Meeting News - December 17, 2007 - (Page 24)

Transportation & Services California Univesity to Enter Meetings Business Cal State campus to leverage meeting certificate program into planning outreach San Marcos, CA––California State University San Marcos, part of the California State University system, will launch a new conference planning service with an initial focus on educational gatherings. According to Scott Gross, director of professional programs, offering meetings services isn’t so different than organizing class sessions. “Instead of 30 people, we’ll do it for 300 or 3,000 people,”said Gross. Planned services include project planning and budgeting, financial management, registration services, facility research and contract negotiation, group transportation packages, call for speakers and topics, tours and entertainment, registration brochures and marketing, program guide development, presentation handouts, conference proceedings, exhibitor and sponsor acquisitions, continuing education credit, and on-site event management. Initially, the new service will target conferences taking place in the area, but Gross anticipates instituting a “traveling conference unit” for meetings in other cities. “Many of our staff members have exceptional backgrounds in conference and event planning,” said Jan Jackson, dean of extended learning.“And our event planning certificate has been a tremendous success, preparing some to launch their event planning businesses.” Edited by Mariana Lemann mariana.lemann@nielsen.com Hawaii Superferry Gets the Go-Ahead Honolulu––Following an extended legal battle, Hawaii Superferry resumed service between Honolulu and Maui on Dec. 6. Environmentalist opponents of the service had argued that the highspeed ferry could collide with whales and spread invasive species into the ecosystem, and in August the ferry operated just two days before community protests and a Maui judge’s Stratus Makes Move on Texas’ Charter-Air Market Houston––A new low-cost aircraft charter network called Stratus has debuted in the Lone Star State, targeting both leisure and business travelers who like cozy surroundings and their own departure schedules. Stratus will use Cirrus SR22-GTS four-passenger airplanes finished with leather interiors. Fares are expected to be $395 per flight hour for up to three passengers when block time is purchased through the Stratus Select membership program. “Our network makes aircraft charter available to people who never thought they could afford to fly on a private charter flight,” Stratus partner Harold Graves said. “By flying on their schedule into smaller airports, our clients save valuable time on ground transportation.” The company cited a Virginia Tech study that projects growing demand for aircraft charters, especially for a spread-out state like Texas. Smaller Seats or Expanding Waistlines? When it comes to airline food, the best advice may be to pack your own snack Island-hopping passengers will board Hawaii Superferry again. ruling shut it down. But last month, an environmental review led to the passing of a law that allowed the Superferry to restart service. Its introductory one-way fare is $29. From Dec. 21 onward, one-way fares will be $39. “We appreciate the support from everyone who shares the vision of uniting our islands and families by sea,” said Hawaii Superferry President/CEO John Garibaldi. “Hawaii Superferry and its 300 employees look forward to a new beginning.” The Superferry had planned to relaunch on Dec. 1 but was set back due to storm damage to port facilities. Impacted passengers booked for Dec. 1-5 were given deals for $19 one-way flights on Hawaiian Airlines. H www.meetingnews.com A ccording to dietDetective.com, an online version of syndicated column “Diet Detective” by nutrition and public health advocate Charles Stuart Platkin, many airline snacks and meals are going straight to our waistlines. His recently released 2007 survey rates the best and worst calorie choices served by nine airlines. Using scores from one (worst) to five (most dietconscious), dietDetective.com came up with the following: G United Airlines: 4.5 Stars. Most healthy offerings overall, but salads and sandwiches could be healthier. G Continental Airlines: 4. Low-calorie, high-impact meals, but not much variety. G Midwest Airlines: 3. Reasonably good “real” meal December 17, 2007 choices, but avoid the 120-calorie cookies. Delta Air Lines: 3. Snack choices not great. On flights 4.5 hours or longer, there is a good EATS Menu. G JetBlue Airways: 2.5. Portion-controlled snack packages, but you can ask for as many as you want. G American Airlines: 2.5. Individually packaged snacks are oversized and have megacalories. G US Airways: 2.5. OK choices, but could use a health tune-up. G Northwest Airlines: 2. Most choices are high-calorie. G Southwest Airlines: 2. Not much variety or nutritional value. G 24 MeetingNews http://dietDetective.com http://dietDetective.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - December 17, 2007

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