Budget-Friendly Meeting Destinations 12 | The Art of F&B 18 | Coping With Stress 24 | Florida 44 A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION Volume 10 • Number 1 $13.00 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2017 Hot-Button Legal Issues From ‘Bathroom Bills’ to Open Carry PAGE 30 Meet CLICK HERE TO Today’s DOWNLOAD/VIEW Atlantic City TABLET VERSION PAGE 36 Credit: Borgata Credit: A Meetings Mecca! Denise Gallo, Senior Managing Director of Meetings at the New Jersey State Bar Association, has used Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa for the past nine years. In This Issue ISSN 21628831 USPS 003500 A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION WOW February / March 2017 Volume 10 • Number 1 Features THEM 12 Budget-Friendly Meeting Destinations Departments > Stunning all inclusive beachfront resorts Above Average Experiences > World-class destination: Cancun at a Below Average Cost 4 Publisher’s Page > Delectable dining options By Ron Bernthal General Chapter Oregon—Columbia Contractors Associated for Dan CarterCredit: Photography 18 > Amazing entertainment day and night 6 News & Notes > Engaging activities on water and land 18 The Art of F&B Trends and Best Practices for 2017 > Cultural experiences and excursions 7 Snapshots By Christine Loomis > Customizable event spaces up to 25,000 square ft > Event specialists committed to meeting success 50 Career Track 24 Coping With Stress A Guide to Surviving and Thriving Reader Services GET MORE FOR LESS AT OASIS… in a Meeting Planner’s World 50 By Diana Lambdin Meyer For exclusive incentive and meeting off ers: 30 How to Handle 24 GroupsAtOasis.com Hot-Button Legal Issues Destinations 1-800-44-OASIS (press option 2) or 770-662-1815 From ‘Bathroom Bills’ to Open Carry [email protected] By Sophia Bennett 36 Meet Today’s Atlantic City A Meetings Mecca! By Cynthia Dial ViewPoint 44 Florida 10 4 Sure-fire Strategies to Sunny Weather and Fabulous Navigate an Uncertain Meeting Venues Hospitality Market By Maura Keller Don’t Let It Paralyze Your Planning GROUPS By Benjamin Rabe and Susan Gilbert 30 TheMeetingMagazines.com Association Conventions & Facilities FEBRUARY / MARCH 2017 3 Publisher’s Page Remember to Breathe Throughout this issue there are many first-person accounts of A COASTAL COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION PUBLICATION PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF planners dealing with all types of stressors and challenges faced in Harvey Grotsky the performance of their multifarious duties. We’ve even devoted a [email protected] feature to “surviving and thriving in a meeting planner’s world” on CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mitch D. Miller page 24. “Meeting planners are typically high performers who like to [email protected] exceed expectations. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves, but that’s MANAGING EDITORS our nature,” says Britt Jackman, senior director, SmithBucklin. Says Susan W. Fell [email protected] R. Michael Anderson of the Executive Joy Institute, “Being able to Susan S. Gregg manage stress is one of the differentiators that make meeting planners [email protected] successful.” His obvious but often-forgotten advice: “Breathe deeply.” CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Ron Bernthal Indeed! New Jersey State Bar Association Senior Managing Director Sara Churchville of Meetings Denise Gallo, who graces our cover, has conquered the Cynthia Dial Maura Keller unique challenge of exceeding expectations year after year in the Christine Loomis Derek Reveron same destination — her annual convention has been held in Atlantic Mark Rowh City for more than three decades, the last nine years at The Borgata. Patrick Simms David Swanson Planners like Denise must keep a finger on the pulse of membership PRESIDENT & CEO likes, dislikes and expectations, and choose destinations and venues Harvey Grotsky that meet them. Of course it helps when the destination is resurgent VICE PRESIDENT OF OPERATIONS and invested in building its meeting and convention business: “Atlantic David Middlebrook [email protected] City offers the meeting space we need, the social activities attendees ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES appreciate and consistently high level of service,” she says in our feature 2700 N. Military Trail, Suite 120 Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394 on page 36. “We selected Borgata shortly after it opened because 561-989-0600 Fax: 561-989-9509 of its upscale energy, meeting space, creative food and beverage [email protected] options, and their commitment to customer service. We continue to NEW ENGLAND/MID-ATLANTIC Howard Richman return to Borgata because they have not only maintained this level of 203-340-9818 appearance and service, but improved upon it over the years.” [email protected] WESTERN STATES/HAWAII A challenge of a different flavor is in “The Art of F&B” on page 18. Marshall Rubin “Planners have to select food and beverage options for thousands of 818-888-2407 • Fax: 818-888-4907 [email protected] attendees from around the world, within a budget,” says Terry Ross, catering director for Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. “The Association Conventions & Facilities is published bi-monthly key is to create special menus to accommodate the budget and also by Coastal Communications Corporation, 2700 North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394; 561-989- satisfy attendees.” A tall order in the age of the foodie. 