Incentive - May 2009 - (Page 35)

TRAVEL Florida Beaches PAGE 40 Marvelous Mexico PAGE 45 A coast-to-coast roundup of The Sunshine State’s many incentivefriendly beach destinations There’s great value to visiting Los Cabos and Cancun now, when prices are low and inventory is available conferencing, and high-quality real-time video and voice conferencing. It can accommodate training and learning sessions, tradeshows, and corporate and sales meetings. When coupled with incentives, rewards and recognition, virtual meetings can play an important role in reaching business objectives and effectively engaging employees and customers. Maritz Unveils Virtual Events By Andrea Doyle “O ut of adversity is born innovation and new ideas,” says Dennis Hummel, president and COO of Maritz, at an unveiling of the company’s newest product, Maritz LIVE. An acronym for Local Interactive Virtual Events, Maritz LIVE offers a suite of virtual services to the company’s portfolio. In light of challenges facing the meetings and incentives industry, including the economy and negative public perception, Maritz has partnered with Velocity Broadcasting, the largest, high-definition broadcasting network in North America, to offer immersive, high-definition satellite broadcast events. Maritz LIVE features complete event management services from planning and creative consultation, to production and post-event evaluation, for turnkey execution. Custom-created live television broadcasting, combined with interactive technology, is featured in private dining rooms equipped with Velocity HD dig- ital suites in 140 venues across the United States, and will expand into 30 countries by year’s end. The suites range in size from 7,000-seat event spaces to restaurants like Morton’s The Steakhouse and Maggiano’s Little Italy to ClubCorp’s private club locations. “We can now bring the world to your guests without them having to go around the world,” says Chris Gaia, vice president of marketing, Maritz Travel. That also lessens events and incentives’ carbon footprint. Maritz research finds that most clients have reduced the number of meetings and events they are holding or have reduced the number of attendees to drive down costs. OutlookSoft, a business performance management software firm, in conjunction with Lionsgate, has used the services of Velocity with much success. “We attracted 200 C-level executives who control millions of dollars in budget a year to a dinner at Morton’s,” says Phil Wilmington, CEO of OutlookSoft, during the broadcast. “We were able to close millions of dollars of business in that one evening.” Maritz LIVE also offers events held entirely online in a privately branded virtual world, online Web meeting and video New Golf Marketing Alliance Aims to Help Resorts, Meeting Planners Fight Economy o help golf resorts, meeting planners and local communities weather the recession, a group of golf travel professionals has formed a strategic alliance to help them increase revenue with new marketing campaigns, sales initiatives and travel products. Called the Performance Golf Marketing Alliance (PGmA), the consultancy is the brainchild of Peter Bonell, a golf marketer with more than 30 years of experience working for the likes of Ginn Resorts in Florida and Double Diamond Golf Resorts in Dallas, among others. “Until now, there is no acknowledged leader in golf marketing advisory services,” Bonell says. “This business alliance delivers this expertise with the industry's premier accreditations.” Bonell’s PGmA partners include individuals from Golf Digest Publications, Hunter Public Relations - Special Events, PGA Publications and Marketing Group, incentive and meeting planner Carriage Trade Golf, Successful Meetings (a sister publication of Incentive) and Dana Communications. The PGmA will offer golf marketing program audits, marketing and business development seminars, golf promotional event management, media relations, golf marketing co-op programs, strategic global marketing services and original research in the form of an annual “Selling & Marketing Golf Travel” survey. For more information about the PGmA, visit www.thepgma.com. T incentivemag.com | May 2009 | Incentive | 35 http://www.thepgma.com http://www.incentivemag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Incentive - May 2009

Incentive - May 2009
Contents
Editor’s Note
Headlines
Cover Story
Interview
Incentive House Roundtable
Incentive Strategies
Primer
Travel News
Up and Coming Destinations
Florida Beaches
Marvelous Mexico
Potentials
Apparel
Size and Style Matter in Luggage, Leather
Dining Gift Cards
Gift Cards Aid Archdiocese’s Wellness

Incentive - May 2009