Meeting News - March 23, 2009 - (Page Cover1)

INSIDE THE INDUSTRY Meetings Mean Business p. 3 TRANSPORTATION Is biz-class air travel dead? p. 10 GREEN BEAT Greenest Planner Awards p. 11 NEWSMAKER Steven Rudnitsky is ready to take Dolce in a new direction, as its new president and CEO. page 4 MeetingNews w w w. M e e t i n g N e w s . c o m M a rc hJuly 16, 2007 2 3 , 2009 Las Vegas Speaks Hotels & Resorts AS ‘MEETINGS MATTER,’ MARRIOTT UNVEILS PROMO Hotelier offers value meetings package of unprecedented scope, playing on industry’s pro-meetings campaign efforts. see page 8 Destinations LAS VEGAS As the economy struggles, some property developments decide to scale back, some decide to push back their time frames, and yet others continue to push forth. Also: Former Cirque du Soleil members start a new company offering performances on budget; an insider’s view of group deals in Las Vegas; and two Event Reports demonstrate some groups are not afraid to continue holding fullbudget events despite the bad press. starts on page 36 The Industry Strikes Back, Pt II Like the heavy- Oscar B. Goodman weight boxers Mayor, City of Las Vegas so often show- Chairman of the Board, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority cased there, Las Vegas, Las Vegas hosts 22,000 meetings and America’s leading 6 million business international meetings destinatravelers annually for tion, isn’t going down without a an economic impact fight. From mayor Oscar B. of $8.5 billion. These individuals represent Goodman to Lenny Izzo, a GM Fortune 500 companies and major convenat GES Exposition Services, the tions and trade shows such as the Interna“heavyweights” are countertional Consumer Electronics Show, Interpunching the remarks that have national Builders Show, and National done surprising harm to the Association of Broadcasters. The meetings and conventions industry directly employs meetings industry.* *Unless noted, statements are exclusive to Nielsen Business Media. COLUMBUS, OH, ADDRESSES CONVENTION HOTEL ISSUE City secures financing for a 500room hotel, slated to debut by 2012. see page 8 CVBs ORLANDO STRIVES FOR COST TRANSPARENCY As public spending goes under the microscope amid the economic crunch, Orlando’s CVB looks at making its operations more transparent. see page 9 Regional Report MIDAMERICA From Ohio to Kansas, meetings destinations, facilities, and suppliers prove that the Midwest and Heartland don’t take a backseat to others when it comes to first-class group amenities and services. starts on page 13 continued on page 32 As meetings retrench from hotels and resorts due to the bad press, conference centers swoop in to get the business By Robert Carey With Corporate America needing to prove that meetings and events are serious endeavors and necessary for business growth, dedicated conference facilities have ramped up their efforts to grab more of the meetings market from hotels and resorts. These days, with the likes of senator John Kerry and CNN’s Lou Dobbs repeatedly using the words “junket,” “boondoggle,” and “resort” whenever they address Corporate America’s meetings and events, planners are desperate to emphasize the serious nature of the meetings they’re planning for 2009 and 2010. As a result, one segment of the hospitality industry, conference centers—traditionally underthe-radar properties—is using the current climate as an opportunity to mobilize, en masse, to gain short-term and long-term meetings business. In addition to the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC), several major players in the conference center niche have gone on the marketing offensive. Their continued on page 26 56 Complete this sentence: 13 6 32 16 “You can have my when you can pry it from my cold, dead hands.” see page 12 PDA Other BlackBerry iPhone Cell Volume 33/Number 5/$10.00 Source: 122 industry professionals reporting Seizing the Moment MeetingNews ExclusiveResearch http://www.meetingnews.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - March 23, 2009

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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