Aug 31
Ashley SpitzerNews, Places to Stay economy, hotels, meeting industry, per diem rates
The new fiscal year per diem rates were announced yesterday by the General Services Administration (GSA):
Rates Start: October 1, 2010
Rates End: September 30, 2011
The standard Continental United States (CONUS) per diem rate increased to $77 per night.
GSA reported the average daily rate (ADR) for hotel rooms is down 5.73% from fiscal year 2010.
There are several non-standard area lodging rate changes that have been reduced, making them more affordable to visit:
• New York City (Manhattan) fall high season: reduced to $269 from FY2010 $340
• Colorado Springs: reduced to $84 from FY2010 $88
• Las Vegas: three seasons reduced to one, rates down from FY2010 high of $118 to $93
• Miami, Fla., for the Miami-Dade area mid-season: down to $151 from FY2010 $152
• Chicago, Ill., early summer area high season: reduced to $166 from FY2010 $211
• Charleston, SC: down to $132 from FY2010 $142
• Los Angeles, Calif.: reduced to $123 from FY10 $135
• Kansas City, Mo: down to $99 from FY2010 $107
• Cincinnati, Ohio: unchanged from FY2010 at $115
• Seattle, Wash: reduced to $139 from FY2010 $159
How these rate changes affect your planning this fall?
Aug 24
maureen-pickellTrade Shows ASAE & the Center, economy, meeting industry
Second day of the ASAE Expo.
Haven’t seen any celebrities..unless you count the famous meeting planners who have stopped by the ConventionPlanit.com booth to view the website.
General sessions have been very creative with yesterday’s offering attendees a special screening of their very own sitcom…”Guilt By Association.” Humor abounded in a storyline that followed the trials and tribulations of association execs. studying for a CAE exam. As you can imagine, this is a topic that can be mined for lots of laughs:)
There are always quotes galore at a state of the industry breakout session…my favorite so far is this bit of enlightment:
“We have data indicating that things could turn around – provided they don’t get worse.”
See you tomorrow…
Aug 03
Ashley SpitzerTips for Meeting Planners air travel, economy, meeting ideas
While some airlines have dropped out of the meetings business, others haven’t. Those that remain – including American, Delta, and Continental – each have special offers.
Become familiar with these group programs, which can save a significant portion of your budget:
American Airlines
Groups of 10 or more traveling to the same destination can take advantage of special discounts. If travel dates are confirmed, the airline can guarantee a fare up to 11 months in advance, block the space, assign seats, and delay ticketing requirements. American also guarantees competitive fares from different geographic originations to one destination.
American Airlines destinations include more than 250 cities in 40 countries where American, American Eagle® and AmericanConnection® fly across the country and around the globe. The airline is also a member of the oneworld® Global Alliance and can arrange group travel discounts to more than 700 destinations in the oneworld network.
Groups can also receive reduced rates for Avis® car rentals. Click here for more information.
Delta Air Lines
Through its Delta Meeting Network®, this airline offers discounts off published fares and competitive Zone Fares for groups of 10 or more on all Delta, KLM/AirFrance and Alitalia “Delta coded flights”, Delta Connection Carriers and “Delta coded” code-share partners AT/OK/UH. Discount rates can be used three days before/after a meeting for events in the United States and Canada and up to seven days before/after a meeting in all other countries.
Discounts can be based on single events or multi-meeting agreements. Delta also awards one free ticket for every 40 tickets purchased. Zone Fares offer flexible rules and make it simple to manage airline costs.
With its unsurpassed global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 369 destinations in 67 countries on six continents. Click here for more information.
Continental Airlines
Continental’s GroupWorks program offers special benefits for groups of 10 or more passengers traveling together. GroupWorks provides a flat rate for the group, priority check-in, priority boarding, and priority baggage service.
Continental’s MeetingWorks program offers special discounts to attendees of conferences, meetings, or events with 20 or more passengers traveling from multiple origins to one destination. MeetingWorks provides percentage discounts off airfares and credits redeemable for travel certificates, upgrades, and more.
