Prevue March/April 2011 - (Page 62)

puerTo rico [on location] Danielle aDams, cmP Fancy, flavored + full throttle in W e’re basecamping at the Hacienda Campo Rio venue just outside San Juan for adventurous group activities including off-roading, kayaking, ziplining, horseback riding and cave viewing. the museum’s gorgeous gardens overflowing with hundreds of thousands of local flora before hosting a presentation at the 400seat Raul Julia Theater. On a gorgeous Puerto Rico morning, 50 meeting planners gathered for a splendid breakfast sponsored by the extremely accommodating Puerto Rico Convention Bureau. Chef Mario Pagán is proud to use local ingredients like fresh eggs, homemade muffins, and locally grown fruits and vegetables at his museum restaurant, LAuReL Kitchen. Take a docent tour to learn about the museum’s range of painters such as Campeche, the island’s most famous classical artist. Meanwhile, fiery new forms of contemporary art give the museum extra attitude, like the room with delicately decorated hub caps on the wall and leaf-covered barber’s chairs. During lunch, local actors played characters based on the museum’s artwork, like when a pious Virgin Mary in full costume scolded the village floozie while walking among our tables. This is just one of the many ways that planners can use Puerto Rico to create powerful networking programs combining culture, adventure, Caribbean cuisine and groovy green lodgings. For one event, I was so excited, all I could say was: “Who gets to be the driver?” We all teamed up in twos and hopped on new side-by-side all-terrain vehicles provided by Tropical Trail Rides for a trip into the rainforest filled with hold-onto-your-seat hairpin turns. We sped through flat open fields and zoomed up steep hills wracked with huge rain-filled ruts that will change you into a muddy mess in a “splash” of a second. For groups up to 100 pax, teams of 20 can do any one of these activities and then switch. I don’t think I stopped laughing the whole time. We ended our adventure with a zipline tour through the tall palm trees right into El Mojito Bar, to cap our day off with pina coladas and hammock time. Later that evening, we gathered at the beautifully renovated 1930s hacienda to enjoy live music with 200 corporate attendees enjoying a huge pig roast and a Puerto Rican fiesta. All of this is just 10 minutes from the airport. Museo de ARTe de PueRTo RiCo The arts are alive, both in the museum and the kitchen! The 130,000-sf Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico is one of the most comprehensive museums in the Caribbean, filled with 17-20 th century art collections. Start the day off with breakfast beside “Pikayo serves an exotic fusion of selections from around the world. Foie gras with ripe plantains and black truffle honey, anyone?” 62 | prevue magazine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2011

The Westin Harbor Savannah
Omni Fort Worth
HelmsBriscoe/InterContinental
The Park Hotels, India
Palm Desert/Atlantic City/Asheville
Starwood Arizona
Return on Engagement
Marco Island Marriott, FL
InterContinental Paris/London
Las Vegas
Las Vegas Mettings by Caesars
Mandalay Bay _ MGM Resorts
Southern Finery
Caribbean
Puerto Rico
Barbados
Hard Rock Punta Cana
Pacific Mexico
Ireland
Dubai

Prevue March/April 2011