Montreal Events

This summer is really heating up with hotel deals across the country. Check out some of the latest:

Hyatt Hotels

Valid at participating Hyatt hotels and resorts in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, hotel guests can enjoy up to 30 percent off the Hyatt Daily Rate. Book now (and I mean now, it's good through May 14) for stays through June 30.

Radisson Hotels & Resorts

"Friday is Freeday" is the motto at Radisson this summer. From May 15 to September 15, 2009, guests receive a free Friday night stay when staying on two more consecutive nights (with Thursday or Saturday night required). Bookings started May 8 for participating Radisson proprieties in North, Central, and South America; Asia Pacific; and at Radisson Edwardian Hotels in the UK. The offer must be booked at least seven days in advance of the stay.

InterContinental Hotels Group

Members of Priority Club Rewards who stay any two nights from May 3 to July 3, 2009, will get one free night to use from July 3 to December 26, 2009. The deals applies when you book at any of IHG's brands, which include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, and Holiday Inn, on any two nights—they need not be consecutive stays. You can earn up to four free nights.

If you want to take advantage of this deal but are not yet a member, you can easily sign up for the Priority Club Rewards online.

The U.S. Postal Service raised postage rates today. Upon hearing this news, I immediately thought of two things: One, on rare occasions when I do send letters, they will now be covered in at least three stamps (my remaining 42 cent-ers and two one-cent ones) that I have crammed unattractively together in the upper-right hand corner of the envelope; and two, there's even more of a reason for meeting planners to be using email communication for their events.

Mailing a letter now costs 44 cents for the first ounce, or about five sheets of paper. Postcards cost 28 cents while large envelopes cost 88 cents for the first ounce. International postcards and letters are 75 cents to Canada, 79 cents to Mexico, and 98 cents elsewhere.

Sure, it seems like merely pennies when you think about it individually, but these numbers really add up when you start to host events that number in the hundreds, thousands and so on. Add to this the fact that you won't just be sending invitations, but also event reminders, follow-up information, save-the-dates (for weddings), etc., and the cost of paper mail becomes astronomical—all on something that won't even be used or remembered after the event has ended!

Don't get me wrong—I understand the sentiment that goes with writing and sending a letter by mail, and how it can mean a lot when it comes to keeping in touch with friends and family. For that, I can deal with the extra postage charge for my occasional mail. But when it comes to your meetings, direct mail just doesn't make sense—not for your budget and not for the environment.

With 73 confirmed cases, the swine flu is making its way into headlines and conversations across the globe. The World Health Organization confirmed today that 40 of these cases are in the United States, 26 are in Mexico, six are in Canada and one is in Spain.

President Obama has stated that the outbreak is a "cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert," but that it is not "cause for alarm." Still, European Union Health Commissioner Andorra Vassiliou warned Europeans to postpone non-essential travel to the United States or Mexico due to the swine flu. This made me wonder: how does an outbreak such as this affect meetings and events?

In the past I've blogged about efforts by travel industry professionals to ramp up travel to the United States. We also know that Mexico has had some hardships with tourism thanks to the much publicized violence along the border. The swine flu outbreak—and warnings such as that of the EU health commissioner's—certainly can't help foster travel to these destinations.

Looking back, I found a 2003 report by the World Travel & Tourism Council on the impact of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in the countries most affected by its outbreak. WHO declared travel advisories for China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Vietnam during that time, and WTTC report said the impact of it on travel and tourism was major.

That year, it estimated 25 percent of the travel and tourism industry GDP would be lost along with a total of 2.8 million industry jobs in China alone. Combined, the other three counties would see a loss of over 100,000 jobs, according to the WTTC research.

The swine flu certainly makes for an uncertain future of tourism in Mexico, and it will certainly be even more of a challenge when combined with the circumstances of the past few months.

"It's hard to say at this stage how deep and how wide and how long this episode will be," Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens recently told the Washington press. "If we are successful the impact should be minor."