Continental Airlines is the world’s fifth largest airline. Continental, together with Continental Express and Continental Connection, has more than 2,600 daily departures throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia, serving 132 domestic and 137 international destinations. Continental is a member of Star Alliance, which overall offers more than 21,200 daily flights to 1,172 airports in 181 countries through its 28 member airlines. With more than 40,000 employees, Continental has hubs serving New York, Houston, Cleveland and Guam, and together with its regional partners, carries approximately 63 million passengers per year.
Continental consistently earns awards and critical acclaim for both its operation and its corporate culture. For nine consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine has ranked Continental as the top U.S. airline on its “World’s Most Admired Companies” airline industry list. For more information, click here.
Apr 06
Ashley SpitzerNews, Places to Stay economy, Face to Face Meetings, Five Star, meeting industry
Last week I read an interesting article by David Wilkening of TravelMole. I’ve including some of the key points of the article for those who would prefer not to subscribe.
The AIG effect, which caused many luxury hotels to be hit financially with millions of dollars in cancellations, seems to have released its hold on the industry.
Smith Travel Research predicts in 2010, top tier hotels will be the most successful. In fact, STR reports that the luxury sector has experienced an 8% growth over the past few months.
The article quotes Greg Champion, CEO of Benchmark Hospitality:
“Everyone talks about the AIG effect, but there are a lot of planners out there who say ‘If I can stay at a five-star for the same price as a three-or-four star, why wouldn’t I do that?”
In 2009, many of the planners using ConventionPlanit.com told us they could not consider luxury properties for their meetings. In the past few months, we’ve seen a renewed interest in higher-end properties.
These brands have also been offering meeting planners extra amenities, discounts, and meeting space at no charge to secure their business. (Check out the Divine Deal section of CP for current offerings).
While many meetings were cancelled or postponed last year, things seem to be looking up. The mantra for 2010 seems to be meetings will be held – with a solid value and purpose.
Have you experienced this trend in your own planning? Where are you holding your meetings and why?
Luxury hoteliers – has your meetings business increased? What do you attribute it to?
Mar 22
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, issue of the week, meeting industry
The following information has been distributed by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA):
By a narrow 219 – 212 vote, the House of Representatives voted late last night to send H.R. 3590, “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” to the President for his signature, handing the President a significant political victory.
What happens next:
• President Barack Obama is expected to sign this bill into law this week
• The Senate must now consider negotiated changes to the package through the Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872), which also passed the House last night
• Department of Health and Human Services must draft implementing regulations
• Several states have already publically discussed legal challenges to H.R. 3590
What this means for your business:
Many provisions will not be implemented until at least 2014; however, a number of changes can be expected this year, including:
• Insurance companies will be forbidden from denying coverage to sick children
• Adult children can stay on their parents’ policies until they are 26
• Small businesses will receive tax credits to help them buy insurance for their employees
• All new policies will be required to cover preventive care, including annual physical exams
• The practice of dropping insured people when they get sick will be banned
• A high-risk pool will be created to subsidize adults with pre-existing conditions
• For seniors, some medicines will become cheaper and the donut hole will be reduced somewhat
We’ll [AH&LA] continue to analyze the full impact of this legislation and provide more details as they become available.
The industry’s position:
Last Friday, we [AH&LA] urged members to ask their Representatives to vote against this legislation for the following reasons:
• Does not allow small business pooling across state lines
• Adds a new $2,000 per employee penalty on many employers
• Raises costs of drugs and many medical services
• Does not provide meaningful tort reform
• Adds new costs and regulations on businesses
Even though the bill has passed, AH&LA will continue working with Congress to ensure the best interest of our industry is protected. Please direct any questions on this matter to AH&LA Vice President of Governmental Affairs Kevin Maher at kmaher@ahla.com.
We [AH&LA] also encourage you to thank the 34 Democrats who withstood intense pressure and voted against H.R. 3590. If you’re a constituent of any of the following members of Congress, please take a moment to thank them for supporting our industry’s position on this controversial matter.
