ISSUE
10
09
BENEFITS OF PLAY
+
CONTRACT RENEGOTIATIONS
+
MPI KNOWLEDGE PLAN
1009_C2-001.indd C2
9/21/09 11:43:00 AM
1009_C2-001.indd 1
9/21/09 11:43:17 AM
October 2009 • Volume 2 • Number 10
In It Together
EDITORIAL STAFF
EDITOR IN CHIEF David R. Basler, dbasler@mpiweb.org
MANAGING EDITOR Blair Potter, bpotter@mpiweb.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Michael Pinchera, mpinchera@mpiweb.org
ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jason Hensel, jhensel@mpiweb.org
ASSISTANT EDITOR Jessie States, jstates@mpiweb.org
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Jeff Daigle, jdaigle@mpiweb.org
DESIGN AND PREPRESS Sherry Gritch, SG2Designs, sherry@sgproductions.net
A Little Play is
a Good Thing
Weekends are for family around my house. This last weekend, my wife, Amanda,
and our daughter decided to take advantage of the beautiful autumn weather in
Dallas and visited the Arboretum to buy some pumpkins to decorate. We spent
some time at the park, did some grocery shopping, a little yard work (I love to dig
in the dirt!), a little woodworking (making furniture is one of my hobbies) and
finished the weekend off with a Sunday afternoon outing to the Texas State Fair.
An idyllic weekend of fun and relaxation—just what the human mind needs
to stay sharp, according to our cover story this issue (Page 70).
I am a firm believer in the theory that without play, burnout is inevitable.
So for that reason, whenever possible, I try to leave my iPhone at home on the
weekends and clear my head of work-related thought completely.
My other secret for staying sharp during the workweek is to take a short
break in the middle of the day whenever possible. Most days you’ll find me on
a short run around the neighborhood where our office is located. It’s the perfect
time to clear my head, zone out and get some good exercise at the same time.
I’ll be honest with you—I have always had a work-play routine during the
week. I’ve never had a problem with work-life balance. But I’ve made a conscious effort to do so.
life, as a daily ritual, I would leave my home
In my previous life
office in Colorado and
an take a hike with our dog up the mountain
that was just outside
outsid my back door. When I worked in Richmond, Va., I would take a walk at lunchtime up South Blvd.
where my employer
employe was based. It worked. While my co-workers were dragging through
the afternoon, I was as fresh as if the
th
morning had just
ju started.
The point?
Downtime, breaks, play, whatever you
po
want to call it, benefits the success of business.
If you’re
a decision maker in your business, I
y
think our cover story will present you with some
valid reasons to offer your employees a little
play time, and if you’re an employee, don’t be
afraid
to ask for some.
afr
In an age in which mobile technologies
keep
us constantly connected to the office,
k
even the smallest break increases productivity and success.
When it comes right down to it, a little
play is a good thing.
COVER DESIGN Jason Judy, jjudy@mpiweb.org
MPI ADVERTISING STAFF
Dan Broze, dbroze@mpiweb.org, Phone: (702) 834-6847
(AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, NV, OR, WA)
Sandy Lavery, sandylavery@mpiweb.org, Phone: (301) 254-2423
(CT, DC, DE, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI, WV)
Antonio Ducceschi, Director of Sales/Partnership Development-EMEA,
aducceschi@mpiweb.org, Phone: + 352 26 87 66 63
(Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Katri Laurimaa, klaurimaa@mpiweb.org, Phone: (817) 251.9891
(AL, AR, CO, IA, IL, KS, KY, LA, MO, MS, MT, NC, ND, NE, NM, OK,
SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WY)
Denise Autorino, dautorino@mpiweb.org, Phone: (407) 233-7305
(FL, GA, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, South America)
Carolyn Nyquist, Manager of Client Services,
cnyquist@mpiweb.org, Phone: (972) 702-3002
Kathryn Welzenbach, Publications Coordinator, kwelzenbach@mpiweb.org
MPI EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Bruce M. MacMillan, C.A., President and CEO
Jeff Busch, Vice President of Strategic Communications
Meg Fasy, Vice President of Sales and Marketplace Performance
Trey Feiler, Chief Operating Officer
Vicki Hawarden, Vice President of Knowledge and Events
Diane Hawkins, SPHR, Director of People and Performance
Greg Lohrentz, Chief Financial Officer
Sandra Riggins, Director of Governance and Chief of Staff
Didier Scaillet, Vice President of Global Development
Junior Tauvaa, Vice President of Member Care and Chapter Business Management
INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Chairwoman of the Board
Ann Godi, CMP, Benchmarc360 Inc.
Chairman-elect
Eric Rozenberg, CMP, CMM, Swantegy
Vice Chairman of Finance
Craig Ardis, CMM, Mannatech Inc.
Vice Chairman
Kevin Kirby, Hard Rock International
Vice Chairman
Sebastien Tondeur, MCI Group Holding SA
Immediate Past Chairman
Larry Luteran, Hilton Hotels Corp.
BOARD MEMBERS
Chuck Bowling, Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
Matt Brody, CHSP, JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa
Paul Cunningham, IIMC International Information Management Corporation
Cindy D’Aoust, Maritz Travel Company
Luca Favetta, SAP SA
Chris Gasbarro, C3 llc
Caroline Hill, Eventful Solutions
Kevin Hinton, hinton+grusich
Issa Jouaneh, PENG MBA, American Express
Patty Reger, CMM, Johnson & Johnson Sales and Logistics Company LLC
David Scypinski, ConferenceDirect
Carl Winston, San Diego State University
Margaret Moynihan, CMP (MPI Foundation Board Representative), Deloitte
Jonathan T. Howe, Esq. (Legal Counsel), Howe & Hutton Ltd.
POSTMASTER: One+ (Print ISSN: 1943-1864, Digital Edition ISSN: 1947-6930)
is published monthly by Meeting Professionals International (MPI), a professional
association of meeting + event planners and suppliers. Send address changes
to One+, Meeting Professionals International, 3030 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1700,
Dallas, TX, 75234-2759. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, Texas, and
additional mailing offices.
SUBSCRIPTIONS: Members receive One+ as a membership benefit paid for
by membership dues. Nonmembers may subscribe to the publication for $99
annually. “One+” and the One+ logo are trademarks of MPI. © 2009, Meeting
Professionals International, Printed by RR Donnelley
REPRINTS: Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form
without written permission. To order reprints, call Wright’s Reprints toll free at
(877) 652 5295 or visit www.wrightsreprints.com.
CONTACT ONE+: Contact us online at www.mpioneplus.org or e-mail us at
editor@mpiweb.org. View our advertising, editorial and reprint policies online
at www.mpioneplus.org.
MPI VISION: Build a rich global meeting industry community
GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS:
Dallas, TX
REGIONAL OFFICES:
Doha, Qatar
Ontario, Canada
Luxembourg
Singapore
The body of One+ is printed on 30 percent post-consumer-waste
recycled content and is Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified.
Please recycle this magazine or pass it along to a co-worker when
you’re finished reading.
DAVID R. BASLER is editor in chief of One+. He
can be reached at dbasler@mpiweb.org. Follow
him at www.twitter.com/onepluseditor.
2
one+
One+ is a proud member of
10.09
Staff Page-Ed Letter 1009.indd 2
10/1/09 11:52:37 AM
1009_003.indd 3
9/22/09 10:09:11 AM
1009_004.indd 4
9/16/09 8:17:56 AM
ISSUE
10
09
Re: Negotiations +64
The ability to successfully renegotiate
contracts to the benefit of all parties
can mean the difference between
success and failure in today’s
business climate.
Play Works +70
Professional fun results in a healthier
you…and a healthier bottom line.
Meeting the Critical
Challenge +76
Seven months ago, One+ gave you
the scoop on the industry’s crisis
as governments and media made
meetings the scapegoat for economic
disaster and corporate greed. You’ll
be surprised how far we’ve come.
+70
MPI Knowledge Plan +80
Introducing a game-changer essential
for industry growth and survival.
Ask Ali +84
Ali Al Saloom is changing the way
visitors experience the United Arab
Emirates—and perceptions about
Arabs and Muslims in general.
+80
+52
+84 +76
Youth for Change +52
The 2008 National Service-Learning
Conference in Minneapolis shows how
service-learning can build academic skills
and citizenship among young adults, as well
as communicating the need for involvement
within local and global communities.
+64
Learning from Experience +56
Education support association takes the
plunge at the new Santa Fe Convention
Center.
Coming Home +60
+56
+60
+60
Berlin-Tempelhof Airport is reinvented
as an event venue for the homecoming
Bread & Butter trade fair.
mpiweb.org
TOC1 pg5.indd 5
5
10/1/09 11:42:27 AM
1009_006.indd 6
9/16/09 8:16:11 AM
ISSUE
10
09
CONVERSATION
In It Together +2
Editor’s note
The Energy of Many +12
Global update from MPI
Impressions +14
Letters to One+
Overheard +16
Rumblings from the industry
Irrelevant +40
Star Trek Cologne
INNOVATION
Agenda +19
IGNITION
Finding the Words +44
Mike van der Vijver
Global View
Of Course My
Cheesecake is Baked! +46
Katja Morgenstern
One Bite at a Time
Meetings Mean
Business +48
Tim Sanders
Transform the World
A Fashionable
Impression +50
Steve Kemble
A Dose of Sass
Where to go, in person
and online
Art of Travel +34
The latest in transportable
technology
+38
RECOGNITION
Top Spots +22
New venues + re-openings
Focus On +24
Nancy Herselius, CMP, still
listens to her father
+24
CO-CREATION
Spotlight +26
Industry leaders announce job
advancements
Your Community +36
U.K. and Ireland Chapter, the
Great Race, Canadian Economic
Impact Study preview,
Chapter honors
Meet Where? +92
Wow us with your knowledge
Hot Buzz +28
IHG and education, carbon
footprint calculator, Travel
Promotion Act, Sydney and the
arts, aviation emissions caps,
Thoughts+Leaders, China means
business, H1N1 hotel manual,
Liverpool’s legacy, industry
emergency training, Keep Britain
Talking, Wi-Fi up-high, Plus/Minus
+22
Making a Difference +37
MPI Foundation year in review
Connections +38
Company + Airport
mpiweb.org
7
10 09
www.mpioneplus.org
online
CrossConnect
MPI Indiana Chapter teams with industry associations to provide
education to its members Nov. 19 at the Renaissance Indianapolis.
+
Finding the One
Never overlook the power
of networking events. One+
columnist Dawn Rasmussen,
CMP, provides step-by-step
instruction on how to improve
your job search techniques.
H1N1
The latest on keeping your
attendees safe, vigilant and
worry-free
Complete issues of
One+ are available in
digital flipbook and
PDF formats! Be
sure to check out the
Cancun supplement
at the back of this
month’s issue.
8
one+
+
Encourage
C
Collaboration
Adding online Twitter
Chats to videos from your
sessions and events, with
Robert Swanwick of
Speaker Interactive.
10.09
p08 TOC 3 1009.indd 8
10/1/09 9:33:22 AM
1009_009.indd 9
9/24/09 10:32:38 AM
Contributors
Based in the United Arab Emirates since moving to
Abu Dhabi in 1998, Australian travel writer LARA
DUNSTON has co-authored more than 40 travel
guidebooks with her husband, photographer Terence
Carter. Together the couple has traveled to more than
60 countries and had scores of articles published in
newspapers and magazines worldwide, including Wanderlust, USA Today, The Independent and National
Geographic Traveler (they have a piece on Abu Dhabi
in the October issue). Lara has a background in filmmaking and academia and a handful of degrees, including a half-completed Ph.D. on the connections between
film and travel.
PETER GORMAN is an investigative journalist whose work has
appeared in more than 100 national
and international magazines. He is
a former recipient of the Houston
Press Club’s Texas Print Journalist
of the Year. Born in New York, he
currently resides in Joshua, Texas,
with his three children, and is a staff
writer for the award-winning Fort
Worth Weekly.
10
one+
SUZANNA DE BACA is a financial executive
with a Fortune 300 financial services firm in
the Midwest, where she leads affluent and segment marketing and sales strategies. She is a
frequent speaker at business conferences and a
regular contributor to national and international
financial and business publications. She received
her master’s degree from the Harvard Business
School and has contributed to One+, Expert
Business Source, The New York Times, Details,
MSN Money and Good Housekeeping.
DAWN L. RASMUSSEN, CMP,
CTP, began Pathfinder Writing and
Career Services after a 20-year stint
as a meeting and tourism planner.
Her previous experience includes
five years as the school-to-career
director for a workforce-training
program in more than 45 high
schools in Oregon. During this time,
she coached thousands of students
on resumé writing and job interview
training skills.
In her personal time, Dawn enjoys
celebrating her love of the outdoors
hiking with husband Brad and two
dogs and is an avid photographer.
Follow her adventures on the Travel
Oregon blog, where she is a regular
contributor.
10.09
p010 Contributors 1009.indd 10
9/24/09 9:48:21 AM
1009_011.indd 11
9/22/09 9:59:50 AM
The Energy of Many
Meet to Change the World
50 percent of our sales and by bringing them together
for a meeting they will be able to increase their producboth personally and professionally. These include things tivity by 20 percent while reducing costs by 5 percent,
would you be able to say no to the meeting?
such as finding your true love, the birth of a child, an
It is critical that we lead these discussions in our
inspirational speech that changed a behavior and many
organizations—the ones connected to results. I will sugmore. While these can be few and far between, the
question that each of us has to answer is, “Did I play an gest that gone are the days of framing meetings in terms
of just hospitality. While hospitality certainly can’t be
active role in making this happen, or was I simply on
overlooked, it is only a piece of the equation. With
the receiving end?”
a focus on the meeting’s outputs, the inputs become
We are at a crossroads in the meeting and event
supporting items that enable the outputs, not the sole
industry. The global financial meltdown—while
purpose of the discussion. When properly framed, cost
forcing change on many things around us—
discussions are a component of “value” and used to
created an opportunity for us to truly
enhance the productivity of the results.
exhibit our value and be indisputable
The window of time we’re currently in to lead these
business leaders in our organizations.
Everywhere around us, people are looking discussions won’t last forever. We have a unique opportunity to fill this need within our organization and, if
to justify expenses and prove ROI/ROO,
and meetings and events are no exception. we don’t, someone else will.
To quote John Maxwell from his book Leadership 101,
The beauty for us is that when done correctly, meetings and events truly do change
Followers
Leaders
the world.
•
React
• Initiate
The key is to understand that
• Lead; pick up the phone • Listen; wait for the phone
conducting strategically
to ring
and make contact
sound business meetings
• Spend time living day-to• Spend time planning;
and events is posday reacting to problems
anticipate problems
sible and then be
• Invest time with people • Spend time with people
able to articulate it
• Fill the calendar by
• Fill the calendar by
with facts to the
requests
priorities
decision makers.
We’ve all heard
In this issue, you will learn about MPI’s Knowledge
“gone are the
Plan (Page 80). This is an incredible opportunity to
days of boontake control of your own success through continued
doggles,” but
education and personal development. It will also proshould they be? vide you the opportunity to prove your own worth in
If I can prove
your organization, arming you with the skills, training
the business
and resources to speak the language of business on
case that
your own career path. When we meet, we change the
the top 20
world—make sure it can’t happen without you.
percent of our
sales team is
responsible for
WE EACH HAVE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN
WE’RE PART OF LIFE-ALTERING EXPERIENCES,
TREY FEILER is MPI’s chief operating officer. Contact
him at tfeiler@mpiweb.org.
12
one+
10.09
Energy of Many 1009.indd 12
9/30/09 8:13:00 AM
1009_013.indd 13
9/18/09 9:07:13 AM
Impressions
Speak and Share
[“Speak Up,” PlusPoint blog] The best thing about
speaking up and adding something is that you might just
have a really good idea that could contribute to the breakthrough that is needed. When we help solve a problem we
make ourselves indispensable, and also it just feels good
to help move things forward.
—Norm Barnhart
Inspirebiz.com
African Connection
EDITOR’S NOTE: We appreciate
the feedback on MPI and your
magazine, One+. Your ideas
and thoughts are important to
us. Let us know what you think.
E-mail the editorial team at
editor@mpiweb.org.
You Tell Us
Who would you like to see
profiled in One+? Send us an
e-mail at editor@mpiweb.org.
14
one+
[Connections, June 2009]
As a member of MPI for over a
year I have found the information
within One+ to be absolutely top
notch, as beneficial as picking
up The Economist. However,
I’ve always had one lament.
There is a noticeable lack of
industry information on an entire
continent. Africa. Recently, in
studying for the CMP examination through the Convention
Industry Council, I realized that
each recommended text left
Africa out completely. The International Manual is especially
discourteous, including chapters
on Europe, Latin America, the
Middle East and Asia.
That is why I was so thrilled
to read the Connections story
on the Opportunity International
Conference in Kampala, Uganda.
The article was altogether
inspiring and I believe will go a
long way to informing meeting
professionals that there are
some countries within Africa
that are viable destinations. One
quibble, I noticed that there were
no names listed for any of the
people photographed. It seems
quite an oversight.
If they were interesting
enough to snap, why not list
their names? Again, much
appreciation for putting together
an excellent publication and for
filling an information void.
—Dorrelle Scott, CMP
BlueCross BlueShield Association
MPI Potomac Chapter
Greyhound Racing
[Top Spots, September 2009]
I could not believe the first
item—The Oasis Hotel—and
promoting live greyhound racing!
Do you have any idea what those
dogs are put through, the tens
of thousands that are euthanized
each year because of overbreeding or failure to produce
a winning dog?
—Kathleen A. Valeda, CMP
BAE Systems
MPI Potomac Chapter
Plastic Covers
Each issue of your publication
brings interesting ideas, terrific
coverage and thought provoking articles. I thank you for that
service. Yet each month, as I
tear open the plastic cover that
wraps your publication, I tell
myself that I am going to suggest an alternative. Yet each
month, my intentions have gone
without action. Until this month.
As I again tore off the plastic wrap that will take literally
hundreds of years to decompose in our local landfill, I saw
the cover story on this month’s
edition, “The Footprint of
Meetings—Improving our Impact
on Local Communities and the
World.” What a paradox! The
magazine featuring a story on
decreasing the environmental
footprints of the meeting industry that is printed on recycled
paper is wrapped in plastic. Why
is that?
As the events manager for an
environmental learning center
in the Pacific Northwest and
a reader of your publication,
I’d love to see One+ change
that practice. I encourage your
magazine to research alternatives to the plastic wrap that
bundles your monthly issue and
the supplemental publications
that accompany it each month
(a recycled paper sleeve or a
labeled biodegradable wrap of
some type perhaps). Now that
would greatly reduce your footprint and ours!
—Wendy F. Dymoke
IslandWood
[ED NOTE: Tell us if you have ideas
on how One+ can be more ecofriendly at editor@mpiweb.org.]
10.09
p014 Impressions 1009.indd 14
9/25/09 12:37:26 PM
1009_015.indd 15
9/22/09 10:01:21 AM
Overheard
MICE 4 Youth
“I am therefore convinced that this project will truly help
to sow new seeds of knowledge among younger members
of our society. I believe that by making use of this new
knowledge, they may grow and develop their skills to
shape a strong and sustainable future for Thailand’s MICE
industry as a global player in the years to come.”
—M.R. Disnadda Diskul, chairman of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau,
on its new MICE 4 Youth project
Top Priority
In the Bag
Still Meeting
“A number of surveys have
revealed that Britons will not
give up their holiday or travel
plans, despite the risk of
Swine Flu, but this is the first
to show just how important
that aspect of our life is, compared to other Europeans.”
—Spokesman Stephen Dunk,
on a Travelzoo U.K. survey that
showed only 7 percent of Britons
would change their travel plans
due to the H1N1 virus
“We’re focusing on what really
matters to our customers—
getting them to their destination on time and with their
bags—and we’re delivering
consistently. Our people have
done a tremendous job in running a reliable airline and we
couldn’t be more proud of the
results.”
—Robert Isom, US Airways
COO, on a program to pay
33,000 employees US$100
each for helping the airline
deliver high rankings
“The final attendance
numbers surpassed our
expectations, especially during
this challenging economic
environment, which affected
many of our colleagues and
organizations across the
association and nonprofit
community.”
—John H. Graham IV, CAE,
president and CEO of ASAE &
The Center on attendance at
the organization’s annual expo
Travel Taxes
“While the report shows
that the travel taxes paid
have slightly declined, the fall
is due to the weak economy
and not tax cuts. In fact, tax
rates increased and more
were implemented, so when
the economy recovers, travelers will take a double hit of
rising prices and exploding
taxes.
