MPI Mourns Loss of Foundation Board Member
Posted by Jessie States on 3/24/2009 11:09:28 AM
MPI will greatly miss our own David Callahan, CMP, CMM, an MPI Foundation board member and Helms-Briscoe regional director, who died in a car accident Sunday. Our hearts go out to his famliy in this time of grief. Callahan was a great contributor to this organziation, on both chapter and international levels. He joined MPI in 1994 and served on the St. Louis Chapter Board of Directors from 2005-2008 before accepting the role of MPI Foundation trustee last year. A 30-year employee of Anheuser-Busch, Callahan will be remembered with love by his family, friends and industry colleagues.
I'm posting news on the PlusPoint magazine blog now
Posted by Jessie States on 3/10/2009 7:34:29 PM
Check it out here.
Recent postings include:
Kerry Changed his Mind? Twitterer @PYMLive reports that Sen. John Kerry may have lightened the language in his proposed TARP Taxpayer Protection and Corporate Responsibility Act of 2009...
Financial Crisis & Women. The current global financial crisis, combined with recent food price increases, will have serious consequences for women in poor countries and their children, including higher infant mortality, more girls being pulled out of school and reduced women's income, according to the World Bank Group...
Geotourism Challenge. National Geographic and Ashoka's Changemakers present their annual Geotourism Challenge, designed to identify and showcase innovators-individuals and organizations-that directly or indirectly support good destination stewardship and the approach known as geotourism...
...and more!
U.S. Travel Announces New Industry Campaign
Posted by Jessie States on 3/4/2009 2:24:52 PM
The U.S. Travel Association has unveiled its Meetings Mean Business campaign. See my PlusPoint blog here.
Super Bowl Brings 100,000 guests to Tampa Bay
Posted by Jessie States on 3/2/2009 2:03:23 PM
During a time when occupancy is shrinking at hotels across the U.S., Super Bowl XLIII descended upon Tampa Bay and brought with it a 110 percent increase in room occupancy and a 435 percent increase in revenue per available room (RevPar).
“Without the more than 100,000 visitors that came to Tampa Bay for Super Bowl XLIII, there would have been a much greater decline in hotel occupancy, and ultimately revenue coming in to the community,” said Steve Hayes, executive vice president of Tampa Bay & Company.
Each day leading up to Super Bowl XLIII, Hillsborough County saw a dramatic increase in occupancy compared to the same day in 2008.
Occupancy RevPar
Thur., Jan. 29 14.3 percent increase 103.4 percent increase
Fri., Jan. 30 36.9 percent increase 199.2 percent increase
Sat., Jan. 31 51.4 percent increase 270.7 percent increase
Sun., Feb. 1 110.4 percent increase 435.5 percent increase
Hotels Beg U.S. Congress to Support Meetings
Posted by Jessie States on 2/26/2009 2:59:03 PM
Ten of the nation's largest hotel companies are urging members of the U.S. Congress to consider the value of business travel for meetings, events and performance incentive programs before enacting legislation and regulations that may unintentionally hinder economic recovery and cost American jobs.
According to new ads on www.politico.com and www.rollcall.com, the department of labor reports a loss of nearly 200,000 travel-related jobs in 2008, and the commerce department data predicts a loss of an additional 247,000 travel-related jobs in 2009. Companies sponsoring the ad include Carlson, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts, Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Loews, Marriott, Starwood and Wyndham Worldwide.
"Members of Congress and all Americans should demand accountability from companies receiving taxpayer dollars—what we need are rules, not rhetoric," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "That's why U.S. Travel and our partners have created model guidelines for corporate boards to adopt when determining if a meeting or event has legitimate business return on investment."
Lawmaker Hopes to Ban Conferences for Bailed-Out Companies
Posted by Jessie States on 2/25/2009 1:54:00 PM
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) has announced plans to introduce legislation that would prevent companies that have received bailout funding from hosting, sponsoring or paying for conferences, holiday parties and entertainment events. The bill will affect any companies that have received government help under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP).
“I’m sick and tired of picking up the newspaper and reading about another idiotic abuse of taxpayer money while our country is on the brink,” Kerry said. “Americans who play by the rules are losing their jobs and struggling to pay their mortgages. The companies that came to Congress in desperate need of help to stay afloat become their own worst enemies when they pull stunts like this. It’s an embarrassment that this legislation is necessary, but some companies clearly need a reality check to get their priorities straight so taxpayer money is used to get their house in order and not to pay for lavish parties. Congress has zero tolerance for this kind of excess.”
Companies may seek waivers under the proposal from the U.S. Secretary of Treasury for events that the recipients believe are directly related to business operations. The secretary would have 30 days to respond. Violations will require company CEOs to reimburse the federal government for the cost of the event and pay a US$100,000 fine.
Ernst & Young Predicts Stimulus Package will Help Industry
Posted by Jessie States on 2/24/2009 4:01:39 PM
In Hospitality Top 10 Thoughts to Watch in 2009, Ernst & Young analysts say that infrastructure investments based on U.S. President Barack Obama's stimulus package will have a positive impact on the lodging industry, as improvements made to the nation’s transportation infrastructure would improve access to major tourist destinations and stimulate additional domestic/international travel over the long term. For the full report, visit www.ey.com.
US Airways Reinstates Complimentary Beverages
Posted by Jessie States on 2/24/2009 11:46:24 AM
US Airways is returning complimentary beverages to the coach cabin beginning March 1. Passengers will be offered free soda, juices, tea, water and coffee in flight. Beer, wine and cocktails will still be available for purchase for US$7. The beverage purchase program was introduced last year as part of US Airways’ new a la carte business model—where customers pay for what they choose to use.
“We are firmly committed to the a la carte model and believe it’s the right one for our business,” said Doug Parker, US Airways chairman and CEO. “It is also a work in progress—US Airways was the only large network carrier to charge for drinks and that put us at a disadvantage.”
The company still expects to generate $400 to $500 million in 2009 from a la carte items such as checked baggage fees, choice seats and a blanket and pillow offering.
IACC Names First Global Scholarship Winner
Posted by Jessie States on 2/24/2009 11:40:42 AM
The International Association of Conference Centers (IACC) has awarded James Bland, 26, with its first global scholarship to recognize emerging young leaders in the conference center industry. Nominated by Tim Chudley of the Sundial Group, Bland is a graduate of the University of Bristol in South West England and has served in many capacities with Sundial since he was 17. He was actively involved in IACC as part of the planning committee that organized and executed the successful European Annual Conference last summer at Scarman House at the University of Warwick in Coventry, Warwickshire. Bland is currently working on his master’s degree in marketing.
Lights, Camera…
Posted by Jessie States on 2/18/2009 4:10:05 PM
Events and exhibitions giant Freeman has acquired AVT Event Technologies, an in-house audiovisual provider for U.S.-based hotels. AVT services 21 hotels with more than 200 employees, offering audiovisual, lighting, staging and production capabilities through onsite operations. AVT will now be known as AVT Event Technologies, a Freeman Company. Its executive leadership team will remain in place to manage operations and customer relationships, reporting to Ken Sanders, president of the Freeman’s U.S. audiovisual division. Prior to AVT, Freeman’s most recent acquisition was the purchase of ProActive Inc. in April 2007.
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