Obviously an outbreak of any size makes travelers wary, if it doesn't deter them all together. It certainly is another roadblock in convincing your event attendees to travel. What's interesting about this is that it's also a domestic issue—even big meeting destinations like New York City (where 28 cases have been cited) might now elicit some hesitation. It's still early, but how much will the swine flu outbreak affect your decisions as you plan upcoming meetings?

For more information about the swine flu and current data on cases, make sure to visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

The Green Meetings Industry Council has launched its second major initiave today as it unveiled the Million Tons of Trash Challenge. As we mentioned in March, the challenge calls for global meetings, events and hospitality industries to divert, recycle or compost a million tons of waste by the end of 2009.

Such an effort can go a long way, seeing as how the average meeting produces 90 pounds of waste per person, per day. With an estimated 700 million event attendees each year in the United States and Canada alone, they create an estimated 10.5 tons of trash annually. If the challenge is met, it can reduce the amount of waste by approximately 10 percent.

GMIC will recognize the organizations with the best recycling and waste diversion rates and plans to use the results of the challenge as a best practices guide for the industry.

"We see the trash challenge as a way to build awareness, educate and engage the industry in reducing our environmental footprint," said Nancy J. Wilson, CMP, co-founder of GMIC, in a statement. "This is a great way to
challenge your colleagues and competitors to participate in something we all benefit from."

To learn more about joining or sponsoring the challenge, visit the Trash Challenge website or email challenge@greenmeetings.info.

Earth Day is next week, so if you haven't starting thinking about greening your events, now is a great time to start. But if you feel overwhelmed when it comes to making your events more environmentally friendly, here's some advice: start at the beginning with the destination. Choosing a green meeting destination betters your chances of finding green venues, abundant natural spaces and an overall eco-friendly attitude.

Meeting Strategies Worldwide has put together the Best Places to MeetGreen Scorecard. It recognizes the ability of a city to provide green meeting services, raking them according to environmental programs in place at the convention and visitors' bureau, convention center and hotels in the city's conference package.

So what cities are your best bet for green meetings, according to the scorecard? Here are the six ranked destinations:

1. Portland, Oregon
2. San Francisco, California
3. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
4. Seattle, Washington
5. Orlando, Florida
6. Montreal, Canada

In honor of Earth Day, I want to pick a one or two venues from each of these cities that make it easy for you to host an environmentally friendly meeting. If you have any venue suggestions, let me know! In the meantime, I'll be searching the Cvent Supplier Network for ideas.

Talk about a hotel deal! Red Lion Hotels has launched what it is calling "the industry's most ambitious corporate travel offer." Its new program promises to beat any company's existing corporate travel negotiated lodging rate by 25 percent for stays at any of the 47 Red Lion properties in the United States and Canada.

"This is a classic win-win," said Barry Hughes, SVP of Marketing and Distribution for Red Lion, in a statement. "The corporate travel planner is a hero for saving the company money while the traveler receives all of the comfort and service they'd expect from a premium full-service hotel."

The offer is valid for stays through December 31, 2009. Travel planners must provide some type of support that confirms their existing negotiated rate with another hotel company.

"While this offer is incredibly aggressive, we're confident that once these new customers stay with Red Lion we'll win them over and they'll become long-term customers," said Mark Mahoney, Vice President of Sales.

Red Lion Hotels Corporation manages 8,910 rooms and 437,626 square feet of meeting space in its network.

You can read all the details about the promotion at Red Lion Hotels.

Are you planning an event in Toronto this year? A Vancouver event? Or, are you are hosting a meeting or seminar that will have attendees from a Canadian locale? If you have cross-border meetings in your future (whether your attendees will be traveling out of the United States and back or coming in to the country), you need to know about the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), which will alter the current requirements for entering (or re-entering) the United States.

A result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, the WHTI initiative requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other WHTI-approved document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the United States. Already in effect for air travelers, it will go into effect for land and sea travelers June 1, 2009.

What counts as an acceptable document? Passports are the best option to advise your meeting attendees to purchase. It's the only document that is valid for air travel and for travel to non-WHTI countries (Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, the Caribbean). Or, you can opt for a passport card, a less expensive option whose specialized ID chip can be read quickly. The enhanced driver's license, which is state-issued, is a similar choice. However, they are currently available only to residents of New York, Vermont and Washington.

