The Conference & Incentive Travel Market Mike Fletcher Contributing Editor Visit USA | 24 March November/December 2010 citmagazine.com CONFERENCE & INCENTIVE TRAVEL NOVEMBERDECEMBER CITMAGAZINE.COM BRANDS... JJB Sports, Nars, Santander, Chevrolet, Google, Barclays, Cisco, Aviva, UKAR, Citroën... PLUS Conference & Incentive Travel Time to reflect Reviewing the past 12 months p20 Feasts of plenty The traditional gala dinner is evolving p26 Style and substance Glasgow’s impressive conference offer p45 Car giant Peugeot rewards dealers with Kenya and Zanzibar sales incentive p22 Call Wild the of citmagazine.com/venues Stateside Conference & Incentive Travel Showcasing the Destinations and venues helping the USA reclaim its place at the top of the C&I charts
Showcasing the Destinations and venues helping the
USA reclaim its place at the top of the C&I charts
18,500The largest, most powerful, circulation of UK C&I buyers
C&IT Perception Study
C&IT is the market-leading magazine targeting the UK buyer of conference and incentive travel products and services
• In 2004 C&IT consisted of four products. By 2009, the C&IT portfolio had grown to more than 30 products, each of which is designed to help you achieve your marketing objectives
Our readers now spend in excess of £4bn a year on MICE products
2,600 corporate buyers have reported taking business to the US during the past five years
Overview
The Annual C&I State of the Industry Report Corporate and event agency buyers completed online
survey over a two-month period
Backed up by face-to-face and telephone interviews conducted throughout February and March 2011
Most in-depth annual buyer study conducted of the UK conference & incentive industry
Average budget per head for conferences: £825
Average budget per head for incentives: £1,678
Average duration of overseas events: 2.9 nights
C&I State of the Industry Report 2010: Key figures
C&I State of the Industry Report 2010Corporates interviewed included:
Google Schroders Santander Honda
Agencies interviewed included: Jack Morton Worldwide Motivcom World Events Line Up
Stateside Guide: December 2010NEW YORK
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In the crowded streets of Manhattan it’s sometimes necessary to head upwards
to find the unique event space you’re looking for. By Yasmin Arrigo
NYC’s high life
Marriott Marquis in Times Square Boasting the accolade of New York’s only revolving rooftop restaurant, The View sits a vertigo-inducing 48 storeys above the city, affording a panoramic vista across Times Square, the theatres of Broadway and the city skyline. Rotating a full 360O turn every hour, the restaurant and lounge bar can be hired for private events and dishes of the day include American classics such as NY strip followed by cheesecake.www.theviewny.com
Mandarin Oriental If your delegates need less of the urban jungle, and more of a garden-within-a-city backdrop, opt for the Mandarin Oriental New York. The epitome of style, this hotel sits high above Columbus Circle with calming views across Central Park. Event planners can choose from the chic pillarless ballroom for groups of up to 600, with its views across the Manhattan skyline or book the Lotus Suite, which suits meetings for 90 delegates and overlooks the Hudson River.www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork
Top of the Rock Observation Deck Fans of city sleek should head to the Rockefellar Centre to check out the two event venues at the Top of the Rock Observation Deck. For a garden party with a difference, enjoy the outdoor space at the 620 Loft & Garden. The pretty manicured lawn and reflection pool sit beside the top of the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral and the soaring tower of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, while the minimalist interior space can provide a blank canvas for receptions of up to 165 delegates. Meanwhile, the trendy Weather Room features floor to ceiling windows soaring 25 feet, plus private access to two open-air terraces. Receptions for up to 300 can be arranged while seated dinners and banquets suit groups of 120.www.topoftherocknyc.com/events
Manhattan Penthouse on 5th Avenue Rising high above 5th Avenue and on the doorstep of Union Square, the Manhattan Penthouse affords dramatic views across the city from its soaring arched windows. Boasting old-school glamour, with its classic ballroom and oak herringbone dance floor, the venue can welcome groups of 225 to enjoy the sights, from Wall Street to Brooklyn.www.manhattanpenthouse.com
Eden RooftopLarge groups of up to 450 can hire the Eden Rooftop, a wooden-floored terrace with wicker seating, chaises longs and impressive circular leather banquettes, creating a hip hideaway by 8th
Avenue. Run by Crest Events, the venue offers a hi-tech DJ booth while menu options include specialty food stations, gourmet barbecues or the popular New England lobster bake.www.cresteventsnyc.com
Las Vegas is one of those destinations that has to be seen to be believed. Where else in the world can you take a ride up the Eiffel Tower, float on a gondola through Venetian canals, fly
over the Grand Canyon, feast on gourmet fare at a celebrity chef restaurant and catch a hit musical in a single day?