—Fay Beauchine, NBTA Foundation
chairwoman
Best of the Blogs
MPI Compass
Posted by Ryan Grigsby
MeetingBagsDirect.com
Today is the first day that I am really jumping
in feet first into the MPI Community. I have
already participated in one trade show with
the Tennessee Chapter. It was fun to talk
and meet with people about our company
and start to build relationships with potential
clients. Now, if I can navigate my way through
all these different channels in the MPI world I
will be just fine.
The Perfect E-mail
Posted by Sue Hershkowitz-Coore
High Impact Presentations
Without knowing why you’re writing and what
you specifically want to accomplish, you’re not
going to design an award-winning message.
Or even a good one. How hard do you work
to see the beginning and end of your e-mail
before you start writing? If you can’t write your
action statement first, you probably haven’t
found your starting ground.
Put-Pocket
Posted by Jessie States
One+ Assistant Editor
That guy with his hands in your pants? He’s
not stealing your money. Oh, no! He’s giving
you cash. U.K. phone provider TalkTalk has
launched a team of put-pockets, former pickpockets in charge of placing £5 to £20 in the
pockets of Brits. Signs proclaiming “Rejoice!
Put-pockets operating in this area” are being
displayed across activity areas to help Britons
distinguish between TalkTalk put-pockets and
real pickpockets.
Find out what the editors of One+ think about the industry’s
hot trends and late-breaking news on the One+ blog,
PlusPoint. Share your thoughts at www.mpioneplus.org.
16
one+
10.09
p016 Overheard 1009.indd 16
9/24/09 9:50:41 AM
1009_017.indd 17
9/16/09 11:16:52 AM
1009_018.indd 18
9/30/09 6:16:37 PM
Agenda
NOV. 27-30 xenia
ATHENS, GREECE
Held at the Metropolitan Expo at the Athens International Airport, xenia offers
hoteliers hundreds of connections with suppliers, from large-scale catering
equipment companies to renewable energy source providers. The event attracts thousands of professionals each year in the accommodation, food and
beverage and catering sectors. Visit www.xenia.gr.
DEC. 1-3 EIBTM
BARCELONA, SPAIN
One of the industry’s busiest shows (greeting more than 8,000 visitors last
year), EIBTM promises to deliver business ROI this year with 3,300 exhibiting
companies representing 92 countries, more than 30 education sessions and
five official networking events over just three days. Visit www.eibtm.com.
DEC. 2-4 ACCESS 09
PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.
The Exhibit Designers and Producers Association provides real case studies
that demonstrate how industry leaders are innovating their businesses during
education sessions in two tracts: internal and external innovation. Keynotes
include Glenda Brungardt, CTSM, of Hewlett-Packard, and Jim Wurm of the
Exhibitor Appointed Contract Association. Visit www.edpa.com.
DEC. 8-10 Expo! Expo!
ATLANTA
Event professionals share their experiences from the past year and exchange
successful methods of adapting to the current economy at Expo! Expo!, presented by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events. Find education
tracks focusing on everything from sales to technology and explore new products
and services. Visit www.iaee.com.
Connected
YOUR TICKET
VISITING FARMER
FOOT PRINTS
Find the bus ticket with the best
departure time or cheapest price
without a big hassle at BusJunction.
com. The site gathers thousands
of schedules and cheap fares from
bus carriers in the U.S. Northeast,
provides the information in an easily
searchable format and sends you
directly to the carrier to make your
purchase.
Consider helping out on a farm for
vacation this year with World Wide
Opportunities on Organic Farms,
an organization founded in 1971 to
encourage people to share a more
sustainable way of living. Visit Wwoof.
org to find lists of organic farms,
smallholdings and gardens across the
globe. Choose a host and make direct
contact to arrange a stay. Volunteers
receive room and board for their work.
No timetables to keep, no journey
delays, healthy, green, free and direct,
walking can be the best way to get
around town. Select any of nearly 20
U.K. cities at Walkit.com and get a
route map between any two points,
including journey time, calorie burn,
step count and carbon savings. Choose
from direct, less busy and low pollution
routes between you and your desired
destination.
mpiweb.org
p019 Agenda 1009.indd 19
19
9/24/09 8:40:00 AM
1009_020-021.indd 20
10/1/09 7:51:58 AM
1009_020-021.indd 21
10/1/09 7:52:08 AM
Top Spots
N E W VEN U ES + RE-O P ENING S
1.
1. Hôtel Palais Stéphanie
Cannes
3. Radisson Blu Hotel,
Madrid Prado
The Hôtel Palais Stéphanie Cannes
re-opened earlier this year after the
biggest renovation of any hotel
in Cannes in decades. Designers
gave the guest rooms a new blend
of luxury, glitter and an atmosphere
of French elegance: stitched leather,
sophisticated brown furniture and
shades of chocolate and cream,
all under the gaze of legendary film
stars. The hotel has 261 guest
rooms, an 820-seat auditorium and
15 meeting rooms. It is located on
the famous La Croisette, where
movie stars mingle for the worldfamous Cannes Film Festival.
The first Radisson Blu hotel in
the capital of Spain, the Radisson Blu Hotel, Madrid Prado will
offer 54 guest rooms across
from the famous Prado Museum
and next to the new cultural art
center, CaixaForum. With public
areas and guest rooms designed by
Sandra Tarruella and Isabel Lopez,
considered to be some of Spain’s
best interior designers, this boutique
hotel promises to be one of the
most sought after hotels in Madrid
when it opens later this year. Hotel
features include a grill restaurant
and a lounge bar, a fully equipped
gym and three boardrooms.
2. Liège Guillemins
TGV Station
4. Miami Airport Marriott
Liège, Belgium, is a major node in
the European high-speed rail network
and a link between London, Paris,
Brussels and Germany. Opened
last month, the Liège Guillemins
TGV Station links two very distinct
areas of Liége previously divided by
rail tracks—the north side toward
the city and Cointe Hill to the south.
Designed by renowned architect
Santiago Calatrava, the station
features a grand passenger hall,
three parking levels and pedestrian
bridges and walkways under the
tracks.
The 366-room Miami Airport
Marriott, located at the gateway of
Metropolitan Miami, recently underwent a US$15 million renovation
that includes the M.I. Greatroom
lobby and the new Cane Fire
Grille Restaurant and Lounge.
The M.I. Greatroom features communal tables with complimentary
Wi-Fi, a media zone and a day/night
bar. The Cane Fire Grille restaurant
and lounge features fresh seafood
and prime steaks with a local Latin
flair, and it is also home to the signature Cane Fire Mojito drink.
2.
2.
3.
5
4
6
22
one+
10.09
p022-023 Top Spots 1009.indd 22
9/22/09 8:59:51 AM
4.
4.
5. Holiday Inn
Chicago Mart Plaza
5.
The 521-room Holiday Inn Chicago
Mart Plaza recently announced
its Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design (LEED) Gold
certification (for existing buildings,
operations and maintenance) by the
U.S. Green Building Council—the
first LEED-certified hotel in Chicago. The hotel recently underwent
a US$20 million redesign that
included extensive ecological measures such as installing solar film on
many windows to reduce heat gain
and thus reduce air-conditioning
load on the building.
6. Hyatt Regency Curaçao
Golf Resort, Spa and Marina
6.
The Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf
Resort, Spa and Marina will open in
January. Located at Santa Barbara
Plantation, a 1,500-acre luxury resort community, the beachfront resort will feature 350 guest rooms,
uninterrupted water views on
three sides, the Hyatt Pure spa, a
full-service marina, 18,500 square
feet of event space and the island’s
only Pete Dye-designed golf course.
Guests will also enjoy three different
restaurants, all of which will feature
dishes inspired by indigenous ingredients and techniques.
2
1
3
mpiweb.org
p022-023 Top Spots 1009.indd 23
23
9/22/09 9:00:18 AM
Focus On...
Nancy Herselius, CMP,
giggled when her dad told
those mischievous city
cousins not to go crawling in
the hayloft. She knew they’d
do it anyway and come down
covered in bumblebee stings
and hay rash.
Nancy Herselius
CMP
Creative Meetings and Events LLC
“Before I joined the
meeting industry, I
always laughed at
my mom and teased
her about all the
great ‘vacations’
she was taking to
all these different
places where
she was planning
events. As I found
out during my
years as a meeting
professional,
that wasn’t quite
accurate.”
—Amy Galeazzi,
daughter
24
one+
“From the moment
we met, we worked
in tandem to create unique event
experiences for both
the award honorees
and guests. What
a professional! The
best reward for me
is that, in addition
to respecting
Nancy’s expertise,
ethics and get-itdone approach,
we have become
good friends in the
process.”
—Kristine Frakes,
colleague
Herselius grew up on a small
family farm in the Midwest, where
life was challenging. Since then,
she’s had three careers—dental
assistant, school district secretary
and meeting and event planner—
but she’s never forgotten those
early lessons she learned on the
farm.
“My dad was my role model,”
she said. “From him I learned fairness, determination, honesty and,
most of all, hard work. He taught
me the value of friends and helped
me develop the passion I have for
working with people.”
It’s that passion that brought
Herselius to where she is today.
When her youngest child was
in high school, she went back
to school in the early 1990s to
earn her associate’s degree in
management and embark on her
career in meetings and events,
eventually launching her own
company—Creative Meetings &
Events LLC. And despite time
and distance, she still relies on
the wisdom her father imparted
so many years ago.
“In each profession, I have
had the opportunity to work with
many different types of people and
personalities in completely different
situations,” she said. “But the fact
that I was able to do that successfully I owe to what my dad taught
me. I will be forever grateful.”
Herselius’ daughter, Amy
Galeazzi, says her mom learned
more than perseverance on the
farm—she learned how to be a
great mom, too.
“She taught me that whatever
I put my mind to, I can accomplish,” Galeazzi said. “She has
been relentless in her dream to
pursue a career in meetings and
events, and I really can’t imagine
her doing anything else.”
Galeazzi herself dabbled in the
meeting industry for eight years,
and she recalls the times she spent
talking shop and swapping stories
with her mom.
“We would drive everyone in
the family crazy whenever we got
together,” Galeazzi recalled. “It
was a fun time for both of us.”
Actually, it still is.
—JESSIE STATES
10.09
p024 Focus On 1009.indd 24
9/24/09 3:52:45 PM
1009_025.indd 25
9/21/09 11:47:04 AM
Spotlight
The Meeting Source selects
Marina Dixon, CMP, as
director of operations and
business development. Dixon
navigates a strategic path for
the company, while focusing
on cost-effective operations
for clients. The dual role lends
itself to her education in
international communications,
project management and
environmental policy.
Meeting Sites Resource (MSR)
announces the promotion of
Cheryl M. Rivas, CMP, to
senior manager of accounts
and marketing communications.
Rivas has been with MSR for
five years and has been responsible for the implementation of
customer service strategies,
custom site research and contracting process and strategic
marketing programs. She now
serves on MSR’s Executive Team
and is involved in the company’s
business planning initiatives.
26
one+
Catering provider Blue Plate names
Thaddeus Barton as chef de
cuisine. Barton joins Blue Plate
with extensive experience in the
restaurant business. He has held
positions with several celebrated
Chicago restaurants including
North Pond, Mod, Tru and Powerhouse, where he was the executive
sous chef. Barton is also involved in
Feeding America (formerly Second
Harvest) and Slow Food International.
Michael W. McCormick accepts the role of executive
director and COO of the National
Business Travel Association
(NBTA). McCormick comes to
NBTA with more than 20 years
of travel industry experience,
most recently as managing
partner of Hudson Crossing
LLC, a travel industry advisory
business. McCormick has also
served as executive vice president of Cendant’s Hospitality &
Leisure Group, COO of PhoCusWright Inc., president of Biz
travel.com and vice president
of global supplier relations for
Rosenbluth International.
The Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City, Mich.,
welcomes Rhonda L. Hampton, CMP, as
director of sales and marketing. Prior to joining Great Wolf Lodge, Hampton was the assistant general manager and director of sales
for the Sheraton Lansing (Mich.) Hotel. In
addition to her CMP designation, Hampton is
also a Six Sigma Green Belt. She has earned
Sales Leader of the Year awards from Starwood and the Michigan Lodging and Tourism
Association.
Visit the careers blog at www.mpiweb.org by
selecting “community” and then “blogs”
to tell MPI about your recent job change.
10.09
p026 Spotlight 1009.indd 26
9/24/09 7:56:35 AM
1009_027.indd 27
9/16/09 8:19:52 AM
HOT BUZZ
IHG CSR
InterContinental Hotels Group has
pledged US$1 million over five years to
help the University of Oxford increase
its research capability and accelerate
studies in conservation. IHG will use
this research to inform its future hotel
design and operations. Working with
communities and scientists, Oxford’s
research will help pinpoint and publicize
areas of the planet that have the
greatest concentration of rare and
threatened plants.
“We’re committed to finding innovative solutions to the environmental,
social and economic effects of travel
and ensuring we develop and operate
hotels in a responsible way,” said David
Jerome (pictured), IHG’s senior vice
president for corporate responsibility.
“Oxford University is the perfect partner to help us better understand conservation, address environmental concerns and ultimately safeguard the
world’s favorite tourist destinations for
generations to come.”
+
28
one+
10.09
p028-033 Hot Buzz 1009.indd 28
9/24/09 8:14:36 AM
+
Travel Promotion Act
The U.S. Senate
passed the Travel
Promotion Act (S.
1023) on Sept. 9
with strong bipartisan
support, 79 to 19.
The legislation creates
a public-private partnership to promote
the U.S. as a premier
travel destination and
better explain U.S.
security policies. Once
passed by the U.S.
House and enacted
into law, the program
will create an estimated 40,000 jobs, drive
US$4 billion in new
consumer spending
(according to Oxford
Economics) and reduce the federal
budget deficit by $425 million (according to the U.S. Congressional
Budget Office). Overseas visitors
spend an average of $4,500 per
person, per trip to the U.S.
The Travel Promotion Act—introduced by Senators Byron Dorgan
(D-N.D.) and John Ensign (R-Nev.)
and co-sponsored by 51 senators—
is modeled after state-level programs and is funded through a
matching program featuring up to
$100 million in private sector contributions and a $10 fee on foreign
travelers who do not pay $131 for
a visa to enter the U.S. The fee is
collected once every two years in
conjunction with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Elec-
tronic System for Travel Authorization. Nearly identical legislation
passed the U.S. House in the last
session, but did not receive a Senate vote before adjournment. A new
companion bill (H.R. 2935) is cosponsored by 68 members of the
House.
However, not everyone is happy
with the measure. On Sept. 4,
Ambassador John Bruton, head of
the European Commission Delegation to the U.S., said that many
Europeans are alarmed at the proposed $10 entry “penalty.”
“The proposed fee—modest as it
may seem—will be yet another hoop
through which European travelers
have to jump and a step backwards
in our joint endeavor toward transAtlantic mobility,” he said.
Carbon Calculator
The German Convention Bureau and eco-friendly
event firm CO2OL have launched a calculator that
identifies the carbon footprint of conventions,
meetings and events. Apart from calculating
carbon footprints, CO2OL offers detailed advice
on how to reduce CO2 emissions. Unavoidable
emissions can then be offset by certified climate
protection projects in order to make events
climate-neutral.
The Art of Meeting
In celebration of its 21st anniversary, the Sydney
Convention and Exhibition Centre has partnered
with the Art Gallery Society of New South Wales
to offer special tours. The convention center not
only plays host to meetings and events, it also
acts as home to a diverse range of contemporary
Australian art. Many of the pieces were specifically commissioned for the center’s 1988 opening and are on a monumental scale to match the
building’s soaring walls, while the themes reflect
Sydney and its world-famous harbor. Art Gallery
Society tours will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Oct. 10, 11, 17 and 18.
Aviation Emission Caps
The Committee on Climate Change has advised the
U.K. government that global aviation emissions
should be capped as part of a wider global agreement to tackle climate change. Developed countries will need to take the lead in making significant
reductions in aviation emissions, the agency said.
An interim period where rising aviation emissions
are offset by emissions reductions in other sectors
would be feasible. Over time, however, aviation
emissions growth will have to be constrained.
The committee’s recommendations are designed to reduce aviation emissions in line with a
global reduction in emissions of all greenhouse
gases by 50 percent by 2050 in order to stabilize global temperature rise and avoid dangerous
climate change. If left unchecked, global aviation
emissions could account for 15 percent to 20 percent of all CO2 produced in 2050. A new and
ambitious policy on aviation is therefore
required, it said.
Cutting gross U.K. aviation emissions in 2050
to 2005 levels together with 90 percent emissions cuts in other sectors would achieve the required economy-wide 80 percent emissions reduction that has been committed to by the U.K. under
the Climate Change Act.
mpiweb.org
p028-033 Hot Buzz 1009.indd 29
29
9/24/09 8:19:16 AM
HOT BUZZ
Thoughts+Leaders
How do you balance the
importance of team building
with the realities of reduced
budgets?
Jeff Hewitt
Senior sales director
+
Visit Charlotte
With impending budget cuts, Charlotte Regional
Visitors Authority employees came together in the
fourth quarter to assess what cost efficiencies
they could realize as a team. A diverse spectrum
of employees from all disciplines gathered in small
groups to brainstorm. As the teams worked
together to generate ideas, we built relationships
and trust. We found efficiencies and made adjustments. Jobs and salaries were saved. Everyone
felt engaged and a sense of accomplishment.
Maybe we’ll return to the ropes course next
year…but right now we’re focused on realizing the
efficiencies that the team has identified.
Suzann Stewart
Senior vice president and
executive director
Tulsa (Okla.) CVB
With increasing competition
at all levels for a decreasing
amount of business, it’s
crucial that our staff teams
work well together to
maximize each other’s
strengths, as well as have
the training and skills necessary to dodge asteroids and build
new bridges to success independently.
In Tulsa we try to balance out-of-office professional education
through our association affiliations with in-house strategy and
team-building opportunities. If an association offers educational
sessions while we exhibit at its trade show, we require staff to
attend the educational sessions when not on the floor. We meet
twice a year for our team-building and marketing strategy reviews, and twice a year with a consultant who provides help in
personal goal-setting and high-performance strategies. The consultant provides these services as an in-kind contribution to our
program at no cost.
30
one+
Andy Sharpe
Owner and CEO
Song Division
As a team-building supplier, our
clients want one
thing—more
value. They know
that a cohesive and engaged team is as important as
ever, but they need to be sure they are getting serious
bang for their reduced bucks. We’re seeing growth in
demand for effective team building for much larger
groups than ever before, resulting in lower costs-perhead. Our costs remain the same whether we’re getting five people or 5,000 people to write a song. So
the more people, the lower the cost-per-head for the
meeting planner or corporate trainer.
Clients also expect the event to resonate long after
the experience itself. Team building should be fun, but it
also needs a clear purpose—education on a new product or service, communication of a strategic message
or an experiential marketing component. The outcomes
need to be measured beyond the feel-good component
of the day.
10.09
p028-033 Hot Buzz 1009.indd 30
9/24/09 3:48:24 PM
China Means
Business
Reed Travel Exhibitions announced
the creation of a China meeting
industry week starting in 2010,
bringing together the sector’s many
associations to create a diverse
program of professional education
activities. Reed Travel launched the
initiative during its China Incentive,
Business Travel & Meetings Exhibition (CIBTM) Sept. 7-9 in Beijing.
Co-hosted by the Beijing Tourism
Administration, CIBTM drew 35
percent more people than the previous edition, which took place in
2007, and attracted 324 international and local exhibitors.
No Need to Panic
Hotels struggling with how to plan for possible
H1N1 flu outbreaks now have a little help. The
American Hotel & Lodging Association has
released H1N1 Influenza Management in Hotels to help hoteliers manage flu situations at
their properties. The manual offers guidance
for employees and guests who are
afflicted with the H1N1 flu and
other influenza strains. It also covers basic sanitation practices to
use when cleaning guest rooms
and public areas.
The guide complements work by
public health authorities to disseminate information about the H1N1
flu. Basic recommendations to stay
home from work if ill, frequently
and thoroughly wash hands and
use coughing etiquette are emphasized throughout the guide. The
association’s resources also include a webinar
on the H1N1 flu and industry practices. Visit
www.ahla.com/flu for more information.
mpiweb.org
p028-033 Hot Buzz 1009.indd 31
31
9/24/09 3:58:28 PM
HOT BUZZ
Liverpool Legacy
Two Liverpool organizations have signed an agreement that
could generate millions of pounds to the local economy. The
Mersey Partnership and venue ACC Liverpool have agreed to a
significant investment into the Liverpool Convention Bureau to
attract events and conferences to the city.
The signing comes shortly after the announcement that the
Labour Party will hold its fall conference at ACC Liverpool in
September 2011, marking the largest ever conference held in
the city. In fact, Liverpool has witnessed a steep rise in business tourism since ACC Liverpool opened to national and international acclaim last year. With the help of the bureau, officials
hope for continued success in the meetings sector.
