January 2007
Vol. 3, No. 1
Happy New Year!!! We hope this newsletter finds you in good spirits and ready to conquer a new year. We want to thank you for your partnership throughout the past year. As you begin to make plans for your open meetings, please remember The Hyland Group as a reliable resource to the hotels, resorts and convention and visitors bureaus that we represent. We look forward to working with you again soon.
Feature Article – A Meeting Planner’s Resolutions for the New Year – By Jenny DiBenedetto
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The time of year has come to reflect on our vices and look forward to this New Year with ideas for improvement. For some, these goals include the “usual suspects” of resolutions: lose weight, quit smoking, volunteer with a charitable organization and one many can relate to: stop gossiping. But what about resolutions in our careers and specifically in the hospitality industry? There are plenty of useful resolutions which can aid in working more efficiently and may even make our everyday jobs more enjoyable. Below is a general list of resolutions that can be applied to the hospitality and meetings industry. |
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1. Put Down the BlackBerry™! In the age of email and having the convenience to send emails from any location at any time of day, communication is now at our fingertips rather than our lovely voices. We may often forget how a phone conversation allows us to strengthen relationships with clients and vendors on a more personal level, while also eliminating any misunderstandings that may be interpreted from an ambiguously written email.
2. Think Like an Attendee: In the new year, take time to not only plan an impressive program but also anticipate your attendees’ wants and needs so you can create a memorable life experience. Don’t just go through the motions; take the time to be creative and think through everything as an actual attendee to help attain the goals and objectives of the meeting.
3. Prioritize & Organize: Time management and multi-tasking are necessities in any job, but in this industry we are constantly reminded of the importance of deadlines and responding to situations with a sense of urgency. Find extra hours in your day by utilizing “quiet time” (early in the morning) when you can focus on daunting tasks. Arrange your daily “to-do” lists in two groups: “must do” and “can do” sections. This allows you to first tackle those imperative tasks which must be completed by day’s end and also enables you to get ahead with the completion of “can do” tasks which may have a deadline later in the week or month.
4. Trade Publications: Look past the beautiful pictures! Many times we receive trade magazines in the mail or receive an informative email newsletter, and we simply skim the titles of each section or look at the stunning photos of a new resort in the Maldives. Wouldn’t it be remarkable to see the knowledge we would gain from reading the trades thoroughly and then sharing information with our co-workers and contacts?
5. Gratitude is Key: Don’t forget to show gratitude to the motor coach driver that made an extra stop along the way to meet a client’s request, or the audiovisual tech who assisted you with a teleconference bridge to reach London. We cannot forget to adequately thank and show our support to those who have helped make each program a huge success.
Happy New Year!
Jenny DiBenedetto is an Account Coordinator at Masterplan, Inc. Before working at Masterplan, Jenny spent time working in the non-profit sector as a Special Event Director for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Contact Jenny.
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Featured Destination – Visit Charlotte
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You may have recently heard about Charlotte, as news about it has been the latest buzz. Whether you read about the city’s selection as the future home of the highly anticipated NASCAR Hall of Fame or learned about the city from someone who has experienced the Southern charm and cosmopolitan feel firsthand, news about Charlotte is good news. It’s buzzing with economic growth that has invigorated the area with attractions, retail, accommodations, and dining. It’s buzzing with the success of being the nation’s second largest financial center. And it’s buzzing with cultural and entertainment options that rival bigger cities. The changing face of Charlotte will surprise you.
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The Queen City’s meeting space offers fresh options ready to rejuvenate any gathering. At the top of the list is the award-winning Charlotte Convention Center, which was designed with the input of meeting planners from across the country. Renowned for the use of light, space, glass, and air in its design, the facility offers 280,000 square feet of contiguous exhibit space, divisible into four halls. Additional space includes a 35,000-square-foot ballroom and more than 90,000 square feet of flexible meeting space with 46 meeting rooms. A full-service in-house catering department, equipped to serve events with 6,000-plus guests, offers award-winning cuisine.
Finding comfort in accommodations is easy. The city’s 30,000-plus guest rooms provide ample accommodations for visiting groups and range from full-service luxury resorts to historic inns to dependable hotel chains. For More than 4,100 hotel rooms are within walking distance to the Convention Center. Coming soon, Charlotte’s dazzling Center City will welcome three more noteworthy hotels to the neighborhood, including the world-renowned Ritz-Carlton; Twelve, an all-suite boutique hotel; and aloft, the new brand from the brains behind Starwood’s W Hotel.