It’s also a destination that is ‘serious about business’. When it comes to event facilities and services, few places can match the sheer size and opulence on offer in Las Vegas. The city hosts more than 19,000 meetings, conventions and incentive programmes annually, ranging in size from ten to more than 100,000 attendees.
Las Vegas, which has hosted the largest number of North American trade shows for 16 years in a row, offers 910,000m2 of convention and exhibition space, 150,000 hotel rooms, and is home to three of America’s ten largest conference venues – the 15,935m2 Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the 167,225m2 Sands Expo and Convention Center and the 213,676m2 Las Vegas Convention Center. So it’s no surprise that the destination will host Imex America in October 2011, the US spin-off of the popular European trade show for the MICE market.
For UK groups, Las Vegas has never been easier to get to. BA launched a daily direct
has proved that luxury development on a grand scale can also be sustainable, with the project having earned its sixth Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating, the highest LEED achievement by any hotel, retail district or residential development in Las Vegas.
The new 2,995-room Cosmopolitan casino-resort will open in December 2010. Partnering with Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, it will feature two 50-story towers across more than eight acres of land, each featuring oversized residential style living space and expansive private terraces. Resort features include 45,000m2 of state-of-the-art convention and meeting space, casinos, world-class shopping, a spa, three unique pool experiences and multi-level integrated nightclubs.
Outside the meeting room, there are activities to suit all tastes in Vegas, from riding the roller coasters, having a flutter in one of the casinos or shopping ‘til you drop. The city is a shoppers’ paradise and with
Main: the Las Vegas skyline, including the new CityCenter development; left: Grand Canal shoppes at the Venetian; far left: Red Rock Canyon
service from Heathrow in 2009 and Virgin Atlantic, which already flies direct from Gatwick daily, has also announced it will be launching direct flights from Manchester from April 2011. The twice-weekly service will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.
The city is also constantly refreshing its offer, with new hotels and unique event spaces opening all the time. MGM Resort International’s $8bn CityCenter project opened its doors last December. The vast complex occupies 67-acres on the Strip, between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo, and is the most expensive privately funded construction project in US history.
Its centrepiece is the 61-storey Aria Resort & Casino, which offers more than 4,000 rooms, a casino and convention and meeting facility, as well as a luxury spa with 62 treatment rooms, dining experiences by world-renowned chefs and featuring Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil.
CityCenter also includes Vdara Hotel & Spa, an all-suite boutique hotel with a non-gaming, smoke-free environment, and the Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas, a 47-storey non-gaming hotel featuring the unique Sky Lobby and Crystals, a 46,000m2 retail and high-end designer stores and restaurants.
CSR-conscious event planners will be pleased to learn that the CityCenter project
Combining world-class entertainment options
with top-notch business facilities, no other city on the planet mixes work and
play like Las Vegas
See it, believe itmany of the malls based within the hotels on the main strip, delegates can nip in for a quick impulse purchase between meetings or spend an afternoon perusing at leisure.
