Successful Meetings - October 2008 - (Page 44) Fortune 1000 > A Tale of Two Cities the two-mile designated route, and checkpoints were manned by BBC staff. The remote command center was equipped with emergency services; BBC also arranged for portable comfort stations, merchandise sales, information stations, parking attendants, and directional signage. The christening ceremony, beginning at 10 a.m., offered its own logistical and security challenges. For one, Northrop’s New Orleans shipyard is one of its smallest; previous christenings typically attracted no more than one-third of the numbers expected for the New York event. “Our team executed one of the most memorable events we have ever experienced,” remembers Sandy Pagnotti, vice president of event management, with P.W. Feats. “We built 5,000-seat guest communities were dealing with huge disasters, and there were very few dry eyes in the room.” THE CHRISTENING The following day at 4 a.m., more than 70 BBC staffers gathered to make arrangements for the 5,000 people set to attend the actual christening at Northrop Grumman’s shipyard in New Orleans. A massive transportation shuttle system was assembled, including more than 50 motor coaches, 12 handicap-accessible minis, sedans, SUVs, vans, and “every single cop we could find from the parish and the state,” says Boyd, to ensure a seamless arrival and departure experience. BBC used a ticket coding system to manage the shuttles to get the attendees to the event. Red tickets were for attendees of a VIP-hosted breakfast for 600. White and blue ticket holders, meanwhile, boarded the main shuttle system from the Alario Center, a New Orleans sports complex. Volunteer bus “ambassadors” staffing the vehicles conducted a tour of the build site, en route to the specially created ceremony platforms at river’s edge. All roads were cleared by police along you plan meetings to perfection, we planned an entire city that way The free wireless connectivity and free parking were nice too. The climate-controlled light rail transit system took our people into downtown Plano and points of interest all over Dallas. It was quick, safe, affordable and comfortable. An 86,400 square-foot facility with column-free exhibit space, state-of-the-art audio visual equipment, full-ser vice onsite catering, 17 breakout rooms and a full-ser vice business center. Close to restaurants, fun, shopping and airports. Far from ordinary. convention & visitors bureau 800-81-PLANO planocvb.com http://www.planocvb.com http://www.planocvb.com
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