Meeting News - May 25, 2009 - (Page Cover1)

NEWSMAKERS Hotel vets join third party p.6 MEETINGS SPOTLIGHT Co. adopts mtgs. tech p.16 INCENTIVE INSIDER Program keeps paying off p.19 MeetingNews w w w. M e e t i n g N e w s . c o m M a y 2 5 , 2009 MeetingNews Vantage Point Four Seasons CEO Sees Luxury Trajectory Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts founder, chairman and CEO Isadore Sharp—who launched the luxury hotel brand from the single 125-room motor hotel he opened in Toronto in 1961—recently spoke with MeetingNews editors David Meyer and Michael B. Baker about the challenges of maintaining luxury meetings and his outlook for the meetings industry. MeetingNews: What is your strategy in continuing to market luxury meetings to corporations in light of the economy? Dallas Vote Keeps Hotel Hope Alive City sees convention center-connected hotel as essential to competing for large meetings and conventions going forward By Michael B. Baker D Isadore Sharp: Time is a valuable asset people have, so if they’re devoting that time for a business purpose, it’s crucial they get the most use out of that time. People are leaving their office, getting away for two or three days or even a few hours in the same city. That’s really what we MN Research continued on page 68 allas voters this month eked out a victory to keep afloat a proposed publicly owned hotel to anchor the city’s convention center, a project proponents said is necessary for the city to remain a player in hosting sizable meetings and conventions. Houston, Austin and Fort Worth all have opened convention center hotels in recent years, leaving Dallas as the only major city in Texas without one. By a margin of 51.2 percent to 48.8 percent, voters on May 9 rejected a charter amendment that would have blocked public ownership of the proposed Omni Dallas Convention Center Hotel. With that vote behind them, the city now is concentrating on securing the sale of revenue continued on page 10 Planners Prefer Face-to-Face Networking West Virginian Justice Comes To The Greenbrier Resort’s Rescue By Jay Boehmer 10.1% 36.2% 4.3% 49.3% lion sale of the Justice-family-owned If West Virginia businessman Jim Bluestone Coal Corp. to a Russian Justice has his way, he will deliver the mining company, Justice on May 6 fabled Greenbrier resort from bank- purchased the resort from Greenbrier parent CSX Corp. ruptcy, scuttle Marriott’s through a stock transacplan to stake ownership tion valued at “approxiand construct a casino— mately $20 million in paving the way for future cash,” according to a profitability at the insolSecurities and Exchange vent resort. The only Commission filing. The things standing in his stock purchase followed a path are a bankruptcy previous agreement, court judge and the Jim Justice structured by Marriott international, multibrand hotel company that claims through the bankruptcy court, to take rights to the White Sulphur Springs, ownership of The Greenbrier. With the stock purchase agreement W. Va.-based property. Flush with cash from the $436 milcontinued on page 70 Preferred method of professional networking Face-to-face through personal contacts Face-to-face through professional associations Source: 311 industry professionals I don’t do any professional networking Through social media/online communities See story, page 8 Volume 33/Number 8/$10.00 http://www.MeetingNews.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Meeting News - May 25, 2009

Meeting News - May 25, 2009
Contents
Newsmakers
MeetingNews Research
Viewpoint
Meetings Tech
Meetings Spotlight
Construction Cites
Meeting People
Incentive Insider
Travel Dashboard
Dateline: Reno, Nevada
East Regional
Dateline: Texas
Mid-America Regional
Golf Meetings
Resort Showcase Contents
Atlantis
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino
Bellagio
Harrah’s/Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino & Resort
The Venetian and The Palazzo Las Vegas
Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa
Special Section: Florida

Meeting News - May 25, 2009