Keep in mind that both passport cards and enhanced driver's licenses are valid only for land and sea crossings within WHTI countries. Also remember to check each foreign countries' entry rules, which may differ.

Planning an international event can be an overwhelming process. Make it easier for yourself (and your attendees!) by keeping up-to-date on entry and exit requirements. A little research now will avoid big problems in the future and help your global affair go off without a hitch!

For more information visit Get You Home.

It seems like each week brings more hotel deals for meeting planners. In fact, it's getting hard to keep track! So I've compiled a list of promotions at eight top hotel brands that will go a long way to help you save on your meetings and events.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

Fairmont's Sweet Meeting Deal includes a 10 percent credit applied against the master account for functions booked and held by June 30, 2010. Groups with a minimum of 10 room nights can take advantage of the offer; the 10 percent credit is based on actualized room revenue only.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts are also offering another promotion: the Meetings That Matter program. Available for planners booking a new meeting for 2009 for a minimum of 50 room nights, the program lets you use 10 percent of room revenue generated by booking to be used as credit towards another meeting of equal or greater size and value, or to be donated to a charitable organization of your choice.

Finally, don't forget the deals available at individual properties. At Fairmont Chicago, groups that book at least 25 room nights by June 30, 2009 can choose from a number of cost-saving options, such as complimentary Internet access or a 20 percent discount on audio-visual services. Check out the full details here.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts operates in over 56 destinations.

Hyatt

Events with at least 10 guest rooms can enjoy two new rebate offers from Hyatt. Get a 10 percent discount at one of its 19 resorts in the U.S., Mexico and the Caribbean, or get a six percent discount at one of its participating 101 hotels in North America. Rebate offers are value through March 31, 2010.

Headquartered in Chicago, Global Hyatt has over 370 hotels and resorts worldwide.

Loews Hotels & Resorts

Loews Hotels are offering a VALUE program for bookings made through April 30, 2009. The five-point program offers savings valued at $50 per meeting attendee, and include items such as one complimentary room and one VIP upgrade for every 25 rooms booked. Check out the full details here.

Loews has properties in 16 cities across the United States and Canada.

Marriott

The Marriott Meetings Matter promotion applies to events of at least 50 cumulative room nights booked and held between March 9, 2009 and March 31, 2010. Planners can get 25 percent allowable attrition, one complimentary room for every 35 rooms booked, and up to 50,000 Marriott Rewards bonus points per event.

Marriott has a number of brands and over 2,800 hotels worldwide; some of its conference hotels can accommodate up to 3,000 event attendees.

Millennium Hotels and Resorts

Millennium's "A Perfect 10" Meeting promotion includes 10 percent off your conference package rate; 10 percent off all audio-visual equipment used during your meeting; and one complimentary guest room for every 10 guest rooms consumed. Terms and conditions vary based on property.

Millennium has 15 hotels across the United States, located in the heart of major cities.

Omni Hotels

Omni Hotels is offering a ZERO Attrition program, which waives attrition fees for new contracts booked and consumed in 2009. New meetings, with up to 150 peak room nights, must be booked by June 30, 2009, and take place within the calendar year. Mutual block reviews are held at 90, 60 and 30 days prior to arrival.

Omni has 43 luxury hotels and resorts across North America.

Starwood Hotels & Resorts

For meetings booked now through April 30, 2009, Starwood is offering a three percent discount to the master account for guest room revenue; a 10 percent discount on food and beverage rates; and a 20 percent discount on audio-visual rates. You can also earn up to 100,000 Starpoints.

Starwood operates over 950 properties worldwide.

The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton is hosting a "Meetings Within Reach" promotion, which offers daily continental breakfast for all attendees; daily meeting room rental for one room; daily Internet access for one meeting room; and 30 percent value on in-house audio-visual. To apply, meetings must contract 10 or more rooms (peak night) by May 31, 2009, and must be held by December 31, 2009.

The Ritz-Carlton has 73 hotels in 24 countries.

To find more hotel promotions for your event, make sure to check out the Cvent Supplier Network. In just minutes, you can find promotions at one of thousands of meeting suppliers using the Supplier Network.

