Meeting News - November 19, 2007 - (Page 44)

Destination Insider: Palm Beach Edited by Rayna Katz rayna.katz@nielsen.com Palm Beach County CVB: New Leader, New Chapter Legendary Jorge Pesquera to oversee agency looking to put troubles behind Tourism industry veteran Jorge Pesquera began a new chapter in his illustrious career this month, becoming the president/CEO of the Palm Beach County Convention and Visitors Bureau. Pesquera, who has held top jobs at the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association and the Puerto Rico Convention Bureau, has no small task ahead of him: He comes to Palm Beach a year after the CVB weathered a big ﬁnancial scandal and lost the contract to manage the Palm Beach County Convention Center. Meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions will remain paramount to the destination, according to Pesquera. And new major developments will only help to accommodate greater demand, he said. “A number of things are happening. There is the new $210-million, all-suite Resort at Singer Island, and there is a major refurbishment at the Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach and The Breakers,” said Pesquera. “The icing on the cake is the Westin Hotel, which will be the headquarters hotel next to the convention center.” The 400-room property is slated to break ground next spring and open in 2010. “This will provide a critical mass of room blocks. Jorge Pesquera Together with the cluster of hotels we have in the West Palm Beach area, the Westin will provide enough rooms for signiﬁcant conventions to take place at the convention center.” Pesquera said the agency will have three areas of focus in the coming months: engagement with the local community, assessment of the Palm Beach County brand, and securing accreditation with Destination Marketing Association International. Nov. 5-7 at the West Palm Beach Marriott. Palm Beach County was chosen as this year’s conference destination for several practical reasons. “I picked West Palm Beach because of ease of transportation for attendees, proximity to the Sikorsky aircraft plant (which they toured), and the price structure,” said Raymond Hayes, assistant program manager for international programs at UHPO. The tony location attracted a greater number of participants this year, 455 compared with 300 in 2006. Attendees traveled from as far as Brazil, Japan, and Australia for the opportunity to share information with their allies about the UH-60 60 Black Hawk and the UH-72A Lakota during educational and networking sessions. PGA National Resort and Spa er this year, and it has been busy with upgrades. The Palm Beach Gardens resort’s transformation started last summer with improvements to its meeting rooms, restaurants, public areas, restaurants, and clubhouse. Offering 339 rooms and 42 cottages, the property deliberately focused on areas of interest to meeting planners, ofﬁcials said. PGA National—which boasts ﬁve tournamentready golf courses and a Golf Digest Academy— began its renovations by upgrading the front entrance and lobby. Other projects included a new bar & grill, an expanded business lounge, a redesigned pool, and private cabanas. Each of the PGA National’s 23 meeting rooms, in its 34,000-sf conference center, are being redone for debut next year. A 5,000-sf outdoor pavillion and a new ballroom will round out event venue offerings. Getting There Is No Sweat New routes by two carriers ease airlift Traveling to Palm Beach County became a lot easier for groups beginning Nov. 15, when two airlines introduced new service into the area. Frontier Airlines now offers daily nonstop service between its hub at Denver International Airport and Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach. Meanwhile, Boston-based AirTran Airways has added daily nonstop service from its hub at Logan International Airport. More High-End Hotels Add to Ritzy Atmosphere Starwood, Ritz-Carlton raise stakes Already known around the world for its posh properties, Palm Beach County now offers visitors even more luxury. Earlier this year, the Resort at Singer Island— which is part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury Collection brand—made its debut. The $210million, 21-story oceanfront property features 239 condominium suites, 66 residential suites, 4,000 sf of meeting space, three restaurants, and a spa. The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, a Mobil Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond resort, also unveiled the results of its recent $60-million makeover, which includes extensive renovations to its suites. The property has 310 rooms and close to 13,000 sf of meeting space. H —Section written by Jeanie Casison www.meetingnews.com Event Report West Palm Beach Serves as Landing Pad for Meeting City chosen by helicopter technology conference for its appeal, accessibility It meets in different parts of Florida every year, but for 2007 the Utility Helicopters International Users Conference touched down in West Palm Beach. The event, organized by the Utility Helicopters Project Ofﬁce (UHPO)—which is part of the U.S. Army and based in Red Stone Arsenal—was held Big Plans Simmer at PGA’s National Resort and Spa Trying to become the top golf resort in the country's most golf-crazed state is a lofty aim, but the PGA National Resort and Spa set that goal for itself earli44 MeetingNews November 19, 2007 http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - November 19, 2007

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