Oct 29, 2018
While many incentive trips focus on activity and team building, there are many ways to incentivize and rejuvenate your team. A new trend is developing on this front – the idea of a stillness tour. Bringing quiet and stillness into an incentive trip or meeting focuses on removing technology and high stimulus. Scottsdale, Arizona offers multiple ways for groups to unwind and experience stillness.   The feeling of sound Yes, you read that right. You can experience the feeling of sound through bowl and gong vibrations by booking a Yoga and Sound experience at the Royal Palms Resort and Spa.… more
Oct 26, 2018
The new $226 million Sycuan Casino Hotel and Resort will open in late spring 2019, and is now ready to book group meetings. The 12-story luxury hotel tower will include 302 guest rooms with 57 suites. The new event space features over 42,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor space, including an 11,297 sq. ft. event center with a 2,136 sq. ft. stage. “We are excited to be able to offer the best meeting and event experience with our 42,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor space,” said Amy Galusha, director of catering at Sycuan Casino. “The variety of event venues, creative… more
Oct 23, 2018
Plans are in the works to update, modernize and expand the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis. Dubbed the “AC Next Gen Project,” the goal of the $175 million project is to secure the facility’s place as an economic and employment driver for the entire region. According to St. Louis City and County officials, the need to expand the Complex has become critical as cities across the U.S. are making substantial investments in their convention centers as well as taking aggressive steps to lure lucrative meetings and conventions to their communities and regions. “I’m excited to… more
Oct 11, 2018
Lion Square Lodge has completed the $1.25 million meeting space renovation it began in May. The property’s newly renovated meeting and event space has been tailored to meet the needs of businesses, offering five meeting rooms and more than 5,000 square feet of flexible event space that can accommodate groups of 10 upwards to 200. Two of the five rooms offer floor-to-ceiling windows and walkout balcony space overlooking Vail Mountain. State-of-the-art technology capabilities, from high-speed internet and USB hook-ups to a brand new sound system, add even more corporate appeal, said Bill… more
Oct 05, 2018
Located 20 minutes south of Nashville in Franklin's Meridian Cool Springs Business District, the 244-guest-room Hilton Franklin Cool Springs is the area's first full-service hotel built in nearly a decade. Hilton Franklin Cool Springs offers 244 guest rooms and six suites with floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel is also home to the area's only roof-level patio, a heated pool and an expansive terrace with fireplace. Hilton Franklin Cool Springs has 6,236 square feet of flexible meeting space and 2,400 sq. ft. of pre-function space for registration, breaks and catering. The flexible Meridian… more
Oct 02, 2018
Some of the construction in downtown San Francisco will be ending soon, with a positive impact for event planners and attendees. The $551 million Moscone Center expansion project is due to be completed at the end of 2018. The expansion adds more than 157,000 gross square feet of flexible meeting space to Moscone North and South and will increase the center's total exhibit space to more than 504,000 sq. ft. According to Tom David, executive vice president and chief sales officer for San Francisco Travel Association, the expansion, which began construction in November 2014, was driven by the… more
Sep 28, 2018
On Sept. 18, Intercontinental San Diego opened for business. The new 19-story, 400-room property overlooks the scenic San Diego bayfront. For meetings, InterContinental San Diego has 35,000 square feet of flexible indoor space with natural light in every room. The Pacific Ballroom can hold up to 1,500 attendees in its 12,000-square-foot space that features full-length windows framing Santa Fe Depot and the downtown cityscape. The smaller Bayview Ballroom can hold up to 475. Additional meeting rooms offer options for smaller meetings or breakout sessions. For the ease of planners and… more
Sep 18, 2018
Eau Claire, Wisconsin is full of unique and unusual meeting spaces. On Sept. 22, another venue will be added to the list with the official opening of the long-awaited Pablo Center at the Confluence, the city’s new arts center. In addition to hosting performing arts and providing rehearsal, teaching and support space for the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire’s university's theater and music program, the venue will be available to rent for meetings and events. "In the last five years Eau Claire has really been making a name for itself as a meeting destination for those seeking the unique,”… more
Sep 14, 2018
 “Chautauqua” is an Iroquois word that is literally translated either as “a bag tied in the middle” or “two moccasins tied together,” and describes the shape of Lake Chautauqua, in Celoron, New York. Chautauqua Harbor Hotel is a new luxury property on the shores of that lake, in the area that gave rise to the Chautauqua Movement of educational and cultural centers in the late 1800s. Chautauqua Harbor Hotel, located on the nine-acre former site of the Celoron Amusement Park, is the newest addition to Hart Hotels' Harbor Hotel Collection, a portfolio of AAA Four Diamond properties operated by… more
Sep 11, 2018
On Aug. 13, Governor Rick Smith declared a state of emergency in seven counties along the Florida Gulf Coast, and the red tide continues to have a negative impact on the state’s shores and beaches. The toxic algae bloom is responsible for a drop in tourism that many local businesses worry will continue. The red tide is a natural phenomenon that has been documented since the 1500s. However, this most recent occurrence has been particularly troublesome. The harmful algae bloom (the term that scientists prefer) emits toxic gasses that have killed a vast quantity of marine life. These gasses and… more
Partner Voices
Just when it seems like Las Vegas can’t get any bigger, brighter or more exciting for groups, MGM Resorts raises the bar again. The company continues to invest and innovate across its portfolio of Las Vegas resorts, with new attractions and upgraded experiences for attendees of all interests.  Remodeled Guest Rooms MGM Grand is the largest single hotel in the world with over 5,000 guest rooms and an 850,000-square-foot conference center. It is home to the newly remodeled MGM Grand Studio Tower—700 reimagined guest rooms with a fun mid-century vibe. Nearby, the iconic New York-New York Las more