Successful Meetings - October 2008 - (Page 38) Conference > Technology for Modern Meetings Centers that let the meeting leader control lighting, sound, and window shades via a remote. Such ease-of-use technology at conference centers starts before guests even check in. Benchmark offers 360degree online tours so delegates (and planners) can preview the facility. “We [use] a product called Passkey,” adds Dolce’s Giblin, “where we put out the seminar and web address; people make reservations over that. It also allows you to make dinner and spa appointments before you get there. When you check in, you’re literally just picking up a key.” Using technology to improve delegate comfort is also growing. A number of conference centers, like the IACCapproved ones at the DoubleTree Bethesda (in MD), Wyndham Peachtree (in Atlanta), and an executive conference center to open in January in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, are using guest and meeting room purification systems from Pure Rooms (www.purerooms.com) that sanitize through “ozone shock” and air filtering. They claim the process eliminates Is it possible to actually look forward to three all-day, round-the-clock meetings? Yes. “Hotels provide technology on demand. Conference centers don’t wait for you to ask for the technology you need to have a productive meeting.” —Neil Pompan, IACC Whet up to 99 percent of harmful particulates. “Delegates breathe easier, so they’re more productive,” says IACC’s Pompan. her you’re brainstorming the next level in your corporate evolution or planning your next steps on the road to success, Doral Arrowwood offers the amenities, facilities and people to make hard work almost something to look forward to. Our award-winning property is less than an hour from Manhattan, making it the perfect destination for your next meeting. To find out more, go to DoralArrowwood.com or call us toll-free at 1-866-428-9739. THE CONNECTION CONUNDRUM Meeting planners may find some technology trends irritating. The Benchmark study says that laptops, formerly banned in the meeting room, are now actually being encouraged, to maximize learning or help the meeting go green by cutting use of paper. But in today’s age of overextended employees, the arrival of laptops can mean the departure of attention to the meaning of the meeting. So despite the all-you-can-eat wireless access his company offers throughout its facilities, one conference center IT director told SM, “A lot of meeting planners want us to charge OCTOBER 2008 SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS 975 Anderson Hill Road • Rye Brook, NY • 10573 http://www.purerooms.com http://www.DoralArrowwood.com http://www.DoralArrowwood.com
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