John Adler (New Jersey)
Jason Altmire (Pennsylvania)
Michael Arcuri (New York)
John Barrow (Georgia)
Marion Berry (Arkansas)
Dan Boren (Oklahoma)
Rick Boucher (Virginia)
Bobby Bright (Alabama)
Ben Chandler (Kentucky)
Travis Childers (Mississippi)
Artur Davis (Alabama)
Lincoln Davis (Tennessee)
Chet Edwards (Texas)
Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (South Dakota)
Tim Holden (Pennsylvania)
Larry Kissell (North Carolina)
Frank Kratovil (Maryland) Daniel Lipinski (Illinois)
Stephen Lynch (Massachusetts)
Jim Marshall (Georgia)
Jim Matheson (Utah)
Mike McIntyre (North Carolina)
Michael McMahon (New York)
Charlie Melancon (Louisiana)
Walt Minnick (Idaho)
Glenn Nye (Virginia)
Collin Peterson (Minnesota)
Mike Ross (Arkansas)
Heath Schuler (North Carolina)
Ike Skelton (Missouri)
Zack Space (Ohio)
John Tanner (Tennessee)
Gene Taylor (Mississippi)
Harry Teague (New Mexico)
Mar 04
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, Keep America Meeting, meeting industry, travel promotion act
Guest Blog Post – courtesy of Rob Hard
President Obama signed the U.S. Travel Promotion Act into law (March 4, 2010), creating a nonprofit organization (public-private partnership) that will be overseen by the U.S. Commerce Department to promote the U.S. as a business travel and tourism destination – and help explain security and entry policies into the country. Politicians and many in the U.S. hospitality industry proclaim this as a victory.
The national tourism office will be funded with up to US$200 million to create a marketing campaign to international visitors. Sounds great, right? Not so fast. At least half of this money will come from a new tax scheme.
A US$10 fee will be charged to international visitors from 35 countries that participate in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) to cover up to US$100 million of the budget. The fee would be assessed once every two years, allowing unlimited visits into the U.S. during that time. The legislation also allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to charge a separate administrative fee which some say will amount to US$2-3 per transaction to manage the program – costing another US$20-30 million each year. Individuals are likely to incur personal credit card fees as well.
The other US$100 million will be covered by a combination of in-kind and cash investments contributed by third parties in the U.S. tourism industry – most of these organizations already have a financial interest in promoting themselves to international travelers.
While the fees may sound nominal, it’s something that has many people from the impacted countries upset, says Steve Lott, spokesperson for the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Washington, DC.
“Other countries charge their entry/exit fees every time you enter,” a US Travel Association spokesperson explains. “The US$10 fee is far lower than similar fees – ranging from Ireland’s US$14 entry tax to the UK’s whopping US$100 – paid by Americans when they travel abroad. And with a mere 35 countries that would be required to pay the fee, fewer than 30% of foreign travelers will be affected.”
The USTA’s reference to the UK may be appropriate; however, the UK’s Air Passenger Duty (tax) is viewed quite controversially, and some in the UK are concerned that it will negatively impact tourism as the fee continues to increase. The UK introduced a small fee to generate needed revenue in 1993, and the tax has grown significantly since then. And just because someone else charges a fee isn’t enough of a reason for others to follow.
The IATA has taken a position against the U.S. fee, saying that an entry or exit fee charged by other countries is a matter of comparing apples to oranges: none of the 35 countries have a tourism-specific fee.
IATA isn’t the only business travel organization against the fee. The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) doesn’t support it either “because it taxes the traveler to pay for an item that doesn’t tangibly benefit the traveler,” says Shane Downey, director of public policy for the NBTA, Alexandria, Virginia.
Nobody is questioning the importance of creating a U.S. tourism office – or a needed marketing campaign.
But it’s important to know that roughly 47 million international business and leisure travel visits were made to the U.S. in 2009 (excludes Mexico) – a decline of about 6%, and the amount they spent dropped by 15% to about US$122 billion (includes Mexico), according to data from the U.S. Office of Travel & Tourism Industries, Washington, DC. In general, overseas travelers spend about US$4,500 per trip to the U.S., according to the USTA.