The Liverpool Convention Bureau also receives funding from
the Northwest Development Agency, the European Regional
Development Fund and membership subscriptions. The Mersey
Partnership is now seeking a new manager to run the bureau.
Keep Britain Talking
The Business Visits and Events Partnership (which includes MPI) has reiterated
its Wish List to government on behalf of
and event industry as
the U.K. meeting
me
part of the
e Keep Britain Talking initiative,
Sept. 22-23 with Event
which culminated
culm
mi
UK. Mirroring
Mirrorrin the Keep America Meeting
launched this spring
brand, the program
p
to gain government
support for the ingo
ov
dustry.
dus
st The Wish List focuses on
tangible
actions government can
ta
an
implement
to support meetings
iim
and
a events and make them
more
profitable.
m
The
Wish List
T
• A government-sponsored
series
of city manager semise
nars
na to better inform local aun
thorities
about the benefits of
tho
or
events to local and regional economies
• The alignment of Britain’s event strategies to its economic strategies to ensure
optimum regeneration, inward investment, employment and visitor economy
benefits
• A meeting of events sector representatives to discuss a Britain-wide strategy for
revitalizing the economy through events
• Reinstatement of corporate hospitality
tax allowances on activities that seek to
bring business and events to Britain
• A national subvention package for U.K.
destinations as part of bidding for international events to enable British cities to
compete with international destinations
that regularly offer subvention
• A step up in the Ministerial Support
Programme for bidding on international
events to come to Britain
Can You
u
Read Me Now?
If you want to update your Facebook
profile and Tweet your flight status
from 35,000 feet, you’re not alone.
Seventy-six percent of business travelers would choose an airline based
on the availability of in-flight Wi-Fi,
according to a recent study by the
Wi-Fi Alliance and Wakefield Research, and 71 percent of these
travelers prefer Internet access over
meal service.
Always Prepared
The International Association of Assembly
Managers (IAAM) will soon be able to
deliver intensive training in safety and
security protocols for emergency preparedness and crises communication,
thanks to a US$250,000 grant from the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The grant allows the organization to deliver training in safety and security protocols for emergency preparedness and
crises communication as well as access
to a free self-assessment and benchmarking tool.
IAAM has been working with the U.S.
32
one+
Department of Homeland Security for
six years in a variety of capacities, but
most significantly in the development of
the Risk Self Assessment Tool, which
offers information in three distinct areas: venue characterization, threat ratings and vulnerability assessment. The
tool provides an effective means to
assess vulnerability to a full range of
threats (all-hazards), receive guidance
on safety and security enhancements
and evaluate preparedness as compared to other public assembly facilities.
Training will be offered regionally, with
open invitations extended to facility managers, public safety personnel and industry professionals. Subject matter experts
in risk management and emergency response affiliated with the IAAM Academy
for Venue Safety and Security will serve
as faculty for the training program.
This is the second award to the IAAM
Foundation from the U.S. government,
and the organization’s federal grant funding for venue safety and security now
totals $1 million.
10.09
p028-033 Hot Buzz 1009.indd 32
9/25/09 12:40:23 PM
Anti Discrimination
Looking Forward
As a part of its commitment to diversity and the fight
against discrimination, Accor has implemented anonymous
CV review on its recruitment Web site to ensure that the
initial selection of candidates is uniquely based on training,
experience and skills. The objective of the anonymous CV
is to avoid any discrimination, conscious or subconscious,
linked to the age, sex or origins of candidates. The national
implementation is accompanied by a training and communication campaign for managers.
Some 57 percent of meeting industry companies
expect their operating profits to dip by at least
10 percent this year, and 5 percent say the number will decrease by more than 50 percent in
2009, according to the consolidated results of the
first three quarterly Global Economic Crisis Barometers
by trade show association UFI.
Not So Green
Tourism Cares
Guests at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ California properties
can contribute US$1 dollar per room night to Tourism
Cares and the California Save Our Parks Campaign. The
program runs through Nov. 30. The campaign is a project
of the California State Parks Foundation.
U.S. travelers are more familiar with sustainable travel terminology than they were two years ago but remain
ma unwilling to pay more for ecofriendly travel options according to
the recent travelhorizons, a quarterly consumer survey co-authored
by
b the U.S. Travel Association and Y
Partnership
Pa
Inc. Only 9 percent of
consumers
co
say they are willing to pay
more
mor to use travel service suppliers
that offer eco-friendly options for travelers, and
an only 3 percent have purchased a
carbon offset
o
when booking travel.
Airlines Falter
Welcome to Iraq
Kingdom of Bahrain carrier Gulf Air has commenced four
weekly flights to Najaf, Iraq, and will expand the schedule
to seven late this month along with services to Erbil, Iraq.
The announcement follows the successful launch of flights
to Iraqi capital Baghdad on Sept. 1. Gulf Air has planned
its schedule to Najaf and Erbil to compliment its extensive
Middle East network as well as to provide connections for
key destinations on its route network in Asia and Europe.
While overall demand for air travel has dropped, most
concerning to airlines is the reduction in demand for the
premium classes and higher-yield airfares, according to
Carlson Wagonlit Travel’s 2010 Travel Forecast. To
counteract this development, airlines have implemented
multiple pricing strategies, including fare sales, upgrade
promotions and new price points for business-class
fares, the report says.
mpiweb.org
p028-033 Hot Buzz 1009.indd 33
33
9/25/09 12:46:34 PM
ART
of Travel
Vest Pockets
Replace Your
Carry-on Bag
Tripod Legs
Provide Steady
Shot Anywhere
The Gorillapod SLRs
flexible, wrappable
legs provide a
steady camera
shot in virtually any
environment, and its
compact size means
it can go anywhere
and everywhere
you do. The tripod’s
more than two dozen
flexible leg joints
bend and rotate 360
degrees, and its
rubberized ring and
foot grips provide
enhanced stability
in difficult terrain.
Whether you’re
shooting time-lapse
photos with your SLR
or capturing videos
with your camcorder,
the Gorillapod
SLR is the perfect
companion for your
next site visit. (Joby.
com, US$44.95).
34
one+
With 22 hidden
pockets and
compartments, the
SCOTTEVEST Travel
Vest makes airport
security a breeze.
Just take off the vest
and send it through
the X-ray with all your
gear safely stored
inside. The garment’s
Weight Management
System balances the
load and NoBulge
pockets give you a
streamlined look.
Don’t even bother to
pack a suitcase for
this trip, now you can
wear your luggage in
style. (Scottevest.
com, US$100)
Smartpen
Records While
You Transcribe
The Pulse smartpen
captures handwriting
and simultaneously
records audio and
synchronizes it to
your writing. Tap on
your notes to replay
what was recorded
at the exact moment
you were writing.
Never miss a word
you hear, write or
speak. Fast forward,
rewind, jump ahead,
pause and even
speed up or slow
down audio recordings. Even customize
the smartpen with
additional applications
including language
learning tools
and games. (Live
scribe.com, from
US$149)
10.09
p034 Art of Travel 1009.indd 34
9/21/09 8:53:28 AM
1009_035.indd 35
9/16/09 8:20:45 AM
Your Community
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
U.K. and Ireland
To reflect its changing demographics, the
MPI U.K. Chapter has added Ireland to its
name. And while Irish members have always
been a part of the U.K. Chapter, the change
shows greater recognition of their involvement and creates additional networking and
educational opportunities to support them
and their work. Changing its name is just
one step in the chapter’s plans to focus on
regional development, international relations
and new business opportunities.
After several highly successful exchange
events and missions to overseas chapters,
the U.K. and Ireland Chapter has plans
to work more closely with its international
counterparts to share ideas, strategies and
opportunities. While the program will initially
focus on European neighbors, there are
plans to take the initiative to other regions in
the future.
The chapter is also seeking new ways to
expand business opportunities for members.
With this in mind, the role of sponsorship
vice president has been changed to chairman of partnerships and business opportunities. In fact, a variety of new sponsorship
initiatives have already been launched. An
”I Buy MPI” discount scheme will be more
heavily promoted, and several partners
joined the MPI U.K. and Ireland Chapter at
Event UK in September.
CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT
The Great Race
The MPI Minnesota Chapter annual golf tournament always brought in money, so when chapter leaders
proposed an alternative event for this spring, current chapter President Jaimie Mattes, global accounts
director for HelmsBriscoe, balked. And while the chapter’s Great Race this June didn’t bring in quite as
much cash as past events, it achieved in the far more important areas of member involvement, education
and team building.
Modeled after U.S. TV show “The Amazing Race,” the Minneapolis event drew a dozen teams of
six to eight people who used a series of clues to embark on an adventure through downtown. Suppliers
sponsored planners, members interacted and friendships were forged. Sponsors held presentations at
set locations or played host to clues. Teams phoned each other to check on status and taunt their rivals.
“We’ve already started planning for next year’s event,” Mattes said. “Our golf tournaments were
always very popular, but this was a way to get everyone involved. The excitement generated by the event
has been amazing. People are already asking to sign up for the 2010 race.”
Got a Minute?
Check out the award-nominated PlusPoint
magazine blog at www.mpiweb.org/plus
point for the latest industry news, commentary and more. Share your thoughts and
ideas with the One+ staff and make your
opinion heard.
ROI of Meetings
The MPI Foundation has launched an update to its Canadian Economic Impact Study, which was released last year
as a gauge of the economic impact of meetings and events
on the Canadian economy. Look to the November issue of
One+ for an exclusive look at the study’s conclusions.
36
one+
Chapter Recognition
The following chapters earned recognition at the World Education Congress earlier this year for their contributions to the MPI Foundation.
Gold Level
British Columbia
Greater Calgary
Greater Edmonton
Indiana
Japan Club
Montréal
Oregon
Ottawa
Toronto
WestField
Silver Level
Aloha
Connecticut River Valley
Dallas/Fort Worth
Greater Orlando Area
Gulf States
Heartland
Minnesota
Northeastern New York
Northern California
Oklahoma State
Rocky Mountain
Southern California
St. Louis Area
Virginia
Washington State
Bronze Level
Arizona Sunbelt
Carolinas
Chicago Area
Georgia
Greater New York
Houston Area
Kansas City
Kentucky Bluegrass
Manitoba
New England
New Jersey
Philadelphia Area
Pittsburgh
Potomac
Tampa Bay Area
10.09
p036-037 MPI Foundation 1009.indd 36
9/23/09 10:51:07 AM
Making a Difference
MPI Foundation Drives Success
Despite a dreadful economy, the MPI
Foundation raised US$1.7 million during the
2008-2009 fiscal year, with 100 percent
participation from the board of trustees and
key management team members.
The funds helped industry professionals
across the globe communicate the value
of meetings as drivers of business success
through research, grants and individual and
chapter scholarships. Here are some other
ways the MPI Foundation helps you succeed.
Global Certificate in Meeting Operations I.
Equips beginning-level professionals with operational proficiencies, as a re-imagined version of
Institutes I.
CMP Online Study Guide. Provides a practical
framework for intermediate professionals
preparing for the CMP exam. (Sponsored by
Wyndham Hotels in partnership with Arizona
State University)
CSR Training Program. Offers a basic cur-
riculum of environmental, social and economic
training as applied to the meeting industry.
Meetings Matter Webinar Series. Imparts
real-life solutions to issues confronting an industry in crisis in an eight-part series covering
critical information, tools and resources. (In
partnership with Freeman AV)
MPI RISE Awards. Recognize achievement
for innovation, global transferability, impact
and influence. The first award was given to the
Obama for America campaign at the WEC in
Salt Lake City.
Canadian Economic Impact Study. Measures
the impact of the Canadian meeting industry
on jobs, tax revenue and GDP. (Look for an
update in the November issue of One+.)
Did You Know?
The MPI Foundation has developed three CSR
chapter education sessions, now available in
the Platinum listings on MPIWeb.org (search
“CSR”). Regionally based speakers in the U.S.,
Canada and Europe will cut down on transportation costs and the carbon footprint of travel. Ask
your chapter business manager for details or
contact Elizabeth Henderson, director of CSR for
MPI, at ehenderson@mpiweb.org. The Program
is sponsored by Walt Disney World.
BS 8901 Sustainability Standard. Finances
a grant for the MPI European Meetings and
Events Conference, enabling it to meet the BS
8901 Sustainable Meeting Standard (again).
To contribute to the
MPI Foundation, visit
www.mpifoundation.org.
FOCUS ON FOUNDATION
August 2009 Contributors
The MPI Foundation thanks the following organizations and individuals for their generous support.
U.S. CORPORATE
Platinum Donors
AT&T Park
Carlson Hotels
Dallas CVB
Detroit Metro CVB
Fairmont Hotels
Hilton Hotels
Hyatt Hotels
IHG
Las Vegas CVA
Loews Hotels
Omni Hotels
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
The Venetian
Wyndham Hotels
Gold Donors
American Express
AV Concepts
Bloomington CVB
HelmsBriscoe
Maritz
MGM Mirage
ProActive
San Antonio CVB
Freeman
Pier 94
PRA
PSAV
Puerto Rico CVB
Salt Lake City CVB
St. Louis CVB
Walt Disney World Resort
Weil & Associates
Bronze Donors
Associated Luxury Hotels
Benchmark Hospitality
Destination Hotels & Resorts
Dolce
Experient
Gaylord Opryland
Global Events Partners
Hard Rock International
Harrah’s Entertainment
HelmsBriscoe
Accor Hospitality
PC Nametag
Philadelphia CVB
SearchWide
Seattle CVB
Walt Disney World Resorts
Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin
Wynn
Silver Donors
Aimbridge Hospitality
Anaheim CVB
Aramark
Atlanta CVB
The Broadmoor
Encore Productions
Fort Worth CVB
Global Hotel Alliance
The Greenbrier
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
hinton + grusich
LA Inc.
LXR
Meet Minneapolis
Millennium Hotels
Park Place Entertainment
Small Business Donors
4th Wall Events
Best Meetings
Concepts Worldwide
Creative Meetings and Events
CW Worlwide Meetings Inc.
(Site Solutions)
Dianne B. Devitt
Kinsley & Associates
Landry & Kling & Seasite
Meetingjobs
Meeting Site Resource
One Smooth Stone
Song Division
Swantegy
SYNAXIS Meetings & Events
Inc.
Special Donors
Blumberg Marketing
Boca Resorts
Carol Krugman, CMP, CMM
CVent
Dave Scypinski
David DuBois, CMP, CAE
David Gabri
Folio Fine Wine Partners
George P. Johnson
Jonathan T. Howe, Esq.
Katie Callahan-Giobbi
Ken Sanders
Kevin Olsen
Little Rock CVB
Mark Sirangelo
Pasadena CVB
Passkey
Production Plus Inc.
SAS Institute
Visit Raleigh
Friends of MPI
Alan Pini
Anne Hamilton
Brian Stevens
Catherine McKenna
Chris Gabaldon
Colleen Rickenbacher
Gaylord Texan
Gus Vonderheide
Hattie Hill Enterprises
Helen Van Dongen, CMP, CMM
Hello Florida! / Hello USA!
Ivan Carlson
Jeff Wagoner
JetBlue
Joe Nishi
John Meissner
Ken Sanders
Kevin Olsen
Margaret Moynihan
Michael Massari
Mike Deitemeyer
Richard Harper
Rick Smith
Rob Scypinski
Scott White
Stephen Revetria
Vito Curalli
CANADA CORPORATE
Platinum Donors
Fairmont Hotels and Resorts
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Gold Donor
AVW-Telav
Caesars Windsor
Convention Centres of Canada
Delta Hotels
PSAV
Silver Donors
AV-CANADA
Calgary Telus Convention
Centre
Cascadia Motivation
Coast Hotels & Resorts
Evolution
Hilton Canada
IHG
Marriott Hotels & Resorts
Canada
The STRONCO Group of
Companies
Tourism Calgary
Tourism Toronto
Tourisme Quebec
VIA Rail Canada
Bronze Donor
The Conference Publisher
D.E. Systems Ltd.
Destination Halifax
Direct Energy Centre
IncentiveWorks
Tourisme Montreal
Tourism British Columbia
Tourism Vancouver
Special Donors
Accucom Corporate Communications Inc.
ADMAR Promotions
Calgary Exhibition & Stampede
Cantrav dmc
Centre Mont-Royal
Destination Winnipeg
Exposoft Solutions Inc.
Fletcher Wright Associates Inc.
Gelber Conference Centre
Groupe Germain Hotels
The Great West Life Company
Investors Group Financial
Services
Mendelssohn Livingston
Naylor Publishers Inc.
The Planner
EUROPE CORPORATE
Heritage Club
EIBTM
IMEX
Diamond Club
MCI
Platinum Key Donors
BTC International
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Gold Key Donors
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts
Malaga CVB
The Rezidor Hotel Group
Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre
VisitDenmark
EIBTM
Silver Partner Donors
ExpoForce
RefTech
Bronze Friend Donors
Amsterdam RAI
Hotels van Oranje
Ince&Tive
Visit London
INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Diamond
Christine Duffy
Dave Gabri
hinton+grusich
Lawrence Luteran
Mark Komine
Mike Beardsley
Northern California Chapter
Rob Scypinski
Four Star
CACBSO
Three Star
Atlantic Canada Chapter
Diane Schneiderman
Mariela McIlwraith
Fellow
Allison Kinsley
Angie Pfeifer
Anna Lee Chabot
Cardine Hill
Christina Tzavellas, CMP
Cindy D’Aust
David Scypinski
Jimmy O.
Mark Andrew
Maureen O’Crowley
Michelle Thompson
Rocco LaForgia
Susan Buntjer
Susie St. Cyr
Tami Gilbertson
mpiweb.org
p036-037 MPI Foundation 1009.indd 37
37
9/29/09 7:35:23 AM
WHO:
Connections
Änne Jacobs of Änne
Jacobs Marketing and
Events for Kraft Foods
Company + Airport
A child shrieks excitedly as the
starting shot rings out across
Munich Airport Visitors Park
and hundreds of children race,
scamper, barrel and trip their
ways across the lawn.
Welcome to the annual kick-off event for
Kinder laufen für Kinder (Children Run for
Children), which benefits not only young
athletes and families in attendance, but also
raises money for the nonprofit SOS Children’s
Villages—an international organization that
aids children who lack parental care or whose
families face economic challenges.
More than 500 children attended the
2009 opening event at Munich Airport, but
during the campaign’s six-year history, more
than 337,000 students have run more than
1.8 million kilometers and raised more than
€3.24 million. Sponsored by Kraft Cares,
the social initiative of Kraft Foods, and the
German government, the program encompasses hundreds of smaller events spanning
late spring to early autumn—all encouraging
exercise and healthy eating and all raising
money for children in need across the globe.
One in seven German children between
the ages of 3 and 17 years are overweight,
according to independent planner Änne
Jacobs, who coordinated the 2009 kick-off,
and the far-reaching consequences threaten
the healthy development of children. She
says the Kraft Cares program was developed
to combat childhood obesity and promote
healthy lifestyles in countries across the
globe.
So each spring, Jacobs welcomes hun-
38
one+
Michael Otremba,
vice president of nonaviation marketing for
the Munich Airport
EVENT:
Kinder laufen für Kinder
(Children Run for Children)
Munich Airport
April 26
dreds of children and their families to Munich
Airport for a day of sport, fun, games, music
and—of course—healthy food. Each child
recruits sponsors before the event and raises
donations for each kilometer they run. Here,
neither speed nor talent counts, just the initiative to exercise, learn and raise money for
children in need.
After the main event, children roam the
lawn, participating in an array of activities
and visiting food stalls, learning about healthy
lifestyles, nutrition and exercise. Participants
also receive a certificate, event T-shirt and
thank-you gift, and Kraft Cares treats them to
appearances by prominent German athletes
and celebrities. This year’s featured guests
included former football star Thomas Helmer
and his wife Yasmina Fìlali.
But no matter the quality of gift or level
of celebrity, Jacobs says the Kinder laufen für
Kinder kick-off event would not be successful
without the help of staff and facilities at the
Munich Airport, which boasts the vast outdoor visitors park as well as a 10,000-squaremeter rooftop venue (not to mention a
mini-golf course, cinema, shopping mall, the
Municon conference centre and the FMG
Training Centre, Munich Airport Academy).
“They are a very good partner for us,”
she said. “They are kind and uncomplicated.
They help with promotions, advertising and
10.09
p038-039 Connections 1009.indd 38
9/29/09 7:33:07 AM
public relations. And they give us the
space for free.”
That space normally sells for about
€10,000 a day, says Michael Otremba,
vice president of non-aviation marketing
for the Munich Airport and staff liaison
to the Kinder laufen für Kinder event.
He says the annual run is just one way in
which the airport is trying to integrate itself into the local community. The facility
also plays host to dozens of other events
including beach volleyball tournaments
and football matches.
