Corporate Travel Destinations

It was a widely held belief that people who cruised were either honeymooners or an older, less-mobile crowd.  Either way, you were subjected to small cabins, cheesy entertainment and banquet hall-type cuisine.  However, in the last 15 years all that has dramatically changed. 

Cruise lines have revolutionized how people cruise in the 21^st century by offering exciting sporting and recreational activities, Broadway-caliber entertainment and gourmet fine dining.  In doing so, they have succeeded in attracting a younger, more active crowd which has reinvigorated the industry.

The corporate meeting and special events market has also reaped some of these rewards with state-of-the art meeting rooms and technological amenities to rival and surpass any “traditional conference room”.   The advantages to booking a corporate meeting do not end there.  Many ships provide concierge meeting planning assistance making it a one stop shop for all your planning needs.  Plus, with pricing that includes all meals, entertainment, and ship-board activities, planning a budget for your special event is a breeze.

The Cruise Lines International Association reports that 15 million people went on a cruise last year compared to 500,000 in 1970.   Corporate meetings and special events at sea have also increased substantially and it’s easy to see why.  After all, where else can you zip-line nine decks above an ocean liner in-between meeting programs?   

Not everyone knows all of the upsides of meetings at sea, and that could cause a poor decision to be made. In fact, it is probably accurate to suggest that many that have already considered meetings at sea may not be aware of some of the benefits or how to leverage them effectively. Business is all about seeing opportunities and learning how to leverage appropriately, and this includes learning how and when to use the hidden benefits of meetings at sea.

The biggest advantage to having meetings at sea is simple: almost everything is included at a great price. This is often overlooked when people compare the price of rooms alone to cabin space aboard a vessel. The fact of the matter is that the cost of entertainment, meals, meeting rooms, and more also needs to be factored into the equation. This can be leveraged at any time.

One of the secret upsides to meeting at sea is that there are choices when it comes to those inclusive options. For example, do you want a different catering or a different menu? Ask! Chances are good that the request can be met. Want to hold a meeting in a private sauna? Ask! How about private access to that fancy club? Again, just ask. If there was one common theme about the surprising upsides of meetings at sea it would simply be that most people do not know that they should ask.

If meetings in boardrooms and convention centers are starting to feel a little passé, then consider a meeting at sea. A meeting at sea could prove to be just what an organization needs to breathe new life into it and revitalize its image, but there are many other benefits. Here is a short list of some of the top benefits of planning a meeting at sea:

Concierge service – whatever you want, however you want it, without all the hassle. That is what a concierge service is in a nutshell, and they make planning a meeting at sea a simple affair.

All inclusive – most companies that offer floating meeting rooms wrapped in luxury liners also offer all inclusive options. Imagine easy pricing that makes budgeting as easy as planning.

Exotic locations – A change of scenery can stir new ideas, and that could be all it takes to revitalize flagging spirits and sagging morale. Even if only a select few can attend a meeting at sea each year, the opportunity could be all it takes to inspire greater effort from entire teams.

Bonding entertainment – developing teamwork is extremely difficult in many cases, especially for larger companies that are already have a corporate culture built around competition between divisions. Putting people from different departments on a cruise where the fun begins when the meetings end can build unity and loyalty.

The Westin La Cantera Resort  in San Antonio, Texas is an upscale destination hotel.  With a Colonial Texas design on a hilltop overlooking the downtown area, the resort offers 508 guest rooms and plenty of meeting space.  There are  a variety of activities available, including two championship golf courses, six outdoor pools, a full-service spa, and a fitness center. 

For meetings and special events, there is more than 39,000 sq. ft. of indoor/outdoor event space, including the 17,000 sq. ft. ballroom.   There are also eight separate meeting rooms and two boardrooms. 

The location is ideal, as it is within 12 miles of the airport, and approximately 15 miles from the downtown and historic River Walk areas.   It is also conveniently situated adjacent to the Six Flags Fiesta Texas Theme Park. 

The resort can create team building activities to help unify team members and bring groups together. 

westinlacantera.com

Arizona is a popular destination for meetings, conferences, trade shows, and corporate events.  Talking Stick Resort, in Scottsdale, features a memorable and functional conference center, with a 25,000 sq. ft. grand ballroom that can be divided into eight separate rooms; 22 state-of-the-art meeting rooms, full-service catering, and lots of entertainment for your attendees.