Given the amount international visitors already contribute to the U.S. economy, why isn’t the cost of the program being covered from existing taxes?
It seems unfortunate that the fees are tied to visitors from VWP countries – a program initially developed to streamline and encourage international tourism to the U.S. It was chosen because the VWP system already exists and can be easily modified to capture a new fee.
The verdict is also out as to whether the U.S. has risked alienating individuals and governments from some of these countries who may opt to visit elsewhere and/or establish retaliatory fees upon U.S. international visitors to their countries. If that happens, this legislation should ultimately be viewed as a new tax on U.S. international travelers.
As for the argument that this is needed because the U.S. isn’t promoting itself internationally, this is simply misleading. Many U.S. cities and states advertise and participate at international travel shows around the world.
It has already been reported that the U.S. plans to promote its tourism to emerging markets, including Brazil, China and India. I, of course, want travelers from these and other countries to know that they are welcome in the U.S. But I’m not sure how business travelers and tourists from Australia, Japan, Spain and other countries may feel as they pay an extra fee to cover the cost of that campaign.
So is it only a matter of time before other countries will be asked to pay a U.S. entry fee for tourism?
Based in Chicago, Rob Hard is a freelance business travel writer and publisher of http://BusinessTravelDestinations.com, business travel views to international destinations, and event planning guide for About.com. He is also founder of RH Communications, Inc., a boutique marketing firm that provides creative and printing solutions. Email him at editor@rhcommunications.com or write to him at PO Box 4405, Chicago, IL USA 60605.
Feb 24
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, Keep America Meeting, meeting industry, travel promotion act
The long awaited Travel Promotion Act may face a final Senate vote this week.
Why It Matters: it will attract more visitors to our nation, create new jobs, and increase revenue for lodging businesses and local governments, all at no cost to American taxpayers. This is a bill that can help this nation’s economy during a time when job creation is a top action item for Congress.
How YOU Can Help: reach out to your Senators this week and tell them how import the Travel Promotion Act is to the meetings industry industry-and your state.
Thank them for their earlier support of the bill (the Senate passed an earlier version 79-19 in September) and urge them to again help one of the nation’s largest industry sectors during this tough economic period.
How to Contact Your Senators:
• Call the U.S. Capitol operator at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Senator’s offices, or view this list of Senators and their states.
• Explain you are resident of the Senator’s home state.
• State you are calling to register your strong support for the Travel Promotion Act (S. 1023/H.R. 1299) and urge your Senators to vote “YES” for the bill to support their state’s lodging and travel industries.
If the Senate vote is successful, the bill will then head to President Obama’s desk for his signature into law.
Support the meetings industry and call your Senators!
Feb 11
Ashley SpitzerNews economy, meeting attendance, meeting industry
2010 seems hopeful for meetings and events in Las Vegas, based on numbers released earlier this week by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.
Meetings in 2009, overall, suffered a 13% decline from the previous year.
December, however, is the fourth month in a row that year-over-year visitor numbers increased. Even meeting figures saw an increase!
Have your meetings picked up in 2010? Hoteliers, are you booking more business? We have seen a dramatic increase in RFPs from planners using the RFP Valet service. Let’s stay busy and meeting in 2010!
Feb 09
Ashley SpitzerContests, Tips for Meeting Planners, Trade Shows economy, environmental-friendly, food and beverage, meeting ideas
If one of your New Year’s resolutions was to save time and money, meeting planners have a lot of suggestions to cut food and beverage costs.
Each of the planners mentioned below shared their advice in the “Stellar Tips” section of ConventionPlanit.com.
Food and beverage charges are always a major cost center. Customizing menus can allow for greater variety, fresher ingredients, and cut costs.
“When working with a limited budget for a full day of meals, I provide my total dollar amount to the chef or catering manager and request that they customize menus for me, keeping in mind any specific requirements I have for each event,” says Kathleen Zwart of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida.
“This allows them to use seasonal or local specials, piggyback onto other events being held that day, take advantage of specials offered by their food suppliers, and offer smaller, healthier portions. I stay within my budget, my attendees are offered healthier options, and the chef is able to use some creativity instead of the same old banquet menus. It’s a win-win for all.”
