Prevue September/October 2011 - (Page 61)

Opposite: Pearl District Below: Junk to Funk Trashion Collective reading, chatting, sipping coffee and tea with iPods, iPads and laptops in the free internet zone. Adding to the social buzz, the new Gather restaurant off the lobby served susty small plates and complete entrees. Partnering with local farmers, ranchers and fishermen, exec chef Steven Ward is one of many Portland chefs who “FLOSS” at every meal, meaning the use of Fresh, Local, Organic, Seasonal and Sustainable ingredients, always. Part of the 38,000 sf of meeting space divisible into 18 rooms, the 17,000-sf exhibit hall is super convenient with prefunction space outside each room. The staff is dedicated and friendly, guided by one of our sustainable industry gurus, Steve Faulstick, who makes planning sustainable meetings at the Doubletree both a pleasure and a breeze. Including sustainable practices throughout a conference is where Doubletree really shines. ENERGY STAR certified, it is rigorously committed to composting and waste diversion to lead the hospitality industry in being sustainable and responsible. The employees and guests, myself included, and the community benefit from this stellar example of corporate responsibility. Guestrooms are simply decorated in earth tones. Some of the newly renovated (2010) rooms have spectacular views of the city and beyond, including Mt. Hood’s snowcapped peak and the majestic evergreen landscape beyond the city. Also, the Doubletree is the largest hotel within walking distance to the convention center. Very convenient! During one afternoon break, I had the pleasure of greeting the B-Line bicycle cart driver as he delivered fresh coffee beans from Portland Roasting Coffee, before picking up food donations to be shared with less fortunate Portlanders. Feeding people and saving fuel is part of B-Line Sustainable Urban Delivery’s mission to make communities more livable. Check ’em out. GMIC Goes GaMInG “Game On!” was our interactive learning competition where participation is key. By attending sessions, visiting exhibitors, participating in build-a-bike, tweeting, blogging, calculating personal travel impact and completing the intensive case study, our colleagues earned team points. The Game On! iPad application was the platform for keeping score. Once again, Elizabeth Henderson, M.E.Des, took the lead along with Katherine Manfredi, CMM, this year’s co-chair. The Games provide copious feedback from attendees generated by the new concept. And the virtual aspect and collaboration will be part of future conferences with new twists and turns incorporating networking, knowledge exchange and fun as key elements. “We took risks to showcase attendee engagement,” said Tamara Kennedy-Hill, GMIC executive director, “and the trend will continue next April at the GMIC Conference in Montreal.” DeleCtable DInInG In the company of Jeff Miller, president/CEO of travel Portland, we dined in “The Pearl Wine Shop” private dining room seating 20 at andina. It’s an authentic Peruvian restaurant located in the eclectic Pearl District, one of Portland’s hippest places to shop, live and dine. Our plates for tasting and sharing were custom designed for our group of 12, as they do for all parties. “Something people always appreciate is that we offer the same quality of service and food no matter what the size of the group is,” says Jennifer Anderson, special events director. “Our pre-set menus feature the same dishes we serve daily downstairs, so we won’t hassle groups with menu options that are completely different to the dishes we’re used to serving.” The cuisine combines traditional Peruvian and Northwest regional cuisine resulting in a culinary marvel. Try the grilled diver scallops with a soy/brown sugar butter sauce, classic Peruvian cookies, handmade truffles and Pinot Noir/Pinot Gris from the nearby Willamette Valley Wine Country. Andina has three more private dining rooms seating 20, 50 and 65. With ingredients sourced from the local Meriwether’s Skyline Farm, chefs at Meriwether’s Restaurant raise farm-to-fork dining to a new level. It started with a small city garden, and today over 8,000 pounds of farm fresh produce is delivered to the restaurant annually. Wine from the nearby vineyards, mushroom risotto, fresh asparagus, herbs from the patio herb garden and locally brewed beer were served. I was told the craft beer here is so tasty because the city doesn’t chlorinate the water! prevueonline.net | 61 http://www.prevueonline.net

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Prevue September/October 2011

Back Bay, Boston
Manchester
Meliá Hotels & Resorts
San Francisco/Denver/Cleveland
HSMAI + Soles4Souls
IRF/MGM Resorts, Las Vegas
Daytona Beach
Sustainability: The Next Big Thing
Central America
India
Sweden
Barcelo Resorts/Samana, DR
Portland

Prevue September/October 2011