But Otremba is especially passionate
about the Kinder laufen für Kinder pro-
gram, which he says serves both his immediate community and the global community
beyond through SOS Children’s Villages.
“Social responsibility cannot start too
early,” he said. “This event combines sports
activity and teaches our children that they
must do good for others. This event fits
within our airport’s strategy for community
sustainability.”
It also positions the airport as a valuable
resource to the city and an area leader in corporate social responsibility, which isn’t such a
bad thing either.
—JESSIE STATES
mpiweb.org
p038-039 Connections 1009.indd 39
39
9/24/09 8:38:51 AM
IRRELEVANT
Scent of a Vulcan
Ever wondered how Captain
Kirk attracted all those hot
aliens? It wasn’t the lopsided
wig, the ham-laden gravitas
or the way he spoke. As. If.
Each. Word. Was. Its. Own.
Sentence. No, James Tiberius
Kirk was a hit because he
smelt fantastic. And so can
you, thanks to three fine Star
Trek colognes: Red Shirt,
Tiberius and Pon Farr (for
the ladies). Set to stun, these
fully licensed fragrances boldly
go where no scents have
gone before. (Firebox.com,
US$29.95)
40
one+
10.09
p040 Irrelevant 1009.indd 40
9/24/09 9:36:32 AM
1009_041.indd 41
9/30/09 8:03:34 AM
1009_042-043.indd 42
9/24/09 11:39:58 AM
1009_042-043.indd 43
10/1/09 7:44:17 AM
Mike
van der Vijver
Global View
Finding the
Words
I CHALLENGE ANY READER OF
THIS COLUMN TO TELL US WHAT
A HO‘OPONOPONO IS. Give up? A
44
one+
10.09
p044 Global View 1009.indd 44
BIO
ho‘oponopono is a meeting among Hawaiians, meant to solve a problem. The meeting
goal is clear enough: We have a problem,
during the ho‘oponopono we are going to
solve it and as long as the problem isn’t
solved, the ho‘oponopono goes on. Some
may recognize this as being SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and
time-related).
MPI’s Future of Meetings Task Force
shows that the meeting industry is aware
that the value of meetings needs to be
made more explicit. As meeting designers, we experience clients’ efficiencies and
effectiveness needs on a daily basis. They
ask us (openly, but more often implicitly)
to help them improve the efficacy of what
happens inside the meeting room, to come
up with solutions that tackle not only the
efficiency of meeting logistics, but that also
get results and outcomes for the primary
meeting process—participants wanting to
get somewhere.
Reporting on such outcomes is often dismal. On post-conference Web sites, you find
painful sentences such as, “The workshop
provided a forum to discuss and examine
various issues that play an important part
and formulate recommendations for the
future.” Do these words give us any intelligent clue about what participants did and
achieved during the meeting? Would you
spend your money on an event like this?
If meetings are to become more effective,
we need to be able to describe their impacts
on participants and how to make those
impacts measurable. And that is not an easy
job. It means we have to figure out what
things happening inside the meeting room
are beneficial to meeting outcomes, what to
call those processes and how to steer them.
We need to do this proactively, because, if
not, we are unable to demonstrate the value
of meetings.
Are we able to help meeting owners clarify their goals with words such as
ho‘oponopono? Yes, these words help to
some extent, but we need more than just
a few inspiring meeting formats. Crucial
groundwork is required, and it is required
urgently if the meeting industry wants to
maintain its license to operate. The groundwork is: What are the main processes that
take place during meetings and what words
can we use to describe and quantify the
specific quality we want these processes to
have?
Developing answers to these questions
is good for our clients and for us. If nothing
else, it means we will probably no longer
read sentences like these in conference
reports: “This conference paid more attention to issues that received less attention
before.”
MIKE VAN DER VIJVER is a freelance consultant, trainer and facilitator
who resides in Italy and the Netherlands. He has more than 20 years experience in the meeting industry, and for the past eight years has worked
as a meeting designer for MindMeeting, the company he co-founded.
9/22/09 9:04:59 AM
1009_045.indd 45
9/30/09 8:04:42 AM
Katja
Morgenstern
One Bite at a Time
Of Course My
Cheesecake is
Baked!
I RECENTLY HAD AN INTERESTING
CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE TOP
U.S. PASTRY CHEFS.
46
one+
10.09
p046-047 One Bite at a aTime 1009.indd 46
BIO
“Are your cheesecakes baked?” I asked.
“Of course they are baked. What kind
of operation do you think I am running
here? I do not serve JELL-O ‘No Bake’
Cheesecake!”
“I apologize for asking, but I needed to
be certain.”
I imagine he was feeling somewhat
insulted and indignant because I asked him
if he served JELL-O Cheesecake. I can not
even begin to guess what must have really
been going through this amazing pastry
chef’s mind. I have seen and tasted his creations (they are magnificent), and it pained
me to even ask him that question. Yet, I did
ask, because I owed it to my attendees. I had
received a very specific request in regards to
allergies from several of my attendees. I had
to be sure, so I risked insulting the wonderful chef and asked the question.
And to take it one step further, adding
insult to injury, I had to ask that he actually label his cheesecakes as “Fully Baked
Cheesecakes.”
While the above scenario would make
any meeting planner laugh, food allergies
are no laughing matter. They are a serious consideration when planning meals
for meetings and conferences. While planners can’t always accommodate all meal
requests, making every attempt to consider
major allergens is a priority. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3.3 million Americans are allergic
to peanuts or tree nuts, and 6.9 million
are allergic to seafood. A quick search on
WebMD gives us the astounding statistic:
12 million Americans have some form of
food allergy. This accounts for approximately 30,000 emergency room visits and
up to 200 deaths per year. As far as statistics
go, these numbers are really not that high,
but as a meeting planner, I don’t want even
one severe reaction at my event because
food that I planned was improperly labeled.
There is a distinct difference between
a food allergy and a food intolerance. A
food allergy is an immune system response.
This means that when an attendee ingests—
or sometimes merely comes into contact
with—an allergen, the body releases histamine to battle the offending protein in the
food that is causing the allergic response. A
food intolerance, on the other hand, generally only creates a digestive response, not
an immune response. While both are never
a good thing, a food allergy is a greater risk
and concern that every planner needs to
consider.
Based on recent statistics and studies, the
U.S. Food and Drug Administration estimates that 90 percent of all food allergies
fall into one of the following categories.
1. Dairy or Whey
2. Egg
KATJA MORGENSTERN is a senior project manager for Meeting Consultants Inc. She is an active MPI member, speaker and industry veteran.
She can be reached at kmorgenstern@meetingconsultants.com.
9/21/09 9:06:22 AM
Tips for Allergy-Friendly Menu Planning
• Label everything, including
things as simple as “Fully
Cooked Cheesecake.”
• It is better to over-label your
buffet or plated meals than to
not have enough labels.
• When serving a plated meal,
include all major ingredients in
a menu card at each seat.
• When serving foods that
contain potential allergens,
offer additional foods without
the offending item. If you have
a buffet with two proteins (for
example, one fish dish and one
chicken dish), I wouldn’t serve
cashew-encrusted chicken,
since both seafood and tree
nuts are major potential
allergens in a large percentage
of adults. Instead, I would
include a simpler chicken dish
with the fish.
• Be sure to include “Contains
Nuts, Whey or Soy” on all your
labels if the product contains
any of those items.
• Be especially aware of
certain vegetarian dishes
that may contain pine nuts or
mushrooms. These are typical
ingredients in the traditional
vegetarian pasta option and
are common allergens.
3. Peanut (legume)
4. Tree Nuts—macadamia, pine, Brazil,
pecan, cashew, almond, walnut, gingko and
hickory
5. Seafood—flounder, trout, salmon, etc.
6. Shellfish—crawfish, shrimp, crab, lobster, etc.
7. Soy or Lecithin
8. Wheat or Flour
The most common adult food allergies
are peanuts, tree nuts and shellfish. There
are several other allergies to consider, but
you can focus on the top eight when planning or outlining your menus. People suffering from shellfish, peanut or tree nut
allergies may not need to ingest those items
• Offer attendees the option to
list or check off their allergies
upon registration.
• Talk with your chef and
catering partner to plan a
meal that takes into account
major allergies.
• When laying out your
buffets or receptions, keep
in mind that certain allergies
don’t require ingestion but
may simply react to contact.
Keep peanuts, tree nuts and
shellfish separate from other
major food groups if at all
possible.
in order to have an allergic reaction. A reaction could occur simply from contact with
the product (such as dust, shells or any other
byproduct).
I would never knowingly or willingly
insult a chef, of any caliber, except when it
relates to the health of an attendee. I did go
back and ask the attendees why the food
needed to be cooked. According to several
folks with slight dairy allergies, if the dairy
product is cooked or baked, they can consume the food, in small quantities. I, too, am
a sucker for a really good cheesecake, so I
can understand the push for me to ask if the
cake was baked or not.
Major Signs and Symptoms of an Allergic Reaction
• Wheezing, tightness of the throat
• Difficulty swallowing
• Hives, rash
• Itchy eyes, nose, throat and skin
• Swelling of the eyes, lips, nose and tongue
• Symptoms usually begin within three hours after contact
mpiweb.org
p046-047 One Bite at a aTime 1009.indd 47
47
9/29/09 7:33:52 AM
Tim
Sanders
Transform the World
Meetings Mean
Business
I PARTICIPATED IN DOZENS OF MEETINGS—sales rallies, customer events and
48
one+
10.09
p048-049 Transform World 1009.indd 48
BIO
planning offsites—at Yahoo for years before
I was a professional speaker. When I first
came to the company in 2000, we had meetings every other week (it seemed).
All the locations had one thing in common: good weather. We networked, learned
about our industry and bonded. We heard
talks from outside luminaries such as Malcolm Gladwell and Dr. Julius Erving.
The year 2000 ended on an ugly financial
note, and budgets were trimmed. The next
year, the stock market crashed, and budgets
were filleted to the marrow. We had about
six meetings in 2002. Total.
They were Spartan, too, held at costeffective locations and more regional in
focus. We provisioned resources from
everywhere to make ends meet. Most
speakers were internal PowerPoint jockeys,
and the educational programs were largely
snore fests.
“Price” replaced “The Experience” as the
criteria for event spend. All along, I knew
that if Google started meeting again, for
real, they’d have better morale and connectivity with each other, and we’d get behind.
By early 2003, I got wind that Microsoft’s
MSN network was on a meeting tear with
national sales, customer and industry events
rolling out to support new products.
Along with several Yahoo employees that
served on the meetings committees, I worked
on a plan to educate our leadership about
the financial value proposition of meetings.
We needed to position meetings as a haveto investment, instead of an entitlement or
a luxury. We partnered with sales, finance
and ops people to analyze the sales productivity “bump” that historically took place
after our sales conference. We partnered
with finance, sales and customer care to
analyze the incremental spend of customers
who attended our event. The more we put
numbers to events, the more credibility our
vice presidents and directors had when they
asked for more meetings and budget to go
with them. And we started to meet again.
Sound a little familiar? The recession,
politicians, layoffs…all of these factors limit
the total, size and scope of your meetings.
Your people are less connected than ever,
and morale is low. If your competitor suddenly starts meeting, they will likely be targeting you—asleep at the wheel, shrinking
your way to greatness.
So take control and turn meetings into
business investments. Talk the language
of business and help your corporate or
association stakeholders succeed as they
get you incremental meetings and budget.
Remember: Your sales VP loves the national
and international sales rally. It’s the
only way to introduce product and
people and get that big boost in confidence. Your membership director
loves meetings as a way to provide
education services, network members
together and market new products.
Your HR group loves their annual
TIM SANDERS, a top-rated speaker on the lecture circuit, is the
author of Saving the World at Work: What Companies and Individuals Can Do to
Go Beyond Making a Profit to Making a Difference (Doubleday, September 2008).
Check out his Web site at www.timsanders.com.
9/21/09 9:10:26 AM
planning offsite as well as what the incentive
meetings do for the retention of top sales
talent. So you have friends in high places—
they just need proof that your meetings are
money in the bank.
Here are four ways to demonstrate the
business value of meetings.
1. Measure the Lift. If you program
events for motivation, inspiration and
buy-in, you’ll likely change behavior in the
attendees immediately. For a sales conference, you’ll likely be able to see an increase
in call volume (via call logs), prospecting (via
sales force automation) or actual sales. Measure the period before and after the meeting
over 30-day windows. Association professionals should measure the traffic to Web
sites, membership numbers or incremental
member spend right after annual or regional
events. For customer/user events, measure
the incremental spend and retention figures
over a longer period, up to a year.
2. Document the Savings. Chances are,
your meetings reduce the expenses associated with product rollouts and process
improvements. With breakouts, dozens of
smaller in-office meetings are no longer necessary. Document the costs that would occur
without your national or global meetings
including shipping, executive time, presenter
travel, logistics and telephone. Also, see if
you can measure the savings associated with
the coordination and elimination of duplication that occurs at meetings when everyone
“gets on the same page.”
3. Benchmark the Competition. Network
via friends, Web searches and social media
to find out if your competitors are meeting.
Document locations, speakers and the buzz
associated with those events. If you can
prove that you are being out-met, you will
likely increase the urgency of your business
partners as they campaign for meetings.
4. Evangelize the Power of Meetings.
MPI provides ample resources to document
the educational, inspirational, practical and
networking value of meetings. Create a
short-but-smart PowerPoint and play host to
brown bag lunches across your organization.
If you’re a hospitality provider or meeting
vendor, offer to conduct a presentation for
your meeting planner clients or at industry
functions. Focus on business decision makers, executives and finance staff.
You and I know that meetings matter:
They change the world. If you are willing
to roll up your sleeves and do some slide
ruler work, you can get back to having them
again with adequate if not ample budgets for
production. Never let your guard down in
the future, even during bull markets. Meetings mean business, and it’s your job to talkthe-talk at all times.
Follow Tim Sanders on
Twitter @sanderssays.
mpiweb.org
p048-049 Transform World 1009.indd 49
49
9/21/09 9:10:32 AM
Steve
Kemble
A Dose of Sass
A Fashionable
Impression
MY PASSION FOR FASHION IS NO
SECRET. Nothing inspires my event and
meeting design work more than the colors and textures of fashion. Recently, I
spent eight days in New York attending
Fashion Week, reporting for CBS television and radio. My adrenaline has never
pumped at such an energetic pace! From
the parties to the fashion shows (designers were showing their spring 2010 collections), I left inspired and wanted to
share some of my experiences with you
in hopes that you, too, are inspired to
bring some of the fabulousness into your
events.
50
one+
10.09
p050-051 A Dose of Sass 1009.indd 50
BIO
ON THE EVENT FRONT
Aroma. When playing host to an event,
whether it be hundreds of white rose
bushes lining the entry or a delicious and
amazing dish, you must remember to
touch people’s senses.
Bite Size Hors d’oeuvres. At most
of the Fashion Week events, caterers
discovered the world of bite-size hors
d’oeuvres. When I say bite-size, I really
mean bite-size; one bite and you’re done.
No napkins, skewers, forks or plates,
which makes a party experience much
more enjoyable. I wish more of the caterers had been conscious about garlic and
onions in appetizers. Trust me, it is not
enjoyable to be in conversation with people who have just popped a garlic-infused
appetizer.
Candles. Every event I attended was
flooded with candles. You cannot create
a more sexy, romantic and cost-effective
atmosphere better than with candles. In
all shapes and sizes, they are still the hottest party design trend, and if you use
them en masse you will still be considered
cutting edge. However, beware of using
scented candles on dining tables and food
buffets. Nothing should compete with the
fabulous aromas of your food.
ON THE FASHION FRONT
What we now see on the runway, a year
or two later we will see in the colors, patterns and accessory trends in event and
meeting design.
Gold! Gold! And More Gold! I saw
gold everywhere. If you’ve got gold, don’t
hesitate to break it out. From food service
serving pieces to table accents to drapery
treatments, gold is going to make a strong
comeback. I find it quite refreshing after
spending so many years awash in silver
and pewter tone finishes.
Organic. This probably will not come
as a big surprise, but I saw a bunch of
organic elements in the designers’ collections. The famously quirky dresser David
Arquette has a clothing line made from
organic products with his business partner Ben Harper called Propr—intentionally misspelled. Don’t hesitate to bring
organic fabrics, both textured and eclectic, into your event in furniture, draperies,
STEVE KEMBLE has been the magic behind countless international events
for more than 20 years, from celebrating NFL players’ accomplishments
to organizing parties for two presidents. Follow him at www.adoseofsass.
com or on Twitter @stevekemblechat.
9/21/09 9:45:13 AM
If you’ve got gold,
don’t hesitate to
break it out.
linens and cushions.
Architecture. Many of the collections
I saw had strong architectural elements,
which made me think about events and
meetings. People think of architecture as
only relating to the design of the overall
event itself, but architecture should also
be reflected in the elements inside your
event. Select pieces for the furniture collection in your lounge environment much
like a designer selects the different pieces
for his or her clothing collections—it all
ties together magnificently. Not only does
the process of selecting the furniture itself
take time, so does selecting the various
components that make it a unique and
remarkable environment. For example,
once designers determine the architecture
of a particular garment (what it will look
like), they then spend months looking at
fabrics. I recommend selecting furniture
with a distinctive architecture that will be
fabulous the day you select it and 50 years
from now.
If you want to make a fashionable
impression on your clients and their guests
consider the colors and textures of fashion.
Much as designers select a theme for their
collections, you can be inspired from fashion
for the next theme you present to your
client.
mpiweb.org
p050-051 A Dose of Sass 1009.indd 51
51
9/21/09 9:45:20 AM
Youth for Change
+
The 2008 National Service-Learning Conference in
Minneapolis shows how service-learning can build academic
skills and citizenship among young adults, as well as
communicating the need for involvement within local and
global communities.
BY KEVIN WOO
“THE WORLD IS PASSING THROUGH
TROUBLOUS TIMES,” an Amiens priest
PHOTOS COURTESY NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL
52
one+
once said. “The young people of today
think of nothing but themselves.”
While the observation might be interpreted as a pessimistic view of today’s
world, it was actually made by Peter the
Hermit in 1274.
Too frequently, during the course of history, youth have been described as uninterested and uninvolved. It would be easy for
teens and 20-somethings to throw up their
hands and blame the world’s problems on
earlier generations.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the South
African cleric and 1984 Nobel Peace Prize
winner, however, offered a dramatically
different point of view as he addressed an
audience of 2,600 at the 2008 National
Service-Learning Conference (NSLC) in
April 2008 at the Minneapolis Convention
Center. Archbishop Tutu told the audience
that through the years it’s been young people who often change the course of world
events.
“Have you noticed how at very crucial
moments in history God has used young
people to be his collaborator, partner and
fellow worker?” Archbishop Tutu asked the
audience during his keynote address.
He then recounted the Bible story of
Jacob’s youngest son, Joseph, who was chosen to stave off the devastating effects of
widespread hunger.
“When the Egyptians were suffering from famine and starvation, God sent
Joseph, the last born of the family, to [help
others] escape the riggers of famine and
starvation,” he said.
NSLC links youth, educators and communities to promote service-learning in
schools. Service-learning is a type of experiential education that integrates traditional
classroom education with actions that benefit the recipient as well as the participant.
“Service learning is different than volunteerism,” said Amy Meuers, NSLC conference director. “With service-learning you’re
not only doing something for someone else,
you’re learning something that is tied to a
curriculum. Volunteerism only involves
going into a community and putting in
10.09
p052-055 Dest Minneapolis 1009.indd 52
9/22/09 9:13:24 AM
+
Fun Facts
The name “Minneapolis” is derived from
“minne,” meaning water, and the Greek
word “polis,” which means city.
+
Bloomington, a suburb about 10 miles
south of Minneapolis, is home to the Mall
of America, one of the world’s largest
shopping malls. The mall is approximately
the size of 78 football fields—about 9.5
million square feet.
What’s
New in
Minneapolis
One block from the Minneapolis Convention Center
is a new, 210-room Hilton
Garden Inn. The hotel
is also convenient to the
Nicollet Mall, downtown
entertainment and the
business district.
In April, the Minnesota
Twins will open a new
baseball park, Target
Field. The ballpark will
feature 40,000 seats,
nearly half in the lower
bowl. The lower bowl seats
will be among the closest
to the action in all of major
league baseball.
Minneapolis’ enclosed walkway, which
enables people to live, eat, work and shop
in the downtown area without going outside,
connects 52 city blocks.
hours on a project.”
The conference’s plenary sessions and
exhibits were dedicated to teaching how
service-learning can simultaneously build
academic skills and citizenship among
young adults, as well as communicating
the need for involvement within local and
global communities.