North American hotel rates have dropped this year in destinations across the country, according to the Hotwire Hotel Rate Report. Published by Hotwire.com, the report compares hotel rates throughout the United States and Canada to determine year-over-year decline.

In the top 10 markets, some hotel rates have dropped by over 25 percent. Here's the full list:

1. Las Vegas (dropped 34 percent)
2. Phoenix (dropped 28 percent)
3. New York (dropped 28 percent)
4. Montreal (dropped 28 percent)
5. Orlando (dropped 28 percent)
6. Miami/Fort Lauderdale (dropped 27 percent)
7. Oahu (dropped 26 percent)
8. Vancouver (dropped 23 percent)
9. Toronto (dropped 23 percent)
10. San Francisco (dropped 18 percent)

The report also gives examples of a current price per night in each market. For example, you can find stay at a four-star hotel in Las Vegas for $82! Does anyone else feel like jumping on a plane right now?

Read the full report at Hotwire.com.

Remember last week's blog post about hotel deals enticing travelers (and maybe even your event attendees)? More and more hotels are giving it a try, as Hyatt recently launched an impressive special offer: 20 percent off the Hyatt Daily Rate.

"Real value and genuine service have always been part of a memorable travel experience at Hyatt," said Amy Curtis-McIntyre, senior vice president brand communications, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts. "This special offer gives our guests the opportunity to enjoy more for less, making an authentic Hyatt experience available at a substantial savings."

Travelers can take advantage of this hotel promotion for a limited time at participating properties worldwide. In the United States, Canada and Caribbean, you can book now through April 8 and stay through June 30. In Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia/Pacific, Latin America, and at Park Hyatt and Andaz hotels worldwide, you can book at least seven days prior to arrival and stay through May 3.

Visit Hyatt for more information.

Cvent's online registration software and Supplier Network were recently featured on ITBusiness.ca! The article "Software tools help event planners get hard results" describes how Cvent's event planning tools can help planners host meetings easily, effectively and accurately despite shrinking budgets.

Some Cvent clients in Canada, such as Ottawa-based Netrunner, Inc., shared how Cvent helped streamline events and save money.

Valerie Yersh, vice president of events and marketing at Netrunner, noted in the article that Cvent's reporting function was useful for sending just the financial updates to the sales department, without having them access all of the other logistics information. When it came to costs, Cvent's customizable event website tool was her top money-saving feature.

"The Web site development function allowed us to launch the event without having to pay a fortune for back-end Web development," she said in the article. "We found creating a Web site would cost around $15,000."

Read the full article here at ITBusiness.ca.

Over the past few years, Cvent has grown its international presence by hosting educational events in Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Why did we pick these locations? As English-speaking countries, they were the most economical next step. How did we do it successfully? Other than having our event planner watch hours of Monty Python and Baz Luhrmann movies to gain insight on British and Australian accents, the key factor was to localize our message.

We understood early on that we could not engage international prospects with the same messaging and content that we use in the U.S. For one thing, the terminology isn't the same: “attendee” vs. “delegate,” “utilize” vs. “utilise,” “color” vs. “colour," and so on. Plus, being strictly U.S.-centric would alienate international prospects. We wanted international prospects to know that we understood them well enough to speak their own language—literally.

So, we researched, talked to existing international clients, and consulted with colleagues who had experience living or working in other countries. We also made sure we had a good grip on the logistics of our events as they applied to international destinations (conversion rates, time zones, daylight-saving time practices, etc.). Armed with this knowledge, we adapted our sales and marketing approach accordingly.

Our international efforts are still a work in progress, but we know one thing is sure: remaining static in campaigns is simply not an option when expanding to other markets. If you're looking to expand your international presence, it's imperative to localize your messaging in order to be successful. Check out a few of these resources we found useful:

Tips for Localizing Your Website (make websites functional for international users)

American English vs. British English for Web Content ("internationalise" your vocabulary)

Earth Calendar (be aware of holidays and celebrations in your target area)

Time and Date (calculate current/past/future times in various time zones)

And don't forget to visit Cvent at one of our product seminar luncheons, now being held throughout the United Kingdom and Australia during March and April. Visit our online calendar to register for a complimentary luncheon, where you’ll learn more about Cvent's software and industry best practices.

