The new contest is here….

Use your colleagues and industry peers to your advantage!

In the Refer a Meeting Professional Contest, each meeting professional colleague or peer you refer gives you a chance to win…

…a three day/two night stay in suite accommodations, including tickets to entertainer of choice in the Mohegan Sun Arena and dinner for two, at the luxurious Mohegan Sun in Connecticut!

The contest ends February, 2009 - so make sure to check it out!

Check out ConventionPlanit.com’s latest video on YouTube…

…about Convention Planning Services in Orlando.  It’s a quick way to get some helpful information and tips.

What do you think?  What other planning topics would you like to see us add videos about?

At the Meetings Quest Atlanta show this week, our team met a lot of great planners!

Many of them told us their meetings and conferences have been put on hold - for economic reasons.

Have any of your meetings been placed on hold? How are you and your colleagues dealing with the current state of the economy, and how is it affecting you?

Tour Southeast Asia and the Middle East with ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership and MCI!

The groups have announced a new study mission to Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Dubai in April 2009.

The trip will allow association and nonprofit executives to learn firsthand about the economic, social and cultural environments of colleagues in these nations - which are becoming centers for multinational leadership.

For trip details, check out the full article.

Here’s a new meeting planning tip for you - this comes from Dawn Scrofano, Chapter Services Manager for ACEP in Irving, Texas, who just won our September Stellar Tip Contest…

F&B Budgeting

“If you’re on a tight budget for your meals, talk to your banquet manager about piggy backing onto another groups menus.”

How do you save on your food and beverage? Be sure to check out the Stellar Tip Archives for more great ideas.

If you’re looking to bring some excitement to your next Florida meeting, the Orlando CVB has you covered.

The 2008-2009 Creative Meeting Planners Guide is now available…

…it’s full of over 280 pages of ideas and options to help you bring meetings, conventions & tradeshows to life in Central Florida.

Get your own copy of the guide by calling 800-662-2825 or emailing Orlando CVB Convention Sales representative, Karen Maureen, at karen.maureen@orlandocvb.com.

For a great overview of upcoming activities and events in the Orlando area, be sure to read this article.

Let’s face it - you can’t escape or avoid technology, even if you tried…and as soon as you finally understand how to work your dvd player, blu-ray has become the new trend.

How are you supposed to keep up with technology trends for your meetings?

HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings National introduced a technology component to the show this year - with both exhibitors and information sessions on the understanding and using the latest trends in meetings. (ConventionPlanit.com hosted a technology information session…on search engines!)

If you attended the show, what did you think of the technology component? If not, is a technology component something you would find useful? How are you incorporating technology?

Who knew you could get rewarded just for thinking?

Meeting planners, don’t forget to participate on the blog - the most insightful blog posting will win a $100 reward!

So start talking, let’s here what you have to say…

Start saving for your plane ticket now - the Fontainebleau Las Vegas is opening Fall 2009 and it’s very green and very cool…

…with features from ECO-Mode Personal Thermostats to iMac laptops in all of the guestrooms, to 300,000 square feet of upscale retail space, an in-house destination management company and 58 meeting rooms!

The hotel is on track to become Silver-Certified by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program.

Be sure to check out the rooftop pool, the Fontainebleau Las Vegas boasts the world’s largest!

Free and often wireless internet connections are becoming more common at hotels, much to the relief of our email, facebook, bussiness-addicted society…

…but have you ever wondered how safe those internet connections are?

Some faculty at Cornell University did ask that question, and their research found many hotel networks run on outdated or old security techlology - leaving you at risk for your personal or business information to be attacked by a hacker.

The research is a helpful analysis of hotel trends, and includes some great tips on how to keep your information safe if you are connected to an unsecure network…so check it out!

The study is available for free through Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research website.