Meeting News - December 15, 2008 - (Page 63)

Cover Story continued from page 14 But in a recent web presentation, TravelClick’s Hach noted that while suppliers are traditionally quick to drop room rates, what mainly stimulates demand is destination appeal and airlift. So hotels, he said, will have their work cut out for them: “The double-whammy is the economic crisis and air carriers cutting capacity.” And that’s more bad news for planners. Freitag warned that many cities offering the best hotel deals now are also the most costly and difficult for attendees to fly into. “Airlines have cut seat capacity in so many secondary and tertiary markets that planners will probably refocus on primary gateway cities—and hotels in those cities have done pretty well historically in avoiding big occupancy and rate decreases,” he said. But, Freitag said, “Properties might be more willing to say, ‘We will give you a discounted room rate if you give us a minimum food and beverage revenue, meeting room revenue, plus spa, golf, and other ancillary spending.’” Nevertheless, planners will have to weigh any savings they receive from any property against the cost of airfare and greater inconvenience for attendees flying into less-accessible markets. What’s more, the credit crunch is going to restrict new room inventory starting in 2010, narrowing planners’ window of negotiating opportunity. PKF-HR’s Woodworth, in the HSMAI webinar, showed data suggesting that the presently tight lending situation for hotel expansions and new builds will cause guest room inventory in 2010 to remain nearly the same as 2009. Combined with a probable slight uptick in individual leisure and business travel in 2010, it will result in a rise in occupancy rates and thus average daily rates. So, if planners can persuade their organizations to execute meetings sometime in 2009, it could prove to be the most affordable time in the foreseeable future. r Contact William Ng at william.ng@nielsen.com AD Index Advertiser Page Advertiser Page 3-2-1 Connect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 www.3-2-1Connect.com Aria Resort & Casino . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31 www.arialasvegas.com Atlantis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16-17 www.atlantis.com Beau Rivage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 www.beaurivage.com Bermuda Dept. of Tourism . . . . . . . . . .23 www.bermudatourism.com/meetings Boston Convention Marketing Center . .12-13 www.AdvantageBOSTON.com/challenge Branson Convention Center . . . . . . . . .47 www.bransonconvention.com Colonial Williamsburg . . . . . . . . . . . . .63 www.ColonialWilliamsburgMeetings.com Conference Direct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 www.conferencedirect.com Encore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7,9 www.encorelasvegas.com Greater Boston CVB . . . . . . . . . . . .48-49 gbcvbsales@BostonUSA.com Greater Phoenix CVB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 www.meetphx.com Greensboro Area CVB . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 www.greeensboronc.org Harrah’s Harveys Lake Tahoe . . . . . . . .BC www.harrahstahoemeetings.com Hyatt Take Two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 www.taketwo.hyatt.com Isle Casino Hotel Bettendorf . . . . . . . .24 www.theislebettendorf.com Kansas City CVB . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20-21 www.visitkc.com/meetings Louisville CVB . . . .Gatefold Cover, IFC, 1 www.gotolouisville.com Miami Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52-53 www.miamimeetings.com Memphis CVB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 www.memphistravel.com Palms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33 www.palms.com Palm Beach County CVB . . . . . . . . .54-55 www.palmbeachfl.com Paradisus Resorts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 www.paradisusresorts.travel PGA National Resort & Spa . . . . . . .56-57 www.pgaresort.com Ponte Vedra Inn & Club . . . . . . . . .58-59 www.pvresorts.com Radisson St Martin Resort, Marina & Spa . .25 www.radisson.com/StMartin Rosen Centre Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 www.rosencentre.com San Antonio CVB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 www.visitsanantonio.com Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel . . . .38 www.sheraton.com/phoenixdowntown St. Louis CVB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60-61 www.explorestlouis.com Trump International Beach Resort, Miami . .37 www.trumpmiami.com Vdara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 www.vdara.com Villanova Conference Center . . . . . . . . .51 www.ahl-villanova.com Visit Charlotte . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-29 www.charlottesgotalot.com Walt Disney World Parks and Resorts . .IBC www.disneymeetings.com/mn Wyndham Hotels and Resorts . . . . . . . . .5 www.wyndham.com/amexmeetings Wyndham Princeton Forrestal Hotel & Conference Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 www.wyndhampricetonforrestal.com The Index to Advertisers is published for the convenience of our readers. Every effort is made to list advertisers’ names, web addresses and page numbers correctly. The publisher is not liable for errors or omissions. Preview the entirely new Williamsburg Lodge at www.meetingnews.com December 15, 2008 MeetingNews 63 http://www.3-2-1Connect.com http://www.palms.com http://www.arialasvegas.com http://www.palmbeachfl.com http://www.atlantis.com http://www.paradisusresorts.travel http://www.beaurivage.com http://www.pgaresort.com http://www.bermudatourism.com/meetings http://www.pvresorts.com http://www.AdvantageBOSTON.com/challenge http://www.radisson.com/StMartin http://www.bransonconvention.com http://www.rosencentre.com http://www.ColonialWilliamsburgMeetings.com http://www.visitsanantonio.com http://www.conferencedirect.com http://www.sheraton.com/phoenixdowntown http://www.encorelasvegas.com http://www.explorestlouis.com http://www.trumpmiami.com http://www.meetphx.com http://www.vdara.com http://www.greensboronc.org/ http://www.ahl-villanova.com http://www.harrahstahoemeetings.com http://www.charlottesgotalot.com http://www.taketwo.hyatt.com http://www.disneymeetings.com/mn http://www.theislebettendorf.com http://www.wyndham.com/amexmeetings http://www.visitkc.com/meetings http://www.wyndham.com http://www.gotolouisville.com http://www.miamimeetings.com http://www.memphistravel.com http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - December 15, 2008

Meeting News - December 15, 2008
Gloom Looms for Rooms
Sixth Homeland Defense and Security Symposium's Career Summit...
Perspectives
What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com
Chef Talk
People Making News
Hotels & Resorts
%20%20%20%20%20Dolce Offers to Rebuild Meetings in Public Crisis
CVBs
%20%20%20%20%20Charlotte's Tim Newman Cultivates a Green Team
International
%20%20%20%20%20Downturn Deals Sands a Bad Hand in Macau
Transportation & Services
MN Exclusive Research
Green Beat
Insider Reports
%20%20%20%20%20Affordable Las Vegas
%20%20%20%20%20Galveston
Destination Insider
%20%20%20%20%20Phoenix
Incentive Reports
%20%20%20%20%20Europe
%20%20%20%20%20Ski Destinations
Meeting News Planners' Choice Awards
Advertisers Index
Live from the Forum

Meeting News - December 15, 2008