Through service-learning projects, the
students applied knowledge learned in the
classroom with real-world projects. The
students used their background in English,
math, geography, chemistry and physics
while working on such projects as writing
letters to Iraqi school children, fundraising,
packaging food for needy families and conducting community projects.
Several programs were conducted at the
convention center to attract the attention
of all attendees. One example was a program called “Letters for Peace,” which saw
attendees write letters to children in Iraq
expressing support and encouragement.
The letters were translated into Arabic and
mailed by the national Letters for Peace
organization to children in Iraq.
Because the “Letters for Peace” activity
was conducted on site, it served as a model
of in-class service-learning projects for
those who don’t have the flexibility to leave
the classroom for empirical experiences.
“Anything that is more experiential will
be more engaging for the young people,”
Meuers said. “But the ‘Letters for Peace’
project is a great example of something you
can do on site. You’re doing something that
will better the world, but you don’t have to
go anywhere.”
Another onsite program was “Art for
Change in South Africa,” involving two
Philadelphia-based nonprofit organizations: Foundations Charter School and the
Multicultural Youth Exchange. It enabled
attendees to decorate donated T-shirts with
messages of peace, hope and youth for a
change. Once decorated, the shirts were
sent to South African schools.
Most of the NSLC activities allowed
students and faculty partners to get out into
the local community to serve those who are
underprivileged. Three projects—“Feed
My Starving Children,” “Empty Bowls”
mpiweb.org
p052-055 Dest Minneapolis 1009.indd 53
53
9/21/09 9:25:25 AM
+
Transportation Tip
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is located 12
miles from downtown Minneapolis. MSP is a major hub for Northwest
Airlines. Taxi fare from the airport to the downtown area runs approximately US$35.
54
one+
and “Second Harvest Heartland”—helped
feed the hungry.
“Feed My Starving Children” was a program designed to benefit children in Haiti.
Sixty conference delegates measured and
combined three dry powders that, when
mixed with water, turn into a fully nutritious
meal. The individual meal packets were
boxed and sent to Minneapolis churches for
distribution to Haitian communities.
“Empty Bowls” and “Second Harvest Heartland” were initiatives designed
to fight the hunger crisis in Minneapolis.
For “Empty Bowls,” conference attendees
made, glazed and sold ceramic bowls. The
proceeds were donated to local food banks,
soup kitchens and other organizations that
help fight hunger.
“Second Harvest Heartland” was a project that saw students pack food boxes for
low-income seniors and mothers with children under age 6.
While much of the industrialized world
is moving toward energy conservation and
the long-term effects of global warming,
much of the African continent remains dark
at night. The “Light Up Your Life” project
saw the students make solar-powered flashlights from recycled material. The flashlights were distributed to villages in Tanzania, enabling local residents to more easily
10.09
p052-055 Dest Minneapolis 1009.indd 54
9/22/09 9:14:33 AM
travel at night.
Tony Cervone, a Minneapolis-based science teacher, created kits containing raw
materials, and the attendees learned to
transform the materials into working flashlights. The students learned about the different villages in Tanzania where the flashlights
would be sent and how the devices would
benefit local communities. The “Light Up
Your Life” project was tied to geography
and science education.
Several inner city projects were also
undertaken to boost the restoration of
neighborhoods and public areas around
Minneapolis.
The Blake School environmental science
class, the Outdoor Environmental Club and
members of the NSLC delegation spent a
day at Spring Lake cleaning the park area
of invasive plants and overgrown vegetation, which had overtaken the area after
the spring runoff. The issues of invasive
species, water quality/testing and pollution
were integrated into school subjects such as
chemistry and biology.
Forty-five conference attendees went into
an inner city neighborhood to remove graffiti that had been tagged on homes and businesses. Known as the “Anti-Graffiti Squad,”
the participants utilized their knowledge of
math and chemistry to clean up areas that
had been hard hit by taggers. By going out
into the community, the students were able
to discover the long-term challenges associated with living in the inner city.
“Young people are our idealists. You
dream dreams,” Archbishop Tutu said.
“You as young people go out as Peace
Corps volunteers, often leaving affluent
homes, to go and work in poverty stricken
parts of the world. Dream with me for a
new kind of world.”
KEVIN WOO has written extensively about
the global meeting and event industry.
mpiweb.org
p052-055 Dest Minneapolis 1009.indd 55
55
9/22/09 9:15:20 AM
SANTA FE CVB
+
What’s
New in
New Mexico
Learning from
Experience
Education support association takes the plunge at the new
Santa Fe Convention Center.
BY SANDI CAIN
WHEN SANTA FE, N.M., ANNOUNCED
THAT ITS NEW CONVENTION CENTER
WOULD OPEN IN FALL 2008, David
Rogers knew it was the opportunity he’d
been waiting for to expand the reach of his
organization, Dual Language Education of
New Mexico (DLeNM). Rogers, executive
director of the Albuquerque-based group,
wanted to rotate the group’s annual conference around the state to show support for
local schools. But he was stymied by a lack
of sufficient facilities for the roughly 1,200
attendees of training program La Cosecha
each year.
So it was no surprise that La Cosecha
ended up being the first large group to meet
at the newly expanded facility in November,
56
one+
even though Rogers knew it would be a
tight fit. The Santa Fe Convention Center
has 40,000 square feet of event space, and
there are 1,500 hotel rooms within walking
distance of the center along with additional
meeting space at those hotels.
“We thought with the number of hotels
nearby we could manage the number of
people,” Rogers said.
They pulled it off, though, with a few
growing pains along the way.
One surprise for Rogers was the need to
hold more offsite sessions than originally
planned. The organization knew it would
quickly use up the meeting space at the
convention center, but when the fire marshal said the group couldn’t place exhibit
A 387-room Hilton and
79-suite Homewood
Suites by Hilton opened
last fall at Buffalo Thunder
Resort 12 miles north of
Santa Fe. The hotels are
on Pojoaque tribal land and
feature convention facilities, entertainment and a
new casino.
The Sheraton
Albuquerque Uptown
Hotel completed a
US$25 million renovation
that included its 17,000
square feet of meeting
space and its 295 guest
rooms.
The new Santa Fe
Convention Center
opened last fall and has
40,000 square feet
of event space within
walking distance of 1,500
downtown hotel rooms.
10.09
p056-059 Dest New Mexico 1009.indd 56
9/22/09 9:24:18 AM
SANTA FE CVB (2)
booths in the lobby, they had to use some
session space for exhibits and scramble to
find more offsite rooms. The Ghost Ranch,
headquarters Hotel Plaza Real and even the
First Presbyterian Church came through to
help.
“People need to know that they’ll have
to sacrifice [meeting] space for exhibitors,”
Rogers said.
That was one example of the need for
planners to be ready with a Plan B when
working in a new facility. In this case, the
news came as a surprise to convention center Executive Director Keith Toller, too.
“You can only go by what the fire marshal tells you, which always seems to be less
than [typical] meetings standards,” Toller
said.
With extra signage, Rogers says the offsite sessions went off without a hitch.
Toller admits, though, there were a few
glitches in pre-planning, but says the building staff was ready for the group and the
glitches mostly reflected new people or procedures. Even he had trouble getting parking prices because the convention center
doesn’t control the parking.
Since most attendees were staying close
to the convention center, Toller thought it
would be easy enough for them to walk
or take shuttles from outlying hotels, and
that the parking charge would only affect a
few. While that was the case for most, a few
attendees were unable to walk from their
hotels for physical reasons, and the hotel
shuttles to the convention center didn’t run
on demand. Those attendees were met with
a higher parking fee than the group originally was given, Rogers says.
+
Transportation
Tips
The New Mexico Rail Runner
Express now operates train
service between Albuquerque and
Santa Fe.
Daily American Eagle flights
were launched between Dallas
and Santa Fe in June. The airline
will begin a Santa Fe-Los Angeles
route in November.
Passengers arriving in Albuquerque by train from Santa Fe can
get to the airport from the Downtown Albuquerque StationAirport Connection.
mpiweb.org
p056-059 Dest New Mexico 1009.indd 57
57
9/22/09 9:24:24 AM
SANTA FE CVB
+
New Mexico
Fun Facts
Santa Fe is the second-oldest U.S. city
and the oldest in the West.
The first Space Port America broke
ground in June 45 miles from Las Cruces,
one of New Mexico’s largest cities. Virgin
Galactic—which started taking reservations
for space flights two years ago—will base its
personal space flight business there.
The Albuquerque International Balloon
Fiesta is the world’s largest hot-air balloon
festival and draws more than
700 balloons each fall.
58
one+
MPI New Mexico Chapter member
Arlene Schiffer of destination management
company Passport New Mexico (which was
not involved with the DLeNM event) says
transportation issues are among the reasons
that many planners try to keep room blocks
within the historic district.
“Santa Fe is a smaller city that has no
bus companies,” she said.
Making up for minor new-building
glitches, the convention center staff performed admirably in preparing for a concert by Los Lobos held in conjunction with
the closing banquet.
“To see our guys turn the room from a
general session to a setup for [Los Lobos]
in one afternoon [tells me] they really knew
what they were doing,” Toller said.
Rogers credited Cowgirl BBQ Catering
for its help with the preparations and gave
high praise to the banquet chef and his crew
for their efforts.
“It was one of the smoother large events
we’ve done,” said Cowgirl’s Nicholas
Ballas.
From his point of view, minor problems
were related to new equipment and new
staff working in a new building. They
involved figuring out how to change the air
temperature, operate new coffeemakers or
work with other new equipment.
“There was a learning curve,” Ballas
said. “It’s like buying a new car and getting
used to the features.”
What helped make the banquet and concert a success in Ballas’ eyes was the way
DLeNM crew and volunteers, the convention center and Cowgirl were able to use
their “willingness to produce” to work
together and make the event a success.
“It’s a fantastic facility with lots of kitchens and preparation areas that made it easy
to succeed,” Ballas said.
The end result was happy attendees.
“From a participant’s perspective, it was
a very positive experience,” said Rogers,
who heard a lot of buzz about area restaurants, the breakfast at Garrett’s Desert Inn
and the hotels.
The Hilton Santa Fe Historic District
played host to a few small meetings for
the group before the annual conference
10.09
p056-059 Dest New Mexico 1009.indd 58
9/23/09 7:44:58 AM
COWGIRL BBQ CATERING
began and had a block of rooms for the
group. Sales manager Anabelle Tiberi says
the block was slow to fill at first, but came
together in the end.
“Rogers was one of the easiest planners
I’ve worked with in a long time,” she said.
The proof: La Cosecha is scheduled to
be back in Santa Fe in 2010. Rogers says
he’s happy that convention center representatives want to build a long-term relationship with the group. His plan to have
more details in the contract will help to
avoid some of the early glitches from 2008.
In addition, DLeNM plans to use Hotel La
Fonda on the Santa Fe Plaza along with the
Hilton and another hotel for meeting space
that’s convenient to the convention center.
La Fonda alone has about half the space
Rogers expects to need for the event next
year, making it easier to juggle sessions and
exhibitors between the properties.
SANDI CAIN is an experienced meeting
and event industry writer based in California.
mpiweb.org
p056-059 Dest New Mexico 1009.indd 59
59
9/22/09 9:24:37 AM
+
What’s
New in Berlin
Coming Home
Berlin-Tempelhof Airport is reinvented as an event
venue for the homecoming Bread & Butter trade fair.
BY ROB COTTER
AT PRECISELY 23:55:30 ON OCT. 30,
2008, TWO AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF IN PARALLEL FROM THE RUNWAYS OF BERLINTEMPELHOF AIRPORT. The Junkers Ju 52
The first guerrilla restaurant—an unlicensed
restaurant in a secret
location—recently opened
in Berlin, where you can
experience an intimate
evening’s dining in a building in the central Kreuzberg area. Bookings for
up to eight from Friday to
Sunday, every weekend.
Visit www.theshychef.
wordpress.com for more
information.
PHOTOS COURTESY BREAD & BUTTER GMBH
and the Douglas DC3 (the “Raisin Bomber”
of the famous Berlin airlift), the final crafts to
leave from this historic airfield, waved their
wings in a goodbye salute, their destination
the planned Berlin-Brandenburg International
Airport on the fringe of the city. At exactly
midnight the runway lights and the iconic
airfield light, a visual landmark over the
surrounding old-Berlin streets of the Kreuzberg area since the 1940s, were permanently
switched off. Tempelhof closed for business,
and its airfield and future lay in darkness.
Some months after this farewell flight,
another notable closure took place in
southern Europe, this time unknown to the
general public. Between Jan. 21-23, Bread &
Butter took place in Barcelona, Spain, for the
final time. A major feature on the Barcelona
circuit since 2005, this leading design trade
show had grown from its modest origins four
years prior in the German city of Cologne
to become an international event attracting
almost 1,000 exhibitors and 100,000 visitors
from 100 countries.
With the doors of the Fira de Barcelona
recently closed after the final day of Bread &
Butter, it would have been unthinkable that
there could be any synergy between a disused
airport and this leading international trade
fair for the textile industry. But Berlin was
the city that initially conferred international
exposure on Bread & Butter, the fair having
Part art installation and
part alleviation of dense
urban living, the Badeschiff on the River Spree
is one of Berlin’s latest
and greatest assets.
A hollowed out barge
now contains a 100-foot
swimming pool that floats
on the river. Accessed by
a decked boardwalk on
the river, it’s the unique
summer swim experience. Artificial beach,
cafe, open-air bar and
concert venue complete
the scene.
p060-063 Dest Berlin 1009.indd 60
9/22/09 9:34:22 AM
+
Fun Facts
In and Around
Berlin-Tempelhof
moved there from Cologne in 2003. To capture the entire European market, the show
ran on a bi-annual, dual-city basis from 2005
to 2007—the Berlin-Barcelona north-south
axis Eurovision concept—recording exponential growth. And the company had always
kept its headquarters in Berlin and remained
a Berlin company. And so, on Jan. 29 a press
release from Bread & Butter announced that
it would be “coming home” to the Tempelhof airport as its next venue.
For months preceding the January event
in Barcelona, negotiations had been under
way between the Bread & Butter board,
Berlin city officials and the Berliner Immobilien Management (BIM) Group (a daughter
company of the state of Berlin responsible
for the management of the airport since its
closure) about bringing the trade show back
to Berlin.
“We never doubted Berlin as a location,”
said Karl-Heinz Müller, Bread & Butter managing director. “On the contrary, we were
simply lacking the adequate event venue. The
airport Berlin-Tempelhof has been an option
for us for quite some time, but it was not
available in those times. Now that it is available, we use this historical chance to return
home.”
This is indeed a historical chance for the
city of Berlin and for Bread & Butter, as well
as a great challenge to the organizers. But
what makes an airport an option for such
a trade show, and how would the organizers be able to modify and manage access to
the internal spaces of the airport building to
meet expected visitor levels? Furthermore,
the airport is legally protected under German
On the Mehringdamm—the road leading from central Berlin to Tempelhof—
is a restaurant called Kaiser Stein. At
the roadside in front of this restaurant
is the stone that Kaiser Wilhelm I
used to mount and dismount his horse
on the way to the Tempelhof military
parade grounds.
In the sloping Viktoria Park opposite
Tempelhof airport, grapes had been
cultivated for wine since the 16th
century, long before its landscaping
for park purposes in the late 19th
century. In a small corner of the park,
grapes have once again been cultivated since 1968 in collaboration with
Rheinhessen vintners, producing a
limited quantity of the unique KreuzNeroberger wine every year.
Historical Buildings and Monuments, making any proposed internal modifications subject to extremely high levels of scrutiny.
“The industry demands something spectacular from us, but also something that
serves the industry needs,” Müller said. “The
market is the boss, and it needs a substantial renewal and further development. We
will further expand these [visitor] numbers
in Berlin and above all, in connection with
the spectacular location, the airport BerlinTempelhof.”
For all organizers involved, the layout of
the airport is well disposed to event planning
by virtue of its original design. The quarter
circle C form of the departure hall and aircraft hangars—known fondly by Berliners as “the coat hanger”—was designed by
Ernst Sagebiel to reflect an eagle in flight
On the Dudenstraße opposite Tempelhof sits a 1941-built, 60-foot
cylindrical concrete Schwerbelastungskörper (heavy loading body) as
a study for Hitler’s plans to build a
Grand Avenue running through Berlin.
Advised that if it sank more than 2.5
inches into the soil the building plans
wouldn’t be realizable, the block sank
more than 7 inches. Hitler advised his
chief architect, Albert Speer, to ignore
the results—fortunately none of the
building plans were carried out.
mpiweb.org
p060-063 Dest Berlin 1009.indd 61
61
9/23/09 7:46:01 AM
+
Transportation Tips
Visitors can fly to either of Berlin’s two airports—Tegel in the old City West
or Schönefeld on the Southeast fringe. They are equidistant from Tempelhof
with a connection at either Zoologischer Garten (via bus/taxi from Tegel) or
Friedrichstraße (via S-bahn/Regional-Express or taxi from Schönefeld) U- and
S-Bahn stations. The Tempelhof airport entrance is at Platz der Luftbrucke UBahn station on the U6, the world’s first direct airport underground station.
While in the city, a two- to three-day Berlin Welcome Card offers unlimited
travel on public transport as well as a city map and 50 percent reduction to
130 city highlights.
For those who prefer to travel green, the city offer velotaxis as well as a dispersed fleet of rental cycles supplied by Deutsche Bahn. Simply call the number
on the bike, give your credit card details and the bike is remotely unlocked.
62
one+
and constructed between 1935 and 1941.
At more than 3,900 feet, it’s still one of the
world’s longest contiguous buildings and has
a suspended canopy on the runway side that
could accommodate aircraft and shelter passengers from the elements.
The building has been divided by the
Bread & Butter architect team into nine continuous zones for exhibition purposes, seven
of them the hangars on either side of the central hall, in what has been conceived as stylistically coordinated “neighborhoods.” The
main entrance to the airport is to function as
the general entrance to the trade show, with
buses available to shuttle visitors around the
airfield area beyond the canopy between the
exhibition areas.
The airport’s blank canvas has given organizers the idea of developing the trade show to
reflect how brand retail actually works.
“To transfer this concept onto a trade show
is very ambitious, but in my eyes the right way
for the future,” Müller said. “I am sure that
the industry will follow our thoughts.”
To facilitate the setting for this concept,
BIM has had to make necessary internal
alterations under its responsibility as airport
representatives.
BIM Spokeswoman Katja Cwejn lists
these changes as covering air conditioning
technology, reinforcing electric installations
and instituting numerous safety measures.
“This also includes the reconstruction of
sanitary facilities as well as the construction
of emergency exits and connections between
the hangars,” Cwejn said.
10.09
p060-063 Dest Berlin 1009.indd 62
9/22/09 9:34:43 AM
On any constraints posed by the listed
building status, Cwejn stated that “all measures naturally take into consideration the
protection of the building as a historical
monument. They are taken in detailed and
close consultation with the public institutions
concerned.”
City support extends beyond the state and
BIM. The Berlin transport office, Berliner
Verkehrsbetrieb (BVG), has also been consulted on the event.
“[We] have been informed, but foresee
no problems with providing for such large
numbers of visitors,” said Klaus Wazlak,
BVG spokesman, about the large number of
expected visitors. “On 14 May 1998, thenU.S. President Bill Clinton visited Berlin-Tempelhof for the 50th anniversary of the airlift,
and there were more than 300,000 visitors
with no additional arrangements made.
There may be stress points around the opening or closing, but we have a lot of experience
with providing for such numbers.”
The public transport network that envelops the airport perimeter is therefore deemed
sufficient, and indeed for much higher visitor levels. In terms of the need for additional
signage, Wazlak proposes that “the existing
signage to the airport is adequate for event
purposes and, should it be necessary, service
people can be provided at short notice.”
It would seem that Bread & Butter’s decision to return to Berlin, and Tempelhof in
particular, may well be a masterstroke. Politically supported and in a unique location, a
successful first show will be a win-win for the
city and the event. Bread & Butter has entered a
10-year agreement with the city of Berlin for the
use of Tempelhof. And the city believes in the
future potential of the venue for such uses.
“All alterations were planned and carried out
to remain in use after the Bread & Butter fair,”
Cwejn said. “They are necessary measures for
the use of the building for all kinds of events.
Bread & Butter is an internationally renowned
trade show, and its commitment to Tempelhof
certainly paves the way for events of all kinds in
the future.”
ROB COTTER is a freelance writer based in
Berlin.
mpiweb.org
p060-063 Dest Berlin 1009.indd 63
63
9/22/09 9:34:50 AM
re:
E
NG
64
one+
10.09
Feature - Renegotiating.indd 64
9/28/09 3:38:43 PM
“As this
economic
malaise
continues,
more parties in the hospitality industry are
being forced to take a close look at existing agreements and engage in tough renegotiations,” said Jonathan Howe, Esq.,
founding partner of Chicago-based Howe
& Hutton Ltd.
