Prevue November/December 2011 - (Page 44)

Below: Center of the Arts, San Luis Potosi ”When meeting planners think of mexico, they’re looking for context and content—culture.” del Carmen and its famous Quinta Avenida, where the latest fashion is holding court in chic little mezcal bars like Rufino (we highly recommend starting with the coconut or passionfruit variety). They also have a laundry list of attractions combining Mother Nature and man-made fun. One of the most popular, Xcaret, recently added two new routes to their Experiencias Xcaret tours, with visits to the ancient Mayan cities of Cobá and Ek Balam. Those looking for adventure can strap on headlamps and explore the Sac Actun cave system. And for gala dinners, Xcaret offers a wide variety of well-produced cultural entertainment options. The destination is also keen on festivals showcasing everything from turtles to music and dancing to fine foods. In November, they celebrate the 3-day Annual Riviera Maya Jazz Festival, now one of the top 10 international music festivals. And in March, the region will host the 1st Annual Cancun-Riviera Maya Wine & Food Festival, with celebrity chefs participating from around the world. Special guest of honor will be none other than Ferran Adrià, principal exponent of molecular cuisine and owner of the legendary (and sadly now closed) El Bulli in Spain. With so much going on, the Riviera Maya Tourism Board recently opened a designated meetings office, headed by Carlos Mora, meetings tourism manager. “This is something that Riviera Maya has been planning for a long time,” said Mora. “Now we can do it since our meeting space MEXICO ART CAPITALS Magnificent, confounding and 100% exciting, Mexico City offers a wildly eclectic array of venues from the World Trade Center Mexico City to a list of museums second only in number to Paris. Telecom tycoon Carlos Slim, ranked the wealthiest individual in the world in 2011, is adding to the list with his new Soumaya Museum, one of his biggest gifts to the art world. Named after his late wife, Soumaya is a modernist architectural masterpiece displaying Slim’s vast private collection. Alongside the preColumbian and colonial exhibits, Soumaya houses works by Mexican masters such as Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera; some of Mr. Slim’s Picassos, Dalis, Da Vincis; and the second largest collection of Rodin sculptures outside the Louvre. Mexico’s second largest city, Guadalajara will soon welcome the $35 million Museum of Modern & Contemporary Art Guadalajara, due to open in 2013. Designed by the Swiss firm Herzog & de Meuron, this uber contemporary structure boasts among its curatorial advisors Patrick Charpenel, curator of Art Basel Miami Beach, who lives in Guadalajara. The city is Mexico’s fastest growing metropolis with new hotels like The Westin Guadalajara, located across the street from the enormous Expo Guadalajara and close to the World Trade Center and Plaza del Sol shopping mall. The 221-room hotel features a sleek urban design and 2,000 sf of meeting space. PACIFIC COAST A longtime leader in the culinary sector, Puerto Vallarta is home to such delectable resorts as the Garza Blanca Preserve, Resort & Spa, where monthly dinner events pair chef Francisco Tadeo Ruano’s dishes with in-house sommelier Elsa González Pieuchot’s picks from Ensenada’s excellent Monte Xanic winery. Intimate 25person groups are served personally by Pieuchot, accompanied by Monte Xanic’s producer. “Our events feature exotic selections from Mexico’s flourishing wine country of Guadalupe Valley, including premium bottles from our legendary Blanca Blue wine cellar, which boasts more than 260 labels from around the world,” says Pieuchot. “The chef and I design every single dish to perfectly complement each wine—a piece of art for a piece of art. Everything is unique and the rest is pure magic.” has been growing every year. We now have over 600,000 square feet with a capacity for more than 40,000 people. And there’s over 50 hotels with meeting space designed to accommodate large groups, incentive tours and pre and post-convention activities.” 40 | prevue magazine

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