Incentive - December 2007 - (Page 68)

TRAVEL News photographs here in San Diego of the sky above downtown, of the hotel and the carrier to give everyone a visual to counteract what they were seeing on the news.” Throughout, Lee says that communication was key. Between LG and the Creative Group, Lee estimates that Access was talking with eight key decision makers in the process, from both LG’s human resources and legal departments. He says, “At the top level, LG was very concerned to make sure that their employees and guests were not going to be sent into harm’s way to continue with the San Diego program.” Happily, the program went off without a hitch. On a larger scale than Access, the San Diego Convention and Visitors Bureau faced the same challenges, and also worked assiduously to assess the situation and provide accurate information to those who needed it. “Our focus on Monday through Wednesday was to be a conduit of information,” says David Peckinpaugh, president and CEO of the San Diego CVB. “Our job new arrivals The AAA Four-Diamond El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa, in Taos, N.M., a Kessler Collection Hotel, has expanded its property with the addition of 48 new guestrooms featuring mountain area décor with accents of turquoise, river rocks and cowhides—for a total of 84 luxury accommodations. There are five additional treatment rooms at The Living Spa. The resort has approximately 7,000 square Daniel Howery, COO Palmer Hospitality Group; Kerry Flowers, founder of K Hotels and Michael C. Palmer, managing director Palmer Hospitality feet of banquet and meeting space. Group at the company’s L.A. trade show • Opened in October is the Raffles Dubai, a jaw-dropping pyramid structure and colossal palace of luxury and elegance. The 20-story hotel features a signature RafflesAmrita Spa, and boasts 248 guestrooms and suites, each with private balcony. In accordance with its design, the hotel offers “ultra-luxe” personalized services and amenities. • Globally known boutique hotel sales and marketing company Kerry Hotels announced its new company name at the 11th Annual Kerry Hotels Los Angeles Trade Show. The newly formed K Hotels, a partnership between Kerry Hotels and Palmer Hospitality Group, will be a stylish collection of boutique hotels in domestic and international markets. “We went out and took photographs here in San Diego to counteract what they were seeing in the news.” —David Peckinpaugh, San Diego CVB was to make sure that people knew exactly what was going on, and that the Web site had accurate links to all the different channels, whether it was emergency, air quality, the Red Cross, etc.” According to figures provided by the SDCVB, out of 452 hotels, nine were either evacuated or closed, and most of these were running again by Oct. 23. Visiting groups, including LG Electronics, worried they’d be displacing evacuees in hotels. The Hyatt and the CVB both reassured visitors that with the many evacuation centers in place, including Qualcomm Stadium, there was plenty of room for evacuees, and that it was important for the county’s economy that incentive and convention groups continue to support San Diego and the hotels booked months in advance that were counting on their business. In the end, San Diego provided the country and the industry with a stellar example of how to manage a crisis. Says Lee, who, with his wife, hosted two families with eight kids and four dogs for two days, “Everybody kept their cool, and I’m proud of San Diego. I think everybody either was evacuated or housed families who were evacuated. I mean everybody pitched in.” Fo r m o re, g o t o : w w w. i n c e n t ive m ag. c o m / s a n d i eg o on the horizon Kiawah Development Partners (KDP) is spearheading a development project on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts of unprecedented scope and magnitude. It is for a worldclass resort called Christophe Harbour, spanning 2,500 acres and including six spectacular beaches and a mega-yacht harbour. Joining forces in the project are real estate, environmental and engineering companies, and prominent hotels including Auberge Resorts and Sandy Bank Bay, site of what will be the Auberge Resort property planned for Christophe Harbour Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group. • Hyatt Regency Monterey, in Calif., continues its $45 million three-phase transformation with the makeover of all 575 guestrooms and 32 suites by January 8, 2008. Guestrooms will feature earth-tone colors, leather and warm walnut woods; fine linens; 32-inch plasma high-definition television; iHome alarm clocks with iPod dock; cordless phones; T-Mobile Internet access and coffeemakers with complimentary Starbucks coffee. • Air France and Delta Air Lines have signed a joint venture agreement to share revenues and costs on transatlantic routes, offering flyers more flight options and frequencies. The first phase will begin April 2008, with Delta serving London Heathrow. By 2010, the agreement will be extended to all transatlantic flights. 68 | Incentive | December 2007 | incentivemag.com http://www.incentivemag.com/sandiego http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - December 2007

Incentive - December 2007 Contents Editor’s Note: Revved Up In the News Cover Story: Rolls-Royce Empowers Its Own Case Study: Booz Allen Hamilton Beating Your Best Incentive Primer: Add Value to Your Event Keeping Safety In Mind Incentive Interview Potentials Here and Now Research: Corporate Gifts Facts Report Tabletop Awards: Travel Gift Cards Travel News Viva Puerto Vallarta Indigenous Spas Advertiser Index Off the Cuff: Ambassador Christoph Bubb Luxury Brands Special Supplement

Incentive - December 2007

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