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Meeting Apps Pg 20 Attendee Engagement Pg 24 A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION MARCH 2011 VOL. 29 NO. 3 $9.00 www.themeetingmagazines.com High-Seas Meetings & Incentives Cruise Lines Now Offering More ‘Wow’ PAGE 12 CelebrityCruises’newest ship,the2,850-passenger Eclipse,debuted Destination in2010. Photo courtesy of Celebrity Cruises Mountain Resorts Orlando Special Report for Meeting Planners PAGE 32 PAGE 36 MONTE CARLO MIKE POND V00 4C 85500-04 Corporate & Incentive Travel-March- .25” safety KH KREM DAY LA KREM AD AD 8.125 x 10.875 + 1/8” bleed NA 100 100 MONTECARLO.COM K R E M D AY L A KREM AAA 4-DIAMOND CASINO AND GATEWAY TO CITYCENTER. UNPRETENTIOUSLY LUXURIOUS ™ 85500-04 Corporate & Incentive Travel-March_Krem Day Ad V00.indd 1 2/24/11 9:52 AM ISSN 0739-1587 USPS 716-450 A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION VOLUME 29 NO. 3 MARCH 2011 www.themeetingmagazines.com FEATURES Page 36 Omni Orlando Resort at COVER STORY ChampionsGate in Orlando 12 High-Seas Meetings features two Greg Norman- DESTINATIONS designed golf courses and 70,000 & Incentives square feet of meeting space. Cruise Lines Now Offering More ‘Wow’ 32 Do Your Meetings By Karen Brost Need an Altitude Adjustment? DEPARTMENTS Mountain Resorts Inspire Peak Performance 4 Publisher’s Message By Steve Winston By Harvey Grotsky 6 News Watch 6 Meeting Values 7 Industry Events Calendar Photo courtesy of QuickMobile Page 20 8 QR Codes: The Next Best Thing 20 Smart Phones Make By Tom Martin Planners Smarter Amazing Apps Page 32 10 Strive to Maintain Revolutionize the The Homestead in Hot Springs, VA, a Meetings Landscape National Historic Landmark in the One Voice By Derek Reveron Allegheny Mountains, offers a private By Chris Gaia setting for meetings and outdoor activities such as golf and falconry. 24 Engagement 48 People On The Move How to Draw Attendees Into the Conversation 50 Reader Services By John Buchanan 36 Orlando Planners and Attendees Rate It No. 1 28 Going Hybrid By John Buchanan How to Find a Happy Medium With Virtual and Physical Events By George Seli Corporate & Incentive Travel (USPS 716-450) is published monthly by Coastal Communications Corporation, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394; 561-989-0600. Single copies $9.00 U.S.A. only. Yearly subscription price is $90.00 in the U.S.A.; Canada and foreign is $150.00. Back copies $10.00 U.S.A. only. Distributed without charge to qualified personnel. Periodicals Postage Paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Corporate & Incentive Travel, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Nothing contained in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by Coastal Communications Corporation (Corporate & Incentive Travel), and the publication disclaims any liability with respect to the use of or reliance on any such information. The information contained in this publication is in no way to be construed as a recommendation by C&IT of any industry standard, or as a recommendation of any kind to be adopted, by or to be binding upon, any corporate/incentive travel planner or agent. Reproduction of any portion of this publication by any means is strictly forbidden. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Subscribers: Send subscription inquiries and address changes to: Circulation Department, Corporate & Incentive Travel, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Provide old and new addresses including zip codes. Enclose address label from most recent issue and please allow five weeks for the change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. © 2011 TheMeetingMagazines.com • Corporate & Incentive Travel • March 2011 3 Optimism Reigns A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION WEBSITE Every two months Meeting Professionals International (MPI) publish- www.themeetingmagazines.com es its Business Barometer, which tracks actual business conditions and PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF business outlooks year-to-year by surveying a select group of senior-level HarveyGrotsky meeting professionals culled from its 22,000-member global community. [email protected] The February survey reports the highest CREATIVE DIRECTOR increase in optimism since April 2009, and MitchD.Miller [email protected] predictions for the future continue to im- prove at a faster rate than at any time since MANAGING EDITORS SusanWyckoffFell 2008. For example, 68 percent of respon- [email protected] dents indicated a year-on-year improve- SusanS.Gregg [email protected] ment in favorable conditions, up from 66 percent in December 2010 and 62 percent CONTRIBUTING EDITORS JohnBuchanan in October 2010. And only 15 percent of KarenBrost event professionals indicate unfavorable HarveyChipkin StellaJohnson conditions compared to a year ago, down AndreaMontello from 16 percent in December 2010 and 17 DerekReveron GeorgeSeli PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE PUBLISHER’S percent in October 2010. SteveWinston Which all goes to point out that this is PRESIDENT & CEO the time to toot our horns and maintain one voice about “the power and HarveyGrotsky value of the ME&I industry” as Maritz Travel’s Chris Gaia so aptly argues VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS in his guest column on page 10. Gaia presents compelling science-based DavidA.Middlebrook research that “shows that businesses needing to capture an audiences’ [email protected] attention, inspire a positive emotional climate, and build human net- ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES works and relationships within their business can best be achieved in a 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 120 Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394 face-to-face setting.” 