Successful Meetings - February 2009 - (Page 90) ARUBA > NICE & NEIGHBORLY NICE & By Heidi Waldrop Bay NEIGHBORLY petition among all the hotels and [destination management companies],” says Howard. “Their attitude is: ‘If I can’t help you, my neighbor will.’ ” The fact that a tiny island like Aruba boasts one of the highest repeat visitor rates in the Caribbean (57 percent overall, including timeshares; 43 percent for transient business), even during the recent economic slowdown, is more than mere chance. The island has proactively taken its natural assets and created a complementary infrastructure that is not only visitor friendly, but also group friendly. “We try to create a setting that works for meetings, from ease of accessibility, world-class accommodations, and technological capabilities, to the fact that meetings are tax deductible just like in the U.S., to a wide range of activities and celebrations and the island’s gold standard reputation for hospitality,” says Rob Smith, president and CEO of the Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association, which runs the Aruba Convention Bureau for North America in partnership with the Aruba Tourism Authority. Aruba is specifically using its assets to court meetings business. “We already do a good portion of group business, 85 percent of which is in the incentive market,” says Smith. “We would like to do more in the pure meetings market, and feel like now is a MEETING PLANNERS LOVE TO RETURN TO TINY ARUBA FOR THE CULTURE, CUISINE, AND NIGHTLIFE A distinct combination of convenience and service keeps Craig Howard bringing his meeting and incentive groups back to Aruba—a snippet of paradise only 17 miles long and five miles wide at its broadest point and home to more than 100,000 people of 80 different nationalities. Howard, the national sales director for Alexandria, VAbased Corporate Incentive Travel, says the island’s famous friendly attitude makes it easy to plan and execute a meeting program. “Everyone speaks English, their facilities are top-notch, and the biggest thing I see is there is no [unhealthy] com- 90 I SM I February 2009 I SuccessfulMeetings.com Top, one of the Radisson Aruba’s poolside cabanas; left, dine beachside at the Hyatt Regency Aruba http://www.SuccessfulMeetings.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Successful Meetings - February 2009 Successful Meetings - February 2009 Contents Editor's Letter News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together Education Planner Spotlight Technology Talk Food & Beverage Making Cents of It All Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters Seal of Approval Come Sail Away Making Tracks Places & Spaces Florida’s East Coast Aruba Maui 3 Days in Philadelphia Successful Meetings - February 2009 Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Successful Meetings - February 2009 (Page Cover1) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Successful Meetings - February 2009 (Page Cover2) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Successful Meetings - February 2009 (Page 1) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Contents (Page 2) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Contents (Page 3) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Contents (Page 4) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Contents (Page 5) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Contents (Page 6) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Contents (Page 7) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Editor's Letter (Page 8) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Editor's Letter (Page 9) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Editor's Letter (Page 10) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Editor's Letter (Page 11) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together (Page 12) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together (Page 13) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together (Page 14) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together (Page 15) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together (Page 16) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - News Update: Meetings Associations Band Together (Page 17) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Education (Page 18) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Education (Page 19) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Education (Page 20) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Education (Page 21) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Education (Page 22) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Education (Page 23) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Planner Spotlight (Page 24) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Planner Spotlight (Page 25) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Technology Talk (Page 26) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Technology Talk (Page 27) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Food & Beverage (Page 28) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Food & Beverage (Page 29) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 30) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 31) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 32) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 33) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 34) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 35) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 36) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 37) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 38) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Cents of It All (Page 39) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 40) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 41) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 42) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 43) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 44) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 45) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 46) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 47) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 48) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Meanwhile, Back at Headquarters (Page 49) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 50) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 51) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 52) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 53) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 54) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 55) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 56) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 57) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 58) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 59) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 60) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 61) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 62) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 63) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 64) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 65) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 66) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 67) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 68) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 69) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 70) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 71) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 72) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 73) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 74) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Seal of Approval (Page 75) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 76) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 77) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 78) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 79) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80A) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80B) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80C) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80D) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80E) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80F) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80G) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80H) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80I) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80J) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80K) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80L) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80M) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80N) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80O) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80P) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80Q) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80R) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80S) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Come Sail Away (Page 80T) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Tracks (Page 81) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Making Tracks (Page 82) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Places & Spaces (Page 83) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Places & Spaces (Page 84) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Places & Spaces (Page 85) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Florida’s East Coast (Page 86) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Florida’s East Coast (Page 87) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Florida’s East Coast (Page 88) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Florida’s East Coast (Page 89) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Aruba (Page 90) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Aruba (Page 91) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Maui (Page 92) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Maui (Page 93) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Maui (Page 94) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - Maui (Page 95) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - 3 Days in Philadelphia (Page 96) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - 3 Days in Philadelphia (Page Cover3) Successful Meetings - February 2009 - 3 Days in Philadelphia (Page Cover4)
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.