Prevue March/April 2013 - (Page 10)

prevue editor’s letter Destination experiences for meetings + incentives Mar/Apr 2013 prevueonline.net Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace We check out new Nobu room service and catering in Las Vegas, and hit the Teppanyaki tables. Meet the Trumps Mr. Trump takes over iconic Doral Golf Resort & Spa. We speak with him and his daughter about their plans. Sandals Hearts Groups Check out our full Q&A with Jim Bullock, vp of group development for Sandals Resorts. 10 | prevue magazine Many years ago I covered the Caribbean travel industry exclusively, and during countless hotel site inspections, my hosts always showed me the meeting facilities. Back then at many of the hotels I visited, the space wasn’t used very often except for weddings and a few CMEs here and there. Fast forward a decade and it’s a completely different story. Group business is becoming a major focus for many large and small hotels as they reconfigure their product, much like the cruise industry. For this, our annual Incentive issue, I spoke with two industry leaders during the Caribbean Marketplace buyer/supplier tradeshow in Nassau at Atlantis Resort. On the group side, business is looking up. “For 2014 sales, we are double digit ahead from 2013 and triple digits ahead for 2015,” says Gus Tejeda, vp of group sales for Atlantis. “What we’re seeing is that some companies are still concerned about the economy and the stigma of a luxury offshore destination, but they are starting to book us again. We are very, very encouraged about the future.” I also spoke with Jim Bullock, vp of group development at the all-inclusive pioneer, Sandals Resorts. For couples incentive travel programs, Sandals is well-established to woo planners and their groups. “While the brand is known as a destination for couples, there’s a side of Sandals that has evolved to meet the incentive market,” Bullock told me. “Many of our resorts offer distraction-free meeting environments, flexible function space and ballrooms. We now have professionally trained meeting and event planners to expedite the process from start to finish.” Few things motivate executives like a well crafted travel program designed specifically for a particular group. We have 14 “On Location” destination reviews this issue, including Aruba and the USVI, to give you some ideas about what’s fresh and innovative. Whether you’re meeting at a beach in Exuma, a chalet in Kitzbühel or a spa in Las Vegas, the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF) is a powerful organization to help planners understand the motivational power of travel. Their Annual Incentive Invitational brings together senior planners and industry experts to discuss new innovations in the incentive industry. For example, this year the IRF is unveiling a new benchmarking tool to help maximize the value of integrating business meetings and incentive travel. If you’re interested, the event takes place May 7-11 at the new Hard Rock Hotel Cancun. We’ll see you there... Greg Oates / greg@worthit.com http://www.prevueonline.net http://www.prevueonline.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue March/April 2013

Planner's Pick: Miami
Fresh Meets: Renaissance Hotels
Bureau Buzz: Austin
Good Business: Washington, DC
Sea Shores: Cruising Sweden
Feelin' Good About Incentives
Special Section: California
On Location: JW Marriott Desert Springs
Caribbean & The Bahamas
On Location: U.S. Virgin Islands
On Location: Aruba
On Location: Omni Amelia Island
The South: Best of Golf & Spa
On Location: Fairmont Scottsdale
On Location: W Singapore
Austria
Ireland
On Location: Mexico City
On Location: Starwood Los Cabos
On Location: Universal Orlando
On Location: Villas of Grand Cypress, Orlando
Check Out: Alpina Gstaad, Switzerland
Club Med

Prevue March/April 2013

https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/MarchApril2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/JanuaryFebruary2019
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/NovemberDecember2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/SeptemberOctober2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2018
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2017
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2016
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/fl2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2015
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/visitflorrida
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/januaryfebruary2014
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/SeptemberOctober2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/julyaugust2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/mayjune2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/SUPPLEMENTS/SUPPLEMENTS/clubmed
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/marchapril2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/JanFeb2013
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/novemberdecember2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/septemberoctober2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/july_august_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/may_june_12
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/march-april-2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/jan_feb_2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/nov_dec_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/sept_oct_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/prevue/july_august_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/may_june_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/march_april_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/prevuejan_feb_2011
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/Nov_Dec_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/sept_oct_2010
https://www.nxtbook.com/worth/prevue/july_aug_2010
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com