Have you checked out the Cvent Supplier Network lately? For those of you not familiar with Cvent's latest tool for online sourcing (and even for those who have heard of it before) the Cvent Supplier Network has been steadily expanding its selection of suppliers across the globe. Check out everything from hotels to conference centers, restaurants to unique venues (including zoos, museums and sporting arenas), throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, Australia, Europe and even Asia! In fact, the CSN now boasts over 75,000 event venue profiles.

The Supplier Network is a free tool for planners, so we strongly recommend that all our clients, and even planners who don't work with Cvent software, to check it out. Nowhere else can you find such a comprehensive set of supplier listings. For example, did you know that Montana has over 60 venues (from hotels to art museums) in Missoula alone?

If you're like many of our meeting planners, there's an vast array of event venues waiting for you, even in the most unexpected locations. We've put it all at your fingertips, so visit the Cvent Supplier Network today!

As security restrictions at airports have made traveling by plane more of a hassle in the recent years, have you found it even more difficult to convince your event invitees to attend events that require a flight? If so, you may find relief soon, as air travel is expected to undergo some major changes in 2009.

One change, according to SmarterTravel.com, is new X-ray technology that makes it possible to discern safe liquids from dangerous liquids. When implemented, attendees to your meetings and events will be able to pass through security without facing the dreaded 3-1-1 rule for carry-ons (3-ounce bottle or less by volume; 1 quart-size clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger).

Another change on the horizon is a la carte pricing, as seen by carriers such as Frontier. At the end of 2008, it rolled out a new pricing plan called "AirFairs." The tri-level pricing structure of Economy, Classic, and Classic Plus lets travelers customize their purchase, from a basic seat, no extras, to a full-refundable seat with priority seating and perks like an in-flight snack. American is expected to release a similar flexible fare plan in 2009 as well.

These flexible plans offer the benefit of more affordable flights for your business travelers. Also beneficial to them is the next change on the way: expansion of in-flight Internet service. After introducing Internet service on some flights last year, Delta plans to expand it to every aircraft by the end of the year. Air Canada, Alaska and Southwest are expected to introduce Internet service on some flights as well.

It seems these changes foretell a brighter future for your attendees traveling by air. Do you think they'll make boarding a plane less of a drawback of attending your meeting?

Meeting planners can find value at New York-based Loews Hotels even in a tough economy. Available for bookings made through April 30, 2009, Loews' "VALUE" program offers savings valued at over $50 per meeting attendee.

The five points of the program are:

• Variety. One complimentary room and one VIP upgrade for every 25 rooms booked.

• All-day complimentary Loews Hotels' signature Color Break. Color Breaks, which come in blue, yellow or green schemes, include individual snack settings for each attendee, floral centerpieces, matching room decor and more.

• Lunch upgrade. One lunch upgrade to signature Loews Luncheon menus. Nine menu themes range from from Ciao Italia from the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel to California Dreamin' from Loews Coronado Bay Resort.

• Unlimited in-room high-speed Internet. Available for all attendees, or a $20 hotel credit per room for a minimum two-night stay.

• Earning a five percent credit on rooms revenue. This credit can be used towards another meeting held at Loews Hotels after the first booking. The second meeting must be booked by August 31, 2009 and held by December 31, 2010.

Loews' VALUE program can be used at one of its 17 properties throughout the United States and Canada.

To find a Loews Hotel in your meeting destination, visit the Cvent Supplier Network. Thanks to its familiar search feature, it's easy to find hotels in your metropolitan area and filter results based on chain affiliation.

Wondering what you business guests are looking for in your meetings and events? Business Traveler can tell you, thanks to its 2008 Best in Business Travel readers poll. Check out some of the most notable selections that may affect your meetings and events:

• Best Hotel Chain in the World: Park Hyatt

• Best Hotel Chain in North America: Marriott

• Best Hotel Chain in Europe: Sofitel

• Best Airline for Business-Class Service in North America and Best In-Class Services in North America: Air Canada

• Best Low-Cost Airline in North America: Virgin America

• Best Airport in North America: Denver International Airport

As an event planner you know how important it is to find a hotel venue that offers not only enough meeting space, but also plenty of sleeping rooms. The Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center can offer you both.