After the daily sessions are done, meeting attendees can unwind by choosing from the many entertaining venues the city is pleased to dish up. From mellow jazz clubs to salsa dancing lessons and from Broadway theatre to low-key brew pubs, Charlotte’s after five offerings aim to please. The Queen City isn’t short on recreational pursuits either. The newly opened U.S. National Whitewater Center; more than 80 public and private golf courses; and professional sports venues ranging from the NFL to NASCAR are the perfect places to kick back and enjoy those Carolina blue skies.
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Hot Dates, Rates & Promotions
The following Hyland Group destinations have value dates and/or promotions currently available. Please click here for specific information.
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• Antrim 1884
• Greater Birmingham Convention & Visitors Bureau
• The Bolger Center
• Caribe Royale Orlando
• Visit Charlotte
• Coeur d'Alene Golf & Spa Resort
• Experience Columbus
• Cranwell Resort Spa & Golf Club
• Don CeSar Beach Resort
• Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau
• French Lick Resort Casino
• Jekyll Island Club
• Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, Chicago
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• Mohonk Mountain House
• Hotel Monteleone
• Oak Ridge Hotel & Conference Center
• Rancho Bernardo Inn
• Saddlebook Resort
• Scottsdale Plaza Resort
• Semiahmoo Resort
• The Talbott Hotel
• Vail Valley Chamber & Tourism Bureau
• The Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino
• Wort Hotel
• Wyndham Phoenix |
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The Hyland Group's
Annual Chicago Holiday Luncheon
Pictured from left to right:
Catherine Porter, Destination Halifax
Kelly McBride, Austin CVB
Mary Beth Nowak, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Am
Stephanie Morales, The Hyland Group
Suzan Collins, Adam's Mark Denver
Laurie Gabrielsen, Adam's Mark Denver
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Join The Austin CVB at its "Un-Official" PCMA Opening Night After Party. Sunday, January 7 at 9pm at the Hard Rock Café, Toronto. Don't miss the live performance by The Spazmatics, "The Ultimate 80's New Wave Show."
Experience Columbus invites PCMA Professional Members and the PCMA POWER Chapter to its PCMA Beat Florida Party! The event will be held on January 8 at 6:30pm at The Fairmont Royal York Hotel, Toronto. Watch Big Ten Champions, The Ohio State University Buckeyes, trounce the SEC Champions, University of Florida Gators. RSVP by clicking here.
Shellie O'Toole, Experience Columbus, was recently named the 2007 president for the Professional Convention Management Association POWER Chapter. The chapter consists of members from Pittsburgh, Ohio, West Virginia and the Erie Region.
USA Today named The Driskill Bar at The Driskill Hotel one of the 10 best places to party the night away.
American Eagle has started its service between New York Laguardia and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The regional affiliate of American Airlines added nonstop service between New York LaGuardia Airport and Halifax International Airport on December 14.
The U.S. Figure Skating Championships, held annually since 1914, is the nation's most prestigious figure skating event. This year's host is Spokane, Washington with the event starting on January 21.
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THE HYLAND GROUP BLOCK AT HOLIDAY SHOWCASE
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Lori Lee, CMP, Am Acad of Pediatrics
Stephanie Morales, The Hyland Group
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ATLANTIS, Paradise Island booth in
The Hyland Group block
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Margaret Stafford, CMP, American Bar Assn
Stephanie Morales, The Hyland Group
Ellie Lander, American Bar Assn
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February 2 - 7, 2007
Hong Kong Tourism Board: Hong Kong |
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February 8 - 11, 2007
ATLANTIS, Paradise Island: Bahamas |
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February 15 - 18, 2007
Albuquerque Site Inspection Trip: Albuquerque, NM |
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February 16 - 18, 2007
Galveston Island CVB Mardi Gras Site Inspection Trip: Galveston, TX |
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February 28 - March 3, 2007
Anchorage CVB Iditarod Fam: Anchorage, Alaska |
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| For more information on site inspections, please contact your Hyland Group representative or email us. |
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Latitudes, A Hyland Group Publication
Publisher: Peter Hyland / Editor: Erin Tench, CMP
The Hyland Group Newsletter, Latitudes, is an online journal for clients, partner-companies, professional associates and industry colleagues of The Hyland Group and is published twelve times yearly. For editorial or edition sponsorship inquiries, kindly email us for more information.
Since 1985, The Hyland Group has been one of the premier sales and marketing firms for the hospitality industry. Please check out our diverse portfolio by visiting http://www.hylandgroup.com/. Let our experienced staff assist you with finding the right destination for your next meeting or conference. Contact us for more information.
© Copyright 2005-2007. The Hyland Group. All Rights Reserved.
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