Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page 25)

continued from page 13 vention center technology is more accessible, although no less impressive. In St. Louis, for instance, work is under way on a high-tech upgrade that will outfit the 185,000-sf Edward Jones Dome at America’s Center with a series of new LED video boards. More energy-efficient than traditional lighting, LED is also more flexible, according to America’s Center director Bruce Sommer, who said meeting planners will be able to use the new video boards—including two large displays and several sideboards in the dome itself, as well as several smaller displays outside dome entrances—to advertise meetings sponsors, broadcast video content, and make announcements. Technology at the just-renovated Oshkosh Convention Center in Oshkosh, WI, is more audio than visual, as the 18,500-sf facility was recently equipped with a state-of-the-art hearing loop system, which transmits PA sound directly and wirelessly to hearing aids without background noise so that hearing-impaired attendees can participate completely in meetings and events. It is the first such system among Wisconsin convention centers. The new Quad-Cities Waterfront Convention Center in Bettendorf, IA, is equipped to Let the Pros Help You Team-Build in Cleveland For team-building in these tough times, consider Cleveland. It’s a pro sports mecca with the Browns (football), Indians (baseball), and Cavaliers (basketball). Sports Travel and Tours (www.sportstrav elandtours.com), works with the city’s CVB, Positively Cleveland, to set up groups with tickets to any of those teams’ home games. The Cavaliers offer group recognition options, from putting a group on the court at halftime or even letting it play on the floor before or after games, to singing the national anthem (www.nba.com/cavaliers/tickets/ fan_experience_packages.html). A low-cost option for football fans is a Cleveland Browns stadium tour, conducted by appointment, from April through November. The 40-minute tour is ADAaccessible and costs $5 per person (www.clevelandbrowns.com/tickets/stadium/ tours.php). An hour outside Cleveland is the Pro Football Hall of Fame (www.profootball hof.com). There, fans can throw a football around and learn about gridiron greats. “The number-one comment I get from planners is, ‘This will draw more people than a typical location,’ ” said Brian Proud, events coordinator at the Hall of Fame. The venue can arrange a welcome by cheerleaders or a football-oriented scavenger hunt as a team-building event. Groups also can get a Hall of Famer as a speaker (for an additional fee). “They tell their life story and relate it to your group,” said Proud. www.meetingnews.com Planners can choose the Hall of Fame’s conference room (which holds up to 88 people) or the NFL Films Theater (which accommodates up to 200 attendees). Each room has a projector and Wi-Fi access. —MG send sound wirelessly along with video to any of several ceiling-mounted projectors that are installed throughout the 25,000-sf facility, enabling event organizers to broadcast breakouts from one meeting room to another in the event of overflow. Back at McCormick Place, wireless video isn’t just convenient. It’s also strategic thanks to a series of 80 cameras that have been permanently installed. Useful for Internet videostreaming as well as for after-hours security monitoring, the cameras were installed in partnership with ethnoMetrics, a Stevensville, MIbased company that uses the cameras to analyze event performance. By visually monitoring exhibit design, exhibitor behavior, and tradeshow traffic patterns, the company promises to help event organizers improve the overall attendee experience. According to Barry, that’s where Midwest meetings make their mark. “While we try to stay ahead of the curve,” she said, “technology for us is all about customer service.” I March 23, 2009 MeetingNews 25 http://www.sportstravelandtours.com http://www.sportstravelandtours.com http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/tickets/fan_experience_packages.html http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/tickets/fan_experience_packages.html http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/tickets/stadium/tours.php http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/tickets/stadium/tours.php http://www.profootballhof.com http://www.profootballhof.com http://www.marriott.com/mcidt http://www.marriott.com/mcidt http://www.meetingnews.com

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Meeting News - March 23, 2009 Contents What’s Up @ MeetingNews.com Meetings Mean Business As 'Meeting Matter' Marriott Unveils Promo Columbus, OH, Addresses Convention Hotel Issues People Making News Orlando Strives for Cost Transparency Is Biz-Class Air Travel Dead? Greenest Planner Awards Mid America Insider Report: Conference Centers Destination Insider: Mississippi Gulf Coast Las Vegas Destination Insider: Cleveland Ad Index Live from the Forum

Meeting News - March 23, 2009

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