561-989-0600 • Fax: 561-989-9509 Planners everywhere know that meetings at sea afford some of the NORTHEAST best opportunities to stage face-to-face events and incentives. Planners 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 featured in “High Seas Meetings & Incentives” (page 12) know they get [email protected] “more bang for their buck” by holding meetings on cruise ships that com- FLORIDA/CARIBBEAN 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 bine a relaxing experience with the convenience of a one-stop-shop for [email protected] one set price. Launched last year, Celebrity Cruises’ Eclipse (shown on our cover this issue) is the newest ship in their Solstice class. It features SOUTHWEST 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 special amenities such as Celebrity iLounge, an Internet café offering easy [email protected] access to the Internet; and fresh green grass on the top deck’s Lawn Club. SOUTHEAST One planner appreciated the size of the ship’s lounge, which was large 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 enough to fit all the participants for the company’s awards ceremony. [email protected] Visit premiere mountain resorts in “Altitude Adjustment” (page 32); MIDWEST 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 and stop by in Orlando (page 36) for an update on the destination plan- [email protected] ners and attendees rate No. 1. WEST MarshallRubin 818-888-2407 • Fax: 818-888-4907 [email protected] CANADA 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 [email protected] Harvey Grotsky HAWAII Publisher 561-989-0600, ext. 114 • Fax: 561-989-9509 [email protected] 4 March 2011 • Corporate & Incentive Travel • TheMeetingMagazines.com TheMeetingMagazines.com • Corporate & Incentive Travel • March 2011 5 Optimistic Outlook for Orlando Meetings Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando ORLANDO, FL — Visit Orlando executives released an Moody’s Says The Events optimistic forecast for the city’s meetings and conventions Celebrates 10th Anniversary industry based on positive trending for year-end 2010 and ex- Las Vegas Strip pected business travel increases in 2011. Recovery to Continue Calendar Business travel to Orlando is forecasted to NEW YORK, NY — Moody’s increase 2.3 percent in 2011 to 3.34 mil- Investors Service has good news for lion and 4.8 percent in 2012 to 3.62 mil- APril 13–14, 2011 The Las Vegas Strip. As reported in HosPitAlity sAlEs And MArkEtinG lion. “Upticks across several key indicators the Las Vegas Sun, Moody’s market AssociAtion intErnAtionAl demonstrate real strength and growth for update predicts that the gaming in- AffordAblE MEEtinGs Mid-AMEricA Orlando’s meetings and conventions com- Navy Pier dustry recovery will continue this year Chicago, IL munity. Orlando is attracting an increasing Contact: 914-421-3270 NEWS WATCH and accelerate in 2012, despite some variety of meetings, more international www.affordablemeetings.com attendees, particularly from Latin America, slowing from higher costs driven Sain and renewed meeting planner interest by climbing oil prices. Other factors that may affect the pace of recovery APril 27–MAy 1, 2011 driven by Orlando’s high value and affordability,” said Gary Sain, incEntivE rEsEArcH foundAtion president and CEO of Visit Orlando. “Orlando was a bullish des- include the influx of more than 4,000 incEntivE invitAtionAl tination during the economic downturn, adding new hotels at all new hotel rooms, aggressive pricing Aria Resort & Casino ORLANDO, FL — (Left to right) Carlton Hudson, general manager, Hard Las Vegas, NV price points and new amenities for the meetings industry, and and promotion strategies by new Contact: 314-473-5601 Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando; Jonathan Tisch, chairman & CEO, Loews the meetings industry is responding to Orlando’s unique energy, owners, and the struggles of highly www.theirf.org Hotels; Tom Williams, chairman & CEO Universal Parks & Resorts; Mark excitement and diversification.” During the recession, Orlando leveraged operators. “The real upturn McGrath of Sugar Ray; and Hamish Dodds, president & CEO, Hard Rock invested more than $4 billion in new infrastructure projects, in profits will not begin until 2012,” International, at the 10th anniversary of the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal MAy 24–26, 2011 from meeting hotels to the new Amway Center to the Medical Moody’s reported.