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News

Los Angeles, a Preferred Meeting Site, and Demystifying the Mayan Calendar

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Bits and Bobs of Industry News… City of Angels: More than a decade and some $15 billion in new development has given Los Angeles added luster—and loads of recognition as a meetings destination that delivers. It seems to have paid off, too. Last year they saw a record 26.9 million visitors. Now the new Downtown Los Angeles Meeting Planners Guide is available to showcase the city’s best assets for meeting [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 23, 2012

Time-Saving Software

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We asked meeting professionals to give us their favorite time-saving tips. This software time-saver comes from Charlene F. of Altour. Thanks, Charlene! “A time-saving software that I use all the time is iCloud by Apple. When I am on a site visit, I take pictures of everything—the meeting rooms, sleeping rooms, and layout of the hotel’s back-of-the-house. I then use the photo stream part of iCloud (to upload) all pictures [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 22, 2012

Over 150lbs of Soap Saved From Dump

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Saving the World … One Amenity at a Time They always say you have to start somewhere before you start saving the entire world. Thankfully, there’s a non-profit called Clean the World that makes it that much easier. We were lucky enough to partner with Clean the World for our Elite Meetings Alliance (EMA) held at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage in January. During the [...]

by Alina Itkin on February 17, 2012

Early Birds, Late Checkouts, and Viva Las Vegas

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Hospitality News of the Week Talk about your comeback kid: Last year Las Vegas drew the second-highest visitor’s numbers (38.9 million) in the city’s recorded history according to stats released by Las Vegas Conventions and Visitors Authority. And they can largely thank the continuing recovery of convention business. This year, LVCVA president and CEO Rossi Ralenkotter projects 40 million visitors, which would best their all-time high of 39.2 visitors in [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 17, 2012

Small Wonders

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Why pay a premium for on-site office support when you can bring your own—in your wallet? SlimScan from PlanOn Systems Solutions makes a credit card–sized stainless steel color scanner designed to electronically record receipts, business cards, magazine articles, contracts, recipes, and other documents on the fly. Just press the capture button on the face, scan the document with the horizontal edge of the device, and watch the image appear on [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 15, 2012

The Incentive Destination’s Role in Driving Business Performance

Submitted by Jim Ruszala, director of marketing, Maritz Travel The Incentive Destination’s Role in Driving Business Performance As 2012 quickly progresses, trends in incentive travel destinations continues to be a hot topic. Budget constraints as well as economic, political and social pressures will heavily dictate the growth of incentive travel and destination choice. Yet, among all of these considerations that come into play when identifying a destination, a program’s ability [...]

by Guest Writer on February 14, 2012

Elite Meetings Alliance Press Release

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The latest press release about our most recent EMA at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa is now live and available for viewing! To read the full version, visit the link here. Don’t know what the Elite Meetings Alliance is? The EMA is a three-day, invitation-only event that brings together prequalified corporate and association planners with leaders in the luxury hotel industry to cultivate relationships and build business. Featured are [...]

by Alina Itkin on February 14, 2012

Not Your Everyday Grind

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Looking for a nonalcoholic way to liven up a Latin-themed event? Look no further than Café Frio. What makes this Latin version of iced coffee unique is Ibarra, a distinctly flavored Mexican chocolate that has been a south-of-the-border favorite since 1925. Café Frio Ingredients 2 cups milk 2 discs (6 oz.) Ibarra chocolate 6 oz. semisweet chocolate 2 cups fresh espresso (chilled), or very strong coffee 3–4 cups ice 2 [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 10, 2012

Know the Code

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Whoever coined the adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” must have anticipated the QR (Quick Response) code. The tiny two-dimensional matrix can be loaded with oodles of info. And it’s showing up everywhere from storefronts to catalogs to billboards. Its recent adoption for industry events allows the quick exchange of company and contact information without the need to key in data from a teetering stack of business cards [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 9, 2012

Well Suited

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Who says travel accessories have to be dull? Dutch company SuitSuit can turn ordinary luggage into a fashion statement with its line of 35 suitcase covers. But the stretchy covers are more than just a pretty face. They protect luggage from dirt and dings while ensuring that your bag stays shut for the duration. They can even be customized with company logos for ideal incentive gifts. From €29.95 (approx. US$40), [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 8, 2012

