Meeting News - November 10, 2008 - (Page S2)

SOUTH REGIONAL South Regional, November 2008 Editorial Rayna Katz, Editor Phone: (646) 654-4421; rayna.katz@nielsen.com William Ng, Managing Editor Phone: (646) 654-4451; william.ng@nielsen.com Richard Prestia, Art Director Phone: (646) 654-4424; richard.prestia@nielsen.com Matt Alderton, Writer; matt@logolepsy.com Terri Hardin, Editorial Advisor Phone: (646) 654-7360; terri.hardin@nielsen.com Perspectives The New South When one hears “the South,” even today, colorful images of plantation homes, tea parties, and good ol’ southern cooking come to mind. It’s a pretty, if not stereotype-based, picture. But a more modern story is unfolding in the region. As writer Matt Alderton makes clear throughout the pages of our South Regional section, change is a ’comin. Actually, that story line makes a lot of sense as we venture into new territory: This is the premier of our Regional sections, the first Rayna Katz, issue-within-an-issue that Editor we will present over the coming year. On the cover, Alderton reported that convention centers are more eco-conscious and airports are greatly enhancing the passenger experience. Also, area convention centers are eyeing—or engaged in—expansion in Baton Rouge (p. S4) and Biloxi (p. S8), as is a conference center in Myrtle Beach (p. S12). And, other venues are coming: the NASCAR Hall of Fame (p. S10) and an arena with meeting space (p. S12). On the hotel front, Gaylord is taking a waitand-see approach to expansion, dependent on the economy, but officials are optimistic (p. S4); Atlanta has tied New York City in its quantity of W’s with a fourth such property (p. S6); a convention hotel is coming to Macon, GA (p. S7); the Hilton Jackson is seeking a Four-Diamond rating (p. S8); a full-service hotel is coming to Natchez, MS (p. S9); and a new Greensboro, NC, hotel is the nation’s first LEED Platinum-certified property. In the midst of this growth, changes to the region are being seen beyond buildings. New Orleans is offering value-added services (p. S4), while Raleigh, NC, has put an extensive hospitality training program into effect (p. S10). Sure, meeting attendees can still find plantation tours and Southern food during their downtime. But now, the South is packed with more reasons to bring groups there in the first place. Corporate/Sales Nella Veldran, Vice President Travel Group Phone: (646) 654-7325 Southeast/Mid-Atlantic/Ohio Larry Mischik, Ad Director/Account Manager 3054 Four Oaks Drive, Atlanta, GA 30360 Phone: (770) 604-9641 NY/NJ/New England/Bermuda/Caribbean Diane DiMaggio, International Advertising Director 770 Broadway, NY, NY 10003; Phone: (646) 654-7332 Florida/Cruise Arthur Hyman, Associate Publisher/Account Manager 1267 Via Fiume, Boynton Beach, FL 33436 Phone: (561) 736-5374 Midwest/Texas/Louisiana Patrice Carman, Account Manager 200 West Jackson Blvd., 27th floor, Chicago, IL 60606 Phone: (312) 583-5522 CA/HI/Colorado/Arizona/Nevada/NM Sharon Freeark, Account Manager 2950 31st Street, Suite 100, Santa Monica, CA 90405-3037; Phone: (626) 578-0700; Fax: (626) 578-0720 Asia/Pacific/Southwest/Colorado Edie Garfinkle, International Advertising Director 2510 G Las Posas Road, #505, Camarillo, CA 93010 Phone: (805) 383-1326; Fax: (646) 654-4456 rayna.katz@nielsen.com IN THIS ISSUE Green Centers . . . . . . . . . S1 Airport Upgrades . . . . . . . S1 Louisiana . . . . . . . . . . . . . S4 Tennessee . . . . . . . . . . . . S4 Georgia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S6 Mississippi . . . . . . . . . . . . S8 North Carolina . . . . . . . . S10 South Carolina . . . . . . . . S12 Kentucky . . . . . . . . . . . . S12 S2 MeetingNews November 10, 2008 www.meetingnews.com http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - November 10, 2008

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