Meeting News - March 9, 2009 - (Page P26)

Destination Diary Aruba Americas/Caribbean Vancouver actually spans the island with its 100-acre property; and the quietly elegant Cambridge Beaches, on a private 25-acre peninsula. The Victoria Meeting and Conference Venue offers 18 smaller meeting rooms, in a converted bank in Hamilton. Experienced Bermuda DMCs handle every detail from intra-island transportation to sunset cruises to teambuilding events on the beach to creative theme parties. Bermuda’s blend of oh-so-British “bobbies” and Bombay gin and tonic at sundown, combined with the rich island heritage, give theme events a distinctive mix of island flavors. Its nine golf courses—the largest concentration in the world—make scheduling tee times and tournaments a breeze. Sheraton Puerto Rico Convention Center Hotel & Casino, due to open at the end of this year. It will add 35,000 square feet of meeting space, including both a 16,300- and a 7,000-square-foot ballroom. This hotel will also be the Caribbean’s first official “green” building. And Elsewhere in the Americas Meeting choices continue to grow, as new destinations reach out for meeting and convention businesses and classic convention cities continue to provide excellence. Costa Rica has the infrastructure to host meetings as large as 2,000, and easy airlift from the southern US makes it a great new choice. Its blend of first-world service combined with pristine rainforest, rivers, volcanoes, and quiet beaches, make it an increasing favorite with incentive planners. Another plus for “green” meeting planners—Costa Rica ranks fifth in the world for its environmental concern, according to the Environmental Action Index released by the World Economic Forum. Aruba has a long-established meetings industry. In fact, its Renaissance Convention Center, with 22,000 square feet of meeting and function space, is one of the largest in the Caribbean. The island’s beaches provide perfect settings for banquets and theme parties. Argentina continues to be a bargain destination for American groups, with the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center offering 742 rooms and the largest event facilities in town. Shopping tours are popular in this European-style city. An evening at a tango show (and perhaps a chance to learn the dance) should be on every itinerary. Canada has a rich history of hosting American groups. Vancouver is one of the most popular destinations, with its beautiful, sail-topped Vancouver Convention and Exhibition Centre and BC Place Stadium together offering 471,000 square feet of meeting space, supported by 24,200 hotel rooms. Across the continent, the glittering Metro Toronto Convention Center provides 600,000 square feet of exhibition and meeting space in the heart of downtown. It can host groups as large as 40,000 and is supported by 32,000 hotel rooms. I Guadalajara New Hotel Rooms Bloom in Puerto Rico Right now, Puerto Rico, one of the US’ favorite offshore meeting destinations, offers more than 1.2 million square feet of meeting space. Its hotel room inventory tops 13,400 and includes the largest collection of big-name brands in the Caribbean. With meetings business booming, however, the island continues to build capacity. When completed, this major hotel construction effort will add 2,000 rooms, bearing such prestigious names as JW Marriott, Regent, St. Regis, and Starwood’s W—among others. Given that the meetings industry brings $900 million a year to this small island, this addition to inventory is sure to bring big return on investment. New hotel rooms in the Convention Center District include the 503-room 26 Successful Meetings/MeetingNews/Incentive / MARCH 2009

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Meeting News - March 9, 2009

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