If it’s pampering you’re after, the spas in Las Vegas are large, lavish and luxurious. All the major properties on and off the Strip feature spas, offering delegates a haven away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
But it’s after dark that the Strip really comes alive. Las Vegas is a haven for foodies, with celebrity chef haunts at every turn. Wolfgang Puck has four eateries in the city, Nobu Matsushisa manages Nobu at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, and Michael Mina’s Seablue Nobhill can be found at MGM Grand. The city is also brimming with places to party and overflowing with cocktails, while taking in a live show is a must. From showgirls and musicals to illusionists and mega-music, there is something to suit all tastes.
Once the thrills of the Strip have been exhausted, groups need only head a few miles outside the city to be surrounded by
CONTACTLas Vegas Convention and Visitors AuthorityContact Russell Meara, account directorTel +44 (0)20 7367 0979Email [email protected] www.visitlasvegas.co.ukwww.lvcva.com/meetings
stunning canyons, lakes and desert scenery, ideal for team-building and incentive activities. Explore nearby Red Rock Canyon, take a helicopter flight over the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon, or for the adrenalin junkies, drive a NASCAR at the Las Vegas Speedway or ride a zip trek at Boulder City.
The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is the ultimate authority on Las Vegas, offering a free and impartial service to help planners create their perfect event. From suggested itineraries and local supplier coordination to full-blown RFP distribution, we are here to help.
Right: the Mandarin Oriental’s tea
lounge; below: Las Vegas Convention
Center; below, right: Qua Roman
Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace
INTRODUCTION
STATESIDE C&IT !!"R##CITMAGAZINE.COM
Yasmin Arrigo explains how and
why the USA is returning to
the radar of UK event planners
Back in the gameWhen Aibtm and Imex America were announced,
UK event planners were quick to compare the appeal of Baltimore, with its inner harbour and prime mid-Atlantic location and Las Vegas, with its vast convention space and hedonistic nightlife. However, the announcement of these two shows pointed to a larger trend – both the
rising importance of the C&I dollar from US groups, and the return of Stateside destinations as desirable backdrops for UK event planners.
Indeed, with Cisco, Schroders, Jaguar and Apple all hosting events in the States over the past 18 months, it’s fair to say the USA is enjoying something of a renaissance. A large boost has certainly come from the growing popularity of classic business hubs, such as New York, being seen by corporates as justified destinations for events.
San Francisco is also a favourite, says Sherri Beck, Jack Morton Worldwide’s vice president director of operations, logistics. “Although rates may be a bit higher than other cities, the city itself offers so much and is especially a draw for groups in the tech industry.”
And as C&IT readers report a return to overseas travel, with strong interest in long-haul destinations from the automotive and financial sectors in particular, DBMT managing director David Bottrill agrees that the US is becoming a popular choice once more: “Clients are committing to trips for next year and the perception of long-haul travel isn’t so much of an issue any more.”
Life In Motion Group launches in New York and London, with the US office headed up by ex-Leading Hotels of the World group sales managing director Thorsten Meier.5.1.2010
Apple launched the iPad at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco in January
2010. Other past clients include Oracle and salesforce.com27.1.2010
FICO World 2010, the software provider’s conference, took place at the Intercontinental Miami in April 2010, attracting 639 delegates, up 25% on 2009.25.5.2010
Meeting Professionals International (MPI) will hold its 2011 World Education Congress (WEC) at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Florida. The USA’s second largest conference space was chosen partly for its CSR credentials.29.7.2010
Jaguar appointed Imagination to create seven events at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California. The key sponsor hosted 900 delegates at the week-long August event, which included a reception at the Monterey Jet Centre and a party at The
Beach Club.26.2.2010
The Big Five: Top USC&I destinations
New YorkMiamiVegas
San FranciscoChicago
Source: citmagazine.com
USA IN VOGUE
Top tipThe Department of Homeland Security
announced that applications for an
Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) to
enter the US, under the 90-day Visa Waiver Programme,
now cost $14. Visitors should register at the ESTA website (esta.cbp.dhs.gov)
at least 72 hours prior to travel. Once approved it