The reasons to renegotiation should involve improving the situation for all parties—if that’s not the goal then professionals are best advised to reconsider employing
this practice. Meeting professionals must
also understand how renegotiating contracts
BY SUZANNA DE BACA
I
TATI N
OS
may affect their events.
As special advisor to the American Bar
Association Standing Committee on Meetings and Travel, Howe has a rare vantage
point. He notes that the economic environment of the last two years has impacted the
meeting industry across the globe and that
few have been exempt from the tough realities of today’s marketplace.
“Spend has been reduced across the
board,” Howe said, “and that has created a
huge ripple effect throughout all areas of the
hospitality industry.”
Howe underscores the inter-reliant nature of the industry: Reduced room blocks
lead to reduced food and beverage needs,
leading to calls for smaller entertainment
budgets, causing audiovisual and other tech
support needs to shrink, thereby reducing
the need for meeting room space. The result
mpiweb.org
Feature - Renegotiating.indd 65
65
9/28/09 3:38:48 PM
is reduced utilization of event space and, in
worst-case scenarios, job loss, damage to
professional relationships and cancellation
of programs.
Big-ticket items are being affected as
much as smaller items, and even longstanding relationships are being re-evaluated. Renegotiation is happening in all
areas of the business.
“For independent suppliers and contractors, it’s really tough,” Howe said. But even
the largest industry players are feeling the
pinch and looking for ways to remain competitive in this environment.
While the process can be painful, the
ability to successfully renegotiate can mean
the difference between success and failure in
today’s business climate. Some parties are revisiting terms of contracts in order to survive,
while savvy businesses are taking a proactive
approach, even suggesting more favorable
terms to customers in order to lock in additional services or longer-term deals.
BE FLEXIBLE
T
This year has been one of the
most challenging in Karen Shack-
sought to discuss its options
with the hotel to help ensure that
so that the firm can service them
attendance at the event and the
industry, says the president and
in the best possible way, finding
hotel at least met expectations
owner of New York destination
the right solutions for the prob-
(and rewards) for all involved.
and event management company
lems they are facing.
With hotels, Shackman says
Shackman negotiated a new
rate that worked for both the ho-
York firms have been deeply chal-
her company is working on
tel and the client. In the end, the
lenged by the economic downturn,
numerous situations involving at-
group size actually increased—a
and scores of international clients
trition. In these cases, they strive
win-win.
who hold events in the city have
to amend agreements to include
She emphasizes the impor-
slashed budgets dramatically.
flexible attrition clauses, inserting
tance of proactive, open dialogue
“The keyword
The keyword
for 2009 has
been flexibility.
It is essential
to be proactive
and engage in
open dialogue
to enjoy mutually
beneficial
negotiations.
language into agreements that
in order to reach mutually benefi-
for 2009 has been
locks in favorable rates. In many
cial renegotiations.
flexibility,” Shackman
instances, the room rates that
said. “Negotiations
clients had locked in two to three
renegotiations are commonplace
are taking place
years ago for standing events
in this environment, she specu-
between all parties
have been higher than today’s
lates that the window of opportu-
in the industry.”
rates. This has especially affected
nity to revisit agreements may be
associations, which have had
tightening due to a positive uptick
visiting contracts, and
to carefully control expenses on
in the industry overall.
when truly needed
behalf of their memberships.
Her clients are re-
looking for reduced
In one of Shackman’s recent
While Shackman reports that
“Six months ago, everyone
was very flexible, whereas now
costs and asking for
successful contract changes, a
there is a little less flexibility,”
different clauses. In
client had booked a large block
she said. “There are signs that
addition, the firm it-
of rooms for a sizeable confer-
indicate business is looking up,
self is reaching out to
ence in one of the biggest New
and that is positive for all of us in
hotels and other sup-
York hotels for a rate in the low
the industry.”
pliers to explore the
US$400s. At the time of booking,
possibility of agreeing
that rate had seemed reasonable,
on more favorable
but as the economy declined,
terms.
the hotel lowered rates. Current
“If a program is
one+
She urges clients to be open
man’s more than 15 years in the
Shackman Associates. Many New
66
Shackman said.
rates hovered in the low $200s.
going to be coming to New York
The client informed Shackman
and [the organizers] need to
that because of conference-goers’
reconsider costs, the earlier we
tight budgets, securing a lower
know about their situations and
rate would be a critical compo-
the more we know about their
nent in attracting the anticipated
circumstances, the better we
number of “heads and beds” for
can maximize negotiations,”
the conference. So, the client
10.09
Feature - Renegotiating.indd 66
9/30/09 4:22:37 PM
THINK
LIKE A
HOTELIER
Each of the
hotel brands
has found
success in
contract
renegotiations
with customers
who are upfront
about their
reasons for
cancellation or
postponement.
Meenaz Lilani, an executive director
gotiation for hotels. First, in situa-
of global sales for Fairmont Raffles
tions where scheduled meetings or
Hotels International, suggests that
events are slated to continue but in
meeting planners or other vendors
which event planners or corpo-
and suppliers who may be revisiting
rate clients are anticipating fewer
contract terms with hotels should
attendees, she reports seeing cus-
consider looking at renegotiation
tomers who want better attrition
worth approximately €500,000,
from the hotel’s point of view in
terms. In other cases, customers
a significant loss to the hotel. A
order to understand its needs and
wish to postpone events. And in
lengthy period of contract discus-
concerns.
the third case, customers need to
sion ensued.
M
“Just as customers usually have
products to sell and a business
to run, hotels too are commercial
cancel but want to renegotiate the
terms of the cancellation.
The finance sectors have been
“After a long renegotiation
both parties agreed to offset a
portion of the cancellation amount
enterprises,” she said. “The only dif-
particularly affected by postpone-
toward a future piece of business
ference is that we are selling space
ment or cancellation, and, in
to arrive before the end of the
that is a perishable product.”
general, associations are looking
year,” Lilani said.
Once a product is sold or
for more favorable attrition terms.
In general, hotels take each
contracted for a particular period
Lilani approaches each situation
customer and his or her piece of
of nights, hotels cannot take that
individually, trying to ensure a posi-
business on an individual basis,
space out of the inventory and
tive outcome.
but for key accounts for the overall
resell it, which affects the way
She says that each of her
in which hotels must price and
hotel brands has found success
a more flexible and long-term ap-
market the remaining spaces, Lilani
in contract renegotiations with
proach. If the client is a trans-
says. Renegotiating terms affects
customers who are upfront about
actional customer with a one-off
not just the program that is being
their reasons for cancellation or
piece of business and is unwilling
renegotiated but other activities
postponement and who approach
to discuss anything beyond the
that hotels need to undertake to
the renegotiations with an open
current program, success of the
optimize revenue and sales.
mind, willing to explore suitable
renegotiation will be affected.
Extend these effects out further
and they in turn can lead to the
loss of jobs and potentially a loss
alternatives that work for both
parties.
“We are willing to take a long-
parent company, they may take
In the case of postponement
or cancellation, Lilani recommends
that hoteliers explore options
in the level of service that groups
term view and take a flexible ap-
may receive. Planners should
proach provided the customer has
tread lightly and understand these
the same partnership approach,”
within [the planner’s company]
possibilities when pushing for more
she said. “At one hotel, we had a
could use the space at the time
favorable renegotiation terms.
very large program cancel, and the
that you intend to cancel or within
client wanted to renegotiate the
a reasonable window, then you
cancellation terms.”
come to the table with some
Lilani says the recession’s
dynamics have resulted in three
distinct categories of contract rene-
The program in question was
across all properties.
“If any other departments
options,” Lilani said.
mpiweb.org
Feature - Renegotiating.indd 67
67
9/28/09 3:38:59 PM
DO
YOUR
HOMEWORK
L
In many cases,
vendors are
asked for favorable pricing
in exchange
for changes in
terms to agreements such as
supplying more
business or
extending
the length of
contracts.
Linda Palermo, chief revenue
officer for Joie de Vivre Hotels,
says that doing homework in
advance of a renegotiation is
one of the keys to success.
Palermo is often involved in
contract negotiations and, more
than ever, in the tough business
for Joie de Vivre to reach out to
of contract renegotiations.
its own vendors for more favor-
She recommends that anyone
the table with our wish list of how
entering into contract discussion
the economic downturn following
[the vendor] could really help us
review as much information as
Sept. 11, 2001, and the tech
in this time as well as what we
possible about the other party and
bust of that same period—which
could offer to them in return,”
its business. This includes existing
was especially devastating in the
Palermo said, noting that extend-
contracts and terms, amount of
Silicon Valley area where Joie de
ing the contract length was one
business generated, historical
Vivre is based—the company is
of the most important elements in
comparisons, competitive vendor
proactive about employing best
rethinking the current agreement.
pricing, level of satisfaction with
business practices.
items.”
“Our goal is to ask our vendors
She says it was a winning
situation for all parties—the
to partner with us during this
vendor was able to secure a
tough time on any potential sav-
longer agreement while granting
always a best practice to be hon-
ings they can provide,” Palermo
the hotel collection the savings
est and upfront about concerns
said.
it needed. In many cases, Joie
Palermo comments that it is
and that it is helpful to try to
In a recent successful renego-
de Vivre has asked vendors for
envision what the other side of
tiation, Palermo was approached
favorable pricing in exchange for
the table might want to see.
by a supplier with whom Joie
changes in terms to the agree-
de Vivre has a high-spend event
ments such as supplying more
ports being approached frequently
each year. The vendor recognized
business or extending the length
by customers who want to renego-
that many of its direct competi-
of contracts.
tiate agreements and by vendors
tors were constantly knocking on
“Understand both parties’
who need to renegotiate pricing.
the hotel group’s door, so it was
needs and what would be a great
She sees this happening in the
motivated to keep the business.
outcome on both sides,” Palermo
corporate office and at the indi-
The vendor suggested that there
said. “Let the vendor know how
vidual hotel and restaurant levels.
might be a more advantageous
much you value its support and
In addition, the market environ-
agreement that would help it to
the relationship.”
ment has created the opportunity
maintain the long-term relation-
In this environment, she re-
one+
“We were able to come to
able terms. Having weathered
services and determining “wish list
68
ship it had built with Joie de Vivre.
10.09
Feature - Renegotiating.indd 68
9/28/09 3:39:07 PM
BE
HONEST
AND
REALISTIC
G
Greg Ortale, president and CEO of
the Greater Houston Convention
and the GHCVB.
“A reasonable renegotiation
& Visitors Bureau (GHCVB), says
occurred that kept the client
a renegotiation is usually a painful
happy and kept the attendance at
proposition regardless of the justi-
the convention within the range
fication. As destination representa-
projected,” Ortale said.
tives, the CVB acts as facilitators to
If there is a reasonable busi-
the discussion, so it is incumbent on
ness justification to renegotiate,
them to have a solid history and to
then a conversation can take place
bring to the discussion other perti-
so long as there is a real commit-
nent facts such as outside costs the
ment to creating a satisfactory
destination is funding and upon what
solution for both sides, Ortale
economic assumptions decisions
says. He points out that from the
were made.
destination city perspective one
In particular, clients who agreed
thing clients should keep in mind
to an inflation factor in their rates
is that if the association or trade
are frequently looking for adjust-
show received economic incentives
ments to the current contracts.
to book, a reduction may change
A recent negotiation in which the
GHCVB was involved concerned this
the economic equation and should
also be open to renegotiation.
type of situation. Ortale explains that
In Ortale’s experience, open
a large association group had made
communication and a commitment
a commitment based on a 3 percent
to finding a win-win situation are
year-over-year inflation factor.
among the best practices one can
“They came to us stating that
the rates in the current environment
were high compared to the current
local history,” Ortale said.
The association explained that
employ when seeking a successful
renegotiation.
“Honesty is always the best
policy—even if it is cliché,” he
stressed.
the rates would have a negative
impact on convention attendance,
Clients should
keep in mind
that if the
association or
trade show
received economic incentives to book,
a reduction
may change
the economic
equation and
should be
open to
renegotiation.
which would have had a significant
impact on not only the affected
hotels but a variety of types of revenue that those convention visitors
would generate across the city.
SUZANNA DE BACA is a writer,
Keeping convention attendance at
speaker and educator on finance,
projected levels was of paramount
investment, business management
importance to both the association
and leadership topics.
mpiweb.org
Feature - Renegotiating.indd 69
69
9/28/09 3:39:14 PM
70
one+
10.09
p70-75 Benefits of Play_3.indd 70
10/1/09 1:08:28 PM
Play Works
Professional fun results in a healthier
you...and a healthier bottom line.
Two departments were at war.
They didn’t share
anything, and nothing was getting done.
So, Lynn Chilson, PMP,
CEO of Chilson Enterprises, was called in to
the insurance company
to solve some communication problems between
the departments.
There was one department, however, that
needed no fixing—a
group of programmers.
“I noticed that every
day in the afternoon
they’d take a short break
and toss a cricket ball
around. Just having a
good time for a little
while, and then they’d go
back to work. And they
were on top of things.
“Then the company
got a new chief information officer, and when he
saw those programmers
tossing that cricket ball
around he called their
managers and put an end
to it. Almost overnight I
watched that whole department go from being
a happy bunch of excellent workers to a group
of people so stressed out
and afraid of crossing the
CIO that they became
utterly dysfunctional. By
the time I got my two
departments communicating and functioning
well, the programmers,
which I had nothing to
do with, were [emotionally] shot.”
Adults often consider
play as something they
should squeeze into their
days, rather than something hardwired into
their brains that must
be part of their lives for
them to optimize physical and emotional conditions, according to
Marianne St. Clair, a life
coach and author dedicated to the importance
of play.
Play can stimulate
creativity, increase problem solving and adaptive
abilities, bring joy into
our lives, reduce stress,
help us deal with the
daily grind in a positive
way, add to longevity
and help us in a host of
additional ways. Play is
a primal urge, and St.
Clair equates the lack of
BY
PETER
GORMAN
mpiweb.org
p70-75 Benefits of Play_3.indd 71
71
10/1/09 1:08:35 PM
“I love bringing little puzzles
to meetings. You know, things
people have to put together or
take apart. They still have
to pay attention to the
meeting—if they don’t, I take
their toys away—but it helps
keep meetings upbeat and fun
and sometimes gets people
thinking outside the box.”
Lynn Chilson
Chilson Enterprises
play to sleep deprivation.
It’s particularly important on the job, where so
many workers ignore play
to the point where they
burn out physically and
emotionally.
“It pays to play because
play raises our energy and
morale. But in our society,
it’s left brain rules and that
means work, work, work,
to the point where some
people even ignore their vacations for fear of being replaced. That is simply not a
healthy way to live and certainly is no way to get good
creative work done.”
Stressed-Out Beasts
“Personally, I love working
on the execs to become more
playful themselves. If you can
videotape them at work, interacting with others, you’ll be
surprised how they respond
when they see themselves
later. They often can’t believe
how they’ve acted. And that’s
the start of change because
when the boss changes, the
whole company changes since
the employees take their cue
from company leaders.”
J. Ariel Golden
International speaker
72
one+
“Think of animals in the
old-style zoos, the ones that
were just cement cages with
bars on the front,” suggested J. Ariel Golden, an
international speaker on the
topic of stress reduction at
work through play.
Those animals were
stressed out. Well, people
are animals, too. And when
people get stressed out they
simply shut down. In the
business world, shutting
down means no communication, no creativity, no joy
in the work at hand.
“By the time companies
call me, their whole operation is often stressed, sometimes to the point where
employees are at war with
one another.”
Golden says the trick to
getting people to communicate with one another is to
get them to celebrate their
differences, rather than retreating from them.
“To get that started, I
use play activities. I might
have everyone make origami figures, or finger paint,
or guess how I do magic
tricks—what I do isn’t so
important as getting people
to forget they hate everyone
in the room. If I can get them
laughing at one another’s
paintings or origami, they
get out of themselves, and
that’s when we can begin to
open the lines of communication and reduce stress.”
Golden says results are
often immediate.
“I begin to see people
more willing to laugh at
themselves, relaxing enough
to talk to people they work
with but have never been
able to talk with before.”
But people being people,
they often retreat to old patterns when they return to
the workplace, so she arms
them with simple techniques
to help them avoid stress.
“Something as simple
as people looking at one
another and saying, ‘Hey!
We need to take a group
breath here!’ will get them
back on the same page,
rather than fuming at one
another. And once they’re
on the same page, their creativity shoots way up. They
interact, rather than acting
alone, and the cumulative
effect on people acting in
concert, particularly in the
workplace where problem
solving is so important, is
generally much greater than
what those people could
have accomplished alone.”
The bottom line, Golden
says, is that play reduces
10.09
p70-75 Benefits of Play_3.indd 72
9/30/09 4:43:41 PM
stress, which boosts creativity and productivity.
And companies with happier workforces do better
business.
“The problem is that
leadership is right brain and
management is left brain,”
St. Clair explained. “Leadership is about imagination; management is about
getting the job done and
maximizing work from the
workforce. But we need to
have the inspiration of the
whole brain to get things
done at the workplace,
which includes conceptual
innovation, and you can’t
do that using only the industrially bent left side of
the brain. When businesses
and managers don’t value
the right brain side of creativity and inspiration and
want people only to concentrate on the left brain
side of getting the work
done, they are limiting people and their capacities to a
great extent.”
St. Clair says a productive workforce is not just
about working harder, it’s
about allowing people to
be creative through a sense
of playfulness while doing
their work.
“When you do that,
your workplace will grow.
When you limit people to
doing their job and keeping it all serious, well,
that’s all you’ll get. If I’m
an employer, which kind of
person do I want working
for me? Someone enthusiastic about work, who
finds it challenging and
fun, or someone afraid to
stop by a co-worker’s desk
for a moment for fear of
being reprimanded? What
is that fearful, stressed out
left-brained worker bringing to the table? Not much
at all.”
Chilson says play is
important because companies and groups must have
people relaxed enough to
be open.
“Stress shuts people
down. It makes you look
at the world very narrowly,
in a self-centered and often
pessimistic way. It makes
people less perceptive, less
creative, less adaptable,”
he said. “They stop being
team players, and that’s
where the workplace goes
awry. When that happens,
leadership has to change
the culture of the workplace. If it doesn’t, that’s
where companies get into
serious trouble.”
Chilson says it’s clear
when he first enters a new
workplace whether it’s the
kind of place that allows a
measure of playfulness or
not.
“The ones where they
don’t allow play are generally the places where
work’s gotten backed up—
often the result of stressed
workers simply having
shut down.”
Fixing the problem
starts with locating it.
There is the perceived
problem, he says, which is
what he’s told about when
management calls in his
services, and then there is
the real problem.
“The first thing I’ve
got to do is fix the people.
I’ve got to change their attitudes. It’s never due to a
lack of good technology or
good people that projects
fail. They fail due to a lack
of leadership.”
It’s Not All
in Your Head
Play as an important element to relieve stress at
the workplace, to engender
creativity, to help people
bond, to reinforce communication and to bring out
the best in your employees
isn’t just some new fad.
There is hard science behind the theory.
Marian C. Diamond,
Ph.D., a professor of anatomy at the University of
California at Berkeley, has
spent nearly 50 years studying the effects of play and
enhancement among laboratory rats and mice, and
during that time has made
some startling discoveries.
One of them is that the
brain, thought to basically
be immutable, isn’t. The
cerebral cortex, the area of
the brain associated with
higher cognitive processes,
actually increases in size—
and function—when given
challenges, exercise and
play.
mpiweb.org
p70-75 Benefits of Play_3.indd 73
73
9/30/09 5:53:15 PM
In her paper “Response of the
Brain to Enrichment,” Diamond
states, “It is essential to note that
enrichment effects on the brain have
consequences on behavior. Parents,
educators, policymakers and individuals can all benefit from such
knowledge.”
In many of her experiments, Diamond measured brain mass and other
anatomic changes in rodents placed
in enhanced cages—cages with minimazes, objects to climb on, wheels
to play with—with rodents placed in
simple, non-enhanced cages. Differences in the brain were measurable
in as little as four days, and differences appeared in older animals with
a similar frequency to which they
appeared in juveniles. Though she
admits that extrapolating the brain
changes exactly to humans is difficult because of the complexity of human brains, individual histories and
control over experimental values,
p70-75 Benefits of Play_3.indd 74
she does see a correlation between
humans and rodents.
“The brain is truly a phenomenal
structure,” she said, “and keeping
it healthy for its entire existence is
something we should all aspire to.”
In her paper “Successful Aging
of the Healthy Brain,” delivered in
2001 to the joint conference of the
American Society on Aging and the
National Council on Aging, Diamond suggests five factors of key
importance to maintaining a healthy
brain: diet, exercise, challenge, newness and human love.
