Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 - (Page 24)

BIZLIFE A suite on the Fredom ship. Dining car on the Rocky Mountaneer. The Windstar 5 itinerary for “just us,” if they wish. To cater to this growing market, new ships are offering more dedicated meeting space. Cunard Line’s Queen Mary 2 features a 10,225-square-foot conference center, a theater that seats almost 1,100 and a planetarium that can be converted to a theater with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment. Older ships are also expanding and improving their meeting facilities to attract corporate business. The National Business Travel Association, a group that represents about 2,400 corporate travel managers, featured a seminar on conference cruising at its annual convention a few years ago. The trend has continued to grow. In fact, 20 percent of incentive travel—trips to reward top-performing sales people—now takes place on cruise ships, according to the Society of Incentive and Travel Executives. Companies in insurance, banking, automotive, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics have rewarded sales 24 NEARLY 20 PERCENT OF INCENTIVE TRIPS NOW TAKES PLACE ON CRUISE SHIPS. people on cruise ships in recent years. A deluxe train is another option if seasickness is a concern or the desire to leave land is not high. The Rocky Mountaineer, a sightseeing train that travels the Canadian Rockies from Vancouver to Calgary, or Vancouver to Whistler, has been used by companies in the food, convenience store, oil, hotel and other industries, as well as by groups of doctors. Grant Allen, an executive at the 7-Eleven store chain, who took 10 operations managers on the Rocky Mountaineer for a planning and team-building meeting. He says the meetings went smoothly, the scenery was spectacular, the food and wine featuring British Columbia and Alberta specialties were excellent, and the train staff worked hard to meet their needs. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for his managers to bond, Allen says. The downside? Tearing employees’ attention away from the gorgeous scenery back to the business at hand. FOR MORE INFORMATION Cruise Lines International Association Trade association for two dozen cruise ship lines, based in Fort Lauderdale. www.cruising.org 754-224-2200 Landry & Kling Cruise meeting and event consultants, based in Miami. www.landrykling.com 800-448-9002 Rocky Mountaineer Vacations Sightseeing train packages in the Canadian Rockies. www.rockymountaineer.com 877-460-3200 October/November 2007 HISPANIC ENTERPRISE http://www.cruising.org http://www.landrykling.com http://www.rockymountaineer.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 Contents BIZBUZZ: Business Briefs Trendsetters BIZTECH: Personally Digital BizLife - Travel: The Mobile Meeting Motoring: Is What You Drive, Who You Are? Q&A - Fact Tank for the Hispanic Population Hispanic Commerce Cover Story: Tiles with Style Success & Motivation: Grammy Whammy Finance: Talking Code Event: Masterminds NCLR Report - Improving your Triple Bottom Line Politics & Government: Keep on Truckin' Managing: Avoiding an Identity Crisis Franchising: Beyond the Brand Finance & Investing - Talking Money Movers & Shakers Regional Report - Louisiana, Louisiana Chamber Focus - On the Island of Enchantment

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

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