Prevue November/December 2011 - (Page 56)

The Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center ”Some people cook while others blend wine, and at the end of the day everyone eats together.” “It combines all the wine events we offer,” Gowland says. “Some people cook while others blend wine, and at the end of the day everyone eats together.” In Buenos Aires, ATP is more and more customizing a day of shopping and great food for smaller groups within a larger group. For shopping, Gowland recommends Palermo Soho. This newly hip area features great shopping malls and fun nightlife. Check out San Telmo’s flea market on Sundays for antiques and Florida Street for leather goods. “We’ve seen a trend from U.S. groups where they do activities together but also want a chance to customize their trip to their personal interests,” says Gowland. “A lot of shops in town are tailoring clothes in 24 hours for guests who shop and must return back home the next day.” For fashion-inclined groups, ATP puts together runway shows during breakfast in the event spaces of many area hotels including: Palacio Duhau Park Hyatt Buenos Aires, Hilton Buenos Aires and Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel & Convention Center. For multinational programs, ATP books Chile’s wine country and a 1-day cruise to Uruguay. The cruise port is a 1-hour drive from Buenos Aires and travels out to Colonia del Sacramento, the oldest town in Uruguay. Gowland says, “Groups love it because it’s another stamp on their passport.” THE WESTIN LIMA HOTEL Ideally located in the financial district near downtown Lima, the new 301-room Westin Lima Hotel & Convention Center is 30 minutes from the airport. Nearby, famous landmarks include the Modern Art Museum of Lima, the Colonial Art Museum and a series of beautiful plazas. The Westin is the largest branded meeting and convention hotel in Peru, with the largest convention space in South America. Over 28,000 sf of space can accommodate groups up to 2,000 pax. “This is the tallest building in all of Peru, so you can’t miss it—it’s a landmark,” says Trip Barrett, vp of marketing for Latin America. “It’s also in a really great location. San Isidro has some excellent shopping and restaurants.” The hotel’s Heavenly Spa is the largest urban spa in Lima, and at the signature Maras restaurant, chef Rafael Piqueras prepares traditional cuisine including a “grand variety of ceviche,” says Barrett. For offsite programs, the hotel works with Tikariy DMC to set up tours to the Nazca Lines and Machu Picchu. “They’ve got tours that go for a day trip where you fly and come back on the same day for the Nazca lines, or you can go up and spend the weekend in Machu Picchu, which is a great opportunity,” Barrett says. “We have a Luxury Collection property that opened last year, the 60-room Tambo del Inka, which is in the Sacred Valley and can host people flying into Cusco.... There’s a train that actually goes from the hotel itself—it’s the only hotel that has its own train—that takes groups to Machu Picchu, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World and shouldn’t be missed.” LAMEC: mpiweb.org/events/lamec Brazil Tourist Board (Embratur): braziltour.com Sao Paulo CVB: visitesaopaulo.com Argentina Institute of Tourism: argentina.travel Peru Tourism (PromPeru): peru.travel AmTours DMC: amtours.com.br ATP DMC: atpdmc.com The Westin Lima Hotel: westin.com LAN Airlines: lan.com TAM Airlines: tam.com.br 52 | prevue magazine http://www.mpiweb.org/events/lamec http://www.braziltour.com http://www.visitesaopaulo.com http://argentina.travel http://peru.travel http://amtours.com.br http://www.atpdmc.com http://www.westin.com http://www.lan.com http://tam.com.br

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue November/December 2011

Planner's Pick: Sheraton Nassau
Planner's Pick: Buenos Aires
Fresh Meets: Park Hyatt
Good Business: Hilton Head
Bureau Buzz: Washington DC/Anaheim/Detroit
On Location: Paws Up, Montana
On Location: The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas
Meetings + The Muse
Meetings + The Muse
Mexico, Now
Mexico, Now
On Location: Marriott Resorts, Cancun
On Location: Marriott Resorts, Cancun
On Location: Starwood Resorts, Los Cabos
On Location: Starwood Resorts, Los Cabos
The Next Latin Boom
The Next Latin Boom
Barcelona
Barcelona
Queensland
Queensland
On Location: Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado
On Location: Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado

Prevue November/December 2011