The spacious 72-floor hotel has 1,246 sleeping rooms and 52 suites, meaning there's plenty of room for overnight guests of events of any size. Each room features high-speed Internet access, complimentary toll free calls, voice mail capabilities, a 37-inch flat screen television, and great views of downtown Detroit.

Just as impressive are its meeting facilities. The Detroit Marriott features 27 meeting rooms totaling more than 100,000 square feet of space. The 3,284-square-foot Renaissance Ballroom and 10,900-square-foot Ambassador Ballroom host 2,200 and 1,500 people, respectively. The recently upgraded 24,951-square-foot Ontario Exhibit Hall is ideal of for exhibitions.

Meetings rooms at the hotel are well equipped with video conferencing, audio-video capabilities and much more. The on-site business center provides copy, fax and other business services.

Part of the city's "People Mover" transportation system, the Detroit Marriott's convenient location in the GM Renaissance Center places it among a wealth of shops and restaurants to guests. The luxurious hotel is also within 30 minutes of the Detroit Metropolitan Airport and five minutes of Windsor, Canada.

For more information on Detroit Marriott at Renaissance Center

According to the Meetings&Conventions 2008 International Meeting Planner Survey, the popularity of international events is on the rise. In fact, the survey reported that corporate and association planners plan to increase the number of international meetings they hold by 30 percent and by 33 percent, respectively, in 2009.

International events can be a rewarding experience—and a challenging one. Recognizing the difficulties that planning an event in a different, and often unfamiliar, territory presents, Cvent is growing its international focus.

As we announced in an earlier post, our most recent product upgrades to the Cvent Supplier Network include tools to make this task easier. Meeting space on the Cvent Supplier Network is listed in English and metric units. Currency type can be specified so that your Request for Proposals (RFPs) are answered with pricing you can understand immediately, not first have to convert into your local currency.

Among the thousands of new venue profiles added to the Cvent Supplier Network in this new release, 2,500 were international suppliers. Using the Supplier Network, planners can easily view detailed descriptions of venues in cities around the world. Explore photo galleries and take virtual tours to get a feel for never-before-booked venues.

Beyond the Supplier Network, planners can make use of other Cvent resources, including the free Cvent Destination Guide. The Destination Guide has expanded to international destinations in the Caribbean, Canada, United Kingdom and Australia, with more on the way. Convention bureaus and national tourist organizations can provide a wealth of information for your international needs, but sifting through their pages of extraneous content can be time-consuming and inefficient. The Destination Guide highlights the event-specific data you need to know as you venture into unfamiliar territory.

You may not have an international event on tap within the next month, or even in the next year, but chances are you'll be involved in planning at least one in your career. Don't let such an exciting opportunity cause you stress; take advantage of the various tools provided by Cvent to save you time and money on your next international event.

Do you need to book a conference center for an upcoming meeting or event? If so, you need to know what to look for. Every conference center is unique in its own way, and not all of them are going to suit your wants and needs.

Here are three details to consider when searching for a conference center:

Size and space. There needs to be enough room for all participants to join in on the action. A conference center that can only accommodate 100 individuals is not going be of use for your annual board conference of over 500 guests. Be sure to consider space type as well. If you are planning an intimate meeting, an on-site boardroom will be ideal, while receptions or ceremonies are better suited to open spaces and ballrooms.

Amenities. Will presentations be made at your event? Then audio-visual services may top your list of needs. Catering, though, may be a top priority for evening events. Research which conference centers provide special amenities on-site, and which ones will require that you contract such services on your own.

Location. Map out the different conference centers in a city to find the one best situated to your attendees' needs. Overnight guests will need easy access to hotels. Attendees traveling with families will favor an event held near attractions that can occupy spouses and children during the day.

When searching for a conference center always consider these three details.

View list of U.S. and Canada conference centers