Even simple changes in how food is presented at meal functions can save money.
“If you’re having a reception, pass/butler the more expensive items,” says Debbie DeJacques of GMA Washington.
“You’ll be able to make them last longer and save money. Don’t set plates on the display table – use only napkins (this will ensure your attendees get to sample all the offerings but won’t walk away from the display station with a mound of food) and stick with beer and wine at the bar.”
Laura Johnson of Market*Access International recommends asking the caterer to slice bagels, croissants and muffins in half. Attendees will take smaller portions – leaving more food to go around and wasting less while stretching your breakfast budget.
Stacey Petersen with MHA Ventures, Inc., eliminates canned soda:
“I have found that canned soda costs a lot of money to provide at our conventions. To save on money, and save on the waste of half cans of soda being thrown away and people taking two or three cans ‘for the road,’ two years ago I moved to using a self-service soda fountain station. These stations are conveniently placed near break areas, and are serve-yourself.
All the venue has to worry about is ice, 6-ounce disposable cups, and replacing the canisters once a day (instead of counting and recounting soda cans). It’s a win-win situation – it’s saved me on my budget, members are happy, the hotel staff is happy to not have to count cans anymore, and the waste is significantly decreased!”
Claire Modarelli of Moffitt Cancer Center, replaces bottles of water with water coolers and pitchers. It saved her $1,000 last year!
Stray from a traditional break time – offer variety and cut costs with a voucher program.
“We worked with a hotel to provide vouchers for breaks instead of serving an expensive break time. Each participant was given vouchers to go to the snack shop located in the hotel lobby.
Each voucher was worth $3. For each item the participant chose, they turned in a voucher. The vouchers were then counted and charged to the master account. This wound up costing considerably less than paying for breaks,” shares Kathy Craig of the Ecumenical Stewardship Center in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Closely monitoring a beverage manager can also pay off, as Stacy Wald of Orthopaedic Associates explains,
“When I do my banquet event orders I let the manager know at that time that I would like to be with the beverage manager when they tally the bars and empties. Liquor is counted by tenths of a bottle and then billed accordingly.
If I disagree with a count and the measurement is changed it could be the equivalent to 10-12 drinks. It also keeps the beverage manager on his toes! I have saved hundreds of dollars just by checking the bars before the totals are finalized.”
What is your cost saving tip? Share your ideas by commenting on this post!
Jan 14
maureen-pickellTrade Shows economy, meeting attendance, meeting industry, pcma, upcoming meetings industry events
Well, the PCMA 2010 Annual Meeting wrapped up with another strong day of education beginning with a Plenary Session entitled “The State of the Meetings and Travel Industry.” The theme of “cautious optimism” that has run through the conference was reiterated once again – this time with hard numbers presented by Peter Yesawich of YPartnership.
His panel included Minaz Abij of Asset Management, Thomas C. Dolan, PhD., CAE, American College of Healthcare Executives, Brian Phillips of FedEx Office, Thomas W. Storey, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Frits van Paasschen of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. The consensus of this distinguished group is that business meetings are coming back slowly. The 2nd quarter will see the emergence of small and mid-sized events with large meetings surfacing in the 4th quarter. Association business will pick up with higher attendance at annual conferences because of the pent up demand for face to face encounters.
According to Thomas Dolan, “You still need to see to sell and convince.”
It appears that 2nd quarter will see a rush to get these meetings launched. To help our planners manage their “time poverty,” ConventionPlanit.com offers the RFP ValetTM service. Instead of spending time researching facilities and chasing properties for timely responses, we do the work for you. To learn more about this service, click here.
Your dedicated blogger was virtually overwhelmed by the wealth of information presented during PCMA 2010 – Convening Leaders. I’ve attempted to share some of the highlights with you over the past 4 days, but in order to comprehend the wide scope of the education that was offered, go to www.pcma2010.org and click on Video to view the PCMA-TV News Summary.
We’ll see you at PCMA 2011 in Las Vegas!
Older Entries
Current Discussions