Guest rooms offers upscale amenities, and the resort has a  rejuvenating spa, eight restaurants, 10 entertainment lounges, a 240,000 sq. ft. gaming floor, a cabana-lined pool and more than 100,000 sq. ft. fo indoor/outdoor meeting space.  In addition, attendees can enjoy 36 holes of championship golf at the adjacent world-renowned Tallking  Stick Golf Club, managed by Troon Golf.

Talking Stick Resort is ashort 15 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. 

talkingstickresort.com

Airport hotels almost always get a bad rap and, other than the convenience and close proximity to the airport, most travelers see little positive about staying in them. This is even truer when it comes to actually holding a conference, convention or corporate meeting in one. Ask most planners and they are sure to say that they and their clients would rather use a downtown property, and don’t even get them started about the noise from the planes flying overhead. However, it turns out that many airport hotels really do not deserve this reputation and recent full-scale renovations have many competing quite successfully with their downtown counterparts.

An excellent example of this is the Hilton Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport Mall of America, located just three miles from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport. This 300-room hotel has 22,000 square feet of space for events, including a 7,500-square-foot ballroom and nine meeting rooms. As an added bonus, the hotel is adjacent to a wildlife refuge, which offers excellent views from many of the rooms and meeting spaces and – perhaps most importantly – makes the entire area a no-fly zone. The wildlife refuge also has a 125-seat auditorium and 8,000 square feet of event space located in its visitor center, increasing the possibilities for planners that opt for this destination.

The Fantasy Springs Resorts and Casino in the Palm Springs area of California, offers "Meeting Planner" packages, including complimentary meeting rooms, one VIP amenity for every 20 rooms booked, no resort fees, no occupancy tax, and much more.

With 100,000 sq. ft. of indoor and outdoor meeting and banquet space, 250 luxury rooms and suites, five restaurants, golf course, live music and casino, Fantasy Springs is a great place to host a meeting and stay on budget. 

Learn more at www.FantasySpringsResort.com/meetings

Fall is upon us and with the holidays within sight, everyone knows the weather is going to turn a little ugly. A mid winter convention may make you long for a warmer climate, but this year a trip to Tahiti just isn’t in the cards. Tucson is just the right place to hold a corporate meeting.

The Westwood Look Resort is a secluded area in the Catalina foothills, close enough to Tucson to be accessible to the nightlife of the city, but far enough away to give your next corporate meeting privacy. The resort has the air of a retreat and the peaceful atmosphere will inspire and stimulate your team.

Arizona is known for great golf courses and Omni Tucson National Resort can proudly say that the big of golfers (Nicklaus, Trevino, and Palmer) walked the fairways of the Sonoran golf course. The golf course has been rated in the top seventy-five courses in North America; there just isn’t a better choice to combine business with pleasure.

The resort is also known world wide for their spa facility. Gourmet food and deep tissue massage build team spirit, replenishes the soul, and sharpens the mind. The boutique resort offers eight meeting rooms, a theater capable of seating 290 people, and outdoor venues for special events.

There is no doubt that conferences and conventions are becoming more and more common worldwide. From science fiction and fly fishing to automobile manufacturers and writers, gathering in one place for camaraderie and technical exchange is not “the next big thing,” it’s the “now” thing.

Almost everyone in the United States has heard of the larger conference and convention centers. Las Vegas, for instance, is home to the enormous and beautiful Las Vegas Convention Center. Located within walking distance to hotels, restaurants, and the casinos and nightlife, the website (www.lvcva.com) says it has “In addition to more than two million square feet of exhibit space, 144 meeting rooms (more than 241,000 square feet) handle seating capacities ranging from 20 to 2,500.”

And that’s just one convention center in one U.S. city. Convention centers have begun to spring up worldwide, even in unexpected places like Panama creating meeting places like The Orchid, which will be available sometime near the end of 2009. Other countries seem to be following suit, and the International Association of Conference Center North America chapter president, Neil Pompan, hopes that the international chapters of his organization expand into places like China and South Africa. Continue reading »