“There may not be anything new
with that list,” she wrote, “but we
now have important scientific validation we did not always have.”
Stuart Brown, M.D., who has
made a career of studying the importance of play in humans, echoes
Diamond’s findings. A former clinical director and chief of psychiatry
at Mercy Hospital in San Diego,
Brown now runs the National Institute for Play, and is the author of the
new book Play—How it Shapes the
Brain, Opens the Imagination, and
Invigorates the Soul.
“When you talk about the work
environment, you’re talking about
something that tends to become repetitious,” Brown said. “You begin to
feel like you’re in a cul de sac and it
becomes hard to bring your imagination with you when you go to work.
So you try to get your imagination
going through your work setting,
through the people you work with; if
that doesn’t work, you ought to just
get the hell out of that job. Of course
that’s not always easy in our current
world.”
Like Chilson, Brown tells the
story of a CEO watching some of his
company’s employees playing ball in
a parking lot and forbidding them to
do it any longer.
“He turned those people into par-
9/30/09 5:53:46 PM
anoid workers, and their creativity
went straight down. If workers don’t
have a moment of genuine play during a day they simply shut down.
“When I think about the corporate world, particularly in a period of
economic downturn when people are
looking over their shoulders to see
if they are going to keep their jobs,
it’s vital for people to keep their joy
and playfulness. People cannot function when worrying about their jobs.
Playfulness prepares you for change.
People who are nimble are able to
move with the flow. The grinders are
toxic to the long-term well being of
any industry.”
Asked how he thought corporate leadership could engender the
spirit of playfulness in employees,
Brown said, “Workers need the permission to take a moment to read a
novel, play a ping pong game, take
a power nap. Those things should
be recognized by the superiors and
the company as both pro-health and
proactive. Hours need to be flexible
enough for people to keep their personal health and priorities while at
work. People are more loyal and stay
at jobs longer when that happens.
“If you have people who are playing together in a corporate situation,
they will have a sense that ‘this is my
place’ and they will give everything
to that place. If you can achieve a
state of play, a biological state of
being that’s physiologically measurable—and you’ve got to be practical,
you can’t screw around all day—in
your work environment, you will engender belonging and trust.”
The idea that play can happen
only when work is done is simply
skewed, Brown says.
“Play is what happens when you
work if you want work to work. Our
entire culture needs to take a good
hard look at playfulness as an enhancement to productivity and creativity, adaptability and preparation
for the unexpected. Our culture’s
preoccupation with youth having all
the fun simply isn’t valid. Physiologi-
cally, we are designed to play our
whole lives. That includes the time
we spend at work. People need to
be in touch with their whole selves,
including their playful, non-stressed
sides, or they simply will not achieve
the creative heights they might otherwise reach.”
“You can always tell the difference between companies that get
the work done and companies that
love what they do,” Golden said. “It
shows in the work, in the relations
to the clients, in every aspect of the
companies’ work.”
PETER GORMAN is an award-winning investigative journalist.
mpiweb.org
p70-75 Benefits of Play_3.indd 75
75
9/30/09 5:57:32 PM
Meeting
the Critical
Challenge
Seven months ago, One+ gave
you the scoop on the industry’s
crisis as government and media
made meetings the scapegoat
for economic disaster and
corporate greed. You’ll be
surprised how far we’ve come.
B Y J E S S I E S TAT E S
FEB. 24
MARCH 4
Sen. John
Kerry (D-Mass.)
calls for ban
on events for
companies
that received
federal funds.
Actual bill just
curbs “holiday
parties.”
NYPost.
com article
announces that
Citigroup has
canceled all
of its events,
a huge blow
to industry
recovery.
On Aug. 17, the U.S. House energy and commerce committee fired off a letter to the nation’s 52 largest insurers. Among
the committee’s demands: a table listing all offsite conferences,
retreats and events since Jan. 1, 2007, as well as documentation detailing all expenses therein. It was part of Congress’
most recent scrutiny of U.S. health insurance giants, but it hit
a meeting industry still spinning from government and media
criticism.
Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, dished out a near-immediate response—part of ongoing
collaborative efforts with MPI—demanding that lawmakers be mindful that “legitimate business travel throughout
the country may suffer another blow due to misinformed
demonization.” The letter, co-signed by Joseph McInerney of
the American Hotel and Lodging Association, urged lawmakers to avoid compounding the loss of an estimated 516,000
industry jobs this year alone (U.S. Department of Commerce).
The response was a far cry from the industry’s near-silence
after media and government flak last fall.
MEETINGS MEAN BUSINESS
Truly, the meeting industry has redefined itself in the past eight
months, initiating new research, carving new alliances and
driving new education—all in an effort to convince everyone
from CEOs to town councils of the importance of meetings
and events to the recovery of the global economy.
Just last month, U.S. Travel revealed the results of its most
recent research, that for every dollar invested in business
travel, companies realize US$12.50 in incremental revenue.
In fact, the average U.S. business would forfeit 17 percent
of its profits in the first year of eliminating business travel,
and it would take more than three years for profits to recover
(see Page 79). The results echo what has long been illustrated
76
one+
10.09
p76-79 Industry_1009 Navy.indd 76
9/30/09 4:16:10 PM
MARCH 11
MARCH 21
APRIL 21
APRIL 29
MAY 12
Leaders meet
with U.S.
President Barack
Obama and urge
him to consider
the economic
benefits of
meetings and
events.
Ben Stein
scribes New York
Times op-ed
in support
of meeting
industry,
describing
meetings as
“builders, not
saboteurs.”
MPI launches
the fourpart Case
for Meetings
and Events
(sponsored by
Freeman AV),
explaining
the industry’s
strategic value.
MPI presents
its online
Meetings Matter
Series sessions
(sponsored
by Freeman
AV) with reallife solutions
for industry
professionals.
The U.S. Travel
Association
organizes Travel
Rally Day, which
leads to rallies
in 42 cities by
a total 10,000
people.
by the MPI Foundation EventView study, that meetings and U.S. Travel launched the landmark MeetingsMeanBusiness.
events significantly bolster business revenue.
com, providing the materials necessary for this industry’s very
While U.S. Travel concentrated on the numbers, MPI own grassroots revolution. And Dow himself has spent the last
plowed forward with an industry-wide, comprehensive answer 10 months sitting in Congressional subcommittee hearings and
to the meeting sector crisis, urging its members to school them- lobbying anyone who would listen on Capitol Hill in favor of
selves on the industry’s most recent studies and speak the lan- the positive economic impact of meetings and events. He even
guage of business—explaining to their c-level bosses just how met with U.S. President Barack Obama on March 11, eliciting
important meetings and events are to corporate bottom lines.
a public response from the leader’s spokesman.
Early this spring, MPI launched its Meeting Industry CriThese combined efforts of MPI and U.S. Travel have
sis Center Web site, which has evolved into MeetingsMean proved remarkably effective. Attempts by senators John
Results.org, a resource hub and
Kerry (D-Mass.) and Christopher
information center that links to
Dodd (D-Conn.) to malign busi“When
companies
reduce
their
the MPI job bank and industry
ness travel fell largely flat among
travel budgets, there are negative
research repository, dozens of
the media and the public—despite
books and white papers, conprevious criticism of the industry—
consequences that we can now
tinuing education, videos, event
and many news editorials shifted
quantify, in terms of lost revenue and
content and blogs.
to a pro-meeting stance. May’s
profit growth, and in terms of giving
MPI also introduced two
Travel Rally Day (coordinated by
competitors a distinct advantage.”
webinar series: the eight-part
U.S. Travel) generated more than
Meetings Matter, exploring real40 gatherings across the country
life solutions to issues confronting today’s industry profession- luring an estimated 10,000 industry professionals. In June, the
als, and the four-part Case for Meetings and Events, explaining U.S. Treasury issued its final rule for companies that received
the industry’s strategic value to the modern business paradigm. government funding—with none of the feared restrictions on
The organization created a chapter toolkit with tutorials, model meetings and events.
policies and sample letters—all designed to elicit membership
Not to say that the worst has passed. On July 22, a Wall
support for the groundswell of activism occurring throughout Street Journal exclusive revealed that several government agenthe industry.
cies had blacklisted meetings in U.S. resort and entertainment
In the interim, Dow marched the party line. On March 4, cities, despite possible cost advantages. The industry was quick
to respond, eliciting support from lawmakers and the media.
MPI has created a repository for meeting
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) dispatched an
industry research from across the globe. Find
irate letter to the president’s cabinet, and Sen. Bill Nelson
recent research on the ROI of meetings from the
(D-Fla.) unveiled legislation that would outlaw McCarthyU.S. Travel Association at www.mpiweb.org/
esque destination blacklists entirely.
Education/Research.aspx.
mpiweb.org
p76-79 Industry_1009 Navy.indd 77
77
9/30/09 5:33:31 PM
MAY 13
MAY 27
JUNE 10
JULY 14
JULY 22
The U.S. Senate
holds a hearing
featuring
testimony by
five U.S. Travel
Association
leaders and
a handful
of Senate
supporters.
Nevada governor
declines to
meet with U.S.
President Barack
Obama because
the president
had suggested
business travel
stay away from
Las Vegas.
U.S. Treasury
introduces
Interim Final
Rule for
businesses
that received
government
funding with
no added
restrictions on
meetings.
MPI presents its
World Education
Congress with
keynote Ben
Stein, where
leaders meet
to discuss the
state of the
industry and its
future.
A Wall Street
Journal article
claims that
government
agencies
blacklisted
meetings at
U.S. resort and
entertainment
cities.
In all, the state of the industry is much, much better than it
was a year ago, says Geoffrey Freeman, senior vice president of
public affairs for U.S. Travel, but the battle is far from over. We
have the power of a unified army, he says, but lack the artillery.
We changed the face of the problem and rallied the industry,
now it’s time to collect the data we need to prove our worth.
“Like it or not, meetings are viewed as frivolous,” Freeman
said. “The president didn’t call for less market research or less
advertising. That should be eye-popping for us. We have made
headway, but there remains a lack of appreciation by employers, so we have to do a better job of proving our value. That’s
why we see a blacklist. It speaks to the long-term challenge we
see in the value of business travel.”
SEEING RESULTS
Indeed, the surge toward an informed professional community
will be multi-faceted. Each sector requires different information. Convincing the c-suite will require hard data on how
meetings affect the bottom line; convincing lawmakers will
require economic data on jobs and GDP.
“It’s not about marketing our product—which is something
this industry is very good at,” Freeman said. “We have to market the content, tell businesses why it is important to send their
people to meetings and tell policy makers why meetings matter. Each of our target audiences needs different answers to the
same question.”
The Return on Investment of U.S. Business Travel issued
just two weeks ago by U.S. Travel (in conjunction with Destination Marketing Association International) is a long-stride
first-step in the right direction. Through econometric analysis
and corporate surveys, Oxford Economics determined that
corporate leaders and travelers estimate a 28 percent drop
in current business should they nix in-person meetings. The
research proffers data and an audited methodology that will be
78
one+
hard for executives to ignore, because business is about money
and meetings are money.
“Not all spending cuts are smart cuts,” said Adam Sacks of
Oxford Economics. “When companies reduce their travel budgets, there are negative consequences that we can now quantify,
in terms of lost revenue and profit growth, and in terms of giving competitors a distinct advantage.”
The study reinforces other recent research projects, including a business survey by Forbes that showed 84 percent of
executives prefer face-to-face meetings over technology-enabled
meetings because the former build stronger, more meaningful
relationships (85 percent); allow participants to “read” each
other (77 percent); and permit greater social interaction (75
percent). The MPI Foundation’s EventView 2009 showed similar results: 53 percent of respondents said event marketing is
the best discipline to accelerate and deepen relationships with
target audiences.
As for the market value of meetings and events, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) has engaged Y Partnership
Inc. to create a messaging campaign to help the industry better
articulate the key values of face-to-face interaction in intrinsically human terms. Scheduled for fall delivery, the project will
develop five to six key messages for CIC members (including
MPI) to use within their respective organizations and external
communications.
“The Meetings Mean Business campaign has done an excellent job stating the business case and economic value for business travel and meetings,” said Eric Allen, chairman of the CIC
and executive vice president of the Healthcare Convention and
Find the latest news and guidelines for the
industry at www.meetingsmeanresults.org.
Sponsored by MPI, the Web site offers career
resources, video and up-to-date information on
the meetings and events crisis.
10.09
p76-79 Industry_1009 Navy.indd 78
9/30/09 4:16:26 PM
Business ROI of Travel
JULY 31-AUG. 1
SEPT. 15
U.S. President
Barack Obama holds
a cabinet retreat for
his team, proving
his belief in the
power of meetings
and events.
The U.S. Travel
Association
releases the
results of
its Oxford
Economics
study, proving
the value of
meetings on
business success.
Exhibitors Association. “Now, we need to support that with the benefits of face-to-face meetings and the value they bring to the individual
as well as to organizations and society.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Rest assured, many companies already know the value of business
meetings to the bottom line, and still others are reviving travel policies that were dropped during the onset of crisis last fall. In fact, U.S.
Travel has established a running list of CEOs and corporate executives who believe in—and are willing to speak about—the power of
meetings and events to sustainable business.
The association has spoken to dozens of these companies from
financial institutions to restaurant chains to retail marketplaces.
According to U.S. Travel, Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS
International, attributes a recent 28-city “town hall” tour of franchisees to lower turnover, increased stock value and rising sales, and
Citigroup subsidiary Primerica now believes that gutting its meetings
agenda ultimately hurt business.
CEO GJ Hart says meetings for his restaurant chain, Texas Roadhouse, are treated like 401Ks—for which workers forge long-term
investment strategies in order to receive profitable returns.
“There is no better way to motivate and recognize employees
than events,” Hart said. “You can’t put a price tag on the excitement
and passion that result from our annual four-day Managing Partner
Conference.”
Hart’s sentiment is far from news in an industry that has known the
importance of face-to-face meetings for decades, but his willingness
to speak to the power of events is landmark. In the coming months,
more and more CEOs will lend their voices to the aid of an industry
that is responsible for $246 billion in spending and 2.3 million U.S.
jobs. The industry’s army will be there to help spread the word—that
a slow economy calls for more travel, not less.
New research shows a robust and irrefutable
relationship between a company’s investment in
business travel—including internal meetings, trade
shows, conferences, incentives and sales—and its
profitability.
According to The Return on Investment of U.S.
Business Travel, the real value of business travel
relates to its impact on individual company performance and, by extension, the performance of the
U.S. economy. The study was conducted by Oxford
Economics USA and commissioned by the U.S.
Travel Association. For the full report, visit www.
mpiweb.org/education/research.aspx.
• Executives stated that in
order to achieve the same
• Econometric analysis and
effect of incentive travel,
surveyed executives conan employee’s total base
firmed a similar magnitude
compensation would need
of business travel ROI: for
to be increased by 8.5
every dollar invested in
percent.
business travel companies
realize US$12.50 in incre- • An increase in government
travel spending of $1 milmental revenue.
lion will increase govern• Curbing business travel
ment worker productivity
can reduce a company’s
and therefore output by
profits for years. The averbetween $4.6 million and
age business in the U.S.
$6.3 million.
would forfeit 17 percent
KEY RESEARCH FINDINGS
• Three-quarters of busiof its profits in the first
nesses said that increasyear of eliminating busiing travel, while competiness travel, and it would
tors are reducing it, can
take more than three years
build market share and
for profits to recover.
customer relationships.
• Both executives and busiHalf (53 percent) said that
ness travelers estimate
reducing business travel
that 28 percent of current
will give their competition
business would be lost
an advantage.
without in-person meet• More than 75 percent of
customers either require
or prefer in-person meetings, according to business travelers surveyed
in April 2009. And an
overwhelming majority of
corporate executives (81
percent) believe a slow
economy calls for more
contact with clients, not
• More than half of business
less.
travelers stated that 5
percent to 20 percent of
their company’s new customers were the result of
trade show participation.
ings.
• Both executives and business travelers estimate
that roughly 40 percent of
their prospective customers are converted to new
customers with an inperson meeting compared
to 16 percent without
such a meeting.
JESSIE STATES is the assistant editor of One+.
mpiweb.org
p76-79 Industry_1009 Navy.indd 79
79
9/30/09 4:50:00 PM
80
one+
10.09
p80-83_KnowledgeREV4.indd 80
9/30/09 3:25:34 PM
Introducing the
MPI Knowledge Plan,
a game-changer essential for industry
growth and survival. We are experiencing a crucial
time in the life of the global meeting and event industry:
Unprecedented growth matched with newly realized vulnerabilities and
the dire need for workers. Although this represents a ments by politicians. The industry is also vulnerable to
significant risk to the industry, it’s a call to direct our seemingly unrelated economic turmoil. It is therefore
collective and individual futures and create a road map crucially important to be able to demonstrate clear
measurements on the return of meetings.
to success.
“Recent economic challenges have created a tipThe industry has simultaneously seen rapid growth
in some regions and sharp decline in others. New and ping point in the meeting and event industry,” said Dr.
expanded meeting and event infrastructure is booming Graydon Dawson, MPI’s director of global training
“And because of the recent
worldwide, with an explosion of space at convention systems.
negative attention meetings have
centers, hotels and all subtypes of venues heading to
received, a paradigm shift in our
market. Available meeting space is expected to
industry is occurring and there is no
more than triple in some markets between
turning back. Delivering real value is
2007 and 2011.
a renewed focus. Although we hear
Along with this growth arises the
BY
that the recession is over, because
need for an expanded and more-skilled
MICHAEL PINCHERA
of the impacts of the economy on
workforce. Those developments and
AND
meetings and events, there are still
the growth of our industry in terms of
JESSIE STATES
difficult times ahead. Within this envinumber of meetings and events has led
ronment, it is absolutely critical that all
to an increasing demand for trained and
meeting professionals take every advanskilled professionals with globally transfertage to retool their skill sets. Each of the
able knowledge and competencies. The hosproducts and services in the MPI Knowledge
pitality sector workforce demand is expected to
increase at least 4.9 million by 2015, with an estimated Plan is designed to facilitate one’s personal retooling
20 percent specifically needed in the meeting and event regardless of your experience in the industry.”
The MPI Knowledge Plan is the most defined
industry. Along with that, there is a shift in business to
increasingly focus on performance and knowledge gen- approach yet to address these ever-growing issues and
eration. Unfortunately, our industry has lacked a body plot a course for personal and industrywide profesof knowledge to map the needed skills and competen- sional growth. The plan offers a clear career path and
cies for meeting professionals. There is, therefore, no a comprehensive knowledge set that will ease recruitment, retention and enhance training. It will deliver a
clear career pathing and a limited pipeline for talent.
At the same time, we must also be prepared for global standard through certificates and certifications
attacks on the meeting industry similar to those which providing transferability, employability and increased
we experienced earlier this year due to misperceptions compensation.
“The Knowledge Plan is especially important now
in the U.S. media and unfortunate and ill-formed state-
mpiweb.org
p80-83_KnowledgeREV4.indd 81
81
9/30/09 3:25:42 PM
since MPI is the global association in the
industry and we’re at a point in the industry where there is a growing academic
component to what we do,” said Carol
Krugman, CMP, CMM, industry consultant and educator with Denver-based
Krugman Maller LLC and member of
the MPI Body of Knowledge Task Force.
“The time has come when our two parallel tracks of academia and continuing
professional education must converge for
meeting planning to be recognized as a
true profession.”
Recognizing the lack of consistent standards and feeling that current standards
don’t quite go far enough to meet the
needs of the community, MPI has undertaken the task of expanding and validating the industry’s body of knowledge, to
update and fully define the necessary skills
and competencies that are needed today
in meeting management. The Certified
Meeting Professional (CMP) designation,
for example, has been viewed as an indus-
82
one+
try standard but hasn’t gone far enough
in addressing the needs of all industry
professionals worldwide. To revive this
important certification, MPI is partnering
with the Convention Industry Council to
ensure the growing relevance and accessibility of the CMP worldwide.
This body of knowledge is being
developed in partnership with the Canadian Tourism Human Resources Council, a governmental agency with the task
of creating portable and credible standards for the tourism sector in Canada.
Once the body of knowledge is complete, it will be a recognized standard
within Canada, with plans to ensure
adoption by other governments around
the world. As MPI creates the Global
Certificates for Meetings and Business
Events as part of its knowledge plan, they
will all be tied back to this global body
of knowledge, ensuring participants who
complete these programs gain a comprehensive education and skill set to ensure
their future success.
Members of the global meeting and
event community will be best served with
these education standards as they provide
portable recognition of expertise through
training and knowledge development at
all career levels, including an executive
leadership development program. A designation or certification will mean the
same professionally in the United States as
in France or in Hong Kong or any other
place in the world. The promotion of standards of practice, such as ROI/ROO and
strategic meetings management, will permit a focus on growth and development
rather than repeated attempts at reinventing the wheel.
