially when flyi... Read More
Monterey, Carmel and Santa Cruz offer quintessentially California experiences
The slice of California that is home to Monterey, Carmel-by-the-Sea and Santa Cruz is foremost known... Read More
Six great ways for groups to experience Maui's magic
How many out-of-the ordinary experiences can one island lend to a meeting program? When it comes to ... Read More

Departments

On the Scene: Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego
The stress is building. I am scheduled to partake of a special Vino and Vinyasa wine and yoga class ... Read More
On the Scene: Diversity in the Vegas Desert
Each time I’ve visited Las Vegas over the past four decades, I arrive excited to discover what... Read More
On the Scene: MGM Resorts Las Vegas
In a place like Vegas, where it’s been proven time and again that the sky’s the limit, v... Read More
On the Scene: Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort & Spa
Even those who have met on Maui many times before will find a new experience awaiting them at Andaz ... Read More
Breakout: Escape Room LA
An old office building in downtown Los Angeles might seem like an unassuming event venue at first gl... Read More
West Upgrades & Openings (Feb. 2015)
California The Concourse Hotel at Los Angeles Airport will debut a new event lawn this spring as par... Read More

East

Destinations

Northern Virginia specializes in authentic experiences
Northern Virginia has a bit of a split personality. While it may technically be considered part of t... Read More
Connecticut has the right ingredients for gatherings
Among Connecticut’s historical distinctions is the first known cookbook written by an American... Read More
Albany and Saratoga Springs are moving full-speed ahead
Albany The biggest news in town is the new convention center, combined with the media attention and ... Read More
Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Montgomery County hold entertaining diversions
True to his Quaker sensibilities, William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, was a seri... Read More

Departments

East Upgrades & Openings (Feb. 2015)
Massachusetts After 18 months of construction, the Boston Marriott Burlington completed its multimi... Read More
Breakout: The Uber of Helicopters
Mohegan Sun resort announced a partnership with BLADE, a short-distance aviation company focusing on... Read More
Site Spotlight: Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh
Kimpton Hotels debuted its new Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh in January, the brand’s first hotel in ... Read More
Kimpton's Ink48 hotel renovates 'Heaven Over Hell' suite
Kimpton’s Ink 48 hotel in Midtown Manhattan recently renovated its “Heaven Over Hell&rdq...; Read More
Site Spotlight: Boston's XV Beacon
The upscale XV Beacon hotel offers elegant group experiences and attention to detail, with only 63 g... Read More

MidAmerica

Destinations

Eastern Iowa is business-ready, with extra off-session pursuits
Mingling work and play in Eastern Iowa’s group-friendly destinations is a cinch for planners, ... Read More
Interesting icons bloom around every corner of Kansas
Everyone has tried and true favorites in Kansas, like Kansas City barbecue, Dodge City lawmen and Fo... Read More
Chicagoland brims with one-of-a-kind venues
Big-city suburbs sometimes get a bad rap as bland, cookie-cutter places lacking a center or characte... Read More
Oklahoma gets groups in the sporting spirit
Few destinations do a kick-off event better than the Sooner State, at the meeting venue, in hospital... Read More
Wisconsin’s vibrant metro is an all-around charmer
Groups gathering in Madison, a city well equipped for meetings business, won’t run out of thin... Read More

Departments

Site Spotlight: Indiana's French Lick Resort
The 3,000-acre French Lick Resort unveiled a 58,000-square-foot meeting space expansion, at the conc... Read More
News Brief: Virgin Hotels Chicago opens
The much-anticipated Virgin Chicago hotel opened in January, representing the worldwide debut of the... Read More
Breakout: Michigan Fishing
Drop a line! For novice anglers, the state of Michigan is offering two Free Fishing Weekends, Feb. 1... Read More
MidAmerica Upgrades & Openings (Feb. 2015)
Arkansas Fifth Avenue Capital purchased the 228-room DoubleTree Little Rock and Waterford Hotel Grou... Read More

South

Destinations

Houston entertains with an amped up music scene
Familiar signifiers of the Houston brand include energy, NASA, major-league sports, Fortune 500 tita... Read More
Stellar new offerings invigorate Atlanta's meetings market
Already a haven of cool venues, “Hotlanta” has heated up even more as a meetings hub wit... Read More
Miami and Fort Lauderdale are on a path toward progress
It was a happy new year in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, mostly because the old year was so good. With ... Read More

Departments

Kissimmee, Fla., shines with nature-based outings
Set at the doorstep of tourism powerhouse Walt Disney World, one could be forgiven for thinking Kiss... Read More
Site Spotlight: Louisiana's Hyatt Regency New Orleans
Last year marked the three-year anniversary of the reopening of the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, and a... Read More
Savannah, Ga., is the real deal for meetings
Groups looking for authenticity and an enigmatic atmosphere steeped in history can find their dream ... Read More
South Upgrades & Openings (Feb. 2015)
Florida The 16-acre Fort Lauderdale Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa wrapped up a $65 millio... Read More
Norfolk, Va., provides nearly unlimited waterborne activities
More Coverage5 Fantastic Off-Sites: Norfolk, Va.Norfolk, VA CVB Information (2015) Norfolk, Va., i... Read More

International

Destinations

Costa Rica gets attendees in touch with the great outdoors
Costa Rica has spent years honing its image as a haven for nature lovers. For meeting and incentive ... Read More

Departments

Site Spotlight: Shangri-La Hotel
The Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore completed a $1.6 million renovation of The Pavilion, a new, yet hist... Read More

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12 Years a Slave is a 2013 British-American historical drama filmand an adaptation of the 1853 slave narrative memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free African-American man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C. in 1841 and sold into slavery.

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