0600. Single copies $13.00 U.S.A. only. Yearly subscription price is $65.00 in the U.S.A. Canada and foreign is $135.00. A more serious source of stress falls undoubtedly in the legal realm. Back copies $14.00 plus shipping and handling, U.S.A. only. Distributed without charge to qualified personnel. Periodicals “How to Handle Hot-Button Legal Issues — From ‘Bathroom Bills’ to Postage Paid at Boca Raton, FL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send Form 3579 address changes to Open Carry” on page 30 will certainly strike a chord. “We’re seeing more Association Conventions & Facilities, 2700 North Military Trail and more that there are social and political issues that come up that — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Nothing contained in this publication shall constitute an endorsement by Coastal cause meetings to want to avoid certain cities and states and hotels,” Communications Corporation (Association Conventions & Facilities), and the publication disclaims any liability with says Joshua L. Grimes, Esq. Read how your fellow planners are dealing respect to the use of or reliance on any such information. The information contained in this publication is in no way to Downtown Detroit’s transformation won’t just move you; it will with these and other thorny issues — and remember to breathe... be construed as a recommendation by AC&F of any industry standard, or as a recommendation of any kind to be adopted keep you moving. The new QLine along Woodward Avenue, by or to be binding upon any advertiser or subscriber. Reproduction of any portion of this publication by any means is Detroit’s modern streetcar, connects key Detroit destinations. strictly forbidden. Editorial contributions must be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care. It will also connect with The District Detroit, new home of the However, the publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts. Subscribers: Send Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons that includes 50 blocks of subscription inquiries and address changes to: Circulation Department, Association Conventions & Facilities, 2700 housing, retail, restaurants, office space, parks and a hotel. Harvey Grotsky North Military Trail — Suite 120, Boca Raton, FL 33431-6394. Joining all the other entrepreneurs who are making The D hum Provide old and new addresses including zip code. Enclose Publisher address label from most recent issue and please allow five weeks with energy, it’s more proof there’s no keeping this city down. for the change to become effective. Printed in U.S.A. © 2017. DISCOVER DETROIT, AMERICA’S GREAT COMEBACK CITY. The District Detroit and Eric Yelsma, founder Detroit Denim Co. 4 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2017 Association Conventions & Facilities TheMeetingMagazines.com For up-to-the-minute news, visit us News & Notes online at TheMeetingMagazines.com Snapshots Music City Center Concourse Expansion Approved Las Vegas Named No. 1 NASHVILLE, TN — The Convention Center Authority voted unanimously to approve a Trade Show Destination $19.9 million construction budget to build a new food and beverage outlet and ex- LAS VEGAS, NV — For the 23rd con- pand the Exhibit Hall and Davidson Ballroom concourse space at the Music City Center. secutive year, Las Vegas was named the The expansion will add 5,000 sf of additional concourse space and 4,350 sf of retail country’s No. 1 and kitchen space on the Exhibit Hall level as well as 2,000 sf of additional prefunc- trade show desti- tion space outside the Davidson Ballroom. The new food and beverage outlet, which nation according will be operated by the Music City Center’s culinary team, will be located on the third to the Trade Show level of the Music City Center. The concourse space adjacent to the new market will News Network’s be expanded to allow for a registration area on the Exhibit Hall level. The Davidson “2016 TSNN Top Ballroom concourse also will be extended to accommodate registration and recep- 250 Trade Shows in tions. Construction is slated for completion by the end of year. the United States” The Convention Center Authority also voted to join Tennessee Thrives, a coali- list. According to tion of businesses committed to a equal treatment of all residents and visitors. Ralenkotter the list, Las Vegas www.nashvillemusiccitycenter.com hosted 57 of the largest shows held in the country last year. 1 2 “Las Vegas is committed to providing Meeting Planners Offered ‘Golden’ Opportunity the best possible venues, service and ex- at Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa perience for trade shows and meetings, SOUTH WALTON, FL — Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa, the largest full-service and being named the country’s No.