Banding Together

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For a team-building experience that always hits a high note, Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy Camp gives corporate groups a turn in the spotlight. With the guidance of a “rock star counselor” like Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad, Lita Ford of The Runaways, and songwriter and producer Mark Hudson, corporate groups break into small bands, where they dream up an image-making moniker, and then collaborate on writing and performing their [...]

by Susan Campbell on February 8, 2012

Budapest embraces MPI

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Hungary exceeded expectations of the European MPI Conference while hosting the annual in event in Budapest last week: sincere hospitality, amazing value and incredible venues and entertainment make it a destination many meeting professionals may have been overlooking. The hotel venues I visited are all outstanding, varying from historic hotels like the Corinthia Budapest, converted financial buildings (Boscolo) and palaces (Four Seasons) to hotels with amazing views (Sofitel and InterContinental) [...]

by Alda Egurrola-Wienke on February 6, 2012

Elite Meetings Alliance Daily Digest – Tuesday 1/31

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It’s hard to imagine never having been to an Elite Meetings Alliance before this. Maybe I’m a changed person, maybe I’m enlightened, maybe I’m a little exhausted, but mostly – I am so utterly grateful to be with a company that enjoys what it does as much as it appreciates the people that make the company what it is. Thank you all for coming, for participating, and for creating a [...]

by Alina Itkin on January 31, 2012

Elite Meetings Alliance Daily Digest – Monday 1/30

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Hello again everyone! We hope you had another fabulous day at the Rancho Las Palmas. The sessions were jam packed and full of information. Thank you to Laura Schwartz, Midori Connolly, Daren Martin, & Shawn Seipler! To get the details on them, visit our Michelle Thornton’s blog at the link here. Big appreciative THANK YOU for blogging about us, Michelle! The Trick shot clinic got quite fancy with those shots [...]

by Alina Itkin on January 30, 2012

Elite Meetings Alliance Daily Digest – Sunday 1/29

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Where to start with the yesterday? Well for one, thank you all for coming to the hospitality desk to Shameka & I to check in. You made the process extremely easy and it was great to finally put a face to the all the names we see. If you haven’t already received your name badge, stop on by the hospitality desk today! We’ll be there from 8am-6pm in the Ballroom [...]

by Alina Itkin on January 29, 2012

Broadcasting LIVE Hybrid Sessions from EMA

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Participate in the EMA from Home! We’re here in the desert getting ready to kick off the January Elite Meetings Alliance at Rancho Las Palmas Resort & Spa and it’s shaping up to be an amazing event! For those of you who weren’t able to be here in person, you’re invited to join us for our Educational Sessions via a live webcast! This will not be your average webcast. Our [...]

by Alina Itkin on January 27, 2012

Life in the Fast Lane: Supply-Side Tips for Navigating Today’s Tight Turnarounds

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by Susan Campbell, Editorial Director While it’s true that meetings are making a comeback, that doesn’t necessarily mean coming back in exactly the same way. Since the economic downturn, both buyers and suppliers have acknowledged that the days of protracted planning have passed. By and large, today’s meeting professionals have shorter lead times to plan their events. So, what’s a hotel sales manager to do? We asked Dirk Smith, president [...]

by Susan Campbell on January 18, 2012

EliteMeetings.com 4.0 Goes Members Only

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Do you want to be rich, famous, and glamorous? Ride around in a stretch hummer limo and dance the night away with A-list movie stars?! Ah, well …. for that you would have to pay a lot of money and know some good people but great thing you know us here at Elite Meetings! We may not be able to get you into top-secret nightclubs, but we might have something [...]

by Alina Itkin on December 15, 2011

Creating Better Meeting Experiences

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Jim Ruszala, Director of Marketing, Maritz Travel Company Three Simple Steps to Create Better Meeting Experiences Designing for a more engaging experience for your meetings can significantly improve performance from both a business and attendee vantage point. Yet, this is more difficult to do in today’s world due to a host of challenges, including budgeting constraints and increased risks for attendee distractions. From the moment an attendee walks into a [...]

by Guest Writer on December 6, 2011

Hidden Gems

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Stuck in a rut of mainstream meeting-site selection? Leave homogenous hospitality behind and discover these tucked-away treasures. From open-range opulence to Spanish Colonial couture, the following offer a wealth of amenities and activities far from the madding masses. Royal Palms Resort and Spa Constructed in 1929 as the vacation villa for New York money-man Delos Cooke, the Royal Palms Resort and Spa still makes business moguls feel right at home. [...]

by Viju Mathew on December 6, 2011

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