To address growing markets and aid
management hiring duties, this will ensure
a continually expanding and knowledgeable workforce, trained in industry standards.
“The plan helps members as both job
seekers and employers, since a defined
body of knowledge and standardized
competencies are one of the foundations
for a true profession,” Krugman said. “A
globally recognized level of competency is
critical in today’s multinational workplace
and is also especially critical for the development of curriculum in undergraduate
programs training the next generation of
planners.”
All of this will show the meeting and
event industry in a prominent, professional light, and it is hoped this will dissuade future attacks and the spread of
misinformation.
The MPI Knowledge Plan allows industry practitioners to access relevant content
in a variety of ways, through chapter meetings, online webinars, international events
and the One+ and One+EMEA magazines.
Additionally, MPI has announced plans
for as many as 15 training centers for
meetings and business events worldwide
that will provide standardized skills development courses at each career level so that
members worldwide are learning the same
curriculum. Each institution must have an
accredited business/management program,
and four universities have already signed
partnership agreements: CERAM Business School in Nice-Paris-Lille, France; the
Qatar MICE Development Institute; Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada; and
San Diego State University, United States.
MPI’s Dawson has worked with some
of these education partners and will be
creating course content with the curriculum development team to establish the
highest-quality set of training materials
possible.
Creating the first set of global industry standards in the history of the event
industry, MPI will provide training for
instructors as well as curriculum for the
programs. Each certified administrator
will receive accreditation to teach all modules of the training practice. Scholarships
for attendees will be available through the
MPI Foundation.
“This raises the level of professionalism in the industry by clarifying exactly
what we do, why we do it and why it is
so important,” Krugman said. “A specific,
standardized body of knowledge that can
be taught, verified and certified through
examinations and applied globally will
be a quantum leap in professionalism and
recognition for the meetings industry.”
This personal training and develop-
10.09
p80-83_KnowledgeREV4.indd 82
9/30/09 3:25:49 PM
MPI’s Knowledge Plan
Why You Should Care
The MPI Knowledge Plan offers fast-track career
plan will give professionals at all levels and in any
development, awareness on how to utilize globally
country the knowledge they need to attain the next
recognized skills and competencies at the local level,
echelon in their careers and share the same knowl-
increase transferability, employability and compensation and
edge as their peers across the globe. The program encom-
increase recognition of the profession. Most significantly, the
passes the following career steps (in order).
■ Skills Assessment (available
at MPIWeb.org)
Identifies critical experience,
knowledge and skill gaps and
then provides a prescriptive
and personalized development
plan for closing those gaps.
■ Introduction to the Meet-
ing & Event Industry (under
development)
Provides insights into the industry’s career paths and teaches
basic skills, delivered through a
blended approach of instructorled seminars, webinars and
other Web-enabled development tools.
■ Global Certificate for Meetings and Business Events I
(launched November 2008)
Presents students and early
career professionals with proficiencies to organize the logistics of meetings and events.
■ Global Certificate for Meetings and Business Events II
(launches in December)
Equips core-logistics-minded
project managers with
expertise to understand and
implement the full logistics of
meetings and business events
as well as the knowledge to
pass the Certified Meeting
Professional (CMP) exam.
■ Certified Meeting Profes-
sional (currently available)
Provides confirmation of
acquired skills and competencies in coordination with the
Convention Industry Council.
Includes access to MPI’s CMP
Exam Online Study Guide and
support-group study aids. The
Knowledge Plan will help globalize and expand this designation.
■ Global Certificate for Meetings and Business Events III
(scheduled launch first quarter
2010)
Provides skills for team leaders
with a focus on leading the
planning of the project and
leading the project team.
■ Global Certificate for Meetings and Business Events IV
(currently under development)
Builds on critical areas of
expertise for project own-
ers with the primary focus of
establishing the value of meetings as a critical element of
organizational success.
■ Certification in Meeting
Management (currently
available)
Looks at the business of
meetings as well as business
management modules related
to meetings.
■ Executive Leadership
Program (scheduled launch
mid-2010)
Focuses on MBA-level executive business leadership skills
and includes ongoing engagement between members of
the senior-level professional
community.
Advance Your Career
Register for the Global Certificate for Meetings and Business Events programs and get late-breaking news about the MPI Global
Training plan at www.mpiweb.org/Education/GlobalTraining.aspx.
Take the Certified Meeting Professional exam while attending MeetDifferent Cancún in February.
ment plan will fast track not only the
education but also the career of MPI
members, customers and the industry as
a whole. And when fully implemented,
the MPI Knowledge Plan will provide the
industry with the clear career path it has
been lacking. Industry professionals will
be able to prove their competencies and
show their progression through the stan-
dardized—and globally recognized—body
of knowledge.
“MPI’s mission—making our members
successful—offers an opportunity and an
obligation to develop a learning path for
the global meeting and event community
that ensures appropriate career and personal development at each stage of an
individual’s professional journey, from
student to executive,” said Didier Scaillet, chief development officer for MPI.
“This knowledge ethos will ensure MPI
is a global knowledge leader in the field
of meetings and events, with the ability to
attract, train and elevate talent for a rapidly expanding global industry.”
Learn more about the MPI Knowledge
Plan through monthly updates in
.
mpiweb.org
p80-83_KnowledgeREV4.indd 83
83
9/30/09 3:25:56 PM
84
one+
Feature - Ali 2.indd 84
10.09
9/28/09 2:17:28 PM
ASK
ALI
Ali Al Saloom
is changing
the way visitors
experience the
United Arab
Emirates — and
perceptions
about Arabs
and Muslims
in general.
BY LARA DUNSTON
PHOTOS BY TERRY CARTER
mpiweb.org
Feature - Ali 2.indd 85
85
9/28/09 2:17:38 PM
T
He’s almost
30 minutes
late, and
it will be
another half
hour before
the evening
properly
starts, yet
not a single
person seems
to mind.
86
one+
Feature - Ali 2.indd 86
Tour guide, cultural consultant,
newspaper columnist, television
presenter and founder of Embrace Arabia and the Ask Ali
portal, 30-year-old Emirati national Ali confidently strides into
the traditional majlis (meeting
room) at the Abu Dhabi Heritage
Village on a sweltering September
afternoon.
The air-conditioning is on
high, so it’s cool inside—some
people have even slipped on
sweaters and pashminas—yet,
outside it’s a typical sultry latesummer day with temperatures
hovering around 104 degrees
Fahrenheit. With 55 percent humidity, it feels like 114. Sweat
still trickles down our temples,
yet there’s not a bead of perspiration visible on Ali’s brow.
He looks fresh and dapper in
his checked ghutra and agal, the
traditional Arab headdress, and
crisp camel-colored dishdasha,
the ankle-length cotton gown that
is the national costume, though
most Emirati men wear it in
white. Like the rest of us, Ali has
removed his shoes—the leather
sandals that local men wear—
and left them outside the door, as
is customary. But whereas most
of us have curled our bare feet
beneath us, a tad embarrassed to
be so naked in front of so many
strangers in such a formal setting,
Ali is completely relaxed. He’s almost 30 minutes late, and it will
be another half hour before the
evening properly starts, yet not a
single one of the 50 or so people
in the room seem to mind—or if
they do, they don’t show it.
Time moves at a much slower
pace here—especially during
Ramadan, when Muslims are
fasting and work shorter hours.
Unless intent on driving themselves insane, the unhurried
pace of life here is something
to which new arrivals—expats
and visitors—need to quickly
adjust. Like in Mexico, where
everything is mañana—why
do something today when you
could do it tomorrow?—here,
on the Arabian Peninsula, it’s
enshallah, meaning God-willing.
If God wills it, it will happen.
If he doesn’t, it won’t. Or, Godwilling it will happen eventually,
but nobody is particularly worried if it doesn’t.
Another reason why participants do not seem particularly bothered by Ali’s lateness is
because immediately upon his arrival, he greets guests with such
sincerity and warmth, in the way
that a master at hospitality can.
He acknowledges the people he’s
met before—some have attended
his cultural workshops organized
as part of their company orientation programs, a handful have
joined his guided tours of Sheikh
Zayed Mosque and other sights
around the city, and still others
have read his weekly column in
Abu Dhabi’s The National newspaper, where Ali responds to
reader questions, such as whether
it’s acceptable for men and women to hold hands in public. Then,
Ali warmly greets first-time participants he has never met, newcomers to the country who are
attending this Ramadan evening
to find out what the ninth month
of the Islamic lunar calendar is
really all about.
Ali’s enthusiasm is infectious
and his ability to put people at
ease impressive, but there is something else in evidence that’s not
usually found in presentations
given by Emirati men, generally
known for their reserved nature.
As Ali gesticulates wildly, peppers
10.09
9/28/09 2:17:48 PM
his stories with jokes and casual
turns-of-phrase and moves about
dramatically treating the majlis
as a stage rather than a meeting
room, it becomes apparent that
it’s an element of performance
and a sense of showmanship
more commonly found in the
West that sets Ali apart from other cross-cultural speakers in the
Emirates. But then Ali is unique
and very much an individual in a
society that’s tribal and collective
in spirit.
A
Ali is proud of the fact that his
life has been lived a little differently than most Emiratis. For as
long as he can remember, he has
traveled. Ali’s father, a teacher, an
avid reader and a traveler, took
his family abroad regularly, and
it was his dad who encouraged
him to study overseas and enter
hospitality.
“When I was a kid, my dream
had always been to be a pilot,”
Ali says. “But then there was a
tragedy in the family—my cousin, an air force pilot, died flying—
so I wasn’t allowed to become a
pilot. I asked my dad, ‘What can
I do now?’ He said: ‘Go into hospitality.’ He was a visionary, but I
had no idea what he was talking
about. I was so ignorant then, I
thought he wanted me to work in
a hospital!”
Ali went to study in the U.S.
and Canada, doing stints in between working in Europe and
the U.K. to develop practical
skills. Once armed with his undergraduate degree in hospitality
management and tourism and
a master’s degree in brand and
cross-cultural management, Ali
returned to the U.A.E. and set
about developing more industry
experience working at Abu Dhabi’s Beach Rotana hotel where he
tried his hand at everything from
housekeeping to concierge.
Ali joined the newly launched
Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority
in 2005, where he found himself
helping establish the emirate’s
first meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition department.
Working in an organization that
was heavily staffed by foreigners,
Ali became the first choice when
VIPs visited and a local person
with knowledge of U.A.E. history and culture was required.
It was during this period when
Ali began showing everyone his
city—including movie star Antonio Banderas and celebrity architect Frank Gehry—that he began
to develop his guiding skills and
started injecting personality and
humor into his tours.
“I joined the Abu Dhabi
Tourism Authority, because I
had qualifications in tourism and
hospitality,” he says. “But I also
wanted the security that a government job provides in the U.A.E.
However, I remember waking up
one day, and there was one thing
in my head: when Sheikh Zayed
(the late U.A.E. president and
founder of the U.A.E. Federation in 1971) passed away he left
us with something—it was his
legacy.
“Whenever Gulf Arabs travel
to other countries in the region,
the guys at the immigration desks
look at our passports before they
stamp them and they can tell by
our names where we’re from…
they’ll recognize the name and
say, ‘Ah, you’re from Qatar?
Welcome.’ Or, ‘You’re a Kuwaiti?
Marhaba!’ The amazing thing is
that when they identify an Emirati, they always say, ‘Sons of
Zayed, welcome!’ When I began
to reflect on that and think about
what Sheikh Zayed had done to
develop the U.A.E., and the leg-
acy that he left us…I thought to
myself that if we don’t continue
his work it will all disappear.
“So that very morning I decided I had to do more than my
secure government job. I remember looking at my parents’ old
photo albums, at how tough life
was then, and looking at what
they went through during those
early years of development…
they’d come so far. So I found
myself wanting to contribute in a
greater way,” he says, “I felt that
I had to embrace what we had,
to embrace Arabia…and to embrace and respect other cultures,
and show them why they should
respect us. It was like a calling. I
quit my job straight away.”
Ali formed his own tour company, hired a mini-bus and began
showing small groups of tourists
his city. The incessant questions
people asked about his country
and culture—from how they
should dress to whether they
could take photos of locals—
inspired him to start his online
portal, Ask-ali.com. The cultural
awareness classes and activities
were a natural progression.
Ali is proud
of the fact
that he’s
lived life
a little
differently
than most
Emiratis.
For as long
as he can
remember,
he has been
a traveler.
mpiweb.org
Feature - Ali 2.indd 87
87
9/30/09 4:24:28 PM
Meet in Budapest, at the heart of Europe
This world class city now offers top-notch hotels
in renovated palaces with state-of-the art A/V and
convention facilities. It is not only breath-takingly
beautiful, it is also hospitable, hip and exciting.
Budapest and Hungary is the place where
meetings and traditions, serious conferencing and
casual evening entertainment go hand in hand.
• Easy access from US cities by Delta or oneworld
partner carriers
• Abundant deluxe hotel space in historic settings
• State-of-the-art, on-site convention facilities
• EU-member: yes. Euro: not yet. Great value for
the money!
• Professionalism and hospitality
Your one stop information source:
Hungarian National
Tourist Office
Peter Gomori, director
tel:
(212) 695-1221, ex 23
e-mail:
gomori@gotohungary.com
web:
www.gotohungary.com
Hungarian
Convention Bureau
Dora Kiss, director
tel:
(36) 1 488 8643
e-mail:
kissd@itthon.hu
web:
www.hcb.hu
Planning a
meeting in
Europe?
With offices in
the United States,
European
countries are within
easy reach for
A renowned international destination on
the majestic Mediterranean, with extensive
meeting facilities, world-class service and
accommodations, modern infrastructure
and accessibility, the Principality of
Monaco is ideal for corporations seeking
a sophisticated venue.
“One-Stop Shopping”
Its unparalleled amenities and US$
guaranteed packages for corporate
events and meetings, ensure an
affordable, yet unforgettable journey
to the “gem of the Riviera”.
(800) 753-9696
www.visitmonaco.com
1009_088.indd 88
9/28/09 4:02:59 PM
Ali has
used his
charismatic
personality
to promote
tourism and
raise cultural
awareness,
and become
a local media
celebrity in
the process.
S
Something of a groundbreaker in
the U.A.E. tourism and hospitality field, Ali isn’t the first Emirati
to work in the industry. Emirati
women from neighboring cityemirate Dubai have been working in tourism and hospitality
since the Dubai Women’s College
established a travel and tourism
program in 2000. Nor was Ali’s
Embrace Arabia the first organization to offer cultural awareness programs aimed at breaking
down barriers between different
religions and nationalities. The
Sheikh Mohammed Centre for
Cultural Understanding (SMCCU) in Dubai was created in
1995 to do just that. The main
objective of its Open Doors,
Open Minds program, which includes guided visits to Jumeirah
Mosque and Cultural Breakfasts
at its courtyard-house headquarters in Dubai’s historic Bastakiya
quarter, is to raise awareness of
the local culture, traditions, customs and religion among foreign
residents and visitors.
Dubai, however, has been doing tourism far longer than Abu
Dhabi. Indeed, companies such
as Arabian Adventures were offering desert safaris with camel
rides, sandboarding and bellydancing to foreign tourists well
before the city’s sail-shaped Burj
Al Arab (the world’s first “seven-star hotel”) opened its doors
in 1999 and put Dubai on the
world map as a luxury travel destination. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority wasn’t established
until 2004, and the city’s own
“seven-star” hotel, Emirates Pal-
ace, didn’t open until a year later
in 2005.
Ali has used his charismatic
personality and name to promote tourism and raise cultural
awareness—largely through his
Ask Ali column and information
portal—and become something
of a local media celebrity in the
process.
“I was the first Emirati to offer
guided tours in a mini-bus I hired
myself. I’ve written everything on
the portal—I answered 700 questions in six months. Now I’m
writing a mini-guide to the city,
I’m developing TV shows and
I’m publishing a guidebook,” he
says proudly.
Up until Ali, tours were
guided by Indian or other Arab
expatriates, portals were the domain of the government tourism
bodies, TV shows were limited to
foreign-produced programs on
the Travel Channel and guidebooks published by Time Out
and Lonely Planet were written
by long-term expatriates.
Ali adds a genuine local flavor
and authenticity to the U.A.E.’s
tourism and cultural offerings
that has never been available before. Whether visitors take one
of his guided tours or sign up for
one of Embrace Arabia’s cultural
activities, they now learn about
the U.A.E. culture and experience
the destination through a warm,
friendly, enthusiastic Emirati in a
way they couldn’t before.
The Ramadan program that
Embrace Arabia offered wasn’t
so different from activities offered by the SMCCU or private
tour companies, but Ali’s personality—in particular, his passion,
energy and exuberance—sets his
tourism and cultural offerings
apart from the others.
A
Aside from his father, who died
earlier this year, and the late President Sheikh Zayed, Ali’s heroes
include Oprah Winfrey and Australia’s “Crocodile Hunter” Steve
Irwin, someone he had the opportunity to befriend, and greatly
admired. They were entertainers,
performers and storytellers.
This evening, Ali tells his
guests a story, all the time moving around the room, gesticulating with his arms, making eye
contact with his guests: “I was
mpiweb.org
Feature - Ali 2.indd 89
89
9/28/09 2:36:28 PM
he had left earlier, the Prophet
thought to himself, and continued to the mosque.
“The next day, the Prophet
walked by her house again and
he again didn’t see her, so he
decided to go to her home. He
found her inside, lying in her
bed, surrounded by her family—
she was ill. She said to him: ‘So,
you’ve come for revenge, have
asked to deliver a speech recently you?’ He hadn’t. He simply asked
for a company on the theme of her how she was, and whether he
peace so I told a story that dates could do something for her. She
back to the beginnings of Islam, was astounded. She was shocked
about the Prophet Mohammed, that he forgave her so easily.
peace be upon him… Every day At that moment, she believed that
the Prophet would walk the same he was the Prophet. For all
way, and every day a woman the great Prophets—not only
would wait for him, and just as Mohammed, but also Jesus
he arrived near her home, she Christ—forgiveness was their
would throw her garbage on him. middle name,” Ali concluded.
The story was intended to ilShe did this every day and yet the
Prophet did nothing. He just kept lustrate one of the meanings of
walking the same way. Until one Ramadan for Muslims—a time
day, when he walked past her for forgiveness. Like many of
house, she wasn’t there…maybe the stories he tells throughout
“I’m disappointed
when local people
don’t appreciate
the wealth we have
here; how far this
country has come.”
the evening, Ali’s intention is not
only to share his culture, religion
and country, but also to dispel
myths and make connections.
At the end of the long evening, after everybody has enjoyed their traditional desserts
and cardamom-flavored coffee,
Ali says goodbye to each and every one of the participants, then
sits on the majlis cushions and
releases a small sigh. He must be
tired—after all, it is the last week
of Ramadan and he’s been fasting
all day every day for four weeks,
offering these activities in the evenings—yet he continues chatting
with the same energy and passion
he showed four hours earlier.
“You know, I feel disappointed when I see local people who
don’t appreciate the wealth we
have here, and how far this country has come in 40 years. I don’t
want to be like that—I want to
leave a legacy,” he says.
So what next? I ask.
“I want to publish my books,
I want to make a film, I want to
do my Ph.D. and I want to travel
more. I want to travel all over the
world. And I want to do it all by
the time I’m 35,” he says.
That’s very ambitious, I think
as I remember something he told
the group earlier: “Things happen at a different pace here. Life
is so slow in some ways and yet
the country has developed so fast.
I like to say that the Emirates has
grown 10 years in one day.”
Ali has certainly achieved
in five years what many others
would in 10. And yet his grand
plans still aren’t enough.
“But most of all,” Ali says, “I
want people to remove from their
minds the idea of Bin Laden when
they think of Arabs and Muslims.
Instead, I want them to think of
Ali Al Saloom!”
LARA DUNSTON is a globetrotting travel writer currently based in
the United Arab Emirates.
90
one+
Feature - Ali 2.indd 90
10.09
9/28/09 2:36:37 PM
1009_091.indd 91
9/30/09 11:00:57 AM
Meet Where?
JESSIE STATES
S UB HEAD ?
CONTEST!
Correctly identify this venue and its location and you could win a
(PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod Shuffle. Global Fund’s (PRODUCT) RED initiative directs up to 50 percent of gross profits toward
African AIDS programs focusing on the health of women and children. One winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries.
Submit entries to jhensel@mpiweb.org by November 1, and find out
the answer and winner online at www.mpiweb.org/pluspoint.
92
one+
10.09
p092 Meet Where 1009.indd 92
9/24/09 8:00:15 AM
1009_C3.indd C3
9/16/09 8:21:16 AM
1009_C4.indd C4
9/24/09 11:34:28 AM